On the Run Again

ANNOUNCE:

UPCOMING WEDNESDAY SERIES “BIG PICTURE”

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TURN to 2 SAMUEL 15...

---OPEN in PRAYER---

Intro:

ONE of the MOST INTERESTING THEMES in the SCRIPTURE in my opinion.... IS the TENSION/BALANCE BETWEEN DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY AND HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY.

SOVEREIGNTY— GOD’S SOVEREIGN, KINGLY RULE OVER CREATION… HE DOES WHAT HE WANTS

RESPONSIBILITY—MANKIND HAS SOME FORM of FREE WILL that FACTORS INTO HOW THINGS PLAY OUT…BUT IT’S RESTRAINED BY GOD to SOME EXTENT

PRETTY INCOMPREHENSIBLE

SCHOLARS: “THEOLOGICAL ANTINOMY”

SEEMINGLY CONTRADICTORY! DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!

HELD in TENSION

BUT BOTH ARE TRUE & BIBLICAL

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MUST AVOID EXTREMES:

BELIEF in DETERMINISM,, SUCH STRONG FAITH in SOVEREIGNTY IT’S PARALYZING

OPEN THEISM,, BELIEVING GOD ISN’T SOVEREIGN,, NOT EVEN AWARE of WHAT’S COMING!

TRUTH ISN’T FOUND in the EXTREMES,, BUT SOMEWHERE in MIDDLE..

BIBLICALLY,, BOTH ARE TRUE & HELD TOGETHER!

KNOWING THIS,, WHAT’S THIS LOOK LIKE in OUR LIVES?

NEED: WELL, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE NEED THIS TEXT TODAY,

FOR IT WILL SHOW US HOW WE OUGHT TO BALANCE THESE VIEWPOINTS IN OUR OWN LIVES,

ESPECIALLY WHEN WE UNDERGO TRIALS AND WE AREN’T SURE WHAT TO DO.

DO WE DO MORE THAN PRAY?

IS IT a LACK of FAITH to ACT on OUR PRAYERS?

I PRAY THIS TEXT PROVES BENEFICIAL in YOUR OWN LIFE...

(T) BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN, I WANT TO OFFER A QUICK RECAP FOR THOSE WHO WEREN’T HERE LAST WEEK.

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RECAP

· IN RECENT WEEKS:

WILD DEVELOPMENTS—LIFE of DAVID & FAMILY

FOCUS on ABSALOM (3RD BORN SON)

MURDERS AMNON—AVENGING TAMAR...

RUNS AWAY

WELCOMED HOME BY KING

LAST WEEK:

REBELS AGAINST KING DAVID—HAS LARGE FOLLOWING in ISRAEL

STANDING BY GATE—STEALING HEARTS of ISRAEL—HE’D BE BETTER THAN PRESENT ADMINISTRATION!!

(T) SO, ABSALOM = ANNOUNCED NEW KING in HEBRON,,

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THIS REBELLION, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

LOOK W/ ME @ CH. 15.... VS. 13… THE TEXT SAYS...

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TEXT (2 SAMUEL 15:13-37)

SETTING2/INCITING INCIDENT2 (V13-17) “DAVID FLEES”

2 Samuel 15:13–37 (ESV)

13 And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.”

14 Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

15 And the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.”

16 So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house.

17 And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house.

SITUATION = DIRE

ABSALOM = WITHOUT PRINCIPLE—WOULD DO WHATEVER to GET WHAT HE WANTS

HE MURDERS

HE LIGHTS FIELDS on FIRE

HE MANIPULATES

IN HIS LUST for POWER & POSITION,,

NOTHING WOULD STOP HIM FROM TAKING the THRONE...

NOT EVEN HIS FATHER

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DAVID = on RUN AGAIN

FAMILIAR?? —RUNNING for YEARS FROM SAUL...

NATHAN’S CONFRONTATION RECOUNTED GOD’S PRESERVATION of DAVID

NOW DAVID’S SIN HAS PUT HIM on the RUN AGAIN...

