CALL TO CONFESSION

Proverbs 9:9-10

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

    teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Lord of all wisdom, we thank you for the wisdom by which you made this world. You order all nature and history by your wisdom, working all things according to your holy will. You order our personal lives by your wisdom, bringing into them exactly the right combination of joys and sorrows, trials and blessings, to shape us after the image of your beloved Son.

Lord, we confess that we deeply lack wisdom. We have not feared you, but instead have feared people and circumstances, giving the reverence and awe to the created order that belongs to you as our Creator. We have rejected your perfect wisdom, revealed in your Word, preferring to trust the wisdom of this world instead. We have grumbled about your providence and the circumstances of our lives, instead of recognizing and delighting in your Fatherly wisdom that does all things well.

Jesus, thank you that you are the wisdom of God. Living among us as a man, you reverenced your heavenly Father perfectly and always obeyed his wise Word. You never complained about your Father's will for your life, even though it meant learning obedience through suffering. In the end, you paid the penalty that our sinful folly deserved, so that through the wisdom of the cross you might accomplish the Father’s plan to redeem your people.

Spirit of wisdom, teach us to seek after wisdom passionately. Wisdom is your gift; give us hearts that desire it and pursue it. Hasten the day when we will join the crowd around the throne in heaven, lost in reverence before the God of all wisdom, the Lamb slain for our sins. Amen.

“Take a few moments to personally confess your sins to the Lord.”

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

“Hear these words of comfort and assurance.” 

1 Corinthians 1:27-31

27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

• Well we’ve all read or heard stories of or watched movies of or maybe seen ourselves figures in history who were impossible to ignore. Their actions, their exploits, the public narrative around them made them into household names upon which every one at the time had an opinion or a response or a point of view on.
• Likely many political leaders fall into this category, you might think of Lincoln where the confederate southerners stood opposed to him and hated him, and northern democrats thought he was incompetent, northern republicans thought him slow or two soft. The common people loved love, the slaves saw him as the great emancipator, but much of these opinions were solidified as Lincoln proved to have success in his undertakings to free the slaves, keep the union, and win the victory.
• But regardless of what you thought of him, he was a household name, a figure you simply could not ignore. Everyone knew his name and thought something about him.
• And in our passage today we’ll see that the champion of the Lord is impossible to ignore. Whether your response is to love him or jealously oppose him, the Lord’s people can be encouraged that our champion will be successful in all that he sets out to do.

1 Samuel 18:1–16

As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. 5 And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. Saul’s Jealousy of David 6 As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. 7 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” 8 And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 And Saul eyed David from that day on. 10 The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. 11 And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice. 12 Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him. 15 And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.

Vs 1-4

• Now this passage continues on picking up directly from where we’ve been the past 3 Sundays as we’ve been encouraged by the account in 1 Samuel 17 of the great victory and the champion that the Lord sent.
• An unexpected champion in the form of a teenaged boy named David, a shepherd boy, whose trust is in the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, the one who truly fought their battles and defeated the gods of the philistines and their champion Goliath.
• And on the heels of this great victory, David is now becoming acquainted with the household of the king. We saw last week that the king's cousin Abner brought David, carrying the head of Goliath in his hand, to the king of Israel and presented him before him. And the king asks him questions, “Whose son are you?” as he familiarizes himself with this young champion of the Lord.
• But as we’ll see today and next Sunday, it's not just King Saul who is learning who this champion is. His son, his daughters, and all the people of Israel as word spread, quickly knew who David was.
• He’s a champion whose extraordinary actions can’t help but elicit a response from people. They are impossible to ignore.

