Abounding Grace

Larry: God will often use the rock bottom to get your attention. What will it take for you to get right with God?

Pastor Ed Taylor: David, when he encouraged himself in the Lord where he's the prodigal coming home. He's turning back to God. He's come to the bottom. It's the prodigal coming to his senses. You know, it's interesting how many times how that so many times God is has to take a person to the bottom before they turn back to God. You don't have to get to the bottom. God calls you into his cords of love right now. But isn't it interesting how many times God will have to take someone to the very bottom before they finally cry out and come back to him.

You don't have to go, but you will. And God will take you there if necessary.

Larry: So think back to a time in your life when you were living life according to your will and by your own resources. You had turned your back on God and tried it your own way and then failed miserably. David, a man after God's own heart, went down that path for 16 months before he finally turned back to God. But the Lord didn't give up on him. He was waiting patiently and faithfully for his wayward child to return. We get the details in 1 Samuel chapter 30 and that's where we join pastor Ed Taylor now for this encouraging edition of Abounding Grace.

Pastor Ed Taylor: Yeah, the people spoke of stoning in verse 6 cuz everybody was grieved. You know, that that was a must have been a real sad group of people. 600 people and they lost everything, their kids, everything. They just lost everything. They're all It's it's it's devastating. It reminds me of the desperation uh that Jesus met when he went to the pools of Bethesda. Remember and all those sick people were there and they were so desperate to get into the water. They were just desperate. They were desperate and only one person would go in at a time and they'd have to go home and then the people who were there that were sick and and all sorts of things going on with their body and sores and and you know, you can think of just the worst of conditions.

And yet every day they're just there. They have no hope, but they do have hope, but they really have no hope. It's desperate. It says every man and his sons and everybody was everybody was just just tore up over their loss. But mark this. David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Sometimes that's all you can do. And it's really all you should do. Strengthened himself in the Lord his God. It doesn't say he did anything else. He didn't call his friends. He didn't send him a mass email. He didn't post all his woes on Facebook.

He didn't send out a text. He didn't go to church. You see a turning point in David's life here. Everything's going to change with this attitude. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. He turned. He turned to God in a very deep dark time in his life and God met him there. It's not that God ever left. And it's not like God dis left and descended at that at that point. But there was something that was connected here. You know what you could say here? You know what this really looks like? We're not going to get into it in depth, but would you turn over Luke chapter 15?

You could say of David right now, the prodigal has come home. You're praying for a prodigal right now? Let David encourage you because David came home. That was the right thing to do. The prodigal came home. Yes, finally. Finally, he came home to the Father. And and in Luke chapter 15 for the sake of time, we aren't able to go through it verse by verse. But this is probably one of the most popular teachings of Jesus, the prodigal son. In the beginning from verse 11 on, it talks about the prodigal son in his rebellion, wanting his inheritance.

He's going to go and and he's going to go spend it all. And and it says in verse 13, he wasted his possessions there with prodigal or wasteful living. That's what the word prodigal means, wasteful. But when he had spent all there arose verse 14 a famine in that land and he began to be in want. And then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country and he sent him into the fields to feed the pigs. And he would have gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate and no one gave him anything.

Again, if you like to write in your Bibles next to verse 16, just write bottom. Cuz that's where he's at. David hitting rock bottom was coming back from a compromising season of years in his life. It was years. You recall as we go through the time timetable. He comes back and to find that you know, everything's been fine every other compromise. But this time the Amalekites have come and wiped out the city and taken all the families captive and they want to kill him. He's hit rock bottom. For this kid, he 's lost everything and you know, he bought his friends for a while, but he found out really when when things got tough, he found out who his friends really were.

And it wasn't any of the ones that were spending his money. It wasn't anyone that was partying with him. It wasn't anyone that was oh yeah yeah, you're the best man, you're the best. How much money you got left? You know, you're the best. You know, I need some it wasn't any of them. They all abandoned him. He was left with the citizen of the country and pigs. That 's where he was left. And there's just that time we need to pray in someone's life. It's a hard prayer, but we need to. Whatever it takes, Lord.

Whatever it takes. You know, we're praying for someone in some someone in our life we just know that we need that they need to get rock bottom. That's the only solution. The Holy Spirit just needs to bring him to the place to the end of themselves. And so what a dangerous prayer. But a lot of times we don't want to pray that prayer cuz we love that person so much. But we need to learn how to trust the Lord that he 'll do whatever it takes because he loves that person more than you and I do.

