1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,800 You're listening to the Bridgetown Church Podcast with 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,880 Pastor Casey Kendall, where our vision is Jesus, our mission is 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:09,760 people, and our cause is love. Thanks for tuning in. 4 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:12,960 Let's dive in. Welcome to church. 5 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,760 Grab your seat if you have your Bible handy. 6 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,480 If you want to open it up to Psalm 57, verse two and First 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:26,480 Samuel chapter 24, that's Psalm 57 verse 2, and that is Psalm. 8 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:34,040 Excuse me, First Samuel chapter 24, That is once again Psalm 57, 9 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,600 verse 2. And then we're going to flip 10 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,160 back over to First Samuel chapter 24. 11 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,240 Today is a very special day in my life. 12 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,960 My wife and I are celebrating 29 years of marriage. 13 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:55,600 Come on, talk about the faithfulness of God. 14 00:00:56,080 --> 00:01:00,320 Talk about His sustaining power. That was like back in the day 15 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:06,440 when we would sing songs like the steadfast love of the Lord 16 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:16,120 never ceases. His mercies never come to an 17 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,120 end. You remember those? 18 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,640 They are new every morning. That's what I say in my 19 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:28,200 marriage. New every morning, greatest thy 20 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:34,080 faithfulness. Remember that. 21 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:41,680 Remember those songs. Oh Lord, you're beautiful. 22 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:53,360 Remember that time. Your face is all I seek, and 23 00:01:54,840 --> 00:02:07,840 when your eyes are on these child, Your grace abounds to me. 24 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:14,800 That was our youth group days. Happy 29 years, honey. 25 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:22,240 Happy 29 years. God is faithful. 26 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,680 It is just been perfect. No problems. 27 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:32,520 It's been full of 1 bliss, adventure, marriage. 28 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:39,760 Marriage is an amazing, amazing miracle of the Lord. 29 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:46,160 And if you're single, it's OK. If you're married, it's going to 30 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:52,600 be OK. God is faithful. 31 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:57,080 I want to talk to you. I want to talk to you this 32 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,680 morning about not taking any shortcuts in your life. 33 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,000 And we're going to look at a topic out of First Samuel 34 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:08,080 chapter 24 where David had an opportunity to take a shortcut 35 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,160 in his life. And so I would really love for 36 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:16,040 you if you could just look at your neighbor and say, like, I 37 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:20,360 have to my wife, this, this these last few days, I've got a 38 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:24,360 long way to go. Just tell your neighbor that I 39 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,000 got a long way to go. And then if you're a friend 40 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,080 sitting by them, just say Amen to that. 41 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:32,840 Amen. I got a long way to go. 42 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:38,720 I told my wife this week, after considering our marriage and 43 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,200 these last 29 years, I just think I just have such a long 44 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,520 way to go. And it is getting better and 45 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,360 better every single day and every year. 46 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:52,760 But I, I just want you to remember that we have a long way 47 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,080 to go. And in Jesus, there's grace and 48 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,920 mercy as he forms and molds us. But also, I want you to just 49 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:01,880 look at your neighbor and say it's not worth it. 50 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:07,160 Yeah, just it's not worth it. It's not worth it. 51 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:08,440 I don't mean marriage. Sorry. 52 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:10,000 You guys. Like what was that attached? 53 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,120 Is that attached to your 29 years? 54 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,839 No, this is attached to cutting corners in your life. 55 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:21,480 It's just not worth it. OK, 29 years is worth it and the 56 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,680 30 more that are coming is going to be worth it. 57 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:27,800 One person's clapping. That's great. 58 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,080 Let's get started here. Let's get started church. 59 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,840 Father, thank you so much for allowing us to worship and sing. 60 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,720 Thank you for allowing us to study Your word. 61 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:41,200 We want to ask and pray as we read your Word that Your Word by 62 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,680 Your Spirit would Pierce our hearts and transform our lives. 63 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:49,200 We pray that we would go out of here encouraged, filled with 64 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:53,400 hope for some of us, maybe even conviction for some of us, drawn 65 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:55,200 together by the working of your Holy Spirit. 66 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,640 We just pray Lord, that you would breathe life into 67 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:00,200 everything that we're facing today. 68 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:04,080 And so Lord, we just ask that you would do this in Jesus name. 69 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,680 And everybody said, Amen, I'm reading from the new King James 70 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:11,760 Version in my Bible and the Bible reads these words in Psalm 71 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:16,560 57 verse 2. I will cry out to God most high, 72 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:22,280 to God who performs all things for me. 73 00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:23,800 I want you to hear that verse again. 74 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,960 If I could just repeat this over our lives this morning, David 75 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:32,160 writes. I will cry out to God most high, 76 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:37,880 to God who performs all things for me. 77 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,160 Let's try that together. If you have a new King James 78 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,680 Version Bible, if you could just repeat after me, I will cry out 79 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:53,480 to God Most high to God who performs all things for me. 80 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,280 Turn over in your Bible the first Samuel chapter 24. 81 00:05:58,280 --> 00:06:03,320 And if you would, I want you to pay attention to verse 4 and 82 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:05,680 verse 5. And then we're going to go 83 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:07,680 through a bit of portion of this chapter. 84 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,440 The author writes, Then the men of David said to him, This is 85 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,200 the day of which the Lord said to you, Behold, I will deliver 86 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:20,360 your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him, as it seems 87 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:25,560 good to you. And David arose and secretly cut 88 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:31,520 off a corner of Saul's rope. Now it happened afterward that 89 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:35,920 David's heart was troubled. It troubled him because he had 90 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:41,040 cut Saul's rope. I want to remind you if this is 91 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:45,400 your journey here as we've been traveling through First Samuel 92 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:50,080 chapter 24 now, but through the whole book with us, that First 93 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,040 Samuel is not a hard book to understand. 