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Outline:
Introduction
Delay before the Promise
Purpose Partnerships
We need to follow God’s will versus our own
Conclusion
Scripture
Acts 13:21-23
1 Samuel 17:14-16
1 Samuel 18:1-4
1 Samuel 30:3-8
Introduction
Acts 13:21-23
21Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My [f]will.’ 23From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus,
Saul was king for 40 years
David is the person with the most written about him in the Bible second to Jesus
David is the only person in the Bible with the title “man after God‘s own heart“
God’s measurement for leadership is the heart
Even though David messed up Big… That is not what he’s known as
Isn’t it comforting to know that God doesn’t identify us by our biggest mistake
He identifies us by our heart
Finding Your Purpose in Life Series
The two greatest days in your life are:
the day you were born
the day you figure out why you were born
– Mark Twain
The Bible tells us that everything was created by God, the Designer, for a reason
If you want to find your purpose… You have to start with God
Your calling is the purpose that God created you for
It's the end goal of your assignment on earth
It is your part in serving God’s purposes in the world
A Christian’s Callings
Christians have
General callings
A Unique calling
General Christian Assignments
All Christians are called to:
To Love God
Love your neighbor
Make disciples
Be conformed to the image of Christ – sanctification
Unique Calling
You were given unique
Natural ability
Acquired skills
Spiritual Gifts
Personality
Desires and preferences
Life experiences
All of this makes you uniquely qualified to glorify God and to serve others
In this series we will discover:
What a purpose is
Why it matters
What makes you unique
How your life experiences have prepared you for your calling
Methods to uncover your purpose
How to overcome the barriers preventing you from pursuing your purpose
Throughout this next year, I will walk alongside you and help guide you to finding your purpose
Review of Let David Lead You to Your Purpose - Part 1
David’s Life Was Preparing Him for His Position
David Was Anointed King by Samuel
David become Saul’s musician
David’s Skill Opened the Door for Him
David is described as:
skillful musician
a valiant mighty man
a warrior
skillful in speech
handsome man
The Lord is with him
David was serving Saul before the Goliath battle
Even though David killed Goliath, that wasn’t his initial access into the palace.
God will make sure that the place you need to be needs the talents that you have
David & Goliath: The sword will be useless
David was playing the harp for Saul and tending the sheep for his father
Israel went to war with the Philistines
Goliath issued a challenge to fight one man from the Israelite army to determine who wins the war
David volunteered
Saul offered David his sword and armor
No one in Israel would’ve been able to kill Goliath with that sword
The traditional method of warfare was not going to be effective against Goliath
David used what worked for him as a shepherd
Facing Your Goliath
You may encounter a giant problem and realize that the normal ways to solve it… Won’t work in this situation
You may find that skills that you used in a previous period of your life may prove essential for your current problem
When you stand before Goliath…
… It is your journey that will matter at that moment
You will need to look at the tools that you’ve developed over your life and use the appropriate one at the appropriate moment
Let the Holy Spirit lead you
Your skill will open the door to your purpose
https://youtube.com/shorts/HoXsnN5Kwaw?is=apTNgUAU8sAFnV8j
Story: called to teach
Wasn’t interested in teaching
tutored in college
Had a tutoring company
Delay before the Promise
1 Samuel 17:14-16
14So David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, 15but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 16And the Philistine came forward morning and evening, and took his stand for forty days.
40 days
So David was going back-and-forth from the battle lines to the field to tend the sheep
After the Anointing
After Samuel anointed David
The spirit of God was on him for the rest of his life
But his responsibilities didn’t change
David was anointed for something he wasn’t prepared for
After David got anointed, he went back to tending sheep.
Even if God reveals your purpose… You still have to continue on your journey
Otherwise, you will be completely unprepared for what he has for you
The purpose of the anointing is for God to reveal your purpose to you and everyone around you
Our appointing doesn’t show up immediately after our anointing
Saul’s appointing came right after his anointing
that’s why he wasn’t strong enough to stay there when he got there
The Wilderness
We see a pattern in the Bible where God anoints the person to their assignment, but shortly after that they fall into some type of hardship
We have to go through the season of disappointing
that’s the season where God prepares you
it makes you strong enough to stay in a position he gives you when you get there
Israelites
The Israelites didn’t encounter Giants when they left Egypt. They faced Giants when they got to the promised land.
God will tells us what our calling is, but we don’t get to step into it immediately
We often go into a wilderness period
The wilderness season prepares you for the assignment that you were called to
character
Patience
Forgiveness
Courage
Boundaries
Relationship with God
View of the world
Pruning Relationships
Israelites in the Dessert
In the desert for 40 years
It takes 40 years to prepare you
Jesus example
Jesus was anointed for ministry.
He was then led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil
40 days
Moses Example
Moses knew that he was supposed to deliver Israel.
That’s why he killed an Egyptian
After that,he was sent into the wilderness to tend sheep
for 40 years
David
Saul was king for 40 years
In ancient Hebrew literature and biblical theology, the number 40 is a symbolic marker representing a complete period of testing, trial, transformation, and preparation before a new chapter or divine promise begins.
The "40-Unit" Progression Pattern
Notice how the scale of "40" escalates throughout the scripture depending on the scope of the transition:
1. 40 Days: Individual transformation and spiritual testing (Jesus fasting, Moses on Sinai, Elijah traveling, Jonah giving Nineveh 40 days to repent).
2. 40 Years: National or generational transformation (Israelites wandering the desert, Moses' three 40-year life phases: Egypt, Midian shepherd, desert leader).
3. 40 Generations: Cosmic/Messianic transformation (Matthew's genealogy traces ~40 generations from Abraham through David to Jesus, bringing the grand narrative full circle).