You think of the depth of love that you and I have and you're like, wait a minute. God loves them far more. His love is much more supreme than yours and mine. And the only love that we really exercise is the love that he put us in us anyway. But we got to pray, man, whatever it takes. But how about this? What about this prayer? Lord, whatever it takes in my life for me to get right with you. That's a powerful one. Now Ed, I think I 'll pray the first one. I think I have a few people I love, but for me, whatever it takes in my life, whatever you want to do in my life, Lord, that's often a prayer that needs to be prayed for our lives, us personally.

You know, we sing songs and and sometimes they're hard to sing, man. We sing songs that that are very biblically accurate, but they're very hard to sing. And I jotted down in my notes the song that we sing that says break me, mold me, shape me. I say know me. No. I don't want to be broken. I don't want to be molded. I don't want to be shaped. Or do I? I mean, if I'm honest, which you would expect me to be, right? You be honest with me? Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't. There's long stretches where I do and there's long stretches where I don't really want to be broken.

I don't even think there's stretches in my life where I think I don't even think I can be broken anymore than I already am. And yet at the same time my heart is but Lord, I belong to you. So whatever you want. I wonder what you say in your prayers. That's a hard, you know, that Can you imagine if God dealt with us like he did with Ananias and Sapphira in the early church where they just did a little quick lie to the apostles and then How about if God dealt with us when we were singing songs?

How about this? I surrender all. Bam bam bam bam bam bam. That's like whoa. All right. Got to do some more evangelism. Yeah, as if Ed's going to be here still, you know. We're all gone. I mean, at times if we were in your head, you'd be saying I surrender all except and then except except except except except except You know, and Ian's moving on, but we're I mean, that's a hard song to sing. Break me and mold me and shape me. That's a hard song to sing. But it's needed. I 'm glad we sing them.

I 'm glad we sing the scriptures that they come out of our lips. Do we really want to be broken? Do we really want to be molded? I mean, you think of this young man. He finally came to the end of himself and it says when it says in verse 17 when he came to himself, he said, how many of my father's hired servants have bread enough to spare and I perish with hunger. I'm going to arise and go back to my father and we'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against heaven and and before you and and I I don't you know, I to me I would read it this way if I paraphrased it.

How many of my dads hired servants verse 17? I'm going to go home and say dad, I've sinned. No longer worthy to call you be called your son. Just make me I mean, I just be one of your how just take a job. I get it. I know what I did. I'll take a job. You know, there's a word for that that's called humility and repentance. That's what that's called right there. He didn't come back and try to bargain or broker or make excuses and he didn't try to minimize it. He didn't try well, I didn't know Hey man, dad, I I'll be okay if you know even though you don't even take me back, but I had to come back and try.

I was so wrong. I was so wrong. You can conceptualize that in your own mind of what David's doing when he encourages himself in the Lord. Don't think for a moment that when you and I encourage ourselves in the Lord that it doesn't involve repentance. It doesn't involve brokenness. It doesn't involve surrender. It definitely will not and should not involve excuses. It should not involve well, you know what she did. It should not involve any of that. It's like Lord, I'll I'll take man, I will. I'll work for you. I know I had all the pleasant benefits of being your son, but I'll work for you.

And it says in verse 20 he arose and came back to his dad. But notice when he was still a far way off, his dad saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. Let me just jot these down. We run out of time. Um but it's okay. Let me just jot these down and we'll wind down. Eight times in the Bible, you might want to get your pens ready. The the phrase I have sinned is used. At least I found eight times. Let me give them to you and let's compare four against four.

You ready? So I have sinned appears eight times. First of all, I have sinned said Pharaoh. Exodus chapter 9 verse 27. I have sinned said Balaam. Numbers chapter 22 verse 34. I have sinned said Saul. 1 Samuel 15 verse 24. I have sinned said Judas. Matthew chapter 27 verse 4. Each acknowledged their sin, but none of them repented from it. So it's one thing to say I've sinned. Okay. I've sinned. Okay. But you haven't changed. There's no change. So therefore those are empty words. How about these four occurrences? I have sinned said Job. Job chapter 7 verse 20.

I have sinned said David. 2 Samuel chapter 12 verse 13. I have sinned said Achan. Joshua chapter 7 verse 20, but a little too late. Wow. I think he meant it. And yet at the same time he still got the consequences. I have sinned is the the eighth time we're here the prodigal says it. You see you can have the words, but understand repentance leads to action. Action away from a previous behavior. You see if you don't change your previous behavior, then you really don't think it was sin. It's like you well, I've sinned, but you're doing the same thing.

So you really don't think you've sinned because if you're doing the same thing and you think you've sinned, then you're just going back and sinning again. Does that make sense? I mean, it doesn't make sense, but did I make sense? Like like you look at it, you go I've sinned. I know, but you're you're doing the same thing. You haven't made it right. You you're not even going over and above recognizing your sin against God and your sin against man. David, when he encouraged himself in the Lord where he's the prodigal coming home. He's turning back to God.

He's come to the bottom. It's the prodigal coming to his senses. You know, it's interesting how many times how that so many times God is has to take a person to the bottom before they turn back to God. You don't have to get to the bottom. God calls you into his cords of love right now. But isn't it interesting how many times God will have to take someone to the very bottom before they finally cry out and come back to him. You don't have to go, but you will. And God will take you there if necessary.

God doesn't take any joy, I don't think, in doing that. There are better ways to be right with the Lord, man. There are better ways in our lives, less painful. He would much rather be sensitive. He much rather be compassionate. He would much rather just lead with his voice or send a friend into your life. He He would much rather receive you in a moment. I mean, in Psalm 32 verse 8 it says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I'll guide you with my eye. Don't be like the horse or the mule which have no understanding, but they have to be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.

Many sorrow shall be to the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord mercy shall surround him. I don't know about you, but I'm not real encouraged to be compared to a donkey. You know, a sheep description is not very kind of us, but it's way better than being called a donkey or any variation thereof. The picture of the mule is what? Stubbornness, resistance, rebellion. Hey listen, just cuz you have a few people around you encouraging you in it doesn't make it right. Yeah, but my friend said and I trust them and they they said every No no no.

God says I just want to instruct you and want to lead you. If you don't, I take you to the bottom. If you don't, it'll go. You'll you'll end up there. And whether the consequences of your sin will get you there or God or God will use both. He'll intervene and he'll I mean, David is there. It's so important that God does lead us. He loves us so much that he use painful processes if necessary. With David, God used painful process. He came back and found out his wife had been stolen, his wives, his goods have been ripped off, his kids are gone and his men are ready to kill him.

For a guy who's already had so much trouble, it's all he pushed them over the edge. David encouraged himself in the Lord though. He began to turn to God once again. And this of course is the beginning of David coming out of his backslidden season. It's unfortunately he'll go back again like a dog to his vomit. But he's coming out this time and for that we're grateful. David encouraged himself or strengthened himself in the Lord, friends. That's where it starts. This is what we need to do to get back on track and to get back all that's been ripped off by the enemy.

David couldn't depend upon his men. They were angry with him. There was no one to pat him on the back and say, oh, it's going to be okay. Don't worry about it, David. There was no one to wipe away his tears. But that's the way it usually is. I don't think it's important for you to wait for a pastor to come or for a friend to show up or for a neighbor to drop by when you're depressed and then to be upset with them when they don't. You need to learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord that God is there ready to receive you.

He's ready to minister to you if you'll just turn to him. Even when men fail, God does not fail. And even when men don't show up, God is already there. And even when the phone doesn't ring, God can speak to you, believer, from the inside. Be careful, would you learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord. David knew what he had to do. Everything looks so grim in his life, but he chose to encourage himself in the Lord. And he chose to encourage himself in the Lord again. And he chose to put himself on that path.

You see, I can be depressed and I can be discouraged and I can be despairing continually with the circumstances in my life. Or I can say, why you like this, soul? I can speak to my own soul and tell him just from the Psalms. Hope in God. Trust him. Give praise to him. Sing to him. Give thanks to him. And if you don't like your voice, get in the shower and start singing, man. You sound really good in the shower. Start singing under the Lord. Crack open your Bible and read it. Don't be a Bible student.

Don't argue with God. Just open up the Psalms and go, oh man, David, you felt like I did. But then God rescued you. You know, if David I just opened up right here. I just flipped the pages. Don't suggest you do that because you never know what you're going to open up to. But here you go. It says I cry out to the Lord with my voice. With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before him. I declare before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then you knew my path and the way in which I should walk.

