Sound Doctrine

Jeff Johnson: The key to an abundant life is death. What? Here's Pastor Jeff Johnson. When you come to Jesus Christ, your old self dies. A dead man can't be affected by criticism. You can sit there and criticize him all day long. He'll just lay there and he, they don't care. Can't hurt him.

You see, the key to real life, abundant life that Jesus talked about, it's death. Death to your rights. Death to your will, to your life. Lose your life, Jesus said in me. If you lose your life in me, you'll gain it. Die to yourself.

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Jeff Johnson: The secret to loving God is knowing God. Once you know God's love, you willingly surrender all to the one who loves you and only has your best interest at heart. Yet, too often we offer our loyalty and love to lesser things. Today on Sound Doctrine, we can make an informed choice on where our loyalties will lie.

We'll be in chapter 16 of Second Samuel, where lines have been drawn and choices have been made. Now the consequences of those choices will unfold. Let's join Pastor Jeff in Second Samuel, chapter 16.

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Jeff Johnson: Verse 21, it says, and Abishai said, "King, shall not Shimei be put to death for this?" Because he cursed the Lord's anointed, and David again had to say, Shimei, what am I going to, Abishai, what am I to do with you? In other words, you're still wanting to kill somebody. This guy always wanted to kill somebody. David said, "No, you're not going to kill him."

No one's going to be put to death this day, verses, verse 22. For he says, "I know that I am this day king over Israel." David knew who he was, whether this guy did the cursing or whatever. He didn't let it bother him. He knew who he was. And that's what's so important for us to know who you are. Are you a child of God? Is he your father? Know that, stand in that, rest in that. Let God have the situation. He's going to take care of it.

And so he says, therefore, the king said unto Shimei, "Thou shalt not die." And then going on in First Kings chapter two, verse one, it says, "When David drew near to his death, that he charged his son Solomon." This is in First Kings two, and now we're in verse eight. He says, "And behold, thou hast with thee Shimei." In other words, he's part of our group. "Which cursed me with a grievous curse," David said. "And I told him that I would not put him to death with the sword." But in verse nine, he says, "Now, therefore, hold him not guiltless. For thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him." And so David just simply turned it over to his son, Solomon, to deal finally with Shimei, and he would.

In other words, he would, he judged in such a harsh way, it was coming back to him. What goes around, comes around. Shimei was going to get his. Now, look at verse 13 now, going back to Second Samuel 16. And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along the hill side, over against him, cursed as he went, threw stones at him and cast dust. And the king and all the people that were with him, came weary and refreshed themselves there.

So from cursing, he goes to stone throwing and now he's starting to throw dust in the air. What does this mean? Throwing dust in the air is actually saying, "I wish you were dead." And that's what the whole thing was. It was a kind of a a spirit of murder came upon him. He just said, "I want you dead, David." And he started throwing dust up in the air. But when you throw dust up in the air, then it comes back in your face.

Remember Judas? This guy, I I I can see this Shimei as not a real happy camper. He's not a happy guy to you know, hang around with. He's not the type of guy you'd say, "Hey, let's go to the mountains and have fellowship and we'll invite Shimei." You know, you don't even want to talk about Shimei. Shimei is a grump, man. That's all he does is go around and nitpick and and and and against everybody and out of his heart comes all his filth. And you just get sick of listening to him.

He's always upset about something. He's a faultfinder, a sin sniffer. You don't want to be, you don't want to be a Shimei, believe me. A lot of people want to invite you to a lot of things. And I'll tell you something, if you're this way, it'll affect your health and your well-being as a person. And this was affecting this man.

But also, David looked ahead. And he knew that God cared. And he knew, as Jesus said, "Blessed are you when they will revile you and persecute you and call you all manner of evil." Man, your father's going to reward you. Blessed are you. Oh, how happy are you. Rejoice.

You know, and David was entering into this time, this place. It's a it's an awesome place. To realize, "Hey, God, you hear it. You know about it. I can leave it alone. I can sleep at night." I can just, I I I can let it get to me. I'm in your hands.