Knit Together

• So David, having now been brought to the court of the king, is introduced to Jonathan, and it's his response to this young champion that we are first given here. Up to this point in 1st Samuel we’ve only heard good things about Jonathan, but we’ve heard very little of him. Not so in this passage. His response to David is quite revealing about who he is.
• In Vs 1 we’re told “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was Knit to the soul of David.”
• This verse and this relationship is quite famous, isn’t it. Jonathan and David.  The best of friends, the brothers from another mother, they had the closest relationship two dudes can have without it getting weird.
• It says their souls were knit together. I don’t know if anyone here knits, it's kind of an older generation thing or maybe a hipster thing nowadays, but you’ve got two strands of yarn and two needles and those two strands are interlocked together so closely and so tightly that they become one.
• David and Jonathan’s souls were one. They were close, they were on the same page.
• And knowing what we know of these two young men, we shouldn’t find that surprising. Jonathan wasn’t like his father King Saul who shirked back and didn’t step up as God had called him to, but Jonathan was bold, he trusted the Lord, he took action willingly and daringly.
• We saw that back in 1 Samuel 14, right, where Saul and the people were hiding in the cave, and Jonathan said to his armor bearer “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.” Jonathan wasn’t dismayed by the Philistines, the size of their army didn’t matter when pitted against the LORD who could save Israel with as many or as few as he wanted to.
• Doesn’t this sound a lot like David in chapter 17 who upon seeing the reproach that Goliath was bringing on the cowering Israelites said “Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defined the armies of the living God.” And David said “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 
• Both of these young men were convinced of the power and might of the living God in such a way that they saw no enemy that could stand before our God and they were willing to enter into battle with the enemy having full conviction that it was God who would give the victory.
• So it’s no wonder their souls were knit together! These guys were like minded!

Unity

• Sometimes similarities lead to rivalry though, don’t they? With King Saul sitting on the sidelines, Jonathan as the crown prince had been the one going out and attacking Israel’s enemies. But now David had attacked and defeated an even larger enemy than Jonathan. 
• Jonathan had earned recognition for his exploits and forays for the Lord, but David’s recognition and popularity for his exploits for the Lord surpassed as we’ll see all that Jonathan’s were. So there could have been personal rivalry here. There could have been political rivalry with the crown prince on one side and the champion from Bethlehem on the other.
• But in this case, we see no rivalry here. Instead, we see unity. Their souls knit together. This is being tightly knit. Close. In Genesis 44:30, Jacob’s soul was knit with his son Benjamin’s soul. That's family closeness, and that’s what David and Jonathan had. A tight brotherly relationship.
• David would go on to write a psalm expressing the good brothers dwelling together in unity, Psalm 133 which begins: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
• David and Jonathan were essentially now brothers together, they were family.
• I cannot express enough how thankful I am for like minded brothers here at Sent Church. For the family of God! We all come from different places, cultures, walks of life, in various stages of life, and yet by the gracious hand of God, we are unified together as the local bride of Christ, his church, the family and household of the living God. 
• And sadly there are churches and brothers and sisters, even here in our area in which seeds of discord, of strife, of sin and disharmony have been sowed and have lingered, and churches have been split and ripped apart in disunity or rivalry. 
• And so as Jesus prayed for us, may we pray likewise from John 17:11: ““Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one”” The holy Trinity is in perfect unity and may Lord protect us and keep us unified together in Christ!

Love Vs 1

• Well not only was Jonathan’s soul knit with Davids, but it goes on to say that “Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”
• There was genuine love for one another here! Again, given the context, on the one hand from what we know of Jonathan and his character, is it surprising? Probably not so much.
• But given the political situation with his father as the King and David coming up as a rising figure in Israel, it would have been natural for Jonathan to stand against David. And so the surprising thing here is that instead, he joins himself with him, he loves him.
• Love for the champion of the Lord is still surprising people today isn’t it. When the people of God love our champion the world scoffs, they don’t get it.
• Consider what we’re told of our relationship with Christ and the Father in John 14:
• John 14:20-21 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
• There is a close knit relationship there resulting in love! Christ is in the Father, and we are in Christ, and he is in us! And by our obedience to his commands we demonstrate our love for him, and the Father loves us who love the Son, and the son loves us and manifests himself to us!
• That is a beautiful, wonderful, marvelous relationship church! Wonder and praise God for what we have in Christ! It truly is a relationship that the world doesn’t get, and truly it is wonderful.

