Dying With Regrets Part 1

Flores looking to Jesus, founder and perfecter when you're young whole world to be at your doorstep, but taking one day your world will be reduced to a deathbed. There you may have regrets. King David and from his example we can learn how to avoid them from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is running to with Dr. Sir Ms. Claire teaching helps us make it across the finish line. We are in a 10 part series on rolling through conflict, a journey through the life of King David master elixir today will bring the last message in the series 1 your calling, dying with regrets.

I can't help but think that is David was dying he was thinking back over his past. Over the time when he was a shepherd boy in the Lord was a shepherd. We are of course acquainted with the 23rd Psalm but also considering the mess that he left behind. Yet a number of different wives, all of us know about his sin. We also know that eventually, after his death, the kingdom was split all of this and yet I have no doubt that David entrusted himself to God, and arrived in heaven safely. What a life of grace in the midst of all of the conflicts in the sentence of life have you been blessed as a result of the ministry of running to win, and specifically this series growing through conflict.

Maybe you been able to listen to some of the messages but not all of them would you like to have them in permanent form were making this resource available to you for a gift of any amount.

Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 of course I'll be giving you this information. Also, at the end of this message. So what epitaph would you like to have on your tombstone. Jacob said if you and Ivo have been the days of my life. Maybe that's the way his life could be characterized though that's rather negative soul was very accurate.

I think he wrote his own epitaph when he said I have laid the fool that was a good way to summarize his life. Abraham was called a friend of God. What about David before I answer that question and I will at the end of this message. I want us first of all to attend his dying days. What we like to do is to go into David's room and that watch a king die, watch a king die.

You have your Bibles. It says in first Kings chapter 2 verse 10 first Kings chapter 2 verse 10 then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David will see in a moment that there was no eulogy that we know of that was pronounced because David died under some clouds. If we were there in the room.

We would soon see that even though the king seemed to be in tranquility. Everything around him was not things were in disarray and what I'd like us to do in these moments, as we have come to really the concluding message on the life of David is for us to look at three clouds that seem to hover around him as the time came for him to die. All was not well. All was not well, first of all, you have the first cloud and that is of disloyalty, disloyalty now for that we have to go back to second Samuel chapters 19 to 22 second Samuel 19 to 22 and once again, I simply have to assume that you have been reading the text, because I do not have time to read these chapters, nor to summarize everything in them but to remind you we left David last time off the Jordan River. Absalom was dad's favorite son. And then of course he came back, I should say in the entered into the palace and was crying. Oh, Absalom, my son, my son would God that I had died before the Absalom, my son, so David's going to be restored. Now that the Civil War is over, but it's not as neat as we'd like it to be. For example, he decides to demote Joab the commander of his military forces and he puts and NASA in his stead and NASA had actually decided with Absalom and David does this as a good show of faith to unify the kingdom to unify the Absalom forces Joab doesn't like it and so he murders NASA is another man they call Sheba a worthless man who says I am the inheritor of Absalom's fortunes in Absalom's following and he blows the trumpet and says crown me King while Joab was now the military man again having murdered.

Amasa he runs after Shiva, and Shiva goes into a city and Joab wants to destroy the whole city in a very wise woman says don't do that. And Joab says that I won't do it if you like give me the head of Shiva.

She said it's a deal. So they handed the head of Shiva to Joab over the wall gruesome stories, gruesome stories, but here's the point that I don't want you to miss.

David has been king for 40 years, 33 in Jerusalem, seven in Hebron on an he surrounded himself by bunch of people who were not very loyal to him and the kingdom was crumb length. People were clamoring for power and they were wondering who was going to take over after David was dead and it was not nice.

Spent all of his life, unifying the kingdom now is beginning to crumble that. Did you know that one of his advisers by the name of the if the fell that we referred to last time. Did you know that he turns out to be a type of Judas because David said regarding 1/2 and fell that my own familiar friend with whom I eat bread is lifted up his heel against me and Jesus quotes that is referring to Judas the here's David who's got these people around him and sometimes good leaders do not always surround themselves by good advisors.

Can you imagine how much it hurt. How much does disloyalty hurt you specially those who profess to be your friend. But when the going got difficult.

They broke and they left. Well, that's what David is putting up with years he's dying first cloud that hovered over his bed was disloyalty his kingdom was coming unraveled. There's a second cloud and that is the cloud of judgment.

The cloud of judgment for this. I do want you to turn to second Samuel chapter 24. This is where David numbered the people.

It says in second Samuel 24, verse one. Now again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say go, number Israel and Judah very difficult passage to interpret God is angry at the nation that he wants to have some pretext I shouldn't say pretext but some some good reason some good reason to judge them. So he incites David to number the people to really fall into the sin of pride. If you will.

Now some people who don't like the Bible.