94 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:57,520 First Samuel's written at a period of time where the Bible 95 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:01,600 says that every man in the book of Judges was doing that which 96 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:06,560 was right in his own eyes. We remember some very key 97 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,400 figures in the book of First Samuel. 98 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,360 The first one is a prophet by the name of Eli. 99 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:16,040 If you're taking note, Eli was the high priest at this time. 100 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,320 And in walks a woman who had can't, who had come with her 101 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:23,200 husband named Hannah, and her husband's name was Alkana. 102 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,920 Alkana, as you know, had two wives. 103 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,200 One was named Pinena and one was named Hannah Pinena. 104 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,240 Her name means Jem, but she was actually stone cold. 105 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:35,880 She provoked Hannah because Pinena had children, but Hannah 106 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:39,480 had no children. So Hannah finds himself at the 107 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:44,400 altar of the Lord, worshipping the Lord and crying out that God 108 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:49,200 would give her a son. In that moment, Eli the priest 109 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,080 looked at Hannah and said you were drunk. 110 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,880 He said, I, she said, I am not drunk, Sir. 111 00:07:55,880 --> 00:08:01,920 I am grievous of heart. And in that moment Hannah tells 112 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:03,680 Eli what is going on in her life. 113 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,160 And Eli said, this day you will have a son. 114 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,640 In that moment we remember that the character by the name of 115 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:14,760 Samuel was brought into the picture of First Samuel. 116 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:19,440 Samuel was a prophet, also a judge in Israel, the last judge 117 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,200 of Israel, because in this moment, in the context which 118 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,720 we're going through in the history of Israel, Israel was a 119 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,680 theocracy where they were governed by God, but they wanted 120 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,240 to be like all the other kings and be a monarchy. 121 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,640 So they asked for a king like all the other nations. 122 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:41,520 In walks God giving them a man by the name of King Saul. 123 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:45,640 Saul was head and shoulders above everybody else, but in his 124 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:49,720 calling he was hiding behind the baggage, as he's hiding behind 125 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:51,640 the baggage of the Lord calls him out. 126 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,880 But we know that God had called Samuel or excuse me, Saul to 127 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,040 fulfill a mission and that is to wipe out the Amalekites. 128 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,440 But he saved some because he listened to the voice of the 129 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:04,920 people. Now this is very important point 130 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,080 because when I listen to the voice of people, I often deafen 131 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:12,920 the voice of God. And in this moment Saul spares 132 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:14,760 some. And the Lord says, I have 133 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:17,920 retrieved or taken back the Kingdom from you. 134 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:22,240 I am giving it to another man. In walks the second king at the 135 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:26,200 House of Jesse, and we find that he has eight sons, but he only 136 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:29,560 presents seven of them. And in walks Samuel to say, 137 00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:31,920 where's the other? Is there any other? 138 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:36,880 And the Bible says as Samuel was anointing them or finding the 139 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:40,040 king, the Bible says that God spoke to Samuel and said these 140 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,080 words, that you are looking at the outward appearance, but I am 141 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,720 looking at the heart. And so we've been travelling 142 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:48,360 through the heart of every matter. 143 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:50,280 And Samuel says, is there any other? 144 00:09:50,680 --> 00:09:52,400 And he says there's one out in the field. 145 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,400 He's Ruddy in appearance, he's young, he's little. 146 00:09:55,400 --> 00:10:01,600 His name is David. David is now anointed as king to 147 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:09,160 be reigning now in Israel. This doesn't happen until 10 to 148 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:13,800 15 years later. In between this time, David is 149 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:19,600 running for his life. And as he's running for his 150 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:23,880 life, a man by the name of Saul is chasing him. 151 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,840 We could entitle David's life. He's chased but not caught. 152 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,560 And in this moment, David comes to the second cave in his 153 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:36,680 experience that's recorded. I wanted to entitle this message 154 00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:39,960 behave in The Cave, but that that sounds kind of weird, 155 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:41,240 doesn't it? It's kind of cheesy. 156 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:48,120 So, so I entitled this nor no, no shortcuts because it's really 157 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,480 not worth it. Can you just look at your 158 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:53,080 neighbor and say it's really not worth it? 159 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:58,320 It's not worth it. I want to induce you introduce 160 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:03,600 you to a woman on April 21st of 1980, her name was Rosie Ruiz. 161 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:08,200 She won the Boston Marathon. She ran the race at record pace. 162 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:13,720 She actually finished the race with the fastest female time in 163 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:20,320 Boston Marathon history. As celebration erupted for her, 164 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:27,720 the investigation started about her DC Rosie Ruiz never entered 165 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,000 the race through the starting line. 166 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:38,080 She actually cut off mile one, Mile 2, Mile three, mile four, 167 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:43,000 mile five, Mile six, mile 7, mile 8. 168 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:51,280 She cut through mile 9, Mile 10, Mile 11, Mile 12, Mile 1314, 169 00:11:51,880 --> 00:12:06,960 151617181920 She again went and cut through mile 2120220324 and 170 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:12,840 25. She entered through the midst of 171 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:20,160 an enormous crowd at mile 25, and as she was running at mile 172 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:24,480 25, she slipped through the crowd and she saw people 173 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:29,560 running, but she did not realize that she was ahead of every 174 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,920 other woman. So she entered the race and she 175 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:41,920 ran the last 1.2 miles crossing the finish line in first place, 176 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:48,080 1st place. This investigation with over 177 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:53,960 10,000 pictures never saw her on any part of the race. 178 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:59,200 She actually cut through, but this wasn't her first time 179 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:02,480 cutting. She also did this in the Chicago 180 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:08,520 Marathon where she took the subway and how she qualified for 181 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:12,120 the Boston Marathon was taking the subway at the New York 182 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:18,760 Marathon. We'll get to her life later. 