First Samuel chapter 23. Let's meet there together.
First Samuel 23, beginning in verse 15.
That's pretty one more time. Go.
We thank you for the written word.
We ask O Lord that this Bible study.
Lord, he would impart the wisdom that we need.
It would impart. The Revelation that would draw
our hearts closer to Christ. Lord, may we be reminded, may
you destroy every distraction May you Lord win every ounce of
our affection. Oh lord, for those who might be
dry inside, we ask that this was kindled afresh fire, for those
who might be defeated in a certain sin, but we pray that
they would receive the faith to be able to rise above, all sin
and live in Victory, that you've purchased on the cross for us.
For those who might be mesmerized by the world, Lord,
show the glory of Jesus Christ. We need you tonight, we need you
in the study. Take us by the hand and teach us
your word and let no other voice.
Interfere with the voice of God and Lord.
As we share with one, another may we be mutually edified so
that we can continue this race. Running with full force For Your
Glory. We ask these things in Jesus
name. Amen.
Any man. the last that we've heard of David, Is that he was
with 400 men. And that he was delivering a
people from an invasion of the Philistines, it was a town
called kiala and it was a successful Endeavor that people
have kiala word, delivered, they sought for his help.
And he did not fail to provide what he's always provided.
And that was faithful sacrifice with the skill that God has
given him as a Shepherd, not just of sheep, but if people,
and when we come to verse 13, very quickly realized something
interesting about It's following as we read here, then, David,
and his men who were about 600 arose and departed from keala,
and they went wherever they could go.
And so we read here that there were 600.
What was the number before this? How many of them were there?
400. And so, now the, the following
is climbed to 600. We don't know where these men
came from. Maybe they came from kiella,
after they saw David's leadership, and they were
convinced and though the majority wanted to surrender him
to solve perhaps 200 of them said, we want to follow this man
and so they did and so they follow him but unfortunately the
majority of those who inhabited this place wanted to get rid of
him and so David as a leader was left with no other choice.
Choice. But to wander into the unknown,
with 600 others and they finally come as we're about to read into
a specific Wilderness called ziff.
And there seems to be some relief for a moment, evading
saws, immediate threat. But we're about to find out that
that relief, whatever there was of, it was about to be
evaporated. Let's read from verse 15.
David saw that saw had come out to seek his life, David was in
the wilderness of ziff at whorish And if we read in verse
14, which I think should help us connect this before that, we
read and David remained in the strongholds, in the wilderness,
in the Hill, Country of the Wilderness of ziff and Saul
sought him every day. But God did not give him into
his hand. So they settle into this area
called ziff. They're hiding out there and
whatever Refugee was Finding, we are told by the holy spirit that
he was also haunted. By the reality that saw was
after David, every single day, there wasn't a break.
There wasn't a moment of pause. This man now, is all consumed
with this passion to kill David. And David lived in his thoughts.
He affected his affections. He determined his plans and he
distracted this king from doing what he was supposed to be doing
as a king. And I read this and I look and I
see saw and I feel, I feel many things and one of the things I
feel is Disappointment because look at this man and his
tenacious desire to satisfy his sin and you would wish that you
would have that same level of passion for God.
Well, you see nothing of the sort from King Saul instead of
pressing on to know the Lord, instead of giving, all he asks
to the Lord instead he's he is now obsessed with this desire to
eradicate. David from the face of the Earth
and behold tonight. The sad sight of when someone is
not a slave to Christ your slave to something else.
Your slave to another passion other dream.
It could be as evil as this and it can seem good, but it can
seem pathetic because it's not Eternal.
There is no neutrality in service you and I are according
to the Bible are either a servant or a slave to
righteousness, or a slave to sin, where the either Servants
of God are Servants of some other God and that God can be
you or me. And saw here is such a contrast
to David where he sought the Lord David with all his heart,
he was known as a man. after God's Own Heart, you see Saul
here satisfying, his own passion and his own pleasure and it's
very despicable to see But I read something about Saul
seeking David after day every day, and I see a man who
reflects the attitude. Not only of what happens when
you are given to your flesh, the potential of it.
But what happens? And understanding Satan's
Endeavor to come after you and me.
The enemy of our soul, takes no breaks.
He doesn't have a weekend off, he didn't punch in and punch
out. There is an enemy of your soul
in mine and he has an all-consuming passion to do.
What Saul he is trying to do with David and that is to make
sure you don't fulfill what God has a purpose for your life.
As much as this is a personal thing between Saul and David,
there's a spiritual Dimension behind it and that is David
being the one who would Usher in through his Descendants, the
seat of the Messiah. And Satan is not going to let
that happen so easily and you and I when we are born again
though, the enemy cannot Rob our Salvation.
He can hinder you from being effective.
It doesn't matter how inconsistent you, maybe it
doesn't matter how distracted you might be, doesn't matter if
you are. Most of the time unmotivated to
serve the Lord, or to pray or to be spiritually.
This none of that really matters because the enemy doesn't care,
he is always on 6th Gear, he never sleeps.
And that should cause us to certain degree, to be like, what
David is showing here and that has to be consistently vigilant.
Always on guard, always sensitive to the spirit, always
in community with Believers, always depended upon the Lord to
protect us and guide us as we are Behind Enemy Lines.
You know, if I receive some kind of Intel that someone was trying
to kill me but I also receive some kind of information about
my enemy and how he works and his schemes.
I hope if you receive that kind of Intel it would change the way
you prepared yourself every single day.
I don't think you'd be casual about that.
I don't think you would just go about your day as though.
There's no potential risk. If I knew somebody was after my
head, if I knew somebody was coming after me like David that
I'm not leaving the house without some kind of protection.