Whenever "40" appears in biblical stories, it signals to the reader that the period of hardship or waiting is not random—it has a defined end point, and the entity emerging on the other side will be fundamentally changed.
The pattern of the wilderness
David had to go through the wilderness
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8vChTPC/
Who am I becoming while I wait
Leaving the Wilderness
Maybe you are faced with a giant in your life
Financial debt.
Relationship issues.
A layoff.
The health scare
Addictions
We only step into our calling if we successfully navigate the Wilderness season
You might still be in the wilderness because you didn’t learn the lesson
You keep repeating the same cycle
You can’t get to the Promised Land until you master the wilderness
Discussion
Has there been a time when what you thought you heard God say didn’t align with your
Previous experiences
Gifts and talents
Interests
Resources
Status
Parents or friends expectations
Five year plan
Can you think of a time that you got opposition as soon as you started making progress?
Did you have opposition after you chose to become a Christian?
Have you ever experienced growth during a wilderness season?
Purpose Partnerships
David killed Goliath
1 Samuel 18:1-4
1 Now it came about, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that Jonathan committed himself to David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. 2 And Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his military gear, including his sword, his bow, and his belt.
The Pivot
Surrendering Royalty: Jonathan was the crown prince—the rightful heir to the throne. By giving David his royal robe, belt, and sword, Jonathan was symbolically transferring the royal destiny to David.
Saul and Jonathan were from the tribe of Benjamin… Where Kings come from
David was from the tribe of Judah… Which means praise.
This was more than two boys exchanging clothes.
This was two tribes switching their prophetic destiny
Judah entered into its destiny through David
It Fit
Saul's armor did not fit David.
What is the likelihood that Jonathan‘s clothes were the exact size that David needed
it all fit.
The robe.
The tunic
The sword.
It was divinely ordained
Purpose partnerships
Principal
Sometimes God will put people in your life for a season to partner with you on your purpose
”purpose partnerships” – Partnerships with people who God has intended to help you walk in to your purpose
– Paul Sheppard
Story: Starting Road Warrior Network
Wanted to start a company
Said it wouldn’t be anything technical
My coworker suggested I start a consulting company
Worked with me on a business model
Would stay up to midnight discussing the business
God will raise up people to help you make it happen
He helped David to fit into an environment where he didn’t fit
One minute he was dressed like a shepherd boy, and the next minute he was dressed like a prince
Stop worrying about what you don’t have. God has already taken it into consideration.
When you get to the right place… Everything you need will already be there
We ran 101 miles
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUQFxZIEVOB/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Discussion
Have you ever had someone help you who you weren’t expecting help from?
Have you had someone who you partnered with during some season of your life?
Have you made any relationships that ended up being important later in your life?
We need to follow God’s will versus our own
God gave the people what they wanted
God wanted Israel to be a nation led by Him, but they wanted a king like the other nations
from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.
1 Samuel 9:2
God gave them the worst judgment they could get…
… He gave them what they wanted
Have you ever asked God for something and you got it… And regretted it?
A job
a boyfriend or girlfriend
Often times what we want is not what God wants
The prayer we should pray is “Lord give me what you desire for my life“
“Because what you desire is more than what I desire“
Saul sought after a medium
When Saul couldn’t hear from God, he turned to other sources.
He went and sought out a medium (the witch of Endor)
In this current season, we will be tempted to turn to ChatGPT when we can’t hear from God
Turn to Google
Do not let AI replace the voice of God in your life
David inquired of God before a battle
1 Samuel 30:3-8
3 When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. 5 Now David’s two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 Also, David was in great distress because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David felt strengthened in the LORD his God. 7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this band of raiders? Will I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue everyone.”
An army had taken David’s family
The other victims wanted to kill David
David didn’t let his anger decide.
David didn’t let his tiredness decide
David didn’t let the fact that the people that he was going to help wanted to kill him decide
David didn’t let the fact that he was outnumbered decide
David let God decide
Pride versus fear
When we have a problem we can either
Believe we can solve it on our own
Become afraid
Both of these are inappropriate responses to a giant
Discussion
What is the first thing you turn to when you encounter a problem in your life?
Call friend
Rely on your own wisdom and resources
Ask ChatGPT
Pray to God?
Do you often worry about an issue longer than you should?
When you encounter an issue are you more likely to fall into pride or fear?
Conclusion
David was called a man after God‘s own heart even though he had moral failings
King Saul saught after the medium to help him decide what to do
The famous words “obedience is better than sacrifice” was uttered to Saul because he didn’t follow the details of God‘s command to him even though he executed the major task
Whenever David was deciding whether or not to go to war… He would consult with God first
Saul had the fear of men.
David had fear of God.
Saul… Had worry
David… Had worship
Saul wanted man’s applause.
David wanted God’s presence
In life we have challenges and choices every day.
It is tempting to:
lean on our own understanding
Do what has worked for us in the past
Do what everyone else does it
Do what your friends recommend
God wants us to seek his council first
Let prayer be your first response to the Giants in your life
Then you can be a man/woman after God’s own heart
Presenter: Michael Leadon
References
“transition through warfare”
Pastor Paul Sheppard
The point of a pivot – TD Jakes
TPH Dallas
Man after God’s own heart David series part one pipe, Pastor Paul Doherty.
Victory, Church
Extra
Why didn’t Saul know who David’s father was
Scholars debate why after David killed Goliath, Saul asked who David was
He worked part-time?
Saul‘s memory was going.
David was too young for warfare
David was 16 and you needed to be 20
He remembered David, but he just never knew who his father was. Kings wouldn’t know who the fathers of all of their servants are.
