Dove Creek Bible Church's Podcast

In today's text David is discouraged. He is tiring of this renegade in the wilderness routine...tired of being the pea in God's Shell Game with Saul. He is weary of fixing the same old problems, resisting the same old temptations, and constantly having the same old needs. How does he become discouraged? By thinking to himself David takes his focus off the Lord and onto himself. Soon his doubt creates problems his fears attempt to fix.

We all have a button that can be pushed...a switch that can be flipped that will send our composure into a tailspin and very often it’s the little things that send us over the edge. We steel ourselves against losing our composure over a big thing only to lose our composure over a little thing. Many times we gain victory over the major complications in life to come totally undone by minor irritations. In 1st Samuel 24, David partially overcame his desire to avenge himself against Saul. David did not exactly pass that test with flying colors, but he passed it. Today he faces a similar test of a lesser magnitude, which he fails, yet he is prevented from carrying out his evil desire by the brains and beauty of a woman named Abigail.

Few things in life are as tempting as the opportunity for revenge. In today’s text, David faces this temptation. His opportunity for revenge comes slickly packaged in the wrappings of providence. It is as though God has delivered Saul to David for this very reason...to take his revenge...but is this an opportunity he must take or a temptation he must resist? This is what David has to decide thus he must struggle with determining God's will. Has God delivered Saul to him in order for David to kill him? Or is his own desire for revenge coloring his judgment so that he misreads the hand of providence?

Last time we observed that Saul’s relentless persecution and pursuit wore David down and caused him to flee in fear. He became a fugitive. Sometimes this period of David’s life is called David’s outlaw years. David had to evade Saul not for 36 days or for 360 days, but for 3600 days. Ten years of facing the same daily challenge. It’s easy to see why David grew weary and felt like giving up. Yet God would always renew his strength and he would hold on and move forward....to the next challenge.

Forty or fifty years ago, the nation's heroes were usually portrayed only in the best light for there was a desire to keep their public reputations pristine. Rarely, if ever, was the country made aware of their personal shortcomings...their alcoholism, their promiscuity, their racism, their gambling, etc. Why? Because their private image was considered a separate issue from their public image. The Bible, to the surprise of some, never does this with its heroes...it reveals its heroes, "warts and all." This is one of the reasons some have argued the Bible is not a man-made document...men are not inclined to report their own failings. You think Moses wanted to write about his temper issues? You think Peter wanted people to know about his denials? Yet, within the pages of the sacred text we are made painfully aware of their shortcomings as well as their victories. David is one such hero. Like others, before and after him, David both succeeds and fails greatly. James said, "We all stumb

Someone has said, "If you must make enemies, make lazy ones." Say what you will about Saul…but one thing is sure…he certainly was not lazy. He attempts to get rid of David in a variety of ways. He will try stealth operations and he will try open aggression; nevertheless, none of his tactics worked because the Lord was with David. Watch closely as we continue our study and see how Saul's jealousy which we talked about last week not only continues to blind him, but bind him.

Thus far, in our study of David we have concentrated on his tender side...the gentle shepherd...the sensitive musician songwriter, but today we meet the other side of David. Shepherd, Psalmist...Warrior. We have to reconcile this gentle shepherd boy who wrote poetry and played stringed instruments with the young warrior who chops off the head of a giant and carries it around with him as a trophy.

1st Samuel, chapter 17, the story of David and Goliath, is one of the most, if not the most, familiar passages in the entire Bible. We love the story because the underdog, a shepherd boy, defies all odds and somehow defeats the warrior, the giant Goliath. This text explores the obstacles and challenges did he face before he battled Goliath.

David didn’t know it, but his training as a shepherd and development of skill as a musician songwriter were preparing him to become the next king. In this text we see how his musicianship opened the door for him to the king’s palace.

David is an interesting Bible character. He’s very complex and often a walking contradiction. He’s tender and sensitive; he’s cruel and vicious. He protects in battle; he murders in private. He is singularly devoted to His God, but his lust drives him to have many wives. He is a good king; he appears to be a poor father. In today's text we are introduced to David for the very first time.

Thus far, this little book of Jude packs a powerful punch. Jude has been highly critical of these false teachers and has painted them in a very unflattering manner. What we must realize is Jude’s warning is not driven by contempt, but rather by concern...which he makes clear today as we finish up the Book of Jude. Jude makes it clear that God is able to save us...God is able to keep us...God is able to present us blameless.

The biggest threat right now to Christianity is not secular atheism...it’s not the prosperity gospel...it's Progressive Christianity. Progressive Christians want the horizontal implications of the gospel for society—without the vertical reconciliation of sinners to God. This version of Christianity is probably the most detrimental because some of what they say on the surface has an appearance of wisdom...especially to the young people of the world...and therein lies the problem. When examined closely though it has the same problem that Jude points out today in verses 12-16. This theology and ideology is ultimately selfish, useless, shameless and directionless.

“There is the God you want and there is the God who is...and they are not the same God.” People who confuse the God they want with the God who is go the way of Cain, commit the error of Balaam and engage in the rebellion of Korah.

In verse 5-7 we learned God judges sin and although His wheels of justice may grind slowly when it comes to these false teachers they will grind exceedingly fine. In verse 4, Jude gave a threefold description of these false teachers: they are ungodly, they pervert grace into a license for immorality, and they deny the Lord. In today's text Jude gives a threefold description of the activities of the false teachers which confirm his description of them.

In today’s text, Jude warns us of the impartiality of God in dealing with sin...He deals with it in His people in the earthly realm, He deals with it in heaven in the celestial realm and He deals with it in unbelievers in the spiritual realm. God's ultimate place of dealing with sin is the place we call hell. You can choose not to love and serve God, but you cannot choose the consequence for that decision. God will choose the consequence and when He does your choice and the consequence of that choice will be irrevocable. Choose wisely! As Jonathan Edwards warned, “Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it.” The author of Hebrews says, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God".

Jude’s short letter is of great assistance to us in our personal walk as we battle against professed but false Christianity that sadly we find so prevalent in our culture. This once delivered faith we contend for is the anchor that secures us in the ever changing winds of culture. We cannot have orthopraxy (i.e. right practice) without orthodoxy (i.e. right doctrine). If we truly appreciate and believe in the power of the gospel and the blessings we attained through it then how can we keep ourselves from being passionate in defending it?

As we conclude this message, we also conclude our study of the Book of Ruth. The story of Ruth should enhance our trust in the providence of God. Truly He is working all things toward the good as we are promised in the book of Romans. Now Paul doesn't say in Romans 8 that all things are good. He doesn’t even say everything works to your good, he just says they work to the good. The promise is that our trials and hardships can be redeemed and work toward the good. How do all things work to the good? As we have seen in the Book of Ruth God in His providence can combine our bad circumstances with other circumstances to redeem those bad circumstances into a good result.

In Ruth 3, did Naomi apply godly wisdom or earthly wisdom in attempting to play matchmaker with Boaz and Ruth? Was she trusting God or attempting to manipulate circumstances? Does the end justify the means?

Often the providential hand of God is difficult to detect while it is happening, but later with the benefit of hindsight we discover His fingerprints. We also experience times when events appear to be moving in a negative direction only to discover that God hid a smiling face behind a frowning providence.