I'm probably never going to go anywhere alone.
I'm going to make sure that I am nourished and strengthened That
I don't go to certain areas that might make me more vulnerable to
my enemies attacks. That I would not associate
myself with certain people that might throw me and surrender me
to my enemy and yet, at the same time, you have Christians who do
have an enemy and yet they live every single day unprepared
Unprepared. They don't dress themselves with
the armor of God. They're not conscious of
building their faith, they're not serious about nourishing,
the understanding of who God is of how Satan Works.
They don't they don't strap themselves with the sword of the
spirit. They're not empowered by prayer.
They can leave the house. Not believing that there's an
enemy who has traps setting for them, Temptations and threats.
And so they're not serious about Community, they're not serious
about being under the protective care of Elders.
They just think they can just roam through this life and
thinking that they're just somehow in the middle of this
battle Zone. Their neutral when in fact, if
you have confessed Christ, you've been marked by the evil
one. And I believe the reason why
there's so many casual Christians in America, is
because most of those Christians, don't believe
they're in a spiritual war. They really don't.
How many people in here, actually, believe that every
single day, you're in a war. Most people believe that only
thing about Christianity is that I'm on my way to heaven.
I got my insurance. Know, you are in a battle and
ancient battle. And again, though, you were
well, God was going to protect me.
I might not secure. You are secure.
Just as David was secure. God did not give him into his
hand. But the only one that can make
you ineffective is really you. And as long as the enemy can
dismantle you, or make you not believe of this Warfare, then he
knows that he can disarm you in due time.
And so part of me sometimes yes I want to fellowship with the
Lord. Obviously my main motivation in
my Christian discipline is I want to know the person who
saved me but sometimes when there are days where my flesh is
is trying to convince me otherwise or there seems to be a
brass above me when my prayers. Don't seem to be penetrating,
the heavens there are times where I wake up and say I must
do this. I must watch and pray.
There's no way that I can serve God and Ministry and think that
the enemy is just going to let me do that without a fight.
And so there is no fear in me and there should be no fear in
you, I with this truth but there should be a call to Readiness
and a call to be filled with the spirit daily.
So saw demonstrates that but something happens in these
verses that will help David soar above soar above these threats,
and these Temptations. David was aware that Saul was
coming after him and makes you think, I mean, put yourself in
his shoes for a moment. Imagine living under these kinds
of circumstances. Imagine living with the constant
gnawing thought that at any moment saw and his, his armies
can appear right before us. And we are outnumbered.
We are under resource. We have known.
We have no Fortress. We have no Shield.
We're just in some caves and some Forest.
Now, think about it. Not let's add to that.
This man has 600 people to take care of 600 people.
And it's getting harder to hide, isn't it?
It's one thing to hide alone. It's one thing to find a cave
that can host 400 people. But now you're growing now you
guys 600 where you going to hide, you can't and that's about
to my found out here. You can't hide Not only that
there's practical management. How are you going to feed these
men who have devoted themselves to you?
And on top of that, David seems to be on a different level of
faith in these men, which could provide an obstacle to him.
He really believes God When God says go, I will give you Victory
while the others are like, I don't know about this.
So just think about all these mountainous things that are
burned it on David and just feel the pressure because he's a man
he's a man, just like you and me and yet at the same time, this
man is going to know something. I've Supernatural strength
that's going to help him rise above every single one of these
threats. These temptations that could
easily deflate any of us that can easily cause you just throw
in this towel and say I'm done with it.
I didn't this. If this is what it means to be
king. I don't want to be king.
Let me go work for my dad again. Look at verse 16 and Jonathan
saw sun rose and went to David at horesh and strengthened his
hand in God. And he said to him, do not fear
for the hand of Saul. My father shall not find.
You you shall be king over Israel and I shall be next to
you saw. My father also knows this and
the two of them made a covenant before the Lord David remained
at horesh and Jonathan went home.
Jonathan comes by for a visit Jonathan intentionally rises
from his home, seeks out, David finds David and he gives to
David something better than any sorcerer supplement.
He doesn't give David an Insight that he's working on a peace
treaty between his dad and him. He doesn't provide more
Weaponry. He doesn't give them more
resources to help him while he's in the wilderness.
Nothing of the sort. But what we are told is that he
strengthens his hand in God, Strengthens his hand in God.
See to the spiritual true strength comes from God.
And Paul uses this, and the whole scriptures talks about
this in different ways. When he told the Philippians
writing from jail, I love this because the guys in prison, and
he's telling the people who are outside of prison Rejoice, you
would think that they would write a letter to him.
Hey, Paul Rejoice always Rejoice.
He's reading it from prison. He's saying you rejoice, but did
he say rejoice? I say always Rejoice.
Is that what he said? No.
What did he say, rejoice? How in the lord always rejoice?
Because true Joy is in the Lord. You can't have true Joy apart
from the Lord. And right here we read you can't
know. True strength, apart from God,
you can't You might know some spontaneous excitement, but you
cannot know true strength. And that's what we see here.
And how does that strength provided as Jonathan encourages
him? The strength is connected to
God's character and God's ways and that being rehearsed over
David's, beaten soul. So strengthen God I might
disappoint you tonight, does it come from a general
understanding of God's existence?
It comes from particular and familiar understanding of who he
is, what he can do and is unchanging faithfulness toward
you and that's exactly what Jonathan is doing here.
He's not just saying believe God, I mean that can help but
he's being very specific with David.
And so I want to ask you if we can talk about it.
Now, what are the particular duties here of the encouragement
that Jonathan provides? David?
What stands out? What are the elements of
Jonathan's encouragement? Just look at it for a few
moments and then if you have an answer, feel free to answer
Bible study, we study, so we're studying.
