Good evening. You know, first of all, I want to-- I look at all the floor people-- that's what I cool you down here-- sitting on the floor, and it brings me back. It takes me back over 20 years. I was only five years old at the time. But several years ago, when I was at my home church in California, and that's where I always wanted to sit. I didn't want to sit in the back so nobody could find me, and I couldn't integrate. I wanted to be up front. And even though the floor isn't quite as comfortable-- but there are some cushions. I think you guys are doing OK, right?

Right. And then also, we have some internet questions that we're going to answer in a minute. And this is being broadcast live over the internet, and if you're watching the internet, I want to thank you for your participation over the last several months of Line on Line and asking the questions that you ask and getting involved with the life of David and Samuel and Saul like you have. So we want to encourage you to do that when we get into our next study-- the book of Galatians.

But just also a warning, if you are watching over the internet, not to make the internet your church. It's great that we have computers. We have technology, and you can hone in and use it, and it can supplement. But you still need to belong to a local fellowship-- whatever part of the world or country you belong in-- and get involved with people. We're the body of Christ, and you need to do that.

Tonight, I'm going to introduce you to a friend of mine that I have dreamt about coming here. Actually, I've been with Sami in the Middle East, and he came this week. He's going to help tomorrow night and the next night over in the Hub with Dr. Nabil Khoury for a seminar on the Quran and Islam. But Sami is a pastor over in Beirut, Lebanon, and he's come all the way from Lebanon to be with us tonight. Would you please welcome my friend Sami Dagher. Come on up, Sami.

[APPLAUSE]

I just assured Sami that this is the family and this is just a big living room, right? So have a seat, Sami.

Thank you.

Sami came to faith in Christ some years ago when he worked at the Phoenician Hotel, I believe, in Beirut. Is that right?

Yes, sir.

And would you just share with us-- by the way, Sami's is going to be here Saturday and Sunday to give the message this weekend. And this is just the appetizer tonight, but the meal comes during the weekend.

Sami's been a good friend of Franklin Graham. In fact, there probably isn't a book Franklin hasn't written that Sami doesn't appear in. There has been an inspiration to a lot of people.

And I don't want to put them on the spot or anything, but when I traveled to Baghdad with him, I felt like this is the closest I'm going to get to traveling with Paul the Apostle. Now, he would deny that. But for me, little old me from America watching Sami and his boldness in that part of the world was and is an inspiration to me. Sami, would you just tell us how you came to faith in Christ first of all?

Will you allow me before I give you my testimony-- I just say thank you for the people of America. Skip, whenever I stand before the people of America, I feel I am in debt. I'm in debt with my life and salvation because you have sent a missionary to Lebanon, and that missionary spent all his life working in Lebanon in a very, very hard place.

And they were trying to leave, and the last months before they put all their luggage and they want to leave, I came to know Christ through their ministry. And he kept postponing for seven years. And so whenever I stand before an American congregation, I feel I am in debt. I'm in debt with my salvation.

Then my ministry was helped by you all. Franklin Graham have helped me all the way through my ministry in Lebanon. So I am so grateful for you American people. I want you to know we love you, and I especially love you very, very much.

Thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

As I said, an American missionary came to Lebanon, and it was really the right time for me because I was seeking happiness all my life-- a true happiness. I thought I'd find it in money. I went to Libya in 1960, and I was working in a restaurant dance and dine-- the only place in Benghazi-- and I made a lot of money there. I didn't really find happiness in money, so I thought maybe in spending the money I would find happiness.

So I left I left Benghazi, Libya and went to England, and I was working in a city in England in the Norbreck Hydro Hotel in Blackpool. I don't know if you are familiar with the cities there, but anyway, I spent all my money after, you know, but I didn't find happiness.

So I thought, maybe if I get married I'd be happy. So the Lord led me to a girl in England, and we got married. And I said, to me, it was the end of the road. It's like a person is dead.

Now, by the way, Sami is still married to this girl. For 40 years he's been married. Is that right?

Yes. So I said to my wife, listen, this is the end of the road. I want to be buried in Lebanon. We only stayed two weeks in England, and then we came to Lebanon. And the first couple of months-- six months-- it was good. But then again, it has lost that brightness.

And I went back to my old life, and I gave my wife a very, very hard time. Bless her heart. She was really saint to be able to live with me for 40 years. But after every fight we had, she said, to me, it was a life decision when I married you, so she never, never thought of divorce.

Anyway, I wasn't really happy. Where are you going? Why you are late? And many other questions. And I said, before, I didn't have this. Why now I put myself in this situation? Then I thought maybe if we have children because the first two years we didn't want children.

I said, if we have children, maybe I'd be happy. We had our first son. It was a great joy for six months, and then it lost--

[LAUGHTER]

Then I said to myself, I am going to search for God. If I find God, I'm going to worship him, and if I don't find God, I am God. Why people would say this is wrong and this is right? Who said this is a sin? Who put all these laws?

And praise God, I was reading my Bible before I met the missionaries. And one time, I was having a drink with an artist from England. She was working in the Casino of Lebanon, and I ask her a religious question. And she was so mad. She said is it the time?

