Ask you to turn with me to the epistle of the Ephesians chapter four. Book of Ephesians chapter four. The apostle Paul in particular is is difficult to to choose which verse you wanna start in because so many of his his thoughts and and arguments are lengthy and connect so well together. But I'd to begin in chapter four verse 11 and read through to verse 16. Ephesians four verse 11. And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. So we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. This morning, I'd like to consider two teachings that I believe are represented here in these verses, and they are absolutely finding to be critical and necessary for the Christian. And that is the doctrine of the headship of Christ and the doctrine of the church as the body of Christ. Both of these I find represented in these verses and I'd like to explore them this morning. I'll just give brief comments and some of the introductory thoughts leading up particularly verses fifteen and sixteen. The Apostle Paul begins here by saying that there were a number of gifts given to the church, particularly in the early church. He gives these number of appointed offices, apostles. These were those that Jesus Christ directly and specifically called out. It was a very select group of 12 men, although the apostle Paul said he was one of them as well as though as one who was born out of due time. He came later on, of course, when he was struck down on the road to Damascus. Um, but there were a couple of requisites. Christ called them directly, and they also all saw the risen Lord and interacted with the resurrected Jesus. And of course, Jesus had in some sense ascended before the Apostle Paul had his experience when Damascus rode. But multiple times in scripture, it actually mentions that Jesus himself, they're on the road to Damascus, struck him down and it was Jesus that spoke with him. And there were other times I believe that Jesus talked talked directly and taught the apostle Paul all of the things and the revelation and the visions that he saw that enabled him to, um, be such a a great minister and an apostle in the in the New Testament, writing two thirds of the New Testament. So that was one, the apostles. Uh, the prophets, there were those who saw visions and saw the Lord's, um, visions and and his will of things that were to come. And evangelists, these were those who the apostles would actually send out to evangelize directly. They weren't really associated with a local body. They would just kind of go out and and preach the gospel. And I submit to you, all three of those roles actually, I I believe ended after a short period after the the kind of inception of the early church. We no longer have there are groups today of Christians who still will call men apostles or that people can become new apostles. And I don't find that to be possible in accordance with scripture. I believe the apostles were just that group, just that initial group. And similarly, these other gifts here, prophets and evangelists, the gift of prophecy in some sense is still around, but I think that really just means in the New Testament, a wisdom and an application of the word of God is is usually how that works today. If if someone it might be called the gift of prophecy, but they're not really a prophet. If you think of the old testament prophets, it's not the same thing. I mean, even evangelists, I don't really think are around anymore. Pastors and teachers, believe, are the only true role here that's left, which is to say that if there is a minister of the gospel, he is linked, he is bound to a local body. And that's really how that works. And pastors note here that he uses the word and here, pastors and teachers are not separate. Pastors must be able to teach. Aptitude is one of the requirements. But I believe here there's a teaching that's not only relevant to gospel ministry, but to each and every one of us. The Lord has given each one of us gifts in the spirit, whether your gifts might be giving, service, just being able to encourage people around you. All of these gifts I submit to you are of of great benefit in our lives, but I think the teaching here is that where we ought to start trying to use our gifts is here in the church. We ought to look for ways that we can take the gifts the Lord has given us and try to pour them out in the service of the church for the furtherance of the cause of God and truth for his kingdom. Note here in verse 14, he says that we henceforth be no more children. He's talked about all of this is for the edification of the body of Christ. These are things to build up the church, the body of Christ. And the reason is that we might be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. I think this was relevant by Paul writing this, it was relevant to this church here at Ephesus. It's relevant today. There are philosophies of men. There are men out in the world who would seek to toss about children of God. There is an adversary, the devil, who it's his sole intent is to steal the joy and the peace of the people of God. And if if we let him do that, he will be thrilled to do so. He wants to take the things that Christ has done, and rather than have God's children resting in the promises of Christ, he wants us to fret and to be afraid and to live in fear. And part of what the church is designed to do is to, you know, when we each begin our Christian journey, maybe it's soon after we're born again, maybe we've been born again for a while, but but perhaps we join the church later. Whatever the case may be, we start off as spiritual babies, if you will. And it's through the study of the word and the the fellowship of the saints, the teaching of the gospel that we spiritually grow up. And that's a good thing because children, it's not hard to convince children of things. You can tell them there's a rainbow behind a a Not a rainbow, a unicorn behind a bush. And there's a good chance that a young child would be like, are you serious? 's a unicorn over there. It's not hard to convince children of things. It's not hard to scare children and to deceive them of of monsters in the closet and such things. That can be true of us in a spiritual sense. And I I ask you to really try to look at your spirit and your life and and see, do I you know, maybe it's we we pay too close attention to the news and every day we're just living in this anxiety about each and every news story that comes on. Well, those news channels like to do that because it gets people to keep watching. They like to fill us with fear. And if they can keep us on our toes at all times, we have to stay tuned in. That's how they make their money. They like to do that. I believe Satan's behind, uh, that intent as well. And so it's through this maturation, this growing up in the faith that we can truly understand the promises of God, how sure our salvation is and not be blown around. We'll be like the If you remember the apostles in the in the ship during the storm and Jesus is sleeping in the back and they're terrified of the winds and the waves. But perhaps you can imagine if they had had a little more time with Christ or maybe if they were in a second storm after that event, they'd be a little bit less scared, right? Once you have the experience of Christ in the ship and he's able to stand up and steady the winds and the waves, with that experience comes a steadfastness, an easiness, a lightness that you just trust in God. And so it's harder to blow us around and when we're rooted and grounded in the truth and in the doctrines of Christ, these various ideas of men that come up and try to confuse us, they don't work. We're able to say that doesn't agree with the word of God, so I won't listen to you. Verse 15, he says, but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ. Christ is the head of the church. And before we examine this, I believe it's important. I'll take just a bit of time to kind of understand what is meant by the word church because it's used a couple different ways in Scripture. Um, there is a sense in which there is a we usually call it the church triumphant, is what it's called. And that is that when Christ comes back the second time in all of his glory and splendor and takes his whole family back, The word church itself simply means an assembly that is called out. You'll even find that term applying to things in the Old Testament, speaking of Israel and them being called out as an assembly. And so there at the at the resurrection, the whole as it will as as it's considered the church of God is the whole family of God. He will not lose a single one. Every single child is considered in that triumphant body, in that triumphant church. Everyone will receive the glorification of God and go home with him. That is a there is a usage of the word church in that in that context. But probably the predominant usage is to consider the manifestation of the kingdom of God here in this world and in our lifetime. And that word of church specifically refers to local bodies of believers. There is not a You know, we call ourselves primitive baptist because we share the the like faith, the articles of faith, the belief set of the people who we call ourselves primitive baptist. We share that group, so we've labeled ourselves that way. But we don't have any kind of overseeing board. There's no one who's saying the Primitive Baptists have changed our position on this. There's no one who overrules that denomination. There are denominations of Christianity that work like that and it's caused a lot of strife, particularly in recent times if you follow any of that. That that's not, I believe, the design that God gave to the church. He's given the design that local bodies operate as a local body. They they are independent. They have their own pastor they call a pastor, and he serves them as an under shepherd. And of course, their ultimate authority is the scriptures and to their head, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so that's kind of the consideration we'll take this morning of the local body of the church. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ. I'd like to consider kind of quickly this morning, I ask you to listen quickly as we go through three different ways that I see the headship of Christ over the church. And I rejoice in each one of these. I believe they're so impactful for our understanding of Christ. The first can be found in Romans chapter five. Romans chapter five. This is one of the clearest arguments of the apostle Paul. There's so much insight and truth into the way salvation works in this chapter. I invite you to read the whole thing, perhaps after services in your own study. But just for now, I'd like to read just a handful of verses. I'll grab verse twelve first. So Romans chapter five verse 12 says, wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin, And so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. I need to chase a small rabbit here very quickly and especially for the young people in our congregation. The teachings of our modern day of the theory of evolution are not compatible with the word of God. You I don't believe that as a Christian even, you can have any form of belief in that theory. And I I say belief because it's an unproved theory. We don't know how life can come from inanimate objects and so it takes a leap of faith to understand not faith in a godly sense, just just kind of this blind belief in that theory. But I submit to you that this very verse is an argument that will refute from from a biblical standpoint, the the teachings of evolution that are just rampant throughout our society and has really, I believe, overthrown the faith of some. Because if Satan can get us to doubt the book of Genesis, to doubt the fall of man, these very initial things, there's a lot of doctrine in those initial those initial chapters. There's people who would even Christians who will try to say, yes, but we can we can kind of sweep those under the rug. Those were you know, figurative. Those were metaphors. And there's a couple of reasons why that doesn't work. First of all, Adam can't serve as a kind of metaphor for the process of man coming to be because he's listed as having specific children in the lineage of Christ in Luke chapter three. It tracks his lineage all the way back to the man Adam. And I don't think metaphors can have children. I don't think that makes sense. He's a real man. He really did was created by God of the dust. God breathed into him a living soul, and they really did eat of the fruit. And they did, um, receive in that day the curse of death. And that that's what's under consideration in this verse. Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin. It was the sin of Adam and Eve that made death as a concept enter into the earth. It was not here before. And so you can't have this process of millions of years of natural selection and dying and mutations of genes and all this kind of thing that relies on death. Death over and over and over again. So that's not possible here. It's not compatible with the idea that it was Adam and Eve's sin and transgression that brought death to pass. That was the curse of their sin. And, know, I've often explained it as God told them in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. And we know that, of course, when they ate of that fruit, they didn't just keel over and die. And I usually will explain that in the in the following way. I'll say that was not a natural death, it was a spiritual death. But I need to be perhaps a little more careful with my wording there because natural death was the result of that sin, it just didn't happen immediately. They would not have died. The tree of life was there in the garden, they would have lived forever. I don't know how to answer the question of what would have happened if they never fell. I don't know what happens in that timeline, but I know that they would not have died. That's what the word of God teaches. They had the tree of life there, and they would have continue to just eat off of that forever. There was no death in the Garden Of Eden before the fall. And so, though they did not eat of the fruit and die on the spot, there was a spiritual death and it led to their natural death. Adam and Eve are dead and gone. It led to their natural death which would not have happened. That's a brief rabbit. Let me get back on point. So wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. You notice that not only Adam and Eve have have perished, every single human being has similarly died because that all are sinners. All of the children that Adam and Eve had, all of their children, the way down to you and me, unfortunately, received this sin nature. And that that's the reason why, uh, all of us do, um, unless the Lord Jesus Christ comes back. Um, death will come for us because we are sinners in a natural sense. Let me now read verses 17 through 19. For if by one man's offense, death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as by the offensive one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. There is a teaching here, a doctrine of, we call the concept federal headship. It really just means covenant headship. It just means representation. When Adam sinned, all of those who were in Adam, all of his children, of those who came from him, were under the similar curse. And there's a beautiful parallel here to the salvation of Jesus Christ, that when Jesus Christ fulfilled the law in the perfect righteousness of God, When he fulfilled every jot and tittle of the Old Testament law, he didn't come to say the law doesn't matter. He came to fulfill imperfection and completeness. The entire law, all of the family of God under him that are in Christ and placed in Christ from the foundation of the world receive that same state, that same relation, the the relation of righteousness, that status of righteousness, they get the same blessing in Christ as a parallel to how all of us were cursed in Adam. He is the second Adam, it's called, a quickening spirit. There's a beautiful teaching there and I've often made this point, but it's correct note of doctrine, we did not choose Adam to be our personal sinner. We never made that choice, there was never an it was never offered to us, I wouldn't have taken it with you. If he said, will you just accept Adam's sin and you'll be cursed? No, I would not have accepted that. But similarly, uh, we weren't asked. He we were represented in him. He had the, um, representation of all of his progeny, but in like fashion, praise the Lord Jesus Christ, is not offered to us because I submit to you in our depravity, before the Lord intervenes and would change our spirit in our depravity, we would even reject that. We would reject the salvation of God if it was offered to us because we would hate God. And so if we do not, if you find in your heart that you do not hate God and you have a love for God, know that he has purchased you and that his righteousness which he fulfilled has been applied to you. Praise the Lord. We'll be judged on that, on Christ's work and not our own. Our sins and our transgressions are blotted out. So that's the first element of headship when we look at the Lord Jesus Christ. The second one, sounds kinda funny to say it this way, but for the sake of considering headship, he's the political head or the government head. And we have a handy word for that, it's called a king. He is the king of the church. Let's go back to the book of Ephesians. Chapter one. Christ is the king. As we flip through, I'll remind you that it was of incredible importance. In the Old Testament, it was a a through thread that it kind of narrowed down the scheme of salvation. God first told Eve, there at the fall, said, of the seed of woman would come and bruise the head of the serpent. That's really the first kind of gospel hint we get in the scriptures. You narrow it down, you see all the pictures of the Paschal lamb and the Passover and all of these types of things. But one of the preeminent and most important things was that God had promised to David that ones from his loins should not fail to sit on the throne forever. God would establish the throne of David, and that became a messianic promise. They called the Messiah, the son of David. So he was to fulfill the promise that, uh, and he came of course of the line of David, but that's on the kingly line that the Lord Jesus Christ would come. Read here with me in Ephesians chapter one verses 19 through 23. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is the body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. I've mentioned this to you before and it rings true and I rejoice in it that when we look at the systems of government we have today, there's various we have a democracy and republic and all of the constitutional republic and all these various different forms of government. The best one, I submit to you still, is a just and good monarchy. When you have a good man, a perfect man in our case, the Lord Jesus Christ sitting on the throne, that is the best form of government you can have. It's a perfect executive branch of of enforcing the law, of carrying out his judgments. The son of David sits on the throne to judge and he judges perfectly. Um, and also his laws are perfect and complete. He governs with complete authority. All things are under his feet, and he has been given to be the head over all things to the church. This is actually another interesting thing to note because the Jews who have continued in the Jewish faith and have rejected Christ as the Messiah and say that he he he was not the the true Messiah. It's actually interesting that they're going to have I I don't understand how they reconcile this because it is of necessity within their religion that he is of the line of David. And after 8070, when the Romans came in and destroyed all of Jerusalem, leveled it to the ground, the records of the bloodlines of those people were lost. And so I don't know even today, don't know how they would how they how they could see a way through that somehow they could still prove that one would come of the line of David. It has to be Christ. He's the only answer there to fulfill that and he fulfills all of the Old Testament prophecies there. So he is the king. He reigns in his righteousness. He rules sovereignly over all things. He is the king of the church. And in like fashion, as a good king does, he cares for the people. The Lord cares for the church. He cares for our well-being. Kings also in the Old Testament, the reason why the Israelites originally wanted a king, we've seen in the in the study of first and second Samuel, kings were really for fighting, organizing, and winning wars. That's why they had them. They would lead them out into battle. And the Israelites would always see these great kings of the other nations and say, oh, look at their victories, they're doing so well. Of course, turning from the fact that the Lord had previously and their theocracy been the one who would lead them, direct them in battle and tell him, I've won the field for you. They turned from that and they said, we want a man. We want one of our own to rise up and to lead us into wars. But oh, how perfectly Christ has fulfilled even that role on behalf of the church. He has overcome death, hell, and the grave for us and reigns over them today, we can rest in that victory. The third way, so we've already looked at the federal headship that we were represented by Christ. In his fulfillment of the righteousness of the law, we have been the beneficiaries in that great transaction that has been applied to us. He has been the He is the king over the church, as the political head. And finally, He's in some sense a head of the household or the head of His bride, the church. Still staying in the book of Ephesians. Look over with me to Ephesians chapter five. Ephesians chapter five verses 23 to 27. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church. There it is. And he is the savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. Christ is the the head of the church in a marital relationship, in the sense that he has the greatest, eternal, unfailing love in a covenant sense. He has bound himself to the church in love, the same way a man and woman bind themselves in the covenant of marriage and say till death do us part, well Christ liveth ever. And because of him and his victory for us, we will live ever with him. He has bound himself in love to us before the foundation of the world. And it's why it's for this love that he came and suffered the death he suffered to purchase us, to redeem his bride. That's a theme in the Old Testament. Remember the story of Ruth. You see Boaz who so nobly redeemed the household of Naomi in purchasing Ruth to be his bride. You see the prophet Hosea with the story of Gomer. He was called to go and take a harlot to be his wife. And she even goes and turns from him and returns to her sinful ways. And he goes and redeems her again. This picture of the fact that Christ loved us even when we were yet sinners, even when we turn from him. His love for us is steadfast. His love is the thing that has perfected us in Christ. And so Christ is the loving husband of the church and for that love he gave himself for the church. And so, uh, we're told as as Christ has given himself for the church, we ought to lay down our lives for one another. Uh, we ought to have that same kind of love for our brothers and sisters and it is the greatest form of love that a man would give down would would lay down his life for his friend. So with these three aspects in which Christ is the head of the church, federal head, the king, the political head, and the head of the household, the head of the bride, our husband. Now, I'd like to consider back in our text verse 16. Ephesians chapter four verses 16 or verse 16, singular. From whom, speaking of Christ, the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working and the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Now, just pause for a moment and and just kind of rest in the fact that Christ is our head. You know about how the body works. Every part of the body, in some sense, gets its orders through the nerves from the head. I want to be connected to Christ. I want him to lead, guide, and direct us as a church. I don't want to choose, um, the leadership of men without God. I don't want to, um, as the Israelites did, set up someone over us who would say, yes, God's ways are are one thing, but I have this other new theory. Let's try this instead. No, I want to submit to his headship. I want to submit to his leadership in all things. It is in this picture, this glorious picture of the doctrine of the body growing up into the head, there's a couple of things we can glean from that. And it's it's in this verse. Look at this. The whole body is fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supply. The thing that bonds us together ought to be the bonds of love and the common faith of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. That binds us together. Because if we love one another, which is in a sense obedience to the faith, God if we love God, he's told us to love one another. And if we have that love flowing from breast to breast, that's not a one way street. In the church, we ought to have two directional love. I'm loving you and you're loving me. One brother is loving someone else and they're loving them back. And so that in a sense knits together this body of the church. In the bonds of love and in the shared faith, we hold things common. We love one another. We care for one another. In consideration of this, the Apostle Paul in first Corinthians chapter 12, he mentions all the different parts of the body. He says, maybe some person serves the role in the church of as the hand, and someone else serves as the foot. And kinda humorously, he says, the hand can't look at the foot and go, well, because I'm not the foot, I'm not even in the body. That doesn't make sense. Maybe for some reason you think the foot has a more noble role, but each person has their part. And we can't make it without, uh, we can't go limbless. We don't wanna lose limbs here in the church. Um, I believe that this is critical and kind of counter cultural in our day. There is a notion of the importance of of church membership. I don't exactly know how this happens, but I know that when you join a church, when you, you know, pledge yourself in among their number, there's something spiritual to that. There is not just a it's not just kind of going through the motions. It's not the same as when you join the rec league for a baseball team, um, and you just kinda see each other for practice. Church church is not just a, you know, like a baseball practice. This is a every single day commit commitment bound together in this love that we're going to yoke up together. We're going to walk through this life together. We're going to support one another. We're going to seek to encourage each other. When one when one of us falls down weak, when one of us is weak in the faith, when one of us suffers a loss, suffers something, takes a hit, the other should surround them. Um, you know, I would be in a a bad straight if I got an itch behind my ear and I had no arms. That would be a bad place. What what do you do? Thank goodness we have arms, so you can scratch the when there's problems in the body, if you step on a thorn, your feet is not a very good thing to get the thorn out of itself. You need the parts of the body to to help one another. Maybe there's a pain point and the other parts of the body can help. It's a beautiful picture there that we ought to be knit together in that love and that care for one another. It's compacted by that which every joint supplies. So you know, if we have some kind of spiritual arthritis and joints start losing their, you know, joints start losing their strength, and it's going to hurt the body. If parts of the body, you know, have committed themselves to the church and kind of just ghost and disappear and are not here, I submit that that's a part of the body that we need, that has a role to play and that's missing. And we we miss them dearly. It's not something to to judge and to look down on and say, oh, you know, look at you. But we ought to sincerely desire that when we meet together, the body's here. And so I think if we're able, we ought to not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is. The Lord tells us it's good when the body of our local church meets. We ought to meet, we ought to come if we can. Of course, that's we don't need to get legalistic about it. There's there's times when when we we can't come for some illness and any other kind of reason. But the Lord has designed it that we would be in one another's lives. When if we don't, if you know, perhaps even you can take the example of maybe if one of us if we get here right or a little bit after church starts and we leave a little bit before church ends, we don't know what's going on in each other's lives. We don't talk to one another. And so when one part of the body is hurting, it's as if that nerve is cut off, we don't know. They might be going through something that we have no idea of because we can't bear with them. We can't weep with them when they weep, we can't rejoice with them when they rejoice. We need to know one another, we need to have that care for one another. Even outside of just Sundays on a regular basis, we ought to have that fellowship. Let me let me finish out this verse and I'm go somewhere else. According to the effectual working in the measure of every part. So he's saying there's something in us that takes effect. It's moving us, it's working, And it's causing us to, um, to play this very role that we've we've looked at, to care for one another, to serve whatever our role is in the church. And I ask you if you if you feel that you just kind of come here and, um, maybe just come here to submit to you, we don't we shouldn't come to church only to be fed. It's it is a beautiful thing that the gospel is is the manna of God. We pray for it. We pray the Lord would feed us. But I submit that you have something when you come here to give as well. In a spiritual sense, you have something to give. Whether it's your singing of praise, that's a giving of something. When you're you're singing, you are teaching and admonishing one another with songs and hymns and spiritual songs. You are testifying, I believe this, and that encourages those around you. We each have something that we I believe by God, we have a commandment to come and give and to use our gifts for the furtherance of the church. And it maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself. Notice here the bond is still in love. So by doing this, we are increasing the body, we're building ourselves up, we're becoming more mature so that so that we're not tossed around with every wind of doctrine. We grow up, we are strengthened in the faith. Let me go over to Acts chapter two very briefly. Is on the day of Pentecost. Acts chapter two, starting in verse 38. Acts chapter two verse 38, Peter has just essentially finished preaching to them the gifts of the spirit have been poured out. Says, then Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This is not the new birth, this is that special blessing that was poured out on the church. If anyone has a desire to repent and be baptized, of course, the Holy Spirit is in them. This was a special blessing of the Holy Ghost. Verse 39, for the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized. In the same day, there were added unto them about 3,000 souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Notice this comma separated list here. They continued steadfastly in three things, the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, comma, breaking of bread, and prayers. You'll note that there's seems to be a kind of joining of two things there. The apostles' doctrine and fellowship is considered as one unit in this list. When the when the apostles came and they they preached, so many times Paul will say, you knew what manner of man I was amongst you. The apostle Paul was so, of course, he was a humble man because of the lord had long suffered him to persecute the church, and he he knew that but by the grace of god, he he would deserve condemnation and wrath. And so he was always humble to that. But note that, imagine if the apostle Paul, after he'd written all the epistles, came to preach one Sunday or came to preach at a meeting we had. There would be and at least in my mind, I'd be like, I'm going to to really tune in here. This is an apostle. He's he's written two thirds of the New Testament. He has founded churches. The Lord used him mightily. Um, but in the beginning of the book of Romans, when he says, I I long to come unto you at the church of Rome, he says, there's a specific phrase that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith, both of you and me. That's the phrasing he uses, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith, both of you and me. Paul, are you saying that if you came here to Camp Creek on a Friday night worship service that you'd be looking to receive encouragement from me sitting in the pew? Are you saying that, Paul? And he's saying, yes. I'll tell you, I haven't been speaking long, but the most encouraging thing when you're speaking is not when you're saying something new and fancy. It's when you're saying the old same thing that you know everyone believes. Just repeating the same truth that you know would be on the shadow of a doubt. Everyone already knows and they already believe it. The apostle Paul says, I may be comforted together with you. It encourages our faith when you just come here and retell the same old story. It's the same reason why when you grew up in the faith, you never graduate. It's our whole life journey. You might read this bible 50 times through in your lifetime, and you still have something to learn and something to give. We never graduate, but praise the Lord for those the members of our congregation who are a little bit more seasoned and have weathered the storms of life, and have been there. They've they've had the experiences, they've been through the hardships, And they can tell the young ones who perhaps have more energy and they're just going through it for the first time and everything's new to them. They can say, watch out. There's pitfalls here, but oh there's joy. There's joy in this life to be had. So here, um, in closing, these two beautiful doctrines, the doctrine of the headship of Christ. Christ in the same way, we each have a part of the body. The body is connected to each other, but in the same sense, if you think of our nervous system, each part has a direct link to the head too. That's the thing that really unites us as well. It's the each part, it's not, you know, the the unit of a like, perhaps a family, a church built up of individuals and of families. You know, when you have a family, not to kinda over spiritualize or go too deep into this metaphor, but it's kinda like a hand. You know, perhaps you have the the mother and the father and all the little fingers or the kids. They kind of have their nutrients through the hand, if you will. So there are parts that rely on other parts more more than just perhaps a normal part of the body. Children, of course, receive much spiritual teaching by their parents and admonishment and encouragement by their parents as they're brought up. But even each child has Christ within them, the hope of glory. And so each one of us, we can encourage to go to Christ, look for his leadership. And I would hope that, you know, perhaps there's there's even within a family that I would hope one day if as Tommy grows up that if I'm doing something that he finds isn't in accordance with the word of God that he would say, you know, dad, I see that differently and that we'd be open to hear from one another in ways that we can grow and learn together. There's not a single voice that is able to be ignored because Christ is in each of us. But there's not a single voice that has that doesn't have a purpose, doesn't have a worth, doesn't have a reason to be there here in the spiritual body. And so I'm just I'm thankful that we have this institution that's built up in the way it is. I see so many churches today that are struggling and that are I think it's a cultural issue. I think there's a lot of factors that go into it. But I really think that if we get two these two things right, we are well on our way to continuing to grow up, to continuing to walk forward as a body, and to grow into Christ our head. If we see Christ as king, Christ as lord, he's the one we we submit to, he's the one that we live our lives for, all things are from him and to him and for his name. It's for him that the obedience of faith ought to be rendered. It's for the glory of Christ. And second, not only that we love the Lord our God with all our soul, with all our mind, all of our spirit, all of our strength, but that we love one another. We love our neighbor as ourself. I thank you for your attention this morning. And if there's anyone who would like to walk with us and to yoke up with us in the body, uh, at this time, the doors of the church are open for the reception of members as we stand and sing some song. 45. Number

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Got your Bibles with you? Let's turn to 2 Samuel chapter 8. 2 Samuel chapter 8. We're going to continue our study in the book of Samuel in the life of David. Uh we're going to chop it up. We're going to read the first six verses. Some exciting stuff here. So, let's jump right on in. And after this, now remember this is that God had had a conversation with David that, "Hey, David, you don't need to build me a house. I'm good. I'm cool with living in a tabernacle." And after this came to pass, David smoked the Philistines and subdued them. And David took Methagma out of the hand of the Philistines. And he smoked Moab and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground, even with two lines measured he to put to death and with one full lung to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servant and bought gifts. Now, for those of y'all that might have difficulty with the King James, what David did was he took a length of rope and he measured out the Moabites in three units. and the first two he put to death. So he killed twothirds of the Moabites and and then he u he subdued the other third. So David Smote also had a Diesar, the son of Rahab, the king of Zoba, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates. And David took from him a thousand chariots, 700 horsemen, 20,000 footmen. And David hawed all the chariot horses. That mean he hamstrung them. So they were hobbled. David hod all the chariot horses, but reserved for them for a 100 chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to sucker Hades, the king of Zoba, David slew the Syrians, 22,000 men. Then David put the garrisons in Syria of Damascus. And the Syrians became servants to David and brought gifts. And the Lord, now I don't know if you highlight your B uh your Bible, but this is this is the highlight. And the Lord preserved David whethersoever he went. Now, if we're being honest, there are moments when you're reading the scriptures that your attention tends to tends to to dip a little bit when you're reading the book of Exodus and you're reading about the measurements or when they're repeated in the book of Deuteronomy and the lampstand shall be two cubits. Those are kind of details that well, at least in my ADHD brain, sometimes I zone a little bit out. And it seems like at first reading when we're going through 2 Samuel chapter 8, we've come to one of those chapters that we can kind of just zone a little bit. But I'm telling you, if you zone out in 2 Samuel, 2 Samuel chapter 8, you're going to miss some blessings because there's a lot of blessings in 2 Samuel chapter 8. I mean, when you're looking at it, to be fair, it's filled with unfamiliar places, military campaigns, conquered nations, tributes, garrisons, government officials. So, you might want to just kind of plow through it. But, but look, the Holy Spirit did not preserve this chapter merely to tell us where David fought. It is preserved to tell us how and why David prevailed. In fact, the writer repeats one statement twice. We just read it in verse six, and we're going to read it again in verse 14. And it says, "And the Lord preserved David whethersoever he went." So y'all know, boom, boom, boom. That is the heartbeat of this chapter. It's not David's military genius. It it's not Israel's superior army. It's not fortunate circumstances. The Lord gave David the victory. So the chapter is really answering one question. Every battle in this chapter answers the same question. What does God's faithfulness to us look like while he is fulfilling his promise? And that question is important because ultimately this chapter is pointing us to Jesus whose kingdom cannot be shaken. So let's start. This chapter begins with conflict. We just read it. David defeated the Philistines. Then he killed the Moabites and he went down and took out Hades. And then the Syrians came to help out Hades and they were defeated as well. So, at first when we're reading this, what it looks like is a series of disconnected victories, but but the geography is actually telling us another story because when you you trace it out on a map, this is what David's doing. He's going west, then he's going east, then he's going north, then eventually south. The enemies have surrounded Israel in every direction, and yet every enemy falls. So what the writer here is doing is he he's actually pointing out a beautiful picture because the Lord is establishing peace on every side. Years earlier, y'all remember this because because we've been together for a year now in this series. Years earlier, the Philistines had humiliated Saul. The Moabites were constantly opposed to God's people. The Syrians are reoccurring enemies of Israel's throughout their h throughout their history. So these battles, these are are no new battles. These are old enemies. And that is one of the beautiful pattern of scriptures, y'all. The enemies sometimes might change uniforms, but the battlefield really never changes. And the Lord never ever changes. So the same God who is delivering David from Goliath is the same God who is delivering him from these kingdoms that surround him. The size of the battle, the size of the battle has increased, but that hasn't deterred God at all because even though the size of the battle increases, the source of the victory never does. And this is for all the future leaders out there and the current leaders out there. Y'all know this growth does not prevent conflict. Not in your offices, not in your marriages, not in raising of children. Growth doesn't eliminate conflict. Sometimes sometimes growth actually enlarges the conflict. I had my battles I I had a lot of battles as an assistant DA. Then I got promoted as chief assistant. My battles were different and far larger. And then I was actually running as the interim DA an entire office and the battles were different. Then I got second in the state for the GBI and the battles were bigger. Growth didn't eliminate the conflict. Sometimes it enlarges the conflict. And this is what's going on with David. David is now king over United Nation. His responsibilities have increased. His influence has increased. His opposition has increased. But so has the visible demonstration of God's faithfulness. So scripture is clear here. The emphasis is never in this chapter as we read it. It is never on David's cleverness. The emphasis is always on God's faithfulness. That's why we highlighted in the Lord preserved David whethersoever he went. That is that's why scripture calls on us to remember so many times as scripture to to Israel remember the Red Sea how I did the impossible. Remember Jericho how the walls collapsed with nothing more than a trumpet and some clay pots breaking. Remember the wilderness. But for today, for us,

remember the cross. Because God doesn't tell his children to remember because he forgets. He tells us to remember because because we do in our daily struggles and our daily battles. There is another detail that we read here in verse four. And it says, "And David took from him a a thousand chariots, 700 horsemen, 20,000 footmen. And then David David hamstrung all of the the horses. And I'm sitting there reading this and I'm like, "What? Why are you hamstringing the horses?" I mean, back then the calvary was like the F16 of the battlefield. They swoop in, they do their damage, they run away. To have a good functional calvary was very important. It's is one of the most important things that could happen on the battlefield at this time. So, so why did they destroy the most valuable military equipment that they conquered and the reason it's kind of interesting because centuries before God had this commandment is found over in Deuteronomy chapter 17. Deuteronomy chapter 17, God's going through the second repetition of the law and he adds this one. He says, "Thou shalt in any wise set him a king over thee whom the Lord chooses." So, hey, y'all put up the king that I choose. And this is where it is. Verse 16. This king that I choose that y'all set up. Here's what I'm saying. Verse 16. But he shall not multiply horses to himself. [laughter] Get it right. So, in the ancient world, what horses represented? It represented military security. And all these pagan nations that Israel was smashing into, they trusted that. They trusted their calvary. But see, Israel, Israel was to be different. Christians, Christians are to be different. And so where Israel, and I say that because hey, Israel, don't don't trust the horses, trust me. So what David did was he used the tools that God had placed in his hands but without ever confusing them for the source of his strength. And this principle is never outdated because y'all every generation has its own horses. Now, it might not be the four-legged creature that we're thinking about like Secretariat or Man of War, but our horses are wealth. Some of us trust in our finances. Some of us trust in our education. [laughter] Over the past two election cycles, it is a fact that a large number of well-meaning Christians trust in political power. Oh my. Um, some people trust influence. They're willing to compromise themselves to gain influence. Some people trust their own self-disipline. Oh, I don't drink. I don't dance. I don't smoke. I don't eat. You know, you blah blah blah. And it's never been about your wealth, your education, your political power, your influence, or your self-discipline. And let me just say something, those things are fine. And sometimes those things are good. It's good to have money because then you're able to bless other people, but they become dangerous when they quietly replace dependence on God. And I want to tell you that whatever we stand in awe of ah you know the lifestyles of the rich families ah I got political power because I'm elected. Whatever we stand in awe of this is what David knew. David knew that victory was never found in possessing more horses was actually found in following the Lord who owned the battlefield. That's why years later in Psalm 20, this is what David writes. Some trust in chariots, some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. So, and then almost unexpectedly as we're going through all these things, he's hamstringing horses and he's destroying the Moabites. It says, "And the Lord preserved David whethersoever he went." It's almost It's almost as if we're reading the battle report. We're reading the Battle Report long enough that we have to stop and make sure that we understand the theology behind the history so that before we ever admire David's victories, we are reminded who gave them. The Lord did. And that single sentence changes the way that we read the entire chapter because up until this point as we're reading it, it's really a biography about David, but now it is a testimony. So the biography changes to a testimony. Let's keep on going. Verses 7-2. And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hedazar and brought them to Jerusalem and from Ba to Barthi. the cities of Hadesar. King David took exceeding much brass. And then Toy King Hoth heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadesar. So he sent Jorham his son to salute him to bless him because he had fought against Hadesar and had smitten him. Thank you, King David. You killed Hadazar because apparently Toya and Hadesar had an issue with each other. So this is what it said. And Jorham brought with him vessels of silver, vessels of gold, vessels of brass, and then here we go, verse 11. Which also King David did dedicate unto the Lord with the silver and the gold that he had dedicated of all the nations which he had subdued. Assyria, Moab, the children of Amnan, and of the Philistines, and Amalecch, and of the spoil ahead of Aar. Y'all see what just happened here? Because one of the surprising features of this chapter is what David does with everything that he acquires because he got gold shields, he got silver, he got bronze, he got the spoils of war, he got the the tributes of conquered nations. And verse 11 tells us something really extraordinary which also King David did dedicate unto the Lord God. So he didn't merely create wealth, he consecrated it. He recognized that what came into his hands ultimately belonged to God. And this, y'all listen to me. This is a principle in the Bible that we learn time and time again. It is the principle of the great reversal. What do I mean by that? What I mean by that is the nations had gathered these treasures for their own glory, but our Lord redirected it towards his worship because this gold, this silver, and this brass would one day be used by Solomon to construct the temple for God. Y'all get that right? The Lord is sovereign. God doesn't waste anything. And I want you to see how he used this to serve a larger purpose. This great reversal theme echoes throughout scripture. Joseph's slavery preserved a nation. The exile of Israel for 40 years in the desert purified a nation. The cross, the darkest act in human history, became the instrument through which Jesus accomplished redemption. The enemy had intended death, but God brought life. Satan had intended shame, but brought God brought glory. Hell celebrated on Friday, but then Sunday came and heaven rejoiced. And that is often how our Lord works. He doesn't simply overcome evil. He overrules it. And what others intended for destruction, he weaves into the accomplishment for his perfect purposes. I want to say this. Hear me. Evil is real and the consequences are painful and awful. But if you don't hear anything else from this sermon, hear this.

Evil never has the final word because we serve a sovereign God. And nowhere is this more clearly displayed than at the cross. In verse 11 reveals something just as remarkable as David's victory. After the battles won, after the treasurer was gathered, it said, "David dedicated him unto our Lord." Because David understood that the victories were never truly his to claim. The gold, the silver, the spo of war, none of them should have been monuments to his greatness. They were reminders of God's faithfulness. So instead of accumulating themselves, David laid them out before God. And I I I reemphasize that because the accumulation of things is our natural instinct. Some of y'all are hoarders. Got a little bit of it in the Melvin household. Um, and you know, the thing is is is when life falls apart, we're kind of quick to seek God, when the the cancer diagnosis comes, oh Lord, you know, uh when the children go astray, we fall on our knees to pray. But but when life goes well, we're actually tempted to to congratulate ourselves. I I tell young attorneys that I mentor, I learn more in the trials that I lose, and there haven't been that many, but um no, seriously, not many at all, but I'm pretty good. [laughter] Um that sounded so arrogant. I'm so sorry. Okay. So, I learn more in the the trials that I lose than in the ones I than in the trials that I win. Because in the trials that I win, it's because I'm brilliant, right? So, I don't go to the jury to say, "Hey, what was the pivotal?" Because I I have this sneaking fear in the back that if I ever go to a jury and go, "What was the critical piece of evidence?" Never, never, never would they say, "Well, it was you." [laughter] What? Yeah. Same thing in life, though. You know, success has a way of convincing us that we deserve the credit for our blessings because we worked harder, because we worked longer, because we went to the better school. Has that way of of just telling us that that we did it. We get the credit for the blessings. But honestly, we never could have secured them without the blessings of God. And David, by dedicating his wealth to the Lord, refused to fall in that trap. Every victory pointed beyond David to the God who had given it. Every blessing became another reason to worship rather than to boast. And here's the thing about what David was doing. Because what David was doing was expressing gratitude. And this is a very Christian thing to do. Gratitude. Whether it's as simple as saying, "Hey, thanks for loading the dishwasher." Or even the monthly contributions that you give to your church or to St. Jude's Hospital, whatever. or even to the employees that you manage and saying, "Hey, I just I just really want to say thank you because gratitude. Hey man, I got this gold. I got the silver. I got this grass. I'm going to brass. I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to give it back to you." Gratitude has a way of protecting them. Gratitude reminds us that everything we possess first passed through his hands. And what he entrusted to us is is never really ours by right. It's it's ours by stewardship. And we remember that success no longer feeds our pride. It it really success if anything it it ought to deepen our worship. And so that theme just echoes through scripture. Even in 1 Samuel here chapter 8, we see a pattern beginning to emerge. The treasures taken from Israel enemies were were not kept and hoarded as trophies of war. They're dedicated. They become part of the temple that God would be worshiped in. In other words, what once served a pagan kingdom is now reclaimed for the glory of God. That that's God's way. Evil never has the final word. Neither does idolatry or pride or rebellion for your sin. God is able and reclaims what sin has corrupted. He can make it serve his own purpose. And only God can write a story like that. He takes what was once used for rebellion and and transforms it into something that magnifies his glory. Let's let's go to verses 13- 18. And and David got him a name where he returned from smiting the Syrians. In other words, everybody's hearing about David now. In the valley of Saul being 18,000 men and he put garrisons in Edom. Throughout all Edom, he put garrisons. So he's building forts. And all they of Edom became David's servants. And the the Lord preserved David wheresoever he went. And David reigned over all Israel. And David executed judgment and justice unto all people. Underline that. And Joab the son of Zerua was over the host. And Jehoshaphat the son of Ahel was a recorder. And Zadok the son of Aub and Aim himc. And the son of Abathar were priests. and Zari was the scribe and Biah the son of Jodiah was over both the Cherodas and the Pearles and David's sons were the chief rulers and we we come to the end of the chapter and we're reading those last few verses and we might want to just kind of blow through it but but really there's a lot there because this chapter concludes a whole lot differently than it began because instead of the battles What we find at the end is administration. We find officials, we find priests, we find scribes, military commanders, we find government. And then there's verse 15 that summarizes everything. And David reigned over all Israel. And David executed judgment and justice and all people. That sentence tells us something very important. Y'all hear me? Victory was never God's final goal. Justice was. Military success existed in order to establish a righteous rule. And the purpose of conquering the enemies was so that God's people could flourish under a faithful leadership. And what that does is that points us directly to Jesus because David's kingdom still had limitations. Because his reign would eventually end. His descendants would eventually fail. His country would eventually fracture and his monarchy would eventually collapse. And so what the Old Testament does is it leaves us as God's people longing for a better day and for another king. One that would reign forever. One whose justice would never fail. One whose throne would never be vacated. And that king is Jesus. Because he defeated the greatest enemies. Not merely the Philistines and the Moabites, but he defeated sin, death, hell, and the grave. And he established a kingdom that the Bible says endures forever. And his reign is not marked by military force, but by his finished work. And unlike David, Jesus never had to win the same battle twice. Because when he declared it is finished, the decisive victory was accomplished forever. And it's tempting to to read this chapter sometime and think, hey, man, what what battles am I facing right now? And there's certainly encouragement for every child of God who walks through this conflict right there. But the primary emphasis of this chapter is on the greater king that's going to be to come. Because the repeated refrain, listen to me, the repeated refrain in this chapter is not that David is unstoppable. It's that the Lord preserved David wherever he went. And that's exactly why this chapter points us to Christ. Every enemy that stood against him was overcome. Sin could not condemn him. Death could not hold him. The grave could not silence him. Every promise concerning the Messiah reached its fulfillment. And because of that finished work, what the gospel does is doesn't invite born again children of God to wonder whether Christ has won. It announces that he has. And the call is not to create victory, but to live in light of the victory that Christ has already secured for us. So every generation, we've got multitudes here right now. They face the same temptation. We are inclined to measure our security by what we can count, what we can build, what we can control. But the greatest needs of God's children has never been to be greater resources. The greatest needs of God's children is the increasing awareness of the resource of the king who reigns over every resource. the increasing awareness of the king who reigns reigns over every resource. So I want you to notice where the chapter ends. The kingdom is at peace. Justice is established. The nation is ordered under a righteous king. And it's more than a history. It's a preview of a coming day for all of us when all of our enemies will be subdued. Every wrong will be rendered right. And Jesus will no longer be just an idea, but it'll be real to us and righteousness. But until that day, 2 Samuel 8 calls us as God's children that the Lord is faithful to establish his king and he's done so in Christ. If you'd like to follow him as we do here at Camp Creek Church, we'll give you that chance as we stand to sing hymn number

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There's a portion that we're about to hit that it just man it just means so much to me and I hope I can convey it to you because I think I think I think if you see what I see it'll mean a lot to you because we're all going through stuff right and uh if y'all remember last week or maybe you don't remember last week um anybody remember where we were last week we left off okay [laughter] um last week David had finally gotten through the throne the to the throne we have been with him for months. We've been with him for a year. We've been through him with his struggles. We've been through David since 1 Samuel, early in the book of 1 Samuel. And here's what we saw. Uh we saw a guy by the name of Samuel anoint Saul. Saul wasn't a good king. God removed him from the throne, but he had chosen David. And when David was just a wee lad, like a teenager, the Lord sent Samuel and he anointed David as the king. And David then after the anointing went back to go raise the sheep. And then by, you know, the Lord's hands was on him and then he got invited to the house of Saul. He uh he kills Goliath. But then Saul gets jealous because Saul's not particularly a great guy. And he chases David down year after year, month after month, day after day. David's on the run. David is fighting Saul. David's having to deal with Philistines. David have have to do at the cave of Adulum. He actually even has to fight his own people for a little bit. I mean, life was rough. And that's what we've been through for months with David. And now we start at 1st Samuel chapter 7 and David is finally on the throne. Woo! Man, this is a great time. So, that's where we left off last week. David's come onto the throne. God had given him rest from his enemies, and we talked about that. And if you remember last week, the way we ended it was David was walking and he was thinking and he was thinking about how good God is. And this is the thought that he had. You know, here I am. I'm in this beautiful house made of cedar. You smell cedar smells so good. It's like having a Christmas tree around you all the time. He's like, I'm out here, but God's dwelling in in a tent. and and young kids, this is why David said, "God's dwelling in a tent." Because way back when, I mean, let's go back hundreds of years. We're going to go back to this little man named Moses. And when Moses was called to lead the people out of Israel because there were a bunch of slaves in Egypt, and the Lord said, "These are going to be my people because of a promise I had to Abraham. And I want you to take them and I want you to take them outside of Egypt." And as they started going, the Lord said, "Oh, yeah. I want you to build me a meeting place. And the way you're going to build the meeting place is going to be a tent. You know, we're going to we're going to throw together some cloth. We're going to we're going to put that's where I'm going to meet you and we're going to, you know, make special sections in that tent. But at the end of the day, it's a tent. And when Moses and the Israelites were walking through the desert for 40 years on their pilgrimage, that's where God would have a shikina glorious where he met them in in the tent. So when David took to the throne, he's like, "Man, got this palace. I got this house of cedar and God's in a tent. I want to build God something special." And you know what? That's a good thought. And so he calls his buddy Nathan. Nathan's like the head preacher. He's the prophet. And he says, "Nathan," and Nathan's a great guy. I mean, he's going to do some awesome things in the future. Very bold for God. He says, "Nathan, I got this great idea. I'm gonna build God a special place. It's going to be awesome. So awesome. And Nathan says, "Hey, do all that's in your heart because, you know, a pastor also wants to do great things for God." And you're thinking, let's see, the king signed off on it. The pastor signed off on it. Everything's good to go. And that's kind of where we're picking up. But there was one thing that David didn't do and that the prophet didn't do because nobody asked God. H And so if you'll just bear with me for just a minute, we're going to pick up and the next few verses in first in 2 Samuel chapter 7, I'm going to give you the Melvin Revised Version because it's a little bit easier to understand. But when we go to the exposition, we'll go back to the King James. Just just bear with me. Melvin revised version starting with verse four. But that night, see, David and Nathan went to bed thinking, "Okay, tomorrow we're going to start the construction project. It's all going to be good." And have you ever gone to bed one night only to wake up the next night and your plans were completely different? Or have you ever been at a breakfast table and life changed? Or have you ever opened up a that that thing from the doctor or you're sitting a mellow mushroom with your family on Christmas Eve? Have you ever had one of those moments that just completely changed the direction of your life? Because that's what's about to happen. But and if it hasn't happened to you, it will. But that night, the word of God came to Nathan and said, "Go tell my servant David this is God's word on the matter. Melvin revised version. You're going to build me a house to live in. Why? I haven't lived in the house from the time I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt until now. All that time I've moved about with nothing but a tent. And in all my travels with Israel, did I ever say to any of the leaders I commanded to shepherd Israel, "Why haven't you built me a house of cedar?" So, here is what I want you to tell my servant David. It says the Lord of hosts. Another way to translate that is the God of the angel armies. Yeah. And remember, an angel killed 187,000 Assyrians in one night. The God of the angel armies, so the Lord of hosts has a word for you. I took you from the vasters. I took you from tagging along with the sheep and I made you a prince over my people. I was with you everywhere you went. I mowed down your ene before you and now I'm making you famous. Your name is going to be ranked among the great names on earth and I'm going to set aside a place for my people Israel and plant them there so that they'll have a home and not not be knocked around anymore and I'm going to give you peace. That's the Melvin revised version. Let's go back to the King James. Everybody got an idea of what God said? He enters into the question. But this is a verse I really start off with and I want to look at as we go through the exposition. Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent in a tabernacle. Well, there's a couple of things I want to notice about that particular verse. The first thing I wanted to note about that verse is how gracious God is. Um, there isn't a trace of irritation in his words. He doesn't rebuke David for his presumption. He doesn't say, "Who told you I wanted to?" It's it's almost like a loving father sitting his son down. But what's fascinating is I have not dwelt in any house since the time I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt. Isn't that interesting?

Bec before God tells David what's going to happen,

he reminds him what has already happened. Catch that. He he he that's pretty significant. He reaches all the way back to Egypt. Hundreds of years have passed since he led him out of Egypt, since Moses did it. Entire generations have come and gone. Joshua went and and conquered Jericho in the entire land. Uh the period of judges and this multitude of judges came on up and they've come and gone. Saul has reigned and Saul has died and now David is sitting on the throne in Jerusalem. Yet when God begins to speak, he takes him all the way back to Egypt. And that tells us something about God. He wants his people to remember his faithfulness. And he still does. He wants his people because throughout scripture, one of the great themes of God again and again is he calls his people to look back. Not because he wants us to live in the past, but because remembering the past strengthens our confidence for the future. Before Israel ever entered the promised land, he he reminded them of Egypt. Before Joshua led him across the Jordan, he had them put up a stone to remember. The Psalms repeatedly rehearse the mighty acts of God. Even when we come to the Lord's supper 2,000 years later, Jesus tells us this. Do in remembrance of me, calling us back to his faithfulness. Second Peter chapter 1, Peter starts out the book talking to the elect family of God and he says,"I will not be negligent to put you in remembrance of these things." And then he says in another verse to stir up your me remembrance because Peter understood that we sometimes often need reminding more than we need new information. Second Timothy, the Apostle Paul's writing to Timothy and he he says here, I want you to remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel. So Paul begins by reminding them about the risen Christ. The church is to remember the cross so that we can walk in our fellowship. Paul tells believers to remember what they once were so they will marvel on what grace has done. Now there's I I think the reason is is because we're kind of forgetful people. We can remember [laughter] I'm so good at this. This is like a superhero power I got. I can remember an insult from 20 years ago. And yet I struggle to recall the answers to prayers that I prayed last month. I uh I can remember a doctor's report and get frightened but forget the countless days that God has quietly sustained me before the report ever came. And and one of the human conditions is we tend to rehearse our disappointments far more than we rehearse God's goodness. So God calls us to remember not because he wants us to live in the past but because by remembering his faithfulness we'll have confidence to go forward in the future and even now in the present. So when we intentionally look back and trace his hand through those ordinary days and those extraordinary moments and those difficult moments what we see as we begin to see what David was learning. God has been faithful long before we recognized it. He's going to be faithful long after we've forgotten today's burdens. So, this is something else in this verse, too, because the Lord says something that's almost surprising. He says,"I have walked in a tent in a tabernacle." Now, if y'all remember Solomon, he's going to write a little bit later that the heavens of heavens cannot contain God. So, God was never confined to a canvas. When he says, "I've walked in the tent in the tabernacle." He's not talking about, "Hey man, I was confined to this." So why does he describe himself this way? And I think it's because the tabernacle was never about limiting God. The tabernacle is about revealing God. That's why we're going to park here for just a little bit because I want y'all to think about this. Everywhere that Israel traveled through the Sinai desert and through the land. Everywhere the Israel traveled, the tabernacle traveled. When the pillar of cloud moved, the camp picked up and moved. And the Levites took the curtains down. They carried the furniture. And then they would set it up at their next campsite. If Israel spent three days there, the campsite and the tabernacle stayed there. And and think about what that means. God wasn't waiting for them at some distant shrine. He was with them every step of their journey. And so y'all know that distinguishes Israel from every other religion on the face of the earth at this time. Because if you read your scriptures, the Moabites thought their deity was found was was chimosh was confined to the temple. The Philistines thought that Deeon, he ruled in the temple and that's how he affected the seas, but he was limited to the temple. The Greeks would worship Artemis in Ephesus, but then they would worship Apollo in Athens and Athena in Athens, I'm sorry. And even the Syrians, if we go back to First Kings chapter 20, the the the Syrians thought this is what they said. This is why Israel beat us. Their gods are the gods of the hills. Therefore, they are stronger than we. But let us fight them in the plane. And then God whipped them in the plane because the Lord says, I am the Lord of lords, the God of the hill and the valleys. So the God of Israel, your God, has never been confined to a mountain. He's never been confined to a city. He's never been confined even to the tabernacle. He's never been confined to a Sunday. Your God is with you every step of the way. He was with Israel in Egypt. He was with Israel in Si. He was with Israel in the wilderness. He was with Israel in Canaan. Wherever his people journeyed, he journeyed. That was the point that God was making to David. David, I've never asked for a permanent house because my greatest desire and delight has never been a building. It's always to be with my people. And and that truth I think touches much further than just the wilderness. Because if you remember the journeys of David, when David was at the cave of Adulum at the lowest point of his life, God was there. When he wandered through the wilderness of Ze trying to avoid all the Philistines so that f Saul wouldn't find him, God was there. when when he crossed the Jordan, when he he returned to Hebrew, and when he finally entered Jerusalem as a king, God had been with David all along. And it's kind of comforting, at least for me, because life has a way of convincing me that God's presence is is synonymous with my circumstances. But the tabernacle reminds us that God's presence is never measured with by our comfort. He's just as present in the wilderness as he was in Jerusalem. He's just as present with Israel with sand in their sandals as he was with David and cedar over his head. The scenery changes. God does not. So what David was learning was that God had been present with him at the cave of Adulim. And the Lord that meets us in worship on Sunday is also worth with us on Tuesday. The tabernacle reminds us that God has a joy in his people. And uh I got all my grandkids with me, but yesterday it was just me and Shepherd. So we built a blanket fort. Now any dad knows what a blanket fort is. Comes in the dead manual. You put chairs together, get some pillows, you put old blanket. is never going to make better homes and garden.

But what makes blanket fort special is a shepherd and I are together. It's just the joy of being with someone that you love. That's how we need to view God. And the tabernacle was nothing more than a blanket fort. So if the tabernacle reminds you of nothing else, let it remind you that God joys in being with his people. And I think that's why the Lord calls on us so often to remember because gratitude flourishes when remembrance lives. Here's what David is learning time and again. God has been faithful long before he recognized it. And he's going to be faithful long after David's failures. And I wonder if perhaps that's one of the reasons that you and I become so anxious about the future. Because we spend so much time imagining what might happen tomorrow that we forget about what God has already done yesterday, rehearsing our fears far more often than we rehearse his faithfulness. And yet, if I were to ask you to sit down and write out the many ways that God has blessed you and delivered you over your life, I would imagine that most of you all could fill out an entire book with that. if you really sat down to think about it. Some of you could tell stories about illnesses that you survived. Others could speak about financial hardships that you honestly didn't know how the bills would get paid, but somehow God provided. Others could point to seasons of grief and you wondered if your heart would ever feel whole again. And looking back now, you may not understand every detail of the chapter, but you can now say with David that the Lord was with me. And I want you to think about this language because it says, "I have not dwelt in a house, but I have walked in a tent in the tabernacle." Here's something else we can take away from that.

The tabernacle was never designed to impress anybody. If an Egyptian nobleman just happened to to walk into Israel's camp, he would not be amazed by what he saw. The Egyptian pyramids towered towards the sky. And it wasn't until the 1800s that humanity even reached that height. Again, um the temples that they had, not just the pyramids, but the temples that they had in other phase were were lined with massive stone columns covered in car carvings and precious metal. And you compare those structures that existed at the time with Israel's tabernacle. Well, Israel's tabernacle looks kind of simple. uh wooden frames, animal skins could be taken apart, carried across the wilderness, assembled again wherever they stop. And and but that's where the beauty is because God was in the campsite. And and and God wasn't trying to compete with with Pharaoh's architecture. He was trying to teach people something about his heart. He was showing him and them that his presence was never dependent on magnificent buildings. He was willing to to dwell among a pilgrim people whose lives were still unfolding one campsite after another campsite. And I got to tell you, the tabernacle must have been a lot of encouragement to those Israelites who never saw their life settled because I want you to think about those 40 years. Most of those people uh a lot well a significant number of those people were born in in in the desert. Um they married in the desert. They buried a lot of people in the desert. And every few weeks or every few months, the trumpet would sound and then the camp would take be taken down and another journey begins. Humanly speaking, this must have felt like so many of us feel like life was in constant transition.

Every single time they look toward the center of the camp, even in those transitions, every single time they look to the center of the camp, tabernacle is still there. It's like God saying to them, you may not know where you're going next, but you don't have to wonder whether I'm going with you. And I suspect there are people here who need this reminder because life has become unsettled. Perhaps your health has changed. Perhaps retirement has brought more uncertainty than you expected. Perhaps your children have grown. You've moved away and the house feels strangely silent. And I used to think silence was something I want. I wanted, you know, but then the kids grew up and they moved out. And now I've discovered there's different kinds of quiet. You know what I'm saying? there's a quiet of peace. But but the other kind where you walk past the empty bedrooms and and think

[sighs] life happened awful fast. Man, I remember Mike saying one time, "The days are long, but the years are short." I think it's one of the truest things ever spoken to this church. Some of us right now and some of y'all right now are caring for aging parents and the roles are quietly reversed. The people that want cared for you now depend on you. Others are are facing decisions about work or family or finances. And there's no easy answer. Life has a way of making us feel unsettled. And I hope you see the encouragement of the tabernacle because wherever they went, tabernacle went with them. David understood the feeling of uncertainty long before he ever lived in this palace. He spent years living wherever he could. One season it was a cave of Adulum. Another season it was in the wilderness in Zetti. Later it was going to be in Zachlag with the Philistines. David knew what it was like to go from bed to bed wondering whether he would be sleeping even a month from now. And perhaps that's why these words from the Lord meant so much to him. I have walked with my people. In other words, David, while you were running from Saul, I wasn't waiting for you back in Jerusalem. I was with you in the caves when you crossed into the wilderness. I crossed into the wilderness when you hid from the forest. I was the one that caused the birds to chirp. I was there before you arrived. And I got to be honest with you, I think this is one of the sweetest truths in scripture. God doesn't meet us at a destination. He accompanied us on the journey. And sometimes we speak as maybe the Christian life is arriving somewhere spiritually. I I do know that's one of the pernicious implications of prosperity gospel. But we imagine if we could just solve one more problem, overcome one more struggle, get through one more difficult season, then everything will finally be set. But it just doesn't happen. Most of our life isn't lived at a destination. Our life is lived on the road. That's certainly true of families. Looking forward to graduation only to discover that graduation leads to weddings. Then weddings lead to grandchildren. And grandchildren lead to wondering why you suddenly have toys scattered all over your house again. Somewhere. Amen. Somewhere. Amen. Somewhere along the way, you realize life isn't a series of destination. It's it's the journey. And every season brings its own blessings and challenges. And the good news is that our Lord has always been a God who journeys with his people. And the tabernacle delivered that truth every single day. Centuries later, John would use this language that sounded wonderfully familiar to anybody that knew the Old Testament. The word was made flesh and dwelt or tabernacled among us. So our God took on human form. He didn't change. He lived among the common, the ordinary, and the everyday. So the same God who walked with Israel through the wilderness stepped into this world through the person of Jesus Christ. He knew what it was to grow weary. Any of y'all tired? He knew what it was to be misunderstood. He knew what it was to weep at the grave of the love. He knew what it was to be rejected by people that he came to save. And our God Jesus did not redeem us from a distance. He walked our roads. He bore our sorrows. And he carried our sins to a cross. And it says he did it for the joy that was set before him. You see how that worked? God remembered on the cross while he was doing it. For the joy that's you that was set before him. For the joy that's you who he built a blanket for it with so he could hang out with it. That's you. And at the cross Jesus accomplished everything necessary to bring his chosen family to heaven with him. A family, by the way, that outnumbers the sands of the sea and the stars of the sky. It is a number so vast that no man can number. It is a people that include from every nation, kindred, tongue, and tribe. Y'all, that is straight Bible talking. That's not my Melvin revised version. That's scripture. It's larger than the primitive Baptist church. It's larger than the Christian faith. The chosen family of God to whom when Jesus paid their sins, he said, "It is finished. He died for remembering you for that joy that was set before him." And so the fellowship. So by that Jesus established the relationship with us. He adopted us into his family according he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. You're his child because he adopted you, not because you said some magic prayer, but because it's a sovereign act of God. And so, he's established the relationship. And what the gospel does is it says, "Okay, you got the relationship. Let's work on the fellowship." And you get to know this God who tabernacled among you. You get to know this God who has taken so much joy in you. You get to know this God who has known every bad thing that you have done or will do and still died for you. That's the God that you get to worship. And this gospel is God's wonderful invitation to all his children. Hey, if you've departed, come back, walk. If you've made a decision without consulting me and like building me another house of Cedar, I don't need that. just enjoy my fellowship because this is the truth of this passage. God is not waiting for us at some finish line when we finally get our acts together. He's with you in your struggle now. He was with Israel in the wilderness. He was with David in the cave. He was with the disciples on the road to Emmas. And he's with every child of God today, no matter where they are. And wherever this coming week may lead us, we will never take a single step alone. This was true for Israel in the wilderness. It was true for David in the palace, and it's true for us today. The greatest treasure wasn't the curtains of the tabernacle. It was the God who met his people there. So, if you've been looking for a church home, [laughter] come on into the blanket fort and enjoy the God who loves you. Uh we give you that chance as we stand to sing hymn Remember?

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If you have your Bibles with you, let's turn to 2 Samuel chapter 7. 2 Samuel chapter 7. This is a passage that uh a lot of scholars refer to as the Mount Everest of the Old Testament. It's a passage that that speaks to something far greater and really looking forward to kind of diving into it. I I hope it's a blessing to you. Let's start out this way as you turn to 2 Samuel chapter 7. Have you ever had one of those days that just seemed completely ordinary when it started only to discover that it's going to be one of the more defining days in your life? you know, a child is born, doctor walks into the room with a a diagnosis and or something changed and you look back and you're saying, you know, at that moment on that day that I didn't realize everything changed. The sun came up earlier that morning, you had no idea. And I think everybody here has experienced something like that. But I know that David experienced something like that because David has no sense that he's he's standing in the day that really one of the great turning points of all the scripture. He doesn't know at this moment that this is going to be the day that God establishes what theologians call the Davidic covenant. that God is going to promise an enduring house through him. God is going to work to bring about an everlasting kingdom, an everlasting throne, a royal son whose reign ultimately is going to extend forever. So, I'm going to divide this chapter up into parts. And today, we're just going to look at the first seven verses. God's promises uh he and God's promises through the lens of the Old Testament start out on this ordinary day. So David right here, he has no idea that nearly every major prophet is going to come back to what happens on this day. When Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 9 speaks of a child who sits upon David's throne, he's talking about this day, this chapter, this promise. When Jeremiah promises that the righteous branch of David is going to extend Jeremiah 25, he's talking about this day, this promise. And Jeremiah is looking at this chapter. When Ezekiel, Amos, and Zachchariah all speak, they echo what happens on this day. And as far as David knows, this is just a simply another day in the day of the kingdom. He he he intends to have a conversation with Nathan the prophet. That's it. That's the day and then the day will be over. But God is going to speak words on this day that are going to echo echo through eternity. And um I just love this chapter right here because this chapter ultimately finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ and it still gives us hope as children of God today. But David doesn't know that. Just an ordinary day. Perhaps that's the beauty of the story because God often works in the most ordinary days in our lives. So before we we walk into this chapter, let's just pause for a moment to remember where David is in his life. We watched him when he began looking after his father's sheep in Bethlehem. We stood with him in the valley of Eli when he faced down the giant Goliath with nothing more than a sling and five smooth stones and an unshakable confidence that the battle is the Lord's. We followed him through caves, betrayals, deserts, disappointments, and years of waiting. We watched him mourn over Saul and Samuel and Jonathan. And in the last chapter that we just passed through, we saw him dance in celebration when the ark came to Jerusalem with singing and sacrifice. So David, he's lived an extraordinary life, but it's not by any stretch of the imagination been an easy life. And that brings us to the first chapter. And here's how it starts. We'll get through about half of the first sentence of the first chapter right now.

And it came to pass when the king sat in his house. Oh man, I love that phrase, his house. I love that phrase because David is finally home. Now, it it might not sound especially profound until you remember how much of his life was spent without a home. I mean, there was a time when his home was a hillside outside of Bethlehem, just watching sheep. Then then his home was Saul's palace, but David never knew whether he was going to be eating at the royal dinner table or dodging spears in that house. Then his houses became a bunch of caves. We saw him in Adulum. We saw him at Engeti. We saw them in the wilderness of Ze. We even saw caves among the the in Ziglag among the Philistines. And for years, David never really unpacked because he never knew how long he was going to stay. And I I don't know about y'all, but I do some traveling. And I don't particularly like living out of suitcases. And And whenever we're looking at David's life here, have you And have y'all ever lived through a season like that where it's not that you're necessarily living out of a suitcase, but you're living with a feeling that life is uncertain. And uh life is unsettled and and maybe in those moments you keep thinking it's going to settle down. Maybe next month things will calm down. Then the next month brings another change, another responsibility, another burden, another uncertainty. And I think some of us know what it's like there because there's seasons in life that it just seems like it's one long series of putting out fires. Somebody at work asked me, "What do I do?" Uh, somebody asked me about my work, asked me what I did, and I'm like, I'm kind of a fireman. I'm constantly putting out these small little fires. I know a lot of y'all sense that. Maybe it's not in your work, but it's in your personal life. I know some of y'all are going through that right now. You're caring for aging parents. You're raising children. You you're navigating illnesses. You're you're shouldering responsibilities at work. You you worry about people that you love. You you pray. You trust. You keep moving on from cave to cave to cave and then one day almost without realizing it life grows quiet again. Now it's not perfect but life is on this side of heaven is never perfect but in this moment maybe it's quieter and and sometimes it's only in those quiet seasons that we discover the blessings that are around us. And it says and and and it says, "And it came to pass when the king sat in his house and the Lord had given him rest roundabout from all of his enemies." I love the way that the Holy Spirit tells this story because the writer could have said, "And David defeated his enemies." And that would have been true. This next phrase could have said, "And David was a brilliant strategist." And that would have been true. The Holy Spirit could have praised David's wisdom, David's leadership, David's courage, but instead the Holy Spirit through the inspiration, the writer reaches behind the victory and quietly reminds us who deserves the glory. It says, "And the Lord," and notice that that the word Lord there is in small caps. Whenever you see that in the King James Bible, it's it's one of the highest titles that the Lord has kind of touched on his sovereignty. And it says, "And the Lord has given him rest." And this is one of the great themes running through David's life because David never forgot where his story began. He knew exactly who he was. He was the youngest son of nobody living working in a a sheep field. Thought I mean he was the youngest son who who nobody would have thought to bring before Samuel. He he was a guy that came from Bethlehem. He was the shepherd who was overlooked until God called his name. He was the the young man that walked into the valley with a sling while everyone else was in fear. He was the fugitive who survived because God repeatedly preserved him. And now he's king. But he understands something that all of us need to remember, young and old. The palace did not change the author of this story. And the cave didn't either. And your cave doesn't. God is always in charge of the outcome of our story. So David who watched the the Lord watched over David in Bethlehem is the same Lord who's watching over him in Jerusalem. The Lord who watched over him in Bethlehem is the same Lord that watched him over him in Jerusalem. The Lord who sustained him in the cave is the same Lord who's giving him rest in the palace. In other words, the scenery has changed, but God has not. Man, that's something worth remembering because there's something deeply comforting about that because our lives are changing constantly. Our our children grow up, our careers begin and end. Our health goes up and down. Our friend moves away. A loved one goes home. Churches welcome new faces and say goodbye to older ones. and everything around us seems to be changing. Yet the God who faithfully led us through every season has not changed at all. And David understands that. Perhaps that's why success really never captured David's heart. He he enjoyed God's blessings, but he never confused the blessings with the one who gave them. In fact, those blessings had a kind of unexpected effect. Instead of causing David to get what many people call the big head, it actually David it caused David to be a little bit contemplative and think think less about himself and more about the God who gave it to him. And this is what brings us to verse two. It says that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, let's back up. Came to pass when the king sat in his house, the Lord had given him rest round about all his enemies. that moment says that the king said unto Nathan the prophet. Okay, so [cough] yesterday we were having some fun with the Fourth of July celebration just talking about some of the worst movies of all time and then we turned to the you know horror movies and I'm having a conversation with my son Caleb because I hate horror movies just I mean just hate them. There's not a good horror movie out there. But there's one aspect of horror movies I hate more than anything else. And that's what's called jump scare. Where you're watching the screen. Y'all know what I'm talking about. Where you're watching the screen and then out of the side of the screen something jumps out like that. I fall for it every time. And it's not fair because if I was there and I had peripheral vision, I would see, you know, crazy scare man mask coming to the scene. Well, we got something called it's not really a jump scare right here, but it's a jump prophet because we've never heard from Nathan before. And all of a sudden, boom, here he is. But Nathan's actually a good man. I'm sorry. I got sidetracked. Got a little ADHD. That which brings it here it is. The king said unto Nathan the prophet. So, here Nathan is he appears suddenly, but but but he's going to become one of the most important people in David's life. And there, let me just for our younger people out here, I I want to tell you something. There's a good thing to have godly friendships. I mean, look, when it comes to heaven and spiritual things and it's a binary choice, your friend's either going to be godly or they're not. There's no third way. You know, Jesus told us this on the sermon on the mount. There's the good tree and the bad tree. There's the the wide road that leads destruction, the narrow road. There's the house is built upon a rock. A house is built upon the sand. Those are binary choice. You got godly friends. You know, Nathan's a godly friend. And you're going to see he's such a blessing. Such a blessing to David in his life because let me tell you something. There's a good that not only let let me not only emphasize the word godly, but let me emphasize the word friends. It's good to have friends because none of us were meant to go through life alone. and and and the Lord places people in our lives who encourage us, who correct us, who pray for us, and occasionally tell us things that we never would have discovered on our own. And Nathan is going to eventually do all of that. But today, Nathan's going to listen. He's going to give a a word of advice. David says to him, "See, Nathan, I dwell in a house of cedar." Which, by the way, in the Old Testament time is a big deal. Cedar has this wonderful aroma. It's a strong wood. You're not exposed to the element. And so David, he's being thankful. Nathan, I'm I'm dwelling in this house of cedar, but but but the ark of God dwells in curtains. So I'm living in a house is nicer than the ark of God. And David's like, "That's not right." And I've often wondered how long David had been thinking about it before he finally said it out loud. And it's gratitude. Just think about it. You know, David's waking up. He's walking through. He's just got a grateful heart because of what God's done. And this gratitude fills his heart. David's thinking, you know, Lord, you've been so good to me. And David, he isn't embarrassed by the tabernacle. And just as a quick reminder to our young ones, this is not the temple, which is built of stone. This is the tabernacle that God had established when the people of Israel left Egypt. He said, "I want you to build me a tabernacle. We can you can throw it up real quick. This is how you're going to divide it up and I'm going to dwelt in the holiest, the holy. [laughter] So David, he's when he says to Nathan, I'm living in this house of cedar, but the ark of God lives in curtains and tents. And David's not necessarily embarrassed by the tabernacle. He he's not criticizing Moses. He isn't suggesting that God somehow deserves better because the tabernacle is lacking. The tabernacle was exactly what God commanded Israel to do. And David knows that his his concern is a little bit more personal than that. Because David, and here's the thing, David's overwhelmed by grace and what God's done for him. He's a shepherd who became a king. He's a God who led him every step of the way. and he's looking around the palace and he's wondering, you know, how did I get here, but he already knows the answer. It was the Lord. The same Lord that found a shepherd in Bethlehem is now seated as a king in Jerusalem. And really, this palace, the palace itself has become a testimony of God's goodness. Have you ever noticed how that happens? Sometimes the Lord blesses us in ordinary ways and we hardly notice it until one day that we do. You're sitting around the Fourth of July, your children are getting together, grandkids are laughing, and all of a sudden you're just kind of overwhelmed with the goodness of God in that moment. You you sit on a porch in a difficult season has finally passed and you simply find yourself thanking God. It's those ordinary moments and and sometimes it just comes upon you so suddenly. man, I'm I'm so richly blessed. And it's not because someone told you to feel that way. It's just because God's kindness has become impossible to ignore. And I think David has experienced one of those moments right now. The palace, dig, this has not distracted him from God. Because success has such a way of distracting us from God. But not David. The palace hasn't distracted him from God. It it actually has reminded him of God. And grace is a beautiful way of doing that. The more clearly we see the Lord's kindness, the more naturally our hearts are going to rise to him. And that's where David's heart is. And honestly, it's kind of hard not to imagine him. His first thought after finding rest is not how he might enlarge his kingdom. It's how he might honor a God who he has so fa that has so faithfully cared for him. So, this is what Nathan does. [cough]

Nathan carefully listens to him. And as far as we can tell, this is so important. Nathan's listen to him. And as far as we can tell, there is absolutely nothing wrong about David's desire. It it is it is not misplaced. In fact, this is what Nathan says. He responds immediately, "Go do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee." You know, David, I've been looking back on your life and I can see the Lord's hands with you and your idea that that's a pretty good idea. And if I had been standing there, I would have said the same thing. I would have and I suspect that most of us would have. David's motive is pure. His gratitude is genuine. His desire appears entirely fitting. Everything about the conversation suggests that the next chapter of Israel's life going to be the construction of the temple. But then comes one of my favorite phrases in the entire chapter. And it came to pass that night. Okay, you dig that? So, while David slept, God's about to work and he's going to speak. By morning, David and Nathan are going to discover as beautiful as David's desire was, God has an infinitely better plan. And so, that was my favorite phrase. Now comes my favorite sentence in the entire chapter. And it came to pass that night that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan. Now, I I don't know about you, but I kind of like these words that night because David doesn't know it yet. But heaven has an agenda. David doesn't know it yet. But heaven's been busy while Jerusalem sleeps. David's gone to bed thinking that tomorrow morning he's going to start establishing his plans and build a house for God. Nathan's gone home convinced that he's given wise counsel. Neither one of them realizes that before the sun comes up, God is going to come into the conversation. I find tremendous comfort in that because have you ever gone to bed thinking that you know what tomorrow will bring? [laughter] You had your plans. Your calendar was full. You thought you'd know the next chapter of your life would look like. And then morning came. The phone call changed everything. Breakfast didn't go the way you thought. A diagnosis changed everything. A job opportunity changed everything. A child was born. A loved one went home to be with the Lord. life turned in a direction that you never anticipated in the morning. And looking back, you can almost see the Lord saying, "My child, I had plans that you didn't know anything about." And David's in one of those moments. And what strikes me is not merely that God speaks, but he does so graciously. And if you allow me, let me to paraphrase verses six and seven, because David says, "I'm going to build the house of the Lord." And God says essentially, "Hey Dave. Hey Dave. Have I got your attention here? Because uh I didn't ask for a house. You know, I I I I didn't ask for a house when I was walking you people through the desert. I haven't asked for a house now. I'm not worried about a house. I have a better plan. So, the Lord doesn't wait, and I like this about God, too. He didn't wait for David to invest months and months in gathering cedar of Lebanon. He didn't allow him to spend years constructing a temple before he said, "Not interest." God speaks immediately and that's grace. And I wonder sometimes how many disappointments the Lord has spared me from because he's interrupted it too early. Quite a bit. How many roads did we never travel because of his kindness that quietly closed doors? And there are moments when we look back on our lives and realize that some of the sweetest mercies of God came wrapped up as interruptions into our stupid plans. relationship that never developed, a career that never materialized, a move that never happened. At the time, we wondered why. And years later, we thank him. And David's about to learn this lesson. The remarkable thing is that God does not interrupt David because David's desire is selfish. Quite the opposite. David's heart's beautiful. His motives are sincere. His gratitude is genuine. And the problem is not David's heart. Here's the problem. David's vision is too small. David's thinking about building a house for God. And God's thinking about building something infinitely greater. You see, David was thinking about a cedar. God's thinking about a savior. David's thinking about building a home. God is building his kingdom. David's thinking about his lifetime and and God is thinking about every generation that's going to follow David. And as wonderful as David's desire is, God's grace is always greater than our imagination. So what's going to happen before this chapter finishes, we're going to discover God's answer to David reaches far beyond his son Solomon, far beyond the temple, far beyond the nation of Israel. It reaches back to Bethlehem. It reaches to an empty cross. It reaches to an empty tomb. It reaches to a risen king. And David, David wanted to build a house while God wanted to dwell among his people. And centuries later, God did something that David never could have imagined. God didn't simply dwell in a building made with hands. Because this is what John tells us. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. That word dwelt is literally tabernacled among his people. The gods whose presence once filled the tabernacle later the temple itself took upon himself flesh and walked upon his walked among his people in the person of Jesus Christ. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. This is what Peter says. Ye also are lively stones built up as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer us spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. You are lively stones, living stone. Paul reminds us we in Ephesians chapter 2, we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. That's always how grace works. David came wanting to build, but God responded by revealing what he was going to build for David. So many times we come to God the same way. We we often think about what can we offer him. But the gospel gently reminds us what he's already given us in his son and encourage us to live from that truth. And everything we enjoy as children of God rests upon what Jesus Christ has already accomplished. His work is finished. His redemption is complete. His kingdom cannot be shaken. His house will never crumble. And so as we leave today, don't leave thinking about first about David's desire, what he wanted to build. Because the ultimate story is never what we build for God. It is always what God did to us and built for us through his son Jesus Christ. That's the God that we worship. If you'd like to join us here at Camp Creek as the the Savior that we serve, we'll give you that chance. We sing the first and last stanza.

