2024-01-14AM- At Risk

David, the king of Israel, stayed back in Jerusalem while his servants went to battle. One evening, he saw a beautiful woman bathing from the roof of his house. This led to a series of events that put David at great risk. Being at risk means being in a situation where harm is likely. There are different types of risks, such as students living in challenging conditions or people with compromised immune systems. We are all at risk of experiencing fires or accidents, but certain factors can increase the risk. Temptation is also a common risk, but some situations make it more likely for us to give in. David, who was once a warrior, settled down in Jerusalem and had a grand house built for him. Over time, he became less involved in fighting and sent others in his place. This led to him being at home one evening and seeing Bathsheba, which eventually led to a great downfall. David's story teaches us the importance of being aware of the risks we face and making 2 Samuel chapter 11. We'll read the first couple verses here. 2 Samuel 11, verse 1, And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel. They destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass, in an evening tide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman washing herself. And the woman was very beautiful to look upon. Psalm 73. If you'll turn there with me. Psalm 73. And verse 2, But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped. My feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped. Father, thank You so much for Your Bible today. Thank You for the teaching of Your Word. Thank You for the preparation that's gone into it. Thank You for Your willingness to bring us along to teach us. I'm praying today for that anointing as I try to minister to Your church. You know the needs that are here greater than any of us do. So I lay this at Your feet. Just use this vessel. I offer this to You in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. I want to try to preach this morning for a title, just these two words, at risk. At risk. Find there, and I think it's interesting, that in 2 Samuel 11, the very last phrase in the first verse was that David tarried still at Jerusalem. If we were to fast forward several hundred years, and Jesus gave a command to His disciples, tarry at Jerusalem. There's a big difference between what David did at Jerusalem and what the apostles did back then. Big difference. The apostles went, when they went to tarry at Jerusalem, they prayed. They sought God. David tarried at Jerusalem. He was taking it easy. And I believe that it could be said, if David was to go back and read these words, as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had well nigh slipped. David was in a place right here that you could say he was at great risk. At risk. And as wonderful as the palace that he lived in had been, I believe David had no idea just how slippery it was at the top of his house. He was at risk there. Now, at risk is a phrase that gets used fairly often. It simply means being in a situation where one is likely to meet harm. At risk. It's being in a situation where one is likely to meet harm. At risk. Schools will identify certain students who are living in certain conditions that may hinder their learning, and they'll be labeled as at-risk students. Maybe these are kids that are living in poverty, or maybe children who are living in abusive homes or neglectful homes. Maybe they're in a place where they're tempted to make very poor decisions in an environment where there's drugs that are found or alcohol is readily available. These students are called at-risk children. They're people who have underlying chronic medical conditions that put them at risk, where maybe you or I could handle a cold or some little illness that comes back, a common sickness. But they are at risk because of their own compromised immune systems. Pneumonia hits them or bronchitis hits them, and it's something that may take them out, where you and I might simply recover from it. They are at risk. Now we are all at risk ourselves to experience fire at some time in our lives. I remember when I was very young, probably 18, 19 years old, I hooked up with a company and was door-to-door selling fire extinguishers, and they gave us statistics. And I remember one of the statistics was that every individual statistically will experience five fires in his lifetime. Now it may not be that your house burns down, but it might be a kitchen fire or maybe something that gets out of control in the backyard, but five times. So we're all susceptible to house fires, to some kind of a fire in our life. But there are things that make it more at risk. Mr. Robert Murphy lives right up the road here, and he discovered that a space heater puts your place at more risk of a fire. We're all at risk as we drive up and down the roads here of an accident. We're meeting each other sometimes 55 to 70 miles an hour, straight one towards the other. And we're all at risk of getting in those accidents. But some people are at a higher risk depending on the time of day that they drive, the places that they're driving in, and sometimes at how you drive. I mean, if you're taking pictures of your speedometer while you're driving 70 miles an hour down the road, you're likely more at risk to be in an accident than somebody that's keeping their eyes on the road. Or somebody that when there's snow and ice on the ground, taking a picture of a speedometer going 70 miles down the road, more at risk. And there are risks that we all partake in. But there are things that put us more at risk than other things. James chapter 1 and verse 14 says this, every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Brother Michael read to us today out of 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and told us that temptation is common to man. It's something that every one of us are going to face. But there are things that put us more at risk than just normal, everyday temptations. That puts us in a situation where we are more likely to suffer harm. James 1 and 15 continues on. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Souls are at great risk of danger to themselves when they put themselves unnecessarily in dangerous situations. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, be not deceived, evil communications corrupt good manners. Where you go and what you do will put you at a greater risk, or you can remove yourself from certain risks. Now David, after Saul's death, finally, it took a while, but David finally became recognized to be king over all of Israel. And his early years, on and on, David was a warrior. It was the very reason that he was not allowed to build the temple for God. He was a bloody man. Lots of battles. But eventually, David settled down. Settled down in the city of Zion, Jerusalem. So much so that it became known as the city of David. And when he first got there, they had a fort that was there. David moved into that fort. And from the description that the Bible gives us, it was kind of on an incline. And you would have had to climb up somewhere in order to get to that fort. He was protected there. It was a place that he could abide, keep himself from trouble. But after a period of time, the Bible tells us that Hiram was a king of Tyre, a neighboring city up north of Israel. 2 Samuel chapter 5 and verse 11 says, And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons, and they built David a house. What a wonderful thing for a neighbor to do. Hiram offers David to build him a house. Let me build you a house. You're dwelling in a fort. You're still acting like a soldier. You need to behave like a king. Let me build you a house. So Hiram sends the supplies, and he sends the laborers, and he builds David a house. Now I can only presume that if one king built another king a house, it's probably something quite grand. There was one point that David kind of bragged on his house when he wanted to build the temple. He said that I dwell in a house of cedars, but the ark of God is in a tent. And he said, my house is really nice, but the ark of God is having to dwell someplace else. And so it would be quite reasonable to believe that this is a pretty nice place, a home fit for a king, a place. And they say that there was archaeologists in 2005 that found the place that they believe was this house that Hiram had built. And it matches the incline, and it matches the place, and it said it looks like a royal place. They said one of the things that really pointed it out as royalty is it had a toilet inside the house. To us it's common back then. That was really quite a place to have something. But David moves into his new house out of the fort, and he moves into the house. Time begins to pass for David. David is still the warrior king. He continues his reign over Israel. He fights against the Philistines. He captures their idols, and he burns them before everyone. This was also the period of time that he was wanting to pursue, and he asked God what should we do. And he said, listen for the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees. And David had the honor of hearing God go above him and before him and defeat the Philistines. David in this time ventured out and brought the ark of God back to Jerusalem out of Abinadab's house. David fought against Moab. He conquered them and made them tributaries. He reached out and recovered borders that God had previously sent for Israel. He defeats the Syrians. He defeats the Edomites. He takes in Saul's grandson Mephibosheth, brings him into his own house. He continues his fighting. He defeats the Ammonites. After they had refused his kindness and humiliated his servants, he goes out and he defeats the Ammonites. And I can't help but think that time after time, after every exploit, David would come back to Jerusalem and get in his house, a place where I can sit down and I can rest and I can gather my wits and I can recover maybe from some wounds, and found that place that Hiram had built for him to be a home, a place of rest. But eventually, as time went on, David began to ease back from the fighting. And he began to send others out while he stayed home. We find ourselves in my text this morning, 2 Samuel chapter 11. It came to pass in an evening tide that David arose from off his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house. No doubt David had climbed those stairs many times before and stood on that roof. Probably liked being in that vantage point where he could look over all of that secure city, Jerusalem. He could probably watch laborers that were out in the field working. Could probably watch the commerce that was going on in the marketplace. And that vantage point that was higher than all the other places, he'd be able to keep an eye on this great city that he loved so much. And no doubt his house, his personal house, offered him physical safety. Someplace that would be safe for him. But there ended up being on the roof of that house a place that was not nearly as safe as David thought that it was. It was a place that would prove to be dangerous not only for David, but for his family. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church and he said, None of us liveth to himself. No man dieth to himself. David learned that what he does, it doesn't just affect him. It's not just something that's going to be between him and this woman that he commits adultery with. It's going to have repercussions. It's going to affect other people. And maybe it was this place that led the psalmist to write, I said, my foot slippeth. That little place on the roof. Psalm 73, it's written in the psalm, that there are those who are set in slippery places. And he describes these people. Listen to the description of the 73rd Psalm of those who are in slippery places. It's those who have refused the Word of God. It is those who are foolish and prideful. It is those who are corrupt and speak wickedly. It is those who dismiss God's ability to see and to notice sin. You're in a slippery place if you feel like I'm doing things and nobody knows. These, the psalmist said, are in slippery places. And I've got a wonder in my mind, as David walked toward those stairs that led up to that roof, what might have David walked by? I wonder if there was a library that he would regularly go into and would look over the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, the writings of Moses, and maybe add writings of other scribes too that would give encouragement if you'd just take the time to read. And I wonder if there was such a room that David just walked on by heading to those stairs. I wonder if there was a room with a closed door that David had many times gone to that door before, pushed it open, turned around and looked at somebody and said, I'm going to pray. Closed the door behind him and spent time with God. I wonder if David walked past that room instead of stopping in. I wonder if there were servants in his house that as the sweet psalmist of Israel strolled past them, they might have smiled and thought, he's going to go be alone with God. Just assuming that this man, after God's own heart, was going somewhere to pray. But instead of getting alone with God, David climbed up to a very dangerous place on the rooftop. And I doubt that Hiram, the king of Tyre, intended for there to be a dangerous place on that roof. I'm sure there was no intention for the king's life to be in jeopardy. For a place on that roof. But somehow, somehow there was a place on the roof of David's house that became very slippery for his soul. Had he remembered the Word of God, he wouldn't have gone there. It was written in the law, the man that committed adultery with another man's wife, even he that committed adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer. And the adulterer shall surely be put to death. Perhaps if he had remembered what Moses wrote in the Ten Commandments, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. The Word warned David. The Word warns us today. I've got to wonder as David took one step after another to climb up to that roof, if the Holy Ghost Himself came down into that house and began to send a warning. You're heading the wrong place today, David. Normally it's alright to go up to the roof and relax. Today's not a good day, David. And I can't help but believe that the Holy Ghost prompted him, sent a little bit of conviction his way. And I can't help but believe that just his normal, everyday, common conscience must have dealt with him as he went up those stairs. And while he had the warnings, and while he had the opportunity to turn away, there he was. There he was, casting his eyes on something that he had no business seeing. And one of the biggest scandals in Jewish history would be because David spent time in a dangerous place. There was no Philistine waiting for him on the rooftop. There was no traitorous Jew hiding around a corner waiting for him to come up them stairs. But he was at great risk being in that slippery place on top of that roof. Now we know ourselves, if we've got a lot of rain that's in the forecast, and if you happen to live in a flood plain, and they're calling for rain and it starts to fall, and you get to looking at that forecast, how much longer is this going to be? How much more rain is coming to where I am? And those who are at risk, those who are at risk of a flood will keep an eye on the forecast. They'll look out the windows and just see how bad's it getting out there. They'll keep an eye on the rising water levels. They might prepare sandbags and put them outside around the house at the place where water might come in. They might walk around to different things that are in the house, valuables that are vulnerable to water, and put them in a place where they might not be touched. They recognize the risk and they take precautions against that risk. Now surely we can recognize the day that we are living in is an at-risk generation. We are living in dangerous