They have secretly set a snare for me. But look on my right hand and see there's no one who acknowledges me. Refuge has failed me. No one cares for my soul. Man, like is that describing now the section of scripture we're in the Psalm 142? It's actually not. It's another time in David's life. It says a prayer when he was in the cave. I mean, the brother dealt with it. But that's not the end of the Psalm because it says in verse 5, I cried out to the Lord to you, oh Lord. I said you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

Attend to my cry for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise your name. The righteous shall surround The righteous shall surround me for you shall deal bountifully with me. How do you want to end? That's where I want to end. We're getting my eyes on the Lord, my mind fixed on him. The Bible says to keep my eyes firmly fixed on him, the author and finisher of our faith my faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame.

I want to keep my eyes on him. I want to learn how to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares me. Romans 12, Hebrews 12. I want to learn how man, yeah, the first part of the Psalm comes to all of us. But I can't say that the second part of the Psalm comes to everyone because you got to learn how to cry out to the Lord. You got to learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord. Strengthen yourself in the Lord. Find refuge in the in the Lord. I know man might have abandoned you especially in trials.

The the difficulty about trials is that you're going through whatever you're going through and then you have to come to the realization of the trial was testing everyone around you too and you find out who your friends are. That's even more. You're like whoa, wait a minute man, Lord and then it's just you can get in this mode where now you just can get in the mode of looking at everything that's not encouraging when no no no no no. I Here open your Bibles. Let's end here. Psalm 142. We're going to read this together. We're going to read verses 5, 6 and 7 together.

We're going to read it out loud for the sake of you guys on the radio. Um listen, especially if in your car driving. You guys ready? We all we're going to get on the same pace. And I'm going to back out a little bit just so you can hear the room. Uh so you'll have to keep up even if I'm quiet, okay? So Psalm 142 verse 5 says, I cried out to you, oh Lord. Refuge. My portion in the land of the living. Attend to my cry for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors for they are stronger than I.

Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise your name. The righteous shall surround me for you shall deal bountifully with me. Okay, we're going to read that last line together and very loud with great emphasis cuz that's a truth and a promise you can hold on to it. So the righteous shall surround me for

Larry: You're listening to Abounding Grace with Ed Taylor, part of our series in 1 Samuel. You can hear this message again online at aboundinggraceradio.com. Pastor Ed, in today's message we observed a prodigal coming home and getting back on track. And I can't help but think there is someone listening right now that knows of a prodigal or two, maybe a son or a daughter. Would you pray with them that they too would come home to Jesus?

Pastor Ed Taylor: I would love to. Thanks, Larry. Father, I pray for the prodigals right now that you would bring them to the end of themselves, that we they would remember the love of the Father and come home. We plead with you to bring them home that they would recognize that the decisions they've been making have been against you and against their those that love them like their parents or grandparents and just bring them home, Lord. That's our desire. We know that your heart and we I believe, Lord, and you know I it's my conviction that every true prodigal comes home.

So bring him home, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Larry: Thanks again, pastor Ed. Well, hot off the press is pastor Ed's new book, How to Take Notes. Learning to take notes as you read the Bible or listen to a sermon is one of the simplest ways to add to your personal spiritual growth. Intentionally taking notes also turns listening into action. Instead of just sitting back as a listener, you begin engaging with scripture and the teaching in a more personal way. This practical guide with ideas for taking notes will stir your creativity and help you grow in God's grace as you listen to Bible studies and take notes on what the Lord is teaching you.

We'll gladly send you a copy with our thanks for a gift of $25 or more to Abounding Grace. Please remember it is through your support that we're able to present this radio program on stations all across the nation. Thank you for standing with us. Call 877 30 Grace. We can help you with the ordering details or go to our online store. That's at Calvary co dot store. That's 877 30 Grace or Calvary co dot store on the web. And if you just like to make a donation and you're not interested in the pick of the month, go to aboundinggraceradio.com.

And then join us next time on Abounding Grace when pastor Ed returns to our series in 1 and 2 Samuel. We'll see you then.

Pastor Ed Taylor: This is Abounding Grace. Abounding Grace is brought to you by Calvary Church, Colorado here in Aurora.