Covenant Vs 3

• And for Jonathan, because of his love for David, in verse 3 we see he makes a covenant with him. He makes this convent because of his love for him.
• No this was a covenant to be kept. And interestingly, it was a covenant that the crown prince of Israel made with this upcoming hero of Israel. Now you would think that in that situation, the covenant would be one to protect the interests of both parties, maybe keep the equilibrium between each outshining the other, but that’s not what we see here at all. 
• We see Jonathan made a covenant based on his love. There was no selfish ambition here. “Because I love you,” he says, “I’m going to make a commitment to you.” 
• What exactly was the covenant? We aren’t told, but it served as a symbol of the love and friendship between them.

Gifts Vs 4

• In vs 4 we see yet more gestures being made: Jonathan gives David his robe, his armor, his sword, his bow, and his belt. This is not insignificant. These gifts might have been a part of the covenant they made, a symbolic gesture of the covenant, I’m not sure, but just take a moment to think of the magnitude of these gifts.
• Think of the gift of the robe and the symbolism around it. The first robe we saw in 1 Samuel was all the way back in 1st Samuel chapter 2, when Samuel’s mother would make him a robe each year as he served in the temple. And when Samuel was grown and being used by the Lord as a prophet in Israel, we saw his robe used as a symbol of the kingdom of Israel. 
• Remember back in 1 Samuel 15, after Saul has sinned, and Samuel pronounced “The Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” And “Saul seized the skirt of his robe” we’re told, “and it tore. And Samuel said to him ‘The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day.’” 
• And now we have prince Jonathan giving his royal robes to David, the anointed one of God, and in essence bestowing upon him his own claim to the kingdom. He’s giving David all the rights that he would have as prince and heir to the throne, giving them over to the future king of Israel. Wow!
• Same idea with his giving of the royal armor. This is the armor, the sword, the weapons and gear of the crown prince, and he goes “here David, I give these to you, as a symbol of my love. As a symbol of my own release of my rights as prince and I freely bestow them up on you. You will increase and I will decrease. My love and support of you is so strong that I am happiest when I see you prosper and succeed and take the place of leadership over Israel.”

David’s Success Vs 2, 5

• And that’s what happened didn’t it. Vs 5 “And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war.  And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.”
• We saw earlier in 1st Samuel that King Saul would gather to himself all the strong, talented, fighting men he could find. Instead of fighting the battles himself, he got the most elite team he could to fight for him. And in verse 2, with David having slain the giant Goliath, Saul sticks to his MO: it says there “And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his fathers house. ”David - your a champion, my kind of guy. I’m gonna keep you around so you can make me look good and win battles for me. You seem to be successful, be successful for me.”
• Well for all Saul’s faults, you can’t fault that logic can you. David goes out and is successful wherever Saul sent him. The Lord was with him, wasn’t he. And the Lord gives him success. So Saul promotes him, sets him over the men of war.
• And in this passage we can’t help but stop and take notice of the differences in how David was received. When the son of Jesse arrived, we see Jonathan received him with love and friendship and surrendered his privileges and honors to him. When the young man from Bethlehem came, Jonathan wasn’t the same any longer for the new relationship he had with David.
• We can’t say the same for King Saul. His history showed that he would gather the valiant to himself, take the choicest men, just as Samuel had prophesied a king would do. And when David arrives, Saul doesn’t change at all. He keeps doing what he has been doing, adding men to his side, no change, no course correction.
• Even the people have a reaction to this young man! David is now going about kingdom business before the people and we’re told it was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
• The people took notice and his successes are seen as good! He’s doing good work!
• Samuel said this would happen, didn’t he? 1 Samuel 15:28 “And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.”
• The people have seen what they got with Saul, and they’ve seen what David is doing, and the future king after the Lord’s own heart is better than their king! The Lord’s champion is better!
• Church, our champion is better! Better than any earthly leader, our king has success in all that he does! And all that he does is good! Do you see that? Do you believe that? Some people look at Christ and mock him, reject him, revile him. They don’t believe that he is good and is working good and that all that he does will be successful! We rest in the success of the cross! 
• Or are you like Saul? The champion has come and nothing has changed for you. You're still walking the same path, you recognize the champion, you want the benefits of the champion without having a heart for the champion. 
• Jonathan had a heart for the champion didn’t he. He drew close to him, loved him, gave him everything, and their souls were knit together!
• The champion of the Lord is far better and far greater than the kings of the nations.
• And the champion of the Lord is impossible to ignore.