One more thing that once David looked above, and he looked around and about, and then he looked ahead, he also, and I think this is for us too, we need to have a fresh look at Jesus. Remember when he was hanging there on the cross? Remember what Peter said? As he went to the cross, we are to follow his example and go the same way. We need to die.

And yet, as Jesus was reviled and he was as he was threatened, he didn't revile, he didn't threaten. He said, "Father, into your, I commit this thing to your judgment. You're the one that judges all things. I commit it to you." And he, as he hung there, he said, he wasn't a Shimei. He said, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing."

We need to have this mind of Christ. We've got to work on being slow to speak, don't we? So sometimes we we're so quick, you know, and it comes out and you go, "Oh, oh." There's something about words, you can't, you can't get them back in. They they've come out, they've done the damage. Slow to speak. Help us to be slow to speak. And help us also, Lord, to realize as Paul, "I'm crucified with Christ."

Nevertheless, I I live. Not I, but Christ lives in me. That I'm a dead man. When you come to Jesus Christ, your old self dies. A dead man can't be affected by criticism. You can sit there and criticize him all day long. He'll just lay there and he, they don't care. Can't hurt him.

You see, the key to real life, abundant life that Jesus talked about, is death. We talked about this Wednesday night. It's death. Death to your rights. Death to your will, to your life. Lose your life, Jesus said in me. If you lose your life in me, you'll gain it. Die to yourself. Paul said, "I die daily." It's something we have to do daily. To die, to identify with Christ. No longer, it's me. Me, myself, and I. They came against me. I have rights. And I'm, and we get so on a soapbox. When, what are you doing? You're a dead person.

You know, there's something about a sacrifice though, that's interesting. Sacrifices can wiggle off of the sacrifice, off the altar. And you know, that's what we do. I don't want to die. We're living sacrifices, so we kind of wiggle off the the altar and we say, "Oh, I like this. I want to hold on to it in my life." And you're not dead to it. You haven't identified with Christ totally. So that's why they took the sacrifice and tied it down on the horns of the altar, so it wouldn't move.

So Lord, tie us down. Show us that the real place of life is death. That we might really and truly seek to identify with your death and in your life. Baptism is a beautiful example, isn't it? Spiritual analogy. Down into the watery grave, up in the newness of life.

Now, in verse 15, we go back to Jerusalem. And Absalom there in Jerusalem and all the people and the men of Israel came to Jerusalem and Ahithophel with him. And it came to pass, when Hushai, the Archite, David's friend, was come to Absalom, and Hushai said to Absalom, "God save the king. God save the king." Remember, Absalom, as he's taking over Jerusalem, Hushai was one of David's double agents. And he dubbed him a spy and he says, "Go in there and tell, learn about everything and come and tell me."

So he's trying to, really getting in good with the king, he's going, "God save the king. God save the king." Try to really get in with him. And then notice, verse 17, and Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Why wentest thou not with your friend?" Hushai said unto Absalom, "Nay, but whom the Lord and his people and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be and with him will I abide." And again, "Whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son, as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I in thy presence."

And what he was saying is that Absalom said, "I don't understand, Hushai, why aren't you with your friend David? Why didn't you leave with him? Why are you still here?" He said, "Oh king, I mean, I I just hang around here. I stay with whoever stays. And you stayed and, you know, I just I'm going to serve you like I did David." And he's really a good actor because Absalom's probably going, "This is neat. I like to hear it. Tell me more. Tell me more, you know. Tell me what a friend you're going to be." And so he was just trying to sell himself.

Verse 20. Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, "Give counsel among you, what we shall do." Now, remember Ahithophel was David's counselor who turned against David. Absalom knew that Ahithophel, who was related to Bathsheba as her grandfather, was angry at David for what he had done with Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, that he had had him killed. Because Ahithophel knew everything that was going on.

And so he was angry. He turned against David and began to give his counsel now to Absalom. And so he gives his gifts and he begins to now give, you know, those gifts of counseling, the wisdom, the knowledge, the discernment. They said, "What shall we do?" The Bible says, "Blessed is the man who is surrounded with counsel." This guy was about to give his counsel. Over in Proverbs, there's so much about counselors.

