Friends in Need, Part 1

On Insight for living with Chuck Swindoll friends and our lives are not neutral. If you run with good friends. You become a better person, one with four friends. You become worse. If you are a gossip usually run with gossips you want to be wise, run with wise people and you become wise, amazing, be not deceived evil company corrupts good morals friends choose one when life spins out of control.

There's nothing like a good friend who comes alongside without saying much. Their mere presence brings peace and healing. Do you have a friend like that today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll continues our study on the life of David in this next message will be reminded that friendship helps us push through our darkest hours, and wise are those who surround themselves with godly companions will begin by reading the passage in second Samuel together before moving ahead to Chuck's message called friends in ever since Cain and Abel families as well as nations have been known for their civil wars. Most of them with tragic endings well so it was with David's family.

David knew how to get along with God, but he never really translated that knowledge into his skills as a parent that can happen. By the way, so when the prophet Nathan related God's message to David that killing and murder would continually plagued David for the rest of his life. Will that was only the beginning. It led to another reality when Absalom created a four-year strategy to take over the kingdom and murder his father at this time. David needed his friends more than ever in his life are scripture reading sets up the story for how David's friends surrounded him with wise counsel and protection. At times they risk their own lives in order to retain David's honor as their king to read this story, from portions of second Samuel chapter 15 out of the message. Let's begin reading it. Second Samuel 15 one.

As time went on, Absalom took to writing in a horse-drawn chariot with 50 men running in front of him early each morning he would take up his post beside the road at the city gate when anyone showed up with a case to bring to the king for a decision Absalom would call him over and say where you hail from and the answer would come. Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel. Then Absalom would say, look, you got a strong case, but the king isn't going to listen to you, that his say why doesn't someone make me a judge for this country. Anybody with a case could bring it to me and not settle things fair and square.

Whenever someone would treat him with special honor he'd shrug it off and treat him like an equal, making him feel important. Absalom did this to everyone who came to do business with the king and stole the hearts of everyone in Israel. After four years of this, Absalom spoke to the king, let me go to him Ron to pay a vow that I made to God, your servant made a vow when I was living in glacier in ERAM saying if God will bring me back to Jerusalem. I'll serve him with my life. The king said go with my blessing and he got up and set off for heparin. Then Absalom sent undercover agents to all the tribes of Israel with the message when you hear the blast of the ram's horn trumpet that your signal shout Absalom's king and have run 200 men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, but they had been called together knowing nothing of the plot and made the trip innocently while Absalom was offering sacrifices he managed also to involve a hippo fell the Gil Knight, David's advisor calling him away from his hometown of Gill, the conspiracy grew powerful and Absalom's supporters multiplied someone came to David with the report. The whole country has taken up with Absalom up and out of here. Call David to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem. We got a run for our lives are none of us will escape Absalom hurry he's about to pull the city down around our ears and slaughter us all the king's servants said, whatever our master.

The king says we will do with you all the way so the king and his entire household escaped on foot. The king left 10 concubines behind to tend to the palace and so they left step by step-by-step and then paused at the last house as the whole army passed by him all the carrot sites all the palace sites in the 600 get tides who had marched with him from Gath went past numbers 23, the whole country was weeping and loud lament is all the people passed by as the king crossed the brook Kidron, the Army headed for the road to the wilderness.

Sadock was also there. The Levites, with him carrying God's chest of the covenant, they set the chest of God down IBA's are standing by until all the people had evacuated the city. Then the king ordered Sadock take the chest back to the city if I get back in God's good graces. He will bring me back and show me where the chest has been set down, but if he says I'm not pleased with you.

Well, he can then do with me whatever he pleases.

The king directed Sadock, the priest, here's the plan. Return to the city peacefully with a him as your son, and Jonathan AB. If our son with you. I'll wait at a spot in the wilderness across the river until I get word from you telling us what's up so Sadock NABA far took the chest of God back to Jerusalem and placed it there while David went up the Mount of olives, weeping head covered, but barefooted. The whole army was with him heads covered and weeping as they ascended Insight for living to dig deeper into the Bible with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures.

Studies by going to insight.org/studies and now the message from Chuck titled friends in need.

I like to talk with you about the importance of friendship very great value of having a few friends to help you in the hard times.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a melancholic genius born in Devonshire in England, the youngest in a family of 13 enough to make anybody melancholy born into a clergyman's home. He became early on. Obviously gifted and the critics of English literature will certainly agree that his contributions were virtually immeasurable was a man that had tough life victimized by rheumatism which he tried to solve with opium became addicted and was a lonely man married but not happily married friend of Mel and a man named Wordsworth you love poetry that name on a ring the bell and he and Wordsworth were closer, frankly, then then he and his wife. In fact, unfortunately, he fell in love with Wordsworth's sister-in-law and his marriage was already shaky just about destroyed. He was an addict of almost 40 was 30 years old, and though he died in his 60s that he died in a doctor's care. He never could get away from that habit.

Trying this to settle the voices down inside to give him purpose. He of course contributed the rhyme of the ancient mariner, magnificent piece, but I think among his best is a work it's never publicized. It's called youth and age, and in it is a line that says not care this body for winter weather. When youth and I lived in it together, but that's not the best line the best line is friendship is a sheltering tree.

I think of a friend and a few friends that make up friendship is great.

Trees leave the limbs that come around us and spread themselves over us and bring a shade from the sun. The last of of adversity. Winters wind of loneliness. Great sheltering tree that's a friend we have really been taught the wrong thing with regard to independence in the family of God. I was taught it for years. I was taught that if you are really mature. You don't need anybody else just barrel on through life and it's the weak person that needs somebody and I never could get around the fact that Jesus had 12 three of them were intimate friends. Why do you friends if what I was being taught was true of the fact is I was not being taught the truth… Said to Cynthia recently know honey the way we were taught for so many years in this particular church we had on learn most everything and maybe you've been taught that it's a sign of weakness and immaturity to have a friend or need a friend that is not true, it's a sign of immaturity to think you don't need a friend. Frankly friends are like sheltering trees lay some thoughts on you before we even get into second Samuel 15 1617 1819 long that area. David's life.

I want to share with you some of some of the overflow of thoughts I've gotten with regard to friends.

In fact, the word friends are friendly friendship appear those words appear over 100 times Scriptures, God says a lot about friends and I like to tell you what I feel from Scripture before those things are.

First of all friends are essential. There are not optional. There is there is no substitute at times in our lives for a friend someone to care to listen to feel the comfort and to reprove even friends are essential to not optional. Second thing I'm discovering is friends must be cultivated.

They're not automatic. What is the Bible say he who has friends must show himself friendly in to reach out Samuel Johnson wrote this. If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life. He will soon find himself left alone, one should keep his friendships in constant repair. Good word Sammy number three friends impact our lives friends impact our lives. They are not neutral.

If you run with good friends.

You become a better person you run with poor friends.

You become worse. First Corinthians 1533 be not deceived evil company corrupts good morals, friends, impact our lives not neutral. Choose them carefully choosing wisely. If you if you are a gossip you usually run with gossips you are rebel you pick rebels in your run with a rep or if you run with a rebel, you become one you want to be wise, run with wise people and you become wise. It's amazing the right hand rubs off now. The fourth thing will take a few more minutes to develop friends come in for classifications not one letter given to you. First of all, there are those that I would call acquaintances. That's what most of us are in this church but just face acquaintances are people who have, with whom we have spasmodic contact and superficial interaction. We don't ask hard questions, we just skate with acquaintances.

How are you fine fine. I'm really not.

But I can't tell you that I'm really not your acquaintance. Friendships come first of all, the big classification of acquaintances.

Second, casual friends, that's next group next level down. We have casual friends and with these people. We have more contact. We have common interests. We have more specific questions were free to ask. And every once in a while. We will even seek the opinion of a person who was a casual friend help Z help a little. There are some people who are more than acquaintances, but they're not close. So there's a safe distance. However, it's not quite the skating that the acquaintances here's the third) in close friendships.

You have similar life goals and you're free to ask some hard questions you and occasionally will do mutual projects together, the people you play handball with people you play tennis with people you lift weights with their of the people you do things with take vacations with on occasion. You are a little closer with these people but they're not as close as before, and that's intimate friends. Okay, hold on. These are friends.

People with whom we have regular contact and deep commitment in mutual character development. We are not only open but we anxiously await their counsel and their reproof we are free to criticize free to correct an absolutely free to embrace and encourage because there is a built-in mutual understanding. Bellamy illustrates a diagram as you go down those four levels there in the form of first of all of the in your put that somewhere in that sheet great. The word numbers at the top of that with and make the fee look like this is somebody came in right now.

They wonder what the world will be doing this place. Okay numbers begin to be less and less and less and less. The more you become intimate with an individual. In other words, you have many, many, many acquaintances you have a number of casual friendships you have less and yet perhaps a broader number of close friends. You have very, very few intimate friends is not true. If you know it's good for you. You don't have many intimate friends. You can't trust that many people you have a few very few people maybe want to sometime as many as three with whom you can absolutely unveil the truth of your life. I'm sorry to say sometime that individual is not your mate. Ideally, it's true, but sometimes not right.

You have less and less in numbers now inverted. You look like a rooftop in the snow country chart peak cake and put over that, the word honesty. You are less honest with your acquaintance a little more honest with your casual friends. A good deal more honest with you) and totally honest with your intimate friends. You see why say there are not many of them there are precious few people with whom you can be that honest never today the tragedy some of you have no intimate friends, your loneliest people here in this in the study.

At this time, not even one with whom you can be just outfront honest open with, and that's why life's tough now as we look at second Samuel chapter 15 where to find a man who had not only of sheltering tree, but he had a grove of and you won't know any of those names maybe the last name but I challenge anybody here to say I really know about that person. I've done a study on that life here we go now. I'm sure the situation which David found himself giving three things just briefly.

First of all personally. He was virtually destroyed by guilt, he had gone into Bathsheba and we study that he had killed Bathsheba's husband.

We study that he had lived like a hypocrite for a year. We study that he lost his baby study that is his home world began to crumble so personally. He was really out of the gun. Psalm 51 Psalm 32.

Both Telus that's true.

Second, domestically, his home was shattered, a son writes a sister, a boy, rebels and leads a conspiracy against the throne, his name is Absalom Morgan read about a just few minutes. And lo and behold, David is literally driven from the throne and he loses touch with family and that's the third's political career is destroyed and only people that can fully appreciate that. Are those of you that for some unfair and unknown reason, were suddenly fired from a job he loved just out of a bolt out of the blue. Your your through and the withdrawals are incredibly strong.

You thought that being free from the work would give you some measure of relief but in fact you've lost a sense of identity that's tough asked David personally and domestically and politically.

He's hurting chapter 15. It came about after this that Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and 50 men as runners before him you going to read about the beginning of a conspiracy. Absalom is to rise early and stand beside the way to the gate, it happened that when any man had a suit to come to the king for judgment. Absalom would call to him and say from what city are you he would say, your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel. Absalom would say see senior claims are good and right. But no man listens to you on the part of the king. Moreover, he would say oh that one would appoint me judge in the land then every man who has any suit or cause could come to me and I would give him justice like is running for office doesn't that's exactly what he's doing except his running is illegal is daddies on the throne and he's down there at the peripheral area.

When people come in with their suits and needing counsel to bring these lawsuits with them and in the come to seek the counsel of the canyon and absences women you know there's nobody up there that cares for what you got say that I do all that someone would see the value my wisdom and let me come into that office. I'd show you what justice is all about verse five. It happened when a man came near to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kissing and in this manner, Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment, so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel, it worked and little by little he etched away on it being rock granite until finally got it. He got a cave built because people together releases I am your man. Verse 10 so Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet than usual site run is exactly what they did. The blast of the trumpet he was on his way. Verse 13 messenger came to David saying was must been hard to hear hearts of the men of Israel with Absalom, David, and it's with a sigh that this good man broken fractured in his spirit, feeling like is not a friend around said to all the servants who were with him in Jerusalem arise, let us flee the new assign, or otherwise none of us shall escape from Absalom when haste. Lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down calamity on us strike the city with the edge of the sword he was at this place on fire. I know that boy teaching from the Old Testament book of second Samuel, Chuck Swindoll has only begun to set the stage. We encourage you to keep listening so you can hear how this dramatic story plays out. This is inside for living. To learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insideworld.org. While today's message is number 20 in Chuck's comprehensive teaching series on David with only four messages remaining in the study. I'll remind you that Chuck wrote a biography on David if you've intended to request a copy. Why not reach out today while it's fresh on your mind. Many readers have told us that Chuck brings David story to life, igniting their curiosity and engaging their minds, but the best part is that Chuck helps us understand how David's life the highs and lows teaches us timeless lessons that we can apply right now to purchase a copy of the book called David a man of passion and destiny go to insight.org/offer or call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 someone recently left a note that read Chuck I listened to you since 1996 on the radio. I was 16 years old. As the years have passed by your messages sink into my heart in such a gentle way, just as they did 26 years. Thank you, when you share the sentiments maybe even listing the Chuck's teaching for 510 20 years or more.

If that's the case, would you be willing to do for someone else. What someone once did for you when you first started listening. You probably didn't have the means to give, but now it's different, and maybe you're in a better place to get so that others can benefit from Chuck's teaching as well.

Whatever the case, we know that God can use your contribution to help others draw closer to to give a donation today. Call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 online go to insight.org/in March, 20, 23 insight for living ministries is hosting an unforgettable journey to Israel carefully planned to deepen your understanding of the Bible and draw you closer to God hears Chuck Swindoll for thousands of years. No place is more meaningful to God's children in the land of Israel. The rugged landscape reminds us to find refuge in God alone.

The fertile valleys invite us to follow our ship Jerusalem's position at the very center of the world announces the good news of Christ's every nation and now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll and insight for living ministries March 5 through the 16th 2023. Every time I visited the holy land of returned home with the refreshed part for God and a renewed vision for the world really. I mean it every time it's all want you to have the same life changing experience to learn more, go to insight.org/events call this number 1-888-447-0444 insight for living ministries toward Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend my Bill Meyer urging you to join us again when Chuck Swindoll continues his highly practical message called friends in need Thursday on insight for living in the preceding message friends in need was copyrighted in 1978, 1988, 1997 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R.

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