Let’s tie some things we studied together.
Last week we learned our relationship to Jesus
who is the firstborn of our kind and what that
means as far as our relationship to Him goes.
The week before that we studied John 15 and saw
a little bit of what it means to abide in the Vine.
Since we are studying how to know God, we
certainly need to know what our relationship is to
Jesus, and we need to see the value of “abiding”
in the Vine.
1
When you know who and what you are, and who
and what Jesus is, then abiding is our only clear
course.
But the problem we have is we forget both of
those facets and we end up believing lies in the
absence of the truth the Lord told us to preserve.
Let’s make this very “hands on practical”.
Some weeks ago we talked about how recognizing
a growing hunger for the Lord is a pretty good
indication that we are abiding in the Vine, and a
lack of it indicates that we are abiding in
ourselves.
2
We also saw in Rev 3:1-4 that Jesus warned the
church as Sardis that they needed to go back to
the principles that He taught them and hang on to
them for all they were worth.
3
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who
has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars,
says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name
that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and
strengthen the things that remain, which were about
to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in
the sight of My God. So remember what you have
received and heard; and keep it, and repent.
Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a
thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to
you. ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have
not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me
in white, for they are worthy.” Rev 3:1-4
4
Clearly they did not heed the warning since they
vanished and left no impact. Jesus left 2000 years
ago but His impact is still changing lives today.
Since it is something we all struggle against,
perhaps we should study the science of spiritual
paralysis.
One of the greatest contributors to the separation
between the Vine and the branches is the notion
that if I am abiding in the Vine, His blessing will be
measured by the accomplishment of desirable
things in my living experience. I should have no
financial problems, have a great marriage,
obedient children and a job I love.
5
So I should have all that I desire in my life, and
very little of what I do not like – IF I am abiding in
the Vine – Right?
WRONG! Do you know why this is so terribly
dangerous to the mind of a Christian?
If we were to look behind behind the curtain, we
would see that this kind of drive tries to tap the
power of God to satisfy the desires of the flesh.
What’s wrong with that idea anyway?
6
The problem is that if the Lord were to please my
flesh, my flesh would constantly want more and
better if it had influence over the power of God.
I would end up FAR more deeply enslaved to my
flesh if God granted it its desire, which is
something He simply cannot possibly do.
So clearly in the process of delivering us from the
control and influence of the flesh, God is going to
have to do things that our flesh is going to hate!
7
If God is going to deliver us from our flesh He is at
least going to have to do the opposite of what
pleases it.
So – how do we find ourselves being sedated by
our flesh, so that remaining in the Vine appears to
be unnecessary?
How do we find ourselves becoming comfortable
with life when we are so dangerously surrounded
by death?
As we go through our text today, I want you to
look for the principles that make a difference, and
see if you can identify the shift to death.
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“David then arose and came to the place where
Saul had camped. And David saw the place where
Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of
his army; and Saul was lying in the circle of the camp,
and the people were camped around him. Then
David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the
son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, saying, “Who will go
down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said,
“I will go down with you.” So David and Abishai came
to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping
inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in
the ground at his head; and Abner and the people
were lying around him.” 1Sam 26:5-7
9
“So David and Abishai came to the people by night,
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camp with his spear
the ground at his head;
and Abner and the people were lying around him.
Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered
your enemy into your hand; now therefore, please let
me strike him with the spear to the ground with one
stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.” But
David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who
can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed
and be without guilt?” David also said, “As the Lord
lives, surely the Lord will strike him, or his day will
come that he dies, or he will go down into battle and
perish.” 1Sam 26:7-10
10
“So David and Abishai came to the people by night,
Abishai
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me strike him with
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to the ground with one
stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.” But
David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who
can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed
and be without guilt?” David also said, “As the Lord
lives, surely the Lord will strike him, or his day will
come that he dies, or he will go down into battle and
perish.” 1Sam 26:7-10
11
“The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand
against the Lord’s anointed; but now please take the
spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let
us go.” So David took the spear and the jug of water
from beside Saul’s head, and they went away, but no
one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were
all asleep, because a sound sleep from the Lord had
fallen on them. Then David crossed over to the other
side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance
with a large area between them. David called to the
people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you
not answer, Abner?” Then Abner replied, “Who are
you who calls to the king?”
12
“The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand
Is there
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andinthe
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let
us go.” So David took the spear and the jug of water
from beside Saul’s head, and they went away, but no
one saw or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were
all asleep, because a sound sleep from the Lord had
fallen on them. Then David crossed over to the other
side and stood on top of the mountain at a distance
with a large area between them. David called to the
people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you
not answer, Abner?” Then Abner replied, “Who are
you who calls to the king?”
13
So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who
is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded
your lord the king? For one of the people came to
destroy the king your lord. This thing that you have
done is not good. As the Lord lives, all of you must
surely die, because you did not guard your lord, the
Lord’s anointed. And now, see where the king’s spear
is and the jug of water that was at his head.” Then
Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your
voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice,
my lord the king.”
14
He also said, “Why then is my lord pursuing his
servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in
my hand? …Then Saul said, “I have sinned.
Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again
because my life was precious in your sight this day.
Behold, I have played the fool and have committed
a serious error.” 1Sam 26:11-21
Without
God,
even
one soldier opening
his eyes
What
was
God
accomplishing
in
this
account?
True to His form God is doing a deeper work of
and seeing David would have sounded the alarm
faith in David and Abishai, and even impacting
and ended in his death, but God caused even the
Saul and all of his soldiers.
one with guard duty to fall soundly asleep.
15
He also said, “Why then is my lord pursuing his
servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in
my hand? …Then Saul said, “I have sinned.
Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again
because my life was precious in your sight this day.
Behold, I have played the fool and have committed
a serious error.” 1Sam 26:11-21
God did
showed
Himself
absolutely
trustworthy
God
a work
in Saul’s
heart. The
king was
AGAIN!
Saulon
could
said,
“Thanks
for not
sleeping
the have
ground,
away
from his
killing me again”
and
him!”
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palace
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the sole“Get
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takebeen
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his own son.
16
He also said, “Why then is my lord pursuing his
servant? For what have I done? Or what evil is in
my hand? …Then Saul said, “I have sinned.
Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again
because my life was precious in your sight this day.
Behold, I have played the fool and have committed
a serious error.” 1Sam 26:11-21
Can
I’myou
certain
imagine
that he
what
and
Abishai
David walked
must have
away
thought
and
Abishai
to see David’s
shook his
faith
head
in God,
witheven
a huge
to smile
the point
on his
of
face,
risking
and from
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thatdeath
pointhad
on would
Saul awakened
never question
illthe
tempered
leadership
andofdetermined
David because
to fillof
his
that
purpose?
faith and
tenacity in it.
17
“David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds,
and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of
Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did
not deliver him into his hand.” 1Sam 23:14
Long before this event the Father has established
a history of directing, empowering and protecting
David, which should have been well known to him,
and it HAS to this point been flawless.
But something popped in the heart of David after
this last event and we need to see what it was so
we can avoid it.
18
“Then David said to himself, “Now I will perish one
day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for
me than to escape into the land of the Philistines.
Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in
all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his
hand.” So David arose and crossed over, he and the
six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the
son of Maoch, king of Gath.” 1Sam 27:1-2
WHAT?!!!
What just happened to David and his faith and
how did it happen to him? Where in the world did
this explosion of unbelief come from – especially
after yet another spectacular demonstration of
God’s faithfulness?
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