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Thank you, brother, for that prayer. If you have your Bible with you, I'd invite you to turn with me to Zechariah chapter 3. Prophet Zechariah chapter 3.

Give an extra minute on the page turns here. It's kind of hard to find Zechariah. Zechariah chapter 3 towards the end of the Old Testament. Like to just begin by reading this full chapter, all 10 verses of it.

Prophet here writes in Zechariah chapter 3 beginning in verse one. And he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan, standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, "The Lord rebuke thee, oh Satan, even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raignment. And I said, let them set a fair miter upon his head. So they set a fair miter upon his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee, for they are men wondered at. For behold, I will bring forth my servant the branch. For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua, upon one stone shall be seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, sayeth the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, sayeth the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree. It's an interesting picture here that's painted before us that this prophet was given the blessing to to see. The character that's mentioned in here is Joshua, the high priest. Unless we get confused, this is not Joshua, the son of Nun, that you're probably more familiar with. This is Joshua, the son of Joedc. Um Joshua the son of none was the one we singled Moses man. Moses man led them to the promised land and Joshua led them into Canaan's land. That's Joshua the son of Nun. Um he was the one who him and Caleb first went into Canaan's land and saw all the giants and and brought back the report that they would be it'd be fine. The Lord is with us. We can take them. Um and the other uh spies came back with a different report. And for that reason the people of Israel had to endure the wilderness for 40 years. and that generation was not suffered to enter in. That's Joshua the son of Nun. This is Joshua the son of Joedc. It's a different time period in Israel's history. If you remember after the days of King Solomon, the nation of Israel actually split. Jeroboam and Rayobam split. The kingdom the 10 northern tribes of of Israel and the two southern tribes of Judah um were separate. They were not a a cohesive nation anymore. And at some point around 700 uh BC, the Assyrians came and took the northern tribes into captivity. And Judah was um allowed to to endure a little bit longer. But around the time of um 586 BC, the nation of Babylon, the Lord actually allowed the nation of Babylon to carry his people away captive. They had fallen into sin. Um, and so the Lord had allowed and and let the Babylonians kind of rise up, this wicked nation to come and judge his people there in Israel in Judah, the two southern tribes. And so they were taken captive for about 70 years. Um, and it was actually uh Josec, this Joshua's father that was taken into captivity. He was part of that generation. So they were living in Judah. The Babylonians were rose up, came and conquered the land. Joedc was was taken away captive as a prisoner in the land of Babylon. That's kind of where the story of Daniel also takes place. He was one of the ones that was taken captive as well, if you remember that story. And so, it's very likely, we don't know for sure, but it's very likely that um this Joshua, his son, was actually born in that captivity. He was probably born in the land of Babylon um because his father was taken away and there's no record that he had been born before that time. So, um and then following that 70 years, the people of Judah were actually allowed to return back. Remember there was an old prophecy that Cyrus, the the Persian king, um after he came through and and conquered Babylon, the people of God were allowed to it was by the Lord's uh providence and by his hand that he allowed them to come back to rebuild the temple. And it's this generation that we come to. That's that's the generation of uh Zerubabel, if you remember him. There's Zerubabel who was of the line of David. He was kind of the uh government uh that that helped set up the government when they came back. But this Joshua son of Joedc was the high priest in that day as they tried to uh find the law of God again. They tried to set up the temple. They tried to build altars and they tried to uh reinstitute the worship of God after they came back from the captivity of Babylon. So that's where we find ourselves here. It's that Joshua that is in this picture. And this first verse paints the scene. Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. Now it will reveal in this passage the angel of the Lord is none other than Jesus Christ himself. He is the one who is pictured here. And you'll me you'll see here that um we believe in a triune God. There are three in one. And so um you'll kind of see the the the prepositions here get a little interesting. Um, but basically we see that Joshua is standing before Jesus and Satan is standing at the right hand to resist him. It's kind of a court case. It's a courtroom scene. You have Satan there who is the adversary of the brethren. He is the great enemy. He is the one who loves to accuse and prosecute the people of God. He will bring our sins against us and he loves to say guilty. He stands there at the right hand to resist him. But Joshua stands before the angel of the Lord. The Lord here says unto Satan, "The Lord rebuke thee." Well, that's the Lord saying, "The Lord rebuke thee. Rebuke thee." That's only really possible in a triune Godhead. Um, I think there it's Christ saying, "The Father rebuke thee." Is really what's going on there. Christ is saying, "God the Father rebuke thee, oh Satan. Even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee. So notice here there's a choice. Christ says God will rebuke you. God will stop your mouth Satan because the one you're speaking of is chosen. Hath not the Lord chosen Jerusalem? Listen to this phrase. He says at the end of verse two, "Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? That is a picture of the election of God. All of the all of mankind's race deserves the flames of everlasting torment in hell for the sins that we've committed. But he says here, Satan, did you not forget? You can't speak against this one. This one is as a stick that's burning in the flame that would be completely consumed. And it's as if someone just pulled it out of the flame that rescued it, that delivered it. That's a picture of saying the Lord's chosen this one, Satan. He's not in your grasp. You can't take him. Um, how dare you speak against him, and the Lord's going to stop you from from accusing him.

Was Satan wrong to accuse Joshua. Was he wrong in the things he was saying? You see here in verse three, Joshua there is the picture we have of what he looked like. He is clothed with filthy garments. He stands before the angel of the Lord and he's in rags. He's dirty. He is unclean. And of course, we know you cannot stand before a thrice holy God and be unclean or be unrighteous or be filthy. It's that you can't that's not compatible with his holiness, with his perfectly righteous nature and his character and his attributes. But here Joshua is pictured standing in filthy garments. I don't need the history to tell you this, but I'll give you a little bit of the history. There's seems to be that Joshua probably wasn't the best high priest um that Judah had ever had. Um likely, and to give him a little bit of of room here for excuse, he I mean, if he was born in Babylon, he didn't have the original temple ministry to kind of under he wasn't brought up under the the temple service. And so, if he's the high priest here, he's really trying to he's kind of figuring it out on the fly, if you will. He's trying to read the law of God, figure out how to build the altar. They're kind of rebuilding the whole temple. So, he's not sure exactly what he's doing. But, um, the truth is that he probably messed up here and there. He made some mistakes. There's actually, uh, in scripture, it references that his sons, he might not have been the best example because all of his sons went off after strange wives. So, maybe he wasn't the best, um, father figure, maybe not the best example here. Um, I don't have to convince you that Joshua was a sinner. We are all sinners. All of the the human race has inherited the sin nature. We are all uh in the same sense if we stood before the judgment of God, we're all in filthy garments of our own merit, of our own righteousness. Um Isaiah chapter 64, it says we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness is as filthy rags. So our righteousness cannot stand before this God. If Satan were to accuse us and without any intervention by the Lord Jesus Christ, he would say guilty and we would then be condemned. There would be no room for grace. There's no word for us to to speak up and try to make our case. Um we have no word to say before God. We are guilty. And so when we are accused of Satan, if it were left to ourselves, we would be condemned. We would be called guilty. Joshua is clothed in filthy garments. But remember what the Lord told God the Father. He said, "The Lord rebuke thee. Even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee." Is not this, a brand plucked out of the fire. That's going to make all the difference here. And it makes all the difference for you and me as well. We are a chosen people. We're people that have been delivered. I don't have to It's common sense to say that if there is a stick burning in the fire, unless acted upon by some other force, that stick's going to continue burning. It can't jump out of the fire on its own. There's no um works that we can perform to save us from the flames of hell, from the the true uh condemnation that we deserve. There's nothing we can do to avoid it. It's simply because we were chosen. We're If God has plucked us out of that flame, if God has picked us out of that condemnation, that's our only hope. And that happened before the world began. Listen here in verse four. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raignment. So he tells those that are around, he says, take off those filthy garments. We're going to remove those and in place we're going to clothe you in better clothes and clean clothes and a picture of holiness, a picture of righteousness. We're going to clothe you in clothes that are um superior, far superior than what you had before. We're going to take away the the iniquity and and instead clean you clean you up um and and clothe you in in this change of raignment. He says, "I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee." Believe it's in Psalm 103. Um, you might ask the question, how far did he cause this iniquity to pass? Is it just far enough that he just delayed it for a time from coming back to him? No, it it he put it away. I've caused an iniquity to pass. It's gone. You don't have to ever worry about the sins that you've committed coming back to get you or if you don't do something right, they're going to ensnare you and and somehow pull you down. There's there's no fear of that because Psalm 103 says, "Lord has caused our sins to be taken as far as the east is from the west." I know you've probably heard this before, but I love mentioning it. Um, there's no accidents in the perfect word of God. It's every word in this book is perfect. It's preserved by God. Uh, he says, "As far as the east is from the west." Well, what if Justin said, "What?" I mean, it doesn't really make make much difference, does it? If he just said north from the south, but if you go north long enough, you're going to go over the north pole and eventually you're going to start going south again. The north and the south meet, right? But if you're traveling east, you can travel infinitely east and you'll never be going west. You can travel infinitely west and you'll never be going east. Those two never meet. So that's as far as our sins are from us. It's it's a gulf that can never be spanned again. They are gone. They are put away. The Lord has caused them to pass from us. And we have been clothed with a change of raignment as Joshua has here. But he's not done there. It's not just the change of raignment. And I said, "Let them set a fair miter upon his head." So they set a fair miter upon his head and clothed him with garments, and the angel of the Lord stood by. Now, this miter, um, I had to look it up because we're not we don't wear miters today. It was part of actually the adornment of the priest. You can go back and read in Exodus chapter 28, it was this kind of honestly looks like kind of those chef hats that they wear, those kind of white poofy things. Um, not to make light of it, but um, and then on the front of it, this was I found very interesting. I think it's relevant here because this is a picture of holiness and a picture of righteousness. The Lord instructed them in Exodus chapter 28. I won't just read it for sake of time, but um, on the front of this miter, there were some blue laces attached to a gold plate. And on this gold plate was written the words holiness to the Lord. That was what was written on the priest's holy miter that was placed upon his head. And seeing as Joshua here is the high priest and they're placing this miter. I think um everyone who who read this would have understood that picture. He's been clothed in righteousness. He is being um clothed in holiness. He is now in a state that he is he is in a position where he can stand before the Lord and notice that it wasn't him who uh changed his raignment. The Lord changed his raignment. Um this is all uh this such a grace is just so full and so um beautiful in this passage. Nothing here um was ever commanded of Joshua to do. He was in the filthy rags. That's the only thing he did was show up and be in filthy rags. God took care of all the rest. He said, "You're chosen unto me. I'll pluck you out of the fire. You're already a chosen vessel unto me. And then I will change your I will take away your rags and give you clean clothes and a holy miter upon your head because I'm I'm clothing you in righteousness and in holiness.

And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith, this is verse 7, "Thus sayaeth the Lord of hosts, if thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by." I find this pattern in scripture so often. And I always try to make mention of it because um I don't like the accusation that permanaptists get that we're antinomeian or that we don't believe that it matters what we do in this life. I don't like that. That's not true. I don't like when people say things that aren't true about us. Um and that's not in scripture. People will say, "Well, you guys believe in grace, right? So, I can go live any old way I want to and it doesn't matter because I'm already saved for heaven. If it doesn't matter what I do, if I don't have to live a good life, if my ticket to heaven is not based on what I do, why wouldn't I just go out and live in sin? I I submit to you that's motivated from a a very bad position. Uh we shouldn't be motivated. We shouldn't have this desire to just if it weren't for this whole heaven and hell thing, I wish I could just go live in sin. That's that's not the position of the Christian. That's not what we're called to walk. What we're told is that the Lord chose a people, the Lord plucked a people from the flame. And because he's done this, and because he's told us that he's done this, we ought to live for him. He's given us new life so that we can serve him, that we can know him, that we can have the fruits of the spirit, love, joy, faith, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance. We have these fruits of the spirit. There's something in this life that is there's a there's an abundance that we can live in this life if we are walking with the Lord. Yes, children of God can turn away from him. There can be apostasy and no, they will not be lost if that happens. But there will be something lost and I I submit they'll lose a lot of joy in this life and they will essentially tread underfoot the cross of Christ. If you hear the good news of the salvation of the of the cross of Calvary and you say, "Well, great. It sounds like everything's taken care of. I can forget all that." You've missed the point. We're told to take up our cross and follow him. That's what we're told to do. And so here the Lord so often there's a pattern in scripture that this beautiful statement of grace is made that God has saved his people. And there's this following conditional statement, not in relation to eternal life, but a conditional statement. He says, "If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by." I take that to mean that we enjoy the benefits of living in the kingdom of God. We are given positions where we have families. Perhaps we're the head of a household and we're judging the people of God. We're judging in the kingdom of God. We have courts that we can keep. When we come together, we're coming into the court of the palace of God. We sang the song this morning. Stands like a palace built for God. When we come into this holy place and we each have our service, we're each a part of the body. Whether it's the foot, the arm, the eye, we each have a a part that we play in this beautiful thing of of the institution of the church, which is the government of God, the pillar and ground of the truth in this world. We have a role to play here. And that's what is on the line. The Lord has delivered us for heaven. But I want a taste of that now. This is the closest we can get to a foretaste of heaven is this place where we come and sing hymns. You know what we'll do for all of eternity? We're going to be singing. singing worship to God. I'm so thankful for every opportunity we have to gather here with the same group of people we're going to be doing it with for eternity and do that week in and week out and hopefully more than just here. Hopefully in our homes, too. And it's just a special privilege when we get to come together and do it as a as a as a church. So, that's what's um there's this conditional statement there. If thou wilt walk in my ways, I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by. I take that to be the saints of God, the fellowship of our brothers and sisters in the church of God and in the kingdom of God here on earth. So now in verse eight here now, oh Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee, for they are men wondered at pause there. Um, I don't know. The best I can make of that statement of these that are wondered at is simply that every chosen child of God, every brand plugged from the flame is worth wondering at. It's worth um interest. Do you know that when we're sitting here preaching uh looking at the word of God, when we're singing hymns, do you know that even the angels come and will attend this very service? Because they cannot in their perfect holy minds, they're not fallen. They can't possibly understand how the son of righteousness, the son of glory, would come to this low ground and give his life for you and me. They wonder at it. They're trying to to seek to understand that. And we ought to still be marveled that the Lord would choose you and me, that he would die for you and me, that he would spill his precious blood for us. I think that's what it means here. For they are men wondered at the saints of God or are a group worth wondering at because it God is so good. Not because of anything that we deserve. It's just simply why would God choose them? If you remember, he chose Israel because they were the smallest people. So don't we don't need to get a big head about it. Um it's because God has done a wonderful work. That's why we are worth wondering about. He says, "For behold, I will bring forth my servant, the branch." In my Bible, that is all caps, the branch. This is a title of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's telling him something. He's showing him something. I'm going to send forth my servant, the branch. Um, to go really quickly to Isaiah chapter 11. There's another time this title is used.

Flip over there with me. Isaiah chapter 11. Like to read first four verses. Just a beautiful depiction of our Lord. And it uses the same term. It's used multiple times throughout the scripture, but I just want to give you one example. Isaiah 11:es 1-4. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch, capital B, shall grow out of his roots. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears, but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. So the description here it makes a lot of sense when you look at the life of Jesus Christ. Remember he was 12 years old teaching the doctrines of the law. It says he shall uh make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. This is a depiction of the branch the Lord Jesus Christ. And it says I think that word branch it's used here. The reason I went with this one is because it says he will grow out of the stem of Jesse. Well, Jesse was the father of David. And so all that that's a messianic term here is to say that he's the son of David. He will grow um just like a we talk about family trees. The branch is going to sprout out of the line of David. That's where this term comes from. So we can go back to Zechariah now. I will bring forth my servant the branch. And if anyone tries to ever tell you that Christ did not exist before he was born, you can't bring forth something that's already there. What this means is that this is his um earthly um bringing forth. He already existed from time past. He will always exist. Uh who whose goings have been from of old, from everlasting. The Lord Jesus Christ was not created when he was born. It was the word of God, the everlasting word of God, the voice that spoke this universe into creation, who tabernacled amongst us, who is clothed, a partaker of the same flesh and blood as you and me, so that he could save you and me. So he brought forth his servant, the branch, says, "For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua, upon one stone shall be seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, sayeth the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. A lot in this. So, he calls him the branch. He says, "Behold the stone." He's still speaking about Christ here that I have laid before Joshua. Christ is the cornerstone of the church. Um, yesterday, Brother Joss was helping me put in a a bathtub. And I found out really quickly, it matters when things are level and when you have a firm foundation for something. You don't want your bathtub wobbling like this. You want a firm foundation. The Lord Jesus Christ is described here as a stone. How does the hymn go? Um Um, every time I do this, I forget the words right when I do it. Um, on Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. Is sinking sand. The stone is uh the cornerstone of Jesus Christ. Listen here. He has seven eyes. Have you ever seen a stone with eyeballs on it? I haven't. Um, I think what that's speaking of is this cornerstone who is the foundation of the institution of the church. He is the cornerstone in old buildings. when they would actually lay the foundation for a building, the cornerstone is the first one they'd put down. If that cornerstone was level, if all the sides were level and it was level, you'd base everything off of that. If your cornerstone was off, everything else is off. If Christ was off, this church would fall. The institution of the church would have no basis. You can't have um anything built upon an an unsound foundation. And what we have in this word recorded is the firmst foundation there is the Lord Jesus Christ. The stone here that's laid before Joshua. And he has seven eyes. That's because this stone sees everything. Seven eyes is a seven is a number of completion. This picture of the eyes is this is an all knowing God. Christ sees all. He doesn't have to as in that Isaiah text we read, he doesn't have to see with his eyes or hear with his ears. Um, we're told that the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. It says he is a a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. David time and time again in the Psalms will say, "He searched my reigns within me." The Lord knows every thought we think, every meditation of our heart. He knows the climate of our spirit, whether we're we're lifted up and and and rejoicing or if we're downcast, he knows everything. He is. And and don't you want that kind of God to be the stone that our faith is built upon? Says, I will engrave the graving thereof. I believe and we're told in scriptures and in the book of Revelation that every single name of every single child of grace is written upon the hands of our savior. Even in the Old Testament, the high priest actually bore on his shoulders plates that had the name of every tribe of Israel. Time and time again, we're told that he has our names engraved upon him. That's a permanent thing. When we go to heaven, he will still bear the names of his people upon him. Upon this stone will be engraved, the graving thereof. The names of his people are upon this stone. The Lord of hosts says,"I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." What a prophecy. The salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the plan, the purpose that was set forth before the foundation of the world and the mind of God and the eternal counsel and the wisdom of God was that the sins, the iniquities of the people of God in one day would be put away in a single day. It wasn't a process. It's not a Christ wasn't throughout his whole life working on it. He lived his whole life to get to the point where he would be hung on a cross and he would bear the wrath of God until the very last scent, if you will, of the debt of his people was paid for by his blood. Not a little bit extra, not just uh not anything insufficient. The perfect payment was made in one day. the entire iniquity of the land of the people of God, in one day had their sins removed. And in that day, sayeth the Lord of Hosts, shall you call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree. In that day, I believe that's referencing the age we're living in, the gospel age, if you will, after Christ has purchased his people. Now that that's been done and the news has spread, this gospel story that we have, this is the l this is the day we're living in. So, we ought to be calling every man our neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree. Remember that old lawyer that went to the Lord Jesus Christ and tried to trip him up and he said, 'Well, who is my neighbor? The story Christ told was of the good Samaritan where the priests passed by, the Levites passed by. That good Samaritan saw one who would be his enemy in natural circumstances and he cared for him. I I encourage you to go read that story again. He cared for him so um thoroughly and so lovingly. He said, "Anything that you need, if you need to buy him more medicine, whenever I come back around, I'll I'll cover it. Don't worry about it." He's so loving to take care of the one who would probably despise him if they met under different circumstances. The Samaritans and the Jews did not get on not get along well. So, in this day, we are to call every man our neighbor. We are to love uh the Lord our God above all else and love our neighbor as oursel. each person that we come in contact with. Um, we're to assume that they're of the Lord's people. We shouldn't ever look at someone and on a snapshot say uh we're not we're not out here uh filtering through mankind to say this is the Lord's child. This one's not. Um the Lord specifically gave a parable saying we're not supposed to separate the wheat and the tears. That's not our job. That he'll take care of that. He knows his people. He won't lose a single one. Our job is to just love people, to call every man our neighbor and to try to serve them. Um he says under the vine, the Lord Jesus Christ said, 'I am the vine and you are the branches. We're to do this under the banner of Christ and under the fig tree, under the shade of his grace. That's our motivation for loving the people around us. Um and all in all, I believe this whole chapter, it's it's painted the picture. The courtroom scene was set. There was a proper and and sound I believe the devil was probably clever in his accusations and prosecution against him. He said he wasn't a good high priest. He messed up. He made all these mistakes. You can go ahead and fill yourself in the blank and I will as well. But he has plenty that he can throw against us. But just remember, the Lord says, "This is one I've chosen. I've plucked him. I've plucked this brand from the fire. He's taken off our filthy garments. He's given us new change of raignment." That transaction has taken place. Christ bore our iniquity. in place we've been imputed the righteousness of God such that we can stand before him. I think it's a it's kind of a picture of Ephesians chapter 1 according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. That's the picture we see here. were chosen before the foundation of the world and he's made us and conformed us to the eventually when when he comes back will conform us fully to the glorious image of his son Jesus Christ and we will be uh ever with him in that glorious land. Pray the Lord will bless each and every one of you. Um, if you would like to walk with us here at Camp Creek at this time, the doors of the church are open for the reception of members as we stand and sing some song.

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2 Samuel chapter 6, reading the first 17 verses.

Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000. And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him, from Baal of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts, that dwelleth between the cherubims. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, that was in Giba. And Oza and Ao, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was at Gibia, accompanying the ark of God. And Aia went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of furwood, even on harps, and on sulties, and on timbals, and on cornets, and on symbols. And when they came to Nikon's threshing floor, Oza put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Usuza. And God smoked him there for his error. And there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon Uza. And he called the name of the place Pereza to this day. And David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, "How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?" So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David. But David carried it aside into the house of Oed Edom the Gitite. And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Oed Edom the Gitite three months. And the Lord blessed Oed Edom and all his household. And it was told King David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Oed Edom and all that pertainth unto him because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Oed Edom into the city of David with gladness. And it was so that when they that bear the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxmen and fatlings. And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Mikall David, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord. and she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in his place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

Good morning. I'd [clears throat] like to do something just slightly different today because no doubt many of you have heard sermons about this passage of scripture in which the Lord, if we're really honest, sounds a little bit harsh. Killing Oza because the ark was about to fall over and reaching up to steady it and then all of a sudden he gets zapped and he dies. It sounds a little bit harsh. What I'd like to do today is preach a message from the perspective of the ark. Good morning. You may not recognize me at first. I'm not a king, not a prophet. I'm not a priest. I'm a box. At least that's what most people say when they look at me. I am made of acacia wood and overladen with pure gold. There are two cherubs on top of me whose wings stretch out. And on me sits the mercy seat whose measurements give you width and length but no depth because there is no depth to the mercy of God. Inside of me rest the ten commandments. I am the ark of the covenant. I go by other names. In 1 Samuel 3, I'm called the ark of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 4, I'm called the ark of God. In Numbers, I'm called the ark of the covenant of the Lord. In Judges, I'm called the ark of the covenant of God. In Exodus, I'm referred to as the ark of the testimony. In 2 Chronicles, I'm identified as the holy ark. The names are all different, but they all point to the same reality. I am a reminder that the God of heaven has chosen to dwell with his people. I never held God within my walls of gold. You can't. Solomon pointed out that even the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contained the glory. The one who spoke galaxies into existence could never be contained by anything that his hands had made. And yet there are holy moments when his shikana glory would settle on the mercy seat of God. There are holy moments when his most intense presence were found. The priests could scarcely stand it. The people would stand in awe of it. And it was as if for just a moment, heaven pulled back a curtain and reminded Israel that the God of heaven and the God of earth was pleased to dwell with his people. And for generations, I served as a reminder that the God who made heaven and earth dwelt with his people. I traveled farther than most kings. I crossed the Jordan River while its waters stood back. I watched the walls of Jericho tumble and I stood in the center of battlefields. I witnessed victories and failures, celebrations and funerals. But after all these years, I've learned something. My story has never been about me. My story has always been about a God who refuses to abandon his people. And when our story starts in 2 Samuel chapter 6, I've been waiting waiting for somebody to remember me. Waiting for somebody to remember what I represented. Waiting to come home. I sat in the house of Abenadab for over 20 years. King Saul ruled, armies marched, political battles raged on the Israeli news network and Judo Fox News. People went about their lives, but nobody came for me. And I'm the ark of God. Nobody asked where I was. Nobody seemed concerned that the symbol of God's presence sat forgotten on a hillside. I've noticed something else about people. You can learn to live without things that you desperately need. You can become accustomed to being distant from God. You can become comfortable with spiritual dryness. You can learn to function without fellowship. You can build kingdoms while neglecting the king. And then one day, David came. And for the first time in many years, I thought, I'm finally going home. The music started. Thousands gathered. There was excitement everywhere. People were singing. Instruments were playing. The celebration was magnificent. But there was a problem. Nobody asked God how I was supposed to be carried. And they built a new cart. It's modern, efficient, practical. Philistines had used a cart. The nations around them had used carts. Everybody agreed it was a great idea. But the Lord had commanded in Exodus 25 that the priests were supposed to carry me on their shoulders using poles prepared specifically for that purpose. Nobody asked God. You know, people are still doing that today. They might not be building cards. Maybe they're building a family. Maybe they're building a relationship. Maybe they're building a belief system. People are doing that without asking God even today. And people have always been tempted to replace God's instruction with human ingenuity. was modern and efficient and practical. But as the oxen stumbled, Usuza reached out and touched me and the celebration ended instantly. Silence filled the air. Fear swept through the crowd. David became angry and then confused and then afraid. I am the ark of God. And I've noticed something else. People are very comfortable with a God that is useful, but they're not necessarily comfortable with a God who is holy. But holiness is not cruelty. Holiness is not harshness from God. Holiness is the blazing perfection of God. And the problem that day was not that God was too severe. The problem was that Israel was too casual. and they wanted God's presence while ignoring God's voice. And that never works. So for three months, David left me behind in the house of Obed Edom. I remember arriving there. No celebration, no palace, no throne, no royal procession. the ark of God. Just an ordinary home. That's where I was left. The kind of home that that nobody ever notices. Sat there for three months. And then something happened. You see it in verse 12. The Lord blessed that home. He blessed the family. He blessed the labor. He blessed the lives. Not because I possess some magical power. just wooden gold. The blessing came from the God whose presence I represented. And I've discovered something. God loves to visit ordinary places. He delights in showing kindness to ordinary people. He often does his best work far from palaces and spotlights. And he still does today. He loves the ordinary areas of your life that that you think are ordinary or or maybe even beyond his notice. Conversation with a child or a friend or a coworker is like a seed that can have a multitude of benefits long after you've even forgotten about it. That's our God. And then a word eventually reaches David. The Lord has blessed the house of Obed Eden. And then suddenly David, the man after God's own heart, remembers and he understands. The problem has never been the presence of the ark. Problem has been the approach. And then David came again. This time things were different. This time they carried me. This time they honored God's word. This time sacrifices were altered. This time reverence accompanied celebration. In verse 13, as we begin our journey towards Jerusalem, I watched something happened inside of David. The king who had been afraid became joyful. The man who had been confused became thankful. The man who once stood at the distance now drew near. They would go six steps and stop and sacrifice. Six steps and stop and sacrifice. Blood was shed and worship filled the air. And it pointed back to something because in the Bible on the seventh day was the Sabbath day where there's a rest. And before the Israelites would take that seventh step, before they would enter into a rest, sacrifice needed to be made. And it was a reminder that the Lord's rest, the ultimate rest, had to have a sacrifice because I am the ark of God. And I was pointing something greater than myself. So David understood now something that every child of God must eventually learn. Nobody approaches a holy God without sacrifice. And for centuries, animals would be offered upon the altar. But even as I watched those sacrifices, I knew that they pointed beyond themselves. They pointed to someone greater, some I had been foreshadowing for a long time. And as we entered Israel, David danced. And I've seen a lot of kings in my time. Most are concerned with appearances. Most are careful to protect their dignity. But David, he forgot all about his dignity. Because David was overwhelmed with gratitude. He understood that the greatest treasure in Jerusalem was not the throne. It was not the crown. It was not the city. It was the presence of God. And when David danced and MueL watched from a window, one rejoiced and another criticized. One worshiped and another jo judged. And I've seen many kinds of people in my day. those who jump in, pitch in, rejoice, and those who remain just far enough away to critique, the agnostics, the atheist, the lukewarm, and I can tell you from experience that joy is always found closer to God than criticism is. But before I leave you this morning, there's something else important that you have to understand. I'm the ark of God. But I am not the hero in this story. And I never was. I am just a mere shadow, a signpost. I'm a picture. Inside me rested the tablets of the law. But one day the lawgiver himself would come. Inside me rested the mana from heaven. But one day the true bread of life would come. Inside me rested Aaron's rod that had budded. But one day the great high priest himself would come. I represented God's presence among his people. And one day God would no longer dwell above a mercy seat fashioned with gold. One day, as John would say, the word became flesh and dwelt among us. One day, Jesus himself would walk among his people. He would touch lepers. He would heal the broken. He would raise the dead. He would carry a cross. And by that cross, he would accomplish everything that all my symbols merely anticipated. I am the ark of God. And for centuries, I pointed to Christ. Every sacrifice pointed to Jesus. Every priest pointed to Jesus. Every drop of blood pointed to Jesus. Every journey pointed to Jesus. And when he came, the story of scripture reached its ultimate fulfillment. So, if I could leave you with one final thought, it would be this. Don't stop at me. Don't stop at symbols. Don't stop at shadows. Run to the Savior who they've been pointing to all along. I carried symbols. Jesus accomplished salvation. I represented God's presence. Jesus is God. I am the ark and I spent centuries waiting to come home. But through Jesus, all his children from every nation, kindred, tongue, tribe, and creed have been given a home. By his life, by his death, by his resurrection, and nothing else, he accomplished everything necessary and saved his people eternally. Nothing remains to be added. Nothing remains to be earned. And now through the gospel, he invites his children to enjoy that heavenly home and citizenship even while they journey in this world. He invites the weary to lay down their burdens and rest beneath his work. He invites the fearful to quiet their hearts in the shelter of his presence. He invites the wanderer to anchor their souls in him, no matter how far you've gone. He invites the broken to sit beside him and mend the shattered areas of their soul. He invites us all to enjoy the warmth of a home that his love has already secured in heaven. He invites us to live today with the songs of heaven that are already echoing in our heart. I am the ark. And after all these generations, after all these victories, after all these failures that I have witnessed, I can tell you this. The greatest treasure was never the gold that covered me. The greatest treasure was not the city that welcomed me. The greatest treasure has always been the God who delights to dwell with his people. And there is no sweeter place on earth than be close to the presence of the King. And there's no greater joy than resting in the finished work of Savior who has given us a home. If you'd like to follow him as we do here at Camp Creek Church, give you that chance as we stand to sing hymn number him number six.

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Thank you for that good prayer. If you got your Bibles with you, let's turn to 2 Samuel chapter 5. We're going to continue our study in the book of 2 Samuel. We've been looking at David and we're here. It's time. It's the day David's going to be king. We have gone with him from 1st Samuel 30 through chapter 31. We've gone four chapters into 2 Samuel and we have finally arrived. Everything's going to be good, right? Y'all ever get the feeling that life is a little bit random? Um, you know, a little bit uh disconnected. You know what I mean? Like a season of joy here and then a season of sorrow there. a victory over here and then a setback over here, a prayer answered here and a prayer unanswered here. We have a good day, but then we have days where we're losing a dear brother. And from our perspective, life can kind of feel random and fragmented. And David, he had had, you know, Goliath and then he had had the valley of Eli and then he had had the cave of Adulum. And scripture is throughout 1 Samuel and going on into 2 Samuel and all of scripture. What we see is God is intimately involved in the details of our lives. Both the good and the bad. And we're going to see this again today. David's king, but guess what? Still needs God. David's king, but guess what? Problems aren't going to go away. And scripture repeatedly reminds us that God is always working in a larger story that we cannot see. So, here we are. We're at 2 Samuel. Like I said, David is finally king. And it appears to be a sudden moment of triumph. Yet, the reality is is that for several chapters, God has been working toward this moment for years and is even when he's anointed, still working. God worked in the sheep fields. God worked in the valley of Eli. God worked in the wilderness years. God was in that cave with David. And none of those events, none of those events has been wasted. And and and some of us might need to hear that today that the God who was working in David's life in every moment still working today. And so here we start with verse one. Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron and spake and said, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. So let's stop for just a second. David has been king over Judah for seven years. He was fighting. Shibashef is dead. And now his servants who are the the people of Israel, not the people of Judah, but the people of Israel, they decide, you know what? It's time. Let's go to David. Let's make peace. And they invoke the bro code. We are bone of thy bone and flesh of thy flesh. David, we're your cousins. Let's stop the fight. and and and and this this has been a nation divided. Civil war has weakened the kingdom. And now the elders have this remarkable confession. We are thy bone and thy flesh. I want you to notice what they didn't say. They didn't say, "Hey, David, we voted and we decided to make you king." Because what they're doing right now is they're recognizing what God has already done. Dig what they say? It says verse two, "Also in times past," this is them talking. Also in times past when Saul was king over us, thou David was he who led and brought in Israel. In other words, hey David, even though Saul wore the crown, you're you're the one that had the heart of the king. We saw God's hand on you. And let's just pause and take a 2026 moment here because there's a lesson. Just having a title doesn't make you a good leader. What makes you a good leader is character under pressure. And we had seen in 30 chapters, 31 chapters of 1 Samuel, David's character tested time and time again. And so did the people of Israel. And they watched and they saw God's hand on him. David was a leader before he was ever crowned. But God knew that those years when he was in the cave and in the wilderness and in the in the struggle, God knew that David needed those years as a moment of preparation. And I say that because there's so many people that want the crown, but they don't want the problems. They want the crown, but they don't want the preparation. People want the crown, but God works in the opposite way. David in those fields he he learned leadership and in the valley of Ela when he facing down Goliath he he learned courage and he learned dependence in the cave of Adulum and the other caves but in in those situations God didn't change David's circumstances what he did was he used the circumstances to shape David's heart and that truth extends beyond kings and thrones because today some of y'all are walking through difficult seasons right now. Today, some of y'all are carrying burdens that nobody else can face. Today, some of y'all are facing health struggle, family struggles, financial pressures, disappointments, uncertainties about the future. And it's easy to think that those events are interruptions. But what if they are classrooms? The sheepfields taught David about faithfulness. The valleys taught him about courage. the the caves taught him about trust. And the same God who is working in that is still at work today. And I know that the problems that we face aren't things that we would choose. They might not even be pleasant, but they are never pointless. And God often is doing deep works in those hidden places. Yeah, the world they focus on the crown while God sees the character that's being formed. This is what Paul says in Romans chapter 9 21. Hath not the potter power over the clay? Children of God, we have difficulties and we struggle sometimes and sometimes just like that lump of clay. And I just just imagine and maybe it's because I have a twisted mind, but sometimes I I think about that imagery. Hath not the potter power of the clay. and is picturing God being the potter and us just being the lump of clay, which is kind of appropriate because a lot of times my life feels like it's spinning out of control, right? A lot of times I feel pressure. A lot of times I feel stretched. A lot of times I feel like I'm being remolded. But here's what I need to remember. The pressure and the stretching and the remolding is part of a potter who loves me beyond belief, whose hand is upon our lives. And he's he's giving us the pressure. And sometimes we interpret problems and disappointments as evidence that God has stopped working. And yet scripture completely teaches us something different. Scripture teaches us that that God is at work. And the clay might not understand what the potter is doing while the wind is spooing. All it does is just feel the pressure of the hands. But y'all, every touch of the potter's hand has a purpose in your life. David did not become David in the palace. David became David in the fields and in the cave and in facing down the giants. Things that we wouldn't have picked for ourselves. And his greatest victories weren't won on the battlefield. They were won in those private years, in those difficult problems that he had when he learned that the Lord was enough. So today, if you find yourself in a valley, let Christ shine there. If you if you find yourself in a cave, trust the Lord there. If you find yourself carrying a burden that is too heavy to bear, remember in that moment that God has not forgotten about you. Because the evidences of God's blessing is is not merely that he changes our circumstances or stops our difficulty. The evidence of God's blessing is that he is sustaining us through them. And so here's what verse four says. David was 30 years old when he began to reign. Think about that because he was anointed by Samuel when he was a teenager. That I mean more than a decade had passed. Years awaiting, years of uncertainty, years of wondering, but every year had a purpose. And sometimes we assume that God is absent because God is slow. And yet what we see here in scripture is that God moves deliberately because he can see what we don't. Let's pick up with verse six. And the king and his men, that's David and his men, went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, which speak unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither. Okay, that's some serious King James smack talk going on right there. So, David is the king of Judah. He's coming into Israel because the people had approached him, but not everybody's cool with it. And the Jebusites aren't cool with it because they got Jerusalem, the stronghold. They've got big walls. They've got great fortifications. And they're leaning over the wall like that Frenchman and Monty Python. And they're talking smack and they're saying, "Hey, hey, hey." You know,if if our blind and our lame are strong enough to take down your army because of these walls, I spit in your general direction. And thinking and then they said they said this thinking David cannot come in hither. Then scripture says in verse seven, ah nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion. That's that's Jerusalem. the same is the city of David. So David is here. He's going in to get what has been promised and he's been anointed for. But he's got this challenge and it's named Jerusalem. And this challenge and this this challenge the city is occupied by the Jebusites. And they are so confident that David cannot defeat them. And their confidence borders on arrogance. Except you take away the blind of the lame that shall not come in hither. So even the blind and the lame can defend this city. And from a human perspective, honestly, they got pretty good reason to believe it. Jerusalem is a fortress. The natural fortifications in addition to the walls are very impressive. The walls are secure, but there's that verse seven. Nevertheless, David took the stronghold. I love that word nevertheless because the enemy can say it is impossible. As a matter of fact, my human vantage point can say something is impossible. But God God says otherwise. And I wonder how many victories in scripture have started with the words nevertheless. Like the Red Sea, it looked impossible. I mean, here's this massive ocean and you got a million followers. You got to get across Jericho. When they first stepped into the promised land, it looked impossible. And what kind of strategy is it to walk around a city for seven days and then do nothing but blow some trumpets and smash some pots and then the walls came tumbling down? I wouldn't have seen that. And then Goliath, 9- foot giant. You're telling me you're going to beat him with a pebble? Really? But God specializes in these impossible kinds of situations. And then there was the greatest nevertheless of all. Father, when Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, if it is possible, please take this cup from me. In other words, I don't want to be crucified. I don't want to go to the cross. Jesus prayed that prayer. But then he said, "Nevertheless, not my will, but thy be done." Man, when you live in obedience to God, great things can occur. And what makes this victory especially significant is what Jerusalem, an enemy stronghold, eventually became. Because think about what happens here. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. David's going to reign there. Solomon's going to build the temple there. Prophets are going to preach there. Centuries later, Jesus himself is going to walk the streets and the gospel is going to be proclaimed there. This city, this pagan stronghold becomes the most important city in redemptive history. That's what God does. He transforms strongholds into our life into testimonies because a lot of us have areas in our life that are strongholds, enemy strongholds. Some of us are struggling with fear, with failure, with addiction, with bitterness, with pride, shame. God delights in reclaiming that territory. And the place where the enemy once ruled and become a monument of grace. What appears to be an enemy stronghold is actually part of a larger purpose. And I'm saying this because we all got strongholds in our life. My stronghold is not necessarily a stronghold that you're facing right now. But we all have obstacles. We all have problems. and they seem just as immovable as as a fortress wall occupied by Jebusites. I don't know what yours is. Maybe it's a diagnosis right now or a diagnosis of a loved one or a broken relationship or or a rebellious child. Maybe it's a financial burden or a prayer that remains unanswered. And sometimes we we think about these problems as evidence that God has stopped working. But scripture tells us otherwise. And and often these difficults that we find is exactly where we find God working. Because here's what the Jebusites saw. They saw the wall, but God saw Jerusalem where his son would walk. The disciples saw the cross, but God saw the resurrection. Martha saw the tomb but Jesus saw the father. This is verse 10 because let me tell the obstacle is not the end of the story and the difficulty and the struggles that we are facing right now is not the end of the story. Because while David is facing obstacles, hear me, God is still working. And verse 10 gives us the explanation. And David went and grew great. And here it is. And the Lord God of hosts was with him. Not because David was stronger, not because David was smarter. David grew because God was with him. And that has always been the difference. Verse 11. Now we're going to see God working through some other things. And Hyram, king of Tyra, that was an adjoining kingdom, sent messengers to David and cedar trees and carpenters and masons. And they built David in house. And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel. And he had exalted his kingdom for his people, Israel's sake. So you got King Hyram sending cedar trees and carpenters to build David a palace. And for the first time in years, life appears stable. Life appears like it's on track. The fugitive is at home. The outlaw David now has a palace. The shepherd now sits on the throne. But what strikes me as cool is David's response. And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel. So David recognized the source of its blessing. He didn't credit his military ability. He didn't praise his strategy. He saw God's hand. But he also recognized something else that the kingdom was established for his people's Israel's sake. So David understood something that a lot of people miss that God's blessings were not ultimately about David. God had a larger purpose. And everything that God was doing in David's life was connected to God's care for his people. And y'all, that remains true today. God comforts us so that we can comfort others. God strengthens us so we can strengthen others. God teaches us so that we can teach others. And the blessings of the gifts of grace are nothing more than opportunities to serve. And David is at his best when he understands that the story is bigger than himself. Every prayer you pray for somebody else, every song that you sing to bring comfort to someone in a hospital, every dollar you give in support of a ministry or a charity or to lift up somebody is a blessing and you are fulfilling God's purpose. Love God and love his people. These are the greatest commands. And on them all the law hinges. Those are the words of Jesus. And so things are going really good. And then we have one of those verses that come up that go and you can hear it rutro. Read with me. Verse 13. And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem. What? What? Things are going good. You're fulfilling God's law. Everything's great. And you go and you marry concubines and wives. Why did they put up with it? What's going on with us? And and what I love about this verse, I mean, it strikes me as weird. And the writer doesn't pause to comment. simply records the fact. But we immediately sense danger. Even in season, and here's the danger. Even in seasons of success, we are completely capable of planting seeds that will later produce sorrow. Hear me again. Even in seasons of success, we are capable of planting seeds that will eventually result in some sorrow. You know why? Because here's what the Bible says about the best that you have to do. And I had a conversation not too long ago with a person. It's like, yeah, all you got to do is, you know, just God just wants you to do good. That's all you got to do is work. No, no, no, no. See, you're you're not going to heaven because you did good, right? Because this is what the Bible says about your goodness on your best day. The best that you have to do. This is what the Bible says. Read it for yourself. Your righteousness is as filthy racks. The best that you have to do is filthy rags before heavenly father. This is what the Bible says about us. There is none righteous. Know not one. So, how could David, the anointed, the one who's been through all this struggle, whose God is working through his life every single day to achieve a greater end, how could David do something so stupid? Because he's a guy. And but it has nothing to do with the fact that he's a guy. Because ladies, you're just as stupid.And and I I want there is none righteous. Not man, not woman. No, not one. We all need Jesus. Christian and Muslim and Jew and Hindu. And if you're going to heaven as a Christian or a Muslim or a Jew or Hindu, if you're going to heaven as a heterosexual or a homosexual or a trans, if you're going to heaven anyway, it's because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ that has been imputed to you. It had nothing to do with your goodness because you're not that good. And so here David is a man that is described as a man after God's own heart. And he does something right in the middle of it. And I am so thankful that the Bible tells the truth about its heroes because the scripture never airbrushes the flaws out of God's servants. Abraham had his failures. Moses had his failures. Peter had his failures. David has his failures. Why? Why does the Bible tell us about these heroes? Because let me tell you something, the hero of scripture is never David. It's never Moses. It's never Abraham. And it certainly is not Peter. The hero is always Jesus. And that's good news for struggling people. Because most of us know what it's like to fall short and to look back and wish that we had made different decisions. But God's purposes are not defeated by our weakness. And even here, God continues to work. Even in David's wrongful sewing, even in his failures, because God is working. He knows David's not perfect. The Bible says that God knows our frame and that we're nothing but grass. And the reason is is because God is faithful. So then we go to verse 17. And when the Philistines heard that they anointed David king over all Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David. And David heard of it and went down to the hold. And the Philistines also came and spread themselves out in the valley of Refiddm. No sooner is David crowned than the Philistines attack. One battle ends, another one begins. Sounds kind of familiar. And sometimes we imagine that once a problem is solved that life ought to be easy. But life never works out that way. One challenge always gives way to another challenge. One valley gives way to another hill. One battle is always followed by another battle. And I want you to know what David did. Verse 19. And David inquired of the Lord. Yeah. Yeah. Just couple of verses early, he did something insanely stupid, but his heart never left God. even when in the midst of his dependent. So here the Philistines come out and David exalted David, King David. David inquired of the Lord saying, "Shall I go up to the Philistines? Wil thou deliver me deliver them into mine hand?" And the Lord said to David, "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines in thy hand." David came to Belpurism and David smokeote them there and said the Lord hath broken forth upon my enemies before me as the breach of the waters. So here comes the victory. David gives credit to the Lord and it says and they left their images and David and his men burned them there. So the Philistines left behind some of their religious artifacts and David's like yeah I don't think so. And then the Philistines, here we go verse 22. The Philistines came up yet again and spread themselves out in the valley of Refiddm. So after the victory, here comes another battle. And again, we read in verse 23, "And David inquired of the Lord." That's the second time. And that's important because David refused to rely on yesterday's guidance. This is a different battle. It's the same enemy, but it's a different battle. Let me go see if God is of the same mind that I should attack him again. and he seeks the Lord again and this time and it's so good that he saw God a second time. And let me encourage you if you've got problems, pray about it today, pray about it tomorrow, pray about it Wednesday, keep on praying about it. And he gets a different strategy this time. Verse 23. And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, "Thou and and he said, "Thou shalt not go up." up. The Lord says, "Thou shalt not go up, but fetch a compass behind thee, and come upon them over against the malberry trees, and let it be when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the malberry trees, that then thou shalt bestow thyself, for then the Lord shall go out before thee to smite the folks of the Philistines." And David did so as the Lord commanded him, and the Philistines from Gibba until Gizer. So, this is what it says because it's one I don't know if y'all got it. King James kind of makes it hard to understand sometimes, but this is one of the more beautiful pictures in the chapter. God tells David to wait until he hears the sound of the wind in the mberry trees. Why? Because that sound indicated that God had gone before them and was going ahead of them. And man, if I'm in the battle and I know that God's going ahead of me, that's going to change my spirit. So, I want you to imagine the scene here. The army's waiting. The trees begin to move. Not merely because of breeze, but because God has gone ahead of his people. Man, that's comforting. David's victory didn't begin when David moved. It began when God moved. And the same remains true for us today. Our life as Christians, it is not about convincing God to bless our plans. Our lives as Christians is about learning to follow his leadership, to listen, to trust, to wait, to recognize when he's moving, and to walk behind him. David succeeded here because he understands something that a lot of people have a hard time learning.The battle belongs to the Lord. And so we reach the end of 2 Samuel 5 and and it's tempting to focus on the crown in this chapter, but really the crown is not the focus of the story. The story is about God's faithfulness. God was working in the sheepfills. He was working in the valleys. He was working in the caves. He's working in Jerusalem. He's working in the victories. He's working despite David's weakness. He's working before the battle ever begins. And he's working today. Perhaps you find yourself in a waiting season, waiting to lose your husband. Perhaps you feel forgotten. Perhaps you cannot understand why God has allowed a particular burden to press down on your life. I want you to take comfort from David's story. Because the potter has not abandoned the clay. The Lord has not forgotten his children. And the God who is shaping David in the darkness is preparing him for things that David cannot even see yet. And the same God is still working in the lives of his people. While David was waiting, God was working. And while you are waiting, God is working too. And because our hope rest not on David, but in David's greater son, Jesus, we can trust every chapter of our life rest safely in his hands. And we may not always understand what he's doing, but we can trust that he's doing something. And in this waiting, trust this. God is working.

Turn to 2 Samuel, 2 Samuel, chapter 4. This sermon is going to be applicable to everybody. So turn to 2 Samuel, chapter 4. I want you to see some truths in God's scripture that he's going to apply to that we can apply to our lives. Because one of the hardest lessons in the Christian life is learning to trust God's timing. Whether we're waiting on a healing or we're dealing with a relationship or we have an expectation or or a situation that requires us waiting. We're not particularly patient people. We pray and we want answers today. We we face difficulties and we want relief immediately. We we have a problem and we want a solution before the day is over. But God rarely seems to be in a hurry. Abraham had to wait decades before his promised child arrived. Joseph waited for years in prison. Um, Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness. And David, well, David was anointed king when he's a teenager and he's now in his 30s and he still hasn't gotten to the throne. And perhaps maybe that's because God is usually doing a couple of things in the way because while we're focused on changing our circumstances, God's focused on shaping our character. And while we're asking when will this happen, God's asking what are you becoming in the wait? Because I want you to know that God is God of the weight. And in this moment, because we're by the time we've arrived at 2 Samuel 4, David has already endured years of uncertainty. Saul is dead. Abnner's dead. The house of Saul is crumbling. The throne is closer than ever, but the kingdom hasn't fully come. David's having to to wait. And in this moment, some men decided that they're tired of waiting. And they can convince themselves. They convince themselves that they can help God accomplish his purposes. So, they decide, I'm going to remove the obstacle. I'm going to speed up the process. I'm going to ignore God's law. I'm going to take matters into my own hands. So, what follows here is a sobering reminder that God's work never requires sinful solutions and shortcuts because the Lord is fully capable of accomplishing his purpose without our help. He can accomplish his purpose without our schemes, without our manipulation, and most definitely without our impatience. So what 2 Samuel chapter 4 is going to teach us is that faith is not merely believing the promises of God. It's also trusting God's timing. Because the greatest battles of faith that we're about to see are often not fought when God says no. The greatest battles of faith are when God says, "Wait." So, we jump into verse one. And when Saul's son heard that Abnner was dead, and so you know the son that we're talking about is Ishbashef. He is the king of Israel. And when Saul's son heard that Abner, y'all remember Abner, we met him last chapter, he was Ishbashef's general. And when Saul's son heard that Abnner was dead in Hebbran, his hands were feeble and all Israelites were troubled. So Saul's son, Ishbashef, technically king over Israel. But this is the situation. And many of y'all in the corporate world know this. Abnner was the real power. Abnner was the one. Ishbashees was king and title. But the real power that was Abnner. He was the general. He was the leader. He was the one that turned to when things went bad. Abnner was the glue that held the northern tribes together. So when Abner died in chapter three, the kingdom lost its backbone and so did the king. So imagine a corporation whose CEO suddenly resigns. Imagine a football team that loses their starting quarterback the week before the championship game. Imagine a nation losing its military commander during wartime. That's what's happening right here. And this is what the text said. The Ishbashes hands were feeble. Now, there's a an idiom in in Hebrew that doesn't translate that well, but that verb were feeble was actually related to the event of Abner dying. So, Ishbashef, what's going on here is Ishbashef when he found out that Abner Nine didn't just get temporarily scared. He lost it. He lost his backbones. The news didn't just frighten him for a moment. It left him weakened. It left him unnerved. It left him without strength to act. So, it means more than just nervousness. He's lost his courage. He's lost his confidence. He's lost his hope. And all of a sudden, the throne feels really unstable right now. The point is not that just is scared. The death of Abnner exposed the fact that Ishbashef's [snorts] strength

had never truly been in the Lord. It was in Abnner. So his hands were feeble because he learned that Abnner was gone. And I want you to notice what happens here. It's a lesson in leadership. John Maxwell probably will write a book about it someday. It tells us that Ishbah's hands were feeble and all the Israelites were troubled. So, one man's fear spread to an entire nation like a contagion. And that's the way fear often works. It rarely confines itself to the person experiencing it. Leaders, parents, pastors, friends, we all exert influence, whether we realize it or not, on people that are around us. And and when leaders panic like Ishbasheth is doing here, uncertainty will quickly ripple out everywhere. A worried father can [ __ ] a household. A fearful leader can shake an organization. A discouraged pastor can bring down a church. And the tragedy for Ishbashef is not simply that Abnner was die had died. It was that Ishbashef's confidence had been resting in Abnner all along. Because as long as Abnner stood beside Ishbashef, he felt secure. But when Abner was removed, the weakness that had been hidden beneath the surface of Ishbasheth's character floated to the top. And so we can take away something from that because the things that we lean most heavily on are revealed when they get taken away. And if our confidence ultimately rests on our position, on our health, on our finances, on other people, then our peace will rise and fall along with how those other things are doing. But when our confidence rest in God, even when our earthly supports are removed, the foundation will remain strong. Y'all listen. Abnner was dead. Abnner was gone. But God is still on the throne. And if Ishbachef had had his priorities right, it would have been okay. Unfortunately, Ishbashef can only see the empty place beside him instead of the God who rules above him. And so in the middle of this political entry that we just talked about of assassinations, the collapse of a kingdom, the author all of a sudden introduces an unrelated character. Verse four, one of my favorite characters in all of scripture. And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame on his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came out of Saul came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezrael and a nurse took him up and fled. And it came to pass as she made haste to flee that he fell and became lame and his name was Mphibicheth. So here we are right in the middle of scripture. Started in chapter three. is going on into chapter 4, spilling over assassinations, political intrigue, uh, murder, death, and all of a sudden we're talking about a baby. Seems a little bit out of place, doesn't it? First glance, it's weird. Chapter's rapidly moving towards the murder of Ishbashef and then all of a sudden the story stops to talk about a crippled child. That seems a little bit random. But you know what? With a sovereign God, there's no such thing as a random detail. There is no accidental verse in scripture. There's no incidental people in scripture. There's no forgotten names in the economy of God. And so what appears as an interruption here and what often in the scripture what appears as an interruption is actually God drawing our attention to something far more important than the events that are unfolding on the stage. Because while the the nation is focused on kings and generals and power struggles, God stops and points us to a child. And while everyone is watching men fight over a throne, scripture says, "Hold on a second. I want you to look over here." Because the politicians, they don't know Mphibicheth. That the generals don't know Mashibbashef matters. And and maybe even Mphibichef doesn't know that he matters, but God knows. And that's one of the greatest comfort of what we refer to as divine providence. God is never so occupied with the large movements of history that he overlooks the individual lives that are caught with him. And the same God who governs kingdoms and commands the angel armies is the same God who watches over crippled children. The same God who directs the rise and fall of nations is carefully prevent preserving one wounded little boy for a future purpose that nobody can conceive. And so while everyone in this chapter, the kings, the generals, the people, while everyone in this chapter is focused on who's going to sit on the throne, God over here is already preparing a future demonstration of his grace. And what we need to understand is something profound because Mashib Mphibicheth appearance is not random because history itself is not random. The God who ordained David's kingdom also providentially ordained this boy's preservation. The God who is moving the large pieces on the board is also moving the dust and the small ones. So what might seem like an interruption in scripture is actually providence at work. And I take comfort in that because it's true in our lives too. There are moments and I think a lot of us experienced it where we have moments that we look back and things seem a little bit disconnected, a little bit confusing, little bit out of place. We wonder why a certain person entered our lives, why a particularly hardship occurred, why God allowed an unexpected detour. And then years later, we discovered what looked random at the time actually led to something that was important. what what appeared to be an interruption was actually part of a much larger story that only God could see. Because here's the thing, with God, there are no footnotes. There are no throwaway details. There's no accidental chapters. With God, he's in control of all things. So, Mphibicheth's story over here is so important for this reason. It's our story because I want you to imagine the moment of Mphibisha. We just read about it. One day an ordinary little boy is playing, laughing, enjoying life as a grandson of the king. And then the next day, his world has collapsed. His grandfather is dead. His father is dead. His home is gone. His future is uncertain. And because of a fall that he did not cause, he's going to spend the rest of his life unable to walk normally. And that is a reminder of how quickly life can change. Many of us knows what it happens and what it means to have a a chapter in a life end so suddenly. A phone call arrives. A doctor walks into a room. Conversation takes an unexpected turn. An accident occurs. And in a matter of moments, life is defined as before and after. And on top of that, Mash Mphibicheth never chose any of this. He didn't choose the battle. He didn't choose the panic. He didn't choose the fall. And yet, he lived with the consequences. And like Mphibicheth, we're all living with the consequences of a fall that occurred long before we arrived. As a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered to the world, and oh by the way, that's Adam, thank you, Adam. Where by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men." That's and in case we missed it, he says it again in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 22. Wherefor as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. So we collectively were born into a broken world carrying wounds that we did not create and a corruption that we cannot cure by ourselves. We are the Mphibicheth of the world. And yet the beauty of the Mphibicheth is that this is not the last time you're going to hear his name. And in this moment, looks like he's forgotten. Wait on this story. Wait for the postcript. We'll see it in chapter nine. But at this moment, he appears forgotten. Kingdom looks like it has no use for him. The politicians are not looking for him. The generals don't care about him. and history seems to have passed him by, but heaven has not forgotten Mphibicheth and God's quietly preserving him. And then in chapter nine in the future, we'll get to it in a few weeks, but David asks one of the most beautiful questions in scripture. Is is there not any left at the house of Saul? Then I may show you kindness for his my brother Jonathan's sake. So what follows though is not a story about politics. What follows is a story about grace. Crippled man who expects judgment will receive mercy. A forgotten prince is going to be back invited back to the king's table. A man who can offer nothing in return is going to be treated as family. Sounds an awful lot like the gospel to me right here in the Old Testament. So for this reason, Mphibicheth is one of the clearest pictures that we have because all of us stand before a king. Spiritually crippled, unable to save ourselves, unable to earn his favor, unable to repair the damage caused by the fall. And yet the king saves us anyway, calls our name, brings us to a table, no matter what we've done, adopts us into his family. And that's why this verse appears here. That's why this verse is seemingly random and out of order. Because in the midst of the chaos, while kingdoms are rising and falling, while generals are dying and children, kings are being assassinated, God quietly points our attention to a crippled child. Because ultimately, the story of redemption is not about the powerful, not about the men fighting for throne. It's about a gracious king who sees the broken. So let's the story then returns back to Mphibicheth in verse five. And the sons of Remma named Reik and Bana went and came about the heat of the day to the household of Ishbashef who lay on the bed at noon. So dig it. Verse five, we meet two brothers, Reikob and Bina. They're military leaders. They're men of influence, but they're also men who see an opportunity. And opportunity

can be dangerous when character is absent.

These men see a weak king, a collapsing king. They see an ascended David. They see an opportunity and they decide for themselves how to secure their future. They are going to murder Ishbashef and they will bring David proof. So surely David will reward them. David's going to promote them. David's going to thank him. After all, isn't David trying to become king? They completely misunderstand David. But more importantly, they misunderstand God. And their thinking goes something like this. Hey, the outcome is good. Therefore, the method must be acceptable. If the outcome of David being king, that's a good outcome. And any way we get there has got to be okay. In other words, they're saying a philosophy that has permeated since Maveli wrote the prince. The ends justify the means, y'all. That's evil. And it's been with us since the garden. The idea that Satan had in the garden is, "Hey, disobey God and a greater good will come because you'll have the knowledge of good and evil." See the ends justify the means. The desired outcome of wisdom, light, becoming as God supposedly justifies the act of rebellion. And this first temptation is in many ways an appeal to the ends justifying the means. And you can you can trace this pattern all throughout scripture. You got Abraham fathers Ishmael because he believes God's promises needs help. So Abraham fathers Ishmael because you know what? I've been waiting for a decade. Let me help God out. You got Jacob deceiving Isaac to become to obtain the blessing. You got Saul unlawfully sacrificing um sheep because victory seemed more important than obedience. You got Usuza who reaches out to steady the ark because it's a good thing to steady the ark and he gets zapped dead because he's protecting. It seems like it's more important to protect something than to follow God's law. And now you got Reik and Bana murdering Ishbashef because God David's kingship appeared to justify their actions. But here's the thing. Thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt not kill is still the law on the books and the underlying logic of a rebellion is always the same. I know what outcome should happen. Therefore, I am permitted to do what would otherwise be wrong. But cons scripture consistently rejects that kind of reasoning. As a matter of fact, one of the clearest lines in scripture is the Apostle Paul. It's in Romans chapter 8 verse Romans chapter 3:8. Paul says, "And I would rather not we be slanderously reported." They're saying, this is what they're accusing the Apostle Paul and and his they're let us do evil that that good may abound. And he's saying those people that say that their damnation is just. The Apostle Paul just said in King James English, the ends don't justify the means. And the outcome, no matter how bad you want it, don't justify sinful behavior. So Paul doesn't merely disagree with the principle. He condemns it outright and from a biblical perspective. The problem is theological and not ethical. And you know because that whole the ends justify the means. That whole philosophy assumes I know enough, I see enough, I control enough to determine when e to determine when evil is permissible and is a greater good. But the fact of the matter is is that only God sees the entire story. You see, because faith says God can accomplish his purpose without my disobedience. Unbelief says God's purposes depend on my disobedience. And that's exactly what Reikob and Bana were thinking and believing. They knew David would be king. That part was true. What they failed to understand was that God's promise to David did not authorize their actions of murder. In fact, one of the greatest lessons of first s and 2 Samuel is that David repeatedly refuses to embrace this philosophy. He will not king David. This sounds like Dr. 6. He will not kill Saul in a camp. He will not kill Saul in a a cave. He condemns the Amalachites who claims to have killed Saul. He condemns Joab for killing Abnner and he executes Reikob and Bana for killing Ishbashef. Again and again and again, David demonstrates a principle that points us to Christ that the right goal never makes a wrong never makes a wrong action okay and stated another way God's purposes are never advanced by disobedience to God's commands. So, Reika, Reika and Bana are not merely merely murderers. They are they are what we would call practical theologians. They believe the throne belongs to David. And because they know the right destination, they convince themselves that any road leading there has to be acceptable. But scripture teaches otherwise. God's children are not merely called to pursue the right destination.

They're called to walk the right path. So we have Reika and Bana. They're not walking the right path. And we But here's the problem that we have because we live in a culture of instant gratification where a culture that wants everything instantly, instant communication, instant food, instant answers. But the scripture seems to say that God's favorite word is wait because God is actually more concerned with preparing the person than delivering the blessing. So David reminds the brothers of something when he orders their execution. A young Amalachite once came and claimed that he had killed Saul and the man thought that David would reward him, but David executed him instead. Why? because he says, "How dare you touch the Lord's anointed?" You know, so David asks, "Man, if this guy over here touched and died for claiming to kill Saul, what should happen to the man who actually murdered a righteous person in his own bed?" And the answer's pretty clear, judgment. So, I want you to notice what scripture is drawing our attention to because it's drawing our attention to David's consistency.

He didn't change simply because the circumstances changed. Saul was his enemy. Ishbashth was a rival king. Yet David condemned both murders. That's integrity. Integrity means having the same standard even when it cost you. Now, a lot of people got conviction till those convictions become inconvenient. And David refused to let ambition rewrite morality. And that's one reason why God chose David to lead the kingdom. So David orders the execution of Reik and Bana. Their hands and their feet are cut off. Their bodies are displayed publicly. It's not cruelty. It's kind of a declaration. The kingdom of David would be established and would not be built on murder and treachery. The message is clear. There's no reward for wickedness. There's no promotion for betrayal. There's no honor and bloodshed. And so the head of Ishbashef because Reikob and Baan they beheaded they beheaded Ishbasheth and brought it to David and that head is buried with honor in Abnner's tomb. Even in death, David is showing respect even towards a former rival. So let's talk about the gospel according to 2 Samuel chapter 4 because at first this chapter seems dominated by fear, ambition, death. Ishbasheth's kingdom is collapsing. Two opportunities commit murder in pursuit of gain. Another member of Saul's household is carried to the grave. And everywhere we look, power is failing. And while the kingdoms are rising and falling, God is over here working his magic and and clearing and preparing for future grace. While while Raik and Bane are over here trying to advance themselves through violence, God is is quietly moving history towards mercy. And that contra that contrast points us to David's greater son, Jesus. Because this world, this world is often built through force, through manipulation of the media, through self-promotion. But God's kingdom is advanced through faithfulness, through patience, through grace. David refused to seize the throne through sinful shortcuts. He he trusted God's promises. And centuries later, Jesus would do the same thing, perfectly embodying that same kind of trust. I'm not taking a shortcut. He prayed, "Father, if it was possible, take this cup from me." And the father was silent. And Jesus went to the cross. He could have called 10 legions of angels, 72,000 angels. I mean, think about what a strike force that would have been because we know with Elisha and the little servant boy when they're surrounded by the Isra by the armies of Assyria, Elisha, he prayed like, "Lord, you know, opened his eyes and he saw the hills with angels and chariots of fire." We see in another case where there was an angel that struck down 180,000 people in one day. One angel and and Jesus could have called 72,000 of these beings. Anyway, so David one day is going to seek out Mphibicheth and and and he's gonna he's going to show kindness to him. It's in the same vein as as Christ showing kindness to us for for his own name's sake. Grace where the broken are remembered, where the forgotten are sought, where the undeserving have been saved. And that's the beauty that's hidden in this dark chapter. It starts in the dark, dark moment of Israel's history. So here y'all, the great lesson of 2 Samuel chapter 4 is real simple. God does not need our shortcuts or our stress because if God's made a promise to us, and he has, we're going to see him again. He can keep the uh he can fulfill that promise. If he's open the door, he can sustain it. If he's called you, he can keep you. He doesn't need your manipulation. He doesn't need your dishonesty. He doesn't need your compromise. Trust him. Wait on him. Walk faithfully with him. And that then lead the results to him because God's promises have never been dependent on our actions. The throne belonged to David because God said so. The kingdom would come in God's time. So let's land the plane like this. When when your hands grow weak, remember God is on the throne. When when life leaves you wounded like Mphibicheth, remember that God has not forgotten you. When temptations whisper shortcuts like Reik and Bana, remember God's work never requires disobedience. And when you find yourself waiting like David, remember the God who made the promise is the same God who keeps it. If you'd like to worship Christ as we do here at Camp Creek Church, we give you that chance as we stand and sing the first and last stand.

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Amen. Thank you for that good prayer. If you have your Bibles with you, let's turn to 1 Samuel chapter 3. We'll continue our study in the life of David and keep on plowing through 1 Samuel. I'm enjoying it. I hope y'all are because every time I open up the pages of scripture, especially in the story of Samuel, I get a taste of what real life is like. And you know, I love reading the Bible. I love the stories of triumph. The Bible's got a lot of them. you know, chapters in scripture that feel triumphant from the very beginning where where walls fall down, where giants die, where fire comes down and consumes the enemy, where trumpets sound, and where kings are crowned. Um, but then there's chapters like 2 Samuel chapter 3, and this chapter, as we're going to see today, if you haven't read ahead, it's messy. It's complicated. It's emotionally exhausting. It It's a chapter filled with arguments, rivalries, revenge, misunderstandings, ambition, funeral tears, and yet buried inside all of this human confusion. What we will see is the steady hand of God quietly moving history towards his purpose. And that's how grace often works. I emphasize that because sometimes I default to the position, I know that others do, that grace really reveals itself in those miracle moments and the dramatic moments and in the breakthrough and in the answered prayers. But what I see in this chapter, and I hope you will too, is that sometimes God does his deepest work while the battle is going on. And that's important because several of us are in a battle right now. 2 Samuel chapter 3 opens up with a nation that's still divided. Saul's house is still fighting David's house. The kingdom is fractured. Relationships are broken. Loyalties are colliding with God's new direction. And honestly, that sounds a lot like life. Because even after God has anointed David as king, conflict still exists. Even after God has spoken his promises, opposition still remains. Even after God has chosen the servant, there are battles that are still being fought. And some people think, and there's this kind of pernitious doctrine that floats around Christianity sometimes, that some people think if God is truly with you, everything will become easy. There is a best-selling book from the nation's largest mega pastor, your best life. Now, and it's got some good stuff in it. Um, but it's also got a lot of bad stuff. And we we need to be careful about some of the premises of the book because if you read the book, the premise is is God wants you to have a life that's marked by blessing, joy, confidence, emotional health, success, and personal growth right now. And um you can do it through positive biblical self-t talk.

Um, but the issue with the book is that it subtly shifts the focus from dependence on God to your personal happiness, from self-awareness to self-improvement, from sanctification to success. And here's the thing, the Bible never teaches any of that. Christianity will transform lives, but the center of Christianity is Christ, not your personal fulfillment. And so the sickness of prosperity gospel is that it teaches a faith that with positive confessions and and right attributes that they will reliably produce health and wealth and success. And anybody who's been around the sun a couple of times knows that sometimes that's not just the case. That sometimes people still die of cancer. Sometimes babies are still born with genetic issues. That sometimes divorces do occur and struggles do happen. And all the biblical positive self-t talk that you give yourself cannot change that fact. And so you know and here's the thing. The Bible teaches positive biblical self-t talk. It says in the book of Proverbs that the words are are the fruit of life and and and life and death are in the tongue. And it does tell us that faith affects outcome and behavior. But here's the thing. Scripture never teaches that God that we can consistently speak a reality into existence. And that's why it's infected Christianity because we start to think that way. And then when life doesn't go our way, we start to get down on ourselves and beat ourselves and we stop to we stop thinking about the Lord that we serve. Y'all, God is sovereign. And faithful believers will still experience, listen to me, faithful believers, faithful Christian believers, faithful, outspoken Christian believers will still experience sickness, loss, betrayal, poverty, martyrdom. So Paul had faith and yet it says that he had a thorn in the flesh. So sometimes the clearest evidence that God is moving is not the absence of a struggle, but it's the fact that you are still standing in the midst of the struggle. Let's jump in verse one. Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. Stop, man. We just got a sermon right here. Now, we're going to go through the chapter, but this phrase preaches. I want you to notice the wording carefully. Now, there was a long war, not a short war, not a temporary tension, but a long war. And that phrase alone probably preaches itself to half the people in this congregation because some battles are not quick battles. Some struggles linger. Some illnesses take time. Some prayers take years. Some grief stays longer than expected. Some healing moves slowly. Some family wounds seem to stretch on for decades. There was a long war. And yet in the middle of the prolonged struggle, this is what the Bible says. And David waxed. Kids, that word waxed means that he gets stronger and stronger. It says, "And David waxed stronger and stronger." And the importance of that is David is not instantly stronger. He's growing stronger gradually in the midst of the struggle. Man, think about our God. And one of the wonderful things about our God is that he strengthens people progressively, not suddenly. And I know we all like our microwave miracles, right? Amen. Nobody y'all, just me. I'm the only sinner here. But God often God often strengthens his people progressively, not suddenly. He he works like a slow sunrise when when maybe you don't at the first moment notice the dawn, but if you hang out long enough, what you'll see is that it defeats the darkness. And the darkness eventually passes. And that's what's happening here. You can see a little bit of light, then more, and then more. And David doesn't have to manipulate the process. It was a long war. And in the middle of the war, he grew stronger and stronger. You're in a long battle. And in the middle of the battle, you can grow stronger and stronger. But be like David. Don't try to manipulate the process. He doesn't try to force the throne. He doesn't seize power unlawfully. He doesn't destroy Saul's family in revenge. Because David knows something that you and I too often forget. God is handling it. God had given him a promise. And and there is a tremendous peace that comes when you realize, you know what, can trust God because so many of us exhaust ourselves trying to help God out. We we push, we we manipulate, we scheme, we panic. Meanwhile, the Lord is like, "Yeah, you done with that yet? that attitude with that behavior. Let's try a little bit of trust. And so David's strength is increasing not because of human cleverness. David's strength is increasing because God's hand is on him. And then we go to verses 2 through five where they list out David's genealogy. And it kind of feels like a random genealogy, right? Just some names thrown in there. But this section, oh the grace, because this section reminds us that David's kingdom is growing and stabilizing. But even in the midst of this list, I don't know if you're catching it, but it quietly foreshadows future trouble because several of these sons will later become sources of heartbreak and central figures in some of the darkest moments of David's kingdom. Verse two, Amnan. Now, if you've read your Bible before, you know that in chapter 13, Amnan, who is the descendant, David's son by one of his wives, is going to force himself upon his halfsister, who is a descendant of David by another wife, halfsister by the name of Tamar. And that horrific act fractures David's household and ignites a chain reaction of violence. Then in the very next verse, we see Abselon who is Tamar's full brother and then he murders Amnan in revenge and later rebelss against David and steals the heart of Israel in rebellion. Then in the next verse we see Adonah who later attempts to seize the throne from David as his reign is coming to an end in first kings chapter 1. So these three people in these three verses, 2 Samuel chapter 3 lists these sons. And initially you read by it real quick and it sounds kind of celebratory. David's family's growing, his king's expanding, his dynasty is becoming established. But the experienced reader, the seasoned reader knows that there's future sorrow up ahead. And honestly, this tension is one of the Bible's most remarkable literary qualities. David's family is is growing, but the scripture is introducing a future tragedy long before it unfolds. And so, right here, the Bible's not presenting David's, and this is what I love about grace because you could be honest. The the Bible is not presenting David's household as idealized perfection. Man, that ought to be a stress relief for everybody in this room. None of us live in a perfect household. We all have issues. And even at the height of this blessing of these children, the seeds of future pain are are are already present. And that that kind of shows us a deeper spiritual truth that sometimes our greatest joy and our deepest griefs emerge from the same place. And sometimes blessings come wrapped in future burdens that we cannot see. For every young parent that's held a newborn child, guess what? There's going to be a little bit of future rebellion. Newlywed couples cannot even begin to imagine the conflict in their future. Church members can't imagine the future hurt that we'll all experience. And so remember this, that doesn't make the blessing any less real. It simply reminds us that every human story exists east of Eden because it was in Eden that we had perfection. It was in that garden. But one day sin came and we got kicked out east of Eden. And we've all grown up east of Eden in a world where even gracefilled lives, there's not a single life, even even gracefilled lives are touched by brokenness until the redemption. Only God sees the whole story. And that's important to me because that tells me, look, I need grace not just because of my past. I need grace today. and I need grace for the future because all of it is tainted by sin. Let's keep on going. Let's go down to verses 6 through 11. Because Abner Abner defects and Abnner was one of the soldiers. And it came to pass while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner made himself strong. Underline this phrase for the house of Saul. what you're going to war and you're making yourself strong for the house of Saul. So here for the next five verses the text is going to shift to Abnner. Now Abner as you may have remember is Saul's military commander. Abnner powerful, influential, respected, but it says he made himself strong for the house of Saul. And that phrase is important because Abner was strengthening himself on behalf of a dying kingdom. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. That's stupid. The kingdom's dying, but people do it every single day. They invest themselves in their lives strengthening things that God has already rejected. They're investing themselves in their pride and their power and their image and their status, their bitterness and their control. Meanwhile, Saul's kingdom was fading, but Abnner was still trying to preserve it. And I want you to dig what Abner does? Verse seven. And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizbah. And Ishbashef said to Abnner, "Hast thou gone and tie thy father's concubine?" Now, that accusation is massively important because in the ancient world, taking possession of your former king's concubine is symbolic of laying claim to the throne itself. So, this is not just a relationship drama. This is is political warfare. And Abner when he's confronted with it, he becomes furious. Then verse eight, then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbashef and said, "Huh, am I a dog's head which against Judah to show kindness this day into the house of Saul thy father to his brethren to his friends?" And he starts listing it out. And have not delivered thee into the hand of David, and thou charges me this day concerning the fault concerning this woman. Okay, do you pick up the irony here? Abnner had no problem supporting a divided kingdom against, dig this, God's anointed king. And he knew that David was anointed. He had no problem supporting a regime against God's anointed king. But suddenly when Ishbasheth says, "Hey, why are you sleeping with the concubine?" He gets all up in his feelings. Now you Abnner had no problem supporting the divine kingdom but his feelings are hurt when somebody questions him and that's just human right because sometimes we're blind you know to the biggest mistakes. We can see everybody else's mistakes but we're hyper sensitive when when small offenses are called out against us. Jesus talked about that. He talks about people who look at the beam, you know, they see a speck in somebody else's eye and they they're forgetting about the beam in their own eyes. So Abner explodes and essentially says, "Why am I be treating like this after all I've done?" He says, "I did this. I sacrificed this. You owe me." And I want you to remember this because grace does not keep a ledger. That's what pride does. And so this is what Abner says. Verse 9. So do God to Abraham and more also except as the Lord hath sworn to David. Ho there you go. That's how you knew that Abner knew that David was God's anointed king. Dig this. Except as the Lord hath sworn to David. Even so I do to him. This is what God saying. This is what I'm going to do to David to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and Judah from Dan to Basheba. He not only knew what God had promised him, he knew verbatim what God had promised him. And he's still fighting for Saul. And he gets all sensitive because somebody's calling him out for yet another thing. Abna knew all along. He knew it. Reread verse six. And it came to pass while there was war, Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul. While he was making more, he knew that God's plan was David. So here's what Abnner did. He spent and this conflict it took years. So Abner is spending years fighting against what he already knew that God had ordained. That's frightening. It is possible to know something intellectually while still resisting it personally. But people do this spiritually all the time. We know we should forgive, yet we hold on to bitterness. We know areas where God is calling us, but we resist the surrender. We know grace is real, but we cling to shame. Abner knew, but y'all knowing and yielding are different things. And there is a a difference between awareness and obedience. So let's skip down to verse 12. Verse 12 through 21. Abnner Abnner is going to come to David. And it says, "And Abnner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "Whose is the land? Saying also, make thy league with me, and behold, my hand shall be with thee to bring all Israel unto thee." And he says, "This is David." Well, I will make my league with thee, but one thing I require of thee, and that is, thou shalt not see my face except thou first bring me Mikuel, Saul's daughter, which thou comest to see my face. So, here's what's going on. Abner approaches David to broke her peace, and David agrees, but he has a condition. Bring me Muel. Now, y'all may remember that Muel was Saul's daughter, David's former wife, this got emotionally complicated because when Saul got jealous and kicked David out, and Muel had at once loved David deeply. She had even helped save his life if you remember. But Saul later gave her to another man. So, this is what David's saying. He's saying, "I want her back." And and there's political implications here certainly because restoring Saul's daughter to David also restored his legitimacy for some people, but there's also tragedy in the midst here. Let's keep on going. Verse 14. And David sent messengers to Ishbasheth Saul's son, saying, "Deliver me my wife Michael, which espouseed to me for 100 foreskins of the Philistines." Like anybody's going to forget that. Hey, you got my sister for 104 skins. That's weird. And Ishbashef sent and took her dig it from her husband even from Fatil the son of Leash. And her husband went along with her weeping behind her to Biru him. Then said Nabar unto him, "Go return." and he returned. So verse 16 tells us something about Mikuel. She was married. They said, "You got to go back to David." And the man she was married to says, went along weeping behind her. And it's one of the saddest little verses in this chapter. The Bible is so remarkably honest about human pain. Sometimes scripture gives us little re windows into broken hearts without fully explaining everything. And I appreciate that because the Bible doesn't present humanity as a fairy tale. It presents real people with real problems living inside difficult realities. And this is why I trust the Bible because it doesn't sanitize humanity. Heroes are flawed. Victories are messy. Relationships are complicated. And God keeps working with us. Ha. So God works through imperfect people and imperfect situations while accomplishing his perfect purposes. So what Abner does is he gathers Israel together and he tells them, "Okay y'all, it's time to make David king."

But Abnner already knew this. And sometimes the hardest surrender is the one that you delay.

And when you do that, delayed obedience produces pain. How how much division could have been avoided if Abner the general has submitted earlier? How many family wounds persist because people wait too long to humble themselves? How many years are wasted resisting what God has said?

How many people died in this stupid war? Delayed obedience carries consequences too. But even here, grace is visible because David still receives Abnner's cooperation even though it's late. And thank God for that because if God only used people who obeyed immediately and perfectly, not a single one of us would qualify. Verse 22, and here's here comes Joab. And behold, the servants of David and Joab, remember Joab is one of David's generals, came from pursuing a troop, and brought in great spoil with them. But Abner was not with David and Hebrin, for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace. So Abner had come, then he had left. Here come David and Joab. And when Joab and all the hosts that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abnner, the son of Nur came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he's gone in peace. And then Joab came to the king and said, "What what hast thou done? Behold, Abnner came unto thee. Why is it that thou sent him away, and he is gone? And thou knowest Abnner the son of Nah, that he came to deceive thee, to know thou going out and thy coming in to know all about it." So Joab hears that David made peace with Abnner, and he became furious. You can't trust that guy. Why is why is Joab all up in his feelings right here? And it's partly because, if you remember, Abner had killed Joab's brother in chapter 2, and Joab just can't let it go. And David's trying to build peace, but Joab's still seeking for revenge. And there's kind of a profound warning here. One person can interrupt an atmosphere of reconciliation. Just takes one. So, here's what Joab does. He deceives Abnner and then he murders him. It's cold. It's calculated. It's very personal. Let's read it. And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers to Abnner, which brought him again from the well of Sarah. And David knew it not. And when Abnner was returned to Habon, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smokeote him there under the fifth rib, and he died for the blood of Ashel his brother. And afterwards when David heard it, he said, "I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever from the blood of Abnner, the son of Nur. Let it rest on the head of Joab and all his father's house. Let there not fail from the Let there not fail and let there not fell from the house of Joab one that hath an issue or that is a leper or that leaneth on his staff or that fleth on the sword or that lacketh bread." And so Joab and Abashai, his brother slew Adnner because he had slain the brother, their brother Ashel and Gibian in the battle. So here's what Joab believed. He believed revenge. Here's what Joab believed. He believed that with revenge would heal his grief. But y'all, revenge never heals grief. Revenge spreads it. And there's one reason why scripture repeatedly warns against vengeance be because bitterness multiplies casualties and act becomes tin. One wound becomes generational. One act of retaliation bursts another ones. You see it in nations. You see it in churches. You see it in politics. And human history is filled with people trying to cure pain through vengeance. And it never works. Only grace will break the cycle. Only forgiveness can stop the escalation. Only mercy interrupts retaliation. It says verse 28, "And afterwards when David heard it, he said, I and my my kingdom are guiltless." And I want you to notice something. David had nothing to do with this murder. In fact, David publicly condemns it. And that matters because David understood something that Joab did not. You You cannot build God's kingdom through fleshly violence or personal vengeance.

You cannot build God's kingdom through fleshly violence or personal vengeance.

at some point. This nation has to get over January 6 and we have to move forward. And it requires people on both that political issue to put aside vengeance in favor of mercy, grace, and forgiveness. And there are some today trying to accomplish spiritual purposes through worldly weapons, manipulation, humiliation, anger, control. But the kingdom of God advances differently. Jesus did not conquer through revenge. He conquered through a cross. Let's go to verse 31 and finish out. And David said unto Joash and all the people that with him with him, "Rend your clothes, gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abnner." And King David himself followed the beer. And they buried Abnner in Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abnner, and all the people wept. So the chapter starts to slow down dramatically. David's demanding and commanding his people to mourn for Abnner. And verse 32 said, "And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abnner." So David's crying publicly, honestly, and all wept with him. About David, I appreciate this about David. It's his emotional openness. David was a warrior, yet he wept frequently. in our culture sometimes, not as much as it used to, but it kind of treats emotional vulnerability as a weakness, especially in men. But scripture often treats it honestly because David is not emotionally numb. He's not pretending. He's not posturing. He's grieving here. And grief matters to us because people in the church are carrying pain that they never process.

People are in the church carrying pain they never process because they think faith means suppressing the emotion. But biblical faith is not emotional denial. It is okay to fall apart. Jesus wept. Jeremiah wept. Peter wept. David is weeping. And sometimes these tears are not evidence of a weak faith. Sometimes they're evidence of a tender heart. And it says verse 33, and the king lamented over Abner and he said, did Abner as a fool die? That's what this means is is Abnner didn't desire Abnner didn't deserve to die this kind of death. He was he was trapped by somebody else's bitterness. Did Abnner as a fool dieth? He he was trapped by somebody else's bitterness. So David fasted publicly and the people took notice because they saw that David was genuinely mourning. And David's integrity becomes visible through his response.

I learned more in the trials that I tried and the ones that I lost than the ones that I won. Because when I win a trial, it's because I'm brilliant, right? But, you know, when I lose a trial, um, I would go to the jury and I go, "What worked? What didn't work?" And it was in those moments I'm like, "Okay, click, click, click." I never did that when I won because I'm brilliant, you know, just tell you. But when I lost, I actually humbled myself and and talked to the jury. And I didn't always agree with them, but at least it was a learning experience, and I have a greater appreciation for how other people saw my evidence. But I say that because if you're in leadership, how you respond to grief is just as important as how you respond to the good times. Leadership is often revealed more clearly in grief than in victory. because anybody can celebrate. But character really appears in sorrow. And then David says something that fascinating. And if I've lost your attention, give it back to me because we're about to land this plane. And oh my goodness, this is good. Get your Bibles out. Verse 38. And the king, this is David. And the king said to his servants, this is David talking. Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? Verse 39. And I am this day weak, though anointed king. Let's stop because that line might be one of the most relatable statements in David's entire life. I am weak, though anointed king. Have you ever felt that tension?

because every single one of you is anointed by God. 2 Corinthians 2:21 says, "Now he which is establishes us with you in Christ hath anointed us, that's God, who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the spirit in our hearts. Every one of you is as anointed as David." And this was David's question. David's question was, "I am weak, though I am anointed." Have you ever felt that tension? You're loved by God, yet you're exhausted. You're called, but you're overwhelmed. You're anointed, but you're grieving. You're faithful, but you're tired. David is still king, and he's still hurting, and he's still vulnerable, and he's still emotionally burdening. And honestly, there's comfort in that because some of God's children feel guilty for being weary. And they think, "If only I trusted God enough. If only I could speak my best life now, I'd never struggle." But this is what David said, "A man after God's own heart. Though I am anointed, I am weak. And the presence of weakness does not cancel the presence of God. The presence of weakness does not count cancel the presence of God." This is what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:10. Though I am weak, I am strong because grace shines brightest where human strength fails. So 2 Samuel chapter 3 is about a kingdom slowly coming together while people are simultaneously falling apart. This is a chapter where there is political progress and personal pain, victories and funerals, unity and betrayal, growth and grief. And honestly, this is life. God's purpose keep moving forward even while these humans are stumbling through weakness and conflict. And that doesn't excuse any of the sin. Joab's actions were evil. Abnner's delay called damage. Saul's house resisted God. Yet God's grace kept moving forward through the chaos. And this is one of the greatest themes of scripture. Human brokenness never outruns divine sovereignty and grace. And so perhaps the greatest encouragement from this chapter is that God is still working while the war continues. Maybe your family feels divided. Maybe your grief still lingers. Maybe your prayers feel unanswered. Maybe your heart feels tired. But do not miss what verse one teaches us. David, David grew stronger and stronger. And maybe that's your story today. If you'd like to follow us, we followed Christ and join with us. We give you that chance as we stand in him

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Let's continue our study in the life of David and in the books of Samuel, 2 Samuel chapter 2. Um, this is a I think it's going to be a chapter that speaks to a lot of you there because there are seasons in our life where it feels like God has finally brought you to the edge of what you've prayed for, hoped for, cried for, or maybe waited on for years and and and then somehow life, you know, things get complicated. You finally get the job, but the pressure is not what you expected. You finally get married and find out that they leave the cap off the toothpaste like it's some sort of spiritual gift. You finally have children and then suddenly a full night's sleep is it becomes something you speak of like the Israel talked about the promised land. You know, I've heard stories about it. That's the emotional world that we find ourselves in in 2 Samuel chapter 2. Remember, David has spent years running hiding in cave, dodging Saul's jealousy and spears, wondering if the promise of God would finally come pass. And now Saul is dead. Now look, if I were writing the story, the music would start to swell. You know that theme from Gladiator, inspirational music in the background, David riding into Jerusalem on a white horse, people cheering, the kingdom uniting, credits roll. But that's not what happens here in 2 Samuel chapter 10. It's messy. It's slow. It's complicated. It's human. And then here, David becomes king. we're going to see in this chapter, but only over the tribe of Judah. And another king rises up in the north and then civil conflict starts to brew and the nation starts to fracture. And honestly, this feels a whole lot more like real life than the movie version that I would have written in my head. Because what most of us have discovered is that God's promises usually unfold a lot slower than we expect. And we tend to think that if God is in something, everything, it's one of the great myths, but we tend to think that if God is involved in something, everything's going to be smooth, everything's going to be quick. But scripture repeatedly shows us that God is far more interested in developing us as people rather than simply accelerating the outcomes that we want so desperately. So God here, and we've seen this, is not just preparing the throne for David. He's actually preparing David for the throne. And there's a difference because anybody can receive a blessing, but not everybody can sustain it. You know, some people pray for influence before they develop their humility. They they praying for success before they develop their character. They pray for open doors before they um while while secretly hoping that God skips over the process of them walking through that door. But God, listen to me, God just doesn't merely give gifts to people. He also shapes hearts in the process. And and that shaping takes longer than we want. That's why David's story matters so much because David is living in that uncomfortable place between a promise and the fulfillment of that promise. And many of us are living and some of us are going through that right now. So let's jump into the scriptures. And it says, "And it came to pass after this after Saul had died. It came to pass after this. David inquired of the Lord." forward. You might want to underline that pause because there's a lot going on in just this one verse because David opens up with one of the most beautiful statements in his life. David inquired of the Lord. Now, now that phrase might not sound dramatic at first glance, but if you know David's story, it matters greatly because there were seasons in David's life, if you remember, where David stopped asking. He stopped inquiring and he simply started surviving. And and fear has a way of doing that to people. When when people become exhausted emotionally, they come spent physically, they're tired spiritually, they often stop seeking God and they start managing outcomes desperately. Let me say that again because this is a danger to all of us. When people become emotionally exhausted, spiritually worn out, mentally burned out, often they stop seeking God's guidance and start trying to manage the outcome. And that's their focus. And David, if you remember, he had reached that moment earlier in 1 Samuel where discouragement would cloud his judgment, where he fled into the Philistine territory where he started operating out of fear instead of faith. It was David who said, "I I'm not ever going to become Saul's going to kill me." But now something has changed. David has slowed down again. And he inquired of the Lord. Saul is dead. The path appears. The throne is near. And David asks, "Lord, where do you want me to go?" That is spiritual maturity. Because what immature people do is that they assume. What mature people do is they seek. And this is what the Lord says. He says, "I want you to go to Hebrin." He is not just some random place, y'all. He is a special place deeply connected to the people of God. Abraham had lived there. Generations of God people had passed through there. It was a place that reminded Israel of God's faithfulness over the years. The patriarchs were buried there. Abraham and Sarah were buried there. Isaac and Rebecca were buried there. Jacob and Leah were buried there. All the patriots were buried there. And not only that, Hebrin is kind of special because in Genesis chapter 13, Hebrin is where Abraham first built an altar to worship. Caleb, you know, in Numbers chapter 13, he went in with Joshua into the land of the Israelites with 10 other spies, but only he and Joshua came back and said, "Let's take the land." Even though they be as giants, we can take it. And so because of that in Joshua chapter 14, he was awarded whatever land he wanted and he said, "Give me the mountain Hein." So that was a reward for Caleb's conquering. And and then in Joshua chapter 21, Hebrin was established to one of these cities where the priests would actually minister and it was a home for the Levitical priesthood. In Joshua chapter 22, Hebrin was known as a city of mercy so that fugitives could flee there. So by the time that David shows up on the scene, this is hein where you walked into the city and you have thoughts of the patriarch, thoughts of the faithful ministry, thoughts of of Caleb being rewarded, thoughts of the fugitive finding mercies. This is Hebin. And it's almost like when the Lord says, "Hey, David, go to Hebin." The Lord is telling him, "This is what I want you to do. I I want you to go to a place where you can't help but think about my faithfulness to you." And that's a good thing for us who struggle on a daily basis, who have mental struggles, spiritual struggles, physically exhausted, to remember God's faithfulness to us, not our faithfulness to God, because that will wear you out because we are altogether unprofitable. There is none righteous, know not one. The poison of asps is upon our lips. Our righteousness, the best we have to do, is as filthy rags. That's all scripture. So, we aren't that faithful, but God is. And God says, "I want you to go to Hebin, David. I want you to go to the city where you can't help think about my goodness." And it's almost as if as if God has reminded David, hey, David, you're not just stepping into political power. You're actually stepping into a purpose that I have been building all along. And that distinction matters because there's a difference between ambition and calling. Ambition says, "How high can I rise?" But a calling says, "Lord, what do you want me to do with the gifts that you've given me?" And this is what's led to that moment. David has a calling on his life, but to get to that calling, he had to go through a process that involved pain. And pain has a way of polishing the rough edges off people. Nobody, let's be honest, nobody enjoys suffering. Nobody wakes up and says, 'Hey Lord, if it's possible, could you really devastate my comfort today? I I feel like my spiritual growth has become entirely too manageable. But the fact of the matter is David suffered and suffering does deepen people. It strips away illusions. It exposes pride. It teaches dependence. And so these caves that David have been through were painful places, but they were often every time transitional places for David because David learned in the caves before his public ministry. So God is never in a hurry. And listen to this, he is always on time. Let's go to verse four. And the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying that the men of Jabeshgile were they that buried Saul. So here it is. God says, "Go go to Hebrin." Dave and David goes to Hebrin and the men of Judah anoint him as king finally. And and David becomes king over Judah, but not over all of Israel. And he had been promised all of Israel. What's up with the promise of God? Why aren't we there yet? Why do I only have partial fulfillment? And partial fulfillment can really feel emotionally confusing at times because now you can see the promise, but you can't you can't fully hold it. Y'all get this, right? David is king, but not fully. He's victorious, but not settled. He's he's chosen, but he's still opposed. And and that's how it feels spiritually sometimes. You know God's moving in your life. You know he's brought you through this impossible season. You know he's changed you. You know he got you over the cancer. But things still feel unfinished. God's done all that with you. He's done all that through you. But you still wrestle with anxiety. You still battle insecurity. You still carry grief. You still wonder when some of the other prayers are finally going to get answered. And one of the greatest lies we could tell ourselves. And this is a one of those great li we tell ourselves. If God were really with me, everything would feel complete and finished. That that's just a flatout lie. Because here's what scripture consistently shows us that God works progressively. Think about that from the you know first stage the first chapter of Genesis. Even creation happened in stages and many times God gives us enough fulfillment to strengthen our faith while still leaving enough incompleteness to deepen our dependence. Y'all, David served as king of Judah for seven and a half years before he became king over all of Israel. Seven and a half years. And that's after all that running away from Saul, David had already waited a long time, which means that the throne was really never the ultimate lesson. Trustw was yet, and some of us struggle because we think that delay means denial. But God develops people slowly. He Abraham waited. Joseph waited and spent time in prison. Moses waited. Israel waited 40 years Israel and and then David waits and and then Jesus spent 30 years before he started his public ministry. So the kingdom of God doesn't operate at microwave speed. And and when he's growing his people, he's growing his oak trees, not as weeds. The kingdom of God just is uh it moves at the pace that the Lord wants. So we go to verse 5 and it says, "And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabish Gilead, and said unto them, blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have showed this kindness unto your Lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him." And now the Lord showed kindness and truth unto you, and I also require you this kindness, because you have done this thing." This is one of the more moving moments in the chapter because David had just learned that the men of Jabish Gilead had recovered the body of Saul and that they gave him kind of military honors in the burial and he was glad about that. And I want you to think about that kind of carefully, too. Dave David's a good guy. He's so much better to me. Because if if somebody who had been hunting me for years had finally died, I would want their bodies rotting publicly with maggots coming out of their eyeballs. And I would ha they deserved it. Then I'd call everybody around to joy over the humiliation. I'm not David. And anybody had a right to be bitter was David. Why? Because Saul had cost him years of peace. years without his family. Saul had cost him years of stability, years of emotional exhaustion. But David responds with grace and he blesses the men that had honored Saul. This is extraordinary because honestly myself, wounded people usually want validation for their anger. And if we're honest, bitterness can sometimes feel strangely comforting because people hold on to offenses because pain becomes familiar. And resentment sometimes it's almost like an emotional armor. But here's the problem with bitterness because it'll eventually harden your soul. It turns people cynical, suspicious, harsh, and eventually wounded people start wounding others and they certainly spread their poison to other people. That's why the Apostle Paul tells us, "Don't let the root of bitterness take root in our heart." And here's the thing about David, though, because David refused to let Saul define him emotionally. And that didn't mean, like we said last week, that David pretended that Saul was righteous. He certainly want wasn't. But grace is not about pretending evil is acceptable. Grace refuses to let hatred become your identity. And and honestly, that might be one of the clearest signs of spiritual maturity. Can you speak with restraint about people that have hurt you? Because y'all, anybody can retaliate. Anybody can nurse an offense. Anybody can be consumed with grievance. But David understands something profound here. Saul's failure did not erase the fact that Saul had once been anointed by God for leadership. And David refused to dishonor what God had once established. And that takes some maturity, especially in a culture where everybody seems eager to destroy everybody else online. We had a third shooting at the White House yesterday. Ratcheted down. Some gunman wasn't able to p penetrate the the the the perimeter of the White House, but let loose another salvo on the third one this month outside of three assassination attempts. Ratchet it down. When you start to nurse your anger, it starts to control your It starts to control your actions. And David didn't do that. David had a different spirit. Look, David could acknowledge Saul's failure without being consumed by hatred. That's strength. Let me put it another way. Weak people explode. Strong people restrain themselves. The chapter has become increasingly tragic because watch this as Abnner establishes Ishbashth Saul's son as king over the northern tribes. Here we are. Verse eight. But Abnner the son of Nur, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbasheth, the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanium, and made him king over Gilead over there in the northern tribes. Made him king over Gilead and over the Azerites, and over Jezrael, and over Abraham, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. So, Ishbasheth, Saul's son, was 40 years old when he began to reign over Israel. and he reigned for two years. But the house of Judah followed David. So here we are in a pivotal moment in Israel's history. I want you to notice something which should have been because God was very clear with the prophet Samuel that all the tribes recognized as God's anointed prophet. All the tribes of Israel recognized it. The entire nation recognized uhh Samuel. And Samuel had anointed David as the next king. But here, what should have been a tr peaceful transition becomes an eternal internal conflict. And Israelites begin fighting Israelites. And there's something uniquely heartbreaking about internal divisions. Let me say that again. There's something uniquely heartbreaking about internal divisions, whether they're in churches or families or friendships or nations. Divisions create wounds that run deep. And that's why Satan loves it so much. If he cannot destroy us completely, he's going to divide us gradually. And you can feel sadness underneath this chapter because David himself does not seem hungry for civil wars. Matter of fact, the exact opposite. He's he's not clawing for power, but it's the people that are around him that are trying to escalate the conflict. Joab especially becomes a central figure in this. Joab is complicated. He is brilliant. He is effective. He is loyal in many ways, but he's also dangerous emotionally. And some people can win battles publicly without creating while creating destruction privately. Joab often accomplishes David's goals externally while undermining the spirit of David generally. So he's accomplishing David's goals externally, but he's undermining David generally. And and it reminds us that that tal and this is so important. It reminds us that talent without surrender is dangerous because ability alone is not maturity. A person can be gifted and still be spiritually deeply unhealthy. You can you can sing on key and still be spiritually offkey. You can you can quote scripture and still have an unsubmitted heart. You can build platforms and and still be quietly neglecting your soul. So the conflict here escalates until Abnner and Joab all allow young men to fight in representative combat just like David and Goliath did. This is what goes on. Verse eight. But Abnner the son of Nur the captain of Saul's host took Ishbasheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mehannam and they made him king over Gilead over the Azerites over Jezrael and Era Ephraham and over Benjamin over Israelth Saul's son of 40 years was 40 years old when he began to reign. He reigned two years but the house of David house of Judah followed David and here we go. And the time David was king in Hebrew and over the house of Judah was seven years and six months. And Abner the son of Nurr went from Mehannam to Gibian. And Joab the son of Zariah, the servants of David went out, and here we go. And they met together by the pool of Gibian. And they sat down, one on one side of the pool, the other on the other side of the pool. And Abnner said to Joab, "Let the young men arise now and play before us." That's King James. It means, "Let them fight. Let them play before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise." And then there arose and went over number 12 of Benjamin and 12 of the servants of David. And they caught every one of his fellow by the head. And here we go. Thrust his sword in the fellow's side. And they fell down together worked for the place called that thing which is in Gibian. So what began kind of suddenly small all of a sudden turns deadly. And before long there's bodies all over the place. And this is how sin works. Sometimes it starts out gradually. It never stayed contained. Bitterness spread, pride spreads, unforgiveness spreads. Nobody plans on wreck in their life. People rarely wake up and say, "You know what would really honor God today?" Ah, complete emotional collapse followed by unchecked pride. Yeah. No compromise usually starts small. It always starts with a little resentment, a little ego, a little jealousy. But here's the thing about unresolved sin. It always grows and eventually everybody else around it starts to bleed too. And there was a very sore battle that day and Abner was beaten and the men of Israel before the servants of David and there were three sons of Zariah there Joab, Abashai and Ashel. And Ashel was light of foot as a wild robe and Ashel pursued after Abnner. So Abnner killed the guy and Ashel started to follow after him. And let me summarize the rest. Abnner turned to him and said, "Stop following me. Why you keep on following me? Turn thee aside, the right hand or the left. Lay thee hold on one of the young men. Take the Yazar." But Ashel would not turn aside. And Abner said again, verse 22, to Ashel, "Turn aside from following me. Wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother? How be it, Ashel refused to turn aside? Wherefore Abner with the hinder and the end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib that the spear came out behind him and he he fell down there and died the same place. So the death of Ashel here we are becomes one of the most sobering moments in the entire chapter. Ashel is fast. He's young. He's relentless. He's passionate. He's light of foot. Super fast. Running like a deer. There been an Olympic event, Ashel would have had endorsement deals by the time he crossed the finish line. So he chases Abner aggressively and Abnner keeps telling him, "Turn aside. Turn aside. Turn aside." But Ashel refuses. And there's something very painful about it's very painfully human in the story because Ashiel mistakes his intensity for wisdom. And our culture does that constantly. We assume that louder is stronger, that faster is wiser, that passion means maturity. You see it online all the time when these people are ramping it up and starting to scream in other people's faces to get them to change their mind or just to make a scene or a show. Intensity and passion does not mean you're wise. Sometimes you're just a Karen. Is that okay to say? Is there any Karen's in the crowd? If there's a Karen online, I'm so sorry. You know what I mean? But not every pursuit is a healthy pursuit simply because it's energetic. Sometimes wisdom means stopping. Sometimes maturity means restraint. Sometimes spiritual growth means learning what battles not to chase. And there are moments when God quietly warns us, "Turn aside. Let this go. Do not keep pursuing this." But pride says, "One more step. One more step. One more step. I got to get mine." And people will destroy relationships, ministries, peace, and sometimes entire futures because they refuse to turn aside. And there is a difference between perseverance and stubbornness. One flows from faith, the other flows from ego. And eventually ael dies because he chased something that he was not prepared to handle. And there's a warning in this for all of us. Not every opportunity is from God. Not every open door should be pursued. Not every fight should be fought. Sometimes wisdom will tell us, "Leave this alone." And one of the saddest statements in the chapter comes when Abnner finally cries out because his brother Joab said, "He killed Ashel. We're going to keep on pursuing. We're going to hunt him down." And Abnne takes them up to a ridgeeline where there's all these other people and they're prepared to fight. And then he stands up and he says, "Shall the sword devour us." Verse 24. Joab also and Abashi pursued Abnner. And the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Amma lith. And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abnner and became one troop and stood on top of the hill. And Abnner called to Joab and said, "Shall the sword devour forever? Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then thou bid the people return from following after thy brother?" And Joab said, "As God liveth, unless thou had spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone up, every one of us following his brother." So Joab turns his people back because of this statement. Shall the sword devour forever? What a question. Because eventually when it comes to violence, somebody has to stop the cycle. Eventually, somebody has to decide that revenge is not worth the endless destruction. And one of the deepest marks of grace is the willingness to end the cycle of bitterness, to end the family feud, to end the church conflict that you have, to end the revelational hostility. Because one wound creates another wound, one offense creates another offense. It's like in some marriages, you ask, you know, what are y'all arguing about? And they answer, we honestly don't know anymore. We're just deeply committed to it. But eventually somebody has to sound the trumpet and stops fighting. And let me tell you something, grace sounds the trumpet. Grace does that not because justice doesn't matter, but because hatred destroys everybody eventually. And so by the end of this chapter, the kingdom is still unresolved. It's still divided. David is king, but not fully. Conflict remains. Bodies are buried. Questions linger. And and perhaps that's why 2 Samuel chapter 2 resonates so deeply with us because a lot of our life feels unresolved, unfinished. We worship while grieving. We trust while waiting. We hope while we're confused. We pray while we're hurting. And the Bible never pretends otherwise. Scripture is remarkably honest about human experience. Faithful people struggle. Godly people still wait. Promises still unfold slowly. And ultimately ultimately all of this points beyond David to Jesus. Because even David, the greatest king that Israel ever knew, could not fully heal a kingdom. We needed another king for that. So Jesus came and he came not to rule externally, but he came to transform our hearts internally. And while David's kingdom rose through conflict, Jesus's kingdom rose through love. And while earthly kings are preserving their kingdoms through violence and and through manipulation, Jesus established his kingdom, not through violence, but by laying down his life. And through his death and resurrection, Jesus did what David could never fully do. He reconciles his enemies. He heals the division. He brought us peace and offers a subjective peace that we can know as we surrender to him. That's the gospel. This is what it says in Romans chapter 5:5. I'm sorry, Romans chapter 5:10. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. So if we're in a state of reconciliation and it says we shall be saved by his life, how's that go? Well, when you learn to turn the other cheek, you destroy bitterness and you end the cycle of violence. When you pray for your enemies and those that despitefully use you, you lower the internal temperature in your own heart. When you look out for the betterment of the people that have been your enemies, you're mirroring Jesus Christ. And perhaps the greatest encouragement of 2 Samuel chapter 2 is this. God is still working in the unfinished seasons and the promise and the dreams that may not yet feel complete and the waiting that may have continued longer than expected and the parts of your life that still feel unresolved. And the same God who guided David through Hein is still guiding today. But sometimes the greatest evidence of grace is not that everything immediately comes together all at once. Sometimes grace is simply this. God stays with his people all the way from the promise to the palace. If you'd like to worship Christ as we do here, we'll give you that chance as we stand to sing the first and last stanza of

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Samuel chapter 1. Yeah, we finished 1 Samuel. So, we're going to jump into 2 Samuel chapter 1. I'm excited about this chapter because I needed the lessons that it teach. And I think some of us do, a lot of us do. It's going to be very relevant to today, too. Because there are certain chapters in the Bible that surprise you. Not not because of what happened, but because of the way people respond to what happens. And this is what's going on in 2 Samuel chapter 1. That's one of these chapters. And if you don't know the story, if you haven't been keeping up with us, look, um, someone may have told you that that King Saul had died in the last chapter. 1st Samuel chapter 31. He died. He was at me Gilboa. They're fighting the Philistines and he died. But this came after years of him trying to kill David. So, you'd probably think that after Saul dies, 2 Samuel chapter 1, which is primarily about David, is going to start out with David having a little uh relief, maybe a little celebration, maybe maybe even feeling a little vindicated. I mean, after all, Saul for years had to tried to kill David. He hunted David through the wilderness. Because of Saul, David didn't get to sleep in the royal palace. He had to sleep in a bunch of caves, which a bunch of distressed and indebted losers. That's that's because of Saul. Saul had driven him from his home. Saul had forced him to lives in caves and deserts and even in enemy territories in order to survive. So by every human standard, Saul's death had removed the greatest obstacle to David's life. But when the chapter opens, David doesn't celebrate. David grieavves. That alone tells us something profound about grace. Because grace changes more than just behavior. It kind of realigns your heart towards God. Grace changes your disposition because anybody anybody can rejoice when the enemy falls. But it takes a work of God to mourn someone who had wounded you deeply and is no longer in the picture. So, everybody who had a bad parent, everybody who has been taken advantage of by an ex, anybody who has been deeply wounded or let the root of bitterness take hold of your soul, I want you to sit up. Not too much so everybody won't notice you, but sit up a little bit, take some notes, pull out your Bible because this chapter begins in the ab aftermath of the disastrous battle at Mount Gilboa that we read about in the last chapter. Saul, if you remember, and his three sons, including Jonathan, have died in the battle of the Philistines. Now, historically, this is one of the worst military moments in Israel's early history. So the Philistines now control large sections of the territory. Several of the Israelite cities were soon to be abandoned in fear according to verse 7 of chapter 31. So the monarchy looks shattered. Israel's first king died on a mountain totally humiliated. And into that atmosphere here comes an Amalachite. And it says in verse two, well, let's go ahead and read with verse one. Now it came to pass after the death of Saul that David returned from the slaughter of the Amalachites and David abodeed two days in Ziglag. So he goes back home now listen up verse two. And it came even to pass on the third day, there we go, that behold a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent and earth upon his head. And so it was when he came to David that he fell on the earth and did obiescence. So everything about this dude's appearance communicates disaster. Torn clothes, dust on his head. And you don't have to be in church for half a minute to know that that's a sign of deep mourning when you got rent clothes and ashes on your head. This is one of those things that the near east does. But so even before he speaks, David knows something terrible has happened. Verse three, David said unto him, "From whence comest thou?" And he said unto him, "Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped?" And David asked him, "How went the matter? I pray tell me." And watch this carefully. "How went the matter?" How did it go? David did not, his first question. He says, "Where are you coming from?" I came from the battle. How did it go? David did not ask am I king yet. He asked what happened. That that question matters because David's instinct that question reveals something. David's instinct is is not political ambition. His instinct is concern. Because here's the thing about God's grace. It it's more concerned about people than position. It prioritizes people, even people who have hurt you. So Saul had become David's enemy, but David never became Saul's enemy. David never stopped seeing Saul as a human, as a king, as God's anointed. church. That's hard because it's easy to preach grace to nice people. But it's a lot harder to extend grace towards people who have hurt you and wronged you and wounded you. But the gospel is not proven by how we treat our friends. It's it's proven by how we respond to our enemies. The gospel is not just for heterosexual Republicans. It's for the people that think of your enemies. Jesus himself said, "Love your enemies. Bless them that curse you." And David, though imperfect, gives us a glimpse into the heart of the Lord. And that's relevant today because people on the other side of the political spectrum, they're not your enemy. People with a different orientation, they're not your enemy. People who would disagree with you theologically, they're not your enemy. They're God's children. And so, here we have the Amalachites. And the Amalachites begin to tell the story. According to Saul, he according to the Amalachite, Saul had been critically wounded during the battle and asked the Amalachite to kill him before the Philistines could capture him and humiliate and abuse him. And the Amalachite brought Saul's crown and he brought his bracelet and he brought it to David. Apparently, thinking, man, David's going to reward me because I'm carrying the crown. It's going to be his. Now, here's the irony. The Amalachites were longstanding enemies of Israel. As a matter of fact, Samuel himself in chapter 15 of the previous book had been commanded to kill the Amalachites, every man, woman, and child. Though he failed to he didn't obey God in this matter. So here it's kind of ironic that now years later, the problem did not take care of him that he didn't take care of is is now taking care of his throne. So here the young Amalachite is, he's telling David, Saul was wounded. The battle is lost. Saul asked me to kill him. So he did. Then he brings Saul's crown and bracelet to David. And I got to be honest with you, I'm kind of thinking the Amalachite is going to think what I'm thinking. The Amalachites thinking David's going to be real happy to get the crown and the Amalachites thinking he's going to get a reward. No, no, no. That's not what happened. David is horrified. Verse 11. And then David took hold of his own clothes, and he rent them. And likewise all the men that were with him, and they mourned, and they wept, and they fasted until even for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel, because they were fallen by the sword. David mourned. Did you notice it wasn't just for his best friend Jonathan? It wasn't just for Israel, but it was for Saul, too. The same Saul who had chased him. The same Saul who hated him. The same Saul who repeatedly tried to kill him. How? How? Because grace sees people through the lens of God's image and not through the lens of personal injury. And I think one of the saddest things that can happen to us is when cynicism becomes easier than compassion and when we become more excited about judgment than redemption. David had every earthly reason to hate Saul, but but grace kept him in tune with the Lord's heart. That's why we want to keep preaching. Grace, grace, because it keeps us in tune with the father. Verse 13, I want you. The Amalachite had something else coming. Verse 13. And David said unto the young man that told him, "Whence art thou?" He answered, "I am a son of a stranger and a Malachite." And David said unto him, "How was thou not afraid to stretch forth thy hand," underline this, "Against the Lord's anointed." And David called one of the young men and said, "Go near and fall upon him and smote him that he die." David said, "Thy blood be upon thy head, for thy mouth is testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord's anointed." That that phrase, "The Lord's anointed," has appeared repeatedly through David's life. We saw it in 1st Samuel 24:6. We saw it again in 1st Samuel 26:9. David spared Saul's life twice and he told his men, "I did it because he is the Lord's anointed." And they y'all see the significance, right? He's the Lord's anointed. He's not saying that David's perfect. D Saul Saul was so deeply flawed. Saul failed. Saul rebelled. Saul spiraled into jealousy and instability. This this is the same Saul that tried to summon forth the witch of Endor when he went over and met with the that soothsayer and played Ouija board with her. This is the same Saul who twice tried to nail David to the wall with his spear. This is the same Saul who was backstabbing David, sending his men after David, and still David refers to him as the Lord's anointed. Because Saul's failure does not erase the reality of who Saul is and the and the reality that God had placed his hand upon Saul. So that look, here's another thing. The Lord's anointed. David is not excusing Saul's sin. Y'all get that, right? Saul had become jail, jealous, spiritually unstable. Scriptur is very honest about Saul's failure. He's openly rebellious towards God. But but David still recognized that Saul's humanity and he also recognized his significance before God. And that perspective matters today because one of the earliest they one of the e one of the things that this world tries to do is try to reduce people down to their performance. They only matter to the extent of what you do. And our culture is is increasingly training us to discard one another quickly. you know, fail publicly and people act as though your entire existence ought to be erased. Make mistakes and people will abandon you. They show more interest in your humiliation than in your restoration. But grace sees things differently. Let me pause for just a moment because one of the dangers of pain is that it makes us reduce people to the worst thing that they did. He lied. She hurt me. They betrayed me. And maybe they did. But grace reminds us that God's children consist of broken people. That does not mean that we're going to enable abuse. It does not mean that we're going to pretend that evil is good. It's not. That does not mean that accountability disappears. But it does mean that David could oppose Saul without hating Saul. And see, that's that's a graceful church is different than a church that we call the duty church. du t y the one that says you got to do this and you got to do that. God's only happy with you when you do the right thing. God is happy with you right now. Because right at this moment, despite what you did last night, God sees you through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Do do you understand that the doctrine of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ when he sees you, he sees you as righteous as Jesus Christ. You might not feel it, but that's how God sees you. But duty duty says you're only as good as as what you do. And it's pernitious and it's pervasive. And it's all throughout American theology. And duty can make you perform righteousness externally. And here's the thing about people that do their duty and do their job because they're trying to you you can perform your righteousness externally while still being eaten up inside. The the Pharisees were perfect at this. As a matter of fact, Jesus says, you know, you're so clean, you you're as white as supplicers. You're you're clean on the inside outside, but on the inside, you're full of dead men's bones. You you and you can tell somebody is operating from that kind of spirit of legalism and duty. You can tell that they're operating out of duty when things feel mechanical. You know, I forgive because I'm supposed to. I I served because I had to. I I came to church because it was expected of me. But see, the beauty of grace is that it creates something different, something better. Grace softens places that bitterness hardens. Grace restores places that pain has poisoned. Grace enables compassion where revenge once lived. Now I want you to think about David because if he had allowed Saul to dominate his heart, then even after Saul died, Saul would have had control of David. You know, some people are physically free but are emotionally imprisoned by resentment. Still replaying conversations. I'm so good at that. Still nursing wounds. still feeding anger, still reliving betrayal. But this is what Grace says. I refuse to let bitterness become my identity. So David mourns Saul. David mourns Jonathan. He turns specifically to Jonathan. He starts to sing a song because that's what David does. He's the psalmist, right? Verse 26, he says, "I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan. Very pleasant thou been unto me." Thi this friendship between David and Jonathan is one of the most beautiful relationships in scripture because you look at Jonathan just an amazing dude. Jonathan should have been threatened by David. By birthright Jonathan was next in line to be the king. David's rise meant Jonathan's decrease. But Jonathan loved David anyway. And that's rare because insecure people cannot celebrate what God is doing in the life of someone else. Let me say that again. Insecure people cannot celebrate what God is doing in the life of someone else. And Jonathan could have fought David. Instead, he protected him. Jonathan could have resented David. Instead, he strengthened him. Jonathan understood that God's kingdom was bigger than his own personal ambition. Let me put it another way. Grace celebrates what God is doing in the life of other people. Jealousy will say, you know, if they rise, I lose. Grace says, if God is glorified, we all win. So don't don't just as a practical matter, don't take godly friendships for granted, people who strengthen your faith, people who tell you the truth, people who pray for you, people who stand beside you in these dark seasons. These are gifts from God. And David sings the song and and let's pick up with verse 17 and we'll just go through the song and then we'll pick back up. And David lamented and and with his lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son. Verse 19. This is the song. I don't know the tune. Maybe one of y'all could put it to it. The beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Oh, by the way, as we read through this short song, please, if at any point during this song, David says anything about Saul slinging arrows, David says anything about Saul visiting the witch of Endor and trying to raise the dead. David says anything about Saul's ungodly character. Any time during that song that this happens, I want you to clap, stand up, raise your hands, shout, go Pentecostal at any moment. Here we go. The anything negative about Saul, if there's a single negative thing, stand up and shout. The beauty of the earth, I'm sorry, the beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places. How the mighty are fallen. Tell it not in Gath. Publish it not in the streets of Ascalon, lest the daughters of the Philistine rejoice, lest the daughters of the circumcised triumph. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew. Let there be no rain upon you, nor the fills of the offerings. For their shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, and the shield of Saul as though he had not been anointed with oil. from the blood of the slain, from from the fat of the mighty. The bow of Jonathan then turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death. They were not divided. They were swifter than the eagles. They were stronger than the lions. Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and other delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel. How the mighty or fallen in the midst of the battle, oh Jonathan, thou was slain in the high places. I am disped for thee, my brother Jonathan. Very pleasant hast thou been unto me. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. How the mighty are fallen and the weapons of war perish. And that ends the song. Not one negative word about Saul. There's a Latin phrase the mortis nhill nib bonum of the dead nothing but good. We can live life like that where we let the wounds be in the past where we can remember the good things and the gifts. It's rare because people cannot celebrate what God is doing in someone else's life like Jonathan celebrated. It's rare. Jonathan was so rare and Saul Saul fallen was also anointed. So David sings and he repeats oh how the mighty have fallen. It becomes it kind of becomes the the anchor and the cry of the chapter. Notice that he never once mocked Saul's downfall. He mourns the tragedy of it. He doesn't mock it. He mourns the tragedy of it. And there is a difference because sometimes when powerful people fall, the world turns it into entertainment. But David, David saw it as a tragedy where others saw it as a spectacle. Because let me tell you something. And it took me a few years to reme learn this. Grace does not enjoy destruction. Ezekiel 33:11 says, "God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked."

Think about that. God is holy. God judges sin. God confronts evil. But even God does not delight in their ruin. And if God himself grieavves over doesn't grieve over destruction, h how much more should we guard our hearts from becoming people who enjoy watching the collapse of others? Because David understood something. Saul did not have to end this way. And that's part of his sorrow. This this was a man who was once chosen by God, anointed by God, empowered by God. The man who once prophesies, who once stood tall with promise and potential, but the little compromises, the little jealousies, the little rebellions slowly hollowed out the inside of them. And sin rarely destroys people overnight. Usually, it just erodess them gradually. So, David is grieving not only about Saul's death, but Saul's wasted potential. And when I read this chapter, I can't help think about Jesus. Because David is grieving over an enemy who who tried to destroy him. And centuries later, Jesus would stand over Jerusalem and weep over a people that rejected him. And then even on the cross to the people that were mocking him and had nailed him there, Jesus cried, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Not weak." Divine strength control. Anybody can retaliate. Anybody can get angry. Anybody can keep score. But it takes the spirit of God to genuinely extend mercy. And the reason that we can give grace is because we have received grace. And every one of us, every single one of us has failed. The Bible says it like this. We are all together unprofitable. There is none righteous. How many? No, not one. That's scripture. So when you start getting on your high horse and looking down on somebody else, I need you to realize something. You're just as wicked as they are. And that's why we needed grace. Every one of us have failed God. Every one of us has wondered. Every one of us has sinned. And every one of us needed the mercy that we did not deserve. And yet Christ loved us anyway. And that should change how we see other people because once you realize how much grace you've received, it becomes a lot harder to live permanent prosecutor of everybody else's sin. Let's talk about the dangers of building your identity around the pain and the hurt that you've received. Because David had a lot. And one of the things I've noticed in this chapter is that David refuses to make the pain his identity. I mean, he had plenty of painful memories. The caves, the betrayals, the fear, the isolation, the running for his life. But David doesn't let any of these things get define him. He doesn't let anything that Saul did define him. And there are people that were quite honest with ourselves that build their entire

goes back to the injury. Every perspective is filtered through the offense. Every relationship is shaped by the old pain. But grace refuses to let the hurt become the Lord. And it does not mean that our wounds are fake. Some wounds are deep. Some wounds are real. Some betrayals genuinely alter you. But grace says this, "My pain may shut part of my journey, but it will not become my God." So David, hey, let's close it out. Land the plane. You know, earlier when when uh God told Samuel, I want you to go and I want you to find a man after my own heart. And he sent him to David. David is a man after God's own heart. I don't think it's because he's perfect. David was certainly not perfect. We're going to see that as the book starts to focus in on him. But because even in moments where revenge was available, grace still spoke louder. And that points us to Jesus. What what David displayed in this chapter is not natural human instinct. Because natural human instinct says, you know, they hurt me, so let them fall. Human instincts keep score. Human instincts wait for the moment when the enemy finally collapses so it can whisper, "They deserved it." But grace produces something entirely different in the heart of the child of God. It allows us to acknowledge wrong without becoming consumed by hatred. Grace allows sorrow to exist where bitterness could have taken root. David understood that God Saul's life had become tragic long before his death took over and became public. A man chosen by God, empowered by God, filled with the promises, slowly unraveled with pride and jealousy and fear and and and and just partial obedience. So David doesn't celebrate that. He grieves it. And that spirit points us, you know, in Luke chapter 19 over to Jerusalem and he said, "How often, how often I would have gathered you like a mother hen would have gathered her chickens, her her chicks." And then when he hung on the cross in Luke chapter 23, he prayed for the very people that nailed them there. That that's the grace that makes a difference. It's a grace that doesn't teach us to merely act differently. It changes the way that we see people alto together. So, so by the close of 2 Samuel chapter 1, David, David still has not ascended to the throne. Oh yeah, that the crown is near. But before God public elevates David, he needed a moment to reveal what he had privately formed in David's heart. In every cave, in every escape, through all those years away, in all that

tells me that your pain, in your escapes, and the betrayals that you've experienced, God is working in your life, too. And that may be one of the clearest marks of spiritual maturity. Not how loudly we celebrate our victory, but whether our hearts still remain soft, we have been wounded. Because anybody can rejoice when the enemy falls. But when grace governs the heart, even grief is possible

and we can thrive. If you'd like to serve our Lord Jesus Christ as we do here at Camp Creek Church and and follow him, we give you that chance as we sing the first and last

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Thanks for that good prayer and please continue to pray for me and one another as we go to the word of the Lord this morning. If you have your Bibles with you, I'd invite you to turn with me to 1 Timothy chapter 1.

This letter to Timothy was written by Paul when he was an older man. Timothy was a young man in the ministry, and the Apostle Paul has a challenging task for Timothy here. He has left him behind at Ephesus to right the ship of the church. There were serious issues of doctrine, issues of forsaking public worship, and issues of not having proper offices established for leadership.

This letter is a kind of church operational manual. In 1 Timothy 3, he says, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

Ephesus was a metropolis and a trade hub. They had the temple of Diana, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was a pagan society with a mixture of religions, and these were the problems Timothy was set forth to address.

1 Timothy 1:1-5: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus... that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned."

Paul begins by stating he is an apostle—one whom Jesus himself called, taught, and sent. He is giving Timothy the authority to set things right. He adds that Jesus is "our hope." Without him, we have not a shred of hope. Our sins deserve everlasting punishment, but God descended in human flesh, lived a sinless life, and bore our sins on the cross.

He calls Timothy "my own son in the faith." "The faith" refers to the record of God regarding the object of our faith—Jesus Christ. It refers to the word of God. In Jude, it says to "earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints."

Timothy is to instill sound doctrine. The church is the "pillar and ground of the truth." It cannot have false truths mixed in. He charges Timothy to stop those teaching incorrect things because it causes harm when we aren't centered on the truth of Christ.

He mentions "fables and endless genealogies." The Jews had supplemental texts like the Haggadah (fables and genealogies) and the Halakah (legal interpretations). Paul says we don't need those; we should focus on the word of God rather than man's interpretation.

Verse 5 says the "end" of the commandment—the purpose or goal—is charity out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned. These are the attributes of a mature Christian.

**Charity out of a pure heart:** Charity is the purest form of love—self-sacrificing "agape" love. Love is a verb expressed in action. Doing "loving" things for appearance's sake is not a pure heart. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and love your neighbor.

**A good conscience:** This involves an interface between our minds and spirits. A "good conscience of action" is one that properly accuses or excuses us. You can "sear" your conscience with a hot iron by habitually ignoring that inner voice until you grow numb to sin. A "conscience of standing" is how you view yourself in relation to God—knowing that through Christ, we have peace and a new standing.

**Faith unfeigned:** This means not faking it. It’s truly exercising the spiritual fruit of faith. We should trust that God is a promise-keeper. If we truly believe what we say—that the Creator died for us and makes intercession for us—our lives should be different. Faith without works is dead; it’s ineffective if it isn’t being used.

We all have different roles as parts of the body of Christ, but these qualities should be common to all Christians. These things stir me up in a freeing way, showing what a life in harmony with God looks like.

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Let's continue our study in 1 Samuel. We are actually at the end of 1st Samuel. So find the last chapters 1st Samuel chapter 31. And I want everybody to read along. song. I want everybody to see it because this is going to be relevant to every one of your lives because there's a lot of chapters in the Bible that feel you can literally feel the victory before you even read the first verse. Joshua chapter 6, man, forget about it. The walls of Jericho are coming tumbling down in in 1st Samuel chapter 17. It's awesome because the giant is about to fall. In Matthew chapter 28, a tomb is about to open. But 1 Samuel chapter 31 is not that chapter. It's a heavy chapter. It's dark. It reads like the scene of a tragedy because the curtain is closing on Saul's kingdom. And there is a lesson in here for every one of you, no matter how young you are and no matter how old you are. Because in this chapter, there's not going to be any last minute rescue. There's not any dramatic comeback. There's no sudden victory in this chapter. By the end of the chapter, Saul is dead. Jonathan is dead. Israel is scattered. The Philistines have won and are celebrating on Mount Gabbora. And yet, the Holy Spirit has preserved this chapter for us for a reason, which means that we need to hear what's in this chapter. Because 1st Samuel chapter 31 is not a story just about a king who died. It's a story about a heart that slowly starts to drift from God. It's a warning about pride, about insecurity, about compromise, and about not addressing spiritual decay. But at the same time, woven throughout this chapter are whispers of God's grace. And one of the reasons this chapter matters so much is because Saul Saul didn't begin here. Saul and and that that's probably the saddest part of the whole story because if you remember Saul began with a promise all the way back in first Samuel chapter nine. He was actually chosen by God. He was anointed by Samuel. He was empowered by the spirit. You remember God said in chapter nine, he's like, "Hey, the next king of Israel, he he's hiding behind the baggage. Go find him and anoint him." And the spirit fell on him. And Saul did some great things in his life. And and there were moments and flashes where he looked exactly like the kind of king that Israel needed. moments of courage, but but somewhere along the way, Saul stopped guarding his heart. And and here is what God is showing us. In one sense, nobody collapses overnight. Spiritual ruin happens gradually, quietly, slowly, one compromise at a time, one act of disobedience at a time, one moment of pride at a time, one refusal to repent at a time. So by the time that we've reached 1st Samuel chapter 31, the battle on Mount Gilboa is just really an outward manifestation of a loss that's taking place and and a loss that's been happening internally for years. So let's begin verse one. Y'all following along? We got pews in the Bible for you. You can pull it up in the Bible app on your phone. There's no reason not to follow along. The word is God is powerful quicker than it sharper than any two-edged sword. It can draw s you know it can it can divide the soul and the spirit and the body. So it's powerful stuff. So read along with me. Now the Philistines fought. Here's how the word of the Lord reads. Now the Philistines fought against Israel and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell down sllaying Il Gilboa. I want you to notice as we start the chapter how quickly the battle turns. The chapter begins there's no there's it begins with immediate collapse. There's no buildup. The Philistines attack, the Israel flees, and the Israelites die. There's there's no in between. And as we read it, there's something that kind of kind of dawns on you almost immediately. It's like, man, they lost this before it ever began. As a matter of fact, that shouldn't come as a surprise because in 1st Samuel chapter 27, when we had the sermon about the witch of indoor, Samuel the prophet rose up and said, "Hey, tomorrow you and your sons are going to be hanging with me here in the indoor world." So, I mean, it was actually predicted. And I'm wondering, although the scripture doesn't say it, I'm wondering if that affected Saul's battle plan, you know, because you know that you're going to die tomorrow. What what what would you do differently? And I'm pretty sure instead of coming up with a really good strategy, he was kind of focused on himself and preserving his life. I don't know. I'm just speculating. Let's get back to the word of God. It said now because Gilboa is not the beginning of Saul's downfall. The Philistines fought against Israel. The men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell down slain at Gilboa. That might have been where the body fell. But the loss, guys, the loss has been happening all over 1 Samuel because when we go to 1st Samuel chapter 13, y'all remember the first compromise? Saul was very clear when uh Samuel told him, hey, you know, wait on the sacrifice. But instead of waiting on the sacrifice, he got tired of waiting on Samuel. And when he went ahead and offered the sacrifice and when Samuel confronts him, what he said was, "Well, I I saw that the people were starting to scatter away from me. That's why I disobeyed." So instead of a just a simple act of you know what, dude, I was wrong or dude prophet or Mr. Prophet Samuel, you know, represented, I I was wrong. Instead of saying that, he's like, well, you know, people were starting to scatter. I had to do something. He didn't repent. Then just like two chapters later when Samuel said, "Hey, this is what God says. Kill every one of the Amalachites. Every man, every woman, and every child." Oh, that's not sensitive, John. Why you killing the children? Because they grow up to be big Amalachites. That's why. Kill them all. Kill every beast. What did Samuel do? Well, he spared King Aag and he spared the best of the flock. And then when Samuel confronts him, he's like, "I get no respect. Look, what I was doing was I was just going to offer up the the best animals for sacrifice. Start sacrificing." And Samuel looks at him and says, "It is better to have obedience than sacrifice." Y'all understand, right, that the word of God and the laws of God and the admonitions of God are not designed because God is a killjoy. They're designed because God knows. God knows the best way for humans to interact with each other. God knows how sin will destroy your life. And God doesn't want that because he loves you because you're his children. God knows. He's not out there trying to kill your joy. He's trying to fulfill your joy. Because if you'll just do it his way, you'll be happier. That's why God put these rules and these things. He's like, I want you to do this. You're my children. And I want you to be fulfilled. And I want you to have a joyous life. And I want you to have a happy marriage. I want you to have great friendships. I want you to have a good working relationship with your boss. I want societies to function. I don't want homeless people. I don't want hungry people. I don't want a society where the rich oppress the poor. I don't want that. So that's why he has the rules. And Saul didn't follow him. Better to be obedient than to sacrifice. And then then if you remember even after admitting the sin where Saul goes like, "Yeah, yeah, I was wrong." Okay. Then he turns to Samuel and he says, "Hey, but hey, before we walk out here, do you mind honoring me before the people?" Just kind of showing them that I'm a good guy. Matter of fact, the words are, "Honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of the people." That's 15 verse 30. So, he's caring more about image. And this is something that is going to plague him his entire life. And listen to me teenagers and social media people and 20 year olds and 30 year olds. Listen to me in to the image an awful slave master. Saul's instinct was repeatedly to defend himself to explain himself to protect his reputation. So Saul's defeat at Mount Gilboa really is just a reflection and culmination of all these earlier attempts when God would confront him and Saul chose to assuage his guilt assuage his I'm sorry to assuage his ego rather than to repent. It it really began when obedience became partial instead of complete. It started when Paul began worrying about protecting an image more than protecting his relationship with God. And that's one of the frightening things about spiritual decline because not many people wake up in the morning and and suddenly decide, you know what, I'm going to run my life today. I'm going to crash the plane. It never happens like that. It usually happens slowly. One neglected prayer at a time and prayer becomes less important. When when convictions become easier to ignore when when pride starts growing unchecked. When when bitterness settles into the soul, I know you're upset with your family member. I know you're upset with your friends. I know you're upset with your boss. But you know what? Maybe God has a better plan. And the Apostle Paul told us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, don't let bitterness take root in your soul because it will poison you and strangle you to death. It's little things like that. People don't I'm just going to ruin my life. No, they let bitterness take over their soul. And then your relationship with your family, your friends, your boss, it's ruined. And then worship becomes routine instead of intimate. And over time, what happens is that this heart starts callous. Then it starts to grow hard. And so by the time that Saul reaches Mount Goboa here, he's fighting a battle physically that he's already lost spiritually. And Paul and like Saul like Saul, many people spend their lives trying to win an external battle while neglecting the internal one that really dictates the direction of your life. And that's one of the frightening realities of spiritual drift because outward collapse is usually the final stage of an inward decay. Let me say that again. An outward collapse is usually the the the final stage of a inward decay. People rarely wreck their lives suddenly. It usually it happens slowly like we talked about a neglected prayer life, a growing bitterness, unchecked jealousy, a refusal to humble yourselves, and eventually the external battle is going to is going to just publicly reveal your internal condition. So Saul's army, Saul's army is falling physically because Saul, the leader, has already fallen spiritually. And here's the thing. The problem gets worse when you try to fight public battles while you're privately. This is how it gets you're you're trying to fight public battles while you're privately completely disconnected with God. Because I'm here to tell you cannot consistently win life's wars while losing the inward one. You can't you can't win those outward wars while you're losing your inward war. And eventually what's happening in your soul is going to spill over onto everything else. Let's read verse two. And the Philistines followed hard. You might want to underline that phrase phrase. And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons. And the Philistines slew Jonathan. Underline that one. And that's sad. They slew Jonathan Abenadab and Milkishua Saul's son. So there's not going to be any apparent because all the Saul's sons are dead. Just like the witch of indoor had predicted act. No, no. Samuel had predicted when the witch of indoor called him up. Now, let's go back and follow a couple of things here because that word followed hard, y'all. That's a that phrase carries the idea of a relentless pursuit. Y'all get it right. The enemy is closing in. Have you ever felt that? The pressure is amped up. There's no room to breathe anymore. The anxiety is not on 10. Quote spinal tap. It's on 11.

For those of y'all that haven't seen that, it it just it's in overload. Okay. So, yeah, let's get back and then let's get back to the word of the Lord. And then suddenly, here's what the text tells us. Jonathan dies. Jonathan, perhaps next to Jesus, the purest man in all of scripture. He's dead. The courageous prince, the loyal friend, the humble son who recognized David would someday wear a crown and was totally cool with it. Now Jonathan dies, dig this in the same battle as Saul. And that's a painful reminder because sin rarely damages only the sinner.

Right. Let me repeat that. That was so good. Sin rarely damages only the sinner. The ripple effects of rebellion spread outward. Families feel it.

Children feel it. Friends feel it. Communities feel it. Churches feel it. Parents feel it. Children are affected. Divorce.

The effects of sin have a ripple effect. One person's spiritual drift can create heartbreak for everybody around them. Nobody nobody sins in the vacuum. And and yet even here, I want you to notice something. Jonathan died with his father. Even here, Jonathan's loyal. I'm hearing a whisper of grace. Even here, Jonathan's loyal. Jonathan knew that Saul was wrong. Jonathan has confronted him before. Jonathan knew that David was God's chosen king. Jonathan knew that the kingdom was unraveling,

but he still honored father. And I I want to make this clear especially in this political climate. There is wisdom in that balance because we live in a culture that only knows extremes. You either idolize someone or you completely destroy them in public. If I've lost your attention, give it back to me because this might be the most important thing I say for this political time. Jonathan shows us that it is possible to seize someone's failures without becoming dishonorable ourselves. you can show grace to other fallen people and that kind of maturity is rare. That's why we need to pray for our leaders even when we disagree with them. It is reprehensible that people are hoping that Donald Trump gets assassinated. It is just as reprehensible that people wish the same thing on Joe Biden. It is uncchristian. It is satanic. It is wrong. And we need to stand up against that kind of evil. Jonathan knew that his daddy was wrong and Jonathan honored him anyway. That is why the Bible tells us, "Pray for those that God has put in leadership above you." And it doesn't qualify it. Because if you spend your time obsessing about how much you hate a political leader, you're focused on the leader and not on the God whose heart the leader's hand is in. So focus on God. Pray for people that disagree with you. Pray for the others that disagree with you. Pray for them. Pray for them. Pray for them. Focus on God, not on that person. Pray for your leaders. This is the word of God. And there is no arguing with because if you're arguing with the word of God, you are wrong. You can show grace to people who are fallen. And it says in verse three, "And the battle went sore against Saul." And I want you to notice this. And the archers, underline this, "And the archers hit him. And he was sore wounded of the archers." So now we got the big battle. People are dying. People are falling. And then all of a sudden it narrows down to Saul. We do that, you know, mid-range shot, and then we close in on one person in the arches. That's interesting because the king who once stood head and shoulders above everybody else is now bleeding on the battlefield. I guess he made a big target. Notice this. It was the archers. It was the archers that wounded him. I find that interesting because the enemy is not in striking distance. They're striking from a distance. And Saul can't even get close enough. Saul had a spear. An archer beats a spear thrower any day of the week. and and and and Saul can't even get close enough to fight back. Have you ever been there? And so so many times often the deepest wounds the deepest wounds are those spiritual wounds that come indirectly, gradually from afar, not one catastrophic moment necessarily, but but through repeated small wounds that that that pierce the heart and hurt the soul. disappointment, offense, envy, fear, pride, isolation, little arrows. And if those wounds go untreated spiritually, eventually they'll weaken everything. And Saul's life here is a is a tragic example of unresolved inward wounds. Paul was a deeply insecure person. Every time David succeeded, fall Saul felt threatened. And every time somebody celebrated David, Saul interpreted it as a personal attack against him. I mean, just think about it for a moment. God chose Saul, but he also chose David because Saul messed up, but that didn't mean that Saul couldn't have finished his life out until he died and then David would have taken over. There was nothing that you had to leave right now until he did have to leave right now through continued disconnect from God. And so he had all these issues, his insecurity, his it just being personally attacked or interpreted everything as personally attacked and an insecurity left untreated eventually turned Saul into a suspicious, paranoid and angry man. And y'all, this is why inward healing matters so much spiritually because listen to me, wounded people wound people. Can you hear me? Wounded people wound people. People hurt by rejection become controlling. People hurt by betrayal become bitter. People dominated by insecurity become prideful and and defensive and and so pain that's not brought honestly before God will eventually distort our soul. Hey guys, David, ladies, David had brothers, sisters, David had wounds, too. But when David got wounded, he'd pour his pain out before the Lord in repentance and worship. But Saul Saul mostly buried his pain beneath his pride. Eventually, those wounds would become fatal. Let's pick up with verse four. Then said Saul to his armor bearer because he's been pierced. He's dying. He goes to his armor bearer, "Draw thy sword, thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me." But his armor bearer would not, for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. One of the more tragic moments of scripture, Paul dies the same way he lived, desperate, fearful, without peace. To me, I think one of the more sadder verses is this, lest the uncircumcised come and thrust me through. And here it is, and abuse me. Because verse four right here carries a little a lot more weight than simply Saul fearing physical pain. Because the word abuse in the King James opens a window to the ancient world and to Saul's psychology and kind of the deeper tragedy of his life. Because the word abuse here carries the sense of mockery, a humiliation, torture, desecration, public shaming. Saul's not merely afraid of dying. He's terrified of the Philistines will do to him after they capture him. And honestly, in the near east, that's not an irrational fear. Y'all remember Samson? Saul does. Saul knew the story of how the Sam of how in Judges 15 when the Philistines captured Samson, they blinded him in both eyes. They put him in chains. They forced him to grind wheat like a bunch of oxen. And they publicly mocked him for his support. Saul probably fears the same thing. But here's what I think Saul forgot that even Samson in that condition was able to repent and before he died, God gave him the strength to kill more Philistines in death than his entire life. I mean, he died blinded. And and let me tell you this. Maybe there are some decisions that you've made in your life that you cannot reverse. They are irreversible. But you can still you can still come home as a child of God. You can still have that intimate moment with God in those last days. We serve a gracious God. That's that's what Samson did. Saul Saul didn't. and and and he's so consumed with shame and appearance, he forgot what a gracious God we have. And that has to be one of the driving forces of his downfall. And he he repeatedly has has has has feared losing honor before people more than than he feared losing intimacy with God. Remember back in 1st Samuel 15, we talked about it earlier where he looks to Samuel and says, "Hey, honor me. I pray thee before the elders of my people. And even after the rebellion, even after this, Saul's instinct is here's what I want to do. I want to preserve my dignity. It's his pride. And so, here we are on Mount Kaboa. The same fear remains. He fears humiliation, exposure, public disgrace. In church, this is actually one of the crulest forms of bondage. The tyranny of image management.

the tyranny of image management, one of the the worst task masters, one of the worst forms of bondage. And Saul took it to his grave. And and some people are more ex fear fearful of being exposed than they are of being healed. They they'll hide their wounds instead of confessing them, protect appearances instead of seeking restoration, defend pride instead of embracing repentance. Because shame is a powerful act. In fact, it was Satan's oldest weapon. Because you remember in the scriptures when they talk about the Garden of Eden, we don't know what foods they ate. We don't know what the conversations took place. We don't know anything. This is the one thing that we know about the state of humanity.

They were naked and not ashamed. So apparently living in paradise means that not ashamed. Well then the fall happened and then the fig leaves or the you know oak leaves or maybe it was maybe it was poison ivy that that is that had served him right. Wouldn't that have been funny? Sorry you Adam, I'm busy. Anyway, so but here's some people are more ashamed of being exposed to being healed because shame is so powerful. The enemy, Satan loves our humiliation.

He loves to isolate people from the knowledge of grace. This is what shame says to you. hide, pretend, protect yourself, don't let anybody know. So, Paul spent years hiding behind pride, behind jealousy, between behind anger and control. And then, and he said right here, he said, "And these less these uncircumcised come." So, the anointed king in his final days is terrified of becoming mockery before pagan enemies. But tragically, that's exactly what happens. And so in the following verses, what happens is the Philistines cut off his head, they strip off his armor, and they fasten his body to a wall at Beth. And that very humiliation that Saul's been trying to avoid all along is exactly what happens anyway. And that's the sobering truth of chapter 31 that if if we continue to refuse to surrender to God really the uh the thing that we fear most can often masters us. So Saul still worried about appearances even now even dying even at the end he fears humiliation more than death. It's been his problem for years consistently caring about that public perception more than private obedience. And church, hear me. This, hear me, hear me. Living for appearances is exhausting. Trying to maintain an image will drain your soul because eventually you're going to be more committed to looking healthy than becoming healthy. And becoming healthy requires honest self assessment about where you are. Hey, this idea I'm okay, you're okay. Only through the blood of Christ. Only through the blood of Christ. You know, the Apostle Paul because I know that there's this underlying religious current out there that you can be sinless, you can be perfect, you can get to a place where you don't struggle with sin. That's so funny. I mean, you are so arrogant. This is what the Apostle Paul says. Oh, wretched man that I am. And I'm pretty sure that the Apostle Paul and the Holy Spirit understand verb tenses. So, the Apostle Paul, who's out there founding churches, writing twothirds of the New Testament, he's a saint. He says in the middle of all that oh wretched man that I not was I am we are all today in this moment wretched people but then he goes on to say and I thank God in Christ Jesus the hope that we have and the struggles that we have we don't have to fear God because of Christ Jesus. That's the hope. And so here's here and there's there's Saul never fully learning how to humble himself before God. David failed miserably. We're going to see it in second Samuel. But but he always repented deeply. Saul failed spiritually, but he defended himself constantly. So one man broke and he ran to God. The other kept hiding behind his own pride. So let's go on. Let's go on to verse five. And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword and died with him. This is devastating. Saul falls, but not just Saul. Somebody else falls with him. Leadership always affects other people. That's why we pray for our leaders. Leadership always affects other people. Always. Whether good or bad. Nobody rises alone. Nobody collapses alone. People are watching, families are watching, children are watching, church is watching. That's why integrity matters. And honestly, this verse is one of the reasons why we should pray instead of criticizing. But when leaders drift, the damage often spreads outward. So let's go on to verse six. So Saul died and his three sons and his armor bearer and all his men that same day together. And when the men of Israel saw that the men of Israel had when the men of Israel, there we go, saw that the men of Israel had fled, they forstook the cities and fled. So now it's not only the people are fallen. Now now the nation is unraveling. The cities are abandoned. The people are fleeing. The Philistines are moving in. Fear spreads fast. And this is the tragic end of Saul's kingdom. The man who was chosen to deliver Israel from the Philistine ultimately dies defeated by them. Why? Because partial obedience never produces lasting victory. And Saul wanted God's blessings without full surrender. But eventually what's hidden in the heart becomes visible in life. And when it came to pass on the tomorrow, they found Saul and his three sons fallen in Mount Gil Gilboa, I'm sorry, the Philistines cut off his head, strip his armor, fasten his body to a wall. They publish the victory everywhere. Why? Because Satan and the enemy loves publicly shaming. Cruel. But hear me carefully.

Failure. Listen to me. Failure. Listen to me. Failure is not identity. Peter failed, but he was restored. Jonah failed, but God pursued him. Mark failed, but he became useful again and wound up writing one of the gospels. The difference is repentance. So Saul continually resisted brokenness before God and that's what ultimately destroy him. But God's not going to end the chapter now because he's got another whisper of grace. I want you to listen because it's beautiful. And when the inhabitants of Gabesh Gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul. So suddenly unexpectedly grace enters the chapter. The men of Jabish Gilead traveled all night to recover Saul's body. Why? Because years earlier Saul had rescued them. Back in in 1 Samuel chapter 11. Saul delivered Gabesh Gilead from destruction. And these men never forgot it. This is remarkable because at the very end of Saul's tragic story,

somebody remembered the good that he once did. And I love this because people are complicated. Saul was not all evil. He was a deeply broken man who resisted God repeatedly. But there were still moments that God used him. And these men honored that. They risked their lives to give Saul a dignified burial. The Bible says that they even fasted seven days. Israel mourns not nearly because a king died, but because of what could have been. Saul had so much potential. Yes, he was a child of God. Yes. Samuel said, "You're going to see me because Saul went to heaven."

Let me make this deeply personal. Several of us in this congregation had a pastor who the end of his life was disappointed. But he was a child of God who was deeply used by God. Even the most flawed among us. God used him. So Saul had so much potential, chosen, anointed, empowered. But the reason he died the way he did is because of spiritual. The tragedy is not that Saul was weak. Tragedy is that Saul would not stay humble because Saul did not begin this way. He was humble. He was hiding in the baggage. He was overwhelmed by the calling. But Somewhere along the way that humility turned to insecurity and that insecurity turned to jealousy and that jealousy turned to paranoia and paranoia turned to rebellion. Drift is subtle. Nobody wakes up thinking that they're going to just collapse at day. It just happens inch by inch. And that's why it's important for us. Book of Psalm says to guard your heart. So finally, let's close out with this because 1 Samuel chapter 1 points us to Jesus. Because Saul is a picture of a failed human king. Even the strongest earthly leaders collapse. But Jesus is a better king. Because where Saul clung to power, Jesus laid down glory. Where Saul hurled spears, Jesus stretched out his hand. Where Saul died because of his own sin, Jesus died for our sins. And unlike Saul, Jesus rose again. This is our hope. Not in human strength, not in giftedness. Our hope is in Christ. A faithful king who never drifted, never failed, never changes. And the safest place in the world that we can find ourselves is in surrender to Jesus. Because grace can be known, grace can live, mercy is still calling. And the king still receives broken people who come honestly to him. If you'd like to worship our Lord as we do here at Camp Creek Church, we'll give you that chance as we stand and sing him number.

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Morning.

If you have your Bibles with you, I invite you to please turn to John chapter 9. Gospel of John chapter 9.