In Proverbs chapter, I'm going to read you a few scriptures, 11 verse 14. It says this, "Where no counsel is, the people fall. But in the multitude of counselors, there is safety." And then over in Proverbs 15, in verse 22. Proverbs 15:22. "Without counsel, purposes are disappointed. But in the multitude of counselors, they are established."

And then finally, over in Proverbs 24 verse 6, 24:6, "For by wise counsel, thou shalt make thy war. And in multitude of counselors, notice there is safety." But let me add to this, it's only through biblical counseling, that anyone is going to be safe, anyone is going to be delivered, anybody is going to be blessed.

Any other type of counseling, whether it would be group counseling, one-on-one type of counseling is very dangerous outside of the word of God. Secular counseling is man's way. Why would you want secular counseling and go man's way instead of going God's way? And Christian, quote unquote, counseling intermingled with psychology and psychiatry, hey, you're getting sold a bill of goods.

This guy went to school studying under Freud and Rogerianism and other men who didn't believe in God. And we're trained in all kinds of ways of just pigeonholing people. You're a schizophrenic, so we'll stick you right over here and you're this and you're that. And and they just like to get, you know, put a label on you. Listen, without God's word, there is no deliverance, without God's word, there is none of the captives being set free. It is only through going God's way through his word are any of us going to be helped.

And the best counsel is God's counsel. The best counsel is the word of God. And how do you get this counsel? By just simply coming to Bible study like you are this morning. By just sitting under the word of God and letting God's spirit bring home these truths to your heart, to your situation, to counsel you his way. And you will then get the victory. You will sense it, you will experience it, you will receive it, and you will have it. And it's through God's word that you received it. And great things he has done through his word.

So what shall we do? I love this scripture, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." He will tell us what to do. He will tell us where to go and what to say. God will do that for us. And notice verse 21, "And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, here's his counsel, 'Go into thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house.'" Remember he left 10 there in Jerusalem to keep the house.

"And all Israel shall hear that thou art aported thy of thy father and shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong." So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house. Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all of Israel. And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the Oracle of God. So was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both with David and with Absalom.

So Ahithophel gives his counsel to Absalom. We've got to be careful when we hear what people have to give to us. We need to really be as the Bereans in the New Testament. Remember what it was said about the Bereans? They always searched the scriptures to see whether those things that they heard from a man were true or not. They sought the word of God. It's so important that we would not be fooled or lied to.

We must know his word. We must have a working knowledge of this book more than any other thing in our lives. Listen, let not a man glory in that he has this or that he has that, but let a man glory that he knows his God. That you would glory that you know the word of God. That you would become a student of the word of God. That you would see the necessity for it. For without this answer book, without this roadmap, without what God has given to us, you're you're going to be set up.

We need to know it. You need to mark your Bibles. You need to go to Bible study. You need to learn it. You need to be a student. Of course, Ahithophel's counsel was wise in the situation that they were in. It was even taken so much as God's word it says, when Ahithophel spoke.

For remember, David left 10 of his harem there in Jerusalem, and so before all of the nation, I I look at this and I go, "Man, God is so right on in what he said." Remember what he said? "Be sure that your sins will find you out and they will be shouted from the rooftops." Before all of the nation of Israel, Absalom takes and they set up a big tent, puts his harem inside of it, and he goes into David's, his father's harem, before everyone in public.

Now, this is exactly what other kings would do when they would take over a race of people, they would always take the king's harem unto their own harem and go into the harem. This was just something that they would do. Now, if you remember, Absalom, as he went into them, this was actually his point to show that he is now the king. And this was actually to despise his father. And this was also according to what God said would happen to David.

Do you remember again in Second Samuel 12 verse 11, what the prophet said? Second Samuel 12:11. "Thus says the Lord, behold, I will rise up evil against thee out of your own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and I will give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of the sun." "For thou didst it secretly, David. You went into Bathsheba secretly, thinking nobody saw, and you tried to deceive and kill and wipe up your footprints and the fingerprints and tried to deceive everybody." But he says, "You did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all of Israel, before the sun."

And so David's sin, even though it was private, now is public, isn't it, through his son? And that really, I'm sure, spoke to his heart as he saw what was taking place. Now there was no turning back for Absalom, for up to this point he could have repented. He could have given Jerusalem back to his dad and said, "Dad, I'm sorry, I blew it." "You can come back now." And and just depend and hope for David's mercy on his life.

