The Testing of Your Faith - 1 Samuel 24

A woman said to a minister, "When I was 22, I was in a serious car accident, and my boyfriend was killed. I have gone through a lot of surgery and am now doing well. When that happened, I lost my faith."

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Lost Your Faith or Had None to Begin With?

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A businessman asked me if I would speak to his staff, and I readily accepted. One of his staff asked me if we could talk privately. She said, "Ian, when I was 22, I was in a serious car accident, and my boyfriend was killed. I have gone through a lot of surgery and am now doing well. When that happened, I lost my faith."

He said, "You know, when they built the Queen Mary, the Queen Elizabeth, and the QE2, they did not test them in dry dock. They didn't leave them in dry dock and get big hoses on them to see if they would leak. They got those ships out into the open ocean to put them through sea trials. These trials were not intended to sink the ship. These trials were to prove that the ship was seaworthy. The only way you can know whether your faith is real or not is when the pressures of life come, when you go through trials. Then you know if you are seaworthy or not. Can I ask you honestly, did you lose your faith or did you find you had none?" She said, “I guess you are right, I had none."

Trials and Testing. Suffering and Temptation. These are things that show us what our faith is really made of. It is easy to be an angel as long as no one ruffles our feathers. Don’t we wanna know if we really believe all this stuff? We say we have faith but do we? We have moments of temptation and trials to show us not if we will sink, but if we are seaworthy… not to find out what we don’t believe, but find out what we do believe. Along with all of this… the tension rises in this instance because we should understand that Christianity has no short cuts. Christianity is like playing the guitar or running a marathon… there are no short cuts at all. There is no quick way, no fast track, no miracle pill, no extreme makeover, no weekend conference, and no amount of money to spiritual maturity.

She said, "Ian, I guess you are right, I had none."

Before you run 26 miles, you gotta run 1, 2, 5, 10, 11, 18, 20, 26. You be able to position your fingers in the right place, gotta get strong enough to hold down the strings, gotta get strong enough to hold down the strings for a long time. Gotta develop callouses so that it does not hurt your fingers anymore. There are no short cuts. With Christianity there is no short cuts. We will be tested and we will have to pass the tests. There are no makeup tests. We will have to pass the tests. Why? It’s not for weak faith, but having faith at all. Like the story… do we even have faith at all? We will find out what we really believe… all of us. Just like David, we face it. How did David face it? What happened? This is what we will look at today.

In the last chapter, we find a completion in David’s kingship. He now has the prophet and the high priest. We saw that even though he is wandering in the desert, he has the Word of God and so now, he has all that he needs. The Word is all we need.

Remember, Saul went back home to fight the Israelites. Now that he is done he immediately went back to hunting David down. Saul took 3000 of his special forces to search for him. There came a point when Saul had to relieve himself; he went into a cave to do it. It just so happened that all of his elite men were outside of the cave and David and his men were just a bit deeper. Look at this David, the Lord has delivered your enemy into you hands today. This could not be more perfect. David’s men spoke as if it were a prophecy. Instead of killing Saul, David just cuts off a piece of his robe. David declared to his men that Saul was not to be killed. He is chosen by God, he is anointed of God. Then when Saul walked out of the cave David shouted out to him and bowed before him. Why do you listen to people who say I want to harm you? I had an opportunity to kill you back in the cave. Sire, I will never harm you because you are the king. I have a piece of your robe in my hand, that is how close I was to you. This proves that I am not trying to kill you. Let the Lord be the judge. He may decide to kill you because of what you are doing to me, but I will not harm you. Saul began to cry. You are a better man David. You repay me with good for evil. Who else would let their enemy go the way you did? Saul blessed David, acknowledging that now he knows that David will one day be king. He asked David to promise that when he becomes king, he will not kill his descendants. David promised this to Saul with an oath.

1 Samuel 24:5–7 NLT

But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way,

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

1. The Test

2. The Task

3. The Triumph

The first thing we will look at is the test that David was faced with and how we face the same kind of things on a daily basis. Second, we will look at the testing task of the true humility of David before Saul and how it shows us the humility of Christ who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be held onto taking the form of a servant and becoming like man. Finally, we will see how the testing task of humiliation of Christ brought to Him eternal triumph that we will share in for all eternity.

Thesis: Although sin and the deception of this world puts us in a position to be tested and tempted, God allows the testing, in order for us to mature in Christ, to become complete in Christ, to not lack anything in Christ and by the testing task of the cross we will triumph in Christ for all eternity.

I. The Test

- The testing of our faith develops perseverance… develops maturity.

A. In the words of Rafiki from the Lion King… “it is time. The king has returned.” But is it time? Saul is going potty, he is unprotected, and he is unaware. The men could not believe the opportunity… Kill Saul and it will be over. It is as if David could hear his men practically singing to him… and we can build this dream together standing strong forever nothings gonna stop us now.

B. Do it David… Kill Saul and we do not have to wander anymore. We can go home and David we can live like kings. But David did not kill Saul. There was a huge test before him. Would he sin in order to put an end to it all? What of his men? They would kill Saul if David didn’t. Wait Wait Shane. Sin? Was it not a prophesy?

C. First of all, there was not any prophesy written down in the scriptures. The author of the book probably would have made mention of it, but it could be a false word from God.

D. Ralph Davis - This prophecy is not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture and probably represents an example of false prophecy.

E. This is the reason why we have to be directed by the Word of God and not our circumstances. It seems as if Saul was delivered to him on a silver plate… the men thought it was by the Lord, it could have been but for the reason we might have thought. More in a minute.

F. David also felt his conscience being stung. David refused to break the law of God in order to reap the benefits of it. It was tempting for sure but the word declares...

Exodus 22:28 NLT

“You must not dishonor God or curse any of your rulers.

David repented and urged the men not to do anything to Saul.

G. David is saying…Do you guys not realize that when a person is anointed by God he is set apart and consecrated for God. There was a specific bond between the anointed and God. If you are going to harm the anointed, you will be coming against the Lord Himself. Repent from the wicked intensions of your heart and turn away was the command of David.

H. What would we do here? David had a kingdom in his grasp. He was promised the kingdom, but how that kingdom was going to come matters a great deal. The blessings of God must come from God in His time. The kingdom may be ours, but how we get it matters a great deal. The Lord may have promised you earthly bliss, but we better believe that how we get it is vitally important.

I. In the same way, the devil offered the kingdoms of the world to Christ. This is not anything different from what the Father had promised Christ. But it was not to come by worshipping the devil, but the humiliation of the cross.

J. Are we today going to be short-cut Christians. We see an opportunity and we take it no matter what happens to others or what laws of God we break. No biggy… it’s just a small sin. I figured out a way! There will be no more fence, frustration, or futility. We are no doing anything all that bad… were just making the wall, small … that all.

K. Hear this today family. When it come to the blessings of God, the promises of God, and our sanctification. There are no short cuts. Forget the temptation. It cannot happen. There are no shortcuts with Christianity. No matter who is promising it. The scriptures are clear when it comes to no short cuts. You cannot play a guitar without practice. There is no guitar playing pill you can take. There is no run a marathon pill to take. There are no easy roads for Christian living. Hard choices need to be made.

L. The blessings are there but they gotta come His way and in His time. Only His way and only His time. Life is there but they only come by His way and His time. Only His way and only His time. The kingdom of heaven is there for us, but it will only come His way and His time. Only His way and only His time. We are saved through faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone, for God’s glory alone, believed because of the authority of scripture alone. It is His way in His time. Only His way and only His time.

M. If we are going to grow to Christian maturity, We have to have our faith tested.

James 1:2–4 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

N. Please allow me to continue...When trouble comes we have got to endure it. We don’t figure out a way to get out of it. We will never grow. When our faith is being tested, like David’s was, we don’t figure out how to get out of it. We will never grow. We need perseverance. This only comes one way… there is no perseverance shot you can take. And if you wanna be mature complete and not lacking in anything… then perseverance must finish its work, but before perseverance can finish it must exist. It cannot exist unless there is testing and trouble and trials. Can you take a licking and keep on ticking?

O. This is why, even if we run, we will be face to face with the same problem again and again. We have to go through it. We need to obey God. He will finish the work He has for you, he will accomplish his purpose in you. You can run from Ninevah, but you will be at its gates every time. When God wants you to go to Ninevah. You will go. The Lord will use a big fish to bring you there.

P. Jonah failed his test, but there was no makeup test to take later. Do more studying, preparing, praying. No you are going to pass this test and you re going to do it now. You are not leaving this classroom until you pass this test!

Q. Like David’s men, all that they see is providence. It looks like opportunity is a knocking. Jonah may have left and saw a loaded boat looking to set sail in the opposite direction of Ninevah. Jonah took the opportunity. We seem to look for these opportunities, open doors, but just because a door is open it does not mean that you walk through it. Sure it may be God, but it might not. Ask David and his men.

R. Besides…God is not asking us to look for open doors or good opportunities… He is asking us to obey His Word! Just like David did. Wait did you get that? The Lord is calling us to obedience, not identification, developmentation, implementation, and evaluation. David shows us that we are to first and foremost follow the Word not walk through doors and climb through windows.

S. This is not easy to hear, but it is the truth. And many of us know this and many of us still try to find a way out. We avoid so we never fill the void. We just give up or give in. Some here today maybe just don’t care. Some of us could careless if we mature in Christ or not. This is the reality of remaining sin in us. It is our continued unfaithful idolatry. We continue to fail the task. We thank the Lord today that we find forgiveness in Christ and we find it beautifully displayed in the testing task of David and ultimately Christ.

II. The Task

- We witness the testing task of true humility today.

A. David went out to Saul in humility and humbled himself, although he was technically equal to Saul in position and anointing. At this time, he did not see this position as something to be held onto. And what did David do? He took the form of a servant and bowed to the ground before Saul and pleaded his case. Humbled himself. Equality. Held onto. Servant. This is what we see pictured here in David. This is how the OT shows us Christ.

B. Like David, his son Jesus, did the same thing here.

Philippians 2:5–7 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Phillippians

C. I continue… David continues to present himself before Saul before the Lord for His justification. Before God he asserts that he has not sinned against Saul. And let the Lord be the judge that I have not sinned against you.

D. Like David his son was brought before the Father to show that He did not sin against Him. And the Father recognized it. He was found justified.

Hebrews 7:26–27 NLT

He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.

Hebrews 7:

E. Saul responds to David’s humility and justification. How did Saul respond? How do we respond to what happened with Christ? He recognized his sin and repented. You have given me good when all I gave you is evil. You could have killed me but you did not. Who lets his enemy go? (Who lays down their life for an enemy). Saul even recognize that David will be the king and all of the land will be in his hand. You are king.

F. Faith and repentance is our response to the Lord in all of his humiliation and all of his exaltation and we then like Saul recognize that Christ is king and His kingdom has come and we don’t need to ask for Christ to make a covenant with us. Because it was already done in the garden of eden when he promised to crush the head of the devil. We recognize that he is king. The Kingdom of God has come.

G. And we will see that David was exalted. Just like Christ was exalted. And what an amazing exaltation…

Philippians 2:9–11 NLT

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:

III. The Triumph

- Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

A. The key here is that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess… this means everyone. One day when it is all said and done, every person whether you worship him now or never did or never wanted to. One day you will acknowledge that He is king. Everyone will!

B. In sin, we like to think that we are in control of our lives and we want no king. We lose faith and fall into temptation. We fail to pass the tests. We look for short cuts. We look for opportunities, instead or in spite of obedience. We have all fallen short.

C. But our Lord is gracious full of unfailing love. There is forgiveness for us today… and there is an abundance of grace for us here today. Because Christ passed the test. He completed the testing task. He defeated Hell death and the grave and is sitting at the right hand of the Father with all authority in heaven and on earth in His grasp. He could stop all trials, testing, temptation, and suffering… but He does not. He is training His future kings and queens of the kingdom of heaven. He is sanctifying us, developing us and finishing the work He began in us. He is causing us to be mature, complete, and not lacking in anything. This is the Gospel family. His work brings us life

D. The price of sin was paid… Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures… The curse of sin is broken… The saying is trust worthy. He who began a good work in us will be faithful to bring it to...

E. We look to Christ for our salvation and we look to Christ for our maturity. By his grace, we will overcome our trials and tribulations, we will receive a heart to pass our tests, we will. He will guide us through temptation not giving us the power to overcome sin or a way to escape sinning.

F. We celebrate his Humiliation when He came to the world born in the manger on Christmas, but we will celebrate His exaltation on resurrection Sunday. Who as to His human nature was a descendant of David, but was declared with power to be the Son of God Jesus Christ our Lord. We saw that the boats were put in the ocean to see if they were seaworthy… Christ came into this world and we all now know that He is worthy.

G. And now we celebrate at the Table of the Lord…