Every Crutch Removed, Part 2

To position the scorned jealousy by those who today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll continues a study introduced yesterday were in the book of first Samuel watching David's celebrated assent to royalty, and with his newfound popularity. We can feel the scorn that came from his predecessor Saul. Let's pick up the study now with David on the run in first Samuel 19 David sought refuge in his wife, but even that cherished relationship suffered a painful betrayal.

Chuck titled his message. Every crutch.

Chapter 19 Michael, his wife becomes long to her. This is the next crutch that God removes his wife so Michael let David down through a window and he went out to hear the words and he fled escape.

He is fleeing and he is escaping to get away from Saul, but notice what happened afterwards.

Michael took the household idol laid it on the bed, put a quilt of goats here at its head and covered it with close when Saul sent messengers to David she said he is sick. Saul sent messengers to see David saying bring him up to me on his bed that I may put them to death through the direct command is when the messengers entered behold the household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats heritage said now dad face his daughter and says what's this all about. Saul said to Michael why you deceived me like this. Let my enemy go so that he has escaped living Bible says why you deceived me, and let my enemy escape. Saul demanded I had to. Michael replied he threatened to kill me if I didn't open so his wife walked away from. And you do not find them living in harmony ever again.

She's turned on just what she turned on her dad and was a snare to her father so he was alive he was leaning on and she fell away she deceived them and turn Saul further against him. Second crutch is David's wife.

Here's the third verse 18, David fled escape there it is again. He still running running for the hills, trying to find a place to lean and he came to Samuel, so the third crutch would be the prophet Samuel David's mentor, the man who had anointed him with oil. His close companion. He came to Samuel at Rama and told him all that Saul had done to him and he and Samuel went to stay went and stayed in Nagel by the way I thought it was an interesting archaeological dig that they did it nail some time ago.

They found that end, they all were the ancient remains of what we would call condominium houses that were built back to back side to side, top to bottom and you know the kind of places where we live these days you can get into the maze and the never can find you and that's where he went.

Samuel said let's go to nail. That's the kind of dwelling again find us and so he and Samuel went together. David and Samuel got the nail but sure is the world.

Verse 19 it was told Saul saying David is it nail in Rama the next passage says that they saw him first.

One of chapter 20. David fled from nail in Rama and came to Jonathan you get the flow of it now.

He had a position any loss that crutch. He had a wife lost her. He had Samuel and Samuel was was taken from them. Now he comes to his closest friend Jonathan.

We saw Jonathan last week a little closer detail tonight that this sort of assume lands on this very precious moment and he said to Jonathan I noticed the emotional security of David is breaking down, he has never said these words before. What have I done what is my iniquity. What is my sin before your father that he is seeking my life. Jonathan was Saul's son David came to him and said what have I done. Jonathan said to him, far from it. You shall not die.

Verse three David vowed again saying your father knows well that I have found favor in your sight and he had said do not let Jonathan know this list to be grieved, truly, as the Lord lives in as your soul lives. There is hardly a step between me and death but a statement ever lived like that.

I guess there are some veterans here this evening that have lived like that face death every day was a man in our congregation who face the kind of experience in the battles in Italy and in the internal areas of of Europe and is his head turned white overnight in battle. Now maybe David began to gray young and life. He said I'm just a step between life and death. Some people can't cope. Ralph Barton couldn't very wealthy cartoonist left this note pinned to his pillow and took his life. This night I have had few difficulties many friends. Great success. I have gone from wife to wife. I have run from house to house from country to country and I'm fed up with inventing devices to fill up 24 hours of my day. It was last Sunday evening that I noticed and maybe a few music lovers notice that Lloyd played very beloved him for the offertory. The words go like this is Jesus care when my heart is pained too deeply for mirth and song as the burdens press and the cares distress in the way grows weary, and long as Jesus care when my way is dark with a nameless dread and fear as the daylight fades into deep nightshades does he care enough to be near does Jesus care when I said goodbye to the dearest on earth to me and my sad heart ache. Still, it nearly breaks is it ought to him does he see all yes he cares.

I know he cares his heart is touched with my grief when the days are weary and the long nights dreary. I know my Savior cares, he lost his closest friend. Verse 42. This chapter shows us he went in one direction, and Jonathan another chapter 20 is nothing more than a story of how they worked out a signal to know if his life was hanging by a thin thread or if he could find security back in Saul's army and the answer was no.

He couldn't. 42. Jonathan said to David go in safety. Inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord, saying, the Lord will be between me and you and between my descendents and your descendents forever as a sort of a final swansong you go west on going east you go north on going south, David we can spend more time together and he arose and departed. John, when, and Jonathan went into the city. A moment God took away his position.

God took away is why God took away his everything in the. The final blow after Samuel his mentor and now his friend is gone, David finally loses self-respect.

That's the last crutch. Chapter 21 is sort of the lowest tide of a person's life will show you something you just can't believe. If you're not familiar with the dilapidated verse 821 eight.

I'm sorry I should've gotten verse one verse 21, one, David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest and hell and Ahimelech came trembling to meet David and said to him, why are you alone and no one with you and through a series of events were David stretches the truth. He tells the story and then finally verse 10 David came. He arose and fled same words arose and fled. He escaped and fled from Saul and went to Keisha King of Gad Gad Gad, that's where Goliath was remember that's the guy he killed who came from. Kathy was the champion of the Philistines gap was that was the headquarters. The Washington DC the oval office of the Philistines, and here is David Gad, looking for the king was he conspicuous. There is David walking Jack of all places, still got the blood on him from from Goliath life and he finds the the people looking at him, look at what they said hey isn't this David, the king of the land. Verse 11. Note they sing one of the top songs in a hip parade.

Saul has slain his thousands, and David is 10,000 of all people doing here is obviously losing his his head. David took these words to heart greatly feared a case king of Gad, look at this verse won't believe it. He disguised his sanity before the and acted insanely in their hands and scribbled on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down into his beer.

That's our God. That's our champion foaming at the mall scratching on the gate looking like a madman.

As the phone dribbles into his beard targets of lowest moment of his life, except perhaps when he lost his son Absalom tell you when your crutches are removed and you begin to break in and and then you begin to think differently and then you begin to replace those thoughts with strange thoughts and then you begin to feign the real truth, and finally the midst of all this tragedy. There is just a little note of comedy, which we probably need right now. Verse 14 ache. He said to his servants, behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me. Do I lack madman thoughts in this court already don't bring me another one so I like your office doesn't hard here. We got enough nuts as it is you lack do I lack madman that you have brought this one act madman in my presence, so this would come and get rid of. Here is what it implies they what a story had a position he lost a wife and he lost her head. An agent counselor and mentor. He lost a friend and he lost head is respected and lost, as were some of you are and who a few of you are, but I don't know who all of you are.

I purposely saved a little bit of time at the end of this message to really apply it is no book that I have found more help in and read more often than the pursuit of God by AW toes.

I think his finest chapter is the blessedness of possessing nothing, which is another way of saying the blessedness of losing all crutches. Please do not let your mind wander as I read from this a few portions of this book and then I drive this home was some well driven nails before the Lord God made man on the earth.

He first prepared for him by creating a world of useful and pleasant things for his sustenance and delight in the Genesis account of the creation.

These are simply called things they were made for man juices, but they were mad always to be external to the man and subservient to him in the deep part of the man was a shrine, a shrine where none but God was worthy to come within man was God without a thousand gifts which God had showered upon him, but sin introduced complications and has made those very gifts of God, a potential source of ruin to the soul. Our woes began when God was forced out of his central shrine and things were allowed to enter within the human heart things have taken over.

We would call them crutches men and women have now by nature, no peace within their hearts, for God is crowned, they are no longer there in the moral dusk stubborn and aggressive usurpers fight among themselves for first place on the throne. This ancient curse will not go out of us painlessly. The tough old miser within us will not lie down and die, obedient to our command.

He must be torn out of our heart like a plant from the soil.

He must be extracted in agony and blood like a tooth from the jaw. He must be expelled from our souls by violence is Christ expelled the moneychangers from the temple and we shall need to steel ourselves against his hideous begging to stay and to recognize it is springing out of self-pity. One of the most reprehensible sins of the human heart.

Some of you are in the process of having the crutches removed like a tooth from the jaw for some is represented by a broken romance that had all the beautiful signs of reality never gone, the woman that you felt was God's choice demand that you were sure was the one now vanished and others might take that lightly, but it hurts deeply a lot of pain a lot of blood involved in having those things torn from us for some of you.

You have witnessed are are witnessing the demise of your marriage last possible thing on earth you thought would ever happen is happening. For some it is been the death of a dream. You have painted in your minds eye that dream and it is is gone up in smoke. Now you have a choice. You can no longer lean on that those people are those things you get a lien on God and God only when will we learn he is the only one that can support us. We sang of it in the whole series of songs on the rock, but we keep putting our shafts in the sand.

And we keep wondering why they fall and why we heard so much when they fall they belong rock Christ did not go to the mission field to know this teeth are extracted from jobs in America is like they are in foreign soil.

