2 Samuel Chapter 22:1-28

Sometimes people get trapped in this.

What I would consider amateur Christianity were there impressed with her own righteousness. And then I stop and appear in the face when I start talking about calling or failing is all you should tell them about the good we are doing out there doing it all around you.

The I'm okay. I don't follow.

Don't build resorts because of my righteous will be here to get the big yeah this will happen. Welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee Senior Pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina today. Pastor David's teaching through second Samuel chapter 22 and we have as our guest of the studio, one of David McGee's associate pastors welcome DA hey Bob, we want to take just a minute to pray for some cities in our listening audience in California. We have Bellevue, Sonora, blithe Borrego Springs, Bernie, Byron and Kelly Ente God, we thank you for the cities and we pray that many will tune in today we pray. If there are some were sick and going through some battles that you please heal them.

Father God. We pray that many would put their trust in you today for the eternal salvation. We pray that the cities would get excited about following you and we pray for these churches and pastors that they would fill out Lord that they would apply your word in their hearts that many others will be impacted in the cities that teaching in Jesus name, amen, amen, brother, and I know that many of our listeners are playing along with you for our listeners throughout the country as were going to the teaching and second Samuel chapter 22 the coolest David's song of deliverance. Dave brings out a lot of good things and there's a lot of prophecy a lot of truths in this chapter. What are some of the takeaways we can have from today's teaching class today reminds us today that God's care is constant, he hasn't forgotten about us. He hasn't misplaced us. He will be faithful to take care of us and if anybody knows that it's King David as he's going through all these battles, so let's listen as David McGee continue sharing verse by verse and the second Samuel go turn with me there. Now we are in second Samuel chapter 22. This chapter is a Psalm that was probably written more chronologically towards the middle of second Samuel know we discussed this last week because the chapter 21 was also kind of out of it sequence a sort of an appendix if you will, the second Sam and we are looking at this chapter 22. It is well is out of sequence with the rest of work fits into the book. Basically what were looking at tonight. You can also find in Psalm 18. It's almost word for word the same chapter so we have here in the book of second Samuel, Saul positive for us to go through Dallas understand that David wrote at least I think 73 peak 7350 Psalms, David wrote any given there's a thing at the top of the Psalm of David.

He probably wrote more that more of them and some of them are noted as jump in here. Verse 20 chapter 22 verse one then David spoke to the Lord. The words of the song on the day when the Lord and delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul and he said the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, the God of my strength, in whom I will trust my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my Savior, you save me from violence. Verse four.

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from enemies. We sing as you read these words at the end. David is a he is an incredible songwriter and I'll go through several verses and read several verses ago but second 76. David is an incredible songwriter and we look at these these really gifted. He is really an incredible songwriter. How did he learn rightly so, let's consider the life of David we can figure out how he came to be.

This incredibly gifted songwriter is a joke in the mute music industry that somebody works really hard for 15 or 20 years to become an overnight success. I think when we see the gifting of David as a songwriter attempt to go just got in a floor room and drop something any moment and he became this really gifted songwriter David became this gifted songwriter as it was out in the fields by himself watching over the family. She because he was kind of an outsider he knew, even in his own family, to the point that when Samuel came and said hey you know I think God is raising up a leader in your family. His father didn't even call to that meeting and Santa Anas. Is that what is this all of all know you and I got one more effort and through that David became the songwriter David became the songwriter as he defeated a bear who was after his sheep that he protected and a lien and that battle, David became the songwriter Izzy looked in the house of Goliath and trusted God for his left and let's not forget, as David was on the run from Samuel cotton now from the king he had served so faithfully in those cold dark caves is another part of his life for God.

Verse one of the greatest songwriters that will ever live in those cold dark caves.

So as God delivered them from Goliath from Saul from Absalom from Sheba that is the way David became the songwriter verse five when the waves of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

The sorrows of shield surrounded me in the snares of death confronted in my distress I called upon the Lord cried out to my God and he heard my voice from his temple. In my cry entered his ears. So again we see something bad happens. David react what was his reaction because the God he goes the this is one of the most important things that you can learn as a believer is go to God go to God go to God when things are good. Go to God when things are bad. Go to God when you're living like you should go to God when you're not living like you should join the most important things I know some people say well you know that's really not the most important thing the most important thing is a believer is a follower of Jesus is personal devotion and holiness. It's important I give you. I don't think it's nearly as important as what I do share was that was look at the life of David, would you consider his life to be completely given the personal devotion owing you can't not with the Mishima thing and having her husband kill most he can't save but did he have a track record of running the got absolutely whatever he got in trouble he go to God. See, when you think about Bathsheba and you think about your ride anything about 06 and you will call this guy a man after his own heart. How can I be because David always ran back to God and a lot of single personal devotion holiness. It's an if that is by far the most important thing in your Christian walk. What happens when you fail not. If you felt what happens when you fail and you've not learned to run the very thing that you thought was the most important thing that what God was interested more than anything else and you fail, you don't have that anymore.

Your personal devotion, holiness just went out the window and that was your solid rock your stable place your stable place just left so we see in David again again and again run in the God he gets in trouble, please spacing down the line you think and pray before you fall Goliath, you better believe it developed that some people what I just said there still set the you're sitting there trying to chew it up and swallow you just can't. You can't swallow. This is what grace is all about. If you begin to only approach God.

When you feel like you've earned the right approach and how often are you going to come to God never often as a matter fact. Think about it.

If you only come to God when you think you've earned his favor through your personal devotion and holiness. You're only going to become in the God when you're arrogantly prideful because I must deserve the coming he desires a relationship with. We see that passage in Isaiah where he says, let us reason together though your sins are like scarlet, there shall be as white as snow. The incredible grace of God is just. It's an amazing thing and I know you well grace of God what to you what you you can overemphasize the grace of God, not to you at that all about breezy gurus just don't flatten together all about very soon yeah sure asking the question is how much grace do you think sinful men and women need to approach a holy God.

A little or a lot something a lot so we probably should be talking about because sooner or later friend you don't be desperate for this grace and if you got in your mind and your heart that you only come to God when things are going well and you've earned it. You're doing all things like this was me doing you can be running from him. During those other times I think that's part of the reason that we see this difference in David that God says he's a man after a mild heart. He's a murderer in these adulterer how you fit that in with your personal devotion, holiness doesn't fit.

So God wanted to shatter that mold in our mind and in our heart for some reason was because he knew that over time, that sort of thing just builds arrogance and pride. Religious hypocrisy 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 continues showing verse by verse per se, then the earth shook and trembled the foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken because he was angry.

The smoke went up from his nostrils and wiring fire from his mouth and colds were kindled by a bowed down the heavens also and came down with darkness under his feet. He rode upon a cherub flew he was seen upon the wings of the wind, he made darkness canopies around the dark waters and thick clouds of the skies, and from the brightness before and colds of fire were kindled, the Lord sundered from heaven, and the most high, uttered his voice and he sent out arrows and scattered them lightning bolts any vanquished the channels of the sea were seen in the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke of the Lord, the blast of the breath of his nostrils. He sent from above. He took me drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from a strong enemy from those who hated me for they were too strong for me. I believe what David or Sharon.

Here it to me and sounds like when God was meeting with Moses at Mount Sinai there certain aspects of you reading you will. Maybe this is about creation could beat. We don't know exactly, but I believe a small tweak in more about when God was communicating with Moses and with the people of Israel. Mount Sinai dear member the people said hey we want God to speak to us and God spoke to us and then they said Moses let God speak to you. We don't want God to speak directly to because they were so freaked out at the power in his voice and a lot of times we think we will hear the audible voice of God I never heard audible voice of God. I've heard the voice of God knew it was the voice of God, but I never heard audible voice of God. I'm not sure in this sinful body that I want to hear the audible voice of God. I think it will just rattle me so much that I'll wait to hear the slicks of Godzilla get to heaven and got my new body of the Kendall, sensory overload, believe this is what it's like a moment he slipped in verse 17 in the he's talking about God's deliverance from the of him, verse 18. He delivered me from my strong enemy from those who hated me for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was not support. They also brought me out of into a broad place. He delivered me because he delighted in me that's awesome. Notice verse 18 for they were too strong for me to attend. When we look at the life of David to think that David any anyone. He was a warrior. It was a strong warrior portended. As we look at his wife to say okay the reason he did so well. He was so blessed as David was a very strong warrior and I don't think the only meeting of the David and Goliath story which I will know he was just absolutely so skilled without rock and sling. He knew his rock and sling it probably you know use that a lot when he is on the fields and stuff but it's much more than I think it's God at work because they meant realize that there will be things in his life that he was not strong enough and friendly realize there are going to be things in your life that you're not strong enough and and if you think that you're strong enough to handle and be very disappointed by your reaction and what happens in the situation well I'm women should be strong enough to handle the know there's going to be things there were things in David's life that he was not strong enough to handle decision what they were too strong for me. So what did he do he called upon the name of the Lord you arrogantly think you can go through your life and you can handle everything that comes down the pike in your own street notes can happen.

You will try to do, but he you realize that there's some things are going to come in your life that are just cannot overwhelm you.

Then again, you will establish a pattern of running to Lord, how often we have troubles with things like analyst I do with the last thing we do is pray what I got.

I am good your pastors and is meeting with his deacons and elders nieces you know what they were discussing a big problem pastors as you know it we just need to bow our heads in prayer and when the deacon said pastor has a come of that. Not hard deacons and elders.

Okay lines everything I list what we can deal with this lesson.

Deal with it when I run the God and understand he desires a relationship with us desires to intervene on our behalf and are in our lives if we ask him whatever I know I got it I got okay. I do this friend you're overestimating your abilities you are overestimating your abilities and God has a way to remind us of our shortcomings and and or lack of strength in his life. Something will happen somehow come down upon you while thought I could handle this. Evidently I can't because I ran.

I'm waiting for you to call my name. I won't intervene on, give me the strength I'll take down your strongest don't you love that in the midst of this date assignment the strengths and the power lightning in the fire and the smoke and all the stuff and then look at verse 20. He also brought me onto a broad place. He delivered me because he delighted in me. One of things I love about going through the Bible is the way it balances itself out as you come through a passage I mean I could've just read this passage about the fire and smoke and thunder and the lightning and then you know yielded everybody in three things enclosed in prayer when you're going through the whole Bible. You see this, this passage talks about the strength and the power of God and you come to this versus he delighted in me you go. He delighted in seems to be weaving its way to the unit we talked about God considers you his pull on your his joy year his love your his friends and he delights in verse 21 the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands. He is recompensed me for half The ways of the Lord, and I am not wickedly departed from my God for all his judgments were before me is for his statutes.

I did not depart from them was also blameless before him. And I kept myself from iniquity. Therefore the Lord is very tense to me according to my righteousness. According to my cleanness in his eyes and now you know well.

I believe this was written earlier in David's life because he wasn't able to say this later on he said it early saying all you know I'm keep in the ways of God. Man, I am. I'm righteous to the bone.

I'm doing everything right and that's why God is blessing you understand that that's what happens a lot of time early in our Christian life.

We actually think that were pull it off that were you know God you're blessed me because I'm righteous and share my faith and not go to church every Sunday doing this doing that and then as you grow in the Lord, you don't feel like that anymore. What we see in the life of the disciples is that as they got closer to Jesus. They realized how messed up and how much they needed member. There's a couple times in the life of Jesus where he would do something one time he did he did something and Peter looked at me and say say all that's awesome. You're so powerful you're obviously God and Jesus and some of them got but Peter looks at images depart from me. I am a sinful man see you can start to feel good about yourself and and here's one of the best ways to do it, compare yourself to some I that's really bad and horrible and evil. And then you can feel pretty good about yourself. Get watch the news you want to lose you doing man I'm doing all right here and not any of that this year. That's not the comparison, the comparison is between you and Jesus, when you start doing that one had then come out quite so good that there's another one. The truck when you're feeling like God has blessed you because of your righteousness reading first Corinthians 13 and where says love is patient, love is kind love is never rude but your name in there and see what works well and was convicting things you ever do in your life. Love I don't seek my own always cut yet you go think this is horrible as this doesn't work, then go back through put the name of Jesus.

Jesus is love, Jesus, as always, Jesus never seeks is and it works. What happens sometimes as people get trapped in this.

What I would consider amateur Christianity were there impressed with her own righteousness and and right doing and and all this stuff and then they stop they lived there and they never realize how desperate they are for God. Why because I am not say things going well granted friend of your inlet face.

God bless you management beautiful playing while I last and appear in the phase when I stop when I start talking about falling or failing was happening all you should tell them about that. They're doing that they're doing it all around me. I'm okay.

I don't fall and don't feel brave alert because of my righteous God blessed will be here to get Vicki because this will happen. That's what were supposed to be doing what you're walking around me and impressed with your own righteousness you realize what else is happening you're being unimpressed with the righteousness of people around what is we have this ability to see what's wrong with other people why missing what's wrong with us to Jesus or somebody say remove the sin in your life before you go to help somebody else here around trying to get this planner out of somebody else's.

There's a beam sticking out of your eye level was pretty cool.

As a Christian band name itself. Plaintiff, I'm simply going to place the letter David was in the spaces before he had fallen and messed and is being impressed with his righteousness. Life lesson here only be impressed with God's righteousness never with your own even walking for the Lord for very long. And can you really are since of the Holy Spirit. You're not impressed with your righteousness but you can be impressed with, but as a young believer when as a young believer. I've seen people who have been saved three months who are very mature in the Lord have seen people who been saved 30 years that I would consider an immature believer, I would know how and then there's no real way to do this, but we could put the Psalms together chronologically I think would be very interesting like Psalm 23. Lord is my shepherd, I shall not live a single David wrote that as a young man you go back and you read that right is a young shepherd boy he wrote is an aging king that was generated that.is when he wrote that some you can see from what it say Psalm 50 1123 says, have mercy upon me all God according to your lovingkindness.

According to the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my transgressions watch me thoroughly for my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me some older, wiser David Psalm 32, one. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Now, that's it. It's it's a different side that were talking a few more verses but it's a different side John Newton together wrote amazing grace and incredible life story and he was slave trader running the ship upon the sea by his father and just left it in and just spent the rest of his life either as a pastor tell you telling in teaching and towards the end of his life. He began his health began to decline. He can see could hear and whatnot but with he said something interesting. He says my memory is failing, but these two things on the that I am a great center in Christ is a great Savior.

These are things that we need to always keep in front I'm a great center is a great Savior just that statement will keep out of so much trouble spiritual pride WITH verse 26 with the merciful, you shall show yourself merciful and with a blameless man. He will show yourself with the pure you will show yourself pure and with the devious you will show yourself shrewd. Verse 28.

You will save the humble people but your eyes are on the hottie that you may bring them down to so important understand this is using a device or technique that of contrast.

He does this with those he does with this with dear understand that we get to choose God's disposition towards us that part of a consequence of our free will are decisions that we make towards God alter our perception of God and who he really is to us. Here's what I mean by that.

If using God's judgment though and harsh and overbearing and unfair and unforgiving. Yes, how is going appear to you.

You can read the same Bible that I'm reading and that will be your impression. And guess what, because that's your decision and your perspective of God at the end of this short thing we call life and you rejected Jesus, and you go before him.

Part of that will be fulfilling. You will see the judgment of God, you will see his heart want because you rejected us on but you have the free will to say God I throw myself on your mercy, I ask you to forgive me of all of my sins and at the end of the short thing called life. Guess what your perception then is God is forgiving God is merciful God is loving God is what can happen at the nose like you to go before God and you're going to find the guys merciful God is loving God's conduct friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven.

You can know right now only Jenna short, simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you. 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 it 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.

So congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working in your life will DA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners each day. You can wake up with encouragement from Pastor David to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider a daily reading plan and a thought to meditate on throughout your day.

From the heart. David McGee, that sounds good pastor day and again. It's been great to have you with us on the program today but tell us what else can a listers find on cross the bridge.com.

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