• And eventually, Saul does have a response to this new champion, but it’s not a good one is it.
• David, having slain the giant Goliath, returns from the valley where the battle was fought. And before he arrives in the city, word has spread among the people about the great victory.
• Remember, the Philistines were the primary most dangerous threat to Israel and now that threat has been overcome. The battle, by way of victory over their champion, had been won, and the people are celebrating! They are going nuts! Our biggest enemy has been defeated!
• But the women came out and are singing and celebrating, and it says to meet King Saul! He’s the king! There was a great victory to celebrate and receive him and his army back!
• Now this isn’t the first time we’ve read of King Saul being received with tambourines and musical instruments. Remember back in 1 Samuel 10, one of the signs for Saul that he was the appointed king was that he would meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourines, flute, and lyre! And Saul joins them and prophesies, hence the then famous saying “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
• Well in this case, there is a new saying, or rather a new song that accompanies the music: “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
• Now this probably wasn’t meant in an underhanded jab at Saul. This is Hebrew poetry which uses parallelism where you have a line with a number and then a second line with an even greater number.
• For example Psalm 91:7 “7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you."
• Or what Lamech says of his revenge in Genesis 4:24: “24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.” 
• So this isn’t necessarily meant to insult Saul, it’s more of a poetic style of celebration! In this form, it’s Saul and David together as the victors, they have struck down thousands and ten thousands. The king and the champion.
• But, that’s not how Saul receives it is it. The glory of the victory isn’t all his this time, he’s having to share it with a shepherd boy! 
• Last time we saw another champion win for him it was prince Jonathan, remember when he boldly attacked the philistine garrison, the attack that Saul was supposed to have done, and then we read that all Israel heard not of Jonathan’s victory, but of Saul’s victory! Saul received all the glory in that case! 
• But now he’s having to share it with David, and maybe he’s beginning to remember Samuel’s prophecy that the kingdom would be given to one better than him.
• And so Saul’s response to this song of celebration and victory isn’t to get out and dance alongside the people, but rather it says in verse 8 1 Samuel 18:8 “And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?”
• He is angry. Very angry. This song displeased him. And he sounds kind of whiny doesn’t he. “They said that David got 10 thousands but I only got thousands, it's not fair! What more glory can they give to him, my entire kingdom?”
• And in verse 9 it says he began to eye David from that day. That look that seethes from within towards someone else, not because of who they are but because of what they have. What a different response from Jonathan’s. You’d have thought that Jonathan would have been the one to be jealous of David if anyone, but he responded with love. But with Saul, it’s pure jealousy isn’t it. 
• Jealousy is a sinister feeling isn’t it, that overwhelming fear of losing what you have to someone. David as the champion received glory, even alongside Saul, but he couldn’t handle that. He couldn’t share that. He was jealous that David received any glory at all and fearful that he’d lose his own.
• That type of jealousy comes from the flesh.
• Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3 that “For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?”. 
• So before you pass your own self examination when it comes to jealousy, note what Paul noted here: Jealousy can happen within the church!
• We are not immune to it! In fact, if you were born with a sin nature, and all of us are, then there is a distinct possibility that you have and could engage in jealousy!
• Now, if you're planning on finding me after service and informing me that God is a jealous God, I’ll save you time.
• To be jealous when something that rightfully is yours is given to another isn’t wrong. When the Lord is deserving of all glory and honor and his people give that glory to an idol and worship a fake God, he is jealous for the worship and honor and glory that is due to him.
• Jealousy though in its sinful form is to be controlled by our own fleshly desires and errantly wish that something someone else has belongs to you or fear they might take something you are desperately holding on to.
• Jealousy can take the form of wishing your family or your situation or your finances or your spiritual gifts or your home or your job or your position or influence was, not the one you’ve been blessed with, but with the one someone else has been blessed with.
• If you are unable to celebrate others accomplishments, blessings, or service, and rather feel a little resentment that it's happening to them instead of you, there might be some jealousy there.
• Thankfully we have scripture to remind us of the truth that it’s God who is sufficient in every situation, that he has blessed us beyond belief in Christ, and that he will supply our every need.
• We’re reminded there to “not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
• We’re reminded that “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
• And the Lord has blessed us with sending his Spirit to dwell within us and convict us to repentance when we do give way to jealousness and envy.
• Saul here certainly gives way to jealousy and it affects him. He eyes David, his view of him begins to twist, and now where does that lead?

