 And this evening, we're going to be looking at an amazing story that probably many of you are familiar with in this first book of Samuel chapter 14. But I really truly believe this and I was thinking and praying about what we should be studying tonight that this is going to be our best year yet. I really believe that the Lord is going to reveal so many things to you that you never thought that He would ever reveal to you before. Just broaden your understanding, things that would normally stress you out. He's going to say, you know what? You can't be stressed out with these type of things anymore. You're going to grow. You're going to mature. You're going to get stronger. You're going to face challenges, but you will overcome. Even as it says in Revelation chapter 12 verse 11, it says, It means they overcame by what Jesus did for them. And so often we live defeated lives and we'll live discouraged lives and we'll live these lives, you know, as a reclusive Christian instead of being bold and being courageous. And I know that tonight your faith in Jesus will be strengthened as the Lord has already begun to allow certain things in your life that are going to be actually used and are being used to complete His perfect work in you. And whether you realize this or not, because some of you may have come in here today and you're having a hard time and maybe it's been just this work week. Maybe it's been something happening for some time, maybe with your health or maybe with a relationship. I don't know what it is, but I do know that God says in His Word that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. This is going to be the night where you're encouraged to step up. This is going to be the night where you're encouraged to get in the game, get in the action, to take a step of faith and to commit to what God has called you to do. This is going to be the year I really believe where the Lord's going to call you to step outside your comfort zone. I mean, I don't know if you realize this, but all the things that happen here at church, there is a whole team of people that are serving and volunteering and they're making all of this happen. I mean, this stuff just doesn't pop up on the stage, you know, just not magically appearing teachers in our kids' classrooms and so on and so forth. But I don't know if you've ever seen this graphic, if you will. It says right here in this little space, this is your comfort zone. And then over here, it says this is where the magic happens out here. This is going to be the time where you're going to reevaluate where you're at with your relationship with the Lord. And even I really believe that the Lord's going to be showing you something tonight and speaking to your heart, and He's going to put something on your heart that you are to be involved with, maybe something you've been praying about or considering. Your transition in different areas of your life from maybe the intellectual because some of you understand something and now you're going to transition into actually experiencing something. In the Greek language, which the New Testament was written in Greek, there was two words used for knowing. One was genosco, which means to know by experience. The one was oeda, which is to know intellectually like I understand that. And I really believe that you are going to know by experience tonight what the Lord has for you to be doing. I know that's a mouthful. And yes, I'm going to take a breath right now. Okay. And it can be kind of scary too. If you feel the Lord's stirring your heart to do something. It can be a little intimidated because, you know, Satan would want nothing more than to keep you paralyzed with fear so that you wouldn't step out and do what God's calling you to do. He would rather you be comfortable or even complacent. He would rather you floating backwards than charging forwards. He would love to have you as the son or the daughter of the king be ripped off and never inherit the land that God has given you. And that real estate may even be a part of your life. Maybe a real part of your life where there's some real estate that belongs to sinful desires. A stronghold of Satan. You may feel outnumbered. You might feel outgunned. You might feel like quitting. Or like you just can't sustain yourself. But it's at this point that you're going to realize personally that it is nothing for the Lord to give you the victory with many or with few. So now a little background to our passage by way of long introduction. The Philistines have been harassing the people of Israel. The Israelites have been warring against the Philistines. Because during this time Saul was the king of Israel, the first ever elected king of Israel. Saul had a son named Jonathan and he's the guy we're going to be focusing on tonight. And there was this garrison, this castle, this encampment of the Philistines at a place called McMash and the Israelites were encamped not too far from there. Now this evening and in this study with many or with few, I have three points. Point number one if you're taking notes tonight is some will lead. Some will lead. Verse one for Samuel 14. Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, let us go over to the Philistines garrison that is on the other side. But he did not tell his father. I don't know if you know this or not but being a leader can be a very lonely position. There are not a whole lot of people that you can go to with your problems. Someone to talk about your problems or your plans. You know, because if you are the leader and you melt down in front of your team, then your team melts down. So you have to be strong and you have to hold it together. I remember on the subject of holding it together with my son Hudson who is going to be eight this year was born. He's my first born son. And so I had never dealt with a pregnant woman before. I've never had that type of experience. You know, I've never been in a delivery room at a hospital or my wife is about to have that baby come into the world. I have never experienced that kind of pain and trauma as my wife decided to not have an epidural with our son. And she regretted that afterwards. It was so painful watching her go through that. I felt like I needed an epidural as well. But I remember that she was in so much pain and Hudson was coming into the world. And I don't know what it was and I don't know if any of you guys can relate to this or not but it was like everything just froze. Like nobody was moving and I'm just here in my own little world. You know, like I normally am but just different. And all of a sudden it was like one of these things like, I'm going to lose it. She was in so much pain and she was screaming and she was crying, you know, as a travailing experience as you ladies know. And boy, do we ever respect you mamas in the audience, man. Gee, and she was in so much pain that I was right here on the brink. I was either going to go, oh my God. You know, like, oh. You know, and lose it or I was going to be like, come on, babe, you can do this. Like, God's grace. I was like, come on, babe, you can do this. Let's do this. You know, breathe. Hoo, hoo, hee, ha, hoo, hoo, you know. And I remember at that point where I was just going, you're the leader of your family. You need to be tough for your wife. You need to be strong for your kids and sometimes being a leader is a lonely position and sometimes you feel like, who can I talk to? Who can I go to? Do you ever wonder like who generals talk to, emperors or presidents? How do people who've never been in that stressful of a position even understand it? What do you, or who do you talk to when the buck stops at you? When your decision at best will make 50% of the people upset. When people won't share the same vision that you have. They won't see things the way that you see them. Many visionaries will present something that seems absolutely crazy to people and have you ever noticed how interesting this is? The visionary who is ridiculed and mocked by all the naysayers. How the naysayers quickly change their tune once that idea works. Oh, great. Glad it worked out. But when you were taking that step, they're like, uh-uh, I don't know about this. I don't think this is the right move. This is why it's important for you to hear from God. Because there may be people out there saying, no, no, no, you shouldn't do that or that's dangerous or your own mind's thinking about this. Like, this is unprecedented. Nobody's ever done this before. Good. Good. Does God only do the same thing over and over and over again? Well, listen to what Isaiah 43-19 says. It says, behold the Lord speaking. I will do a new thing. Now, it shall spring forth. Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. What is God saying there in Isaiah 43-19? Well, let me put it to you very simply. If you're a Hebrew scholar where it says, I will do a new thing. What that means in English is, I will do a new thing. And it means that God is going to do something that is unprecedented. It is new. It's not like the old, it's something new. I'll make a road where there is no road. I'll make a river in the desert. In Zechariah 4-10, it says, do not despise these small beginnings for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. So here we are, the first Wednesday night in March of 2016. You might be wondering what you have to offer. You may feel insignificant. You may think that your small time in a big time world don't despise the small beginnings. Don't despise the early days. In Philippians 1-6, it says, I'm certain that God who began the good work within you will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Sometimes we don't start because we don't know where to begin from. Sometimes we think there's so many things that can be done, but I'm just so overwhelmed by that I don't do any of them. Listen, you start somewhere. You don't just come out of the gates having arrived at your destination. You've got to put one foot in front of the other. You've got to make one right choice and then another right choice. Don't worry if it's new because the Lord calls people to lead in one way or another. But there are people that God raises up to lead leaders. I think of the leadership team here at your church. If you look at Pastor David Rosales and you look at the team of pastors and you see the guys, how they're people that God raises up to lead leaders. Now, these guys do certain things that cause reactions of encouragement in other people's lives. The things that they do encourage us. That's somebody that the Lord has raised up to lead other people that are leading and others will see a leader do something unprecedented or unattainable and their eyes will be opened to how great God is. Are you tracking with me on that? Do you see that? How somebody will take a