#2
(The “Great Escapes” Series)
"ESCAPE FROM FEAR!"
TEXT: 1
Sam. 21:10-22:2
INTRO: Fear is a
powerful force ... it can really affect your thought processes and
behavior.
Once
when my folks were gone after a Sunday p.m. service my sister Linda and I were
home alone as young kids when we heard a loud crash like someone trying to rip
the door off at the entrance to our kitchen from the outside. Gripped with fear I looked out the
window and saw a shadow move across the door outside and then again a loud bang.
With great fear my sister fled and
hid in the corner behind the chair quivering like a little puppy ... she
couldn't even speak, only whimper!
I in turn fled behind the TV shaking like a leaf. When no one entered the house I started
to get brave and went to the window to look out when it happened again, a loud
crash and a shadow outside, the earlier scene of whimpering and hiding repeated
itself, for a while we were frozen with fear ... finally I made my way to the
phone and called a neighbor who was the sheriff of our city, his wife came over
and stayed until my mom and dad returned. The outside door was nearly ripped off
its hinges, but the reason was simple, gusts of wind had grabbed the outside
door which hadn't closed well when my folks left, the shadow was the wind
blowing the bushes near the door.
Fear left when we realized what had happened but until then we were
strange creatures doing silly stuff!
Fear can do many strange and sad things to us. God gives us ways to escape the path of
fear!
PROP
SENT:
The Bible teaches us that fear can
severely affect our behavior and our faith in negative ways, but God has
provided an escape from fears that can damage us. The first way out is the knowledge that
God is in control of all things, the second is the knowledge that He will grant
us others of like faith to stick with us ... these offer an escape from
fear!
I. FEAR'S REACTIONS
A. Careless
21:10-12
1. David was in the midst of great
fear. King Saul was out to kill
him!
a. David already knew Saul was not a
normal man anymore, he could be very dangerous.
b. David knew you didn't mess around
with crazy people!
c. In his panic he makes plans to
escape from Saul and go into hiding.
2. The problem is that David does some
pretty silly things, he is somewhat careless as he is driven by his
fears!
a. This is something that happens to
us all when we are afraid, we can become quite odd and
irrational!
b. It can be quite funny later on when
we look back, but we are all quite capable of the ridiculous when we are
afraid!
ILLUS: A
man who was quite afraid to speak publicly was asked to deliver a speech at a
public dinner. As he hurried to get
there, in his fear he had forgotten his false teeth! While sitting there trying to figure out
what to do he leaned over to the man next to him and said, "I forgot my teeth,
what can I do?" "No problem" the man next to him said, "I just happen to have
some extra sets with me"… so he reached into his pocket and produced a set. The man tried them but they didn't fit;
he said, "they are too loose!" The
man produced another set, "try these"... he did, they were too tight. Again and again he tried, finally a pair
fit perfectly. The man finished his
meal and gave his speech with these false teeth. After dinner the speaker went over to
thank him for saving the day saying, "I want to thank you for your help, where
is your office, I've been looking for a good dentist?" The man answered however, "I'm not a
dentist, I am the local undertaker!" What fear will get us to
do!
– Source Unknown
3. Even David was not immune to doing
careless things when he was afraid!
a. Notice that David asks for a
weapon, (vs. 8-9) if he is going to flee he
would like to have a weapon handy.
b. His plans are to flee to
c. Notice in verse 9 which weapon David chooses to take with
him!! HE TAKES THE
SWORD OF GOLIATH!!
(1. Remember who Goliath was? A
PHILISTINE!
(2. The unusual size of both Goliath and his
armor would make his sword stick out like a sore thumb in Philistine
territory!
(3. David was pretty careless to take this
sword and go into Philistine territory!
(4. Fear can make anyone
careless!
4. Sure enough, when David arrives in
town the Philistines figured out who he was, it was likely the sword of Goliath
that tipped them off!
a. This produces new additional fear,
when we are careless we often add more fear to the existing fear that already
resides in us!
b. Now David's fear will drive him out
of another territory.
5. David's careless choices in going
to Gath now produce even more fear and carelessness, it now becomes
craziness!
B. Crazy! 21:13-15
1. Now David had to figure out how to
escape from the Philistine city of Gath, his plan was a "crazy" one,
literally!
a. David feigns insanity, he scratched
the doors with his fingernails, banged on stuff, probably screaming, and drooled
saliva from his mouth on purpose!!
b. Fear can drive you crazy or at
least get you to act like it!
c. It can move you to do things that
ordinarily you wouldn't consider doing!
d. If your carelessness makes your
fear worse you will probably do more than just careless things, you'll be
willing to do crazy things!
2. Here's where the other saints come
in ... we need to keep our eyes alert to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
When you see them going off on
tangents from normal behavior you might want to check to see if they need some
ministry, perhaps they are being driven by fear; instead of attacking them
try probing to find out if they need help!
3. We are
all capable of being strange when we are very afraid! At such times we need a reassuring hand,
not condemnation!
ILLUS: Several
years ago an eastern paper reported the following true story: A woman was driving home one night when
she noticed a truck behind her that was traveling uncomfortably close to
her. She stepped on the gas to get
ahead of it, but it picked up speed and stayed right on her tail! No matter how much she tried to loose
the truck it stuck with her close.