Couple of things that I want to share with you, but first I want to read help toes or close the chapter father. He prays I want to know the but my my coward heart fears to give up its toys.

I cannot part with them without inward bleeding. I do not try to hide from the terror of the party. A computer I come trembling, but I come please route from my heart all those things which I've cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that thou may just enter and dwell there without arrival then shalt make the place of thy feet glorious then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it for thyself will be the light of it, and there shall be no night there.

In Jesus name. The two things I want to leave with you are is nothing wrong with leaning if you lean on the Lord. He got a lien you can't take it alone so you got Christ euro your bill to be a leaner you got the shrine there and no one can occupy the shrine like he can occupy it.

That's why says, casting all your care upon me, trusted me with all your heart and lean not to your own crutches.

Nothing wrong with leaning if you leaning on the Lord second I get this being stripped of all substitutes is the most painful experience on earth.

That's quite a statement, but I will not retract. There is nothing more painful than being stripped of the substitutes the toys at the heart young man after the first evening service walked up to me, young executive said. I guess what you're saying Chuck is where to relieve ourselves of them before. He has taken from us and say yes that's right don't make an idol out of your mate, make an idol out of the only one that is the living Lord don't make an idol out of your position. The Lord is the idol of our lives.

One by one. God took them from me all the things I valued most till I was empty handed every glittering toy was lost. I walked earth's highways grieving in my rags in poverty until I heard his voice inviting lift those empty hands to me.

I turned my hands toward heaven, and he filled them with a store of his own transcendent riches till they could contain no more, and at last I comprehended with my stupid mind and all that God could not pour his riches into hands already full. May God give you real grace is the crutches are taken, and as he becomes enshrined your heart are God our father, friend and companion are counselor I represent in this prayer, host of of hurting hearts and the blows have been rapid for some lately. Therefore, I pray on their behalf. You will help them know the sufficiency of yourself and you would an incredible and beautiful way to calm the troubled bleeding hearts is is you again become enshrined in that throne bears your name. Forgive us, forgive us for putting other people and things there are only you are doing well.

For Christ's five human crutches were kicked out from beneath David, but we clearly see how God was faithful as David learn to lean on nothing other than God. You're listening to Insight for living at a message from Chuck Swindoll titled every crutch removed to learn more about this ministry. Be sure to visit us online@insideworld.org right now, I'm pleased to remind you that Chuck wrote a biography that parallels this teaching series on David and it's available right now by getting us a call or visiting our online store.

If you happen to live near Frisco, Texas.

You can also stop by our book shop on the corner of Parkwood and Lebanon and pick up a copy right away. The biography on David includes 24 chapters, including one that features today's topic and its nearly 300 pages in length to purchase Chuck's biography on David call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or go online to Insight.org/offer. The title is David a man of passion and destiny. Insight for living we been surprised, just as you have by the complicated international tensions that escalated this year and yet even as we learn of those horrific tragedies were learning to lean on God to step out in faith and to follow the mandate that Jesus gave us long ago to go and make disciples of all the nations, here's Chuck. I discovered a strange statement in Scripture that summarizes the Christian life.

Listen to these words from Hebrews 11 verse eight. It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home, he went without knowing where he was going. There is a Christian, listening to my voice. Who hasn't walked that path, leaving the familiar for the unknown obeying yet not really understanding going yet not knowing if you would ask me where God was taking Cynthia and me as we began this ministry I could never have told you I didn't even have a clue.

We didn't have a brilliant strategy or some master plan.

It all started so insignificantly small.

In fact, our mailing list could fit into a shoebox right under our bid today. However Insight for living reaches into places I will never step foot all around the world at Insight for living were still going yet not knowing every single day. We take another step of faith and we never walk alone. You see, that's where you fit in. When you come alongside us today with a generous donation as we follow Jesus final command go and make disciples of all the nation teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you this month, more than most your gift really matters are financial year closes in a few weeks. We still have a long way to go to meet our budget go so your generous donation before 30 June will make all the difference. God refers to his children as strangers and pilgrims. How true were people on the move, unencumbered, ready to roll wherever and whenever godly together. Let's step forward in faith going yet not know.

Thanks, Chuck is you prepared to join us in making disciples of all the nations we invite you to give generously toward this with the cause. If you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888.

That's 800-772-8888 or you can give online@insight.org/I bill my Chuck Swindoll describes the moment when David escaped his enemy and hunkered down in a cave. Listen Thursday to Insight for living.

The preceding message. Every crutch removed was copyrighted in 1977, 1988, 1997 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted 2009 by Charles Morse Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited