How to Behave in a Cave | Part 1

From the Love Word Finding studios in Memphis, Tennessee, I'm Byron Tyler here with Kerry Vaughn, the CEO of Love Word Finding.

Kerry, Adrian Rogers picks up a message today, how to behave in a cave. I love the title. Great title. You know, he goes on to say there is no king, no power, no ruler that has not been ordained by God. Think about that.

Think about that. So therefore, if we rebel against authority, it's to really rebel against God. Well, there's some principles of kingdom authority that we're going to pick up on from today's message, and Adrian Rogers talks about authority that we don't like sometimes, and he says it this way. Saul. Saul was insane with jealousy, and he was envious of young David and tried to kill David. And David had fled from Saul to a place called Ein Gedi and was living there among the rocks and the crags of Ein Gedi with the goats, and David happened to be hiding in a cave when Saul came into the cave to relieve himself. It was dark in the cave, and David's eyes were accustomed to the dark, and Saul's were not. David had a chance to take Saul's life, but he didn't do it. David did not take vengeance on Saul, and he was scolded and remonstrated by his peers, and they said, David, this was your chance. Why didn't you kill Saul? And he said, because he's God's anointed. He's God's king. God will take care of him. And David used incredible restraint, even though many would have said David was morally or logically right to take Saul's life.

David knew the principle of submission to higher authority, and that's the reason that God anointed David with such power, because David knew the principles of kingdom authority, which very few people know today. So that's how to behave in a cave. Well, we cannot be disconnected from God's word when we're talking about how to behave, and that's why I'm very excited about the Adrian Rogers Legacy Bible. The new updated version is coming out real soon for our listeners. You have a copy, by the way? I'm waiting for my copy.

Well, go to LWF.org. It's our best resource. Beautiful leather Bible, new and improved, updated.

It has Adrianisms. It has his commentary, Treasures from the Word. I'm telling you, you want to have this on your coffee table, but also you want to give it away to everybody in your circle of influence. Well, Carrie, it's our joy to hear from our listeners and to know what they're thinking and how God's word and the teaching of Adrian Rogers is impacting them. Here's somebody who said, My husband and I try to listen to love worth finding every day. The programs have been such an inspiration to our daily lives. We are learning more about God's love and His direction in our spiritual walk with God through the teachings in these programs. Thank you very much, and may God bless you always. That is the fruit of our ministry, and sometimes we don't have the opportunity to really measure that, but we understand that we are the church to many.

We are that discipleship tool that many lean towards, and so it's great to hear back from people that have been impacted by the word of love worth finding. Well, with today's message as we continue the series in Kingdom Authority, here's How to Behave in a Cave, Part 1 with Adrian Rogers. First Samuel, chapter 24, and in a moment we're going to read the first seven verses of that chapter, but more verses later on. This is an episode in the life of David. King David was a mighty, mighty warrior, and I believe that he was the kind of man who exercised kingdom authority.

He was literally a king. He was a man that was known for victory, but the greatest victory that David ever had is going to be recorded in this chapter of the Bible. It was not a victory over someone else. It was a victory over himself. He got victory over self and learned the lesson that I want you to learn, and that is to have kingdom authority.

You must remain under authority. I want to say it enough so you will never forget it. It is not God's plan for you to be defeated by the world, the flesh, nor the devil, for Jesus, when he died and rose again, has given to his children authority over these things. But we will never be over those things that God has put under us until we are willing to get under and stay under those things that God has put over us. Now, I hope you understand that.

That's what the theme of this entire series of messages is all about. Now, let's read the story, and let me explain it to you for just a moment. And it came to pass when Saul was returned from following the Philistines that it was told him, saying, David is in the wilderness of Ein Gedi. Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

And he came to the sheepcoats, by the way, and there was a cave. And Saul went in to cover his feet, that is to relieve himself, and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. And David said unto him, Behold, the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him, as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. And it came to pass afterward that David's heart smote him because he'd cut off Saul's skirt. He said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. So David stayed his servants with these words and suffered them not to rise against Saul, but Saul rose up out of the cave and went on his way.

Now you have to get the background. Saul is the king of Israel, and as the king of Israel, he is God's appointed and God's anointed, though he was a very unworthy king. Now God was going to replace Saul with a young man whose name was David, a man after God's own heart.

Now Saul is getting wind of this. He sees David, the rising star. He sees that his own son is setting, and he now is eaten up with envy and jealousy against David. And so he makes David public enemy number one, and all of the energies of the kingdom now are focused on Saul's burning malevolent ambition, and that is to kill David.

And Saul now is insane with jealousy, and in his mind he repeats these words, kill David, kill David, kill David. Now he's had a skirmish with the Philistines, and when he gets finished with that, he learns that David is now hiding down by the Dead Sea, up in the mountains in a place called Ein Gedi, which means the spring of the goats. I've been there many times. I've seen those caves.

I've seen that spring, those waters cascading down. It's a beautiful place, and each time I go, I think of this episode of David up there in those caves hiding from Saul. Saul takes 3,000 hand-picked men after one man, David. Now David is in a cave, and Saul goes in there to relieve himself into this cave. It's dark in the cave. David's eyes and his companions, their eyes are accustomed to the darkness, but Saul can't see them.

They're back in the recesses of that cave. David's men see Saul, and they say, David, this is your opportunity, one act of courage, David, just one stroke of the sword, and goodbye to poverty, goodbye to persecution, goodbye to despair, goodbye to hiding in the caves. Welcome, riches. Welcome, honor. Welcome, power.

Welcome, authority. You will be the next king, just one stroke of the sword. David goes over, and with his sword in the darkness, he cuts off the hem of Saul's robe. That's how close he is to Saul. Saul doesn't know David is there, but David cuts off the hem of his robe, but he won't kill Saul. Later on, after Saul has gone out of the cave, David says to Saul, he lifts his voice across the chasm now. David's on one hillside, and Saul's on the other. He says, Saul, you see what I have? Do you see what I could have done to you?

Now, we're going to get to the whole episode a little bit more, but we've just set the stage now. That's what all of this is about. Now, what David did in this episode was not to win a victory over Saul. What David did was to win a victory over himself. Most Christians today, and I hate to say it, are into the cult of self-realization, and the Bible teaches self-surrender. You see, in self-realization, all of the answers are in you, but in self-surrender, all of the answers are in Jesus. In self-realization, you are centered in you. There is a preoccupation with number one. Self may be dedicated, but it is dedicated to self. It may be religious, but it is religious self.

Ours is a generation of self-aholics, and we are pickled in ourselves. The greatest victory that David won was not a victory over Saul. The great victory that David won was a victory over himself. The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 16, verse 32, he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. How that was fulfilled in David.

Now, David refused to take vengeance on Saul. He refused to do what he was able to do because he gained a great victory. As a matter of fact, he practiced what the New Testament says in Romans chapter 12, verse 21, be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.

If I had a title for the message, I guess it would be How to Behave in a Cave. How you and I ought to learn to be under those things that God has put over us so we can be over those things that God has put under us because very frankly, the problem in the world today is the spirit of rebellion. Jesus was speaking about the last days, and he says, because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. And the word for iniquity there is literally the word for lawlessness, for rebellion. Jesus said in the last days, rebellion would abound, and we see it today. We see it in homes. Children today are rebelling against their parents like never before.

Somebody said everything in the modern home today is run by switches except the kids. We see in churches a spirit of rebellion. We see people in their arrogance in the world of religion who have actually gone through and revised and remodeled the Bible to make it politically correct.

I mean, we have new translations that are coming out not because of scholarship but because of philosophy and political correctness. That's sheer rebellion. We see rebellion in the streets today, rebellion against government.

All of this is the power of Satan, and what we need to do today is to learn how to be under those things that God has put over us so we can be over those things that God has put under us. Three things, therefore, I want to write upon your hearts. First of all, like David, we need to recognize kingdom authority. We need to recognize kingdom authority. Look, if you will, in verses 5 and 6. After David had cut off Saul's robe, the Bible says in verses 5 and 6, and it came to pass afterward that David's heart smote him because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. David understood the principle of kingdom authority. David understood that he needed to be under Saul even though Saul sought for his life. Saul was still, though unworthy, he was still at that time the king of Israel.

He was the appointed and the anointed king. Let me show you how it applies to us today. Just put in your margin Romans 13 verses 1 and following. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. That means the governmental authorities, for there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, that is the authority, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive themselves damnation. When you rebel against those authorities that God has put over you, you are not rebelling against those authorities, you are rebelling against Almighty God. He goes on to say, for rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power of the authority? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same, for he, now he's talking about the governmental magistrate, for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, that is to keep him from doing something to you, but for conscience sake, to keep your heart right before God. Now, folks, we may say, wait a minute, you don't know the kind of government we have. Maybe you don't know the kind of government there was when Paul wrote this, when Nero was on the throne.

We're going to say more about that later on. Sometimes it may gall us. Sometimes we may be like David's friends, say, you've got a chance to get him, get him.

But David said, no. God's the one who sets up kings. God's the one who brings them down. I will be subject to those authorities that God has put over me. Now, you say, what if I have an unworthy authority?

What if my parents are unworthy? What if my husband is unworthy? What if my president is unworthy? What if my mayor is unworthy? What if my councilman is unworthy? What if my teacher is unworthy?

What do I do? I'll tell you one thing you don't do. You do not have a spirit of rebellion. Do you know what made the devil the devil? What made the devil the devil was to rebel against authority. He rebelled against almighty God. In Isaiah chapter 14 verse 13, for thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven.

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. He wanted to kick God off the throne and put himself upon the throne. He said in verse 14, I will be like the most high. Now, Saul, who was David's foe, had the spirit of the devil in him. Do you know what Saul's problem was?

Saul rebelled against almighty God. There was a time when Samuel told Saul to do something. Samuel was God's prophet and therefore he spoke for almighty God and Saul refused and Samuel rebuked him with these words and I want you to put them down because they are key words to all we have to say. First Samuel 15 verse 23. Here's what Samuel had to say to this man Saul who was there in that cave whose life David could have taken. Samuel said to Saul, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.

Now, don't pass that easily. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry because thou has rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. Now, God says if you have the spirit of rebellion, you are practicing a sin like witchcraft. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. What is witchcraft? Witchcraft is trafficking with the devil.

Just think about it. What made the devil the devil? Rebellion. When you have rebellion in your heart, you're over in the devil's territory. You see, Saul was a man after the devil's own heart. David was a man after God's own heart. Saul had the spirit of rebellion. David had the spirit of submission. You will never be more like the devil than when you're a rebel. You will never be more like the Lord Jesus than when you submit.

I hope you believe that. I hope you understand that because some of us today think, man, you've got to rebel. You've got to stand up for yourself. If you don't do that, why, you're a weakling. No, you're not.

You're strong. David's greatest victory was the victory he won over self when he submitted to those authorities, and for that reason, God made him Israel's greatest king, and you will never be over those things that God has put under you until you learn to be under those things that God has put over you. Now, folks, that's a lesson, and today we are teaching our young people to have the spirit of rebellion, and we need to be very, very careful. That doesn't mean that we approve what some people may do anymore than David approved what Saul did. What Saul did was very, very wrong, but David understood a principle, and therefore David learned to rule with great power and great authority. Now, folks, we must recognize kingdom authority.

Here's the second thing we must do. Not only must we recognize kingdom authority, but we must respect kingdom authority. Now, begin in verse 8. David also arose afterward and went out of the cave and cried after Saul, saying, My lord, the king!

And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed himself. And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee today into mine hand in the cave. And some bade me kill thee, but mine eye 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 ye, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand, for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and kill thee not. Know thou, and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my heart, for I have not sinned against thee, yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee, but mine hand shall not be upon thee. As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked, but mine hand shall not be upon thee. And after whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom dost thou pursue?

After a dead dog, after a flea? The Lord therefore be judge and judge between me and thee, and see and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. Dear God, help us to understand this.

I hope you'll understand this. I hope, sir, madam, that you will live this, practice this, and teach this to your children, because if not, you will never understand spiritual authority. Here is a man respecting spiritual authority.

This man was an unworthy authority. But David recognized that authority, and he respected that authority. I want you to see how he talked to Saul with reverence.

He bows his head down. With respect, he calls him my Lord the King. He even gave him the benefit of the doubt. He said, perhaps you've been misinformed. And then, during all of that time, that did not mean that he gave in to Saul's wicked ways. But he said, I am trusting God to get me out of this thing. I'm not trusting you, Saul.

I am trusting God. Look, if you will, again in verse 12. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee, but mine hand shall not be upon thee. Look, if you will, in verse 15. The Lord, therefore, be judge and judge between me and thee, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.

Now, the point is this. Not only did David recognize the authority that was in Saul, but he respected the authority. And, folks, this is the hard part.

It's one thing for us to grudgingly give in to that authority, but it's another thing for us to respect that authority and to respect those leaders that God has put over us. And coming up tomorrow, we'll hear part two of this important message from Adrian Rogers. In the meantime, maybe you have a prayer request that you'd like to share with us. At Love Worth Finding, it's one of our greatest honors to come alongside you and pray with you and for you. If you can, go to our website homepage at lwf.org slash radio and scroll down to find our prayer wall. There you'll find the option to either submit a prayer request or pray for others. This resource is one of our favorite ways to keep the ministry and the community praying continually for one another's needs. We can't wait to hear from you. Again, go to lwf.org slash radio and scroll down to our prayer wall. Well, thank you for studying God's Word with us today. If you'd like to start receiving daily devotions and links to this program, be sure to sign up for our daily heartbeat emails at lwf.org slash radio. And we'll hear part two of How to Behave in a Cave tomorrow right here on Love Worth Finding.