times, perilous times the Bible calls it, and the conditions are ripe for dangerous situations to the soul that have devastating consequences not just to the participators but to those that are around them. But we can prepare when we realize that we are at risk. National Weather Service, they put out a list for those that are at risk for flooding. And in that list there are certain things that they put in there. One of the things that they mentioned was to know your risk. Understand where you are and understand what's going on out there and understand how it really can affect you. Understand your risk. We should understand that there are places and there are situations that make us much more vulnerable to sin. And this ought to be easy for us to recognize. And yet there are places that people go that they ought to recognize. That's where I slipped last time. That's what caught me up last time. And I wondered if David had ever seen that woman, that beautiful woman in the past. And I wonder if he looked at the sky and saw that it was evening tide and it was about the right time for a woman to be bathing out there. And I'll just go and see what's happening in the fields. And I'll just go and see what's happening in the marketplace. And I'll just stroll over. Oh, there she is. David, you knew she'd be there. Proverbs chapter 4. Will you turn there with me, please? Proverbs chapter 4. We have a warning from David's son to David's grandson. I don't know how much Solomon knew about his daddy's past. I don't know how much had been recorded up to that point. I don't know if that was just a secret that kind of got held back from the family until it was exposed by God. But Solomon tells his son in chapter 4, Proverbs, verse 14, enter not into the path of the wicked, go not in the way of evil men. Listen, avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, abstain from all appearance of evil. Don't go to them places where you know. And somebody might say, well, I'm not even allowed to go to them places. David finds a way to get to them places sometimes. David knows how to sneak off where everybody else thinks that everything's fine. But if you go into a place in your mind, if you go into a place on your device, if you go into a place at the neighbor's, if you go into a place at work or at school, there are temptations out there. There are slippery places, and we ought to recognize them. Enter not into it. Avoid it. Pass not by it. Turn from it. Pass away. If there's somebody who's got a problem with pornography, and they know there's a billboard out there that has induced them in the past, take another route. Go not by it. Avoid it. Pass not by it. Turn from it. Pass away. It might take you longer. It might cost you a little more gas. But stay away from the slippery place. There's another suggestion from the National Weather Service to those that are at risk for flooding. It says create a communication plan. Keep up with somebody. Let somebody know where you are. Let them know the condition that you're in. And don't be afraid to tell somebody, I need help right here. If the floodwaters are rising, don't hesitate. We lived over in White Mills right on the river several years ago. That was when the flood got real bad, and we lived real high. And it didn't come to the house. It got under the house. But there were firefighters who came by. There was people coming by in boats and saying, do you want to get out now? There's an opportunity. Somebody was communicating and saying, you can escape before the floodwaters wash you away. And we can right now where we live. Tell somebody, I need you to pray for me. I'm in a place, and I don't know how to handle it right now. I know that there's people you don't want to tell that to. I know that there's people that would take advantage of your vulnerable situation. But you've got a church right here that knows what it's like to be tempted. And most of us know what it's like to fail at the temptation. And we know what it takes to climb out of temptation. I promise you today, you've got a pastor that knows what it's like to face temptation. And go ahead and tell somebody, I don't know if I can bear this. But someone who loves you will assure you that there hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. And God is faithful, and He'll not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able. But will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it. So when you're climbing them stairs, and you're shaking your head saying, I know I ought not to turn around to somebody and say, I'm having a tough time right here. I need some help. Somebody might say, be sober. Be vigilant. Because your adversary the devil is a roaring lion, walking about seeking whom he may devour, and we can be prepared. We are living right now in what the Bible calls the latter times in verse Timothy chapter 4. 