But no, this is all cut off now. He went into his harem, the final straw, his ultimate insult to his father. And yet Ahithophel's counsel, it worked, didn't it? All the people now understood that Absalom was their king and he was there to stay.

Now, what can we learn as we finish up here this morning? What can we learn from all of this? These trials that would come through David's life and the criticism that would come against him. It was sought to use by the enemy for evil against David. But I want you to see how God turns everything around. And God is for David, God is for you. Even though you've sinned, you've blown it.

Different things that he allows to come into our lives, he will turn around to cause us to mature in him. Those things that are coming against you, who are you going to trust in, who are you going to go to? You need to go to the Lord. You need to mature as a man or woman of God, and God's trying to get you to grow up. Because he loves you. As he brings us to the end of ourselves. Do you see how he's doing with this with David, bringing him to just trust God?

We can then depend on the Lord to have his way in our lives, which is so important. Why is this criticism coming? Why do I have to go through this trial? And we always look at it like, "Oh gosh, what's going on now?" Listen, if you are a stubborn person, if you are self-willed, you're going to have to stay in your trial a little bit longer. Because God sometimes just says, "Well, I'm going to let you wallow in it until you finally come to the end of yourself." "I'm going to let you have it for a bit." "Because you're really a tough one."

So see in it, you know, stay in it until you finally let go and let me have your life, until you finally surrender yourself to me. And to my will being done in your life, not your own. Until you finally say, "That's it, Lord, I I'm I'm looking up. I'm going to look about and understand where I'm really at in my heart, what I've done." "I'm going to look ahead because I know you care for me." "And I'm going to look afresh upon your son in the way that I'm to be walking myself."

To those that turn their hearts to him, God has promised, he will show himself strong towards you. And he's waiting for you to come to that point. Listen, we're not to lean to our own understanding, but in all of our ways acknowledge him, and he will direct our paths. He will lead us. If you try to lean to your own understanding, maybe you have to stay in the hole longer. Maybe that's you have to learn that that's not the way of the Lord, going your own flesh, your own thing. And God will bring us to that point because he loves us.

I'd like to finish by reading Psalms 37. Would you turn over there with me and we'll end with this verse? Psalm 37 starting with verse one. Where David writes, "Fret not thyself because of evildoers. Don't worry. Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity." "For they shall all soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb." "Trust in the Lord and and do good." "So shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed." "Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." "Commit thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass." "And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noonday." "Rest in the Lord. Wait patiently for him." "Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass." The bottom line is that he will not let you fall. He will never let you fall. He loves you. And all things are working.

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Jeff Johnson: Isn't that a wonderful truth to soak in? He will never abandon you. He is always there for you. Pastor Jeff Johnson will be back in a moment with more on Sound Doctrine. Pastor Jeff's messages are archived for you at sounddoctrineradio.org. That includes all of Second Samuel. Our programs are also accessible at oneplace.com and on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

If you enjoy the teaching you received through Sound Doctrine, you can show your support through a financial gift and thank you for whatever the Lord lays on your heart. There's a place to give at sounddoctrineradio.org. Sounddoctrineradio.org. So what's the key to being an overcomer in this sin-filled world? Here's Pastor Jeff once again.

Jeff Johnson: The key to being an overcomer in this world is our faith in him. He that has faith in Jesus Christ is an overcomer already. To be able to commit it to the Lord who judges righteously. To take what this world has to give and to do it in a way with the mind of Christ, to be a witness for the Lord. And to have your own peace of mind. To be able to lay down at night and go out. Instead of, you know, "I need a volume," you know, "I need sleeping pills," you know, I need. We get it, you know, and we let this thing get all and it's large, man. He says, "Come unto me." "All you that are heavy laden and down with burdens. I want to give you some rest. I came to give you peace and rest and joy in this place." And it's only in him.

Next time on Sound Doctrine, we'll continue our study of Second Samuel by turning to chapter 17. David is a new man and has repented from his sin and is seeking to make things right. You're all about it as you join us for the next Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff. Sound Doctrine is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Downing.

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