All now mysterious shall be bright
at last. Peace, hear my song, the waves
and winds still moan. His voice will root them while
he dwells below. Be still my soul, we are in space. When we shall be forever with
the Lord. a good human. One before that. Excellent too. Worshipful and comforting. 1 Samuel 22. 1 Samuel chapter 22. This last
verse of this chapter really blessed my heart when I first
read it and again. rereading it for those of you
who were not here. Sunday for the Bible study this
is when we looked at this and we did not finish the last four
verses of this chapter and I'm glad we did not glad for your
sake we did not. This is the story of David being
pursued by Saul. and how that all those who helped
and defended David were killed by Saul. It's a tragic, terrible
story, really, and a horrific story of great slaughter of men,
women, and children. And it might cause many people to wonder why. While this happens, it all started
with the high priest named Himalaya. It was the priest at that time,
and he helped David. You remember our story of David
going into the tabernacle and Himalaya giving him the showbread
and the sword belonging to Goliath. I remember that, and I loved
that story and the picture of Christ. Saul found out about it. He had
a spy there named Doeg. Look at verse 14. And Ahimelech
was ordered before Saul to answer for himself, and he defends David. Verse 14, Ahimelech answered
the king, Saul, and said, Who is so faithful among all thy
servants as David, which is the king's son-in-law, and goeth
at thy bidding, or that is, does Will does that bidding is faithful
and is honorable in my house. He spoke in defense of David.
And. David's honor is what he defended,
and yet Saul had him killed for. Helping David and 84 other priests,
85 priests altogether, counting him like verse 18. The king said
to Doeg, this evil servant of his, turn thou and fall upon
the priest. And Doeg the Edomite turned and
he fell upon the priest and slew in that day four score eighty
and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. And then it didn't
stop there. He went on to destroy the whole
city, everyone in it. Verse 19. The city of the priest
smoked he with the edge of the sword both men and women children. And suckling at his babies babies
in arms infants. And oxen and asses and sheep
with the edge of the sword he slew everything and everyone
in this town. But. One of the high priest or
one of the priest was son of the only one that did escape
him like son by a car versus twenty and twenty one. He escaped
it says and one of the sons and fled after David that he ran
to David his life was in danger and so he ran to the only one
that he knew could help him and. And he ran to David in verse
twenty two and about our showed David that Saul had slain the
Lord's priest. Now, that's seems kind of. Bland there, but you know good
and well that about our was. His dad had been brutally slain. And all of his friends. Probably
his mother, brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, neighbors,
everybody. Brutally, brutally slain. When he went and told David,
he was, you know, he was weeping, he was scared for his own life,
and he was greatly, greatly, greatly troubled. When it says
he told David, showed David, it goes much deeper than that.
He cried unto David, told him all that had happened. Not that
David needed to know, David knew. He knew what was going to happen.
In verse 22, David said unto Bithar, I knew it. I knew it. I knew it that day when Doeg
the Edomite was there. I knew that he would surely tell
Saul, and I have, David said, I am responsible. I have occasioned
the death of all the persons of thy father's house. I am the
reason. that all these people died. And then he utters these wonderful
words, to abide by this fearful and grieving young man, the only
one to escape. He says, Abide thou with me. Fear not. He that seeketh my
life, seeketh thy life. But with me, thou shalt be in
safe guard." Now, that is a true story. It's an actual story. It actually
happened. Horrible, horrible scene, wasn't
it? Bloodshed, trauma, great, great. Terrible, terrible time, fear
and anguish, pain, suffering, sorrow, all of that. It's an
actual story, a true story. But you saw the story within
the story, didn't you, as we read that? What a wonderful story
this is of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is called the Son of David.
And of that salvation for all who flee to him. all whose lives
are in danger from the adversary, and who flee to him to hide them. And he utters those blessed words. These are not the words of David
only, but these are the words of Christ himself to all of his
people. You abide with me. Fear not. Those that seek my
life seek your life. But with me, Thou shalt be in safe guard."
