1 Samuel Chapter 24:1-8

They would feel bad about cutting a piece of the rope off of the guys killing name is there, so that's something you think are outdated and Damon probably know the story of David later on his first serious errors in good to be caught up in adultery is to be called up in murder, but his heart always stays soft to the work. So now, that's all. Tardiness is something we need welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee Senior Pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina.

As David McGee teaches through first Samuel chapter 24. There's a few things to keep in mind and one of David McGee's assisting pastors deals here to share with us by great to be here with you today listeners right to be here with you as well talk about keeping our hearts off not only God but the others and not allowing bitterness and frustration get in the way of us hearing from God, loving sometimes. I've met people that they just are so cheerful when talking about goblins are talking like chewing on.

We don't want to be that type of believer as we follow Christ love God and want to love others yesterday to talk about that… McGee shares first by first person what's going on is David has been anointed to became, but is not Kenya.

Saul is still King and to be honest a long story short Saul start to lose it. He's very paranoid is very self-centered and what we see is is life continuing to fall apart as he continues to run from God and disobey God and time and time again, he gets the opportunity to repent and time and time again he doesn't do and now he's chasing David around the country attempting to kill David, who is been one of his most faithful, loyal and powerful soldiers so that's what's happening now. Last week we talked about in a David in the desert and David in this place called in Getty, we realize that sometimes will go through desert experiences sometimes will have those places of great comfort and rest like in Getty is and that brings us to this chapter 24, first Samuel for same 24 verse once is not happened when Saul returned from following the thinnest Philistines that it was, told him, saying, take note, David is in the wilderness of an Getty. Remember last week Saul had David surrounded then Saul was made aware that some of the Philistines. One other arch enemies. There are troubles was busy attacking Israel in another place or had to leave to go deal with that. Now it's talking about that he's coming back to this place in it's interesting as we follow the story will see is that Saul Knowing where David was.

Where is movements were the only way that could be happening is if some people along the way, continually were betraying David so that is what was happening.

People were betraying David and pointing out the song.

It's interesting because later in David's life you don't see that he bears any ill will or he's carried any sort of cynicism or bitterness or hardness of heart from Lisa which is an amazing thing. Jesus knew as well that people will do things in they will be hurtful and some people solution to that is the pull back into their little shell like a turtle.

That's no way to really live wonderful thing about Jesus as he gives us the power to keep living, vibrant, meaningful lives, even though we been afflicted with pain.

I know that we went through here, we ask each person individually. Hey have you ever experience any pain in your life. Everyone of us is there are element take up our story. Have you ever experience betrayal. Everyone of us had.

But what happens during those times. You see there's times they can be a really wonderful thing. As you draw closer to God as you draw closer to Jesus.

Realizing that Jesus understands all about. Or you can now begin to think well. We are well on the me I'm the only one. This is ever happened to.

That's simply not true. And in those times of pain. Sometimes you can draw closer to the Lord than those times of blessing in those times of trial. It's interesting because he hears Saul. Saul is still David's leader, and Saul really is acting in the ultimate form of betrayal you know and trying to kill David in denying women a look at David's response and skin interesting because we can learn a lot about how we should respond to betrayal and treachery and attacks for three on verse two. Then Saul took 3000 chosen men from all Israel went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats in a song. He taught all over the place for David trying to getting China killing and David keep getting away by the skimmer state. You know I have a theory. I don't think we will ever begin to understand how much we been saved from until we get to heaven and God's is a here here's a little movie of your life. Watch this.

The times that maybe we were stuck in a traffic jam. We miss some big pile up.

That happened because were stuck in traffic jam. Meanwhile, were stuck in a traffic jam/then and complain and then in a God spare in our life.

I remember there is a place so we were in this place. God can't verbally Arizona and beautiful town and it was really interesting because as JD was growing up he started getting headaches and we thought, and you know whenever he needs glasses and so were talking like we talk about that on Monday, Wednesday, where, and can't verbally and we were low.

Now you know when is your loan out a couple people the church state after the service were helping us load out.

