Saul's Sin

Would you please stand for the call to worship? A call to worship comes from Psalm 67 versus one through three. Please be attentive to the word of God.

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us. That your way may be known on Earth. Your saving power among all nations. Let the people's praise you, oh, God, let all the people's praise you.

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Please join me in prayer.

Lord God, our father in heaven. We do come before you now to give you praise, honor and glory for who you are. You are majestic. You are infinite. You are powerful. You are merciful, loving and gracious. You've brought us out of darkness and into light.

Not that we had deserved any of that, but by your great love for us, you have done that for us. We pray that your spirit would work in us to convict us of our sin. To be repentant of that and to live our lives in honor of you. That every thought we'd be captive. That we would think on beautiful things. That you have given us your word. That we would come to know it more, come to love it more, come to share it more. We pray that you would be glorified in our lives, that we would be a light to others, that we would share the good news. Not only with others, but with ourselves to constantly remind us. Of the great news that you have for us. That you have delivered us. Lori, pray that you would bless the service, that you would be honored by it. That the preaching of the word would touch our hearts, would convict us and would encourage us to live holy lives, pleasing to you that we would reflect your glory to others, that they may see that and see your beauty in it. We pray for this service that we would worship you in spirit and in truth. That you would. Be greatly pleased by it. We pray this spirit will be strong in us today, that you would give us great encouragement, that we'd be motivated to live godly lives. We pray for our congregation, for those who are sick and suffering, that you would bring healing, that you would bring peace, that you would draw us to you in adversity. That we would think godly thoughts, that we would treat each other with respect and love. That would honor you. We pray your glory would be shown to us each day, that we would not be hindered by the ways of the world. Or our flesh. But that you would deliver us daily. And to. Being. More sanctified each day by the work of your spirit. To continue the work he has begun in us and to bring it to completion. Laura, God, we give you praise, honor and glory once more. This day, the Lord's day, we pray that you would be glorified. We pray your blessing on us. Your church. In Jesus name. Amen.

One of the ways God brings glory to himself is by pouring out blessing on his people. The covenant community on us. We in turn rejoice in that blessing, delight in that goodness. And the world in turn, sees our joy in him and gives him glory. What a beautiful cycle that is of God blessing us. Rejoicing the world, giving God glory for. That's what Psalm 67 is about. Let's begin our worship thinking about the goodness of God and how his goodness to us brings him glory across the whole world. Stand with me as we sing.

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Our New Testament reading this morning is from Romans, Chapter 11. Paul has just been grieving about the condition of his people. The nation of Israel, their hardness of hearts towards God, their unbelief, their failure to enter the rest that has been offered to them. And now he's highlighting the fact that in response to that hardness of heart, God is grafting in another branch into the root. This covenant root and that branch, of course, is the Gentiles. You and me receive the wonderful covenant blessings of God. And he's reminding us in telling us how we got into this tree, how we were grafted in reminding us to not boast, to not be arrogant, to recognize that it's all of grace. We have no no reason to brag or think that we are something. God's grace is the only reason that any sinner receives blessing and pardon and acceptance in the presence of a holy God. Let's think about these things as read Romans eleven beginning at verse 17.

But if some of the branches were broken off and you although a wild all of shoot were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing roots of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches.

If you are, remember, it is not you who support the route, but the route that supports you. Then you will say branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief. But you stand fast through faith, so do not become proud. But fear for if God did not spare the natural branches. Neither will he spare you. Note, then, the kindness and the severity of God severity toward those who have fallen. But God's kindness to you provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you, too, will be cut off. And even they if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again, for a few were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree. How much more will these the natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree? Lest you be wise in your own site, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery brothers. A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the gentiles has come in. And in this way, all Israel will be saved as it is written. The deliverer will come from Zion. He will banish on godliness from Jacob. And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins as regards the gospel. They are enemies. For your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable for just as you were at one time, disobedient to God, but now have received mercy because of their disobedience. So they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you, they also may now receive mercy, for God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways for who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid for from him and through him and to him? Are all things to him be glory forever?

A man. This is the word of the Lord.

Let's battle in God's presence and acknowledge that all we have is ours through grace, through faith, by grace in Christ alone, would you pray with me church as we confess our sin this morning?

Almighty and everlasting lord, we have offended and daily offend the eyes of Your Majesty. In all the actions of our life, you have just cause, O Lord, to thrust us into hell for our many offenses. Remembering those offenses is a grief to our consciences so that we are unable to find any rest or ease in ourselves. To whom then shall we call? To whom shall we run? We call upon you father of mercies. For you are infinite in goodness. We run to you. Oh, Christ, our redeemer for you alone can forgive our sins. Forgive us and confirm in us your Holy Spirit that we may utterly give ourselves to obedience both now and forever. We pray these things in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen. Take a moment to silently confess your specific sins to the Lord. Now. Listen now to these words from someone of three. The Lord is merciful and gracious. Slow to anger and abounding and steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities for as high as the heavens are above the earth. So great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west so far, does he remove our transgressions from us?

My sin. Oh, the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part, but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, my soul. If you believe that, would you stand with me as we sing?

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Oh, men remain standing in honor of God's word as we read it together this morning.

All sounded like you meant that song. So what is supposed to be?

First, Samuel, Chapter 19. We're going to be looking at the whole chapter. But I'm I'll start with the first six verses. And Sal spoke to Jonathan, his son, into all his servants. They should kill David. But Jonathan PSol son delighted much in David. And Jonathan told Sal, Sal, my father seeks to kill you, therefore, be on your guard in the morning, stay in a secret place and hide yourself. Now we'll go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything, I will tell you. And Jonathan spoke well of David ASOL, his father, and said to him, Let not the king sinned against his servant David because he has not sinned against you, because his deeds have brought good to you. But he took his life in his hand. He struck down the Philistine. And the Lord worked to great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced while they and we see and against innocent blood. By killing David without calls. And so I'll listen to the voice of Jonathan Saul Sors the Lord Leia's.

He shall not be put to death. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we are dealing with the passage of Scripture today that took place three thousand years ago. The people at that time didn't have cars and airplanes and atomic bombs or cell phones. They had the same problem that we do, sinful hearts. What Jesus said in John 319 was true in his day and King Saul's day in an our day, me in love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Or, as Jeremiah said, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? As we look at PSol scenes today, help us to see it as a wakeup call. Help us to see the danger of loving self more than Christ. Help us to not forsake the Lord, the fountain of living water.

Heavenly Father, the culture in our country is quickly shifting to an angry, violent anti God man, say a. I pray that we as a church have not stepped over the line of no return. I pray that the testimony of the true church will reach into the heart of a dying culture and give hope. Well, there's nothing but hopelessness. May we leave this building today rejoicing, believing the promise of Jesus who sat on this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Speak to us, live your word. Keep my lips from era 40 isn't a precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. A man you may be seated.

What do God's people do in times of utter lawlessness when police are being attacked and those attacks are being applauded when private property is being destroyed? And mayors and governors sit back and just let it happen where people are being shot on the street and no one seems to want to do anything about it. Where gay parades are applauded and sex change operations are are being pushed on. Confused teenagers who are hospitals limit necessary heart operations while the abortion clinics are running full steam. Where a congresswoman from New York brings a bill up to Congress saying, let the people who live in under under the poverty level shoplift if they won't do without any prosecution.

In other words, just forget the eighth commandment statutes of Jesus being pulled down and drug through the streets in China, in homes where there's a picture of Jesus. Government officials coming in and ripping off the pictures of Jesus, replacing it with a picture of me as a turn in Iran. Christians being arrested and then many being put to death.

