 In chapters, we're gonna do chapters 21 and 22 today as we continue our journey through 1 Samuel. We do a verse by verse study. We've arrived here in chapter 21 and what I'll be doing is I'll be sharing out a verse one and picking up from there and I'm trying to bring application to our study because the word of God is intended to communicate to us the principles that the Lord gives to us and sometimes direct commandments that relate to living lives that are pleasing to Him and lives that He blesses and our blessings to others. And so, we'll begin with an introduction at verse one here in chapter 21 but I'll be taking several verses at a time and sharing with you throughout the next two chapters. And so let's begin here in 1 Samuel, chapter 21 at verse one, I'll read, give an introduction and move into our study. Now David came to Knob to a Himalek of the priest and a Himalek was afraid when he met David and said to him, why are you alone and no one is with you? Now David, as we know, has been speaking to the son of Saul who's the king of Israel. David made it very clear to Jonathan, Saul's son, that Saul hated and wanted to kill David and he finally made it very, very clear and Jonathan now really understands and believes that his father Saul wants to put David to death. And so David has fled and as he is fleeing, according to verse one, he came to a place called Knob. Now the word Knob simply means hill. It's interesting when you look at the definition David came to Knob, we have in San Francisco something, a place called Knob Hill. It's just redundant, the word Knob means hill. And so he came to a place that is called Knob and the interesting thing about this is that according to chapter 22, verse 19, Knob is referred to as the city of the priests. It's about a mile northeast of the city of Jerusalem there in Mount Scopus today. And so what David has done is he has gone there to receive some direction. And he's gone there as he has in the past many times in order that he might get direction from the priest and as he arrives, the interesting thing is is the priest Ahimelech greets him there. Now notice with me in verse one how Ahimelech comes to David trembling. The reason that he's afraid, trembling, is he's concerned that he's going to be drawn into some kind of danger. You see David is a commander in the army of Saul. He's also Saul's son-in-law and so naturally as David comes Ahimelech is wondering why is he here and secondly he's wondering why are you alone? Why have you come without an escort? And that's what he asks him when he says why are you alone and no one is with you. You're the king's son, you're a commander. Why are you not being escorted by the military the way that it would normally take place? And so he's concerned here because he's thinking perhaps there's some danger he might be drawn into. Well actually David isn't alone. What David has done is he's left his men in the neighborhood but as the question is being asked verse two David said to Ahimelech the priest the king has ordered me on some business and said to me do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you or what I have commanded you and I have directed my young men to such and such a place. Now therefore what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand or whatever can be found. And the priest answered David and said there's no common bread on hand but there is holy bread if the young men have at least kept themselves from women and so David comes and he says listen I'm on a secret mission now what's interesting is he gives a lie with a half truth. The lie is that he's not on a secret secret kind of ministry a mission of any sort that's the lie but it says I have directed my young men to such and such a place that's the truth and so what he's done is he's mixed a lie with some truth and he's basically trying to get some food he needs some supplies. He asks if you have any bread here even a few loaves and the bottom line is no we don't really have just common bread what we have is we have something that is called the bread of the presence what he speaks about is holy bread there there is holy bread now that bread that he's speaking about is called the bread of the presence it's the bread that was baked that was placed before the Lord and what they would do is they would they would bake twelve loaves of bread they would put it in two rows of six they would sprinkle it with incense and it would stay before the Lord for a week and it would be changed every week on the Sabbath and when it was changed on the Sabbath the priests would take up that bread and eat it now it was reserved only for the priests and there was a reason for that but one of the reasons that they would do that it was to teach the priests that they required a communion with God because in partaking of that bread called the bread of the presence or the show bread in their eating of it in their consuming of it it would remind them that they were to have a relationship with God that brings life to them they were to know that God gives to you food and that God provides this and so two things about that one is the priests needed to know that they were to have a relationship with God if they're going to serve him there are a lot of people today who claim to have a relationship with God in the sense that they they want to serve or they serve in a church they may give they may do charitable things or whatever but they have never been born again they've never received Christ it's a Lord in their savior and so they don't really have an understanding that Jesus Christ is supposed to supply them the strength that is used for serving God if you don't have the strength supplied to you by God to serve him then you serve him in your own strength and God doesn't receive that kind of service and so in order for me to have anything that I give to God that is acceptable to him I need a connection with God now in the life of the priests what the priests would do is they would eat of that bread as they consumed that bread they would realize that their strength and their life first service comes from being in the presence of God now it's interesting how Jesus in John's gospel chapter 6 verse 35 said this he said I am the bread of life and what Jesus was saying is that in order for us to have true spiritual life we need to partake fully of him we need to have a relationship with him and Jesus being the bread of life we basically partake in him in faith and he therefore gives to us strength to serve God and also gives to us the ability to refer to ourselves as believers now as this is all taking place we see that David told a lie we can't let that get past us the Bible does not commend lying but it does report it and here David has given why would David lie like this David would lie because he would be afraid that a hemilic would not provide for him if he told him the truth that he was running from the presence of Saul and so what he does is he tries to preserve his own life that is consistent of course with human nature because human nature is of such that we when we find ourselves threatened are going to do whatever it is required to preserve our life well that's a common truth we all know that but when you read the Bible if you read the first chapter of the book of Job you see that Satan comes before God and God begins to speak to Satan concerning whom God refers to as my servant Job have you considered my servant Job is what God says to Satan when he says have you considered my servant Job that comes after God says where have you been and Satan said I've been roaming throughout the earth going to and fro meaning I've been up to no good I've been looking for something to do I've been looking for somebody that I could find that I could destroy basically and so God says have you considered have you looked at have you judged have you weighed my servant Job seeing that you've been throughout the face of the earth have you seen him well of course I've seen him but you keep your hand on him you don't allow me near him and so there goes the challenge that Job ends up losing all his material things as well as his children but in the second chapter God says well what have you been up to and once again Satan lets him know and God refers to Job and Satan there issues a challenge it's found in chapter 2 verse 4 because there that's where Satan answers the Lord and says skin for skin yes all that a man has he will give for his life and so there's a principle all that a man has he will give for his life and so David is there David goes to the priest David lies to the priest in order to preserve his own life the priest says I do have some bread but it's the bread of the presence it's bread that is to remind the priest that they derive their life from God himself we see the New Testament application Jesus gives us life so as all of this is taking place he says well in verse 4 there's no common bread on hand there's holy bread if the young men have at least kept themselves from women now why would he say have you kept yourself from a woman because when a man had intimacy with a woman according to the law Leviticus 15 verse 16 they were defiled they were unclean for a day so they need to be ritually clean have they kept themselves from women well verse 5 David answered the priest and said to him truly women have been kept from us about three days that's why I came out the vessels of the young men are holy the bread is in effect common even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day so the priest gave him holy bread for there was no bread there but the show bread which had been taken from before the lord in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away now it's interesting how we see that this show bread this is something that Jesus himself spoke about if you take notes it's found in Mark's gospel in Mark chapter 2 verses 23 through 28 we read it happened that he went through the grain fields on the sabbath and as they went his disciples began to pluck the heads of grain and the Pharisees said to him look why do they do what is not lawful on the sabbath but he said to them have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry he and those with him how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest and ate show bread which is not lawful to eat except for the priests and also gave some to those who were with him he said to them the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath therefore the son of man is also lord of the sabbath in other words human need supersedes ritual and ceremonial law we need the bread of life that's why Jesus Christ came and so he used that as an illustration now as all of this is taking place and they now receive that bread notice verse 7 there's a certain man now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day detained before the lord and his name was now notice DOEG I call him dog but that's not his name now he was a dog you'll see that but it's pronounced dueg now it says he was an Edomite the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul he was an Edomite he was a descendant of Esau who was the brother of Jacob and he dwelt in Edom or had dwelt in Edom which is just south there southern portion there just south of the nation of Israel and he obviously in reference to him being an Edomite obviously was a convert to the faith of Israel now it says that he's there detained before the lord which means that he couldn't travel and it's possible that he couldn't travel because he was a Sabbath therefore he couldn't travel he may have been fulfilling a vow or he was simply unclean and unable to leave whatever the case there he was and this was not a good thing David sees him there and it's not a good thing because he's a servant of Saul now David is a famous songwriter writing 77 Psalms out of the 150 and he wrote about this David wrote about this time that he encountered him in a dog where he says why do you boast an evil almighty man the goodness of God endures continually your tongue