Harmful Spirit

• 1 Samuel 18:10-11 “10 The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. 11 And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.”
• You’ll recall that Saul had previously had the Spirit of the Lord rush upon him, and he had prophesied. Now we read it's a different Spirit from God that rushes on him, a harmful one, and he raves within his house. 
• Back in chapter 16 Dan covered the passage where we read of this same harmful Spirit from God tormenting Saul. It would come upon him suddenly, affecting him, and so had David come in these times and play music with the lyre, and it would refresh and soothe King Saul. 
• So now we see this situation here - Saul has this harmful Spirit rush upon him and he’s sitting there with a spear in hand, and there is David playing music to soothe him, but this time Saul, having been eyeing David, consumed with jealousy, and now raving in his house, the thought occurs to him to send that spear right into him and pin him to the wall. 
• And he hurls it, but David evades it, not just once, but twice. Sauls' jealousy and eyeing of David now leads to an evil intent towards him, attempted murder, and now we see that the love Saul had had for David in chapter 16 and the favor he had had for him was completely gone.
• There is nothing left. This champion is better, this champion is gaining glory and favor, the Lord is with him - And Saul goes nope, I don’t like this one bit.
• Saul is having the opposite reaction to David from the love that Jonathan has for him. And we see now the contrast between Saul and David is becoming more and more apparent.
• David is filled with the Spirit that had rushed upon him, but the Spirit had departed Saul.
• David holds the lyre in his hand, making melody to the Lord, but Saul holds a spear with evil intent.
• Once again, we see that the champion of the Lord is impossible to ignore, but now instead of love, the reaction of Saul turns hostile and opposed to the anointed champion.

David’s Continued Success

• In the final section of this passage we see the overwhelming success and responses to David, the anointed of the Lord.
• In both vs 12 and 14 we’re told that the Lord was with David. The Lord was with him! Strengthening his hand! Working all things together for good for David, right? Saul kicks him out from his presence, his “favor” is gone, and he puts David instead as a commander of a thousand, which maybe was a demotion instead of a promotion given that in verse five Saul had set him over the men of war. 
• But God doesn’t need mans favor to bring success to his purposes does he! Because the Lord is with David, he has success in all his undertakings. He has great success we’re told a second time of him in verse 15. Likely success in making war, in the various military exploits and excursions he and the men under him went in to and had victory. 
• But notice that we see here two responses to David and his continued success. 

Saul’s Response

• For King Saul we’re told he was afraid of David. Literally here he’s afraid of David’s face, because the Lord is with David, but he’s departed from Saul.
• That is a fearful place to be. Without the Lord with you and faced with the champion of the Lord, the one filled with the Spirit of the Lord, and thinking back to words of Samuel “Saul, your not the king the Lord desires for his people. He desires a man after his own heart. He called you to love the Lord and obey him and you’ve chosen disobedience. You’ve chosen fear and apathy and chosen to not step out in faith and obedience to arise and champion the people.”
• And so he’s now faced with the champion that will. The Lord is now giving David success in all that he does, and Saul sees this and stands in fearful awe of him. This isn’t just a great fighter. This isn’t just a heroic champion. There is something more here, and Saul knows it, and is filled with fear and awe.
• Fear and awe will be the response of all who don’t embrace the champion of the Lord. One day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to, regardless of how strongly they opposed him.

