Sunday Morning Left-Overs -November 3rd, 2013

Our study of the life of King David, brought us to the topic of Temptation. In First Samuel chapters 23 and 24, we find both Saul and David facing significant temptations.

Saul hears that David is trapped in a nearby town. Upon hearing this news he exclaims that God must be behind all of this as it is a perfect circumstance for him to kill David.  David inquires of the Lord who tells him to flee the area.

A short while later King Saul is relieving himself in a cave.  Farther back in the cave David's men see that Saul is vulnerable and claim that God must be behind all of this as it is a perfect circumstance for them to kill the King.

Two unique situations in which both sides claim that God must be behind the perfectly-aligned circumstances.  Found within these chapters is a powerful truth for us: Just because it is good, does not mean that it is from God.  Wise Christians must learn to look beyond just the external circumstances in determining God's Will for their lives.

So how do we know if God is in front of us or not?  Here's some guidelines that we can use in our lives.

Prayer -Are we seeking to listen to what God is saying to us?
Scriptures - Does the Bible shed any light on my situation or circumstances?
Wise Counsel - Have you asked others to assist you in your decision making process?

The challenge for us is to be discerning follower of Christ.  Temptation strikes us when we are vulnerable, when we least expect and is always tailored to hit our weaknesses.  David rejects the temptation to kill King Saul and in doing so choses greatness over destruction.

Temptation Cave

In preparing a talk about temptation this Sunday at Southbrook Church, I realized a few things....

- Temptation hits everyone in different ways
- Temptation always leads to destruction
- Temptation is easy to rationalize

Have you found these to be true for you as well?

Good thing we have the story of David in the books of First and Second Samuel.  David's life is a powerful exploration of both the victory that comes from rejecting temptation as well as the desolation that follows sucumbing to it.

3000 years ago the soon-to-be king, David was hiding deep within the bowels of a nearby cave.  King Saul roamed the land, looking to kill David.  One night, after eating some Hot-Pockets he found the need to relieve himself.

David's men urge him to go and Kill Saul; and David refuses.

David comes face to face with temptation and stands firm.  To kill the King would be an offense to God, he reasoned; since God put Saul on the throne it stands that God would remove Saul from the throne.

David was tempted by power, convenience and safety.  These aren't bad things, in fact had David killed Saul it could have made things a lot easier for David.  By refusing to give in to temptation, David stands as a role model for the rest of us.

Talking about temptation is difficult, for everyone of us is tempted in some way by someone or something.

There is good news, which is that God's power is stronger than our weakness.  Religion offers rules, whereas God offers true, internal life-change.

I have found great comfort in this verse from First Corinthians 10.13
  'No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to all.  And God is faithful; he will not let
  you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out   so you can endure it.'

Did God Send an Evil Spirit to Torment King Saul?

Alert reader Rachel S. asked some thought provoking questions...

'I noticed that at least twice in the scriptures we read Sunday that it said that Saul was overcome with an evil spirit from the Lord after which time he did something to try and harm David. Can you explain what that means? How could an evil spirit be from the Lord? If from the Lord, is Saul responsible for his actions?'

On a couple of occasions in First Samuel we read that God sent an evil spirit to King Saul.  We see this in 16.14-16, 18.10, and last Sunday in Chapter 19 and verse 9.

Remember that Saul was allowed by God to be King, even though the people knew that this was in direct disobedience to God's plan.  God didn't acquiesce; rather He gave the people what they asked for as a way to demonstrate the negative results of their failure to follow His plans.

Saul reigned as King for 27 years before David was chosen to be the next King...and then for another 13 years till his death.  We do not have have many stories from Saul's first 27 years, but the Bible indicates that Saul quickly turned to his own devices, placed God second, and often used God to get what he wanted in life.  This greatly displeased God, and so in First Samuel 16 we find see the intersection of Saul and David. Saul begins his great descent and David his divine ascent.  

In First Samuel 16.14 we read, 'Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.'

There are a few options as to what this means...
1. God directly sent an evil/tormenting spirit to Saul.
2. God removed his protection from Saul, which allowed an evil spirit to get to Saul.
3. Saul's actions demonstrated that he wanted to turn away from God; so God now allowed Saul to experience the consequences of his actions.

A few thoughts...
God is not the author of evil.  He is all-powerful, which means that when evil happens it does not catch Him off guard.  Evil occurs within the bounds of of God's sovereignty.  Can God use evil spirits/demons to do His will, to punish, and as judgement?  Certainly.  What we know is that God gave Saul 27 years of ruling and a direct line to heaven -via Samuel the Prophet. God provided Saul with the tools that he needed to succeed, yet Saul consistently rejected God's plan.  

The Hebrew word 'spirit' is 'ruach' and can also mean a 'human spirit.'  Also the word 'evil' can also be translated as 'bad' or 'harmful.'

With this in mind, I believe that a combination of 2 and 3 above may be the best answer to this difficult question.

If you are wondering, 'What type of God would do this to any person?', keep this thought in mind.... God did not just abandon Saul to his actions, but He continued to show Saul grace by allowing Saul to experience relief through David's harp playing...  A consistent picture of God in the Bible is one who holds both Justice and Grace in perfect harmony....and that is what He is doing with Saul in Chapters 16-19 of First Samuel!

Sunday Morning Leftovers - September 29th, 2013

"The Hot Beast of the Middle East," Losing in Life and a Bag of Philistine Foreskins....

Ah just another happy story in the life of David the soon-to-be-King of Israel.

David just defeated Goliath and led Israel's troops over the Philistine armies and everyone is singing his praises!  Girls are tweeting about David, the Paparazzi follows his every move.  Israel's GQ put David on its cover with the headline, 'David: The Hot Beast of the Middle East!'

King Saul put David in charge of Israel's armies and David's winning streak continued.  Battle after battle brought only victory and success.

David had everything going for him in life... a successful job, a wife, and a best friend in Jonathan.  He was a man of character, whom the Prophet Samuel had anointed to be the next King.

Then, over a period of 12 years, David enters one of the most desolate stretches of his life... One by one, everything and everyone that David relied on in life was removed.  He lost his position -and was forced to run like a common outlaw.  He lost his wife after her father (King Saul) hatches a plan to trap David.  David could marry the King's daughter after he delivers a wedding present of 100 Philistine Foreskins!  Let's just say, I've given many mediocre gifts in my life, but this one takes the cake!  (oh by the way, David brings 200 to the King!).

David loses his best friend Jonathan, only meeting up with him once during this time. Same with the Prophet Samuel... David truly is alone... And finally when he seemingly had nothing else to lose, he defaced his own dignity and self-respect, by going to the enemy king and acting insane....


God has a way of allowing us to go through difficult times so that we end up relying on Him.  He often will remove those things in our life that we put before Him.

We may long for those times when all of life seems to be perfectly aligned... We call these 'Mountain Top Experiences.'  The reality is that our life is lived not in the mountains, but through the abrasive reality of our messed up lives... Billy Graham said it best, 'Mountain tops are great for views, but fruit grows in the Valleys.'

David reminds us that we will often lose in life.  Knowing this ahead of time helps to not only prepare us, but to cause our dependence to grow on God and his love for us...

Mountain Tops...

We long for those Mountain Top experiences, right... those times when we feel that we are truly connecting with God.  Maybe it comes after a Church Service, or hearing a particularly inspiring speaker, or after visiting a scenic location...

Occasionally we have these moments where everything in life just seems to align perfectly. They are rare, and when they do occur our position should be one of thankfulness to the Lord for allowing us this experience.

The reality is that our lives are lived in the Valley...  Our lives are lived in the mundane of laundry, homework, occupying your cubicle and running to doctor appointments...

David had a few moments when he was on the Mountain Top.  He had defeated the Philistine Army and their champion Goliath.  Everyone was singing his praises... Men wanted to be him and Women wanted to be with him!  As his nation's top military leader, he only tasted victory!

Then all of a sudden David is forced into the Valley of Despair.  During a 12 year period of his life, God sees fit to remove every single thing that David relied on in life.  He lost his job, his wife, his spiritual support, his best friend and finally he lost his own dignity.

God often removes those things that we rely on in life, so that we end up with no where else to turn but towards Him.  The lesson of David's life can be summed up in this quote, attributed to Billy Graham, 'Mountain Tops are great for views, but fruit grows in the Valley.'