Now, like Saul, we have a common adversary, and I know it sounds
like a fable, and the world, as it goes on, increasingly disbelieves
that there is such one as Satan, but that's how subtle he is.
And our Lord again let me remind you of all these things that
we believe they're all based upon the Lord Jesus Christ because
he's the one who spoke more of Satan than anybody else. He spoke
often of Satan didn't he? He dealt with Satan. He actually
confronted and was confronted by Satan himself, the person. This prince of the power of the
air, he called the God, the small g of this world, spiritual wickedness
in high places, unseen, an unseen foe, but a real one. Nonetheless,
our Lord Jesus Christ is the one who spoke of him and spoke
often of him. And for me and to to make light
of Satan and what proves there in his. Service done, but for
them to make light of it is to is to call Jesus Christ a liar.
For that matter, for men and women to take lightly anything
this book says is to call Jesus Christ a liar. You see, everything
we believe, all our faith is in this person who walked here
2,000 years ago. That he was indeed God manifest
in the flesh. And everything he said was true. And everything that he said would
come to pass will come to pass. Has or will come to pass. Now Satan is a real adversary,
though we cannot see him. It doesn't mean he's not real. And matter of fact, Scripture
says that things that are seen are temporary, like a soap bubble.
The things that are seen are not lasting, are not really real. But the things that are not seen
are eternal and lasting, true and real. Satan seeks to destroy
Christ and his people. In the beginning, in the garden,
is where he began his work, upon the first man and his wife, whom
God created. And he's been operating on humanity
ever since. But he especially assaults God's
people. He's after Christ. He knows who
Christ is. He knows. And he, to a degree,
he knows who are, who belong to Christ. And so he is, Christ
said, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. That's what
Christ said of Satan. Walking about, seeking whom he
may devour. Now go with me to Hebrews 11,
Hebrews chapter 11. And he has his ministers, like
Saul had this man named Doeg that did his bidding, that did
his evil work, didn't he? Satan has his demons and devils
and so forth. Scripture's very clear about
it. Our Lord, the miracle he performed more than any other
was casting out demons. And you've often heard me say
that if a person is not indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, they've
got An unclean spirit, well, they're captive. If they're not
held captive by Christ, they're held captive by Satan. And he has his ministers, like
this man named Doeg, men and women, that's who they are. They're
not gargoyles, and they're not little, you know, demons with
tails and all that, that you'd run from them. But they're men
and women. They're wolves dressed in sheep
clothing. Like this Doeg, he was right in the middle of these
fellas. at that one time one day and nobody suspected like
you well. There are men and women today
who do Satan's bidding who hate the truth and who hate the true
Christ and I hate those who believe him and those who declare him. And years ago. Years ago the
followers of the true Christ were actually killed for the
truth for Christ's sake they were actually killed they were
actually slaughtered with a wholesale slaughter. by the millions. I wish that our our generation
had not as not lost. I wish we had not lost. The reality of that. We live
in such safety and such ease. And the reason being is that
so many. Were like their lives were sacrificed.
Look at Hebrews 11. This is this is factual. Hebrews
eleven verse thirty five says women received their dead raised
to life again others were tortured not except in deliverance they
might obtain a better resurrection that is they were faced with
cruel torture and they didn't they didn't recant they didn't
renounce they took it because of Christ truth verse thirty
six others had trial of cruel mockings and scourging bonds
in prison the stone. Many many people were killed
like they were sawing asunder. Actually cut in half and attempted
slaying of the sword wandered about sheepskin destitute afflicted
tormented of whom the world was not worried that this is reality
this is real this really happened years ago. The all historians are alike
in their agreement that the the soil and dust in the Roman Colosseum
is is made up of the bones of early martyrs who were cast before
the lines and so forth as sports to the unbelieving godless. People like you and me. And actually
watching me. eaten alive by lions or tortured
and people got entertainment out of that. Hard to imagine. Hard to imagine. That was true.
True. And back in our text, this was
a true and terrible thing that took place. Slaughter of men,
women, and children. And it was all because of one
man. David. And that's fitting, isn't it?
That's what I'm trying to say. All these we talked about who
were slain, were slain for the cause of Christ. One man. For
Christ's sake. Oh, David said this, I like this. He said, I knew it. I knew it
that day. The dough egg there was there.
I knew it. Why didn't he do something about
it? You think he could have. Sure. He said I have I have occasion
the death of all the person said this to the young man. He said
this to that young man who all his friends and family is home
and everything were brutally destroyed and murdered and he
said to him he said it's all because of me. Now we Asked Sunday, this question,
why? Why do things like this happen? What does God have to do with
all of this? You know, the world does not
believe the God that we do. The world does not believe that
God has anything to do with anything that they call evil, even death. If you do not know these verses,
you need to. You've heard me quote them for
you. I want you to know them, all right? Deuteronomy 32. Go
over there with me. Deuteronomy 32. If you do not
yet know these verses, you need to know them. You need to memorize
them. You need to mark them so you
can turn to them, know where they're at. Not only for your
own comfort, but as a witness to others. Deuteronomy 32. If
we want to ask the question, if God is sovereign, then why
do things like this happen? If God is love, and he is, and I wish more people in the
world would ask questions like this, don't you? If God is love,
why does evil happen? And what about Jesus Christ,
who they say is all love? Catholicism has this little slogan
they use with him, gentle Jesus meek and mild. Pray for us like
a child or something like that. Gentle Jesus meek and mild. If
that's the way he is and that's the only way he is, then why
do things like this happen? Can you answer that? Now, several things we need to
keep in mind. Several things. I said Sunday.
Number one, first thing is we need to keep in mind is that God doesn't have to answer this. He doesn't have to answer it.
Scripture says in Job chapter 33, verse 13, he says, God giveth
not account of his matters to any man. He doesn't have to. when your children were really
young. And you told them something and even now, perhaps you tell
them something. Do you have to give them a reason
why? I heard my father say many times
when I if I was so brash and bold and so foolish as to say
why. He would say to me because and
it would make that would make him Get real stern with me. You ever
do that, Sam? He'd say, because I said so. And many times he never did tell
me why. I know now that I'm older, now
that I'm a father. Now I know, even as I was known,
he'd say. You heard that, didn't you, Nancy?
And so shall we someday. But first thing is, God giveth
no account of his matters. And here's another thing, here's
the thing we need to keep in mind. Look at Deuteronomy 32.
I need to turn there myself. Deuteronomy 32, verse 39. You
need to know these verses. He says, God says, see now that
I, even I am he. There is no God with me. No small
G-O-D. No small G-O-D. That means there's
nobody reigning or ruling over anything. You understand that there's not
one person in control of one atom in this universe. There's
not one human being in control of anything, anything to do with
his own destiny or anything or nobody anywhere, no devils, no
angels, no anybody, no small god with me. I, see now, I am
he. Who? God. Here's the first thing we need
to understand is that God is God. Second thing we need to
know, God is God, and giveth not account of his matters to
anybody. Doesn't have to, that's what makes him God. And look
at this, now verse 39, look at this, committed to memory, he
says, I kill, and I make life. Yeah, but, but doeg, he went
down, no, God says, I kill. Who killed? Doeg? Yeah, he did
exactly what he wanted to do. But he did what God determined
to be done or he could have done it. Did you read that? That's God's
work. If this is not so throw this book away and we're all
a bunch of fools for being here. Let's run to the hills. It's
running high. If there is no God, capital G, capital O, capital
D, one who reigns and rules over all things good and evil. All working according to his
infinite wisdom and power and nothing out from under his power
or from under his control. If there is no God, we better
run to the hills, people. We better get us some guns and
stockpile some food and run to the hill. But if God is, then we run to
him. You see? We don't run to the
hills. We run to Him to hide us. Look
at Isaiah. Isaiah, I wound and I heal, God
said. Neither can any deliver out of
my hand. Isaiah chapter 45. Some of you know these verses,
but I bet you don't. Can't quote them, but you don't
know where they are after all these years. But you can. Need to. Isaiah 45. Absolutely
need to this is an answer to this god-hating world that know
anything about the unknown. We need to know we need to be
ready to give a reason to hope that life. Verses five through
seven Isaiah forty-five this is God speaking again I am the
Lord, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, Lord of lords. They're little lords, you know,
that God set up over this and that and the other, but he's
the one controlling them. Lord of lords. God of gods, small
g. There is no God beside me. None. He said, I girded thee, I clothed
you, did everything for you, though thou hast not known me.