People’s Response

• Saul’s response isn’t the response of the people to the champion. As David goes out and comes in before them, and as a contrast to King Saul’s fear and awe, its not just his own tribe of Judah, but all Israel, the whole kingdom, we’re told they loved him.
• That is the right response to the Lord’s anointed champion! This champion fought their battles for them. This champion was filled with the Spirit of the Lord. This champion did not cower back or hide from the enemy but boldly went out and returned victorious, strengthened by the Lord of hosts! And they loved him!
• This champion with a small core of men, leader of just a thousand, is actively fighting their battles and gaining the victory. He’s among them, not far off, not hidden in a tent or the royal court, he is the champion that the Lord provided, and he is good and victorious and they love him!

Our Response

• Do you love the Lord’s anointed one? The Lion of the tribe of Judah? Our champion who fought our enemy, sin, death, the devil, and has triumphed on our behalf, filled with the Spirit of the Lord! Do you love him? Is this your response to him?
• King Saul encountered this champion of the Lord and was filled with fear. The people encountered the champion and they were filled with love.
• All through scripture we encounter the greater champion of the Lord don’t we.
• We see that our champion came to our rescue in a mighty and powerful way. Even before we knew that we were in need of rescue and salvation. Even though we are unworthy of his rescue.
• We see that our champion Jesus was perfect, the prince of peace, the mighty God!
• And we see that our champion left heaven, and went out and came in before the people, healing the sick, the lame, the blind. Filled with compassion and love for those who were like a sheep without a shepherd.
• And he saw our lost and broken condition, and in obedience to the Lord of Hosts and in love for us, he championed our cause didn’t he. He went to the cross, bearing our sins, our guilt, our shame, and he gave himself as the sacrifice required for our salvation, and then in victory he rose again, conquering death once and for all, securing the salvation for his people, and now he is exalted by the Father as the glorious, mighty champion that he is.
• And as your presented with him, what is your response? Fear of this triumphant victor who now reigns? Turn to him in humble repentance and trust in the salvation he offers you. Don’t be like Saul and reject the anointed champion of the Lord.
• And do you love him? Is that your response church as we consider Christ? Not a love like the world offers, not fleeting conditional love, or a self serving love, but one that when we consider him before us we respond overwhelmingly with love for him?!
• Love is the proper response. Love is the response of the people of God! It’s the command we have and evidenced by the obedience we show to him. 
• Deut 10:12-15 12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. 15 Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day."
• Love him, serve him, keep his commands. To him belong all of creation and yet he set his heart in love upon his people, chosen and precious to himself. 
• He has done this, the Lord himself, in choosing us, sending a champion for us, loving us, and so what does he require of us? To be in awe of him, to walk in his ways, follow his laws, love him because he is worthy of our love, and to keep his commands which he gives and which are for our good!
• And so the apostle John writes “We love him because he first loved us.” And from that love then is shown our obedience. John 14:15, right? If you love me Jesus says, then obey me.

CONCLUSION

• What is your response today? Jealousy, hate, and fear of the champion of the Lord like Saul? 
• The call for you today is to repent and embrace the champion of the Lord! To call upon him for salvation and submit to him as Lord over all! If that’s you don’t delay! Do it today! Find me after service and let me pray for you but trust in the champion the Lord has provided for you!
• Is your response love, deference, and obedience to the true and good king we have in Christ?
• Maybe your response is Lord I love you. Help me to love you more! Help me to see you afresh as the champion you! Remind me yet again of the victory you’ve accomplished on my behalf!
• Maybe as you’ve considered this passage this morning there are areas in your life which don’t reflect your love for him as evidenced by missing obedience. Areas you have not yet surrendered to the Lord. Things you don’t trust him to champion, things you are comfortable with him not being the champion of, areas you’d rather keep championing yourself.
• Repent and turn today and submit in obedience. And then embrace our champion Jesus who is for us, who fights for us, who is full of gracy and mercy and love for us in boundless measure!
• The champion of the Lord is impossible to ignore. Whether your response is to love him or jealously oppose him, be encouraged that our champion will be successful in all that he sets out to do.
• May his love with which he loved us first now fill us with love and obedience to our true and good champion.

APPLICATION AND REFLECTION

In light of today's message....

• What did I learn about the gospel?
• How can I apply what I learned about the gospel to my life?
• With whom can I share the gospel this week?