I'm excited to be here tonight. I can't recall the time where I
wasn't excited to come before people who want to be with God's
people and to be before God's word, but this particular study
stirred, my heart in many ways and I trust that it will stir
yours as well. If you were here last week, we
took the first six verses of this chapter, to look at a
teaching on how division occurs among the people of God.
It's not exhaustive, but it is pretty insightful of how it is.
That there can be a severing among even the spiritual among
God's chosen among those who are called by his name.
And the way we did that, as we looked at the example of
Absalom, the son of David who had a conspiracy against his
father, and who brought about successfully a Chasm between him
and his father. And between the people of God
Among the nation of Israel, and the three things That were
recognized as ingredients for division was number one division
begins in the heart of Unholy men.
If you have a person who is dominated by selfish ambition
division is very likely. Some kind of Discord is very
possible, but secondly, we looked at how the vision
requires deception and accusation division requires
deception accusation. And last week, we looked at how
division is strength Thousand by naive Hearts who are not
Discerning, who do not take their time to investigate and we
just receive anything from anybody that is very dangerous
and you realize that we just looked at the first few verses
we didn't even cover anything really passed verse seven down.
We looked at the first six verses in detail and we have all
this terrain to deal with. But instead of looking at each
verse carefully and commenting on these verses, I want us to
continue in that theme. I want us to continue with the
theme that we began last Friday and I want us to specifically.
Look at David's response to absalom's collusion I want us to
see how David reacted when he was betrayed, when there was
relational treason. When there was a person in his
life who went beyond the point of reconciliation, like you
can't even talk to this person more.
You can't reason you can do everything you can biblically
but this person is determined to destroy your reputation, your
life your ministry, this is where David is at, he's crossed
the line. In his relationship with Absalom
regardless of what he has done for him.
And we want to see how to respond to that because if you
serve God long enough, you will know some level some level of
hurt from another and maybe that's not the case for you.
And I praise God for that. I pray that you would never know
that bitterness, but it does happen often especially for
those who serve God in some capacity.
And so I think it's incredibly valuable to look at how David
responded. What will that require of us?
Well, again, we have to just kind of glean and take specific
versus rather than take everything that this chapter has
to offer. And so you might feel like,
well, there's that I want. What about this?
This, in this point to Christ, there is a lot in here, for the
sake of honoring, the theme and being consistent with what we
learned last week. We're going to trust that the
Holy Spirit has much to say in consideration of what we will
read. Now here's what I need you to
remember though, as we move. Forward.
Everything that David is about to undergo as for one main
reason and the primary lesson of this point of David's life, is
that he is reaping what he has sold.
Every single ache, every pain, every single update of some new
crisis, is all the result of his sin.
Nathan told him that this was going to happen and so if you
need to take away anything, it's that sin produces sorrow, it
will hurt you and it will inevitably disturb others that
you did not intend to disturb. That is what we see primarily
here, nonetheless. Even in this example, we see
practical steps offered to us, that can apply to the faithful
servant of God. Who is now who's now brought
into a season of life that is beyond their control and
agonizing situation, a painful set of predicaments.
That are applicable to us the suffering that we want to keep
in mind. Here is the suffering that I
just mentioned that of disloyalty a various kinds.
Betrayal. Treason collusion and even
conspiracy. When there is a plot with you
being the target, what do you do?
How do you go about it, how do you respond?
And tonight, you're going to hear four things, four things in
the life of David at this point, in this episode of his story,
that will equip you When something happens through
somebody else that is completely uncalled for and undeserved.
What do you do with betrayal? What do you do with this
loyalty? Let's read the first two verses
beginning in verse 13. And a messenger came.
To David saying, the hearts of the men of Israel have gone
after Absalom, then David said to all his servants, who are
with him at Jerusalem, arise, and let us flee or else, there
will be no Escape for us. From Absalom go, quickly lest
the overtake us quickly, and bring down ruin on us, and
strike the city with the edge of the sword.
The first thing that you, and I have to understand when it comes
to pain caused by another person is this rule.
Avoid more bloodshed Avoid more Bloodshed in the first two
verses here. With David receives the news of
absalom's conspiracy and the success of it, we already see
his Shepherds heart. David is now calling his
servants to follow him from the palace and to flee Into the
Wilderness and environment, that he's very familiar with.
If you remember his time with Saul, And he urges them to get
up and to go and the reasons are here.
We see that he realizes that the support that Absalom has is
enough to overtake and overwhelm them.
They're outnumbered, they're not going to succeed even if they
stay but that's not the main motivation.
Necessarily that is one of them but the main one for our focus
is what he says. After afterwards, he says and
strike the city with the edge of the sword.
David is concerned not only for himself and his men and his
family. He is concerned about the
innocent inhabitants of Israel. That if David chooses to remain
in Jerusalem and stand his ground and resist and fight,
what can happen at a cost? Is that there would be
casualties? and so David, here is concerned
that there are some if not many, who would get caught in the
crossfire Of Absalom selfishness and David's rightful defense of
his own throne and his own position.
And what David is doing here is incredible.
He is willing to surrender. What?
Rightfully belongs to him. What rightfully belongs to him
for the sake of peace. For the sake of others, not
experiencing the blunt and the collateral damage that can come
from a feud between him and his son.
And here's the instruction for the follower of Christ today
that there are times in your life that you will know, some
kind of conflict that will demand of you to surrender.
What you believe, rightfully belongs to you for the sake of a
greater cause And I hope you understand that and I hope you
believe that. There are going to be times that
in conflict in Warfare unfortunately, through people.
Where you have to make the willful decision to surrender,
what you believe to be your right for the sake of a greater
cause. And you see many examples of
that not just in the old, but in the new, you've heard me use
this example. Many times, we're Paul instructs
the Corinthian Christians. When he received news that they
were suing each other Christians going to court, Christians,
trying to to to win a case over another brother in Christ.
And you know what Paul says, why not suffer loss?
Why not be defrauded? Why don't just lose?
Why don't you just just let that person get away with their
offense and what is his motivation because he does not
want the internal strife of the Believers to be a stumbling
block for the watching unbelieving world.
That's your greater cause and so so don't don't worry about the
preservation of your property. Don't worry about the harm that
somebody might have caused especially if he's a brother for
the sake of the greater cause surrender.
And that's not the only example, you think of Paul applying that
rule to himself personally as an apostle to the very same
Christians. He says that he has some rights
as an apostle in the apostles held certain rights and the
right that he is speaking about there.
In chapter 9, is the right to be compensated, materially for his
spiritual service. He makes a case.
They're in First Corinthians that a person who is dedicated
any portion of his time or energy to serve the people of
God. Deserves to be compensated in
one way or another. And he goes to the Old Testament
to prove that case. But at the same time in verse
12, of First Corinthians, nice. He says, we do not make use of
that, right? We don't make use of that,
right? Why Leslie.
Put an obstacle in the way of the Gospel.
And what is Paul trying to say? This is what he's trying to
instruct about. He's saying you Gentiles you
fresh territory. I refused to implement this
right less. I Cloud your judgment unless I
give the potential persuasion that I'm doing this for money.
I'm actually going to reserve myself from exercising.
The right for you to give me my needs, as I serve you because
there's a greater cause I have in mind and that is you to
understand. My pure intentions, then I'm not
doing this for any selfish purpose, for any financial gain.
I want your soul saved. I want your soul Sanctified and
so, I will put aside this right for the sake of a greater cause
and what we see in David as he's willing to let go of his right
as the promise anointed king, for the sake, of preserving, the
lives of people who can get caught up in the Warfare between
him and his son, and there is a call for wisdom in knowing how
to go about this. There is a call for the Holy
Spirit to help us understand in. What situations.
This rule will supersede any other conviction that you might
have. And so there are times where
again, you might say Okay, I have to let go of whatever was
offended, whatever was taken, even my own reputation, not
being defended. For what purpose, considering
the possibility of the harm that my retaliation, or my resistance
can cause to the cause of Christ.
As I said that is not always the case.
Because Paul instructed the Corinthians hey, what just
suffer loss. Just Let It Go, the gospel.
The gospel is more important than your hurt.
Your what you lost or what somebody did to you in the
church and my right, my right as an apostle I'm going to I'm
going to work as a tent maker and I'm am I going to raise up
support for myself and actually see that he's supported even
others? And I'm going to preach the
gospel freely to you. I'm going to teach you freely
because I know the Temptation that you have and I know what
people are saying about my Ministry.
So I'm gonna I'm not going to put any obstacle in your way,
but there was times where Paul stood his ground and there were
moments where Paul utilized his rights.
And made a defense for himself. But for no different reason than
if he had not used his rights for a cause for specific, cause
can I show you one go to Acts chapter 16 and I want you to see
in your Bibles at this point of Paul's Ministry where he is in,
Philippi Phillipi with his missionary partner, Silas.
And as they are, they're attempting to reach people.
They are instead in prison beaten Shackled.
And then that famous scene as they are bruised and bloodied,
and blistered, they sing hymns to God in the Midnight Hour and
they pray and they pray and an earthquake comes.
And when the earthquake comes, they can run off, they don't run
off because this Jailer is there he pleads with them asking how
he can be saved? He gets saved his family gets
saved. His whole household gets
baptized and then something interesting happens.
It would have been great if historian to there and then you
transition to Paul's next missionary endeavor.
Ever, but it doesn't something happens.
And what happens here is in verse 36 And the Jailer the
Jailer who is just freshly saved the Jailer reported these words
to Paul saying the magistrates have sent to let you go
therefore come out now and go and peace.
Pause here the same magistrates that bound Paul beat Paul.
Rip Paul's closed and threw him in that dungeon are now
realizing that they were wrong and they sent word to the
Jailer, who was hosting them and said, hey we may dismiss Steak
we made a mistake with these two guys.
Let them know that they can. They're not arrested, they're
not in prison anymore. There's no case against them
just let them. Let them head out peaceably and
we can just forget this ever happened.
What would be the Christian thing to do?
I'll praise God. Okay?
And just sweep it under the rug and let's just move on.
That's that's that's wonderful. Is that is that what Paul does
look here and see what Paul does?
But Paul said to them, verse 37, they have beaten us publicly
uncondensed and men who are Roman citizens and have thrown
us into prison and do they now throw us out?
Secretly know, let them come themselves and take us out.
And here's what some passes would say to Paul Paul, it's not
very christ-like. Turn the other cheek Paul Just
just go about peaceably and ignore this.
And there's no need to cause waves here, Paul.
They want this to end smoothly. Why don't you just move on and
not cause a stir and Paul says, no, no, no.
If they want us to go, let them come here, themselves, and
escort us. We want a private escort from
the police. We're not stepping on till they
arrive here, and they do that. Here's my question to you, a
Bible study tonight. Why is Paul doing this?
Very good. Did you hear it?
If you read this without much meditation, you would think
Paul's a little bitter here that Paul has something in his heart
where he wants some kind of humiliation for these police.
You would think that he just wants to get back at them and
one way or another that he's not going to leave without some kind
of a nudge. Not some kind of a little punch
in the gut before they can just move on.
That is not what Paul is doing here.
Paul appeals to his Roman citizenship.
For a greater cause. He's not doing this for himself,
he's not doing this because he was humbled, he's not doing this
because he was embarrassed, he's doing this because something
happened earlier in the chapter, and you heard me, allude to it,
he was beaten publicly. He was arrested before the eyes
of many witnesses. He was shamed, and he was
imprisoned. And these men, Paul and Silas
entered into this region as missionaries.
They came Paul cast out a devil devil out of me.
Girl, there is an obvious sense that these men were different.
They came with some kind of mission and the last that people
have seen of them is that they were apprehended and they were
put away, they were in essence, seen as guilty of something.
And this is how Paul's think what a brilliant man.
What a brilliant man. Paul was, here's a Paul.
Is thinking he's saying the last that these Philippians have seen
of us, is that we were some sort of criminals.
Silas hear me out. Hear these police that
wrongfully treated us in this way.
They have to rectify. What happened here?
And here's what Paul is demanding in the same way that
they were condemned publicly, they wanted to be seen as
innocent publicly and it would be the presence of these
magistrates in these police that would validate their innocence.
And that would show that they were an error in their judgment
against these missionaries for what for what, cause for the
sake of the unbelieving to realize that there's no real
Scandal here. For the sake of these witnesses,
to realize that these men are not men of ill repute that they
are not questionable in their character.
Their innocent men, they are good men.
And if they are good men, the surely.
There's something about their message that is pure So even
when Paul exercises his right that same Temptation you feel
when Injustice has been caused to you it's still gospel
focused. It's still gospel-centered.
It's still Soul. Winning driven motivation.
And so I understand that when he didn't use his right, it was for
the sake of the Gospel. When he did use his rights, it
was for the sake of the gospel. And so we need the wisdom, the
spirit. And we need an honest
investigation of our own Hearts. Whenever we have to determine,
how do I go about what is happening in my life right now.
And this is what we see from David.
David is not going to cause more Bloodshed more shame or
embarrassment more chaos by restraining and holding on to
what belonged to him, which will require.
What when you experience some kind of suffering at the hands
of another Point. Number two, number one was to
avoid much Bloodshed or more Bloodshed rather and number two
in the conflict as arrows are flying by and bullets are
whizzing through. Trusting the sovereignty of God.
trust to the sovereignty of God and you're going to know how
important that is when you do surrender or write that, you
know, you can really fight for make a case for Where do I see
that? I scroll down in first Samuel.
Excuse me. Second Samuel chapter 15 verse
25. Look at verse 25 of second
Samuel. 15. We can look at verse 24 to
understand what's happening. And I'd be, I thought our verse
24 came up and behold zadok came.
Also with all the Levites bearing, the Ark of the Covenant
of God, and they set down the Ark of God until the people had
all passed out of the city. Then the king said to tzadik
carry the Ark of God back into the city.
If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back
and let me see. Both it and his dwelling place.
But if he says, I Have no pleasure in you.
Behold here. I am.
Let him do to me. What seems good to him.
Here's what David is admitting the outcome of this.
Uncontrollable situation is ultimately determined by God.
By God, this is all in the hands of God.
Absalom is not the one calling the shots here almighty God is.
And if God wants me to go back to Jerusalem and to behold the
Tabernacle, he will bring me back, but if God in his perfect,
wisdom says, you're not going back, you're going to stay out
here as a fugitive forever. Then so be it, the understanding
here of David is I completely trust that even though Absalom
is controlling this whole thing and determining, how we're going
about this? God is still Supervising the
situation. He is still Sovereign over all
of this. And this was his Solace.
This was his comfort. This was his assurance and it's
true here. That David's confession is an
awareness of the discipline of the Lord.
The reason why he can humbly receive this.
As he knows that this is tied back to his sin with Bathsheba.
And that he is experiencing the chastisement of God.
And so he just he just Embraces it and he says, this is how the
Lord is, is disciplining me then?
So be it. But more than that, his attitude
here applies even to the faithful servant of God.
Not just the one under Going God's discipline, the faithful
servant of God, who is now losing control of their life of
what's happening to them. It is one of the greatest
secrets to successfully enduring all kinds of suffering,
including the suffering of betrayal.
When you can't control, what people say about you do to you
plot against you. Here's the Glorious thought.
No matter how strong someone selfishness is, it will never be
able to overpower The Sovereign purposes of God for your life.
Never. That's what David Is Anchored In
and the extent of his trust is so inspiring.
You see that at? You see it in subtle ways.
You see that David here is very realistic about this whole
ordeal. He's not pretending here he's
he's not he's not playing these mind games where he's he's just
dismissing the severity of it. No, he's very honest.
Look at verse 19. Then the king said to a tie that
get tight. Why do you also go with us?
Go back and stay with the King for you are a foreigner and also
in Exile from your home, what stands out to you from that
verse When he instructs it tie to head back.
The king. who is he referring to not him Absalom, David calls
Absalom, the king David acknowledges that absalom's
conspiracy succeeded. And he was willing to humbly
receive how things were playing out.
And at this point, he was completely convinced that
Absalom gain the throne and gained the title and gain the
crown. He's not saying that
sarcastically. He's saying this with complete
honesty saying just go back to the King right now, I'm not the
king. I look at that and I think to
myself, this is a man who knew and trusted in the wisdom of
God, no matter what was taken from him, no matter where he was
headed. He didn't try to console his
soul Again by playing pretend and imagining things not to be
what they are. He just received it and he
rehearsed he rehearsed, not what he wanted, necessarily he
rehearsed that God was in complete control and it was
difficult. it was not easy for David to confess this the
description of him and his men as they walked away from their
homes, their family, the palace, the temple was one of great
honesty as well, look here verse 30, second, Samuel, 15, 30, but
David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives weeping as he
went weeping as he went Barefoot and with his head covered and
all the people who are with Him, cover their heads and they went
up weeping as they went Here's what you can take out.
As here's what I can take out of this.
I can weep while I trust I can weep.
While I believe. I can be broken in my faith.
David's confidence in the sovereignty of God, not only
caused him to be unrealistic about the situation.
Also did not encourage him to deny how he really felt This is
painful. My son, the son, that I gave so
much Mercy to the Sun that I was willing to return and to restore
the Sun that I kissed. When he deserved an axe to the
neck that same son. Now has taken everything that
I've ever had everything that God has promised me and is now
even out to kill me to ensure that I would not get it back
again. He's a king.
And so he's weeping and what you see with David's weeping is
this, that genuine faith in God does not require the
accompaniment of positive feelings to make it legitimate.
Okay, let me put it this way. The presence of Sorrow, the
presence of pain, the presence of a sense, Of grief.
Does not indicate the absence of faith in God.
Remember that for yourself. You can't you can know truth.
You can say it, you can rehearse it and you can memorize it.
You can you can share it with others.
And at the same time, when you lay your head, on your pillow
that night, feel the coldness, Of all that is happening around
you. Don't lie, remember that for
yourself. Please remember that.
When you counsel another believer, please remember that,
as you look at another believer who's come to you and is broken
about a situation And don't disqualify their faith.
Just because their voice is cracking and their eyes are
swelled up because they couldn't sleep the night before.
You can weep while you trust you can trust and still weep.
That's what's happening with this man.
And that's what's happening with these Warriors who are with him,
you know what I find? So encouraging about this.
Not only that, you're not supposed to misinterpret.
Someone's Brokenness as a lack of confidence of God.
No. Look at the amount of times, I
wish I could read the rest of this chapter, because you would
be overwhelmed by certain word. In this chapter, especially
Beyond verse 13. You would see a slight
exaggeration of an emphasis. And I can't read the rest of
these verses. So I'll read 23 verses and
you'll pick up on it. Look what the narrator does.
Look what the author does. By the guidance of the spirit in
verse 15, the verse 17, just listen carefully.
And the King's servants said to the king behold, your servants
are ready to do whatever my Lord, the king, the sides.
So the king went out and all his household after him and the King
left Hancock device to keep the house, and the King went out and
all the people after him. And Halted at the last house.
Do I have to tell you what? Word, The King, The King, The
King, The King, The King, and his more, There is almost the
mention of the king in every verse The King, The King, The
King, The King. David said, the king concerning
Absalom. The Holy Spirit through the
author is saying David. You're the true king, You're the
king. Why is this happening?
So that the reader as they come to this moment where David
himself even perceives? That Absalom is now the king,
you would realize here, that know, no one nor anything could
change. What God had already decreed?
God, had determined David to be the king and no matter how
forceful, or aggressive, or devilish Absalom was to try to
take that position from David, it's still belonged to David It
was still his because God said it was his and it would remain
with David if all held belched out, every demon possible, it
would still not alter the reality that God had set for his
servant, The King, The King, The King, The King servants, The
King, The King, The King to tell you hey no matter what Absalom
is doing. David will go unscathed.
And nothing will ultimately change in the end.
David trusted in the sovereignty of God.
Yeah, he had tear-stained cheeks, but his heart was
swollen with this trust in the sovereignty of God.
How much the David trust in the sovereignty of God so much so
that he wrote a song In This Moment.
There is actually a psalm. You heard it in the beginning.
This is why you have to show up early, you get extra bonus
scripture. But there's Grace, so you're
going to hear it again, right? David wrote A Psalm.
Exactly when he was going through this period of Exile and
it's Psalm chapter 3 and I want you to see something in the
psalm that indicates the extent of this man's trust in God at
this very moment. And Beyond this moment, beyond
the day of his exit, this is how he felt Okay, you're at Psalm 3.
Look at verse 5. Now, as I'm reading this Keep in
mind, the background that this man is Barefoot ashes weeping.
Not knowing what tomorrow will bring living with the
realization that. At any time, Absalom can say the
word and we will be surrounded and swallowed up by his army.
look what he says, Psalm 3 verse 5 I laid down and slept I woke
again for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many
thousands of people. Who have set themselves against
me all around. You know how much David trusted
God, he could sleep. He could sleep.
He could sleep knowing again that just a few miles away.
Just like the Israelites at the Red Sea, they can turn around
and see the smoke of chariot wheels.
As the enemy is headed towards them and numerically speaking
humanly speaking, they would be done and here's what David
saying as an exile, I could actually sleep.
And I can wake up because the Lord is sustaining me and even
though thousands May surround me, I will not be afraid.
That's how much he trusted the Lord.
And so this man don't be fooled. Don't be mistaken.
Don't misinterpret this man's Brokenness here, down deep
inside, he was on shaken. I'm Shakin.
He really believed that God was with him and for him.
So trust in the sovereignty of God and trust this scene in
faith like this but faith is not passive.
It's active. Faith isn't just something
that's there and oh, there it is.
It's I didn't realize I had this in me.
Know, that's not the case. Faith is active.
You act on that Faith. You exercise that faith.
You move about with what, you know, to see that faith
strengthened and flourishing in your life and then you reap the
blessings of it, which brings me to the third point.
So, the first point was in war, for, in betrayal, in the pain
caused by another person, whatever the extent of that
betrayal is, whether it's an attack on your ministry, and
your church coming from within your church or somebody in your
family. That's just downright devilishly
annoying. and harassing, whatever, the case may be, Avoid
more Bloodshed know what your rights are, sure.
But know when to use it and know when to surrender for the sake
of a greater cause number two, trust trust trust in the
sovereignty of God, especially when you realize I have to
surrender this, right? Because I want to please my
master but lastly you're not lastly, thirdly commit your
cause to God commit it to God. Where do I see that will come
here at verse 30? Verse 31.
And it was told David. I Heathrow fell.
Is among the conspirators with Absalom.
And David said, oh, Lord. Please turn the Council of a
heath, offal into foolishness. So, with all the devastation
that this man is already dealing with, you have a messenger
running by and catches up to David David.
There's an update on this whole thing, your good friend, your
counselor, your advisor. He's so full.
He has now joined the cause of Absalom and he is, he is with
him on the campaign to have you killed And this is what this man
here is on top of all that he's already trying to manage in his
mind and what happens when this news comes to him.
What comes out of the man? A prayer.
His immediate reflux with this news, is to turn toward heaven
and to sigh a supplication. Very brief.
Very direct, very simple, very effective.
See when this man was squeezed, when he was pushed further into
the corner of Despair and hopelessness, what really came
out of him was just more trust in God, more trust in God, and
he knew how to just throw it at the feet of the Lord.
And you have to understand that this is a very painful moment.
You have your son, you have your son who now betrays?
You? But now you have one of your
best friends added to it. okay, one betrayal is enough you're
telling me to on top of that, a bunch of Naive Israelites who
love the looks of Absalom, and his charm that are swept up with
him, never mind them. The one that David said, I walk
with you in the house of God and took sweet counsel with you,
remember that? I believe David had a, he
fulfill and mind when he wrote Psalm 41 verse 9 and Psalm 41
verse 9, he spills his soul and he says the following, even my
close friend in whom, I trusted, who ate my bread.
He came over for dinner. Many times.
Who ate my bread, Has Lifted his heel against me.
More than just turned his back on me.
He lifted his heel against me to strike me.
My close friend, not just a friend that just do employer,
not just an employee, my close friend, And so some of us here,
have have sipped from that bitter cup of betrayal.
And if you haven't yet, don't be surprised.
If it comes your way and you have to sit from it without your
control, no matter how much you plead for peace and
Reconciliation. There are some people who have
unfortunately ulterior motives and agendas and who like a he
fell for bitter and has to do something with you.
And so, they will come against you when the opportunity arises
When David's close friend turned against him, what did David do?
He turned to the friend of friends and he poured out his
soul? I love that.
He turns to God. And he speaks to him.
Yes, as Lord. But also someone who can who can
promise more than just willing to hear you and even heal you in
that place of discomfort. But David, David reaches out to
God, knowing that he will can actually do something about it,
that's how real God was to David.
He didn't just, you know, Pastor said that, Bible study, if you
if you're feeling overwhelmed because of somebody's
Foolishness and selfishness. Just pray.
Not he, that was like his reflex, it wasn't some
premeditated. Think he just cried out to God.
Lord, you got to do something here.
You got to do something about. He fell for, you know, I he's
hopeful, I know, I feel full and it can get real ugly real fast.
You see beyond the pain of personal history being violated,
what he knew about. He felt was that he was a
strategist. He was somebody that he received
counsel from concerning military Affairs and Internal Affairs.
And so this is dangerous. Is this is more than just you
hurt my feelings. This is our future can be gone
if they listen to a heath offal. So this is a scary moment.
A man, with many resources, much power.
Much persuasion is now against them.
At one point, he was a partner with him and now he's his enemy.
So he turns to the Lord. And the Glorious thing about the
Friendship of God is that you can turn to him and he is
trustworthy and reliable and he is accessible.
He is accessible at all times. I realized.
In my past with all the shards of broken relationships, all
they have really done is serve as a backdrop to portray the
absolute Beauty, and Reliance and consistency of my Jesus.
All the Blackness of people failures and disappointments and
condemnation whatever. All of that just serves as a
backdrop and it just makes Jesus look more beautiful.
He'll never fail you. If you walk with him
consistently you will know beyond just Savior and Creator
and provide you will know him as friend.
And you can find it in your heart because, you know, how it
what it's like to spend time with them and to love him and to
worship and privately that when these things come to you, you
can turn to him and actually believe he hears you, yes, he
can heal you sure but he can actually do something on your
behalf. You touching the apple of God's
eye. When you touch a servant of God,
Servants of God are not just pastors anybody here who loves
God and wants to obey him and so David turns to the Lord.
And here's the thing, I want to ask you tonight.
How do you think God would answer this prayer?
Like I'm a, if you don't know the story, this will be,
especially more engaging if you do.
Reserve your answer for now but I'm wondering here.
This is a prayer. In your mind, in your
understanding of how things can play out, understand the extent
of God's power and wisdom. How do you think God could?
Let's put it that way? God could answer this prayer and
thwarting, the Council of a thief offal.
I have a couple of things that came to my mind.