Look at the verse. What are some elements there?
Read it slowly. Do not fear, do not fear.
That's one good. Yes, so expound his father also
knows this that you will be king.
Say it again, sorry. I will be with you.
Oh, that's good. Yes, somebody said something
over here. You won't be defeated.
You will be king over Israel. Good.
Great observation. Jonathan was willing to risk his
life just to provide encouragement.
That Jonathan had a revelation about how powerful encouragement
is I believe. So great observation.
Can I provide an insight into how to study the Bible and get
Revelation? Get insight from the scriptures.
Ask the Bible questions. Always always.
And if you want to main questions that you always ask
number one, what does it say about God?
What does it say about my God? Number two.
What does it say about man with God and apart from God?
And so as you look at this I read this.
And that's the question that's always running through my mind
when I read the scriptures especially narratives, what is
this say about God? And when I read verse 17 and he
said to him, do not fear for the hand of Saul.
My father shall not find you. I see God's protection How is so
not going to find him because David skill and his cunning
ability know because God we just read it.
God did not give him into his hand the end of verse 14.
So I look at verse 7, they say Lord, what is this a about?
You do not fear for the hand of Saul?
Well, you are going to protect them and do this is a specific
promise. The principle applies to every
servant of God God's protection over your life is never on
pause. It is continual.
Is surveillance over your life. His supervision of your life is
non-stop, it is always provided and that might not mean
something to you, because we are so safe in this country, but it
will mean a lot to you. When persecution, this come And
so, the Assurance here is nobody whether the enemy is visible or
invisible, whether the threats are verbal or physical.
No one has free access to touch you without God's permission.
You need to believe that need to understand that if you are a
person who is serving God with all your heart, with all your
soul, with all your mind with all your strength, God has a
holy obligation to preserve you. no one, not even if all of Hell
opened up and swarms of demons came against you, they would not
be able to lay a finger on you. And I love how he says, do not
fear, think about how many promises in the Bible are
connected to do not fear. Do not fear, do not fear, do not
fear, do not fear. What do you think?
God is trying to tell us? Fear should be a foreign feeling
to the Christian. Like that should be what it
should be like a language that you don't understand, that's how
that's how foreign fear should be in our souls.
And here's my question. Do you know those promises now?
I know a lot of people memorize them.
They put them on coffee cups. They put them in.
Nice, Drawings and paintings and they put it up on their wall, or
they have these Graphics that stickers on their Bible.
Do you believe it? That's the difference.
Do you believe it? I see many men's claim to love
the Bible, know the Bible when it comes to moments where they
are persecuted or pressured, they fear.
They melt And I want to be like Jonathan for you tonight.
I want to provide a do not fear. One of my personal favorites.
This is casual. I mean it's still the word of
God being preached but it's informal.
And some sense, one of my favorite do not fear as or not
to be crippled by fear or let no fear come over you, or I will
not fear. As in Hebrews 13 6.
I love this in the New Testament so we can confidently say The
Lord is my helper. I will not fear what can man do
to me? What can man do to me?
Did he say some men? No he said man every person no
matter how prestigious no matter how powerful, no matter how many
resources no matter the threat, no matter the amount.
What can man Times a billion due to me.
Nothing. Why?
Because God is on my side, the Lord is my helper and he says,
earlier, we can confidently, say, I mean, with boldness, with
Assurance with an anchoring trust in this life, man.
Can't do anything to me and to you And part of understanding
that truth of not fearing, man is understanding who God is, but
it's not just understanding who God is, is understanding who man
is. See here.
It says the Lord is my helper. That's right, I'm not going to
fear but you want it you want to know greater assurance and
greater Security in the face of danger.
Don't just study who God is study.
How God thinks of man. I want to read this to you
because it's tied into this. It's a found in Isaiah 51.
Verse 12. Look What the Lord says I I am
he who comforts you now, look what he says, who are you that
you are afraid of man who dies. Who are you?
That you are afraid of man who dies.
Now, look at this, or the son of man who is made like grass.
So now God is speaking directly to his people who are being
oppressed and threatened by Outsiders.
He goes, can you explain to me why you're afraid of that
creature? Who can die?
And not only that he goes, the son of man who is made like
grass. You know, when I read this the
thought ran through my mind. Is anybody here afraid of grass?
If you are willing to give you some counseling and this place
anybody here afraid of flowers from trees from grass.
And this is what, why am I saying that?
Because God is saying you're afraid of man.
You know how I view, man. I've you like my front lawn.
One day, they're there the next day, they're not so fragile, so
vulnerable. So at the mercy of man or mercy
of God rather and so he's saying that's how I view man as
something as harmless as grass and year you are terrified I'm
your helper. Do not fear and so what this man
is doing here over, David is he is showering him with the
reassurance of God's genuine like genuine protection.
I can tell you some scary stories of what happens when
people try to touch God's children.
I've heard some stories that have made me tremble.
I've seen some things that made me tremble.
But he goes on to say you shall be king over Israel.
You shall be king over Israel. So now he goes from God's
protection. To God's what?
Promise, good good God's promise.
You shall be king. This is a particular promise of
assurance, but again, we could be encouraged to know and we can
be confident that God also manages our future.
That every single day, every single breath is calculated and
preserved by your God. and as long as you live on this Earth
know this God has predestined, you God has predestined you to
christlikeness. And as long as you are his
child, there is not a moment where he is not either pruning.
You polishing you providing for you, protecting you or
positioning, you to be of use for his service.
That's happening all the time. They may be silent.
Do may be obvious though. You may not be able to see it
though. You may be able to see it.
No, this that no one or nothing can stand.
