Intro: You should temporarily put yourself in David's sandals, I want you to do that. You were told as a teen that you would have been the following lord of Israel. Samuel, the elderly person of God, came and blessed you for that office. You're singing and playing for the king in the royal palace before you know it. Then, in a flash, you were involved in a series of activities that propelled you to national prominence.
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You killed Goliath with a solitary stone tossed from your sling. You were made captain of over a thousand soldiers after being promoted in the army. You were the king's best friend and married the king's daughter. It appeared to be that each occasion in your life was carrying you nearer and nearer to the day when you would move forward and guarantee the high position of the land as your own.
Then, things started to occur. The perfectly planned life that you loved so much started to break down. The king didn't like you, and he even tried to kill you! The relationship you had with your wife ended. With Jonathan, your closest friend, you were no longer able to socialize. You were downgraded and fired from the army. The before you know it, you are an outlaw, running for your actual life, from a crazy ruler not entirely settled to end your life.
However, you continue to carry yourself well even as you flee your adversary. When you almost have the chance to kill him, you spare his life. When you deal with people you could have destroyed out of hand, you show compassion. You even persist in seeking God's guidance for your life, believing that all of His promises will one day be realized.
Then something shifts one day. You alert to the surprise of no one, yet some way or another, the world is different today. Interestingly, it appears as though God might have disregarded you. It seems to be your adversaries will ultimately win. You fall into a pit of hopelessness and become discouraged and disillusioned. While you are in that condition of despondency, you settle on a silly choice that modifies the direction of your life; brings you inconveniences that you might have never envisioned; also, leaves you broken in a profound way.
That, basically, is the existence of David so far. David was on his way to the kingdom quickly; He is now a wanted man on the run. David is hunted, pursued, and haunted, according to our text. He feels defeated, down, and hopeless. He makes a foolish decision that will have very serious repercussions in his life while he is in that condition. David made the decision to give up on God's life plan. He decided that God must have forgotten about him in some way. He came to the conclusion that God had abandoned his life plan. David took his own life and began living the way he wanted to live for himself.
When I reflect on this period in David's life, I see in him a portrait of a lot of believers I've met over the years. David depicts people who were saved by God's grace and had a good start in their relationship with God. But something didn't go as planned somewhere along the way, and they ended up feeling defeated, disappointed, and discouraged. They made a terrible choice with terrible repercussions in their lives because they were spiritually weak. They made the decision to walk away from God and live lives of carnality and compromise rather than staying close to the Lord and following His will for their lives. They made an unfortunate choice and paid a high price for it.
I want to preach today on the following idea: When intelligent people make bad decisions. I might want to end David's life and point out how we veer off-track in the choices we make throughout everyday life; what to anticipate when making those choices; and how God can help us pick ourselves up and move on. As we consider these verses and consider the topic of "When Smart People Make Foolish Decisions," I want to make three observations.
I. 27:1 THE Purposes behind DAVID'S Choice
A. David Confided in Some unacceptable Partner - David is envisioned having a discussion with himself. Instead of praying to God as he had done so frequently; David asks himself for advice. The exhortation he gets from himself is everything except insightful.
B. David Received the Irresponsible Advice – When David had a heart-to-heart conversation, he immediately forgot all of the significant promises that the Lord had made to him. 1 Samuel records that David had been promised the throne by God. 16:1, 12-13. Jonathan had confirmed that promise in 1 Samuel. 23:17; by Abigail, 1 Sam. 25:30-31; even by Saul in 1 Samuel. 24:20. When David, on the other hand, begins to pay attention to his own heart, all of these enormous promises vanish. David even believes he knows what will happen in the future out there. He ought to have been aware that God is a Sovereign God who has complete control over the past, the present, and the future, Psalm 139. 135:6; Eph. 1:11.
C. David Made the Wrong Decisions: David made the decision to forsake the life path that God had given him years earlier because he listened to his heart. He concluded that he would be in an ideal situation escaping to the place that is known for the Philistines, where he figured he would be protected from Ruler Saul. Imagine the future king of Israel running to God's greatest foes to ask for assistance! David's heart got him into trouble like that!
(Note: Be careful with confiding in your own heart! At the point when we counsel the heart, we will reach out to our human instinct. Our old, fallen human nature always sees things from an earthly perspective, Gal. 5:19-21. When someone says, "Well, I feel it in my heart," they almost always mean harm! Jer, this is why the Bible warns us not to trust our hearts. 17:9; Pro. 28:26; Eccl. 9:3; Mark 7:21-22. Be sure to talk to yourself about God's things when you talk to yourself, Eph. 5:19-20; Phil. 4:8. At the point when somebody shares with you, "Simply pay attention to everything your heart is saying to you," they have offered you guidance that can prompt otherworldly wreck and ruin, assuming you are adequately silly to follow it.
Your heart will make statements like, "This congregation is dead"; " These individuals dislike you; God is being out of line to you"; " Staying at home or moving somewhere else would be better for you. That pastor is cruel; You really aren't getting enough! There's nothing wrong with living life to the fullest from time to time; God couldn't care less about you. On the off chance that He did, these things wouldn't occur you"; " A single time won't hurt; It will not matter even a little; etc.
Many of you are aware of exactly what I mean, aren't you? Your heart will deceive you, swindle you, and steer you in the wrong direction in life. In the event that you stand by listening to your heart, you will find yourself where David tracked down himself: as per God's will; out of God's place for his life; also, out of God's cooperation! If you listen to your heart, you'll end up living a spiritually compromising life and falling short of God's expectations!
Because he listened to his heart, David made poor choices that led him astray. Be exceptionally cautious, my companions, some are going that same way today.)
II. 27:2-30:6 THE Aftereffects OF DAVID'S Choice
A. 27:2-3 Individuals In David's Day to day existence Were Impacted - Due to the absurd choice David made, every individual who's life contacted that of David was impacted too. His entire 600 men and their families; his own children and wives; David's decision brought down everyone in his immediate vicinity! One man listened to his heart rather than the Lord, and as a result, all of those people found themselves in a position of compromise and temptation.
(Note: Romans 14:7 says, "For not a solitary one of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." This basically indicates that the people around us are impacted by everything we do in our lives. At the point when a spouse or a wife gets out of God's will, it influences their marriage. At the point when one or the two guardians will not live by all accounts, it affects their youngsters. Individuals at school, at work and at chapel are moved by the manner in which we carry on with our lives. When we give in to the advice of our hearts and depart from God, we never know who is watching or who might be hindered. But keep in mind that Luke 17:1–2 tells us that there is a price to be paid for touching others in a negative way. Ill. A few possibilities.)
B. 27:5-12 The Example Of David's Life Was Impacted - In addition to the fact that David's choice impacted individuals around him; David's life was drastically altered. To put it another way, his decision to leave the Lord completely altered him. Take a look at a few of the things that the Bible says about this awful time David lived through.
Verse 4: David lived with a false sense of security. He assumed he was protected.
Verse 5: David sought assistance and fled with the wrong crowd. He literally joined the opposing side.
Verse 8–12: David did things there that he would never have done otherwise. He killed, he lied, and he submitted himself to the foe of God. The entire texture of David's life was adjusted by the choice he made.
In verse 7, David remained there for sixteen months. He was probably there longer than he intended.
It is also important to note that David is not mentioned in any Psalms written during this time period. The "Sweet Singer of Israel" appears to have lost his voice.
(Note: A believer's life will be negatively impacted when they make the fatal decision to leave the Lord and the place of blessing.
They will live in a false sense of security, like the Prodigal; However, the backslider is always visible to the Lord God; Rev. 3:19 also says that he is not too far away to avoid punishment; Heb. 12:6-12.
Ø The person who leaves will observe that they are before long doing things they would have done previously; and that they are doing them in front of a crowd with whom they have never previously participated, 1 Cor. 15:33.
They will discover that their entire way of life has changed, and when they look around, they will discover that they have been languishing in the far country for months or even years.
They will also discover that their joy has diminished and that their song has vanished.
You can't avoid being affected if you reject God and sin! If disobeying the Lord does not affect your life, If that were the case, I would venture to say that you were never His!
C. 29:1–6a: Someone said, "Sin will take you farther than you want to go;" This affected David's peace of mind. keep you around for longer than you want to; and will cost you more than you can afford. In David's life, we are seeing the reality of that come to life. David has fallen about as far as a man can fall in this passage. He is out of God's will; off God's path and actively collaborating with the enemy to harm God's people. David, thankfully, was not enjoying himself! The people in his life were impacted by his sin, you see; His daily routine was altered as a result; however, it likewise impacted the tranquility of his life.
David has lost his identity, verses 1 to 5. He joins himself with the Philistines to proceed to do fight with his own kin, Israel. However, not even the Philistines want him around! He has also become an insult to them. At this point, he is literally a man without a country.
David reveals the depths to which he has fallen in verses 6–8. The future ruler of Israel stoops at an agnostic lord's feet and pronounces himself to be that ruler's worker! He even asserts that David's enemies are King Achish's!
Achish declares David to be a faithful servant in verses 29:9–11.
Ø 30:1-5 - David at last procures the gather of the insidiousness he has planted. He suffers far more losses than he ever could have imagined. 27:8–11 describes the Amalekites' retaliation against David and his men for their previous actions. Their cities burn to the ground and their families are taken hostage! However, those pagan people exhibited more mercy and grace than David, the God-fearing man, had shown his adversaries.
Ø 30:6 - David at long last arrives at the base. He is attacked by his men, who threaten to kill him. They are correct in recognizing that David's careless decision is to blame for all of these devastations. He has lost everything because of his sin!
(Note: What a terrifying depiction of the impact that sin can have on our lives! We both have the option of leaving the Lord and going our own way, but we won't be able to do so without paying a very high price! How much, my friend, will it cost you? Is the wrongdoing you are going to leave God to perpetrate worth the value you will pay? Does it benefit your spouse? Is it worth it for your kids? Is your ministry worth it? Is it worth your reputation? Does it merit your authority with God? Is your health at stake? Does it merit your life?
Let us not figure briefly that we can leave the Ruler and do as such without outcomes! God will not have any trouble extracting that cost from our lives because there will be a price to pay! Scripture clearly teaches that, Numbers. 32:23; Psa. 13:15. Before you settle on a stupid choice and leave the master; consider the value that you could need to pay.)
III. 30:6–8: THE RECOVERY FROM DAVID'S DECISION (Ill.) The narrative does not end there, which is a good thing. I'm glad we get to witness David's redemption from his sin.)
A. 30:6c David Apologized Before The Master - When David at last raises a ruckus around town; at the point when he has lost everything that could be lost; David finally turns to face Heaven once more! Perhaps, as he observed the broken and shattered lives all around him, he came to the realization that everything that had transpired was the result of a single foolish conversion of his own heart; followed by a single poor choice made by him. David turned his look skyward by and by in humble atonement.
B. 30:7: David Depended on the Lord – At this point, David does what he ought to have done at the outset of this particular chapter in his life: David approaches the Master in petition to look for God's will and God's assistance. David has returned to a location where he can once more rely on the Lord.
C. 30:8-9: David Returned to the Lord: David does not hesitate when he hears the Lord's direction for his life and immediately sets out to carry it out. He is no longer acting in accordance with David's will; Yet again he is back in God's will, strolling God's way. David has been completely reestablished!
(Note: The majority of what David has taught us has been lessons about what not to do. David, on the other hand, makes it abundantly clear to us in this final passage what we should do if we have allowed ourselves to walk away from the Lord.
Remorse is the first step in making amends. We really want to get before the Master and manage our transgression, Star. 28:13; Psa. 51:1-5. According to 1 John 1:9, God will forgive sin when it is confessed and dealt with in God's way. that is a blessing because no one in the world is perfect and does not occasionally sin. Assuming you have meandered far away from God, you really want to realize that you can return home today and track down total absolution and rebuilding!)
(Note: Did you notice how the Lord responded to David's repentance? For the past sixteen months, David has deviated from God's will. He then repents of his sin and kneels before the Lord. Does God say, "I'm sorry David, yet you have gone too far. I've made a new king: who is it?” Does He say, "I am going to give you probation for three months?" In the event that you do OK, we'll discuss rebuilding"? Is it true that God says, "I'll forgive you, but things can never be the same between us again"?
No, God does none of these things! The Lord immediately forgives, restores, and communicates with David when he calls out in good spirit. God's response is quick, certain and exact!
What an honor! Gal., I see an earthly price to pay for our transgressions. 6:7. However, God's forgiveness is immediate, complete, and eternal! That kind of grace is needed right now, and some of the people in this room need it!)
Conc: Regardless of our intelligence; regardless of the length of time we were saved; or irrespective of our potential spiritual advancement; We still have the ability to make bad decisions. A few people in this room are currently doing that very thing today.
Your heart has been lying to you because you have been listening to it. Before it's too late, I suggest you talk to God and hear some truth. When God saved you, He set your feet on a path that is very different from the one that others have already begun to walk. I would recommend that you return before the cost becomes prohibitive. Others, on the other hand, are watching as your life begins to unravel as a result of some poor choices you've made. You may need to deal with some things in your life, but you can still have fellowship with the Lord restored right now. There are presumably some other people who have never at any point been saved. You are in for the rudest awakening of all, friend. Jesus will save you and give you eternal life if you come to Him.
I realize that there are necessities today. Who possesses the spiritual fortitude to enter the presence of the Lord and obtain immediate care for them? Do what He tells you to do and listen to His voice rather than your own heart!