183 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:24,840 But Rosie, one article reads, tried to take a shortcut to 184 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:31,080 glory and in doing so became one of the most in famous figures in 185 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:35,320 winning history. The article read that her story 186 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:40,800 serves as a reminder that in sports, there are no shortcuts 187 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:45,120 to success. The author goes on to write. 188 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:52,960 The race is 1/1 mile at a time. I want to repeat those words to 189 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:59,560 you again. The race is 1/1 mile at a time. 190 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:02,760 I believe that this isn't just for running. 191 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:07,560 This is actually for living. To become who God wants you to 192 00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:11,000 become. To go where God wants you to go. 193 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:15,320 To receive all that God wants you to receive in life. 194 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:23,800 It is one mile at a time. Why are only two people saying 195 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:30,280 Amen to this? This is the Lord's way of slow 196 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:35,760 and steady entering. The Christian life is long and 197 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:40,880 laborious. It is for us, this Christianity. 198 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,920 It might feel boring for you right now, but he's actually 199 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:49,680 building you right now. Because many times what often 200 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:54,600 happens is we try to rush what God is redeeming. 201 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:00,840 And because we're rushing what God is redeeming, we put 202 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:06,040 ourselves in a posture of hurry, not holiness. 203 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:13,880 And because we're hurrying along, we choose a quick fix 204 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:18,160 over character. We choose within our lives an 205 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:22,400 instant gratification over the eternal glory. 206 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:29,680 We we choose the immediate over our obedience to God and when we 207 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:34,920 find ourselves not wanting to live in this place of delay and 208 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:40,320 denial, we determined to live in short term satisfaction with 209 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:47,800 long term consequences. I need you this morning as much 210 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:51,400 as you need me this morning. I need you to come alongside of 211 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:55,800 me in this race and not try to cut any corners in the race that 212 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:59,880 God has put you at. I need us to come along and say 213 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:04,760 together that we are willing to be in this for the long haul. 214 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:07,040 And this is what happens because it's long. 215 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,400 We begin to take the path of least resistance. 216 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:16,720 We begin to sabotage our future and we lose opportunities to 217 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:18,480 grow. Can I just tell you today, it's 218 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:22,280 not worth it. It's not worth it when we come 219 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,600 to First Samuel. Chapter 24 proclaims to us that 220 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:28,600 life is built on discipline, not dopamine. 221 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:34,240 I want to say that again that your life is built on 222 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:39,000 discipline, not dopamine. We're not constantly looking for 223 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:43,520 the next quick fix. I think some are looking for 224 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:47,880 instant gratification and it's the shortcut to the graveyard. 225 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:53,800 You cannot attain all that God wants for you in the long run by 226 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:57,040 cutting corners in the short term. 227 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:00,320 When author put it this way about Christianity and 228 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,840 Christians, there's a great market for religious experience 229 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,599 in our world. There is little enthusiasm for 230 00:17:06,599 --> 00:17:10,800 the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to 231 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:15,240 sign up for a long apprenticeship in that earlier 232 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:19,119 in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness. 233 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:24,119 Religion in our time has become been captured by the tourist 234 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:27,119 mindset. I want to read that sentence. 235 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,880 Religion in our time has been captured by the tourist mindset. 236 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:35,400 Religion is understood as a visit to an attractive site to 237 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:40,840 be made when we have adequate leisure to get there. 238 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,720 David's life at this time could be summed up in this term that I 239 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:48,800 shared with you earlier. He's chased, but he's not 240 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,840 caught. He's won a lot of battles, but 241 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:56,040 he's still battling. He's been given the anointing of 242 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:59,160 God, but he also has the antagonizing of Saul. 243 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:03,680 And he finds himself in First Samuel chapter 24 in a cave 244 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:06,920 where he could have taken matters into his own own hands. 245 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:12,640 But when he chooses to obey God rather than following his own 246 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:17,720 heart, he is not short cutting the process of becoming king. 247 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:25,520 And here in this moment of Psalm 57, verse 2 is written from the 248 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:29,240 context of First Samuel chapter 24. 249 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:35,120 The verse you just read in Psalm 57 verse 2 is written in the 250 00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:38,840 whole scene of David being in The Cave. 251 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,160 I want to read it to you again, if I may. 252 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:47,600 I cry out to God most high. It is God who will fulfill his 253 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:52,280 purpose for me. It is God who will fulfill his 254 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:59,560 purpose for me. So, so I, I choose no shortcuts. 255 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:04,320 I, I choose this in my life because God will fulfill his 256 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:08,040 purpose for me. Now, Now I want to give you some 257 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:10,400 things that you can just hold on to for a moment. 258 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:13,000 I was going to try to go through the whole chapter, but there is 259 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,360 a lot in this chapter. So I just want to take us 260 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:20,840 through the 1st 8 verses if I may, or the 1st 7. 261 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:29,440 I want you to understand, as Jr. Tolkien once said in the 262 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:34,400 Fellowship of the Rings, shortcuts make long delays. 263 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:39,880 And So what I want to do this morning is take the life of 264 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,840 David, where he's at and where you're at in Glendora. 265 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,720 Because some of you are like, I'm not in a literal cave right 266 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:49,000 now, that this is not the place I'm actually at. 267 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:54,000 But you are in Glendora. You are in San Dimas, you are in 268 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:59,120 Azusa, you are in Laverne, you are in Rancho Cucamonga, 269 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:04,240 Fontana, the high desert, you are in Covina Brea. 270 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:11,680 And sometimes The Cave is not the literal city you live in, 271 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,360 it's the situation you find yourself in. 272 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,760 And so I want to take it from that vantage point, from the 273 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:22,320 life of David. Because Saul led to David, but 274 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:25,440 David's going to lead to a greater king, and that king is 275 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:28,720 Jesus. And because David is pointing us 276 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:32,240 to Jesus, we understand that David is pointing to the perfect 277 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:34,160 king. David himself is not perfect, 278 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:36,960 but he's purposed. And then this, he's a foreshadow 279 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,720 of the Kingdom that's coming in Jesus Christ. 280 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:42,720 So what do I do when I find myself in a cave? 281 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,240 Check it out if you would. There are no shortcuts. 282 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,240 Write this down. There are no shortcuts no matter 283 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,920 the place. There are no shortcuts no matter 284 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:54,120 the place. I want to say that again. 285 00:20:54,120 --> 00:20:57,680 There are no shortcuts no matter the place. 286 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:00,640 I just want to repeat that again because they say if you're you 287 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:02,960 repeat things three times that people remember it. 288 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:07,720 There are no shortcuts no matter the place. 289 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:11,480 The Bible says now it happened. What has just happened? 290 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:15,560 Saul, you remember, has gone back to fight the the 291 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:20,200 Philistines as David was spared at a place called the Rock of 292 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,320 escaping. And in this moment David finds 293 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,680 himself. This happened when Saul had 294 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,480 returned from following the Philistines. 295 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:34,960 We know that the Philistines are the enemy army of Israel, not 296 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:41,560 Saul, but Saul became David's quote UN quote enemy in this 297 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:47,360 moment to seek his life. And then it was told to Saul. 298 00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:50,160 Take note. Now the the the word take note 299 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:53,400 there literally just means to behold or we want you to hear 300 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,280 this or we want you to pay attention to this right now. 301 00:21:57,440 --> 00:21:59,240 Why? Because whatever has your 302 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:04,080 attention takes your ambition. And so Saul's attention was on 303 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:07,160 David. Thus Saul's ambition was David 304 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:09,600 and getting rid of him. And notice this. 305 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:13,440 David is in the wilderness of ingetty. 306 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:15,240 Can you just stop there for a minute? 307 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:19,680 Then notice the place where David is at. 308 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:25,880 The Bible says that he is in the wilderness of ingetty. 309 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:31,200 If you take note, I want you to equal the wilderness as waiting. 310 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:37,680 David in this moment is in the wilderness of in Getty. 311 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,960 Now, now, I want you to pay attention to this because the 312 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:45,360 name in Getty means springs of young goats. 313 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:51,320 Now, we might think that this is a ultimate place of paradise, 314 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:55,840 but David's not in a palace. He's not in a place where he's 315 00:22:55,840 --> 00:23:00,280 sitting reclining at the Dead Sea in a beach chair with his 316 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:05,080 towel at sunbathing. David is running for his life. 317 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:08,840 Now understand this, David had the anointing of God, but he's 318 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:12,920 still running from Saul. So there's the anointing of 319 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:17,600 promise, and there's the running of process. 320 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,720 Oh, that, that, that, that, that, listen, that there was the 321 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:27,000 anointing of promise, but there's running a process. 322 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:36,320 David had the promise, but it would take 10 to 15 years for 323 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:40,760 the fulfillment of that promise. And he finds himself not in this 324 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:48,200 castle or refuge or throne. He finds himself in the 325 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:53,520 wilderness, in the wilderness, torn between the promise and the 326 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:57,160 process. And here is David in this 327 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:02,640 moment, and he's at this specific place. 328 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:05,960 Now, I don't know if you've ever been given a promise, but the 329 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,640 promise in your life is really not matching the place that 330 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:16,360 you're in in your life. David wasn't being worshipped or 331 00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:21,600 served. David was taken to a dry place. 332 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,880 They do have waterfalls and springs here, but this is a dry 333 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:28,720 place. This is not like our wilderness 334 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:31,720 in California. And Getty, Josh, if we could 335 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:35,120 just post that picture and and Getty actually just looks like 336 00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:38,120 this. This is what and Getty looks 337 00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:40,920 like. This is where David's at. 338 00:24:42,120 --> 00:24:43,920 I don't know if you have the other picture, Josh, if you 339 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:49,080 could display that this is dry, this is dirty, this is muddy, 340 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:53,840 this isn't clean. And here in this place, David's 341 00:24:53,880 --> 00:25:00,120 actually running for his life. And I don't know if you've ever 342 00:25:00,120 --> 00:25:04,360 been at a dry place, that God has made it a delivering place. 343 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,080 You know what I'm saying? This place of danger is often a 344 00:25:09,120 --> 00:25:14,040 dry place in your life. But I want you to get this. 345 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:16,560 Just because it's parched doesn't mean that God can't 346 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:21,560 provide and protect for you in this place, in this place that 347 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:25,480 seems like I don't get why I'm actually here. 348 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:28,880 I didn't make these decisions to be here. 349 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:34,200 I didn't sign up for the direction that I'm going, but 350 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:42,520 you're actually it feels dry, it feels dirty, it feels confusing. 351 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:44,840 And we, we could say this all the time. 352 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:52,240 I, I didn't, I didn't sign up for this, this place. 353 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:58,800 Why am I still single after all I've done for you, Lord? 354 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:06,760 Why am I still single, Lord? You provided throughout the 355 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:17,600 Bible people for people. Adam had Eve Ruth, God, God, you 356 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:20,880 provided. You provided. 357 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:24,680 I'm single. I'm single. 358 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:26,840 God. I didn't sign up to be single 359 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:30,520 this long. I thought when I came to Jesus 360 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,280 and being born again that you would bring me a born again 361 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:37,640 woman. Every story is not the same. 362 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:40,720 I met my wife when I was 10 and she was 8. 363 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:43,960 Our parents then signed a contract that we would get 364 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:47,160 married at Calvary Chapel of San Bernardino. 365 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:50,440 That's that's my story. Not, not all of that is not 366 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:53,680 true, but but but I, I did meet my wife at that age. 367 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:58,400 But that's not everyone's story. And what we do is we compare our 368 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:03,280 place to other people's places. Why am I single? 369 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,440 God, I'm coming every single Sunday to worship you. 370 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:10,800 I do go to the young adults group, not just at Bridgetown, 371 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:15,000 but every other church. I have invited myself to the 372 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:20,400 singles ministry. Lord, I am doing what's right. 373 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:25,160 Why can't I find the right person? 374 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:30,840 And that's the aim, finding the right person. 375 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,760 And we use all of our energy to find the right person. 376 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:39,920 God, I know what you've spoken, but I just don't understand what 377 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:41,760 is happening. And this is what happens. 378 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:46,360 We shortcut God in the dating process. 379 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:51,880 Now theologically, I don't know if you believe in courting or 380 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:54,960 dating or dorting. I don't know where you might 381 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:58,360 find yourself wherever that might be where you're finding 382 00:27:58,360 --> 00:28:02,360 yourself in. Listen, don't shortcut God's 383 00:28:02,360 --> 00:28:05,040 provision for your immediate pleasure. 384 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:24,240 Thank you in the back God, but I got married and it hasn't been 385 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,160 yay. It's actually been really hard 386 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:31,440 God. But this was you told you said 387 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:36,160 this was your plan is marriage. The place I'm at is God, but why 388 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,800 is it so hard? Why doesn't it feel like the 389 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:44,960 pastor said paradise? It actually feels like a 390 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:49,640 wilderness. It feels like wild beasts have 391 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:53,440 surrounded me. It feels like the person that 392 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:55,480 was my friend has become ferocious. 393 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,040 It feels. I didn't see that coming. 394 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:04,800 I didn't know this would be like this. 395 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,080 I didn't know they had that habit. 396 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:11,760 God, I prayed, I sought wisdom, I sought counsel. 397 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:17,640 But Lord, this is heart. And sometimes in marriage, the 398 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:21,160 wrong theology is that we made the goal to be happy rather than 399 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:25,520 holy. And in marriage, sometimes we 400 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:28,520 think like the ultimate goal is your happiness. 401 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:30,400 The ultimate goal is your holiness. 402 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:34,480 And I'm not saying that your spouse should be mean and rude 403 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:37,360 and unkind. I'm not saying any of that. 404 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:42,200 But what I'm saying is this, don't shortcut the process of 405 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:45,920 your marriage because it feels like a wilderness right now. 406 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:48,920 Don't, don't, don't just pull the plug out. 407 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:53,200 I'm, I'm going to seek attention from somebody at work because 408 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:55,440 they're not giving me the attention right now. 409 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:59,640 I'm at this place where, you know what, they didn't 410 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:01,600 compliment me. So I'm going to look for 411 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:03,680 compliments outside of my marriage. 412 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:06,600 And I'm going to live in the comments of Instagram and I'm 413 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:10,680 going to secretly DM people just to find out if they're even 414 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:13,280 interested in a relationship when you're already in a 415 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:16,280 covenant relationship with the Lord. 416 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,360 Listen, we're all in different places in our lives, but we 417 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:23,400 could shortcut everything at our job because we're, we're willing 418 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:25,920 to lie. We could shortcut everything 419 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:28,400 with our friends. We can shortcut things 420 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,800 financially because we're struggling with all of our bills 421 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:34,840 that we begin to do things that are outside of the will of God. 422 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,480 Listen, please, and understand this. 423 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:42,120 Because you don't see God fulfilling His Word yet doesn't 424 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,560 mean that you cut corners. Now. 425 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:49,240 David is in in Getty, not Jerusalem. 426 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:53,200 And it won't be another 10 to 15 years before he actually gets in 427 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:55,720 this spot of his life of reigning. 428 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:58,600 And this is what I want you to remember that the spot of your 429 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,400 life should never determine how you step in your life. 430 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,520 And I want us to start saying something different if we can 431 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,800 say this. Stop saying ASAP. 432 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,560 Stop saying ASAP. And this is what I want you to 433 00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:20,640 start saying AL AT as long as it takes. 434 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:27,960 Why do you get like it got super quiet right now. 435 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:34,040 You guys are like really pastor to see like not as soon as 436 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:39,560 possible, but let's stay in something as long as it takes 437 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:45,800 for the glory of God. Did you see, as you know from my 438 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:50,080 last week announcement to you, I've been battling a really bad 439 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:53,760 flare up in my Lyme's disease. I was diagnosed with Lyme's 440 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:58,680 disease in 2007 with a parasite infection and it is just been 441 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:04,240 four weeks of just immense pain. This week. 442 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:06,440 It's gone from roaring to meowing. 443 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:11,560 It's it's lessened and I thank you for your prayers. 444 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:27,640 But this has been for me 18 years of pain and there's been 445 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:30,880 discouragement. There has been for me 446 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,920 frustration. Now, don't get me wrong, I 447 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:38,520 believe in the healing of God. I believe in the power of God, 448 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:41,320 but I also believe in the timing of God. 449 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:46,360 In the last 18 years, in these moments that I'm in, I I've 450 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:51,880 questioned God's sovereignty. I have in my life not just 451 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,760 questioned God's sovereignty, but I have argued with His 452 00:32:54,760 --> 00:33:01,440 Majesty over my situation. Not only that, I have doubted if 453 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:06,680 this is really loving and this always brings me back to this 454 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:10,160 fact that while I might be questioning, arguing and 455 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:14,440 doubting God, that God is using this place to fulfill his 456 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:20,040 purpose for me. God is using this place of my 457 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:22,920 life to fulfill his purpose for me. 458 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:30,560 Yesterday, Thursday, I got a call from a gentleman who who's 459 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:36,400 number was given to him, my number, and he called me. 460 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:38,920 He said hi, my name is and he gave me his name. 461 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,320 And then he began to tell me his story. 