(T) WITH DAVID on the RUN…WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

LOOK W/ ME @ VS 18…THE TEXT SAYS

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RISING ACTION2 (V18-23) “DAVID’S SERVANTS”

18 And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king.

19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home.

20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.”

21 But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.”

22 And David said to Ittai, “Go then, pass on.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

23 And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.

THANKFULLY DAVID = NOT ALONE...

SON HAS FORSAKEN HIM…

BUT ITTAI = 1ST FAITHFUL FRIEND in TEXT TODAY...

LEADER of 600 MEN FROM GATH (PHILISTINES/GOLIATH!)

FAITHFULNESS to DAVID LIKE RUTH to NAOMI,, DESPITE BEING NEW to ISRAEL

EVEN @ RISK of OWN FAMILY & PEOPLE!

KING DAVID CONTINUES to FLEE,, PEOPLE WEEPING...

SAD DAY to BE an ISRAELITE...

(T) WITH FAITHFUL FOREIGNERS & UNFAITHFULNESS in HIS OWN HOUSE…WHO CAN DAVID TRUST?

LOOK W/ ME @ VS 24…SCRIPTURE SAYS...

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CLIMAX2 (V24-29) “DAVID’S HUMBLE ACCEPTANCE”

24 And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city.

25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place.

26 But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.”

27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

DAVID = ESCAPING...

&& PRIESTS GO WITH DAVID—GREAT NEWS!

THEY DESIRE to BRING GOD ALONG—GRAB the ARK

—BACKGROUND— SACRED WOODEN CHEST/SYMBOL of GOD’S PRESENCE

DAVID REFUSES to TREAT ARK LIKE “GOOD LUCK CHARM”

CONTRAST 1 SAM…4....

DAVID = WILLING to TRUST GOD WITHOUT TANGIBLE REMINDERS...

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DAVID SENDS ARK BACK

DON’T MISS THIS.... HE HUMBLY PLACES SITUATION in GOD’S HANDS & TRUSTS GOD W/ IT...

IF I FIND FAVOR...

IF IT SEEMS GOOD to GOD

HE’LL BRING ME BACK

SO LET GOD DO to ME “the GOOD in HIS EYES”

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CHRISTIAN, ARE YOU WILLING TO TRUST GOD’S HAND IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS,,

BELIEVING HE’S in CONTROL? BELIEVING HE’LL DO GOOD FOR YOU?

SCRIPTURE PRESENTS VARIOUS REASONS for TRIALS:

MAKE US HUMBLE & DEPENDENT on GOD

COME as TEST

COME from SATAN— REF. LIFE of JOB...

COME from DIVINE DISCIPLINE—CONSEQUENCE of SIN!

COME from REAPING WHAT WE’VE SOWED...

SCRIPTURE TEACHES MANY REASONS,, BUT REGARDLESS WE SEE:

GOD’S HAND = OVER ALL of IT

NOTHING COMES TO US APART FROM GOING THROUGH GOD FIRST.

COMFORT: WHEN TIMES ARE BAD WE MUST REMEMBER BAD TIMES DON’T COME WITHOUT GOD’S PERMISSION...

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DAVID’S TRIAL = CONSEQUENCE of HIS SIN...

BATHSHEBA & URIAH

ALSO UNWILLINGNESS to BRING ABSALOM to JUSTICE

YET HE STILL TRUSTS that GOD = GRACIOUS…

AND IF GOD GRANTS HIM FAVOR,, HE’LL RETURN HOME...

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ULTIMATELY,, TRIAL = IN GOD’S HAND

GOD = SOVEREIGN… HE’LL DO WHAT is GOOD in HIS EYES...

CHRISTIAN,, WHAT an EXAMPLE of TRUST in GOD DAVID GIVES to US!

GOD = SOVEREIGN OVER ALL TRIALS....

TRIAL to MAKE ME DEPENDENT? HE’S SOVEREIGN.

DIVINE DISCIPLINE? HE’S SOVEREIGN.

TEMPTATION/SATANIC ACTIVITY? HE’S SOVEREIGN

LUTHER?-- DEVIL = ON GOD’S LEASH.

I MIGHT NOT KNOW the REASON for MY TRIALS…BUT I KNOW GOD is BOTH SOVEREIGN & GOOD,, & I CAN TRUST in HIM.

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SO DAVID SENDS PRIESTS & ARK BACK to JERUSALEM… & BEGINS to SET UP INTELLIGENCE NETWORK

(T) AND SO NOW THAT THE PRIESTS HAVE DEPARTED WITH THE ARK, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

LOOK W/ ME @ VS 30...

THE TEXT SAYS,

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FALLING ACTION2 (V30-31)

30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went.

31 And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

ARK CARRIED INTO JERUSALEM...

SEE SHAMEFUL PICTURE of KING FLEEING...

HE’S THE KING.

CHOSEN BY GOD—HEART AFTER GOD.

TYPE of CHRIST

GIANT-SLAYER

INTERNATIONAL FAME

ONLY ISRAELITE to TAKE CITY of JERUSALEM AFTER DECADES/CENTURIES of FAILINGS...

THIS GREAT KING = FLEEING FROM HIS OWN CAPITOL CITY—DIRECT CONSEQUENCE of HIS SIN...

GOING UP MOUNTAIN BAREFOOT

HEAD COVERED

WEEPING

VERY DIFFERENT PICTURE FROM LAST TIME ARK WENT INTO JERUSALEM...

DAVID DANCING & CELEBRATING

EMBARRASSING HIS WIFE

REJOICING & SHOUTING,, WONDERFUL TIME!

NOW,, SAME KING = RUNNING for LIFE…APART FROM ARK.

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HOW’D ALL THIS HAPPEN????

KING HAD PEACE & REST in JERUSALEM

TIME of PROSPERITY

GREW COMPLACENT

I’LL STROLL ROOFTOP WHILE JOAB is @ WAR...

COMMITS ADULTERY & MURDER...

1ST 10 CHAPTERS of 2 SAM... = ALL GOOD NEWS,, PROSPEROUS TIME...

CH. 11 = DAVID’S SIN

CH. 12 THRU. END of LIFE = CONTINUAL DECLINE & PROBLEMS...

CAN YOU IMAGINE: IF DAVID HAD COUNTED the COST of HIS SIN BEFOREHAND?

NO SEX WAS WORTH THIS.

IF KING COULD’VE KNOWN of HIS FLEEING JERUSALEM…WOULDN’T THAT HAVE MADE BATHSHEBA LESS APPEALING?

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CHURCH,, WE OUGHT to LEARN FROM DAVID’S EXAMPLE...

SIN WILL OFTEN COST US MORE THAN WE’RE WILLING to PAY

&& TRULY WE CAN’T FORECAST ALL CONSEQUENCES THAT MIGHT COME...

MEN WHO CHOOSE WOMAN @ WORK

DIVORCE--LOSING WIFE

CHILDREN

HOME/CAR/ETC

401(k) & SAVINGS

GRASS MIGHT BE GREENER in SOME WAYS…BUT in MANY WAYS IT BRINGS DROUGHT...

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NOT ALL SIN = THIS DRASTIC,, BUT WE MUST REMEMBER IT’S NOT WORTH IT...

FURTHERMORE,, REMEMBER,, IT WAS OUR SIN THAT PUT JESUS on the CROSS! THE GREATEST COST...

OUR SIN GRIEVES GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT...

TALLY UP the BENEFITS VS. the COST....HOW COULD THIS BE WORTH IT.

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YOU MIGHT BE HERE TODAY—THINKING YOU DON’T NEED ENCOURAGEMENT in a TRIAL to TRUST GOD

IF YOU’RE in a TIME of PROSPERITY—

I PLEAD W/ YOU,,

DON’T LET THIS RESULT in COMPLACENCY THAT YOU FALL INTO SIN

1 Corinthians 10:12 (ESV)

12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

GUARD YOUR HEART W/ ALL DILIGENCE

GREATER MEN & WOMEN HAVE FALLEN.

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WE SEE DAVID REAPING WHAT HE HAD SOWN...

CHURCH,, BY GRACE of GOD,, IF YOU’RE in GOOD TIMES,, KEEP YOUR GUARD UP

MIND the CONSEQUENCES THAT MAY COME

&& KNOW IT’LL BE WORSE THAN YOU FORECAST

&& IT HURTS the HEART of GOD..

USE THESE THINGS to FIGHT TEMPTATION

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SO DAVID = FLEEING in INCREDIBLY SAD PICTURE....

TOPPING IT ALL OFF:

TRUSTED COUNSELOR,, AHITHOPHEL,, HAS ABANDONED HIM

HIS WORDS = LIKE GOD’S WORDS to the PEOPLE...

DAVID = BETRAYED MORE THAN HE REALIZED...

DAVID RESPONDS & PRAYS FOR HIS COUNSEL to BE TURNED INTO FOOLISHNESS...

(T)AND NOW OUR TEXT IS GOING TO CLOSE IN VERSES 32 TO 37, THE TEXT SAYS,

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RESOLUTION2 & CONCLUSION2?? (V32-37)

32 While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head.

33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.

34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

35 Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

36 Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.”

37 So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

DAVID LOST MANY—BUT FEW FAITHFUL = FOUND...

ASCENDING MOUNTAIN— IN GOD’S PROVIDENCE,, BUMPS into HUSHAI

SCHOLAR, DALE DAVIS, POINTS OUT THAT HUSHAI = ANSWER TO DAVID’S PRAYER!

DAVID JUST PRAYED: TURNING COUNSEL of AHITHOPHEL to FOOLISHNESS

NEXT MOMENT: BUMPS INTO HIS ANSWER,, THE ONE WHO WOULD DO THIS...

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DAVID SENDS HUSHAI BACK,, to JOIN HIS EYES on the INSIDE!

HUSHAI = @ the TOP

WILL INFORM ABIATHAR & ZADOK (PRIESTS)

WILL INFORM THEIR SONS

WILL MEET DAVID in WILDERNESS...

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CHURCH… HERE IS THE GREAT BALANCE BETWEEN DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY AND HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY.

DAVID PUT TRUST in GOD

“GOD WILL DO the GOOD in HIS EYES”

GO BACK to JERUSALEM if GOD PLEASES...

BUT DAVID DIDN’T PRAY & THEN SIT on HIS HANDS...

DAVID PRAYED....

PUT TRUST in GOD....

THEN SETS UP INTELLIGENCE NETWORK W/ INCREDIBLE WISDOM & PLANNING...

IS GOD SOVEREIGN? YES.

DOES GOD ALSO WORK THROUGH MEANS? YES!

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STORY: MAN on HOUSE DURING FLOOD,, PRAYING FOR GOD’S HELP

BOAT COMES BY

ANOTHER BOAT

HELICOPTER

MAN DROWNS

ASKS GOD WHY HE DIDN’T HELP

GOD SENT the HELICOPTER/BOATS, ETC.!

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TRUE FAITH ISN’T NECESSARILY PASSIVE…IT JUST ACKNOWLEDGES the RESULTS = IN GOD’S HAND...

DAVID BOTH BELIEVES…AND HE ACTS!

ACTION ISN’T a LACK of FAITH

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

HOMILETICAL IDEA:

· AS WE UNDERGO SUFFERING IN THIS LIFE, WHICH COMES FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, WE MUST TRUST IN THE GOD WHO IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL TRIALS.

o BUT A TRUST IN GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY SHOULDN’T DRIVE US TOWARDS INACTION OR FEAR OR ANYTHING ELSE,

AGAIN, DAVID’S FAITH BROUGHT ABOUT ACTION IN HIS OWN LIFE WITH THE SETTING UP OF HIS INTELLIGENCE NETWORK.