I know you know everything about me. God said in Psalm 139, I
know you're down sitting, you're upright. There's not a word in
your mouth. I don't know it all together. I know all your thoughts
are. I know I've known you before
you were created, before you were in your mother's belly.
I knew you. I'm God. That's what makes me
God. And I determined everything concerning you and concerning
everything and everyone. Read on. They might know. from
the rising of the sun, that is, from the east and from the west,
there's none beside me, I'm the Lord, there is none else, I form
the light, that is, understanding, open things up, understanding,
and create darkness, hide these things so people can't figure
a thing out. I make peace and create evil. I be Lord in all
these things. If you've never seen this verse,
it will change your theology. Proverbs 16. Proverbs 16. It might not change your heart,
but it'll change your theology, if you honestly take a look at
it. If you and me would just honestly look at God's Word.
Proverbs 16, and this is why I say that you either believe
this or throw it away, because it's so plain. So clear God's
word. He said this in Proverbs 8. He
said there's nothing forward or perverse in what I say. Nothing.
All my words are plain to him to understand. But these evil, twisted people,
that's what they do with God's word. They twist it. They hear
it. They read it. Problem is not this is what it
says. I actually heard a so-called preacher on radio the other day
say this very thing. He said, now here's what, it's
not so much what God has said. He said it's not so much what
God has said but we need to know what God meant by that. What that fellow meant was we
decide what we think God meant. He says it but I don't think
he meant that. But look at this, Proverbs 16,
verse 4, and it's hard to take this any other way than the way
you said it. Verse 4, The Lord hath made all for himself, yea,
even the wicked for the day of evil. And I was going to have you turn
to Amos 3, but I'll turn and read it for you
if you turn. But chapter three verse six he
says this. Shall there be evil in a city
and the Lord has not done it. So. These people all these people
were brutally slaughtered by an evil man but he did what God
determined before. It couldn't happen. But that's
the God of the Bible. I like what Thomas Watson said,
I've quoted this to you many times, I'm going to quote it
again. This is one of the finest man-made sayings that I've ever
heard concerning the sovereignty of God in things concerning sin. Thomas Watson said this, now
listen carefully, listen carefully. He said, God hath a hand in the
action where the sin is. but no hand in the sin of the
action. Repeat it again, and I'll try
to explain it. God had the hand in the action where the sin is,
but he hath no hand in the sin of the action. In other words, wicked, fallen,
sinful men do what they want to do, what their evil wills
will them to do, what they take pleasure in doing, but they only
do what God Almighty determined to be done. But God didn't have
to make them do it. Just leave them alone. Kind of like a dog. You know,
here's meat over here. If you don't restrain it, all
you got to do is let it go. It will do what its nature makes
it do. If you're the owner of that dog,
it will do what you allow it to do, according to your... The greatest example of all,
let me give you the greatest example of all. Somebody may
say, I don't believe that. Well, here it is. infallible
proof of that. Calvary. That's what Peter preached at
Pentecost that day. He said, You with wicked hands
have taken and crucified the Lord of glory. They offered,
Pilate offered men, offered them Jesus. You know, what will you
do with Jesus? What are you going to do with this and they all
with one accord everyone and one one dissenting vote everyone
with one accord said. And with wicked hands they brutally
tortured and slaughtered the most inhumane killing one of
the most in the history of the human right. As a fifty two talks
about him and says his business was marred more than any man.
And that's what I said and I believe that Christ was more disfigured
at the hands of men than any human being ever before or since.
I believe that. That's what it said, more than
any man. He didn't even look like a human being after they
got through him. That's the reason all these depictions
of Christ hanging on a cross are abomination. They don't even
honor him and his suffering. They don't even hardly show any
blood. That's pretty typical. It's a bloodless religion today.
But they did what they determined to do. They did. I mean, they
did what they wanted to do. They did what their evil hearts
wanted to do. But they did, Peter said. Here's
what Peter said. They did what God determined
before to be done. God said the lamb, my lamb must
be sacrificed. For the remission of my people's
sin is three thousand people involved in killing my son and
every one of them. be redeemed by the very blood
that they shed. And the worst example of sin
ever and malice and wickedness and butchery and murder ever
in the history of mankind turned out to be the greatest scene
of mercy and goodness and grace and yes, glory. Now, God's ways are just not
our ways. That's just not the way we would have done it. Greatest example of all. Here's
another thing we need to consider. Go to Colossians 1 with me. Colossians
chapter 1. In light of this story, Colossians
1, we need to consider that all
things have something to do with the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything. Has something to
do with Christ in some way or another. If it points to Christ
or the exaltation of glory, the furtherance of the kingdom of
Christ, something. It's something to do with it's
all connected. To cry like David said, I have occasioned the death
of all these people. It's all because of me and everything
that has ever happened since the beginning of time. It's all
because of Christ, somewhat. Our brother read in Colossians
3, 11, that verse we love so well. Christ is all and in all.
Look here, Colossians 1. This is wonderful. Verses 16
through 19. By him, Christ, were all things
created that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones or dimensions, principalities, power, and all
things were created by him and for him. for him, for his Lord,
for the purpose of his exaltation. And he is, read on, he's before
all things, above all things. By him all things consist. See, it's the Lord God's put
him over all things. He's head over all. He's the
head of the church, the body of the church, who's the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead. Then in all things he might have
preeminent. For it pleased the Father that
in Christ should all fullness dwell. All the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge, all fullness, all the fullness of God's purpose,
will, all the fullness of time and eternity, all events, all
circumstances, everything. That's something to do with Christ.
And we don't see it, but that's the way it is. So this was prophetic,
what David said. It's all because of me. Now go
back to our text, 1 Samuel 22. I like what David said. I knew
it. I knew it. David, though he was sad, David,
though he was upset, you know, he was. He was a merciful man,
a kind man, a feeling, a caring man, a loving man. But he said,
I knew it. And I believe he said this in
a way to calm our fears. Don't you? I knew it. I knew
it. Have you ever said, did you ever say something to your your
dad when you were a young child? You're all torn up about it.
And you told him some bad news or something that was going on.
You know, Dad, you know this. Yeah, I knew that. And his way of putting that.
Barbara, you know, he he was calm and said it in a matter
of fact way and. Way to call me here. Yeah, I
knew that. It had a way of putting you at
ease. Did you know what happened? Yeah. I knew. Any other these wonderful words,
and this is what I want to spend about five minutes. All right. Are you with me? Anybody still
with us? It's not me. I'm just telling you what God
said, OK? And it's up to him anyway. I can't keep anybody
of mine occupied. But he uttered his wonderful
word. He said, abide with me. You stay with me. Hear not. He
that seeks my life, seeks your life. Abide with me. Now, what does it mean to abide with
somebody? What does it mean? You know what
it means. You abide with somebody, don't you? You abide with your
wife, your husband, your children. It means to live with them. It
means to dwell with them. It means to stay there, doesn't
it? You abide with somebody. You're not just visiting. You're
staying there. You're there to stay, aren't you? You've come
to stay. David says to this young man,
you abide. You're going to live right here
with me. You're going to stay right here. You're going to come
and go with me. Like those men in that cave,
you know, were with him. They're still with him. They're
abiding with him. Four hundred of them. About five hundred now.