462 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:45,120 He's been sick, severely sick, and he really can't find an 463 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:47,680 answer just yet for what's happening in his life. 464 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,480 And I realized again in that moment of God's, God's 465 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:59,120 providential way of reminding me that He is using every ounce of 466 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:04,440 my pain, every ounce of my disease, every ounce of my hurt, 467 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:10,199 every ounce of it to reach another person for His glory. 468 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:17,080 The question often given to me is, what are you taking? 469 00:34:21,639 --> 00:34:23,159 This is what I'm taking right now. 470 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:31,159 I'm taking the promise of God over my life that the journey 471 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:35,920 for me is not just finding an answer for Lyme's disease, it's 472 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,400 helping people find an answer in Jesus. 473 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:42,960 And I think in that time, I want to just share this with you. 474 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:46,440 This place is not what I thought it would be for me. 475 00:34:47,159 --> 00:34:51,000 This place in my life does not mean that it's not what God had 476 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:56,239 planned though for me. And in this moment I'm in, I 477 00:34:56,239 --> 00:35:00,400 want us to look at how we can use this painful place that 478 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:05,560 could lead for his piece possibly in other people. 479 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:08,000 Because I know some of you right now, because of what you're 480 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:10,560 facing in the place that you're in, you actually just want to 481 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:12,800 run. You want to run. 482 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:15,320 You want to get up out of this room and you actually just want 483 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:17,760 to go. You're, you're, you're, you're 484 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:22,000 in this place of your life at, at your, at your school. 485 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,280 And you're just like, I don't even want to be there anymore at 486 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:26,240 this school. You're in this situation with 487 00:35:26,240 --> 00:35:29,080 your friendships and that you don't you don't even want to be 488 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:31,760 there in this moment. And these are the things that 489 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:34,000 I've said to the Lord. This place is too hard. 490 00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:39,640 It hurts too much. The healing is taken too long, 491 00:35:40,720 --> 00:35:45,200 but in this painful process of this place, as I've said before, 492 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:47,960 I don't want to settle for the sandbox when God wants to give 493 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:50,840 me the whole beach because I just want to cut some corners 494 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:54,520 for my own feelings. Now, I'm not saying that I don't 495 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:57,840 seek to feel well. What I am saying, I want to seek 496 00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:03,600 to do God's will first. So if I could encourage us as I 497 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:08,760 walk alongside of you in my own process of this place, and that 498 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:15,280 is this stop cutting corners. Stop cutting corners with your 499 00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:19,280 character. Stop cutting corners with how 500 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:25,320 you communicate to people. Stop cutting corners on the 501 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:29,800 freeway. You're in the carpool lane, but 502 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:34,760 you're driving by yourself. That's called the corner. 503 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:41,400 Stop cutting corners at work. When you said that you would do 504 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:44,080 your job, but you really didn't do it to its fullest potential. 505 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:53,800 Stop cutting corners in your classroom where you let chat do 506 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:58,720 all of your homework for you. Stop. 507 00:36:59,920 --> 00:37:02,960 That's cutting the corner. That's actually hindering your 508 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:09,480 growth for future potential. Stop cutting corners. 509 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:15,520 And in stopping, what happens is I just surrender myself to God. 510 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:18,160 Listen, God already knew where David was. 511 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:20,800 God already knew what David was going through. 512 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:23,360 And sometimes this is what happens. 513 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:26,840 We get so fixed on the wilderness that we miss Jesus in 514 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:30,280 the wilderness. And this is the moment that no 515 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:34,320 matter the place, we no longer excuse our sinful choices 516 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:36,160 because of the spot that we're in. 517 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:38,880 We have a promise, but it's not fulfilled. 518 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:45,240 And the wilderness should always lead me not to wandering around, 519 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:50,280 but to worshipping Jesus more. There is one King that went 520 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:52,000 through the wilderness and prevailed. 521 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:58,440 His name is Jesus. Even though he was tempted to 522 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:03,120 take the shortcut in life, he chose not to and he surrendered 523 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:07,000 himself to the will of God. The wilderness led to a garden 524 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:12,080 and in the garden the wilderness decision was more even evident 525 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:17,200 where he said not my will be done, but your will be done. 526 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:20,280 If there's any way the suffering can pass, let it pass. 527 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:26,000 But God the Father sent an Angel and energize Jesus that no 528 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:30,360 matter the place, we have a forerunner who would say to us, 529 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:34,840 you can make it. Listen not only no matter the 530 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:36,120 place, but listen, listen to this. 531 00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:38,200 No matter the perspective, listen. 532 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:43,760 Then Saul took 3000 chosen men. He took 3000 chosen men. 533 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:46,680 The chosen men were the Navy Seals. 534 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:52,320 They were the Recon, they were the Army Rangers. 535 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:58,160 They were all the spec OPS guys. They, they, they were elite. 536 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:02,560 Saul took 3000 of them and did what? 537 00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:08,640 And went to see David and his men at the rocks of the wild 538 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:11,280 goats. Listen. 539 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:13,600 So we came to the sheepfolds by the road. 540 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:19,080 What is David first known as Shepherd? 541 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:24,600 Saul comes to the sheepfolds in the road where there was a cave, 542 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:27,760 and Saul went in to attend to his needs. 543 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:31,320 Now stop there for a minute. John MacArthur says. 544 00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:33,040 I'll just quote him. So I don't make any of you 545 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:35,760 offended John MacArthur. You could be offended at him. 546 00:39:36,240 --> 00:39:41,120 He said that Saul had a bowel movement and a bowel movement. 