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A Crisis of Faith

Scripture: I Samuel 27:1 – 28:2

I. During a crisis of faith, you might preach lies to yourself.

A. David preaches to his heart in vs. 1. David preaches that he is going to die. Saul will kill him. But this message that he is preaching to himself is the opposite of what God had promised David. God had promised that David would be the next king of Israel. After years of being hunted by the jealous and crazy king Saul, David has a crisis of faith. He doubts the promise of God. And by doubting the promise of God, David was doubting the goodness of God.

B. If you are preaching lies to yourself, you need to start preaching to your heart the truth about God. What do you know is true about God? God is good. All the time. God keeps His promises – every single one of them. God is a God who saves. So, when you are having a crisis of faith, you should lean on your true Savior. Lean on God, not on the Philistines or some other God-substitute. But you can only lean on God if you preach to yourself the truth about God.

II. During a crisis of faith, you might become God-less.

A. David in his crisis of faith is living like there is no God. David listens to his own wisdom and to worldly wisdom while deciding what to do. David lied to the king’s face (vs. 10). He wanted to make it appear that he was no longer loyal to Israel. He was an exile who was now completely loyal to King Achish and the Philistines. And David’s God-less lies appeared to work (vs. 12).

B. Proverbs 14:12: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” David was living according to his own wisdom. He needed to live according to Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” What should David have done and what should we do in a crisis? Trust in the LORD. Don’t trust in yourself and your own wisdom. Pray, and patiently wait for God to answer with His wisdom.

III. During a crisis of faith, you might make morally questionable decisions.

A. David not only lied in his crisis of faith. He also killed (v.9). David would justify his behavior, but these decisions were all morally questionable. How can David be considered a man after God’s own heart? David is not squeaky clean. David is just like Saul in some ways. And David is just like you and me. David needed the grace of God. And you and I need God’s grace also. Fortunately for all of us, God has given us the grace we all need in Jesus. When we sin, we need to beg God for His grace.

Application:
Preach to your heart this week that God is gracious. He gives us what we don’t deserve.

Sources:
The book of 1 Samuel
Commentaries on 1 Samuel by Dale Ralph Davis, Robert Bergen and Tim Chester

Sermon Discussion Questions

1) We preach to ourselves all the time. What have you been preaching to yourself about God today? Is everything you have been preaching to yourself about God true?

2) What sources of worldly wisdom can we rely on today for guidance in a crisis? But what should we lean on when we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death?

3) Does it bother you that David is not a perfect hero? How much greater is David’s son (Jesus) than David? Have you thanked God for the grace you have received in Jesus lately?