And this girl was in Hamra Street in a shop, and a couple of missionaries from America was trying to witness to her, and they gave her their card. And she said to me this is the card of those missionaries. You go and ask them. They will answer all your questions. And she gave me the card, and then we got in contact with them, and this is how I came to know Christ as my Lord and Savior. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

Sami, you pastor a church in Beirut-- the Karantina church-- and you've also raised up other churches through young men. You have a Bible school there. I've been with you to Baghdad, and could you just give us a little cameo of what it's like being a Christian in that part of the world-- the hostilities that exist in your country, in Syria, in Baghdad. And what is that like, and how do you do it?

Skip, the only free country in the Middle East where you can preach the gospel of Christ is Lebanon. We can give drugs in the streets. We can talk to people in the streets. And we can worship freely. But in Syria and Iraq and Jordan, you cannot.

We have started the church with three people-- my wife and I and another person. And we started in '75. Now, by the grace of God, we have six churches. Of course, we don't have many people like you have here because you labor and labor and labor maybe two or three years to win one person to Christ.

People from a Muslim background are very, very difficult, and people in our area from the Mennonite background, which they are like Catholic, they are very fanatic too. So we really have been persecuted from both Muslims and from a Christian Mennonite background, and that's why it's very difficult to live for Christ and to serve Christ in the area of the Middle East.

One time, a missionary from India-- he came to Lebanon, and he stayed about three years in Lebanon. He opened his house and called it the house of prayer. But one time, he was preaching, and he said to us-- he said, in India, I was fighting with evil spirits, but here, in the Middle East, I am fighting with Satan himself. It is really very, very hard.

But by the grace of God, through prayer and fasting, we have been able to establish six churches. We have four in the Arabic language. We have one in the Sri Lankan language, and we have one for the Sudanese.

And we have a Bible school. We have now 21 students. The reason of the Bible school-- I feel that, in few years' time, there won't be any missionaries in the Middle East. Now, in Iraq, missionaries are not allowed. In Syria, they are not allowed-- in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and Morocco-- many, many countries that missionaries are not allowed to be.

So we are taking the remnant from the believer from each country, and we train them and send them back to their own countries. We have now 17 graduates from our Bible school. They are working full time and the Arab world-- in Jordan, in Iraq, in Syria, and in Egypt, and in Lebanon.

That's terrific.

[APPLAUSE]

We're going to take a question from the internet, and Sami and I are going to take a stab at this one. It's from Susan, and she emailed us, and the question is, how do you maintain through a strong beginning to a strong finish when you get tired or procrastinate? And in parentheses, she writes, for example, I am often excited to begin a new project until I get to the middle of it and realize the work that is truly involved.

You know, we've been talking about finishing well in this series on Samuel, especially dealing with Saul. He had a good start and a lousy ending. So her question is how do you maintain through a project from beginning to end? Sami, you want to take a stab at that?

Well, the secret-- I am going to tell Susan that the secret to stay right to the end is the fellowship with the Lord, and we can see from the kings of Israel-- every one of them who has lost his fellowship with the Lord-- he did not finish well. Even Solomon-- the wisest man in the world-- he did not finish well because he has lost his fellowship with the Lord. So if Susan is a believer, and she is asking a spiritual question, her secret is to continue to have fellowship with the Lord.

Amen. Let me piggy back a little bit on that and say, Susan, if you're watching or listening, also check your motivation. Is your motive in doing whatever you're doing-- whatever project-- to glorify the Lord? Jesus, when he prayed in John 17, as he was facing the cross, said, glorify your son in order that your son may glorify you. And I think that's also part of the secret is to make sure your motivation is done because you love God.

And you remember in the Old Testament Jacob, who loved Rachel and worked seven years-- that's a long project to work to get this bride. They were but a few days because of the love that he had for her. When your love for the Lord is burning, that long project can seem like moments if it's with the right motive.

Well, that's all the time we have. We're going to continue with worship. Sami, thank you for being here this week. God bless you.

[APPLAUSE]

Let's stand and sing--

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Consider the contrast of the death of Saul and the life of David. The end of Israel's first king began the rule of Israel's greatest king. Tonight, our studies conclude in the book of 1 Samuel, but not before we observe valuable lessons found in chapters 29 through 31.

From this text, we see David leaving his odd service to the Philistines and leading a rescue mission against the Amalekites. Let's remember that Saul had foolishly disobeyed God's command to eliminate this evil tribe, and they would continue to plague Israel for generations.

In chapter 30, we find David explaining a fascinating principle concerning the rewards due those who guard the provisions being equal with those who go to war. Consider the impact of this point as it relates to the great commission, missions, and those who stay at home and send support.

And finally, we will be spectators on the slopes of Mount Gilboa as mighty Saul and his sons meet their tragic end. These are some of the important events we will study tonight as we bring an end to our studies of 1 Samuel-- Line on Line.

David, you are anointed of God. You must be our king.

Well, let's turn in our Bibles, then, to 1 Samuel chapter 29, and as you're turning there, we have a question from the internet. This is from Sarah, and she asks us a question about David, and I thought it would be good to sort of begin this way because, OK, David was God's anointed, and he was a man after God's own heart, but was David perfect? No, he wasn't, and that's probably why we can relate to him when he writes all of those psalms. We see ourselves in them.

Well, Sarah asked this question. After his great victory over Goliath, and knowing he was the Lord's anointed to be next in line as ruler of Israel, why, then, did David fall into such fear and despair and make such terrible decisions out of those reactions to opposition from Saul? Was he doubting his calling?

Sarah, that's a good question. I only have to look as far as myself. Why is it that I sometimes fall into doubt in despair? Why is it that sometimes I seem to go backwards and question some deep issues even though I've made my commitment to Christ? And I think we could all ask that.

Even the great heroes of the Bible had their lapses of faith. I remember a time in my early walk when I was despairing of financial help. I had run out of money. I was paying off college. I was working full time, going to school full time, and I was running out of food.

I ran out of Hamburger Helper, which was my mainstay at the time, and I had a jar of peanut butter left in my cupboard and bread, so I was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And then I ran out of bread, so I had peanut butter and jelly, and I would take a spoon and just eat the peanut butter. And even to this day, I like to eat peanut butter that way, probably from that experience.

But I was telling God how bad he was treating me, and I was complaining against the Lord. I was in despair. I was angry. One day after praying, a check came in the mail from the federal government. It was income tax time. They were sending me back some money that I had paid in income tax, and I looked at it, and I shouted for joy. I even jumped up a little bit in the front of my house as I got the mail. I just said, thank you, Lord! You're so good!

And I got all excited, and it was if the Spirit of God spoke to my heart and said, you didn't get that excited two, three days ago. You had my promise written in my word that I would take care of you. You didn't jump for joy. You've been doubting and complaining and despairing.

Now, it says US government on it and a certain amount that they promise to give you. How do you know they're going to come through? And here I am arguing with the Lord. What do you mean how do I know? It's from the government. They made me a promise like I'm saying the government's promise to Skip Heitzig is better than God's promise to me. And I felt busted because of it.

Here I am trusting a check. OK, praise the Lord! He allowed it to be sent through, but I am trusting their word that, when I go to the bank, it's going to come through when God has given me his Word. So I, like David, Sarah, often fall into those times like I think any of us do. And we have to ask ourselves that question.

We're human, and we have to realize that God is much greater than we are. And I think the secret too is look backwards a little bit. How has God taken care of you thus far? It's a good indication that he's going to not drop you, but he has a lot more for you.

Well, tonight, we're in 1 Samuel 29 through 31. We want to finish the book, and I'm going to sum up some of these chapters and sort of tell the story and hone in on a few verses. Let me begin with a fairy tale.

Once upon a time, there was a lion, and the lion was king of the forest. He was the one in charge, and he wanted everybody to know it. So the lion walked over to the bear, and he said who's king of the forest? And the bear said, why, you are, O great lion. And the lion gave a roar-- rawr-- of approval.

He went his way, found the tiger, and asked the tiger, who is king of the forest-- king of the jungle? The tiger said, why, every one knows that you, great lion, are the king. Rawr-- the lion gave out another roar of approval.

Then the lion went up to the elephant and said, who's king of the jungle? The elephant just looked at the lion, took his trunk, grabbed the lion, squeezed him hard, took them up in the air, tossed him up and down four or five times, threw him up against the trunk of a tree, banged him against the ground, threw him into the water a few times, and then tossed him back up on the shore. Beaten and bloodied, through his red eyes, the lion looked at the elephant and said, look, just because you don't know the answer to the question doesn't mean you have to get mad about it.

And I've always thought of King Saul when I've heard that story because King Saul likes to strut around like he's some great item, some great gift of God, and the Philistines-- the enemy of Israel, who should have been much weaker than Israel by this time-- are about to make mincemeat out of him. Our section tonight opens up with a battle. The Philistines have penetrated far north into the country. They were a southern grouping from the area of Phoenicia and some of the outer tribes. And they came down and settled in Israel, but now they penetrated north. And that's where the battle takes place.

In verse 1 of chapter 29, "The Philistines gathered together all their armies at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by a fountain, which is in Jezreel." This is not unlike the Christian life. The Christian life is not a playground. It's a battleground. And yet, a lot of Christians still assume that it's all about them, that life revolves around us. And God has meant to make us happy, and we want our toys. And we're in our little playpen, and we're throwing rattles at each other and throwing tantrums. The Christian life is a battlefield.

There are so many scriptures that talk about spiritual warfare. Of course, Paul's last words to Timothy were these-- I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. And then Paul wrote to the Ephesians and said, therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand.

One of the first rules of warfare is to know who your enemy is. That's one of the difficulties we're finding in this war on terrorism. It's not like a traditional war. It's not like a country waves its flag and says, excuse me, we declare an official war on you. It's much different than that. We have to know who our enemy is.

Unfortunately, some people deny the existence of the devil. There is no devil. You don't believe that stuff. I absolutely believe in the devil because, if there isn't a devil, I'd like to know who's doing all of his work because somebody is carrying his business on, and if you've ever faced him, you know that he's a formidable and real foe.

Back in World War II, when General George Patton of the American forces was up against the German army in North Africa, he was fighting against General Erwin Rommel. The story goes that, when they got close enough in their tanks to eye each other, that General Patton shouted out to General Rommel, I read your book! I've read your book!

Indeed, he had, for General Rommel-- the German general-- wrote a book on strategy and warfare. And so the American general, General Patton, went through it with a fine tooth comb, digested it, and studied the strategy. And it was by studying the book that enabled him to defeat the enemy.

Well, Satan hasn't written a book. He's far too busy trying to do everything he can to get people to hell. But God has written a book, and in the book, he has revealed Satan's strategy. And the Bible says we're not ignorant of his devices. Unfortunately, many Christians are ignorant of his devices. And as this opens up with a battle, so does the Christian life begin with a battle. Of course, we fight not for victory but from victory, but we have to keep in mind that we're always up against the enemy of our souls.

Now, in verse 2, it says, "The lords of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish." This is what's happening. David is on the wrong side. He has defected, in a sense. He has moved over to the Philistines camp, living with Achish, the king of Gath, he and his several hundred men-- 600 men altogether.

He's on the wrong side, and now he's faced with the predicament. He's going out to battle against the children of Israel, whom one day he will be king over. Well, he's standing up there, and some of the lords of the Philistines notice David, and they say, what's he doing here? He's a Hebrew. This is the guy they wrote a song about-- Achish. We've heard it on the radio. It's been going around the country for months. Saul has slain his thousands. David has slain his tens of thousands.

And Achish said, oh, I know. That's what everybody's saying, but he's Saul's enemy. He's come over to help us fight. He's been very faithful to me. The lords of the Philistines said, send them away because who knows that this isn't his opportunity in the battle to ingratiate himself back to Saul, to reconcile back with Saul? What better way than to take off our heads? They remembered their champion Goliath from the same city of Gath had his head removed by this character.

So Achish came to David-- chapter 29-- said, David, you know, you've been as an angel of God to me. You've been faithful to me. You haven't done anything wrong. But the lords of the Philistines are making me send you back home, so you have to go back to Ziklag where you came from.

Now, David has compromised. I believe wholeheartedly David should not have been in the camp of the Philistines. Better to hide somewhere in the cave down in En Gedi than to be with these guys because of this predicament. He's an Israelite pretending to be a Philistine.

Now, if you were to translate that into the Christian church, if you were to say, well, I am a child of God, but I'm going to pretend to be like the world. We have a word for that. It's called a hypocrite. It's called being carnal.

And unfortunately, there are many in the church who it seems have just enough of Jesus Christ to make them uncomfortable around worldly people, but just enough of the world to make them feel uncomfortable in the church. They are the most miserable of all because they're sort of walking the line, not making a decision completely for Christ or completely against Christ.

I've seen people 25, 30, 40 years as Christians who never seem to grow. You know, Jesus said, you can't serve two masters. You're going to end up loving one and hating the other, or being loyal to one and despising the other. Although that's true, some people still try.

One of the saddest things to see-- I think you'll agree-- is somebody who says that they're a Christian, but you look at their lives, and honestly, you can't tell the difference between that so-called child of God and a child of the devil. There's no real difference in behavior, no real difference in the way they live, no difference in the way they make the decisions, no difference in what they say, how they act. They've compromised. It's carnality. They've lowered their standards and, like David, decided to hang out in enemy territory.

If their life was a boat, I would say they're sailing so close to the lake of fire they're singeing their sails. They've gotten a little too comfortable in the wrong crowd. Now, I know you talk to them, and they'll justify. Don't judge me, brother because we have to do this. We have to be a little bit like the world so they don't think we're weird. I got news for you. They already do think you're weird, and you're even weirder if you're trying to pull something over on them.

Listen, we're not called to be like the world. We're called to be unlike the world to rescue them and bring them to heaven. That's our role in the world-- to be different enough, to be salt and light, to bring them out of darkness.

I found a quote that I wanted to share with you from a man who was being killed in England. He was sentenced to death for a crime, and before he was taken to the gallows to hang, the chaplain started reading the scripture to him. It was the typical religious thing to do. The guy's dying, so you open your Bible, and you mutter a few psalms. God bless you.

And the criminal turned to the chaplain, and this is what he said. If I believed what you say you believe about what you're reading, even if England was covered with broken glass from shore to shore, I would gladly walk over it on hands and knees if need be and think it worth living to do that if I could only rescue one soul from the hell about which you have read. That's convicting.

The founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth, said that he would finalize the training of every man in the Salvation Army-- he would end the training by suspending that person for 24 hours over the fires of hell. If we could see the eternal doom to which people are consigned who reject Christ, it might change the way we think about being cool in front of the world. We want to save them. We get serious about it.

Now, thank God that he loves David enough to have the lords of the Philistines say, send this character back home. He goes back home. He goes down to Ziklag, which is the city that Achish gave to him to maintain down in the southern area down by Beersheba out in the desert.

As he goes back to Ziklag, he finds the entire city has been burned to the ground by an invading group of terrorists known as the Amalekites. The Amalekites have taken all the people-- the women, the children, the feeble older folks who couldn't make it out on their own-- they've taken them all captive. They didn't kill anybody, but they burned the city with fire.

Now, look at verse 4 of chapter 30. "And then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no more power to weep, and David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. Now, David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say, at this point, David is at the lowest he has ever been in his life. He's a man without a country. He's displaced. He's alienated. The people of Israel he has defected from saw the king of Israel is his enemy. Even the Philistines sent him away. Now his own army guys want to kill him.

I think of David's psalms-- in my distress, I cried out unto the Lord. I wonder if he thought of that or wrote that during this incident. Or Psalm 25-- unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my voice, do I make my cry known. Let me not be put to shame before my enemies. Or maybe Psalm 40-- I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined to me and heard my cry and lifted me out of the pit, out of miry clay, and set my feet upon the rock.

But something snapped in David. Now he's doing something right. Here it is. It says, "But David strengthened himself--" verse 6-- "in the Lord his God." Every time I read that verse of scripture, I think of a little poem that says, look around. Be perplexed. Look within. Be distressed. Look to Jesus. Be at rest.

Strengthened himself in the Lord-- why? There wasn't anybody else to strengthen him in the Lord. He couldn't go to his mighty men for counsel. He couldn't go to his army and say, you know, I have a real counseling issue I'd like to have you pray about. We want to kill you, buckaroo. Get out of here.

Sometimes you're going to find, in your life, there there's no one else to strengthen you in the Lord. You call. The pastor's not there. He's busy. He's out. There's not a Christian brother. They're gone. And you, at that point, must rely on the only one you should have relied on in the beginning-- your safest harbor, your strongest rock, your best refuge, the Lord.

David probably reminded himself of God's great promises. Why are you cast down, O my soul? Hope in God-- Psalm 42, encouraging himself in the Lord. The Moffatt Translation puts it this way-- "David relied on the eternal his God and took courage." You get the flow of it? In relying on God and putting his faith in God, that's where his courage came from-- making his faith known in his reliability on God.

Can I offer you a suggestion? Instead of waiting for this kind of a situation to erupt in your life, instead of waiting for an emergency room situation, learn to strengthen yourself in the Lord daily-- every single day. Don't let God be an emergency room. Oh, God, now I'm really in a mess. I've got to talk to you.

Listen, God's there, but why wait? Why do we have to wait for a Gulf War? Why do we have to wait for planes to crash into a tower before now we're going to get spiritual and have a prayer meeting and go to church? Why does a catastrophe have to happen before we wake up and go, oh, yeah, God?

You know, this always strikes me at every funeral. I often get asked to conduct funeral services for people, so I'll ask, well, did they come to the fellowship? Oh, no. Well, did they go to any fellowship? Oh, they don't go to church. Really? Well, what do they want? They want nothing to do with God. They want nothing to do with the preacher till, all of a sudden, there's a funeral. Now we want the preacher, and we want the preacher to say he was a good person and he went to heaven.

Why do we have to wait for the bottom to fall out of our lives before we get a clue? Seek the Lord daily. Strengthen yourself in the Lord daily so that it doesn't become an eruption or an interruption. But that steady walk and that steady fellowship with God is there. "Then David said to Abiathar, the priest, Ahimelech's son, 'Please bring the ephod here to me.' And Abiathar brought the ephod to David." We covered with that is. That's that waist-long coat that was over the priest that bore the Urim and the Thummim that was somehow used for discerning the will of God in those times.

"So David inquired of the Lord, saying, 'Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?' And He answered him, 'Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.'" Now, let me tell you the story. After David prays, a remarkable coincidence occurs. They're out there in the desert. Their city has been burned. He prays to God, and they just happen to bump into an Egyptian slave who is sitting in the middle of nowhere down by a brook.

They say, who are you? He goes, I am an Egyptian slave. I was owned by the Amalekites. We were on a raid. In fact, we burned Ziklag, and we destroyed several other cities in the area of Judah and Caleb. Oh, really? Now, this guy had been out there for three days, had no food, had no water. He was left for dead because he was sick. David gave him water, gave him raisins and cakes of figs and strengthened the guy.

And David said, tell you what, can you take us to this group of Amalekites that burnt the city? The man says, I will if you promise, A, not to kill me, and, B, not to take me back to my master because I'm about to betray him. Deal. So David goes down through this guy and is able to recover his wife, his children, bring the goods back, and recover everything.

Now, I say coincidence. I say that in quotations. In other words, we know there's no such thing. When you trust God, it's not a coincidence. It might seem like it, but it's providence. It's providence. God was leading providentially in his life.

Mark that. Understand that. There wasn't a neon sign flashing out in the middle of the desert with an arrow pointing down, saying, God's will in this direction. They just happened to find a guy who was an Egyptian slave who worked for the Amalekites. But it turned out to be something God put together for the recovery of the nation of Israel and was a step in David becoming the king later on.

Sometimes we-- and I've even heard this on Christian network television-- expect your miracle a day. Have you had your miracle today? You haven't trusted God then, as if God is going to interrupt natural law and override natural law to give you a miracle so that your quota is met for the day.

We often confuse what a true miracle is. We say, oh, the sunset is a miracle. Yeah, for you to do, for me to do, but not for God. That happens every single day. A baby being born is a miracle. Well, not really. We're used to it by now. It's been a few thousand years, and babies are born every day.

You see, a miracle technically is the interruption and the overriding of natural law. What we see here more often in the Bible than the miraculous is the providential where God supernaturally manipulates natural events. I like to say that God supernaturally naturally works. He works through natural circumstances.

Example-- to walk on the water is a true miracle. Why? Because we know that water cannot displace the weight of a human being in an upright position without some kind of help with a flotation device. We know the specific gravities of water and humans and weight placement, and it's just it's not possible. For a man to walk on the water is truly a miracle. No wonder the disciples, when they saw Jesus, went, it's a ghost! Because it didn't happen everyday.

For a corpse, once dead, to resuscitate is a true miracle. That just doesn't happen. I've done a lot of funerals. I've never yet seen that. But the providential is where God takes ordinary events and, by his great grace, weaves them together, and you've all been able to do that-- haven't you-- look back over your life, and you go, wow. God was in that. If that person wouldn't have called, and I wouldn't have gone at that time, and then that wouldn't happen, didn't get that flat tire, that wouldn't happen. That's God's providence.

I was thinking back of what brought me to Albuquerque. There's a whole string of events, and they're just sort of wild. But as I look back, I see God. It wasn't-- I didn't get a miracle. It wasn't like an angel came down and said, Albuquerque. I was just sort of put my feelers out and asking and putting resumes out, but I look back, and I see God's powerful hand.

Meeting and marrying my wife was God's providence. I met her at a potluck held at my girlfriend's house. She was an ex-girlfriend, but she had called me because she wanted to resume the relationship. She was breaking up with another guy. Please come to my potluck. I came, and I met Lenya. And I look back and think, thank God for his providence-- the weaving together of these circumstances.

John Nelson Darby put it this way. God's ways are behind the scenes, but he moves all of the scenes which he is behind. God is in the shadows-- unseen, but very active and working. And he's doing that here. It's very important. The providence is that the lords of the Philistines say, David, you're not welcome here. Get out of here. David goes back to Ziklag, sees the city burned, happens to find an Egyptian, leads him to the troops, recovers the goods.

But there was a problem. 200 of David's men were tired. They were just beat up. You know, it's been a long journey. We've been in northern Israel, and we just were there at the camp of the Philistines. Now we're back, and they were just too weary to go out to battle. So David said, fine, you stay home and watch the supplies. Stay with the stuff. You guard the stuff. You guard the supplies. Us 400 will go out and fight the battle.

And so they come back now after winning the battle, after bringing back the spoil. Look at verse 21-- "Now, David came to the 200 men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor.

So they went out to meet David to meet the people who were with him, and David came near the people and greeted them. And all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said--" now, just by the way, remember who David's guys are. They're not PhDs in theology. They're not the mayors of Jerusalem. They're not in the who's who.

It says all who were in distress, all who were in debt, all who were discontented gathered themselves around David. That was David's church-- discontented, in debt, angry people, and they became David's mighty men. So it stands to reason he's going to have some pretty crusty characters in the bunch.

"And these wicked and worthless men who were with David answered and said, 'Because they didn't go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered except for every man's wife and children that they may lead them away and depart.'" Did you hear that? OK, they stayed back. They didn't fight with us, so we recovered the booty, the spoil. We'll give them their kids back and their wife, and then they're out of here. We're sending them away.

"David said, 'My brethren--" listen to his perspective-- "you shall not do so with what the Lord has given us--" he's not taking the credit-- this is the grace of God-- "who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us, for who will he do in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies. They will share alike.'" And notice this. "So it was from that day forward. He made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day."

In God's work, in building God's kingdom, not all of us are called to do the same thing. All of you are not called to be a missionary. All of you aren't called to be a pastor. Some of us are called to stay with the supplies, to stay back with the stuff, not to go out to the front line.

Every goer needs a sender. Every missionary needs a group of people who we say, this is my life. God has given me a business. God has given me this job. I'm going to support what you do because I believe in what you're doing to expand the kingdom of God.

Now, David's ordinance-- that verse 25 says, "From that day forward, he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day"-- is a New Testament principle as well as an Old. You are making it possible for people around the world to hear the gospel. You, by your financial support-- and don't worry, this isn't a plug for money. Dig deep. God's ministry is really hurting this month. None of that. But when you do support the staff and the work of the ministry and missionaries and radio and outreach, you will share in the benefit. That's a New Testament principle.

David wrote to the Philippian church who had supported him and sent financial aid to him, and he writes in Philippians 4-- he says, "Now, you Philippians know also that, in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica, you did send aid once and again for my necessities, not that I seek a gift--" but notice this-- "but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account."

We get some insight into the way God keeps books in heaven. The word fruit that abounds to your account means interest that would accumulate on a financial ledger, accumulating interest on the credit side of the ledger.

In other words, Paul is saying, when I go out, and I preach the gospel, and you guys send money, and you support me so that I can go out on my mission trips, that is fruit that will abound to your account. That is interest accumulating on your credit side of the ledger. In other words, God will credit the fruit of that ministry that you support to your account. That's pretty exciting.

I imagine, in heaven, someone will walk up to you and say thank you. I don't know you. I know you don't know me, but I'm from Brazil, and you sent missionaries down to Brazil. Or I'm from India, and a man came up to me, and you supported him to do that. You sent missionaries to Lebanon. Thank you. I'm in heaven, and you will get part of that credit.

Now, because that's true, let me just encourage you to be very discerning as to where you give your finances. If Paul said this is going to be fruit that abounds to your account, doesn't it make sense that you're going to want to look for ministries that are fruitful?

Not those-- well, let's find out the most desperate ministries in the world. No, that's my philosophy. If they're desperate, there's a reason for it. Maybe God really isn't behind it. Investigate it. Look under the leaves. See if there's fruit. Oh, the tree is beautiful. The leaves are shiny. It's really glitzy. Yeah, but look to see spiritual fruit, and invest where you're going to get spiritual fruit for all of eternity.

Well, let me finish the story before we finish this next chapter-- chapter 31. David's master stroke of diplomacy is to take the spoil that he's won and not only give it to the guys who stayed back along with the men who went to fight, but he sends gifts out-- recovery of booty that has been stolen-- the spoils of war that has been stolen in the times past-- to the leaders of Israel, sends some of the spoils to the cities of Judah, to cities up in Bethel, all around the land to ingratiate himself with the leadership so that they realize David really was fighting for Israel all of this time.

Now, chapter 31-- and we close with this chapter tonight-- "Now, the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him. He was severely wounded by the archers, and Saul said to his armor bearer, 'Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it lest these uncircumcised men come in trust me through and abuse me.' But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore, Saul took his sword and fell on it. And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men died together that same day."

What strikes me as Saul is dying-- he is surrounded. He offers no prayer of repentance, not even, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom, not even, O, God, help me-- no plea for help. He's gone to a medium to consult one involved in necromancy and witchcraft, but in his last moments, he's dying. He won't call upon the Lord.

Rather, he's more interested in how his appearance is. He doesn't want to be embarrassed. He doesn't want to die and have the enemies of Israel gloat over Saul and parade his body around. I don't want them to catch up with me. Even in dying, he's caring about, not his character, but his what? Reputation-- his reputation.

See, there's a difference. Reputation is what people perceive you to be, and you can make them think a lot of things about you. Character is who you are when no one's looking. He was more concerned about reputation before men, not about character before God. And he's concerned about his image before his enemies rather than before God.

He's dying, and he's like-- he turns to his armor-- how do I look? Tie on straight? Do I look good? OK, kill me. What a way to go. And then he commits suicide. It's very similar-- you remember back in chapter 15-- let me quote it to you-- after his battle with the Amalekites where he did not kill their king? He says, "I have sinned." He admitted it. "I have sinned, yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel."

He is more concerned to preserve his image than to have honest, true character before God. That's Saul, man. This is chillingly similar to the way Adolph Hitler perceived his death. Before he died, his greatest fear was that he would be found by his enemies, killed by his enemies, and his corpse sent around Europe to make a show of.

So he took a revolver. He sat in a room with his wife. She took a poison pill, and he pointed the gun to the back of his throat, blew his brains out, but first called his aides so that they would find his body, and the instructions were given to burn he and his wife Eva Brown's body to ashes so that no trace would be found. Why? So that his enemies wouldn't find him in that condition-- very similar, strikingly similar to the way Saul died.

"And when the men of Israel, who were on the other side of the valley--" verse 7-- "and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent word throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim it in the temple of their idols and among the people. They put his arm in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan."

And on the screens, we're showing you what is Mount Gilboa and the top of it-- the ruins of Beth Shan-- where Saul's body was fastened, decapitated-- he and his sons-- their bodies shown on the walls as a display to Israel as well as to the Philistines.

"Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard with the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valient men arose and traveled all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the walls of Beth Shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. And then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh and fasted for seven days."

An interesting thing to note now that Saul is dead and the book is ended-- Beth Shan is only a few miles north of where Saul began his ministry down south. And you may remember that Beth Shan was the place where Saul came-- the very first battle as king-- to save the men of Jabesh Gilead. So Saul died at the same place he started.

Now, think about it. He reigned for 40 years. As a king, he gained no more land for the nation, did not succeed in driving out the Philistines. Rather, the country was invaded more-- inundated more with Philistine occupation than ever before. So he actually lost ground. He didn't gain ground. And where he started is where he finished.

Now, when you die-- and I'm not suggesting that you do anytime soon, but you will if the Lord didn't come back. When you die, how much spiritual ground will you have gained? How much ground for the kingdom of God will-- how much growth will there be?

Will it be said, yep, he was a Christian for 40 years. I think he was a Christian. I mean, he went to church, and he said a few prayers. Will you be like Saul, where there's not really much said about you from the moment of your conversion to the moment of your death? Did you end where you began, or have you gained ground?

Now, remember Saul's epitaph-- his own words, and we can write them over his tombstone now out of chapter 26-- he said, "Indeed, I have played the fool, and I have erred exceedingly." Remember how he began? It says Saul was filled with the Spirit of God. The Bible says God was with Saul. God gave to Saul a new heart. Saul was among the prophets prophesying.

Now, at the end of his life-- kill me. I want to look good-- no prayer of repentance. Think how he started. Think how he finished. Indeed, I have played the fool and erred exceedingly. And you know, seriously, Christian, if you're not growing in Christ, if you're saying, well, you know, I raised my hand a few months back or a few years ago, and I-- listen, Skip, I shed tears, and they were meaningful tears that night-- I applaud you for that. I'm not knocking that. I think that's great that God touch your heart.

But are the changes still visible tonight? Is your life marked by growth, or will we have to say, well, you know, he started there at Jabesh, and that's where he died-- Beth Shan. Grow in the grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. If you're not, you're playing the fool.

How could Saul have ended well? Let's close with these three thoughts. Number one-- Saul could have taken sin more seriously. He didn't. He was rebuked by Samuel on a couple of occasions. In fact, he even said, I've sinned. I've sinned.

And I think, if we were there in the company of Saul and Samuel hearing him say that, we would've though, wow, he loves the Lord. This is serious. He's really repentant. But it wasn't serious because it wasn't genuine repentance. He never made any life changes. So he could have taken sin seriously, not just admitting it, but turning from it.

Number two-- he could have placed character over reputation. That is, he could have been more concerned with what does God think about me rather than what do people think about me. And the third thing he could have done differently is that Saul could have taken advantage of friends. We need friendships. He had Samuel, a prophet. David was there-- his most loyal servant. Jonathan, his son, who was loyal to his father. The men of Israel-- but he took no advantage of accountability in friendship.

Interesting that Adolf Hitler had the same characteristics. He isolated himself. Albert Speer said, if ever he had a friend, I suppose I was his closest friend, but he wouldn't let anybody, even myself, get close. He pushed people aside. You know, the Bible says in Proverbs-- a man who isolates himself seeks his own desire.

It's dangerous for you to try to live the Christian life at bay, putting people away, or just watching the internet, or listening to tapes and CDs instead of actually getting into fellowship and making yourself accountable, or slipping into a church and then slipping out before it ends. Take advantage of spiritual friendships.

It's possible to destroy all that God is trying to build. God wants to do a great work with you. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. Don't play the fool and err exceedingly. Listen to what God is saying.

You know, we're often our biggest enemy, aren't we? Have you noticed that our human nature is awfully stubborn? Somebody tries to bring truth to us on a personal level-- maybe a child or a pastor or a friend would get close to you and say, you know, there's something in your life I want to talk to you about-- I see is wrong. And I'm your friend. I'm close to you. I need to bring this up. And we recoil from it, and we get stubborn, and we resist. We can be resisting what God is trying to do in our lives. Don't settle for second best.

Tonight, let me ask you a question as we close in prayer. Is there an area of your personal life that God has been trying to get true the callousness of your heart, and you've been digging in your heels? I'm not going to let you go there, God. I'm not going to give over this area.

Well, I've got to tell you, God loves you the way you are, but he loves you too much to leave you the way you are. And if you persist in stubbornness, God has all sorts of creative ways to get your attention. I submit to you Jonah. Mr. "stubborn ran away from God" Jonah-- you really want to play this game? I've got all sorts of creatures that will obey me, even whales in the sea that will be more obedient than you. And I'll make sure that that'll get your attention.

A man went to his psychiatrist, and the patient insisted he was dead. Doctor, I know I'm dead. I know you're not, said the doctor. Why, after all, we're having a conversation. Dead people don't talk. Well, I know I'm dead. Really? Well, come on in. Have a seat.

So he asked the dead patient, do dead people bleed? Oh, doctor, that's ridiculous. Everybody knows dead people don't bleed. You're right. Very good. And doctor thought fast, grabbed a little pin, and poked him in the arm, and blood came forth. And he said, look, you're bleeding. What is this proof? And the man said, can you believe it? Dead people do bleed. That's stubbornness. Of course, that's wacked as well.

Could it be that stubbornness is keeping you away from the full joy that God has for your life? Is God trying to get your attention in some area? Only you can search your heart, and let's do that right now.

Heavenly Father, every one of us in this room tonight-- we pause, and we bow before you, and we ask the light of your Holy Spirit now to shine individually. We're not thinking of the person next to us-- a husband or a wife or a child or a parent or a cousin or a friend. We're thinking of our own hearts before you now.

We don't want to have all of the benefits of Saul, being surrounded by the prophets of God, the people of God, the Spirit of God, and yet have to admit I have played the fool and erred exceedingly--

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--and to end up like this not far from where we began. Lord, you are God. You are sovereign. You are holy. You are mighty. We are but men and women, and our allegiance must be to you wholeheartedly. So Father, as your Spirit is now speaking to us about those areas, we confess them as sin and determination to turn from them.

Lord, have your way in our lives completely. Father, also we would pray for those who have come with us tonight who maybe have been in the camp of the Christians and considered themselves to be saved just because they have attended church or they own a Bible or they remember lifting a hand or saying a few words some years back, but, by all means, by all visible fruit, there really is no difference between that person and a worldly person. And tonight, your spirit is speaking to hearts. We believe that.

We also believe that, perhaps, some are here tonight that have got over into the camp of the enemy. We've left the fellowship. We've left fellowship with you, and we've entertained in the camp of our enemies. And Lord, you're calling us back home to you tonight. We don't want to hide behind any walls of our own piety or righteousness or our religion or our upbringing, but Lord, we want to come honestly and authentically before you so that, from this day forward, we can grow and be an advantage to the kingdom of God.