The Rollercoaster of Life

TURN to 1 Sam. 29(-30)

Intro: “Rollercoaster Life”

(Q) “HOW MANY of you HERE TODAY are BIG ROLLERCOASTER PEOPLE?”

PERSONALLY— BIGGER THAN KIDDIE, NOT HUGE… && GET SICK on TEACUPS.

(Q) ANYONE EVER BEEN to BUSCH GARDENS (VA)??

VERBOLTEN, GERMAN RIDE??

>>> STORY FROM SR. TRIP—TRACK DROPPING—RUINING IVAN’S DAY <<<

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GOT to THINKING:

LIFE (of FAITH) = SIMILAR to ROLLER-COASTERS

UPS & DOWNS

TWISTS & TURNS

PREDICTABLE & UNPREDICTABLE PARTS

HAPPY PARTS & PARTS YOU LOSE LUNCH

SOMETIMES CONCLUDING: IT’S MORE THAN YOU SIGNED UP FOR.

***ON ROLLERCOASTER,, SAFE AS LONG AS YOU’RE ANCHORED to CAR.

>>> WHEN LIFE FEELS LIKE COASTER,, YOU CAN FIND JOY & SECURITY IN GOD & YOUR SALVATION in CHRIST,, LIKE a COASTER CAR <<<

(T) IF LIFE HAS FELT LIKE MORE THAN YOU SIGNED UP FOR RECENTLY, I WANT to BRING YOU a MESSAGE of ENCOURAGEMENT HERE TODAY.

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Recap (The Definition of Hell):

LAST WEEK:

NARRATOR SHIFTING PERSPECTIVE FROM DAVID to SAUL (KING)

DARKEST DAY—KING SAUL’S LIFE

SAUL’S REBELLION AGAINST GOD CULMINATED—SEPARATION FROM GOD.

W/ NO ANSWERS FROM GOD,, SAUL CONSULTS MEDIUM

BRINGS SAMUEL (SPIRIT) FROM DEAD

MESSAGE: SAUL WILL DIE TOMORROW.

>>> CONCLUSION: DEFINITION of HELL = SEPARATION FROM GOD (ALL THINGS GOOD) <<<

(T) And now, IN LIGHT of SAUL’S IMPENDING DOOM, our NARRATOR is GOING to TURN AGAIN and SHOW US WHAT HAPPENS to DAVID, after David likewise had gotten himself into quite a bad situation.

LOOK W/ ME @ CH. 29,, VS. 1

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Text (1 Samuel 29:1-30:31 ESV)

Setting: David’s Dilemma (v1)

1 Samuel 29:1–11 (ESV)

1 Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel.

TEXT = FLASHING BACK to TIME NEAR BEGINNING of CH. 28

NARRATOR JUMPS:

DAVID’S DILEMMA

SAUL’S DILEMMA

** NOW,, BACK to DAVID’S DILEMMA.

CHRONOLOGICALLY,, THIS ALREADY HAPPENED,, SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES BETWEEN SAUL & DAVID.

REMEMBER: DAVID’S DILEMMA

HAD BEEN FLEEING FROM SAUL in FEAR

RUNS to PHILISTINES

ALLIES HIMSELF to PHILISTINES

CONVINCES KING (ACHISH) HE’S THEIR SERVANT.

>>> SO WHEN PHILISTINES GO to BATTLE AGAINST ISRAEL,, THEY EXPECT DAVID’S HELP <<<

DAVID = BETWEEN a ROCK & HARD PLACE...

2 OPTIONS:

COME CLEAN & FACE WRATH of PHILISTINES???

GO to BATTLE AGAINST HIS OWN PEOPLE???

(T) HOW’S DAVID GET OUT of THIS?? LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 2

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Inciting Incident: Accusation of David (v2-3a)

2 As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish, 3 the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”

FURTHER PROBLEM— DAVID = FOUND OUT BY OTHER PHILISTINE COMMANDERS...

DAVID WAS in ACHISH’S SERVICE:

BUT ACHISH WAS JUST ONE LEADER AMONGST MANY...

PHILISTIA COMPOSED of MULTIPLE CITIES, EACH WITH OWN RULER

>>> LOGICALLY, OTHER PHILISTINES DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT DAVID BEING FRIENDLY w/ ACHISH… <<<

(T) So, with the SITUATION SEEMING to GET MORE COMPLEX FOR DAVID... WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? LOOK W/ ME @ 2ND HALF of VS. 3.... It says,

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Rising Action: Achish’s Defense (v3b)

And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him to this day.”

ACHISH COMES to DAVID’S DEFENSE! (THINGS = GETTING WILDER ALL the TIME!)

POINTS OUT DAVID HAS BEEN GOOD to HIM…

REMEMBER: DAVID WAS in PHILISTINE TERRITORY FOR 16 MONTHS.

ACHISH BELIEVES DAVID = WITHOUT FAULT.... EVEN THOUGH it WAS ALL a LIE!

(T) So, QUESTION REMAINS: WILL OTHER COMMANDERS BUY IT? LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 4

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Rising Action: Second Accusation of David (v4-5)

4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here?

5 Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”

OTHER COMMANDERS = MOST THOUGHTFUL,, DESIRE to SEND DAVID AWAY.

PHILISTINE THOUGHT:

WHAT BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR DAVID...

KILLING BUNCH of PHILISTINES = PEACE W/ SAUL

THIS is THAT DAVID WHO HAS KILLED HIS 10 THOUSANDS...

(T) And so, THESE GUYS HAVE a GOOD POINT....DAVID COULD TURN EASILY.... HOW WILL ACHISH RESPOND? LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 6.... it says,

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Climax: Achish’s Second Defense (v6-7)

6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. 7 So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.”

WOW!

REMEMBER the GREAT PICKLE DAVID WAS in IN.....

2 OPTIONS:

COME CLEAN/ FACE PHILISTINE WRATH (POTENTIALLY DEATH)

ACTUALLY GO & FIGHT ISRAEL (PEOPLE HE WAS CALLED to SERVE!

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>>> IN GOD’S PROVIDENCE,, SOME COMMANDERS COME ALONG & DESIRE to SEND DAVID ALONG. <<<

***NOT KILLING DAVID & MEN to GET BACK @ THEM...

***REMEMBER, THEY’RE ISRAELITES TOO!!

ONCE AGAIN, GOD USES the PHILISTINES to SAVE DAVID!

DALE DAVIS: “The God who saved him from Saul again and again will surely save him from himself. Inexhaustible mercy does not dry up easily.”

(T) So, FROM ALL AVAILABLE EVIDENCE, PROBLEM HAS DRIED UP… LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 8

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Resolution: Achish’s Solution (v8-10)

8 And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

9 And Achish answered David and said, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light.”

DAVID BACK to ACTING...

DON’T WANT to BE TOO HAPPY ABOUT ALL THIS...

>>> ACHISH SENDS DAVID AWAY & DAVID = SPARED BY HAND of GOD THROUGH HAND of PHILISTINES <<<

(T) And THEN the TEXT SAYS,,

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Conclusion: David’s Departure (v11)

11 So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

(T) So, FROM ALL AVAILABLE EVIDENCE,, DAVID’S LIFE = STRAIGHTENED OUT...

MIRACULOUSLY SPARED FROM AWFUL SITUATION & BROUGHT OUT

HEADING HOME WITHOUT PROBLEMS

EMBARK on 60 MILE JOURNEY BACK to ZIKLAG (HOME)

BUT THERE’S ANOTHER PROBLEM: LOOK W/ ME @ CH. 30

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[Second Movement]

Setting/Inciting Incident: David’s 2nd Dilemma (v1-2)

1 Samuel 30:1–31 (ESV)

1 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.

JUST WHEN THINGS SEEM to BE GETTING BETTER,, THEY TURN AGAIN.

(Q) HAVE YOU EVER BEEN HERE?

FINALLY STORM CLOUDS = PARTING.... && YOU FIND OUT YOU’RE in THE EYE of THE STORM?

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LIFE OFTEN LIKE ROLLERCOASTER...

WE HAVE GOOD DAYS

& BAD DAYS...

BAD DAYS THAT QUICKLY TURN to GOOD...

GOOD DAYS THAT QUICKLY TURN to BAD...

LIFE = FREQUENTLY UNPREDICTABLE

DAVID DOESN’T EVEN KNOW YET.

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(Q) CHURCH, CAN I REMIND YOU WHO DAVID WAS?

ANOINTED, FUTURE KING

HEART AFTER GOD

GIANT-SLAYER

SHEPHERD BOY TURNED MILITARY CHAMPION

GOD’S CHOSEN!

TYPE of CHRIST

YET, HE STILL HAD PROBLEMS

(Q) CAN I REMIND US ALL HERE TODAY,, of THE SURETY of PROBLEMS in ALL OUR LIVES?

PROSPERITY GOSPEL ISN’T BIBLICAL.

>>> I LOVE HOW SCRIPTURE DOESN’T HIDE THIS FROM US. <<<

NONBELIEVERS THINK THEY CAN UNDERMINE CHRISTIANITY… “HOW CAN GOD BE GOOD WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN to GOOD PEOPLE?”

CHECK MATE, RIGHT?

***SCRIPTURE NEVER PRESENTS THIS VIEW of THE WORLD.

JESUS SAID in THIS WORLD WE WILL HAVE TRIBULATION.

CHRISTIAN FAITH DOESN’T FIX ALL OUR PROBLEMS.

>>> BUT IT DOES GIVE US HOPE GREATER THAN ALL OUR PROBLEMS,, NO PROBLEMS COME WITHOUT BEING FILTERED BY LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER. <<<

(T) And so, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT FOR DAVID? The TEXT SAYS in VS. 3…

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Rising Action: David’s Response (v3-6a)

3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.

5 David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters.

DAVID & MEN RETURNING,, EVERYTHING HONKY-DORY, RIGHT?

THEY DISCOVER WHAT HAPPENED.

IMAGINE… THEY LOST EVERYTHING.

>>> REMEMBER THEY DON’T KNOW the END of THE STORY <<<

THEY WEPT TILL THEY HAD NO MORE STRENGTH to CRY

&& THEN THINGS GET “BETTER” FOR DAVID.....

STORY BEGAN: GETTING OUT of TERRIBLE SITUATION INTACT

COMING HOME: FAMILIES GONE

EVERYONE CRYING TILL THEY CAN’T ANYMORE

THEN,, THEY CONCLUDE STONING DAVID = BEST OPTION.

(Q) CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE?

&& WHEN EVERYTHING HITS the FAN & YOU’RE DESPERATE…WHAT DO YOU DO?

(T) Well, WE GET a WINDOW INTO DAVID’S LIFE HERE... TEXT SAYS,,,

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Rising Action: David’s Inquiry (v6b-10)

But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8 And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”

9 So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.

DAVID FOUND STRENGTH,, ENCOURAGEMENT && JOY in GOD,, WHEN IT WAS NOWHERE to BE FOUND....

>>> WHEN THEY HAD NO MORE STRENGTH to WEEP, DAVID FOUND STRENGTH in GOD. <<<

SITUATION WOULD DEVASTATE ANY OPTIMIST… THERE’S NO WATER in THIS GLASS

BUT DAVID FINDS STRENGTH to CONTINUE...

RECOUNTING WHO GOD IS

HOW FAITHFUL GOD HAS BEEN

THE SURETY of GOD’S PROMISES

>>> REMEMBER,, DAVID HAS HISTORY W/ GOD && 2 SECONDS AGO GOD DUG HIM OUT of A MESS. <<<

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CHURCH,, CAN I ENCOURAGE YOU, WHEN WE’VE GOT NOTHING ELSE GOING FOR US,, WE CAN FIND a REASON to REJOICE,, WE CAN FIND JOY in GOD OUR SAVIOR.

DWELLING UPON GOODNESS of GOD (WHO HE IS)

THE SURETY of GOD’S PROMISES

GOD’S WORKS FOR US **IN CHRIST & GENERALLY

NOT EASY

NOT NATURAL

BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE.

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DAVID FOUND STRENGTH in GOD.

&&& THEN HE TAKES HIS PROBLEMS to GOD in PRAYER!

UNLIKE SAUL,, DAVID GETS ANSWER

PURSUE,, YOU’LL OVERTAKE

&& YOU’LL RESCUE.

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SITUATION ONCE AGAIN TURNS

MEN GO FROM PLANNING to STONE DAVID,, TO FOLLOWING HIM to BATTLE

400 GO WITH

200 STAY W/ STUFF @ BROOK

(REMEMBER THEY JUST FINISHED TRAVELING 60 MILES!!)

(T) And THEN THE TEXT SAYS in VS. 11

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More Tension: David’s Finding (v11-15)

11 They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, 12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.

13 And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14 We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

15 And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band.”

DON’T YOU LOVE the PROVIDENCE of GOD!! ***DON’T MISS THIS.

RANDOM SERVANT (FROM EGYPT!)

HAPPENED to SERVE AMALEKITES

HAPPENED to GET SICK

HAPPENED to GET LEFT BEHIND

HAPPENS to BE FOUND BY DAVID

HAPPENS to STILL BE ALIVE!

HAPPENS to KNOW EXACTLY WHERE to GO & WILLING to TELL DAVID...

COINCIDENCE,, I THINK NOT!!

DALE DAVIS: “Tribes who made raids and burned towns didn’t leave calling cards in the ashes of city hall, so it is conceivable, unless David had word from some survivor, that he was even unsure of who had carried off Ziklag’s families.”

WE DON’T WANT to MISS THE BLESSING THIS GUY WAS && THE ANSWER to PRAYER HE BROUGHT!

(T) AND THEN the TEXT SAYS in VS. 16...

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Climax: David’s Victory (v16-20)

16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled.

18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all.

20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

DAVID SHOWS UP && THEY’RE PARTYING!!

THEY’RE LIVING on CLOUD 9

&& DAVID PAYS SURPRISE VISIT to PARTY && DESTROYS NEARLY ALL the AMALEKITES (SOMETHING SAUL FAILED to DO)

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>>>> THE TEXT SAYS THAT DAVID RECOVERED ALL. <<<<

&& NOT ONLY THIS,, BUT DAVID LEAVES W/ SPOIL,, ACTUALLY COMING OUT AHEAD!

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THINK ABOUT HOW THINGS HAVE TURNED AROUND FOR DAVID...

GETTING OUT of STICKY SITUATION (GOOD NEWS)

FINDING HOMES DESTROYED && FAMILIES KIDNAPPED (BAD NEWS)

MEN READY to KILL DAVID (MORE BAD NEWS)

GOD ANSWERS PRAYER (GOOD NEWS)

THEY FIND SERVANT (MORE GOOD NEWS)

THEY RECOVER ALL & TAKE SPOIL (GREAT NEWS!)

HOW AWESOME is OUR GOD!

(T) And so, DAVID & 400 MEN ARE RETURNING…WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 21

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Resolution: David’s Compassion (v21-25)

21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them.

22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.”

23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us.

24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.

IN LIGHT of GOD’S KINDNESS to THEM,, DAVID MANDATES KINDNESS TO OTHERS...

**SOME MEN WANTED to KEEP ALL the SPOIL to THEMSELVES...

BUT DAVID POINTS OUT IT’S ALL GOD’S ANYWAYS…IT’S HIS SPOIL...

IT WAS GOD WHO PRESERVED THEM in BATTLE

IT WAS GOD WHO GAVE the AMALEKITES INTO THEIR HANDS..

>>> THESE ARE ALL BLESSINGS FROM GOD’S HAND <<<

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CHURCH, AS GOD’S PEOPLE,, I THINK WE DO GOOD to REMEMBER EVERYTHING GOOD in LIFE COMES FROM GOD.

DALE DAVIS: “GRACE is WORLDVIEW-ISH STUFF”

>>> WHEN WE CONSIDER HOW FREELY WE RECEIVE FROM GOD,, IT HELPS to FREELY GIVE… FOR WE DON’T DESERVE ANYTHING… <<<

(T) And now our TEXT is GOING to CLOSE in VS. 26-31 this morning, the text says,

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Conclusion: David’s Kindness (v26-31)

26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.”

27 It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, 28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, 29 in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, 30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31 in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.

SO DAVID FREELY GIVES SPOIL NOT ONLY to HIS MEN,, BUT to THOSE WITH WHOM THEY HAD STAYED

GOD’S GENEROSITY to DAVID GAVE DAVID the OPPORTUNITY to BE GENEROUS to OTHERS...

(T) AND SO WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE TODAY, THE IDEA THAT,,

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Homiletical Idea:

Throughout the rollercoaster of life, we can always find reasons for hope and joy when we consider who God is and all that He has done for us.

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Gospel:

NT SAYS WE HAVE HOPE LIKE an ANCHOR FOR OUR SOUL...

MORNING SCRIPTURE READING 1 PETER 1:3-7:

APOSTLE PETER WRITES,, HEAVENLY INHERITANCE is

IMPERISHABLE,,

UNDEFILED

UNFADING

KEPT in HEAVEN FOR US (BY GOD)

&& WE ARE BEING GUARDED THROUGH FAITH FOR THIS END-TIME SALVATION...

>>> AND THEN PETER WRITES in VS. 6, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.” <<<

BECAUSE of WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE

FOR THOSE WHO ARE SAVED

WE HAVE SOMETHING to REJOICE ABOUT,, TO FIND STRENGTH in....NO MATTER WHAT COMES...

TRIALS COME

PROBLEMS COME

LIFE ISN’T PROMISED to BE PERFECT FOR ANY of US...

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I WISH I COULD PROMISE YOU—THAT YOU’LL HAVE a TROUBLE-FREE LIFE.

I WISH I COULD PROMISE YOU—THAT LIFE WON’T BE MORE EXCITING THAN YOU’D BARGAINED FOR...

BUT I CAN’T.

>>> BUT WHAT I CAN PROMISE YOU,, IS THAT the END of THE STORY,, FOR THOSE in CHRIST,, IS GOOD. <<<

GOD’S PROMISE is SURE

&& HE’S PROMISED ETERNAL LIFE && FORGIVENESS of SIN to THOSE WHO RECEIVE CHRIST BY FAITH.

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IN TODAY’S TEXT,, WE SAW HOW DAVID SACKED the ENEMY’S CAMP WHILE THEY WERE PARTYING,,

&& JESUS DID the SAME THING,, EVEN GREATER!

FOR WHEN CHRIST HAD DIED,, && HELL REJOICED,, JESUS DEFEATED DEATH HELL & THE GRAVE… && HE ROSE to LIFE AGAIN to LIVE FOREVERMORE

&& HE’S COMING BACK SOMEDAY FOR US.

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IF YOU BELIEVE on THE LORD JESUS CHRIST YOU CAN BE SAVED....

HIS DEATH FOR SIN

RESURRECTION

LORD of ALL....

YOU CAN RECEIVE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS GIVEN to YOU BY GRACE,, THROUGH FAITH.

&& THOSE WHOM CHRIST SAVES,, HE WILL NOT LOSE.

JUST AS DAVID RECOVERED ALL,, SO JESUS WILL LOSE NONE of THOSE GIVEN to HIM BY the FATHER...

>>> YOU CAN HAVE THIS ASSURANCE TODAY! <<<

&& IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU STAND WITH GOD TODAY,, TALK to US AFTER SERVICE.

(T) And now, in closing, I’d like to SHARE a FEW TAKEAWAYS with you all, today.

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Takeaways:

LEARN ABOUT GOD??

GOD WORKS in MYSTERIOUS WAYS WE DON’T ALWAYS SEE...

BOOK of ESTHER,, GOD ISN’T MENTIONED DIRECTLY,, BUT WE SEE HIS FINGERPRINTS EVERYWHERE...

THIS is THE DOCTRINE of GOD’S PROVIDENCE.

**DAVID SPARED FROM PROBLEM BY PHILISTINE COMMANDERS

**SERVANT BROUGHT to DAVID to DIRECT HIM to ENEMY’S CAMP

GOD = INCREDIBLY FAITHFUL,, && HIS WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN OURS!

(T) & WHAT DO WE LEARN FOR US??

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App:

ENCOURAGE: EVEN THOUGH LIFE = LIKE a ROLLERCOASTER,, THERE’S HOPE & SECURITY to BE FOUND...

NATURAL ROLLERCOASTER = SAFE as LONG AS YOU’RE ATTACHED.

MIGHT BE MORE THAN YOU BARGAINED FOR...

MIGHT HAVE HAD SURPRISES YOU WEREN’T READY FOR

BUT YOU’RE GOING to LIVE THROUGH IT as LONG as YOU STAY ANCHORED...

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COASTER CAR = LIKE CHRIST,, && AS LONG AS YOU’RE in CHRIST,, YOU’LL BE SECURE ETERNALLY,, NO MATTER WHAT COMES...

I’M SURE WE’VE ALL SEEN:

| BIG GUY,, LICKING HIS CHOPS,, READY to GET ONE MORE CLICK OUT of YOUR CAR |

>>> YOU’RE MORE SECURE THAN THAT. <<<

CHRIST DOESN’T LET GO.

SO ON TWISTS & TURNS

UPS & DOWNS

DARK TUNNELS

ENCOURAGE:

WE HAVE a GOD WHO IS FAITHFUL BEYOND OUR COMPREHENSION WHO is BOTH SOVEREIGN & GOOD

WE HAVE a SAVIOR WHO WILL NOT LET US GO

WE HAVE a SALVATION THAT IS IMMEASURABLY GREAT & SECURE

&& IN THIS,, WE CAN FIND STRENGTH,, WE CAN FIND JOY,, WE CAN FIND POWER to MAKE it THROUGH...

DWELL UPON the SURETY of GOD’S PROMISE

GOD’S FAITHFUL NATURE

GOD’S GOODNESS TOWARDS YOU

IN CHRIST

IN OTHER EXAMPLES YOU MIGHT HAVE PERSONALLY

&& YOU CAN FIND HOPE DESPITE TRIALS & TROUBLES...

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AGAIN,, PROBLEMS ARE GUARANTEED in LIFE...

WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN to ONE INDIVIDUALLY is DEATH WHICH FOR the BELIEVER is THE ENTRANCE to GLORY...

PAUL WROTE, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

THE CLOSER WE GET to THAT PERSPECTIVE,, THE GREATER STRENGTH WE’LL HAVE to MAKE it THROUGH LIFE....

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LEAVE YOU WITH the WORDS of OUR SAVIOR (JN. 16:33):

“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

IN THAT WE CAN HOPE, THIS MORNING.

Close in prayer