547 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:46,040 So here's Saul. He went to go attend to his 548 00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:48,520 needs. He had to go to the bathroom. 549 00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:57,920 So Saul goes into The Cave and in the darkness he pulls his 550 00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:06,640 robe aside and he squats down. And here is Saul in this moment, 551 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:16,200 3000 men outside, Saul on the inside, David and his men hiding 552 00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:22,480 in the dark. I wonder if they're like the 553 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:27,080 king is going to the bathroom. Have you ever been involved in 554 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:33,480 somebody's else stinky mess? And David now has a chance to do 555 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:38,280 something about it. He's crouched down, inner 556 00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:41,800 garments to his ankles. I just want you to get the 557 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:47,200 picture. And as he's at this spot, 558 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:50,640 listen, no matter the place, I want you to write this down. 559 00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:52,960 No shortcuts, no matter the perspective. 560 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:55,720 No matter your perspective. Now. 561 00:40:55,720 --> 00:41:02,880 Now Saul is using the restroom and his men are staying outside 562 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:05,480 of The Cave. Now, now, now, get this. 563 00:41:05,760 --> 00:41:08,440 The Bible tells us that Saul had how many men? 564 00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:11,960 3000 in another spot in the Bible. 565 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:14,720 The Bible says that David had 600 men. 566 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:17,840 Now you want to do some math with me today? 567 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:21,520 If we can, let's do the math. You ready? 568 00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:25,240 Saul has 3000 soldiers. David has 600. 569 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:31,600 The odds were against David. I want you to see this. 570 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:35,800 Saul had 3000. David had 600. 571 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:41,480 To simplify the odds, let's just let's get down to the greatest 572 00:41:41,720 --> 00:41:48,880 common divisor. Both numbers is 600. 573 00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:55,040 David 3000 / 600 = 5. Notice this. 574 00:41:56,640 --> 00:42:00,240 Divide 600 by 600 that equals one. 575 00:42:01,240 --> 00:42:09,800 Let's simplify the odds of David 521. 576 00:42:11,360 --> 00:42:18,600 David's odds were against him. This didn't look good for him. 577 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:25,920 The outcome looked not to be in his favor. 578 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:30,440 The probability is bleak. Come on, David. 579 00:42:31,760 --> 00:42:35,840 Take a shortcut. The odds are against you. 580 00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:39,680 You didn't sign up for this. You're already king. 581 00:42:40,720 --> 00:42:44,200 The odds are against you. And here is David in this 582 00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:46,920 moment. And this is what I want you to 583 00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:49,840 remember over and over again this week. 584 00:42:52,120 --> 00:42:57,440 When I read odds in the Bible, I see opportunities of God in the 585 00:42:57,440 --> 00:43:01,880 Bible. When I see odds in the Bible, I 586 00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:08,440 see opportunities of God to work in the Bible. 587 00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:17,760 Can you just tell your neighbor odds equal opportunities with 588 00:43:17,840 --> 00:43:22,040 the Lord? Your odds will always equal your 589 00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:24,200 opportunity. Even right now. 590 00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:27,360 I know the math is not measuring up in your life right now, but 591 00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:31,280 with God, odds always become opportunities because look at 592 00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:34,080 what God does. David's outnumbered. 593 00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:35,800 He's out noticed. He's out man. 594 00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:41,000 But God moves saw supernaturally, in a natural 595 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:45,480 way. God moves Saul away from 3000 596 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:50,080 elite soldiers, moves him by himself in a cave, places him 597 00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:59,800 there at David's beckoning and in this spot, notice as Saul 598 00:43:59,800 --> 00:44:05,200 moves away from his soldiers that he is completely 599 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:13,040 defenseless. God did this so working of the 600 00:44:13,040 --> 00:44:18,000 Lord providentially, God moving in the life of David. 601 00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:22,960 And this is what I want to you to remember is that when odds 602 00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:26,040 are against you, it doesn't mean that God is against you. 603 00:44:27,600 --> 00:44:30,880 God is still moving. And this is what often times 604 00:44:30,880 --> 00:44:33,040 happens. Our perspective becomes so 605 00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:38,200 earthly that we missed the supernatural moment that God 606 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:40,880 wants to work in. So here's what happens to David 607 00:44:41,240 --> 00:44:45,760 in his life. David already viewed Goliath as 608 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:49,360 a man. He went and fought in the name 609 00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:52,280 of the Lord. So what David did in the Valley 610 00:44:52,280 --> 00:44:55,360 of Elah is how David responded in The Cave. 611 00:44:56,760 --> 00:45:00,560 Your decisions build on each other. 612 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:03,160 It's what happened to Moses. You remember when he's at the 613 00:45:03,160 --> 00:45:05,360 Red Sea, his back's up against the wall. 614 00:45:05,560 --> 00:45:08,280 God says stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. 615 00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:11,080 Joshua, six days. I want you to March around this 616 00:45:11,080 --> 00:45:15,320 city and do not say a word. The ark of the Lord will go 617 00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:19,880 before you, the presence of God. No notice this Esther, she said 618 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:23,400 for such a time as this, but this is what oftentimes happens 619 00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:26,040 when we're in a cave. This is what happens. 620 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:33,200 We get cynical, we get critical, we get bitter, we get jaded, and 621 00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:36,640 then we get isolated. That's what happens when you 622 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:40,680 find yourself in a cave, But not only is David facing Saul, but 623 00:45:40,680 --> 00:45:45,320 notice this. David's actually waiting in the 624 00:45:45,320 --> 00:45:50,240 dark. The Cave is not lit up by LE DS. 625 00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:53,880 It doesn't have cool orange lights on the side of it. 626 00:45:54,840 --> 00:45:57,400 It doesn't set the vibe. In the mood for Huga. 627 00:45:58,600 --> 00:46:00,960 It's not this golden hour moment. 628 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:03,920 It is complete darkness. In The Cave. 629 00:46:04,240 --> 00:46:08,000 David was not only facing Saul, but he's facing the darkness. 630 00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:13,520 I like to equate sometimes waiting on God in the darkness 631 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:22,710 feels like getting an MRI. You ever had an MRI? 632 00:46:24,240 --> 00:46:26,320 They put you in this little capsule and then you're just, 633 00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:31,480 I'm so claustrophobic. And then they shoot this dye in 634 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:35,040 you that if you're allergic to it, like me, it sends you 635 00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:39,240 through the wall. And then you're sitting in this 636 00:46:39,240 --> 00:46:44,520 dark, closed space and you're just hearing all these noises 637 00:46:45,480 --> 00:46:47,200 and you're wondering, is this really going to take a good 638 00:46:47,200 --> 00:46:50,320 picture? Is this really worth it? 639 00:46:51,080 --> 00:46:53,520 You're like 30 more minutes, like 30 minutes. 640 00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:57,680 I got 30 seconds in me. I think it just, it feels like 641 00:46:57,920 --> 00:47:01,440 you just want to RIP out every IV that's in you and just get 642 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:05,560 out of the room. But listen, this is a place 643 00:47:05,680 --> 00:47:11,800 where God is portraying His greatest picture, and just 644 00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:16,160 because your perspective is negative doesn't mean that God 645 00:47:16,160 --> 00:47:20,280 won't do something positive. Cutting corners is never worth 646 00:47:20,280 --> 00:47:22,720 it. It's never worth it for you to 647 00:47:22,720 --> 00:47:24,880 go get drunk because you're depressed. 