step of faith. They'll do something because they believe God's calling them to do it. There might be the naysayers. There might be people saying, oh, you could never do that. It doesn't matter what they say. It matters what God is telling you to do because there you step out in faith and then all of a sudden the Lord opens up to you. His never ending faithfulness and his empowerment and his provision. God can do anything with anyone at any time. In Job 42 verse 2 it says, Job speaking, he says to the Lord, I know that you can do everything and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. Hmm. So Jonathan tells his armor bearer, let's go over to the enemy. Just you and me. Just you and me. Man, what a cool adventure that must be. The enemy's territory. These guys are hardcore approaching the enemy's garrison. Let's go charge it. Let's see what the Lord will do. What a venture of faith. I think about you guys. I think about me. What the Lord's called us to do. You might think, well, the Lord has great callings for those other people over there or for that guy over there or for that gal right there. That's the Lord's called them. No, the Lord's called you. But even as there are those that are leading, there are still those that are sitting. They're sitting. During the doing the work of the Lord is one of the most exciting adventures that you will ever be on. You don't have to be an occupational minister on staff at a church to be on the most amazing journey of your life. All it requires is following the Lord and doing the work of the Lord, you guys, because some of you might be sitting and you might be stagnant in a room this size with this many people and even looking at the percentages of church involvement and what people do, you might be stagnant and sitting there and you're not active. You're not involved. All it takes to be involved with the work of the Lord is a willing heart, faith, and courage. It's unfortunate and sad, really, when instead of being involved, you're sitting in the outskirts of what God is doing. Look at verse two for Samuel 14. It says, The people who are with him were about 600 men. Verse three. A hyja. The son of Adtub and Iqabod's brother, excuse me, Iqabod's brother, the son of Phineas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest and Shiloh was wearing an ephod, but the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. Leaders need to lead and they need to do. Here was Saul, the leader of the nation of Israel, the king of Israel, sitting on the outskirts of what God was about to do with Jonathan and his armor-bearer. With Saul were 600 men. Now look at verse four. It says, The name of one was Bozez and the name of the other Senna. Verse five. When you're looking at verses four and five, notice this. What Jonathan was about to do that he felt the Lord was calling him to do would literally have him stuck between the rock and the hard place. If you're reading that right there, there's one sharp rock on this side, one sharp rock on that side, and he says this is where the Lord is calling me to go. Now I don't know about you, but when I was reading this, this doesn't sound like the typical plans that the Lord has for us. You know the fluffy silk pillows to walk upon and the beautiful scenery that we always have and of course the ease by which we travel, right? That's how the Lord normally calls us. I'm glad some of you are laughing because that's very rarely the case for being a part of the great works of the Lord because there is discomfort. There is sacrifice. There's investment. There's commitment. And you, as you're involved with serving the Lord and drawing near to him and stepping out in faith, you're investing in and committing yourself to something that is bigger than you. Bigger than you. Something that after you die keeps living on. I think about my pastor, Chuck Smith, and I had the opportunity to serve at Calvary Costa Mesa for almost 10 years and learning from him and learning the Bible and learning ministry from him. And when he passed, we were devastated. And I thought to myself, you know what? Chuck's living on through so many different people that the Lord used him to touch. And when you do things for the Lord, that has eternal significance. When you serve the Lord, your return on your investment is not only exponential, it's eternal. And Jonathan was willing to see what the Lord would do even if it meant placing himself between the rock and the hard place. See, he was a leader and he wasn't afraid to charge it. That's what it comes down to. I don't know. It looks kind of difficult. I don't know. Look at that. I mean, you got these guys on this side and these guys on that side. You got the hard place and you got the rock. And I mean, you're trapped in there. Why would God call you to do something that was that difficult? Why would God call you to do something that required so much sacrifice and so much commitment? Because, you know, my idea of following the Lord is just, you know, when I feel like it or, you know, if it suits me or if it's convenient. And sadly, that's often the case. But look at verse 6. It says, Now, if you have a pencil or a highlighter or a pen, would you underline for nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few? And if you see someone next to you, would you underline it in their Bible for them as well? This is our key verse in our study tonight. It