Shepherd to God’s People 被裝備 – 成合神心意的人 牧養神的百姓 Shepherd to God’s People 被裝備 – 成合神心意的人 Be Equipped – As a man after God’s heart (大衛的青年時期 David’s Youth) 撒上 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 17:34-37

神揀選王 God was choosing a king (16:1) - 人看外貌,神看內心 “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (16:7) - 人看不起,哥哥爸爸看不上眼 Despised by men, “the youngest one, …tending the sheep” in brother and father’s eyes (16:11) - 神說,這就是他,起來膏他 The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” (16:12)

- 撒母耳用油膏他,神用靈膏他 (神的靈充滿) Samuel anointed him with oil, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Filled with God’s Spirit) (16:13) - 有好見証,主與他同在 A witness of God, The Lord is with him (16:18) - 仍舊牧羊,不懈怠 Still doing the same thing humbly and diligently (16:19) - 彈琴,替王趕鬼 Playing harp, casting away evil spirit for the king (16:23)

II. 年青的大衛被裝備 Young David’s being equipped (17:34-37) - 為父親放羊 Keeping his father’s sheep (17:34) - 听父親話,早晨起來遵囑而行 Obeying his father, early in the morning did as father had directed (17:17,18,20) - 負責任,將羊交託看守的人 Being responsible, left the flock with a shepherd (17:20)

- 生活中經歷神如何救他 Experiencing God’s deliverance in daily living (17:37) - 眼中只有羊,沒有獅子,熊 There was no bear and lion in his eyes, but sheep (17:34,35) - 追趕,擊打,不要命,救出來 Went after the lion or bear, struck it and rescued the sheep, without caring for his own safety (17:35) - 父所交託,一隻也不失落 Of those whom his father entrusted, he lost none.

III. 大衛的表現 David’s conduct - 謙卑自稱,你的僕人 Humbly called himself “your servant” (17:34) - 反應與世人不同,如神看人與世人不同 His reaction is different from the world, just as how God looks at man differently (賽51:12,13) - 認識神,不怕人 Knowing God, being not afraid of man (17:24,25) - 甚至向王傳福音 Even encouraging the king (17:32,33)

- 牧人的眼光,心態 A shepherd’s eyesight and attitude - 視非利士人如被殺的獅子,熊 See the Philistines as the killed lion and bear (17:36) - 視以色列人如羊,如神軍隊 See the people of Israel as sheep, as the armies of the Living God (17:26) - 好牧人,為羊捨命 A good shepherd is willing to die for his sheep

- 信心的看見 A vision of faith - 非自已力量 Not count on his own strength - 耶和華曾救,今天也必救 The Lord had delivered him in the past, He will do the same today

IV. 實行 Practice – 神心意是揀選我們與祂同作王,從作牧人開始 God’s heart desire is for us to reign with Him, starting from being a shepherd (彼前 5:1-4) - 裝備從家裡小事開始作好 Being equipped through being faithful on small assignment at home - 別人享受,我順從如牧人受苦 While others are having good time, being submissive and suffering as a shepherd

- 像大衛,不是雇工,是牧人,是忠心僕人 Like David, he is a faithful servant, a shepherd, not a hired - 單純可愛, 是神救的,經歷神是他的牧者 Being innocent, single hearted, knowing it was God who delivered him and experiencing that the Lord is his shepherd - 到我們的牧者,主這裡來 Come to the Shepherd, our Lord (賽 Isaiah 55:1-4)