In the way of a person who has submitted to the will of God.
Nothing, no matter what is taken from you, no matter what doors,
shut slant in your face. Whatever God has purpose for
your life, which Ephesians 2 tells us that he's prepared even
before the world was created, that's going to happen and the
only one who can sabotage you from fulfilling God's.
Purpose is who you yourself. And so David was a shirt here,
it doesn't matter. What saw says or does our plans,
you will be where God wants you to be.
God will provide for you and God will preserve you until the
Fulfillment of what he has for. You comes to pass and that's not
just true for David. That's true for all God's
servants. You don't have to turn that.
Let me read it to you about Moses and act 735 at 7:35.
I love this. This Moses whom they rejected,
this Moses, whom they rejected Now who is the author talking
about here? The people of Israel rejected,
Moses. They said, what, who made you a
ruler? And a judge.
This man. God sent as both ruler and
Redeemer by the hand of the Angel, who appeared to him in
the bush, this man whom they rejected, guess what I appointed
Then a matter of the whole nation protested against Moses.
Being their leader, God said it is done and he will be your
leader no matter what. And so, you see the program that
he has planned for your life? It will plow through all
opposition, as long as you are, walking in humility and in
hunger, God will lead you and he will guide you and that brings
so much joy to my heart every day.
I wake up. They are the people of Israel,
but God is God. And if you want to rescue
somebody from despair, like Jonathan is rescuing, David can
I provide some some help Don't Reserve.
Your encouragement. And the reminder that, as long
as that person is alive, God has a plan for them.
God has a purpose for them, man. It's amazing to see the
hopelessness in our nation. The Hopeless isn't people's
lives today. How they are, so caught in the
sense of not knowing the unknown.
And yet, you and I have access to truth.
And I'm telling you, there's something so profound by just
looking somebody in the eye genuinely in a personalized way
and saying, brother, you've been a blessing.
God has given you gifts, sister. You have contributed to my love
for the Lord, and it's not stopping here.
God is still going to do something through your life.
You can change somebody's week that way.
You can rescue somebody from so much just by simple Assurance of
God's plan for them, God's gifting through them.
And that's what he does. He goes, I will be next to you
I'm willing to assist you in, whatever God has called you to
do. I'm not in competition with you.
I see you as a valuable member in the kingdom of God and I
rejoice in the fact that I get to walk this with you.
That, that language needs to be so common in the church.
And we see it here. A man or woman who is in touch
with God, is able to encourage somebody and remind them that in
All Seasons, God is doing something.
People need that the same way you need that sometimes every
person you know, needs a tie one point or another.
And Jonathan is saying in some sense do not directly.
This is contributing to God's purpose for your life.
David, you're going to be king, no matter what God is going to
use you. God has a plan for your life so
you see Jonathan provides David? A reassurance of God's
protection, God's promise. But one last thing, somebody
said he goes what he says and I shall be next to you Jonathan's
partnership. John says, I am beside you.
I'm walking this thing out with you.
I'm thinking about you clearly, he left his home and came to
find David. I support you brother.
I'm blessed by you brother. I care for you.
I celebrate God's call for you brother.
And whatever you need for me to make it more possible.
I'm here for you. I will assist you.
I shall be next to you implying. I'm under your leadership and
Jonathan knew exactly what David needed to hear.
You know why? Because David only experienced
betrayal up to this point, his father-in-law betrays him, the
citizens of kiella betraying him and he's about to get a fresh
dagger thrust, it into his back in the rest of this chapter.
And so what Jonathan is going to give him is the reassurance of
an undying. Support from a friend.
Listen, let me say it again, this world is divisive enough.
It's called enough, it's ugly. As it is when we come together,
if you're a member of this church and if you're a member of
any church, make sure that you cultivate a culture that when
everybody comes or when you even meet one-on-one, there is a well
of life that they can drink from. and they can find strength
and the last thing that David needs to do is doubt Jonathan's
loyalty, The best thing that he could have had was the
reassurance of a love for him. We live in a Loveless world.
We live in a world of people give up on you so easily that.
If you do not contribute to my personal benefit, I cut you off.
And Jonathan is doing the exact opposite.
As our brother said, he's endangering himself just to
provide a word of encouragement. He can go back and one spy can
see him and he can lose his life but this is a committed.
Love a committed love and Jonathan benefited nothing in
the flesh from this relationship but because of this consumer
Society, we always wondering how can we get eat?
Let me just talk about membership for a second.
Some people you know would innocently even ask what do I
get? Out of membership.
See, that's the problem. That's the problem.
We're always wanting. What's the incentive?
What's in this? For me?
Membership in the church, is unlike any other membership, any
other organization. Every other membership will say,
if you become loyal to us, here's what you get.
Here's some perks. Here's what it is for the church
membership is what you can give What can you give?
It's a pledge to I'm willing to give and give and give though
there are benefits connected to it.
If we want to build people up in this age, where there is Raging
war and satanic attack and narratives that are coming to
crash against the church, then we need to be people who are
committed in love to one another.
We need to be like those who support those who stand for the
truth. Like David.
I want to tell you because you sacrificially, serve God, I'm
with you. I praise God for you.
Now, you're hearing this, you're saying the sound so simple,
trust me, it will rescue people in today's a Ed.
It will rescue people in the days ahead.
Mark my words of the dark clouds that are coming over the
Evangelical Church in America. And some of the attacks are
they're going to come from within because people will not
stand for the truth, like Saul doesn't stand for the truth.
And that's why in verse 18, they make a fresh Covenant, they're
not making a new covenant, he's just re-establishing.