Kind of a privilege to be with y'all. I have been here several times and this church has been a encouragement and a joy to know have fellowship with you and uh thank you for the opportunity. Pastor has been a blessing upon my life and my family's life for several several years now. Um, now we're going to be looking at the Gospel of John, chapter nine, but I'm going to back up a little bit and explain to you what's going on because sometimes our chapter breaks, I mean, they're not they're not original. You go to the Psalms, those are original, but the chapter breaks in the New Testament, somebody tried to put those in there to help us out to help find different places for us to reference to. If I had to tell you to go to the midpoint of the Gospel of John in such and such paragraph, starting in such and such line, that'd be difficult. So, we have these we have these chapter breaks and verse breaks to help us figure out where we want to start. But what goes on in chapter 8 continues on into chapter nine. What you have in eight is the setting for chapter nine. Um, and chapter 8 ends. Um, there's a bit of a debate going on between Jesus and the Pharisees. And it says verse 54, Jesus answered, "If I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my father that honorth me, of whom ye say that he is your God. Yet ye have not known him, but I know him. And if I should say I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you. But I know him and keep his sayings. Keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. And he saw it and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet 50 years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am." Then took they up stones to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. Jesus has been accused being a false teacher because he bears witness of himself. Now, this is kind of a bizarre thing to be arguing about, but yeah, it kind of makes sense. If a prophet says, "You should believe me because I'm telling you this," that's kind of circular. It's like, "You got to give me reason to to listen to you." And Jesus's reason was, "Well, first off, John the Baptist came and he was the forerunner promised by Malachi. That is a supernatural thing. You don't get fulfilled prophecy without God. That should have been enough. That didn't work. Jews did not believe on Jesus even though John had already been sent. Jesus bears witness of himself. He shows himself to be the Messiah. He is fulfilling what the Old Testament said he would do. That should be enough. Not they're not believing. So they're accusing him of saying, "You're bearing witness of yourself. You're not giving us what we need to believe in you. You are false." And Jesus tells them, "I am bearing witness. I am not honoring myself. I am honoring the father. It is the father that honorth me." And he tells them, "You think you know him? don't know him. I know him. Then he makes this statement that Abraham rejoiced in him, not just God. Abraham rejoiced in specifically Jesus Christ. And then they flip out and say, "That's whoa, whoa, whoa. Abraham lived nearly 2,000 years ago, and you're going to tell us he rejoiced to see you? You're not even 50 yet. You're not even close to being old enough for Abraham to know anything about you?" Then Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I am." He has claimed two things in that statement. He is greater than their father Abraham. Now, a Jew is going to be offended by that in and of itself. How could you say that you're greater than our forefather Abraham whom God chose out of the of the Cales and made this great nation out of? How are you greater than him? But on top of that, he says, "I am." That is the title that God delivered to Moses when he gave the law. When he delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, he said, "I am that I am hath sent thee." Moses is freaking out like, "Who do I who do I say sent me?" I tell them that it's the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. And God says, "That's true, but more. I am that I am hath sent thee." Jesus says, "That's me. He is claiming to be the God of Abraham. He is claiming to be the God that sent the 10 plagues in Egypt. He is claiming to be the God that parted the Red Sea. He is claiming to be the God that was in the tabernacle that spoke face to face with Moses. He's saying that's me. Since they're unbelievers, the Jews technically do the quote unquote right thing to do now, which is this man is lying. He's claiming to be God. We're going to stone him. They were wrong because he really is God. But like, okay, that's that's plain blasphemy right there. That's what's going on in their mind. And so Jesus, that's it. God who sent the 10 plagues of Egypt, the God who delivered Israel by destroying Pharaoh's army, the God that guided them in the wilderness, the God that led Joshua, the God that brought on captivity and freedom and captivity and freedom in the history of Israel, his people are trying to stone him. What does he do? He leaves, passes by them and said, "And so passed by and going on to chapter nine, and as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth."

God, God Almighty has just been men have just tried to kill him, to take his earthly body and destroy it. terrible, terrifying God in the Old Testament. That's the same God. What does he do? He here for judgment. He here to condemn. Is he here to destroy? He leaves. He goes to a man who was born blind. He goes to a man that no one thinks about. He goes to a man that has been begging at the temple for his entire life. He's blind. cannot function in society the way that everyone else does. That's who he goes to. And his disciples asked him, saying, "Master, who did sin? This man or his parents that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man and work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light world.

So, his disciples have this not so right idea about why this guy is born blind. We're going to find out that the Pharisees have the same idea that Jesus's own disciples do. Obviously, there's something very wrong with this man or very wrong with his parents that he would be born blind. That's their assumption. You know, they would say, "Well, we all, you know, have to follow God's law where none of us are perfect, but this guy's clearly worse than the rest of us. He was born blind." Or his parents messed up, so he's now born blind. That's what they're thinking. They ask Jesus very plainly, like, "What? What? Why is this the case? Why is this man born blind?" This goes to a question that, you know, sometimes I think about, and I know lots of other people think about. Why is it that the world that God made has things in it like this? Has people that are afflicted by something like blindness? Obviously, based on the way God made man, he's not supposed to be blind. Gave him two eyes for seeing, to take care of the earth. He gave Adam the ability to see and to work. This man's born blind. This is not a good thing. Why are there bad things in the world that God made? Why do bad things happen? Why are people afflicted with certain things? The very simple answer to that is man's sin. Now, it's not specifically this man's sin or his parents' sin. It's just sin in the world. Man messed up and he was cursed. The world that we live in, God did not make it this way. The errors of man made it this way. But that's usually not satisfactory for us. Like that's not really the question I'm asking when I say, "Why is there bad things in the world?" Most of the time when people ask you that question, that's not what they're after either. They don't want that answer because that's not really the question that they're asking. The real question they're asking is if your God knows everything and is all powerful, why is his creation this way now? Why didn't he do something? And biblical answer is he did do something. He just didn't do it the way that we might expect. Jesus answers that question to his disciples. He says, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents that the works of God should be made manifest in him." God allowed his creation to be corrupted. He did. But it is God who fixes it. It is the works of God that heal us. Why are we afflicted with this? Some You can name off things that go on in your life or in the lives of your friends or your family and wonder why does God do that? Sometimes I don't really have the full answer to that, but this part I do know. God heals. God is glorified in this kind of work, in doing this for his people. It is pleasing to him. It's a hard thing to think about sometimes, but it's true. This man is not born blind because he's so much worse than everyone else and his parents are so much worse than everyone else. He was born blind that Jesus could heal him. Again though, it's not a good thing that he's born blind. You got to understand that the things that are wrong in this world are not good things. God doesn't think that they're good things. That's why he does something about them. He doesn't leave us where we are. He doesn't say, "Well, you know, being limp or lame, blind or hurting or sickly is a good thing. That's fine." God doesn't say that. God fixes those things. Those are not good in his sight. Now, it is glorifying to him that he does fix them. That's why we deal with some of those things. But don't look at the world and say, "Yes, God likes that." That is wrong to say that. God doesn't like that. God did not make the world that way. He intends to change it.

Then he says

that as long as he is in the world, he is the light of the world. That is really and truly what this um passage is about. This story is about is about Jesus being the light of the world. You have a man born blind. He cannot see. Jesus is our light. Without him, we cannot see. Just like this blind man. Blind man is physically blind. Without Christ, we are all spiritually blind. Without the light, the light of the world. John chapter one. So this theme gets carried through the whole book. Jesus is the light of the world. There is no other light. There is nothing that can show us will and glory of God. There is nothing that enlightens us to our purpose in God except for the light of the world. There's nothing that can bring us out of darkness. There's no actions of man, no wisdom of man that brings us out of the darkness that we are in. It is Jesus Christ and only Jesus Christ. Then what does he do? How does he heal this man? He said, you know, I'm that's my work, my works. That's what I'm coming to do. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle. He anointed the eyes of the blind man with clay and said unto him, "Go wash in the pool of Silom, which is by interpretation scent." He went his way there there um therefore and washed and came seeing.

Gross. Little bit. That's a little gross. He spat on the ground and mixed it up and then stuck it on this guy's eyes.

That's gross. But also, why did he do it that way? That's that's that's something that I get into a bad habit of. Why did Jesus do something the way that he did? Why did he do it like this? Why did he anoint his eyes then have him go wash? Is there significance to that part? Why was it this pool, not something maybe closer? Why was it not just the next house over? Why did he do Stop that? Jesus just healed a guy. He gave a guy sight that was blind. We can't do that. God manifested himself in the flesh. showed himself to be God by doing something amazing. Yeah, he did it in a weird way. Don't get caught up on that. He just healed a guy who was blind.

Sometimes life may not make sense. Don't focus on that part. Focus on your God. Focus on the savior that has come into the world to deliver you from the things you don't understand and has done it in a way that maybe you don't understand. And there's a lot of people that don't understand the message that Christians have, that God was made flesh and died to save his people. A lot of people that are offended by that, that thought that God lower himself, be made man suffer like man, that he would lower himself that much to not only just die, but die a humiliating criminal death. That's what he chose to do. That's how he saved all of us. That's what he went through for you. The natural man, that's very confusing to the natural man spitting on the ground and rubbing it in someone's eyes is also a little confusing to me. What God chose to do and it is glorious. Again, Jesus just healed a guy. He just took someone who was blind and made him see. He sends him to the pool of Silom. The pool of Silom is mentioned in Nehemiah chapter 3:15 and then in a few other places I think mainly in Isaiah. The pool of Siloam is the pool that sits in the garden of the king of Israel, the king that reigns in Jerusalem. That is the pool that's in his garden. Jesus sends a man to the pool of the king. I don't think that's an accident. I think Jesus is claiming to be the king of Israel when he does this. Go wash in that which belongs to me. What's the significance of that other than Jesus saying he's the king? I think that's what it is. I think that's what he's pointing to. This is what the kings had in their palaces. What's next to them? He sends this man to go wash there. He gives what is his for this man. Again, guy's blind. Now he's not. Such were all of us. We were blind. Um Paul teaches us in first Corinthians that the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God because those things are spiritually discerned. The entirety of God's revelation to man cannot be received by man unless that man has the gift of the spirit. We don't know what God is trying to say to us. We don't believe it. We don't accept it. We don't like it. It's impossible to be pleased with the things that the spirit has revealed unless we have that spirit. Like I mentioned, the natural man doesn't like what God chose to do for his people. They think it's repulsive. Even Peter himself, who was following the Lord, tried to change the Lord's mind about what he was going to do for his people. In um book of Matthew, Jesus tells him going to Jerusalem. I'm going to die and be raised again. I'm going to suffer and die, be raised again. And Peter tells him, "Not so, Lord. It's not supposed to be. It shouldn't be that way. That's not fitting. That's not right." And Jesus tells him, "Not, well, Peter, you just don't quite understand. Let me let me help you out, Peter. I understand where you're coming from, but let's let's try to fix." No, he didn't do that. He says, "Get thee behind me, Satan." He said, "What just came out of your mouth is the doctrine of the devil. What you just said is completely the opposite of my will. My will is to suffer for my people and to save them by that. Natural man doesn't like that. Natural thinking doesn't like that. Such were all of us. We were all blind. This being the case, what do blind people that can now see, what are they supposed to do? What should we be doing?

Man, come seeing the neighbors. Therefore, and they which before had seen him that was blind, said, "Is this not he that sat and begged?" Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." But he said, "I am he." I got all the neighbors arguing about this. Is this really that guy or is it just someone like him? Is it the same guy? Was he actually blind? Guy said, "Yes, it's me. I am the blind guy that y'all all know. It's me." Therefore said they unto him, "How were thine eyes opened?" And he answered and said, "A man that is called Jesus made clay and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Silom, and wash." And I went and washed, and I received sight. Then said they unto him, "Where is he?" He said, "In

blind man just said, what happened?" All he did. Very simple. You think about it, like, "Yeah, okay. Just say what happened.

Do you say what happened to you? Do you talk about the fact that you were once blind and now you see? Do you have the ability to do what this man does to just plainly state what Christ has done for you?

Sometimes I don't. How do you not? How don't you don't you do this preaching thing? Don't you don't you talk? Yeah, I do. And sometimes I failed to do one of the most important things, which is to sit down, think about what did Jesus do for me? What did that man that was passing by do for me?

I explain it to them. Can I tell them of the riches of his grace in my own life?

This man doesn't have anything extra to give. He can't go to the scriptures and lay out fancy prophecies or something like that. He doesn't have that. He doesn't need to be doing that right now. He needs to be testifying what the Lord did for him. That's exactly what he does. He gives that details. The Lord, he didn't call him the Lord. He said, "This guy named Jesus came to me, anointed my eyes, play, told me to go wash. I washed. I came seeing. Have you reflected on your life to understand enough on your life to understand that you were blind? Some of you that may be kind of difficult. I know for me it it is a little difficult. I'm under no um uh delusion that um I have heard the gospel preached my entire life. There was I cannot find a time when I didn't understand part of it. I can't think of a time, but I need to understand what that word says about me. It's not because I was raised on it that I understand it. It's not because my family was raised on it that I understand it. It's not that I was born into a church that I get to understand these things. Reason I understand it such a young age is the same reason anyone understands it at any age. No matter what their life has looked like before, it is by the grace of God. is by his power and his power alone that my eyes are open under the things of the spirit of God. I need to tell people that. Who people? Which people? Just church people. Does this does this guy just tell church people?

So they asked where is he? He said I know not. Again, he's very honest. He said he doesn't make up something about Jesus. He doesn't try to explain away what happened to him. I said where is this Jesus? I don't know. That's it. That's all the story I got. I got no more. I can't give you anything else. They brought to uh they brought to the Pharisees him that a fourth time was blind. And it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. That detail is mentioned because according to the Pharisees interpretation of the Old Testament, to put your finger in the dirt and mix it up was work. that is considered plowing the ground. Which you might be thinking, are you serious? Yeah, I'm serious. That's what they thought. I'm not giving Pharisees any, you know, leeway here. They're wrong. But let's think about it. What did Moses have to do that like the day after he got the law? Don't break the Sabbath. Y'all remember there's a man who goes out right after Moses gets that law and picks up sticks, burn for a fire. Moses is commanded, "Kill him." That's where these guys are coming from. But look, that's pretty simple. He just went out to get sticks. The Lord said he is dead. Again, though, they're wrong. They are interpreting this in a way that makes no sense because what is Jesus doing? Is he doing what that man was doing? He was literally told the day before, don't do work on the Sabbath. I don't like that. I'm going to go pick up sticks because I don't want to listen to Moses. Really, what that guy's doing is Jesus doing that. Is Jesus saying, I don't want to listen to the Pharisees. I'm going to do what I want. No. Jesus is healing a man. Jesus came to work the works of his father. He came to do the fulfillment of that law. He's not just trying to make them mad. He's trying to please his father. Gave that law. He's trying to fulfill that law because he understands it. So yes, the Pharisees are trying to take the law seriously. They take it the wrong way though because they have a misunderstanding. We're going to get to that just a minute. But the law should be taken seriously. God said this is the rules. Can't break them. You're not supposed to. It's bad if you do. They went way too far with it and they're not seeing in Jesus Christ the fulfillment all of that law. That's part of their that's that's the main problem the Pharisees had. They had the law. They took it seriously, but they didn't understand it. They interpreted it in their own way. They did not go back to the law and compare it to what Jesus was saying and doing. They did not go back to the prophets and see that yes, that man is doing exactly what Isaiah said. that man is doing and declaring what Isaiah said he would declare. Jesus right before this stands up in the middle of one of the feasts and quotes or at least references Isaiah 55. He is telling them, "This is it. This is what y'all should have been looking for." They don't like that have an interpretation. We should take the word of God seriously, but we should take it so seriously that we pay attention to everything that it says, not just some parts of it. pulling those out of context because they're not going to understand what's happening in this man's life either because of their interpretation of the law.

Then again the Pharisees, this is verse 15, also asked him how he had received them. He put clay upon my eyes and I washed and do see and didn't change his story. The man when he came face to face with people that could kick him out synagogue. Synagogue is where the Jews would gather to worship God on a regular basis. These men had the authority to remove people from that. These are the guys, I don't think this is biblical, but they had the authority to make it where you couldn't go to church. He comes to them, does not change his story, does not modify parts of it to make it sound a bit better. just says what Jesus did. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, "This man is not of God because he keepeth not the Sabbath day." Others said, "How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?" And there was a division among them. Some of these people are getting it. They're saying, "Look, you sit on the Sabbath. Can't work on the Sabbath. That's not right. This guy can't be of God because he doesn't keep our interpretation of the law. They said unto the blind man again, "What sayest thou of him that hath opened thine eyes?" He said, "He's a prophet."

This guy is doing his best. He's probably thinking, "All right, what little of the law I know, cuz even if I could read it, or even if I had a copy of it to read, I was blind. I can't read it at all. Doesn't really matter." what little he knows about the Old Testament. He knows guys who do what Jesus just did for me are prophets of God. Go back to the Old Testament. Who's able to do stuff like this? Moses. Moses was a prophet. Elijah. Elijah is a prophet. Elisha. Elisha is a prophet. These men worked miracles. They are prophets. Men that aren't miracles don't work prophets. Seems pretty plain to me. Jesus is a prophet. Um, and that's where brother Newton gets the one of the phrases in that hymn. Um, he is our prophet, priest, and king. Jesus was a prophet. He came declaring the things of God. He foretold future events. He had that kind of wisdom about him. He is the greatest of all prophets. But this guy's right. He's gotten it again. He just says what Jesus did. He compares Jesus to what he knows about the Old Testament. He goes back to the word, says, "Well, he matches the description of all the prophets I know about. That must be what he is." And he's right.

But the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and received his sight until they called his parents that the parents of him that had received his sight. I like how John phrases that they don't just say, you know, they called the parents of this guy. John says they called the parents of the man who received his sight. John wants it to be plain wrong. This guy was blind. This guy can now see. They're saying, "Okay, all right. Jesus can't be a prophet. He can't be son of God. This guy must be lying. He can't have been born blind." That's what we're going to go with now. They call his parents. And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son who ye say was born blind? How then doth ye now see?" His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind. But by what means he now seeth, we know not. For who hath opened his eyes? We know not. He is of age. Ask him. He shall speak for himself. These words spake his parents because they feared the Jews. For the Jews had agreed already that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out the synagogue.

His parents were scared. Bad place to be. They're scared these people are going to kick them out of the synagogue because they knew they had already decided if anyone claims Jesus is the promised Messiah who name the title Christ means it means Messiah. Anyone claims that we're kicking them out. They're gone. That's what we're going to do. They're straight to the curb. They're out. They say, "Yes, this is our son. Yes, he was born blind. What happened to him? We don't know. Just go ask him. Leave us out of it.

When we hear testimony of someone explaining what Christ has done for them, do we react heresies react like parents of this man?

Pharisees didn't like it because it didn't fit with their thoughts on what the word of God said. Parents parents didn't even like what happened. They were scared. their son that was born blind can see. What are they doing?

Do we react that way? Do we do we look at what someone's saying and do we get worried about what other people are going to say about it? Why would you do that? Why why would you do that? Why are you not rejoicing in what the Lord has done for this person? That's what we should be doing. I am guilty of being like parents in this situation. I am. Someone will testify of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for them. I'm sitting over there thinking in my head, well, that wasn't phrased exactly like these people like, and that wasn't phrased exactly like what Paul says in Romans. It's close, but you know, you could fix it a little bit. Don't be doing that. There's a place for that. There's a place for explaining the word of God more perfectly. But when someone is trying to lay out their heart for what Christ has done for them, do not step on that. That's just wrong. Do not quench the spirit. Do not try to convince other people to quench the spirit. Christ has opened someone's eyes. We ought to rejoice. Now, does that mean we never talk about doctrine? We never talk about specificity. Of course, we do that. But we do that rejoicing in what God has done and what God has revealed. Not being Ebenezer Scrooge. Not right. Not being fearful what other people are going to say.

When you were learning things, natural things, you're in school. and you're scared what other people think, how other people are going to criticize you about trying to learn things. You're worried about making mistakes. Was it harder or easier to learn when you were worried about making mistakes? If you knew if you made a mistake, someone was going to help you. That made it a lot easier, didn't it? This man doesn't have that. His parents aren't even doing that. He has this testimony of this guy named Jesus and everyone is now either accusing him of not knowing anything about Jesus or accusing him of being a liar.

Don't be like that. Then again called they the man that was blind said unto him, "Give God the praise. We know that this man is a sinner." So close. So close to being correct. Give God the praise. Yes. Yes, you should. We're going to get to one of the reasons why you should do that. Then they followed up with this statement. We know that this man is a sinner. Ignore this man. Pay no attention to what he's doing. Just glorify God. Give God praise. Y'all already know the problem with that. Started with it. What did Jesus call himself? I am. You're going to give God the praise while accusing God of being a sinner. That's the problem. Can't do that. He answered and said, "Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not. One thing I know that whereas I was blind, now I see." What does this guy do? Does he say, "Okay, I I'll listen to you. I'll call Jesus a sinner. I'll just I'll take your word for it." No. He says, "I don't know. I don't have any idea. I don't know nothing about Jesus. What I know is I was blind. This man came to me and now I see." You not have to have a extensive knowledge of theology. You don't have to be able to give a discourse on systematic theology to talk about Jesus. This guy really didn't have that. All he had literally all he's got is stories other people told him about the Old Testament and in this experience all he's got to go on. What does he do? Sticks with it. Important. If you do know something from the word of God, if you have learned something from what God spoke, do not let someone's unfounded tradition take that away from you. If they cannot defend what they are saying based on the word of God, they cannot clearly lay out for you how God has revealed something. Not listen. Not very complicated. Don't do that. If I say something and I don't back it up with scripture and you go and check and you find out, well, brother Jonah, this scripture says this and this scripture says this and that's not what you said. I'm wrong. Don't listen to me. Listen to the word of God. What does this guy know about the word of God? Jesus came and I received my sight. Know that Pharisees aren't giving him anything. They're not saying, "Well, the word of God says this. The word of God says this." It's not what they've got. They got nothing. They're not explaining to him what happened to him. They're not even recognizing the God who gave him sight. How can they explain what happened to him if they deny the God that did all of it? He says, "Whether this man be a sinner or no, I know not. He knows nothing about Jesus. The first time he met him, he hasn't even seen Jesus yet. Remember, he's blind. At the start of this, Jesus put mud on his eyes, sent him away. He doesn't even know what he looks like. He's heard the sound of his voice, and he knows his name. Scott.

Then said they unto him again, "What did he do to thee? How opened he thine eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already, and ye did not hear. Wherefore would you hear it again? We also be his disciples. And they reviled him and said, Thou art his disciple, but we are Moses's disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses, as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvel is a marvelous thing that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine? Now we know that God heareth not sinners. But if any man be a worshipper of God, he doeth his will, him he heareth? Since the world began, was it not heard that he Since the world began, was it not heard that any man open the eyes of one that was born blind? If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.

That's a statement there. First off, they say, so he answers them. He's explained it to them already. They're they're still agitated. They're annoyed, trying to figure this out. They go back to him and say, "Okay, okay, okay. Explain it to us one more time. Explain to us exactly what he did." He said, "I told you. I told you exactly what he did. I told you the whole thing already. Will ye be his disciples? are you wanting to follow this guy? Are you trying to learn more about him? They really didn't like that. They did not like that at all. They said they reviled him. This isn't again this is not a little soft statement. They are angry. They are livid with this man for daring to say that to them. Reviled him and said, "Thou art his disciple, but we are Moses's disciples." Another place Jesus is going to say, "If you had heard Moses, you would have heard me." Moses pointed to Jesus. Moses, here's what's really cool about the Old Testament law. Most of it is just types and shadows of Jesus Christ. Most of it is blurry images. You can't really tell what's happening, but you know the Messiah is going to be something like this. Then all of a sudden, Moses gets something more. He starts saying, "There is coming a prophet after me." Just a picture. He's saying, "There's an actual guy. I'm gonna tell you about him. I'm gonna tell you some details about him. There's a prophet coming after me, greater than me. You're going to hear him."

Moses spoke about Jesus. These guys missed it. Why? Because they were not using the word of God the way it was intended. took Moses and they read into Moses what their parents told them about Moses. They didn't change any of it. Those guys got it from their parents and their parents and their parents, I presume. I'm not real sure who all influenced them to be able to take the revelation of God and then use it to try to reject the incarnation of God. How do you get there? How do you get to the point where you have a virgin shall give birth to a son in Isaiah chapter 7 to not this guy, not this guy, not this guy that matches the description that Isaiah gave you, not him. How do you get there? I don't know. But obviously, they didn't get there by using the word of God. They got there by misusing the word of God. So he tells them, "Look, I've never heard of anyone able to do anything like this. I've never heard of anyone opening someone's eyes. And on top of that, I've never heard of God blessing someone that is, and by sinner here, what they're referring to is someone that does not worship God, does not honor God, does not recognize God, someone who's opposed to God. Why would God heal through a man that has no respect for him? That doesn't make any sense.

Good point. Doesn't make any sense. Why would God honor someone that despises him? Why would God give supernatural power to a man that is not of him? That's confusion. God is not the author of confusion. Jesus is God. This blind man knows it.

They answered. This is verse 34. They answered and said unto him, "Thou was altogether born in sins, and dust thou teach us?" And they cast him out. They go back what the disciples asked at the very beginning. Why was this man born blind? Was it for his sin? Sins of his parents. Pharisees do the same thing. You were born blind. Obviously, there's something wrong with you that is not wrong with us. You weren't born blind. You have something about you tells us God doesn't care about you. God does not give you wisdom that we don't have. God cares more about us. That is foreign to the New Testament, foreign to the Old Testament, too, but it's really foreign to the New Testament. God does not afflict people with things whereby we can now judge that we are holier than them. Before God, we are all sinners. We are all bad. There is none righteous, know not one. Why are we going to fight this game about who's the worst of the worst? You're all bad compared to God. You're all counted as wicked.

this guy's got something wrong with him. This guy comes from this family or this guy has these parents that did these things. This guy's done this in his past. This guy has this affliction. This guy has this wrong with him.

We all have something wrong with us. None of those things go away except by the power and grace of God through Jesus Christ. They all needed the same thing. They all needed Christ. blind man now had him. They're telling him we're born blind. Can't tell us where we're wrong. We are obviously more righteous than you. Again, can't do that. What do we use to understand what is truth revealed? God has said in his word what Christ, God in the flesh said. Pretty simple. You want to know what God said? God say Jesus is a man. Yes, but he is God in the flesh. He said words to us that we are to use. In another place, he chides the Sadducees and says, "Have you not read what God spoke to you?" Sadducees didn't say, "Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait, wait, wait, wait. No, God said that to Moses a long, long time ago." That's not He didn't He's not talking to us. No, he's talking to you, too. What's in the word of God is written to you. God spoke it to you. Yes, he spoke it to Moses. That's how it got to you. But it's to everyone.

Do we use things we've made up in our own heads, things that we have not tested against scripture, or do we use scripture to understand what God is doing and what God has done for us and for others?

They cast him out.

He can't go to the place where for, you know, Around 1,400 years, people have been going to worship one true and living God. Moses brought them out of Egypt. They have been worshiping God together in the synagogue in the temple long time. There was period of time where they're in captivity. That's what they were supposed to be doing. These guys through this blind man who now sees out for his testimony Christ.

Don't misuse the word of God. It hurts other people.

misuse the word of God. How can you see Jesus? Jesus healed this man. They missed it. Jesus heard that they had cast him out. When he had found him, he said unto him, "Dust thou believe on the Son of God?" He answered and said, "Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talkth with thee." He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped

place that he understood this is where he worshiped God. He got thrown out of God came. He still got to worship God because God came. They will be born of God. They are born of God. They shall not come into condemnation but are passed from death to life. Christ came that we might have life more abundant. Comes to this blind man tells them ask something very very simple. Do you believe God? Seems like a simple statement you know. Someone came and asked us that, we probably go, "Well, yeah." And not think twice about it. What does that mean? What does it mean to believe on the son of God? What does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ? Means past death means you're not dead in your sins. It means you are alive in Christ. Is it what got you there? John explained that the beginning of his of his gospel. Those that believe were born the spirit of God. They're already born by the will of God. They're not born of the will of the flesh or the will of man, nor of blood. You do not understand the things of God. You are not born again because you will to be born again. You are not born again because some other man willed to born again. You're not born again because of who you're related to. Born again the will of God. You believe.

is the evidence life. What does life mean? Means you will not condemnation. You will not be condemned sins you have committed because they have been laid on Christ. He was made to be sin for you that you might be made the righteousness of God. That's the blessing that each of you have in Jesus Christ. That's one of the things you should be able to tell people. Do you believe on the son of God? Yes, I believe because of his spirit in me. I can believe. That means I have passed from death and life. I am an object of God's love. I shall not come into condemnation because he has taken my sins upon himself and he put them away. Not some man. God himself, flesh, taken my sins away from me and has clothed me in his own righteousness, the righteousness of God. There's a phrase that's used in Romans. It is literally the righteousness of God that is imputed to you. Christ's righteousness is the righteousness of God because he is God.

I've mentioned to you, what do we do in response to what Christ has done for us? What do we do in response to having our eyes open to the wonders of God's grace? Tell people about it. Don't modify what you know. Don't change what you know unless you're changing according to scripture. Explain what Jesus has done for you. Tell people about it. Why is your identity? You know, when I was younger, it was was taught to me if you're going to speak to people about the Lord Jesus Christ. If you're going to point out to him, point out to people what you believe, share with him what you believe. You need to have some kind of relationship with that person. You shouldn't just be going around, you know, demanding that people believe in Jesus. That people don't respond to that too well. Yes and no. I want someone to know who I am. I want to be close to other people to share with them what God has done for me. But who I am is what God has done for me. I am defined by what Christ has done for me. My identity is not something else. I am not this thing or that thing or that thing. That is not what makes me me. Makes me me is what Christ has done for me. I am a new creature, new creation in who? Christ. That's what you are. You should be honest about that. If you want to be close to someone and you want that person to be close to you. If you want to share the wonders of God's grace, you have to share the wonders of God's grace that made you who you are. You're not shy about that. Why would you shy about that?

I was

I was scared other people. Why should I care what other people think when I know what Jesus thinks about me? Why should I fear man when Christ does not fear man? He died for me. That's how much he cared about me. Don't you think other people should see that in God's children? Shouldn't they see God's other children loving their Lord that way? They just want to talk about No. put on this earth to glorify God. As children of God, we are redeemed by God. We ought to glorify him for that. Second thing this man does, he testifies God has done for him. Jesus has done for him who is God. Then what does he do?

There's another I don't know why some people get the idea other religions out there and I call them religions. I don't call them denominations religions that think less of who Jesus is than we do. Jesus is God. He said I am. He said before Abraham was past tense I am present tense am. He is the I am. He is God. We ought to honor him, uphold him and worship him as God. He created us, not we ourselves. He has given us natural life. He has given us beauty in this world. He has commanded us to live in a way that is taking care of his world and honoring him in that. On top of that, we fell and could not recover ourselves. He is not only our creator, he is our savior. He has delivered us from those things when we cannot deliver ourselves. We had not the will to deliver ourselves. He had the will to deliver us from them by his death and sending forth his spirit to our hearts. So we worship Jesus Christ for that. He is our God. He is our creator. Worship. And I don't think this man was scared. I don't think he was scared of other people or worshiping Jesus. I don't think he was scared of Jesus, but he worshiped. He rejoice. Notice what Jesus said to him. Thou hast both seen him. Is he that talkth with thee? Have you seen Jesus done for you? Have you seen his handiwork in your life? Are you paying enough attention? What has gone on in your life? What has gone on in your heart? Explain that to just yourself, much less other people. You ought to do that. What has Christ done for me? That should be filling your heart and your mind, not other things. You can think about other things, but what would be most important to you? My God, what he has done for me worshiped him. that

that Lord I believe

man has more than just his natural know that

anyone you meet that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ your brother there are other people multitudes of people that are also your brothers in Christ they haven't said that yet they haven't said Lord They don't have the same assurance that you do learned about Jesus Christ yet. They don't understand him this man does the way that we are. Our testimony is not just for us because it was never about us in the first place. Our testimony testimony of the glory of God in grace. When you think about what has God done for me, that is not a selfish thing of wow, I'm just so special. No, it's not. Not that it is how has God revealed his glory, his love, saving someone so wretched. That gives you something to talk to someone else about. What has God done for you? What has God done to glorify himself saving this person? Don't view people through you know what they are, what you think that they are. Pharisees are wrong about this blind man. Said, "You're born blind. You're a sinner. You're going to stay a sinner. Get out.

He was love for Jesus Christ. Christ gave him eyes to see naturally and gave him new heart that he may see spiritually as well and said we should encourage others believe why that is the assurance of their eternal life that they have through Jesus Christ. But they don't know what Jesus has done for them. If we just shut our mouths and talk about what Jesus has done for us. That is the application of the truth of Jesus being the light of the world. What do his children do in response to that? Worship him. That's this is how he is the light and this is the darkness I was in. He brought me out. The Lord bless you all.

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1 Samuel chapter 30. 1 Samuel chapter 30. We're going to continue on in our study in the life of David. We left off last week where David had been on the run for years. He's been out of Jerusalem. He's with the Philistines. He was put in charge of the rear guard. God delivered him even in that moment. Even when he's marching with the enemy's army. So now we're coming up to a pivotal moment for David. The pressure has been building. Kind of like a steam cooker, you know, or or one of those pressure cookers where it's the pressure's on the inside. Because remember what we said last week, David's been on the run for more than 18 months and he's been away from the throne that he was anointed to for years now. But what's significant is for the past four now five chapters, there's not a single recorded prayer. It's like David, man, did did you forget to pray? Because you used to seek God's counsel for everything. whether or not you should even go up to battle, whether or not you should even talk to this person or that person, but you don't have a recorded prayer. It's almost like David kind of forgot. So, we're going to come to a pivotal moment in David's life because what's happened is David is about to experience some significant loss and and there are moments where we expect relief but instead of relief from the situation we're in kind of walk into devastation where we've been fighting battles where we've been carrying the weight of something where we've been pushing through it and all we want to do is is just come home to something steady, something safe, but instead you come home to ashes. And that's where we're going to find David in Samuel, 1st Samuel chapter 30. We're not going to see him in his palace. We're not going to be seeing him in a victory parade. We're not even going to be seeing him in a place of stability, but in a place where with what little he thought he had, it's taken away from him. It's suddenly gone. And if we're honest, this is not just David's story. This is this is our story too because there are going to be some seasons where you've held it together for everybody else and then and then your world falls apart where where you stay faithful and still something gets taken from you. Your heart, your dreams, your future plans, where you've done the right thing and still it seems like it comes out with the wrong result. So the question is is what do you do when everything is gone? Let's jump into the word of the Lord. Verse one. And it came to pass when David and his men were come to Ziglag on the third day that the Amalachites had invaded the south and Ziglag and had smitten Ziglag and burned it with fire. So you get the picture, right? David has been out on an expedition with his mighty men and he comes home and the city has been burned. And it says, "And had taken the women captives and slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away." So they didn't kill the people. They carried them away, which which really is its own kind of pain because this is a moment where it's been taken from you and you're filled with uncertainty, especially for you warriors in the crowd. You know, where are they? Or are they safe? Will I ever see them again? Verse three. So David and his men came to the city and behold it was burned with fire and their wives, their sons, their daughters were taken captives. C can you imagine this moment? Try to see it. Try to hear it. There is no sound. There is no movement. All that you see is just the the the smoke rising from the devastation that's taking place. Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep. This is not silent polite crying. This is snot coming out of your nose kind of crying where your your body gives out. Where grief empties you, where there are no words left. Some of y'all know about that. And it says now and David's two wives were taken captives. That's verse five. So now it gets personal because now it's not just the tent city that's been burnt to the ground. It's it's another thing when it's something around you, but it's quite a different thing when it's it's your house, your family, your wife, your kids, your people. And verse six is where it all turns. It says, "And David was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved." So the people who used to follow him, y'all remember that he got he got surrounded with like 600 people that the Bible described as discontented, distressed, and in debt. And and he agreed that he would lead them and he led them to victory to victory. It was those people that have turned on him. So David, I want y'all to picture this. He hasn't just lost his family. He's lost his support system. He's lost his leadership credibility. He's lost everything. And now he's standing alone. If you remember, Samuel, his father in the ministry, is dead as well. Have you ever been there where the same people who used to celebrate you now question you? Where where the same voices that used to cheer you are now criticizing you? where the same circle that used to hold you up is against you and has walked away from you. Well, David is in this place right now. Everything is gone. Everyone is against him. Nothing makes sense. But then one of the most powerful verses in all the scripture takes place. It says, "But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God." Now, I don't want you to miss this. David did not encourage himself in his circumstances because there was nothing encouraging about his circumstances. He didn't encourage himself in his people because the people had turned against him. He didn't even encourage himself in his past victories. You remember that time when I took down that 9- foot tall Philistine? He didn't encourage himself in any of that. He encouraged himself. And here's the phrase in the Lord his God. Which means there is always a place where you can go when everything else is gone. And it's his God. In those 18 months where he didn't say a single prayer, God never abandoned him. It's that place where you can learn the most about God. When all else has been taken from you, when every crutch has been knocked away, when every person that you relied on has abandoned you. And it says, "And he encouraged himself in the Lord his God." And David said to Abathar the priest, "Bring me hither the ephod." So David just doesn't sit in grief. And that matters because there is a difference between feeling your pain and living in it. And and David feels the pain of loss. But what's important is is that David doesn't stay there. He makes a decision. You know what? Bring me the ephog. I'm going to worship my way out of this. And it says, "And David inquired of the Lord and said, shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?" So, I want you to notice what David doesn't say, what David doesn't do. He doesn't assume. He doesn't react emotionally. He doesn't make a reckless decision in the moment. He asks God, this is important because pain has a way of pushing us into bad decisions. Have you ever noticed that you're hurting, so you act fast? You're frustrating, so you react. You're tired, so you quit something that you shouldn't quit. That's not what David does here. David pauses and God answers. This is what the Lord says. Pursue for thou shalt surely overcome and take them without fail. Recover all. That's not vague. That's not partial. That's not a maybe. That's you are going to recover everything, David. So David hears that and he has a choice. I can believe it and act upon it or I can just sit on back. But what does David do? Well, David's a man of action. And it says, "So David went about 200 abode behind." Okay, y'all got it. David had 600 people, but 200 abode behind. Well, why are they staying behind? Well, it tells us. It says, and y'all might want to underline this because there's going to come a day when this is going to give you some encouragement. David went, but about 200 abodeed behind, for they were faint that they could not go over the brook basor. So, not everybody could go the whole distance because some of these people were just exhausted from the fight, exhausted from the emotional drain of losing their family, too drained, too tired, too worn out. And here is the grace in the moment. David doesn't rebuke him. He doesn't shame him. He doesn't say, "Well, if you just had more faith, David lets him rest. And sometimes

the most spiritual thing you can do is admit you're tired. Admit you need rest. And on a different level, one of the most spiritual things you can admit is that you were too tired. Because it says in Romans chapter 5, it says, "When you were without strength, Christ died for the ungodly." Do do you know how the Bible describes us? You know why grace is so beautiful? Because we weren't capable that the Bible says that we were dead in our sins and trespasses. The Bible says that that that you know Jesus said to Nicodemus, "If you want to see the heaven, you must be born again." Nicodemus is like, "How can I do that?" The Lord says, "Well, it's by the Holy Spirit." And the Holy Spirit's like the wind. You can't control it. Comes here, it goes there, and no man can control it. So y'all y'all understand that that Christ gave us life and we didn't have anything to do with it. We were so tired we were dead. But in the fullness of time, God sent his son. And and for his children, it says, according he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him and love, having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will. If you're going to heaven, it's because of a choice that that Christ made. It's because of an infusion of the Holy Spirit that he directed because you were tired. You were dead. you were without strength. Well, on this earth as and now if you have spiritual life because of an action that Christ gave and because of a love that he shed upon you, you can make some decisions. And in these moments when we experience loss and abandonment, we can react with our emotions or we can take action and do what David did and offer worship and sacrifice and praise. Well, when he did that and he heard from the Lord and the Lord said, "Go because you're not going to lose anything." There were some people who were just tired. So, we can't go. And David doesn't rebuke them. He doesn't beat them down. You know, the love that Christ gave us, choosing us when we were without strength, choosing us when we were not right, it's the same love that we need to show other people, even on the other side of the political aisle.

So we continue on and it says, "And when they found an Egyptian." So they find out, okay, let's pursue them. Let's send on over to Bezor. And and hear this. And they found an Egyptian. Verse 11, they found an Egyptian in the field. You may want to underline that because you're all going to spend time in the field. I know I have. And they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David and gave him bread and he did eat. They made him drink water. And they gave him a piece of cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him. He had eaten no bread and nor drunk any water for three days and three nights. So y'all get the picture, right? They're pursuing. They find this man. They left him. The his master who had served had just left him for dead. This guy is an Egyptian. So he's an Egyptian who's been left for dead. He's an outsider. He's an abandoned servant. And all that David had at hand of of all that David had of every weapon that he had with him of the 400 men that he had. This guy's going to be the key to the recovery. Y'all appreciate that? I mean, David had options. He had fighting men. He But it's going to be this guy that becomes the key. Verse 13. Let's dig a little bit deeper. My master left me. This is the Egyptian speaking. The Egyptian who's been abandoned. He says, "My master left me because three days a gone, I fell sick." So this guy had a master who had authority over him. It's the person that he served. It's the person that he depended on. This guy that he depended on left him not because he rebelled, not because he failed morally, not because he betrayed anything. The master left him because he got sick and in his moment of weakness he was discarded. There is something so human about that, right? I mean, cuz some of us know exactly what this feels like. You You didn't choose the weakness. You You didn't plan the breakdown. You didn't ask for the moment when you were made vulnerable. You didn't ask for that to happen to you, but when you couldn't perform, when you couldn't produce, when you couldn't keep up, people left. And and y'all, that is the cruelty of this world system. As long as you're useful, you're valuable. As long as you're strong, you're kept. And as long as you're producing, you're protected. But this the moment you slow down, the moment you struggle, the moment you need instead of give, the world starts calculating your worth. And this man was on the wrong side of the equation. But there's something really cool here. It says, you know, hey guy says, three days ago I fell sick for three days, dude's been lying in the field. No help, no covering, no one coming back, just waiting until he dies where he was dropped. And this is where the text shifts from human tragedy to divine sovereignty because man forgot him, but God did not. Because while his earthly master walked away, God was working him into a bigger story. While while he was lying there weak, God was working him into another script. when when it looked like his life had been reduced to nothing, all of a sudden it became essential. Let me say this as plain as I can. God can use you in your abandonment. And here's where it gets really powerful. Circle this. Three days are gone. Don't rush past that. Three days. Three days of weakness. Three days of silence. Three days of being overlooked. And I think you've heard that number before because all throughout scripture, God does something amazing on the third day. On the third day, Abraham lifted his eyes and sees the provision. On the third day, Esther steps out and the tide turns. And on the third day, Jesus rose from the grave. And here this is this little unnamed Egyptian servant three days into what looks like the end. And suddenly help arrives. David's men show up not by accident but by divine direction. So what looked like, hey, I've been left to die all of a sudden becomes, I've been kept for this moment. And I want you to watch the grace of the text. Before David ever asked him a question, they feed him, they give him water, they restore him, and the Bible says, "And his spirit came again to him." Don't miss that. His body wasn't the only thing that had gotten weak. His spirit had gone out of him. Hope had been gone. Strength was gone. Will was gone. Because when people leave you like that, when they abandon you, it doesn't just affect your situation, hurt your soul. And God didn't just send direction. He sent restoration first. And and here's the turn. The man who had no strength now has insight. The man who's been discarded now has direction. The man who was left behind now leads the charge because the very next thing that happens is David says, "Hey, can you take me to them?" And the answer is yes. And what that means is the one who was abandoned by the enemy actually becomes the instrument of defeat for the enemy. And that's how God works. Sometimes he takes you to the very place where you were rejected and turns it into a place where you can become effective. He can take a moment that broke you and use it to accomplish his will. He He can take the season where you feel forgotten and make it the turning point in someone else's story. So if you have ever felt like this man, if you have ever been left, if you've ever felt overlooked, ever been discarded, ever felt forgotten, hear this clearly. God has not forgotten you. Your weakness did not disqualify you. The abandonment of you does not have the final word. Because in the kingdom of God, the people that the world throws away are often the very people that God picks up and gives a new story to. So this man was discarded. He was thrown away. He was forgotten. But God didn't forget him. and and what looks random and hurtful to us is actually still under providence. So David asked him, "Can thou bring me down to this company?" And the answer was yes. So please don't miss this. the the same world that burned David's city, that took all that he had and stole his family, that same world is now going to provide the guide to David to restore it all. So the Amalachites came to cause devastation, but the Amalachite servant is going to become the pathway to recovery. The system that was designed to break him now contains the very piece that God is going to use to rebuild David. So let me say it again. God can use whatever he wants. You know it says in Psalm I am the God of cows of you know the cattle of a thousand hills belong to me. says in another place that he does his will among the armies of heaven and the inhabitants of earth. None can stay his hand or reply, "What doest thou?" He can use an Egyptian servant in the field. God can use whatever he wants to even broken people, even unlikely in sources, even interruptions that you didn't plan for, even moments in your life that don't make sense of all. And then this broken abandoned man leads David straight to the enemy. And some of you right now might be frustrated because the path the path forward doesn't look spiritual enough. It doesn't look polished enough. It doesn't look like what you expected. But here's the real takeaway. Do not despise the field that you're in. Don't despise that moment when you're just lying there in the field because what might look like delay is actually direction. What what might look like and seem to be an inconvenience is actually possibly God's provision. And what looked like a forgotten man was actually a divine appointment. Because when God is restoring your life, he doesn't work around the damage. He works right through it. And it says in verse 16, "And we had brought him down, and behold, they spread abroad upon all the earth, eating, drinking, and dancing." So David and his people, they're coming on up. The Egyptian leads them. He sees it. The Amalachites are having a party. They're celebrating. and they think they got away with everything that happened at Ziglag. But what they don't know is that David had a word from God. And when you hear from God, it doesn't matter what it looks like right now. And it says in verse 17, "And David smoked them." And and they're escaped, not a man among them. So this victory is decisive. This victory is complete. This victory is restoration in motion. And then here we have it in verse 18. And David recovered all that the Amalachites had carried away. Not some, not most, says all. And there was nothing lacking. It says neither great nor small. David recovered all. I want y'all to let that settle in for just a second. Nothing's missing. Nothing was broken beyond repair. Nothing was permanently lost. Because our God, when he restores, he doesn't do it halfway. And it says verse 21, "And David came to the 200 men which were faint." So you get the picture. The Amalachites were devastated. He gets his 400. They go on back to Ziglog. They came on to the 200 to the ones who couldn't go to the ones who stayed behind. And the people that weren't even in the fight, they get restored, too. Their wives are given back. their sons and daughters are coming home. They didn't fight. They didn't push through it. They didn't earn it. And here's what happened. Some of the people that went into battle in the 400. They said, "Those people didn't help us. Don't give any of the spoils to them. They didn't fight. They didn't risk their lives. They didn't earn it." Guys, does that still sound familiar to you? Do do you ever have a voice that says, "Man, you you didn't do enough. You're not strong enough. You're not good enough. You don't deserve this." That voice is still around here. But this is what David says in verse 23. You shall not do so with that which the Lord hath given us. David knows that all this that he got restored to it was given to him by the Lord. Everybody, the strong, the weak, the fighters, and those that had to rest share in the same victory because the victory didn't really come from them. The victory came from God. And it sounds a whole lot to me like the gospel because the reward that we have isn't based on how strong we were. It's based on what Jesus did for us. according he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. He chose us according he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him and love having predestinated us for the adoption of children but Jesus Christ. He he predetermined our destiny. He adopted us according to the good pleasure of his will. Not your merit, not the battles that you fought. his will. And it keeps on going. This it's really good because it says, "And David came to Ziglo and he sent the spoils unto the elders of Judah." What? Judah? He hadn't been in Judah in over two years. And he send spoils. I mean, it's his tribe, right? But he hadn't been hanging out in Judah. So, he sends spoils into the elders of Judah, saying, "Behold the present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord." So David just starts giving it away. I mean, not only did he get the the wives back and the children back and the stuff back, but the Amalachites brought their own stuff. They brought their own gold. They brought their own weapons. They brought their own sheep. They brought their own cattle. So David not only is restored, he's enriched. And he says, "Hey, let's start sharing some of the riches." And so he goes on over to the tribe of Judah and he says, "Hey, enjoy some of the riches." He starts to give it away because you know what? Restored people should be generous people. to whom what's the scripture say? To whom much is given, much is expected. And you know when

when you know what it's like to lose everything and then get it back, you just don't hold it again. You you open your hands. You you bless others. You remember where you came from. So let's land the plane on this message. What do we do when everything is gone? Well, encourage yourself in the Lord. When you have those moments of absolute devastation, when you've cried that cry that doesn't seem like it's ever going to end, you can encourage yourself in the Lord. You can seek him before you move. You can you can trust that he still speaks even if you haven't talked to him in a long, long time. You can follow even when you're tired. You receive even when you don't feel worthy. And and remember this, the story does not end in ashes because God specializes in restoration. And ultimately ultimately the story points to a greater David. Because there was another moment where it looked like everything was gone, where where hope was buried, where the followers had scattered, where it seemed like the enemies had won. But three days later, everything that was lost was restored and then some. So if you're standing in your own version of Ziglag today, I want you to hear this. It's not over because when everything is gone, God is not. If you'd like to serve our Lord as we do here at Camp Creek Church, give that chance opening the doors.

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Amen. Thank you for that good prayer. If you have your Bibles with you, let's turn to 1st Samuel chapter 29. We're going to jump back into our uh study in the book of Samuel. And I think it'll be um I think it'll be helpful today. Follow along if you got a Bible. uh if you don't pull one out of the pew or pull it up on your phone. 1st Samuel chapter 29. I think you'll see some things in scriptures along with me that'll help you win your life because every one of us has had or will have this experience where you pray for something, you put yourself in a position to get it and it was a big fat heavenly divine no. And I got to be honest with you, when I hear no from heaven, I feel a little bit abandoned because I prayed. I positioned myself. I prepared. And then the door shut and not quietly either. It slammed. And sometimes I and and maybe some of y'all don't necessarily interpret the shut door as an act of love. We kind of interpret it as kind of a a letdown. It's like, you know, you say things like, "God, why did you bring me this far just to stop me?" And it's moments like these that 1st Samuel chapter 29 stand in holy contradiction to our feelings because it's in this chapter that God protects David. Not by opening a door but by saying no and stopping in his path. And here's the other thing. David doesn't even know that the Lord's doing it. So before we get into chapter 29, let's let's go back to figure out how we got here. We need to understand how David got here because nobody see David is uh he's in the land of Gath. He's serving Aesh the king. Y'all remember this. We got here in chapter 27. So, three chapters ago, three chapters ago, David is sitting around and nobody here, nobody, nobody, nobody here wakes up and thinks, you know what, I'm going to go live with the Philistines. But when we look at the story of David, nobody here decides, you know what? I'm gonna go live a life that's not honoring to God. And yet, how how do we wind up doing things like that? And that's where David's going to come and instruct it because the way he got to the land of Philistines didn't start in chapter 29. It started in chapter 27. David was tired. Y'all remember this from sermons gone by. Saul had been chasing him. Now remember, David's been anointed to be the king. He knows he has a divine calling. He's got an identity, the future king of Israel. But Saul's been chasing them for years. He's been fighting battles for years. He's been uh pursued relentlessly for years. The pressure has been mounted for years. But then in chapter 27, there's a key verse and it says, "And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul." And that's the problem right there, dude. You're not going to perish. God told you to be the future king. Saul's not going to take your head. But he said in his heart, there's the problem. He said it in his heart. not in prayer and in his heart. And and when you start making decisions based on fear instead of faith, you can end up in a place that feels safe but really is spiritually dangerous. You can end up in the land of the Philistines. So here David is, he goes to Akash, who's king of Gath. Gath people, that ought to ring a bell because that's the hometown of Goliath. And now David finds himself living in the shadow of a victory that God once gave him. And this this is the subtle drift because he went to Aash for survival, but it was survival at first, but then it became a strategy. Then it became a settlement for 16 months. Let me say that again. For 16 months. In case you missed it, for 16 months he's living in the land of the enemy. For 16 months, he's waking up in the wrong place. And then going to sleep there again. For 16 months, he's learning the rhythms. He's speaking their language. He's adapting to their ways. He's picking up their nuances. And here's what's dangerous about that. What starts out as survival can slowly become a settlement. And at first, David is just trying to stay alive. Then he's trying to stay comfortable. Then without ever saying it out loud, he starts to belong. And and that's for 16 months. 16 months is long enough for something that is completely foreign to start to feel familiar. It's long enough for something that's wrong start to feel right. It's long enough for your environment to start uh shaping your instincts. And here's the scary part when we read through here. Nothing in this text, nothing in this text says that David sought the Lord about any of it. There wasn't a prayer uttered. There wasn't an inquiry made. There's no shall I go. There's no shall I stay. It's just movement without consultation. It's it's direction. It's it's decisions without divine direction. And it's times passing without any surrender at all to the Lord. And and that silence is kind of loud because this is the David. This is the David who once wouldn't even lift a sword without talking to God first. This is the same David who inquired of the Lord before the battles. This is the same David who wrote all the psalms. But right here, there is no recorded dependence on God at all. And so what we're looking at for this 16 month, he just didn't relocate. He drifted. And these kinds of drifts don't happen all at once. Nobody announces it. Nobody schedules it. Nobody says, "Today I begin my slow departure from dependence on God." It kind of happens quietly. And this is what's important. This is how the United States is responsible for some of the statistics that we were talking about. It happens one unpraed prayer at a time. It happens um one rationalization at a time. It happens one compliment at a times. It happens one this makes sense at a time until one day you look up and you are far from where you were but you're even farther from where God called you to be. So I want I want to say this as plainly as I can before we jump right in. You can be chosen and still drift. You can be anointed and still wander. You can have a calling on your life and end up in the wrong place. Hear me. If you don't write anything down, write this down.

Being anointed doesn't mean you're on autopilot. You can wind up in the wrong place and be anointed all day long. And make no mistake about it, all children of God, all the born again who outnumber the sands of the sea and the stars of the sky, number so vast that no man can number them. People that are going to heaven in this earth, on this life, can wind up in the most miserable spots. So I say that because your anointedness does not guarantee your godliness. Your anointedness does not eliminate your choices. Your anointedness doesn't eliminate drift. So here's what I want to encourage y'all to do. I want to encourage you from the young to the old. You got to be intentional about your life. And you have to intentionally seek God in worship, in prayer, and thoughts and actions and votes that you cast. Intentionally seek God. or you may unintentionally start settling somewhere that you were never meant to be. You will wind up in the land of the Philistines if you don't have an intentional life about you. So here we go. Chapter 29 verse one. Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphac. So this is a this is large. This is not going to be a small skirmish. This is full mobilization. War is coming. They're going to wipe out a civilization. And this isn't just any war. Israel's the target. David's people, David's promise, David's future. Verse two tells us, "And David and his men passed on in the rear word of Aesh." Rearward, that's one of those older words that means the rear guard. And and that's what makes this so striking. A David is commanding a very strategic part of Aesh's army that's going to fight Israel. David, y'all, y'all get this. David is not just present with the Philistines. He's positioned with them. He's in formation. He's under command. He's marching into battle. He's a He's assigned a tactical role. David with the Philistines. And I say that and I wonder sometimes because I've been guilty of this, too. How many of y'all are fighting against your future right now? You got a future. Maybe God's put a calling on your life. Maybe maybe it's not your calling. Maybe you're fighting against your marriage. Maybe maybe by the decisions that you make. Maybe by the actions that you take or or worse yet for you passive aggressive people, actions you don't take. Or maybe it's by your attitudes. You know, our attitudes can affect our our future. They can actually fight against our future depending on the attitude that you take. Are you putting more faith in your your politics or in the Prince of Peace? Um, are you putting more faith in your wealth or or in the one that owns the cattle of a thousand hills? Are are you putting faith in your your your righteousness, which if I can be blunt is a joke? There is none righteous, know not one. You are altogether unprofitable. The poison of asps is upon your lips. That's how the Bible describes every single one of us. It gets even more graphic by saying that your righteousness is as filthy rags. That's that's a minstal call, people. That's the best you got to do on your best day, your most holy day, the best your righteousness is before God. So, where's your faith? Are you fighting against your future? Because David is, he's in not only fighting against the f, he's positioned with him. And it's all because of a drift. Because in ancient warfare, the person that was in charge of the rearward guard, they they they protected the army from surprise attacks from the back. They they kept the formation so that there's not going to be any stragglers or any desertions. They served as kind of a strategic reserve and and it was a place of trusted leadership. So this isn't some random placement. David is is not being scuffled off to the side. He is embedded in the military structure marching, aligning, moving forward. And this is staggering because this is the same David who killed Goliath, who led Israel's armies, who wrote the Psalms, who was anointed the king over the very people that they're going against. Do you see the tension? David is being put in a position to fight against the very people that God anointed him to lead. But I Hey, let's let's give him benefit of a doubt. I mean, David's earned that, right? Let's give him benefit of a doubt that he wasn't going to bring his agame to the battle. Or maybe he was thinking, "I'll do a surprise attack against the Philistines." We don't know because scripture is silent. There's nothing in his history, nothing in his heart that would suggest that he might raise his hand against God's people except where he's positioned. And because he stayed with the Philistines, he's put in a very compromised position because even if he doesn't attack Israel, Israel is going to be attacking them. So his people are at risk. He's going to lose something. Somebody's going to pay a price because David is now in a position where he cannot move forward without some sort of conflict. He's in the formation. He's under the command. He's moving towards the battle. And the battle is against Israel. And what happens before this moment comes? If he fights, he violates his identity. If he refuses, he exposes his allegiance. If he hesitates, somebody's going to die and he jeopardizes everyone around him. Because of David's decision, there is no clean way out of this battle. Not because David is necessarily evil, but because David, listen to me, because David is not operating in his true identity. David is not a soldier of the Philistines. He's the future king of Israel. How many of us are not operating in our true identity today? Brothers and sisters in Christ. So, here's the tension. He's not just near the wrong thing. He's positioned in where sooner or later something's got to give. And this is where the drift gets dangerous. Not when you forget who you are, but when the circumstances that you're in force you to act in a way that contradicts who you are. Here's the issue. Aesh trusted David completely. David seemed to trust Aesh's protection. But nowhere is David seeking the Lord. Not a prayer played, not a psalm written. And that's how drift works. You get confidence. You gain confidence of the wrong people while losing dependence on the right one. And this is what makes God's intervention in this chapter so powerful

because David is not at the edge of compromise considering it, praying about it. No, he's flirting with it. He's in a position in the un in the uniform, in the formation, in the rear guard. And that's when God steps in. Not earlier, not later, right at the point where compromise becomes action. So David just didn't wander into the wrong place. He actually took up position in it. So here's what I'm because here some people aren't just struggling because they are around something. Some of the struggles that some that may be listening right now, it's not because you're around it. It's because you're entrenched into it. You're positioned in a relationship that you know is wrong. You're you're positioned in a habit that's killing you. You're positioned with a mindset that's poisoning you. You're positioned in a compromise that's killing you. And sometimes our Lord doesn't gently whisper. He reassigns you. He removes you. He shuts the door because he knows that if you stay there, you're going to act. Maybe the Lord's done that to you already. Verse three. And then said the prince of the Philistines, "What do these Hebrews hear?" I love that question because it's the right question. You get it. Ah and his men are coming up. Okay, they're joining the Philistine armies. David's in the river. And the Philistine generals that see Aesh coming to his people, they look and they go, "What are the Jews doing here? What are they doing here? They're Jews. They're Hebrews. What are they doing here?" And what's really cool, um, sometimes the world will see your misalignment before you do. When you're not operating according to who you're called to be by Christ, they look at David and they say, "This doesn't make any sense." And Aashesh says, "Is not this David which has been with me these days, these years, and I have found no fault with him." Aesh is impressed with David.

That's not a compliment really. It's a warning. Apparently, David's so good at being a Philistine that they in love with him. And when the enemy's comfortable with you, Something's off. The princes, I love this. The princes aren't convinced. Verse four. And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him. They're not angry with David. They're angry with Akash. And they tell him, "Send them back." And then they say something profound. Wherew with should he, that's David, wherewith should David reconcile himself unto his master? Should it not be with the heads of these men? In other words, they're like, "How's David going to get back in good with the Israelites by taking our heads off?" That's a problem. In other words, if this man turns on us in battle, we are dead. They don't trust him. Then they quote the song, remember Saul has killed us thousands. David has killed us 10 thousands. Let's get the ninja man out of here. Then we go to verse six. And Aesh calls David and says, "Surely as the Lord liveth, thou has been upright." Now, isn't that something? The Philistine king is actually invoking the name of the Lord to affirm David's character. But then comes the turn. Nevertheless, the princes favor thee not. In other words, I'd let you go, but they don't like you. You got to go. Wherefore now return that thou displeas not the lords of the Philistines. And like that it's over. No negotiation, no appeal, no reconsideration. David is is sent back. Verse eight. And David said to Aesh. Now see, David's been given an out. You're in a compromised situation with your federal 600 Israelites. You don't have to fight against your people. you just gotten out. And then David, does he jump on it? Well, and David said to Akash, "But but but what have I done?" He's upset. He's confused. He's advocating for the very opportunity that would have destroyed him. And I go, "Fight, David. David, do you hear yourself?" Fight who? Israel. your people, your promise, your calling. That's how far drift can take you. You can start defending what God is trying to deliver you from. Now, let's step back because what feels like reflection, it's actually kind of protection. If David goes into this battle, there are only bad endings. If he fights against Israel, he is disqualified from being their king. If he refuses to fight, he is exposed and destroyed. If he turns on the Philistines, he's going to die as a traitor. There is no good outcome. So, this is what happens. God intervenes not with a prophet, not with a vision, not with a dramatic moment. The Lord uses the suspicion of pagan leaders to block David's path. That is grace. I don't understand this battle. You know

the scriptures say all things work together for good for them that love the Lord. I am not an absoluter but God is big and we have a vast body of people that want to limit it to the things in the chapter. Oh, what do you say to these things for knowledge and predestination? Our God can take the suspicion of the lords of the Philistines and use it to protect his children. Our God can use all things. Our God can take a stone and fell a giant. Our Lord can use all things. Our God can take two fishes and five loaves and feed 5,000 on one side of the sea and 7,000 on the other side of the sea. All things. Does that mean that he's the author of bad things? No. But he can bring good out of bad because he's God. He speaks and worlds are created. He breathes and life is formed. The biggest star in the universe. It's like Beetlejuice. It's a 100,000 times larger than our solar. Not even 100. It's a billion times larger than our solar system. And it's just the fingerwork of his hands. That's our God. He can do anything. He can take our wretched lives. He can take our worst decisions. He can take the decisions and the suspicions of our enemies and use them to bring about the outcome that he wants. That's our God. And so he takes the suspicions of the Philistine lords and he uses that and and and and he protects them. And our God says, "Look, because sometimes the great sometimes the greatest threats we have is not the external opposition. It's the internal misalignment that's inside of us." David didn't need a giant to fall. He didn't need to be protected from that. He needed to be protected from bad decisions. And God says, "Here, I am not going to let you go any further." So, he put obstacles in the path. Our Lord allows rejection. Our Lord will shut doors. Our Lord will let things fall apart that you're trying to hold together. Not because he is against you, but because he is for you. Our God will let you lose your job. Not because he's against you, but because he's for you. That's the God that we serve. And that's what David's going through right now. We love open doors. We love coffee shop versus like God will open doors no man can shut. But we don't really shout the other side. Oh, you know, God will open doors that no man can shut. Well, what about the other side of it? God will shut doors that no man can open. And he's doing it here. And sometimes that's the greater miracle because an open door requires an opportunity and a closed door requires intervention. So God has to actively step in sometimes to stop us. So David walks away from this encounter thinking, "I missed something." But heaven is saying, "I spared something." And some of us right now are living in that tension. You think you lost, but you were actually rescued. Relationship that didn't work out, job that didn't come through, door that slammed in your face, you thought it was rejection, but it might have been rescued. And here's the beauty of it. The closed door places David exactly where he needs to be for chapter 30. When he returns to Ziglag and he finds out that it's burned, then he seeks the Lord again. None of that happens. This door stays open. None of that happens if he's allowed to go fight with Israel. God sometimes has to say no to get you back to him. So now let's lift our eyes to someone who's greater than David. Let's look at the son of David. Because David was kept from fighting against his own people. But Jesus stood in a place where his people rejected him. David was turned away from the battlefield. Our Lord walked straight into one of them. David was spared. Jesus was not. And because Jesus was not spared, you and I can trust the heart of God even when we don't understand the hand of God. So maybe one of the most mature prayers that we can pray is, Lord, thank you for what didn't happen. Thank you for the doors that you closed. Thank you for the paths that you blocked. Thank you for the things that you didn't let me walk you in. Thank you for protecting me even from me. And here's the thing. One day we're going to look back at the rejection and realize it was one of the greatest acts of grace in our life. This chapter, this chapter is not about David getting it right. It's about a God who refuses to let him get it wrong. It's about a grace that interrupts, a grace that blocks, a grace that says, "I love you too much to let you go there." If you've ever had a door closed in your life and you didn't understand it, this chapter is a reminder that God is still writing your story, even in the places where he says no. And sometimes the loudest expression of his love is his refusal to let you continue. If you'd like to serve Jesus as we do here at Camp Creek Primitive Baptist Church, we'll give you that chance as we

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Amen. Thank you for that wonderful introduction. I am excited about the future of Matthew's ministry, especially as he becomes a father because when you are a parent, you learn grace in a way deeper than you can never experience anywhere else. Um, your love is unbounded, your willingness to sacrifice is increased, and there comes a day when the mess is not limited to the diaper. It happens in real life. and uh and you just learned grace. And I'm excited for Matthew. I appreciate that introduction. It touched my heart. And that vision of the unseen hand is something that we've seen in the life of David. And we're going to go back to the life of David. So, if you got your Bibles with you, let's turn to 1st Samuel chapter 26, 1st Samuel chapter 26, because if you follow the story of David carefully in the book of 1st Samuel, there's something that you're going to start to notice. The wilderness, this desert land is doing something for David and in David. David was anointed king 10 chapters ago. In chapter 16, he was anointed king. So, the oil has already been poured. The prophet Samuel has already declared David as God's anointed. The future king of Israel has already been identified. And yet, the crown does not immediately come. Instead of moving towards the throne, David is moving in caves. And instead of royal robes, he's wearing the dust of the desert. And instead of a palace, he's making his bed among rocks and and ravines. So this long stretch that we've been in from 1st Samuel chapter 16 all the way up to this point right here is God's way of ensuring that David is Israel's next king is going to be shaped more by dependency on him than by pride. So so in this wilderness in this desert God is building something and I take great joy in that because many of you are in a wilderness now in a desert now. And I want to let you know that God is at work and God is building something in your life, something good. So when we arrive here at chapter 26, what's going to happen is is we're going to look we're going to see an encounter that is strangely familiar. And for us, it's it's going to be almost like deja vu because just two chapters ago, David had spared Saul's life in Engeti. And here we are two chapters later. He's going to have to spare Saul's life again. And back there two chapters ago, Solid repented. Solid cried. Solid said, "David, you're surely going to be king." And then we come to chapter 26. Let's start with the first verse. Chapter 26. And the Zephanites came unto Saul to Gib saying, "Do not David hide himself in the hill of Hackalah, which is before." Okay, so let me let me dig this here. Saul is chasing David again. The wilderness of Ze appears again. Saul has 3,000 soldiers to accompany him again. David's life is placed in jeopardy again. Now, it sounds like repetition, but let me tell you something. The Holy Spirit doesn't waste ink. When scripture reveals and revisits moments like this, it's because something deeper is going on. And God's not testing David, he's shaping David's heart. Now, let's dig it. And the Zephanites. Well, that might sound familiar to you because back in 23, chapter 23, they were the same people that betrayed David. So, let's dig it. The Zephanites betrayed David again. And and and same betrayal, same enemies, same danger. Sometimes life feels like that. You think you've moved past something. You think you're over your ex who you thought was the love of your life. And you think the conflict is over. You think the wound is healed. And then suddenly the same trial returns, the same criticism, the same adversary, the the same spiritual battle. And there's so there's something so painfully realistic about this moment because we live life in a fallen world. And and in that world that life often cycles through these tests that seem so familiar and and many of the challenges we face in life, we face again and again and again just in in slightly different forms. Old wounds are reopened. Old adversaries reappear, old temptations reassurface. Let me tell you something. God's not interested in what you once did to handle something because he's actually more interested in shaping who you're becoming. And so the Zephanites, so I can tell you, they they run to Saul again and they say, "David is hiding right over there again." And and Saul doesn't hesitate. Verse two. And then Saul arose parenthetical again and went down into the wilderness of Ze again having 3,000 chosen men of Israel with him again to seek David in the wilderness of Ze again. And Saul pitched in the hill of Heca at which and by the way David abodeed in the wilderness and he saw Saul come after him into the wilderness. Verse four, David therefore sent out spies and understood that co Saul was come in very deed. So I want you to notice that number 3,000 again. He's always bringing 3,000 to hunt down David. Which tells you something about Saul, right? He's afraid. He's insecure.

Insecure power always needs a crowd. They always need a posi. They always hide in a group. And here's Saul. He's got an entire army. He's got a throne. He's got a crown. But he's terrified of a man living in the wilderness. Because a lot of times, let me tell you something. Guilt is always scared of righteousness. But I want you to notice something else. He's bringing that same force as before. 3,000 soldiers against David's 800 600 men. And some people might read this and think David's outnumbered. And mathematically that might be true. But what we know as Christians and what any discerning Bible student knows is that 3,000 people don't stand a chance against God. David's not alone. David has God. And if scriptures taught us anything, 3,000 men mean nothing when God has decided who will sit on the throne. As a matter of fact, later in the book Bible, we see 180,000 people pitched up against one blind prophet and a servant. God wiped them out. So 3,000 mean nothing. 180,000 mean nothing. Feeding 7,000 and 5,000 people with two fish mean nothing. A giant means nothing. A red sea with the enemy bearing down on you mean nothing when you have a holy God. And David arose. It says verse five. And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched. And David beheld the place where Saul lay. So Saul's sleeping. And Abner, the son of Near, the captain of the host, and Saul lay in the branch, I'm sorry, and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. then answered David and said unto him the Hitittite and Abashi, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp?" And Abashi said, "I will go down with thee." So here's what David does. He goes to scout Saul's camp. And what he sees surprises him. Saul and his army, if you, if you missed it, the King James, Saul and his army are asleep. All of them right in the middle of camp. So here's David Nabashi. It says verse 7. So David Nabashi come to the people by night. And behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench and his spear stuck in the ground at the bolster. Y'all, King James bolster means it's his pillow. It's place where he laid his head. They always kept their weapons by their head, by the way. And and so Saul was asleep in the trench with his spear stuck in the ground at the bolster. And Abner and the people lay round about him. So, the king is sleeping. The spirit is stuck in the ground beside his head. Now, let me tell you something. If you've been halfway paying attention during this sermon series, you know that Saul's spear has a history. That spear has been thrown at David twice. That spear has been thrown at Jonathan's own son because he was a friend of David. Saul has used the spear to try and pin David to a wall. It's become a symbol of Saul's violence. And now here it is right beside Saul's head stuck in the dirt.

Almost as if God is saying, "David, here's the weapon that has tried to kill you." Almost as if God's saying, "David, here the here here's the man who threw it." Almost as if God is asking, "What are you going to do now?" This opportunity is unbelievable. And we got a a lot of Christians out here who live by circumstance. They interpret like they have a spirit of deonation, the tea leaves, and they would look at the circumstance and they would think, "Ah, you know, the doors open." And right on Q, right on Q, David's companion, Abashai, says this, verse eight, then Abashai said to David, "God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day." Now, I want y'all to listen carefully because what Abashai is saying sounds so spiritual. He says, "Hey, look at the circumstance. This must be God's will." He even says, "Dig this now. Therefore, let me smite him. I I pray thee with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not spite him smite him a second time." Here's what he's saying. Hey Dave, easy peasy. Just one thrush. Just one. I I'm not even gonna have to do it. I just let me stick him to the ground. That's all I got to do. And I say that because I mean he said, "David, I can solve this problem real quick. Just leave it up to me." But that's how often temptation works, doesn't it? It doesn't sound evil. It sounds practical. It sounds reasonable. It sounds justified. Right here, David is saying, "David, I mean, I'm sorry, right here, Abashai is saying, David, God has clearly arranged this. The enemy is asleep. The weapon is right there. This is your moment." Just a couple of things wrong with that. Saul's not the enemy. He's trying to kill David, but he's not the enemy. He's an Israelite. As a matter of fact, David's king. He's a bad king, but he's a king. And sometimes the greatest temptation we face is not the temptation to do something that's obviously wicked. Sometimes the greatest temptation we face is the temptation to do something that appears justified. Saul has been chasing David for years. Saul has been throwing spears. Saul has murdered the priest. Saul has lied. Saul has betrayed. And now it appears that God has placed Saul completely defenseless. If there's ever a moment for revenge, this would be it. And Abashai interprets these circumstances as permission. But circumstances, hear me loudly. Circumstances are not reliable indicators of God's will. God's word is. And David understands something that Abashai has yet to learn. Just because an opportunity exists does not mean it should be taken. Just because an opportunity exists doesn't necessarily mean it should be taken. And David answers with one sentence that reveals the heart that is God is forming in him. It says in verse 9, "And David said to Abashai, destroy him not, for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless." So David says, "No, no, Abashai." Not because Saul deserves mercy. He absolutely does not deserve mercy. But David refuses because, you know, God is still sovereign on his throne. Let's keep on reading. And David said furthermore, as the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him. As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed. But I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruise of water, and let's go. So David understands something that many people struggle to understand. If God has promised the throne, David doesn't need to steal it. Because here's a life lesson. How you obtain authority shapes how you're going to exercise it. And if David attained it through assassination, then assassination is going to become part of the kingdom. So David has learned something deeper. God's promises do not need our violence to help it come true. And sometimes the voice urging us towards revenge does not come from an enemy. Sometimes it comes from somebody who cares deeply about you. Because Abashai, he loved David. But just because somebody loves you doesn't mean they're going to give you the best advice. Abashai loves David. He was loyal and protective. And from his perspective, he was trying to solve David's problem. But not every well-intentioned voice is leading us towards wisdom. And sometimes God will allow moments like this to reveal whether our decisions are going to be guided by human advice or or divine conviction. Let's pick back up with verse 11. The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed, but I pray thee, take now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruise of water, and let us go." So David took the spear and the cruise of water from Saul's bolster. And they got them away. And no man saw it nor knew it, neither awakened. Here we go. for they were all asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them. So you dig what just happened? David refuses to to harm Saul, but he takes two items. He takes Saul's spear and he takes the water jug. And there's a little bit of symbolism going on here because the spear represented Saul's authority in his violence. and the water jug in the desert represents it. I mean life, sustenance. So David leaves camp holding on to both of them. And I just want to pause here and appreciate how remarkable this scene is because here's David and Abashai. They've just walked into the center of the military camp with 3,000 soldiers. 3,000 soldiers. Now the soldiers are asleep, but it's 3,000 soldiers. That tells me that David is getting into a point where he's operating out of his identity. You remember how Abraham took up Isaac and they're like, "Where's your sacrifice? Is the Lord's himself's going to provide a sacrifice having and here's we're told in Hebrews, he worked out in his head that God had resurrection authority. So even if he does sacrifice Isaac, Isaac is going to raise again because God promised him he's going to bring this vast multitude out of his son Isaac." Abraham had worked that out. I think David had worked this out. Hey, God told me I was going to be king. That means I'm not going to die. That means I can go right up to this dude and I can talk to him. Oh, he's asleep. Well, let's not wake him. Let's take a spear in his jug. But man, how would you like to be the guys that were charged with protecting the king that night? Dude, you had one job and David got within this of earning your employment, you know, waking up. Hey, where's the king's spear? Hey, where's the king's water? And then David's standing off in the distance holding on to both. And you know, I had one job, protect the king, but then then they slept through the whole thing. And I think what I think about this because sometimes God reminds us that armies are not nearly as impressive as we think they are. Let's pick back up with verse 13. And then David went over to the other side and stood on the top of a hill a far off. Great space between them. David cried to the people and to Abnner, saying, "Answerest thou not Abnner?" And Abnner answered and said, "Who art thou that cries to the king?" So Abnner is like the chief of staff. He's calling him out. David said to Abnner, "Art thou not a valiant man? Who is like thee in Israel, O MMA fighter? And wherefore uh then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? For they came one of the people in to destroy the king, thy lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die because ye have not kept your master, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruise of water that is at his bolster. David climbs the hill far away. He's calling out Abnner. He begins to shout, "Hey, great protector of the king. You had one job. I came to the camp. You didn't even know." And then he holds up the spear in the water jug. Says, "Whose spear is this?" Now, imagine sitting there realizing David had been standing over him while he he slept. David could have ended his life, but but instead, he just took a spear. And then we pick up with Saul's second confession. Verse 17. And Saul knew David's voice and said, "Is this thy voice, my son David?" David said, "It is my voice, my lord the king." And he said, "Wherefore, my lord, do thou pursue after a servant? For what have I done? What evil is in my hand?" And now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord, the king, let my king, my lord the king, hear the words of his servant. If the Lord hath stirred them against me, let him accept an offering. But if they be the children of men, curse be they before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, "Go serve other gods." Now therefore, let not my blood fall the earth before the face of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea. Is when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains. Then said Saul. So David's sitting there saying, "I'm a flea. I'm just a little bird and you're hunting me down. What's going on with that?" And David said, and Saul said, "I have sinned. Return my son David, for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool, and I have aired exceedingly." So here we go. Saul hear David's voice once again. Saul says, "I have sinned and I'm not going to harm thee once again." But now we know something. See, Saul's repentance is is kind of shallow. You know, not every apology indicates transformation. Some people are sorry just for a moment, but they haven't changed in their heart. And David now understands this, which is why he kept his distance. He returns the spirit, but he does not return to Saul's court because s grace grace does not require naive. Doesn't require us to be naive. And wisdom knows the difference between forgiveness and trust. But let's talk about David's theology of trust because David says something extraordinary in verse 22. And David answered and said, you know, Saul's like, "I'm so sorry. Come on. I'm so sorry." David answered and said, "Behold the king's spear. Let one of the young men come over and fetch it." Here it goes. The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness. See, David refuses to take vengeance because he trusts in something greater. a God who sees, a God who judges, a God who rewards righteousness. And and David doesn't need revenge because he trusts in the justice of that God. And this is one of the hardest lessons I think in spiritual life.

God deals with wrongs better than we do. And David continues. He said, "For the Lord delivered thee into my hand this day, but I would not stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed. And behold, as thy life was much sat by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord. And and let him deliver me out of all tribulation." And then Saul said to David, "Blessed be thou, my son of David. Thou shalt both do great things and shalt still prevail. So David went his way and Saul returned to his palace. There is a If you've ever let read the life of the story of Corey Tinbone, the children might not know it, but the older adults do. She actually was a young Jewish lady that lived in the concentration camp. Watched her family get exterminated, watched multiple, multiple others be gassed by the Nazis. And after the war, Corey took that horrible thing. She wrote a book called The Hiding Place and talks about it. But she was on a lecture tour one time when a German came up to her and said, "It is good to know that God forgives." and he reached out to shake her hand and she recognized him because he was one of the guards at the concentration camp. One of the ones that humiliated him, one of the ones that drug children and adults to the gas station. And she realized in that moment what she says is realized that he was seeking forgiveness and asking. And she said, "My hand was paralyzed by my side and I said a simple prayer. Help me Jesus. and she said, "I extended my hand

and as our hands touched, a love and a joy flooded over my soul that I cannot explain. It was the love of God." And um she said, "The love of Christ flooded her heart like a current." Y'all, that's what a moment looks like when you lay down a spear in your hand. Because sooner or later, every one of us is going to stand where David stood. There's going to come a moment when we all have a spear. A moment where someone has wounded us. A moment where we could retaliate. A moment when revenge would feel justified. And what the voice of the L world will tell us and and exactly what Abashai whispered. Hey, now's your chance. Take the spear. gut him ended. But David looked at the spear and he saw something bigger. Kingdom that was not yet his to rule. He understood that the kind of king that he would become depended on the kind of decisions that he would make every single day. And so what David did right here is he stepped back and he let Saul lived and he walked away holding the spear, refusing to use it. And I say that because centuries later, the son of David would stand before his enemies. And by this time, the spear would not be taken away from him. But John 19:34 says that the Roman soldiers pierced his side with it. That of course person was Jesus. And then those same soldiers would would take the Lord and put nails into his hands and to his feet, driving hands into his hands. And Jesus prayed for these people, saying, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." So David spared Saul, but Jesus saved us sinners. David withheld the spear, but Jesus actually received it in a side because the kingdom of God is not built on revenge, built on grace. And the people who follow Jesus learned something extraordinary. We learn that the greatest act of ge uh the greatest act of strength is actually laying down the spirit. So if you'd like to follow Jesus, this past not easy, but it's always best. And we'll give you that chance as we sing stand sing him number one. We'll sing the first and last stand of him number one. Open

up.

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Have another real quick additional prayer. Heavenly Father, we pray for our troops in the conflict that they are involved in that loss of life will be few. We pray for the people of Iran, Persian people all over that the loss of life will be few. That uh that your will will be accomplished in the actions of our country in Jesus name. Amen. All right, you've got your Bible. Let's turn to guess where we're going to turn. Uh not a big secret. 1st Samuel chapter 25. We're going to plow on through. There's some really good stuff here. I hope it's a blessing to you. 1st Samuel chapter 25. We've been with David for 25 chapters. We know that he's been anointed to be king. He's not there yet. And then last week, he had it within his grasp. He had it within his grasp. He he he actually was in the cave with Saul. He could have taken him out, but he didn't. He cut a robe and then he felt guilty. And that's a good thing that his conscience kept him from doing that because it would have stained his kingship. So, let's see what happens after that. Let's see where scripture takes us. 1st Samuel chapter 25. This is how the word of the Lord opens. And Samuel died and all Israel gathered together and lamented him and buried him in the house of Rama. And David rose and went down to the wilderness of Per. Can can can we just stop for just a second? This is Samuel. And this feels like a footnote. A single sentence to mark the end of a very dramatic error in the nation of Israel. This is Samuel. I mean, Samuel was the conscience of the nation. Samuel was the last judge of Israel. Samuel was the one that consecrated Saul, but then stood up to him when he did wrong. And Samuel was the one that faced him down and said, "Saul, the Lord's uh removed the kingdom from you." Samuel is the one that anointed David in Bethlehem. When Jesse forgot to bring him to the lineup, Samuel represented spiritual stability of a country. When Israel sinned, it was Samuel that prayed the prayer that uh that appeased God. When Samuel prayed, heaven moved. And now he's dead. And that voice is gone. And in that death, it kind of seems like a a a visible spiritual protection seems to be removed. And the text doesn't really dwell on the grief at all. But I want you to imagine for a second what that meant for David. Now, Samuel was really the only prophet that David ever knew. Samuel was the one that poured oil over his head in Bethlehem. Samuel, at least to David, was the visible confirmation that God's promise was real. And in many ways, Samuel's living presence was reminder that the throne wasn't a fantasy. I mean, David is still anointed, but his prophet is buried. David is still anointed, and God's promise hasn't changed. But the voice that confirmed that calling is now gone, silent. You know, some of y'all have belonged to a church where the pastor of that church or the former pastor of that church has has really let you down. Imagine that. And I'm kind of thankful that our faith is not built on any human but on the divine human being of Jesus Christ. Because people will let you down and their absence can hurt. Um, man, you don't even have to look too far to think about that. Even uh in the South that we got Jim Baker and Tammy Fay, that was a disaster. Jimmy Swagger. Oops. You know, people rise up in Christianity, they can fall just as quickly. But thankfully, our faith is not built on any one pastor, not based on any one prophet, based on Christ. He never lets you down. And I thank God, especially as we dig through this story. So I want y'all to notice but in this moment in this verse right here have you ever noticed that there are delicate moments in our life in our spiritual life and they occur right after something stabilizing has been removed because Samuel was a stabilizing influence in David's life and maybe for you it's not a Samuel but maybe a mentor has moved away maybe a parent has passed or a spouse maybe a trusted friend relocates or a season of clarity ends. You're still called. You're still a child of God. You still got his gifts, but all of a sudden, as a Christian, your support system has really shifted. And the text doesn't explicitly say that David felt vulnerable, but the narrative arc kind of suggests uh that he's about to be David's about to be tested in a way internally because David had just passed this monumental test in chapter 24 in the cave of Engeti. In his grasp, he had the kingdom, but he refused to seize the throne prematurely. He he cut off a piece of Saul's robe in 24. And even that symbolic act wounded his very sensitive conscience and he declared, "Man, the Lord judged between me and thee. It was it was restraint. We saw last week that it was faith and we saw last week that it was trust." But here's what chapter 25 does for us all. It reminds us that a moment of obedience does not inoculate us against the next temptation. And you can spare a king in one chapter and almost slaughter a rancher in the next one. But um because sanctification is you know we are eternally sanctified by God but there is a a temporal sanctification one that it's the awareness of our sanctification and that's real but it's there's also the lingling lingering volatility of the pride that we have and we're going to see that because here's what I want to get at the spiritual maturity is not proven once and then you're good to go. It's something that we have to work on every single day. Okay, we have to exercise our spiritual maturity time and time and time again, especially when circumstances feel smaller, but the cut is much more personal. We're going to see that. And this next test that we're about to see in chapter 25 is not going to involve a murderous king. That's big time. This is going to involve a foolish landlord. Let's jump on in. Verse two. And there was a man in Mayon whose possessions were in Carmel. And the man was very great. He had 3,000 sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. So he we're introduced to this dude in Mayon whose business interests are headquartered in Carmel. And he's described as very great. The text tells us 3,000 sheeps, a thousand goats, and then the Let me tell you something. Even today, that's pretty massive. But back then, that was staggering wealth because sheep were currency. Goats were assets. Livestock meant trade networks, hired workers, seasonal festivities. It meant regional influence. And this is not a marginal figure. This is a dude that has a is a pillar in the local economy. But immediately scripture reframes him. Let's read it. Verse three. Now the name of the man was Nabal. And the name of his wife was Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and of beautiful countenance. Notice the order of that. She was smart and oh yeah, she was good-looking. So the emphasis is on her brain. Now we all want a woman that's good-looking. I mean, come on. But it's it's even be Oh, come on, guys. Amen. Y Hey, y'all are all good-looking. Uh, but you want somebody of a good understanding, too. That, you know, just don't marry somebody just because of their looks. Don't date somebody just because of their looks. And so, scripture has immediately reframed him because it says right here, he married this woman who was good understanding, beautiful countenance. But here it is, underline this. But the man was chish and evil in his doing and he was at the house of Caleb. His name is Nabal. This is what we need to know from that. Nabal in the Bible literally translates to fool. Now why is that important? Because psalm tells us that the fool has said in his heart there is no god. So this doesn't mean that he is stupid. It's an idiot who doesn't, this is why he's stupid. He doesn't reverence and recognize God. That's why he's stupid. He thinks he is a self-made man. That's why he's stupid. But his name literally meant fool. Can you imagine introducing him at the local dinner party? This is my husband. He's the idiot. All right. So, here's what you need to know about Nabal. Nabal is wealthy. Nabal is successful. Nabal is secure. But Nabal, hear me, is spiritually tonedeaf. He's got the money. He's got the wealth without worship. He's got the prosperity without perspective. He's got success without surrender. And here's the thing about prosperity, because we live in a very prosperous country. Prosperity has a way of magnifying what's already in the heart. And we all have something in our heart that doesn't need to be magnified. And here's the tension of the situation. David and his men have been living in the caves of Engeti, right outside of Carmel. They have been fighting the Philistines. They have been providing protection for everybody in the city of Carmel, including Nabal and his 3,000 sheep, thousand goats. So he's been working, he's been blessing, and now it's sheep shearing season. So here's the tension in the situation. David had protected Nabal's shepherd in the wilderness. They kind of formed this living wall around them. No theft, no violence, no loss. And in that culture, protection deserved provision. So David sends 10 young men with a simple request. Hey man, peace, courtesy, provision. And it says in verse four, "And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did that shear his sheep. And David sent out 10 young men. And David said unto the young men, "Get you up to Caramel, go to Nabal, greet them in the name, and thus say ye to him that liveth in prosperity, peace be both to thee, peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. And now I've heard that thou hast shears. Now thy shepherds which were with us, we will hurt them not. Neither was there ought missing unto them. And all the while they were in Carmel. Ask thy young men and they will show thee. Wherefore let the young men that are tending your her find favor that here find favor in your eyes. For we come in a good day give I pray thee whatsoever cometh to thy hand unto thy servants and to thy son David. So you catch it. David sends messengers during sheep sharing season. It's a time of festivities. It's a time of generosity and it was culturally appropriate to give out of the abundance. And David's men had been in the wilderness protecting them from the raiders all this while acting as that defensive wall. So David's request is not extortion. It's a symbiotic reciprocity of blessing. Here it says in verse 9, so David's people go, they say this to Nabal. And when David's men came, they spake to Nabal according to all the words in the name of David and ceased. Now I want you to watch Nabal's response. Verse 10. And Nabal answered David's servant and said, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse?" There there be many servants nowadays that break away every man from his master. So he's he's not only being dismissive, he's being contemptuous. And then he's poking David in the eye by making reference to the fact that he's left Saul's employee. And I want you to listen. This is not ignorance. David's reputation is widespread. A matter of fact, you know, Nabal knew it because he knew he was the son of Jesse. But listen to the contempt. Here we go. Verse 11. Shall I then take of Here it is. my bread, my water, my flesh that I have killed from my shears, and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be. Did you hear the possesses? My sheep, my bread, my water. See, here's the thing. This is a danger to all children of God. Prosperity has distorted his theology. He says, "My so much you'd think that he personally invented the livestock." This is the theology of self ownership and it's stupid. He's living up to his name because everything he calls mine is ultimately borrowed breath, borrowed land, borrowed mercy. His entire household stands one angry David away from annihilation. So, this is where we get into the heart of this text. We built the background. You got the backdrop. Let's look at David's reaction or David's overreaction. Verse 12. So, David's young men turned away and went again and came to him all and and told him all those things, saying, "And David said unto his men," here it is, verse 13, "guard ye every man his sword." So David hears the report and he says, "Get every man his sword." So 400 of the 600 men prepare for war. 400 men strap up

over an insult.

Saul tried to pin David to a wall with a spear. David restrained himself. Nabal insults David. David mobilizes a militia and they girded on every man his sword and David also gerted a sword and there went up after David about 400 men and 200 abode by the stuff. So 200 people stayed behind to guard the provisions. Have you ever noticed and we look at David and we're like, man, dude, come on. But you're just as guilty, right? Have you ever noticed how sometimes persecution, it feels noble, but disrespect, dude, that's intolerable. When someone attacks your mission, you can spiritualize it. When someone questions your worth, man, that that that feels personal. And David's response is not measured justice. It's wounded pride. And he declares by mourning that every man in Dave Nabal's household is going to be dead. Dude, that escalated quickly. So, let's just say David would not have handled Twitter very well. So, he's one sarcastic comment. 400 people are lacing up their sandals, strapping on their sword. But y'all, that's what pride does. It whispers. You can't let that stand. Anger, here's the thing. When baptized in self-righteousness feels like strength, but often anger is the armor of insecurity.

Why do we get mad sometimes? I know I get mad is when I feel attacked, insecure about something. But I want you to notice something. As wrong as David is, I mean, killing a killing a whole group of people because he got insulted, we can all agree that's wrong, right? Okay. So, David's still chosen. David's still anointed. David is still called, but in this moment he is reacting reflexively. But our God, our God is gracious. And our God sends grace to children who make bad decisions, too. Amen. Thank the Lord because every one of us makes bad decisions in our life. enter a lady by the name of Abigail. But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed on them. But the men were very good unto us, and and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we were conversant with them when we were in the fields, and they were a wall unto us by both night and day. And all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore know and consider what thou will do for for evil is determined against our master and against all his household. Underline this as they're describing Nabal. You know bad things are going to happen. Here it is. For he is a son of Bowel that a man cannot speak to him. So he's all kinds of stupid. Not only does he think he's a self-made man, doesn't acknowledge God in it, not only does he not bless people out of his abundance, it says that he's so stupid you can't even talk to him. And the text describes her as a woman of good understanding. That's biblical language for someone who sees clearly when everybody else is emotionally foggy. So the servant goes to her and says, "We're about to die because our boss is an idiot." Let's see what Abigail does. Let's pick up with verse 18. And then Abigail made haste. And oh, by the way, he's a son of BL. That's in the context of the fact he won't listen to anybody. If you ever have a point and there's times when you have to stick by the courage of your convictions, but don't overspiritualize stubbornness. Amen. Oh, y'all got it all. Polishing your halos. Okay. Other people can have good ideas, too. And if you're leading an organization, it's good to have a counsel. If you ever lead an organization, this is just a voice of experience. Assign one person to disagree with you. Hey, and and make it that way they can resist and maybe you can consider all the options. It's good to have somebody that'll tell you when you're right and when they think you're wrong. So Abigail is a good person, woman of great understanding. It's a blessing to have somebody in your life that will lead you back to the right path. Whether they be a parent, child, spouse, friend, it's good to have that person. Don't resent them. Then Abigail made haste and took 200 loaves, two bottles of wine. It's not like they didn't have it. She took 200 loaves, two bottles of wine, five five sheep ready dressed, five measures of parched corn, 100 clusters of raisin, 200 cakes of figs, and laid them on the asses. And she said unto her servant, "Go on before me. Behold, I come after you." And she told not her husband Nabal. And it was so as she rode on the ass that she came down by the covert on the hill. And behold, David and his men had come down against her, and she met them. Now, David had said, this is the promise he had made. Now, I want you to listen to this promise might contain a word that some of the parents are a little uncomfortable with. Now, David had said, "But there's grace in this." Now David had said, "Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him, and he hath reququed me evil for good." So, and more also to God, and to the enemies of David, if I leave all that pertain to him by morning light, any that pisseth against the wall. Abigail does not panic. She prepares the bread. She gets the wine. She gets the sheep. She gets the corn, the raisins, the figs. This is not a snack basket. This is a peace convoy. She interrupts David before he arrives. And when she meets him, she says, "Forgive my master." But he had made an oath that he had related that he was gonna kill everybody as the scriptures say, pisseth against the wall. That's King James. Don't get mad at me. I'm telling you what scriptures say. And I am so thankful that the Bible doesn't varnish the language. Doesn't clean it up because God is in control and cleans up our messes all the time. This is a stupid promise. It's a it's kind of a crass promise. But the Bible shows us that even in our crassness, even in our stupidity, even in our vulgarity, God is at work. And he was at work in this promise, too. Why is David making a promise like this? Let's see what Abigail does. She rides out to intercepts David. When she meets him, she dismounts. She gets low. She says something absolutely astonishing. And when Abigail saw David, she hastened, lighted off her ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and fell at his feet. This is what she says. Upon me, my lord, upon me, let this iniquity be. And let thine handmaiden, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaidaden. Let not my lord David, I pray thee, regard this man of BL, even Nabal. Here she goes. For as his name is, so is he. Yeah, he's named fool, and he is a fool. She's not varnishing it. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I, thy handmmaiden saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou did sin. Now therefore, my Lord, as the Lord liveth, as my Lord liveth, as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my Lord, be as Nal. And now this blessing which thine handmmaiden hath brought, all these 200 loaves, these couple bottles of wine, these this bread and food, all these blessings which your handmaiden hath brought unto my Lord, let it even be given to the young men that follow my Lord. I pray thee, forgive the trespasses of thine handmmaid. So she's interceding. She's taking it on herself. But the Lord will certainly make my Lord a sure house, cause my Lord fightth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thine all thy days. Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul, but the soul of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of his life with the Lord thy God. And the souls of thine enemies them shall he out as out of the middle of a sling. So here's what Abigail does. There's a lot of King James. Let me break it down. She assumes responsibility that she did not incur. She does not defend Nabal's sin. She doesn't excuse his foolishness, but she stands in the gap and she acknowledges his character plainly. As his name is, so is he. Which is the biblical equivalent of sir, he lives up to his reputation. But then she does something profound. And it shall come to pass, this is verse 30. This is the one that's just like, man, this for me was a key verse. And it shall come to pass when my Lord shall have done when And it shall come to pass when the Lord shall have done to my Lord, according to all the good that he has spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel, that there be shall be no grief unto thee, nor offense of the heart unto my Lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my Lord hath avenged himself. Did y'all see what she just did, y'all? Abigail reminded David who he really is.

She's encouraging the future king of Israel. She's encouraging him to live out of his identity. She she's reminding him that the Lord will establish him as the ruler over Israel. She urges him not to secure this promise through bloodshed that's going to haunt him later. She says that this shall be no grief unto thee. She is protecting David from future regret. Now, and godly counsel often sounds like that, sounds like that. You know, you'll thank me later. And this is remarkable. Abigail is protecting a king who's not even enthroned yet from a regret that hasn't even occurred yet. And David recognizes it. Verse 32. And David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me." So he recognizes the intervention. "Blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou which has kept me this day, from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hands. For in very deed as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hast hastened to come to meet me." Here it is. Surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any epissth against the wall. Here we go again. So first of all, can we appreciate that the Bible is not sanitized that that the Holy Spirit's not afraid of the language? This is not the Hallmark Channel Hebrew version. This is this is wilderness talk. And what that phrase means is every man. Because in the ancient world, that was the colorful way of identifying man. And honestly, the bluntness of it is part of the point. David is not saying, "Hey, we're gonna we were going to have a stern conversation." He's saying, "I I was about to wipe out every last man in that household." So the phrase is crude, but it's crude on purpose because David's anger was crude. David had moved past diplomacy. He had moved past negotiation. He had moved all the way to nos, no mailboxes, no mercy. And this is the Bible's way of saying, you know what? I was about to remove the men's section from this department store, but it actually exposes something a little bit deeper. Look, when we're angry, we tend to talk big. We exaggerate. We escalate. Anger always thinks in terms of absolutes. You always, no one's left. Never again. Always. Ever. David's language right here shows just how far he was in that moment. and he had mentally erased an entire household before breakfast over an insult. And it's amazing how quickly we can go from that hurt my feelings to burn it all down. Nobody starts at nuclear, we escalate to nuclear. And so the Holy Spirit preserved this phrase, this raw, slightly embarrassing phrase to remind us that even a future king can sound ridiculous when anger is driving the chariot. But here's the grace of the verse. David says, "The Lord God of Israel hath kept me back from hurting thee." The same man who is talking like a frontier warrior now recognizes that God has restrained him. And here's the beautiful tension. The verse is earthy. The anger is real. The threat is extreme,

but mercy is greater. And so David's essentially confessing, hey, I was out of control, but but God stopped me. And that might be the most relatable part of the whole story because if we're all honest, most of us have been in moments where we if we had followed through on what we had planned, we we would have needed the witness protection program and a new church. Instead, God sent Abigail. Sometimes he sends a phone call, a text, a friend, an ex pause, a spouse. And afterwards, we look back and say, as the Lord liveth, he kept me back. So, this reminds us that God's mercy sometimes keeps us from being the worst version of ourselves before sunrise. And that's something worth thanking him for. So it says verse 35, so David received of her hand which she had brought him and said unto her, go up in peace to thine house and see I have hearkened to thy voice and have accepted thy thy person. So David recognizes something critical. Abigail is not merely a wise woman. He recognizes she's also a divine interruption. And if you walk with God long enough, you're going to discover that he sends Abigail's in your life. And they're not necessarily angels with flaming swords. They're not always thunder from heaven, but they're people, friends, co-workers. And this is the humbling part. Usually, they're the person that you would least expect. And Abigail is someone who steps into your emotional momentum and says gently but firmly, you don't want to do this. And Abigail sees tomorrow while while you're reacting to today, she cares more about your future peace than your present pride. And here's the key. The Abigails in your life rarely show up applauding your anger. They show up slowing it down. Which means if you only listen to voices that agree with you when you're upset, you may silence the very mercy that that God is sending. So Abigail returns home to find Nabal feasting. Let's pick up. And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, and he was very drunken. Wherefore she told him nothing less or more until the morning light. But when it came to pass in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal and his wife told him these things that his heart died within him and he became a stone. And it came to pass about 10 days after that the Lord smoked Nabal and he died. So he goes into a coma and Nabal dies. The irony is sharp. Abigail returns home. Nabal's hosting a feast like the feast of the king. And the irony is thick because the real king is sleeping in a cave and the fool is throwing a royal banquet and he is drunk. And when Abigail tells him what happens, his heart fells and then the Lord strikes him dead 10 days later. And David never drew a sword. Verse uh 39. And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the Lord that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil. For the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own hand." God handled what David almost mishandled, and that's grace. And the deepest comfort in this text is not David's growth. It's really God's faithfulness when David falters. Right? Because if the future of Israel had depended on David's emotional stability, his un unending faithfulness, if it had depended on that, it would have gone away in this moment. And this chapter would have ended in a disaster. But God God intervened. And he kept his promise not only from the enemies but also the impulses of his own children. And this is comforting because the fulfillment of the Lord's purpose in our lives depends on our flawless reactions. We would derail it regularly. The security the security of your redemption does not rest on your composure. Hallelujah. It rests on Christ's accomplishment. And when our identity is is anchored in Christ's finished work, insults lose their power to destabilize us. This is first Peter chapter 2 verse 21. For even here too were ye called because Christ who suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps. Christ left us an example who did no sin neither was gal found in his mouth who here it is verse 23 who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not but committed himself to him that judges righteously who his own self bear our sins in his body on the tree that we being dead to sin sins should live under righteousness by whose stripes we are healed. Christ died to leave us an example and he left us a perfect example. He didn't leave us a David example that when somebody insult you, you strap up 400 men to go murder every man in the village. Christ lived perfectly for us. And because he lived perfectly for us, because he took us and died on that tree, now we get to live righteously. You didn't live righteously and then earn his his affection. He loved you and his empowerment enables you to live righteously. Hallelujah. Because we are emotionally unstable people. And here's the juxaposition between David and Christ. David needed Abigail to restrain him. Jesus didn't need anybody. He was reviled and reviled not. David almost retaliated over an insult, but Jesus endured mockery, spitting, a crown of thorns and nails to a cross and never retaliated. And where David needed mercy, Jesus became mercy. Where David required intervention, Jesus was our intervention. So grace, grace doesn't rest on your calmness. It rest on the finished work of Christ. So that's liberating. Now you don't have to avenge every insult because your identity is already secured. Now you don't have to fight every slight because your future is already anchored. Now you you don't have to prove yourself because the King of Kings has already claimed you. And because he did the battles that you refuse to fight in pride becomes testimonies of trust. And sometimes the greatest victory is not defeating your enemy. It's laying down your sword and trusting the one who has never lost control. If you'd like to serve Christ as we do here at Camp Creek Church, we give you that chance as we stand sing him

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If you got your Bibles with you, let's turn to 1st Samuel, chapter 24. We're going to continue our study in the series of Samuel. And where are we at? We are we are four chapters deep into David flying away from Saul who's hunting him. And we've been in the wilderness for a while. Well, today's passage, I think, is going to be a blessing to everybody here because we've all experienced what David's about to experience. Not necessarily the way that David is experiencing it, but we've all experienced it. It's that moment that everybody here who has been wronged, who has been who has who has been offended, who's who's just in that period of recovery, it's that that moment between when the wrong occurs and when the vindication finally arrives. It's that moment in between those two where the power shifts and all of a sudden you're not just the victim, but you can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And something has changed because for four chapters, David has been hunted. He's f fled from the palace to the field. He's he's fled from the from the city to the cave. He's fled from from from security to uncertainty. and he's absorbed all kinds of injustices without retaliation and lived under these threats without striking back. And now in a t startling turn of events, the very man who is chasing him walks alone into a cave where David and his men are hiding. So what we're going to pull out of this because this chapter is not primarily about what a person does when survival is no longer the question. It's about what a person does when power becomes possible. Because there is a kind of strength that is required to endure suffering. But y'all, there is an even deeper strength that's required to refuse revenge when we're revenge is within reach. So, please get your Bibles, read along with me. I hope to pull out some things that maybe you haven't seen before or maybe see it in a different light. If you don't have a Bible, get it on your phone. If you don't have it on your phone, there's one in the pull p the pew. So, pull it on out. We're going to start with verse one. And it came to pass when Saul was returned from following the Philistines that it was told him, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engeti." Let's pause real quick and appreciate where David is because Engeti is a series of limestone rocks that were pretty close to the sea um of the Dead Sea. and caves had been carved into these rocks um by natural forces. And so they were kind of natural strongholds. It's the kind of place where hunted men would hide. And it says that as soon as Saul got back from the Philistines, hunting the Philistines, that he found out David was down there. So So he's going to take some action. He He is so obsessed with getting David, he doesn't even give his men time to time to rest. I mean, it's just immediate turnaround. And this this chapter opens up with Saul mobilizing his forces. And have you ever noticed in life how threatened people react with excessive force? Sometimes threatened people will they'll raise their voices. They'll they'll have an exaggerated response. They'll go on a smear campaign. They'll they'll have an overreaction because this is what happens when you live life afraid of what's going to happen. you um you magnify the opposition. And we know from the previous chapters that Saul really fears losing his throne. So he mobilizes thousands of people to go after a shepherd. Uh and sometimes, and y'all forgive me, I just I just got to go on a detour for a second because my brain doesn't work right. And sometimes I think about, well, what if because there's nothing new under the sun and the same problems they had back then are the same problems we have today, but we're so much blessed because we know Jesus now. But imagine the cast of characters today facing these problems today. You know, they come before the king. There's this guy. He's the appointed one. He's the anointed one. You're going to lose your throne. And can you imagine the conversations that took place in that cabinet meeting? I'm not good at I'm not good at imitation, so y'all just throw me some grace here. probably be something like, well, I'm not saying, but some people say that he was never called by Samuel, that the guy was a cook. I'm not saying, but some people are saying that it's a conspiracy with Jesse the Bethleamite. Did he really kill Goliath? I mean, a tiny little stone. I don't think so. You can imagine that kind of personality going forward. Well, that's that's Saul right here. And he's getting 3,000 people to go after a shepherd. Now, in fairness, the shepherd did have 600 bankrupt narrwells with him, but it's still a little bit over reaction. And it says, "And Saul took 3,000 men out of all Israel to make Israel great again and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats." to 3,000 soldiers against 600 caved dwelling, bankrupt, distressed, dislocated people and a shepherd. Saul has institutional power. Saul has supply lines. Saul has the public authority. David, meanwhile, is in a cave. And I want to pause here to speak honestly about something because there are seasons in my life and seasons in your life when you feel like the enemy has 3,000 advantages against you, 3,000 resources, 3,000 accusations, 3,000 anxieties, 3,000 reasons to panic. And there are seasons when it feels like the enemy has 3,000 advantages and all you have is a rock. They have the position. They have the backing. They have the numbers. They have the resources. And you think all I have is this cave rock. But y'all, rock is enough because the numerical advantage, the positional advantage, the backing of your opposition means nothing when God governs the outcome. Because long before David ever hid in a cave, Moses hid in a rock in the cliff of the rock when the glory of God passed by in Exodus chapter 33. And long after David left in Getty, the Apostle Paul told us that rock, that was Christ. Tells us that in 1 Corinthians 10. So when you say, "All I have is a rock." All I have is this. Really, what you could say is, "All I have Christ because Christ is our ultimate defense. Christ is the clft in the rock. He's your shelter when the arrows fly. He's your covering then when the pressure closes in." And and there are seasons when it feels like the enemy has 3,000 advantages, but that's okay because you have the rock. And here's the twist on the story. It says in verse three, "And he," that's talking about Saul, came to the sheep coats, by the way, where was a cave and Saul went in to cover his feet. That's King James language. It meant that he went in, he cpped a squat, and he's about to go to the bathroom. Let's just get that out of the way. And David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. Now, it is almost impossible not to see the providence of God in this moment right here because after months of pursuit, after endless close calls, narrow escapes, the enemy is suddenly vulnerable. And Saul doesn't even know how exposed he really is. And if this was the movie, the soundtrack would stop, the tension would build, and David men interpret this moment like almost every single one of us would have interpreted the moment. This is what they say. Verse four. And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I'll deliver thine enemy into thy hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee. Translation: David, God just delivered Saul into your hand. He walked into your hiding spot. He's alone. He's unarmed. He's vulnerable. And it looks like providence. It feels like an opportunity. It smells like destiny. But I want to tell you something. Providence is not the same thing as permission. The fact that God arranges this moment, the fact that God arranges any moment doesn't mean that he necessarily endorses every impulse in that moment. So David rises up. He quietly moves towards Saul. The cave is dim. The air is heavy with tension. His men are hiding their breath. Here stands Saul, the man who has pursued him, who has thrown spears at him, who has driven him from his home. And if David strikes now, the pursuit ends. The suffering stops. The promise is accelerated. David's anointed. God's promised him the throne. Let's get it over with. Let's let's get moving. But instead of taking action, this is what it says. And David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privy. Now, that seems like kind of a small act. I mean, you cut a piece of the fabric of his robe off. I mean, it's kind of harmless, right? What's what's going on here? Um,

they used to do this at West Point. NVMI, they used to do it in the military, too. They stopped it at the academy when a cadet committed suicide. But if you ever got dishonorably discharged, they would have the cadet come up in front of the core. The captain would pull out his saber and they used to do this in military too and and that the full dress had all these buttons on it and they would take the sword and the buttons would fall off. You would disrespect the attire. They used to do that in the military too, but they stopped it atmies. wasn't in the military. It was a symbolic way of showing you don't have any power. And it was the same thing back then because if I can get to the king and I can cut his robe, I can send him a clear message. You are not secure. And that little robe which represents your throne. It the end is coming. So David arose and cut the skirt of Saul's robe privly. I hope y'all appreciate that because it explains this verse five. And it came to pass afterwards that David's heart smoked him because he had cut off Saul's skirt. So why did he feel bad for cutting the fabric? Because the robe represented the authority of the kingdom. David. Even though David had not taken Saul's life, he had reached out and taken something that God had yet to remove. And in that moment, the wilderness has served his purpose because David is convicted about what he did. Those months of hiding, your months of pain, the long nights in the cave, the fear, the betrayal, all those things have formed David's heart to be more sensitive. And a lesser man might have justified the act. Ah, a hardened heart would have said, you know what? Uh, at least I didn't kill him. But it says right here that David's heart trembled even at this symbolic aggression. Because David's power at this moment, and I want you to appreciate this, David's power was not in the cut of his knife. It was in his restraint. Because spiritual maturity is often revealed not in the sins that we avoid, but in the lines that our conscience will not allow us to cross. And can you imagine being one of David's men right now where you know David goes around the corner, he sneaks up to Saul, he cuts it back and you're expected to come back with Saul's head. I mean that's what he did with Goliath, right? At least we're but he comes back with a piece of fabric and your brain is sitting there thinking, "Bro, you missed it." Because so many of us think that that that God's victories have to look dramatic. And sometimes victory is just self-control. And and self-control not always flashy. Um it's not Instagrammable. Nobody is doing hashtag didn't retaliate today. Blessed.

But heaven sees. Heaven sees. And then David turns to his men. And this is some leadership. The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed. I want y'all to notice the language because he doesn't deny Saul's injustice. He doesn't pretend that Saul is righteous, but he recognizes that as God's appointed Saul, he and he's recognizing that and he refuses to seize what God must remove in God's own perfect timing. This is not weakness. It's a profound trust that's going on right here. So then we go to verse six and it says, "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, seeing that he is anointed of the Lord." And David restrains his men. And I want you to notice this carefully because it wasn't just Dave's impulse that he had to control. He had to control the crowd's encouragement to do this thing. It's one thing to refuse to strike. Now y'all listen. It's one thing to refuse to strike. It is quite a different thing to refuse to listen to the voices that are encouraging you to strike. Hey, take your shot. Hey, clap back. Hey, secure your throne. Hey, defend your reputation. And David says, "No, I'm not going to have anything to do with it." Not because Saul deserves mercy, but because there is a greater strength that can wait. Young people, hear me. Sometimes the best flex is not doing it. And this chapter is not about David being weak. It's about confidence in a God who rules over all events. Because David knew something. If this throne is mine, I don't have to steal it. God's promise is real. Don't have to manipulate it. So after Saul exits the cave, David steps into the light and calls after him. And what follows is one of the more remarkable one of the more remarkable confrontations in all the scripture. David bows himself with his face to the earth and addresses Saul as my lord the king. So he's showing some respect. There's no sarcasm. There's no bitterness dripping from his words. There's dignity. And he shows Saul the piece of the robe. And he makes his case plainly. It says verse eight. We'll read some verses here. David also arose afterwards and went out of the cave and cried after Saul, saying, "My lord the king." And when Saul looked behind him, David stopped with his face to the earth and bowed himself. And David said to Saul, "Wherefore hearest thou men's words? Why you listen to these people saying, Behold, David, seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how the Lord's delivered thee today into my hand in the cave. And some bade me killed thee, but mine I spared thee, and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord's anointed. Moreover, my father, see yay, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand, for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe killed thee not. Know thou, and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee, yet thou hest my soul to take it. So David here is not denying the injustice that he suffered, but he also doesn't weaponize the moment. Instead, he's putting judgment back where judgment belongs. Here's what he says. Verse 12. The Lord judge between me and thee. The Lord avenge me of thine thee. My hand shall not be upon thee. says, "I saith the proverbs of the as say saith the proverbs of the ancient, wickedness proceedth from the wicked, but mine hand shall not be upon thee. For whom is the king of Israel come out?" After whom does thou pursue? Who you looking for, Saul? After a dead dog with after a flea? I'm nothing. The Lord, therefore, be the judge. So, he's putting judgment where it belongs. The Lord be the judge between me and thee. and see and plead my cause and deliver me out of thy hand. Man, that's restraint. Because David decided that he would not act as a judge. He wouldn't be the jury. He wouldn't be an executioner. He trusted God who sees fully and judges rightly. Y'all, waiting for j God is not passivity. It's confidence that justice does not require your immediate intervention to exist. If the throne is by God's promise, David doesn't need to stain it to secure it. Now, let's close out with those last few verses. We'll take some lessons from it. And it came to pass, verse 16. And it came to pass when David had made an end to speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, "Is this the voice of my son David?" And and Saul lifted up and Saul lifted up his voice and wept. And he said to David, "Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil, and thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dwelt well with me. For as much as when the Lord delivered me into thy hand, thou klest me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? Wherefore the Lord reward thee good, for thou hast done unto me this day, and and now behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. Swear now, therefore, unto me by the Lord, that thou will not cut off my seed after me, and thou will not destroy my name out of my father's house." David swear to Saul. Saul went home. David and his man got them up into the hole. So Saul is moved and he lifted his voice and he weeps. He acknowledges everything that David has done to repay him, good for the evil, and he even confesses. And for a moment, for a moment, it seems as though clarity has pierced Saul's blindness. But scripture does not confuse emotion with repentance. Saul's tears are real, but they're not lasting. Saul's words acknowledging David's future kingship doesn't result in a heart change. And David discerns the difference. And he swears to Saul concerning his descendants. But David does not return to the palace. And the wilderness has taught him another thing that sincerity in the moment doesn't guarantee stability in life. So Saul leaves. David goes back to the cave. The conflict is not over. We have more chapters to go where Saul is going to be hunting him. So, let's dig a little bit deeper into what we just read because this chapter is not just about David sparing Saul. It's about the kind of man that David must become before he ever sits on the throne. Because a throne does not just require courage. It requires character and character is not formed in your coronation. It's formed in the caves that you're going through right now. So if David had taken power, I want you to think about this because if if David had taken power through violence, even if the outcome looked justified, that act would have shaped the entire architecture of his kingdom and his reign. The first decision that a king makes about how he obtains authority is the blueprint for how he's going to exercise it. If if he raises by the sword, he's going to have to rule by the sword. If if he grasps, he's going to have to govern by grasping. If if he eliminates rivals to ascend, he's going to have to eliminate threats to remain. The the method of becoming who you are becomes the model. And that's why these cave moments, your cave moments matter so deeply, what you do in your cave, because God is not only preparing David to rule Israel, he's he he's preparing David to rule Israel without becoming Saul. And and I want you to think about what would have happened if if David had killed Saul in that cave. Yeah. The pursuit would have ended. the throne would have been closer. The but the whispers would have followed him throughout his entire kingdom and would have followed him to Jerusalem. He took it. He seized it. He eliminated the king. And if David had justified it, a seed would have been planted forever. Power is preserved by force. And when you believe that power must be preserved by force, you begin to rule in fear. You begin to scan for threats. you begin to silence disscent, you you begin to protect position rather than shaping and shephering people. And and Saul had already gone down that road. David cannot begin there. And but there's also a deeper truth because the wilderness was not just protecting David from Saul. It was protecting Israel from a future version of David. So the wilderness, if David had taken that throne prematurely in this wilderness through bloodshed, without restraint, Israel would not have gained a shepherd king. They would have gained another insecure ruler. God was not only shaping David's destiny, he was actually safeguarding Israel's future in the wilderness. Because authority is seldom neutral, it magnifies whatever is already present. If insecurity obtains authority, insecurity rules. If humility obtains authority, humility governs. And the cave reveals David's soul right here. He doesn't grab what God has promised. He waits for God to remove what God has installed. And that waiting shapes him. And that waiting and your waiting and it it it builds trust where grasping builds anxiety. And and when you seize what God has not given, you'll spend the rest of your life defending it. When when God gives you what you waited for, you can hold on to it without fear. But this this is this is not isolated to David. The this is a pattern through scripture. A Abraham had to wait on Isaac. Joseph had to endure prison before the palace. Moses spent 40 years in Midian before leading the people of Israel. Why is that? Because just getting authority without any formation becomes destructive and and God is more concerned with who you become than how fast you get there. The cave was never delaying David's kingship. It was refining it. So if David had taken this throne by killing Saul, Israel would have gained a king but lost a shepherd. how how you obtain your influence and authority. How you actually if if you if you rise through manipulation, you're going to govern through manipulation. If you rise through fear, you will rule through fear. If you rise in trust, you will govern in peace. And this cave was not about sparing Saul. It was about shaping shaping de. And I want to go back to the story because there's a whisper that goes on through this whole story from the very beginning of David's story. But man, it's getting louder right now because there was another anointed one, another king rejected, hunted, misunderstood, and his name was Jesus. And when his enemy surrounded him, he did not cut garments. He allowed his to be stripped off. When he was betrayed, he did not strike. He surrendered. When when he was mocked, he did not defend. He he entrusted himself to the father. And Peter tells us when he was reviled, he reviled not. and he committed himself to the judge that judges rightly. In the wilderness, Satan offered our Lord authority over the kingdoms of the world. And he offered it to him with you can have authority over the kingdom of the world without a cross. All he had to do was bow. But he refused because a crown without a cross would have shaped the wrong kind of kingdom. And in the cave, David spared his enemy. And at the cross, Jesus prayed for his enemies. David refused to take the throne by force. Jesus refused to call down 12 legions of angels to defend him. So, we have a gospel message here in 1st Samuel chapter 24 that the true king secured his kingdom not by violence but by obedience. And that's good news because your salvation, your eternal salvation was not achieved by your moral effort. It was accomplished by Christ's faithfulness. And you were not rescued because you restrained yourself. You were rescued because of the finished work of the Savior. And that changes everything. Maybe right now, and I know some of you definitely are in a cave. Misunderstood, overlooked, sidelined, attacked unfairly. And this text does not minimize your pain, but it shows something more powerful. God's purpose do not does not require your manipulation. You don't have to fight for validation. You don't have to crush your enemies. You don't have to orchestrate your rise. But you can rest in what God has already secured in Christ. You are not fighting for a crown. You are living from one that has already been won by Jesus. Now, we hear a lot nowadays about this phrase called trust the process. And you got to be careful. We don't trust the process. We trust the Lord who governs the process. And here's the beauty of it. Years later, David did fail very publicly. He would not always have the same restraint that is showing right here. But the story of scripture does not end with David. It culminates in Christ who never failed a single test. And your hope is not in becoming better. It is in the son of David. How does Jesus make a difference? You know, David cut the hymn of Saul's robe and That hymn represented authority like we talked about. Thousand years later, a woman would reach out for a hymn, hem of the garment, and power would flow not from her effort, but from the one that wore the robe. David cut a robe and felt convicted. But the lady touched the robe of Jesus's garment and found healing. What's the difference? Jesus is a greater king. And in this story, David goes back to his stronghold. Saul goes home. The throne remains occupied for now. But the ending is certain. And God's purpose is going to stand. Now, tonight, today, you might feel hidden. You might feel overlooked. You might feel unfairly treated. But I want you to know this. The palace is coming and until it does, you can trust the God who forms kings in the cave. If you'd like to serve him as we worship him at Camp Creek Church, give you that chance as we stand him sing him number him number 60. We'll sing the first and the last stand of him number 60.

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Thank you for that good prayer. Good morning and it's blessing to be with you all again and to worship with you here at Camp Creek. The passage that I have on my mind is in the Gospel of Luke chapter 24. If you want to go ahead and turn there with me, but I speak I normally when I have a passage I'll I'll go ahead and read the passage first and then try to give context as necessary. But today I feel led to um just because we're jumping into this portion that's so rich in the gospel message. I want to try to give a little bit of context of where we're at because so much of the first of all there's four gospel records the synoptic gospels and then the gospel of John. And a large portion of these gospel records have to do with the very last week of the life of Jesus Christ before he's crucified. Um, so there's a lot of detail in there about just the kind of final days leading up to the crucifixion and his death and his resurrection. And so I'd like to try to compress just a little bit um perhaps a kind of lengthened weekend and look at uh where we're at in this story before we look at um the familiar account of the two disciples on the road to Emmas. So starting back, you can think um it would actually be Thursday evening. um Thursday evening, which would have been by the Jewish reckoning, the 14th day of the month of Nissan. This was the Passover day. And it was Thursday evening that the Lord Jesus Christ gathered with his disciples in the upper room. And he shared with them the Passover meal and then instituted the Lord's supper with them. He shared that meal with them. And um around this time is when Judas's Scariot went out that evening, this Thursday evening, went out to betray the Lord Jesus Christ to the chief priests and to the rulers of the Jews for 30 pieces of silver. He betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ. At this point, the Lord was with his disciples out in the Mount of Olives. He was praying by himself alone to the father um preparing and speaking to the father in preparation for going to the cross the next day. And he had asked his disciples to stay awake with him and to just watch for a while and to pray with him while he went alone by himself to pray. And he came back and found them sleeping. Um but it was at this time that the company who had sought Jesus and who Judas the Scariot had betrayed the Lord Jesus to they came upon them. They came and found them. And uh the Lord Jesus after a little bit of a discourse there submits willingly to be arrested to this this company a large company about 600 men that came to to arrest him. So he submits and allows them to take him. If he hadn't allowed it they wouldn't have been able to but he allowed himself to be taken willingly by these men. Um, this was all taking place Thursday evening. Over the course of the night, Thursday, it was a horrible night for the Lord Jesus Christ. He was not allowed a moment to sleep, a m a moment to rest. He was scourged and beaten, whipped. He was taken through multiple false trials. Um, he was taken before Pilate. And Pilate, as soon as he heard he was a Galilean, he said, "Well, this is actually Herod's jurisdiction and I would love to get buddy buddy with Herod." So he sends the Lord Jesus Christ over to Herod. And Herod said, "I've been waiting to meet this man." So he puts him on trial before Herod. Um, and before Herod, the Herod questions him, asks him a number of questions about the claims that the Lord Jesus had made in his ministry. And to that Jesus answered, "Not a word." Which fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, saying, "As a sheep, before her sheerers is dumb, he opened not his mouth." So before the trial of Herod, the Lord Jesus Christ did not speak a word. Herod mocked him and beat him, sent him back to Pilate. And Pilate continued to question him and eventually he came to the conclusion, I find no fault in this man. And he told the Jews, you know, he's, as far as I can tell, he's innocent. I'm going to release him to you. But the Jews were were um more persistent. They said, no, give us Barabus instead. We'll take this this proven criminal, this murderer, um, and we want to crucify the Lord Jesus Christ. That was their intent. And so they decided to um take Barabus back unto them, set Barabus free, and to crucify the Lord Jesus Christ. And so Pilate gave them um authority to do so. He said, "I wash my hands of this. His blood is upon you." And they said, "Yes, his blood is upon us." So that took place all over Thursday evening. This is the 14th day of of Nissan in the Jewish calendar, which is the Passover. And that's not a coincidence because the Passover of course we know in the Old Testament this was the story from Exodus where it was the 10th plague that the Lord uh cursed Egypt with where he smoked the firstborn of all of the land of Egypt. And the way that he told his people that they would be spared by this is by uh slaying a lamb and to sprinkle the blood upon their doorpost. And it was this substitution, this sacrifice um that would obtain mercy at the hand of the angel of death who would come and and pass over their house as soon as he saw the blood upon that household. So that's what the Passover celebrates and that was um that Thursday evening. But remember the Jewish days are not like our days. They don't start in the morning and end in the evening. The way their calendar system works, it actually starts in the evening is the beginning of their day. So the Jews stayed the 14th of Nissan started Thursday night and went till around Friday evening. So that whole day on Thursday um was the Passover. It was Friday morning um around 9:00 a.m. in the morning. Mark tells us it was the third hour but but 9:00 a.m. according to our clock that the Lord Jesus Christ was hung on the cross. He had been beaten, whipped, scourged. They had passed lots for his clothes and he was uh he was stripped and he was put on the cross at 9:00 am and he hung on the cross until 300 pm. But it wasn't until the noon hour that the the Lord darkened the sky. It became dark. And so for those three hours, it was a great darkness upon the land. And um in those uh final three hours at the end of that at 3 p.m. is when he cried out, "It is finished." He said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." And he gave up the ghost. Um So that would have been actually there's another feast that that day fell on. That Friday was actually the feast of unleavened bread. And I was uh part of what stirred my thoughts on this was going through the the Bible reading plan. I was reading through Leviticus and just was reminded of some of the order of these days. But the day in which he was actually uh well he was crucified on Passover, but this was the uh the next day is is the feast of unleven bread which was similar to the the account in Egypt. Uh the reason this was instituted was because when the Lord delivered his people out of the hand of the Egyptians, he said, "You have to get out of town quickly." And so the reason it's unleavened bread, at least in those days, there's a symbolic meaning, too. But it was basically they didn't have time to let the bread ferment. So they had to quickly get up out of the land of Egypt. And that was kind of the the ritual that began there. But of course, we know there's a deeper meaning in that leaven is a picture of sin. And so that's why we use unleavened bread in the communion service. So we have this kind of ordering of events here. Um, but in looking at this, I noticed something that was interesting. Uh, the feast of unleven bread. It's a 7-day feast. So, it goes from Nissan 15 to Nissan 21. There's a lot of details here, but there's something kind of cool in here that I noticed that I'd never seen before. So, I want to just as part of the introduction, uh, make note of this. Hopefully, you'll find it interesting, too. When the Lord Jesus Christ was was crucified, the that evening is when the feast of unleven bread began. And the first day and the last day of that feast were something called a holy convocation. They were kind of special days in the feast. The middle days were kind of more normal. There were still sacrifices as part of the feast, but the first and last day were what was called a holy convocation. And that meant that whenever they happened, these were a Sabbath day. There were special offerings and these were considered a Sabbath. No work was supposed to be done except for the work of the priests in the sacrifices. And so that Saturday, this is partly why when Jesus was taken off the cross and as they're trying to bury him, they kind of had to do it with a a bit of haste because that evening is when the feast day began. And so they had to do it a little bit quickly because he needed to be buried because it was considered work for them to bury him. So he needed to be buried and placed in the tomb before this Sabbath day, the holy convocation, the Saturday began. And so he's placed in the tomb, they uh in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arythea. And then the feast of unleven bread begins. And it's interesting that this was actually called in scripture a high Sabbath. Another detail here, but the day in which the beginning of this feast started was sometimes a different day of the week. You know, in the Jewish uh every single Saturday to the Jews is their Sabbath day. Every single Saturday is a Sabbath to the Jews, but occasionally it would line up where a Saturday is also the beginning of one of these major feasts. And remember, this is one of the the big feasts in which every Jewish male had to take a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. That's why Jerusalem was packed for the Passover. Packed during all the proceedings that took place of the crucifixion of Christ. Packed for the first day of the feast of unleven bread. Usually they would go home on the second day at least. Um they would stay through the first day and then usually leave on the second day and go back home. But remember, everyone is still in Jerusalem and they're preparing for this this feast of unleavened bread. um everyone would have been preparing to go to the temple for these these great sacrifices that were made. But remember, it's a high Sabbath. It was already a Sabbath day because it's Saturday, but it's also this holy convocation, the first day of the feast of unleven bread. There's something interesting about that to me that I noticed. If you remember towards the end when Jesus is about to give up the ghost, when he's hanging on the cross and he cries out, "It is finished." There's a note in there that says the veil of the temple was rent and twain. You remember that note? There's an earthquake that happens, but there's a special note that the veil of the temple is rent in the midst. It's rent in half. And that to me, I when I was reading it for most of my life, I've always kind of passed over that. I've gone, that's interesting. I know the Lord's doing something there. I know it's kind of probably symbolic, but I don't quite understand um what I what I kind of now see to be a very serious and uh powerful note that that happens here. the veil of the temple. This is what separated the holiest of holies from the next section of the temple. And so this was the portion of the temple that only priests could go into. You have the veil and then the holiest of holies where the shakina glory of God resided and where only the high priest could go in once a year on the day of atonement. People had died for going in here and doing things improperly. It was serious business. So this veil that separates the kind of priestly court from the holiest of holies is separated by this veil. And when I heard the word veil, I don't know what you all picture when you hear that. I kind of thought it was just a sheet. I thought it was just like a bed sheet that was hung up and you kind of couldn't really see through it. It was kind of uh you know too dark to see see in. This was if you look at the specifications in Leviticus and in the Old Testament, this was quite the sheet. This was quite the veil. It was 60 feet to 90 feet tall depending on what system you use. At least 60 feet tall, 30 feet wide, and a hand breth. So, it's like 6 in thick of this this just crazy thick uh fabric material, 60 feet tall, 30 feet wide. This is the veil that was rent in half when the earthquake happened. When the Lord Jesus cried out, "It is finished." That's the veil that was rent. That's much more powerful than the sheet falling off a hook or something like that. I don't know what I had pictured before, but this is a powerful thing the Lord does. And it certainly um causes any idea that this could have been an accident or that something else happened. This was the hand of God and nothing else could have I mean it would have be incredibly hard to cut even that thing. Uh it's it's a hand breath thick and it was rent in half. Now here's the interesting note. If this that happened on Friday, remember at the end of the in the evening on Friday when the Lord Jesus Christ was hanging on the cross, Saturday is the feast of unleven bread. It's a high Sabbath. No work is allowed in this day. So what do you think the priests thought as they went throughout their business that day on this high feast sacrificing animals performing the the the meat and the drink offerings? They are not first of all they see the veil of the holiest of holies rent in half and they by the law can't fix it. The entire day it is made to just be there. The veil is rent open. The holiest of holies is exposed, if you will. They're probably fearful. The common people couldn't even go in to see this veil, as I understand it. So, who knows to what degree they even um publicized what had happened. Do you even the people who went to the temple to see these sacrifices and take take uh part in these offerings, they might have not even known that the veil was rent. But here this this kind of symbol of this uh of the holiness of God being hidden away and and obscured is rent and no one can fix it. The priests are not allowed to fix it. So they're doing all of these sacrifices. To me, what this is, it's a bit of a humorous note, but I think it's an impactful note. The Lord is almost saying these ceremonies have been fulfilled. What you're trying to protect is already out there. There is already access by the bloodshed of Jesus Christ for his family to God. No longer did we need this this uh Old Testament, you know, kind of hidden away. This kind of glory only one man can go in there. We each have access through the blood of Jesus Christ on our behalf to now access the throne of God, the glory of God. His spirit is even in us. Christ in you, the hope of glory. That's a that's a powerful note to me that that they would have had to and for 40 years really until Jerusalem was destroyed in AD70 as was foretold. Uh they would have continued these same ceremonies year after year, the feast of unleven bread, the Passover, the day of atonement, all these kind of um certainly they would have fixed the veil eventually, but not on that first day. They weren't allowed to. Um they continue with these sacrifices but surely a part of them thought this is really odd that we crucified this man who claimed to be the Christ and same day there was a major earthquake the veil of the temple was rent. Um strange things are happening in Jerusalem. We were offering all those sacrifices but we knew that there was the veil was open and we weren't destroyed. Something has changed. Something in the law has God has done something. He's telling us something. And I think that's why in Acts chapter 6, um, when when the the gospel is being spread, it says, "Many priests were converted." I think that's why the priests are sitting there kind of scratching their head for a while and going, "Why is all of this happening?" And the gospel finally comes to them and and they understand and they say, "Oh, this was the man. This was the Christ." They begin to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. So that all took place on Saturday. That was the first day of the feast of unleven bread. And then we come to Sunday, which we're all very familiar with. It was early first thing in the morning when the women Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and some other women went to the supplr and found that the body was missing and they see the two angels that say he is not here but he is risen. So they run and tell all of the disciples and Peter and John go sprinting to the suppler in their famous race and they observe the same thing that the body is not there. This is where we pick up in chapter 24:13. This is the uh events leading up to this account. Luke chapter 4 24 13 to read a lengthy passage all the way to verse 35. And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmas which was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as you walk and are sad?" And the one of them whose name was Cleopus answering said unto him, "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?" And he said unto them, "What things?" And they said unto him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him." But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. And beside this, beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yay. And certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the seeler. And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sephiler, and found it even so, as the women had said, but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, "Oh fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them, and all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh to the village, whether they went, and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass as he sat at meat with them, he took bread and blessed it and break and gave to them, and their eyes were open, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, "Did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the 11 gathered together and them that were with them, saying, "The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon." And they told what things were done in the way and and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. It's an incredibly interesting account here. Um, but certainly on the tales of all that has gone forth, you can perhaps relate to these disciples, and we'll see this here in a moment. It's the same day. This is after the women have already gone to the sephiler and seen the body was not there, come back and spoken to the disciples and told them we haven't seen it. Peter goes and confirms it. Comes back and they're like, "Yeah, this is true. It's after this that these disciples set off back home to leave Jerusalem to head back home to Emmas." It says it was a a distance about three score furongs. That ends up being close to eight miles. It's not incredibly far, but a decent walk. Eight miles back home. And the whole way as they're walking together, they're just kind of reviewing everything. They're hashing it out. They're going over all the details and saying, "What? What did we miss? What what happened here? We were sure he was the one. Clearly, he wasn't." And this beautiful picture here, Jesus himself. Begins to walk with them. I don't know. He just appeared on the way and he begins to take up company with them. But there's a note that their eyes were holden or restrained. So, they didn't recognize him. these followers of Christ um by the Lord's intent, by his own will, he caused them to not know who he was. And we'll look at that here in a little bit and why that would be the case. But as they're walking with him and talking to him, they don't know this is Jesus. They think it's just a stranger. And so, um he's asking them essentially, "Hey guys, what are you talking about? Why are you so sad?" And they say, "We're given the name of one of them was Cleopus. We don't know a whole lot about Cleopus, and we aren't even given the name of the other disciple." So, they're not um we don't need to know that. Um he says, "Are are you a stranger? Do you not know anything that's happened?" And he said, "Well, what's what's happened?" He said, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth." This is the first thing I'd like to to take note of. He says, "Which was a prophet mighty in deed and word for God and all the people." That to me is the first note that these disciples have since lost hope. they are in uh they're in perhaps in a state or in a season of of unbelief that they're struggling with their faith. They're weak in faith because I I I think I don't think it's too bold to assume that if they were followers of Christ, if they had taken any company with the apostles, they would have believed steadfastly that Jesus was Christ, the son of the living God. They describe him now as a prophet. They say he was just a prophet. He's mighty in word and in deed. Remember when Jesus asked the question to his apostles, we know they knew who he was because he said, "Well, whom do men say that I am?" They listed a number of prophets. They said, "You're either a prophet or you're one of these prophets come back to life somehow or their spirit is in you. I don't know." But uh he says, "Well, who do you say that I am?" Peter says, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God." So if these men were followers and disciples of Christ, they would have known or believed that he was the Christ, the son of the living God. And yet to this stranger and in their sadness and in their, you know, in their in their state of struggling faith and weak faith and hopelessness after the events of the crucifixion of Christ, they say he was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. But the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, have crucified him. And this is a heartbreaking verse here in 21. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. That's what they said. They said, "We thought he was the one. We had believed that he was the one." I guess we were delusioned to think that he was the Christ, the one who would save us, who would redeem Israel. And beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. I want to ask you, can you relate either at this point in your life or in another point of your life to the state of these disciples to say perhaps you you step back from your day-to-day life and go, I had thought it would have gone differently. I thought the Lord had different plans for me. I thought he had promised different things to me than I'm seeing right now. And perhaps it's not what I thought it was. Perhaps I misinterpreted it. Um, I know the Lord's been good to me, but perhaps I'm just confused on how I got to where I'm at and I'm confused because I had trusted or I had expectations or I had plans that it would go differently. It would look different. If you've felt that now or have felt that before and perhaps you can find company in these in these disciples and throughout this account, I encourage you just to to tune in and and see what happens and how the Lord eventually comforts them. Listen to this. Even they said, "Yay, and certain women also of our company, made us astonished, which were early at the suppler. And behold, when they found not his body, they came, saying that they have also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went in the that's went in the suppler and found it, even so, as the women had said." So they even heard the reports that his body was missing. And that's the point when they decided um you know obviously the women and and Peter probably went in the morning to the sephiler but later we're going to find that it was towards evening when they arrived at their destination um on this Sunday Sunday afternoon Sunday evening they had heard this report that his body's missing that angels had been seen and they said yeah we're going to hit the road I'm I'm not buying it it's all hope is lost um I don't see much merit in that story there has to be another explanation we're we're just we're calling it calling it quits. I don't believe anything can come of this. That's when they hit the road. This is listen to what Christ tells them. Oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? He begins all the way at the book, the beginning of this book, beginning at Moses and all the prophets. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. So he started all the way at the beginning of this book and walked them through the whole Old Testament and explained how each part of this of the Old Testament pointed to himself. He said, you see this picture here of the ram caught in the thicket. That's me. That's a picture of me. You see this picture um of deliverance in Egypt. That's me. I'm the redeemer. He doesn't say it's me. He says it sounds like this is this Jesus person you're speaking of. They still don't know his identity. Um but he goes through and and what a sermon that would have been. He preaches the entire Old Testament, all of all of Moses, the first five books, all of the prophets and expounded unto them in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. And they are just lifted up by this and and they eventually are like arriving at the village of Emmas, whether they went and there's this interesting note that he would have gone further. So, he was just going to keep walking by him. They said, "Well, hold on, sir. Hold on a minute. We like what you're saying. Will you come abide with us? Will you come stay with us tonight? It's late anyways. The day is far spent. And he went in and carried with them. And it came to pass as he sat at meat with them, he took bread and blessed it and break gave to them. So they've constrain this man. They they want to hear more. They want to continue to commune with him. They invite him to stay with them. And it's at the dinner table. They're about to partake of the bread and he blesses it and breaks it and is diiving it out to them. And it's at this point that their eyes were open and they knew him. Suddenly that kind of fog or the cloud that had uh restrained them from knowing who he was is is removed and they see this is Jesus. This is the one we know. And at this point he vanishes out of their sight. How mysterious is that? They're going well I actually know who you are. And and then he's gone. He's gone out of their midst. What an interesting position that would have been. Can you imagine the conversation that followed of what just happened? You know, we're so, you know, distraught by the events that take place. And then suddenly we hear this report that Jesus is alive, his body's missing. We've walked with this stranger, but now he comes into our house and we know it's Jesus all of the sudden he's gone. What would you do in that position? What would you do in their in their place? They say to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us?" while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures. And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the 11 gathered together. They speak to one another and said, "Did it touch you as much as it touched me, the things that he was saying on the road." Now notice these were the things. This was their experience before they knew it was Jesus. They thought it was a stranger who just opened to them the word of God. And this is what caused their heart to burn. Now, I'm sure it was the best sermon you've ever heard because it was Jesus giving it. But my point is that um it wasn't because it was Jesus necessarily that this caused their heart to burn. It was the story. It was the actual gospel message itself that caused their heart to burn. That's the best I can come up with for why the Lord would have caused their eyes to behold. That's the best explanation. And and you might think, well, why is that? It's kind of a complicated question, but from what I can tell, the Lord knows that he's not going to be with them bodily at all points. He knows he's going away. He will send them another comforter. And as brother John has so aly told us that this comforter, the Holy Spirit, is not another type of comforter. It's a it's a comforter of the same kind that that resides with him and comes upon them in a mighty way, especially at Pentecost. Um, but is with every one of us. Every child of God has this this comfort of the Holy Spirit in them. But he knows that he's going to go away in a in a tangible sense. He's not going to be with them, walking with them as he did in his ministry, in his earthly ministry. And he knows persecution is going to come specifically upon probably these two men and the rest of the apostles, the rest of the the disciples. Many of them were martyed and killed for the cause of Christ. And so I believe what he's trying to teach them here is that what you need to take comfort and what you need as your source of hope, that is with you always. We have the story. You walked with me. You know this of a truth. The things that I've told you, the things that was prophesied. You believe that. You believe the good news of Jesus Christ even when he's not right there. He says, "We'll walk by faith, not by sight." It's kind of similar to the story of of Thomas. It reminds me of that a little bit when um Thomas says, "Except I stick my fingers in the prince of his hand or thrust my hand into his side, I'll not believe that he's risen." Jesus appears to them and says, "Come on, Thomas. That's the prince and thrust your hand in." He says, "You've seen and believed, but there's a blessing to those who believe even when they see not." And I think this was a special blessing to these disciples, but I'm thankful it's in the word of God because you and I um we don't get we've never seen the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh either for generations and generations of of the followers of Christ to come. We would not have the blessings that these disciples had and these apostles who who got to walk with him for three years and to see him in the flesh to heal to um to cure leprosy to give sight to the blind. Um but we have the same record. We have the same promises. We have the same prophecies. And we see the exact same Jesus. We can know him and we can be stirred up and our hearts can burn within us through faith, through the same message. We have the same old story today. Um,

um,

this is the same thing Peter says in that he and the other disciples went up on the mount, the mount of transfiguration, and they saw the Lord Jesus Christ transfigured before them, and he he took on this white and glowing appearance before them. But if you actually flip over to second Peter chapter uh chapter 1 verse 19, he says, "We have a more sure word of prophecy." Now, that's saying something. If you had seen the Lord Jesus Christ transfigured before you into this glorious presence that you can hardly behold because it's so bright and glimmering and gleaming and and reulgent in your sight and you say, "I would rather have this book than to have experienced that." That's quite that's saying something. And so if Peter says that, I'll take his word for it and trust that we have the same very same word. Um so that to me is why that's why I think he he held their eyes, why he restrained their eyes to know him. And it's of great blessing and benefit to us to see that. And I want to ask you, this is a bit of a personal note, but they they use the phrase, "Did not our heart burn within us? while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures. And I I asked you earlier if you'd ever if you feel currently or if you've ever felt when you look at your life that perhaps you had trusted a promise of God and now you're not quite sure that you're seeing the result of it. Well, think back to you can remember a time when maybe you first remember hearing the gospel message and feeling your heart burn within you. Do you feel that that's as apt of a description as I do to feel that that kindling in your heart to feel the lump in your throat and to just I can't find any other worldly explanation for that besides that it is a supernatural occurrence even if kind of our day-to-day life has become um maybe more dry than we wish it had. Do you remember that feeling when you were just kind of lit on fire by the story of the gospel and just brought to your knees in humility to see the sovereignty of God that he would choose one such as you? Who are we before this holy God? Do you remember how you felt? Don't explain that away to yourself. Don't ever look at that experience and say, "Perhaps I was stirred up. Perhaps it was false. Perhaps it wasn't. Perhaps I was kind of making more out of it than it was." It's not. that is a supernatural um work of God in your heart. And and I assume that it wasn't just the first time. For me at least, it's been time and time again that you go back to this word or you hear it preached or you're just uh meditating on something and it just seems that the Lord just comes and and delivers to you. It's much like what he does to these disciples where he's breaking bread for you again. He just gives you your daily meat, your daily bread to get you through that day. And it's a way that no one really would understand. It's it's so personal that he just has been with you and providing for you all along. And so time and time again, we'll go through seasons perhaps where it feels a little more dim, where it feels a little more dark, and where we perhaps go through seasons of doubt. And first of all, theologically that is not your salvation is in jeopardy. If if if our faith or the the steadfastness of our faith is necessary to get us to heaven, Lord, help us. We're not going to make it. We're not. Our faith is weak. our faith waxes and waines. Um, we want our faith to be strong and it ought to be our chief concern to to stay strong in the faith and to to remind ourselves of this word on the on a daily basis. Um, so that first of all, it'll endanger us that that Satan would love to come up and and find a sheep who's kind of drifted. That's easy prey for the devil. And that's when you're in the most danger is when Satan can come and pick you off like a roaring lion. is when we're in the kind of in the in the body of the other flock and in the close care of the shepherd, which we always are. Um that we are a little bit more we're able to kind of handle the winds and the storms that come in this life because the Lord is with us and we feel his presence and we're trusting on his strength. But our faith is not the steadfastness of our faith is not what we need to get to heaven. Um scriptures say that if uh the foundation of God standeth sure if we uh if we do not abide in faith he abideth faithful. Our Lord abides faithful even when we doubt even when we have uh seasons where we're struggling with our faith. So here um the Lord once again and the reason I mentioned that is I've heard this the scripture um said that it's a a pattern of preaching and and used to to teach other denominational doctrines that say that here we see that this is how people are saved. The the gospel is preached, Christ is revealed and the hearts kindle or burned and using that as a a teaching of that's how the heart transformation takes place in the new birth. Clearly we know that preaching of the gospel is not necessary to save a child of God. spirit workketh in our hearts. That's the work of the spirit. He doesn't need the gospel to reach someone. And so here we see um what I would not say is a pattern of the the pattern of regeneration. This is the pattern of strengthening a weak hurting a weakened faith and unbelieving child of God. That's the pattern here. And that's something I take great comfort in. And now look at their response. It's late in the evening. That's why they decided to turn in and ask this man to stay with him. And it was already evening when they were coming home and they said, "It's already the day is far spent. It's toward evening. Come in and abide with us. They begin to share this meal." So it's even later the Lord Jesus appears before them and then vanishes out of their sight. What's their reaction here? Verse 33, they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem. That's another eight miles back. They just came eight miles. They see this man. He appears before them and they go, "That was Jesus. We're going back." They load up again eight miles back to Jerusalem. They find the 11 still gathered together and they say, "The Lord is risen indeed. He he's appeared unto Simon." I don't know what that means. He hath appeared to Simon. I don't think we have other record of that um in the scripture. So, I really don't know what that means. And if you have light on it, please share it with me. But they come back and say, "The Lord is risen indeed." And they told what things were done in the way and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. Notice this because my thought would have been, you know, perhaps I would at least be tempted to say, "Let's go back in the morning. Let's sleep here for tonight. We'll go back in the morning to Jerusalem." But notice in verse 36, as they these two disciples are telling this story, as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them, "Peace be unto you." As these disciples march there eight miles back, just get into the the assembly of the of the 11 disciples again together and say he is risen, Jesus appears before them again. Would that have happened if they decided to wait till morning? Or would they have missed it? Would he have still appeared to the 11 and them not been present? I don't know. All I know is that they went back and they went to the place where they could find Jesus again. They found him there. That's another lesson to us. Um I think it's a lesson for the church. Jesus can be found in this place. This is the bride of Christ and he has promised that where two or three are gathered, he will be in the midst of them. That would be our anticipation to say, I want to go to that place. Yes, there's there's blessings of of of fellowship with the saints. There's blessings of singing songs together for our own hearts. We get comforted by that. But our chief, I submit to you, our chief uh intent should be Jesus is there. That's where I want to go. I want to see my Lord again. I want to hear about him. I want to sing songs to him. He's worthy of it. He's the Christ. He's the Messiah. He's my savior. The one who redeemed me. I want to go see Christ. That ought to be, I would say, our primary intent for coming here week after week after week. He told me he'd be here. We have an appointment. I want to go see him. There's, of course, a multitude of blessings that come with that. I'm not negating those at all, but I think our chief aim should be I want to see Jesus. And I will um there's a beautiful the go read after this the account of of what Jesus says to them for the end of this chapter. Um I'll go ahead and stop here and and I would like to say one there's a hymn that came to mind. First of all the hymn um sweet rivers the third verse. Um I view the monster death and smile for he hath lost his steam and Satan trembles all the while triumphant I can sing. I hold my Savior in my arms and will not let him go. I'm so delighted with his charms. No other good I know. That that's a that's a verse that I just about can never sing through because I start crying. But that ought to be the Now here's I believe what would have continued to give these disciples strength to say we had already left him. It's this it's the age-old story of even after the resurrection happened. Disciple after disciple turned away from Jesus. Peter, you see, denied him three times. And yet, Christ looks on him and at the end, he has great mercy and love for him and says, "Strengthen the brethren." So, time and time again, when you see disciples and apostles and you and me struggling and saying, "Is this all real? Can I'm turning aside from him once again to see that he'll come up beside you. He'll strengthen you. He'll restore you back to the same fellowship that you've always known." Thank you for your attention this morning. And is there some that we can sing as the doors of the church are open. Number 250.

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one Navy Seal. God's answer is just a simple no doesn't give any direction. He just says go and do it. But you know what? I find that when I get impressions from the Lord, and I know you do, too, that because I've never heard the audible voice of God except one time in my life, I'm positive I did. It came in my brain. But usually, it's just the impression of what I know and and I I got to go. And and it's like this. God gave David some direction. just go get in the battle. In other words, leave it up to me. Just go get in the battle. And uh that's what happens. But then maybe there's a battle you're fighting right now or the battles out there that you're avoiding. Get in the battle. Just you're you're not going to get the battle plan, but get in the battle. But then David's men speak up. And this is what the word of the Lord says. And David's men said unto him, "Behold, we be afraid in Judah." And these, they're not cowards, y'all. They're realistic. This is the Philistine army, and they're just a gang. Behold, we be afraid here in Judah. How much more than if we come to Kela against the armies of the Philistines? Transate. Here's the translation. David, this is a terrible idea because they're saying, David, we're already stretched and now you want us to add war to this. This is this is the biblical version of, "Hey, man, I love you, but I'm just not emotionally available for you right now." And here's a moment that reveals David's true leadership style, because David doesn't shame fearful people. He doesn't say people had more faith. He doesn't do any of that. What he does do is he goes back to God because asking questions of God is not unbelief. And it says, "Then David inquired of the Lord yet again." Now, I know I already asked you God, but I'm going to ask you again. and the Lord. Now, how many of y'all know that God doesn't change his mind, right? I guess we need to go back to Bible study. Okay, [laughter] I'll just assume that you are all going to raise your hand. You just don't want to look Pentecostal on me. That's fair. And David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, "Arise, go down. The message hasn't changed. Arise, go down to Kila, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand." So David asked again and God answers again. Keep going back to God with your problems. And so David and his men went to Kela and fought with the Philistines and brought away cattle and and smokeote them with a great slaughter. So David, I don't know if you want to underline this or highlight it in your Bible. So David smoked the inhabitants of Kela. David goes, "The Philistines fall. Kila is rescued. The harvest is spared." Man, I wish the story stopped right there. Because if it did, then I would get to preach a really simple sermon. Do good and good stuff will follow. Be obedient and get a bunch of blessings. But see, here's the thing. Yeah. Scripture scripture doesn't lie. And obedience to God is not a transaction. Obedience to God is alignment. All right, let's dig a little bit deeper on this one because here's the tension of faith. Doing the right thing never entitles you to the right response. David puts himself at risk for them. This is where we would expect some gratitude. This is where we would expect some loyalty. This is where we'd expect the story to finally say, "And David found rest." But that's not how this chapter reads. Dig it with me. Verse 7. And it was told Saul that David was come to Keela. And Saul said, "Ha, God hath delivered him into my hands, for he has shut in by entering into a town that hath gates and bars." Okay, this is just a little bit of aside. Never trust anybody who spiritualizes their paranoia. Never trust anybody who uses God's language to justify their selfobsession. And so it says, "And Saul called all the people together to go to war to go down to Kela to besiege David and his men." So David goes down to Kila. He delivers them. He smites the Philistines. And Saul hears about it. And now he's on the hunt yet again. And David senses the shift that is occurring. The atmosphere has changed. The air is getting heavy. So what happens is is that Abathar brings the ephod and David does something that takes courage. He asked God questions again. And he asked God's question that I think he's probably doesn't really want the answer to that he's expecting. Verse N. And David knew that Saul secretly practiced mischief against him. And he said to Abathar the priest, "Bring hither the ephod for the kids." The ephod was that breastplate that the high priest would wear. and and it uh it had some quality or not the high priest but a priest would wear and and it it was really an instrument of worship. So he's going in worship to seek God's God's thoughts. And then said David, oh Lord God of Israel, this is David speaking. Oh Lord God of Israel, thou has certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come down to Kela to destroy the city for my sake. Here's the question. Will the men of Kela deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as thy servant hath heard? Oh Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said he will come down. So God answers truthfully without cushioning the blow. He says, "Yeah, he's coming after you." And sometimes that's difficult for us. I was having a meeting with one of my subordinate managers who oversees some trial divisions and I'm like, I need you to address this issue with the young attorney and I I need you to be honest and forthright because there is a natural tendency, especially among us in the South, you Yankees know what I'm talking about, where you want to just kind of sugarcoat it and soft coat it and you're like, "Oh, well, next time you're in front of a jury, maybe don't belch out loud." you know, that might be distracting instead of bapping him upside the head saying, "What are you thinking?" That's distracting. Anyway, y'all know what I'm talking about. Um, so the Lord is just very direct. Yeah. And have y'all missed this? Like the people that David just saved are about to sell him out. Because remember when I said let's underline this passage of how he delivered the city of Kila and smokeote the Philistines. Y'all remember that, right? Well, those exact same people that he saved are about to sell him out. And I emphasize that because some of you know this pain where you showed up, you stayed late, you gave to them, you invested years with them, you prayed for them,

and they betrayed you.

You know that. Verse 12, then said David, will the men of Keela, here's the second time he's asked this question, but it's slightly different. Will the men of Kela deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said they will deliver thee up. So it sounds like David asked the same question twice, but he didn't. This time he's asking not only about the danger to himself, but the danger to his people. The second time David's concern is widening just beyond him because he's a good leader. He's no longer saying, "Will I be betrayed?" But what he's essentially saying is, "Will my obedience to you also get other people killed?" And the Lord says, "Yes." Now, I want you to watch something about David's response because David does not curse Kela even though they betrayed him. He does not burn bridges. He does not lash out. He does not call a meeting. And he doesn't write a psalm about the ungrateful people of Kila. Psalm 151, which I would do, and it would start out these losers and these betrayers anyway, because he just, and this is what he does, he just leaves

after being betrayed. Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is to just walk away without poisoning your heart. David does not let this betrayal turn him cynical. He simply refuses to let someone else's fear determine his obedience. And that matters because betrayal has a way of shrinking your heart if you let it. David chooses movement over resentment. And here's the hard truth that this section teaches us. Obedience doesn't guarantee safety, but it will guarantee alignment. David did the right thing and he has to keep on running. And some seasons in our life require movement without resentment and without bitterness. So David walks away not because he is weak but because God's leading. And it says verse 13, "And then David and his men which were about 600 arose and departed Keela and went whethersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Kela and he forbar to go forth." So by the time we reach verse 14, David is no longer surprised by the hardship. He's he's he's not shocked by the danger. He's not offended by the instability. Instead, instead, what David is doing, he's not wigging on out. What David is doing by the time we reach verse 14 is he is enduring. I want you to notice that because it's important. It says, ' And David abodeed, you might want to underline that, in the wilderness, in the strongholds and remained in a mountain. Here we go, in the wilderness of Ze. So, circle Ze because we're going to see something before we reach the end of the chapter about Ze. Now, that might sound like poetic language, but it's not. He abodeed. [clears throat] It's not about poetry. It's about monotony. Same terrain, same fear, same uncertainty day after day after day. And I want you to listen to what the text does not say. It doesn't say that David prayed his way out of it. It doesn't say that God moved him out of it quickly. It doesn't say that deliverance came immediately. It says he abodeed.

That means he stayed longer than he wanted to. And some of you know this season. Some of you are living this season right now and you are so tired of staying. And the scriptures add this line. And Saul sought him every day. Not occasionally. Not when Saul was in the mood. Every day. Every day Saul was in relentless pursuit. Every day David wakes up with the same fear. Is today the day that I get captured and tortured? And then almost quietly the Bible says,

"But God delivered him not into his hand." This verse is the theological backbone of this entire chapter. Every day Saul hunts, every day David is delivered. Every day Saul hunts, every day God delivers. And [clears throat] it's not a flashy deliverance. It's not like the waters parting in the Red Sea. This is a a daily divine restraint on the actions of Saul. And I want you to notice that God's work here is invisible because it does not tell us how Saul was restrained. And God's work is invisible not because he's absent, but because he's precise. David is is living under a protection he cannot see, cannot measure, cannot predict. I got to be honest with you, that's hard on faith because we prefer rescues that we can point to. And it seems that God prefers protection that we never notice. And then after time, after time, because David right now, it's almost like a baby being protected by his father. Daily divine protection that he just can't see. But then babies grow up. And so David does. And now next verse, he's going to be participating in some of that because it says, "And David saw Saul was to come to seek his life." So now David sees it. And it says, "And David was in the wilderness." Here we go. As if in a wood. So remember, God doesn't always rescue us loudly. He sometimes he simply gets allows us to see the problems coming. But either way, every day, whether David saw it or not, Saul saw it. Every day, God delivered. Whether it was by happen stance or by nudging David, hey, Saul's coming. And here's the thing about this passage right here before we move on to the next. You know, David doesn't feel victorious in these moments. You might not be feeling victorious in the moments that you're enduring right now that God is delivering you from because God delivers us in ways that we don't know, from accidents that we can't see. God delivers us in thousands of ways that we'll never know about on this side of eternity. It doesn't feel victorious. But what I want you to notice is that even though David might not feel victorious, he is not defeated. And that's a victory in and of itself. And that's faith. And just when the wilderness feels endless, something beautiful happens. And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and he went to David in the wood. So Jonathan went, didn't send a message, a tweet, a text. Because sometimes the most important things that we can provide is just our presence. Just being there. Jonathan goes, no message, no rumors, just his present. And he enters into the wilderness. And this is what it says. And strengthened his hand in God.

So thankful for that. Um, we lost an officer a week ago. Had to go to the crime scene, had to take care of some stuff. went by the hospital, see the officer that survived. And I noticed how different people, it's always a study in humanity of how people comfort the morning. Can I tell you the least comforting thing that you can do to a family that's lost someone or someone that's hurting? You're strong enough to make it through. You can do it. You can guide this. Can I tell you what works? God's there for you. Whether you see them or not, whether you understand them or not, God's there for you. Don't strengthen people in themselves. Strengthen people in the Lord. Because only God can take something as horrible as a death and turn it into something good. Only God can heal the heart. Only God is known as the balm Gillian. Strengthen people in the Lord. Hey, let me extend that. Don't strengthen them in the church either. Ah, come and hear our pastor. Many of y'all say that by the way. [laughter]

It's okay, Lord. [laughter] See, see what I did there? I strengthen myself in the Lord because you people suck.

and he strengthened them in the Lord. Man, that that's faith. But it says, "And Jonathan says, and I want you to dig this because Jonathan, how did Jonathan strengthen him in the Lord? Jonathan doesn't hype him up. Jonathan doesn't strengthen David in strategy. He doesn't strengthen him in promise." He reminds him, this is it. Verse 17. And he said unto him, "Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel." He reminds him of God's promise. So Jonathan reminds David of what God has already declared. Yeah, that's gospel. That's good news because it's news of a completed event. And sometimes

our faith doesn't need like some new revelation. And I know that the apostle Paul prayed in Ephesus that their eyes of their understanding would be enlightened. So he's praying for revelation at that moment and wisdom. He also prays for wisdom. But sometimes our our eyes don't need the revelation. We don't need to be have new revelation. We just need remembered truth. your eternity is secure.

And Jonathan also says, "Dig it, and I shall be next unto thee, and that also Saul my father knoweth." He knows, he knows your end, and he knows my This is astonishing humility. Jonathan releases the throne in his heart. This is a friendship that is rooted in God's purpose. So, they make a covenant before. And I gotta tell you, if I had done a Bible, I when the reason Joshua was named Joshua is because when I was growing up, I knew from a youth that I just I fell in love with the character of Joshua. If I had read more about Jonathan, Joshua would be known as Jonathan. What a great dude this guy is. But that would have been right.

And so they make a covenant. Jonathan leaves. But guys, David is still hunted, but he is not at this point. David is still hunted, but here's the difference. He's not spiritually isolated anymore. He's got a friend who's strengthened him in the Lord. I want to encourage everybody. Don't abandon your church when life gets difficult. When circumstances get distressing, don't abandon your church. There's so much good that we can do by lifting one another up, by encouraging one another in the Lord. Because let me tell you something, the news isn't going to do it. Nobody else in the secular world's certainly not going to turn you back to the Lord. Let's pick on back up because this is this moment in your spiritual walk when you go, "Oh, can I catch a break?" Then came the Zephanites to Saul. Hold on there, Skippy. David just delivered the Zephanites, too. Then came the Zephanites to S to Saul to Gib and said, "Da, do not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the woods in the hill of Heekla, which is on the south of Shimon." So they're not only like throwing David under the bus, they're giving Saul David's GPS locations. Now therefore, O king, because we know you have a hard time finding him. Let's just tell you exactly. He's in the woods right back there. Go get him. Now therefore, oh king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down and our part, our part, our part is to deliver him into the king's hand. We're going to help you out, king. And Saul said, "Blessed be ye of the Lord." He's still trying to spiritualize his evilness. Blessed be ye of the Lord, for you have compassion on me. Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see this place where his haunt is. and and who hath seen him there? For it is told me that he dleth very subtly. See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with certainty, and I will go with you, and it shall come to pass, and if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah." So Saul mobilizes, the story tightens, and here we go. And they arose and they went to Ze before Saul. But David and his men were in the wilderness of Mayon in the plain on the south. And Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David, wherefore he came down into a rock and abode in the wilderness of Bowan. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David into the wilderness of Meowan. And Saul went, dig this, on this side of the mountain. And David and his men went on that side of the mountain. And David made haste to get away for fear of Saul. For Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. So this this is the closest, so y'all know, this is the closest that they have been to each other in the wilderness. And right now, David has no cave. He has no strategy. He's just got a geography of a mountain sustaining him uh between life and death. You know, he's on one side of the mountain, the David's on the other side of the mountain. And then and then and then it says there came a messenger unto Saul. And this messenger came to Saul, not to David, but to Saul to tell him of a crisis somewhere else. It says, "And there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, haste thee and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land, wherefor Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sila Amma Leha." David went up from then, and dwelt in the strongholds of Engeti. Why is this significant? Because David does nothing to orchestrate this crisis. He doesn't cause it. He doesn't predict it. But he is spared by this divine interruption. And sometimes God doesn't eliminate the threat. Sometimes he redirects it. And David names the place Sila Amma Lehawk. It literally means the rock of escape. Not the rock of strategy, not the rock of courage, the rock of escape. Because David knows what we sometimes forget. I didn't earn this. I was spared. And so throughout this chapter, David [clears throat] is active. He inquires. He leads. He moves. But the decisive actions in this chapter all belong to God. God answers. God restrains. God interrupts. So David's security here doesn't rest on his competence. It rests on God's purposes. Man, that gives me some comfort because let's talk about the purpose of God, you and me. This is from Ephesians 1 and three. And you hath he chosen. And oh my goodness, according he has predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will. God has purposed your destiny and nothing can dissuade him. And here David is in this chapter. It's not primarily about David's resilience. It's about God's preserving hand. Because here's the thing. Here and in every chapter of the Bible, this story points to Jesus Christ. Because Jesus would rescue people who abandoned him. Jesus would be hunted but innocent. Jesus would withdraw when the time was not yet come. But unlike David, Jesus did not escape death. He endured it. And where David hid in a cave, Jesus was buried in one after going to a cross. And where David was spared, Jesus was sacrificed. And because of his sacrifice, your standing does not depend on your consistency in the wilderness. It depends on Christ's accomplishment at Calvary. So, let's close out because some of you are in a season right now where you feel surrounded. You're pressured at work. You're misunderstood at home. You're obedient but exhausted. And what this chapter does is it reminds us that you're not forgotten in that delay. You're not exposed in this wilderness. You are not sustaining the story by yourself because the rock still stands. The promise still holds. And the God who restrained Saul has already secured you fully in Christ. Even when you're hunted, you're held. If you'd like to worship Jesus as we do here at Camp Creek Church, we give you that chance as we stand.

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our study in the book of Samuel. I'm excited about today's message. Uh as we're going through Samuel, scripture is very much like a diamond. You just just a slight twist even on a word and you just see a whole different level of brilliance and beauty. And I had that experience in preparing today's message. I prepared the passage and I go back and reread it, saw something else. Go back and reread it, saw something else. And uh if nothing else, I'm going to be blessed today. So, you know, jump on for the ride. 1st Samuel chapter 22, David's on the run. And that's significant for us. And we're going to pick up with verse one because some moments in scripture, sometimes the most important moments of scripture do not take place in a tabernacle. They don't take place in a temple. They don't take place in a public square. They happen most important moments seemingly in the Bible all over the place. They happen at times that nobody schedules. They they happen in places where people retreat. They they they happen where shame is louder than praise. And that's where scripture picks up for us because it says David departed then escaped to the cave of Adulum. So for David, before there was a throne, there was a cave. Before there was a crown, there is a hiding. Before there was clarity, there's confusion. And if you've ever been tempted to think that God is really only at work when things are going well, the cotton's high, mama's good-looking, when you're strong, focused, confident, spiritually disciplined. Let me tell you something. 1st Samuel chapter 22 politely disagrees with you because this chapter right here is not about David being impressive. It's about a God who is present when everything is unraveling. It's uh this is not the story of a hero that that's gathering momentum. This this not a story. It's a story of a man really who's barely hanging on and discovering while he's barely hanging on that God is still holding him. This story starts at the cave of Adulum. Not a palace, not a throne, not a coronation cave. Some of us know the cave very well. It's the place that you never planned to be. It's the diagnosis that you never expected. It's the season of difficulty that you didn't pray for. Chapter that you didn't expect to write. Where you were doing good but but now you're anxious where you were progressing but now you're pressed. Where you were faithful but it feels like you're forgotten. And if you're honest, you've asked yourself the question, "Excuse me, God, but you know, where are you? Where are you in all of this?" And here's the good news right out of the gate. God often does his greatest work in the cave. And it says, "And David departed there uh David therefore departed thence and escaped." Let's pause and look at that word escape for a while. You might want to underline it. and he escaped to the cave of Adulum. Escape, that word matters. He didn't march to Adulum with a vision. He didn't arrive with a plan. He didn't choose Adulum because of a leadership development conference. He escaped to the cave. And that means that going to the cave was not an act of faith. It was act of survival. And that alone ought to comfort some people here today because somewhere along the way we have been taught, sometimes subtly, sometimes loudly, that if we're really trusting God, we wouldn't be in a cave. If our faith were stronger, we wouldn't be this tired. that if we prayed better, believed harder, listened more carefully, we wouldn't be in need of a cave at all. But scripture refuses to shame survival. And David did not escape because he lacked faith. He escaped because he's human. And there's a lot of mercy in that because running is not always rebellion and hiding is not always unbelief. Sometimes it's just survival. And sometimes retreat is not a lack of trust. It's it's the body and soul doing the only thing it can to survive. And I want you to notice something. God does not rebuke David for needing shelter. Nowhere does it say God says, "David, if you had only trusted me more, you wouldn't be in a cave." I take great comfort in that because I've spent time in this cave and so have you. And it's all right. What I want to do is I want to learn to meet God in the cave when the cancer diagnosis comes. When the parent is diagnosed with a debilitating degenerative mental condition, that's when I want to meet him. Which tells us something very important about the heart of God. He does not wait for you to be brave before he becomes present. He does not require clarity before he offers care. And he doesn't demand strength. He supplies mercy. And some of you are standing today not because you were strong, but because God's kind. And and and some of you are still here, not because you had the answers, but because you were carried. And and if all of you and if all you did this season was endure and survive, that means you didn't fail. And it may mean you survived something that was trying to destroy you. And I want you to know that endurance, survival is not disobedience. It's often the quiet evidence that that God has not let go. And so if you have escaped, if you have withdrawn, if you have found yourself in a cave instead of a chorus of celebration, do not assume that you have disappointed God. Because here's what's remarkable.

If you found yourself in a cave, you have not disappointed God. He formed the caves. So maybe this cave is here for you and it may be that his mercy has made room for you to breathe. That's the God that we serve. So David arrives at the Julum after a string of deeply questionable decisions. You all remember from last Sunday, he lied to a priest. He he pretended insanity before Philistine king. He he ran from place to place trying to not die. And so this is not David at his best. This this is David at his most desperate. And yet this is where God continues the story. One of the most damaging lies that we tell ourselves is, you know, when I get it all together, God's going to show up. But scripture tells us a far better truth. God shows up precisely because you can't get it. And God in his mercy meets David here in Adulum at his escape, not after he recovers, but while he is hiding in the midst of the escape. So let's think about this as a mirror of the gospel because are you hiding? Long before Jesus ever said, "Come to me all ye who are weary and heavy laden." David actually lived it. But David is not the hero here. He's one of many stories in the Bible that point us to Jesus. Because mercy always looks like the gathering of the weary, not the celebrating of the worthy. Let me say that again. Mercy always looks like a gathering of the weary and not a celebrating of the worthy. Let's go on. And it says, "And when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. And everyone, I love it." We're going to spend some time over this verse, y'all. And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was discontented gathered themselves unto him. In other words, this is not a leadership conference. This is a support group. Th this wasn't Israel's got talent. This is Israel's got issues. So, nobody is showing up saying, "Hey, David, I got it all together." What they're doing is they're showing up and they're saying, "Hey, David, life's been hard. Money's been tight. And I'm not thrilled about how things turned out." And if this were today, they wouldn't be bringing their resumes. They would be bringing their stories and their baggage and perhaps a folding chair. And so, you notice who didn't show up, right? You notice that nobody here is described as emotionally stable, financially secure, generally satisfied. The Bible says distress, in debt, discontented. That's the Bible's way of saying in 21st century language, stressed out, credit cards maxed out, fed up with life. And if David had put a sign outside the cave, it wouldn't have said, "Future king, apply within." And it would have said if life didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, welcome. So the Hebrew language when it talks about in distress and discontented, it's really the Hebrew language is so graphic. It it it literally is conveying these are people who are crushed by the circumstances of life. Maybe they lost a job. Maybe their marriage fell apart. Maybe they don't know where to turn. Maybe they have a weward son. They're crushed by the circumstances of life. They're burdened by obligations. They're they're bitter about how life has turned out. They're they're not inspired. They're not exhausted. And there's another crucial shift here because they are not being recruited. They are being and mercy is they are being received. I want you to notice that because this is not David calling people upward. Come on. This is this is actually mercy pulling people inward because broken people don't gather around potential they gather around compassion and for David here for all the fear and the confusion it becomes a place of shelter not because he has answers but because he knows their pain and here's what remarkable broken people can recognize other broken people who still trust God.

Broken people can recognize other broken people who still trust God. So they gather, the distressed, the in debt, the discontented. In other words, people who felt like life didn't work out the way they planned and they find their way to a cave. Now, let's be honest for a second because th this is not the crowd that you would choose if you were trying to look impressive. If you're trying to look impressive because these people aren't saying, "David, I got resources." They're saying, "David, I got receipts." They're not saying, "David, I got the answers." They're saying, "David, I got questions." And they all begin with why. These are not the people that you want when you put your post on Indeed. And somehow this is the group that God gathers around his future king which should tell us something.

God is not embarrassed by broken people. So God never begins with our strength. He always begins with our his mercy. God isn't gathering the qualified. He's gathering the crushed. And here God turns the cave into a classroom, the wilderness into a workshop. And and the waiting becomes preparation. And he does not wait until the people are fixed. He meets them where they are, afraid, discontented, discombobulated, in debt, distressed. And this moment is not about building an army. It's it's it's about God refusing to abandon those who feel abandoned. It's about God refusing to abandon those who feel abandoned. And this cave in a sense it becomes holy ground. Not because the cave is impressive but because God is present in it. And later some of these men are going to become called mighty men, but not yet, not right now. So Jesus will someday say, "Come unto me all you who heavy laden." But right now, David is in the midst of being heavy laden. And here it goes. Because David leaves the cave briefly. Let's pick back up with verse three. David will leave the cave briefly. He says, "And David went fence from Misbah to Moab. And he said unto the king of Moab, "Let my father and my mother, I pray, come forth and be with you till I know what God will do." Did you catch that? Till I know what God will do. David does not know the plan. David does not see the outcome. David does not pretend confidence. But this is what he knows. He knows that God is good. He knows that God is kind. And that's real faith. Trust in the middle of uncertainty. It's a trust without full clarity. And this matters because we often confuse faith with emotional confidence. But David shows us that you can trust God while you're still admitting you don't know exactly what he's doing. So David shows up and then we go to verse five. and and and he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold. Then comes a hard word. And the prophet of God said unto David, "Abide not in the hold. Depart and get thee into the land of Judah." Translation: David, don't get used to the cave. Translation, don't get used to comfortable living. Translation: Mercy is not stagnant. We were never meant to live our lives in caves alone, y'all. We were meant to live in community. That's why church is important to you. So God is kind, but he's not content to leave us hiding forever. The cave is a refuge. It's not and never has been meant to be a resident. So mercy protects us, but his mercy also propels us forward. The problem for some people and I, you know, 30 years of being a prosecutor and dealing with victims, there is a victim mentality. The problem with some people is pretty soon the cave starts to feel safe. Sometimes isolation feels spiritual. Sometimes surv sometimes survival feels like obedience. Hey, if you're in the online community watching right now and you haven't stepped foot in a church in the past year and you're completely capable of doing it, listen to me now. Isolation is not good because we are not meant to live in caves. We're meant to be in community and that involves interacting with other people. So here we can move on because God might be saying to us, "Hey man, it's time to step out even if the danger's not gone yet." Because when the prophet said, "Hey man, time to move on. Let's go." Saul's still on the throne. So sometimes we got to move out even if the danger's not not gone yet. So take from this that faith is not pretending the threat doesn't exist. Faith is moving forward because God does. So let's pick up. It says, "When Saul heard that David was discovered and men were with him," then we have a parenthetical. Now Saul abodeed in Gibth, that's his hometown by the way, under the tree of Rama, having his spear in his hand. Underline that. Having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. Then said Saul unto his servants that stood about him, "Hear now, you Benjamites, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds? All of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me to lie and wait as it is this day." So the text starts out, this section says that Saul abodeed under a tree with a spear in his hand. That one sentence tells us almost everything we need to know about where Saul is spiritually. He's under a tree. He's not in worship. He's not before the ark. He's not inquiring of the Lord. He's just sitting there stationary, rooted, not growing, resting, but not at peace. And the detail that the spirit refuses to live out is that the spear is in his hands. So here we are. Saul is at rest, but he's not relaxed. He's seated, but he's not secure. He's still, but he's not but he's he he's still, but he's armed. So the spear becomes more than a weapon. It's starting to become Saul's identity because earlier Saul had held the crown. Saul had held responsibility. Saul had held the calling. But now he holds the spear. And and what you cling to in moments of fear show what you trust to protect you. Because Saul cannot let his spear go because the spear makes him feel safe. Makes him feels like he has leverage. It gives him an illusion of control. But here's the strat here's the tragedy here is that anything you grip that tightly will eventually grip you back. That spear has already been thrown at David twice, been thrown at Jonathan once. But now Saul doesn't even need to throw it anymore because fear has taught him to hold on to it constantly. And I want you to notice in the chapter, it quietly sets up that David is in a cave with no weapon, but he has he's being sustained. And Saul is under a tree with a spear, but he's unraveling. One man has comfort and kept trust. The other has kept his power, but lost his peace. And that's still true today because some people sit in a position of authority but live in constant sus suspicion. They are surrounded by people but isolated by fear. They these are armed, guarded, defended but he's never at rest. And and Saul's surrounded by servants but no one feels safe. Not David, not the priests, not not even Saul himself. Because when fear governs your heart, everything's a threat. Everybody. And here's the sobering word for us. You can be chosen by God and still be consumed by what you are afraid of losing. You You can be appointed and still be anxious. You can have everything on paper and still be empty. and practice. Saul is not standing watch over Israel. He's guarding his insecurity. And the spear in his hand here tells us that he has stopped trusting God to defend what God gave him. So he grips stronger. He accuses louder. He listens for betrayal. And all the while, the kingdom slips further and further away. And not because David is taking it, but because fear is eating Saul alive. And this is what the text wants you to see. a man under a tree, a spear in his hand, a crown on his head, but no peace in his heart. So, let's uh now we're going to go and we met this guy last chapter, Doeag. Doeag the Edomite. And I told you last week he's going to be a troublemaker. Let's introduce Doeag. Verse N. And then answered Doeag the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul. And he said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nam to Himlec, the son of Itub." And he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him viddles. King James looks like victuals, but it's actually pronounced viddles, just FYI. Gave him viddles and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistines. So Doab speaks, Doag accuses, he reports David, and he does it eagerly. Here's a life lesson for you. Be careful of people who advance by destroying others. So Doag's words are technically true, but they're spiritually poison. Partial truth without love can still kill. Partial truth spoken without mercy becomes a weapon. And Saul weaponizes what he's been told because David had no intent of going after Do uh going after Saul. But Doag didn't say that. All he said was, "Hey, he went over to the priest and the priest gave him vittles and then he gave him the sword of Goliath." Well, he didn't have any intent to hurt you. That's not what Dag said. So, let's continue on. And then the king sent to Aheimch the priest the son of Aub all his father's house the priests that were in Noob and they all came to the king and and Saul said here now thou son of Aub and he answered here I am Lord. So dig it. Saul summons every priest connected to a himc and not just the man but his family too. This is going to be a very high intensive pressure campaign. Denmark and Greenland have nothing on this. This guy's whole family is standing before King Saul. This is not an investigation. This is intimidation. And notice that the Hima is coming willingly. No resistance, no suspicion. And he says simply, here I am, Lord. This is where it picks up. Verse 12. And Saul said unto him,"Wh have ye conspired against me, thou the son of Jesse, and that thou hast given him bread and a sword, and hast inquired of the Lord for him that he should rise against me to lie and wait as at this day?" So y'all notice that Saul didn't ask what happened. He asked why he's been betrayed. The accusation is assumed that the conclusion's already been drawn here because here fear always tells a story where there's going to be a victim. And Saul, self-centered Saul centers it all in himself. You're against me. You've strengthened my enemy. You warned me not. So fear doesn't seek truth. All it does is seek uh justification. And then we have some of the darkest moments in scripture here. I mean, this is dark. And it says, "And the Hima answered the king, and he said, Who is so faithful among all thy servants as is as David? And and which is of the king's son-in-laws goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in thy house?" Did I then begin to inquire of the God for him? Be it far from me, let not the king impute anything unto thy servant, nor to thy house of my father. For thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more. And the king said, here we go, Thou shalt surely die, Ahemc, thou in all thy father's house. And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, turn, slay the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not show it to him. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priest of the Lord. And the king said to Doag, "Turn thou and fall upon the priest." Doag the Edomite turned. And he fell upon the priest and slew on that day four score and five persons. That's 85 people that did wear the linen ephod city of priests. Smote he with the edge of the sword. Both men, women, children, sucklings, that's the babies, oxmen, asses, sheep with the edge of the sword. This is the darkest moment of the chapter. And Saul orders the priest kill. Men who had faithfully served God. Men who had acted in good faith. Men who had no idea that they were caught up in this political paranoia. And when Saul's servants hesitate, Doag doesn't. Man, religion becomes violent when mercy disappears. And let this sober us up. You can quote scripture. You can hold office. You can enforce rules and still miss the heart of God entirely. So here it comes. We close it out. And one of the sons of Amilec, son of Aatub named Abathar, escaped and fled after David. And Abathar showed David that Saul had slain the Lord's priest. And David said unto Abatar, I knew at that day when Doag the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul, I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house. Abide thou with me. Fear not, for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life, but with me thou shalt be in safeguard. So verse 19 where all the priests were ordered to be killed and they were killed, 85 priests gone, families gone, a whole city devastated. Verse 19 is just a verse of devastation. But then the next verse begins and it says, "And one of the sons escaped." Church, don't rush past that because when fear did its worse, it didn't get everybody. When violence took up its sword and tried to silence worship, there was one voice that survived. And and when it looked like mercy was gone, mercy was still moving. And Abatar does not run to Saul. He does not run to a system. He doesn't run to power. He runs to David, the rejected king. Because when mercy leaves a palace, sometimes it shows up in a cave. So this story in David's cave points us forward because Jesus too was rejected. Jesus too gathered the weary. Jesus too was betrayed by insiders and Jesus too took responsibility for things that he didn't personally commit. Unlike David, Jesus would not just offer protection. He actually absorbed the judgment. Whereas David says, I caused this, Jesus says, I carry this. And the safety that we could never earn, the forgiveness that we could never secure, the restoration that we could never accomplish, Jesus finished it. And now Jesus says, not abide with me. He says, abide in me. And the safety that we could never earn, our Lord has secured fully. So let me end where I began. If you are hiding in a cave today, if you are tired, if you are ashamed, if you are unsure, hear me clearly. In the cave, God is closer than you think. And you're not being evaluated. You're being sustained. You're You're not being forgotten. You're being held. And one day, you will discover the place that you thought was evidence of failure was actually the place where mercy and grace met you most dearly. If you'd like to follow Jesus as we do here at Camp Creek Church, we'll give you that chance as we stand to sing him

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Got your Bibles with you? Let's go to 1st Samuel chapter 21. 1st Samuel chapter 21. Church, there are chapters in the Bible that feel like highlight rules. They're the ones that we like to quote, the ones that we put on coffee mugs, the ones that really can preach themselves like David and Goliath, you know, uh the anointing head pulled on the anointing oil pulled on poured on the head in front of the brothers. A David writing songs that they've already lasted 3,000 years and people are going to keep on quoting them till the end of time. I mean, those are those are highlight reels. Those are the chapters that pump you up. Those are the chapters that make you feel victorious. They feel like faith is working exactly the way it's supposed to. Then you got chapter 21. And this is not a highlight reel. This is not a worship service. This this is not a moment that you hashtag. David is on the run. This chapter is awkward. It's sweaty. It's hungry. It's scared. There is no miracle in this chapter. God is silent in this chapter. There's no prophetic word spoken. But this is one of the most comforting chapters in all of scripture. And I hope it's a blessing to you because what 1st Samuel chapter 21 does is it's going to show us what happens when faith is real but messy. And it shows us that grace never stops. It shows us what it looks like when someone who genuinely belongs to God is exhausted, is afraid, is improvising, and just trying to survive the next hour. And if we're honest, those are the chapters that most of most of us live in a lot. So, chapter 21, it it's about us. You know, you love God, but you're tired. You believe his promises, but the pressure is loud. You're trying to serve him, but you're making mistakes all along the way. And you wonder sometimes, is God still working with me when I'm not doing my best? And this chapter answers that question. So, let's jump on in. 1st Samuel chapter 21. If you'all remember from last week, David is on the run. Saul has put a hit out on David. He's already used them for target practice having thrown at least two javelins at him and even one in his own son Jonathan for befriending David. So what David does is he runs to the city of Knob which is the city where the priests are and he comes alone and this is the first thing that we see. 1st Samuel chapter 21 verse1 the word of the Lord reads as follows. Then came David to knob to a Himc the priest and a himc was afraid. Stop. Hard. Stop. Why is the Himch afraid? Because words gotten to a Hima that there is a bounty on David's head. And the Himch doesn't want to put David and hide David because Saul does bad things to people that cross him. So Ahe himc is afraid. He's the priest and he's afraid. Let's keep on going. And Ahe himc was afraid at the meeting of David and said unto him, why art thou alone and no man with thee? Now, if you mark in your Bibles, that might want to be a cir a word that you circle that word alone because it's important because him's question kind of hangs in the air. Hey, David, why are you alone? What's going up? Because David is never alone. He's a commander. He's a leader. He's going to be the future king. He's a warrior. But now, now David's isolated. And so, you know, a himch isn't being really suspicious. It's almost like he's being pastoral. It's it's like David, something's not right. What's going on here? And listen, this is the bigger point. This is what fear is does to people. It isolates them. Fear does a lot of things, but one of the dangerous things that fear does is it isolates you. Because fear doesn't just threaten your safety. It threatens your sense of belonging. Fear can keep you from God's gift of community. Fear can cause you to pull back from people that love you. And this is what David answers. And I want you to notice something. He doesn't tell the truth. David lies. Verse two. And David said unto him the priest, notice how they threw that back in there. Himch the priest. The king hath commanded me a business and hath said unto me, "Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee, and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place." Y'all dig that? David lies in the house of God to a priest. Like, why why are you alone, David? What's going on here? Uh Saul's giving me a secret mission that I can't tell you about. So let's just do that. David and he's not lying because he's evil, not because he's calculated. David is lying because he's afraid. This is not rebellion. This is this is panic. Has anybody here ever said anything that wasn't true? Not because you planned it, but just because fear grabbed the steering wheel before your brain showed up. I mean, you didn't mean to lie. You just talked. So, let's slow down here because I I don't want to rush past this moment. This is David. This is a man that Samuel said in 1st Samuel 13, I think it's verse 14. God told him, "This is a man after his own heart. This is David, the psalmist, the future king. And that matters because many of us have been taught either explicitly or implicitly, faithful people, man, they name it and claim it. Faithful people, they don't fear as if as if fear is like some sort of weakness. But here's the thing about scripture. Scripture is a lot more honest than most of us are. David here is not faithless. David is overwhelmed. And church, there's a difference because fear comes not because God has left you. Fear becomes comes because you're human living in a broken world. And here's the tension that the Bible refuses to resolve nicely. David is still chosen and he's scared. God's plan is still intact and David is still making stupid decisions. Both are true. And some of you today might be walking and living in that exact same tension. You love God. You trust him. But your nerves are fried. Your options feel thin. Your heart is racing. And maybe maybe you're making decisions you never thought you'd make. and and and you're you're wondering, "Have I messed up beyond repair?" 1st Samuel 21 gently says, "Nope. God is big. Let's keep on going." So, David is on the run. Now, remember, he was supposed to eat at the feast of the new moon, and Jonathan sent the arrows of flying, said some words, and David's like, "I got to take off." So, he's on the run. He hadn't eaten in a while. He's starving. So, we come up with verse three. And David asked a question. He says, "Hey, Ahemch, now therefore, what is under thy hand? Give me five loaves of bread in mine hand or what there is present." The priest answered David and said, "There is no common bread under my hand. But there is hallowed bread if the young men have kept themselves from women." So, I want to slow down here for a moment because this line would have landed a little bit more weight to the original hearer than it might do to us because a himch says there is is no common bread. Okay, that word common bread, that's everyday bread. That's ordinary bread. That's the wonderbread that you have in your cabinet. That's the kind you keep at home.

That's the kind that doesn't really come with instructions. In other words, the common bread is the kind that anybody could eat. But the Hima says we don't have any common bread. We have hallowed bread. And that's different because the hallowed bread, what scripture teaches us elsewhere also calls it uh the showbread. It's not a casual thing. And the law governs showbread in Leviticus 24:es 5-9. Because every Sabbath, what the people of Israel were to do and the priests were to do is they were to bake 12 fresh loaves of bread. Every single Sabbath. And they were to take that loaf of bread and they were taken into the holy place. Not the holiest of holies, but the holy place. And they would put it on the table of pure gold, which was a table made of acacia wood covered in pure gold. And they were lay it up in two rows of six. And they were to sit there for a week. Those loaves of bread represented the 12 tribes of Israel. Those loaves of bread represented the provision of God. Those loaves of bread also had another purpose because at the end of the Sabbath when it was another Sabbath, here come 12 new fresh loaves of bread. And those loaves of bread was supposed to go to the priest to eat and to no one else. And it was to be holy to the priest. And here comes David and he says, "Hey, give me some of give me at least five of those loaves. Give me give me give me some bread." Emil says, "I don't I don't have any. All I got is the showbread." And uh and and and I got some of the bread that that we had last Sabbath that we haven't quite finished eating. And David's like, "Give me that." A himch says something else, too. He says, "As long as your men haven't been with a woman." What a is doing is he's looking for a reason to show that to make to looking for a reason under the law that he can be allowed to show mercy. And that's a good thing because the bare minimum requirement to eat of a holy thing is that you be ceremonially clean. And so what a himch says is, you know, I'm not 100% sure about your people and their background, but here's what I know. What the law says is you can't eat holy things when you're unclean. And if your men have been with a woman, then they're unclean because that was back in Exodus 19. And so a himc is establishing kind of a minimum little thing here. And he he's trying to help the law look for a way to allow mercy without openly defying the law. Now, I want y'all to just think about this moment and juxtapose it against Instagram Christianity because not many people are going to be hashtagging this moment. I mean, have you ever noticed that people don't post things on social media like running for my life, lied at church, eating things I'm not supposed to, hashtag blessed. Instagram Christianity is all about the slingshots and the giants. But here, what first Samuel 21 is doing is showing us the behindthecene footage. Yeah, we get moments like that in our life sometimes, but a lot of our life is spent here in 1st Samuel 21 trying to deal and reckon with our fear and our problems. And the priest answered and said unto David, "There is no common ma bread under my hand, but there is hallowed bread for the young men who have kept themselves from women ceremonially." Look, and him's looking for ways to allow mercy to without openly defying law. And that tells us two things. That himch respects the law, but he also recognizes human necessity because already the text is setting up a deeper principle. The law is good. Exodus, Leviticus, it was never meant to starve God's people. It was never meant to abuse God's people. So David answers in a way that sounds good to the modern ear. Sounds odd to the modern ear. I'm sorry. He says, "And David answered the priest and said unto him, of the truth, women have been kept from us these three days since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy." What does that mean? Well, vessels is a euphemism for the body. And David saying, "Hey, look, we're ceremonial ceremonially clean. We're not defiled. Even though our mission feels ordinary, our condition is acceptable." And then comes a fascinating phrase. David says, "And the bread is in a manner common. Yay, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel." So David's logic is subtle but important. He's saying the bread is in a manner common. He's not claiming that the showbre has lost any of its sacred designation. Rather, what he's arguing for is that its present use no longer carries a ceremonial risk given the circumstances. The bread's already completed its function and according to the Levitical practice, it's going to be replaced weekly and once removed from the table before the Lord is typically eaten by the priest. David's point is is the bread is no longer actively engaged in sacred service. It's moved from a holy use to a holy remainder. And in that way, it's closer to common bread than the bread that was currently set before the Lord. And that next phrase kind of sharpens the argument. Yay, there are sanctified this day in the vessel. So David is acknowledging the tension that exists. Even if the bread, this is what he's saying, even if the bread was freshly consecrated, even if it was still warm on the oven sitting on that table of pure gold, there is a greater principle at work. Human needs, especially lifepreserving need, outweighs ritualistic observation. But David, David doesn't miss holiness. He's not dismissing the holiness. What he's doing is appealing to a purpose. That sanctification exists to serve God's redemptive purpose. To serve God's redemptive purpose, not to obstruct mercy. The Lord never meant to demand the starvation of his people. So what makes this moment so important is that David does not frame the argument in rebellion or entitlement. He speaks with reverence, restraint, humility. David never says, "I deserve the bread." He never pulls the I'm the future king. He says the situation requires discernment. He recognizes holiness, but he also recognizes this. Listen, holiness is not fragile. God's

I was in a conversation not too long ago And somebody says, "But that doesn't give God glory. That doesn't bring God glory." And it's like God's already glorious. You know, God will be God God is infinitely glorious. So So God's not threatened by an extension of mercy to somebody that you think is undeserving. Holiness is not fragile. And so the it says the priest gave him the hallow bread for there was no bread but the showbread that was taken from before the Lord. And so the so this is the moment where everything turns. It's a moment where we learn something important by God because God listen listen if I've lost your attention. Give it back to me. Pivotal moment. We learn something from God. God does not tell a tell him to come back when he's qualified. Thank the Lord. That is a good thing. God allows us to set apart to share what's been set apart. Not because the rules are meaningless, but because human need mattered more than the religious topics. And another thing, this is not about God lowering his standards. It's about God revealing his heart. God has always been more interested in feeding hungry people than preserving rituals. And this bread was meant to symbolize provision. And the bread that was meant to symbolize provision actually becomes provision. I mean, it's kind of useless to have a symbol saying God provides and then at the moment of greatest need, it's like except now. Jesus even points back to this moment later in the gospels and he's being criticized centuries later. Jesus himself points back to it because this moment that we're in with David in the showbread is actually pointing to Christ. And one day he's walking with the disciples on the Sabbath day and they're grabbing stalks of wheat and they're crumbling it between their hand which for some bizarre reason some rabbis got together and says well doing this well that's work. And then the Pharisees start to criticize him. And Jesus hearkens back to this exact moment. He says, "Have you not read where David took the showbread?" In other words, there's something greater at risk. The Sabbath, like the showbreed, was never meant to be a weapon against the hungry or the weary. And so, by appealing to God, Jesus is affirming God's holiness, is not threatened by compassion. It's displayed by it. And Jesus Jesus is saying, "Hey, you missed the point of the bread if you ever think it was about exclusion." So Jesus uses this story to reveal God's heart behind the law and the danger of religious systems that are detached from compassion. So let's put it another way. If if your interpretation of God's law causes people to starve, causes people to feel excluded, you've misunderstood the law and you're misapplying. And eventually Jesus is going to say something that is absolutely shocking. I am the bread of life, holy bread, bread that we can enjoy. Now, in other words, the one who was set apart gave himself for the ones who were least qualified. Let's keep on reading. Verse seven. Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord, and his name was Doe the Edomite, chiefest of the herdsmen that belong to Saul. So I want y'all to notice something because scripture just kind of drops this in kind of leaves it alone. Scripture quietly inter introduces Doe to Edomite. No commentary, no explanation, just a warning label tucked into the text. And David doesn't know it yet, but this man will bring some destruction later on. And sometimes the most dangerous people in your story don't announce themselves. Sometimes God allows us to see later what we couldn't understand earlier. When Doag was there, David should have been going rutro. But we'll see what happens in a little while. Let's pick on back up. And David said unto Ahemc, "And is there not here under thine hand a spear or a sword? For I have neither brought my sword or my weapons with me, because the king's business here, we're still lying." The king's business required haste. And the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine,

whom thou slewest in the valley of Eli, behold, it is here wrapped in cloth behind the eph.

Thou will take take it, for there is no other to save that is here." So David is asking for weapons, and the Himalay brings out the sword of Goliath. The very weapon that once threatened David's life is now placed in his hand. I love that. And David says, "There is none like it. Give it to me." And that line, that line carries weight because in the middle of fear, God gently reminds David of a past victory. And sometimes God will remind you of what he's already done. It's not to shame you, but to study you. The same God who helped you has not changed. And church, this is huge. God's faithfulness does not expire when our confidence waivers. And and that sword was proof that fear won't get the final word. So it says in scripture verse 10, "And David arose and and fled that day for the fear of Saul and went to Aesh, the king of David."

Okay. First thing, this text is brutally honest because fear has begun to tunnel vision for David. It's causing David's vision to really narrow. God just gave you the sword of Goliath and it wasn't by stance trying to remind you of who you are. But David didn't look at the sword and go, "Oh yeah, I serve a big God. Oh yeah, I can stop running. God can deliver me. But fear once it gets hold kind of gives you tunnel visions and and that's a warning for us and in a way because past faith does not automatically cancel dig this past faith does not automatically cancel present anxiety.

David is not faithless here. He's overwhelmed. He knows Saul's power. He knows Saul's obsession. He knows Saul's reach. And in that moment, the weight of being hunted eclipses the memory of being delivered. The scripture doesn't sanitize this. It It lets us see that even God's anointed king can carry holy promises in one hand and trembling fear in the other. So David runs not just from Saul but from the place God has been sustaining him. And here's just like man what what are you thinking? He runs straight to Gath. Now alarm bells ought to be going off because Gath is Goliath's hometown. Gath is not neutral territory. Gath is not a safe zone. Gath again is God's I mean Goliath's hometown. And and what kind of in a way Gath is representing to us is human strategy that replaces spiritual discernment because David is not fleeing just anywhere. And this isn't kind of the irony is kind of intentional I think because David carries Goliath's sword into Goliath's city as if the symbol of the victory could now serve as protection. But but the faith, and this is what's striking me, is the faith that once trusted God alone is now hedging its bet. So David's thinking, hey, maybe this, you know, this is human strategy. Maybe Saul won't look for me there, which is strategically clever, but it's spiritually dangerous. And here's what the text seems to be quietly showing us. When fear is your leader, logic will follow. Fear leads, logic follows. And logic without trust leads us into the enemy's territory. And the moment shows that the symbols of God's past work are not substitutes for present dependence. The sword is real. The victory is real. The relics cannot replace dependence. And and David doesn't pray here. Not a single prayer. David David doesn't inquire of the Lord as he will later. He runs. And his running takes him straight into the arms of the enemy king Aesh who immediately who immediately recognizes the danger that David poses. And the very place David thought would provide safety actually became becomes a place where his life is in most peril. And one last thing about this before we move on. This verse reminds us that God's faithfulness is not undone by our fearful decisions. Y'all get that? God's faithfulness is not undone by our fearful decisions. God's David's choice here is flawed, but God remains present even in Gath. And in Gath, David's going to be humiliated. In Gath, he's going to be forced to feain insanity. In Gath, he's going to be stripped with his dignity. But he will survive. And the Lord is going to quietly teach him that deliverance does not come from geography. It doesn't come from the weapons. It doesn't come from his reputation. It comes from God alone. And this is going to be a painful detour. And sometimes when we make stupid decisions, we have to go through painful detours. But God is still at work. And that painful detour becomes part of David's formation. The shepherd king is learning that yesterday's victory must give way to today to today's trust. So here we are verse 11. And the servants of Akash said unto him, that's Akash. That this David king of the land. Did they not sing one to another of him and dances saying Saul has slain his thousands and David his 10 thousands. So David's trying to escape and dig this. Let's take it a step further. David runs to Gath trying to escape who he is. Y'all get that? He's trying to escape his identity, but his identity catches up with him because you can't outrun who you are, child of God. You can never outrun that. You can try, but the gifts of God are without and his calling are without repentance. And the very thing that he's trying to escape, his identity is catching up with him. So they recognize him. They even quote the song Saul is slaying his thousands. David is 10 thousands and suddenly David realizes something devastating. He has run from Saul straight into his reputation. And fear often promises anonymity, but it delivers exposure. And you can't stop being who God says you are just because you're scared. Verse 12. David laid up these words in his heart and underlined this and was sore afraid of Hayash the king of Gash because I want you to notice the progression. David is afraid of Saul, but he's sore afraid of Aesh, king, because fear multiplies when it becomes the decision maker. And when you don't feel safe with God, you're going to look for safety somewhere else. And this verse also kind of gives us a little bit of insight into David's inner world because David is thinking. He's replaying conversations. He's anticipating outcomes. This is not a reckless man. This is an overthinking man. fear has turned his mind into a courtroom where every thought is the worst case scenario witness. This is where it becomes painfully honest this moment because David believes God's promises but he doesn't feel God's presence and when faith becomes disconnected from the felt nearness of God people take refuge elsewhere. When faith becomes disconnected from the nearness, the felt nearness of God. When you feel disconnected to God, you're going to look somewhere else. Drugs, alcohol, illicit intimacy. You're going to find your identity somewhere else when you feel disconnected with God. When you you stop looking to him. And let's see what happens when fear makes you forget who you are. Verse 13 through 15. And he changed his behavior before them. David goes rutro. And he changes his behavior before them. And he fains himself mad in their hands and scrambled on the doors of the gate and let spittle fall down upon his beard. Then said Aash unto his servant, "Lo, you see the man is mad. Wherefore have you brought him to me? here. I I need mad men that you brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence. Shall this fella come into my house? Y'all get it, right? So, David presents the picture of being completely insane. He's letting spit run down his beard. He's scratching doors. It's tragic. It's It's also strangely relatable because fear distorts your identity. It it it makes you forget what God said about you. And and yet David survived. No miracle announced, no fire from heaven, just survival. And and sometimes the miracle simply making it to the next chapter.

God never speaks in this chapter,

but he never leaves. And that may be one of the most comforting truths of all. God's faithfulness does not depend on flawless faith. David's escape not because he performed well, but because God has already written the ending. David's going to be king of Israel. And that points us to Jesus because where David lied, Jesus told the truth. Where David fled, when the enemies came, Jesus stood firm. And when David escaped death, Jesus walked into it. And so people like us, fearful, hungry, inconsistent, so people like us could live. Some of y'all are in 1st Samuel 21 season right now. You're not thriving. You're just surviving. Maybe you're wondering if God is disappointed. I want you to hear this clearly. God is not surprised. God has not changed his mind about you. God has written the end of the story. Sometimes faith looks just simply like not quitting

even in the face of all

we not in well keep on going and if your faith feels like 1st Samuel 21 right now good

There's a chapter 22 and a 22 and a 22. God does not stop writing because David had a bad day. All if all you can say is, "Lord, I'm tired. Lord, I'm scared." Let me tell you something. That prayer is enough to keep the story moving because God meets us. Even in chapter 21, if you'd like to serve the Lord as we do here at Camp Creek Church, a victorious Lord, we give you that chance as we stand and sing him Sure.

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good and kind prayer. If you got your Bibles, let's turn to 1st Samuel chapter 20. We're going to pick back up with 1st Samuel chapter 20. We left off a couple of weeks ago before Christmas with 1st Samuel 19. And if y'all remember the story, David's rise a star and Saul has set out to kill him. This is our first sermon in the year 2026. And I hope it's a I hope it's a sermon that you find applicable to you because sometimes like David, we wake up in the new year, right? The new year, it's always a time of transition. It's a time of opportunities. Uh but we always carry baggage from the old year. And let's look at David's baggage. Saul's trying to kill him. Number one, David has a calling on his life. And uh it ain't working out the way that we would normally want to work it out. And that's why I love this story. I love 1 Samuel and I'm excited about this message. I hope it's a blessing to you because there are moments in life when everything looks the same on the outside but nothing feels the same on the inside. The job is still there. The relationship is still intact. The routine hasn't changed. But something deep inside of you, something deep within you knows that this season of life is ending. You didn't plan it. You didn't cause it. You didn't vote for it. And that's where David is right now in 1st Samuel chapter 20. David has done everything right, but everything's falling apart. David hasn't sinned his way into trouble. David hasn't manipulated his way forward. David hasn't um been given what God has promised him yet. As a matter of fact, David, David's on the run. And that's important because many times as believers, we secretly have this thought that man, if if I stay faithful, life will stay predictable. But it never does. And scripture teaches us something different that God allows disruptions in the life not to punish you but to prepare you. And we instinctively I think sometimes connect difficulty with guilt or or judgment. And a lot of times we just by default assume that trouble means corruption. I can I'm that trouble means correction. that we assume hardship means discipline. We assume that disruption means that we miss something. But David hasn't missed anything. And I think that's going to become clear. And sometimes God moves you not because you're wrong, but because you're ready. And ready doesn't mean comfortable. Ready seldom means confident. Ready absolutely does not mean certain. It means that God has decided it's time for the season to change. Even if your emotions haven't caught up with you yet. So, let's jump right on in. We'll start out with verse one. Then David fled Naoth into Rama. Remember, he's on the run. Remember, he had tried to trick David to, "Hey, David, kill me 100 Philistines to get their foreskins." It's like freak show. But um so David's on the run knowing that Saul's out to get him. says, "And then David fled from Naoth and Rama and came and said before Jonathan, what have I done?" Now, there's two things I think you ought to underline here. That's just my way of thinking. Before Jonathan, and what have I done? So, he came before Jonathan and said, "What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before thy father that he seeketh my life?" So let's stop real quick and marinade because David comes to Jonathan with a question that echoes in the human heart. What have I done? Because that tell that that that question tells us something that David assumes like many of us do so often that circumstances that he's facing are tied to some wrongdoing that he did. What have I done? But not all hardship is corrective. Sometimes hardship is transitional because God's not allowing and God's not reacting to David's failure. God is actually going to use this to advance David into a future that he promised him. And and here's the tension of the chapter. David knows that Saul is trying to kill him, but Jonathan, Saul's son and David's closest friend, doesn't know it yet. There's some tension there. Jonathan doesn't believe it yet. And that's real life. Because sometimes you can see clearly what others can't. Sometimes the people that you trust most are the slowest to accept the truth. But the truth is where we can find out where our security truly rest. So let's just sit here for a moment with David's question. What have I done? Now, that's not defiance. That that's honesty. It's it's it's a little bit of confusion. David knows what God has spoken over his life. You're going to be the next king of Israel, but he's not looking like a king right now. His circumstances seem to be completely out of step with that promise. David, by asking this question, is not rebelling against God. He's trying to understand why obedience has led him here. This is not fake spirituality. David does not say, "Well, praise the Lord anyway. You know, Saul's trying to kill me." It's all good. How you doing? Just right. No, you're not. The king's out to get you. Everybody's out to get you. And he doesn't say, "I'm too blessed to be stressed." He says, "What have I done?" That's not rebellion. It's honesty. Faith, listen to me, never means that you do not ask questions.

It means that you bring your questions to the right place. All right? Ask questions. Why do we do this? Why is our position on that? And I want you to notice, and this is really important because remember I said not only underline the question, but also circle or underline that he brought it before Jonathan. Notice where David takes his question. He takes it to his trusted friend because this choice matters because circumstances of uncertainty are rarely navigated alone. And so David does not go to Saul who's proven himself unfit to lead the kingdom. He goes to Jonathan. David is anointed but hunting. Hunted. He's he's chosen but hiding. and and when you are confused, you don't need more noise. You need someone who knows your heart. So he asked Jonathan, he asked Jonathan. And the reason you I'm kind of harping on this is we still got horoscopes in the newspaper. How many people, you know, still got psycho babble on TV? We still have talk shows on the radio. Be careful who you listen to. Be careful who you go to. David goes before Jonathan and he asks Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my iniquity?" And let's be honest, this is kind of a New Year's question, too. Because some of us, over the next couple of weeks, some of us are going to get the bills for December 2025. What have I done? How did I get here? What went wrong? What am I missing? And and some of us are entering this year 2026 like David enters this chapter. You did what you knew to do. You tried to honor God in everything and yet look at your life right now. Faith does not mean that you end one year with all the answers. It means that you carry your questions into the next year the right way. David doesn't spiral. David takes counsel. And man, for me, that's a word for January 2026. So before we rush into resolutions, before we set goals, before we promise God we'll do better next year, ask yourself, who am I walking into this next season with? Because David doesn't survive because of strategy. He survives because of a relationship. And he, this is Jonathan, said unto him, that's David. And Jonathan said unto David, God forbid, thou shalt not die. Behold, my father will do nothing, either great or small, but that he will show it to me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It it is not so. So Jonathan, despite the fact that Saul had used David as target practice two times before, Jonathan is initially struggling to believe that things are as dangerous as David says they are. He wants to assume the best. And David responds with a line that is painfully honest. And it says in verse three, "And David swear moreover and said, "Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes." And he saith, let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, here it is. There is but a step between me and death. Y'all, that sentence didn't come from panic. It came from awareness. It it it came from David not losing faith. It came from David recognizing reality. And scripture does not criticize him for calling it like it is. And as we step into the new year, this passage gives us permission to be truthful about where we are right now. Because faith does not require pretending everything is fine. It invites us to bring our questions into the light and let God meet us there. So here's the test. We pick up with verse four. Then said Jonathan unto David, whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. And I I want you to notice that Jonathan here commits to David before he even knows the outcome. He is aligning himself with David's survival. And that matters because most of us certainly want certainty before commitment. But Jonathan didn't need certainty before commitment. Whatever your soul desires, I will do it for you. I because I'm aligning myself with David because I see something in you, David. And I I love this because as we step into the new year, God calls us to alignment before he gives us clarity so much. Before he reveals his will, he asks us to step into alignment with him. And and as we step into the year 2026, I'd like us to hear this clearly. You don't need to know everything that God is going to do to trust the one who is doing it. In case you're taking notes, let's say that again. You do not need to know everything that God is going to do in order to trust the one who's doing it. So David proposes a test involving the new moon feast. And it's not manipulation, it's a discernment. David knows that Jonathan having a hard time believing. So he says, "Hey, let's let's do a test." Verse five. And David said to Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at me. But let me go that I might hide myself in the field until the third day at evening. And if thy father at all miss me, then say, David is earnestly asking leave of me, that he might go to Bethlehem, his city, for this is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. And if he say thus, it's well, thy servant shall have peace. But if he be wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him. Now, what stands out to me here is that David doesn't rush towards a resolution. And that's a word for me personally because if I was football strategy, I'd be the run and shoot offense. I I got I am, man. I I mean like I'm the Jeb Stewart of of of of I got a friend at work, Mike. He is like I don't know if you've ever read Clausswitch on the war. Probably not. Okay. So, Clauswitch wrote this book. It's entitled on war. He's like amass all your troops. When you have all your troops and everything in place, then you march lock step. That is not my personality. My personality is dang the torpedoes full steam ahead charge. That's me. But I appreciate the fact that David doesn't have my personality here. He uh he he he decided not to rush towards resolution. What David does here is he gives space for the truth to come out. And I need that because sometimes faith looks a lot less like charging forward and more like paying attention. Sometimes faith looks like waiting for confirmation, not because God is unreliable. But because we are limited, Jonathan sees something bigger than his own personal advancement in all of this. Jonathan knows about David's calling. And he he's aligned with that. And it says verse eight, "Therefore, Jonathan, therefore, thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant." So Jonathan, you're going to deal kindly with me, David. that for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee. Notwithstanding if there be any iniquity, slay me thyself. For why would should thou bring me to thy father? Jonathan said, Or be it from thee? For if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would I not tell thee? Jonathan loves David. Jonathan protects David. Jonathan believes in David, but Jonathan does not fully see what David sees, at least not yet. And that's real life. And and it's important because in transitions,

even healthy relationships experience tension, not because the love is gone, but because perspectives differ. David sees the danger clearly. Jonathan struggles to accept that his father has crossed the line. I get it. It's his father. Nobody wants to believe bad about your own dad. But his dad was wrong and and David saw it. And so God allows the tension here not to divide them, but to teach David something vital. Your future cannot rest on even the best of human support.

Got it.

I don't care if you're the president of the Okay, not not a good example. I don't care if you were Billy Graham. You still put your pants legs on one leg at a time. You still have to buy to uh toilet paper and you still have to brush your teeth. We are all human and even the best human support is not as reliable as God. So D Jonathan had all these good intentions but the relationship between Jonathan and David has this tension not because the love was gone but because perspective differs. David sees danger. Jonathan struggles to accept it. And God allows attention not to divide them but to teach David that your future cannot rest on even the best human support. Even the best human support can let you down. And God often uses relationships not as as as as bridges, I'm sorry, not as anchors, but as bridges. They they they help you cross over, but they cannot replace human relationships cannot replace trust in him. And some relationships will walk with you a lifetime. Others will walk with you long enough just to get you through the doorway, but that doesn't diminish their value. Doesn't negate their purpose. And David asked the honest question here. Verse 10. Then said David to Jonathan, who shall tell me, "Or what did thy father answer thee roughly?" So David is acknowledging his own vulnerability here. And he he cannot protect himself from Saul. He Saul's aim's got to get better sometime. He cannot read Saul's heart on his own. And Jonathan said unto David, verse 11, "Come and let us go out into the field." And they went out, both of them, into the field. And Jonathan said to David, "Oh Lord God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about tomorrow any time or the third day, and behold, if there be any good towards David, and then I I then send not unto thee, and show it thee." The Lord do so, and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleas to do the evil, then I will show it thee and and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace, and the Lord be with thee, and as he hath been with my father. So Jonathan responds by invoking in the name of the Lord. And it's not a slogan here, but kind of as a grounding reality. He recognizes what is unfolding is really bigger than any personal loyalty or family dynamics. God is at work. even if the path forward is painful. And Jonathan's words here remind us

divine purpose doesn't always eliminate human risk even in the path forward is is painful. It sometimes divine purpose doesn't eliminate the human risk. It what it does do is it sustains us within it. So Jonathan's like, "Okay, I know this is troubling. I know you think it's troubling. I'm going to acknowledge that. Let me take it on out here. And look, if if dad says he's going to dig you in, he's going to hurt you, I'll let you know. If he doesn't say anything like that, I'm going to let you know. I promise you that. I'm going to let you know, but we'll take the risk out of it. We'll we'll give you a safe space to to develop, David. So, through verses 18 through 29, let me just kind of summarize it for you because here was what's going on. Jonathan tells David to hide during the new moon feast to see how Saul's going to react to David's absence. David says, "You know, I'm always at that feast, but I'm not going to be there this time. And if your daddy asks, tell him that I've gone to Bethlehem to to make a to make a sacrifice." Jonathan's like, "Yeah, I'm good with that, and I'll let you know." So, we'll see how Saul reacts. Jonathan explains the signal. He's going to use some arrows and he's going to just shoot them out the window. And if they fall short of where David is, and that means David, come on home. But if they go further than where David is, that's a sign that Saul's intended to slay you. You need to go away. So that's the that's the plan. And the feast begins. Saul notices that David's seat is empty, but he doesn't really think anything at first. He assumes that David is ritually unclean. Perhaps while he was hunting, he touched a dead animal. He has to go through the purification rice. But on the second day, on the second day, he notices and he asked Jonathan about it. And Jonathan repeats the same words that David told him. Well, you know, Daddy, he wanted to go to Bethlehem to make the yearly sacrifice for his family, which is why he has not come to the king's table. Now, the test unfolds and David is missing. Verse 27, this is what Saul says. He says, "Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meet?" Jonathan gives the explanation. And here's Saul's response and it reveals everything. It's picked up in verse 30. And then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan. And he said unto him, here's something. He says unto him, "Thou son of perverse, rebellious woman." Now he's insulting his mama. Do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion and into the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. So David's absence starts the transition. And I want you to notice because there's a little bit of symbolism going on here. David was absent from the king's table. That's the old way of doing things because you know why? There's a new king coming. That table that table's going away because there's there's a new king coming. And then when Saul figures out David's gone and I'm not going to have my chance to take him out, he gets all mad at Jonathan and starts insulting Jonathan's mother. You know, the woman that gave birth to you. You're both idiots. And so the transition has started and Saul reacts with rage. And church, some of the tension that you feel stepping into this new year is not because you are failing. It's because something old no longer fits. And maybe God is removing you right now. Maybe there's some of you that God is removing you from tables that you used to sit at. And that's okay. not as punishment but as preparation. And like Saul, not everyone is going to celebrate the shift. And it says in verse 32, "And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said unto him, wherefore shall he be slain? What hath he done?" And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him, whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. to quote Sharon Sprag. You think

so? Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger and did eat no meat the second day of the month. For he was grieved for David because his father had done him shame. So again, Saul's not angry because David is wrong. He's angry because David threatens his control. And control always lashes out when it realizes that it's losing power. So Saul throws a spear at his own son. And here's the truth. Take this to the bank. When when someone refuses God's authority,

they will attack anybody who aligns with it, even family. When you have somebody who is dead set to refuse God's authority, watch out because they'll attack anybody on it. And here's the truth here. Jonathan knows that there's no reconciliation coming. So verse 35, remember the promise that he's going to shoot some arrows. Let's look at the arrows in the field. And it came to pass, verse 35. And it came to pass in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David and the little lad with him. And he said unto the lad, "Run and find out now the arrows which I shoot." And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And let me just say this for the young kids. If you're ever going to shoot an arrow and have a young kid get it, shoot the arrow first. This is not safe. Okay? And and when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, "Is not the arrow beyond thee?" And Jonathan cried after the lad, "Make speed. Hey, stay not." And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows and came to his master. And the the lad knew not anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. So the message has been sent. The arrows The arrows are simple but decisive. David waits hidden. Jonathan steps into the open and clarity comes not through explanation but through confirmation. And I want you to notice in this passage here that God does not tell David how long the wilderness will last. He just tells him to go. God does not explain how the throne will come. God does not reveal the full path. He simply confirms it's time to move, David. And that's often how God will work in our lives. That's often how God works in the transitions. He gives directions, not a blueprint. Jonah, go to Nineveh. He gives peace, not a calendar. Jesus in John 14 27, my peace I give you. Where's the calendar? He gives assurance not answers. John 14:27 at the last passage. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. So Jesus and the Lord will give direction. They give peace. They give they give assurance. No blueprints, no calendars, no answers. Because answers, if we're given answers, we are such frail people. If we get answers, then our confidence is going to be in the plan. But assurance keeps us dependent on him. Verse 40. And Jonathan gave his artillery unto the lad. So he took his arrows off his back and gave it to the lad and said unto him, go carry them to the city. And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of the place towards the south and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another and wept one with another till David exceeded. And Jonathan said, "David, go in peace, for as much as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, between my seed and thy seed forever." David arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city. So here we are. David and Jonathan are weeping. Not because the friendship failed, but because it mattered.

Sometimes goodbyes hurt, because they're good. Transitions often require letting go of what was right for a season, even when nothing was wrong. And and you can love something deeply and still be called to leave it. You can honor a season and a time of life without staying in it. You can grieve a transition and still trust God in it. Tears do not cancel faith. They they often accompany it. And God does not rush them out of this moment because sometimes faith looks like tears before it looks like triumph. And Jonathan blesses David. He says, "The Lord be between me and thee." That that's trust. That's trust that God is going to finish what he started. David escapes. He runs off, but he doesn't escape into comfort. David escapes into uncertainty. He escapes into isolation. He escapes into a season that we will see in coming chapters feels empty. Yet God is preparing him and preserving him. And God doesn't protect David by keeping him where he is. He protects him by moving him out. And that's uncomfortable for us because a lot of us will equate safety with familiarity. But scripture repeatedly teaches us that true safety, not familiarity with our places, our things, and the people we know. But it's when we live life with him. Because even life with him in a prison is is the safest of all places. And God is is not removing David from the blessing. He's he's actually relocating him for it. And David leaves this chapter without any answers, without a throne, without a timeline, without a road map. But he leaves with something better, a promise that has not been revoked. So, as the year opens in 2026, I want to let y'all know that there's some promises for you. In first Peter chapter 2 verse9, this is this is how Peter refers to y'all, to us, to the children of God that outnumber the sands of the sea and the stars of the sky, a number so vast that no man can number it. That's straight out of the Bible, people. He says, "You are a chosen generation.

You are a royal priesthood. You are a holy nation." 1 Peter 2:9. You are a peculiar people. That word peculiar means that you are owned. Like my house is owned by me. Doesn't mean you're weird, although some of us are. But you are an owned people, a chosen people, a holy nation, that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of the darkness and in to his marvelous light. So all these great things are given to you for a purpose that you should show forth. I like the language there because there are times in my life when I haven't. There are times in your life when you haven't. By the end of this day, I might not be showing forth all that good stuff that God's put inside of me. I need to constantly rely on him. Even when all the circumstances around me seem opposed to my feelings, opposed to what I think my life ought to be like, I can still rely on the Lord with a promise that is never revoked. And like David, your future, his future was not dependent on your performance. So, some of us are living in 1st Samuel chapter 20 right now. We're not rebelling. We're not running from God. We're just navigating a season where heaven seems a little distant, where it feels quiet, where where the pressure feels loud. And I want to remind you something. If Jesus has already secured your future, and he has, then even the shadows of your life serve a purpose. David doesn't survive because he's clever. He survives because God is faithful. Some of you are in this in between place right now. This this place of transition. Not where you were and not where you're going. In this space, it it feels a little uncomfortable, but the in between spaces, the transition spaces, it's not empty time, it's formative time. David had Jonathan. Jesus did not. David fled to live. Jesus stayed to die. And because Jesus finished his work. And because he did, these moments right here, the transitions of life no longer threaten our identity. We don't have to enter the new year trying to earn approval. We don't have to face uncertainty alone. We don't have to carry fear like it's our responsibility. Your future is not fragile. It is secure. And God often does his deepest work here. When we're moving, but not yet arrived to where we're going, we we don't need clarity for the whole journey. We just need to trust him for the next step. So, let me close out by saying, church, as we cross into the new year, some of you may feel hidden. Some of you may feel behind, some of you may feel unsure, but hear this blessing clearly. The God who carried you from last year will not drop you in this one. Our future is not secured by perfect decisions, but by the finished work of Christ. We don't transition alone. we transition here with him. If you'd like to follow him as we do here at Camp Creek Church, we give you that chance as

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Amen. Thank you. If you got your Bibles, let's turn to 1 Samuel. 1st Samuel. We're going to go back to our study in the 1st Samuel. Been there almost a year now, but I'm going to go backwards to 1st Samuel chapter 7. I know some of y'all are like, "What? No, don't go backwards, forwards, forwards." I mean, we've already covered David slinging stones and killing giants. We already Why are we going backwards? Well, it's because of this Sunday. This Sunday is December 28th. It's the Sunday after Christmas, but it's the Sunday before New Year's. is the Sunday in between. It's a Sunday where we pause for reflection over the year, but it's also a Sunday where we look forward to the new year with maybe some hope. We're standing between celebration and anticipation, between memory and hope. We uh we're between what the year has taken from us or in some situations given us like a baby. Hello, Thomas. But the year ahead of fear because we have a baby, you know, and that's kind of ah um it's been a rough year for some of us. Some of us have lost a father. Some of us have battled cancer. Some of us have lost things. And it's been a rough year. And if we're honest, that's when the questions start to get louder. Like, what kind of year was 2025 really? What what did it do to me? What did it expose within me? And most of all, where was God in all of it? That's why this passage is going to be 1st Samuel chapter 7. Last time we went by at 55 miles an hour. This time we're going to slow down. We're going to park a little bit and look at one specific passage that's in 1st Samuel chapter 7. So, if you got your Bibles, I want you to turn to it because it's chock full of good stuff because it speaks directly to a people who are standing in that same space, that space between what has been and what will be. And it teaches us how to look backwards without despair, but also to look forward without fear. So, let's hear from the word of God, and we'll pick it on up. Verse nine. And Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it for a burnt offering, holy unto the Lord. And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great thunder that day upon the Philistines and discomforted them. And they were smitten before Israel. Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Misbah and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, "Hitherto the Lord hath helped me." Now, we're gonna that's going to be the main reading today, but we're going to kind of dig dig a little bit deeper into it. I want to first say you you cannot understand this moment. For those of us that are just joining us, for those of us that have heard previous sermons on this, you cannot understand this moment until you learn the backstory. Because the Lord beat the Philistines this day. But this is not some random victory. This is not some lucky break or coincidence with the weather and this is not a sudden turnaround without a little bit of history attached to it. In other words, Israel did not read have your best life now and then everything changed because the timing and the order of this is very important. So to appreciate what God does in these verses, you have to remember where Israel has been. Israel is coming out of one of the darkest moments in their existence. The priest at this time is Eli. His sons are Ha and Phineas. They are now corrupt. The Ha and Phineas have been using the priesthood in order to get rich and to find hookups. It's not a good time. They've become corrupt. Worship in Israel has become somewhat mechanical. Oh yeah, they'll meet Saturday after Saturday they're doing the sacrifices, but they're just kind of walking through it. nothing is really special. And God's presence has been reduced to to assemble to be managed rather than a lord to be altered. And if y'all remember, we're in 1st Samuel chapter 7. But if you back up just a little bit to 1st Samuel chapter 4, that's when the Philistines really started to attack him. Samuel has been appointed the next great prophet. But Eli is still running things. Samuel's growing up. And the Philistines attack. And Eli, who's in charge, says, "Okay, well, let's uh let's go on up." And now at the time the ark of the covenant was at a city called Shiloh because that's where the tabernacle was. And Eli said go get the ark and let's take it in the battle. Half knife finazes lead of Horn and they're going to go and the Philistines will be beaten. And I want you to look at the words that are said in 1st Samuel 4:3. This is what they said. Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us. For when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the land and the hand of the enemy. So the people sent to Shiloh that day that they may bring then the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the hosts which dwelleth between the cherubam. So let's appreciate what their plan was or not appreciate it because what they said at that moment was hey let's bring the ark into battle and then God will give us a victory. They didn't consult with Samuel. They didn't say any prayers. They didn't offer any sacrifices. And now they're referring to the ark of the covenant which actually was the mercy seat of God where the shikina glory of God would hang out between the two cherubams when the Lord would descend. It was that special. Now I know it's an ark but it's an ark where the shikina glory of God would dwell. And they are referring to it as an it because they had lost the relationship because religion had become mechanical because worship had just become ordinary and God was no longer special to the people of Israel. And so here they go. They take the ark out and as we know the Philistines beat them. They stole the ark. They took it back and they placed it in their own temple. But here's the thing about God. He can't be controlled or contained. Right? So the temple that they the Philistine temple that they put it in was in front of a god named Deeon. And guess what Deeon does? He falls on his face almost in a posture of worship. Then they plop him back up. And by the way, if you have to prop up your god with your help or your assistance, it's not much of a god. So he goes face down again and then he gets beheaded. His arms get chopped off. The Philistines like, "Whoa, this is too bad." So they take it on this tour of various Philistine city and wherever the various Philistine cities host the ark of the covenant the people are struck with y'all remember emroids and the Philistines are like we can't get rid of this fast enough let's make a bunch of golden emroids and some golden mice and take it back to the Israelites and maybe they can take this thing from us. And so they do that and the Israelites take it. But here's the thing. when they start taking it around to their city and one of the first cities they stopped to, somebody peaked into the Ark of the Covenant. That was a big no no because now they're starting to treat the holy like it's just an ordinary box. They start to treat the reverent irreverently. And God that day struck down 50,000 Israelites. And so what happens as we find out in 1 Samuel chapter 6 is that the ark of the covenant winds up in the city of Zerathum in the house of Abenad and it sat for 20 years. Those passages kind of scare me and they make me kind of sit up and take notice because here's my tendency. My tendency is sometimes to to take things that are holy and they just kind of lose their specialness to me. My tendency is to think just because I'm near to the presence of God, I I'm actually doing what I need to do. But you know, Israel sat in that condition for 20 years and there was no blessing, nothing special going on. The scriptures are silent as to God working miracles and wonders among them for 20 years. And here's the thing about the human condition is sometimes we can just get so used to the ordinary to the day in to the day out to the stresses of life that they start to become our main focus and we forget that we serve awesome God. And that's what had happened here. So what happened now is as we start to pick up with chapter 7, guess who starts to attack again? Philistines. And guess what brothers and sisters? the problems that you face today, man, there's a good chance that in 2025 you saw you fought some serious problems. And guess what? In 2026, you're going to fight some serious problems. And if you're around in 2027, you're going to fight some serious problems because the Philistines are always there. And they're always going to attack. Well, this time the the Philistines are getting up to attack. And the people of Israel, man, they're just like, "What do we do now?" And it says in the preceding verse, it says, "And the people of Israel lamented the Lord their God." Now, a lament is nice. Means they're mourning. Notice the word choice. It says lament. Didn't say repent. And there's a difference between lament and repent. Because lament is I feel sorry for what I did. I still feel sorry for what I've done. I feel sorry for 2025, but you're not going to change. And guess what? If you don't change, same thing's going to happen 2026. It happened in 2025, but there's a better plan because it then the people come up and they say it lamented of it. And then pro and Samuel says, "Okay, here's what we're going to do. We're going to after a sacrifice, and it's not just any lamb. It's going to be a suckling lamb." And as they are offering the suckling lamb, as they are offering the sacrifice, guess what? The Philistines attack again because guess what? Your problems never really ever go away. In this world, you will have your troubles. Those are the words of Jesus Christ. And if anybody's going to tell you the truth, it's the son of God. And he promises us that we're going to continue to have troubles. So, how do we respond to that? Well, it says in the middle of the sacrifice, the Philistines attack. And this is what Let's read words. And as Samuel took the suckling lamb and offered a burnt offering holy unto the Lord, Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel. And the Lord heard him. I got to tell you, I underline that because that tells me something great about our God. Remember how long Israel just completely ignored the Ark of the Covenant? 20 years. And guess who was still there the entire time? God. Patient, waiting, because those are his people. Your God has never abandoned you even though you've abandoned him. Your God has never ignored you even though you've ignored him. Your God has not disappointed at you and he's not mad at you. If you're not where you need to be in your spiritual walk right now, God is waiting. And it says that Samuel cried out. And I want you to notice that he cried out to the Lord. And as Samuel was offering, the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near the battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and discomforted them. He beat them. So it says, "All the house lamented. Then they repented and the Lord came on." And I want you to notice because God did not ask them to fight first. God fought their battles for him. God didn't ask them to rebuild first. God didn't ask them to clean up first. He didn't ask them to prove themselves first. What he was calling for was a heart before the change. And that's how restoration begins. Now, here's a moment that really matters. As they gather at Mesbah, they fast. They confess. Samuel intercedes. That's when the Philistines attack. In other words, the enemy showed up during worship, not after prayer, not next week, not once Israel felt strong again, right in the middle of their surrender to the Lord. Have you ever noticed why life gets harder after you tried to do the right thing? Have you ever noticed that? Y'all know what I'm saying? You're trying to do the right thing. you're trying to follow what the word of the Lord says and all of a sudden it seems like it gets harder to live. And if if you've experienced that, let me tell you something. This verse understands you because some of you are leaving this year trying to rebuild your faith, trying to be honest, trying to lay something down, and it feels like the resistance is increasing, not decreasing. But here's the key. The timing of the battle does not indicate the absence of God. He's with him the whole time. And what it does do, it doesn't indicate the absence of God, but it does set the stage for the intervention of God. Because I want you to notice what happens next. Israel doesn't sharpen its swords. Israel doesn't turn to strategies. Israel doesn't rush into combat. It says they cease not to cry unto the Lord for our for cease not Samuel to cry unto the Lord our God for us that he will save us out of the hands of the Philistines. The only move that the people of God had was prayer and an innocent lamb on their behalf. Verse 10 says, "But the Lord thunder with a great thunder and comforted the Philistines." So, I want y'all to notice a couple of doctrinal and theological points here because Israel doesn't win because they finally got their act together. When the Lord started showing up during the sacrifice of the lamb, they had not gotten their act together. The Bible is absolutely silent that they had done one good thing among them. They were there for the sacrifice. the enemy attacks, but then they say the prayer and they they win because God intervenes decisively. Thunder wasn't just about the noise and it it it really was about the warfare and God stepping into the battle himself. So, I want you to notice that Israel is moving forward, but only after the enemy is defeated. God acts thunder, the victory is secure, and the people walk into what's already been accomplished. That pattern should sound familiar to us. And then after the victory, Samuel does something kind of strange, right? He gets this rock. Samuel after the victory where the Lord defeated the Philistines does something strange. He doesn't build the trophy. He doesn't name the year or the day. He set like you have St. Crisen's day, which is the English victory over some group, you know. He doesn't do that. He doesn't name the day. He doesn't name the year. He doesn't build the trophy. He sets up a stone. And here we are. And then Samuel took a stone and called the name of it Ebenezer. So he names the stone. This is what he said. Hitherto. Man, I love that word. Hath the Lord helped us. So we know in Hebrew Ebenezer means this is a stone of help. So Samuel raised the stone. He named it the stone of help. Not because the stone itself helped them, but because he wants to remember this moment. And that's what I want to encourage us to do when it comes to 2025. Because when he raised that stone between Misba and Shin and called it Ebenezer, he wasn't decorating the landscape. He was preaching a sermon in granite. Pitherto, the Lord hath helped us. In other words, up until this point, every stumble, every step, every rescue, God carried us through it, whether we were recognizing it or not. Because that stone didn't predict the future, but it did testify to the past. So that when the people would look at that stone, they would remember the good things that the Lord had done, even though they didn't deserve it. And that is precisely what gave Israel the courage for whatever came next. And I want you to notice what Samuel does not say when he raised it up. He says, "Hitherto the Lord has helped us." He does not say, "Hey, look how faithful y'all were." He does not say look how much you've grown this year. He does not say look how strong you are and look how strong your faith has become. What he says is hitherto for thus far the Lord has helped us. And you know, there's something refreshing about it because it helps Israel to look back honestly without denial, without despair. And maybe some of you didn't like your year-end reflection because when you look back on this year, all you see is failure. And others of you love it because when you look back, all you see is successes. But what this verse does is it allows us to see in reality. There were mistakes, but you're still here. There were losses, but you were not abandoned. There were prayers unanswered the way you had hoped they would have been answered, but you were sustained. And that stone, that Ebenezer doesn't erase the hard parts, it refrains them. And so Samuel raises the stone and names it Ebenezer. Hither too far the Lord has helped us. And that word hitherto it matters. Hitherto up to this point. It doesn't mean that your problems have been solved forever. It doesn't mean forever solved. It means up until this point. And the thing about the Ebenezer stones or the Ebenezer moments in our life, they're not trophies. They're testimonies. Israel didn't raise the stone because life was easy. They raised it because they survived. And some of you need to hear this now.

