Marching with the Enemy

Have your Bibles with you, and I turn with me if you would first Samuel chapter 29 and I will be looking at verses one through six. To begin with, the Philistines had gathered all their forces in a thick and the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel is a lord of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands and David and his men were passing on the rear with a quiche, the commanders, the Philistines said one of these Hebrews to in here and Keith said to the commanders of the Philistines is just not David the servant of Saul king of Israel, who's been with me now for days and years and since he deserted to me. I have found no fault in him. To this day, but the commanders of Philistines were angry with him in the commanders of Clifton said chewing soon the man back that he may return to the place to which you've assigned team shall not go with us to battle list in the battle he become an adversary's for how could this fellow reconcile himself to his Lord would not be with the heads of the men here is not this David thing they saying to one another dances. Saul was struck down his thousands, and David is 10,000s, then a quiche called David and said to him as the Lord lives. You have been honest and to me it seems right that you should march out and end with me in this campaign, for I found nothing wrong and you from the day of your coming to me. To this day. Nevertheless the Lord's do not approve of you that with me as we got our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father, we are looking at a David today who is learning the cost of being lukewarm and double minded. This is not the joyful victorious David. He fought Goliath and trusted God for the victory. This is a depressed, defeated David, who is trusting his own human ingenuity.

He is destroying his testimony. He's dishonoring God and he is confusing. People who know him as a man after God's own heart. Father, we hate to admit it, we can all relate well to this.

Our sinful natures lead us astray and often bring great hurt to our testimonies help us to see it.

Help us to despise lukewarmness, put a fire in our heart for Christ to love in our heart for the church put a burden on our heart for the lost and through the grace of God and the power the Holy Spirit make us like Jesus.

Father we pray for our divided nation.

We know that you and you alone can fix it. We feel like Jehoshaphat, he saw little hope that Judah could be saved but he prayed this prayer Lord help us. We don't have any power. We don't have any might. We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you father you answer Jehoshaphat's prayer with a miracle. Please answer our prayers in the same way save our nation for Christ sake. 40 is in the precious holy name of Jesus that we pray.

Amen.

You may be seated. Romans chapter 15 verse four says this for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope.

Paul was wisely telling us not to neglect the Old Testament. Now why shouldn't we neglect we are under the new covenant now Jesus Christ is died on the cross to become our substitutionary atonement. Jesus has shed his precious blood, in order that he might wipe away all of the sins of all of his people for all time, folks. This is important. He has taken our sin and given us his righteousness.

He's taken our misery given us his joy. He is taken our hail and given us his heaven and every true born-again believer has not only life but has eternal life, and not only that, but God has given us his Holy Spirit to indwell us in order that we might have power to live out the Christian life that if all that's true, then why didn't Paul just tell us you got all you need in the book of Romans great doctrinal book. All you need if you just read it and study it is the book of Romans. Paul never said that duty Paul said this in second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and 17 all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, instruction in righteousness at the man of God might be competent, thoroughly furnished and all good works. Second Timothy chapter 2 verse 15 study to show yourself approved in the God, a workman that need is not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth in first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 11 through 13. Paul is giving instruction to the New Testament believers on how to utilize the Old Testament and he says this now all these things happen to them for examples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of this world are come. Wherefore, let him that stand to take heed lest he fall.

There is no to patient taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful and he will not permit you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will with the temptation provide the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. John chapter 5, verse 39 Jesus said, search the Scriptures for they testify of me. In other words, a study of the life of David is not written down in holy Scripture that that we might have a better history of Israel and is not written down in Scripture that we might have a better profile of who David is, it is written down in Scripture that we might know Jesus better that we might know him better and that he will help us in our walk with him to glorify him in this life. In this story. David has messed up royally royally. So how can this benefit us.

We can take the principles and we can take the fleshed out examples and use them to teach us how to live and have not to live. I think what the Lord is doing in these last chapters of first Samuel is to get us to make a comparison between Saul and David easily.

Saul is an apostate. Saul is been hardheaded hardhearted and and radically calloused, and he's just become an enemy of God.

He has blaspheme the Holy Spirit. He is committing the unforgivable sin.

Pia stepped over God's line and given himself over to the spirit of darkness. David, on the other hand has waffled in his faith. He is now filled with doubt and he is filled with with lukewarmness and double mindedness. We read this, it's hard for us to believe that this is the same David who, when he was 17 years old, went out to fight a giant named Goliath and defeated him the greatest warrior that that the Philistines had defeated him with nothing but a slingshot and five stones but now where's David he's got the Lord in one hand he's got the world and the other, and things are not looking good and what happens God intervenes, God intervenes in David's life and he doesn't amazing, unbelievable work. What is that call folks, that's grace, grace, grace, grace. So what's the message for us is this don't be a Harley proud Christian. We don't have anything to brag about but Jesus folks, we are victorious because were good were victorious because where he is and the only difference between David and Saul was the grace of God and the only difference between us and unbelievers is the grace of God that, although not all the pride out of our hearts, souls to look at the text, and therefore points I want to share with you number one David's dilemma. Let's look at verses one and two other afflictions and gathered all their forces in a fact. The Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel is a Lord of Philistines were passing on by hundreds about thousands, and David it is me and were passing on in the rear with quiche taken matters into his own hands and not waiting on the Lord had not worked out very well for for David. David was really tired of running from King Saul. Saul be chasing him everywhere trying to take his life trying to put his life to an EN trying to do a million. Finally, David can't take it anymore and he goes to a key issue is the king of Gath.

He's a Philistine king, and he says to him, Sir, would you allow me and my family and by me in and their families to come onto your property and to live in your land and that way will be protected and if you'll allow us to do that.

We are warriors and we will fight for you. We will fight against the enemies of the Philistines. We will fight for you and King of quiche is is just bewildered but what David is saying he's excited about that. Any trust David and says yes David you can come onto my land. I will give you sick lag for you and your families and your men can go and that's where you can live folks. David thought he had a problem with Saul, but Dave is greatest problem was running from God. He was running from God that looked like some bad things will happen. It looks in this passage that that that David is going to have to fight against the Israelites and do harm to God's people want to listen to what Richard Phillips said here before 16 months. David eternally navigated his precarious situation, making the Philistines think that he was helping them against Israel while making sure that he did no actual harm to God's people as generally happens, David's cunning, was unable to control the variables and his intrigue was revealed as a falling house of cards the worst about all scenarios had occurred his new Philistine Lord had gone to war against Israel with the Philistine army including David mobilizing against God's covenant people. David was him to EN to a decisive choice that would determine his fate if David showed loyalty to our quiche his new Lord. He must now be wholly opposed to his own people, Israel.

David would be an apostate and the lamentable condition later described by the apostle Paul separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in this world. Ephesians 212.

But how could David extricate himself from his obligations to the Philistines as so often happens when God's people dabbling sin and worldliness. David was now further EN that he imagined possible prep so far in that he would never get out a point to is David's battered testimony will commit verse three the commanders of Philistines said one of these Hebrews doing here and a key said to the commanders of the Philistines. Is this not David the servant of Saul king of Israel who is been with me now for days and years and since he deserted to me. I found no fault in him.

To this day. David is gain the trust of King Saul had any gain that trust to gain that trust by line by line to me. David would take his me and he would go out to fight against the Philistine enemy and then he would destroy every body that lived in that particular village and wipe everybody else is there would be no witnesses. Then he would come back and he would bring back the spoils of victory give them to our quiche and then he would say try quiche. We was fighting the Israelites and we got this from the Israelites in the case would say, while David's loyal to me. He is so loyal to me. He's willing to fight against his own people. Then I quiche got ready to go into real battle with Israel and he says to David. David, I want you with me. I want you to go you to be a general I want you to fight against Israel. I want you to valiantly take on the wicked Saul well David and his men are put into a tremendously precarious position. I think David is saying to himself at this point. Oh, I wasn't expecting this.

I didn't see this coming.

He doesn't want to fight his own people. He doesn't want to fight against solid and want to lift his hand against God's anointed. But David's lies have led him into this dilemma brothers and sisters.

God has a calling on us as his children, and that calling is that we are to have a clear conscience know there's going to come times when we sin and God told us what to do when we sin that we are to confess it and then we are to repent of it, but we are not to hide it, and we are not to hide it and cover it up with lies were not get to be perfect, but we can be honest and we can be transparent before people and before God, how important that is, folks. Some Proverbs chapter 28 verse 13 says this he covers his sin will not prosper, but he confesses and forsakes his sin shall have mercy. David is not prospering because he's covering his sin, he is lying, and his last two occasions have led him into a horrible situation.

He will have to go to battle with the Philistines against the people who he dearly loves his lies is double mindedness. His coverups are destroying his testimony, people listen carefully. Sin will take you further than you want to go.

It will keep you longer than you want to stay and it will cost you more than you want to pay first print second Corinthians cues reversed.

Chapter 6 verse 435 says this is not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness with lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness. What a court has price with the Lyle what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever.

David thought that living with pagans would be no big deal. He thought that he could fellowship with God haters, and he can get away with it. David was dead wrong. David is acting like Saul, he's being pragmatic peace in the ends justify the means. Listen folks in God's economy. The ends do not justify the means. The means are important.

Have you get to where you are is very very important to God. Saul's unbelieving pragmatism led him to an early death. David's unbelieving pragmatism put him between a rock and a Hard Pl. in Revelation chapter 3 verses of a 15 to 16, Jesus rebuked the church at Laodicea and it was one of the most powerful status just stinging rebukes that Jesus gave to any of the seven churches that are in Asia minor.

Listen to what Jesus said to the church at Laodicea.

He said I know your works. You are neither cold or hot wood that you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mail. Jesus tells the church at Laodicea that he would rather them be hot or cold and lukewarm and what is hot me hot means on fire for the Lord it means to be zealous for God.

It means you love the Lord all your heart mind soul and strength. It means you're seeking holiness.

It means your your standing in truth, it means you're saved, gloriously saved.

I can understand why Jesus would rather us be hot than to be lukewarm.

But Jesus also said I'd rather you be: lukewarm, what is it mean to be cold it means to be unsaved it means to be lost. It means to be spiritually dead. Why would Jesus say he'd rather speak that way than to be lukewarm. I want you to think for a minute about the testimony of the unbelievers. I want you to picture a drunk line on the side of the road, passed out and people walk by and they look at him lying there in the gutter. They say I don't want that for my life will look at a man that's been an adulterer and is broken his family's heart and is torn up people's lives and he's just torn up marriages and people look at insight. I want that for my life lit look at the robbery goes into a house and and murders people to take their stuff and take their money. People look at that. Were they say a settlement that is not what I want from me folks that testimony doesn't hurt the cause of Christ. It does not hurt the cause of Christ. In fact, it helps it, because it says this is what happens to people who are price projectors. They don't hurt the cause of Christ. They make people cite man. Maybe I need Christ, but lukewarm. This is different lukewarm.

This is a yawn in the face of God is a person who says yeah I know Christ, but so what he does excite me. I will obey him because it's more fun. Just follow in the world. That's a horrible testimony. That's why Jesus said, I will spew the lukewarm professing believer out of my mail and this was going on with David. Here he is lukewarm. Will the other Philistine soldiers arrived and they they get there they start looking around I see David his men they are and they are pitching a fit and they said what in the world's going on here. I will wait for. Who are these Philistines were on the visa Hebrews.

Why, what are they doing here.

There are enemies. I shouldn't be here in Kankakee speaks up and said what you meant what you and I trust this man, this is David.

David is has been with me for year years from in the in the past now and he's been nothing but loyal to me. In fact, he's he's turned against the Israelite taste fighting against the Israelites and he's done that in and he's just a he's with us nail. He hates the people of God, maybe even hates God and we can trust him because he's with us nail you imagine how David must've felt as he heard that how ashamed he must've been his lack of faith has driven him to such double mindedness that even his enemies don't know where he stands. There's a man that's Christian man that took a job as a salesman working for a accompanying baseball scalding in one day and said what you take out one of our clients and you just taking out the entertainment whatever he wants to do.

You taking and I will pay for it. Don't worry about that just taking where every Walt don't make you mad. You shall have a good time. So he calls the client up as a client where you want to go. The classes I like to go to a topless nightclub and he says oh my goodness he's thinking to himself this is this is not good.

What am I going to do here I am, I can handle this. I'm a Christian, have no business being in a place like that.

He said this is my job and I think I've got to do this to keep my job and so he took in there sitting at a table together and this client is just enjoying entertainment and all of a sudden he feels a hand on his shoulder and he turned around he looks up at his next-door neighbor is a next-door neighbor that he's been trying to witness to the last couple years. It's his next-door neighbor who is been in fighting the church in the next-door neighbor starts laughing. He said I didn't expect to see you here to tell me about this Jesus again and all of a sudden his heart just falls to his feet and he gets up and he pulls his pot is wallet out and he gives the client some money since you have to take this for a cab home up to leave and he walks over to his neighbor.

