TO WHOM BELONGEST THOU?
1 Samuel 30:13, “And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.”
Introduction:
This is a question that all men will answer before they die. The Lord knows the answer, John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” However, men must decide whom they wish to love and serve. Our nature is to sin and serve Satan, but the Grace of God has offered mankind salvation through faith in Christ.
I. THERE IS NO NEUTRALITY
A. You are either for the Lord or against Him, Luke 9:49-50, “And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.”
B. Chose today who you will serve, Joshua 24:15, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
1. No one can serve two masters, Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
a. He will hate the one and serve the other, Romans 6:16, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
b. He will love and obey the other, Romans 6:17-18, “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
2. You must choose whom you will serve, 1 Kings 18:21, “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”
a. To you was showed the truth, Deuteronomy 4:35, “Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.”
b. The people of Israel responded to the man of God, 1 Kings 18:39, “And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.”
II. WE BELONG UNDER THE BANNER OF PRINCE EMMANUEL
A. The Lord is God, Psalm 100:3, “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
B. Jesus is Lord, Acts 10:36, “The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)”
1. God has given Him power, John 17:2, “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”
a. He has ALL Power, Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
b. God the Father has seated at His right hand, Ephesians 1:20, “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,”
2. He has the power to save from sin, Matthew 9:6-8, “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.”
a. Mercy belongs to God, Daniel 9:9, “To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;”
b. Grace is found in Him, Psalm 84:11, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
c. His banner of love is over us, Song of Solomon 2:4, “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.”
III. OR WE BELONG UNDER THE BANNER OF PRINCE SATAN
A. Satan is the prince of this world, John 12:31, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.”
1. He is “the prince of the power of the air,” Ephesians 2:2, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
2. He is “the god of this world,” 2 Corinthians 4:4, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
a. His followers have been blinded, John 12:40, “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”
b. Their hearts have been hardened that they might not see, Ezekiel 12:2, “Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.”