Survival Conference
Notes
Transcript
Purpose
Purpose
quick one day, 30-35 minute conference
conference on survival - because it’s a jungle out there, it’s rough
your packet is the word of God - all materials you need are in there
there will be five survival strategies shared in this conference
Review
Review
Absalom, King David’s own son has engaged in a propoganda campaign to make himself popular and it has worked
Absalom, has also secretly recruited people to be on his side, even one of David’s most trusted advisors
Absalom has tricked some people to be on his side
Absalom travels to the old capital and declares himself king, and the plan is working perfectly
in the end, David will survive this, Let’s look at how David survived
Conference Speaker: King David
He is an expert on making it through even the most difficult of times
survived lions and bears and giants as a young boy
survived countless battles as a young soldier
survived when his own government was chasing him
survived living in a foreign land
one time his whole family was kidnapped and all his possessions were stolen, but he overcame
he has survived a civil war
he knows what he is talking about
I would tell Rev. Andrews IV that he might want to invite him to “It’s not all bad”
Since David is the Conference Speaker, we will focus on his conversations in this chapter
let’s start when David hears the news . . .
13 Then a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”
14 David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go in haste, or he will overtake us quickly and bring down calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
first time I read this verse I was shocked at how easily David the warrior/soldier/giant killer/king . . . ran
with other enemies, David always attacked or at least stood his ground
but the scripture indicates that David says, “Arise and let us flee, for otherwise none of us will escape”
sometimes when facing big problems, sometimes the predicament is so bad that you have to just . . .
Strategy #1: Focus on making it through today.
David does not convene a war council
David does not call experts to formulate a two year plan
David doesn’t say, “Let me sleep on it”
David says, “Let’s get out of here!”
in some situations, you don’t have time to worry about long term, or two Thursdays after next
some situations are so overwhelming that you have to focus on making it through the today
with God’s help, what is the best I can do today?
what’s my first step today (many times your only step)
what is the most pressing need, right now
of my 100 concerns, which concern is #1
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Jesus says focus on today’s trouble
too many of us are depressed about tomorrow’s trouble
I won’t have gas money on Tuesday
my job is going to lay people off next week
I have an operation next month
what if in 5 years, I’m still not married?
some of you might be worried about days when you will be dead anyway
now there’s nothing wrong with long term planning
but if you don’t have the long term solution, survive today
work on a “make it through right now solution”
Give us this day our daily bread
not know how you are going to pay for years of college? Focus on this semester’s tuition
some suicides are based on long term doom
I have no future, no hope for tomorrow, my entire life is ruined
first let encourage you that suicide is not the answer
if suicide is on your mind, I encourage you to survive today, make it through today
take it one day at a time, don’t let all of the bad possibilities of tomorrow overtake you
i don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow . . . so I can focus on making it through today
and so David and those who remain loyal to him begin to flee, making it through the day
but as David is surveying the people with him, he notices a particular group, verse 19 . . .
19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why will you also go with us? Return and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile; return to your own place.
20 “You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander with us, while I go where I will? Return and take back your brothers; mercy and truth be with you.”
21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.”
22 Therefore David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” So Ittai the Gittite passed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.
as they are fleeing, they are joined in their leaving by Ittai the Gittite and his men. People who have just arrived in Jerusalem
David says, you don’t have to come with me, you just got here, this is not your battle
and though the Gittites have been caught up in something that didn’t even start, cause, or influence they choose to flee with David
vs. 18 tells us that these men are from Gath
Goliath’s home town
David is well known in Gath: heroic exploits, incredible escapes
Ittai and his men have probably seen that God is on his side
God helped him when the odds were stacked against him
God has helped David before to take care of your men and their families in bad situations
but for whatever the reason, they say,
Bro. I am with you, I’m down with whatever you decide
I will be your ride and die
and David responds, “Go and pass over” . . . in other words, “ok, then, I’ll accept your assistance”
Strategy #2: Accept Help
I know it sounds simple, but when in trouble . . . accept help
if someone is truly down with you, there for you, loyal to you . . . accept help
for many of us our pride gets in the way (lay you pride, aside)
i want to handle this on my own
i don’t want to put anybody out
what will they think of me
this is not there problem
and all of that is beautiful and sentimental and noble and courageous and admirable
BUT YOU NEED SOME HELP!