In other words, as a Chapter five fleshed out and in living color, where gods say it won't do, those who call good, evil and evil good, who put light for darkness and darkness for light, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Now, we've seen personal scene and we have seen political corruption pretty much all our lives, but we have never seen it at the level that we are seeing it today. And folks, what's going on is not just rebellion. It is rebellious anger and it's a rebellious anger that's even unexplained. You talk to some of these rioters, they look like they're going to explode with anger. And you ask them, we know what's wrong and they can't even tell you. You ask them, what is it going to take to make you happy? They don't know what it's going to take to make you happy. Paul had a term for this that he used in Second Thessalonians, Chapter two, and this is what he called this. He called it the mystery of lawlessness. And he said it was operating in his world in the day in which he was living. But he said it would multiply exponentially in the last days. Now, I'm not a date setter. Jesus warned us about that, but neither do I have my head in the sand. Paul tells us that a man is seeing a man of lawlessness is going to rise up before, immediately before in those days, immediately before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he will be a wicked demon possessed global leader. And he will not come until, first of all, there's a rebellion and apostasy, a turning away of the faith.

Is that happening in America today? You better believe it's happening in America today. We have churches and denominations all over our land today that are caving into the culture and abandoning the true gospel for folks. We have a situation where there's a refusal in churches to call seen, seen. There's a push to deny that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. And in many churches, there is not just an outright denial of truth, but there is a purposeful avoidance of the truth. So I want to read you. Second, Timothy, this passage in second Timothy, because I think it's very important.

And as I say it, I'm not saying that I know that history is getting ready to come to an end, but I am saying that what Paul's talking about here sounds a whole lot like what's going on in our day and time. Second Thessalonians, two versus three to toil. Let no one to save you in any way for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first.

And the man of lawlessness is reveal the son of destruction who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called God or object of worship, says that he takes his seat in the Temple of God, proclaimed himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things and you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time to the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way, and when the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming to the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refuse to love the truth and to be saved. Therefore, God sends them a strong delusion so they may believe what his faults in order that all may be condemned, who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Is our world right now living under a strong delusion? Absolutely. Is our world right now believing the lie? Absolutely.

It is now said all that because I believe that First Samuel Chapter 19 is extremely relevant for our day in time. King Saul was living under a delusion. He was living under a delusion, and he had become confused, paranoid and irrationally angry. He was taking this theist, Bollon, his fist up and shaking his fist at God. And folks, I want you to know that's what's happening in our world today. Now, I want to take a minute.

Read you Psalm Chapter two vs. one two. Forward this psalm. Let us know that in the light of all this craziness that's going on right now, that the Lord Jesus Christ is still on the throne. We need to understand that. We need to live like that. We need to know that A.F. is not calling the shots. We need to know that China's military is not a threat to the true and living God. We need to know that the Marxist agenda has not put God into a panic.

And here we see solved. And what we see here is this. PSol is not sovereign.

God is sovereign. Oversoul God is saying that David will be the next king and Saul can't do a thing about that. Folks, listen carefully, especially the last verse of some two versus one. Three, four. One of the nation's rage and the people plot in vain. The kings of the Earth sent them sales and. Rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying, let us burn their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds them in derision. The Lord looks down at Saul, who is absolutely committed to killing David, and God laughs at him. Hasid Saul, this is not going to happen. And I want you to know that the Lord is looking at America today as it drags statues of Jesus down the street, as it burns Bibles, as it blasphemes God, as it burns churches. And God laughs. Why? Because he knows there and he knows that judgment is coming and that judgment is eternal and that judgment is certain.

Listen to God's message to the idol worshiping Babylon in Isaiah 46 versus eight to 10.

Remember this and stand firm. Recall it to mine, you transgressors. Remember the former things of all four. I am God and there is no other. I am God. And there's none like me declaring the end from the beginning. And from ancient times, things that are not yet done, say, in my council shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose.

Four points I want to share with you today about salt, see, and no one is is salt sea and thwarted.

So get versus 136 again. And Sal spoke to Jonathan, his son and all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saule son delighted much in David and Jonathan told David saw my father seeks to kill you, therefore be on your guard in the morning, stay in a secret place and hide yourself. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. And I'll speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything, I will tell you. And Jonathan spoke well of David ASOL, his father, and said to him, Let not the king sinned against his serve. David, because he has not sinned against you and because his deeds have brought good to you, for he took his life in his hand and he struck down the Philistine. And the Lord worked a great salvation for all of Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Well, then you see in against innocent blood. By killing David without calls. And so I'll listen to the voice of Jonathan Saul swore as the lordly as he shall not be put to death. Saul goes to Jonathan and his staff and he proclaims that David has got to die, that he wants. David. David. This is a very shocking request. Reverse one. Yes. That Jonathan delighted in David. We saw a couple of weeks ago that Jonathan had entered into a Covenant brother relationship with David and they committed their loyalty and their faithfulness to each other.

They made a commitment to each other, a vow to each other that they would protect each other even until death. And Saul staff loved David. I mean, they were under the intimidation of Goliath. They knew what that felt like. David came along. David destroyed Goliath. Kildee put an end and all that by the Lord's help. And they were excited about it. And they loved David because of that. They praised David and they thought much of him and they had great respect for him. Now, what was King Saul thinking here? He knew that Jonathan, his son, was a covenant brother with David. He knew that saw that his own staff respected and loved David.

What was the problem? Here it is.

Saul is so self centered. So sales senator. He thinks everybody thinks like he does. So he thinks Jonathan has got to be warning desperately to become king of Israel. And so he's willing to do whatever it takes to get there and to get there. David has got to be removed. David has got to be taken out of the way. So he thinks, Don Jonathan will gladly just forget about his integrity and his loyalty to David in order that he might get the throne. Eugene Oldham taught me a great theological truth years ago. And it was this scene makes you stupid. At a great, great truth. And let me tell you, a and made sounds stupid. He just took it for granted that everybody was a sailfish and his prideful as he was, he was dead wrong. Jonathan was not. What did Jonathan do? Jonathan immediately went to David and he told David, Just let me tell you what my father's got planned for you. My father's planning to kill you. Now, I don't want that to happen. So we need to do this. We need to make plans. You need to listen to me.

And he helped David prepare for Saul's attempt at killing him in this amazing here is God thwarting Saul's sin. And he does it through his own son, Jonathan.

Richard Phillips has some great insight here. He said this with this goal in mind. Jonathan spoke to his father. His approach provides a positive example of a child of God should respond with truth and grace to conspiracy is a sin and unbelief. Jonathan is addressed to his father, was simultaneously courteous and bold, offering counsels apprenticed together with direct appeals to the word of God. His purpose was to press upon solid evidence of David's innocence, along with a central filing of his murders plan. We might classify Jonathan's initial approach to Saul as an appeal to common grace. This term refers to the way that God works in the world in a common or preservative way, promoting virtue and truth so as to restrain evil for the sake of its gospel.

Common grace is not saving grace. It does not directly save anyone. Yet by God's influence on human society, it preserves those who God will later save by special saving grace to faith in Christ. Jonathan was relying on God's common grace when he appealed to souls.

Better judgment, a taste. Sometimes we get frustrated with hard hearted people who think they know, know all the answers and is sometimes we just want to give up. Throw in the towel and just forget it is just not worth it. I'll tell you, this passage here are to give us unbelievable encouragement and hope. Jonathan's godly advice broke Saul's heart. Jonathan's godly advice went into Saul's mind and helped him to make a right decision. I think that's encouraging to me. That's encouraging to me that God can take his precious word and speak it through my lips and that word, my inner into the heart of somebody who doesn't know God at all and enter into that heart. And then God has the power to take that seed. That's been the word that's been planted into them and bring that seed to everlasting life. So through a godly conversation, Surles Evil was restrained. But it was not completely conquered. Jonathan, use human morality and just common sense to altar's to alter cells. Man Now, I shared with you a few weeks ago that a WPC does not believe that Jonathan was a saved man. I totally disagree with him. And one of the disagreements that I have is, is because of what he's doing right here. What is John doing? Jonathan doing ASOL. He is appealing to the word of God. He is taking the word of God and appealing to Saul with the word of God. Why? Because he knows this. The word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than a two edged sword piercing needed to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. And as a joint to the mayor and as a dishonor of the thoughts and the intent of the heart. Jonathan uses the word. He uses the sword of the spirit with his daddy. And he says, let not the king see in who was should you shed innocent blood. But by killing David, who hasn't done anything against you? Why should you do this? If you do this, you're going to get yourself in trouble. David was appealing to Deuteronomy Chapter 19 verse teen that tells us that if we slay an innocent person, that we will experience judgment and that judgment is death. He tried to warn so and that warning from God's word did its intended work. Saul relented. He woke up for a minute and Saul said, as the Lord Lias, David will not be put to death.

While folks, we must not neglect the word of God. We must remember that there is power in the word of God.

We must remember that the word of God is the sword of the spirit.

We must remember that all scriptures inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine, for approved for correction and instruction in righteousness.

High point to ASOL, see and displayed for Samuell 19 versus 17 17.

And Jonathan Karl, David and David reported to him all these things. Jonathan brought David to. He was in his presence as before. And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow. So they fled before him. Then a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the Liar and Sol assault upon David to the wall with the spear. But he eluded Sol so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

Saul sent messengers to David Tale's to watching. You might kill him in the morning. But Michael David's wife told him, if you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you'll be killed. So Michael let David down through the window. And he fled away and escaped. Michael took an image, an idol, and laid it on the bed and put a pillar of goat's hair in his head and covered it with clothes. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said he's sick. Then Saul sent in the messengers to see David saying, bring him up to me in the bay that I a killing. And when the messengers came and behold, the image was in the bed with a pill of goat's hair on it. Saul said to Michael, Why do you deceive me, us? And let my enemy go?

So that he has escaped. And Michael answered Saul. He said to me, Let me go. Why should I kill you? In response to Jonathan's wise counsel, Saul made a veil not to kill David. So David went back to work for him. And when he went back to work, Saul immediately put him to a great task. He sent him out to fight the Philistines again. And this time he went out. He battled against the Philistines. He won a great battle, brought great relief to the people of Israel and great joy to their hearts right after the ASOL falls into another depression. And so they bring David back in. And when David comes back in, he brings his heart is liar. And he begins to play to soothe Saul's depression, to help him out of this great down town that he is in. As David played, a demonic spirit attacked Saul, creating in him fear, paranoia and anger. And all of a sudden, just like that, Saul forgot his veil that he'd made not to kill David. And he reached over. He took his spear and he threw that spirit. David just as hard as he could. And what did David do? David jumped out of the way, just like he did with Goliath and the spear stuck straight into the wall.

How do you explain Saul's behavior? So was spiritually flipflopping, spiritually flipflopping. He is flesh was in constant war with God. You know what that's called? That's called double mindedness and that will kill a Christian, James.

Chapter one, verse eight. James said that the double minded man is unstable in all of his ways. So I could make pious nails one second and then just minutes later break those veils and act like it was no big deal. So I was living a lie, as Eugene say, is seen meeting stupid if any man ever proved our need to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. I think it's Saul. Richard Phillips said this.

The power of seeing so infects the unsaved man that men and women become suicidally irrational in their pursuit of wealth, power, lust or hatred.

We also need to remember that this evil spirit that came upon Saul didn't just do it on his own. God sovereignly allowed this to happen. Now you say, well, how does that work? God doesn't have an evil spirit. How does that evil spirit get upon him if God is sovereign over it? This is what happened. Saul rebelled against God and God took his restraining hand of of grace off of Saul. In other words, he let down the protective hedge that had been around Saul and in the midst of that spiritual vacuum. This demonic spirit attacked Saul Goodman in the first chapter Jobe, where Satan is speaking to God and Satan, says Juggs got a head protective head your Randy. You take that head down and you let me get to win. And then Joe will curse you to your face. What God did God? Pull the hedge down Satan. Attack Jobe. And Joe responded in such faith that God was greatly, greatly glorified. For those of you who view God as a doting old grandfather who sits up in the heavens rocking on rocking chair, winking at our scene, just let us see on slide. Let me encourage you to remember the words of the writer of Hebrews who said it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. Paul said it this way in Romans Chapter one.

He said that those sinful men and women who will not acknowledge God or obey his commands will be given up to dishonorable passions and their minds will become debased and they will do what ought not to be done. Folks, this is where much of America is right now. American culture in America today thinks they are enlightened. Let me tell you something. They are not enlightened. They are darkened. They are darkened. So much so that me and go after me and women go after women. The nuclear family is being attacked to be destroyed. Our culture rejects decency and order and calls it a good thing.

I want you to know that the rejection of decency and order in a nation is not a good thing. It is the judgment of God. So David runs from Saul.

He runs from Saul. And God protects him. And he uses Saul's daughter, David's wife, to be the one who would save David's life.

I believe that Jonathan was saved. And as the reason for that is, I see a lot of evidence for salvation in his life. I see a lot of spiritual fruit in him. Not so with Michael. I don't see any spiritual fruit in Michael. I don't see any evidence that she really belonged to the Lord. And yet God uses her in this situation to hide David and to save his life. She put an idol in the bed with him, put some hair on it, make it look like it was David so that anybody would come near the bedroom, would think that David was there and everything was okay. Here's the question for me. What's an idol doing in David's house? David's a man after God's own heart. We have a situation here where there's an unequal yolk between husband and wife. Husband was a believer, David. The wife was not a believer. And because of that, they were not on the same spiritual page.

In verse 17, SOL questions Michael about why she deceived me. And she told him a flat out lie that could have ruined David's reputation. She she she said, well, I had to do this. I didn't have any choice in doing this because David said he would kill me if I didn't do it.

While.

Walter Chantry said the following. It is possible that these conversations strain David and Michael's relationship relationship in ways that that never healed. David, scene of polygamy in years to come. Inexcusable in itself may have found a motivation in the poorly yoked relationship of his marriage to Cells Delta.

I think that's true.

All right. Point three, ASOL. C. undefeated versus 18 to 24. Now, David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuell at Rahmah and told him all that Sol had done to him. And he and Samuel went live that night off and it was total saw the whole day. That is it. Nathan Rahmah. Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying and Samuel standing as he had over them, the spirit of God came upon the messengers as ASOL. And they also prophesied when it was told Solly's and other messengers. And they also prophesied and Saul sent messengers again the third time and they prophesied. Then he himself went to Rahmah, came to the great whale that is in Saiki. Any ask where Samuel and David and once said Behold there they often Rahmah and he went there to Nathan Rahmah in the spirit of God came upon him also. And as he went, he prophesied, until he came to Nathan Rahmah, Haiti stripped off his clothes, Hetu prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is say its soul is also among the prophets. So David wisely fled. And where did he go?

He went to find the most godly man that he had ever met. And that was Samuel. Samuel was in Rama now, folks. David was not afraid. He was not shaking and trembling. You would think that he would be. And why? What what's going on here? Well, the king has ordered and put out a warrant for him that he die. The king of Israel said that the the whole country is commanded to go after him and kill him. And yet David is not shaking and trembling.

Why not? Because my faith, David, knows that God has given him a promise. And that promise is what? That he will be the next king of Israel. What was David doing? He was standing on the promises of God. People, that's our hope, our hope is not in politics.

It is not an education. It is not in a cultural shift. It is not in the American dream. The way that we will win is through faith. And how is faith brought about?

How do we act in faith? We stand on the promises of God.

David Meeks was saying, Neil, I would have loved to heard that conversation when I would have loved to heard what they talked about. I'm sure David probably told him that Goliath and how he was able with a slingshot to kill Goliath that day in how the battle was the Lord's the Lord gave him the power to do it. Told him about his relationship with Jonathan, how they were Covenant brothers. Tell him how Sol had been attacking him over and over and over again. And then I'm sure that Samuel just took the word of God and fed that word of God into David's heart.

Then Saul sent a group of messengers to Raima, and he sends them there that they might arrest, so arrest David and take him back and have Saul put him to death. And so these messengers get down to Tirana. And when they get down to Rahmah, what happens? The Holy Spirit of God falls upon them. They enter into an ecstatic state and they begin prophesying and they are prophesying things about the glory of God.

And they get so excited knowing that David is a man after God's own heart. If they lose all any kind of animosity toward David, they said, man, we're not touching David. David's a man after God's own heart.

We're not gonna have anything to do with what Saul told us to do. We can obey him. So Saul sends another group down. More messengers come. What happens? Holy Spirit falls on land and they start prophesying. They say we're not going to touch David. So he sends a third group down. These messengers get down then to Rahmon. All of a sudden, the Holy Spirit comes on them. I start prophesying just like the other two. And they said, Man, we're not touch David. No way we're gonna do that. Saul finally says, Man, this this is gonna get done. I must do it myself. And so what ASOL do? He comes down to Rahmah. He gets to and arama. What happens?

Holy Spirit of God comes down on him and he starts prophesying. Only Taizz is a glorious, glorious thing. He starts prophesying. He gets all excited. And I want you know that this doesn't mean that Saul has repented. This means that God is sovereign.

This means that God, in His power, in his wisdom, came upon Saul and kept him from doing anything to David Numbers, Chapter 22. We read an interesting story where there was a prophet named Ballum who had a donkey and God opened the donkey's mail and the donkey spoke a message of prophecy to Bailen, a donkey. Did that word coming out of a donkey's mouth? We'll hear it first. Samuel, 19. We have the words of God coming out of the mouth of King Saul, who's acting like a donkey. Brothers and sisters. This ought to do something to our heart about what we believe about the sovereignty of God.

Here's a man who comes down to Rahmah with full intention of putting David to death. The Holy Spirit comes upon him and he starts praising God and forgets about David.

What's that? Tell me. That tells me that what Jesus said was right. Jesus, say it on this rock. I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. All right, point four is safe in the hands of the sovereign God. It comes from Romans, chapter eight, verse 31. What then, shall we say to these things, if God is for us, who can be against us? I believe this story has great relevance to our situation today. There is a strong delusion in America right now. People are believing a lie. Christians are being mocked as unenlightened morons. But as Psalm two tells us, God laughs at the anger of an unbelieving world. Their hatred, their anger, their confusion are no problem to God, for God holds his church in his powerful hand. And not Saul. Not any demon inhale. Not Satan himself can change it. If God be for us, who can be against us? David is saying what Paul said a thousand years later, if God before us, who can be against us in the attack God culture that you and I are having to live in right now. This is the foundation that the church needs to stand down. This is what we ought to tell ourselves every morning when we wake up. If God before us, who can be against us? Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, it was an all inspiring scripture that we studied today. We saw King Saul doing everything in his power to put David to death. But that was not your wheel. You stop Sol at every point. You spoke the word of God to his heart. Through his son, Jonathan. He used David's wife to hide David from Saul. You took three groups of soldiers who were on a mission to kill David. You feel them with your spirit. You put the truth of God in their heart. And you made them totally unwilling to kill David.

Lord, forgive us for our doubting you, forgive us for not acknowledging your sovereignty over every situation, every situation. Forgive us for being motivated by fear and not by faith.

Please put to death whatever looks like King Saul and our lives. Help us to love like Jesus loves to fight the enemy like David fought Goliath and to trust you so much that we can come to the end of our lives and say, I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith for years. And the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. A man.

We're going to change our final song from what's in the worship God, if you would stand with me and sing Standing on the Promises of Christ My King.

Stein says it drives.

Stan.

Sam.

Brize.

Thank you for coming, Worksman with us today. Let me encourage you to be back Wednesday night. We've been going through a study on prayer and it has just been absolutely wonderful. This coming Wednesday night, Scott Starcher is going to be teaching and he's going to be teaching from Psalm 51 confession in repentance. And just, um. I can't wait to hear it can be really, really something special. When I ask you to please remember this week in prayer, the Alaska team that has gotten that got there yesterday, and we need to keep them lifted up in prayer, that Lord will be with them all the way. Jim, a great week and get a lot of work accomplished for the Lord and also to get back safely next week, next Saturday. So be praying for them and also for Meredith Oldham, who's headed up to South Dakota this weekend. And Mears, we're gonna really miss you. It's not gonna seem like Grace not have you around.

We'll be praying for you. In closing, let me encourage you from the words of David and Psalm 51 that Scott's gonna be teaching us this coming Wednesday night. David say it created me a clean heart of God and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence. Take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit and all God's children saying a man.