2 Samuel Chapter 11:1-7

Damon was supposed to be in the battle he wants us to be in Jerusalem found say a strange concept like the conflict but the safest place for David would've been in the back. The safest place for follower of Jesus is to be in the battle when you try to take yourself out of the bowels and life. You put yourself in danger of falling welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. The senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina. Today we have a deal with us in studio wheel is one of David McGee is assisting pastors to help him in his work here at the church and in ministry welcome brother thanks Bob, thanks for the welcome hello to all the listeners out there and today Pastor David is to be shared about our place in the battle Bob. You know that means that means that if there's a war going on. You're the leader of the troops, not war. You should be on the about me looking at other women settled on the front lines are working with Bob or that is exactly what's happening here with David and Bathsheba, but spiritually our place should be in the battle to and not relaxing at home getting ourselves into trouble. I think after the Cheryl about that day with the story absolutely solicits jump in McGee teaching verse by verse. Second Samuel chapter were looking at the life of David things are going well. Damon know first. He was from Saul. Now he's come back. He's been installed at first his kingdom and part of Israel now is king over all of Israel and things are going well.

He has reached out to my favorite chef, who was the son of Jonathan. We looked at a couple weeks ago and last week we look at how the ammonites and the Syrians were defeated after a knowing just totally degraded and shame these men of David and these these men in this place and this time ashamed David extend mercy. Again we see Jesus and that extend mercy in our time ashamed and that leads us into Leben which sadly is the thing that people remember and talk about the most in the life of David. We talked about the fact you know that heading in John chapter 8 and when our Bibles. It it it speaks of the adulterous woman in that exchange. When Jesus said he was perfect without sin cast the first and you know every time we go to that are referred to that we don't call her the adulterous woman we call her the forgiven woman because it's just bizarre to me that Christianity was to be filled with grace and love and forgiveness. You know in our Bibles or when you know I mean when you if you know Jesus and you go to heaven and you see this on their daughter's room is not about you. She second Samuel chapter 11 verse one again. There's a battle going on right then at that point. Verse one happened in the spring of the year. At the time when kings go out the battle that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel may destroy the people of Ammon embassies Rob David remained in Jerusalem. There we have zero problem take an in-depth look at this chapter because there's things in there process. We haven't thought about seeing Damon was supposed to be in the he wasn't supposed to be in Jerusalem but he decided he wasn't going out to the battle this time he wanted to stay behind.

Why did he decide that I don't know the there's conjecture. You know he built a pretty nice house, so maybe want to enjoy the prosperity of his house prospered of Lord I but he was supposed to go down and say a strange concept like a contradiction, but the safest place for David would've been in the back.

The safest place for David. At that time would've been in the battle why why messing up because the safest place for follower of Jesus is to be in the battle not to be on the side. See, when you we've got battles in life and when you try to take yourself out of the battles and life you put yourself in a dangerous place and that's the whole reason you ever heard the term guerrilla warfare. That's the reason that is so effective want you walk into the jungle or the desert or whatever you don't know that you're in the middle of the battle and that's why casualties are often so because people are aware there's a battle going on. The most dangerous place for Christian to be as a Christmas it out in the middle of the battlefield. Go on, I will fight Joe out for a dangerous thing in David's life, we see that it is a dangerous thing. See the people who are in the most danger are the people who are not aware there's a battle going on around me. And imagine being in the middle and bullets whizzing around her hand and NNN just that you said now I don't feel like fighting is safely not to endanger singers of first life lesson. As followers of Jesus are places in the battle as followers of Jesus are places in the battle. Your place is in the back of your place is serving God and serving others and talk about this a good bit because it's a biblical concept when you see it? There's a battle going on and there is about going on. There's a battle of biblical proportion with the souls of men and women are weighing in the balance now in the middle of this battle is what some Christians do. Bullets whizzing people and people losing their lives giving my life and in the middle that some Christians go and they said that when you think of a believer that does this wrong. It's how can somebody sit down on the battle be a spectator when there's people around them. Diana given their lives for the call. I don't understand these people to sit down in the valley have all kinds of reasons bothered on the battle. You know they they find something that's wrong with the church that they don't lie, but I really like this serve there and I don't really like that serve their.

Those are excuses in any form for the moments he doesn't want us to serve him the benefit but you miss out on a blessing when you're not in the battle and you also miss out on some dangers of being a spectator and something is not really a spectator sport and imagine coming to GE understand what they call it when you're in the military units and you say that you don't feel like fighting there. There's a name for that and my guess is that anybody being cowardly and effective. You sit there long enough deserter strong word strong statement sit down and mobile desert really do deserter, why do they do because they don't want people to be frightened deserting. I know these are strong concepts but these are biblical summary going on I don't do this whole war know what you like you're getting convicted with about second Timothy chapter 2 verse three forces you therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engage in a warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as I went in love on challenging if you're not say this is your home church and understand there's people in here that this is not your own church are so making that decision. Somehow tonight I'm probably making that decision either. This is your home.

Sure and you're not serving nutrition, you should write down your reason for not serving and you sit alone with God tonight and I got these are my reasons, and just see what the Lord has to say about there's reason this is one of the ways we can stay out of trouble servant be in church being battle being the warrior that God has created you to be God doesn't call you serve him and serve others in a church for his benefit, but for your blessing when we neglect this would not only miss out on the blessing we also inherited some problems want will because the idleness is just it's not good it's not good because you know you leave somebody alone and you eating your out of her long enough. What happens you get in trouble. Not just you. That's all of us get in trouble by sit not aware long. I get in trouble. I know there's a lot verse one, but I wanted to make that clear. Verse two.

Then it happened. One evening David rose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house on the roof he saw a woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful to behold.

The only point out something that seemed like some of the commenters missed David was on the roof say Bathsheba was on the roof. In fact, she was probably in a courtyard in her house but from David's perspective on his roof. He could see into the courtyard.

I'm not convinced that Bathsheba was up on her roof bathing that would've been highly unusual that it could have been, but it probably wasn't. Now was David seeing Bathsheba bathing was that sin know it was that wasn't sin but as David lingered.

I don't think they would like and look away. I think you know David was it was you know where to be careful. It was more than just the going. It was a long, lingering look that is what leads to trouble throughout some massive generalities generalizations of you. Most guys are triggered visually. That's the reality of your community, your lady had figured out that's why commercials are the way they are in trying to get guys to know watch the commercials and quite frankly there's commercials.

It slip away from because they're just bad there back now the guys are triggered visually.

Most women are triggered emotionally.

That's why, again, good luck getting the marketing and commercials innovate, they play up on the woman's emotions of this you know and all he called home and my never met before and weeping because he called home and stuff like that. The plane on the emotions of understand that those are two things. And again. That's a massive doing the same they never plan guys emotions blessing they don't play on women visually but those are some massive generalizations so also and David is triggered visually. If you will, and that's where he starts getting in trouble because he begins to do well as it's been said, you can't help of a bird flies over your head, but you can sure keep them from building a nest in your head and so these thoughts that come by.

Don't let them build a nest in your head in your anniversary today.

Vincent inquired about the woman and someone said is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of helium, the wife of Uriah the Hittite really get into the genealogy another time that she would. There's some interesting stuff there. But see, here's the thing David took action, but where did the battle actually start happened in his brain sees is he looked at Bathsheba and then he thought she she's she's she's attractive. I wonder who she is like the meter so all this is working out in his head and then he gets in the truck why my saying this because often times we think that it's her body that leads us in the trouble is not in any any type of destructive behavior.

Look at retirement sex because this is what is format, but it's about drinking or drug.

You understand that the battle happens in the mind. First see somebody sincerely go by really like beer. I am going to get me a beer later. You know, actually I think I saw sales flyers at the store and you know what time I think I'll get happened in here is important for us to understand what because there's there's about a life lesson.