You know stalking one the guys in the he said something about his practice. That's it.

All you know what we were to be in town for another day or two in my son's heaven headaches were worried that he might need glasses or or something and the guy just looked at me and smiled. He says I'm a deacon here at the church and I'm also an optometrist, and if you guys would just come by in the morning. I'd be happy not only to see your son but if he needs any glasses I'll just bless you Samantha awesome so we went by there hooked up so then we were one of this place called Bullhead city and so but while we're still in Camberley.

This guy came up and he said man you know I can hear your brakes in your RV when you're stopping and you'll come look at it is okay. Great. So we went there, God was just soaking us up is out and I'll write a book when there was just a huge adventure of God become a simple so we go to sky's house and which are working on the bright what he's working on a break somehow open and so which is prayer. I was walking around for it not. I was helping a little bit and and then he's pharmacy go away and go pray that's the way you can help me the most and it was interesting to his normal like she's she came around the corner and she saw the RV in her eyes got real soon. She said why are all the wheels off the motorhome this weekend and I think the wheels often work on the brakes so we worked on the brakes. We never been to this Bullhead city Place the next evening we were going to Bullhead city. There's a strip of highway that goes like down 2600 feet in like a quarter-mile notes is probably is more than that, but it's a long straight heel. I had no idea that it was her and it empties out the Colorado River.

So, I mean imagine if we had not made that last peer review.

It would've been really meant God got took care of us.

We need to understand that we can we can trust the war in verse three says so we came to the sheepfold by the road where there was a cave and Saul went into attend to his needs.

David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave and the men of David said to them, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand but you may do to him as it seems good to you and David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul's robe now this. I guess we'll go ahead and deal with this little thing in the new King James it says and Saul went into attend to his needs. In the King James it says cover his feet and Shirley was doing. Actually, you know there's some and I did some studying.

Look back in the Hebrew, and I really start to figure out he was either napping or going to the bathroom. It's it's either one is not really but some work with the story so and I looked it was kind interesting. Evidently there's this big theological debate about which one he was doing, but now you know how I spend my time know I only spent like five or 10 minutes on that portion because it was pivotal to the story either. He took off his robe and he was going to the bathroom or he took off his robe and he was sleeping or he was sleeping with his ribs, but either way, he was very vulnerable to David and so David slipped and cuts off a piece of his robe and Saul is unaware. One thing I thought about his study this passage is what was going on with those people. There were threats regarding Saul. I mean their choice to be looking after. There's 3000 of them is not like there's a shortage of manpower. There are 3000 numbers was to be gardening and insight. King's ongoing empty cave. You know will not go check it out you'll be all right.

And so talkative and kill makes you wonder about Saul's guards verse five says now it happened afterward the David's heart troubled him because it cut Saul's robe has lots of theories about why he felt bad and lots of theories about what the room was to be worse and it was the seat seat that the prayer noughts that go on the bottom of the shawl that could be the prayer shawl usually had purple coloring at the end. It was very expensive to die those prayer shawls.

That's why there's a place in the New Testament word Jesus is saying you know you parade your riches by your wide borders, because they had wide borders on the personals, showing that they were a lot of money and he was on to the Pharisees with I don't know about that.

I think that it was just something of of disrespect, but here's something interesting. Saul is looking in seeking after David for what to do in Mark McKinley. Saul doesn't feel bad about that at all.

Even when he gets busted time and time again, even when he gets caught red-handed for the moment is all so you know, because a moment later, then he's not sorry so Beluga David in the midst of this David feels bad. Let Leslie David feels bad about cutting a piece of the robe off of the guys trying to kill me. David's very soft and you know what that something real is seen throughout David's life and David you probably know the stories. David later on he so makes some very serious errors in good to be caught up in adultery is to be caught up in murder, but his heart always stay soft alerts about that when he gets confronted he always responsive Lord that Saul tardiness is something we need first life lesson here. We should stay soft part in the God and the people.

Thank you for listening to David McGee with cross the bridge ministries.

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Please check out. You are loved.org to take advantage of these free resources. Our daily devotional has a helpful reading plan thoughts from the Scripture and practical life lessons to help encourage you on. You are loved.org you can find full-length teachings from Pastor David and his assistant pastor's baby. You are not able to attend services at your local church right now visit you are loved.org so you can join us live on Sunday mornings at 10 AM Eastern and Thursday evenings at 7 PM Eastern time. Now back to David McGee we should stay softhearted to God and to people. This is a significant challenge in life, especially in ministry. Well, there's a saying you need to be thick-skinned and softhearted in ministry because things happen that will they can harden your heart and for your hard to get harden is one of the worst things that can really happen to so we need to keep our hearts soft so that we will respond to the Lord because of our heart. Stay soft when when God speaks to us or God during the services and you need to repent of this you need to go forward. You need to let go of this, you need to deal with that. Stay softhearted and responded is what I've seen is that if you if you get just a little bit hardhearted you get just a little bit more art are and you get just a little more art are in a little more hardhearted. It's interesting, sometimes motor well sewn soaking the church in you know they they don't know Jesus. They never ask you to forgive the mother sends but no Lisa came to the service and they heard an invitation and the one step closer they're not one step closer. They set a service hurt other people to know God worship God they heard another invitation.

And they probably felt that tugging on their heart but instead of responding to that, they backed off.

Here's what happens each time that happens, it's a little bit easier not to take action if somebody does that for long enough, they will find themselves in the place they consent to an invitation exit to an altar call and not feel anything at all. I don't ever want to be there but how does it start little bit by little bit, layer by layer to see that David even all these bad things happening.

Talk about your leader is trying to kill you, and yet David keeps his softness of heart even in that David could kill Saul really but he doesn't. Verse six he says and he said to his men. The Lord forbid that I should do this thing the my master the Lord's anointed to stretch out my hand against the sea and he is the anointed of the Lord is David's response looking to respect that he has for Saul. Some teachers take this verse and they say so.

This means that anybody that God has anointed you know you should never speak again.

You know what there's there's some people out there that God has mysteriously anointed that I mean they they say heretical things they say un-biblical things and it's really quite the challenge not to point that out, but we need to be real careful with. But I do think it's kind of a stretch to make that application.

The application here. Saul is in a place of leadership over David and I think the obvious application is that David was still submitted to solve leadership and that's challenging and that's convict because Saul very obviously wasn't following the Lord.

Saul very obviously was trying to kill David and yet David was still submitted the Saul there is still respect that David had not sure still respected. Saul is a man because Saul had really messed up. But he still respected the office that Saul had as King. There's an interesting verse Romans 13 one. It says let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Here's here's the challenge, sometimes as God raises up a man in this fellowship, he'll come to me and he'll affirm your my pastor on following it. I'm with you. Here's what I know. Here's what I've learned, I won't really know until that person is following me and submitted to my leadership until we disagree when we disagree.

That's when all know to because it is as were walking together and were green about everything is not really submission is just agreement but when I'm leaving in a different direction or doing something else. And this man is called follow me in the ministry. I'm going to find out. Now I'm not talking about having yes people, you have got aboard. There's elders and these men are not yes-men and they think I'm wrong about some wrote you know we need to do this like that are not like that. There that will tell me, but in that case, if I say will appreciate you sharing that with me but I really think this is what God is laid on my heart to do these men have the integrity say okay I let you know what I felt in my heart now falling now with now and I can talk about again is real biblical submission and everything ago.

Well, I'm not Elder right now.

So what is all this matter. You have relationships. We are called upon to submit to someone else bow makes it clear some of those relationships are a wife submitting to her husband, now in the wind only cements to the husband in the times when she agrees with them. That's not submission. It's in there somewhere. She doesn't agree with them but she realizes that either these wrong guys going to be the one to do with and she walks with even though he might be wrong. Maybe got a boss at work. Maybe feel like you have the stupidest boss in the world. I hope the staff here is some looking out incentivizes staff and elected a member of Braverman you still understand God placed him or her in a position of and you're still to submit stuff.

Maybe your child near still live in the course you think your parents are stupidest people, nor then Matt got scissors for us to submit even if the wrong like what Mark Twain says this is a 16 my dad was most ignorant man on the face of the earth in a 21.

I was surprised at how much you learned in five years and wisest concept so important because you can always find something wrong with somebody that's over you to give you reason the rebellions you have delivered our once you get to know them at all you can to see something go whole will not volunteer but see here's the thing. Let's make a more spiritual application. What about when you don't understand some God's let me assure you, friend. There will be some point in your life you will not understand what God is doing in your life and if your submission to God is based upon your understanding and your agreement when you hit that place you're in the mail to rebel, but that's the place you find out if you're really submitted to the plan of God. Now maybe sending a well you don't know how you know what all is going on my life and what is wrong in my life. I know some of the stories in this book.

I know I see David here already anointed to be king. A godly brave man is getting chased around the desert by King Saul and still somehow David is submitted to the plan of God is life.

I remember the life of Joseph brother Beatty month room in a pit selling to be a slight then just 20s get ahead and bought it for his life. He's unjustly wrongly accused and thrown in prison. Yet the whole time he submitted to the plan of God. Submission is a tricky thing that we see here in David. Some very beautiful Saul is obviously losing David is still submitted in David is next in line to be king here pales in what a lot of assisting pastors you force in the senior pastor outer head Elder forcing the senior pastor out and then you look at this and David in this story is. He says you know what is your problem got your mobility and your time and only does David do it here, but we see later in his life he was willing to do it when he was king when Absalom tried to overthrow Davidson well got a picture will hundred villagers and immature will he be king instead of me amounted when incredible man. What an incredible leader in verse seven. So David restrained his servants with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul, and Saul got up from the cave and went on his way. David also arose after when out of the cave and caught out Saul say in my lord the king when Saul and David stooped with his face to the earth and bow down. This is amazing stuff. Look at this verse David causing my Lord causing the king students with his face to the earth and balance the Saul and this is convicting. I bring this into personal application. There are some good reasons to leave the church thing. The primary reason to leave the church. It is theirs. Some sort of heresy, being tall, or the word of God's not being tall. I think in either case you don't stick around figured out you don't stick around to fix it because usually you are not a place to fix coming of the pastor himself was decided he's not going teach the Bible.

You sit there week after week is not convincing teach the Bible but I think a lot of times what happens is we get a church environment we stick around until we figure out that there are sinners in that church which, you know, depending on the church takes anywhere from a year to couple days and was a well matter there's there sinners the ever classic church is filled with hypocrites may revert up and review them before the you know the sad thing is, there is some truth in there but were called to do a holy mission and we still mess up sometimes, so there is that brothers that knowing what we should do and what we do a lot of times we submit to leaders as long as we agree with will stay in a church.

As long as we agree with everything this man.everything is going on in that church, but you know if you're looking at a church that way, you never go funny church. If your criteria is that you agree with everything they do. You're done. You're not have a church ever on this on the faces went.

You will never be able to call church or because you will never agree on hundred percent with everything that goes on, and any church. That should you agree with the majority what goes on absolutely 80%. You're doing great. 90% loss 95 brand price is about the best and so, somehow, even in the midst of all this Dave is recommending AEC in this he still had respect for the positions that are respectful friend. You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven.

You can know right now own Legion. A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him.

God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen it friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again.

Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous to congratulations bring you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you prayed that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you.

You can visit crossed the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. You can also write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working in your life before we go. Have you been listening to the teachings to the book of first Samuel we can take some of these teachings, it will encourage your prayer life pastor Neil, can you tell us more about we all hunger for a deeper connection with the Lord and pastor David shares through past living examples how to have that deeper connection.

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And it's easy. It's free to sign up today on crossed the bridge.com folks. Thanks for listening into the next time. As David McKee continues teaching verse by verse through first Samuel