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GOSPEL: “THE KING ASCENDS THE MOUNT OF OLIVES”

IN TODAY’S TEXT… SAD RESULTS OF BETRAYAL IN THE LIFE OF DAVID.

SON BETRAYED HIM...

HE ASCENDS the MOUNT of OLIVES

BAREFOOT

DESTITUTE

SUFFERING RESULTS of HIS OWN SIN

HUNDREDS of YEARS LATER:

ANOTHER SON of DAVID, A KING = HIMSELF BETRAYED

ASCENDING MOUNT of OLIVES

PREPARING to SUFFER,, NOT RESULTS of HIS OWN SIN…BUT the SINS of the WORLD...

THIS SON—PUT HIS TRUST in the FATHER’S PERFECT WILL

“NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS BE DONE”

DESIRING to AVOID the CROSS,, BUT a HUMBLE SUBMISSION to GOD’S WILL

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WE MOURN W/ DAVID—BUT REMEMBER DAVID = REAPING WHAT HE SOWED…

BUT JESUS CHRIST UNDERWENT BETRAYAL…SUFFERING BEYOND MEASURE....NOT as A RESULT of HIS OWN SIN…BUT OURS...

WE LIKE DAVID HAVE ALL SINNED

ALL FALLEN SHORT of GOD’S GLORIOUS STANDARD

ALL STAND CONDEMNED as TRANSGRESSORS of GOD’S HOLY LAW...

JESUS,, OUR SUBSTITUTE,, UNDERWENT the PUNISHMENT & CONSEQUENCES WE DESERVED...

SO WE COULD RECEIVE the CREDIT FOR HIS RIGHTEOUS LIFE...

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

HE TOOK the PENALTY

WE RECEIVE the BENEFITS

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FREE GIFT of GOD’S GRACE… TO BE RECEIVED THROUGH FAITH...

BEFORE WE TRUST GOD = AT WORK in OUR TRIALS,, WE MUST TRUST in CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR.

DIED to SPARE US FROM ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES to OUR SIN...

YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN THROUGH FAITH in CHRIST TODAY

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AND IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE LORD TODAY

OR IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING MATTERS OF FAITH

I’D LOVE TO SPEAK WITH YOU AFTER THE SERVICE TODAY.

(T) AND NOW, I’D LIKE TO SHARE A FEW TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS TEXT WITH YOU THIS MORNING.

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TAKEAWAYS:

LEARN ABOUT GOD?

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER OUR TRIALS...

HE’LL DO “THE GOOD” in HIS EYES...

DAVID RETURNING to JERUSALEM = in GOD’S HANDS...

NOT HUSHAI’S

ABIATHAR’S

ABSALOM or AHITHOPHEL...

IT’S UP to GOD.

o DAVID WAS WILLING TO TRUST THAT GOD’S WILL WOULD BE DONE AND THAT WHAT GOD PLEASED HE WOULD DO.

LEARN FOR US?

OFTENTIMES NATURAL CONSEQUENCES FOR SIN… & WE SHOULD FORECAST THESE to FIGHT TEMPTATION...

REMEMBER: ALL DAVID’S STRUGGLES in CH. 12-24 COME as a RESULT of HIS SIN...

APP: TRUST IN GOD & ACT

ENCOURAGE: TRUST in GOD,, ESP. DURING TRIALS..

HE IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL of IT...

NO TRIAL COMES OUR WAY APART FROM GOD...

THESE TRUTHS SHOULD BRING US GREAT PEACE...

BUT THEY SHOULDN’T PARALYZE US,, CAUSING US NOT to ACT in LIFE...

GOD is TRULY SOVEREIGN. BUT GOD CHOOSES to WORK THROUGH a VARIETY of MEANS...

DON’T FALL INTO the TRAP of THINKING THAT BECAUSE GOD WILL DO WHAT is GOOD in HIS EYES,, WE SHOULD DO NOTHING...