If we are in a Mountain Top time in our life, our response needs to be one of thankfulness and humility to God.  It is also wise to be prepared for what is to come, as the Valley beckons all of us...

Overwhelmed

One of the most consistent comments I hear is the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Often this feeling comes from deteriorating relationships: rebellious children, straying spouses, or aging parents.  Sometimes when sharing a cup of coffee with someone, I hear stories about being overwhelmed with tragic medical maladies.  Job related stress also seems to be a struggle for so many.

My feeling overwhelmed arrives on Monday morning and seems to slowly dissipate throughout the week.  There is something about the amount of work that accumulates in time for daybreak each and every Monday that allows me to feel overwhelmed.

The question I want to know is, 'How do you handle feeling overwhelmed?'

3000 years ago the people of Israel faced a battle with an opponent that had advanced weaponry.  In addition the Philistines boasted their massive warrior-hero, a giant named Goliath.  Israel felt totally overwhelmed, outmatched, and at a loss for a proper response.

Into the battle arrives young David, maybe a 16 year old teenager, who arrives delivering cheese. Not the most noble of missions, I admit!  But David sees something no one else sees, he sees an opportunity for God to act in the most powerful of ways...

We all know that David ends up defeating Goliath.  But the true battle was not between David and Goliath, but between the one person who relied on God when feeling overwhelmed, and everyone else.

Take a minute and read through First Samuel 17 and see for yourself that only God can provide us with the help we need when we are feeling overwhelmed with life...

Sunday Morning Leftovers - September 15th, 2013

Clarification...

I mentioned in one of the services today that King David reminds me of James Bond, Bill Clinton and Billy Graham all rolled together.  Here is why: In some ways David is like James Bond: always victorious in battle and with many beautiful women by his side. He is like Bill Clinton -reaching the political pinnacle of success, but unable to control his personal lusts. David also reminds me of Billy Graham in that he has a unique connection to God.

Today's sermon covered a couple of chapters in First Samuel, setting the stage for David to be King. One of the things we learned today is, 'God may give us what we want, even if it is not what we need.' The challenge for us is not to present God with our list of wants/needs; but instead seek God's desire for our lives and then we follow.

I love the fact that God chose David for a Purpose and a Destiny.  David was as insignificant as humanly possible.  His own father didn't even think that he was worthy enough to come and visit when the Prophet Samuel arrived.  He lacked everything that a leader needs, except one thing: David had a heart for God.  David's Purpose was to experience God's love and his Destiny was to reflect God's love to his people.

As I think of young David being chosen to be the next King, it hits me that there are some similarities between David and Jesus... Can you think of some similarities between David being chosen to be king and Jesus' early years?

Send in your answers or any questions in the Comments section below...

King David Series -Starts this Sunday at Southbrook Church

I can't wait for Sunday, as we will start our fall sermon series, 'King David.'

Let me tell you, I am so excited about teaching through David's life!  I have been attending the Thursday morning Any Given Men's Bible Study group for a little while now, and recently we have been studying the books of First and Second Samuel.  I have learned so much from these men, as exploring the Bible is so much richer when doing so in the company of others.

David's life is just flat out crazy.  He is chosen to be king and then has to wait for 15 years until taking the throne.  He shows up at a battle armed with cheese-sticks for his brothers, and ends up killing a giant warrior.   He has many wives, and one of his father-in-law's is out to kill him.  He is the hero of the nation, and yet is forced to run and hide in the wilderness for years. He is called a 'Man after God's own Heart', yet he murders others, sexually assaults whom he wants, and once pretended to be insane in order to escape an enemy king.

This Sunday we will mark his ascent to the throne by looking at a few key passages.  In First Samuel 10, the prophet Samuel warns the people to stick to God and not in their desire for a King. In Chapter 13 Israel's first king -Saul- is about to face a huge battle, and instead of waiting for the prophet Samuel, Saul tries to manipulate God.  As you can guess, this does not go over well with God. Read through Chapter 16 where God chooses the young David to be the next King.  First Samuel 16 is a chapter that is rich in dysfunctional family dynamics, a scared prophet, and which also reveals God's counter-intuitive leadership methods.

I hope that you follow along with this series and come to love the study of King David as much as I do. Each episode in David's life is packed with lessons that relate directly to us today.  May God bless the study of His Word and may our lives be transformed...