devises destruction like a sharp razor working deceitfully you love evil more than good lying rather than speaking righteousness you love all devouring words you deceitful tongue God shall likewise destroy you forever he shall take you away and pluck you out of your dwelling place and pluck root you from the land of the living David wrote concerning this because he knew what kind of man du egg was this was a man that was a chief herdsman that means that he was one who took care of the wealth of Saul because during that day much of Saul's wealth would have been in cattle and his herds and so this man has a tremendous amount of authority and that's why he's being pointed out to us as a chief herdsman now in verse 8 it says here are a sword for have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me because the king's business required haste so the priest said the sword of Goliath the Philistine whom you killed in the valley of Elah there it is wrapped in a cloth behind the fad if you will take that take it for there's no other except that one here David said there's none like it give it to me I don't have a weapon once again he lies I was in such a haste that I left well there's Goliath's sword that ought to cause David to remember how God was with him when he slew that giant so he ends up with the sword and off he goes well in verse 10 David arose and fled that day from before Saul and went to Akish the king of Gath and the servants of Akish said to him is this not David the king of the land did they not sing of him to one another in dances when he saw his slain his thousands and David his ten thousands now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Akish the king of Gath so he changed his behavior before them pretended madness in their hands scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva fall down on his beard then Akish said to his servants look you see the man is insane why have you brought him to me have I need of mad men that you have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence shall this fellow come into my house once again he does what he thinks is necessary to survive and he pretends madness he begins to drool on his own beard which was a real act of humiliation in the Middle Easter in that time and Akish sees this and sends him away now David wrote about this in Psalm 34 where he said I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth my soul shall make its boast in the Lord the humble shall hear of it in me glad magnify the Lord with me let us exalt his name together I sought the Lord he heard me and delivered me from all my fears now I want to point something out make application here I want you to notice how it says in verse 11 is this not David the king of the land did they not sing of him to one another in dances saying Saul has slain his thousands David his ten thousands fame can be costly when David was there in Israel there's no doubt in my mind that when he heard the maiden singing David as slain his ten thousands that must have encouraged him to a large degree it might have even caused him to have even a sense of pride that they're singing songs about him being such a magnificent warrior but remember with me fame always has a payment that you pay for it any time you get some kind of notoriety you are also going to get other people's attention that maybe you don't want them to even know you exist that's what's taking place here they say no wait a minute this is the king this is the guy who's actually supplanting Saul this is the king this is a man that we know as a warrior because they sing songs of him in Israel concerning the fact that Saul slays thousands but this man here slays ten thousands be careful what you wish for because sometimes people want to be well known very famous and they become so and they pay a price that they weren't even expecting to pay in the ministry we have people say oh I want to be well known they need to remember that if you want to be well known some will say you're great and others will hate your guts you start wearing a target on your back any time you become well known that's just the way it is in life that's how it goes a little boy little girl when they're growing up and as they sing well and perhaps can perform well and they're the kind that people are entertained by they have a mom or a dad who thinks that this is a great thing maybe it's a little bit of a goldmine they start taking them to different places where they can showcase their talent someone discovers them then one day they sign that contract and they become multi-millionaires and they think they have everything that they want except for one thing they can't leave their house they can't go outside the doors of their home they can't stay in a hotel they can't go into a regular restaurant they can't do any of that anymore because the paparazzi follow them everywhere they go and so fame always has a consequence and fame can also cause you to pay a price that maybe you don't want to pay because you don't have what you used to have anymore you don't have anonymity you can't go someplace without wearing a disguise in the case of David what happened with him is while it was okay in Israel for them to be singing these songs concerning this mighty warrior now that Akash the king of Gath sees him there and he wants to know what's he doing here now here comes David with a sword of Goliath this is the one who's the champion of Israel who destroyed the champion of the Philistines and so naturally he's wondering what is he doing here and they say now wait a minute this is the man who slays the ten thousands so David becomes aware of that he begins to drool all over himself and as this is happening they say this man's crazy I don't need a madman I'm not here which works for David and David leaves now according to verse one David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adulam so when his brothers and all his father's house heard it they went down there to him so he goes south he goes about seventeen miles south of Jerusalem he's hiding in a cave he's using the cave as a refuge a shelter his family members have heard that he's there to join him but he's not going to be joined just with his family verse two everyone who is in distress everyone who is in debt everyone who is discontented gathered to him that sounds like my staff so he became captain over them and there were about four hundred men with him now this scripture here I have to be honest with you at one point I thought I'll just stay here and give a study on this because to me this is one of those most powerful powerful scriptures that we can pass up and not really see I want you to see this there were four hundred of them but notice how they're described distressed in debt and discontent these are the ones who are going to become David's mighty men when you read the Bible and you read verse Samuel and you begin to move past these chapters you see these men as they're spoken of these were warriors of the highest caliber these were David's mighty men but notice how they began notice how they began and how they're described to us here these are people who are in distress these are people who are in debt these are people who are discontent in yet these are people who have heard that this mighty warrior this champion this king is in a certain location they are drawn to him loyalty to him and their experience with him and his influence upon them is going to change them from being this ragged group of people who are basically the off-scouring and outcasts these people are going to be transformed into a mighty fighting force that legends are built around that's what's going to happen now it's interesting to me that there's something about David that draws these men now he's already loved we've already seen that in chapters preceding this chapter he's already won the hearts of Israel but these men who have come have nothing to qualify them these are guys who are in distress these are guys who are in debt and what's interesting about that is they're drawn to somebody that they know can bring them out of that malaise somebody who can bring them out of that that way of thinking of life they came to somebody that they trusted who could transform them from being like that into something greater than that now when you begin to apply that David had a son he had a greater son by the name of Jesus Christ and Jesus does the same thing Jesus is the one who says come unto me all you who labor in a heavy laden I will give you rest it's Jesus who said I came to seek and save that which is lost it's Jesus who says that he can transform your life and you might have been in distress and you might be discontent with your life why wouldn't you be you got nothing going for you but when you come to Jesus Christ Jesus takes that distress and he takes that fear of am I going to make my payments and he takes those things that are making you discontent and he deals with them and that's why we have a living Savior who's alive and works within us now now when the apostle Paul was speaking concerning those who come to Christ what we were like who comes to him here's Corinthians chapter one at verses 26 through 29 and this is what he says he says you see your calling brethren that not many wise according to the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen that the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence you know when you're growing up you might have been raised in a similar fashion as most of us in the United States get your education and take care of your body take care of your health as I was growing up my dad said to me David take care of your health because if you don't take care of your health you're not going to be able to go to work so take care of your health because when you go to work you're able to work and get finances so health and wealth are important for you to achieve in this age in order to have your health in order to have wealth in order to have success my dad wanted me to get educated wisdom and strength and on all of those things which are basically the things that every human being looks for and yet you see not many wise according to the flesh not many mighty not many noble those who are noble are those of royal birth and everything Christ why because those are the things that keep them down but when you and I got saved we fell into the category of being those who to the world really don't matter but who can change the world can turn the world upside down for the glory of God on one occasion the apostle John and the apostle Peter had gone to a gate that is described as being the beautiful gate there was an extremely beautiful gate there that entered into the temple area and as they were going into this area through the beautiful gate there was a man who was laying there by the gate who would beg ask for charitable contributions from those who were going in to pray it was the hour of prayer and the apostle Peter and John were walking in to this particular beautiful gate as they were walking past this man who had laying there for a long time that was his regular place that he would go to ask of help and charity from others as they were about to walk in the apostle Peter fascinating his eyes on the man looking down said to him look upon us the bible tells us that this man looking up expecting to receive something from him meaning a financial gift heard something he wasn't expecting the apostle Peter said silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I say unto you rise to your feet and walk the bible says that the apostle reaches down takes the man by the hand and begins to lift him up he has the supernatural faith to see a miracle occur of healing and as he begins to pull upon that man the man receives strength in his feet his ankle bones into his legs and he stands now he's standing there but the bible goes even further and says and he began to walk and he began to leap and he began to praise God now when you read the bible guys you have to put some things into into context here walking requires balance leaping provides even more balance we can do that because we have we've been walking for all these years but you never see a toddler who's crawling on the ground all of a sudden just jump up and walk around and leap around that doesn't happen because they can't because it takes a lot of energy strength it takes and there was a tremendous miracle that took place here in an instant where this guy not only was able to stand who hadn't stood but he's not only able to stand but he's able to jump this is such an incredible miracle that the people began to gather around him now Peter seeing this as being an opportunity starts to speak to the children of Israel who gathered around and he says to them don't look at us as if it's some kind of goodness in us some power in us it's at the name of Jesus Christ that this man is made completely whole before you he said not only that he said this is the same one you took him and you slaughtered him you slew him on a tree and he preaches the gospel while it got people very upset that the apostle Peter was saying that they had responsibility for the death of Jesus Christ who gave this man the power to walk so they put him in jail he wanted to determine what to do with them and what happens ultimately is they have a conversation amongst themselves and they say taking note that these were unlearned men as they're looking at them these are untrained men they never went to any of our seminaries they don't know the things that we know they said these are unlearned untrained men but they took note that they had been with Jesus that's what made the difference and that's what makes the difference in your life too they had been with Jesus and it was Jesus who trained them it was Jesus who empowered them it was Jesus who transformed them because all they were before were simple fishermen businessmen but now God was working through them in such a powerful way that somebody that was famous for being at the gate called beautiful as a cripple begging alms everybody knew him was now walking, leaping and praising God and he brought something to him that they themselves could not bring which was faith in Christ God has the ability to take discontent take people in debt take people in distress and transform them so radically that they impact worlds for the gospel's sake that's how it works and that's what's taking place David had a ministry of such encouragement that these 400 men found where he was wanted to stay where he was so they could become mighty men and they did and you'll see some of the things that they did as we continue through our study well going on into verse 3 David went from there to misba of Moab and he said to the king of Moab please let my father and mother come here with you and they know what God will do for me so he brought them before the king of Moab and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold now the prophet Gad said to David do not stay in the stronghold depart and go into the land of Judah so David departed and went into the forest of Hereth so he takes his family and brings them over there and he says I want permission from you king of Moab to take care of my family now why would he go to Moab it's very easy you start thinking about it the heritage of David all you need to do is look into his genealogy and you see that he had a great grandmother by the name of Ruth who was a Moabitis and so he took her he took them home to her homeland and that's one of the reasons why they were able to find refuge there but there's a man and we're introduced to him here in verse 5 by the name of Gad he's called the prophet the prophet Gad he's called advisor to David and this is a part of his his advice that he gives here do not stay in the stronghold depart go to the land of Judah so David departed and went into the forest of Hereth now verse 6 when Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered now Saul was staying in Gibeah under a tamarisk tree in Rama with his spear in his hand and all his servants standing about him to have a spear in his hand he's always got a spear in his hand and there he is with a spear and that's a threatening he's in a threatening pose Saul said to his servants who stood about him here now you Benjamites Benjamites were his tribe they were his family they were his clan will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds and there's no one who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse and there's not one of you who's sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait as it is this day but what he has here is his council he has his advisors there he has his tribesmen there with him and he's saying I've heard that Jonathan and David have a covenant that they've established but the problem is I don't want to kill him which is not true at all now as he's saying that he's saying you haven't even had any sorrow sorrow for me you don't even feel bad for me you're allowing this to take place well as he's doing that notice first nine then answered do egg dog the Edomite who was said over the servants of Saul and said I saw the son of Jesse going to knob to a Himalek the son of Ahitab and he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine so he lets him know this is what I saw I happened to be then I remember David saw him there and didn't feel good about that well the king sent to call him like the priest the son of Ahitab and all his father's house the priests who were in knob they all came to the king and Saul said here now son of Ahitab he answered here I am my lord then Saul said to him why have you conspired against me in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him that he should rise against me to lie in wait as it is this day so him like answered the king and said and who among all your servants is as faithful as David who is the king's son in law who goes at your bidding and is honorable in your house did I then begin to inquire of God for him is that the first time I ever asked God to give him direction let not the king impute anything to his servant or to any in the house of my father for your servant knew nothing of all this little or much the king said you shall surely die him like you and all your father's house the king said to the guards who stood about him turn and kill the priests of the lord because their hand also is with David and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the lord let's look at that for a moment authority how do you respond to authority in your mind's eye picture for a moment King Saul King Saul is a threatening man he's huge compared to the children of Israel the bible tells us that Saul was head and shoulders taller than the tallest man in Israel he was huge in comparison to them this is a man who carried around a spear who was willing to throw it at you even your his own son if that son displeased him these people who are around him know that Saul is capable of killing them and yet I want you to see this for a minute I want you to see what it says in verse 17 the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the lord how do you respond to authority and when authority speaks how do you discern when it's legitimate what if authority that one in authority is giving to you a command that is an illegitimate command do you follow it when I was in the army and we're going through our training one of the things I still remember concerning that was that they pointed out this fact they said listen if you receive an order that violates your conscience is something that you cannot do you have the right in the army you have the right to refuse that order and they even gave us a formula for challenging an unlawful order now if I were to challenge an unlawful order say that I came upon a village and the lieutenant or the sergeant whomever is in charge go in and wipe every person out kill them all because we believe that they're all a village of enemy combatants but I know that that village is not filled with enemy combatants and I come up to that village I have the right to say I refuse that order that is an unlawful order now what will happen is they'll incarcerate me then I'll be court-martial and my case goes before the court-martial and then they determine whether or not I'm guilty of disobeying a lawful order but you have that right if you get pulled over by a police officer and he begins to tell you to do things that are wrong, you have a right to say no, of course you have a right to say no I'm not going to do that but a lot of American citizens if the cop says this or if that person in authority says that they do it, if the boss says to lie when a phone call comes in or they lie and they'll say it's because I was told to do that but that's the same kind of mentality that the Nazi Germany had they said I was only following orders as I wiped out these millions of people and so you have to have a moral conscience, a strength that goes beyond so that when somebody says to you kill those priests like Saul is telling his men they refuse to do it why? because there was a higher law you do not murder the innocent it's interesting to me that God had said you go in and wipe out the amelokites because I have told them I'm going to wipe them out Saul would not kill the innocent but rather the guilty but he was more than willing to kill the innocent and he wanted to kill these priests and he wanted to kill their families and he says to them kill them all and the answer was no now we read the Bible and we say well that took place so long ago here in the United States I was reading recently of some pharmacists who are receiving prescriptions from patients patients receiving those prescriptions from doctors pharmacists are believers and when they're given these pharmacists are receiving these prescriptions therefore a particular chemical combination that when ingested will produce an abortion and these young ladies are coming with the prescription they receive from the doctor but the pharmacists are saying I will not fill that out that violates my conscience I don't believe in helping you to get an abortion through my pharmaceutical trade I can't do that and you know what's happening they're now being threatened to lose their license because they said it doesn't matter what your conscience says it doesn't matter where your heart is if you receive a prescription you have to fill it out I was reading just this week Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levine confirmed he would support an effort to attach an expansion of hate crimes to the defense policy bill the vote on this amendment formally known as S909 could come as early as next week if the senate approves the hate crimes amendment attached to the defense bill President Obama will sign it into law if passed this hate crimes law will eventually result in efforts to silence pastors churches and other faith based organizations that publicly but peacefully oppose homosexuality on biblical grounds which means that it is possible for pastors like me and others when we're teaching Romans chapter one and the context dictates that you have to deal with the sin of homosexuality and God's judgment on it that I can be arrested now that already exists in various countries that happens in Europe there's a particular I think it's Sweden where a pastor was teaching through the bible he gave a study on that passage and was arrested and spent time in jail because it violated the hate speech laws that they have there if you go into Canada you have to sign a document that states that you will not preach against homosexuality because it's a hate crime in Canada and the radio broadcasts are actually blocked traveling from the United States there so even your messages are kept out but if I were to go to Canada and I was asked can you teach Romans one I have to not only sign a waiver I have to give them a tape of what I said so that they can investigate to see whether I broke their law and if you don't think that's going to take place in the United States it is it's happening right now and right now our own senate is voting on these kinds of things their own house is and so there has to be a conscience that is informed by something greater than pseudoscience and psychology so we as believers have to have our consciences trained by the things of God is this practical? Absolutely because when you have a crime and hate speech for saying things that people simply don't like and they get hurt feelings over it then you might as well just close the door of the church and become a bingo parlor because that's pretty much all you're going to be able to do because you can't teach the word of God anymore if you've got people who are going out buying your CD taking it and saying this person is hating me because he's saying things about my lifestyle I'm telling you it's going on right now this is the place in the early days of the church and the apostles were arrested for preaching in the name of Christ they were taken before the authorities and the authorities said to them we forbid you to speak any longer or preach any longer in this man's name and in Acts chapter 5 verse 29 the apostle Peter and the other apostles answered and said we ought to obey God rather than man there needs to be a holy courage in your heart true guys we are the church and we are being silenced we are being silenced stand up on any of the talk shows and say what you really believe and see whether you get a welcome reception see if David Letterman and other comedians like him don't take you to task if you're well known if you're well known look what they did to Jerry Falwell look what they do to people who preach the gospel because they will do that in this particular case there's this huge king most likely with his spear saying to his men kill him and they don't do it there are men of conscience the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priest of the lord so what happens verse 18 the king said to Dewegg you turn and kill the priest the edomite turned and struck the priest and killed on that day 85 men who wore a linen affod speaking of priests also knob the city of the priest he struck with the edge of the sword both men and women, children and nursing infants oxen and donkeys and sheep with the edge of the sword now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub named Abiathar escaped and fled after David and Abiathar told David so David said to Abiathar I knew that day when Dewegg the edomite was there that he would surely tell Saul I have caused the death of all the persons of your father's house stay with me, do not fear for he who seeks my life, seeks your life but with me you shall be saved God will take care of me and if you're next to me he will also take care of you but I want to close by looking at that one last phrase I have caused the death of all the persons of your father's house David was aware of the fact that the sin lying the way that he did resulted in death sometimes today you will hear people say what's the big deal if they do it it's none of your business and it doesn't hurt anybody else sin always hurts somebody else guys never forget that sin always hurts somebody else it hurts you and it can hurt others it's interesting if you talk to some who have conveniently made a decision I just don't want to be married anymore because a lot of young people getting married today have that attitude well we'll give it a try if it doesn't work it'll be our trial marriage and the next one will be successful they're even calling it trial marriages today you know that all marriages are trials but this is a trial marriage and it doesn't hurt anybody you know there's an old old song now you know it's not my fault it's not your fault you know it's we just stopped agreeing and that's all there is to it and so you break up and people say well it's nobody's fault it's a no fault divorce well it may be what they want to call a no fault divorce but were there any people left behind that were affected by that no fault divorce if it wasn't his fault and it wasn't her fault is there anybody affected by this and the answer is the children the children are affected by that whose fault is that whose fault is that when the little boy starts saying things like my dad used to do this when the little girl grows up saying I remember my dad used to do that my mama used to do this I haven't seen him in so long ask a person unless you're one yourself you can ask yourself this whether or not there was no victim in that kind of pain whether that sin left people without any hurt it does hurt doesn't it it does hurt to feel abandoned it does hurt to be rejected it does hurt to be raised without somebody who should have been there for you to be a little person a little kid to go to bed at night by yourself afraid that somebody might break into the house and nobody's there to protect you that's gotta hurt that's gotta hurt I remember I'll never forget a little boy I think he was around he was around five years of age his dad and his mom were being divorced and that little boy said something like um I've gotta be the man of the house now how much of a man can a five year old be guys and how can that little boy protect mama when someone comes into that home because daddy abandoned his post because somebody else out there was a lot more special for right now more exciting marriage got boring huh how's that work David said I have been responsible for death my life that was of my interest to protect me I ended up with a slaughter of a city 85 priests and their families wiped out because I lied sin always affects somebody else never believe otherwise because it does and it always hurts somebody else never forget that because that's the kind of thing that I'm aware of that keeps my life straight before the lord I love the grace of God I live in the grace of God but I don't take it for granted many years ago now my children were all less than 10 years of age God was gracious to me and allowed me to have a dream and I want to say it perhaps you've heard me say this before I've said it once before it was a dream and I say that again it was a dream and in my dream I committed adultery now some only heard that I committed adultery oh the pastor committed adultery in my dream I committed adultery now I laugh with you but I got a letter from someone who says I understand you committed adultery so I know I shared this once before no I have never committed adultery I have never kissed another woman outside of Marie since the day we started going out and I gave her our first kiss I've never kissed another woman's hand romantically never been with another woman in any other way just Marie I say that because somebody is going to misunderstand this probably Marie but anyway in my dream in my dream I committed adultery and I looked at Marie and I said to her honey I've been unfaithful I saw her face in my dream as all that pain see I still feel it it was so real that pain in her eyes and tears that started to flow I saw it and then I watched this woman who trusted me break in front of me and then I had to go and speak to my children these babies who adore their father and I said to them dad has been unfaithful and I still remember in my dream my son's eyes as they burst into the tears that they had and the pain that it caused them I saw that I felt that and I awakened and I turned in and looked at Marie who was there next to me snoring I looked at my beautiful wife and I thought I can can never do that to you I will not do that I already made the oath I made the oath the day we got married I will love you till the day I die I made that oath and a minute it was to God I will never be unfaithful to you it was made to God not just Marie not in front of those witnesses and not to that pastor it was made to God but in that dream I had to say that and I awakened and it hurt me to realize what would happen listen my sin you don't know and I'm still anointed I should pat I could argue that but I would lose my wife I would lose my children I would now lose my grandchildren I would destroy the heart of my mother my brother my sisters sin is never a victimless thing there are people that are being affected by what we casually think is our right to enjoy how it hurt you who trust me some in this room call me pastor some of you call me dad and to see me unfaithful would break your heart I know that and you should know that too sin hurts David saw it David said it I have caused the death of all the persons of your father's house because I lied so these kinds of scriptures speak deeply to me because I realize that we're a community we're a family and what affects one affects the rest and when you lie when you're unfaithful when you live a life of sin and you think nobody cares you're connected you're connected spiritually to a family you affect others too may God help us to be aware of that you see that's one of the things that goes into my life that keeps me solid with Jesus Christ I'm aware of that I'm totally aware of that wouldn't be hard to sin wouldn't be hard to go out on my wife wouldn't be hard to steal from the church wouldn't be hard to do a million and one different sinful things wouldn't be hard to do easily done unless God's got holy your heart unless you fear Him and love Him and want to serve Him you can do all kinds of evil but when He gets holy your heart you may have the ability to but you won't because you love Him and you want to stay solid with Him and used by Him and I never want to get to the point where I have to stand in front of you in this church and say I have sinned forgive me oh yes I sin because I'll hurt you the way David was responsible for hurting an entire city God help us to understand that today Father I ask that you would work in us I ask that you would work within us that we would not be casual about our lives and our walks with you that we would not minimize the things that Jesus died on across the set is free from I ask that you would work in us Lord and we have failed many of us have failed even in this room right now I call upon you for help and mercy Lord for compassion and grace forgive us Lord of our sin and help us Lord even as our eyes are closed and our heads are bowed perhaps there are some who need to get right with the Lord right now I want to pray for you as our eyes are closed and our heads are bowed if you need to get right with Jesus right now please raise your hand let me pray for you Father you see these hands you know the reason they're being raised to you I ask that you would reach down now and you would touch these that you would set them free that you would wash and cleanse them and now I ask that you would empower them and Lord may they sense that you indeed are washing them may they sense that that this is being dealt with now as they lift their hand to you and now fill them with you with your presence with your spirit and may they have that joy and that gladness that comes from knowing sins are forgiven you wash and you cleanse and you make new and so now Lord I ask that you would touch and you would heal and you would minister by your spirit and we receive from you now thank you for the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin thank you for the spirit who indwells and empowers us and from this day forward Lord Jesus may we walk with you and we give you thanks and bless you you can put your hands down and Jesus please keep working in all of us that we would be serious about our walks with you and we ask this in your name amen let's all stand we'll close with a word of prayer and a song and may the Lord just work within us to be used by him mightily this week our Father we ask that you move in us and use us for your glory we leave now into a mission field may we be found faithful we'll return tonight tomorrow Tuesday Wednesday Lord when you gather us that we might be equipped that we might grow that we might love and serve you in one another so we lift these things to you now Lord and ask that you work in us in Jesus name amen God bless you