He puts his hand on his shoulder and said I'm sorry. He said the only reason I'm here is because as part of my job and he said I have no right to be here tomorrow and quit my job.

I'm sorry only share with you an illustration's exact opposite of that one.

I share this with you before if you remember it, just stick with me for just a minute but I love this illustrations by Grant Castleberry and Grant Castleberry is talking about his daddy. He said my dad, Charles Kelly Castleberry Junior was a Marine Corps fighter pilot in a Christian. One night my dad squadron took a mandatory trip to a beach house somewhere along the Atlantic coast no wiser children were allowed to come. This was a special night which many of the young pilots would receive their call signs shortly after my father arrived at the beach house. He realized my family members were not invited someone to divided strippers as entertainment for the evening. Later that night when he confided this event to my mom. She asked him how he responded. He said that he had stayed in the corner of the house of the beach house with his hand over his eyes. A few months later my father was killed in a midair collision over the Atlantic Ocean.

After my father's crash of pilotless squadron gave my mom a picture that someone is taken inside the beach house that night. He told my mom that deep down.

Everyone respected Kelly for it, but no one had the guts to following.

Sure enough in the photo was my father in the corner hand covering his eyes. When I was young boy my mom showed me that picture and explain the integrity and courage by data displayed in that moment integrity encourage that he characterized his life in Christ. Mom frame. The picture put it in my room is a constant reminder of his legacy.

When the squadron cleaned out my dad's locker after the accident. They found taped up inside his locker. Paul's last will and testament to a young pastor and training from now ready to be offered, my departures at hand from father good fight, I finished my course of The faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me in that day and not to me only, but all them also who love his appearing. My dad covered his eyes at the beach house because they were fixed on his Savior.

This focus is an easy as Paul said it's a fight of faith, it's a fight for purity, but it's worth it.

Christ is the purity we can count on keeping our eyes on him is worth it because he is the only one who can truly satisfy our souls.

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Grant Castleberry's dad had a single I a single mind and a focused heart and he won a victory that day that God has mightily used not only in the past but is continuing to use decades and decades later, the other man was filled with double mindedness and fill with lukewarmness destroyed his testimony.

That's how David is feeling caught between a rock and a hard place is lukewarmness has stolen his joy heart .3 is a stench of double mindedness versus 435 with the commanders of Philistines were angry with him and the commanders of list and said to ink soon the man back and that he may return to the place to which you've assigned team. They shall not go down with us to battle list in the battle he become an adversary to us for.

How could this fellow reconcile himself to the Lord would not be with the heads of the men here is not this David thing they seem to one another in dances. Saul is struck down is thousands, and David is 10,000s, David had wavered horribly but yet David had not apostatized the a still refused to fight the Israelites.

He was still refusing to lift up his hand to get Saul Lord's anointed, and David still loved God, but God doesn't let his true children get away with lukewarmness and and double mindedness in Hebrews chapter 12 verse six. The Scripture says, for whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives. God loves us too much to let us get away with sin, the chastening of God is one of the greatest proofs of our salvation. And you know when I have sinned in God chastens me it hurts and I don't like it but then it heals.

It heals and it motivates me to repent and it forces me with the desire in my heart to run to the loving arms of God books God's chastisement is proof of God's love for you to picture this David and his men are headed for war against Israel. They are marching with the enemy and David to know what to do about it. But God but God. All of a sudden, some Philistine general see David and his men over there and they say what the world is going on here. One of these Hebrews doing here pay here. This is David. He's the one who killed Goliath, the greatest warrior that the Philistines ever had any killed Goliath with a slingshot. He's one of the women of Israel sing about Saul was killed his thousands but David is slain his 10,000s one we you doing here, we can't trust him. This might be a trick he would turn against us in the middle of the battle and he would do us in getting cases all know David is changed. David wouldn't do this to us. He's loyal to me. We can trust him King of Kings got at outmoded and David got sent back home that my friends was an act of God's amazing grace David. Saul no hope. But God made away.

I can imagine David closing his eyes in prayer and just whispering to the Lord you Lord.

I wasn't expecting this. I didn't know where you would do this. Thank you Lord. David is experiencing what Jesus explained in John chapter 15 verse 19 when Jesus said this, if you were of the world, the world would love you as its own, but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Here's another proof of salvation does the world hate you if it doesn't, then you might need to be concerned about that if the world does hate you then rejoice. That means that God's hand is on you. The governor of California. I just wondered if we were to ask him who is your greatest enemy now wonder what it say I think he might say John MacArthur is my greatest enemy is my greatest enemy because John MacArthur's keep in his church open. When I told him to shut it down.

John MacArthur doing that John MacArthur is doing that because he has a command from God that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, not to sake this forsake the ceiling of the brethren together. That's a command from God.

He believes that's more important than a command from his governor and you know what John may get put in jail for that he may get put in jail because the world hate sing but he thinkest put in jail you know what their whole Lotta people like Peter John the Baptist and Paul and James and John Thomas, tens of thousands of others who is going to jail. Also, for Christ sake didn't bother them know they sang and they rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ sake point for the praise of the ungodly. Look at verse 6 to 11 Marie done versus 67 first in a case called David and said to him as Lord Leo's you've been honest and to me it seems right that you should march out and end with me in the campaign for I found nothing wrong and you from the day of your coming to me.

To this day. Nevertheless, Lord's not approve of you. So go back now and go peaceably that she may not displease the Lord of lords of the Philistines, the Lord had intervened. David was sent back home.

He would not have to fight against God's people.

God it just blessed him immensely. God answered this prayer and done something on his behalf that he never could have have worked up for himself in a million years.

So you think David would be so grateful to God that he would just either be praising God or just keep in his mouth shut, but he doesn't do that. He still lie in any still double talking but he says in verses 8 to 11 and David said to occasion.

But what if I done what if you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now that I may not go out and fight against the enemies of my lord the king. Occasion answered David and said I know that your is blameless in my side as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of Philistines of said fee shall not go up with us to the battle now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your Lord, who came with you and start early in the morning depart as soon as you have light so David set out is me in early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines with the Philistines went to Jezreel was David doing David is doing doubletalk keys tells David that it is hands are tied that he got outmoded.

There's nothing he can do about it and he's got a C and David home and this is what other generals had commanded so it's either his hands. What is David doing David doubletalk's look at verse eight. And David said to a quiche. What about done when you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now that I may not go out and fight against the enemies of my lord the king David is begging. I quiche to letting go and fight against who the enemies of my lord the king.

Now who does. I quiche think the Lord my king is a quiche thanks the Lord my king is a quiche.

It's not. That's the very same words or title that is given to Saul by David all the way through.

For Samuel what he saying is I'll fight against the enemies of Saul, I'll fight against the enemies of Israel.

But he says it in such a way that that I quiche totally misunderstands it.

If you got out in the middle of that battle, he would turn against the Philistines and kill Lamb but I quiche didn't see it that way occasion doesn't understand because David is doing doubletalk folks. David's actions smell like the world here and that's not good.

They don't smell like God. Listen, if you're in right fellowship with God. Don't doubletalk.

James chapter 5 verse 12 says let your yes be yes and your no be no. Is one of God's children.

You have a responsibility to speak with clarity so that when people hear you, they'll know that you're being honest. They'll know this is where you stand, they'll know this is not some compromise and they'll know that this is for real and you are for real that you belong to, and I see this happening in churches way too much now way too many preachers are doing what David did here. They are skirting around the truth with doubletalk. They learn the politically correct language. They avoid subjects that are to be culturally sensitive when Jesus and God shelter truth in the Scripture. Then they whisper it or they avoid it altogether. They are more concerned about offending culture than they are in offending God folks God calls his people to be honest he calls us to be upfront. He calls us to be a people who will stand for truth. The world respects an out and out Christian, but neither God nor the world respects and the inconsistent double minded Christian. Now we are never, if true Christians never going to get the love of the world.

We should even want the love of the world, but we all want the respect of the world and the world can look at you and hate you because you won't compromise.

But if they look at you and know that you won't compromise.

They will respect you and that my brothers and sisters is a godly testimony. Let's pray heavenly father. This passage teaches us powerfully about the danger of leaning to our own understanding.

You said in Isaiah 55 for my ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts was high as a heavens are above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

We need your wisdom. That's why you commanded us to die to self and live to Christ.

Father, help us to see that we are saved by grace and we are made holy by grace, help us to not trust our human wisdom. Help us to trust your word even when we don't understand it father the nation needs to see Christchurch broken before God. Our nation need to see us uncompromising and loving before the world help Grace Church that we might have that testimony, even before hated by Christ rejecting world. May we be known as genuine and faithful to Christ forts and the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen