1 Samuel Chapter 22:1-8

Even studying this book for very long with us this fear in the hand is a bad sign and install is going through most of his life. Apparently, wholeness, fear that's a bad thing. You know why people hold spheres in the throes you hold spheres all everyone of welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee Senior Pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina today. David McGee is teaching verse by verse from first Samuel chapter 22. We also have an studio with us. One of David Mickey's assisting pastors real welcome, Bob. Good to be joining with you today and as we go through first Samuel chapter 22 is an interesting section of Scripture. Have you ever thrown spears that someone else know of course I have been talking about physical spears. I'm talking about. Sometimes in your responses.

Whether it be anger or frustration, and even that happened to you Bob, you know, I've been told at times that work that I've said not really needing to hurt someone actually did hurt them and looking back, it makes you feel very bad look in my life that okay how can I improve on that path today is to share a little bit about that… And as David shares first by first through first Samuel chapter 22.

So tonight we are in first Samuel chapter 22 what's going on here is David has been anointed as King, but Saul has not yet been removed as King Saul is still kind of a usurper that's in charge and David at this point is on the run. He is a well King kind of been hiding that at some point in the future will reign and rule and weakness, even in that picture of Jesus to right now is a a king who is he's in the picture. He is active on planet Earth, but right now, obviously Satan has a lot of stuff going on on the planet. But at some point in the future. Praise God, we can look forward to the fact that Jesus Christ will be ruling and reigning Celeste pray Lord we thank you, thank you for this book is so much more words written on the page. Gordon, we ask that you take these words in these letters and that you would write on our hearts tonight. Lord, you know where each and every person in here is with her relationship with you.

I just ask that you would do a work in and amongst us tonight.

Lord, we know that you desire to teach us lovingly, patiently, kindly we just asked you would make us willing to learn from you or Nancy would open our hearts to your word and open your words our hearts in Jesus name, amen. First Samuel chapter 22 verse one there for departed from there and escape to the cave of Abdul swing his brothers and all his father's house or they went down there to and everyone who is in distress. Everyone who was in that everyone who was discontented gathered to say he became captain over them and there were about 400 men with that's interesting that David had been ruling over a lot of men before, under the leadership of Saul, but when he ran away and no because I was trying to kill him. He did not do something interesting.

He did not gather men among themselves. He just left quietly and I think there's something that we need to see in their first of all that always be hesitant and leery of somebody that begins to grab people in a fellowship to do something else with because that's the way church splits out. I've been in churches where there's been things that I didn't agree with even you know, leaving churches to get involved with other ministries and I can honestly say always did not file other words, I didn't say hey you know to be doing that something to be doing that you guys really want to come over here because all this really stank. I never did that. I never said that nothing there's an integrity issue there that we need to be aware but also notice that Dave is a great guy David took on the life.

He obviously had a lot of courage and yet when we come to this part of the story you see what Dave is doing. David on the run walk is David scared now because you know there's a time to run. There is a time to run.

That's first life lessons. There is a time to run it.

If you think you should always stand and fight your wrong, you should always stand and fight. There will be a time in your life where you should run away from whatever's going on some of your looking with puzzled looks. But let me refer to first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 12 and 13. Verse 12 says therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Verse 13 love this verse. You should mark this verse down no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear. Here's what that verse means God will give you a way out. And sometimes we keep ourselves in a situation to get to the place were were not able to hear the temptation. But God gives us an open door. He gives us a way out.

The thing is we have to take it.

Sometimes we leave ourselves in the same situation, which I you know show our strength in time that we should show our feet and her elbow be in the bucket on and I know I've had to do this in my life before been been in a situation than an adult man is this is not going well and actually one situation I just I just took off running. I would totally freak the personnel start throughout the know I could see that it was just not it wasn't going well and be honest, it was a young lady that was just the best thing for me to do, protect appointments, keep that in mind Ryan to get out of the situation and also look at these people gathered to him. There distress in debt discontented and Paul says that he learned in every state to be content tells you that you have to learn that that's not something you're born with, of being content and situation. We tend towards winding we tend towards complaining a politician. What you learn to be content. As believers we should never really be totally content in this world. Why is it so much stuff going on around us in the world that we should be satisfied with. We look around the two people getting hurt. We see people filled with hatred and bitterness and we we should be okay with that I should always bother us and so there's this thing of being content and yet at the same time being discontented content that God is doing something discontented with the state of the world because once you understand that the world is not all as it should be, then you realize you really should do so a lot of time to think well what can I do just one person you know a lot. One of things we talk about around here is change the world one life at a time, starting with errors because you can't influence change with others until you have experienced that change in the world needs that change in you and for you to influence change in order one life can make a difference.

Your life can make a difference. But the question is are you number one willing to recognize that not all is as it should be in the world.

Number two.

Are you willing to do something about it personally.

These these men came to Davidson's or debtors. Debtors that's interesting why because were debtors realize that I'm not talking from a financial standpoint. Talk about more of the spiritual standpoint is an interesting line in the Lord's prayer in Matthew 612, it says and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. I don't think that's just talking about finances.

There think that started about spiritual debts and certainly the Bible keeps this in the forefront of the concept of first Corinthians chapter 620 says, for you were bought at a price.

Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's verse in a chapter later Paul says again, who was the writer of Corinthians 1st Corinthians 723 you were bought at a price do not become slaves of men so we need to understand this because the we were in a position because a person because of her wrongdoing. We owed a debt that we couldn't pay, and Jesus said that he would step in and pay your debt okay but see he paid a price for you and now, quite frankly friend. You no longer belong to yourself if you've made that divine transaction asked Jesus to forgive your sins, you now belong to him. There's a neat picture this in the Bible there was a lesser phrase in the Hebrew. It is love slave and it's not what some of your thinking, come back here. What happened if somebody was in slavery if they were a servant to a household and after seven years, they could be set free or they can make the decision to become a servant of the household by choice. What they would do at that point is, it would stand in the doorway and they would take them all and they would put an earring in the man's ear. That meant that he was a bond servant. I love slave do los in the Greek and it's interesting that so many of the New Testament writers picked up on this concept whenever you see Paul talk about a servant of Jesus Christ when everything Peter term servant of Jesus Christ. That phrase do los servant by choice. I love is a word that you would been ball with the price. Now there's there's a lot of stuff going on here and it's interesting because in the life of David when you look in his life analyzed his life and looked at his whole life through Scripture and every thing about ministry is contained in is like every principal, you need every truth you need to remember in ministry is in the life of David in these principles. First of all I want you to notice something here that God is going to lead these men through David, the principal, there is a God lead store called and anointed man, not men, but man I see this is where a lot of people get off track. When you when when God wanted to deliver Israel out of Egypt, he did inform a committee called Moses and as God's going to lead Israel out from the bondage of Ollie's idolatrous nations. He doesn't form a committee because David, a man now here's the other part is that the God rarely calls that man to work alone certainly know that Bill dark by himself. David is not going to take the rest of the land by himself.

God joins other men around the call man to make a team and in the week, we see that here with the elders and with the deacons and with the team leaders and the people that are serving as we all serve together but it's important that we recognize that God has anointed a leader and then we pray for that leader and support that leader with her prayers important concept. Thank you for listening to David McGee with cross the bridge ministries. David's heart is to help you beyond our radio program will continue teaching the word of God in bringing hope to the power of the Scriptures we know that these are unusual times so we want to share with you many of our online tools. 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're 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 again, these are free resources to help you anytime day or night.

During these difficult times. Now back to David McGee verse three and David went from there to Mizpah of Moab and he said to the king of Moab. Please let my father and mother come here with you till I know what God will do for me. So he brought them before the king of Moab and they dwelt with them all the time.

The David was in the stronghold. Now if you remember, the Moabites came through the incestuous relationship with life as daughters. They were convinced they were the last people on the earth and his you may remember the story of the book of GE Genesis is rather sorting with his daughters and they been influenced through Sodom and Gomorrah.

They got locked their father drinking and then they went in and conceived children. That's where the Moabites came from.

Now, in case you're wondering why the Moabites who did not have a good relationship with the Israelites would receive David to them around you. David's great-grandmother was Ruth's who was a Moabitess. You can read about her more in the book of Ruth is interesting thing it says in the numbering in the new King James it ends. Verse four with the world stronghold.

Now stronghold in the Hebrew is Messiah.

Some of you may be familiar with that term. It's a place that's out by the Dead Sea.

When you go to Masada. It's a bluff.

It is like 1800 feet and it was just it was a fortress. So much so that around 70 A.D. when the Jewish revolt was beginning to happen.

A lot of the rebels went to Masada and they were ready to take on the Roman army.

There the Roman army couldn't penetrate into what they did is over time they built the ramp up to Masada.

Took a long time still there. You can actually still see the Roman encampments beside there in when they came in they were shocked because over 900 people who had been on the top of Masada. Rather than be taken by the Roman government and the women subjected to slavery and worse. They'll kill one another and what Josephus records happen is they killed one another until the last man was there and then he committed to. That's interesting forever and a day or by civil that's just historic called Washington in the 60s they found pieces of pottery with names on as if they were drawing and that's not enough, the name the Josephus records as the last man they actually found a piece of pottery without mentioning that in case you wondered how he got the story. There was two ladies and five children hid out in the granary that they uncovered later. We bring that into the modern-day setting because the Israeli Defense for now goes up to Masada and at sunrise there soldiers are initiated into the idea and part of what they say is Masada will never fall again this very well could be where David was at this point and it kind of makes sense when we read in verse five because he would've been trapped up there he would have no way out. Now the prophet dad said to David, do not stay in the stronghold department go to the land of Judah.

So David departed and went to the forest of her wrath see but the Lord warned David through the prophet dad now written read later gaps going to join David as a prophet you prophet in David's course and also help him to get worship in the temple establish always remember the God will never warn you needlessly.

God will never warn you needlessly. So when there is a warning he come across in Scripture, or maybe caring brother sister says something to you and you need to be careful, this or lookout for that. Make sure that you are hearing from God saying go around paranoid with every warning that happens in certainly watch the news, you know, she could really freak out on this concept, but be aware that God will warn you this is cool because the leader said. He says don't stay in the stronghold department go to the land of duties, the land of Israel, specifically that land that was allocated to the tribe of Judah will you happen to remember or do you know what Judah means in Hebrew means praise praise sent a quick now go to the land of praise. I don't know if you've ever been in a situation world is having a tough time and you know it seems like there's a lot of stuff going on and then you put on a pre-CD manages makes all the difference in the world use that use that fee because here's the deal. The enemy wants to mess you up and and when you hit an emotional tizzy and start having a tantrum in your thinking about me, myself and the unholy Trinity and you get all caught up in the best but see then if you pop a CDN and you start worshiping God. You know what the enemy just saw that he was stumbling you but that stumbling led you to worship how long you think it will keep using that tactic because you worshiping God is like the last thing that he desires to happen. And quite frankly sometimes when I come up here to do worship minutes like you know I'm up there worshiping God and sometimes a close is sometimes open. Well, as people, or is it just you know it's just it's just me and the Lord, and think that's what it should be when you go into that tough time.

Praise the Lord put on the worship CD praying see the contemporary Christian CD that you put in wrong was you out of yourself and point you towards God. The Bible talks about songs of deliverance from 32 seven. As you are my hiding place. You show preserve me from trouble. You shall surround me with songs of deliverance start singing the song and is get up out of stuff. Mark and the Myron thing about the Lord again and we need we need that I'm willing to admit I really needed the worship to see and maybe that you know may be goal leaving you need worship that were were built were created to worship God and to step out ourselves and begin to worship God focus about God and there's there's just there's nothing like that in the world. Number six Saul heard the David and the men who were with them had been discovered.

Now Saul was standing give you under a tamarisk tree in her mom with a spear in his hand in all his servants standing about him now. If you been studying this book for very long with this spear in the hand is a bad sign and and Saul is going through most of his life.

Apparently, wholeness, fear thing you know why people hold spheres tend to throw you.

You hold spheres all, everyone of us are everyone of us has certain spheres that we go to one we get confronted or go through a tough time in you know we've got our specialists spheres. Some of them her name is Mike and start the get get on us or something can happen, you know. And there's the unit. My parents didn't love me enough spear you can pull out that one throw it at somebody and it's not my fault, spear, or just gossip and you point your finger somebody else.

It may be did something worse than you let spear out through but you realize then you're leaning on the spear and when you're leaning on the spirit you know it you're not leaning on and I lean on God, which is more dependent your spear or God.

We have to learn to let go of her spears not to trust her spirit. That's a scary thing.

It is understand that understand minimum payment where somebody says this and actually you know, I might even have a good spear that I have that I can defend myself or whatever but I have to choose not to throw that spirit.

You know why because once I start throwing spears is just easy to do that every time, and sooner or later I'm spear at a wrong wrong place and hurt somebody is probably going to be somebody I care about the life lesson here I should let go of the spheres in my life and lean on God. I should let go of the spheres in my life and lean on God.

What are the spheres in your life is it. Is it gossiping about people. Is it judgmental attitudes towards people who may be younger in the face or some I stumbled what is it, each of us have our own answer, but one thing for sure Carolyn spear will make your real tired and wear you out and shouldn't do over seven then Saul said to his servants who stood about him. Now you Benjamite's son of Jesse. Give everyone of you fields and vineyards make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that my son is made a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there's not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son is stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait as it is this day and you think to say Salisbury pre-much freaking out at this point he's become paranoid.

He's definitely focused on himself understand something there.

There is, I'm not sure there's anything more demonic than self-pity because in that instance where is your focus is on you, so your focus is not on God. It's not on others. It's on what's wrong with you, and what other people have done to you and help other people haven't better than you see because when you get this self-pity again this downward spiral of emotion when you're involved in self-pity. You're not focusing on God friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. 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 friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible. You've been forgiven you've been born again, congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you prayed that prayer was 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've handpicked some of these teachings, it will encourage your prayer life. Pastor Neal 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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Thanks for listening into the next time. As David McKay continues teaching verse by verse through first Samuel