Surviving this year counts. And you don't have to call this year great. You don't even have to call it good. But you do have to call God faithful. If I could do 2025, here's what I would take out. Number one, cancer. Okay, that was not fun, but the Lord was faithful. Number two, recovery. That was not fun, but the Lord was faithful. Number three, and now, you know, now I got to do PSA every three months. Not looking forward to that because every three months I'm

but I know the Lord is faithful because no matter what way the test results go, God is faithful. Some of y'all has lost great loves, but the Lord is faithful and he will not abandon you. So Samuel takes a stone, a simple stone, nothing elaborate. And not because stones are inherently good. I mean, they are part of God's creation. But he takes a stone and he sets it up. And he sets it up where people can see it. He doesn't set up a scroll. He doesn't set up a speech. He doesn't sing a song. He puts a stone, something solid, something heavy, something that doesn't move when emotions shift. And he calls it Ebenezer. and hitherto hath the Lord helped us. And that's some honest theology. It's not claiming that the future is easy. And it doesn't deny that the past is hard. It simply says that in this mess, God showed up here. And some of you need permission today to say that. You don't have to say like some of our fellow brothers and sisters of the faith of the name it and claim it. You you don't have to say this is my best year. You don't have to pretend. You don't have to say I figured it all out. You don't have to claim I finally arrived. You can simply say I'm still here and God is with me. And let me tell you something, that's not small faith, y'all. That's mature faith. Ebenezer is not a victory. It's not a victory lap. It's not Israel saying, "Look, we finally got it right." It's Israel saying, "Look who showed up again and again and again, even when I didn't deserve it." Oh my. That stone does not say here we sit strong. It says here at God help. That's why the inscription here matters more than the location. Ebenezer's theology is theology carved into a rock. Help came from the outside in. And so often and I mean I am so guilty of this too. So often we want to we want to celebrate moments you know the before and the after photos of of spiritual progress. Ebenezer Ebenezer stones celebrate not moments of celebrate but interruption. The moment when God stepped into the situation that was already heading in the wrong direction. The moment God changed it. And if anything Ebenezers are a confession we are in trouble. and the Lord intervene. And I want you to notice the phrase that that Samuel chooses that hitherto up to this point, you know, thus far the Lord help us. That's true, but that's not why that's written. Faith for tomorrow can be fueled by the memory of yesterday. How God is faithful in the small moments. And Israel needed a visible reminder that when they were weak, God was not absent. When they were afraid, God was not quiet. When they had no strategy, God still had power. That's why Ebenezer stones matter at the end of the year. But really, at any threshold moment in your life, they train our hearts to say, "Look, if he helped us then, he's not out of help anymore now. He he he's right here." And the the stone didn't eliminate the future battles, but what it does is it reframes them so that when you look back, whatever lies ahead is is not unchartered territory for our God. And just as a way of practical godliness and how we walk our walk and talk our talk, I want you to notice that the Ebenezer stone was built up not after perfection, but before it. the the moment comes after Israel puts away the foreign gods, returns their hearts to the Lord. But I don't want you to miss this because repentance did not earn the victory. It's simp

I want y'all that are like it's me. You're on the Jesus plus plan like Jesus plus your works. We're not on the Jesus plus plan here. The repentance didn't earn the victory. It removed the obstacles from trusting God. See, you've already got a victory. Your problem is not the victory hadn't been won. God has already earned your eternal salvation because he said on the cross, "It is finished. Everything's done." But what repentance does is it removes the obstacles towards putting your faith totally. Says, "Lord, I trust you. I trust everything that you've done. I trust your perfect sacrifice because make a mistake. That lamb that Samuel had sacrificed, that lamb hadn't done anything wrong. So the lamb, it's I mean, it's so young. It's still drinking mother's milk. It's one of those sweet little lambs that we like to sing about. Mary had a little lamb, his fleece as white as snow, and everywhere that Mary went, Mary, and the lamb was sure to go. It was a sweet little lamb that had done nothing wrong. And it was sacrificed for the people of Israel. After that sacrifice, after that sacrifice, the people could start living a life in victory because what the very next phrase says is that the Lord after the Lord had discomforted them that they had peace from the Philistines for years and years. I want to let you know something. There was a perfect lamb that was sacrificed for you. Not because you earned it. Not a single one of you did. Your righteousness is as filthy rags is what the Bible says. There's none righteous. No, not one. None of you were good enough. None of us are. None of us are. The best that we have to offer God on any given day just doesn't measure up. But the lamb was sacrificed for you anyway. So the question is is do you trust the lamb? Are you are you turning your life over to the lamb? And and this moment this moment this Ebenezer moment comes after Israel put away all the foreign gods. They return to the Lord. Ebenezer is not for the people who have it all together. It's for people who have finally stopped pretending that they do. So, let me ask you something. What if you were to set up a stone in your life today? What would that look like? If if you were to name an Ebenezer for this year, what would it be? Here, the Lord carried me through this grief. Here the Lord gave me strength when I had none. March 27th for me is here the Lord healed me. Then in May and June and July, you know, here the Lord has healed me. And through all of 2025, here the Lord has sustained me. Now y'all, that might not be the story that you want, but you have proof that God did not leave you during this time period. And that's enough to keep on walking into 2026. You know, the other thing about Ebenezer is it honors survival without glorifying the struggle. And we need to say this clearly. Let's shout it from the rooftops here. Suffering is not holy. Pain is not a badge of honor. Loss is not a virtue. But endurance, endurance is a testimony. And sometimes faith looks like nothing more than refusing to quit. And if all you did this year was to keep praying when the answers were slow, keep loving when it was hard, to keep showing up when you wanted to withdraw, that matters. God is not disappointed in you because this year was messy. He kind of knew it. He is present with you now because it was messy. And it all came back to that lamb on the altar. The victory secured before the people moved. The enemy defeated by God's actions, not human effort. It all points us forward to another lamb, to another battle, to another victory accomplished outside of our control. And Jesus does not ask us to finish what he started. He invites us to live from what he completed. That that that's why faith in scripture is not a performance. It it's a posture. It's it's learning to trust what already has been done on your behalf. So, as we step into the new year into 2026, let me offer you this.

Don't rush past your Ebenezer. Before you plan, before you promise, before you resolve, pause. Name the places this year where God carried you through. Acknowledge the help that you didn't earn. Recognize the strength that you didn't supply. Because we shouldn't enter the new year trying to prove something. And we need to enter it remembering something. Thus far, the Lord has helped us. And if he helped us thus far, he didn't bring you to this point just to leave you. And so we may not stack figure actual rocks between MSBA and Shin anymore. But we still need markers, testimonies, stories, moments when we revisit when the fear started rewriting our history. Ebenezer stones reminding us that survival itself can be sacred evidence of healings you didn't expect. Provisions that arrived late but on time. Strength that showed up when yours ran out. And every Ebenezer that we have in this congregation whispers the same truth. You are here because God helped you get here. So when you stand at the edge of what's next in a new year and a new season and new uncertainties, don't rush past the stone. Pause. Name it. Remember it. Say it out loud if you need to. Thus far, the Lord has helped us. And if he's helped you, he has not brought you here to abandon you. He's with you now in every moment of the new year. If you'd like to worship Christ as we do here at Camp Creek Church, recognizing him as the allsufficient savior who paid every debt that we need. Now, we live life to glorify him because what he's done. He's saved the people from every nation, kindred, tongue, tribe, and creed. It's not based on what we've done, said, acted, or believed. based on his perfect sacrifice. We'll give you that chance as we stand to sing hymn number him number 335. If you'd like to come forward, come on and we'll take you on in. 335

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Amen. If you got your Bibles with you, uh let's go to the Gospel of John. We're going to have a Christmas message out of the Gospel of John. John is the fourth book in the the New Testament. John is um John the disciple is the author of it. He wrote uh John, the Gospel of John. He wrote three letters, first, second, and third John. He wrote wrote the book of Revelations. John is not John the Baptist, the man that got beheaded, the man that baptized Jesus, the man that dressed a little bit weird. This is normal John. He does not wear skinny jeans. He doesn't need lifts. He is a man. John means in Hebrew the gift of God. John want to It's a great book. And we're going to have a Christmas message. And I hope you'll pay attention to that. I doubt if I I I I don't think in 28 years here that we've ever preached a Christmas message out of the First John. But it's going to be exciting because you're going to see, Lord willing, a lot of things that are applicable to you today. So let's turn to the Gospel of John and we're going to start with um verse one. Now, John is interesting because when most of us think about Christmas, we think of shepherds, maybe angels, Mary and Joseph, hay, stables, and silence broken by new cry. But John does something different and daring. He actually shows us the the Christmas story without a manger. No Bethlehem, no wise men, no swaddling clothes story without a manger. John takes us to a time before Christmas had a name or even a date. Before there was a night sky filled with angels, there's going to be an eternity filled with purpose. Before there was a a babe in a manger, there was a word in the beginning. Before God came near, God already was. And what John wants us to know is that Christmas did not begin when Mary went into labor. Christmas began when God decided that he would not remain distant. So, let's jump on in with verse one. Let's jump on in. Before there was a Mary, before there was a Mary Beth, before there was a Marie, before there was a a Steve, before there was anybody, it says in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Now, so those of y'all that been with the Bible for just like half a minute might recognize the beginning of these words because it parallels the beginning of Genesis. But John echoes Genesis on purpose. Because Genesis chapter 1 says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." And John starts out his gospel by saying, "In the beginning was the word. Before creation had shape, before the stars had names, before the oceans knew their boundaries, before histories had chapters, the word was. Because John is saying, listen, listen, listen. Before your story started, God was already God before. And man, that encourages me because before your success, before your failure, before your regret, before your diagnosis, before your divorce, before your prayers, before your doubts, before your heartache, the word was. So Christmas is not about God reacting to a broken world. Christmas is about God revealing what he has planned all along. And John is telling us that Jesus is not God's response to human failure. Jesus is not plan B. He's not a divine course correction. Jesus's plan A before there was even a need for a plan. And that means that your story doesn't begin with your sin. It doesn't begin with your trauma. It doesn't begin with your poor decisions. It doesn't begin with anything. It begins with God's intention. Even more than that, John chooses some very special words here because he says the word in the beginning was the word and we know that word is from the Greek word logos. Um and in the Greek culture logos meant reason, logic, order, meaning. It was the organizing principle of the of the universe. But in Hebrew word means something a little bit different too because it also means action. So when God spoke, things happened. Listen to me. Light did not debate. Oceans didn't negotiate. Creation didn't say, "Hey, let me think about it." God spoke. Reality obeyed. So, this is what John is saying. The voice that said, "Let there be light in Genesis now has a face." And the power that flung the galaxies into place now walks among his people. The meaning behind everything now steps into history. This means that life is not random. Your life is not accidental. It means that your life is not an accident. So even even when life feels chaotic, there's a deeper coherence that's holding it all together. So this is what John's saying. Hey, that voice, that power, that eternal self-expression of God now has a name, Jesus. And that means that Christianity does not start with a rulebook. It starts with a person. And that changes everything. And John doesn't leave any room for confusion. He says the word was God. Not a God, not a divine intern. He not a lesser being, fully God, fully eternal. Which means when Jesus shows up and all of a sudden later starts engaging in healing and the forgiving of sins and the touching of lepers and the calming of the storms, that isn't a break from who God is. That is who God is. And so this matters because if Jesus is not fully God, he can't fully reveal God. And he can't if he can't fully reveal God, then we're left guessing. But John says, "We don't have to guess anymore." If you want to know what God thinks about sinners, look at Jesus. If if you want to know how God responds to weakness, look at Jesus. If you want to know whether God moves towards broken people or away from them, look at Jesus. So Jesus is not God pretending to be nice. It's who God is by himself. And if you've ever wondered, is God angry? Is God distant? Is God disappointed with me? This is what John is saying to us. Have you ever had any thought like that? Look at Jesus and don't look away. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. And the same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him. Let let let that sit with you for just a second. All things were made by him. So the baby that was in the feeding trough is the one that formed the star. The hands that Mary will hold are the hands that shaped creation. The voice that cried in the night. The same voice that spoke the words, "Let there be light." Now Christmas might seem like it was small with a small start, but it only looked small. God didn't become less when he came near. Christmas he became visible. And and John says, "All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made." I know in the secular world, I'm an attorney. I know we deal with loopholes. I know it's aggravating, but let me tell you something. There's no loophole here. John says there was not anything made that was made. John RS every loophole. He's saying everything that exists. Every atom, every breath, every moment owes his existence to Jesus. That here, this is what that means. That Jesus is not just relevant to your spiritual life. He's relevant to everything. your work, your relationship, your suffering, your waiting. Jesus who made all things is not distant from the details of your life. Then John goes on just keeps on building. And in him was life and the life was the light of men. So John does something really profound here. In him was life. His life was the light of men. He doesn't say that Jesus brought ideas or philosophy. He doesn't say that Jesus brought us a bunch of good principles. He says that Jesus brought life. His life. His life was the light of men. And try to try to get that so backwards. So many of our brothers and sisters in the faith is like, I got to get enlightened before I can have life. Well, no. Life precedes light. So, if you've got light today because you've got life today. That's what Jesus brought to us. But John says, "Hey, look, life came first and light flows from life." That's why moral reform without a spiritual renewal never lasts. That that's that's why behavior modification without a heart transformation always collapses. You don't live differently by trying harder. You leave you live differently when life really takes root in your heart. And so it says, look, and the light, it just keeps getting better. And the light shone in the darkness. And I want you to notice this. There's darkness. Then all of a sudden, here's light and it shines into the darkness. I want you to notice that you don't fix the darkness by yelling at it. You don't shame darkness into leaving. You don't argue darkness into submission. Hey, let's just marinate that in just half a second. Because right now in our country on the political spectrum, both sides hate each other. They both call each other names. They both think that the other side is darkness and they scold and they they they shame and they they yell and they raise their voice and they really are getting look you don't change darkness by yelling at it. You don't change darkness by calling it names. You change darkness by shining light into it. I that let me tell you how powerful light is. when I was in basic training

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years ago. Holy cow, I'm old. Okay. When I was in basic training, they took us out at nighttime at West Point and they did this and I just it burned in my mind. It just had a profound impact in me. A mile and a half away, they had a soldier light a cigarette. We saw the light and then we saw that little cigarette. I mean, I'm talking a light spectrum this eye. And when it we I could see it a mile and a half away. That's how powerful light is. Just that little bit of light showed the way for me. A mile and a half in total. That's how powerful light is. Hey, you want to change the other side? Whether they have Biden derangement syndrome or Trump derangement syndrome, if you want to change the other side, show your light. Show the light of Jesus specifically because you will not change them by denigrating them. You will not change them by causing names. You change people by showing light and the light shine into the darkness. The darkness comprehendeth not. And so, hey kids, this is King James. The word comprehend means overcome, means conquered. And the darkness did not conquer the light. Oh, it tried but it failed. Darkness never overcomes the light. That's how powerful it is. And that's good news for those of us who feel a little bit surrounded, a little bit overwhelmed, a little bit outmatched. The story of Jesus is not that the light barely survives. The story of Jesus's light cannot be stopped because this is what John I want you to notice something else about John. He doesn't diminish the darkness. He doesn't deny the darkness. He says, "Look, the darkness is real because pain is real. Evil, yeah, it's real. But darkness is not ultimate. John does not deny darkness. He defies it. And that matters for anybody who's walking through grief, illness, betrayal, or confusion. Then John starts to show somebody who showed the light. And there was a man, verse eight, I'm sorry, verse six, and there was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. He was not the light but he was sent to bear witness of that light. So John introduces John the Baptist and it's fascinating how clear he is. He says he was not the light. Oh, he was a good person. Matter of fact, Jesus would go on to say there's none greater born of woman than John the Baptist. John had a following. shot had influence. He had momentum. Yet his entire mission, the entire mission is don't look at me, look to him. And you know, that's so important for us now as we close out 2025 and go into 2026 because we live in a culture that is obsessed with influence, branding, followers. And John the Baptist, he reminds us, you are most useful to God when you point people to Christ. You uh you're most useful for God when you know that you are not the center of the universe. That that takes a lot of relief, you know, because you know, you're your job is not that impressive. I don't care who you are. Your job is not to be impressive. It's not to be faithful. It's Look, let me tell you something. Whether you're an elected official or the CEO of Apple, guess what? You still buy toilet paper. You still need to brush your teeth and gargle. You still put your pants on one leg at a time. Your job is not to be impressive. Your job is to point people to Christ. And that's why politics fails us. If you really want to influence and change society, point people to Christ. There's a guy, his name is John the Baptist, but he was not the light. John the Baptist appears. The scriptur is crystal clear. He is not the light. And that's freeing. You don't have to be oppressive. You don't have to save anybody. You don't have to fix everything. Just point to Christ. Then your life becomes most powerful when it says, "Don't look at me. Look at him." Then he goes on because some people miss it. Says in verse nine, "That was the true light which lightth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not. He came into his own and his own received him not. Let that sink in for just a second. Jesus, born of the tribe of Judah, came into his people and they didn't recognize him. But even bigger than that, he came into the world and the creator of the world wasn't recognized by the creation. and the author of the story stepped onto the stage and the characters missed it.

That's not ancient history. It happens every single day. When let let me just Hey guys, ladies, when when a day feels routine,

we're missing the Lord. when a day feels routine instead of remarkable. When when interruptions feel like obstacles instead of invitations and we we often miss God because not necessarily because life is too dark, but because it seems too normal. We miss that that God often works less like a lightning bolt and more like sun that just rises every morning. steady, patient, faithful, easy to ignore if you're not looking. So when Jesus arrives without theatrics, without manipulation, without force, tells us something crucial about the heart of God. So John goes on and he says, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, comma, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Let's let's marinate in these two verses for just a second because John is doing something profound. John doesn't waste words and he certainly does not mix verb tenses by accident. Grammar here honestly is preaching before the words ever leave a preacher's mouth. This is how it begins. I want you to notice for as many as received him. That is a past tense active voice indicative mood. So it it's indicative. In other words, it it's something that has has already happened. It isn't hypothetical. This isn't the future. This is John talking about a people for whom a transaction had already taken place. They received Christ. And as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God. To them gave he power to become the sons of God. And I want you to notice something about this because it says, "Who were born not of blood, nor of the will of men, nor of the will, but of God." Who were born. That's that's a passive voice. It's something that happened to them. I want you to look at this cup for just a second. Okay? I think we can all agree. And for the young kids, if you have life, like I'm I'm alive. Clearly, I'm alive right now. But this cup, is this cup alive? No. It's an inanimate object. is an object that doesn't have life in it. Right? Okay. There's an inanimate object without life and that cup is receiving this water. That cup is doing nothing. That cup has not made a choice. It hasn't said a prayer. It hasn't behaved. It has received it. Brothers and sisters, this is what the Bible says about your natural state without the spirit of God. And you have he quickened who were dead in sins and trespasses. So before God came and gave you a lifegiving power, you were dead. You were inanimate. You didn't say anything. You were blind to the things of God. You couldn't hear the things of God. You couldn't understand the things of God. That's very abundantly clear in the New Testament. You didn't reach out to the lifegiving spirit and say, "Come." Jesus says that very plainly in John 3:es 5 and six. It says if you're going to go into the kingdom of heaven, you must be born of the spirit. And just like in your physical life, you didn't cause yourself to be born. Hey, zygote, here I come. You know, swim, union, fusion, blah, blah, blah. I hope I'm right about that. I'm a lawyer, not a doctor. I forgot biology. You didn't do anything for your spiritual life. God gave it to you. And oh, by the way, the inanimate objects that receive the spirit of God, this is what the book of Revelation says about them. They outnumber the sands of the sea and the stars of the sky. They are so vast that they can number. They come from every nation, kindred, tongue, tribe, cre. That's Bible, y'all. I'm not arguing. It's what the Bible says. There are a lot of cups out there. And they don't all look like us. And they don't all sound like us. And they don't all like act like us. They were cups when the spirit of God came into them and gave them life. Now that that transaction that occurred in the past has happened, something powerful is about to be. And he says, "But as many as received them, to them gave you power to become the sons of God." I want you to notice because the King James got this one spot on. He didn't say to become children of God. He said to become sons of God. There's a difference between a child of God and a son of God. When in the Old Testament and these New Testament times when they're talking about sons, they're talking about people that got legal rights to something. So when you got this Holy Spirit giving you spiritual life, Amen. You're a child. But it says, I want you to follow this. But as many as received him, to them gave he power. So the ones that had the water inside of them, he gave him power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. that even to them that believe on his name might not be as clear in the English, but if you look it up in your Greek and the linear is a present active participle. It's to those that are currently believing. So as many as received them, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe. Brothers and sisters, by the fact that God born you again, birthed you into the kingdom, gave you his Holy Spirit in regenerations through the act of believing, you have the right to claim rights and privileges as a son of God. You're already a child of God. Now, it's time to grow up. So, you can control your anger. You can control your lust. You can control your body so that you don't have to yield yourself to every addiction that the world is trying to pull you to. This is amazing. Christ came into the world. He gave his spiritual life. Oh, by the way, according to a plan that he had before the foundation of the world acc Ephesians 1, according he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holding on without blame before him in love. having predestinated a bunch of cups under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will. Not because the cup was good-looking. It's a solo cup. It's like every other cup up there. And so are you. You're not special. Everything about you, it says your righteousness, this is what the Apostle Paul says, your righteousness is as filthy rags. You can dress up all you want to and the best that you have to do is a filthy rag before a holy God. That's us. Our problem is is we think we're special solo cups. We're not. And that's what makes God's love so amazing. He looked down there and said, "I'm going to love this cup and that cup and this cup and I'm going to choose them." And then Christ is going to die for them and at some point the Holy Spirit's going to come into them and they can grow up and they can be good Christians. This is wonderful news. So that's why we're preaching the gospel. And then he goes on and he says, "Hey, look, they were born not of blood, not of flesh, not of the will of man. They were born of God." And he says, "Now you got that chance." So I want you to notice something because it sets the tone for everything that follows. So I want you to put it together. There are people that receive Christ by an operation of the Holy Spirit, who were born of God, and who are now actively believing, continuing to trust, continuing to lead, continuing to walk. And that sets the tone for everything because John does not say as many as will receive him someday. He doesn't say as many as will believe later. He says have received and are believing. Then comes the most remarkable promise that we can grow up and be sons. Being born of God makes us his children, but growing with God shapes us into his son. In other words, spiritual birth is not the finish line. It's the starting point. Even today, even today, a a newborn belongs fully to the family of God, but doesn't get to walk in the privileges of of maturity. Got baby Thomas here, baby Shepherd here, baby Caroline here. We got young Charlotte here. And they were growing up right now into the privileges of maturity because Caroline can't drive. Shepherd can't vote. Thomas can't own a home. They can't sign a contract because we recognize stages in developmental life. Those who are born of God are invited to grow into trust, into obedience, into a deeper fellowship that they can they will walk in blessings that relationship. That's why scripture repeatedly calls us believers, not outsiders, not but children of God to turn from sin, to receive the word, to grow, to mature, to pursue holiness, not to earn life, but to live it well, not to become God's children, but because we already are. And a child who follows the father grows into the privileges of the son. A child who resists that growth remains stunted. Loved but stunted. Misses the joy, the peace, the inheritance that comes from walking closely with Christ. So John isn't telling us how to get saved here. He's telling us how to live life with God and how life with God unfolds. So new birth comes from God alone. the growth, becoming a son. It happens when we continue to believe to walk with the one who gave us life in the first place, church. Y'all, that's good news. No pressure, no performance, but just a simple invitation to grow into everything God has already declared us to be. And it says, "And the word was made flesh." Vers 14. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Tabernacled among us is is another translation. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. This is the hinge point of human history. The eternal steps into time. The invisible becomes visible. The unapproachable comes near. God does not shout instructions from heaven. He shows up with skin. He eats. He sleeps. He weeps. He bleeds. And this means that God did not save us from a distance. He enters into our mess. And if you've ever said, "God, you don't understand." John 1:14 says, "Yeah, I do." We go with verse 15. John bare witness of him. Jesus cried, saying, "This was he of whom I spoke. He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before me." And here we go with verse 16. I've got it highlighted. And of his fullness have all we received in grace for grace. Y'all got that? That one verse, that one phrase, that one word, fullness of his fullness, we have received not leftovers, not scraps, not spiritual coupons of his fullness. You didn't add to this. You didn't upgrade it. You didn't level it up. You didn't prestige it. of his fullness we have received. Christian growth is not about getting more from God. It's realizing how much you already have Christ. That changes how you pray. That changes how you rest. Honestly, it changes how you fell, too. It says in verse 17, "For the law was given by Moses, but truth and grace came by Jesus Christ." See the law, the Old Testament law, ten commandments and the expounding of uh Deuteronomy and Leviticus, all those laws, all those 400, they told you what to do. But Jesus shows you what God did. That law, all those laws, that law diagnosed you with problems. Jesus delivered you. that law, all those laws, they pointed to someone who could fulfill it. Jesus performed it. And that's why faith is not confidence in your consistency. It's confidence in his completion. That's what faith is. It's not I can do it. It's he's done it. This is verse 18. And we'll end with this. No man hath seen God at any time. the only begotten son which is in the bosom of the father. He hath declared him. If you want to know what God looks like, look at Jesus. Don't look at your fear. Don't focus on your past, not your assumptions. Because Jesus is the clearest picture God has ever given of himself. And that picture is good. You know, at Christmas time we celebrate around trees and celebrate a manger. But but God John right here reminds us that when the word became flesh, heaven reached down. Not just to visit us, but to bring us home. And and I want you to hear this because if you're born of God, you you are already his child. You're not on probation. You're not waiting to be accepted. You're not hoping that someday you're going to belong. You belong now. And the same Christ that paid for your sin and placed you in the family now invites you to grow in the joy of the lights, the carols, the familiar stories. They're all reminders that that God delights in his children. He longs to see them walk in freedom and peace, assurance that sons and daughters have when they knew that they are deeply loved. So this Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of Christ, let us rest in this truth. The same God who gave us new life is still at work, patiently growing us, strengthening our faith, inviting us into the fullness of our inheritance. This is good news for Christmas. Not just that Jesus was born for us, but but that through him we have been born of God and because of that Christmas is not a demand to do better. It's really an invitation to draw. If you'd like to follow Christ as we do here at Camp Creek Primitive Baptist Church, we give you that chance as we stand to sing hymn number him number 53. We'll sing the first and last stanza.

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nine months now. And um uh we're going to transition over to Luke chapter 1 because how do you sing joy to the world immediately following the prayer request that just got lifted up this morning? Very serious. And we can do that because of Christmas. Because Christmas is something more than just the feel-good feelings of the Hallmark channel. Christmas is about God doing the impossible in the middle of normal people's lives. Not not spiritual superheroes, not people that have um polished saints or had their prayer lives together and family dramas resolved, but people who are overwhelmed, confused, waiting, disappointed, tired. In other words, Christmas came 2,000 years ago to people who look just like us. So, let's go to Luke chapter 1. I'd like to look at the first 30 verses or so because what Luke does, Dr. Lou gives us a opening act of the greatest story ever told. It's it's Luke the physician turning historian crafting the meticulous preference to the arrival of God to humanity to his children. Luke tells us about an aging priest, a a barren woman, a terrified virgin girl, an angel who interrupts centuries of silence, and a God who is quietly preparing the world for Jesus. And what we learn is that God moves with purpose and intentiality. He He steps into our weakness. He interrupts our hopelessness. He brings salvation by himself because Christmas is not about a God who says try harder. It's about a God who says watch what I can do. So let's go on because Luke begins his words and they're almost academic in their start. Let's go with the first four verses. Just some key phrases here. He starts, for as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most assuredly believed among us. Verse three, it seemed good to me to write unto thee that here we go. Thou mayest know, underline these words, the certainty of those things. So by his own words, Luke is not giving us a myth, legend, not giving us holiday sentiment. He's actually given us certainty of what God has done. So I want you to think for just a moment about Luke former. He's a physician turned historian like I said, but right now he's a CSI investigator of the New Testament. He's literally interviewing the eyewitnesses of everything he's about to do. He he tracks down the sources. He reviews the evidence. And you could imagine if you will, he's walking around with a parchment and quill and uh and he's writing to this guy by the name of Theophilos, which literally means lover of God. And by extension to each of us that love God, to each of us who read these words, to anyone to anyone who needs assurance that this story is not wishful thinking. It's truth because Christmas is rooted in history. It's rooted in real dates, real people, real places, real geography. And the miracle, the miracle is that Christmas and Jesus coming to this world is not deluded by the evidence. It's actually strengthened by it. Because sometimes we can think of Christmas as this like feel-good season. But Luke insists that it's something much stronger than your feelings. It's about certainty. Not a feeling, not a tradition, not nostalgia, but the truth. Your hope is not anchored in cinnamon. It's anchored in the unshakable word of God. And so, let's see how God meets us in our search for certainty. Because some people will approach faith like a hallmark movie. Warm, predictable, comforting, but not entirely realistic. And here's what Luke is saying. saying, "Hey, let me show you the receipts." Because if you're wor if if you're wrestling with doubt, you're in good company because Luke wrote this gospel to doubters, to thinkers, to believers, to district attorneys, to accountants, to scientists, to exhausted parents, to the heartbroken. He wrote it to them so they could stand on something stronger than their emotions and feelings. And Luke wants you to lean the entire weight of your existence on Jesus Christ. Let's go to verses 5-7. And there were in the days of Herod the king of Judea a certain priest named Zachcharias and of course Abi and his wife was one of the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and all the ordinance of the Lord, blameless. I I want to pause right here because they're doing everything right. You you get the account right and just in case the kids missed it. This is Zacharias. He's a priest. He had to be descended from the line of Aaron. But not only was he a priest, his wife Elizabeth, we are told, is a descendant of the line of Aaron. We got two good people. And the Bible says that they're doing everything right. They're going to, you know, going to church all the time. Uh, and their per and their reputation is spotless and blameless. I wish I could claim that, but I smell like sheep and other things that have nothing to do with sheep. Anyway, I confessions later in the day, but I want you to notice something because we are about to hit a note of discord because everything is perfect with them. They are very godly people. They are think of a couple here in the Camp Creek Church or maybe the go holiest people you know. Think of them. And that's kind of what Zacharias and Elizabeth are. But we're about to hit a no because everything doesn't go right just because you do good. And I want to emphasize that because so many of us have this quid proquo view of God that if we do good, he blesses us. If we do bad, he curses us. That's not God. Now, scripture teaches us we we reap what we sow here on earth. But God's done so something so miraculous for us that he's taking care of heaven for us by the action of Jesus Christ. We don't have a quid proquo relationship on the most important thing. But so many of us think that we're only accepted if we do good. And you're already accepted in the beloved. That that's scripture. And it was by a plan of God that he had before the foundation of the world. We know Ephesians 1 and 33 according to he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us into the adoption of Jesus Christ by the good pleasure of his will and nothing else. We see Acts 2:32 saying that Christ was delivered by the determinant counsel and fornowledge of God for you. It was a plan God had all along because he loved you. And so here Zachcharias is and Elizabeth is and God loved them before they were even born. They're doing everything right, but we're about to hit a note of discord. And they were barren. You know, you can do everything right and life still doesn't work out sometimes quite right. And right, Luke writes it with surgical precision. Here it is. Verse seven. and they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and they both were now well stricken in years. We might read this too casually for them. This wasn't a footnote. It was a lifelong ache. Every month came and every month ended with disappointment. Every time the village had baby showers, Elizabeth had tightened her stomach and smiled through the tears. Every prayer about this felt like it fell on the same silence. They had prayed for a child. They had hoped. They had waited. But time moved on. Age set in. And biology shifted from possible to impossible. Sometimes the most faithful people carry some of the deepest wounds. But this is one of the great gifts of scripture because God does his great works in places that we think we're too late, we're too broken, we're too empty. That's why I love the Christmas season because Christmas shows us that God is specializing in entering into barrenness, both literal and figurative, and bringing life from places that have never produced anything before. But I got to ask a question, you know, because scripture is just, man, blazingly plain. Why show us their pain? And I think it's because God works always God's works always take place in in real stories, not not ideal ones. Some of us are are living right now with unfulfilled prayers, prayers that we stop praying, unanswered questions, private heartaches that we don't talk about. So Zachcharias and Elizabeth remind us that God doesn't forget his people. You don't age out of God's plans. Your stories don't expire. Your prayers don't have a shelf life. So now let's watch our God. Our God who interrupts our daily lives. It starts in verse eight. Something remarkable happens. It says, "And it came to pass." And if you're new to the Bible, that phrase, "And it came to pass," means, "Watch out. God's about to do something wonderful." Get ready. He's about to do something nobody saw coming. And so Zachariah enters the temple to burn some incest. something that the priest did dozens of times a month, hundreds of times a year. It's routine for Zachcharias to go into the to the temple to offer up prayers and sacrifices to burn incense. It's a routine. It's predictable. It's familiar. But on this day, the angel Gabriel appeared. But it came to pass that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense. And we went into the temple of the Lord. So Zachcharias is performing his priestly duty. He's doing something he's done countless times before. It's routine. It's predictable. It's familiar. John, why do you keep saying that? Let's say it again. Routine. predictable and familiar. But often God interrupts our routine days and our routine experiences with something that's just absolutely wonderful. And it says, "And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord." So Zachcharias wasn't fasting. Dig it. He wasn't fasting. He wasn't crying out. He wasn't praying. He wasn't doing something super spiritual. He was just doing his job and showing up at work. Have you ever noticed how often God seems to meet people who simply just remain faithful in their in the ordinary? God God doesn't just meet people in on the mountaintops. He meets them in the fields, in the workshops, around the kitchen table. He seems especially fond of showing up where the faithfulness just kind of refuses to quit. I mean, just think about it. Ruth Ruth wasn't trying to change history. She was just gleaning from the fields, picking up a full handfuls of purpose, which means just picking up some grain. She was barely getting by. And that's where God met her, and he wo her story into the lineage of Jesus Christ. Think about Hannah. We studied her about six months ago. She was barren. She was praying. She was just faithful going to temple every day. That's all that was really said about her and her prayers and her heartaches. And God delivered one of the greatest prophets of all time when he met Hannah in that moment. Think about the widow of of of of Zarapath. She was just going to make one last meal to feed her and her child. And yet she obeyed God with what little she had, just a simple meal. when God met her there. Think about David, who we've been studying for the past few weeks. He was he was just tending the sheep when God met him through the prophet Samuel. He wasn't doing anything special. Think about every one of the disciples when God met them before they ever preached to thousands. They were fishermen, tax collectors, tradesmen, and God met them while they were casting their nets, collecting their coins, and walking dusty roads. God meets us in our ordinary day. Well, here Zachariah says, "And he's meeting an angel." And it says, "And when Zachariah saw him, the angel, he was troubled." And that's because angels aren't like what you put on your Christmas tree, those chubby little fat babies with his super small wings that are not aerodynamic. Angels were terrifying beings because they were radiant. They really showed forth. And and when Zachariah saw him, he was he was troubled and fear fell upon him. You know, sometimes it seems like God will shake us a little bit before he shapes us. Get that? He shakes us before he shapes us. So, here Zachchariah says he's overwhelmed. And you might be, too. Maybe you're going through a shaking right now. But the angel, the angel's unfazed. But the angel said unto him, "Fear not, Zachcharias. Thy prayer is heard."

If I've lost your attention, give it back to me. This might be some of the most important words I say today. But the angel said unto him, "Fear not, Zacharias, because thy prayer is heard." What prayer?

The one he stopped praying.

the one they were praying when he and his wife were over here in the possible. But God doesn't forget those prayers. God doesn't forget anything about you. It was a prayer that Zacharias had given up on long time ago. the one that he had prayed. But as he prayed it in the years advance, it deflated every year until all hope was just gone. That's the prayer that the angel is talking about. He maybe he prayed it even mechanically for a few years after that, but there came a point when just not possible. It's the prayer that right now feels too late, too painful to bring up again. But God does not forget what we stop hoping for. God does not forget what his children cry out. And even when they stop crying out. So the angel says to Elizabeth, "You're going to bear a son." And not just any son. She's going to bear a forerunner, John the Baptist, the one who will make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And I want you to listen to that promise. And thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John, and they shall have joy and gladness. Of course, she's going to have a boy named John. That's always, you know, I mean, can it get any better?

Okay, when God when God steps in, let me tell you something. Joy comes. There will be future struggles, of course, but the empty crib now contains God's purpose. And this silent home will become a voice crying in the wilderness. The the disappointment of decades is going to be replaced with rejoicing. And and and it says, "And and and many shall rejoice at his birth, for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb." God is moving with purpose in an impossible situation. And many of the children of Israel shall be turned to the Lord their God. And he shall go before them in the spirit and the power of Elias that turn the hearts of the father to the children that be disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. I want you to notice that before Jesus comes, God sends a messenger to point to him because God is orchestrating these steps. God himself is doing the heavy lifting. And I want you to notice how Zacharias, a priest, a righteous man, struggles to believe. It says, "And Zachcharias said unto the angel, "Whereby shall I know this, for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years." That's King James to me. And she's not a spring chicken anymore. Menopause. Yeah. Years ago ain't happening. Zachcharias responds, "How am I going to know this? have you counted my birthday candles? And he's staring at what's biologically impossible. And he's been living in this disappointment for years. And he's exhausted from believing too long with too little visible results. And sometimes sometimes our faith doesn't collapse because we doubt God. Sometimes our faith struggles because we're just worn out, worn down. But Gabriel, he knows something because God is not limited by our limitations. Gabriel says, "Look, I am Gabriel that stands in the presence of God." Oh my, he has seen some things. Translation: Hey, Zachcharias, you're looking at your limitations, but I'm constantly looking at a God on the throne who's sovereign over all things. Oh, by the way, he does his will among the armies of heaven and the inhabitants of earth. None can stay his hand or reply, what doest thou? That's the God that we serve. And he's still on his throne. And so it says, "And the angel answered him, saying, I am Gabriel that stands in the presence of God, and I am sent to speak unto thee and to show thee glad tidings." It's good news that God is on the throne, isn't it? And behold, thou shalt be dumb. That means not able to speak, kids. And not be able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season. Then we have a little postcript because he's struck down. Zacharias struck so he can't speak anymore. We'll get back to that in just a second. But when he goes outside the temple, verse 21 says, "And the people waited for Zacharias and marveled that he terried so long in the temple." And when he came out, he could not speak unto them, for they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple. He beckoned unto them and remained speechless. I want y'all to know something. Gabriel's speech isn't so much about punishment literally as it is about preparation. Because sometimes, you know, temporary mooteness here is not necessarily judgment. It's actually kind of alignment. And I kind of think Zacharias is a lot like me that that God might have taken his voice away from him, not necessarily to punish him, but just to make them be quiet, to make room for awe. Y'all know there's people that just cannot shut up. Well, here's Zachcharias's. You know, the angel's like, "This is going to happen." Now, I'd like to think I would like walk away and say, "Yay and amen." All right, everybody. I'm going to have a baby. But that's not me. Not necessarily. Some of y'all was like me. Some of y'all will be like, "Yeah, the angel said this, but you know what? I had some mushrooms on my salad, and I'm not quite sure if I had, you know, I mean, look at me. Have you seen my wife? Look at her. Come on. It's not possible. Maybe." And I'm thinking that maybe the Lord took his mouth away to ensure that the miracle would not be contaminated with commentary.

And can I just throw this out because some of us don't need more words. We need to God to silence the voices that drown out his promises. We need these voices silenced. your fear, your logic, your timeliness, your selfanalysis. Sometimes heaven says, "Let me uh just hit the moot button long enough so that you can marvel." And it came to pass that as soon as the days of the ministration were accomplished that he departed to his own house. And after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived and hid herself for five months. So Elizabeth hides the has the baby and she retreats into seclusion for five months. Now I want you to notice something about this. Some miracles begin in the hidden seasons. Not everything that God does starts with a trumpet or on the mountaintop for everybody to see. And Elizabeth's not rushing to social media. She she's not doing a video announcement or a selfie. She simply goes along and worships. It says, "And after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived and hid herself for five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me to take away my reproach among men." Because only God can take away your reproach. You don't get to do it. not through your faith, not through your good works, not through anything. It's a choice and an action of a sovereign God. And so Christmas really kind of reminds us that God moves quietly before he moves publicly. Before Bethlehem, there was a Nazareth. Before the angels in the sky, there was an angel in a lone room in a quiet temple. Before the shepherds, there's this stunned priest. God is comfortable doing worldchanging things when nobody's watching. Let's pick on up with verse 26. And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent forth from God. So, we're shifting our focus from Elizabeth to Mary. In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent forth from God into a city of Galilee named Nazareth. a tiny tiny town by the way to a virgin espouseed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the virgin's name was Mary and the angel came unto her and said hell thou art highly favored and the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women and when she saw him she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be and the angel said unto her fear not Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. So you get it, right? The narrative is shifting. The contrast is intentional. God is moving in unexpected places. First, we dealt with a barren old woman. Now we're shifting over to a teenage virgin. God is moving in unexpected places. And the places that he moved because Nazareth, Nazareth was the hood. It had a reputation. It's like the town that you drive through on your way to somewhere important. And the disciples later, 20, 30 years later, would actually ask, "What can anything good come out of Nazareth?" But God loves choosing people that are overlooked in places that we can't think of anything good about. And so here Mary is, and we know that likely she's kind of poor, likely she's young, unknown, she has no platform, she has no pedigree, she has no influence. But God does not choose based on human metrics. He always chooses according to his plan. A plan that he had before the foundation of the world. Remember, according he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having past tense, predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will and nothing else. Not your faith, not your works, not your good deeds. Our God, it's one way action. And so it says, "Hell, thou art highly favored." Mary's kind of startled because she's humbled. And God often begins by disrupting us in our sense of unworthiness. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. And he shall be great and shall be called son of the highest. And the Lord God shall give him unto the throne of his father David. And he shall rule over the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. That is Luke. Matthew adds something else that the angel said. Going to call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins. Not might, not maybe, not offer them an opportunity. He's going to save it because he's God. And it says, "And God proclaims, "Thou shalt bring forth a son and call his name Jesus." And this is the culmination, y'all, of every prophecy ever prophesied in the Old Testament. His name Jesus is his mission. Jesus means Yahweh saves. It doesn't mean Yahweh tries hard. It doesn't mean Yahweh assists you in helping yourself. It doesn't mean Yahweh gives you a spiritual head start. It means God saves and he's going to be great. He's going to be called the son of the most highest. He's going to reign forever. He's going to sit on the throne of David. His kingdom is without end. Christmas is not a baby learning to become God. Christmas is God becoming a man. And this is crucial because the angel does not tell Mary what she must do to become worthy. He tells her what God will do through her. Christmas is about God's initiative, not ours. And Mary asked a very practical question. She says, "Then said Mary unto the angel, how shall this be?" Seeing I've not known a man. I want you to notice that Mary's not doubting. She's actually asking for understanding. And the angel gives one of the most profound explanations in scripture. And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who was called Baron." But then Gabriel, okay, here we go about to close out because Gabriel says something that kind of anchors the whole chapter. And quite honestly, Gabriel says something that anchors the entire Bible. Verse 37, for with God nothing would be impossible. Oh my, that's good news for me today. and every one of y'all, even if you don't know it. For with God, nothing shall be impossible. Mary doesn't conceive Jesus by effort or exertion. God placed something inside of her. That power comes from above, not within. Kind of like when he eternally saved you. You know, in John chapter 3, Nicodemus sneaks over to him. Hey, you know, I want to go to heaven. And Jesus is like, "Hey man, want to be born again? You got, you know, marvel not that I say unto you, you must be born again." Nicodemus is like, "What?" The Lord said, "It's of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's like the wind. You can't control it. You can only see the effects of it. Whether it cometh, whether it goeth, no man can control it. It's of God. So when he placed his spirit in you according to his direction, it's because something he wanted to do just like he wanted to do it with Mary. And what happens is is the Christmas miracle is entirely God's work. Mary didn't do it by effort or exertion. God put something in her. And the impossible is God's specialty because a buried woman carries a prophet, a a virgin carries a Messiah, a man and woman trapped in sin receive a savior. A Christmas is the ultimate reminder that we cannot climb our way up to God. He He had to come down to us. So what's the application for us today? I tell you one just in these few verses that we read is Christmas tells us that God works in the most unlikely places in a Nazareth in a barren womb and a tired old priest and a teenage girl. These really according to human metrics are not the top candidates for human intervention. And your life right now may feel ordinary, might feel too too ordinary. It might feel too broken. It might feel too busy or too chaotic, but those are the exact conditions that God does some of his greatest work. Christmas tells us that that God remembers what we forget and what we've stopped praying for. Zachcharias prayed decades ago and perhaps he believing, but God did not stop hearing. Let me tell you something. No prayer that you've prayed has ever just evaporated. Heaven has stored everyone. Christmas tells us that the salvation is all God's work, not ours. Because come to pray. He came

to assist your performance. He comes to accomplish the rescue

need to maintain spiritual momentum. You would lose it. Some of you would lose it in the parking lot leaving church today. Good news. Christmas is about his work, not yours. For with God, nothing is impossible. So the Christmas call, Christmas call. Let's enjoy. Let's not achieve because every world religion says do something. Christmas says something's already been done. Every self-help system says unlock your potential. Christmas says you didn't have any.

You know what this is? It's a three-dimensional loser any way you look at you. I'm you know I'm sorry but that's us. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. That's what the Bible says. The most righteous person ever to walk on earth his righteousness is as filthy rags. That's the best that we have to do on our best day. There's none righteous. No, not one. That's why we needed God. Christmas is not about spiritual performance. It's about heaven's intervention. The miracle is not Mary's effort. It's God's action. And if you lose everything else from Luke chapter 1, don't lose this. That God stepped into our existence and our impossibilities and accomplished what no one of us could ever done. He remembers forgotten prayers. He lifts up the humble. He fulfills the ancient promises. He enters into our barrenness and he silences our doubt. He breaks into the world's darkness. He sent his son. He saved his people. Christmas is not the story of what we bring to God. Story of what God brings to us.

Love the Christmas message, especially now. 2025 has been a rough year.

And now, as we're about to leave 2025, y'all heard the prayer request.

And I know every parent here can identify with what I'm about to say.

If I could take Julia's condition on myself, I would do it in a heartbeat faster. If I could, I would do it a hundred times.

I do it because I love her.

And if I would do that for my daughter,

because let me tell you something, that's not just some uh light thing. There were moments walking through the cancer journey this year that I woke up in the middle of the night in abject terror. Um, I remember one particular night I was in foresight, Georgia and all of a sudden I woke up and it was like somebody had poured ice water over me and I had this thing, you know, very well could die alone right now. And uh, I'm not scared of dying. I kind of look forward to it. See dad again, see my grandpa, aunt, my grandma, sweetest woman that ever walked the face of the earth. I kind of look forward to it. At that moment, I didn't want to because, you know, I had to get my will fixed. I had to file some things. I had to take care of some things. Some of those nights were scary. And there was some pain that, you know, I know I joke and I say inappropriate things. Not that inappropriate, you know, radio audience, but I do. I know that. But there are some things I haven't said to y'all that are just like it was not an easy journey for me. But I would take that on a hundred times for a hundred years. I would my daughter. I do it because I love her. Y'all, that's what Jesus did for us. He saw the condition that we are in because I can't, but he can. And he did. And he walked the journey that you can't walk. And he fulfilled every righteous demand that God had for you. That's the miracle of Christmas that Christ would. And here's the thing, the difference between me and Julia, she's lovable. I'm not. No, y'all. Yeah, I am not lovable. By the way, y'all aren't either. You know, scripture says, "In due time, Christ died for the ungodly." And yet, he decided to walk the walk for us. That's Christmas. That's the Christmas miracle. Heaven came to earth. God came to sinners. Salvation came to the undeserving. Hope came to the hopeless. And the angel's words echo across every generation. For with God, nothing is impossible. That's the gift of Christmas. That's the anchor of your soul. That's good news for us all. If you'd like to walk with Christ as we do here at Camp Creek Church, we give you that chance as we stand and sing hymn number

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Hey, if you got your Bibles with you, let's turn to 1st Samuel chapter 19. 1st Samuel chapter 19. This is the last message I'll do this year in 1st Samuel chapter 19. We'll break into the Christmas messages talking about Emmanuel and God with us. But today we're going to talk about 1st Samuel 19. And it strikes me it's a very appropriate message because the title of the message today is God in the chaos, return of the javelin. And I say it's an appropriate message because Christmas Christmas is chaos. I mean, we celebrate the birth of Christ, but come on. We're going into debt. We're getting stressed. We want to have the perfect gifts. We want to have the perfect parties. We want to dress right, look right, feel right. There's a lot of chaos going on. And as was alluded to in the prayer, there's a lot of stress in the season, too. Not just on the political spectrum, but internally, externally with your families. It's chaos. But God, God is God of the chaos. And we're going to see that very powerfully in 1st Samuel chapter 19. So, if you got your Bibles, let's turn there. If you don't have your Bible, get it on your phone. Turn there. If you don't have that, then pick one out of the pew and turn there because I want you to see God in the story. Have you ever felt like life sometimes is like a dodgeball tournament that you didn't sign up for? I mean, one moment you're you're sipping coffee, you're having your peaceful time minding your own business, and the next minute, whoosh, life throws something at you like an emotional or spiritual javelin right at your head. Well, you're right at home in 1st Samuel 19. David understands exactly what that feels like. David is in a palace that God has placed him in. David is faithfully serving. David is honoring authority. David is doing nothing but winning battles. He's winning so much he's sick of winning. He's writing Psalms. He's being the kind of employee that usually with his service would get employee of the month club so he could park his donkey in the royal parking space, you know, but he gets a spirit thrown at him. What do you do when the person you've been serving suddenly becomes the one that's trying to destroy you? What do you do when you get the text message from a loved one that says, "I've I've started dating somebody else. You mean you've already been doing it?" What do you do when the promotion becomes a place of danger? And how do you walk with a God when you can't predict the next spear? Well, the chapter answers that by showing us that something higher than human effort, deeper than fear, stronger than any earthly throne is at work. And this is not primarily a chapter about David's courage, but really it's about God's unstoppable hand in directing David's steps even when David can't see it, can't predict it, and can't control it. This is a chapter where God says, you know, when others are trying to take you out, I'll keep you alive. This is a God who is who is protecting, who who's guiding, who's shielding, who who's redirecting, who's overruling, who's positioning quietly, invisibly, unfailingly. This is not just David's story. It's yours. Because every one of us knows what it's like to have a chapter in our life that doesn't add up. Where your workplace becomes unpredictable. Where your friendships shift. Where someone else's jealousy begins poisoning your life. When your home is no longer peaceful. When you're when you have grandchildren you're not allowed to hold. When you're when you're running not from armies but from anxiety, from fear, from exhaustion, from expectations. when you're following the Lord the best you know how and suddenly trouble finds you. First Samuel is a reminder that God uh doesn't allow anything to catch him off guard. That nothing in your life catches God off guard. That nothing in your life can outrun his plan. That nothing in your life can undo his promise. Let's jump on in to verse one and walk through this chapter. And I want you to see how God works in the chaos because this chapter opens on a disturbing note. Verse one. And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. Saul, Israel's first king, the anointed leader, is now planning a murder. And this isn't just some random burst of anger. It's a strategy session. It's a called staff meeting with a horrifying agenda. And at first glance, it looks like David's future is hanging by a thread. I mean, you got the king. You got the governmental powers coming together. But here's the key. Nothing in this chapter catches God off guard. Not a single spear, not a single conspiracy, no spirit surprises him. No conspiracy throws him off his game. Not a single plot causes God to adjust the blueprints. Saul and let me just [clears throat] Saul commands a conspiracy. What? And I want to just want to send a word for all you people in leadership positions because I've noticed this been on this earth for three score in one year. [laughter]

[clears throat] When you get elected to a position, when you get appointed to position, when you're voted in by the board, all of a sudden your jokes are funnier and people will suck up to you that never had anything to do with you before. Y'all, you're not better looking. You're not smarter. Your jokes aren't funnier. They're just sucking up to you. Why would Saul think that he could kill somebody who the crowds were skiing and Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed his 10,00ands? It's this thing that goes back to Greece called hubus. When you start thinking more about yourself than you really ought to. And because everybody is sucking up the Saul because he's the king, all of a sudden he thinks that he can call a strategy session to kill David. And everybody's just going to go, "Oh yeah, Saul can Saul commands it. We'll do it. It's not happening because our God is on the throne." So Saul commands a conspiracy. He doesn't hide it. He doesn't whisper it. He doesn't disguise it with vague language like, "Let's reconsider David's position in our org chart." No, he goes straight to kill him. And here's the wild part. David's innocent. He's honored the king and served faithfully. He's fought Goliath when no one else would. He He helped stabilize the kingdom and confronted and and comforted Saul in his darkest moment. And Saul's response exterminate him. Have you ever Have you ever had someone oppose you for no clear reason? Have you ever been targeted not because you did wrong but because there was something broken inside of them? Can I get an amen from somebody? Or is this envy is a dangerous thing? Jealousy corrods logic. Fear of losing control makes people do irrational things. And here's Saul. Saul is a man who has drifted so far from the Lord. And when a soul drifts from the Lord, it drifts towards suspicion, towards manipulation, towards control. David is not the problem here. Saul's heart is the problem here. And here's the lesson. Sometimes the storms around you are not about you. And sometimes the symptoms of someone sometimes the storms around you are the symptoms of somebody else's conflict with God. and and you know they lack patience. They couldn't wait. They had the problem. But here's the encouragement. The chapter begins with Saul making plans. But watch God's providence. Here comes Jonathan like a breath of fresh air. Verse two. But Jonathan, [snorts] Saul's son, delighted much in David. And Jonathan told David, saying, Saul, my father, seeketh to kill thee. Now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until morning, and abide in a secret place, and I thyself. I'll go out, and I'll stand beside my father, and the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee, and what I see, that will I tell thee. And Jonathan spake good of David, and to Saul his father. And he said unto him, "Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he hath not sinned against thee, because his works have been to thee word very good. For he did not put his life in his hands, and for did he not put his life in his hands and slew the Philistines?" And and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel. Thou sawest and did rejoice, and wherefore wil thou sin against innocent blood to slay David without cause? And Saul hearkened to the voice of Jonathan. And Saul swear as the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain. When Jonathan called David, Jonathan showed him all those things. Jonathan brought David to Saul and he was in his presence as in times past. So here's Jonathan. He enters the scene. I want you to notice he does three great things that David desperately needs. Verse two, he warns him. He says, "Look," and then and then because he essentially he tells Saul, "Hey, look, Saul, David's done nothing wrong and don't want to go against an innocent person. That that's not good. That's that's that's wrong according to Hebrew scriptures." Then verses four and five, Jonathan essentially intercedes for him and he says, "You know, David has served you well. He's he's fought your battles." And then in verse five and seven through seven, David, I mean, Jonathan is actually advocating. So he's warning, he's interceding, he's advocating for David because he says, "Look, David's risk his life." Wh why why what why would you harm someone that helps you? And for a moment Saul softens and in verse six we read, "Saul swear, as the Lord liveth, he now shall not be slain." That's a promise. That's a vow. That's a temporary pause in the chaos. But here is the truth about human nature. A soft heart without a surrendered heart will not last and it will not stay soft for very long because Saul feels better for a moment. But nothing has changed underneath. And listen to me without transformation behavior modification doesn't last. Without transformation, behavior modification doesn't last. I'm going to say it one more time. Without transformation, behavior modification doesn't last. That's why fivestep Christianity is garbage. If you aren't transformed into your heart, all the rules in the world will not soften your soul. See yourself for what you are. A broken sinner. No different than any other random person out there. But for some reason, God showed his love to you and chose you. And you didn't deserve it any more than the trans crackhead that strung out on Poselon. You're no different. That's who we are. But if you don't see that with grace, all the behavior modification in the world will not work. That's what's going on here. Saul's had behavior modification, but he hasn't been transformed in his soul. As some of y'all have experienced this, you've had a spouse who promised to change, but didn't. A boss who seemed reasonable but is irrational in the next moment. A friend who says the conflict is over until it's not. A person who apologizes just enough to keep the peace, but not enough to find healing. And Jonathan is doing everything right. David is doing everything right, but Saul's heart is not aligned with God. So the peace here is very short-lived. But even in the brief piece, God is working in a larger story. Because Jonathan is not just a friend. He's really a God-scent lifelong. Jonathan is proof that God will send people into your life,

help carry you through something. Because there are some people in your lives that are scaffolding that God has set around you to strengthen you and to give you enough strength to stand. And that's what Jonathan is for David. And and and perhaps you don't have a Jonathan in your life right now. But I want you to know this. Jonathan points to a greater friend who is closer than a brother. Christ himself. You always have. So let's look at verses 8-10. Return of the javelin. And there was war again. David went out, fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter. Was the greatest slaughter. Many people say it's never been better. I just they fled from him just when the So look look just when peace seems restored because he fought the battle he's won the war again and just when peace seems restored verse 9 kind of hits like a thundercloud and an evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul dig this as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand. I mean, this is scripture. David played with his hand. That this is the same tormenting influence we saw earlier in Saul's story. You know why he still has a javelin in his hand in his house? It's because he never dealt with what issue, what problems he had in the previous chapter. He never dealt with it. And what you don't deal with today will deal with you tomorrow. Saul falls into the same destructive rage that has plagued him before. And the javelin flies again. Verse 10. And Saul sought to smite David, even to the wall with the javelin, but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smoked the javelin into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night. I got a question because here you know y'all get the picture because the previous chapter David's playing Saul's sitting there in his throne room with a javelin instead of his scepter that kings normally have because he's not operating out of who he is. He's operating out of his the rages that he builds. I know by the way I say that because every one of y'all that I'm talking to is a child of God. Are you operating out of your identity? Are you holding a supper right now?

You are a joint heir with Christ. Are you operating out of who you are with the struggles that you're facing right now? Or do you have a javelin in your hand? That's what happened last chapter. Now we're here in chapter 19. And that was in the throne room in chapter 18. Now we're in chapter 19 and Saul is in his house and he still's got a javelin in his hand because he never dealt with the garbage, the baggage from back there. And he takes it and he throws it at David.

right there in the wall. Why does he still have a javelin in his hand in his house? Because Saul is living in a state of internal war. David had conquered the Philistines, but Saul's still fighting a battle. And so are some of us. People who carry unresolved internal battles always carry weapons close by. The javelin is just a symbol of turmoil in the heart. Let me tell you something. Fear arms itself. Bitterness arms itself. Envy arms itself. Insecurity arms itself. Pride arms itself. And Saul didn't wake up planning to kill David. But when your heart is not tended to, when you have an untended heart, impulses eventually will find ammunition. Let me say that again. When you have an untended heart, impulses eventually will find ammunition. And then the moment arrives and Saul sought to smite David even to the wall. So David escapes again. Now if you're counting, this is attempt number two to kill David in two chapters. So here's the quiet truth about this passage that's being whispered. David's still alive. And if Satan could destroy you, you would already be dead. You hear me? If Satan could destroy you, you'd already be dead. The fact that you are still here, still standing, still making it is proof that God has been holding you. So God sent deliverance through Jonathan, God sent deliverance from the spirit, God's going to send another kind of deliverance because in this chapter and in every chapter in the Bible and in the chapters of your life, God is the author of the story. And we're going to see it through a young lady by the name of Kel, David's wife, Saul's daughter. Verse 11 through 17. Saul also sent messengers unto David's house to watch him to slay him in the morning. Muel, David's wife, told him, saying, "If thou saved not thine life tonight, tomorrow thou shalt be slain." So Mikuel let David down through a window, and he went and fled and escaped. And Mikuel took an image and laid it in the bed and put a pillow of goat's hair for his bolster and covered it with a cloth. Y'all get the picture, right? Kind of like when y'all kids got out of house. She put pillows under it. So she did that along with a chunk of goat's hair because I guess David had a pretty good head of hair. I don't know. And Muel took an image, laid it in bed, put a pillow of goat's hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick." Saul sent messengers again to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed. I don't care how sick he is. Pick up the bed if you have to, that I may slay him." And when the messengers were coming in, behold, there was an image in the bed with a pillow of goat's hair for his bolster. Saul said to Muel, "Why hast thou deceived me so daughter and sent away my enemy that he has escaped?" And Mikuel answered, she said, "Saul told me that let me go. Why should I kill thee?" So Mikuel's lying. Number one, she's susceptible to her daddy and to the guards. Now she's lying to to the king. So y'all see what just happened here, right? Muel sets up a decoy in the bed using a pillow and household objects. I love that God God can work through the most ordinary things. And in this moment, even through the deception of hell, he's he's working through a man, he's cool. And when Saul's messengers arrive, she tells him David's sick. And that's kind of but I want you to notice this because God uses this moment not because deception is virtue, not because lying is a virtue, but because God can turn even human imperfections into divine protection. And God's involved for flawless vessels. He works with broken people like me and you. He works through complicated circumstances. He He works through messy realities in a sinful world. And he carries David through a window, through a decoy, through a spouse who half believes and half fumbles her way through this. And so David flees. And it's really instructive where he goes. The sanctuary of Rama. Let's read verse 18. Where does David go after escaping? It says, "So David fled and escaped." And I underline this portion and came to Samuel and Rama and told him all that Saul had done. So David runs to the prophet, to the man of God, to his spiritual family. He runs to the place where he first heard God's calling on his life persecuted. And that's powerful because let me tell you something. When when life falls apart, when the spears fly, when the relationship fractures, when the circumstances collapse,

run to people who remind you of God,

not to comfort food,

not to es. He didn't have to laugh that way. I've done it. I've turned to the Cheetos and the Doritos. Hey, look, don't run to comfort food. Don't escapism. Don't self-help cliches. Lord, don't run to marijuana and alcohol. Don't do it. Don't run to Don't run to people who only tell you what you want to hear. Run to people who will send you on God's truth. Amen. And Samuel receives David and he shelters David and he listens to David and he walks with David because that's what spiritual mentors do. And that's God's plan. When when David needed courage, God sent Jonathan. When when David When David needed escape, God sent when when David needed grounding, God sent Samuel. Let me tell you something. God knows exactly who to put in your life and exactly when to put him there. God's network is flawless. And I want you to notice this. If God hasn't given you a Samuel, he will be your Samuel. The spirit of God himself speaks an identity to us stronger than any opposition, shout.

So let's look at what happens because it's one of the more interesting passages of scripture in the entirety of the Old Testament. First off, verse 18. So David fled and escaped and came to Samuel to Rama and told him all that Saul had done and he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naoth. Now Naoth means a dwelling. It was actually a place where the prophets gathered together. It's a spiritual training ground. It was a place that was saturated in worship, prayer, the presence of God. And David enters into that space to focus. And it was told Saul saying, "Behold, David is at Naoth and Raymond." And immediately Saul sends people to take him. And this is the great paradox of spiritual life. The moment you get close to God, something's going to try and pull. raction,

anxiety, fear, patience, sudden wave of discouragement, crisis that demands attention. Something always tries to interrupt what God is building inside of you. And so when David and Samuel enter a place filled with worship, Saul enters with weapons. But here is the beauty of the chapter. Weapons are powerless in God's presence because I want you to watch what happened next because the the first wave of enemies that comes at David's is going to be completely undone. And and we might, you know, because this this next section, this final section is one of the most strange most beautiful episodes in the entire life of David. So hearing that David has gone to Samuel sends messengers to capture, send soldiers to capture. And we might expect another dramatic escape, maybe a fierce battle, maybe another window at midnight. But instead, God did something absolutely unprecedented. Let's begin reading verse 20. And Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, Samuel standing as appointed over them. So Saul sends the first group. These are not UPS drivers delivering a package. These are trained, hardened, well-armed government agents with orders to seize David. What happens? Here it goes. Verse 20. And the spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers. And they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time. They prophesied also. Then went he also to Rama and came to a great well that is in Saku. And he asked and he said, "Where is Samuel and David?" And the one said, "Behold, they be at Nath Rama." Then he went thither to Nathan and Rama and the spirit of God was upon him also and he went out and he prophesied until he came to Na I'm sorry until he came to Na and Rama and he stripped off his clothes also and prophesied before Samuel in like manner and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they said, "Hey, is Saul among the prophets?" And when they saw the company of prophets prophesying, the spirit of God was among the messengers of Saul, they also prophesy. This is extraordinary. I mean, this is they show up with swords, but they leave speaking the truth. They they arrive as hunters, they leave as worshippers. God sends the second group, same thing. Third group, same thing. He goes, and the moment approaches and the spirit overwhelms him, too. This is not subtle. This is God saying, "Hey, David. I don't just protect you from your enemies. I overrule them. I don't just keep their spirits from touching you. I turn their strength into nothingness. I don't just rescue you. I disarm the entire threat." This is divine interruption on a cosmic cell. But let me tell you something. It's a preview of Philippians chapter 2 where we read in verse 9, wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, that's Jesus, giving him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. This the God that we serve bends the hearts of the kings like channels of water. The God that we serve doesn't need your strategy because he has his own. The good news, this is good news for those of us who don't know that we've won the battle. We think we can't win the battle. But for those of us that know what Jesus has done, that Jesus is one, we can operate our lives on that truth that nothing that really matters is really at stake. He's accomplished eternal salvation for us because of a plan that he had and a choice that he made and a sacrifice that he altered and a resurrection that he gave to us. He enjoyed y'all. That listen to me. This is not self-help. This this is not human resilience. This is not David or us learning better survival techniques. This is about a God who intervenes because he is good. And the hero is not David's perseverance. It's God's intervention in the story. So let's make some application. Let's land the plane here. Let's bring it home because there are some lifealtering truths here in this chapter. First one that I got out of it is look people do not control your destiny, not your bosses, not your critics, not your accusers, not those who misunderstand you, not those who envy you, not those who wish you harm. If spirits, if spirits and javelins fly, let them fly because they cannot pierce what God has sealed. People can't control your desk because you've been given one by God according he has chosen us him before the foundation holy performing in love having predestinated you the adoption of children by Jesus Christ or to the good pleasure of his will. What does Romans 8 tell us? Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Not height, not depth, not principality, powers, not things come, not angels in heaven, nothing can interrupt God's plan. So first truth out of this Bible is people do not control your destiny. Stop acting like they do. Second thing is is at least what I got out of it is God will surround you with the right people at the right time. Jonathan at a palace, at a window, Samuel at a refuge. You don't need everyone. You just need the people that God has placed in your life. Third, God will provide an escape route that you never expected. Window, spouse, prophet, worship service that stops the assassins, spirit that stops the kings. Fourth one is that God is working even when the attacks repeat. The first spirit didn't end David. Neither did the second. Neither did the third. Because God is stronger than cycles and patterns and pressures.

Here's another truth. God just doesn't defend you. He disarms those that threaten you whether you see it or not. Saul's messengers were neutralized. Saul himself was neutralized. And God can empty the power of entire armies with just a word. Doesn't have to lift a finger. Here's the last one. And there's more, but these are the ones that I got out of it. Your story is secure because Jesus has already accomplished the victory. You are not and were not preserved by your strength. You are not kept by your cleverness. You are not protected by your bravery. You are not safe because you you are not safe because of what you did. You are safe because Jesus bought your life with his blood. So I want to look at just real quick our lives through the lens of this chapter.

What does this chaotic javelin field chapter mean for me? Well, you can be in the center of God's will, still be in peril. I mean, David is exactly where God wanted him to be and exactly where Saul wanted to destroy him. But here's the thing, the presence of pain does not equal the absence of God. Sometimes the pain is the path God uses to build you. David had things that threatened him, but he was never truly at risk because he was appointed by God to be a king and he wasn't there yet. So God is still writing your story even when other people are trying to edit it. I mean Saul was literally trying to erase David out of the story. Rewrite David's ending. But Saul is not the author. And hey man, people may try and rewrite you, your reputation. They might try to rewrite your opportunities, your relationships, your future, your your destiny, your story, but they cannot change what God has. You are not a character in someone else's drama. You are a child in God's narrative. When you feel outnumbered, I want you to remember who outranks it. David had a murderous king, soldiers, trained assassins, government power stacked again against him. But he also had God, the spirit, Samuel, Jonathan, Muel, a prophetic community. Look, your enemies might be loud and large, but they are never larger than the God who orders all things. And you may feel surrounded, but so was David. So was Elijah. So were the disciples in the boat. So was this is the quiet theme that's humming beneath every verse of Samuel chapter 19. God has not lost one ounce of control. He is not adjusting his plan. He is not sacri. He is not scrambling. He's not reaching out or trying to negotiate with Saul. He's not adjusting plans, his purpose. He's not secondguessing anything. He is directing Saul's steps. He's even involved in Saul's rebellion and turning it to his will. And if you could see the full picture that God sees, let me tell you something. You'd sleep better at night. So, as we close, I want you to hear this. David did not survive because he was good at dodging. David survived because God was good at protecting his purpose. And your hope is not in your ability to react to the next crisis. Your hope is in God who sees every crisis before it arrives. Your future is not fragile. Your calling is not an accident. your your life is not at the mercy of other people's decisions. The the God who carried David through Saul's rage, through Mikuel's window, through Samuel's refuge and Saul's army is the same God who carries you. He is steady. He is present. He is unstoppable. He is faithful. He is the one who holds your story, your breath, your future, and your eternity. And when the spirits flies, he stands. When the king ranges, he rules. When the window opens, he guides. When the armies march, he reassur he he he intervenes. And when the hearts tremble, he reassures. When life feels chaotic, he is the calm above the storm. This is your God. So lift your eyes, rest your heart, walk forward not in self-centered confidence, but in Christ's confidence because the one who carried David here you'd like to serve Christ as we do here at Camp Creek All right.