What's that masterfully. Sure.
But more specifically. What can God do?
You know what? I think I could have done.
He could have muted. I thoughtful you no longer able
to speak. When that be something I he felt
was there and they saw Council. Now I can't talk what's going on
with this man. He could have paralyzed them.
He could have blinded him. You could have just outright
just killed them and got rid of him and that very moment, the
moment, David uttered that prayer and he felt he could have
lost his life. Did God answer this prayer?
Did he okay for you who know that he answered this prayer?
How did he do it? What's that?
You're right. He did bring in somebody else.
Who did he bring in? Asshai.
Oh, would you look at it with me here in verse 32, while David
was coming to the summit where God was worshiped, behold his
shy, The Arc, I came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on
his head. Do you see the word behold
there? That is intended to highlight
the significance of who shies arrival.
It's almost as though, as you're reading especially verse 31, you
just learned that David uttered, his prayer to God, that
something would happen. And what the holy spirit is
trying to do, is when you come to verse 32, hey, pay attention
to what's about to happen behold.
Look at this. See what is now entering into
the scene, who shy. This is important reader,
recognize the significance of this reader.
This is not disconnected from the context reader.
This is a fact, very much associate with what you just
learned in verse 31, the moment David prays this prayer, he
walks towards the summit. And what you see here is that
who shy enters the scene and the writer is saying behold check
this out. And it's supposed to grab your
attention and make the connection with the previous
thing that you just saw. His shy is the answer.
That God provided for David's plea.
The openness, the humility, the position, just all the
providential pieces that fit hoosh I would serve a purpose
connected to David's prayer. You get to see that in the next
few chapters, and if you doubt that who shy is actually the
answer to David's prayer. This is the person that God
provided that would bring about Deliverance.
Go to chapter 17 and look at verse 14, and I want you to see
how God confirms that who shies. In fact, his provision for
David's prayer. Second, Samuel 17, verse 14 and
Absalom and all the men of Israel said, the Council of who
shy. The our kite is better than the
counsel of ahithophel. For the Lord, had ordained to
defeat the Good Counsel of a he fell so that the Lord might
bring harm upon Absalom. Do you see it?
Who shy is going to go back to the Palace?
Who shy is going to interact with the king who shine must
have had some kind of counseling position even during David's
Reign Absalom recognizes that. And then they receive a hateful
instruction. His advice for this whole thing
and they turned to his shyah shyah says, you know what, I
thought was usually good. But this time he missed the mark
and he gives his advice and the advice would suspend and give
the the men and David more time to escape and to establish
themselves, and God allowed this to happen.
So that when they received They received who shies advice, it
would be to their own detriment, okay?
When I read this, I thought to myself, there's so much in this
We don't have the time necessary to unpack each of it in great
detail. So pay attention because we have
incredible insight about prayer. Your, we have incredible insight
about what we can take for our own lives.
Here's the first thing you have to understand.
When God answers our needs. If you're praying person, pay
attention. When God answers your request,
it doesn't always come and predictable packages.
Okay, sometimes when we pray, we don't only pray.
We imagine and fantasize how God is going to answer that prayer.
This is how God's going to do it.
This is how it goes into it, right?
And that's a dangerous thing to do.
Because as much as you need to be specific with your prayer,
you also need to be open with how God will answer.
Or else we can miss, how God provides you can fail to see how
God brings about his faithfulness in your life.
And here's the thing, one of the most overlooked ways in which
God provides for us. Is through friends.
It's true, friends. Look at how David's friend here
is described in verse 37 of chapter 15, second Samuel, 1537.
So shy David's friend, David's friend.
Came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
I think one of the ways in which you, and I overlooked God's
faithfulness as when we fail to see him working through
friendships saying, brother, you might be reading too much into
this. No, I think it's a principle
that is that is valid what did Paul say about the comfort that
he received from God? At the coming of who Titus, it
was the coming of Titus that God brought about Comfort to his
soul. The people in your life the very
people you're sitting with can be God's answer to many things
in your life. And we can Overlook that.
His answers are not always predictable his packages.
Very they're not always flashy, they're not always Supernatural.
Sometimes it's flesh and blood. And God just finds a person
like, who shine was a loyalty and our openness in their heart.
To bring about some kind of support and it's totally
directly from God and you just need the scriptural insight to
see that. This is one way in which God
extends his hand to you as much as through somebody else with
their personality and their history with you.
It's very much God who moves that heart to help yours.
That's what we see. God's answers to our prayers are
not always predictable packages but secondly, we see that.
His grace is so wide. That he considers our prayers.
Even though the duration of that supplication is no longer than a
single breath. Put a put a clock, put a timer
to that prayer. That David prayed in verse 31,
what? Like, half a second, a second
and still God heard it because God is not impressed by
drawn-out, elaborate painful cries.
And intercessions it's not the length of prayer.
That moves the heart of God is the depth of that prayer.
And you can have a one-sentence prayer that is so genuine and
sincere that will win God's favor over three hours of
hypocritical Pharisee, local like praying.
This is the grace of God. It's so wide.
David can just say this God I need you here and he'll provide
The provide, that's the grace of God.
That's how wide it is, that even and how just our weakness and
how pathetic our prayers are and all the intrusive thoughts that
come when God Zooms in even while you're trying to push
through the laundry idea and what you're going to make for
dinner. But you know you need to pray
and you know that God is the only one who can supply and you
have no other way out. God will say, I'll still give
you this grace. That's how wide is Grace's.
But here's the third thing, I take out of this, God does more
than we can ask. David's prayer was very simple,
right? He just said please turn the
Council of a he fulfill into foolishness.
That's all he asked of God, very simple, just confuse him,
confuse the hearers Lord. Whatever it is that you need to
do to ensure that there will be this this missing Mark here from
a. He fulfills mind to the hearts
of these evil men. Just please do that.
You know what God does? He goes beyond that?
You heard it. Right.
And second Samuel 17, 14, when we were told that they took the
advice of who shy Can I remind you what else happened?
It says to defeat the Good Counsel that he fell for but it
didn't end there. He goes on to say so that the
Lord might bring harm upon Absalom.
I'm not only going to make a, he fulfills Council unconvincing,
I'm gonna let who shies Council be convincing and be the very
death verdict of Absalom. I'm going to take care of
Absalom once and for all. I'm not going to let absent
Advance one more Step, Beyond my perfect will And so he does more
than what you ask. Even if what you ask you think
is sufficient God, says your faith.
I'm going to take it beyond what you intended it for and I'm
going to give you more than you thought you needed.
I'm going to deal with Absalom and my answer to your prayer is
going to be multi-purpose manifold.
Here's my favorite part. Here's my favorite part.
Those are all great Parts, but here's my favorite part about
this lesson of David praying in this context, when you think
about David's prayer, he's praying about a specific, man.
He's praying about a man who had a brilliant mind.
A frightening, Lee, sharp mind. A man who was praised.
We're told later that the advice of a he Fofo was like the very
Council of God. Imagine knowing somebody that
you can rely on their every word that there is no doubt that when
they tell you to do something, it's the absolute best outcome
that could come about in your predicament.
That's who I fell for was and what you see here is that when
David prays It beats that. Prayer is more powerful of a
weapon than the most brilliant. Mind a person can have I love
this point. This point excites me, David was
not as smart as I felt full. They vote.
David was not as wise as a, he thoughtful Deva was not as
successful and trying to find out a practical way to come
about something. But David was a praying man, and
a praying man is more dangerous than a smart man.
Oh, you don't believe it, right? Because we worship the brain.
These days, we worship the brain.
So many can get up there and just wax eloquence, and have a
bunch of letters by their name. And we just listen to their
every word, listen, up, to be honest.
Some people that people listen to their popular and they have
millions of views, I don't get it, I don't get it.
One not that you can't glean some things from the world, but
one they don't have Christ wisdom.
They don't have God's wisdom and you have Christian people more
excited about secular philosophy and psychology than God's word.
Personally, not not not just because I want to defend God's
word and I want to sound simplistic.
I just, I don't see it, I don't understand.
And that's besides the point, I don't want to go down that
rabbit hole. But here you have a man who
prays and this man who prays is that a greater Advantage than
the man who has a mind unlike any other.
But whose heart is far from God, give me a man who has a limited
mind but a heart filled with God, over a man who has a great
mind but has no connection to the God that I love and serve. a
praying man is more to be feared is more guaranteed success and
peace and protection than a man who can configure and figure out
all these things with his own human, wisdom and reliance
Believe that about prayer. Believe that God backs up a
praying, man. Oh, this got against
intelligence. Absolutely.
Not as God against thinking. No is God.
God against knowledge and acquiring knowledge?
No, I'm sure you read. Proverbs and many other places
to realize, that's not the case. But God, opposes the man who
relies on the strength of the Flesh and the arm of the flesh.
He backs up the man, they'll pathetic in his situation.
But strong in prayer. Commit your cause to God.
Bring that person to God as he got.
I surrendered my right here. I'm not going to deal with this.
You need to come in and deal with this.
You need to step in here. I'm not going to do it.
Lord. And watch how God will come
through. Watch how God will defend you,
watch how God will? In a scary way.
Set you up for a future. What do I do?
What do I do?
When something like this is
beyond my control and it's very painful and my whole world is
being flipped upside down. Well, avoid avoid more bloodshed
Trust in God's sovereignty, commit your cause to God.
And lastly take the opportunity. In that season to give special
worship to the Lord or do I see that look again at verse 32.
While David was coming to the summit where God was worshiped,
that's an interesting description of where he was
headed, behold who shy The Arc. I came to meet him with his coat
torn and dirt on his head who has a King James Version.
Who has a new King James Version.
Who has ESV and all the hands go up, right?
Okay. Yeah.
If you have the new King James of the King James, it will say
in that part where it says, where, what God was worshiped,
it will say in those versions where he worshipped God, right.
Where he worshipped, God, where he worshipped, God, the new King
James in the King James will say that, I believe, whatever
transition you're holding. They're saying the same thing.
There's the mention of David headed towards somewhere where
worship was, and I believe where he went to worship David and his
mind in all of this chaos in all of the development of all this
thing. Right, that's happening in his
life and all the fireworks and all the bombs that are just
around him, dropping around the Minefield, all these things?
David purposed in his heart. Hey I got to pause at some point
here, and give God worship. This is just astounding to me.
He comes to seek the Lord in a specific way and give him
particular recognition. Here's the thing, you have to
understand. What does this kind of
disciplined? Adoration to the Lord.
What is that due to God's heart? That was my question when I
looked at that. My question was not anything
else other than Lord, what does that mean to you?
When a man like David at this point in his life is choosing to
stop before, moving on to give worship to God.
And to seek God, at the prod, his heart to God.
And when I especially love about his worship to the Lord, is this
look again at verse 31. It was told to David that he
thoughtful joined absolon, right?
David and verse 31. He prays to God, he seeks God
for this thing. And verse 32, we are told that
he goes where God was worshiped or where he worshiped God and
then after that, we see the behold who's shy dark.
I came to meet him. What do I mean by that?
What I see here is that David gave God worship or was headed
towards the place of worship before the answer to his prayer
came. So his worship to God was not
dependent upon a solution that was provided him or some kind of
answer, some kind of provision that God made his, he was
totally intended to give God glory and honor and praise even
before a sign of some kind of improvement was made known.
That's worship. That I believe is the sacrifice
of praise. I'm not going to wait to worship
God and give thanks to him once. He answers that prayer, I will
when it does but I'm going to give it to me even before just
because God is God. It's because God is God and he's
worthy. And this is what he does.
Here it is, he not he worshipped before, and his adoration was
not dependent upon answers. His adoration was not dependent
upon answers, it was totally energized.
By his understanding of how much God has adorned in his person
with Holiness, and goodness and infinite Beauty and power and
love toward him. And even in this, you could say,
I want to worship you. And I wonder if this is where
the beginnings of Psalm 3 were birth.
I wonder if the words of Psalm 3 began when David here says I'm
going to worship God. And I wonder if that's not true,
that Psalm 3 was something that David.
David did during this whole Exile because he slept, and he
woke up. So there's, there's, there's
continuous worship through all of us.
Not just a moment but continuous worship. and so I think that
it's worth ending, this Bible study I'm just reading all of
Psalm 3 again. You just got a little glimpse of
what David was enduring. And we started the service with
the reading of Psalm 3, now all that you've accumulated.
Maybe it'll bring a different light to Psalm 3 as you read it
again. and when we come to it, I'm sure it will be a blessing
to you. Psalm 3?
A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom, his son.
Tired, exhausted. Weary.
Dirty. Oh, Lord.
How many are my foes? Many are rising against me?
Many are saying of my soul. There is no salvation for him in
God C'est Le But You O Lord, are a shield about me.
My glory and the lifter of my head, I crowd allowed to the
Lord, and he answered me from his Holy Hill.
I laid down and slept. I woke again for the Lord
sustained me. I will not be afraid of many
thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around
arise. O.
Lord, save me. Oh my God, for you strike all my
enemies on the cheek, you you break the teeth of the wicked
salvation Belongs to the Lord, your blessing, beyond your
people, say, aloha, Listen, if praising God is for God.
Then in those seasons. Where nothing is in your favor,
do you understand what an opportunity is to give God
worship? Do you interpret that as an
opportunity to give God worship? When everything has literally
been stripped from you, if worship is really for God than
bless him. Bless him, even when you don't
feel like you're being blessed that's worship.
My goal here is not to make you feel guilty.
My goal here is not to just break your arm and to convince
you of something. My goal here is to show you how
worthy God is for you to consider blessing him.
When you're being blunted and when your soul is blistered, and
when your eyes are blinded with tears to in that moment,
consider, oh God, this is an opportunity to worship you when
it really counts, unfortunately, you have people they disappear
when they suffer. I'm not saying we don't, we
don't have compassion and patience and reach out to the
people. That's part of what the church
does. But what a blessing it is not to
anybody else know, it is a blessing to others.
What a blessing it is to the Lord your God.
I'm sure of it to be like David and to say I want to worship
Him. I need to make time in all of
this, while I'm figuring out my life and I'm being sued and
people are stealing from me and people are tarnishing my name
left, right and center and my Ministry might fall apart.
My family is. Threatening me this way or that
way. There's there's a hit list and
my name is on it, whatever the case, maybe I need to find some
time in this place to worship, God.
Why brother? No other reason not to impress.
Anybody not for your pastors, say what a good Christian just
to bless him just to bless the Lord.
He's worthy. What do you do?
Well, just avoid avoid bloodshed.
Trusting, God's sovereignty, commit, your cost to God and
interpret this as an opportunity in your little life.
Where everything that you can suffer is considered light
Affliction to say, I want to worship Him.
But whatever strength and maybe your worship is acai, but it's
still worship and just bless God and bless God, let's pray.
Lord. Like a woman from Ethiopia who
is astounded by the wisdom of Solomon.
We recognize the wisdom of the one greater than Solomon, and
there is no more breath in US. we have been confronted by the
depths of your mind and we haven't even we haven't even
treaded beyond the shallow place.
Lord. We just thank you.
That how in a text like this. We can acquire significant.
Reliable resources. To know, great blessing, more
importantly, more glory to you. And we do.
Pray that in this house. Our hearts would have been
changed in one way or another. Our hearts would have been
changed. And Lord, we do worship you
tonight. Regardless of where we're at, we
want to take this opportunity to give you glory.
Help us remember these things. In those tumultuous periods,
where are our thoughts? And our energy are being pulled
in a thousand, different directions when we are being
drained? By those who have no good in
mind toward us, help us Lord to be like David.
So, prepared through our meditation.
So invested in you that when the news comes, and when the updates
are worse and worse, what comes out of us is prayer, is Praise.
Is Love is trust even through the tears.
Even through the exhausted voice.
Even through the sleepless nights help us O, Lord, to be
Sophie. Filled with you that when we are
crushed by conflict, what comes out is Christ.
That's our prayer. You only can make that happen.
We want that. I want that.
I want that more. And only, you can provide that
reality. So tonight we praise you, we
praise you. Because your word is so alive
and it touches us And we want to touch your heart by thanking you
in song, in Jesus name. Amen.
We just stand as we sing.