Life's Most Subtle Temptation, Part 2

Today on Insight for living this very very important when you have been wronged.

It is necessary for you to declare the truth.

You are responsible for declaring the truth to the enemy.

Whoever the enemy might be. You cannot change your enemy. You can be sure he's got the right input. Hey, who knows, you could persuade you walk with God. Things are more painful for something to wear when good friends betray your confidence today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll continues his biographical teaching series called David a man of passion and destiny in this message were looking at first Samuel chapter 24 will be fine. David at one of his most vulnerable moments given the same set of circumstances. Most of us would strike back in vengeance.

Let's discover David's restraint as Chuck continues his message about life's most subtle temptation. It's the most subtle temptation in all of life to get even. It might be with an employer who promised you something it didn't come through. It might be with a mate who walked away when you needed him or her the most. It might be with your mom or dad who failed frankly and you live today in the in the backwash you have been, as it were done wrong and you're waiting for the moment to get even for you look at first Samuel 24 check Romans 12 beginning at verse 17 it is nothing more than plain hard-core revenge.

That's what it is and look at the word that God uses in Romans 1217 the very first word to describe the times you to get back never, never pay back evil for evil to anyone. God doesn't usually in his word. Give us such extreme statements as never anyone, but he does here.

He says respect what is right in the sight of all men and Paul being a realist puts it better. In verse 18.

If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. In other words, you can't change the other person you can handle. You, through God's power and he says if there's to be any blame leave it with him don't you live with it.

You do all you can to be at peace now. Maybe you won't have a track without hurdles but as far as your path is concerned, nothing stands between you and that person in verse 19 says again. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. That is what God has written everything I have to offer from this message has to do with verses 17, 18 and 19 of Romans 12 and we have a classic case in point with an individual named David who had been wronged by his superior name Saul before we look at it and you can find your way back there to chapter 24, first Samuel, I want to give you the process that we go through in doing revenge maybe three words to put down because I have a ring to the first injury. Second, vulnerability third, depravity. When you mix the three together, you get revenge. If you run the if you're running the show. I have had a personal offense.

I have been hurt individually from another individual. I have personally been injured.

All right, in the flesh. All I am waiting for him or her to be in a vulnerable spot. So in that vulnerability. My depravity can go to work and I get back. It's the nature of the beast. David had nothing to look forward to in the cave of Atallah and of all things. God said to him, 400 malcontents and David began to give his life to the training of those fellows, and it grew 200 more, until there were 600 and they became kind of a band of guerrillas.

They sort of maintain right away from the law of the land and God was preparing David for a new kind of role on the throne of Israel all the time. Over these years, not months, but years Saul has been dogging his steps waiting for his enemy to be vulnerable in killing verse 29. David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of in getting that's why in the next chapter we read verse two of the rock of the wild goats laced in the hillside of an Getty are these caves. I read that they are limestone hillsides mixed with flint, and their approval caves in this upper area perfect place for camouflage. You know anything about battle of the higher location is far superior to the Lord and that's where he was so we could watch out for the army that was looking for him. Here is David safe and secure in one of the caves in an Getty, just checking from day-to-day with a bountiful water supply they could eat the animals they kill so they are supplied with what they need, just safe and secure. Remember, David has been injured by a madman name Saul who is hunting for him. So much for the situation.

Verse one. It came about when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines. He was told. Behold, David is in the wilderness of an Getty solves mine the skull getting verse three and he that Saul came to the sheepfold on the way, for there was a cave hang on and Saul went in to relieve himself. Talk about vulnerability. Look at verse three. Not David and his men were sitting on the inner recesses of that cave all know that enough to be seen, but to be in the cave of the enemy all man verse four, the minute David said to him, saying, David. This is the day which the Lord said to you.

I can't you see them in the cave. This is the day was the Lord said to you.

I'm about to give your enemy into your hand and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.

Hey, let's be real about this business called Bible study. These men had been trained to fight. They knew the truth.

They knew that David was innocent and they know that if they knocked off the chief that have the Indians and he is super vulnerable and he's right there. Go David get all this is and you know it's what I call the Lord's will incentive to really want to support our idea we safe the Lord led me to do that. The Lord gets blamed for all sorts of things he has nothing to do with they they said the David cohorts put them right here here's a here's a sword you would David do you love this David Rose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly catches see it doesn't say Saul was asleep.

It was a way he was looking out the cave on the blindside cut the rope with us to really get in trouble at verse five.

This is a beautiful part of David always so real man. May God raise up Amanda David's who are going through this series with this. He was trouble. The first thing that happened in this temptation was after heap after he yielded you he could have killed them, but just didn't bring himself to do it so he he cut off part of the robe. Now you say what's a big deal.

Who cares about part of the robe just as him wasn't level. From then on. Nobody else could tell it. Who cares if a little bit of the royalty. That's the way we rationalize cares if you take a little bit from the company. I got so much that I made $800,000 profit last year. They will misses you pieces stationary. I got a friend who really begin to walk with God and he's said when I got to the place that I couldn't even take paperclip.

I knew the got it really done business in my life. What belongs to the company doesn't belong to you and he cut off a part of the garment and he now noticed he began to experience justified guilt. That's the first thing that happened verse five.

It came about after word that David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe.

I so little piece of linen what not color but you know that kind of thing is a little section of the role you see when you want to really walk with God you want to come to terms with every detail that's not nitpicking bothered by little things your conscience bothers you when you snap back just one statement. You gotta make it right.

You just can't let yourself get away with it. It's because we get away with it and tell ours that it doesn't matter that we get in that deep David got back all I got a David's wasn't right. Can't do that bothered her 60 this is courageous just put yourself in the shoes of David with the gang at the office or at school. He said to his men. Far be it for me because of the Lord, that I should do this thing to my superior, my Lord, the Lord's anointed to stretch out my hand against him since he is the Lord's anointed overall through the Marine Corps they drilled into us.

You don't salute the man you salute the rank if he is an absolute fool. If he's wasted and he's a major you saluted because he's a major David said that it can have any business doing that. So the second thing he declared a righteous principal now unaware of going in this you hang on tonight because it's it all relates to this whole business of retaliation and even done wrong absolutely was split Saul in the wrong absolutely was a David's job to make it right. No, God's job.

So with a little channel lysing mockery he operated in the flesh, and finally says that's not right. What is a righteous principal that I'm breaking verse seven how love this every once in a while we'd see how a man who goes bad, brings a whole group with them tonight we see a guy who went right and brought a whole group back within verse seven, David persuaded his men with these words. Look at the margin persuaded tore apart and that's what the that's what the Hebrew word means. It means pierced through torn apart, ripped up I have a feeling that they didn't just stand together and Molly say you think you should have done that. No, I really don't will really consider that David know that dialogue was heated via file. David hey listen, man, this wasn't right.

The guys take your live.

I can't do it and they went back and forth, back and forth and he stood for a righteous principal and they were persuaded. Some of you are hanging in the balance somewhere, maybe in your profession.

Maybe in the way you begun to do your business, perhaps in the way you've done your studies are carried on your lifestyle and you can't compromise any sort of waltzed along on the very thin wire and you begun to lean in God system to any business doing that. Get back where you belong will what will they think hey, who knows whom you could persuade if you walk with God. Few things are more infectious than a godly lifestyle. The people in your office need that, challenge not prudish not preachy but I mean crackerjack clean living honest-to-goodness integrity. I was in a barracks of 48 guys when they drop me overseas and there were our outfit was shot through with venereal disease and never forget the jolt when it hit me, 90% either head-to-head or at the time he had some kind of venereal disease. When I was in Okinawa I determine forever got off the ship because I knew that in my flesh I was too weak. I couldn't keep from yielding even though I was a married man sauce in God. My life is yours.

The 18 month. Some on the rock. If the go with my life and be live for your glory.

You take over how tell you I did battle at this but in a period of time over an 18 month period seven of those guys came to know Christ. A 7/48. Marine Corps is a revival and you 7 Guys Were Persuaded Better Way to live. Fools live like we've been living to live like that. David said all we can rise up against all he persuaded the man so the third thing was absolute confidence in God. The temptation came.

Absolutely it will come, and he was here.

He wrestled with guilt, which was justified. He hung his life on a righteous principal. And then he stood fast in confidence. Absolute confidence in God to make right even in face of the opposition that you will not hear from counselors. You will not hear from friends to do that unless your counselor or your friend is doing it God's way in God's way is vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

That's what David did put in the margin of your Bible, you got a pencil in your hand.

Proverbs 27, six body writing it down a quote for you when a man's ways please the Lord. I'm sorry I said Teresa Proverbs 16 79 27 620 OER member 2027 six is faithful of the wounds of a friend is not interesting that that would just flesh by okay Proverbs 16 71 a man's ways please the Lord.