and don’t be thrown off by the helper
Ittai is just a leader of some men, David is a king of armies
don’t refuse help because you think the one offering help is beneath you
lay that pride aside
I really should be helping them
they should be calling on me
it feel so embarrassing and awkward to receive help from them
maybe you have education, or finances, or a life that seems all together . . . still no matter who you are, there will be plenty of days where you will need help!
also notice that Ittai is not an Israelite, he is a foreigner
don’t refuse help because you are not close to them
maybe you should be receiving help from your family
maybe you should be receiving help from your long time friend
maybe it is a person you just met, but God has given you favor in their eyes, wants to help
so let them help you, lay your pride aside and accept help
I’m not saying that you should throw caution to the wind and accept help from anybody
David checks him out, makes sure that he really wants to help
but once it checks out, David said, “Go and pass over”
maybe you are waiting on God, but God is waiting on you to accept the help he has already provided
we have a church prayer text system - accept some help
that person that keeps saying, “If you need anything”
men, we especially have to be humble
so David and his supporters flee, people weep as they watch them pass by
the priest come with the ark of God, the most treasured object in Israel because it signified God’s presence among them
they said, “They might have the city, but they ain’t getting this ark”
watch David’s response in verse 25
25 The king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then He will bring me back again and show me both it and His habitation.
26 “But if He should say thus, ‘I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.”
interpretation: Take the ark back to Jerusalem, If God wants me to see the ark again, then nothing can stop me from returning to the city and seeing it again, but if God does not give me that privilege, then that’s ok with me too . . . whatever seems good to God
this is a tough one but a good one . . .
Strategy #3: Trust God no matter what.
that means that . . . I will
love Him, no matter what
serve Him, no matter what
be faithful to Him, no matter what
accept what he allows
whatever He decides, is good with me
of course we want only good things in life, springtime, uncloudy days, and peaceful waters
but we must learn to trust God in the rough times, the winter time, stormy days, and rough waters
and there is a peace in putting everything in God’s hands
some of you are living under so much pressure trying to make things happen
self induced pressure to get results
Try your best, but leave the results to God
Fight your hardest, but leave the results to God
Draw up your best plan, but leave the results to God
post on FB this morning by Rev. Michelle Chambers - The outcome in a situation is God’s responsibility, the obedience in a situation is ours
you can find peace, even in survival mode, when you learn to trust our loving, all knowing, all powerful God
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth in thee.
What do we mean by “got my mind stayed on Jesus?” the one who trust in him
real trust brings peace
Why not rest in the truth that God is in control, he knows what he is doing, he knows best, he loves me
don’t get me wrong, I know you have people depending on you, counting on you, looking to you
but as they depend on you, you depend on God
as they count on you, you count on God
and as they look to you, you look to God
guess what? God knows that you have people depending, counting, and looking to you
Yet God still wants you to depend, count, and look to him and say God, do what seems good to you!
do whatever is right to you!
not my will, but thy will be done!
If you can do this, then truly God is your God
because God is God, but is He YOUR God?
14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say, “You are my God.”
if we call ourselves Christians, we must get this understanding!
I trust you, no matter what, you are my God
because sometimes you think the storm is over, but actually you are in the eye of the hurricane
winds are about to pick back up
and when the storm winds of life begin to blow
you must learn to hold to his hand, God’s unchanging hand!
then you can be strong, come what may
then you can keep your sanity, come what may
then you will have joy, come what may
and you find yourself still singing in the midnight hour!
