Why, How, & What | 1 Samuel 13:7-15; 16:1-13; 17:31-52

This message was preached at Sherwood Community Friends Church on Sunday, September 10, 2023. You can watch the video in full by clicking below.

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Last week, Bob talked about The Jesus Way. He walked us through the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5-7. This is Jesus’ manifesto on how to live the lifestyle of following Him. 

We learned that the Jesus’ way is disruptive to the world around us. This is why Jesus himself even tells us “‘If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.’” (John 15:18-19, CSB) Bob reminded us that the goal of following Jesus is not about the afterlife of Heaven, rather the goal is to live in the Kingdom of Heaven TODAY, on this earth. Following the life of Jesus brings us into a life of joy and to live as a justice-bringer in a world desperate for justice.

As many of you know, my resumé has not always included church work. The majority of my resumé is littered with business experience, management, and customer service. In my business exposure, I’ve come across a number of different thought leaders, and I wanted to share some insights from one of them today.

This is a clip from Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk, which he gave in 2009. The full video, which you can find on YouTube, continues to be a driving force in the business thought-leadership world. So what does this mean for us today?

Our Why

As Christians, what is our why? Christ is our WHY. Our driving force for everything we do - raising kids, playing with grandkids, mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, having dinner with friends, enjoying that morning cup of coffee, supporting our spouse, going to work and working hard - if we are centering our driving force on our why, then this is all done in pursuit of loving union with Jesus. Jesus affirms this:

“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. REMAIN IN MY LOVE.” Jn 15:9 CSB

“But SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Mt 6:33, CSB

“He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your strength, and with ALL your mind.” Lk 10:27, CSB

We are going to spend some time looking at the life of David. We’ll be in 1 Samuel 16, so feel free to turn there in your Bibles. Now, David is a great example of what it means to live with God as your center. But David was also a pretty sinful guy. Most famously, he abused his power to sleep with a woman who was married to someone else. When she became pregnant and her husband Uriah refused to sleep with her because there was a war going on, David - the king, the man after God’s own heart - had Uriah killed in battle. 

However, this sermon isn’t about David’s eventual repentance and course correction, but I think it’s important to acknowledge that to be someone “after God’s own heart” we don’t need to be perfect, sinless, exceptional, or anything else unattainable. 

Let’s pick up the text.

1 Samuel 16, Verse 1: “The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected for myself a king from his sons.”

Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!”

The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate to you.”

Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?”

“In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before him.”

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”

Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said. Then Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.” After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance.

Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”

But Lisa, where does it say that God was his center? How do we know that David’s heart was really after God?

To that I would reply… read the book of Psalms. 

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd; 

I have what I need.

He lets me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside quiet waters.

He renews my life;

he leads me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

Even when I go through the darkest valley,

I fear no danger,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff—they comfort me.

Psalm 24:1-2

The earth and everything in it,

the world and its inhabitants,

belong to the Lord;

for he laid its foundation on the seas

and established it on the rivers.

Or Psalm 25

Lord, I appeal to you.

My God, I trust in you.

Do not let me be disgraced;

do not let my enemies gloat over me.

No one who waits for you

will be disgraced;

those who act treacherously without cause

will be disgraced.

Make your ways known to me, Lord;

teach me your paths.

Psalm after psalm of David’s recognition that it is God who sustains him. It’s God who sustains him, who brings life to him, who pulls him out of despair, and who champions his victories. 

When he’s faced the giant Goliath, he’s not concerned with the how or the what. He’s concerned with his WHY - the who that is at his center.

1 Samuel 17:26 “David spoke to the men who were standing with him: “”...Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

And when David and his army brought back the Ark of the Covenent, what was David’s response:

2 Samuel 6:17-18 “They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the Lord’s presence. When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Armies.”

It’s so easy for us to be in a place of desperation and say “GOD HELP US!” But even in victory, David declares the goodness of God, giving honor to the One who sustains him.

Like David, the core of our attention, of our effort, of our energy must be centered on our union with Him. This means that our driving focus is not on ME, MY work, MY friend circle, who I’M connected with, or even how I do things. There’s a place for the HOW but first we must have our WHY in the right place.

Our How

Once we have established our WHY, we can then focus on the HOW.  This is the nuts and bolts of how we operate, how we enter into the world around us, to engage with the world in a way that brings the Jesus as the light of our life into their life. This is the execution and implementation of our life. 

• This is your set of personal values that you live your life by.

• This is the job you choose, the school you choose, the hobbies you choose, the home you choose.

• These are the friends you decide to be around. 

• This is what you fill your calendar with. 

• This is what your bank account looks like. 

Make no mistake - even though David had God at his center, he was quite strategic in his battle against Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:31-40 “What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, so he had David brought to him. David said to Saul, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged by him; your servant will go and fight this Philistine!”

But Saul replied, “You can’t go fight this Philistine. You’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since he was young.”

David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” Then David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”

Then Saul had his own military clothes put on David. He put a bronze helmet on David’s head and had him put on armor. David strapped his sword on over the military clothes and tried to walk, but he was not used to them. “I can’t walk in these,” David said to Saul, “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off. Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd’s bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.”

Strategy is important. It’s taking an assessment of what we have as we enter into the mission God has given to every single one of us. David battled lions and bears out in the pasture. He was comfortable to fight against enemies bigger than him so he was confident in his skills. 

Now, Saul had a lot on the line. If the Israelites lost against Goliath, they would all become slaves of the Philistines. This wasn’t a “go play little boy” dismissal. Saul was really trusting David. But when Saul tried to outfit David into tools and clothing that he wasn’t comfortable with, David simply responded, “This won’t work for me.” 

