Richmond Community Church

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | Blubrry | Podcast Index | Email | RSS

Sermon Audio: Saul Pursued by David
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 23:15-29
Duration: 20:54
Size: 14.3 MB

The Life of David
Saul Pursued by David
I Samuel 23:15-29

Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven.

I. God Provides Encouragement When Needed (I Samuel 23:15-18)
A. The Threat (I Samuel 23:15)
It is likely that David was discouraged because Saul had come out to seek his life.

B. The Friendship (I Samuel 23:16-18)
But Jonathan came to David and strengthened his hand in God.

II. God Provides Protection When Needed (I Samuel 23:19-29)
A. The Threat (I Samuel 23:19-24)
Undoubtedly, word of Saul’s slaughter of the entire town of Nob prompted the Ziphites to take preventive action.

B. The Escape (I Samuel 23:24-29)
If we were watching a movie of this scene, the music would be at a crescendo and we would be on the edge of our seats waiting for Saul and his men to capture David and his men.

God provides protection to you and me when we need it too.

God is exceedingly capable of protecting his people in a myriad of ways.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | Blubrry | Podcast Index | Email | RSS

Sermon Audio: David Saves the City
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 23:1-14
Duration: 23:21
Size: 16.0 MB

The Life of David
David Saves the City
I Samuel 23:1-14

One sign of David’s trust in the Lord is seen in how he sought the Lord’s guidance in different circumstances.

You want to follow the Lord, and so you want to know God’s guidance in your life.

When David sought guidance from the Lord, the Lord directed him (through the ephod) to go to Keilah and also to get out of Keilah.

I. God Guided David Regarding an Attack (I Samuel 23:1-5)
A. The Report (I Samuel 23:1)
The people of Israel recognized that David was more likely to act as a king should act by defending the people against enemy aggressors.

B. The Requests (I Samuel 23:2-4)
Here is where we see the shepherd’s heart of David. He knew that his men were afraid; indeed, they had just told him that they were “afraid here in Judah.”

C. The Result (I Samuel 23:5)
He saved the people of Keilah, which was something that Saul should have done.

II. God Guided David Regarding an Escape (I Samuel 23:7-14)
A. The Report (I Samuel 23:7-8)
B. The Requests (I Samuel 23:9-12)
But, they were likely terrified of what Saul might do to them and their town, having heard that Saul had wiped out the entire town of Nob.

C. The Result (I Samuel 23:13-14)
To be sure, David had one narrow escape after another while on the run from Saul. But, God was sovereignly protecting him.

1. The Word of God (objective standard).
2. The Holy Spirit (subjective witness).
3. Circumstances (divine providence).

David showed us that we should seek God’s guidance in all circumstances.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | Blubrry | Podcast Index | Email | RSS

Sermon Audio: David’s Growing Confidence in the Lord
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 22:1-23
Duration: 25:39
Size: 17.6 MB

The Life of David
David’s Growing Confidence in the Lord
I Samuel 22:1-23

Apparently, these two episodes in David’s life enabled him to realize that in spite of his fear, the Lord was still sovereignly watching over him and protecting him. So, from this point on we see David’s growing confidence in the Lord.

After David learned that King Saul really did intend to have him killed, David fled from him.

I. David’s Preparation (I Samuel 22:1-5)
A. The Place of David’s Preparation (I Samuel 22:1)
We don’t know how long David spent in the cave of Adullam, but it was during this period that David’s confidence in the Lord grew again.

B. The People During David’s Preparation (I Samuel 22:1-4)
David and the four hundred men, along with wives and children, stayed in the stronghold, which is the cave of Adullam.

C. The Prophet During David’s Preparation (I Samuel 22:5)
In the arrival of Gad the prophet to his refuge at Adullam, David must have seen a return of God’s favor for him.

II. David’s Predicament (I Samuel 22:6-23)
A. The Slaughter by Saul (I Samuel 22:6-19)
Then Saul summoned Ahimelech and all the priests at Nob to come and see him, which they did.

Moral failure has consequences, sometimes disastrous consequences.

B. The Sorrow of David (I Samuel 22:20-23)
David’s sin accomplished God’s promise that he would punish the descendants of Eli with their destruction, save for one only.

David was hated by Saul who wanted him and his followers destroyed. Similarly, Jesus is hated by Satan who wants him and his followers destroyed.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | Blubrry | Podcast Index | Email | RSS

Sermon Audio: David as a Fugitive
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 21:1-15
Duration: 24:37
Size: 16.9 MB

The Life of David
David as a Fugitive
I Samuel 21:1-15

Saul’s son Jonathan warned David that his father indeed wanted to kill David. And so, David became a fugitive from Saul for many years.

King-elect David had been a good soldier for a number of years too.

1. David Visited Ahimelech at Nob (I Samuel 21:1-9)
It is not exactly clear why David went to visit Ahimelech the priest at Nob.

A. David Told a Falsehood (I Samuel 21:1-2)
David claimed to be on a secret mission from King Saul, with his men hidden away nearby. That was a blatant falsehood.

B. David Asked a Favor (I Samuel 21:3-6, I Samuel 21:8-9)
That is, the bread on hand was the bread of the Presence, which was set out each Sabbath and replaced the following week with fresh bread.

Jesus warns us against excessive rules that make the Lord’s Day a burden.

C. David Missed a Foe (I Samuel 21:7)
But rather than correct our error, we do nothing because we have become paralyzed.

2. David Fled to Achish at Gath (I Samuel 21:10-15)
A. David Became Afraid (I Samuel 21:11-12)
Sometimes we make really big mistakes, even sinning in the process.

B. David Feigned Insanity (I Samuel 21:13-15)
Here is the lesson: Any believer can fall, and can fall far and fast.

Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | Blubrry | Podcast Index | Email | RSS

Sermon Audio: Jonathan’s Warning
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 20:1-42
Duration: 22:02
Size: 15.1 MB

The Life of David
Jonathan’s Warning
I Samuel 20:1-42

Jonathan devised a plan to find out whether this was true and, if true, to warn David about it.

The article concludes with the following advice: “No matter what social network you’re on, you can buy your way to popularity.”

I. The Cause of David’s Fears (I Samuel 20:1-23)
A. The Problem (I Samuel 20:1–11)
The problem was that David was convinced that Saul was trying kill him.

B. The Promise (I Samuel 20:12-17)
But now, Jonathan knew that David would replace his father Saul as king over Israel.

C. The Plan (I Samuel 20:18-23)
If he told the boy that the arrows were beyond him, then David would know that Saul was still determined to kill him, and that he should flee.

II. The Confirmation of David’s Fears (I Samuel 20:24-42)
A. David’s Absence (I Samuel 20:24-29)
Jonathan told his father that David was in Bethlehem. This was not true, and it really was unnecessary to lie. But he did.

B. Saul’s Anger (I Samuel 20:30-34)
C. Jonathan’s Arrows (I Samuel 20:35-42)
In fact, Jonathan and David only met one more time years later before Jonathan’s untimely death.

Jonathan chose covenant loyalty to David, the God-anointed future king of Israel, over loyalty to his father, Saul.