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Thank you for that good prayer. If you got your Bibles with you, let's turn to 1st Samuel 18. We're going to continue the series. I got tell you, I'm kind of excited about this one. Uh it's it's packed. It's packed with good stuff because if you've walked with Jesus for or even try to walk with Jesus for like seven seconds. One of the things that you're going to notice is that um obedience comes um with blessings, but it also comes with uh battles. Obedience comes with blessings, but it also comes with battles. And I know this isn't the favorite ter sermon topic. You know, nobody really wants a sermon, the gift of people throwing spears at you. But welcome to 1st Samuel chapter 18, a chapter where David's faithfulness puts him on a collision course with Saul's insecurities. Um, up until this point, God had anointed David. David obeys God. God elevates David. People celebrate David and Saul starts googling how to chunk a javelin with precision. It is the chapter of a story of a young man walking directly into God's plan for his life and discovering that sometimes walking into God's plans means walking into somebody else's jealousy. It is a story of friendship and favor involving Jonathan, of progress and promotion involving David's rising in and Saul's army. It's a story about fear and insecurity of of of Saul's unraveling verse by verse. It's a story of plans of manipulation where Saul schemes to to trap David. Most of all, it's a story about God quietly accomplishing his will through it all. You know, just your average Tuesday. So, embedded in this chapter is something deeper. It's it's the unstoppable triumph of God's purpose over human politics, human fear, human failures. And if we look closely, everything in this chapter, everything in this chapter points to Jesus who conquered not with spears and javelins, but with a cross. So let's uh let's look at the original bromance of um David and Jonathan. We ended last time in verse 17 where David had defeated Goliath. People are excited and it says, "And Saul said, whose son art you man?" And David answered, "I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehem." Now we pick up with verse 18. And it came to pass when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David. And Jonathan loved him as his own soul. The soul of Jonathan was knit. And let's start where scripture starts because this is probably one of the most beautiful friendships in the entire Bible. At this time, Jonathan is the son of Saul. He's the heir to the throne. He's a champion warrior. He's the dude that just a couple of chapters ago turned to a servant guy when they were surrounded by thousands of Philistines and said, "Hey, hey, you and me, let's go up the hill because our God is able to save by many or few." And they climbed up the hill. They did the Jedi thing with the Philistines. They killed so many in a half acre that they were piled up, you know, body upon body. That's this Jonathan. He's a warrior, too. He's the son of the king. He's the heir to the throne, a champion warrior. But then he meets David, a shepherd boy, a heart player, a giant slayer, fresh off the Philistine victory circuit. And scripture says that their souls were net, not kind of clicked, not had some stuff in common, not followed each other on the ancient Israel Instagram. It says that they were knit, woven, bound together because Jonathan sees something in David. something divine, something anointed, something courageous, something pure, something he knows he himself is not called to be. And let me tell you and encourage our young people and old people. When you are walking in God's calling on your life, there is something about you. And this is remarkable because if anyone had a reason to see David as a threat, it was Jonathan. I mean, think about it. The kingdom by birth is supposed to be his. It's his birthright. It's his inheritance. It's his future. And I say that because many of us don't even like it when somebody else on Facebook gets more likes than us. And Jonathan is dealing with someone who will literally take the throne that he was born to secede to. But instead of jealousy, he honors him. There's something special about Jonathan. And he does something shocking because Jonathan, he does something shocking. It it said that we just read instead of jealousy, he honors him. He gave David his robe, his garments, his sword, his bow, his his bow, his girdle. So day I mean, don't miss that because it it because it says there in verse four, Jonathan stripped himself that day of the robe that was upon him and gave it and his garments, his sword, his bow, his girdle. He is literally handing over the symbols of a future king. and he sees God's calling on God on David. He doesn't fight it. He He lets it happen. And sometimes I wonder, I mean, how how can you be so amazing like that, Jonathan? Let me tell you something.

Jonathan was on the same battlefield that all the other Israelites were. And when Goliath went out there and taunted the Israelites for 40 days and 40 nights, Jonathan, champion warrior Jonathan, future King Jonathan did nothing. But what he did do is he was able to see David rise up and go at the king, go at Goliath and say, "You're going to die this day because the battle is the Lord's." Jonathan saw something in David. I take some encouragement for that because as good as Jonathan is, as good as every every one of y'all are, there are times when our life when we fail, but God's purpose never fails. And God's hand was on David to promote David. Jonathan saw it and I think that helped compel Jonathan to do some of the things that that he did because being able to turn over the kingdom, that's rare. That's holy. That's the kind of kingdom friendship that only God can ordain where the greatest evidence of a friend's character is to celebrate your successes and calling even when it surpasses our own. Because here's a truth from human behavior 101. Identity celebrates, but insecurity competes. You get that? When you know who you are in Christ, you don't have to compete with anybody. And even when their calling is better than yours, even when they will succeed more, you don't have to compete because of who you are. The Bible says in second Peter, 1 Peter chapter 2:9, 1 Peter chapter 2:9, that you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, peculiar unto the Lord. So Jonathan knows who he is. Jonathan knows who God is. He knows that David is serving the servant God with even more courage than him. He said, and and he does something amazing. Here's my bow. Here's my girdle. Here's my thing. So I got a question to ask us just as a self diagnostic at this point in the scripture early on. Are you a Jonathan or are you a Saul to the Davids in your life and somebody else succeeds? Do you feel threatened or do you write the letter of support when when God elevates another person? Do you secretly hope that they fail or sincerely hope that they flourish? Do you do you financially contribute to When someone else walks in the spotlight, do you clap or critique because Jonathan claps loudly? Do do you publish their successes on your social media today? And here's the thing, because Saul, as we are about to see, turns into the guy leaving the anonymous Yelp review. David not that good on the harp, you know. So, then we go, let's uh let's let's watch it out. Let's go to verse five. And when David went out withers so Saul sent him and behaved himself wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war. And he was accepted in sight of all people and also in the sight of Saul's servants. So David, one day he's doing Uberies for his brother. The next day he kills Goliath. The next day he's captain over thousands in Saul's army. He just defeated the biggest enemy Israel had ever faced. And now he's leading men into battle. He's gaining respects. He's succeeding at everything God uh Saul has asked him to do. Now, there are some preachers out there and there's this phrase out there in the evangelical world that calls it God's favor. That phrase is not really used in in scripture, but it is definitely shown in scripture and it's being shown right here because David has got success after success and he handles success with humility while Saul handles David's successes with insecurity. And now we come to some of my favorite people. Y'all remember Saturday Night Live? Sher O Terry and Will Frell had this skit and it was called the perfect cheer. Y'all remember that? Yeah, I see a couple of you shaking hands. Some of you weren't born, but in the perfect cheer, they they were cheerleaders for the Spartans and they were just extra. They cheered everything everywhere with total enthusiasm and they didn't respect any kind of boundaries. They would cheer at PTA meetings. They would cheer at chess massages and they would do the perfect cheer. We are about to meet those people. David has killed Goliath. David is in the king's court. There are certain things that are not necessarily appropriate to say, but that doesn't stop the perfect cheerleaders. And here we go. And it came to pass as they came when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistines that the women came out all the cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul. So they knew he was there with tabaretses, with joy, with instruments of music. And the women answered one another as they played. And they said, here it is, the perfect cheer. Saul has slain his thousands and David his 10 thousands. No, he didn't. He killed one dude. He killed Goliath. But that doesn't stop the perfect cheer. They're very excited about David. And that's great, but they didn't watch what they say. And in modern terms, what they're saying is Saul is good, but David, dang, David's really, really good. And let's be honest, nobody likes being compared, right? Even in church. What? Matthew's sermons get more likes than mine. What? Oh, yeah. Y'all see it, too. Okay. I enjoyed your small group, but Julia's small group is amazing. Hey, your pecan pie is good, but have you tried Susan's? You just keep on going. And there's something in us that clenches us when someone says, "You're good." But that person, that person's incredible. And Saul, Saul clenches up. And he clenches up hard. And this is what scripture says in verse eight. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him. And he said, "They have ascribed to David 10 thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands. But what can he have more? But the kingdom?" And here it is. And Saul eyed David from that day forward. That's the southern term. He gave him the stink eye. So the reaction says Saul was very raw.

And it means stewing. It means spiraling. It means he's scrolling through Envy's Instagram feed at midnight. And he says the line that no insecure leader should ever say out loud. What more can he have other than the kingdom? It's almost as if Saul had heard the song. Okay. Uh Saul heard the song the ladies were singing like, "Okay, first of all, boundaries, ladies. You don't need to put everything into that song. And third, c can we maybe have a little HR training on sensitivity because you're a walking violation? But the song honestly wasn't the problem. The problem here is Saul's heart. It's not right. And and and this is where Saul's downfall began. Not not when David began to rise, but when Saul's downfall began. Because your mind and here's here's your mind when stress comes will always go to where your identity is the weakest. And Saul's identity was in the applause. Saul's identity was in the achievements. Saul's identity was in the perception. Saul's identity was in in his title. So when David shine, Saul didn't know who he wasn't. And this is what happens when you build your identity on things that God never told you were yours to keep. So don't build your identity on how much money you make, what kind of house you live in, what kind of job you have. It's all fleeting nonsense. And here's the truth scripture showing us God's calling on someone else is not competition for you. Okay, let's go to the second portion. third portion sermon. And if you haven't been listening, if you've been distracted, put down the phone, pay attention. This is the part that just speaks to my heart. Here we go. Verse 10. And it came to pass on the tomorrow that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand as at other times. Here it is. Underline this. There was a javelin Saul's hand. And Saul cast the javelin for he said, "I will smite." Kids, that's kill. I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice. Now, this is where the chapter takes a sharp turn. Y'all dig it, right? The ladies are singing. It's the next day. Saul's got a headache. David's playing the harp, helping Saul to relax. And then the scriptures describes an evil spirit that came from the Lord. And this phrase actually bothers some people. But remember the context. God is not doing the evil. God has allowed it. And this is God removing his restraining hand, allowing Saul's own rebellious heart to spiral under a demonic agitation. So Saul, notice this, has a spear in his hand. And the scriptures say and mention this detail twice. The scriptures mention it twice because the writer wants you to see what is in Saul's grip. He cast a javelin. And it says right there in verse 10, "And there was a javelin in Saul's hand." Let's walk back into the palisene because this scripture gives a detail that might slip past us because it absolutely explodes with meaning. Y'all, Saul had a javelin in his hand again still always. And it's not a coincidence. And it's not poor decorating choices. And it's not the ancient king fidget spinner behavior. This is the detail. The Holy Spirit is waving a red flag saying, "Look closely. This matters." Because the javelin reveals Saul more closely than any other dialogue in the scripture. Why did Saul have a javelin when he's the king of Israel sitting in his throne room? He needs to have a scepter.

He is a king. The only time that a king needs a javelin is when he is on the battlefield.

You know what? I say that and I cannot count the number of times that have held a javelin in my hand. Because let me tell you about your identity. Hebrews chapter No, no, no. Let's go back to First Peter chapter 2:9. You are a royal priesthood. You are a chosen people. The Bible describes us as fellow heirs of Jesus Christ because of what he's done for us, brothers and sisters, eternally, spiritually. I'm looking at kings and queens. How many of you have a javelin in your hand? Right

when you need to be having a septic when people come against you, how many take the javelin instead of saying, you know what, your opinion of me doesn't matter. So why did Saul have a javelin in his hand? Because Saul had traded the scepter of a king for the weapons of a fearful man. In the ancient world, kings held scepter, symbols of of rules, symbols of wisdom, symbols of appointment. But Saul isn't holding that. He's gripping the spear. It's a profound picture of a leader who has lost his authority long before he lost his position because that scepter kind of symbolized a calling. The spear symbolizes control. A scepter says, "God has appointed me king." The spear says, "I will protect myself." The scepter says, "I trust God with the throne." The spear says, "I trust my weapons more than God." Saul hasn't lost the crown yet, but he's already lost the heart of the king. Why did he have a saw? Because why did he have a javelin and spear? Because he was ruled by paranoia. By the time we reach 1st Samuel 18, Saul is a deeply paranoid man. He has lost the Lord's promise. He's been told that he lost the kingdom and is leaving his lineage. He watched David rise faster than he could process. He search Heard songs of comparison comparing him unfavorably. He felt God's hand on someone else's life more than his own. So the javelin is not just a weapon. It's Saul's security blanket. It's an emotional support spear. You know, some people carry a stress ball, but Saul's like, "Nah, give me the sharpest thing you got." The javelin here is kind of the physical manifestation of Saul's internal collapse. It's fear made visible. It's paranoia that arms itself. Why did Saul have a javelin? Because Saul wants to appear strong even while he's feeling weak. Because holding that javelin, it gave Saul the illusion of strength, the image of authority, the the posture of a warrior, but it also exposes a truth that he cannot admit.

Saul's terrified. And people who feel weak often carry visible symbols of power. It's the the coworker who flexes their title every five minutes. It's the the supervisor who micromanages everything. It's the the neighbor who threatens to call corporate uh if if your grass is a quarter inch too long. It's the the person who drops a name like it's spiritual gift. Those are all spears, all external symbols meant to hide internal insecurity. Why does Saul have a javelin? Because Saul uses weapons to solve problems only worship can fix. David's playing the harp to to calm Saul's tormented spirit. David is literally ministering through music, a spiritual bomb for a spiritually tormented man. And that's important because David is using his hands to bring healing, but Saul uses his hands to bring harm. One holds an instrument, the other holds a weapon. One uses his gifting, the other uses intimidation. One uses calms the atmosphere, the other escalates it. So Saul's javelin reveals that he's trying to fight spiritual problems with physical solutions. But you cannot battle demons with javelins. You you cannot defeat insecurity with intimidation. You you cannot erase guilt with aggression. And you cannot fix your heart by throwing spears at people who exposed your emptiness. Saul's javelin. He's holding it because he's refusing to bow. And I want you to listen to me. Your weapon can become your identity. And if you're constantly carrying around sarcasm, bitterness, manipulation or shame, intimidation or or criticism, self-p protection or or passive aggressiveness, those will slowly shape you into someone you never intended to be. And so Saul picks up this javelin so often that by the by chapter 19, he's he's defined by it. You will not rise by clinging to your weapons. You rise by clinging to God. Let's go over to First Peter chapter 2:9. It says, "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people." And for those of y'all new to the King James, that means you are owned by God. You're a peculiar people that you should have shown forth the praises that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light. Hold scepters, not javelins, because let me tell you something, the battle's been won. This is Hebrews chapter 10 verse 10 through13 describing Jesus and the will of God through Jesus says, "By the which will we are sanctified." That's present tense. We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which could never take away sin. But this man Jesus after he offered one sacrifice for sins sat down at the right hand of God and from henceforth expecting until his enemies be made his foottool. Complete total victory by the sacrifice of Christ and nothing else. You have won the eternal battle through the actions of Jesus Christ. That is your identity. Royal priesthood. That is your identity. Holy nation, that is your identity. Chosen generation, you don't have to go around carrying javelins. You can carry scepters and it can dictate how you interact with everybody in your life. And when they come against you, you can be okay. And when they say falsities about you, you can be okay. When they attack you and malign you and slander you, you can be okay because of who you are. And Saul, verse 12, and Saul was afraid of David because David was the Lord was departed with him. And pardon me, and Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him and was departed from Saul. I want you to notice how God makes people fear you even when you're not trying. Because this is ironic. I want you to think about this. Saul was afraid of David. David had no army on his own. He had no throne. He had no plan to overthrow Saul. He's playing music to terrify Saul. And Saul is terrified. Why? Because David's influence is not about position. It's about the presence. And scriptures tell us plainly because why did Saul Why was Saul scared? Because the Lord was with him was departed Saul. So David is carrying something Saul no longer carries. And deep down Saul knew it. So let's keep let's see God keep opening doors that Saul keeps trying to shut. Verse 13. Therefore Saul removed from him and made him his captain over a thousand. And he went out and came in before the Lord. And David, here we go. Underline this, behaved himself wisely in all his ways. And the Lord was with him. Wherefore, when Saul saw that he behaved himself wisely, there we see it again. By the way, it's used four times in this chapter. He was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David because he went out and came in before him. So Saul's trying something new. Instead of javelin target practice, he says, "You know what? I'm going to put him in the army. I'm not going to chunk spears." But it didn't work. David's still alive. That that the javelin throw didn't work. David's still alive. The walls got some new ventilation holes. Nothing's changed. So here's what Saul does. He tries plan B. He tries distance. He sends David away. He says, "Hey, let's get the guy out of the palace far away. Let him lead some troops. Maybe, just maybe, something will happen." And you can almost hear Saul whispering. You know, accidents occur. But instead of David falling apart, David flourishes. And everywhere he goes, scripture says it's because he behaved himself wisely. It's really the Holy Spirit kind of highlighting how David navigated the pressure, the jealousy, and the adversity. David just keeps winning. He keeps gaining respect. He keeps winning people's hearts. He keeps honoring God. And Saul, well, he keeps on losing sleep. And here's the principle. When God is with you, even human sacri sabotage can become divine setup. I mean, Saul thought David, he's sending David away would hinder him, but God used it to enlarge him. Saul demoted David, but David God promoted David. Saul tried to isolate David, but but God used it to evaluate David. I mean, have you noticed that sometimes the things that people do to you is the very thing that God uses to strengthen you. It's the job transfer that that felt like a setback actually becomes the season that God works most in your life. The relationship that ended actually becomes doorway to to healthy connections. The supervisor who tried to sideline you ends up unintentionally training you. See, here's the thing. God isn't running the story. God is. Saul isn't running the story. God is. David isn't succeeding because David is awesome. He's succeeding because God's presence has never left him. Not once. And Saul notices. And Israel notices. When God is with you, it shows not because you're trying to prove something, but because his presence produces fruit that speaks louder than your resume. Verse 17. And and Saul said to David, "Behold, my elder daughter Mirab will I give thee a wife. Only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles." That's interesting. For Saul said, and he's saying this to himself, "Let not mine hand be upon me, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him." And David said to Saul, "Who am I? What is my life or my father's family in Israel that I should be a son-in-law to the king?" I want you to I want a side note here because God elevates the humble, but he resists the proud. And David right here, he's not trying to grab the throne. He's not chasing a crown. He He's not pushing for power. If David were living in 2025, he would not be handing out business cards. Future king of Israel, he he'd be playing the guitar, the harp backstage. He'd be fixing the shepherd's sling. He'd be saying, "I'm just thankful to be here." And it says, "But it came to pass at a time when Merb Saul's daughter should have been given to David that she was given to Adreal Maholife, the wife." So we see here where Saul is starting to scheme. He's offered David his daughter. Meabb is a trap. Not because he wants a happy family for a son-in-law, which in in modern terms is like but but but because David is a great guy. Not because Saul is a proud father. Saul says be valiant and fight the Lord's battles. which in modern terms is like saying, "Hey, David, why don't you go fight the war over there, the the one where the last seven guys didn't come back. It it would mean so much for me." And so Saul's actually manipulating David with a marriage offer, hoping David dies in battle. And here's here's the dark truth, and y'all listen to this. This is a dark truth about insecure leaders. They will spiritualize their manipulation.

Saul wraps up his schemes with religious language. His scheme is to get David out there the battlefield with the Philistines and get him killed. But he wraps it up in religious language. Fight the Lord's battles. But what he means is fight the battles that benefit me. So Jonathan, I want you to notice the josition because Jonathan gave David a robe and a belt and a in humility. But and Saul offers David's daughter but in hypocrisy. Similar acts but completely different motives. That's why scriptures tell us to try the spirits because not every offer that sounds spiritual is born of purity. So some are saturated with hidden agendas. And so what the text tells us right here is is that Meera gets given to someone else. And can you imagine being David for just a second? you know, he's he's fighting the battles. He's being faithful. He's uh risking his life. And word gets back to him, hey, you know, bro, the king's daughter you're supposed to marry about that. You know, she's she's married someone else. At that point, you hear the the canned laughter from the sitcoms. But here's what God's doing. I want y'all to notice this. Kids, pay attention. He's protecting David from a marriage that he never ordained. God is protecting David from a marriage that he never ordained. And some of God's greatest mercies are the relationships that he doesn't let you enter into. And we don't know Mirup's heart. We don't know her character. But we do know this. God had someone else for David. A woman named McDonald. And she loved him. Even this will play into God's larger purpose because even love can get weaponized. Verse 20. And Mikuel, Saul's daughter, loved David. They told Saul the thing pleased him. And Saul said, "I will give him her that she may be a snare, that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Wherefore Saul said to David, "Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law in the one of the twain." This is the twist. Mel, Saul's youngest daughter, genuinely loves David. She's genuinely drawn to him. And Saul, Saul sees it as strategy. Scripture says he thought, "I'll give him her that she may be a snare." This is dark. He's using his own daughter as bait. And let's just kind of pause here, ladies. If your dad ever wants you to get married because it would weaken the guy and help people kill him, red flag. Swipe left. Swipe left on the whole family. by the way. But Saul doesn't understand something. When when God is writing someone's story, your schemes, they're scaffolding for the other person's promotion. So Saul sets a trap, but God turns it into a testimony. Verse 22. And Saul commanded his servant, saying, "Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all the servants love thee. Now therefore be the king's son-in-law. And Saul's servant spake those words in the ears of David. David here, he's actually worried at this moment. Saul has sent his people say, "Hey, David. David, David, the king really likes you. He's about to give you his daughter. So go ahead and propose. Be the g." But here's the thing. David didn't have anything to offer the king. So David deirs a little bit. He says, "And David said," seemth it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor and lightly esteemed man. I want you to imagine this. This isn't false humility. This is David addressing a real problem. David the giant killer. David the rising commander. David the one that everybody celebrates and sings about. David, the man after God's own heart, describes himself as a poor and lightly esteemed man. That's not insecurity. That's the realization of who he really is. David knows where he came from. David knows who he is. He knows he's not entitled to anything. Do you?

Because it was Jesus that won your eternal inheritance, not you. It was Jesus's faith that got you saved, not you. It is Jesus that got you to heaven. It is Jesus and God that chose you, paid for you, ransomed you, sanctified you, not you. Jesus plus nothing. Do you know who you are? Because without the Lord and without his influence and his irresistible sovereign spirit upon you. This is how the Bible describes you, there is none righteous, know not one. Your righteousness is as filthy rags. You're altogether unprofitable. The poisons of asps is upon your lips. That's us. Uh if when we were enemies, he died for us. That that's us. When Jesus died for us, the scriptures describe us as the enemies of God. Do you fully appreciate your identity without Christ? And yet for some reason, he died for you. He sent his spirit into you. He has he has irresistibly called you. He has predestinated you, fornown you, called you, justified you. This is all the things that God has done for you. Do you know who you are in Christ? And do you know who you are outside of Christ? Now we go to when the only thing that people can remember is victory. Let's go to verses 24- 27. And the servants of Saul told him, saying, "On this manner spake David." And King Saul said, "Thus shall you say to David, the king desireth not any dowy. You don't have to give me anything. Just a 104 skin of the Philistines."

Can we all just stop and just admit that? That's a little freaky, but it means kill the Philistines and then bring me proof. But dude, why can't you just bring a thumb? I don't know. Freaky to be avenged to the king's enemy. But you know, one of the things I love about it is the Bible doesn't hide the graphic details. I love it. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David's these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. Oh, only need to get 100 for skins. That's not a problem. And the days were not expired. Wherefore David arose and went, and he and his men slew the Philistines, 200 men. And David brought their four skins and he gave them the full tail to the king that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave Mikuel his daughter to wife. Now, now we get to the famous bride price part of the story. Saul demands the 100 Philistines for skins and David brings back 200. And I love the graphic details. Could you imagine hanging out with your friends at lunch the next day? And so what was the bride price? Well, my father-in-law kind of likes something strange. Let's just let's just I mean Okay, here we go. Enough of that. And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David. And Mckel's Saul's daughter loved him. And Saul was yet more afraid of David. and David became and Saul became David's enemy continually. Then the princes of the Philistines went forth. And it came to pass after they went forth that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was much set by. So the chapter ends with Saul's fear reaching a breaking point because you can't win a fight with the God who authored the story. So let's pull back and just give some application here because 1 Samuel chapter 18 is not a chapter about trying harder. It's about trusting the one who already won the fight. It's not about being like David. It's about being like the son of David, Jesus Christ. It's not a story about slaying your giants or getting fores. It's a story about trusting the one who's already crushed the ultimate giant on your behalf. And where David behaved wisely,

Jesus behaved perfectly. So your hope today is not in your performance. Your hope today is in Christ's accomplishment. So let's talk practically. I mean, h how do you live when Saul has a spear? Because David's life in this chapter gives us a blueprint of dealing with toxic people, toxic parents, toxic children. And I mean, let's be fair. Insecure leaders, jealous co-workers, manipulative family members, inconsistent mentors, unfair supervisors, people who have misread you, people who have resented you, people who want your downfall more than they want your rising. What do you do when Saul has a spear? Here's the first lesson I got out of this chapter. Keep serving even when you're unappreciated. David keeps playing music for fall Saul. He keeps fighting the battles. He keeps obeying God's. David's faithfulness is not tied to Saul's mood.

I feel like I need to say that again. David's faithfulness is not tied to Saul's move. It's tied to God's mission. And I know it's hard. And this is a word for some of you. Do not let someone else's condition or insecurity dictate your obedience. Weary not in welloing. Don't fight battles that God has never assigned you. David never throws a spear back. Not once. Not in this chapter. Not in the next one. Not in the book. Not ever. If David had responded blow forblow, spear for spear, he would have become the very thing that he was destined to replace. You don't defeat the Sauls in your life by becoming Sauls. Because some spears are meant to be dodged, not thrown. Some accusations are meant to be ignored, not answers. Some people are meant to be avoided, not confronted. your purpose. It's too big to be wasted on petty warfare. Third lesson I I kind of pulled out of this is let God expose what you shouldn't try to explain. Has de ne David never tries to convince Saul that David is not a threat. He never says, "Hey Saul, bro, chill. You know, I'm not after your throne. Hey Saul, can can we just have a meeting, coffee, conflict resolution ceremony? He never says, you know, I literally just play harps and kills giants. I'm not plotting a clue. He never says that. People who are determined to misunderstand you cannot be persuaded by explanations. Stop explaining, start praying, keep walking. God will reveal the truth in his perfect timing. The last lesson I kind of pulled out of this is that character is proven most clearly in chaos. David behaved wisely again and again again and again not because he was perfect but because his heart belonged to God and character is is not proven on the mountaintop. Character is proven in the messy hallways where spirit spears fly. And if David wanted the throne, this is his chance to kill Saul. But David wanted God more than he wants the throne. So should we. What does this mean for us today? Here's the truth. God's calling on your life. And every one of you is called. You are a royal priesthood. You are a chosen people and a generation. You are a holy nation. God's calling on you is stronger than people's opinion of you. If Saul couldn't stop David, your critics can't stop you. If spears can't stop David, rumors can't stop you. If manipulation can't trap David, toxic people can't contain you. The God who called you is the God who carries you. Another truth is that that God will use both your enemies and your allies for you. Jonathan prepared David through love. Saul prepared David through hatred. Both are forming them. Both are shaping them. Both are tools in God's hands. And sometimes God will use encouragement to build you. But sometimes he uses resistance to sharpen you. Both are disciplehip. And and both are holy. And what feels like a delay is actually divine work in progress. So David may think, you know, why am I running? Why am I hiding? Why am I misunderstood? Why is there so much chaos around this calling Lord? Because a throne is coming and God won't let you sit there unprepared. Every spear that saw through strengthening David's dependence on God. Every setback that David endured is cultivating a strength he would need for future leadership. God is not denying David right now. God is shaping David. The same is true for you. One final thing before we just land the plane. We've looked at David. We've we've talked about Saul. Now, let's talk about the third major figure in this story, and that's Jonathan. Because Jonathan is one of the most underrated figures in scripture. He recognizes God's calling on someone else. He he he lays down his own privilege. He initiates a a good friendship. He supports God's anointed one. He celebrates someone whose rise means his own decline. Jonathan is the model of a kindred-minded friendship. He's the friend that promoted you, who donated to your campaign, who wrote letters of support, who puts his name on the line when it counts. And this is what Jonathan teaches us. The right friends can accelerate your life and accelerate your calling. Jonathan just doesn't accept David. He empowers David. He just doesn't encourage David. He equipss David. He just doesn't love David. He lays down his right to the throne. This is a friendship that smells a lot like Jesus. And humility in a relationship is the hallmark of maturity because Jonathan doesn't ask, "What do I get out of this?" He says, "How can I serve God in this purpose in my life?" That's maturity. By supporting David, supporting David's calling is not losing his own. He doesn't diminish himself. So, let's talk about your place in the story. Let's land the plane because I want to be make something very clear. You are not David. You are the one hiding behind David's victory. Just like you hid behind Jesus's victory. You are not the hero. Jesus is. You are not the champion. Jesus is. You are not the conqueror. You are more than a conqueror through him that loved us. David won the battle that Israel never fought. And Jesus won your eternal salvation that you never earned. So your hope is not self-effort. Your hope is Christ accomplishment. So stop trying to earn what Jesus has already finished. Stop trying to fight what Jesus has already defeated. Stop trying to pay for what Jesus has already purchased. You are free. Not because of effort, but because of the resurrected, reigning, redeeming son of God. If you'd like to serve him as we do here at Camp Creek Church, we'll give you that chance as we stand to sing Himn.

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that good prayer. If you got your Bibles, let's go to probably the most familiar story in the Old Testament. It's the story of David and Goliath. We have arrived at this section in 1st Samuel chapter 17. I know over my 28 years, almost 29 years of ministry, I've preached several messages out of this. This is new. This is fresh. Pay attention. It's exciting because we're going to talk about that time when the valley seems bigger than the God who made the valley. So, get your Bibles. Let's turn to 1st Samuel chapter 17. I don't know, maybe we'll preach two or three messages out of this. You're in for a ride. This is good. Okay? Because if you've lived long enough, you've stood in a valley. Some valleys are medical. Some valleys are relational. Some valleys are emotional. Some valleys are spiritual. And some valleys get known for people like Goliath. And have you noticed how life has a way of introducing you to giants that you never ask for? Hello, John. Cancer. You know, you wake up thinking it's going to be normal Tuesday, but by 10:15, you're staring up at something that looks 9 foot tall and weighing 125 pounds of armor. So, y'all, the Philistines may not be gathering on your hillside today. Maybe it's not Philistines. Maybe it's medical charts, legal battles, broken trust, financial hardship, or regret, fear, shame, or the weight of the past, because those are absolutely giants. Here's the strange thing. It's it's in that valley that you can see and feel and get to know God in ways that you never can in any other place. We don't like it. We don't pray for it. We certainly don't schedule it. But here's the pattern of scripture that you cannot deny. God is with his people in places like the valley and his goodness becomes undeniable. So the good news, the good news is you don't need to know the outcome. You only need to know the God who holds the outcome. Because the valley is where God reveals both his nearness and his direction. So let's jump into 1st Samuel chapter 17. A story that even if you don't go to church, you've heard about. It's a story that we've learned in our childhood and we can never outgrow because it's more than a battle. It's more than a boy with a slingshot. It's more than a giant. It's the unveiling of a God who steps into your valley. Because in that valley, in your valley, God doesn't wait for you to walk to the other side of fear. He walks with you and ahead of you in your valley. Your victory isn't about what you bring to the valley. It's about who steps into the valley with you in your valley. Sometimes God lets the giants talk long enough until you get sick of hearing them and get into action. And in your valley, you don't grow when you avoid the challenge. You grow when you engage it with purpose. Because this is what scripture says. The Philistines in verse 16 drew near morning and evening. And the Philistine presented himself for 40 days. Y'all dig that? 40 days of intimidation. 40 days of fear. 40 days of listening to a giant run his mouth. That's 40 days. That's longer than most of us stick with our New Year's resolutions. Israel had quit on day one. We know the story. But God didn't because God had already prepared someone who was going to step into that valley. Do y'all hear that? God had already anointed someone who was going to step into that valley. So, we actually have hints of the gospel coming through. So, let's jump right on in. We'll start with verse two here because this chapter opens like a scene from a movie. You got two mountains, you got two armies, and you got one valley. Now, generally, you know, generally, if you're going to engage the enemy, you want the hillside. You want the you want the upper ground because it's a lot difficult for the enemy when they're having to walk up the hill to fight. You can roll stones down it. You don't have to strain yourself as much. So, the Philistines are on their mountain. The Israelites are on their mountain and neither one of them wants to budge and in between them they have the valley. The valley is going to be the the key place here. And it says, "And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched by the valley of Eli and set the val the battle in array against the Philistines." So they were lined up to fight. They were just choosing not to fight because they were in a state of mind of fear. And it says, "And the Philistines stood on the mountain on one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, and there was a valley between them." Now, you would think, and you know, I would think, "Lord, please [laughter] put my people on the high ground and put the enemy in the low place." But God didn't do that because God allowed this valley to become a place of of deliverance. And today I say this because your valley might be your job. Your valley might be family conflict. Your valley might be medical reports or or past mistakes or fears. These are all valleys. But valleys, let me tell you something. It's where God does some of his most dramatic work. And verse four introduces us to the giant known as Goliath. And there went out a champion. Now, let's pause here because Israel had a king, but the Philistines had a champion. And what a champion is is someone who stands between the two forces. The champion on the one side and the champion on the other side will stand between the two forces. And they too will determine the outcome. And the Philistines knew something. It's a little bit of psychological warfare because if you can terrify an army, you don't have to fight them. So, out comes Goliath, moving skyscraper, wrapped up in brass, carrying weapons David could barely lift. Just so we get an appreciation for it, the Bible's going to describe the size of Goliath. His height is six cubits in a span. He had a helmet of brass. He had chain mill wearing 5,000 shekels, which is about 120 pounds. Dude's big. Hey, you see this column? That's about the approximate size of Goliath. And I am a stunning six foot three, right? But but David and the people back then, they're more like Marcus's size, right? So they're like right here against that. Even me I at that. Oh my. Goliath is huge. [laughter] In other words, Goliath doesn't just look scary. Goliath is scary. And I love the fact that God does not minimize the size of the giant. Scripture doesn't pretend that the threat isn't real. And listen to me, faith doesn't deny reality. It places reality under the power of a greater reality that your God is big and your God is good. And that's crucial because life's valleys. The 9- foot tall giants aren't fake. Your struggle that you're going through right now is not imaginary. That diagnosis that you fought with wasn't pretend and isn't pretending. That betrayal wasn't a small thing. That fear didn't come out of nowhere. In other words, your giant and was real is real. The danger was real. Is real, but so is God. So Goliath comes out. We know this from verses 8-10. He comes out daily. Twice a day. He comes out in the morning and the evening. And he's challenging up Israel. And it says, "And he stood and cried unto the army of Israel and said, "Why are you come out to set your battle in array? I'm not I am not I a Philistine, and you're the servants of Saul. Choose a man for you and let him come down to me. If he's able to fight and kill me, then we'll become your servants. And if I'm able to kill him, y'all become our servants." He does this for 40 days. And it says in verse 11, "And when Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistines, they were dismayed and greatly afraid." And this is where things begin to shift. Not because Israel changed, but because God was preparing and had prepared someone who didn't see the giant the same way. 40 days and 40 nights. But God sends deliverance through things that other people often overlook. Because, and I want you to remember this, because before David ever steps into this scene, before he ever faced up to the giant, he had been anointed by the prophet. But I want you to notice how ordinary the setup is in scripture. says in verse eight, I'm sorry, in verse 12, now David was the son of that Ephreite of Bethlehem Judah whose name was Jesse and he had eight sons and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. So let's just take that first phrase because you can't miss this or you shouldn't. This is David anointed by Samuel, future king of Israel. And the only way that scripture introduces him is, and David was the son of the Ephraim, not warrior David, not future king David, not lion slayer David because he had done that. Just David. Dave, eighth son, youngest they overlook. I love this because God loves using people that the world doesn't vote most popular, most likely to succeed. And I love that because it shows that the outcome never has depended on human strength. And mind you, David wasn't on the battlefield because he heard a prophecy. David wasn't on the battlefield because he had some spiritual vision. David wasn't on the battlefield because he got some some mystical goosebumps. He was there verses 17- 22 because his bread his dad asked him to deliver some bread and cheese. Y'all get this right? I mean, imagine being a future king and still doing Uber Eats for your brother. You get it? Hey kids, here's a lesson for you. The destiny that you're praying for and the future that you want might be wrapped up in the daily chores that you're trying to avoid. David, go take some bread and cheese to your brothers on the battlefield. And David does it without complaining. by the way. So, let's go to verses 23- 27. Because David hears the giant, but let I I want you to notice that the way you hear the giant determines the way that you face the giant. Verse 23. And as he talked with him, behold, there came up the champion. David's not even in the army, but he hears Goliath's voice. And it's the same exact voice and the same words that Israel heard, but something different happens in David. The giant spoke the same words he always spoke, but when David heard them, a switch flipped. And I want to I want you I want to say it like this. Israel listened to the giant, but David confronted the message of the giant. And there's a difference between enduring intimidation and evaluating intimidation because your psychological state determines your perspective. And and in psychology they talk about psychological states. And if I and so you can be in a state of fear, you can be in a state of depression, you can be in a state of optimism and hope. And your psychological fear state is determined often by conditions uh around you. External conditions determined often by internal dialogues about what you tell yourself. It could be affected by external dialogues about what other people tell you. It could be affected by a whole bunch of different things like your perception. But the reason that your psychological state is so, this isn't psychobable, it's just common sense. The reason your psychological state is so important is because it affects your decisions and it's the foundation of your actions and decisions. So right now, this is what we know about Israel. Their state is fear. David's state is identity. an identity grounded in who God is, not who he was. I want to pause. What state are you in today? Because sometimes I can see people walking through the front door and I can say they're they're in a state of depression right now as we struggle through the medical diagnosis. I know that I was in a state of fear for never really realized it until the final good news. Your body just goes, "Man, the sunshine brighter. The birds were singing happier. My kids were happy. I mean, this is a good time. What state are you in today?" And I hope that through this story, we can identify some things that are affecting our state so that we can walk closer to God. Because look, this is what it says in verse 25. Because David's state, he is anointed king. He's grounded in who God is. This is what David says. He hears the exact same things that the Philist the Israelites are hearing. Here's this this Philistine is for 40 days and 40 nights have been taunting the state nation of Israel. But when David hears it, this is his response. Verse 25, who is this uncircumcised Philistine that should deny the armies of the living God? David reframes the entire situation because Israel saw a giant mocking Israel. But David saw a giant mocking God. For David, the issue isn't personal courage. It wasn't military skill. It wasn't positive thinking. It wasn't a motivational mindset. For David, this was a theological crisis because the size of your giant, hear me now, the size of your giant also reveals your view of God. Because whether the giant is this tall or that tall, it doesn't matter when your God is big and all powerful. And I want you to notice something. David doesn't minimize the size of his giant. You don't see in scripture where he turns to his Israelites and go that guy's nothing. He's only nine feet tall. You ought to see this guy no named LeBron. Anyway, he didn't say, and this is another thing David didn't say, I'm not strong enough. I'm not talented enough. I got this. He said God's name is at stake and God never loses. Israel asked, "Have you seen how big Goliath is?" David asked, "Have you seen how big God is?" two different world views standing on the same battlefield. And I want you to notice the battles that David had to fight because he had a good state. His mindset was good. He focused on how big God is. But he had challenges to his mind and we should too on a daily basis. But we have the same challenges that David did. I want you to look at something. Let's look at verses 28 and 30. Because sometimes the first giant that you have to face is the one in your own house.

Before David ever faces Goliath, he has to face Elab, his oldest brother, who should have been celebrating David's courage, but instead he questions his motives. And Elab saw David and his anger was kindled against him. What? probably because it reflected I I read this recently that your view of me is a reflection on you and my response to you is a reflection on you. So Elab why you getting all upset at David? Probably because Elab was scared was a but he says why came down there hither I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart. I want you to pause and appreciate this moment because David hadn't even fought the giant yet and his brother is personally attacking him.

Isn't it funny how family seems to see the worst version of you? Usually during the holidays, but spiritually speaking, this moment matters because Elab represents the voices that try to talk you out of what God has called you into. try to speak insecurity into you. And and sometimes sometimes those voices that attack you are are the closest, the most familiar. Sometimes the people who know your histories are the ones that are least likely to let go of it, the least likely to to buy into purpose that you have because they were there. Elab was there. David was Elab saw the prophet pour the oil on David's head. Elab knew. And I want you to notice David's response. And David said, "What have I now done? Is there not a cause? This is not teenage attitude. This is spiritual clarity." David isn't defending himself. David isn't arguing. David isn't explaining. He's just simply saying, "Hey, my you're there is a purpose that is bigger than your criticism." In verse 30 says, "And he turned from him," which is probably one of the most courageous statements of the book of 1 Samuel. He doesn't get all up in his feelings and attack. It says, "And he turned from him towards another and spake after the same manner. And the people answered him again after the former matter." So they're all ganging up against him. And David just turns and walks away. Man, I learned I wish I'd learned that lesson long younger in life. Just David walking away from voices that misunderstood him towards a God who would deliver him. And I want Hey, if you've been I everybody pay attention what I'm about to say. You cannot fight Goliath when you're fighting Elab. Amen. Some of us would win more battles if we turned away sooner from negativity, from discouragement, from voices that measure us by who we are, not the voice of God. And so, here we go, verses 31 through39, because we're going to talk about God's Saul's failed armor because you you cannot win the battle wearing somebody else's identity. So David turns and he's brought before Saul the king, the tallest man in Israel, the one who should have been fighting Goliath. And Saul looks David up and down. And he says the obvious. Verse 33, thou are not able to go against this Philistine. So hey man,

we talked about things that can affect your state, right? One of the things that can affect your state, we just read about it, are silly battles that you shouldn't be fighting. My my I love my son Caleb. Caleb is my theologian. Of all my children, Caleb, I mean, all my children love God, but Caleb likes to get into the theological debate. So, he gets online and he's like, "Dad, this guy is saying this outrageous thing and blah blah blah blah blah." Like, "Dude, don't throw your pearls before. Don't don't waste your time. You're going to burn a lot of negative energy. Just focus on the good news. of the finished work of Jesus Christ. You don't have to win a debate between infilapsarianism and superapsarianism. It's it's useless. You don't have to debate about a lunar Sabbath. It's useless. Focus on what's good. If you want if you want to affect your state, engage in the crazy. So silly battles will affect your state. But something else that'll affect your state are the external voices that you listen to. Because this one's coming out pretty powerfully right here. So outside voices the king is saying this is the king and he says to David thou are not able to go against a the Philistine. Okay what psychologists would call that is a limiting authority figure voice and and some of y'all might have had that. I was blessed with amazing parents and I grew up thinking there was nothing I could not accomplish. There's nothing I could not do. But having served in juvenile court for two years and shephered 3,000 children through our justice system, I can tell you this. There are a lot of parents out there that suck. Bad parents. There are a lot of situations out there where there are no parents, an absentee father or an addicted mother. And those authority figures and their limiting voices and their limiting examples have affected generations. You want to know why America is going to Hades in a hand basket? It's because the family has broken down because the voices have been listened to because people don't know who they are in Christ. And that's the message of the gospel that we need to bring to them. This is the king telling David, you can't do it. There is an external dialogue, an external voice, something we all face. And it's the kind of phrase that kind of lodges you in your chest right there and stays there. But David, David doesn't blink. He shares his experience with the king. Hey man, your servant has fought the lion and the bear. David's not bragging. David's testifying about the goodness of God because God had delivered him before. God can deliver him again. And Saul, who is still uncertain, offers David his armor. Now, David, what? 5 foot five, something like that. Saul, tallest man in the nation. Putting on Saul's armor is kind of like putting a a toddler in dad's fishing fishing waiters. And this is what the Bible says. It says, "And he has said to go, for he had not proved them." Verse 39. So David tries walking in it. The brass is clanging. The helmet's oversized. The sword is dragging like a boat anchor. And David says, "Hey man, I I I can't use these." And I think about this because how often do we put on other people's armor?

How often do we shackle ourselves down with other people's expectations, with other people's methods, with with other people's strategies, with other people's opinion of how God should work? And but there's a deeper spiritual truth. If David had worn Saul's armor, the victory would have belonged to Saul. But God wanted the victory to reveal who he is, not who David is. Certainly not who Saul is. And if you're taking notes, think about this. God doesn't want your performance. God wants your dependence. Because you don't overcome the giants in your life by trying to be somebody else. Let me say that again. You don't overcome the giants in your life by trying to be somebody else. You don't overcome and win the battles by mimicking somebody else's strength. You don't break the chains by copying somebody else's style. God shows up in the valley through the person that he made you to be, not the masks of others that we want to put on or that the legalists among us want us to put on. Oh, perfect attendance. Yay. Perfect attendance is good, but it doesn't define who you are. So, five smooth stones, verse 40. And I love this section of scripture. We're going to pick up with verse 40. Because ordinary tools in the hands of an extraordinary God accomplishes great things. David steps away from Saul. He's relieved of all that heavy armor. He's relieved of all that burden. It's kind of like when y'all first discovered grace that you didn't have to earn God's love that he had already given for you. Isn't that refreshing? David steps away from all that stuff that was weighing him down. And it says in verse 40, "And he took the staff in his hand and he chose him five smooth stones out of the brook." This is the stuff that David had been doing all along. And some people, and we can touch on this because theologians have debated why five. And you know, 2 Samuel 21 says that Goliath had four brothers. Therefore, it's Goliath and you know, four more for his brothers. Other theologians think it was because David was preparing for more battles. But um some theologians have said, "Well, it's because God honors preparation." Scripture never explicitly says why David picked up five stones. But we do know this. David didn't pick up the stones because the stones were strong. He picked them up because God is strong. And this stone is not just a stone. And if you really think about it, it's kind of sermon all by itself because it's a reminder that God uses simple things to overturn the gospel. He used a staff for Moses. He used a jawbone with Samson. He used a pitcher and a torch for Gideon. Used a baby in the manger for us. And so, yes, he can use a stone for David. And yes, he can use anything in your life for you. And so David faces Goliath. We're going to go to 41 through 47 because this battle is not about David's skill. As David walks towards Goliath, this Philistines approaching him. His armor is beginning to his armor bearer in front of him. It's kind of comical when you think about it that Goliath who has 120 pounds of ars to help carry his stuff. His armor his armor weighs more than David. I mean, he can literally crush David by leaning on him. And yet, he needs a dude to carry his shield. Saw Goliath walking around like, I'm big and bad. Can somebody help me carry this stuff? So, but theologically seems that Goliath kind of represents a strength that still needs support. God represents a strength that needs no support. So, Goliath is looking at David. He begins to laugh. Verse 43. Am I a dog that thou comest to me with stave? And then Goliath curses him by his gods, threatens him, belittles him, mocks him. And David, young, unarmored, unout outmatched, outgun, replies with one of the greatest confessions of faith in scripture. Verse 45, thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield. But I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts. That's not bravado. That's not testosterone. That's not self-confidence. That's not Tony Rob. Who is it? Tony Robbins, you know, style of personal power. David's not saying, "I believe in myself." This is what David's saying. I believe in the one who sent me, the one who has anointed me. This day, he says, "The Lord will deliver thee into my hands." So, you notice how David's not emphasizing himself, but he's emphasizing God. He says, "This assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword or spear." Here we go. Love this phrase. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. And that is the centerpiece of the chapter. This is the hinge on which everything turns. That is the banner over every believer's valley. Not the battle is yours. Not the battle is your responsibility, not the battle is your burden, but it says that the battle is the Lord's. And I want you to see the impact because God does something extraordinary.

So something that's extraordinarily ordinary. It says in in verse 48, "David hastened and ran toward the army to meet the Philistines." David ran. He didn't creep. He didn't tiptoe. He didn't wait for backup. Verse 49. And David put his hand in the bag and took then a stone and slang it and smokeote the Philistine in his forehead that the stone sunk into his forehead and he fell upon his face to the earth. That's it. No dramatic slow motion, no elaborate choreography, no intense military duel, just a stone thrown by a shepherd guided by a god who never misses. And then Goliath falls forward almost like he's bowing before David. So the one that truly and the one that defeated him. So let's go to verses 50 through 54 because God brings victory to completion in a way that no one can question. And verse 50 kind of summarizes the entire battle with startling simplicity. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone. Not David the mighty warrior. Not David the heroic fighter. Not David the prodigy. Just a sling, a stone, a shepherd, and a God who works through weakness. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore, David ran and stood upon the Philistine and took his sword and threw it out of the sheath thereof and slew him and cut off his head therewith. Intense. I love scripture. tense, graphic, honest, and it holds meaning because God doesn't merely knock your giant down. He removes the power to rise again. When when God brings deliverance, he brings it completely. He deals with the root, not just the symptom. Y'all, this is gospel language. Not self-effort, not partial victory, not temporary relief, but a finished work. And I want you to imagine y'all David bringing the head there. You know, y'all uh y'all believe me now? Meanwhile, Saul's like, "Uh, you got a bag for that?" [laughter] Then something unex I mean like, "Yeah, he's got a head. It's dripping blood, brain guts, and stuff like that." Then something unexpected happens. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. Now, hold on a second. The Philistines had the numerical advantage. They had the weapons advantage. They had the height advantage. They had the armor advantage, but they ran. Not because David looked intimidating, but because God had revealed himself. The fear that once paralyzed God's people that was now transferred to the enemy and paralyzed the enemy. And here's verse 52. And the men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted. Isn't that fascinating? The army that couldn't move for 40 days suddenly finds this courage. Now, this teaches something that's kind of subtle, but it's beautiful. Courage is contagious, but so is fear. David's faith ignited a nation. And I want you to see the power that one life aligned with God can change the posture of thousands. This is a reminder that your faithfulness makes a difference and it can spark courage in people who who are watching you silently and waiting to see what God will do. So let's go to verses 55 through 58 because God works. When God works, people will try to define you, but only God gets to name you. Because this chapter ends with a scene that often goes unnoticed. Saul turns to Abn and he says verse 55. Who is this youth? Wait, Saul, you'd already met David just a chapter before. He's playing a harp for you. You loved him. What's wrong with you? David was your armor bearer. What? Why are you asking this question? Maybe Saul is not asking who is David as much as he's asking, "Hey, what what family does this young man come from?" Because the king had previously promised freedom from taxes and wealth to the family of the victor. Maybe Saul is asking for it because he's kind of stunned. The boy, the musician, the shepherd, the one overlooked is is now the giant slayer. But Abnner brings David before Saul, still holding Goliath's head like someone who hadn't figured out what to do with it. Saul says, "Who son art thou, young man?" Verse 58. David answers, "I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehem." No bragging, no flexing, no claiming a throne prematurely, no demanding re recognition. Just simple answer rooted in humility. And here's the deeper truth because David does not define himself by what he just accomplished. He defined himself by where he came from. And God's going to define him by where he's going. The giant's dead. The valley's behind him. The nation is changed, but David's heart remains anchored. Anchored. So, I want to uh start landing the plane a little bit because this story really isn't about David. It's about a greater shepherd who uh entered a greater valley, defeated a greater enemy. And if we stop the sermon right with David saying, "Hey, I'm son of Jesse the Bethamite." We are walking away with the wrong hero. Because while David's courage is inspiring, the point of scripture is never be like David. It's never gather your five stones. It's never believe in yourself because your heart is deceitfully wicked. Who can know it? There's none righteous, know not one. Uh yeah, believe you can mess up because that's true. So it's the point of scripture is never to be like David. Fi find your five stones, believe in yourself. The point of scripture is not face your giants. The point of scripture is not unlock your inner warrior. I mean that's all motivational, but hear me, it's not biblical. And you can find a thousand sermons and 900 of them are going to be you fought the battle. You face the giants. You pick it up. You get the stones. It's motivational. It's unbiblical. The true power of this chapter is that David foreshadows Jesus because David's victory became Israel's victory. Israel did nothing but they they won the day. And this is the heart of the gospel because we didn't win the battle. We didn't face the giant death. We didn't earn the victory. We simply received the finished work of the one who fought for us. And Jesus did not come to be your personal example of courage. He came to be your champion. And and our life is not about what we overcome for God, but what God has overcome for us. But the truth remains. Jesus is is is a better David. He entered our valley. He faced our enemy. He defeated death. He destroyed the giant sin. He cut off the head of condemnation and held it up in triumph. And and now the victory he won is freely given to his children. And so your hope is is not in your courage. It's in the God who steps into the valley with you. into the medical valley, into the family valley, into the financial valley, into the marriage valley, into the valley of fear, into the valley of grief and the valley of uncertainty, into the valley of of exhaustion, the spiritual valley that feels way too dark to navigate. And if you're honest, you feel like Israel, paralyzed, weighed down, unsure, shaking, hiding, wondering if the giant will ever stop shouting. one of wondering if the voices of cacophony will ever die down. But here's the truth from 1st Samuel 17. You will walk through the valleys, but you never walk alone. The God who fought for Israel fights for you today. The God who entered the valley with David enters the valley with you. And the passage doesn't tell you to find courage. It tells you where courage come from. It doesn't tell you to muster faith. It tells you who is faithful. It doesn't tell you to fight harder. It tells you who won the battle. So what 1st Samuel 17 means when the giant isn't 9 foot n but but your fear and your guilt and your exhaustion feel like it. We need this story because we we feel we don't need better motivation. We need better theology because look motivation wears off. Emotions fluctuate. Courage waxes and waines. Discipline helps but it never saves. And and and self-belief strengthens but it cannot deliver. The God's truth stands unshaken. The battle is the Lord's. So as we close out, let's have some just pastoral practical steps for walking through the valleys that you're in. Stop listening to the giants and start declaring who God is. Because giants talk loudly, fear talks loudly, but truth talks louder it if you speak it. Remember your faithfulness. Because David remembered the lions and the bears. And you have your stories, too. Moments when God met you. Remember them. Tell others about them because you can encourage them as well as yourself. Refuse to wear other people's armor. Stop performing. Stop pretending. Stop comparing. Walk in the identity that God gave you. Stop pretending. I was recently with a group of ministers and they were relating how they had been to a church and they had had an hourlong businessman and they were just elited just telling the story energizing how they had Robert's rules of order great perfect and and somebody made the statement yeah we should all have business meetings like that and I'm like we'll be passing on that again [laughter] because I'm not going to pretend that Robert's rules of order is the end all beall of measurement of your spirituality. You know what the measurement is? What does the Lord require of you? But to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. True religion is this and undefiled. To feed, to visit the fatherless, to feed the hungry, to clothe the poor. That's true measure of spirituality. So, we're not going to be wearing other people's armor. Stay small in your own eyes and big and have a big God in your in your eyes because David never made the battle about himself. He made it about a God who saves. And finally, keep walking. Keep walking even when you feel weak. Even when you don't know if you can make it up. David ran, yes, but there's some days when David looks like he's crawling. And both are still movement. Both are still faith. Both still lead to the God who fights for you. So, let me close out with this. I tell you a story I heard one time. Pastor visiting an elderly saint who was facing the end of life. She was weak. She was frail. She was tired. Valley deeper than any she had known. And the pastor said, "Are you afraid?" She smiled. Thin, weary, but calm. She says, "No, I'm not. Because the same God who walked me through every valley, he's going to walk me through this one. And if I step out of that valley, I won't see darkness. I'm going to step into his arms." That's the God of the valley. that that's the champion who fought for you and won. And I don't want to pretend your giants right now might be real, but so is your deliverer. Your valley may be deep, but so is his faithfulness. Your fear may be strong, but he is stronger. And your weakness may be great, but his love is greater. and your future is settled and secure and you were held by a God who ran toward the greatest valley of all and walked out with victory in your hand. So today here is a declarations over your life. You are not alone. You are not defeated. You are not abandoned. You are not powerless. The God of David, the God of the valley, the God who crushes giants, the God who sent his son, the God who conquered death, God who walks with you is the same God who stands with you now. and your giant will fall. Your valley will testify. Your story will shine. Your faith will grow. Your God will show up because he always has and he always will. If you'd like to serve him, we'll give you that chance as we sing him number him number 265. Let's sing the first and last stanza. Hymn number 265. Opening the doors of the church for anybody that wishes to walk with us as we serve our Lord.

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Bible's with you. Let's open up to 1st Samuel chapter 14. It'll be our last sermon out of chapter 14. We uh we were cruising through Samuel, right? And then we hit chapter 14 and bam, four sermons out of it. But it's a rich chapter because there's there's a whole bunch to it just to catch all up. Um start it this way

before the we hear the clash of swords in scripture for the first time. Um, we hear a greater sound. We hear a sound of a finished work. And it's a finished work that that from eternity, God determined that his son would triumph over this course of this uh weekend, this fall meeting. Uh, we heard about that. Brother Dicki spoke out of Genesis chapter 3:15 where the Lord and the creation time said to the serpent, "Hey, we're going to crush your head. The plan's already been set in motion." And all of that was determined before the first sound of swords. Right? So we as children of God are operating from a position of victory. We we're we're not operating and fighting for victory. We're operating from victory. And and let me tell you something. When we talk about victory, we're not talking about something fragile waiting on our effort to complete it because we're talking about something that's already been secured. And I say that because the children of Israel in 1st Samuel chapter 14 encountered an impossible battle. There 36,000 Philistines and just uh less than 600 Israelites. And Saul was absolutely terrified and he was hiding in place. But he had a son, son by the name of Jonathan, who one day when they're sitting around the camp, he looked over at his armor bearer and he said, "Hey, let's go on up against the Philistines." Because the Lord is able to save by many or by few. That's the God that we have. We serve a God who can take two fish and five loaves and feed 5,000 people on one side of the lake of gas and then on the other side he can feed 7,000. That's the God that we serve. We we serve a God who can take a stick and part the Red Sea. We serve a God who can take a stone and fell a giant. That's the God that we serve. We serve a God who tells you to go get empty vessels and not a few because a itty bitty ounce of oil is going to sustain you for years. That that's the God that we serve. And he's very active today. And in 1 Samuel chapter 14, that God was still very active. But Saul was terrified. Even though his nation, the nation of Israel, was the nation that was chosen. It was the nation that blessed. Well, Jonathan never forgot who he was. He was an Israelite, part of the family of God. And he knew about this God that had all power. So, he turns to his armor bearer and he says, "Hey, let's go on up because the Lord is able to save us by many or few." And then he made that climb. And if you ever see the pictures of this area of Israel and Mcmash, it was a difficult climb. I mean, he's he's crawling up there. Dirt is under his fingernail. He's sweating. And then he stops. He says, "Okay, here's what we're going to do, buddy." Uh, if they insult us, then we know that God's given us the battle. If they don't insult us, then we know that he hasn't given us the battle. All right? And they go on up and insult the the Philistines insult them and they're like, "All right, God's given us a battle. Let's go." And so they go on there. The Bible tells us within a half acre of land they they slew dozens dozens. I mean, it's just like Yoda going around fighting the Sith Lords in Star Wars and they're all fallen. And then the Israelites who are hiding in the camp just a little bit off, they see they hear the battle, they see the smoke, and they get encouraged and they charge on up there and they win. It's cool because God's given him the Bible. But then Saul, silly Saul, decides to put this stupid curse on them. And he says, "Curse should be anybody uh who eats until evening. Go get the Philistines." Now, why would Saul do that? Maybe because he wanted to press the battle, but the go Lord had already given them the victory. I think it might be because Saul said, and this is what he said, "Cursed be anyone that eats." uh till we get the Philistines so that I can be avenged. Somehow he took this great victory of God and he made it all about himself and being avenged. Avenged what? Well, in 1 Samuel chapter 13, we read that because Saul was impetuous and he didn't wait on Samuel according to the appointed time that he went ahead and started to offer a sacrifice up that he was not authorized. And so the kingdom, Samuel says, "Hey, the Lord would have established your kingdom forever, but because you've done this, he's taken his kingdom from you." In other words, you're not going to have a monarchy. In other words, your son's not going to be a king. Other words, it's over for you and your kingship. So Saul hearing that just in the very next battle, he's like, "I want you to pursue the Philistines so that I can be avenged." And that word has this connotation to it. He was going to try and earn God's favor back through his performance. But here's the thing. As children of God, we have God's favor. He can't love us any more than he does right now. He can't love us any. And he had given them the victory. But the Israelites in this battle when Saul laid that curse and oh by the way, scripture never authorizes Saul to give a curse. It was a stupid thing to say. And the people weren't going to be cursed that they ate. They were just disregarding some silly thing that the king said, but they were operating like it was the voice of God. It was not the voice of God. It was stupid Saul with stupid curse. And they were all scared. And then we get to verse 31, and this is where we're going to pick up today. And it says, "And they smoked the Philistines that day from Mcmash to Agelon. And the people were very faint." So here they are. They're they're standing in victory, but they're grasping for their breath. And and the enem is retreating. The promise is fulfilled, but the soldiers of Israel can hardly lift their head. Something is wrong when the people of God faint on a field of triumph. Something is wrong when redemption feels like exhaustion. And the problem isn't Saul's strength in this passage. It's the the the problem is not God's strength. It's Saul's vow here. Saul had made that stupid oath that says, "Look, I want to be avenged on my enemies." And have you ever slipped up on pride that I may be avenged? And what he did is he wrapped his spirituality. He wrapped his ambition with spirituality. And look, the reason I I point this and last week we spent a lot of time on what legalism is. legalism but by definition is trying to make yourself right with God by what you do. It's death to grace. It's antithetical to grace. But here every generation has this kind of vow. It's a subtle theology of performance. We tell ourselves, look, if I work harder, maybe God will notice. If I sacrifice more, maybe he'll love me more. If I fast long enough, pray loud enough, serve tirelessly enough. If I don't smoke, drink, dance, or hang out with people that did, maybe God will be pleased with me. Look, Saul's command right here only produced hungry soldiers. It never produced holy ones. And so, the battlefield here, what we're saying is it's littered with spoils that they were forbidden to taste. The trees were literally dripping with oil. The golden fragrant god-given and untouched because of man man-made curse. But the and I don't want you to miss this because the blessings are hanging within reach of the people who are starving under vows that God never spoke. And so what we learned last week is Jonathan never heard the oath. He sits there. He dips a stick in honey. And it says his eyes were enlightened and he was refreshed. And and and then it goes on verse 32, "And the people flew upon the spoil." So they're pursuing from Mcmash. This is a a field of battle goes about 17 miles and they're pursuing them and they're exhausted and they're fainting. And it says, "And the people flew upon the spoil and took the sheep and the oxins and the calf and slew them on the ground. And the people did eat them with the blood. And then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people sin against the Lord, and that they eat with the blood." And he said, "Ye have transgressed. Roll a great stone on me this day." So, I want y'all to dig what's going on here. Because they've pursued them for 17 miles. They haven't been able to eat all day. They're starving. They're figning. And they come upon the spoils. I guess the evening sun is setting because they finally start to eat and they're so hungry that they don't even let the food cook properly and they start to eat it with the blood in it. The reason that's important is because of Genesis 9. The reason that's important is because of Leviticus 17, which forbids people from eating undercooked meat that still has the blood in it. You couldn't do it because the blood in the Old Testament always pointed to Christ. It's just a consistent pointing. The life is in the blood. It's repeated over and over in the Old Testament. So God had a very simple command. Hey, cook your meat. At least get it medium rare, but cook it. Don't be eating it with the blood in it. But these people are so famished. They are so hungry that they just can't wait. Here's one of the pernitious things about legalism. It actually produces worse sin. Because what legalism does is it makes you feel like you're not accepted by God because you're not performing right. You're not thinking right. You're not enough. What grace says is enough. God loved you. He died for you knowing that you weren't enough and he made you. That's what grace for when we were enemies. He has reconciled us unto himself. We are God's children not because of anything we did, said, acted, or behaved. We're God's children because of his grace. So if you ever allow this mentality of I've got to do this, I've got to do this, I've got to do this, just beware that that kind of mentality actually produces greater sin, does it here? And hey, it also ought to make us aware because parents love your children, you know, and and parents just that withhold love from I just want to give you an example. We are commanded to love our children or for their good. Parents that withhold love from their children produce promiscuous children looking for love. Parents that overdisipline their children produce children who go astray and they will leave as soon as they're free from your restraint. So be careful about adding to the words of the Lord and and do what he says because right here restraint had broken out and chaos followed and the people were so desperate that they were devouring raw meat. And yet notice this, God doesn't withdraw his victory. He let his faint, fumbling people eat and recover. And I love that because grace stays with you even when order collapses. Pick up with verse 34 because it says, "And when Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat, and send not against the Lord, and eating with the blood." and all the people brought every man his ox with him that night and slew them there. Then it says in verse 35, "And Saul built an altar unto the Lord." The same was the first altar that he built unto the Lord. And I don't know if you underline your Bibles, but you may want to underline that last passage. The same was the first altar that built that he built unto the Lord. He had been king for over 20 years. Why is this the first altar he's ever building to the Lord? But there's actually a lot of encouragement right here because this scene is chaos. Israel's been fighting all day. They've been fasting because of Paul Saul's rash oath. And by the time the sun goes down, they're starving. The smell of roasted meat fills the air. Someone breaks the law, starts to eat it with the blood. It's gross. It's forbidden. It's a full-blown mess. And right here in the middle of the cleanup, Saul builds an altar. I love that because sometimes God meets us not after we get our act together, but right in the middle of the cleanup operation. You've been there. You know, you finally realize that you made a mess and you're standing there with your mop bucket in the middle of it, your spiritual mop bucket, and you didn't plan to sin, but here you are explaining it to God anyway. And just when shame tells you to hide, God says, "Hey, let's build something here." This is Saul's first altar, leading Israel for years, fighting, commanding, conquering, but he never stopped long enough to build an altar until now. It's as if God is saying, "Hey, I'll take your altar even if it comes too late. I'll take your altar even if it's built on the ashes of disobedience." And that's good news because God doesn't wait for perfect timing or polished hearts to begin his work. He's just looking for some surrendered ground. And that's what Saul's doing right here. You don't I love this because you don't need a fresh start. Really, what you need moment moment where you say, "Lord, I blew it, but I am still yours." Saul might have had the kingship stripped away from him, but he was still an Israelite who was still one of the the people of God. Sometimes the most powerful altars are built on regret and restoration instead of perfection. And that's where God's plan shines brightest, right where we thought it was over. So, let's look at some of the sovereignty in the story. Because if we step back right here, we see who's really steering the story. Saul might think he's managing the cleanup duty, but God's managing the redirection. And I love that because even when leaders wobble, the Lord's hand doesn't. Even Israel didn't deserve mercy that night, but they still got a meal. Saul didn't deserve to build an altar, but God's going to meet him here. He's going to be it's going to be different, but he's going to meet him here. And there's this thread that runs throughout all of scripture. God works through imperfect people and that's a great encouragement for me. He works through imperfect moments. That's an encouragement at least for me. He works his perfect plans through this. And he doesn't need your strength. He's just looking for your space. Jesus says, "Come unto me all ye who are heavy laden, and I'm going to give you rest." Let's come take our fears and our discouragements and our doubts. Let's take him those moments. It's like the Lord is saying, "Let me have the place where you thought you failed and I'll make it holy ground." And I imagine when I'm looking at this story, someone looking at Saul and say, "Really, Saul? We finally get to eat. You want to stop and have a worship service?" But sometimes, I guess that's how God operates. You know, interrupts the appetite with an altar. And maybe that's us, too, because we want to get on with life. God keeps pausing us and helping us to remember who he is. It's almost like he's saying, "Don't just enjoy the victory. Acknowledge the victor." And sometimes I think the best thing that we can do after a long day is to stop and build an altar before we take a bite. Because 1st Samuel 14 reminds us that God can turn any battlefield into a sanctuary, including the one that you're fighting right now. And the same ground that is stained by failure can become the foundation of worship. And that God is still writing the story even when we're cleaning up ours. So before we rush to fix the problem, before we rush to fix what's wrong, remember to pause and build your altar. Because the altar is not about what you bring, more about who you meet while you're there. Let's pick up with verse 36. Because

Saul was impetuous in chapter 13 when he decided to to have the to have the sacrifice without Samuel in contrary contravention of God's law. He's going to be impetuous again because he's going to make plans without approval. Let's see how that works out for him. Verse 36. And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them." In other words, let's kill him, every man, woman, and child. And they said, "Do whatsoever seemth good unto thee." Then said the priest, "Let us draw near hither unto God." And Saul asks counsel of God. Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day. So y'all get the picture, right? Saul's been hustling all day, commanding, chasing, cleaning up after his own mistakes. He finally builds his first altar, and he prays. But this time, God doesn't answer. Have you ever been there?

You finally decide to talk to God after running full speed ahead in your own direction, and heaven feels like it's hit the moot button. You open your Bible, you whisper a prayer, and all you get is a a quiet. Like, really, Lord, now's the time when you choose to be silent. That's Saul's moment. Sometimes it's our moment. But here's the truth of it. And here's what's beautiful. Even in the silence, listen to me. Even in the silence, God is still speaking. Because many times silence is not rejection, it's redirection. I want to say that again. God is still speaking even in the silence because many times silence is not rejection. It's reflection. It's God saying before I give you a new direction, let's deal with your heart. Let's deal with what's on the un inside. And Saul wants to rush into another battle. He's ready to attack. He's he's he's he wants to go through the night, but the priest steps in thankfully and says, "Hey, idea." Just throwing it out there, Saul. Let's talk to God first. And there's a sermon all by itself right there. But sometimes the holiest thing we can do is to slow down before we mess up. Because we live, I live in a move fast and fix it later mentality. But Saul had that mindset, too. He's like, "Let's go down. Let's not leave a single Philistine." But the priest reminds him, "Hey, look, you don't necessarily need another victory right now. You kind of need some direction." Maybe that's where some of us are today. That we're praying about the next move, but God's not answering because he's still healing us from the last move. He's not ignoring you. is actually protecting you from proceeding into something prematurely. And this story shows us that God's mercy doesn't necessarily shows up when things get right. It it shows up in the in between the awkward gap moments between the sin and the restoration, between the striking and the the surrender. And here it is. Look, Saul's altar, we can all admit it's late. I mean, it's the first one he had built in 20 years. We can all admit Saul's altar was late. His prayer was delayed. His leadership was shaky, but God is still present. And I got to be honest with you, if I was the Lord God Almighty, I'd be thinking, "Oh, now you ask Saul." But thank goodness he's not like me. His mercy doesn't expire with bad timing. He He waits, not because he's cruel, but because he's kind enough to teach us what his voice sounds like again. And sometimes the silence of God is the mercy of God. Because when you've been charging ahead without him, silence is what should slow down your soul enough to notice his presence. And I can almost see Saul standing here with his sword in his hand. The altar till smoking saying, "All right, God. Ready when you are." And heaven's like, "Well, actually, we're going to hold off for a minute." And that's a humbling moment. And you know what? Sometimes we need that divine pause before we can pray like Saul, asking God to bless a plan that we've already decided on. It's like, "Hey Lord, please lead me." But so, you know, I've already sent the email. We said, "Oh, Lord, give me some revelation." But we've already taken the action. And I love that God loves us enough to interrupt that like he's saying before you go into your next battle.

Let's build an altar and remember who's really in charge. And so Saul built his first altar. It's almost poetic because the next verse says that God did not answer him that day because the altar is not about getting answers. It's about acknowledging God's authority again. And the breast the best prayers that we have are not the ones that get a yes and a no. They're the ones that put you in a position to trust whatever he says even when he says no. So here God is. He's silent. And that's not the end of the story. is actually an invitation to wait at the altar. And what excites me is that the same God who stayed silent in 1st Samuel 14 would one day stay silent on a Saturday on a Friday afternoon when Jesus hung between heaven and earth. Because that silence wasn't his absence, it was his accomplishment. And the son of God was securing for us what Saul could never win. a relationship that was not based on a performance but based on a promise. So when you pray and heaven feels quiet, I encourage you don't panic. Maybe God is just saying pause. I'm still here. Remember, take this time to remember that I am the king. Verse 38. And Saul said, "Draw ye near hither all the chief of the people, and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day. For as the Lord liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan, my son, he shall surely die." Though there was not a man among all the people that answered him. The irony is so thick here. It's Saul's rash oath that caused this. And yet, he's looking for a reason. So he builds an altar. He doesn't hear from God. And so he starts putting thought bubbles above God's head. How many of y'all are good at putting thought bubbles above other people? You are all liars and sinners because every single one of you do it. Every single hand should have gone up in this congregation. And for some of you, two hands should have gone up. Y'all putting So he doesn't hear from God and he's putting a thought bubble. I mean, God has literally given him a chance to just wait and remember that he's the king and wait for an answer. But Saul's like, "Nope, not answering me because he's angry at me and he's angry at me because of something you people did and we're going to figure it out and you're going to be punished. Even if it cost me my son's life, you're going to be punished." What a stupid thing to do. And so what the scriptures say is that they cast a lot between Saul, Jonathan, and people. And it came down to Saul and Jonathan. And then they cast a lot between Saul and Jonathan themselves. And it falls on Jonathan. Saul's like, "What did you do?" Jonathan says, "Tasted the honey." And Saul says, "You're going to die for tasting honey."

What are you thinking? But do you see how the snowball effect of one rash vow, one legalistic rule that God didn't add, it starts to pile up, and starts to add on, and then it becomes this kind of force that goes with it. That's why we got to be careful to really diligently protect the grace of God. It goes out to sinners hurting people. And so Jonathan's like when when when Saul says that, Jonathan's like, "Okay, I'm willing to do it." Let's pick it back up. Verse 40 and 42. Then he said unto Israel, "Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan, my son, will be on the other side." And the people said un Saul, "Do what seemth good unto thee." Therefore Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel, "Give me a perfect lot." Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped. And Saul said, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan, my son." And Jonathan was taken. See, Jonathan, listen, let's be really clear right here. Jonathan had not sinned. He disobeyed a king's command. That is not a sin. He disobeyed a king's stupid command. That wasn't a sin. It was disobeying a king's command. He tasted honey. God given honey, by the way, because honey doesn't sit on the ground and float down trees. Then it says in verse 43, "Then Saul said to Jonathan, tell me what thou hast done." And Jonathan told him and said, "I did, but tasted a little honey at the end of the rod that was in my hand. And lo, I must die." And Saul answered, "God, do so and more also, for thou shalt surely die." Jonathan, there's parent of the year award. So, here's Saul's vow, devouring reason. He's he's willing to execute his own son to protect a vow that God never required. And that's what religion without relationship will do. It will sacrifice people to preserve appearances. It will crucify the innocent to cover up insecurities. And Jonathan, to his credit, steps forward, calm, resolute. Yeah, I ate the honey. Yeah, I gotta die. He's innocent. He doesn't argue. He doesn't run. He stands in the gap. Sound familiar? Because that's what Jesus did. The really innocent son. The one who brought salvation. The one who tasted joy. The one who obeyed perfectly. The one who trusted completely. The one who was condemned by a broken system of man's pride. And he tasted sweetness, too. But it wasn't honey. It was for the joy that was set before him. It was you. He didn't deserve it. And at Calvary, Jesus became the curse that should have fallen on us. I want to see the people's intercession here because in verse 45, the people are like, "What? Jonathan, who actually is the reason that we won? You're going to kill him? Shall Jonathan die who hath wrought this great salvation? God forbid not one hair on his head shall fall. And so at last at last at last some reason returned. The people intercede. They recognize that Jonathan's actions had actually brought about that victory. And you know in an imperfect way that's kind of a gospel echo. Salvation came by another and Jesus the faithful son lived perfectly. Then it says in verse 47, "And Saul took the kingdom over of Israel." It's kind of like a postcript and fought against all of his enemies on every side. Verses 48 and 49 read like the chronicles of the king. And what we really have going down now is kind of the closing ending chapters. Although Samuel Saul will continue on in 1 Samuel, his kingship and kind of bringing to a close right here. And that's why the verbiage is such. It says the key words I want to get is so Saul took over the kingdom of Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side. He had an impressive looking resume, but there's no song of joy. And let me tell you something, y'all. Activity can camouflage emptiness. It says he fought on every side, but he inner peace, it always eluded them. We see that in the final verse, verse 52. And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, any valiant man, he took him. So he's just going out there collecting people to be part of it. But he didn't have peace for his entire kingship. And so first Samuel right here closes without peace. Saul is restless. Jonathan is spared. Israel is uncertain. What this story does is beg for a better king. And that king is Jesus. Where Saul said, "Cursed be the man who eats." Jesus said, "Take, eat. This is my body." And at his table, hunger ends. So if you find yourself faint, running hard but hollow, I want you to hear our Lord's gentle call. Stop striving. Sit down. Enjoy the honey of my grace because the battle is over. The curse is broken and our king, our king is good and he still reigns. If you'd like to worship Jesus as we do here at Camp Creek Church as one who has accomplished what he came to do, the finished work of Christ is completed and you just want to enjoy it, not for relationship but for fellowship. We give you that chance. Stand and sing hymn number him number 22. We'll sing the first and last and open the doors of the church for the reception.

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