He makes even his enemies to be at peace with Proverbs 16, seven when your ways please the Lord. Even your enemies will be at peace.

That's a promise.

The word easy is not in Proverbs 16 seven. By the way, is not easy is out on a limb for God Chuck say to you in answering. All right, fine. Get ready for battle because you're surrounded by people who don't even in Christian colleges, even in seminaries, you will be around individuals will operate in the flesh. Okay you can be on the mission field and be surrounded by people in the flesh, competitive people, people who are out for what they want selfish people and the battle is there a man's ways please the Lord. He makes even his enemies to be at peace with that's what happens. A whole balance of this passage has to do with the outworking of that principle now verse eight look at the conversations is so good that afterward. David arose, and went out of the cave and called after Saul got it. Saul finishes it back down, walks down the maybe overly revealing. On the other side and David chugs out of the cave garment in his hand. Saul came verse eight, my lord the king when Saul looked behind him. David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. David said to Saul, why do you listen to the words of men saying, behold, David seeks to harm you. Wait a minute David with a garment in his hand is talking to Saul what you doing this very very important when you have been wronged. It is necessary for you to declare the truth. You are responsible for declaring the truth to the enemy.

Whoever the enemy might be. You cannot change your enemy but you can be sure he's got right input. Some will say will. That means you're going to lose your reward. No, there is wrong being done against David just like against some of you and our tendency is all just leave it alone will all work out a way to minute. David did leave it alone. He was bothered with a garment that he had in his hand but he didn't just say Saul Giraud back.

He said you're listening to false counsel against me that that reveals lies about me you listen to the words of men behold David seeks to harm you. That's a lie. Verse 10. Let me give you verbal proof. Saul this day. Your eyes and see that the Lord had given you today in my hand in the cave and son said to kill you, but my I had pity on you and I said I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.

He told the truth and you gotta tell it to the person to whom it matters, motility of friends. You gotta come to terms with the individual with whom there is the battle.

It's one of the most surprising stories in the Bible. David had every opportunity to leverage his advantage against Saul, but chose to honor their relationship. This is insight for living, Chuck titled today's message life's most subtle temptation to learn more about this ministry.

Be sure to visit us online@insideworld.org right now. Let me remind you that Chuck wrote a biography on the life of King David. It's the one that parallels this teaching series. His book nearly 300 pages in length is titled David, a man of passion and destiny.

This would make a great summer read because it chronicles the dramatic story of David from his years on a hillside as a shepherd boy to assent to the highest rank in Israel and it's all told in a fashion that you've come to enjoy on this program to purchase a copy of Chuck's biography on David give us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or visit our website@insight.org/offer. Here's Chuck. Thank you Bill are subject to owners right for living room other than David the one of whom God said there that one is after my own heart. The grand heartwarming statement and what would God say that of David will David were learning to walk in harmony with God. He had his priorities straight. And even when David fell short. He didn't waste time recovering with genuine humility and bone deep integrity. He was after all a man after God's own heart.

By the way, you can become a person of spiritual passion and destiny. Just as David was, no matter who you are regardless of what you may have been through Jesus Christ gives us supernatural strength to live for him. This is the heart of our message and insight for living ministries and now it's time to rally around a shared mission that is to proclaim God's truth and to make disciples of all the nations, you see many depend upon this daily program is there single source of Bible teaching and spiritual insight occupying the places my honor and absolute privilege, but I can't do this alone. This is a genuine partnership. It's a team effort. So as God prospers you and as you measure the impact of our daily program on your life and in your home. Please take a few extra moments to give a donation before the June 30 deadline arrives together. Let's tell the whole world. It no matter how difficult life is become, no matter how far a person may have strayed from God's best.

It's never too late to become a woman or a man after God's own thanks Chuck you can respond right now and get in touch with us by calling us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8884 may be quicker to give your donation online at insight.what your fellow listeners will from far away Papua New Guinea and said Chuck your teaching on the life of David impacted me so much. I began to pray to have a heart after God is King David. I'm still walking strong in the Lord and I owe a debt of gratitude to your teaching. God bless you and your family and your ministry will these moments are made possible because people like you give generously to insight for living. Here's our phone number one more time if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8880 or you can go online to insight.org/that's tomorrow on insight for living. The preceding message. Life's most subtle temptation was copyrighted in 1977, 1988, 1997 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited