Sermons and Outlines

1 Sam. 30:11-15                A STRANGER FINDS MERCY

Intro:  Ill. The context.  David and his men are pursuing the men who destroyed their 

homes and took their families captive.  Along the way, they encounter a man who 

was placed there by the providence of Almighty God.  Ill. Isn’t it great how He 

governs in the affairs of men?  There is more to this great story than just David and 

his men chasing their attackers.  There is a picture here of the great love and mercy 

of Holy God for fallen men.  In these verses, we can see a portrait of the Lord Jesus 

and His compassion for the sinner.  As God gives liberty tonight, I want to preach on 

this thought, A Stranger Finds Mercy.



  I.  						HIS SITUATION

    A.  v.11  He Was A Foreigner – Ill. A stranger from the promises of God and the 

	hope of Israel!  (Ill. Remember what it was like outside Jesus!  (Ill. Eph. 2:-1-

	3; 12  (Ill. John 8:44, Isa. 59:2)

    B.  v. 13  He Was Friendless – Ill. Left for dead!  This is exactly how much the 

	devil values your life and mine.  He delights in using us up and throwing us 

	away!  Ill. The sinner only has one Friend –   Ill. David – Psa. 142:4!  Pro. 

	18:24; John 15:13.

    C.  v. 12  He Was Famished – He was literally starving to death!  (Ill. The world 

	will never satisfy the longing soul.  The sinner will never find fulfillment in the 

	arms of the world.  It is only in the Person of Jesus Christ that the sinner can 

	find true rest and perfect satisfaction.  (Ill. Matt. 5:6; Psa. 107:9)  (Ill. John 

	4:13-14; John 7:37! Ill. John 6:35!)



 II.						HIS SAVIOR

    A.  v. 11  He Found Him – Ill. No sinner can truthfully say that he has “found” 

	Jesus.  It is the Lord who does the looking, the finding and the awakening to 

	the need of salvation – John 6:44; Luke 19:10.

    B.  v. 11-12b  He Fed Him – Ill. David and his men met the need of this man.  Ill. 

	Jesus, when He is received meets the greatest need of mankind – the need of 

	the soul!  He brings salvation and forgiveness and eternal life!  He satisfies the 

	deepest longings of the heart of man!  (Ill. John 6:48; 51)  Ill. He never stops 

	fulfilling our needs – Phil. 4:19.



III.						HIS SALVATION

    Ill. David freed this man.  His life was changed after he met David.  Notice what   

    David delivered him from.

    A.  Slavery – Ill. The slavery of sin!  Rom. 6:16; Eph. 2:1-3.  Jesus sets the 

	captives free – Luke 4:18; John 8:36!

    B.  Death – The man would have surely died.  David brought him life.  Ill. The 

	Christian need never fear death.  He has been delivered through Jesus.  (Ill. 

	John 5:24; John 11:25-26; Ill. Rom. 6:23- He paid the price and we benefit 

	from it!)

    C.  Disuse – Here was man who had been used up and thought his life was over.  

	David gave him new life and a new future!  Ill. What Jesus does for those He 

	saves!  Ill. Eph. 2:10.  (Ill. Jesus rescues us from the scrap pile and puts us in 

	the Kings service!  (Ill. 2 Cor. 4:7** God puts His Treasure in our trash!)



Conc:  I don’t know many things this afternoon, but there is one thing I do know for 

sure.  I know that I am saved and that Jesus came to where I was lying broken and 

wasted one day.  I know He saved my soul and has given me a new life and I know 

that I am grateful and that I love Him.  Thank God He lifts the fallen, delivers the 

captive, helps the burdened and saves the sinner.  Thank God I was found one day.  

What about you?