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DAVID PRAYS

DAVID TRUSTS GOD

DAVID ACKNOWLEDGES: IT’S ALL in GOD’S HAND...

YET DAVID SETS UP INTELLIGENCE NETWORK

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DAVID PRAYS: AHITHOPHEL’S COUNSEL TURNED to FOOLISHNESS

GOD SENDS HUSHAI to DAVID… & THEN DAVID SENDS HUSHAI to JERUSALEM

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SO, IS GOD SOVEREIGN? YES.

DID GOD ANSWER DAVID’S PRAYER? YES.

§ BUT DID THIS RESULT IN DAVID DOING NOTHING? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

· THESE THINGS GO HAND IN HAND.

GREAT FAITH DOESN’T REQUIRE INACTION

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WE’LL NEVER EXHAUSTIVELY UNDERSTAND the RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY & HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY

DON’T NEED to KNOW “HOW” it WORKS...

JUST “THAT” it WORKS

LIGHTSWITCH EXAMPLE??

IF WE CAN FLICK a LIGHTSWITCH BY FAITH,, WITHOUT COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING,, CAN WE NOT WALK BY FAITH??

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GOD = SOVEREIGN

YET HE DESIRES US to ACT

HOW’S THIS BALANCE OUT? I DON’T KNOW.

I’VE READ BOOKS on the SUBJECT… AND WE REALLY DON’T KNOW… AND WE DON’T HAVE TO!

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TRUST in GOD,, RESULTS in GOD’S HAND…& ACT WISELY ACCORDING to the MEANS that GOD GRANTS...

I FULLY BELIEVE GOD = SOVEREIGN OVER DAY of MY DEATH

YET I DON’T PLAY in TRAFFIC

I GO FOR RUNS,, BECAUSE IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR HEART.

ONE MEANS THAT GOD USES to PRESERVE LIFE.

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IF YOU’RE GOING THROUGH HEALTH CRISIS,, IS IT a LACK of FAITH to SEE DR?—NOT AT ALL.

GOD WORKS THROUGH MEANS.

IF YOU HAVE CANCER,, FIGHT IT W/ EVERYTHING YOU CAN.

BUT JUST REMEMBER: THE RESULTS ARE in GOD’S HAND. THIS = WHERE FAITH COMES IN.

SOME GO THROUGH SAME TREATMENTS & LIVE

SOME DIE

GOD = SOVEREIGN OVER ALL of IT...

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FRIEND/LOVED ONE,, DOESN’T KNOW the LORD.

PRAY FOR THEIR SALVATION

& SHARE the GOOD NEWS WITH THEM...

IT REQUIRES FAITH & ACTION.

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DEALING W/ ADDICTION?

PRAY & TRUST GOD.

&& SEEK OUT MEANS of DELIVERANCE

NATURAL ROADBLOCKS

COUNSEL/ACCOUNTABILITY GROUPS

GOD WORKS THROUGH MEANS.

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SO IN EVERYTHING WE TRUST & WE ACT...

TRUST GOD WILL DO the GOOD in HIS EYES

& THAT GOD WORKS THROUGH a VARIETY of MEANS...

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&& IN END,, WE HAVE a GREAT HOPE

REGARDLESS of HOW THIS LIFE GOES/ENDS...

DAVID HOPED to ONCE AGAIN SEE GOD’S DWELLING PLACE—THE TENT W/ ARK...

THOSE WHO HAVE TRUSTED in CHRIST as LORD & SAVIOR WILL SEE the LORD’S DWELLING PLACE @ THE END.

THAT IS OUR FINAL HOPE

NO MATTER HOW THESE TRIALS GO.

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SO TRUST GOD & ACT

BELIEVE IT’S IN HIS HANDS

& HE’LL DO WHAT is GOOD in HIS EYES,, AND WHAT HE THINKS is GOOD = BEST.

AMEN?

---Close in Prayer---

COMMUNION SUNDAY