648 00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:29,760 It's never worth it for you to go seek another relationship 649 00:47:29,760 --> 00:47:31,720 because you're empty inside of your heart. 650 00:47:32,600 --> 00:47:35,840 It's never worth it for you to continue. 651 00:47:35,840 --> 00:47:40,160 For me to live in a state of bitterness and jaded all the 652 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:45,280 time and see now every person I meet through this, it's not 653 00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:50,840 worth it. It is not worth it because when 654 00:47:50,840 --> 00:47:53,920 I don't have the right perspective, I don't just miss 655 00:47:53,920 --> 00:47:57,040 the situation I'm in. I miss the Savior who is with 656 00:47:57,040 --> 00:47:59,840 me. And this is what happens in this 657 00:47:59,840 --> 00:48:02,840 moment is David comes into this cave. 658 00:48:02,840 --> 00:48:06,520 In verse 4, the men of David said to him, This is the day of 659 00:48:06,520 --> 00:48:09,680 which the Lord said to you, Behold, I will deliver your 660 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:13,720 enemy into your hand, that you may do to him, as it seems good 661 00:48:13,720 --> 00:48:16,560 to you. And David arose and secretly cut 662 00:48:16,560 --> 00:48:20,200 off a corner of Saul's robe. Look at what happened. 663 00:48:20,240 --> 00:48:23,040 Now it happened afterward that David's heart troubled him 664 00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:27,960 because he had cut Saul's robe. And he said to his men, The Lord 665 00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:32,240 forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord's 666 00:48:32,240 --> 00:48:36,120 anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the 667 00:48:36,120 --> 00:48:42,000 anointed of the people. So David restrained his servants 668 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:45,920 with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul, 669 00:48:46,160 --> 00:48:50,440 and saw God up from The Cave and went on his way. 670 00:48:50,960 --> 00:48:57,840 All of David's 600 soldiers said to him, This is the day which 671 00:48:57,840 --> 00:49:01,040 the Lord said, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your 672 00:49:01,040 --> 00:49:07,440 hands, no matter the place, no matter the perspective, no 673 00:49:07,440 --> 00:49:13,520 matter the pressure. The pressure, the pressure is 674 00:49:13,520 --> 00:49:17,280 real. His soldiers are saying The Lord 675 00:49:17,280 --> 00:49:20,680 said He would give his enemies into your hand, which is true. 676 00:49:21,600 --> 00:49:25,600 But what was not true was the second part that you may do to 677 00:49:25,600 --> 00:49:30,080 him, as it seems good to you. That was not from the Lord. 678 00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:35,240 That was not what God had said. The first part's good, the 679 00:49:35,240 --> 00:49:39,400 second part is not good, and his men are pressuring him. 680 00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:43,360 So what does David do? He kneels down and I wonder if 681 00:49:43,360 --> 00:49:48,960 it was with the sword that he killed Goliath with the same 682 00:49:48,960 --> 00:49:54,120 victory he had in the Lord with Goliath, the same sword that he 683 00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:58,480 had taken from Goliath. He now takes that and cuts a 684 00:49:58,480 --> 00:50:07,040 corner of Saul's robe off all the men were. 685 00:50:10,240 --> 00:50:19,520 It was like watching the Texas game last Saturday, yesterday, 686 00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:23,920 screaming people, You could just hear the men. 687 00:50:27,360 --> 00:50:32,480 And David within the side of his heart said, no, something's not 688 00:50:32,480 --> 00:50:35,480 right. Something's not right. 689 00:50:35,480 --> 00:50:39,000 Notice it troubled David's heart. 690 00:50:40,200 --> 00:50:44,760 That's called conviction. When conviction hits, what does 691 00:50:44,760 --> 00:50:48,680 David do? He said to his men, the truth. 692 00:50:48,800 --> 00:50:51,440 The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master. 693 00:50:52,040 --> 00:50:54,800 He is the Lord's anointed to stretch out my hand against him, 694 00:50:54,800 --> 00:50:56,760 seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. 695 00:50:56,760 --> 00:50:57,600 Now. Now, listen. 696 00:50:57,600 --> 00:51:01,480 David restrained his men. How did David restrain his men? 697 00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:03,960 That word means he restrained them forcibly. 698 00:51:06,200 --> 00:51:11,280 Because David was able to restrain himself, he can only 699 00:51:11,280 --> 00:51:13,080 lead people as far as you have gone. 700 00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:18,640 And here in this moment the pressure amounted and David, but 701 00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:22,400 the greater pressure that David felt was the conviction of the 702 00:51:22,400 --> 00:51:24,960 Lord rather than the comments of people. 703 00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:32,360 And he came to this place and said, God forbid Paul put it 704 00:51:32,360 --> 00:51:35,960 this way, should I continue and sin that grace may abound. 705 00:51:36,600 --> 00:51:40,280 And he said, God forbid that I should do this thing to my 706 00:51:40,280 --> 00:51:42,880 master. And some of you have come in and 707 00:51:42,880 --> 00:51:46,440 you've cut so many corners. You're just thinking, God forbid 708 00:51:46,440 --> 00:51:48,240 that I should do this any longer. 709 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:52,040 And it is this awakening moment in your heart and in your life 710 00:51:52,040 --> 00:51:56,360 to stop what you're doing. God forbid that I should do this 711 00:51:56,360 --> 00:51:59,800 to my master. The Lord's anointed, notice what 712 00:51:59,800 --> 00:52:02,440 he called Saul. He's the Lord's anointed to 713 00:52:02,440 --> 00:52:05,880 stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the 714 00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:08,600 Lord. David's heart went back to where 715 00:52:08,600 --> 00:52:11,520 Joseph's heart went, and that was back to the Lord. 716 00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:15,920 If you find yourself in a place today, cutting corners is a 717 00:52:15,920 --> 00:52:20,440 single cutting corners on the Internet, cutting corners 718 00:52:20,440 --> 00:52:24,960 wherever it might be in your life, in your marriage, through 719 00:52:24,960 --> 00:52:30,080 the process of your own divorce, through the agony of your own 720 00:52:30,080 --> 00:52:34,160 defeat. This is a moment that the Spirit 721 00:52:34,160 --> 00:52:38,720 awakens your heart and you're troubled within to say, God 722 00:52:38,720 --> 00:52:43,800 forbid I keep doing this, Jesus will change you. 723 00:52:43,800 --> 00:52:49,440 Today in that pressure, I want us to bring ourselves to the 724 00:52:49,440 --> 00:52:52,240 Lord. What I mean by that is this, if 725 00:52:52,240 --> 00:52:54,840 this is a moment that you just need to come up and get prayer, 726 00:52:55,040 --> 00:52:58,440 that we allow that pressure to stop driving us away from the 727 00:52:58,440 --> 00:53:01,160 Lord. But to the Lord, if this is in 728 00:53:01,160 --> 00:53:03,600 your marriage for some of you, if this is in your health for 729 00:53:03,600 --> 00:53:07,000 some of you, if this is in your mind, if this isn't your job, if 730 00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:10,280 this isn't your school for your young men and women, if this is 731 00:53:10,280 --> 00:53:13,680 in your singleness, whatever it might be, allow the pressure to 732 00:53:13,680 --> 00:53:19,160 bring you to the spot of Lord forbid, Lord forbid. 733 00:53:19,160 --> 00:53:24,280 Lord, would you right now, by the power of your spirit draw 734 00:53:24,480 --> 00:53:31,360 men and women to yourself? Would you by the power of your 735 00:53:31,360 --> 00:53:35,280 spirit bring conviction of sin, but by your grace bring 736 00:53:35,280 --> 00:53:40,280 transformation of life. I pray a lot like this woman we 737 00:53:40,280 --> 00:53:49,680 looked at at the beginning of our study of Rosie Ruiz, never 738 00:53:49,680 --> 00:53:55,600 confessed to what she did, but lived a life where she was fired 739 00:53:55,600 --> 00:54:03,400 at her job, arrested due to cocaine, and held on to all of 740 00:54:03,400 --> 00:54:07,840 her secrets. Lord, I pray that no one would 741 00:54:07,840 --> 00:54:09,840 do that. That today would be a day of 742 00:54:09,840 --> 00:54:14,000 complete release. That today would be a day of 743 00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:18,240 repentance and restoration. That today would be a day of 744 00:54:18,240 --> 00:54:24,160 promise and power over people. Would you do this now? 745 00:54:24,160 --> 00:54:28,200 Lord, by your strength, in Jesus name, Amen. 746 00:54:29,200 --> 00:54:32,080 As we end our time together, we're going to remember Jesus. 747 00:54:32,080 --> 00:54:34,240 He is the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. 748 00:54:34,400 --> 00:54:37,280 We have communion to my left and to your right. 749 00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:41,080 As a child of God is born again by his Spirit. 750 00:54:41,320 --> 00:54:44,240 I want to constantly remind myself of the work of Jesus. 751 00:54:44,240 --> 00:54:48,000 And so today, if this is you and you're like, God forbid, I'm not 752 00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:51,520 going any further, Let's let's, let's get prayer up in front as 753 00:54:51,520 --> 00:54:55,360 we're LED in worship. We hope you enjoyed this message 754 00:54:55,440 --> 00:54:58,560 and we'd love for you to join us in person every Sunday at 10:30 755 00:54:58,560 --> 00:55:00,120 AM. For more information and 756 00:55:00,120 --> 00:55:02,320 updates, visit wearebridgetown.com. 757 00:55:02,640 --> 00:55:04,640 Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next week.