Great in the eyes of others!

I Samuel 18:5 - So David went out wherever Saul sent him and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

True greatness is measured by God, but it is perceived by those around us. Such is the case with David. As we will see in the next few posts, David was not only great in God's eyes, but he was highly admired by those around him as well.

• The king's perception - I Samuel 18:8-12

Bluntly stated, King Saul hated David and wanted him dead. When he looked at David he looked at him through jealous eyes. Notice several verses in our chapter...

v. 8 - Saul was angry

v. 9 - Saul eyed David

v. 12 - Saul was afraid of David

Saul hated him not because he was unkind, cruel or even disobedient. He hated him because God was with him and not with Saul. David was what Saul knew he should be, and he despised him for it.

• The public perception - 18:5, 7, 16

God divinely gave David favor in the eyes of those throughout Israel's Kingdom. The perception was shared by both Saul's servants (v. 5), as well as his subject (vs. 5, 16, 30). Simply put these people saw how David acted and were impressed with him.

The same could be said of Saul's own children (18:1-4, 20). Both Jonathon, Saul's son, and Michael, Saul's daughter loved David. There was a connection, a like-ability, a God-given attraction that impressed even Saul's own family.

How do others view you? Can they see God working in your life?

Zechariah 8:23 speaks of men that will live in such a way that it will cause others so say, "Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you." May God help us to live in such a way that others will see Christ in us!

What is true greatness?

I Samuel 16:7 - "...for the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

How is greatness measured? Is it measured by how much money a person has? Or can it be determined by the car they drive, the size of house in which they live, or in the status that they have achieved in life? Is true greatness recognizable by one's achievements in life?

Some would say "yes," but I have a sneaking suspicion that God would say, "NO!" I think that God would say, "True greatness is not measured by what you achieve in life, but by how you life your life."

We see than principle perfectly illustrated in the life of David. Let me remind you of some of the events in David's life...

• As an adolescent he was anointed as the future king of Israel.
• He became a national hero by defeating Israel's feared enemy.
• He was brought to the king's palace and became a part of King Saul's inner circle.
• He became best friends with the crown prince.

Wow! Now that sounds like David had, at least, reached a certain level of success, right? It is important to realize that not a single one of those acts made him great. As a matter of fact, I would submit that it was not what he did that made him great, but rather how he responded to each of those situations that demonstrated his greatness.

What a Baptismal Service!

This past Sunday at Hollywood Community Church we had the privilege of seeing 17 new believers follow the Lord in believer's baptism. Yes, you read that right, 17 new believers. In more than 26 years of ministry, there has only been one other time in which I baptized so many in one service. We are so excited about all that God is doing. There is no doubt that God is at work! Let me share some our new member's testimonies.

Marl Osceola was saved as a result of The Hollywood Christian Academy. Mrs. Linda Canott, a former THCA teacher, during a home visit led Marl to Christ. The story does not end there, though, this past week Gloria Ortiz, our children's ministry director and I had the privilege of leading six of his kids to Christ. Then on Sunday, Marl and seven of his children followed the Lord in believer's baptism. How cool is that?

Victory Pabon walked into HCC just four weeks ago. He immedialty felt loved and accepted by our church family. In a few short weeks he had tied into one of our Foundations Bible Study classes and had become involved in our Open Heart Food Pantry. Recently, he realized his need of Christ and trusted Him as his personal Savior. This past Sunday he identified himself with Christ in believer's baptism.

How about you? Have you demonstrated obedience to Christ's command and been baptized? Our next baptismal service is Sunday, October 17. If you haven't been baptized, let me encourage you to "jump in" and identify yourself as a follower of Jesus Christ!