Most of our battles are in our minds.

Most of our battles are in our minds were sitting one time.

It's kinda interesting in in one of the warfare versus it's in the Bible. Second Corinthians chapter 10 verses four and five cents for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is all itself against the knowledge of God bringing in the captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Start looking at those verses and noticed something very unusual if you will burst forth for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations was imaginations after the has to do with them, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God was knowledge have to do with doing the mind, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

There's there's three things imaginations knowledge and all their time back to the mind that that that the Bible say and this is where the warrior is in your mind. How many of us were honest and say you know what I remember and you sex, drugs and alcohol but also you don't gossip unit slandering people and you know given a relationship and also unthinkable. What would they mean by that. One thing they said and what they they looked at me a little weird. I'm not sure about that. You begin to spin around that and you you do that in your mind and is like a downward spiral as you're losing the battle in your mind at that point you're giving over to these impure thoughts about us is servicing his peer: legal means thing see them once you sit around and start again. And since his ear started to get freaked out, you're losing and if you love somebody, spouse or child or parent or whatever and you see them start to spin out like that speak to him so you know what you're spinning your freaking out. Your mind is rolling right now you need to go spend some time with God and Satan a loving way because I can tell in my family once I start to spin out like that that they need.

Take a walk needs April same and if you had a prayer walk today want to take prayer I don't know it's it's it's graceful to say no and he spent some time with your listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be back with more than just a moment but first, if you haven't been to our website@crossthebridge.com yet you waiting for go to cross the bridge.com to learn more about how listeners like you are helping get the life-changing truth of God's word to more people to the radio, Internet and mobile technologies across the bridge.com you can also check out our broadcast schedule.

Listen to more teaching from Pastor David and sign up for Pastor David's free daily devotional and there's more thereto, so visit cross the bridge.com today. Now here's Pastor David as he continue showing verse by verse.

So David is looking into Hayes's imagination is lost the battle in there now is looking for information on what they can do next verse for the David sent messengers and took her and she came to him and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity and she returned to her house now Jewish tradition lets us know something the she was cleansed from her impurity must remember that the Bible speaks of a woman being ceremonially unclean during her menstrual cycle and then after her menstrual cycle. She was to take a mix bar or ritual bath, leading to her cleansing and I think the reason it's included in here. Is it lets us know verse five who the father is in the woman conceived so she sat and told Dave and said I am with child. She had a boy so glad 11 and under and the children so she had her menstrual cycle was not pregnant was with David and then was pregnant so it's not Uriah's child. It is indeed the child of David now David at this point has done something that he probably never concedes he could do or would he put himself in this position and then he gave over to it now. The thing that we need to recognize and you know what, nobody in here can be arrogant in regards to this passage because if you sit here you go on the member will what you say that you never will you place yourself in a dangerous position. Here's one because if you think you could never do something like this. You'll place yourself in a position where it could happen because you think it would never happen to you and you just taken a bunch of steps closer to this actually happened. That's why early on in the ministry when I was still doing the biblical counseling here at the Congress no I'm not a councilwomen.

I'm not going to and some women were really upset that I wouldn't do that but I knew that that would present a situation that could go south in a hurry and want to do that so we had you brought ladies of the church to sit and counsel with them. I would counsel and I would only do marriage counseling and they were both there and that kept me out of a lot of situation so why did I do that I don't trust my flesh.

To be honest if you struggle with alcohol known the witness in a bar. If you struggle smoking crack don't go to a crack house to witness it and there certain things that is a pastor whether I've struggled with them or not. I just don't put myself in a position want because witness on that position and was is one step closer another. For instance, if you struggled online with pornography. This is incredibly honest church of your new here with a straight shooter. So biographies about sex, drugs and pornography will think this is real life. If you struggle with pornography online, don't go online after everybody's asleep in your house, you're setting yourself up for fall is matter fact. Another good thing would be to position your monitor so faces the center of the room with anybody coming in H into the room can see what's on your monitor. That's just say stuff so now how did David get to this place. One step at a time, one step at a time and that's that's what happened years ago, I struggled. I fell away from the Lord and and how did I do it. I did one step at a time.