is nothing that restrains the Lord from saving with many or by few. Would you read that again? For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few. It doesn't matter to the Lord if there's a whole army or just one man. And even in this case that we're reading tonight, what a paradigm shifting statement. You might say, well, how so? Well, listen, this statement that Jonathan made, he told his arm and bear, it is nothing for the Lord to wipe out this enemy with one person or with 600. It is nothing for the Lord to do a work with many or with few. This statement, I hope you understand this and you see this, that this statement was given from a place of spiritual awareness, not natural reconnaissance. This was a spiritually aware statement because naturally if we ask the question, hey, who wins in the battle, the two or the 2,000? You'd be like, that's a no-brainer. The army of 2,000 wins, the army of two loses. That's just the way that it goes. Well, listen, the Lord doesn't need an army and he doesn't need a team. God creates things out of nothing. He allows you and me to be a part of the work so the person or even the church that is attentive to his voice and the leading of his spirit will do great things. And I know this might sound scary, but that means you. Some of you just want to... That guy, right? Her. No, you. That means you. It is nothing for the Lord to save with many or with you. The Lord desires for us to take those steps of faith, to be active, to get involved, to commit, to do things that are beyond us. In Daniel 11.32 it says, I kind of get goosebumps like that a little bit. Sounds like it's something out of a movie. Those who know their God will be strong and carry out great exploits. Ah, man, doing great things, that's for other people, man. No. Well, what do I have to offer? What can I even do? Look where I'm at. Stop looking at where you're at and stop projecting your limitations upon God because God makes things new. He makes things out of nothing. Those who know their God know His voice. Even as Jesus said, John 10.27, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. Don't you want to have something just radically rock this world? Don't you want to see something like, maybe there's like a little glimmer of hope in your life right now and you're thinking, wow, maybe God could use me. Maybe I don't even have a clue to what God wants to do in my life because I've just been sitting back and twiddling my thumbs and maybe too scared to move because God is calling you to do great things. He is calling you to be involved, but Satan would want to hinder it. He would want to shut you down and have you so paralyzed with fear that you would never move and take that step that your faith would necessitate you taking in order to see God move mightily. I hope that you're stirred up just a little bit about this. Hey, could God really use me in my family? Yeah, could God use me in my community? Yeah, could God use me in my church? Yeah, well, you know, nobody in my family's ever done that before. Good! Is it honoring the look? Well, you know, I don't even think they do that kind of thing. I've never seen it before. Fantastic! Don't always look for the thing that's already been done. God's created you unique. He's created you as an individual with nobody else on this earth that is like you. Behold, I will do a new thing. It was unprecedented for one man in his armor barrier to say, hey, why don't we just go over to the enemy's camp because we serve such a great God that God doesn't need a whole army to wipe them out. He just needs some guys that are available. So there are those that are leaders and there are also those who are supporters. So point number one is some will lead. Point number two as we head into verse seven is some will support. Some will support. So as armor bearer said to Jonathan, do all that is in your heart. Go then! Here, I am with you according to your heart. Now, this is a great person to have as your wingman right here. God has put this on your heart and I'm here with you. I'm here with you. You know, like you would say with your buddies, hey man, I got your back dog, you go. I got your back for all you girlfriends. Hey, you go girl. Whatever it might be, you know. You know what I'm saying? This is the person that you want behind you. I think of like military films, you know where the lieutenant or the commander comes and says, hey guys, this is going to be a crazy mission. You don't have to go. There's uncertain death or whatever and they're like, we're in. We're with you. The Lord will raise up leaders and those that are to hold up the leaders arms as was the case with Moses. In Exodus chapter 17 verses 11 and 12, I'll read this to you or you can turn there if you're pretty limber with your finger calisthenics in your Bible says, And so it was that when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed. And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands became heavy so they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it and Aaron and her supported his hands one on one side and the other on the other side and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. If you don't remember what that story is about, the people of Israel, the nation of Israel was led out of Egypt by Moses and as they were inheriting the land, they came across the Amalekites who we know as King Amalek that we're reading about here and they're having this major battle and Moses is overlooking the valley where they were fighting and as long as Moses held up his hands and held up that staff, Israel won. And when his arms started to fall down, Israel began to lose and so two guys came and they both held up his hands and helped him with what he was doing for the Lord. Now as God raises up leaders for a particular cause, he will also raise up supporters who catch the vision from the leader that the leader caught from God. So some of you are like, I may not charge something it may not be my personality to be on the forefront of something but I'm a really good supporter. I'm really good at getting the person, man you need anything? I'm your man, I'll take care of that for you. You know what God's blessed me and you know what can I do? I have time, I have some talents, I have some treasure. What can I do to support what the Lord is doing? I want in on the action. What can I do? So often we think well they got that covered somebody else is doing that. Oh you know what I don't have to tithe this month because you know I'm sure there's a lot of people tithing. No it's like you get involved what is God calling you to do? In Proverbs 2918 it says where there is no vision the people perish. So you come to a church where they place the emphasis on teaching the Word of God. There's not a lot of churches that do that these days. Look across the United States look around the world people are going further and further away from teaching the Bible. You know as was mentioned about me I pastor a church in Irvine and it's a baby church it's only two years old and we teach the Bible following in the footsteps of Pastor Chuck and Pastor David Rosales and a lot of the other guys that we know and love so much that teach the Word of God. But I've had it come to my attention that people have left my church not a lot but there's been a couple that have left our church and they said you know what Gary just teaches the Bible too much he's too much Bible in his teachings. And which you know in some cases that can be like oh that hurts my feelings but no boy I was like that's the nicest compliment you've ever given me. Teach the Bible and you leave. But here's the thing and so when you're thinking about like okay how does church grow and all this kind of stuff the quickest way to grow your church is to not teach the Bible. Isn't that ironic? The quickest way for your church to grow is to not teach the Bible. However the Lord adds to the church the Lord builds his church. Jesus said I will build my church. He builds it. He builds the individual that's part of the collective called the church. And so you have a pulpit teaching ministry that is sharing the vision from the Lord. Hey we have this outreach over here. Hey we have this study over here. Hey we have this going on over here. We have this missionary going to Mexico over there. And this is the vision that the Lord has given the leadership in this church and there's some people that are like man I'm behind this and I want to support this. You might be one of the naysayers. You could be like ah or ah or ah or whatever to any idea that comes up. And then all of a sudden it works. You're like oh maybe they did hear from the Lord. Whoa. Or is it something where you've started to establish trust. You've started to see the heart behind what's happening here at this church. And you're saying you know what I want in on this. A lot of times I know my pastor Chuck used to always say you know some people will just come to church and they'll just be fed fed fed fed fed fed fed fed fed. But then they never exercise it. They never go out and they never utilize what they've been given. And so you guys are one of the best fed churches in all the area. You hear the word of God. And whether you like it or not it's the word of God and you hear it. You know the truth. And it convicts us. It exhorts us. It encourages us. It opens our eyes and our understanding to the things of the Lord. Because there's vision. Vision from the Lord. So here's the plan. Verse eight. Then John and then said very well let us cross over to these men and we will show ourselves to them. And if they say thus to us wait until we come to you then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. But if they say thus come up to us then we will go up for the Lord has delivered them into our hand and this will be a sign to us. Now they were to make sure that this plan was truly from the Lord. And they determined that if the Philistines said hey we'll come down to you that no it's not today. But the Philistines told them hey you guys you two down there you come up and they would know that God had given them into their hands. Now let me ask you this question. Have you ever heard of the phrase commitment issues? Some of you are laughing. I know you've heard about it. So commitment issues. Now that phrase can be applied to many things but most commonly it's applied to romantic relationships and to work. You don't want to date the person that has commitment issues. And you can go ahead and nudge the person next to you if that's the case. You don't want to hire the employee that has commitment issues. Now if commitment is extremely important for romantic relationships and you don't want to hire the person with commitment issues so it's very important with your business relationships how can we think that our commitment is not important for our spiritual relationship to God? Can you imagine being married to somebody that couldn't commit to you or being in a business relationship that couldn't commit to doing their job? Following God requires commitment. Commitment. Sometimes you'll hear somebody say I committed my life to the Lord and what they're saying is I've decided to commit myself to following the Lord. In Exodus 23 it says you shall have no other gods before me. Nothing before me. You know when I perform marriage ceremonies part of what the bride and groom say you know the I do is to keep themselves alone for the spouse as long as they both shall live. So just as interpersonal relationships require commitment jobs require commitment so does following the Lord require commitment. Commitment. Means you're all in. I have committed whether I feel like it or don't feel like it. I'm committed to following the Lord. Now in verse 11 there is a very, very, very, very good sign of commitment to what God is calling them to do. Look at verse 11 what it says. So both of them so Jonathan and his armor bearer both showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. Could you imagine there they are stuck between the rock and the hard place and like hey that's the garrison right there. The moment we step out into the path they're going to see us. Could you imagine maybe your heart beating out of your chest a little bit like the moment we step out it's on. We're going to see what the Lord's going to do. They put themselves out in the open. They stepped out from hiding and they committed. They committed. Right there there was no going back. They were in. You just picture these guys and then they are hey you guys up there. Oh here we go. Let's see what the Lord's going to do because we could be really good at just being like yeah you guys go see what the Lord does. You know like that kind of thing. But you step out there and all of a sudden things change. There's no going back they were in. I remember back in my early days when I used to train in mixed martial arts a long time ago we were studying judo and our instructor we would train us at 6 a.m. in the morning and we'd get a beat down every single day in training. You know what they say get beat up in there and stay alive out there. But there were things that we would practice at different intervals. Different speed intervals and quarter speed, half speed, full speed and our instructor would call for certain moves to have commitment. Like in order for this to work you can't do it half-hearted. You would have to fully commit in order for this to have the desired effect. I even remember in some of the cases he would have one of us be used as an example of what to do or what not to do. And I remember one time my friend who was training with me he was called up and my instructor just said he's like I'm going to have you do this I want you to attack me with this strike and I'm going to show you what happens. And so all of us were just glad that we didn't get called on and we're watching him. And he says now I need you to fully commit. Now could you imagine like if you're going to be a successful fighter and you go to hit somebody and you're kind of like you know like that kind of thing that's not committing. So he says when you commit this is going to hurt you very bad. Now commit. We all started laughing you know and then he's like committed boom boom throw him. Commitment all the way in all the way in. When we think about Peter stepping foot into the ocean to walk to Jesus. He committed. Hey come to me Peter. I mean could you imagine that. Commitment hey the guys are watching what if I fail. That's commitment. I step out of the boat onto the water. Jonathan and his armor bearer did the same. In 2 Chronicles 16 9 it says for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him. The Lord is looking everywhere. Hey is there a man or a woman whose heart is loyal to me? I want to show myself strong on their behalf. So the armor bearer supported his leader Jonathan and equally committed to the task at hand. The soldier's armor bearer was exactly that he carried the armor usually a shield or a weapon and the armor bearer had the back of the one whom he carried the armor for this was his job. Supporters hold up the arms of their leaders. Not stabbing them in the back. They get their backs. They have their backs to protect them. The supporters support the leader in their calling and they do whatever they can to lighten the leader's load and being an armor bearer requires mutual trust, faith and loyalty. Trust in one another. Faith in God and loyalty to their commitment. Verse 11 in the Philistine said look the Hebrews are coming out of their holes where they have hidden. Men of the garrison called to Jonathan in his armor bearer and said come up to us and we will show you something. And Jonathan said to his armor bearer come up after me for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel. And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armor bearer after him and they fell before Jonathan as he came after him. His armor bearer killed them. You remember back in verse 4 it says between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over the Philistines garrison with a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. So let me tell you, what do you do when you're stuck between the rock and the hard place? You climb up over it and you wipe the enemy out. That's what you do. And in verse 14 it says that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about 20 men with about half an acre of land. And there was trembling in the camp in the field and among all the people the garrison and the raiders also trembled and the earth quaked so that it was very so that it was a very great trembling. Now the watchmen of Saul and Giba Benjamin looked and there was a multitude melting away and they went here and there. Then Saul said to the people who were with him now call the roll and see who has gone from us. And when they had called the roll finally, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. Now you may not have an official title or an official position but that does not mean that you cannot be used by God to lead by example. Even the supporter was doing more than the king. The armor bearer was in the fight and I witnessing the mighty movement of God's salvation for the nation of Israel. You might think, man they're going to think I'm crazy. You might go out alone but eventually it will be seen that God is with you and leads us to our third and final short point as we close tonight. And I might just say and enclosing which an old pastor told me actually was the quickest way to get your audience's attention is to say and enclosing. And so nice to have you back with us. Point number three so remember number one is some will lead, number two is some will support and then number three is this and this is where we finish off. What we accomplish we accomplish together. Some will lead some will support but we accomplish together. In verse 18 and Saul said to Ahijah bring the Ark of God here for at that time the Ark of God was with the children of Israel. Now it happened while Saul talked to the priest that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase so Saul said to the priest withdraw your hand from that passage of Scripture. Notice this doing the work of the Lord makes noise in the enemy's camp. When you start making inroads into the enemy's playground so to speak it causes commotion. I mean you hear on the on the radio you hear it on TV people swearing, cursing taking the Lord's name in vain and they won't bat an eye but you hear somebody say Jesus and everybody's like what did they just say? It's like their ears just went like you know like that I mean you want to cause a commotion just say the name Jesus and it's like fire in the hole then people are like whoa what did that guy just say but do you see what's happening here one guy realized that it was nothing for the Lord to save with many or with few. One guy Jonathan and his armor bearers commitment was the very thing needed for the Lord to show himself strong on their behalf. It made such a noise that the two guys that slipped out unnoticed brought such a huge amount of attention to the king of Israel that the king joined in the fight. And verse 20 here's where we finish up. Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled and they went into the battle and indeed every man's sword was against his neighbor and there was a very great confusion as the Lord caused confusion to fall upon the Philistines and they were fighting themselves. And verse 21 Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country. They also joined the Israelites through with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise verse 22 all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim when they heard that the Philistine floods the Philistines fled. They also followed hard after them in the battle. The actions of Jonathan and his armor bearer encouraged the king. Emboldened those who were fearful and hiding out. Do you see what happens? You took a step of faith and the person that was scared was like, wow, they did that let me get in on that. The person that was sitting on the outskirts not involved was like, hey, look what they're doing. I want to get involved with it. So some will lead and some will support. Some will sit and they may get in the game late but what we accomplish, we accomplish together as brothers and sisters in Christ. The church. Us doing our part. Us being involved. And you never know what chain of events will be set off by your small act of obedience. You never know. You never know. I'm pumped on this as you probably can tell a little bit. I really strongly believe that something's going to shift. The paradigm is going to shift that tonight you're going to understand that God has been stirring you up and that he has a calling on your life. You never know what one step of faith will bring or what fully committing yourself to what you say you believe will spark in others lives. And so the Lord verse 23 saved Israel that day and the battle shifted to Beth Avon. So what are you guys going to do? What are you going to do this year? Starts right now. Tonight's the beginning of the rest of your life. What journeys are you going to begin? When or how rather are you going to get involved with what the Lord is doing? Jesus fed the multitude with five loaves, two fish. He can do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond anything that you can even ask or imagine. So we should be reminded of how great of a God it is that we serve. And that in verse 6 again, nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.