They say you know this is an example of a clear biblical contradiction. The Bible simply does not add up. Now you know were going to begin a series of messages on the Bible, but what they would say his peers.

And here's an unresolved and unresolvable contradiction wife because in first Chronicles chapter 22 verse one.

You know that first and second Chronicles essentially cover the same history as first and second Samuel and Kings and so in the parallel account in first Chronicles chapter 21 verse one it says Satan stood up and incited David to number the people who did God or the devil. I know that there is a contradiction in the text, but it is not a theological contradiction at all. Therefore, it is not really a contradiction. Why because the devil is God's devil. As we learned in a series of messages on site. The devil really is God's devil and therefore God will this happen and that he used of Satan to insight. David happens all the time in Scripture where did Job's trials come from God or the devil depends on how you look at it.

God is the ultimate cause in the sense that he allows Satan to do it.

But Satan is the immediate cause Satan does the dirty work. God does not sin, but God allows it. And because God allows it. Sometimes the action or the, the initiation of the action is attributed to God. But here's the point. David numbers the people in rebellion, God allowed Satan to tempt David and so he does this and apparently it was a very prideful thing to do because he wanted to show off how strong he was. Even Joab had some poems about it. And lo and behold David does it and look at what it says in verse 10. Now David's heart troubled him after he numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, I have sinned greatly and what I have done, but now all Lord God, please take away the iniquity of by servant bribe acted foolishly.

David committed here. He says a great sin, great sin and God says David, one of three things are going to happen to you, and you can kind of choose. The first is to have seven years of famine have three months of military defeats or to have three days of the play like that for a choice. David said the God I I'm not gonna make this decision you make the call.

He said I'd rather fall into the hands of God in the hands of man.

By the way, if you ever felt that way if you notice the God sometimes kinder than some people wouldn't you rather fall into the hands of God. On occasion, rather than the hands of man. David said.you make the decision and God says okay I will and God sends pestilence and the 70,000 people die 70,000 and they had families and friends and uncles and cousins and word got out, I'm sure that it was because of the sin of David that this happened, David sees the avenging angel come there to Jerusalem and and he and he offers up a sacrifice.

He buys the threshing floor and he offers a sacrifice. And you know what that area is today.

That's the temple mount where the temple stands because that is known as Mount Moriah were Abraham offered Isaac or was willing to offer Isaac to God that is also cold in the Scripture, the place of a run of the Jebusite from whom David purchased the threshing floor and it is there that the Scripture says, Solomon built is temple, so the plague is stayed at Christmas, but sort through David's heart soared through his heart because of him. His great sin. By the way great sin of immorality. Yes, but also now a great sin of pride. And God hates both God hates both at the second cloud that surrounded David just before he died, but there was 1/3 and it was the most difficult. I'm sure for the king to deal with and that is the family breakup.

The family breakup.

If the first cloud was a political cloud and the second was a national cloud.

The third was a very personal cloud and for that now we look at first Kings chapter 1 where David now is die is die and you'll notice that David had another son whose name was that Adonijah verse five he was the son of another one of David's wives.

David had many wives. He had at least 14 or 15 children and he can't wait for his father to die.

His dad is dying to slowly so he says to himself, I am going to proclaim myself. Came something like Napoleon who evidently in Notre Dame in Paris. The Pope was going to put a crown on his head. He snatched it from the Pope and he crowned himself. He wanted people to know that he was not beholden to the papacy and and here you have Adonijah who says that Yahoo I'm here I'm going to be the king. So you get some followers and they have a big party and he goes and he anoints himself and said again.

David doesn't like it but Siva and David have a talk about it and they decide that the kingship should be passed on to Solomon about the Bible says the Lord, love Solomon and so they make arrangements for Solomon to be proclaimed King Adonijah goes into the temple and stays there. And Solomon said if you behave yourself. I won't kill you. Remember, this is his half-brother, but after David died, Adonijah began to stir up some rebellion and Solomon had him killed. The risk of repetition.

Let me review for those of you have been a part of this series, isn't this ever a mass first of all you have incest in David's family.

Amnon involved with his sister tame are then you have murder Absalom murders Amnon then Absalom gets killed by Joab and now Adonijah that makes for. By the way, the prophet said to David that the that the sword shall never depart from your house and David said regarding the man who stole the sheep he shall pay fourfold if you include this on the died from but Siva, that's four sons dad sword never departing from David's house. So here David is dying now and that the man can't even really die without difficulty. Because what he has around him or all of these family problem.

What mass what a mass where David's wives well but Siva is with him, but the others aren't even listed. They are probably laughing behind his back.

There thinking to themselves that here's the great King ended. He had all of us as wives as families in disarray.

The kingdom doesn't seem to be going anywhere people are mad at him because of the judgment of God was 70,000 people dead so that's the context in which we now go into the Kings chamber to watch him die. What can we say about these clouds that hovered over David will I think David would say you know what there's some sunshine to because if you get behind the clouds. The sun is still shining. I believe the David died well because first of all, he die believing in his God that he died believing in his God. Now if you take your Bible and turned to second Samuel, that means you just go back a few pages. Notice in chapter 23 we have the last words of David now.

He said many things on his deathbed even gauge some judgments on his deathbed, but I prefer to look at second Samuel chapter 23 now these are the last words of David David, the son of Jesse declares and the man who was raised on high, declares the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel. As David is talking about himself here and I'm sure it's done in humility and what he's saying is right. But it's very interesting. This is the spirit of the Lord spake by me and his word was on my tongue, the God of Israel, said the rock of Israel spoke to me. He who rules over men righteously who rules in the fear of God is as the light of the morning when the sun arises. A morning without clouds when the tender grass springs out of the earth. Those sunshine after rain. Imagine that well. David certainly did not always rule righteously but is looking at the way in which God views him in the preceding verses where he talks about his trust in God. He says so am I in thy sight, God had declared David righteous, and now when the time came for David to die. God was not beholding evil in David because David had been forgiven for all of his great sins. So David dies.

Now he's trusting in God pieces like the sunshine. After the rain, the clouds dissipate. I can die in peace. Yes my friend today when David died, his family was in disarray, his kingdom was in disarray and following his death, there would be great deal of chaos in the land, and yet he dies a forgiven man.

These ushered into the presence of the God whom he loved God receives them wide because of mercy and grace. What lessons his life teaches us were making available the series of messages entitled growing through conflict were doing that because some of you perhaps have not had the opportunity to listen to all of these messages maybe want them in permanent form so that you can share them with your family and with others for a gift of any amount they can be yours.

Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.

I believe that there is a reason why it is that David received so many chapters in God's word lessons that warn us but lessons also that give us hope. So you may want these messages so that you can use them for your own personal profit, spiritually speaking, and you can be encouraged in your walk with God right now you can go to RTW offer.com. Or, as I have mentioned. In fact, you can call right now 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 it's time once again for you to ask Pastor lutes or a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Some of the words of Jesus are very serious and might cause us to think we might not be saying that all Pat has written asking this. My question concerns the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost can a Christian ever commit such a sin where there is no more forgiveness, resulting in a loss of salvation.

Is this the sin unto death penalty want you to know that as a pastor. I frequently have had to answer this question because I've had letters written to me or people whom I've met who have thought that they have committed the unpardonable sin, so I'm really glad that you brought this to our attention because I think there are many people out there with this question on their minds. I think that the unpardonable sin was really a sin committed by the nation Israel. Jesus committed himself to the nation. He did miracles, and yet they accused him of doing these miracles by the power of the devil and not the power of the Holy Spirit. So it seems to me that the nation committed an unpardonable sin in this sense that Jesus said that if you blaspheme like this against the Holy Spirit. You'll never be forgiven but you and I as Christians, we have a very different relationship to the Holy Spirit. If you receive Jesus Christ as your personal savior you are indwelt by the spirit you are sealed by the spirit, the Holy Spirit of God comes to live within us and that spirit guarantees that indeed we will be saved at the bottom line. I think that there is such a thing as the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit. The unpardonable sin if you want to use that terminology, but it is really committed by unsaved people, Israel. By and large turned away from Jesus and so they were lost. They never did receive Jesus Christ as the Messiah as a whole. There were individuals of course who did, but as a whole, the nation rejected him in the very same way. There are people today who reject the gospel and they do it so many times that their consciences are so dull old that in effect they have committed an unpardonable sin because they can't be forgiven because they refuse to believe how to be clear, someone like you who I assume has received Jesus Christ as Savior.

The very fact that you are worried about whether or not you have committed the unpardonable sin is a good sign that you haven't.

It shows the work of the Holy Spirit of God within your heart and therefore you can be brought back into fellowship with God regardless of the sin that you committed one time I received a letter from someone who said that one Saturday evening he blaspheme the Holy Spirit directly and he wondered whether or not he could be forgiven for something that was so terrible, so blasphemous, even in that context, I told him that the answer was yes. If he desired forgiveness.

Even this terrible sin could be forgiven.

So anybody was listening out there. If you have a desire to be saved.

First of all, is an unsaved person or you're a Christian and that you've committed some sin that you're worried about God can forgive you, God can receive you follow your desire to pursue God. He's there with you. Hope that this was clear.

Thanks so much for writing.

God bless you some wise counsel from Dr. Erwin lutes for Pat and for all of us if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to is running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life.

Lutes has brought part one of jogging with regrets. The last message in his series growing through conflict.

A study in the life of King David. Next time, Pastor Luther concludes our series in the life of David this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church