Five hundred and one. They're with him. Wherever David
goes, they go. David stays, they stay. David's
always leading. He's the captain. It was like
Christ, whenever he went, wherever they went, they didn't know where
they were going. They never knew where they were
going. They didn't know where he was going. He didn't always
tell them. Sometimes he did. We must go into this city. But
whenever they did go anywhere, he went out, scripture said,
before them. There were a few times when he
stayed behind, he did that on purpose. A few times he sent
them out like in a boat and they went out and they were on their
own, they thought. And boy, they did that thing. And the waves
and things start happening. You know, they were worried.
Then they started looking for him. They lost sight of him.
Was he not with them? Yeah, he was. And here he came
walking on the water. Or he's in the boat asleep. He's
always with them. He never left him alone. He's
a good captain, a faithful one. But to live with somebody, to
dwell with them is to abide with them. David said, with me. David
was God's promised sure king. David was the king of Israel.
We say he doesn't need nothing now. Yes, he is. Yeah, he is. But he doesn't look like it. It doesn't matter, does it? It
doesn't matter, does it? He doesn't look like it. Look,
he's in a cave. Might as well be. It doesn't matter, he's out
in the open. for a giant, for a wall of flesh,
it doesn't matter, he's God's king. If you're with him, you'll
be all right. Now, he doesn't look like it.
Well, if you'll read the whole story, you'll see that he eventually
was made the greatest king the earth has ever known. Scripture
says there's never been one like him, except his son. Jesus Christ is God's king. That's
what he's called, the king of Israel, king of the Jews. That's
what they said in mockery to make light of him when they crucified
him. They wrote over, this is Jesus of Nazareth, the king of
the Jews. And they said that in jest. They
said that in derision of him. He was hung on the cross and
they said, look at him now. He doesn't look like a king.
He's manipulating, he's reigning and ruling and controlling the
very fellow who's driving the spikes in his head. The fellow who was carving the
sign, he told him to carve it. He's reigning and ruling right
there. It doesn't look like what he
is. You read the rest of the story. Go ahead and read the
rest of the story. You'll see. Now if he was king
hanging on a cross, how much more is he now seated on the
throne with the right hand of the majesty on high? This man named Bithar ran to
David in his weak state, didn't he? He ran to David in that uncrowned
state, didn't he? He didn't look like a king. He's
as good as king. He is king. God said so. And we take God at his word.
We've never seen Christ, have we? We've never seen Christ.
God says he's right here. God says, God who no man has
seen or can see, God says he's right here, right here. At my
right hand, reigning and ruling over all. Seated, right now. Seated. Expecting all things,
ordering all things, reigning and ruling over all. But I can't,
he doesn't, I can't see it. He is. He is. Our Lord said to his disciples
over and over again, abide with me. He said, if you abide in
me, abide, John 15. He said, if a man abide not in
me, he's going to be cast forth as a branch and be burnt. He said, Abide in me, and I in
you. He said to the Father in the prayer to the Father, he
says, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me
where I am. These are the men you gave me. He said that they all may be
one, thou, our Father, and me, I, and thee, they also may be
one, and us, we're one. Well, I can't see him. Take his word for it. He is king
right now. Christ said things like this
over and over again. Like David to Abiathar. David said, those that seek my
life, seek your life. He said, you stay with me. You
live with me. You stay right here. They're after me, too.
But to get to you, you've got to get to me. That's what he's
saying. In order for them to get to you, they've got to get
to me. And he said, if you stay with
me, you're going to be safe. Can you believe that? He was. You read the rest of
the story. This man. Our Lord said things like this.
If the world hates you, you know it hated me before it hated you.
If they persecuted me, he said, you know they'll persecute you.
But fear not. He said, be of good cheer. He
said, in the world you shall have tribulation. You're going
to have an adversary. Satan hath desired to sift you,
Peter. Simon Stanley. Satan hath desired you, just
no less than Simon Peter, to sift you like wheat. Be of good cheer. I've overcome
the world. Now, if he said that before the
cross, If Christ said that I have overcome the world before the
cross, he said that. How much more? Is that true now? It's not more true, but it's.
We should believe him more, shouldn't we? With me shall thou be in
safeguard. Would you turn with me to John
18? This is wonderful. I love this story and I'm going
to close this out with John 18. You see, no one could touch the
disciples while they were with Christ. They couldn't touch them.
So many times they tried to take Christ. If you read it for yourself,
throughout any gospel, you'll see that it says they sought
to lay hands on him, but they could not. His time was not yet.
They kept saying that. A whole lynch mob would come
and take him. And one time they did lay hold
of him and took him to the brow of the hill to throw him off
the cliff. How can one man escape himself? He's not just a man. He's not
a man. He said, no man taketh my life
from me. And people, no man taketh your life from you. Circumstances
don't. Diseases don't do it. And the unbelieving world blames
on everything but the one whom they should be fearing. John 18, I love this, verses
7 through 9, when they came to take Christ in the garden, remember?
Judas leading this pack, just like Old Dough Egg, leading this
pack. Remember, the Lord said, I am,
and they fell to the ground. Then verse 7, he asked them again,
Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus answered, I have told you that I am. If therefore you seek
me, let these go. They had no choice. This is the
king. This is the one manipulating
this whole thing. They can't lay a hand on the
disciples because Christ gave the order. Take me. Take me. And that was so then and now.
But you say that all of them were killed. Who did it? God did it. It's the Lord. Like Eli said, when both his
sons were killed, it's the Lord. But it's the Philistines who
killed them. It's the Lord. Can you believe that? What peace could you have otherwise? What explanation is. What other
explanation. And I absolutely mock the so-called
God today who doesn't want things to happen but they happen anyway.
And why do you need. You can't run to him to hide
if he can't do anything about. Bad things happen he doesn't
want it happened. Why do you need him. But now, if God, in his infinite
wisdom, who giveth not account of his matters to anybody, We don't understand. We're not
capable of understanding. My dog will never understand
much about me at all. Never. And neither will we on
this earth. Well, what is it to abide with
Christ? Well, it's to be in Christ. How
do you get in Christ? My daughter asked that when she
was just a young girl. Good question. I wish adults
would ask that. Never had an adult in my life
ask that. But she did. She asked that. She was just
a little girl. Five or six years old. Keep hearing about how we
need to be in Christ, in Christ. She asked the question, how does
one get in Christ? Do you know the answer to that
question? You put yourself in Christ? What's
the answer to that question? What does the scripture say?
Of God are you in Christ. Who of God has made all things
to us? If you're in Christ, there's
a baby in her belly. There's a baby in Jennifer's
belly. Who put it there? The Father. Is that baby OK? If she's OK, it's OK. He, notice
I said he, we're going to have a couple of boys now. We need
boys, you know that, don't we? Anyway. As she is, so is the
baby. What she eats, she eats. Where
she goes, she goes. That's what it is to be in Christ.
As he is, so are we. God put his people in Christ
for safekeeping, for salvation. With me is thy safety. With thy
salvation. You're in me. You're safe. To abide with Christ and in Christ
is to be in Christ. And to abide with Christ is to
live on Christ. Like that child, this is a good
illustration, that child lives off of the mother. Everything
it gets, it gets from the mother. That mother is that child's food. Christ said, except you eat my
flesh and drink my blood, you have no part in it. Abide, except
you abide in me. You're cut off. As the branches
get everything from the vine. Well, what does that mean to
live on Christ? Well, I'll give you an illustration.
Peter said that. One time, that's when Christ said about eating
his flesh and blood, that there were disciples, there were people
that claimed to believe him, disciples. And it says, these
are hard sayings. We don't understand what you're
saying. We don't like what you're saying. And from that time, many of his
disciples, it said, walk no more with him. They quit abiding with
him. They quit walking with him, and they left him. They left
him. Meaning, they had all they could
take of him. They didn't need him anymore,
right? They didn't need him anymore. They could do just fine without
him. They're no longer going to abide with him, walk with
him. They can do without him. They don't need him. They never
did need him. But Peter said this, when the
Lord said, offered him a choice, so to speak, and the rest of
the disciples. Peter summed up what it means
to abide with Christ, to live with Christ, to live on Christ.
Now listen, Peter said, when Christ said, will you also go
away? And Peter said, to whom shall
we go? To whom? Those people went away
to something that they left Christ for something for somebody did
whenever somebody leaves Christ they leave it for somebody. Amen
love father mother sister brother husband wife son daughter grandchildren
houses jobs whatever more than me they'll leave Christ count
on. And most of the time, you don't
really know until it's all over, until you see that they are really
abiding. As John said, they went out from
us. They've been out of us, there's
no doubt. Somebody come here and seemed
to be interested. They seem to love the gospel,
love Christ, and love the Christ people, and then they leave,
and they take their children with them. They have children. What they're
saying is, I don't need Christ anymore, I don't need God anymore.
They're telling their children, you don't need God either. What about you? What do you say?
Do you say with Peter, thou hast the words of life. You're my life. Christ, our life. Not a part of our life. Your
life. I feed on you. Like that baby. I feed on you. I starve without you. I'm scared
without you. I fall without you. You're my
life. You're my hope, my help, my strength,
my wisdom, my protection, my food, my drink, my joy, my peace,
my safety, my everything. That's what it means to abide
with Christ, to live on Christ. There are people that live together,
the husband and wife, but they're not abiding together, dwelling
together. And don't dwell on that. But
the point is, those with Christ are actually feeding on Him,
living off of Him. You can't live without Him. When
you live, when you dwell, to dwell with Christ means to stay
with Him. You're not going anywhere. I
told a brother today, I said, it's a great comfort to me that
in spite of all the mistakes I make with people that I cannot,
I cannot drive off one of God's sheep. Can't do it. That's a great comfort to me.
Because they abide in Christ and they abide with Christ. in
spite of everything. They dwell with, stay with, and
to dwell means to live with, to live on, live on, live with. When you dwell with somebody,
really dwell with somebody, it's to live with them, to love, to
walk, to talk with, eat with, fellowship with. John said this,
truly our fellowship, truly our fellowship is with the Father
and with the Son and abide with Him. And the last with. Our Lord talked about this person
who doesn't mourn. The person who doesn't dance
is not alive. It's just the savor of life,
the life. From death to death. So David uttered those wonderful
words and they were a prophecy. This is what Christ says to all
his people. He said, You abide with me. You stay right here. You come.
You're coming to me. You're coming to stay. You're coming for my help. You're coming for my protection.
You're coming for my provisions. You remember all those fellas
in debt and distressed and discontent? They didn't have anything. They
left everything to get to David. You're coming to me. provide
all things for you. Christ said, you're coming to
me, you come to me. That's what it means to come
to Christ. You're coming to me for everything, all your help,
hope, salvation, eternity, the care of your family and everything.
Is that it? You're coming to me, casting all your care on
me? You're going to live off of me,
depend on me, trust me implicitly? Yes, Lord. Then you'll be in safeguard.
You'll be in safeguard. You're safe. You're safe. Don't
go anywhere. Do you know what Balfour did? He left David. And Solomon slew him. That's awful, isn't it? So you
don't know, do you? He looked like it. Damn, he looked
like it. David told him, don't you leave. And he went after
Absalom. He started following that crook,
Absalom, against Solomon. And Solomon cut his head off. You stay with Christ. You stay
right here now. Wherever Christ is, you better
stay. You better stay there. And if you do, you'll know that
you were in Him. If you feed on Him, you live off of Him.
It's a good sign. OK, stand with me. Our Lord, thank you for your
sure word, sure mercies of David, son of David, now that you're
our salvation. We thank you. Lord, make us faithful,
cause us to abide with thee, truly as we sang the hymn, the
fastest falling even tide, the darkest evening. Lord, this is
truly the eleventh hour, and we see it now as one is flown
into thy presence. And surely more will come bearing
that right soon, maybe us. So Lord, we want to dwell with
you forever. This is the one thing that we
desire, and that's what we seek after, to dwell in the house
of the Lord forever and hold thy beauty and worship in thy
temple. It's in Christ's name we're met
here tonight. Amen.