Men’s Retreat
October 19-20, 2002
Introduction
David’s army found themselves in a battle they didn’t start. The Ammonites had been suspicious of David’s
ambassadors and had responded by humiliating them horribly. Because the Ammonites knew David would be
upset, they went and hired a mercenary army from Syria. The Ammonites gathered their army around
their capital city, and the Syrian army hid, waiting for the Israelites to arrive.
As Joab led the army out to the battlefield, they suddenly found themselves
trapped between two armies.
Winning the battle
:10-11 they set themselves in array …
Joab is cut off, the Syrians on one side, the Ammonites on the other.
Joab is taking the best men to put them against the better army, the
Syrians.
The rest of the men are to fight against the Ammonites, led by Abishai.
:12 then I will help thee
Lesson
Helping each other
There are times when the enemy is just too much for us, and that's when we
need our brothers and sisters to come and help us.
Illustration
Alligator Shoes
An Army Ranger was on holiday in the depths of Louisiana, where he tried to
buy some Alligator shoes. However, he was not prepared to pay the high prices.
After failing to haggle the vendor down to a reasonable price level, he end up
shouting “I don’t give two hoots for your shoes, man, I’ll go and kill my own!”
The shopkeeper replied, “By all means. Just watch out for the two Marines who
are doing the same.” So the man went out into the Bayou, and after a while saw
two men with spears, standing still in the water. “They must be the two
Marines,” he thought. Just at that point he noticed an alligator moving in the
water toward one of them. The Marine stood completely passive, even as the
gator came ever closer. Just as the beast was about to swallow him, the Marine
struck home with his spear and wrestled the gator up onto the beach, where
several already lay. Together the two Marines threw the gator onto its back,
whereupon one exclaimed “Rats! This one doesn’t have any shoes either!”
Well … I guess it helps if we’re really helping each other do the right
thing!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two [are] better than one; because they have a
good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his
fellow: but woe to him [that is] alone when he falleth; for [he hath] not
another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but
how can one be warm [alone]? And if one prevail against him, two shall
withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
I Corinthians 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members
suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
God didn’t design us to be “Lone Ranger” Christians. We
need each other.
Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law
of Christ.
:13 Be of good courage
be of good courage – chazaq –
to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be
firm, grow firm, be resolute
Lesson
Encourage one another
That’s what encouragement is all about, putting courage into someone else.
Illustration
A couple of years ago, there was a television program on PBS about the
Library of Congress. PBS’s former
chairman, Sir Huw Wheldon, was standing in a forest of card index files. The program had all the makings of a
slow-moving, dull documentary until....
About halfway through, Dr. Daniel Boorstin, the Librarian of Congress,
brought out a little blue box from a small closet that once held the library’s
rarities. The label on the box read:
Contents of the President’s Pockets on the Night of April 14, 1865.
Since that was the fateful night Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, every
viewer’s attention was seized.
Boorstin then proceeded to remove the items in the small container and
display them on camera. There were five
things in the box:
A handkerchief, embroidered “A. Lincoln”
A country boy’s pen knife
A spectacles case repaired with string
A purse containing a $5 bill—Confederate money (!)
Some old and worn newspaper clippings
“The clippings,” said Boorstin, “were concerned with the great deeds of
Abraham Lincoln. And one of them
actually reports a speech by John Bright which says that Abraham Lincoln is
“one of the greatest men of all times.”
Today, that’s common knowledge. The
world now knows that British statesman John Bright was right in his assessment
of Lincoln, but in 1865 millions shared quite a contrary opinion. The
President’s critics were fierce and many.
His was a lonely agony that reflected the suffering and turmoil of his
country ripped to shreds by hatred and cruel, costly war.
There is something touchingly pathetic in the mental picture of this great
leader seeking solace and self-assurance from a few old newspaper clippings as
he reads them under the flickering flame of a candle all alone in the Oval
Office.
Everyone needs encouragement. You
might think a person like Abraham Lincoln never needed it, but he did. You might not think that people in leadership
positions need encouragement, but they do.
How about your boss at work? Are
you one of the people that constantly criticizes the boss, or works to
encourage the boss? How about those who
lead some of the ministries at church?
They need encouragement.
Illustration
Mr. Charles Schwab was one of the first men ever to earn a million dollars
a year. Why did Andrew Carnegie pay
Schwab more than $3,000 a day? Because
he knew more about the manufacture of steel than other people? No.
Schwab said that he had many men working for him whose technical
knowledge surpassed his.
Schwab was paid such a handsome amount largely because of his ability to
deal with people. Here is the secret set
down in his own words:
“I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among the men
the greatest asset I possess, and the way to develop the best that is in a man
is by appreciation and encouragement.
There is nothing else that so kills the ambitions of man as criticisms
from his superiors. I never criticize
anyone. I believe in giving a man
incentive to work. So I am anxious to praise but loath to find fault. If I like anything, I am hearty in my
approbation and lavish in my praise.”
There might be people around you that could use a little encouragement.
Hebrews 3:12,13 Take
care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving
heart, in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called
"Today," lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Don’t wait for others to encourage you, look for those who around you and
build them up.
:13 let us behave ourselves
valiantly for our people …
let us behave ourselves valiantly – chazaq – This is the same word that was translated “Be of good
courage”, but here it’s in a slightly different form. (Hithpael) to strengthen oneself; to put
forth strength, use one’s strength; to withstand; to hold strongly with
The idea is not just to be strong, but to be strong for a reason – “for our
people, and for the cities of our God”
Lesson
Remember those who need you
As men, we need to be strong for others.
There are others who will look to us for strength. There will be others who look to us to see
how they should live.
We are to be setting an example for others to follow:
Paul wrote to Timothy:
(1 Tim 4:12 KJV)
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers,
in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Paul wrote to the Philippians:
(Phil 3:17 ICB)
Brothers, all of you should try to follow my example and to copy those
who live the way we showed you.
People are going to watch our lives and make decisions and choices based on
what they see.
Our wives need us. Don’t forget
them.
Illustration
Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Roman historian Tacitus wrote
about how the Germanic warriors could be so fierce. It was because of their women. At the critical moment when the weary troops
were about to give up the battlefield, their women would suddenly appear and
vividly remind the men of everything they had to lose. How? By ripping off the
top part of their tunics and exposing themselves. Afraid of losing these
“maidens of noble birth,” the Teutonic soldiers were spurred into renewed feats
of valor.
-- From Success
Magazine
We need to remember that our wives need us to be strong
for them.
Our kids need us.
Illustration
In His Mother's
Steps
Davida Dalton writes:
It was a busy day in our Costa Mesa, California home. But
then, with 10 children and one on the way, every day was a bit hectic. On this
particular day, however, I was having trouble doing even routine chores-all
because of one little boy.
Len, who was three at the time, was on my heels no matter
where I went. Whenever I stopped to do something and turned back around, I
would trip over him. Several times, I patiently suggested fun activities to
keep him occupied. “Wouldn’t you like to play on the swing set?” I asked again.
But he simply smiled an innocent smile and said, “Oh,
that’s all right, Mommy. I’d rather be in here with you.” Then he continued to
bounce happily along behind me.
After stepping on his toes for the fifth time, I began to
lose my patience and insisted that he go outside and play with the other
children. When I asked him why he was acting this way, he looked up at me with
sweet green eves and said, “Well, Mommy, in preschool my teacher told me to
walk in Jesus’ footsteps. But I can’t see him, so I’m walking in yours.”
Setting an example is not just a mother’s business. It is a father’s responsibility.
(Prov 17:6 KJV)
Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children
are their fathers.
Your kids are watching you. Your kids were born to idolize you. You need to be strong for them.
:14 let the LORD do that which is
good in his sight
Joab is putting the outcome into God’s hands.
Lesson
Trust the Lord
Ultimately, none of the efforts we make are of any use unless the Lord is a
part of it. Solomon wrote,
(Psa 127:1 KJV) A Song of
degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build
it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
And what if the things you want aren’t what God wants? Will you still trust Him? David wrote,
(Psa 20:7 KJV) Some trust in
chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our
God.