The Covenant that they made at first, I'm telling you again,
that I am committed to you, David, I'm with you, you know
what's amazing. Look at Verse 18, one more time,
The two of the men made a covenant before the Lord David
remained at horesh and Jonathan went home.
He comes to encourage David and guess what?
He leaves nothing changed for David.
He still in the wilderness of ziff, Saw still wants to kill
him. He still has to take care of 600
men. He still doesn't know how he's
going to become king. He didn't know where his next
meal, will be nothing changed for David except one thing his
perspective That's what encouragement does it, heals
spiritual blindness? It clears.
The fog that chokes your faith. And so, would you put this in
Your Arsenal, as a person who might be committed to a people
who are the people of God never fail to use encouragement.
It can save somebody. It can save somebody.
And in this case it provided fresh Grace for him to endure
and to move on. And what I love about this, Is
that Jonathan did not just provide the right thing, but he
provided it at the right time, it was such an important time
for him to come and to deliver this message this word because
local we read here in verse 19. Then, the zip fights went up to
Saul a gibeah saying is not David hiding.
Among Us in the strongholds of horesh, on the hill of Kyla,
which is south of yes, Shamone So, you have the zip fights who
recognize that David is in town, because you can't really hide
600 people in your backyard without somebody noticing.
And the moment they realize that David is here they send
Messengers to Saul at gibeah and they say we got your man.
We know exactly where he is and look what else they say, verse
20 now come down. Oh King.
According to all your heart's desire to come down and our part
shall be to surrender him into the Kings hand, where is if
located? And what territory The same
place where keala was located, which is what Judah, why does
that make this even more painful than what it needs to be.
Where's David from Judah? So, you know who's throwing him
to solve his own brethren. His own tribe, his own kingdom.
Those that are closest to him. And all the nation are the ones
that are willing to give him up to the enemy.
Now this is disappointing. This is Despicable, this is
discouraging but what blesses? My heart is how David responds
to it. Does anybody know how David
responds to this moment? Some of you do, it was read last
week. What did David do here?
Let me give you a hint. The same thing he did when he
found out that kiella was willing to surrender him.
He does what he prays and would you be blessed tonight to know
that the prayer of David? And this very moment was
recorded and holy writ. Psalm 54.
Let's go there together. so short psalm Verse 1.
Look at the title. To the choirmaster with stringed
instruments, a masculine of David when the zip fights went
and told Saul is not David hiding Among Us.
So this is what was inspired and David's heart.
The moment. He heard that his own men, those
who belong to his tribe. Went to Saul ready to betray him
verse 1. Oh God.
Save Me by your name. And vindicate me by your might o
God hear my prayer. Give ear to the words of my
mouth for strangers. Have risen against me, ruthless
men seek my life. They do not set God before
themselves. Say la.
You know what? I find.
So amazing about this one. His reflexes.
Oh God. Oh God Almighty.
I need you in this moment if it was hard.
Now, it's harder. Even now I need you in this time
and he seeks the Lord. He cries out, but look how he
refers to the zip fights. What does he say about them?
Look at verse 3. For strangers.
Strangers. The men of your own tribe.
Danny thing they should be brothers.
But right now, he's highlighting their character.
They're Outsiders. They're treating me like
strangers. It is a sad thing to see when
those who are supposed to be Brothers and Sisters in Christ
are acting like Outsiders. this reminds me of a situation in
Corinth when Paul was rebuking, these Christians who are going
to court against one another, who are suing each other, who
are protesting in the Public's eye against one another.
And, and Paul says You're doing this to your own brother's, he
uses that language. He says, even to your own,
brother's you quarrel and you fight and you lay charges, he's
like better to lose the case. Better to surrender your
property. Better to pay the medical bill
then for you to go out and for the world to see that you guys
are willing to fight against each other.
David is echoing that sentiment saying these men or God are
treating me as strangers. They're treating me as though.
We are not related as though. We don't share the same spirit.
Do you know why it is that? There are so many people from
within the church that are so easily willing to attack and
harm? And speak and Destroy and divide
for the same reason why the zip fights were willing to do it to
David, what did you say? At the end of verse 34,
strangers have risen against me, ruthless men seek my life.
They do not set God before themselves.
That's why plain and simple. It's not about anything other
than this, those who intentionally come against the
family of God, make such decisions without God's
Accounting in mind. They're living out practical
atheism. They might believe in theory
that God exists but they live as though he doesn't.
And in the case of the ziff eyes, they didn't believe that
God anointed David. They didn't believe God's plan
for David. And if they did, they were
trying to intentionally fight against God's program for the
nation of Israel by saying, we're going to go tell on you.
And so, when I observe people that relentlessly come against
Brothers and Sisters in Christ that cannot accept forgiveness
that are causing trouble. I know, one thing among many
other things, and it is this, they do not set God before
themselves. God is not in the picture, he's
not in the thoughts. They don't consider the fact
that he is recording and observing all these things.
I'm sure you fathers and you daughters or your father is in
you and your mother's with your daughters and your son's.
You will feel a certain wave. Somebody comes after your
children. And you feel a certain way.
When you see your one son, attacking the other son, your
one daughter attacking the other.
But it's amazing here about David.
Look down here in verse 6 of The Psalm with a free will offering.
I will sacrifice to you. I will give thanks to your name.
Oh lord, for it is good. Hold on for a second.
So you're willing to not only pray to God as a response to the
attacks that are coming your way.
But you're even willing to give extended worship to God, you
willing to give not what is demanded of you in the legal
system and the law, but a free-will offering.
I want to give this freely from myself to you.
I mean that's the thing you do when you're blessed.
That's the thing you do when you get promoted that's what you do.
When you find spoil, you don't do this in the natural sense.
