Sermon for 07/30/06

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Sermon for 07/30/06
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David: A Man After God’s Own Heart! – Cloudy Days… Dark Nights

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN

Main Theme: This summer we will study the amazing story of David – a shepherd boy who became King! Today, in our 5^th week, (I’ve been on vacation 3 weeks) we find David struggling with clouds and darkness (Being “in the pits”). This is often caused by our 1) Humanistic viewpoint, 2) Pessimistic Reasoning, and 3) Rational Logic. Like David, we often make decisions with tragic consequences: a) Our acts create a false sense of security, b) we submit to our enemies, and c) we experience a lengthy period of compromise. David “Sows the wind” which leads to a duplicity (deception by pretending), and it leads to vagueness (lies and secrecy). David then “Reaps the whirlwind” in that he 1) Looses his identity, 2) his satisfaction, 3) descends into depression, and 4) experiences distrust. David’s story shows us that dark days require vertical thinking. We need to reach up! Come home! (Based on Chuck Swindoll’s book “David” and other research.)

1) IN THE PITS! Christians are often under the illusion that there are two kinds of people in the world: the poor lost person who does not yet know Jesus, and the saved person living and walking in victory! But there is a 3rd, that, (while we don’t want to admit that it exists),flourishes in our midst: the carnal Christian. Not much is said about the believer who chooses to disobey and operate in a worldly and ungodly way.Today, David is a clear illustration of a “believer” on the inside, but on the outside he looks just like a nonbeliever, because of the way he’s living his life! David has been running for his life from King Saul’s jealousy, hiding in caves, and living under a dark cloud! David has fallen into a muddy hole of despondency, that today we might call “the pits”. Fact is, all Christians in their “journey towards God” spend some time “in the pits!” Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing ethically, morally, or spiritually wrong with experiencing the brokenness of the world, …of experiencing cloudy days and dark nights – it’s what we do AFTER we fall into the mire that counts. In today’s scriptures, David did what too many of us do; he had two choices when experiencing being “in the pits” – and he took the wrong one!

2) HUMANISTIC VIEWPOINT! David’s poor choice extended the “clouds and darkness” in his life. WHY? First, we read in 1^st Samuel 27:1 “But David thought to himself…” Oh-oh! There is his, (and often our), first problem: our HUMANISTIC VIEWPOINT! Instead of turning to God, lifting our eyes upward, and calling for divine help – David works the problem alone! Do you realize that David does not PRAY to God even one time in this chapter of his life! He wrote no psalms, asks for no help, and simply pushed the panic button. The divine 1-800 number is at his fingertips, but he doesn’t make the call – he chooses to use his brain instead! It is a common choice: often in counseling church members who are “in the pits”, I have asked them: So what has God told you to do? And I get that blank stare which tells me that it never occurred to them to think vertical – they had been relying on their humanistic viewpoint. My life is filled with times when I did the same thing!

3) PESSIMISTIC REASONING! The second thing compounding David’s problem was pessimistic reasoning. He says… (1^st Samuel 27:1) “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul.” Ask yourself – do any of us know the future? Of course not – but we often act like we do! Has David forgotten what the prophet Samuel had told him when he anointed him as a boy with oil? …that one day he will be King! And didn’t God speak through Abigail when she said that the Lord would “appoint him leader over Israel”? (1^st Samuel 25:30) God spoke to him through his best friend Jonathan more than once assuring him that he would be King! Even his enemies declared David would one day be King. So David should have known better! But… when you’re “in the pits” and shut out everything but human reasoning – pessimism rushes to the surface. And pessimism cause worry. And worry cause more stress! So why does David predict doom for himself? His pessimism comes because his eyes are focused on himself! Ask yourself this: Has God ever led you to a pessimistic thought? Not once! Pessimistic thoughts come strictly from our own weak minds – and they can be devastating!

4) RATIONALISTIC LOGIC! The 3rd reason David was struggling and sinking deeper and deeper into the pit, was because of “rationalistic logic.” He continues on, (1^st Samuel 27:1) “The best thing I can do is escape to the land of the Philistines.” In other words he is declaring that God has abandoned him, he’ll never be king, he’s gonna die as soon he doesn’t get far away from King Saul’s armies, so… the best solution is go hide among his enemies. True, Saul wouldn’t look for him there among the Philistines, but this rationalistic logic is leading David to deliberate disobedience!

5) RATIONALISTIC LOGIC (PART II)! In every church there are many of us who use rationalistic logic to choose a path different from the one God has offered us. I have had older singles criticize young kids for doing it, but then these seniors choose to “live together” rather than marry because they make out better financially in terms of pensions and health benefits – I suppose they were scared that God would not take care of them if they followed his will. I have counseled single and divorced Christians of all ages that were jumping into bed with every one they dated to “fight the loneliness” they were experiencing. Some form of “Rationalistic logic” declared that life was too short – and any physical warmth is better than none! According to rationalistic logic God doesn’t understand our true needs and is old fashioned and not “hip”. We all know God declares that He will provide all we need and calls us to give generously of our time and talent, and to tithe financially, but “rationalistic logic” convinces us that the children will go hungry and the bills won’t be paid if we were to take such a spiritual leap of faith. Rationalistic logic leads many, many Christians to deliberate disobedience and away from God! Psychologist Rollo Mays was right when he said, “Man is the only animal that runs faster when he has lost his way.” When we get lost, our humanistic viewpoint, pessimism, and rationalistic logic cause us to quickly move in the wrong direction – away from God, and right into the hands of our “adversaries.”

6) OTHERS, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY! And despite what these three worldly tools tell us, we take others down with us! It’s a lie that I can be a disobedient Christian and it will only affect myself. Friends, NOTHING we do allows us to “take our lumps alone!” The consequences of our sins always affects others around us! Look at how David’s decision to hide among his enemy affected those who had come to depend on him: (1^st Samuel 27: 2) “So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish, son of Moach, king of Gath.” What does verse three tell us? “Each man had his family with him…” Friends if you think you can compromise and it won’t affect your friends or family – you are deluding yourself! You do not live independently of everyone else! When you choose a course that is not God plan, it affects everyone who trusts you and depends on you, those who look up to you and believes in you. Though our friends and families are innocent themselves, they become contaminated by our sinful choices!

7) FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY! So David works out a deal with the archenemies of Israel. At first the results seemed to suggest David had made the right decision, for King Saul “no longer searched for him!” (27:4) So… the first consequence of David’s poor decision is that 1) it temporarily created a false sense of security! It appears the “pressure” is gone – and there is relief! But be careful: Sin has it’s temporary pleasures. Disobedience has it’s exhilarating moments. No one can deny it! There are times when we relax and enjoy disobedience because of those pleasures… but they are passing, they are short lived, and they never bring lasting satisfaction! Never! And David’s case testifies to that – for there is a temporary relief of pressure as Saul ignores him, and David’s thinking “Hey this great! The decision paid off!” He has a false sense of security! We’ll see.

8) SUBMISSION TO THE ADVERSARIES CAUSE! The 2nd consequence of ignoring God, is 2) submission to the adversaries cause. Is David serving God and Israel? No, he is serving their enemy! Though the Philistine King keeps a suspicious eye on David and his people, they are allowed to live in one of the Philistine cities. (1^st Samuel 27:6-7) “So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the Kings of Judah ever since. David lived in Philistine territory for a year and four months.”

9) LENGTHY PERIOD OF COMPROMISE! Which leads to the 3rd consequence, 3) a lengthy period of compromise. At first, we convince ourselves that our disobedience is temporary. “Hey, it just for a day or two, and then I’ll get back into the swing of things.” Or… “What’s a couple of months of carnal living in the whole scheme of things, anyway?” But it doesn’t work like that! We underestimate the magnetic pull that worldly living has on us! I knew a pastor’s son, who was bright and had dreams of serving God, and yet one day at a college party, decided to try LSD – just out of curiosity. His disobedience was meant to be temporary – but he’s a full-time junkie of 20+ years who has stolen every dime his parents ever had! He never finished college, raised a family, or focused on serving God again. No one knows where he is today. Disobedience is a slippery slope, and despite his best intensions – David lived for 16 months with the Philistines! The sweet psalmist of Israel never wrote a single Psalm during that time – for there was no joy in Gath. There never is when sin leads to a lengthy period of compromise!

10) DUPLICITY! The Philistine King recognized David’s decision for what it was: a desertion – a defection. David, who has walked with God, now walks away from Him. But, there is a saying that says, “Sow the wind… reap the whirlwind!” As David opts for this lifestyle, the winds and storms of life begin to increase. First, 1) A DUPLICITY begins to mark David’s steps. Duplicity is “deception by pretending.” You pretend to entertain one set of feeling or ideas but you are really operating from another entirely. Deep inside David is an Israelite – but he’s trying to make the Philistines think otherwise. But here’s the problem – you can’t be a part-time or pretend believer! You can’t compromise as a believer, wanting the world to think you are just like them. That’s a lack of absolute allegiance to either. That’s duplicity! And David was deceiving and pretending to be what he was not.

11) VAGUENESS! Watch how David begins to act this out: (1^st Samuel 27:8-9) “Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites… Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.” Now these raided cities were the enemies of Israel but not the Philistines. So when the Philistine King asks him what he’s been up to – we discover 2) duplicity oftens leads to vagueness! “David would say ‘Against the Negev of Judah!’” (vs 10) “Negev” means “south” – so he was claiming to kill the southern people of Judah who were Israelites. But in truth, he wasn’t – and that’s why he felt compelled to wipe those other cities out – so no one could report the truth. (1^st Samuel 27:11) “He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, ‘They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’’” When you or I operate in a disobedient and worldly way, we tend to operate under a cloak of secrecy. We don’t want people to know what we are up to. We don’t want to be accountable to anyone. You don’t want anyone asking. Deceiving and pretending lead to vagueness and cover up – as David did.

12) LOSS OF IDENTITY! Sure, David fools King Achish, but he’s living a lifestyle with incredible inner turmoil. The results? First. 1) David looses his identity. See, King Achish initially liked and defended David living in his country, but apparently the rest of the Philistine nobility did not – they wanted David gone! So in the 29^th chapter, King Achish tells David he has to move on! Crushed by this rejection, David becomes a man without a country. He is a displaced person. He is neither an Israelite nor a Philistine. Anyone who has found themselves “in the pits” for any length of time knows what we mean when we say that we face a loss of identity. Who am I? What’s my purpose? Like David, sometimes we find ourselves sinfully not feeling comfortable in “the things of God”, but eventually loosing interest in the glitz and bright lights of the world’s offerings too! We lose our identity.

13) LOSS OF SATISFACTION! Secondly, 2) David loses his satisfaction. Disillusion sets in. It always does, …when the few benefits of the disobedient life start being eclipsed by the liabilities. Perhaps alcohol or drugs promised to help us forget our problems, (and the relief we felt while intoxicated or high was great – even delightful at first), but as we become more and more dependant upon it, suddenly the problems of addiction begin to consume and destroy us. Or… maybe promiscuous sex may have made us feel temporarily desirable and wanted, but then, overtime it brought lower self-esteem, unexpected venereal disease, or an unwanted pregnancy, perhaps the terrible struggle between abortion, adoption, or being a single parent – then suddenly we know what it means to have the “bills come due” or have to “pay the piper”. We thought our disobedience could be the exception to the rule; that everything we do has consequences! But when we realize the truth – we lose our satisfaction with the new lifestyle.

14) DEPRESSION! The next step experienced by David is not surprising: 3) David descends into depression. Especially after David’s raiding party returned home to discover the Amalekites (A-mal-e-kites) had raided and burned their town and captured their wives and children. David and his men wept until they had no more tears. If you have ever cried that long, then you know the depth of such depression!

15) DISTRUST! Let’s look at what happens when depression runs through a people. 1^st Samuel 30:6 “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit…” This is natural – depression can lead to bitter thoughts, and David’s once loyal men are beginning to crack! Therefore the fourth step down is 4) distrust! David had been their guide, friend, and leader – but now they were turning away from him, embittered about the painful journey he had led them on. His crack troops were grumbling! The smell of mutiny hung in the air. Distrust is everywhere!

16) LOOK UP! Like David, when you and I are deeply mired in and sinking in the “pit of despondency”, it is often hard for some of us to believe the news that “the pit” can be a place of great blessing. Because once you are driven to your knees by the consequences of sin – you will usually do one of two things: give up, or look up and cry out to God for help! The one life-giving option that brings hope and rescue, of course, comes from above. And the wonderful thing is that God always gives us that choice! Why? Because God loves us too much and never give gives up on His children! Praise God, that when David faced those choices – he finally made the right one! 1^st Samuel 30:6 “But David found strength in the Lord his God!” Finally, and for the first time in sixteen months – David looks up! And he cries, “God help me!” And God always does! And He always will!

17) VERTICAL! God mercifully and continually sends the Holy Spirit to remind us that when we reach up – help is always there! God wants us to know that cloudy days and dark nights call for a “vertical focus!” The pit of despondency doesn’t have to suck us under – for Christ comes to lift up our chins so that we might look up – to see the source of our hope and renewal! He comes to fill our hearts with the spiritual power to override our humanistic viewpoint, pessimistic reasoning, and rationalistic logic. He wants to free us from “pretending” to be what we are not, and lead us away from living lifestyles where lies and secrecy are a part of the game. Jesus doesn’t want you and I to loose our true identity, our satisfaction with life, descend into depression, and experience daily relational distrust. That’s why Jesus is here now, lovingly inviting you and I to focus on that vertical and life-giving heavenly relationship!

18) RESTORED IN THE LORD! Friends, there are not just “two kinds of people in the world”: the poor lost person who does not yet know Jesus, and the saved person living and walking in victory! Many of us, no… all of us, will at some time find ourselves in this third group - believers who have stumbled and unwisely chosen to operate in a worldly and ungodly way. Like David, we may have once known the joys of walking closely and intimately with God. But for whatever reason, a broken world has now placed us “in the pits”, and perhaps we have made the wrong choice – depending on ourselves and the world for answers. Perhaps we are like those the prophet says, (Hosea 8:7) “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.” Maybe like David you are tired of feeling displaced, living with disillusionment, distrust, and depression. Or, …if that does not describe you at this present moment, maybe you know someone else who is experiencing cloudy days and dark nights. Fact is, we, or someone around us, needs to be restored in the Lord! The message from above is …look up! …reach up! Jesus is already reaching down! His words are merciful and compassionate! He says, “Come home! Let me lead you to God’s door, for the Father is ready to forgive and willing to restore. Let the Holy Spirit fill you that, like David, you may be “restored in the Lord your God!”

Praise God!

AMEN

Sermon/Confessional Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that there are times when we intentionally disobey. We look for answers to our problems in worldly things or ideas. We turn inward for direction rather than upward toward you. Forgive us. Before we have to be driven to our knees by our sin, help us to be awakened by your Holy Spirit to the truth and your will. Empower us to turn back towards the Christ-like lifestyle that is so life-giving and filled with joy.

Lord, forgive us when we think our sin will not affect others around us. Open our eyes and hearts to the truth whenever we are tempted to settle for temporary worldly relief at the expense of our relationship with you. Help us to recognize the slippery slope of disobedience and enable us to turn to you for the spiritual power that brings guidance and renewal. Free us from a lifestyle based on deception and pretending, compromise and lies. Help us always to “look up” for our spiritual identity, purpose, and restoration.

And now Lord, although you know us better than we know ourselves, listen as we share in a moment of silence, those other parts of our lives that need to be forgiven, washed clean, healed, and recommitted to you! (made anew.)

(Silence)

Lord, your servant David experienced what it’s like to walk away from you – depending upon himself and worldly logic to solve his problems. As you patiently and lovingly reached down to him, (a believer who had stumbled and unwisely chosen to operate in a worldly and ungodly way) – so too, lift up our chins that we may look up and be strengthened in you! In Jesus Name We Pray. AMEN

Assurance of Forgiveness:

Friends, listen to the good news: The Lord, who lovingly calls us to look up and be strengthen in Him, …that Lord has mercifully heard your confession and eagerly forgives you all your sins. Go now, and remember: when a broken world surrounds you with cloudy days and dark nights, look not to the right or left, but always up! Christ is reaching down, take his hand, let Him bring you home – be restored! Strengthen yourself in Him! Praise God! AMEN

Opening prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, many of us come here this morning with problems, open wounds, or challenges of every kind. And we have been tempted again this week to try and fix everything by ourselves… with our finite and limited mental, emotional, and physical resources. But Lord, when we enter this place – we are reminded that only you have the divine ability and unlimited power to repair and renew the brokenness in our world and in our lives. Help us to turn our eyes and heart upward to you during this hour that we may be strengthened, guided, and restored according to your will! We humbly admit, that it is so hard for us to surrender our desire to run our own lives, but with your help, Lord, …with your Holy Spirit living within us, we can be set free to follow and walk in your ways. So we cry out to you this morning to transform our hearts, forgive our sins, heal our wounds, and embrace us in your amazing love! As we pray, confess, worship, and praise Your Holy Name - lift us up, empower us, and turn our eyes and hearts upward, always to you – our gracious Lord and Savior! In Jesus Name We Pray! AMEN!

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