Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / 1 Samuel 24 (Part 2) Bible Study - Pastor Daniel Batarseh
Transcript
- 0:10I'm eager to open up the word of God with you.
- 0:12And so, please meet me in the book of 1st Samuel, chapter 24,
- 0:19As I was studying today, I was thinking to myself.
- 0:21I can't believe we're almost finished this book.
- 0:27Just a few more chapters before we enter into the second part of
- 0:32this Grand Story in second Samuel, but we are taking our
- 0:36time, and that's why we're still in the same chapter as we were
- 0:38last week. So meet me down in verse 8.
- 0:43If you've come to Bible study tonight, you've come to an
- 0:44exciting portion of the book of 1st Samuel.
- 0:47And the reason is because For the First Time, in about five
- 0:52chapters, Saul and David are going to meet face-to-face,
- 0:59they're going to have a conversation.
- 1:02For the longest time it seems like it's been so normal to see
- 1:07David just running from this predator and he has been for
- 1:13good reason but at this moment The Fugitive is going to change
- 1:19directions and he's actually going to approach the very man
- 1:22that is trying to kill him. And for good reason, this daring
- 1:28move might seem to be unwise for some, but there seems to be this
- 1:35confidence that David Acquired and I think it has to do with
- 1:39what he experienced in the cave that you.
- 1:42And I read about last week. I think David realized something
- 1:45that God at any moment can disarm and subdue his enemies.
- 1:52And a moment, he just saw how weak saw could become in a
- 1:55moment. How vulnerable?
- 1:57How susceptible, God brought salt to David, on a silver
- 2:02platter. And I think there is something
- 2:04energizing about that, where he felt, he felt the need and the
- 2:09grace, to be able to, now peek out of that cave, and to
- 2:15confront Saul, And as we read these verses, as we finish this
- 2:20chapter today, there is so much in here, but I think there's a
- 2:24theme and that is just insights of how to confront someone when
- 2:31they are in wrong. How to approach someone when
- 2:35they are in sin, how to deal with someone who has wronged,
- 2:39you And that is very important to our god.
- 2:43That is important to the head of the church Jesus has given
- 2:48instructions of how you and I ought to deal with others who
- 2:52have sinned against us. That that tells us that you.
- 2:56And I as Christians you're most likely going to be wronged and I
- 3:01want to I want to just tell you how to time, it's going to
- 3:03happen more than once. This might even further
- 3:07disappoint you. It might happen more than once
- 3:10from the same person and that could happen with multiple
- 3:13people. So multiply that with every
- 3:15person that you know, even if they're Christian.
- 3:18So it begs us to know. Lord, how do I deal with this?
- 3:23How do I go about this? If I'm asking you to actually
- 3:25make me like like your son then surely, I need to know how to be
- 3:29like your son when I've been treated with with so much evil
- 3:33and wickedness. And it's not as black and white
- 3:36as you and I might think. And so I know we prayed but I
- 3:40think it's good to pray again. Let's ask the Lord to help us.
- 3:47Lord, we need you in this Bible study.
- 3:50We are grateful that we have the word of God in our hands but we
- 3:53need the spirit that helped us understand it.
- 3:56Thank you for this family. Laura, thank you for bringing us
- 3:58in the same place to expound the scriptures.
- 4:02Lord. We know that this can easily
- 4:03become a sermon but we wanted to be a study and so energized, our
- 4:08minds and create Opportunity by your perfect wisdom for
- 4:12conversation and for shared insights Lord.
- 4:15We just pray that you would lead us and conduct this meeting to
- 4:18your pleasure. I'll or we need you to help us
- 4:21because this can easily become a dead teaching session, but we
- 4:27know that your word is life. We also know that your word must
- 4:31be assisted by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- 4:34And so we back in you, we ask that this would be true on this
- 4:37Friday evening. At this Bible study, we trust
- 4:40that you will do it because you're faithful and you're eager
- 4:43to speak to us in your name. We pray these things.
- 4:46Amen. Let's read verse 8.
- 4:51After word. After word, after that whole
- 4:54incident in the cave where David sauce on those men, convinced
- 4:58him to kill him once. And for all after all of that,
- 5:01David didn't do it. But he does something here,
- 5:04afterward, David also arose and went out of the cave and called
- 5:08after saw my Lord the king, and when Saul look behind him, David
- 5:16bowed with his face to the Earth and paid homage And we can just
- 5:21stop there for a moment. Consider this at David in that
- 5:25cave, did not exercise his sword with vengeance but David still
- 5:30is going to do something about Saul and what David is going to
- 5:34do in this moment is utilize a different instrument, a
- 5:37different weapon, a weapon that God encourages you and I to use
- 5:41when we are being treated with such contempt and wrong and that
- 5:46is the weapon of returning good for evil.
- 5:52That is the response of doing. What doesn't make sense to the
- 5:56Natural mind to the most undeserving?
- 6:01And so he approaches him at a safe distance.
- 6:05We have reason to believe because even saw later on the
- 6:08chapter, he can't really recognize David's voice and
- 6:11either. That's because of the distance
- 6:13or his mind has been. So damaged that he can't even
- 6:15understand who's speaking to him, but it seems like David is
- 6:18acting and wisdom and there's a distance, and he comes up and he
- 6:21calls he calls for Saul now, here's my question in these two
- 6:26verses. What what kind of phrase that's
- 6:29all repeatedly used? when it came to identifying
- 6:33David, That son of Jesse. With humiliation and mind with
- 6:41an attempt to bring such contempt of his lowly because of
- 6:47his lowly upbringing and his background that son of Jesse
- 6:50that nobody up to this point we've seen that being used
- 6:53repeatedly, son of Jesse, son of Jesse, son of Jesse but then
- 6:56when it comes to David addressing Saul, what does he
- 7:01say? My Lord, the king.
- 7:05My Lord, the king. He didn't say you rascal.
- 7:09He didn't say you evil Wicked King.
- 7:12He didn't say you lunatic, he didn't say, you maniac.
- 7:16He said, my Lord, the king. Is he showing face here?
- 7:22Is he just pretending? Is he just trying to seem Pious?
- 7:25Absolutely not. Because, before this we know
- 7:28that in private, he addresses salt to those men that really
- 7:32didn't feel. The best way about Saul, he's
- 7:35still the Lord's anointed And so even behind his back he was it
- 7:42was respecting this man and Shirley before his face he was
- 7:47honoring. This man, how do we make sense
- 7:50of this? What do we make of this?
- 7:52Is he condoning? Saul sin?
- 7:54Is he ignoring his pure wickedness?
- 7:58No, he's actually, he's respecting the office.
- 8:04And the position that he has though, he might be unfaithful
- 8:07in it, there is a loss of the sense of respect for authority
- 8:12in our culture, even for those who are doing, right?
- 8:15Even for those that are doing what they should be doing there,
- 8:17still this growing loss for respect and honor and that is a
- 8:23dangerous sign. Of where we stand and in our
- 8:27morality. But here we see that there is
- 8:30still sense of respect and honor that is demanded.
- 8:35And what's important about that is you and I and life might be
- 8:39failed by those who are in positions of authority.
- 8:42You might be let down by a father but you have to
- 8:45understand He's still your father.
- 8:49You might be disappointed by spiritual leader by a pastor by
- 8:53someone, who teaches a Bible class, whatever it may be.
- 8:56But regardless that person is still holding a position of
- 8:59authority. You might be caught up in the
- 9:02frenzy of people who are doing much to, to the names of
- 9:07politicians, including the president.
- 9:09But regardless, he's still the president.
- 9:12He's still a president even though he's not serving as some.
- 9:16What many would say as a faithful politician consider
- 9:22that consider that, as you prepare to confront someone in
- 9:26their wrong, that there is still has to be a level of respect and
- 9:30dignity and the way you approach that individual That is
- 9:34important because no matter how true something is no matter how
- 9:37sobering the confrontation might be, it should never cross the
- 9:41line into ridicule and into mockery.
- 9:46And David proves that with such balance and I'm fully aware that
- 9:49there's a temptation to maybe not kill someone with an actual
- 9:53sore. But with the sword of your
- 9:54tongue and yet this man, still restrains that weapon because he
- 10:00is still walking in the fear of the Lord.
- 10:03And so he calls out my Lord, the king and saw hears this voice
- 10:08and this must have been confusing because he thought he
- 10:10was alone in that cave. So very quickly, I'm sure he
- 10:13turns around only to see the very that you've been looking
- 10:16for for who knows how long And the moment that David realizes
- 10:22that he has Saul's attention, not only did he address him with
- 10:25respect, but with with a posture of humility, he takes his his
- 10:29face and he bounced before boughs before him as a way of
- 10:33saluting, somebody who is Superior in rank.
- 10:38And it reinforces again, the absolute necessity that you and
- 10:42I in our confrontation and even in our communication of
- 10:45conviction it has to come from a posture of great great.
- 10:49Respect and humility. And this man is displaying that
- 10:54ever. So clearly, It may be so with us
- 10:59because we can lose the the power of what we want to say,
- 11:04when the package, when the package is Given In the Flesh,
- 11:08even if the message is spiritual, even if it lines up
- 11:10with God's word and what we see here is after he gained Saul's
- 11:15attention and after he already is showing himself to be a man
- 11:20who really reflects the character of God.
- 11:22He asks his first question And it is, it is insightful when you
- 11:27meditate upon the question that he brings its found in verse 9.
- 11:32And David said to Saul, why do you listen to the words of men
- 11:37who say behold David seeks your harm?
- 11:43Why do you listen to the words of men, who say, behold David
- 11:47seeks your harm? It seems like David is fully
- 11:52aware that the fuel to Saul's crazed Pursuit after him was the
- 12:00words of others who were instigating and who were
- 12:03encouraging him to continue to pursue David and Amanda to kill
- 12:07him. And we studied that with a man
- 12:09named who do a grammar, do idea to might David was Aware that
- 12:14the main cause for these priests to be slaughtered and for salt
- 12:17to be ever. So motivated to pursue the
- 12:21innocence of this man is because of what another person said now
- 12:25you and I know the deep-rooted reason why Saul is doing this,
- 12:31this wasn't just suggested, this was only fueling.
- 12:35The slander was only fueling, but this was something birth
- 12:39within his own bosom. This was something that went all
- 12:42the way back to 1st Samuel 18, when a bunch of women of Israel
- 12:45began to saying that David was more Victorious than Saul and so
- 12:51you know this we've been studying it that the reason why
- 12:53Saul is doing this is because he has a jealousy.
- 12:55There's Pride. There there's there's a hidden
- 12:59Evil Within his heart that was not tamed by the power of the
- 13:02Holy Spirit. And because of that, it, let
- 13:05loose into all this carnality But what's so amazing here is
- 13:09that, I think that David is not addressing that with great
- 13:12wisdom. One would say he's not aware of
- 13:16the reason. Okay.
- 13:19But could it be that David is not going to spend his time.
- 13:22Pull pointing at the motives of Saul and is instead going to
- 13:27just deal with the clear evidence for the wrong that he
- 13:29is performing? Instead of trying to investigate
- 13:33things that are hidden. He instead goes to the things
- 13:37that cannot be denied. And I think this is very
- 13:40important. There's great wisdom here
- 13:42because you and I, as Christians, we are not called to
- 13:45make judgments on people's hidden motives. as tempting, as
- 13:51it may be to try to figure out why it is, people do what they
- 13:55do, unless it is clear, unless there is evidence, unless it is
- 13:59obvious you and I actually commanded not to judge the
- 14:04things that only God can determine And and looking at
- 14:09what David is doing here though, we can debate, why he's asking
- 14:13this question primarily there is still a practical wisdom in this
- 14:16theme tonight of how you and I should deal with other people's
- 14:20wrongs against us and if you want proof of what I'm saying,
- 14:24it's in it's in the New Testament, which Comforts a lot
- 14:26more people because when it's old it's like, yeah.
- 14:29New Testament. 1st Corinthians chapter 4.
- 14:31Look, what. Paul says to Christians and I
- 14:34want you to see this for yourself and I mean, talk about
- 14:38the pursuit of Holiness, how these things are so specific.
- 14:46To our lives. We read here.
- 14:47Paul says therefore do not and First Corinthians 4:5 do not
- 14:52pronounce judgment before the time.
- 14:55He's talking to Believers and he's actually talking to
- 14:58Believers that are judging Paul's Ministry and questioning
- 15:03his motives. Do not pronounce judgement
- 15:07before the time before the Lord comes, who will bring to light
- 15:11the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the
- 15:15purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his
- 15:20Commendation from God. There is a Time coming my
- 15:24brother. There's a Time coming.
- 15:26My sister were the Lord himself will investigate with perfect
- 15:30Justice and perfect evaluation. The reason why some people do
- 15:36that, which is wrong. And more than that, the Lord
- 15:39will also reveal. Why the people standing before
- 15:43him did good. And what Paul is saying here is
- 15:48leave that kind of judgment. To the Lord, don't get yourself
- 15:55occupied with something that solely belongs to God himself.
- 16:00Because that is a great Temptation, not just to look at
- 16:03people who are doing evil and saying, why are they doing that?
- 16:06But even looking at people who are doing good and be like, you
- 16:09know, I think, I think he's a pastor, because he does this, or
- 16:12he wants this, Paul says, don't do that.
- 16:15That solely Belongs to the Lord because how embarrassing it will
- 16:19it be for you on Judgment day when you were wrong.
- 16:22And you actually told other people, the reason why you think
- 16:24they're doing it and it all comes to light and you, you're
- 16:27the one. Who will find rebuke from the
- 16:31Lord? It's pastas resist that
- 16:34Temptation, resist it with everything within you, by the
- 16:37power of the Holy Spirit, leave that to the Lord.
- 16:41Now, when you come back to this text others, believe that the
- 16:43reason why David is speaking about the slander of men rather
- 16:47than addressing Saul since straight up is because in love,
- 16:52he wants to cover sauce in and he's willing to shift the blame
- 16:58on others so that there can be clear communication between two.
- 17:01I think that's reading way too much in the And it's clear from
- 17:05the text itself. That's that David is not trying
- 17:07to dismiss all is wrong. He's actually questioning his
- 17:11wrong when he brings up the lies of others.
- 17:15Read the verse slowly and realized that Saul is guilty.
- 17:20Saul is guilty and how he responded to what other people
- 17:24were saying. Falsely about David, go back to
- 17:27the verse, what does it say? David said to Saul, why do you
- 17:33listen? Why do you listen?
- 17:40For salt to entertain, for salt, to believe, and to act upon the
- 17:45false statements made by others about David.
- 17:48Listen is no less of a crime than the slander itself.
- 17:54For salt to entertain, for salt, to believe and enforce.
- 18:00All to act upon what other people were saying, is no less
- 18:04of a crime than those who instigated the lives to begin
- 18:08with. you and I are stewards of many things in this life and one
- 18:17of the things that you and I are responsible for is what we do
- 18:20based on what we hear, what you and I do based on what we hear,
- 18:25the Lord will hold us accountable for And there are
- 18:28many people who do certain things that are wrong and then
- 18:32when they realize they're wrong, they will point to the
- 18:34misinformation. That was given to them thinking
- 18:37that that somehow justifies it and it doesn't a failure to
- 18:42investigate a failure to be Discerning, never excuses, doing
- 18:46something wrong or treating somebody differently based on
- 18:50something that you're not sure about the understand.
- 18:53This is an extremely important. I'm trying to Save You Tonight
- 18:56from destroying things that can be A bird and could be a
- 18:59blessing. We see here that saw was held
- 19:04responsible because of why he listened and he believed, and he
- 19:08moved based on that and you and I have to understand very very
- 19:13carefully. That there is just as much
- 19:16trouble for the person who acts upon false information in the
- 19:19person who sharing that false information to begin with
- 19:21example potiphar. Not notice, I didn't say,
- 19:26Potiphar's wife. I said potiphar part of his
- 19:29wife, framed, an innocent man and part 2.
- 19:33Fur threw him into prison. And we always focus on
- 19:38Potiphar's wife. What about the man who believed
- 19:42something that he should have investigated be very careful in
- 19:45your Christian walk? You and I will be held
- 19:47responsible for what we do based on what we hear.
- 19:51And I think a lot of people don't believe that, but we see
- 19:54that here by Holy Spirit and so David.
- 19:57David confronts him about this but we see what he does.
- 20:01In the next verse behold verse 10, this day your eyes have seen
- 20:06how the lord gave you today into my hand and the cave and some
- 20:10told me to kill you but I spared you.
- 20:13I said, I will not put out my hand against my Lord for he is
- 20:17the Lord's anointed. and so David now goes from questioning
- 20:25him, To now, actually bringing something to his attention that
- 20:29he did not know. David, I was going to prove his
- 20:33innocence. He's going to show how all those
- 20:36lies were wrong and what saw was doing was not just wrong.
- 20:39It was sin and it was wickedness.
- 20:43And so he says behold do you not realize I'm translating here?
- 20:47Do you not realize what God just did right here right now.
- 20:52And saw was completely unaware of the fact that his casual
- 20:56visitation to the facilities was actually the Lord setting them
- 21:00up in a way for him to learn that he had escaped yet another
- 21:06intervention of possible judgment.
- 21:10I mean, so many episodes where God had spared saw one after the
- 21:15other. And here is another one that
- 21:17David is highlighting to Saul. You missed it.
- 21:20If it wasn't for me approaching you right now, you would have
- 21:23not understood this. The Lord set you up. the Lord
- 21:28made this show possible for me to actually deal with you once
- 21:33and for all and Saul was blinded by this saw was unaware of this
- 21:40and this isn't, this isn't deal with the theme that we're
- 21:42speaking about in this chapter, but it's a wonderful point that
- 21:45consider nonetheless. It is a wonderful illustration
- 21:48of how those who are in sin are blinded by the the mercies that
- 21:53follow them though. They are undeserving of those
- 21:55Mercies Speaks of those who do not acknowledge the lordship of
- 22:00Jesus Christ. And he speaks of those who fail,
- 22:03to a tribute to him all the wonderful things that they
- 22:05enjoy. Like Saul, who didn't know what
- 22:07just happened moments ago. There are sinners tonight who
- 22:12have healthy bodies and full bank accounts and great
- 22:16families. And successful businesses that
- 22:20do not realize that, though, they deserve to be judged
- 22:23eternally at this very moment. They are instead.
- 22:27Swimming in the grace of God. And I see something here about
- 22:33David that speaks to the responsibility of the Christian
- 22:35like David here, who is making known to solve the goodness of
- 22:40God. So you and I are called to
- 22:43highlight what God has done to those who are unaware of his
- 22:47goodness. You realize that you deserve
- 22:50judgment and yet God is giving you Mercy.
- 22:52Do you realize that yet while you're an enemy Christ?
- 22:55Came and died for you? David is highlighting the mercy
- 23:00of God, to an undeserving Sinner and you and I have the same
- 23:04responsibilities as we communicate this gospel to
- 23:07souls. There are walking around going
- 23:10in and out. Not realizing that.
- 23:11There is a God and his providential love, who is even
- 23:16providing for them, protecting them to a certain extent and
- 23:21David makes that known. But let's come back to this this
- 23:25theme. Now we came here, it's come back
- 23:26here. The theme of how we should deal
- 23:29with people that wrong us or who are in sin.
- 23:32David says, something in here that a lot of people Miss
- 23:34Supply. And the in the Christian world
- 23:38look here at the second part of verse 10, the last part.
- 23:40But I spared you. I said, I will not put out my
- 23:43hand against the Lord for. He is the Lord's anointed.
- 23:48Have you ever heard the phrase? Touch?
- 23:50Not. My anointed.
- 23:53Have you ever heard the statement, have you ever even
- 23:55been warned? Do not touch the Lord's,
- 23:57anointed anybody here heard that?
- 24:00Wow, I was expecting way more to hear it, you've never heard it.
- 24:04Okay, it's a common phrase, It's a common phrase, among many who
- 24:08misinterpret not just in this text but in different parts
- 24:11where it's kind of its kind of a code touch not The Lord's
- 24:18anointed. And how people have
- 24:20misinterpreted that is that leaders, spiritual leaders
- 24:26should never be confronted. Should never be corrected,
- 24:30should never be rebuked, should never be approached, should
- 24:34never be criticized. In fact, they are above all that
- 24:36because if you say something against somebody who's in
- 24:38spiritual leadership, God will judge you for that.
- 24:42And they use David exam as an example here to how David would
- 24:46not touch the Lord's. Anointed, even though saw was in
- 24:50so much wrong, David dare not do anything to say something.
- 24:56This is how they interpret it to criticize or to speak about a
- 25:01man of God. Even though he's in wrong,
- 25:05Here's the problem. None of those things and we can
- 25:09go to different portions of scripture.
- 25:10That Echo what David is saying. None of those things, entertain
- 25:14for a split second that you and I cannot confront approach or
- 25:21deal with someone who is in a leadership position.
- 25:23When they are in sin, when David says, I will not touch the
- 25:27Lord's. Anointed.
- 25:27He's speaking about physical harm.
- 25:30I got killing him. In fact, the very context just
- 25:35destroys that argument, he is confronting him, he's dealing
- 25:39with his sin head on. And so many of you haven't heard
- 25:44it, I can tell you of some places where they use it all the
- 25:48time and even leaders teach about it.
- 25:51This is not the same thing. People mistakenly warn others
- 25:57with a text like this. That leaders are excluded from
- 26:00accountability or examination wrong.
- 26:04Is there a way to do it? Absolutely.
- 26:06And there is specific. There's a specific protocol of
- 26:09how to do it, but it doesn't say that they're exempt from it,
- 26:12completely that may not be beneficial to you.
- 26:15Now, it may come At a future time.
- 26:21And if somebody warns you about it, just just remember, it's not
- 26:24talking about you stabbing somebody with an actual sword.
- 26:29And so we come back to this verse, behold this day, your
- 26:32eyes have seen how the lord gave you today into my hand in the
- 26:34cave. And then we come here and we see
- 26:37something else. And verse 11.
- 26:40See my father, notice how he calls him my father.
- 26:44See my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand for by the
- 26:49fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill
- 26:51you. You may know and see that there
- 26:54is no wrong or treason. In my hands, I have not sinned
- 26:58against you though. You hunt my life to take it.
- 27:03So now David is not trying to give an appeal with words now.
- 27:07He pulls out evidence, he pulls out the briefcase and he takes
- 27:11his ziplock bag with the strongest piece of evidence that
- 27:15would just make this irrefutable he takes a piece of the robe,
- 27:21the robe that he cut, and he says here, What you going to do
- 27:27with this? Is this not clear enough for
- 27:31you? Do you not see the evidence?
- 27:35And I look at that, and I see a practical application here.
- 27:38And here's the practical, application believer.
- 27:40The Believers duty is to ensure that by the wisdom of God, by
- 27:45walking with the Lord, by living in the fear of the Lord, that
- 27:49there is no evidence that we can give Satan to muddy our
- 27:53testimony When is Satan's tactics and he's done it to so
- 27:58many men of God in the scriptures and Men of God.
- 28:01And women of God today is to make the testimony of a
- 28:04Believer, especially those who are affected for the kingdom of
- 28:07murky and questionable. So that their message and that
- 28:11their Ministry would be hindered from being fully effective.
- 28:16It's a very despicable practice but it's one of his tactics,
- 28:20nonetheless. And David, he remember going
- 28:23back to verse 9, he's dealing with people that are saying
- 28:25things about him and yet in this moment, he has evidence that
- 28:29will shut all of their mouths. And the application here is you
- 28:35and I should not be overwhelmed or concerned or busy ourselves
- 28:42with hunting. Every lie that somebody says or
- 28:45every exaggeration or the spread of misinformation don't occupy
- 28:50yourself with these things. If you're going to busy yourself
- 28:53with anything, it is to live with a clear conscience.
- 28:59I'm telling you this not for you to be fearful, but I'm telling
- 29:02you to be prepared. For those who serve the Lord,
- 29:04one of the enemy's strategies is to make sure that he can.
- 29:08As we heard Sunday, poison, the minds of others.
- 29:12Don't busy yourself trying to unpause in them.
- 29:16Busy yourself with making sure that you are walking in the
- 29:19light. That's all you have to do.
- 29:22That's all you need to do. And what I think is so
- 29:28incredible is people just don't realize the seriousness of what
- 29:32I'm presenting that this is. This is a tactic.
- 29:36It happened with Joseph at happened with Daniel at happen
- 29:38with our Lord. And it happened to Paul that man
- 29:43experienced that throughout his ministry.
- 29:47And I want to show you just how important it is to ensure that
- 29:51you and I have a clear conscience so that when these
- 29:55tactics of Satan surface you'll be ready.
- 29:59You'll be ready. So come with me to the book of
- 30:01Acts and look with me here. Paul found himself in court, I
- 30:06believe in America, we're going to see many more Christians in
- 30:08court in the next few years. And here in chapter 24, listen
- 30:16to this, he's standing for governor Felix, and there's a
- 30:21whole court case. And this man took two lists is
- 30:27sophisticated. And he begins to accuse him in
- 30:32front of the governor and other people look here with me and
- 30:36verse 2. And when he had been summoned to
- 30:41to this began to accuse him saying and let's just scroll
- 30:44down here. And verse 4.
- 30:48But to detain you, no further. I beg you in your kindness to
- 30:51hear us briefly for we have found this man.
- 30:55Paul a plague one who stirs up riots among all the Jews
- 31:00throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the
- 31:02nazarenes. He even tried to profane the
- 31:05temple, but we seized them by examining him yourself.
- 31:09You will be able to find out from him about everything of
- 31:12which we accuse him. Wow, pretty confident guy.
- 31:18Accuse everything that you're going to find out, you
- 31:20investigate it. You're going to see that.
- 31:22What we're saying is true. You're so bald, man.
- 31:27So here's here's Paul standing before Governor.
- 31:30Here's Paul at the brink of his ministry, potentially being
- 31:35hindered and this is what I love and the same chapter.
- 31:39You come down to verse 13. And look at the answer that Paul
- 31:41gives Neither. Can they prove to you what?
- 31:44They now bring up against me. Yeah, that's right.
- 31:49They can't prove it. They can't.
- 31:55What a wonderful Shield Integrity is.
- 32:00What a wonderful protection living in the fear of the Lord?
- 32:05Is it provides a boldness and a courage.
- 32:10It does not make one frantic. When there are things being said
- 32:13no no they are steadfast because that is the power of a
- 32:17conscience that is in the clear. Would you like to know how Paul
- 32:23can say such a statement like this?
- 32:26Without being shaken without without stuttering, in his
- 32:28words, while the inside is in the same chapter, look at verse
- 32:3216. So I always take pains to have a
- 32:35clear conscience toward both God and man, that's how I take great
- 32:42pains. I make sure that I am in right
- 32:45standing in the presence of God. Yes, Jesus position, he makes us
- 32:49right, but practically, I make sure that there is no offense.
- 32:52There's no disobedience in my walk with the Lord first.
- 32:56Notice the order, a clear conscience before God first, and
- 33:01then, man, not the other way around.
- 33:05And then to my fellow man. And if there's any wrong that
- 33:08I've done before the Lord, any wrong that I've done to my
- 33:11fellow man I take great pains to ensure that I clear my record
- 33:16that I make right what I have done wrong.
- 33:20And that is what you and I inherit when it comes to these
- 33:24satanic accusations in our lives, this conviction for a
- 33:29clear conscience will protect you, it will guard you.
- 33:35And it will keep us from doing what. bringing blasphemy to the
- 33:41name of God before the Gentiles, like Paul said to the Romans, In
- 33:46this world where the media and the culture is just drooling for
- 33:52another scandal in the Evangelical world.
- 33:57It's just waiting for another failure.
- 33:59Just waiting for another moral hypocrisy.
- 34:03You and I can can do what David did back in this verse and verse
- 34:0911, 3 times, he repeats the same word you know what it is.
- 34:12Si si si si. In other words, just look at my
- 34:20life. I have nothing to hide from you.
- 34:23I have nothing to be embarrassed about, have nothing to be shy
- 34:25about have nothing. I had nothing si si, oh, what a
- 34:30wonderful testimony that is for those who would want to defame
- 34:34our faith, for those who would want to through the enemy's
- 34:37conviction. Bring about a hindrance to our
- 34:41Ministries and unfortunate. I want to bring you a heads up
- 34:44to this. It might be true.
- 34:46It might be true. That there is great power that
- 34:50when you and I have through a holy life, a blameless life, a
- 34:55life that reflects the character of God though, not perfect
- 34:59blameless. Still, the enemy is a clever
- 35:02fellow and he can still he can still gather evidence against
- 35:05you and I Saying, what are you talking about?
- 35:10So here's David holding a piece of Saul's rope to prove his
- 35:13innocence and I'm asking you to reflect on a story where
- 35:16somebody else was holding another piece of garment that
- 35:19condemned an innocent man. Who is that very good?
- 35:25Joseph. And so there you see a different
- 35:29Paradigm to this? Joseph was innocent, Joseph was
- 35:34right, and yet it looked like it looked like there was evidence
- 35:39against him. These see how tricky this is,
- 35:41the see how it's not black, and white and Christianity.
- 35:46So then what are you doing? It just everything you just said
- 35:48about walking route. So you're saying that no matter
- 35:51what you do like Joseph, even though you stand for God and you
- 35:55choose to obey him when nobody's looking, you can still be
- 35:59falsely accused. What am I supposed to do with
- 36:02that? Then this is intimidating.
- 36:03No, don't be intimidated. Even though that garment and
- 36:08that woman's hand, symbolize a man, it was a trophy of a Man
- 36:12Who Loved and honored God she Twisted it sure.
- 36:17So then what's our duty then if we can't predict these things
- 36:21very simple do what David does back in verse 12 of 1st Samuel,
- 36:2524, May the lord judge between me and you.
- 36:33May the lord judge between me and you may the Lord avenge me
- 36:36against you but my hand shall not be against you.
- 36:41I've talked to different people who have been Disturbed in their
- 36:45Christian experience because of things that have been said about
- 36:48them, but it is a verse like this, that should encourage you
- 36:53to know how to rest. In God's sovereignty.
- 36:58And to be completely committed to the judge will bring all
- 37:03things to the light. Trust yourself in, trust
- 37:09yourself into his hands at all times.
- 37:12As tempting as it is, sometimes to to defend yourself into
- 37:17unconvinced people and to convince people, don't worry
- 37:21about that. Don't get so caught up in that.
- 37:25Learn to just leave it to the Lord. that is important, because
- 37:33There is a day as you heard earlier when we're God is going
- 37:35to gather all the evidence and this is so comforting and he
- 37:38will show, who is right? And who is wrong.
- 37:41And that's why Paul in that same scripture where he says don't
- 37:44judge before the time earlier. He says it is a little thing to
- 37:49be judged by you, or by any human court.
- 37:52It's a small thing to me. It's a, it doesn't affect me
- 37:55very much. Why?
- 37:57Because he says, that in verse 3, of First Corinthians for Nana
- 37:59verse 5, he goes the Lord's going to bring out the light,
- 38:01like, you got to believe that. You got to really believe that
- 38:05and there's a lightness to that. There's a confidence to that
- 38:07even if you're thrown in jail for 15 years, Just trust the
- 38:12Lord really trust, like, come on, like, trust the Lord.
- 38:15Amen. I trust the Lord, I trust you
- 38:17with my okay, trust them. Then really trust them like when
- 38:21it gets ugly, trust them. Like you let your soul actually
- 38:26commit. These things to him.
- 38:29I give it to you. Lord deal with it.
- 38:32Do that. Don't just think about it, do it
- 38:37and experience The Liberation from it, where you can say,
- 38:39like, Paul, it's a little thing. He looks at Saul from a
- 38:44distance. He goes, look, I have evidence.
- 38:46Even if you have evidence that God is going to, God is the one
- 38:49who will bring all things. So, I'm leaving this into God's
- 38:51hand. What a wonderful thing it is to
- 38:53know to lead people into God's hands.
- 38:58We can continue with the verses following to this.
- 39:00He kind of repeats himself in different ways to emphasize his
- 39:03point, but I think it's good to get to Saul's reaction now.
- 39:06Aren't you? Eager to know what's always
- 39:07going to do? How is Saul going to respond to
- 39:11this, to this presentation? That is immaculate?
- 39:14That, I mean, how do you argue against this?
- 39:17I don't know if this is saying the text, if you looked at the
- 39:19corner of his robe and he looked, and he says it's real,
- 39:21it's legit, he actually did this, we don't know, but we see
- 39:25his response and it is quite telling.
- 39:27It's Very, very, very shocking. Join with me, come to verse 16
- 39:34as soon as David had finished speaking, these words to Saul
- 39:38Saul said, is this your voice? My son, David.
- 39:44And so lifted up his voice and wept.
- 39:51We have to read slowly. How did how did he address
- 39:54David? my son, David, not the son of
- 40:00Jesse, My son David, wow. Seems like somebody's heart is
- 40:07softening. And I think the iciness of this
- 40:11man's heart is melting here because now it's translating it
- 40:16to actual tears. There's an outburst, he's
- 40:20weeping. He's weeping out loud audibly.
- 40:25I don't know if it echoed Into the Wilderness into that cave.
- 40:27I don't know, but he's broken. I mean this is not what we saw
- 40:31earlier when Jonathan confronts his dad and he says what are you
- 40:35doing with David? And and you can tell that he's a
- 40:37little convicted and he goes you know as the Lord lives I will
- 40:41not put him to death and he comes back and then he ends up
- 40:43doing what he did before this time.
- 40:45There's actual tears. There's like visible remorse.
- 40:49This is exciting. In fact, it gets even more
- 40:53exciting, because look what he says in verse 17.
- 40:56He said to David, you are more righteous than I for you, have
- 41:03repaid me. Good.
- 41:05Whereas I've repaid you evil. This is like Revival happening
- 41:10right now. you are more righteous than I Is this
- 41:16confession? This is, this is admitting that
- 41:21he's in the wrong. This is admitting this, the
- 41:26righteousness of this man, eclipsing, his Darkness.
- 41:29You've repaid me with good while I'm treating you with evil and
- 41:34it breaks him. and when I read this today, I looked at that
- 41:39phrase, you are more righteous than I And this is why reading
- 41:45the Old Testament or reading the scriptures with rearview
- 41:47mirrors. Brings about Revelation, I've
- 41:50seen that phrase before. I've seen this phrase before.
- 41:54If you know where this phrase is found it, I'll give you a
- 41:57high-five after the service. who else said you are more righteous
- 42:03than I Before we're talking before this moment, we're
- 42:09talking about, we're talking about early in the book. let me
- 42:19let me make it more specific, she is more righteous than I
- 42:25Very good but you're a pastor. So now joking has nothing to do
- 42:30with you being a pastor. You read the word of God.
- 42:33Did you hear his answer? Come with me to Genesis chapter
- 42:3839. I'll still give you a high five
- 42:45after the service. Genesis 39.
- 42:51Excuse me, 38 Do you remember the story between Judah and
- 42:57Tamar who here knows of the story?
- 42:59Lift your hand just so I can know how much to go in depth
- 43:01with this. Remember Judah, one of the sons
- 43:04of Jacob? He goes into He goes into an
- 43:11area that he shouldn't be going into and he marries somebody.
- 43:13You shouldn't be marrying, he has.
- 43:15He has three sons with a Canaanite woman, the first to
- 43:18die and Judah kind of interprets this and he goes, there must be
- 43:23something wrong with her because whenever she marries one of my
- 43:26son's they die. So I'm going to keep the
- 43:27youngest one and he promises her when he's old enough.
- 43:31I'll give him to you. Why is that happening?
- 43:34Because, you know, that in the Old Testament, there is a law
- 43:37that when a man dies The brother should fulfill a certain
- 43:41responsibility and providing Offspring to that Widow.
- 43:46And so, when Judah reserves the youngest for Tamar that was that
- 43:51was sin. And so tame, our takes things
- 43:54into her own hands, she kind of knew her father-in-law enough
- 43:59and and that's unfortunate because she dresses herself up
- 44:02as a prostitute. She hides her identity and this
- 44:05man goes into a certain place and he requests for her and she
- 44:10says, yes, but upon a condition, she asked for a certain things
- 44:15from him because he didn't have payments.
- 44:17So she would hold on to those things until he provided
- 44:19something for in a future time. And the things that he gave
- 44:22Cigna and Accord. It's almost like a modern
- 44:25driver's license. It's a piece of identification.
- 44:30It was undeniable. Some say there is there is
- 44:32inscriptions on these things. Initials something that made it
- 44:35so obvious that this belonged to so and so and so she not because
- 44:40she was in lust but because she wanted to fulfill The Vow, she
- 44:44wanted to fulfill what belonged to her and he was not making it
- 44:47happen. So she does this.
- 44:51He goes, he tries to gets payment, he bring he comes back
- 44:53to the area, she's not to be founding asked around to like
- 44:56there was no prostitute here, we don't know who you're talking
- 44:58about now, come here to verse 24 in Genesis 38, about three
- 45:03months later. Judah was told Tamar, your
- 45:05daughter-in-law has been immoral.
- 45:09Moreover, she is pregnant my immorality.
- 45:12And Judah said, bring her out and let her be burned, not
- 45:16knowing that he was the one who impregnated her.
- 45:21As she was being brought out, she sent word to her
- 45:24father-in-law. Now look at this, by the man to
- 45:28whom these belong. I am pregnant.
- 45:32Wow. So here she is with a little
- 45:35bump that preparing the very steak where she's going to be
- 45:39burned. And she brings out the elements
- 45:42of his identification. And she goes, you want to know
- 45:46who did this? Whoever this belongs to Just
- 45:50like David, there is evidence. There is evidence.
- 45:56Now, you know what Judah could have done to save face?
- 46:01I don't know who that belongs to your dying today.
- 46:05Men no room for excuses. The bump is enough.
- 46:10Let her be burned. But as he's confronted with
- 46:14evidence, something happens to him and look what he says.
- 46:20She says please identify whose these are the Signet and the
- 46:23court and the staff verse 26. Then Judah identify them and
- 46:27said she is more righteous than I Since I did not give her to my
- 46:36son. Sheila.
- 46:39And he did not know her again. The paralleling situations,
- 46:43right? Evil done evidence.
- 46:46Given both response with conviction.
- 46:48I mean you can even say that Saul was much more emotional
- 46:51weeping and all these things and see this is this is what it
- 46:56means there is, there's a confession of wrong.
- 47:00But there's a difference. There's a difference.
- 47:04What's the difference between judah's repentance and Sol's?
- 47:18Did you say we're going to say the same thing?
- 47:21Did you see the last part of the verse here in verse 26?
- 47:23And he did not know her again. In fact, I challenge you to read
- 47:31you the story from Genesis 38 to the end of book of Ghent, the
- 47:34end of the book of Genesis. You will see a different Judah,
- 47:37not just in the fact that he didn't sleep with her again but
- 47:41in the fact that he treats the whole situation with Joseph and
- 47:45Benjamin, he's willing to make himself a slave instead of
- 47:47Benjamin. There's a different person after
- 47:49this moment. when you compare Judah with the same words, with
- 47:56with the appearance conviction there, there's a difference with
- 48:00the sincerity of the remorse because he actually changed Saul
- 48:06won't Saul said the right things, he had that he had the
- 48:11right emotions, you can even say, but when you follow Saul,
- 48:15after that moment, you will not see a difference, all you will,
- 48:19in fact see the same Saul. Go back to 1st Samuel, I'll
- 48:22prove it in just two chapters. First, Samuel 26:2.
- 48:31And first name, a 26 to look what happens two chapters later.
- 48:35So Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of his, if, with
- 48:383,000 chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of
- 48:41Zin, if he's literally doing the same thing that he has done,
- 48:45before the moment of his confrontation, the exact same
- 48:47thing, the same amount of men, the same area, everything the
- 48:51man didn't change. What happened to him them with
- 48:55David? What many people do and
- 48:57services, they were challenged. He got emotional.
- 49:03He felt genuine conviction. But what he did here is, what
- 49:08James warns, Believers not to do and that is to look intently
- 49:12into a mirror. and then to turn around only forgetting what you
- 49:16saw in that mirror, that's what it says.
- 49:22And James says that after saying, do not be hearers only,
- 49:25but doers of the word. And if you don't, it's like you
- 49:30looking into the mirror, seeing who you are with, with the
- 49:32mirrors, not lying to you. You're seeing what you get, is
- 49:34what you see and then you go away and you forget what you
- 49:40saw. And that's exactly what happened
- 49:42with Saul. When that environment was left,
- 49:45when the evidence was in there, when the emotion waned away, as
- 49:49he moved on, as you went back home, that conviction died, more
- 49:54and more and more. It was never responded to.
- 50:00And so was a useless thing. It was impressive at first, but
- 50:04it didn't really actually bring about change.
- 50:08And so we have to beware of that of ourselves.
- 50:10The measure of true repentance is not the tears that I cry or
- 50:14the feelings that I have in the moment.
- 50:16It's what happens to you after what happens to you after Judah.
- 50:21He said the same thing as Saul but Judah we are told by Holy
- 50:25Spirit commentary. He did not know her again.
- 50:28Why would he say that? Why would the Lord put that in
- 50:30there? Why is that important for us to
- 50:31know to show us? He changed though, he admitted
- 50:35that he was not as righteous. He strive by God's grace.
- 50:38To pursue righteousness. So we come back to this text or
- 50:43more closing in a moment here. So this man weeps and he cries
- 50:49and he screams and he confesses and he says beautiful things and
- 50:55we're going to find out in just after the next chapter that he's
- 50:57going to do the same thing that he was doing before.
- 51:00This is a sad sight indeed but what happens is as we come to
- 51:05this point, he makes another confession and this confession
- 51:08is quite impressive as well and verse 20 and now behold I know
- 51:12that you shall surely be king and that the Kingdom of Israel
- 51:16shall be established. In your hand.
- 51:19Now, I know, but didn't know before.
- 51:22Didn't-didn't, Jonathan say my, my father saw knows, you will be
- 51:26king. He did know the whole time, but
- 51:29now it's just, it just reinforced even more.
- 51:32I know. Not like now it's like, I know,
- 51:33I know, We would applaud him, but this reveal something
- 51:38disturbing about saw, what does it reveal about salts in?
- 51:41He was willingly sinning, he was in Sydney ignorance.
- 51:44He knew what God's word said about David and he still tried
- 51:47to go against it and you and I have to understand that the
- 51:50Bible provides a principle in life, that men will be judged
- 51:53based on the degree of Revelation that they've been
- 51:54given. They will be the more light you
- 51:57receive. The more judgment will be in
- 51:59accordance to that light. And so the more an unbeliever
- 52:02receives understand the amount of gospel, that they have known,
- 52:05that will be Take it into consideration on the final day
- 52:08saw, here is knowing what he's doing is wrong and he's still
- 52:11attacking, he's still resisting, he is still fighting against
- 52:16God, and that's a scary thing, but it makes me wonder.
- 52:20Ooh, it makes me wonder if the visual visualization of the
- 52:22whole thing. Brought back a memory?
- 52:25Do you remember what solid the Samuel a few chapters ago when
- 52:28Samuel confronted him in his sin?
- 52:31What does he do? He grabs Samuel.
- 52:34The Prophet by the robe and what does he do?
- 52:36After that? He rips it.
- 52:39He rips it off of the profit and Samuel says, something quite
- 52:44haunting. It was a prophetic word.
- 52:46The Lord has torn the Kingdom of Israel from you.
- 52:50This day. And has given it to a neighbor
- 52:54of yours who's better than you. So imagine that.
- 52:57Just imagine that with me and first time in 15, he grabs His
- 53:00Garment, he rips the prophets garment and he has a piece of
- 53:04his clothing and his hand and Samuel looks at him as this
- 53:07shirt is all messed up and he goes God has torn the Kingdom
- 53:12from you. And he's going to place it into
- 53:17the hand of a neighbor of yours. Who's better than you fast
- 53:20forward, David is standing before Saul, and he has a piece
- 53:25of the Kings robe in his hand. Symbolizing his authority.
- 53:32And Saul looks. And perhaps I'm not saying this
- 53:36is like dogmatically true but perhaps that's the guy he knew
- 53:43it before but now he's like that's the guy.
- 53:48It's amazing. How artistic the Bible is. and
- 53:52this man here says to David, I know that you're going to be
- 53:56king. What's so encouraging about
- 54:01this? Is that has a prophetic ring to
- 54:05it? No matter how much salt fought
- 54:10against David, no matter how much salt try to keep David from
- 54:13the throne, no matter how much he tried to set up conspiracies
- 54:18his efforts were all in vain and there came a time where he
- 54:24acknowledged that David was the king.
- 54:29From his own lips. And all the Sol's in history.
- 54:36Who've attacked this gospel who try to contradict this gospel
- 54:41who try to malign who've tried to bury who try to dismiss the
- 54:46lordship of Jesus Christ. There is a day coming where with
- 54:49their own mouths, they will confess that, he is the king of
- 54:52kings and that he is the Lord of lords, that's what we're seeing.
- 54:58There was a time that even the greatest enemy to David had to
- 55:03confess, you are the rightful King, and I can't wait for that
- 55:09day. We're all the princes and
- 55:13presidents prime ministers. Will helplessly confess.
- 55:21Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the universe.
- 55:25That's going to happen. Let me end with this.
- 55:28No. Psalm verse 21, says, swear to
- 55:32me therefore that you will not cut off my Offspring.
- 55:35He was so convinced that he's like just please make a promise
- 55:39a similar promise that you made to my son just be be ever.
- 55:43So merciful to my offspring. David agrees.
- 55:48But look what David does in verse 22 David's wore this the
- 55:51saw then Saul went home but David and his men went up to the
- 55:55stronghold. you know, David confronted Saul and his sin
- 56:03David was respectful saw apparently confessed.
- 56:08He was remorseful, he was broken.
- 56:12But they don't go back home together.
- 56:16In fact, we're going to see in chapter 26, saw is going to
- 56:20invite David to come back. Hey, return.
- 56:24With me. I'm not going to do you harm
- 56:26anymore. Was David wrong and not going
- 56:31back. Or you can have to come to the
- 56:34next Bible. Studies, to find out.
- 56:36Let's pray. Louis, thank you for the word of
- 56:59God. Oh, how rich it is?
- 57:04We are amazed Lord how you can speak into our lives from a text
- 57:08that seems so irrelevant. Lord Jesus.
- 57:13As challenging as these truths. Are, they are extremely
- 57:16difficult to perform a part from your power?
- 57:19We are all susceptible of doing the exact opposite of what David
- 57:24has presented us. And so, Lord, we just pray.
- 57:29Help us be like Jesus. Help us be like Jesus.
- 57:42Help us to know, to return good to those who do evil.
- 57:48We don't know what that looks like.
- 57:52We don't know what that. Manifest itself to be every
- 57:57situation is unique. Or help us to be.
- 58:03Among those by the grace of God, to live with a clear conscience
- 58:08before you and before, man. so that even when there are
- 58:14accusations, There would be a life filled with evidence of the
- 58:18contrary. Again, Lord, we know that this
- 58:23is not possible without your help below with our short lives.
- 58:28We long to make it extremely difficult for the enemy.
- 58:32To hinder our testimony For Your Glory.
- 58:36Louis, thank you for Jesus Christ.
- 58:39We thank you that he is the true king that no matter who is
- 58:43Accused them accused his people. No matter who's try to argue
- 58:46against them, try to prove other things to be true.
- 58:51They will confess. They will confess the Lord.
- 58:55Tonight, we confess, gladly, you're the true Risen.
- 58:59Lord, you love us. We love you.
- 59:04We worship you because of these truths tonight.
- 59:06We worship you for the people that you've allowed us to walk
- 59:09this journey with Blessed. Be Your Name.
- 59:12We ask these things in the name of the one who can only save
- 59:15that name. That saves any man who is
- 59:18willing to be saved in Jesus name, we pray.
- 59:21Amen, let's stand and worship. if the Lord together,