2 Timothy chapter 3 calls us the latter days in which perilous times will come. This generation bears all the markings of those warnings. This is an at-risk generation, and we're living right in the middle of it. But there are steps that we can take that reduce the risk to our own lives. Paul wrote to Timothy and he said, take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine. Think about it. Think about who you are. Think about what's going on. Take heed to the doctrine. This Bible will keep you out of trouble. Don't minimize it. Don't wait until you're called upon for a special testimony to open up the Bible and see if you can come up with something. Don't wait until you're called upon to preach a message or to teach a lesson to study the Bible because you're going to need it. You know why? You're going to walk past those stairs in the king's house at the evening tide, and there's going to be a voice from the roof calling you upward, and you're going to need some strength. You're going to need some power to resist the devil. Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine. Continue in them for in doing this thou shalt save thyself. I don't think I'm alone in this room today to say I have fallen to temptation in my life. And I did not walk away going, that was delicious. I didn't walk away saying, I don't regret a minute of it. When there comes that shame, that regret, for what was a moment of pleasure has now put a soul at risk for eternal damnation. Peter spoke to the people there in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Save yourselves from this untoward generation. You and I have got decisions to make. It is a slippery place out there. Some places are more slippery than others. I've got a feeling you know where those slippery places are. I've got a feeling you slipped there last time and you caught yourself. And nobody found out. David thought that he slipped and nobody found out. David tried covering his tracks. David murdered a man because of it. More people died all because he's trying to get rid of one man. So nobody finds out just how badly he slipped up. And the devil hasn't got any new tricks, just remanufactured for our day. And if you're in a slippery place, you are at risk. I want to tell you today, stay away from those dangerous places. They're putting you more at risk. If there's somebody you need to quit talking to, quit talking to them. If you need a block on your phone, have somebody help you block that phone. If there's a place that you can't go and be strong, ask somebody to go for you. If you feel like wandering around the store and you find yourself in the back aisle where the computers are and where the televisions are, and you just can't pull yourself away from it, maybe you should say, I'll stay in the car today. Avoid it. Pass not by it. Pass away. Walk not in the path of wicked men. Will you stand with me? Brother Austin, would you get us a song, please? I've delivered to you my heart today. We are all at risk. I don't want anybody in here to think, hold on, I've got to do something. I don't want anybody in here to think, hold on, not me. We're all at risk. Do you know how to reduce the risk? I'm going to pray. Lord, I can't tell anybody what I'm going through right now. So I came in here to be alone with You, because You know where it happened last time. I need Your help. I need Your help. And when somebody tells you, moms and dads, when your child tells you, I'm going to pray, you encourage them. Let your children hear you say, I'm going to pray. It's going to keep you out of trouble. It's going to keep you out of trouble. And if you're heading up the stairs to the rooftop, stop. Turn around. Head back down them stairs. Look at somebody and say, I'm going to pray. While you already prayed today, I'm going to pray again. Father, I thank You, Lord, today for Your Word. I thank You. God, You don't hide the ugly things. But You use them as an example for us. So I'm asking You today that we might take heed to that which is written. When I said, my foot's slipping, thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. So I pray, God, for somebody today, somebody today who spiritually, their shoes are still slippery from being in that place. And I ask You to work in this congregation in Jesus' name. Amen. Our messages are preached to help. Our reaching is done so that somebody, somebody will say, I needed that. And if God is dealing with your heart today about a slippery place, I want you to come and seek Him. That place where you found yourself vulnerable that you wouldn't have done when the church folks was around. That slippery place where you was looking at stuff that you wouldn't have looked at if the pastor was there with you. So I want to ask you today, have your feet slipped? Have they well nigh slipped? You'll only find yourself in a slippery place if you forget that God sees everything that we do. Would there be somebody today that would be willing to step out and maybe say, I haven't slipped, but boy, have I come close. I almost went there and I know it's going to call me again and I need help and I need people to pray with me. Is there somebody who'd be willing to say, I'm keeping the lines of communication open. I'm calling out to somebody and saying, keep the boat ready. I just might need to climb in with you for a little bit. Would there be somebody, you'd come into this altar. All right, church, let's all come and let's talk to God. This is people that you love that are in slippery places. Dads and moms, it might be your child in a slippery place. What does it look like to go and help on the roof? It's a dangerous place up there. Oh, let's pray. Oh, wash away wash away may my face has been and I'll be redeemed I I'll think my power to save you business breaks down