When you know that more threat is coming your way.
But there's something, inspiring the man to say, oh, I just want
to worship you even more. Is how what, what inspires what
motivates David to do this? Something quite insightful.
That I hope that on this night you will grab a, hold on and put
it in the bosom of your soul, for the rest of your existence.
Because this man here he is. He is facing betrayal.
He is facing disappointment from those who are supposed to be
closest to him. And yet, at the same time, you
know what he's doing here. The reason why he can worship
God is because he is taking all of the failures of those who
should not be failing him and he lays it as a blank canvas.
And he allows it to contrast, the glory of Jesus Christ.
He takes the Blackness of their sin, the evil, and the
wickedness of their ways, and it provides this canvas.
So that when Christ is seeing he shines all the brighter, what do
I mean by that? This man I believe can worship
because he's taking the unexpected, disappointment of
others, The Sting of those who are hurting him.
And then he looks to God and he says, you don't fail me.
Lord, you'll never disappoint me.
You'll never let me down. If you want a Reason To Worship
in the midst of pain, even from those that you thought would
never hurt you, never let you down.
Let it cause you to realize that there is no one like Jesus.
He's perfect. He is unchanging in his
character. He never breaks his promise.
He is constant. And he is reliable.
I'm sure you've experienced betrayal.
I'm sure you experienced people that you never thought would
hurt you hurt. You can I ask you a question?
Did it make Jesus more beautiful to you as a result?
Did it help? You see his Perfection as the
imperfection of man? Stood in contrast to him?
That's what he says your read. It slowly look at the verse with
a free will offering. I will sacrifice to you.
I will give thanks to your name. Oh lord for it is good.
The name of God is connected to his character and what he's
saying here you are good. And so in the midst of betrayal
from those that I didn't think would actually do it.
You just look that much more. Brilliant and beautiful, and
infinitely awesome. So I just want to worship you
because there's no one like you. There's no one like you.
Let me give you an example of this in another way.
You know, the more you're in Ministry.
One of the insights that you get in Ministry is that you see the
Brokenness of, man, the broke even among Christians, you just
see Brokenness and just baggage and hurt and failure, and all
these things. And, you know, that can crush
somebody just even listening to it.
But it is caused a cry. In my heart.
Over the years to say, Lord you need to come back.
You need to come back. That nothing will be able to fix
this. Unless you come and you give us
glorified, bodies, Maranatha, come Lord, Jesus and clean up
this mess. We can't get it together.
Do you see what I'm saying here? Translate the pain that you see
in the world, even the pain, that's targeted towards you and
let it cause you to see the goodness of God.
And then let it cause you to say I want to I want to Worship You
Lord. You are in your own category, no
one can come close to you and I see betrayal coming my way, but
I looked at you and I see faithfulness you're my helper.
Meditate on that long enough. You have an urge to worship him.
Even when you face in coming your way, let the sins of
others, make the sinlessness of Jesus Christ, all the more
beautiful and apparent. He's the friend of friends.
He's The Shepherd of shepherds. He's our elder brother.
He's our father. Then we read on here in verse
21. We come back to 1st, Samuel 23,
what happens here? And Saul said he's talking to
this. If fights may you be blessed by
the Lord for you have had compassion on me.
This is sick. So, these men, come these
Messengers from the zip fights. They say, we got your men, we
know exactly where he is and Saul response.
May you be blessed by the Lord. For you have had compassion on
me. Last week.
When you heard about David being kiella, what did he say to
himself? God has what given him into my
hand? And so that's self-deception
when you're in sin and you believe God, approves and
accepts your ways. This is pride.
This is the fruit of Pride were you.
Now you're actually believing that God is going to Aid you in
your efforts to harm his purposes and clearly he hasn't
sobered up. From earlier to this moment,
it's only been strengthened so much so that he can actually
bless others who are partnering with him in this.
Cause can you imagine the thought, may you be blessed by
the Lord. For you have had compassion on
me. It's all about you Saul.
And so we learned that self-deception is
self-destructive and for a person to believe things about
himself, and to believe things about God, wrongly that is the
fruit of Pride. When you make yourself the
center of the universe, you even whether you realize are not make
God worship you, you say? No, I say yes.
How when you don't think certain things apply to you anymore.
We don't think that God will do certain things because somehow
you're in a special category in his mind, you're his favorite or
whatever the case may be, and that's where Saul is?
He wants to be the center of the universe.
And guess who else is going to worship him?
God God will serve him. God will do.
What Saul wants to do? But there are other reasons.
I think the reason why I saw can do this may you be blessed by
the Lord. is because He seems to be seeing some success. so early
on, We he thinks that God. Providentially traps David, and
keala and now because the zip fights come forward.
It's almost it's almost like he is being comforted by the fact
that others now are joining his cause And so to him because he
interprets this as success, he must think that surely God is
giving him the okay. Mingle that with pride and you
got deception Galore. You got intense deception And
what I just said there isn't far-fetched because God and
another place in the word tells us that people misinterpret
God's silence as his approval. So notice let me say this again,
he's seeing people joining his cause and let's add to that.
He is not seeing God intervened to stop him.
There's no judgment. There's no discipline.
Saw seems to be getting away with this, so he the equation is
God must be okay with this. Not only that he must be
blessing. This look this is it fights are
coming to me. How else can we explain this?
Shirley I'm in the right. And I want to show you how even
man today when they take God's silence over their sin and
whatever success they're experiencing in life, they can
believe that God is like one of them.
I pray that you would never forget this verse especially as
we were headed towards much compromise in the west turn with
me to Psalm 50. As we come to a close very soon.
Look at verse 17. This is the Lord speaking, and
look what he says to the wicked. For you hate this Appling.
And you cast my words behind you.
If you see a thief you are pleased with him and you keep
company with adulterous, you give your mouth free rein for
evil, and your tongue frames, the seat, you sit and speak
against your brother. You slander your own Mother's
Son, pay attention to verse 21. These things you have done and I
have been silent. You thought that I was one like
yourself. but now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you
You see that? You thought I was one like
yourself. Why?
Because I've been silent. You were able to continue in
this sin and you have interpreted your evil, not being
punished as my acceptance of your ways.
God not condemning something immediately.
Doesn't mean he can sends of it. God, not immediately chastising,
doesn't mean that he confirms The Silence of God in Saul's
life just like the science of God, in many people's lives who
are living in adultery and homosexuality and pride and the
love of money. That silence is his long
suffering. It is that period in which God
says, would you would you turn to me?
I do not want to go in the way of punishment.
I want to extend Mercy much more And you don't think people
interpreted this way. I believe one of the countries
in Europe. When one of the nation's it's
just it's my memory is failing me.
They legalized same-sex marriage Nationwide, and they receive a
double rainbow on that same day. A double rainbow appeared in the
sky, the same day that that Nation received The affirmation
of homosexuality between a man and man woman, a woman as being
marriage and people were tweeting that day.
Look, God doesn't just approve. He ee approves because that's
the symbol of their movement, right?
The rainbow And somebody really responded.
That's not God doubly approving. That's God.
Doubly reminding himself. Not to judge you guys.
But do you see how people can misinterpret?
How Sinners and the wicked take God's silence in his kindness,
his his Universal love and mercy as he sends rain and he provides
food and he lets people have children and have warm homes.
Surely God is, okay. He's like us and I believe to a
certain degree saw was believing that he was seeing whatever
success. Are you seeing the silence?
And he put it together and he says, God is blessing me.
It's amazing how we can deceive ourselves.
So we come back to 1st Samuel 23, as we close in a moment.
He tells his if I had to go and make sure where he is, this guy
is very cunning and I don't want to waste my time.
So you find him and you tell me his exact location and I will be
there. Now let's come down to verse 25.
And song, this man went to seek him being David.
And David was told, so he went down to the Rock and lived in
the wilderness of my own. And when Saul heard that he
pursued after David and the Wilderness of my own Saul went
on one side of the mountain and David and his men on the other
side of the mountain and David was hurrying to get away from
Saul and Saul. And his men were closing in on
David and his men to capture them.
I just pause, Can You Feel the suspense?
So just imagine, there's this hill or this mountain David and
his men are on one side Saul and his men on the other side.
And you can you can feel the Cinematic music and If I as
they're coming closer and closer and the Holy Spirit wants you to
feel that suspense the writer here is brilliant.
But look what happens? As they were coming into clothes
on them, verse 27, a messenger came to Saul saying, hurry and
come for the Philistines of made, a raid against the land.
So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the
Philistines. Therefore that place was called
the rock of escape and David went up from there and live in
the strongholds of En gedi. I can just visualize it again,
they're hiding their running, maybe they're losing pace and
saw and his men are coming closer and closer and right at
the nick of time a messenger from sauce Camp appears.
And he says King Saul, hurry. The Philistines have invaded the
land and it completely Distracted him and cause him to
go in a different direction. It's sabotage, the plan.
Not to the Natural or the immature, they would read that
as coincidence. But to the one who's familiar
with God's ways, they would see it as what verse 14 tells us, go
back to verse 14, the last phrase and saw saw him every day
but God did not give him into his hand.
Up to this point, we've seen David Escape saw many times.
Could you remind some of us here?
How David as escapes? All even from the beginning,
Let's strengthen our memory. How is Saul?
Or David rather Escape Saul. Think of the different episodes.
He dodged the spear. That's one.
Sure. Went out the window and who was
part of that plan? His wife.
So his wife was involved and helping him very good.
How else, how has he evaded Saul's attacks?
remember when he was with Samuel, what happened to Saul,
Prophesy. But what happened?
They just prophesy or did something come over him, someone
rather the Holy Spirit came and arrested him and then he
prophesied yes. And let's fast-forward to this
chapter. What happens to him in kiala, he
hears that Solace coming and he prays and he asked the Lord.
Lord is a true that Saul is on his way to come and get me.
And the Lord says, yes, then he asked the further.
Question will the citizens here? Give me up to them and he says
they will. You up.
I put that in the category of Supernatural Revelation that
God's voice was as clear to David at that moment.
As my voice is to you tonight he heard God's words, get out.
You're going to be surrendered and he leaves but when you come
here, The same purpose, but a different means.
There is no miracle, there's no Supernatural strategy, there's
nothing opening in the sky. There is no Revelation from a
priest. There was a man who came to give
news to Saul. and that was just as much God as it was when he
said to David Kayla's, coming to give you up, leave I want you to
be comforted by this truth. that the Lord has plenteous of ways
performing the same cause He is not bound to a predictable
method. He doesn't drive in one lane.
He is manifold in his wisdom. He is so creative.
God doesn't just have one or two options that he uses, but
unfortunately, many of his children believe that God only
works in one or two ways. When his ways are not your ways
or mind as high as the heavens are from the earth.
His thoughts and his ways are separate from our thoughts in
our ways. and if you ever failed to believe that, just look at
how many times David has escaped Saul and I want you to realize
that David himself believed that each time, whether it was
Supernatural or it was providential, Whether it was
subtle or it was. So, clearly from Heaven, David
really believed that, it was all God and where you going to find
that is in the same Psalm where he wrote about the zip fights.
And some 54 verse 7, this is how he concludes his psalm for.
He being God, has delivered me from every trouble.
He has delivered me from every trouble.
Oh yeah. When he when he was spoken to by
God and kiella that was clear and when this messenger from
sauce Camp came that was just as much.
God David said, every trouble that I've escaped has come from
the hand of God. And you and I we need a grow in
our understanding of the Lord's ways so that we can be able to
give him more Glory. And we are actually giving him.
Sometimes we are ready to share a testimony when it is a miracle
and it's in the category of the unexplainable and yet David here
is willing to give God glory even in what seems to be
natural. It was such a evident thing to
David and his men that they made this rock.
This hill, a memorial they said this is the rock of Escape God
was behind this. You know, there are some people
who are very skeptical, when others give God glory for so
many different things. like maybe you're reading too much
into it, I think that's possible but I also think that there is a
way of seeing God in so many things that we seem to fail to
recognize Don't limit the way God works.
Don't limit the way he leads. Don't limit the way he provides.
Can. God heal your body
instantaneously. Yes.
Can God heal your body through many trips to a doctor and a
prescription? Yes.
Can God lead you to a spouse and lead, a spouse to you in a way
that doesn't match to the Hallmark movie that you're
inspired by yes. It's amazing, I'm serious.
So many people don't want to pursue something because it
doesn't match up to their expectation of what the romance
story should read like. I mean you read about you read
about Isaac when he gets his wife, it was Supernatural.
Abraham's servant goes God, spoke it was so clear.
Then you read about Ruth Story and it's like they have to go
through the legal system and its not very like wow.
It was Providence. She was there.
She was working, and he was there and they said, hey, I
think we're I'm supposed to take care of you.
It was God's leading in both ways. and so we see here that
David recognized it Train yourself to see as this man saw,
ask God to open your eyes to see his dealings in his ways and
you'll have a song to write in your own life.
That's a good note to end on but I'm in ended in a different way,
not that it's not a good thing, but I think there's something
very valuable here. Notice that this man, this
messenger in verse 27, came to Saul saying hurry and come for
the Philistines have made a raid against the land.
Here's my question. When did the Philistines come
and make a raid against the land?
I don't think it's accidental. I think it was strategic when
when did the Philistines feel comfortable to go against the
land? Very good.
When they saw that Saul was distracted. you think that's all
alone, had spies know, the Philistines had spies, I'm sure
and I'm sure they recognize that Saul took all his men to go and
fight this other man in the wilderness and they said, this
is our chance and they moved on in Okay, get ready for this.
Do you know when Satan feels very comfortable to come and
attack in the life of a church? when the people are fighting
against one another, When they're in the flesh and they're
all consumed when they are not quick to communicate, when
they're not quick to forgive when they're going around and
spreading these things and then causing more issues.
That's when the enemy looks and he says, this is our chance to
go in. Do you know when Satan will
come? You want to know when a satanic
Invasion will come in your marriage?
Don't honor God's wisdom. Don't communicate separate from
each other for a very long time. And see the Demonic come into
that marriage saying, brother, that's harsh language, that's
not mine. That's Paul's First Corinthians
7. He says, hey, you guys if you
want to separate you separate but if you go too long, Satan
will come in time to when he said Satan.
So the enemy looks for an opportune time just like he did
with Jesus, the enemy doesn't waste his attacks, he's very
calculated. And one of the ways in which he
brings his best is when he sees that we are distracted by our
own flesh. And when we come against one
another, remember that for the future, whatever church at your
apart of less, you become the open door for the enemy to come
in. Remember that in your marriage
now or in your marriage to come that the enemy watches.
You, I'm making this a full circle from the beginning of
this Bible study, if you haven't noticed, He watches to see and
all it takes is one party. David was an attacking Saul Saul
was attacking David. All it takes is one party in a
marriage. All it takes is one person in a
church. And the enemy says, this is our
chance. This is our chance.
And so may that provoke a sense of wisdom in us to be quick to
communicate to be quick to do it God's way.
And that give foothold to the evil one.
Oh, many things were said tonight, don't you agree.
I hope that you were encouraged. I hope you felt warned.
I felt, I hope you felt built up in the knowledge of Jesus
Christ. Let's pray.
Lord, we ask tonight. That all that we heard though it
was diverse in its application, would be able to be retained in
our hearts. Laurie felt blessed by the
reminder of your goodness. Of your multifold ways.
Of the reminder of the power of encouragement.
Lord. We are reminded and even feel.
As though, you have sobered, our judgment and realizing that we
are in a war that we have jobs and bills to pay and vacations
to plan. There is a battle happening all
around us, and sometimes that battle is very real.
The Lord in times of Peace, may we not cease to be in prayer and
to be alert and watchful. Lord, thank you for the
gleanings tonight from first Samuel 23.
Thank you o God that you can speak.
So clearly into our hearts with the true that you have reserved
for your people We asked oh God that in this place that we would
be so distracted and serving you and reaching the lost that the
enemy would have no opportunity to work.
There'd be no door to open. we asked, oh God, that we would be
True, brothers and sisters and not like the zip fights were to
David. May there be no strangers in our
midst, may we be family. May we lovingly speak to each
other warn each, other rebuked, each other comfort each other?
And as we saw build each other, And Lord, we ask.
We ask that you would make us effective For Your Glory.
Well, we thank you for this group of people that willingly
want to meet on a Friday night to worship you.
We pray o God that we would sense the reward of your word
leaving this place. and so low, we speak to you now in response
to your word and we ask that you would you would deal with
certain parts of our hearts God mold us and shape us into the
image that you've planned. And purposed for us, in Jesus
name, we pray. Amen.
We stand and Worship the Lord
together.