I kept thinking in my mind and this is really work. I kept thinking in my mind that one night you know the den that the devil was going to pull up in a stretch limousine asked me to open back and start partying. That never happened.

But what did happen is I didn't go to church with the same frequency that I had at one time I start hanging out with people who were Bible believing born-again Christian and slowly but surely I started making sessions that led me away from the Lord. One step at a time.

Next life lesson we all make choices along the way we should make good choices. We all make choices along the way we should make good choices. God in his wisdom and his mercy puts us a crossroads, often in our life tonight year at a crossroads tonight. You have an opportunity to let go of some things and grab hold of God to turn from those things and turn to you have that opportunity we you take advantage of that update for each individual has to decide that the gods placed in front of you an opportunity to make the right choice. Perhaps you've been making the wrong choice perhaps even make a lot of wrong choices in God in his mercy tonight is extending his hand toward you go you know turn from the bad choices to make a good choice. He because David David here is that even with David is messed up. He's at a crossroads to because I believe at this point. This is a one time event with Bathsheba doesn't say it was ongoing since it happened and then she got pregnant and almost inferred and there is no Bathsheba going to hate you know I'm a child sanded David your move will be doing, which makes me think of the relationship wasn't ongoing at that point they had a choice he made another bad one. He could've made a good one, but he made a battle in verse six. Then David said to Joab say and send me Uriah the Hittite enjoyed sent Uriah the David and you. When you Ryan come then David asked Joe how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war prospered to David and he's a good leader is a strong leader you want to know how the battle is going checking up on his leaders and accountability stay in a house. Joab don't house about. Here's an interesting thing you cannot see what David's doing and in the next few verses you see that David was wanting Uriah to go sleep with Bathsheba, so that when Bathsheba was pregnant.

Then everybody would think that it was a the child of Uriah. I will stay were trying to do is try to cover percent, you realize we do that every person who doesn't you mess up, and then your will will was in me.

I had it's really not good when I was a little kid. We had this thing in the house called Mr. nobody is bad.

I don't know. I was allowed to get away with this, but you know there be like a mess on the floor and I go out into Mongo did Mr. nobody did. I don't think she believed me, but somehow everyone know what's wrong with him. I was on the cover of my sin and everyone in this life have been put in position to say what about this old one on one back to the garden when you where are you news out there what you know that woman you gave me God. Here I mean Adam is blaming God and the woman all in one breath.

Unless Pete was okay deal with David Bathsheba. It was consensual. David didn't rape severe if you're thinking David was the was the dog in this thing. David messed up. But if you sit there thinking Bathsheba was his Harley.

They both messed up cilantro and we think it was the manner we think it was a woman new and in the case about money. And guess what it was about you guys to know that darn believe. I tell you what you just bullet for all of us. You know, women tend to go that Adam would've been very you know if you'd been in the garden unit done saying, but at least God discussing a little bit but at least he had to be talked into eating the fruit, the server had to go got really say and then and then he makes you remember the big conversation took to Adam to get the fruit there will all motorboat is ghosting just a little bit here is the bizarre thing and hear me out thing of trying to cover our sins can actually be a good thing because friend that's what Jesus wants to do for us. He wants to cover he wants us to come to him with no excuses and confession and say you know I got I did mess up.

Please forgive me.

Jesus is you know what I'll cover your sins so well they're not there anymore. I'll throw them into the sea of forgetfulness in your attempts in your life to cover your sins. And he always done a really good job. I doubt you've got to do it sometimes and you just blacked out because you can't cover your sins for which Jesus can cover better than you ever imagined friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry.

Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous to congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you prayed that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit crossed the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. You can also write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working in your life.

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Thanks again for listing folks and we hope you join us next time. As we continue studying first flavors section 7