Now scared she exited the freeway but so did the trucker, now panicked,
she started driving crazy ... down one way streets the wrong direction, going
through red lights and stop signs but to no avail, the trucker did the
same! With fear in full swing she
finally pulled into a gas station to a screeching halt and jumped out of the car
screaming for help from the wicked trucker who was chasing her down! To her amazement, the truck came to a
screeching halt behind her at the station and the trucker jumped out but didn't
run toward her, but toward her car! Grabbing the back door of her car and
jerking it open he pulled out a man with a knife from the back seat of her
car! The woman thought she was
trying to escape an evil truck driver who desired to harm her, when in fact the
trucker from his higher vantage point in his cab behind her car had noticed the
man hiding in her back seat waiting for a moment when he could hurt her! The trucker was saving her, not trying
to harm her ... she was running from the wrong person! Luckily she didn't lose the trucker!
It was a good thing her crazy
efforts to lose the trucker had failed!
A lot of sinners try doing this with God, they run from Him; they think
He is after them to destroy their lives when He is really trying to save them
from the real enemy!
– Source Unknown
4. David's “crazy” efforts seemed to
work, the Philistine King Achish says, "AM I SO SHORT OF
MADMEN THAT YOU HAVE TO BRING THIS FELLOW HERE TO CARRY ON LIKE THIS IN FRONT OF
ME?"
a. The king lost interest in David
really quick. He had enough crazy
people to deal with already in his kingdom than to welcome another
one!
b. So David escapes from the
Philistines and runs to a cave in the wilderness called the cave of "Adullam."
II. FEAR'S REFUGE! 22:1-2
A. Comfort
22:1
1. The “
a. This cave would meet the immediate
need of danger that David felt he was in ... a safe
haven!
b. God often provides a "haven" that is safe when we are gripped by
fear, it might be a place or it might come by friends who reach out to us at
such times!
c. God is a very present God in the
times of trouble just as David wrote in several of his Psalms later
on!
2. Here, David could rest in safety,
his fear could subside ... and plans could be made for a more sensible response
than the crazy and careless attempts earlier!
3. When fear strikes it is sometimes
best to remove yourself from the circumstances that have brought the fear so a
rational approach can be made to deal with it!
a. This is done where abuse happens in
homes.
b. This is done when things are
running out of control.
4. Although God provides this cave as
a refuge from the grip of fear it would not be the place where David could stay
forever, in time he would have to also face the fear and deal with the real
issues!
5. This initial ministry was God's way
to put an end to the run-away nature that fear often grips us in, to calm things
down for a more constructive approach.
a. This cave was not exactly deluxe
accommodations, but it met the need of a place of safety, a
refuge!
b. God at times uses many different
ways to meet the need of refuge, even unexpected ways at
times!
ILLUS: An
infantry company commander in
B. Companionship
22:2a
1. The next element of God's meeting
the issue of David's fear includes lots of
companionship!
a. First his family comes to him; an
important issue concerning the family of God is hinted at
here!
b. It was his family that came to him;
people in fear don't always reach out like we would like them
to!
c. They all recognized the importance
for David to have them around!
2. This would be the second course of
healing for the fears of David ... first a safe place and now brothers and
sisters who come to him!
3. The next wave of people is
interesting; they included 3 groups of people, and not the kind of people you
would think God would use for help:
a. The
distressed.
b. Those in
debt.
c. The
discontented.
d. These are still the ones who often
minister to others.
4. These by the way are not "negative"
people; they were the good people who were also afraid living under an evil king
like Saul!
a. The fact that they too were afraid
is interesting for they come to join up with David!
b. It is ok to be afraid; the best way
sometimes to deal with that fear is to help others who are also
afraid!
c. The bond would become strong
between them all!
5. David was no longer alone in his
fears, others who admitted to their own fears were standing with
him!
6. In the company of others fear
can turn to courage!
a. There is little doubt that many of
these men would later become the "MIGHTY MEN OF RENOWN" under David's rule as
King!
b. These band of renegades ...
fearful, in debt, hurting over the present evil rule of Saul, together are
transformed into a band of courageous, faithful, soldiers of
right!
7. There is something powerful in
ministry to one another that can get Satan on the run ... that's why Satan will
keep you from fellowship when you are feeling weak and
afraid!
a. Satan will fill you mind with lies
like: “Nobody else has
fears like you do!” or “nobody will understand” ... or “they won't do
anything to help you” or “you’ll be the laughing stock of the congregation if they
know,” etc.
b. Don't listen to this voice from
hell!
8. God in creating the church is doing
much the same today to minister to our fears as He did with David in sending him
the fearful downtrodden men to become a courageous band of fighting
saints!
C. Courageous 22:2b
1. David goes from
being lonely to leader!
2. While 400 men wasn't exactly the
largest army in the world it was a start!
3. Fear is conquered in
stages!
4. Individually each of these men were
fearful and weak ... together with each other and holding a righteous cause they
had courage and faith, and the result was great strength and
peace!
5. Victory over fear comes by the help
of others as well as God's help!
CONCLUSION: Fear can drive us crazy –
literally! It can make us do dumb
things also. Yet, God is faithful
to help us overcome fear. He
enables us to escape from fear so we can be productive citizens of His
kingdom.