How many times do I try to put something that works for me onto someone else? How many times do you do the same? How many times has someone tried to tell you This is the way that works, but it just doesn’t work for you?

So, how do you know what works for you? How do you know your specific gifts, talents, passions, and abilities? And how do you know how to use them for your role in God’s kingdom? Take an assessment or an inventory of yourself. 

Consider your S.H.A.P.E. - an acronym developed by Rick Warren to identify your sweet spot.

S – Spiritual Gifts: What natural gifts do you possess?

H – Heart: What do you have passion for and love to do? What motivates and invigorates you so you are full engaged?

A – Abilities: What talents and skills do you have and have you learned?

P – Personality: Where does your personality best suit you to serve and work? What is your natural approach to life and relationships?

E – Experience: What experiences do you have that has molded you into who you are today?

I also preached some on this a little over a year ago, in a sermon called “Empowered by the Holy Spirit” during our Third Person: Understanding the Holy Spirit series. We’ll include the link in this week’s newsletter for you to watch again for reference. 

Here are a few things about my shape:

• My spiritual gifts are equally Teaching and Administration

• My strengths are Communication and Strategy

• My personality tends to be more introverted and feelings-oriented, in-tune with what’s going on in a room. I’m also a creative thinker.

• My vocational experiences include project management, human resources, and customer service

• My passion is to see people who believe in Jesus to be all in with God with their whole lives so they can make disciples too

• My abilities include tech savvyness, writing, public speaking, cooking, and hospitality

When we understand ourselves and what we bring to the table, we experience confidence, freedom and clarity in plotting out our strategy.

Our What

So we have our WHY, then our HOW. Now we get to the WHAT. The WHAT are the things we do. 

1 Samuel 17:41-52 “The Philistine came closer and closer to David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a youth, healthy and handsome. He said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?” Then he cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” the Philistine called to David, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts!”

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel—you have defied him. Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God, and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s. He will hand you over to us.”

When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in the bag, took out a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown to the ground. David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. David overpowered the Philistine and killed him without having a sword. David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword, pulled it from its sheath, and used it to kill him. Then he cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they fled. The men of Israel and Judah rallied, shouting their battle cry, and chased the Philistines to the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Philistine bodies were strewn all along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.”

The WHAT is the actual execution of what we have strategized. What did David do? Killed Goliath.

After we have the WHY & the HOW it becomes clear WHAT we are supposed to be doing. 

I told you about my HOW - who I am. Of the things I listed, I’m wired to teach, I have the ability to public speak, and I’m passionate about making disciples. So, I find myself up here today giving a sermon. I am also a decent cook, hospitable, and a creative thinker - so I enjoy hosting people at our home or finding other ways to build relationships in creative ways.

What happens when we are out of order?

What happens when we live out of order? What happens when we operate out of a task list of what we are supposed to do, rather than focusing on our WHY first, and letting everything flow from that. 

Let’s turn to 1 Samuel 13:7. As you find this in your Bible, let me lay a little context for you. This story is about David’s predecessor Saul, who we mentioned in our previous story. He was the first king appointed over Israel and Samuel was the messenger of God. Currently, they are waiting to go to battle.

Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear. He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering.

Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, and Samuel asked, “What have you done?”

Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, I thought, ‘The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”

Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel, but now your reign will not endure. The Lord has found a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.” Then Samuel went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul registered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.

1 Sa 13:7-15, CSB

Not only did Saul hurry the process by doing this sacrifice on his own and not following Samuel’s instructions, but his hurried actions were opposing to God’s direct instructions as well. 

How many times have I been like Saul? Rushing to check off the list of all the right things to do without waiting on God’s presence or timing? What inheritance have I missed out on because of my haste? When we move in OUR order - rushing into the WHAT and the HOW without having our WHY in place and healthy - we miss so much goodness that God has in store.

Macro Why, How, & Why

In an interview with Christian Podcaster Carey Nieuwhof, Simon Sinek says this with regard to the church, “People talk about the declining membership to churches these days and yet you see rising discussion about Eastern philosophies and spirituality discussions. It’s not that people are losing their spirituality. It’s that the church is losing its relevance. People are spiritual in search of community, in search of belief, in search of belonging, in search of hope, in search of vision and they’re not getting it.” 

The truth is that we have what people are searching for. We have belief, belonging, hope, vision. We have our WHY in focus as a church. Jesus. We are committed followers of Jesus first, following his pathway. 

Our HOW at Sherwood Friends are those 4 words out on the wall - Belonging, Pursuing, Sharing, and Honoring. These are our values that are our differentiators and our strategy for determining the WHAT we will do as a church.

Our WHATs are our Sunday services. Movie Nights. The Garage Sale. Trunk or Treat. Christmas Eve & Easter Services. And the list goes on. These things - activities - are the WHAT that comes out of the HOW that comes out of the WHY.

How do we invite people to come be a part of what God is doing here, to experience the life, joy, and purpose in our relationship with him?

To pull from Sinek’s talk, I imagine many church invitations across America sound something like this: - We have a great church service on Sunday mornings. We sing songs and our pastor preaches out of the Bible. Sometimes we do other things - like meet for small groups or serve in our community. Wanna join us?

What if we flipped the narrative? What if our invitations to people looked more like this: 

My life is centered on Jesus because he gives me joy and purpose. I’ve learned about him and what it means to be a Christian by being connected with other Christians who teach me what the Bible says. We have a service Sunday morning… I’d love if you joined me. I’ll save you a seat.

OPEN WORSHIP

-Do you know your WHY? Is your center Jesus?

-Do you know your HOW? What has God equipped you for?

-Are you clear in your WHAT in God's Kingdom?

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