Listen to the King F.R.O.G

INTRO

This was a time in history where people did what was right in their own eyes and they rejected God as their King because they wanted a physical leader like the other nations, but God was still faithful to provide leaders for them. We will see when the leaders focused on living for God, the people flourished, but when they focused on themselves, they failed. In all of this the Lord used leaders’ successes and failures to ultimately point people back to Him as the perfect, faithful, selfless King that does not fail or give up on His people.

Week 1 - Hannah though has every right to play victim and turn from God, she Goes to the King, and doesn't let anything keep her from the Lord because she knew God was able to help.

Week 2 - Saul battled with insecurities, and we saw he had an encounter with the King. We learned that we can encounter the Lord daily and that God actually wants to meet with us daily.

Week 3 - The people’s cries were heard by God. We are heard by the King. The people were tempted to serve an evil king but they asked to be rescued and God heard, and used Saul to rescue them.

Week 4 - Jonathan showed up, reminded David of the word of God, and was true to his word. We need friends like Jonathan in our lives, and by God’s grace lets be faith friends and not fake friends.

If you would go with me to 1 Samuel 24:5-11

1 Samuel 24:5–11 ESV

And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way. Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it.

Who do you listen to the most?

The truth is whoever or whatever you are listening to the most influences and shapes your worldview.

Worldview - is the way you view life or the world.

If we are not careful we will have a worldview that is shaped by lies, confusion, and deception, rather than a worldview that is shaped by truth which is Jesus. IF we want a clear worldview it has to be shaped by the Lord and His word.

So how does that relate?

Background:

Saul who is pursuing David to try and kill him, takes a break and he goes into this cave to “relieve himself” and I have heard it said before that that was Saul going to the bathroom. maybe that was part of what Saul was doing, but I think he was just kind of resting because David and his men were in the inner parts of the cave and they heard Saul and David snuck up and his men were telling him the Lord has handed Saul over you, kill him, but David just cuts off a corner of his robe, and I just think David is not sneaky enough to sneak up on a guy going to the bathroom especially in a cave. That could have happened, but Heres what I mean, and maybe this is just me, but if I’m having to go to the bathroom outside in a dark place, I am like hyper sensitive, because if you are using the bathroom that puts you like in one of the most vulnerable situations. I mean you are doing your business, you can’t really go anywhere or just cut it short with out making a mess. Wha t ever relieving himself meant for Saul, David snuck up and cut a corner of the robe, and was struck to the heart, or David’s conscience began to bother him. SO he waits for Saul to get out of the cave a little ways and he calls out and says Saul look what I have done here. I had people telling me to kill you, yet I spared your life. David asks this question to Saul that I think is important to this whole text, 1 Samuel 24:9

1 Samuel 24:9 ESV

And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’?

In other words, why do you listen to men who tell you lies?

Why do you listen to the lies?

Saul was listening to people that were saying David is out to kill you, lets just look for a second on why Saul listened to the lies so we can learn to listen to the truth, listen to the true King.

-Lies fed Saul’s flesh.

Saul was jealous of David and I told you last week A heart that doesn’t repent or confess will lead you to do things that are not good that you never thought you would do, and because Saul didn’t confess and repent and talk to God about the way he was feeling and what was going on it ate away at his heart. When I talk about flesh here I am talking about the sinful nature part of us. For Saul that was he wanted to kill David because he was jealous of him. The lies that “David wants to harm him”, fed his fleshly desire to kill, too murder even more. David even more.

Just as lies fed Saul’s flesh they do the same for us.

Lies feed our flesh. Think about it.

Times when we are afraid. We may believe the lie to stay fearful because we won’t get hurt or embarrassed.

Times when we are hurt. We may believe the lie to get revenge and hurt that person back.

Times when we are discouraged. We may believe the lie to quit.

Times where we struggle to hear the Lord. We may believe the lie to stop going to Him.

Times where we are alone. We may believe that lie to do something harmful or hurtful to ourselves because no one sees.

Times where we are depressed. We may believe the lie to just take our own life.

Times where we struggling. We may believe the lie that drinking, vaping, sex, or cutting will make it all feel better.

Times where God seems slow or not present. We may believe the lie to just do things in our own power.

Times where we fail. We may believe the lie that God cannot save or rescue us, or that we are too messed up for God to love us.

Times where we do good. We may believe the lie that doing good is what saves us.

Times where we are frustrated or tired. We may believe the lie to stop following God.

Why do we listen to the lies? Why do we believe the lies. In some ways I think we like and believe the lies because they feed our flesh.

We see Saul here believe the lie so he can continue to live out his selfish desire to murder David, but what does David do?

How did David respond when faced with the lies?

- David listen’s to the Lord.

- David extends mercy and grace.

David doesn’t listen to the people who are saying kill Saul, you can tell that he is struck to the heart or his conscience bothered him. That is what it is like when we follow the Lord and we do something or we are about to do something that God doesn’t want us to do, He convicts us, He has it strike us at the heart, or cause our conscience to bother us. So David listens to the Lord instead of those saying kill Saul.

David also shows him mercy and grace, which gives him an opportunity to follow the Lord.

Guys I am so thankful for a God who, while we were still dead in our sin, He showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

He died so that we could have a better life than being trapped in the lies that we believe, but we could be set free by the truth and walk in freedom because of Him.

Today you have that same opportunity before you. If you have never recieved the grace of God for the wrong things you have done by believing that He died for you, you can today.

Maybe you have believed the lie that you can just live your life how you want to live and everything will be okay. TO be honest you can do that for a long time and be convinced that you're okay and maybe people see you and from the outside looking in you look like you are doing well, but no one knows about the anxiety, the pressure, the weight you carry. Please listen to this truth.

Listen to the true King Jesus He says follow me, Listen to Jesus He says I will lead you., Listen to Jesus He says I have forgiven you,

APPLICATION:

Listen to the King:

- Believe in Jesus.

- Listen to truth of God’s word.

- Ask the Lord if there are any lies you are believing and believe the truth.

- Just as Christ extended mercy and grace to you, extend it to others.