1 Samuel Chapter 20:1-15

It is important to have open and honest relationships in our life. It is important to have open and honest relationships in her life and when you develop these friendship fancies people hate using some in my life. Doesn't look like I'm following Jesus or it looks like regular you see an area you know that that I need to work on and when they answer allow them the answer without emotional repercussions you you asking the same and you can use these things as stepping stones in Christianity welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee Senior Pastor of bridge Kernersville, North Carolina. As Pastor David continues teaching through first Samuel chapter 20 today we have these assisting pastors in the studio with us, you, Bob. It's great to be joining with you today. As we continue listening, studying and growing in God's Word verse in chapter 20. Talk about relationships today about honesty about being able to be open with each other in your communication and Pastor David will be sharing about great ways to be a blessing in your relationship with others… And as David McGee teaches verse by verse through first Samuel chapter 20 verse one then David fled from Laos and Ramallah when said to Jonathan what about done. What is my iniquity.

What is my sin before your father. 36. My wife is a good question. In this situation you've been here for a week or two younger set is not anything he's done nothing but been a loyal subject and service to the King Saul looking Salazar try to kill you know it's always good under persecution to ask yourself if there's something that you've done because quite frankly sometimes there is sometimes when you're going through trials and tribulation year there because in love you place yourself there. You've done something you made a bad decision and and you find yourself in a hard place. But sometimes you haven't done anything in and we always want to examine that look at that.

I've known people that you know they they went around in real ugly people and then when people are ugly back then laser login persecuted for my faith will know your ear, your letter for that is your being a jerk for Jesus and Jesus that wants to go be jerk so that people are angry back at us, but this is a good question, one of an outburst. So Jonathan said to him by no means you shall not indeed my father will do nothing either great or small, without first telling me and watching my father how this thing from me.

It is not so well.

Jonathan has appointed his father's not going end up doing anything to David but it's kind of sad to see that Jonathan has this trust in his father of it before the chapters overage can be shattered.

Verse three.

Then David took a nose again and said your father certainly know that I've found favor in your and he has said do not let Jonathan know this list to be grieved, but truly, as the Lord lives in as your soul lives. There is but a step between me and death. What an interesting statement.

There is but a step between me and death is as true for every person in here there is but a step between you and that now this is not doom and gloom. I'm not a doom and gloom preacher.

That's just reality. None of us knows the time and place that passed away and is interesting.

They asked the story. There's a story goes that they asked Rabbi they should write about.

When should we repent of our sins and the rabbi said one day before you.rabbi we don't know when were going to die and he said then you should repent now.

Bayless then between this life and the next and every now and again were made aware of that member.

Years ago I spoke to youth group and also meeting some kids got saved with answers what young one young man in the front row.

Any kind of mess around one really listen in, and I hope that he made a commitment but he didn't raise his hand come forward or anything that evening, 17-year-old And a friend of a friend in two days later he's out playing basketball and and fell over dead at a massive aneurysm. The doctor said he was probably dead before he hit the ground, 17 years old. You think he knew was about to happen in these stories are common, you know, we all think they were to get our 72.3 years reality as some people live to be the 80s and 90s. So guess what I have to offset that average through accidents and sometimes the bad help things illnesses and stuff with peers. Here's the thing, each and every one of us. This the statistics are staggering. You realize that 10 out of 10 people are going to so 10 out of 10 people in here you're going about mass question.

Are you ready for the are you ready for. What do you want to change between now and that day that you die, you should change tonight. Don't wait until that day because the reality is you might not have that time. The first life lessons you need to live to be ready to die. You need to live to be ready to die. You want to read the Bible before you dive in go all the way through the Bible. Now you know I don't want to be sitting there talking to guns. You know him going well, you know God is going to read the whole Bible, but you know only Louisville 3040 50 years just to say I give you 3040 50 years and you can read one book know I really could you read know when six so read the Bible get through the bomb. We want to be serving God, serve God. Now you want to hear well done good and faithful servant.

Be faithful servant. Now, because that day is coming apart of this realization twos. I think in the natural in really practical things making sure you have a will, making sure you have plans and those sorts of things, you know, I think, more importantly, spiritually, you need to be ready, especially in the sense of knowing that your sins have been forgiven. That's the most important thing making sure that your sins have been forgiven if you're unsure that we will give you the opportunity to make sure before the night is over verse four.

So Jonathan said to David, whatever you yourself desire.

I will do it for you and Davidson Johnson. Indeed, tomorrow is the new moon and I shall not fail to sit with the king to eat but let me go that I may hide in the field until the third day, and even there is a feast to celebration every time the beginning of the month. The new moon and and let's remember the Jewish calendar was a lunar calendar meaning in the month would start on the new moons in our calendars. A solar calendar. That's why pass over all it changes dates every because it's based on the lunar calendar and also remember that the Jewish day isn't like ours in that it starts and ends at midnight but it starts at sundown and ends at sundown so there's this festival. They got together than they ate and they took usually a day sometimes two days in school because you know built into the Jewish calendar were a lot of opportunities for fellowship a lot of opportunities for food.

I was having to be couple years ago was in Jerusalem letters on the Shabbat and him and I know you know we don't officially have Shabazz anymore with, gotten away from that. But I tell you what. As I watch this Jewish family in the bully for generations. Sitting at this table and the old grandfather was Lee Newman solves in their surrounding a meal together. I thought you know I think we lost think we lost something to resist the real sweetness to that and it's an awesome time to sit around and fellowship in and share a meal together we we should be taking the time to do these things over six David continues, if your father misses me at all than, say, David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over the Bethlehem city for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family if he says it is well your server will be safe. But if he is very angry. Be sure that evil is determined by him when you look at this. You can see that there are some some treachery involve the guests in their planning.

But let's remember Saul is trying to kill David. They're not just doing these things is a little harmless prank. They're trying to preserve the life of David Souter coming up with this plan and obviously they've gotten to the point where it's determined civil disobedience. In other words, they were being disobedient to the king, who was in authority but the king was trying to do something that was against the laws of God. Now friend. Be careful if you ever play this card because here's what happens a lot of times ago about paying my taxes on being civilly disobedient. Well, you know where God is given to Caesar what is Caesar's, given the God is God's will make sure in your civil disobedience that you're not being motivated by selfish reasons and this kind of reminds me how many people are familiar with the story of Corrie 10 boom, but this reminds me of the story of Corrie 10 boom who during World War II his Christian family during World War II hid Jewish people in their home during the Holocaust and and eventually some.

I betrayed him. They were thrown into a concentration camp.

Corrie 10 boom's sister died in there and her father died in and it's just an amazing testimony because she ended up writing letters to the man that betrayed her and said I forgive you and I hope that you asked Jesus to forgive you wrote to the guards in the concentration camp is an amazing story that she was talking to her sister one day and talking about building a facility after the war for the people that were in the concentration camp and her sister said all that's great you know we can get all the Jewish people together and have a place for them to be in court turned to her and said no I'm talking about the guard she went on after that you had a wonderful ministry of talk about the grace of God and forgiveness. But how convicting it is to look at a wife like that because you are so I can wound us in a small way we write it down in the back of her Bible and pray that God's blessing with the brick on the head.

You know I don't have my Bible but wondered some of you have money but could not.

This is an act of civil disobedience. Thank you for listening to David McGee with cross the bridge ministries. David's heart is to help you beyond our radio program. We will continue teaching the word of God in bringing hope to the power of the Scriptures we know that these are unusual times so we want to share with you many of our online tools. Please check out. You are loved.org to take advantage of these free resources. Our daily devotional has a helpful reading plan thoughts from the Scripture and practical life lessons to help encourage you on. You are loved.org you can find full-length teachings from Pastor David and his assistant pastor's baby, you're not able to attend services at your local church right now and visit you are loved.org so you can join us live on Sunday mornings at 10 AM Eastern and Thursday evenings at 7 PM Eastern time.

Now back to David McGee verse eight.

David continues, therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant for you brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. Nevertheless, if there is an equity in me killing yourself.

Why should you bring me to your father David's making a bold statement saying you know what, Jonathan, if I mess it up in some way. Take me out take me out when all something to say.

David felt safe in making that statement. What because he knew Jonathan care about. He knew Jonathan loved him and you know what we should have friends in our lives that we have that kind of relationship with your bunch up so you sit here and I don't know think will have a dozen of those you know what, if you have a dozen in your whole lifetime. Your blessed your blessed. Here's what the word of God says, and in our relationship started about one to another. Proverbs 27 verses five and six is an open review is better than hidden love and wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy we talked about this is that the verses this morning.

The concept here is that there is safety in a friend that's willing to tell you the things that perhaps you don't want to hear because you always know where you send that person a lot of times when somebody says something to us like you know something that you might not want to hear like payment. You need a breath mint or some like that I ever really close to hear that you maybe you might need to hear that, or you know somebody says something to you about a manner of speech or something like that.

You know they have your best interest at heart. A lot of urgent understanding the staff that we have that kind of relationship we can go to one another and say you know hey you know what you think this looks like we say well doesn't look very good. You need to redo that and do it like that and we don't have people throw things down and storm off. They understand more working together in network friends like this. Life lesson here is important have open and honest relationships in our lives. It is important to have open and honest relationships in our lives. And when you develop these friendships asked these people hate using some in my life that doesn't look like I'm following Jesus or it looks like I'm struggling or do you see an area you know that that I need to work on and when they answer allow them the answer without emotional repercussions you you asking the same and you can use these things as stepping stones in Christianity. This is something that you know like on the worship team. We have to be able to do that on the worshiping in a course on the worship team. A lot of times it's it's hard and I've use this analogy before but songwriters tend to be, you know, they tend to be really bad about this because you they have to hat you have to have input from other people from a producer.

Other musicians and and yet you know you always feel like the songs your writer your children and sometimes a producer semi has to look at and go you know you're really nice guy, but many got some ugly children, you need to know that one song or are you know hey that albums great, but that one song about your grandparents how much you love them is too long. We got cut down.

Three minutes and there's just there's those interactions and as believers we need those interactions. We need those interactions and and what's our tendency when somebody system like that are flesh pops up to say that you are, you know those sorts of things are we say what you did.

You didn't say in love so I don't have to receive it. David says this job and you need to have people like that in your life. I've got people like that. My life people that not only feel the freedom to do that but they exercise opportunities and say hey bro, what about this and what about that and appreciate verse not Jonathan said, far be it from you provide is certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you then would I not tell you.

Then David said to Jonathan, who will tell me what if your father answers you roughly Jonathan said the David, come, let us go out to the field so both of them went out to the field. Then Jonathan said the David, the Lord God of Israel is witness when I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow or the third day, and indeed, there is good towards David, and I do not send to you and tell you. May the Lord do so, and much more to Jonathan, but if it pleases my father to do evil, then I will report it to you and send you a way that you may go in safety in the Lord be with you as he is been with my father, saddle statement there in the Lord be with you as you has been with my father see over and over how when you look at the book of Samuel house all had so many opportunities so many opportunities. It wasn't just one or two or three Scripture records a lot of time Saul had the opportunity to do what was right. He decided to do what was wrong and he started paying the price for. He got in the habit of not following God and not listen to the Lord and not listen to Samuel, who was his spiritual leader and also his friend said he was probably the best friend. That's all ever had. Saul chose not to listen.

Samuel over and over again and Sammy would say these things the fall. I'm sure Saul did want to hear, but because he refused to hear him. Saul ended up in a really bad place in an geyser.

He refused to listen to spiritual leaders in your life and you refuse to listen to those friends are gathered around you that offer verses in an and are praying for you, you wind up in a place you don't be. I promise you that's you gonna wind up in a place you don't want to because his God puts people in our lives to speak these things to us and we disregard him thereat our own peril. And you know here's an interesting thing to hear. We have Saul king Saul king of Israel live so my property. If you will. A lot of you probably had a nice home and whatnot this all strike you as a happy person.

Not at all, but is keen is keen is a happy see there's something the American dream kind of thing. If you will.

There something in us that thinks it we could be king that everything would be okay, but I think a lot of times we can maybe Senegal and everyone to be king never want to be present.

Well, I mean what is your blood and I'll be happy if what you're going why people run around Bobby. Happy year of you. I get that new house will be happy if I get that new job. Bobby happy with the service finally noted that Bobby happy is and you fill in the butt when he met you really think that if you believe that your we are walking right past the fact that God has given you every thing you need to know the joy of the Lord right here tonight and you're walking past your walking right past can cross interesting quote David Geffen don't like his political views or anything like that but he made interesting quote he said people that think money will make you happy, don't have money this man has millions and millions of dollars where's your what your blank. Ask yourself what your statement, I'll be happy is what and let me assure you that probably has nothing to do with your happiness and you reach whatever blank is, you're going to be really disillusioned, but you can have true peace true happiness in the Lord tonight nine years from now when you win the lottery, not when you get this new house new car etc. etc. you have a tonight. So the only blank that's acceptable is I will be happy when give my wife totally to the Lord and in the good news. The great news. Each and every one of us can do that tonight you can do that tonight you can know the joy of the Lord or you can sit there and go when not buying into that in a few days or few weeks or few years or maybe a couple decades from now you realize that I was right.

I know a lot of people that a lot of things men that had millions and millions of dollars more than they would ever outspent some of his men were the most miserable people I've ever known in my life. We look at Saul and saw this seems like a miserable person right here.

Why because he keeps disregarding his spiritual nature keeps disregarding his spirit man if you will.

He's not walking with the Lord is disregarding good godly counsel and still look look at the nobility of Jonathan again understand David is Jonathan's competition. If you will for the crown and Jonathan is doing nothing but loving this man is loving this man. There is a conductor that said, the greatest violinist is the one that has the ability to be the first violin which is you know the one that plays the more complicated parts that are upfront so that the lead violinist if you violinist has the ability to be the first violin, but the willingness to be the second verse 14 and you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord. While I still live that I may not die but you shall not cut off your kindness for my house forever know not when the Lord is cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth. Now let me explain. Usually in the Middle East at this time and even later, after this when somebody came into the throne. The first thing they did was white. The old family completely out all the family sons, daughters so that there would be no threat to their throne and certainly in the life of Herod. He took that to even worse level as he begin the wipeout members of his own family, his own children his own wives because he thought they posed a threat to his kingship and said Jonathan is saying hey remember and be kind, and in the Hebrew word here is has said and it's not. It's not just kindness. It mercy. It's it's a lot it's loyalty. What you see is a beautiful picture. What happens later in offspring of Jonathan ship with the who sits at David's table is an interesting study of grace and that will get into that a little bit later but the only reason he's allowed a place of that table is because he knows David when you go back to remember that Jesus is the son of David is referred to in Scripture, guess what were allowed to sit his table because we know no other reason, not because were good enough, not because we've earned it. Not because we deserve a place that is stable, but because we know when those people come to Jesus and I hate to do this. We did this we did that just because they know I never knew you didn't do enough is I never knew you know Jesus you have that relationship. We ask him to forgive you ever sent the commitment in this relationship it is is worth noting minutes.

It's worth drawing attention to because they really just had a disagreement. David is saying your dad's trying to kill Jonathan's going why I don't think you know as disagreements go that that's a pretty strong disagreement. Your dad's murder you, thing and yet they're still walking. That's a beautiful thing friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now own 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, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer was 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. 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 before we go. Have you been listening to the teachings to the book of first Samuel, we've handpicked some of these teachings, it will encourage your prayer life. Pastor Neal can you tell us more about we all hunger for a deeper connection with the Lord and pastor David shares through past living examples how to have that deeper connection. So when you give a gift today we are going to send you for your generosity praying through first Samuel. It's a four CD series that will encourage you in a deeper relationship with the Lord as you step out on faith and give a gift to cross the bridge today will send this in appreciation for your generosity. Again, please visit cross the bridge.com to give today and get your copy of praying through first Samuel we would also like to encourage you to grab Pastor David's day wake up perfectly past work of God's life lessons to consider a daily reading plan in the fall to meditate on your day heart. And it's easy. It's free to sign up today, cross the bridge.com folks.

Thanks for listening into the next time. As David McKee continues teaching verse by verse through first Samuel