There is nothing wrong with asking God questions, but we spend too much time on, “Why God?”
why this and why that and why now and why me?
one frustrating thing with being a teacher is a student who ask so many questions that the questions becomes interruptions . . . I’m forced to say, If you just let me finish teaching . . . If you would just let me finish doing what I am trying to accomplish. . . if you would just trust that I have a purpose and a plan for what I am saying to you and how I am saying it to you . . . If you would just listen and let me have the floor for awhile
and when that student is quiet enough to listen to what I have to say
I find that most if not all of their questions have been answered at the end
and if they still have questions, they are better questions, more informed questions
if you want to survive this, if you want to make it through this season . . . .
Stay focused on making it through today
Accept help
Trust God no matter what
verse 27
27 The king said also to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace and your two sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
28 “See, I am going to wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
David says, you have the gift of prophecy, you are always seeing things . . . I need you to “see information for me” . . . David sets up a spy ring
Strategy #4: Get as much info as you can
some of you are in situations that have thrown you for such a loop, distressed you so much, that you have not yet full assessed the situation
you know that it is bad, but you don’t know how bad
you need to know how bad it is, you need to know what you are really up against
every now and then it is not as bad as you think
I laugh at myself sometimes when I spend hours or days dealing panic and worry, and then once I make a full investigation of my problem find out that it is not as bad as I thought
“Oh, that will be no problem sir” . . . “Oh, ok . . .”
Think about what you are facing. Now let me ask you some questions, and check to see if you need to go on a fact finding hunt
Exactly, when is the deadline?
Exactly how much time do you have?
Exactly how much do you owe?
Exactly what did they say?
What will happen when if you don’t pay?
What are the known treatments and cures?
Did you call them to check for yourself?
Is there an appeal process?
What are all my options?
What’s the real reason they are angry?
What do people who’ve been through this say?
What does my own research conclude?
What does the contract say?
What does the website say?
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
I made it through college on finding the answers to 2 questions
What do people who’ve been through this say?
What are all my options?
my transcript has every grade: A-F, Q, WP, WF, NG, had I’s
but I held it together until I got myself together
Stay focused on making it through today
Accept help
Trust God no matter what
Get as muich info as you can
lastly, let’s look at verse 31
31 Now someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.”
David hears that one of his best friends, top advisors has gone to Absalom’s side, and he prays that that Ahithophel’s advice to Absalom will be foolishness
Strategy #5: Pray
you should have known this one was coming
let me encourage you to pray. We still forget to pray, This is David’s first recorded prayer in this tragic situation
he’s been to busy packing and running and in shock
but when he hears the terrible news that one of his best best friends has betrayed him
this best friend who is also the most shrewd and wisest advisor in his kingdom
he prays . . .
let me encourage you, “Don’t forget to pray”
if you want to survive, go to the Lord in prayer
have a little talk with Jesus, tell him all about your troubles
he will hear your faintest cry and answer by and by
get that prayer wheel turning and that fire burning
just a little talk with Jesus makes it right
and that’s what David had . . . a little talk . . . a one sentence prayer
Yes it’s simple but it is so important
turn to the Lord for help
yes, he sits high but he looks down low
yes, he is enthroned in the heavens but will yet come see about you
yes, he controls the oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers but he is yet still concerned about your tears
yes, he is bigger than the biggest mountain and deeper than the deepest valley, but he also a friend that sticks closer
yes let me encourage you to pray
pray to the one who can change any situation
pray to the one who can fix any problem
pray to the one who can calm the raging seas i
pray to the one who can open doors, give you favor, make a way out of no way
pray to the one who can heal, set free, and deliver
we must pray because our help comes from the Lord
and later as we go into the rest of the story, this prayer, this little talk to God leads to David’s victory
in fact God begins to answer right away in 32-37
another advisor Hushai remains faithful
David sends him in as a spy to counter Ahithophel’s advice
Stay focused on making it through today
Accept help
Trust God no matter what
Get as much info as you can
Pray
Strategy #6 plan
Strategy #6 plan
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 I will now be your servant,’ then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me.
Stay focused on making it through today
Accept help
Trust God no matter what
Get as much info as you can
Pray
plan