1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,620 At the missions conference just a few weeks 2 00:00:02,620 --> 00:00:05,400 ago in Marietta Chuck said something and it's 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,300 a theme He said many time before but 4 00:00:07,300 --> 00:00:09,660 I had never heard it from him or 5 00:00:09,660 --> 00:00:11,660 remembered hearing it from him in exactly these 6 00:00:11,660 --> 00:00:14,280 words before But he said, you know what 7 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:16,540 you want to do is find the flow 8 00:00:16,540 --> 00:00:19,060 of the Holy Spirit and and get in 9 00:00:19,060 --> 00:00:21,440 it You know, and that's that's what we're 10 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:21,700 doing. 11 00:00:22,020 --> 00:00:23,720 We're just finding what the flow of the 12 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:24,560 Holy Spirit is. 13 00:00:24,660 --> 00:00:26,940 Well What I want to talk to you 14 00:00:26,940 --> 00:00:29,260 about this morning is something that I think 15 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:34,380 Often Hinders the flow of the Holy Spirit 16 00:00:34,380 --> 00:00:37,480 in our life and in our ministry I 17 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:40,500 know it has in mind and it's something 18 00:00:40,500 --> 00:00:42,720 that we universally deal with this is the 19 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,340 great thing about this this message is because 20 00:00:45,340 --> 00:00:50,220 it It touches everybody who ever does ministry 21 00:00:50,220 --> 00:00:53,000 and I guess I don't I'm not good 22 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,000 at titles for messages or anything but what 23 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:56,080 I want to talk to you about is 24 00:00:56,080 --> 00:01:01,320 is a Conflict with others and and how 25 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:06,360 you can Prevent it from waylaying you in 26 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:08,500 the ministry because you all have it and 27 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,580 There's just something about when you feel attacked 28 00:01:12,580 --> 00:01:15,620 when you feel betrayed when you feel that 29 00:01:15,620 --> 00:01:19,220 you're the object of gossip It has a 30 00:01:19,220 --> 00:01:22,760 way of presenting a challenge before us That 31 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:24,280 I think is one of those just it's 32 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,840 a it's a path Two paths in the 33 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:28,780 road in front of us and it'll really 34 00:01:28,780 --> 00:01:29,940 affect the way with it. 35 00:01:29,980 --> 00:01:33,180 We see ministry from that point on And 36 00:01:33,180 --> 00:01:36,020 to me 2nd Samuel chapter 1 it speaks 37 00:01:36,020 --> 00:01:38,120 about this in a very powerful way. 38 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,700 Oh there's so much in this chapter to 39 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,180 To focus on or to talk about let's 40 00:01:45,180 --> 00:01:46,780 just start reading at the beginning of it 41 00:01:46,780 --> 00:01:48,980 It came to pass after the death of 42 00:01:48,980 --> 00:01:51,020 Saul when David had returned from the slaughter 43 00:01:51,020 --> 00:01:53,920 of the Amalekites And David had stayed two 44 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:55,940 days in Ziklag then on the third day 45 00:01:55,940 --> 00:01:57,760 behold it happened that a man came from 46 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,620 Saul's camp With his clothes torn and dust 47 00:02:00,620 --> 00:02:02,740 on his head So it was when he 48 00:02:02,740 --> 00:02:04,360 came to David that he fell to the 49 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,460 ground and prostrated himself and David said to 50 00:02:07,460 --> 00:02:08,780 him Where have you come from? 51 00:02:09,220 --> 00:02:11,080 So he said I've escaped from the camp 52 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,180 of Israel then David said to him. 53 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:14,220 How did the matter go? 54 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:16,840 Please tell me and he answered the people 55 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:18,820 have fled from the battle many of the 56 00:02:18,820 --> 00:02:21,660 people are fallen and dead and Saul and 57 00:02:21,660 --> 00:02:23,400 Jonathan his son are dead. 58 00:02:23,820 --> 00:02:28,460 Also We're all familiar with the life of 59 00:02:28,460 --> 00:02:28,800 David. 60 00:02:29,020 --> 00:02:30,480 And of course one of the things that 61 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,960 sticks out almost unfairly So vividly in our 62 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:35,740 mind about the life of David is his 63 00:02:35,740 --> 00:02:40,280 great Fall with with Bathsheba and that time 64 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,380 of scandal and compromise in his life But 65 00:02:43,380 --> 00:02:45,900 it's helpful for us to remember that that 66 00:02:45,900 --> 00:02:50,320 was not the first time of significant Compromise 67 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,200 or you might say backsliding however, you want 68 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,580 to call it It wasn't the first time 69 00:02:54,580 --> 00:02:57,660 that the light Spiritual light and David's life 70 00:02:57,660 --> 00:02:59,900 had been diminished I can see at least 71 00:02:59,900 --> 00:03:02,680 two very specific previous occasions where it had 72 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:04,560 and this is the second one of those 73 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:06,360 two where it comes Out of it where 74 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,760 David was very discouraged from this this period 75 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:11,540 of many years where he was living as 76 00:03:11,540 --> 00:03:13,880 a fugitive from Saul And he grew so 77 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:16,560 discouraged that he said there's nothing better than 78 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,800 for me to live among the Philistines Can 79 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,280 you imagine saying that and and I mean 80 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,760 we've said similar things ourselves so we can't 81 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:25,740 imagine it but there's Dave I mean nothing 82 00:03:25,740 --> 00:03:26,120 better. 83 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,860 There's nothing nothing better between the Israelites and 84 00:03:28,860 --> 00:03:30,880 the Philistines nothing at all So I may 85 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:32,360 as well go live among the Philistines at 86 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,340 least there Saul won't hassle me And and 87 00:03:35,340 --> 00:03:37,100 I don't know maybe David thought he was 88 00:03:37,100 --> 00:03:39,520 gonna gonna stick it to Saul by doing 89 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:41,980 that Saul rejoiced I'm sure when David went 90 00:03:41,980 --> 00:03:44,900 to live among the Philistines He felt David 91 00:03:44,900 --> 00:03:48,700 was disqualifying himself from reigning over Israel I 92 00:03:48,700 --> 00:03:50,840 mean who wants a guy who associated himself 93 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:52,700 with the Philistines to reign over Israel? 94 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:55,780 Well when David did this it got worse. 95 00:03:55,820 --> 00:03:57,400 He didn't just go and live among the 96 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,540 Philistines, but he lived as a very ungodly 97 00:03:59,540 --> 00:04:05,100 man he essentially made his Living as a 98 00:04:05,100 --> 00:04:07,400 robber during that time now. 99 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:11,520 He wouldn't rob Israelite towns, but you know 100 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,540 these other sort of various tribes and people 101 00:04:13,540 --> 00:04:15,399 groups that were said He basically go in 102 00:04:15,399 --> 00:04:16,860 there and his men is mighty men who 103 00:04:16,860 --> 00:04:18,880 were a bunch of tough dudes They'd go 104 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:20,540 in and just kind of rough them up 105 00:04:20,540 --> 00:04:23,020 and take all their stuff and leave And 106 00:04:23,020 --> 00:04:25,260 it's like this roving biker gang over the 107 00:04:25,260 --> 00:04:25,780 Judean. 108 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:29,740 You know a region there and You know 109 00:04:29,740 --> 00:04:32,080 David lived like this for a year all 110 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,540 up until the point where when there comes 111 00:04:35,540 --> 00:04:37,240 to be a significant You know point of 112 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,540 crisis between Israel and the Philistines, and they're 113 00:04:39,540 --> 00:04:43,700 gonna have this very significant battle David earnestly 114 00:04:43,700 --> 00:04:47,360 wants to enlist In the Philistine army and 115 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:48,880 bring all his mighty men to fight on 116 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:50,140 behalf of the Philistine you read it on 117 00:04:50,140 --> 00:04:52,120 the pages of 1st Samuel it's almost like 118 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:52,900 you're rubbing your eyes. 119 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,300 You can't believe it and then you know 120 00:04:55,300 --> 00:04:56,660 sometimes you want to and I've even read 121 00:04:56,660 --> 00:04:58,280 some commentators They want to assign some great 122 00:04:58,280 --> 00:05:00,360 heroic motive to David You know he's going 123 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:02,120 to be this fifth column in the midst 124 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,000 of of the Philistine army and really turn 125 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:06,320 on it And I don't believe that for 126 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,600 a minute David was Disappointed when he was 127 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:11,960 drummed out of the Philistine army And they 128 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,320 wouldn't accept him and he went back to 129 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:15,680 the city where they were living the city 130 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:17,540 of Ziklag And you guys remember what happened 131 00:05:17,540 --> 00:05:17,680 there. 132 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:18,900 It's a great great story. 133 00:05:18,940 --> 00:05:21,120 This is it's great preaching it preaches itself 134 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,480 You need to spend time in this David 135 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:26,060 goes back to Ziklag and what happens the 136 00:05:26,060 --> 00:05:29,840 city's absolutely devastated a Roving band of Amalekites 137 00:05:29,840 --> 00:05:32,480 have come and they did to David what 138 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:33,920 David and his men had been doing to 139 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,840 everybody else They took everything from the town 140 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:38,820 They took all the women and children and 141 00:05:38,820 --> 00:05:40,460 all the possessions and they burned the city 142 00:05:40,460 --> 00:05:42,720 and you can just picture David coming you 143 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,020 know Him and his mighty men riding You 144 00:05:45,020 --> 00:05:47,480 know across the the wilderness and seen Ziklag 145 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:49,680 off in the distance There's fires coming from 146 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,080 Ziklag, and it's more than just the regular 147 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,040 fires that come from the city There's something 148 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:55,720 wrong there, and their pace quickens and when 149 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,780 they get there they were totally broken David 150 00:05:58,780 --> 00:06:01,380 just about had a breakdown and his men 151 00:06:01,380 --> 00:06:04,700 were talking about killing him and Then it 152 00:06:04,700 --> 00:06:06,900 says a great passage there What is it 153 00:06:06,900 --> 00:06:09,580 in 1st Samuel 30 where it says that 154 00:06:09,580 --> 00:06:12,500 David strengthened himself in the Lord and that 155 00:06:12,500 --> 00:06:13,920 turned around everything everything? 156 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:16,520 And he inquired of the Lord and God 157 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:17,720 told him what they do, and they won 158 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:20,080 a great victory over all that well Meanwhile 159 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:22,000 this whole battle between the Philistines and the 160 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,320 Israelites was going on at Mount Gerboa And 161 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:27,080 that's a whole tragic situation where Saul and 162 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:30,380 his sons died on the slopes of Mount 163 00:06:30,380 --> 00:06:33,540 Gerboa And and there that the king was 164 00:06:33,540 --> 00:06:36,240 dead Saul was gone and so was the 165 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:39,040 crown prince Jonathan and now here in the 166 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:39,300 passage. 167 00:06:39,420 --> 00:06:40,260 I just read you David. 168 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:43,520 Here's the news of this This man this 169 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,460 messenger comes in and Amalekite comes And he 170 00:06:46,460 --> 00:06:48,660 runs to David and he comes after all 171 00:06:48,660 --> 00:06:50,260 this distance, and he comes and he tells 172 00:06:50,260 --> 00:06:55,540 David listen Saul's dead Jonathan is dead and 173 00:06:55,540 --> 00:06:58,240 to hear this news You just think of 174 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,700 what would have David's reaction been? 175 00:07:00,980 --> 00:07:03,020 To hear that news well We'll get to 176 00:07:03,020 --> 00:07:04,080 that in a minute, but take a look 177 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,280 first five So David said to the young 178 00:07:06,280 --> 00:07:07,760 man who told him how do you know 179 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,280 that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead? 180 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:12,220 The young man who told him said as 181 00:07:12,220 --> 00:07:14,320 it has I happened by chance on to 182 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:16,740 be on Mount Gerboa There was Saul leaning 183 00:07:16,740 --> 00:07:19,040 on his spear and indeed the chariots and 184 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,400 horsemen followed hard after him now when he 185 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:23,620 looked behind him He he saw me and 186 00:07:23,620 --> 00:07:25,100 called to me, and I answered here I 187 00:07:25,100 --> 00:07:26,920 am and he said to me who are 188 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:28,420 you so I answered him. 189 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:30,700 I am an Amalekite He said to me 190 00:07:30,700 --> 00:07:32,620 again, and please stand over me and kill 191 00:07:32,620 --> 00:07:34,280 me for anguish has come upon me But 192 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:36,360 my life still remains in me so I 193 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:38,220 stood over him and killed him because I 194 00:07:38,220 --> 00:07:40,400 was sure that he could not live After 195 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:42,140 he had fallen and I took the crown 196 00:07:42,140 --> 00:07:43,740 that was on his head and the bracelet 197 00:07:43,740 --> 00:07:45,980 that was on his arm And I brought 198 00:07:45,980 --> 00:07:47,100 them here to my lord so you can 199 00:07:47,100 --> 00:07:49,400 picture this Amalekite before David right here's the 200 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:50,760 crown Here's the bread here. 201 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:53,040 They are I took them off of Saul's 202 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,360 dead body, and I finished him off It 203 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,060 was a mercy killing he asked me to 204 00:07:57,060 --> 00:07:58,620 do it And so I did it because 205 00:07:58,620 --> 00:08:02,860 he was going to die anyway I Could 206 00:08:02,860 --> 00:08:04,020 talk about this for like this. 207 00:08:04,100 --> 00:08:07,860 It's just so many interesting things I Just 208 00:08:07,860 --> 00:08:10,660 love talking about the Bible to me it's 209 00:08:10,660 --> 00:08:13,840 absolutely the most interesting thing and it's so 210 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:16,280 full of the life and the truth of 211 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,300 God, but You know when you get into 212 00:08:18,300 --> 00:08:19,200 this a little bit you find out the 213 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,460 Amalekite was lying He did not kill Saul 214 00:08:23,140 --> 00:08:26,660 Saul was already dead first Samuel 31 5 215 00:08:26,660 --> 00:08:30,200 Says that Saul's armor-bearer saw that he 216 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:32,799 was dead and then the armor-bearer killed 217 00:08:32,799 --> 00:08:37,500 himself The Amalekite was lying All he did 218 00:08:37,500 --> 00:08:38,240 was come upon. 219 00:08:38,380 --> 00:08:40,000 He was the first one to come upon 220 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:43,200 Saul's dead body And he grabbed that crown 221 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,100 and he grabbed the bracelet And he thought 222 00:08:45,100 --> 00:08:48,020 I will go to David the man that 223 00:08:48,020 --> 00:08:50,660 Saul has persecuted for these many many years 224 00:08:50,660 --> 00:08:52,560 And I will present the crown I will 225 00:08:52,560 --> 00:08:54,720 present the bracelet to David and David will 226 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:56,820 be so happy to hear that Saul is 227 00:08:56,820 --> 00:08:59,620 dead And David would have a rich reward 228 00:08:59,620 --> 00:09:02,460 for the man who killed his torment David 229 00:09:02,460 --> 00:09:03,780 would love and praise. 230 00:09:03,980 --> 00:09:06,120 I'll get a huge reward for this This 231 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:08,460 will be my glory and so he doesn't 232 00:09:08,460 --> 00:09:10,140 just bring the the bracelet in the crown 233 00:09:10,140 --> 00:09:12,080 But he lies he makes up this story. 234 00:09:12,260 --> 00:09:17,910 I finished him boy. 235 00:09:18,030 --> 00:09:19,230 Did he have something to learn but look 236 00:09:19,230 --> 00:09:21,630 at verse 11 This is this is the 237 00:09:21,630 --> 00:09:22,530 real point. 238 00:09:22,570 --> 00:09:24,730 I wanted to get at I'm just talking 239 00:09:24,730 --> 00:09:25,810 about the rest of it because it's so 240 00:09:25,810 --> 00:09:29,490 interesting but first verse 11 therefore David took 241 00:09:29,490 --> 00:09:31,270 hold of his own clothes and tore them 242 00:09:31,270 --> 00:09:33,510 and so did all the men who were 243 00:09:33,510 --> 00:09:38,210 with him and They mourned and wept and 244 00:09:38,210 --> 00:09:41,270 fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan 245 00:09:41,270 --> 00:09:44,150 his son For the people of the Lord 246 00:09:44,150 --> 00:09:47,110 and for the house of Israel Because they 247 00:09:47,110 --> 00:09:48,150 had fallen by the sword. 248 00:09:54,430 --> 00:09:58,490 There's there's something here That we need to 249 00:09:58,490 --> 00:10:04,760 learn from you know when you realize all 250 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:09,640 that Saul did to David and how David 251 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:15,680 never mistreated Saul It's a fascinating study through 252 00:10:15,680 --> 00:10:21,040 first Samuel to see how Saul With such 253 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:28,020 Brilliance with such wickedness Sought to destroy David 254 00:10:28,900 --> 00:10:32,580 He tried to open out front attack sending 255 00:10:32,580 --> 00:10:35,860 assassins to his own home He tried the 256 00:10:35,860 --> 00:10:39,180 devious things of trying to get David implicated 257 00:10:39,180 --> 00:10:43,410 as a traitor David was promoted. 258 00:10:43,650 --> 00:10:45,750 He was a I don't know what rank 259 00:10:45,750 --> 00:10:47,030 you would call him He was a leader 260 00:10:47,030 --> 00:10:51,050 in the Israeli army Saul stripped him of 261 00:10:51,050 --> 00:10:54,590 his career Stripped him of his home stripped 262 00:10:54,590 --> 00:10:59,240 him of his wife Stripped him of all 263 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:03,200 security all safety made David live as a 264 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,720 fugitive For something like we don't have the 265 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:09,100 time span exactly something like 15 to 20 266 00:11:09,100 --> 00:11:12,880 years David lived as a fugitive from Saul 267 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:18,400 I Think about this Saul took from David 268 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:22,280 what we would probably consider the best years 269 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:27,140 of his life That time from approximately about 270 00:11:27,140 --> 00:11:32,040 20 to 40 Those years were stolen From 271 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:35,100 David by Saul and he had to live 272 00:11:35,100 --> 00:11:39,340 like a criminal On the run his life 273 00:11:39,340 --> 00:11:39,880 and cause it. 274 00:11:39,900 --> 00:11:41,140 Do you know what kind of stress that 275 00:11:41,140 --> 00:11:42,060 would put upon you? 276 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:48,290 living with that daily stress and Saul up 277 00:11:48,290 --> 00:11:52,230 until the end hated David Without a cause 278 00:11:52,230 --> 00:11:55,110 you remember those dramatic confrontations where David had 279 00:11:55,110 --> 00:11:57,850 opportunity to kill Saul but one was within 280 00:11:57,850 --> 00:12:00,230 that cave where was Saul was, you know 281 00:12:00,230 --> 00:12:02,870 doing his business and and David had the 282 00:12:02,870 --> 00:12:04,790 opportunity to strike him down right there and 283 00:12:04,790 --> 00:12:07,850 he didn't David even felt guilty that he 284 00:12:07,850 --> 00:12:11,110 cut off part of Saul's robe What a 285 00:12:11,110 --> 00:12:14,930 tender conscience And then later on when David 286 00:12:14,930 --> 00:12:16,550 snuck into the camp at night and he 287 00:12:16,550 --> 00:12:18,650 put the spear by Saul's head and all 288 00:12:18,650 --> 00:12:21,650 of that You know David again, he's just 289 00:12:21,650 --> 00:12:24,730 showing Saul I'm innocent before you and Saul 290 00:12:24,730 --> 00:12:27,130 knew it and Saul testified to it but 291 00:12:27,130 --> 00:12:30,110 but there was just this insane jealousy and 292 00:12:30,110 --> 00:12:34,190 fear of David within Saul and He tried 293 00:12:34,190 --> 00:12:37,110 to kill him and David never ever Deserved 294 00:12:37,110 --> 00:12:40,190 it in the slightest David was nothing but 295 00:12:40,190 --> 00:12:43,630 loyal and honorable towards Saul and Saul hated 296 00:12:43,630 --> 00:12:45,410 him for all that he had I don't 297 00:12:45,410 --> 00:12:47,450 know about you, but in my life in 298 00:12:47,450 --> 00:12:49,490 ministry, I have had enemies. 299 00:12:51,150 --> 00:12:54,250 I Have had you know people rise up 300 00:12:54,250 --> 00:12:57,230 to oppose me, you know I've gotten the 301 00:12:57,230 --> 00:12:59,450 letters like you have you know, I'm gonna 302 00:12:59,450 --> 00:13:00,430 bring you down. 303 00:13:00,630 --> 00:13:02,330 You're horrible and this and that all the 304 00:13:02,330 --> 00:13:04,870 other stuff Yeah, I have had my enemies. 305 00:13:05,010 --> 00:13:07,770 I've had you know, the Judas's or the 306 00:13:07,770 --> 00:13:09,930 Ahithophel's You know the people who stabbed you 307 00:13:09,930 --> 00:13:11,890 in the back and all of that and 308 00:13:11,890 --> 00:13:13,530 I mean we could have a very entertaining 309 00:13:13,530 --> 00:13:15,270 It wouldn't be very edifying, but it'd be 310 00:13:15,270 --> 00:13:17,310 very entertaining We could go through and just 311 00:13:17,310 --> 00:13:19,230 share all of our horror stories and such 312 00:13:19,230 --> 00:13:21,590 because you know, we all have them But 313 00:13:21,590 --> 00:13:23,390 I have to tell you I've never ever 314 00:13:23,390 --> 00:13:26,450 had anybody come close to treating me like 315 00:13:26,450 --> 00:13:30,810 Saul treated David not even close I've never 316 00:13:30,810 --> 00:13:33,970 had somebody actually wants to physically well you 317 00:13:33,970 --> 00:13:35,890 know, I don't think they've ever actually wanted 318 00:13:35,890 --> 00:13:38,810 to physically kill me and You know, I've 319 00:13:38,810 --> 00:13:41,370 never had somebody want to take everything from 320 00:13:41,370 --> 00:13:44,510 me that Saul took from David and I'll 321 00:13:44,510 --> 00:13:46,610 say the other thing is Most the time 322 00:13:46,610 --> 00:13:49,110 in these conflicts that I've had I have 323 00:13:49,110 --> 00:13:52,410 sinned in some way towards that person Maybe 324 00:13:52,410 --> 00:13:54,790 not to begin with but but oftentimes in 325 00:13:54,790 --> 00:13:56,930 my reaction to them and I've had to 326 00:13:56,930 --> 00:13:58,830 go to them You know, it's one of 327 00:13:58,830 --> 00:14:01,750 the situations where they have been 99% 328 00:14:01,750 --> 00:14:03,450 in the wrong and I was 1% 329 00:14:03,450 --> 00:14:04,890 in the wrong But I had to humble 330 00:14:04,890 --> 00:14:07,410 myself before them and apologize for my 1 331 00:14:07,410 --> 00:14:09,770 % because that's just what you do And 332 00:14:09,770 --> 00:14:11,330 all of that what that isn't even the 333 00:14:11,330 --> 00:14:14,390 case with David David was just blameless before 334 00:14:14,390 --> 00:14:18,270 Saul and Saul knew it Now considering all 335 00:14:18,270 --> 00:14:21,330 of that that whole big picture What do 336 00:14:21,330 --> 00:14:23,210 you think David's reaction would be upon learning 337 00:14:23,210 --> 00:14:24,230 that Saul was dead? 338 00:14:25,730 --> 00:14:29,730 Ding dong the king is dead Hooray you 339 00:14:29,730 --> 00:14:30,790 throw a party. 340 00:14:31,350 --> 00:14:34,710 I mean it's over all these years of 341 00:14:34,710 --> 00:14:36,890 living as a fugitive I can get my 342 00:14:36,890 --> 00:14:37,750 career back. 343 00:14:37,990 --> 00:14:39,370 I can get my home back. 344 00:14:39,570 --> 00:14:41,630 I can get my family back I can 345 00:14:41,630 --> 00:14:43,790 live in one place and just enjoy my 346 00:14:43,790 --> 00:14:46,210 I can be a normal person again All 347 00:14:46,210 --> 00:14:48,170 these things that were stolen away from me 348 00:14:48,170 --> 00:14:51,330 from by an ungodly Unrighteous man who hated 349 00:14:51,330 --> 00:14:53,390 me without cause I can get it all 350 00:14:53,390 --> 00:14:56,810 back now And yet when he heard that 351 00:14:56,810 --> 00:15:04,630 Saul was dead he mourned He mourned that 352 00:15:04,630 --> 00:15:08,640 that is something very special Now if you 353 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:10,380 look at it closely in verses 11 and 354 00:15:10,380 --> 00:15:12,780 12, it's even better than that he said 355 00:15:12,780 --> 00:15:14,840 therefore David took hold of his own clothes 356 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:18,620 and tore them and So did all the 357 00:15:18,620 --> 00:15:20,740 men so did all the men who were 358 00:15:20,740 --> 00:15:24,940 with him Now Saul ripped them off, too 359 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,580 You know those were men Who should have 360 00:15:29,580 --> 00:15:30,440 risen to prominence? 361 00:15:31,260 --> 00:15:36,000 years before I mean if from an outward 362 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,700 view just You hate to say this, but 363 00:15:38,700 --> 00:15:39,880 if you were to you know push the 364 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,360 Lord out of the equation David should have 365 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,640 been king a long time before this and 366 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:46,900 his mighty men should have been around him 367 00:15:46,900 --> 00:15:49,200 You know reigning in Israel a long time 368 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:52,100 before this and and and those mighty men 369 00:15:52,100 --> 00:15:54,340 knew that and they saw that They certainly 370 00:15:54,340 --> 00:15:57,740 had reason to feel that that they should 371 00:15:57,740 --> 00:15:59,760 be happy when Saul was dead But they 372 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:02,280 weren't they saw their leader do this and 373 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:05,320 then they did it They mourned as well, 374 00:16:05,340 --> 00:16:07,320 and what did they do they mourned and 375 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:11,580 wept and fasted until evening This wasn't just 376 00:16:11,580 --> 00:16:16,000 oh wow Saul's dead Hmm bummer all right. 377 00:16:16,020 --> 00:16:18,900 Let's go take the throne I Mean this 378 00:16:18,900 --> 00:16:21,680 was real it was from the heart they 379 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:26,120 fasted they wept For Saul and for Jonathan 380 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,080 his son for the people of the Lord 381 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:29,220 and for the house of Israel. 382 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:32,400 I think I Think that's the key to 383 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:32,780 it. 384 00:16:35,690 --> 00:16:39,410 You know Saul Saul was a real enemy 385 00:16:39,410 --> 00:16:43,030 of David It was out of nothing, but 386 00:16:43,030 --> 00:16:48,170 pure jealousy hatred spite and ungodliness That Saul 387 00:16:48,170 --> 00:16:50,450 took all these things from David and Saul 388 00:16:50,450 --> 00:16:57,600 was utterly unrepentant to the end, but this 389 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,320 shows us That when we have hatred and 390 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:06,200 bitterness Towards those people who attack us We 391 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:11,760 choose it It's not forced upon you We'd 392 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:15,079 like to think that Our reaction to our 393 00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:17,839 enemies is something forced upon us by our 394 00:17:17,839 --> 00:17:22,099 enemies or opponents themselves, and it's not We 395 00:17:22,099 --> 00:17:24,780 choose it David chose to have the godly 396 00:17:24,780 --> 00:17:32,450 reaction So they followed this great example of 397 00:17:32,450 --> 00:17:34,810 David and when they mourned they didn't just 398 00:17:34,810 --> 00:17:38,090 mourn for Saul They didn't just mourn for 399 00:17:38,090 --> 00:17:39,990 Jonathan, but as I mentioned before I think 400 00:17:39,990 --> 00:17:42,470 the key to it Was that they mourned 401 00:17:42,470 --> 00:17:44,490 as it says in verse 12 for the 402 00:17:44,490 --> 00:17:46,590 people of the Lord and for the house 403 00:17:46,590 --> 00:17:52,000 of Israel You see David's sorrow was first 404 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,620 for Saul then for Jonathan But more than 405 00:17:55,620 --> 00:17:57,420 that it was for the people of God 406 00:17:57,420 --> 00:17:59,740 as a whole because they were in a 407 00:17:59,740 --> 00:18:03,520 desperate dangerous place they had been led by 408 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:06,100 an awful leader for 10 or 20 years 409 00:18:06,100 --> 00:18:09,240 and Now that leader was gone Which was 410 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:11,300 even worse because now it could lead to 411 00:18:11,300 --> 00:18:14,640 total anarchy and the Philistines could not just 412 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:17,740 dominate the Israelites But they could totally overwhelm 413 00:18:17,740 --> 00:18:19,820 them David knew that it was a horrible 414 00:18:19,820 --> 00:18:21,620 place that the people of God read and 415 00:18:21,620 --> 00:18:23,620 that's where his heart went I want you 416 00:18:23,620 --> 00:18:26,340 to notice where David's heart is not in 417 00:18:26,340 --> 00:18:29,560 verses 11 and 12 His heart is for 418 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,700 Jonathan for Saul for the people of God 419 00:18:32,700 --> 00:18:35,000 his heart and mind are not upon himself 420 00:18:37,290 --> 00:18:40,610 That's just not in the equation You know 421 00:18:40,610 --> 00:18:43,010 when David heard this news this was life 422 00:18:43,010 --> 00:18:46,610 -changing News for David that this throne that 423 00:18:46,610 --> 00:18:50,490 he had been anointed to sit upon This 424 00:18:50,490 --> 00:18:52,790 throne that he had waited for some 20 425 00:18:52,790 --> 00:18:55,570 years to come and take now it was 426 00:18:55,570 --> 00:18:57,910 vacant Now it was the time for him 427 00:18:57,910 --> 00:19:00,290 to fulfill that thing that started when Samuel 428 00:19:00,290 --> 00:19:02,870 first poured that oil over his head Now 429 00:19:02,870 --> 00:19:05,450 it might be fulfilled with the crown set 430 00:19:05,450 --> 00:19:08,250 upon his head But David had no thought 431 00:19:08,250 --> 00:19:09,730 of himself at that time. 432 00:19:11,210 --> 00:19:13,490 He thought about Saul He thought about Jonathan 433 00:19:13,490 --> 00:19:15,250 and he thought about the people of God 434 00:19:17,010 --> 00:19:19,710 now, isn't it true that our our bad 435 00:19:19,710 --> 00:19:24,650 Reactions to our enemies or our opponents It's 436 00:19:24,650 --> 00:19:27,010 almost always it's it is always written. 437 00:19:27,170 --> 00:19:27,710 It's himself. 438 00:19:27,930 --> 00:19:33,960 You're thinking about yourself And might I say 439 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:38,740 that that we do have enemies guys And 440 00:19:38,740 --> 00:19:40,840 I don't mean just in a hyper spiritual 441 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:42,560 sense of you know, of course that the 442 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:45,780 spiritual enemies that we face I Mean that 443 00:19:45,780 --> 00:19:48,500 there are people who really will oppose us 444 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:52,940 Who really are enemies and really are Wicked 445 00:19:52,940 --> 00:19:55,220 people who will strike out against us. 446 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:59,400 You will face those in the ministry And 447 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:01,060 sometimes we want to sort of slough it 448 00:20:01,060 --> 00:20:03,080 off and I I don't think we should 449 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,040 You know, it's a remarkable thing that Jesus 450 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,380 said he said love your enemies. 451 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,700 I Remember walking around on a college campus 452 00:20:10,700 --> 00:20:12,720 once and there was a sign or a 453 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:14,780 poster on a you know On one of 454 00:20:14,780 --> 00:20:17,140 those bulletin boards and it said something like 455 00:20:17,140 --> 00:20:17,360 this. 456 00:20:17,420 --> 00:20:22,440 It said Enemies are friends Whom we choose 457 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,460 not to understand Now Jesus would never say 458 00:20:26,460 --> 00:20:29,520 anything that foolish You know that what that 459 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:31,540 saying was saying was that you don't really 460 00:20:31,540 --> 00:20:34,080 have any enemies Your enemies are really your 461 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:35,960 friends and you just don't understand them. 462 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:39,560 No, you have enemies and Jesus didn't say 463 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:42,220 pretend like your enemies don't exist pretends like 464 00:20:42,220 --> 00:20:43,800 you don't have any enemies What did he 465 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:44,380 tell you to do? 466 00:20:44,980 --> 00:20:49,400 Love them pray for them Yes You are 467 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:49,980 my enemy. 468 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:52,940 You are my opponent You're wicked. 469 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,300 You're out against me and my response to 470 00:20:56,300 --> 00:20:58,680 you is to love you to pray for 471 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:02,420 you To keep my heart utterly right towards 472 00:21:02,420 --> 00:21:04,580 you no matter what you might do towards 473 00:21:04,580 --> 00:21:06,040 us or to towards me. 474 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:09,380 I Think of it again in that in 475 00:21:09,380 --> 00:21:11,760 that passage that was mentioned earlier in the 476 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:15,580 conference of Joseph where Joseph had this dramatic 477 00:21:15,580 --> 00:21:18,540 statement before his brothers and I think sometimes 478 00:21:18,540 --> 00:21:22,180 we miss the the Amazing part of the 479 00:21:22,180 --> 00:21:25,140 first part of that sentence where he says 480 00:21:25,140 --> 00:21:27,460 you meant it for evil, but God meant 481 00:21:27,460 --> 00:21:29,900 it for good Joseph isn't minimizing what they 482 00:21:29,900 --> 00:21:33,340 did one bit you meant you're evil guys 483 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:37,340 You meant it for evil I'm not going 484 00:21:37,340 --> 00:21:38,500 to try to say that it was really 485 00:21:38,500 --> 00:21:40,920 something nice That just didn't work out or 486 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:43,340 something that no you intended it for evil. 487 00:21:43,500 --> 00:21:44,180 We all know it. 488 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:46,920 That's true But God meant it for good. 489 00:21:46,980 --> 00:21:48,480 That's the higher truth, isn't it? 490 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,360 That's the overarching principle there, but it recognizes 491 00:21:52,360 --> 00:21:53,160 both of them. 492 00:21:55,050 --> 00:21:57,930 So David was was confronted with all of 493 00:21:57,930 --> 00:22:02,170 this news and Verses 13 through 16 described 494 00:22:02,170 --> 00:22:04,410 what he did with the Amalekite and that's 495 00:22:04,410 --> 00:22:06,470 a great story You know that Amalekite thinks 496 00:22:06,470 --> 00:22:07,850 well now I'm really going to come into 497 00:22:07,850 --> 00:22:09,730 my own now I'm really going to get 498 00:22:09,730 --> 00:22:09,830 it. 499 00:22:09,870 --> 00:22:11,410 He sure came into his own David had 500 00:22:11,410 --> 00:22:11,990 him executed. 501 00:22:12,510 --> 00:22:14,570 He just killed this guy He he touched 502 00:22:14,570 --> 00:22:16,150 the Lord's anointed I would never do it 503 00:22:16,150 --> 00:22:18,550 David said but this guy did And then 504 00:22:18,550 --> 00:22:20,110 in verse 17 if you take a look 505 00:22:20,110 --> 00:22:22,650 there It says then David lamented with this 506 00:22:22,650 --> 00:22:25,510 lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son 507 00:22:25,510 --> 00:22:27,830 And he told them to teach the children 508 00:22:27,830 --> 00:22:30,650 of Judah the song of the bow Indeed 509 00:22:30,650 --> 00:22:33,210 it is written in the book of Jasher 510 00:22:34,490 --> 00:22:36,390 By the way, just as a side point 511 00:22:37,390 --> 00:22:39,890 You know when the Bible mentions books like 512 00:22:39,890 --> 00:22:43,350 that that aren't in there Sometimes people want 513 00:22:43,350 --> 00:22:45,250 to act like there's something missing in our 514 00:22:45,250 --> 00:22:46,930 Bible because you know You won't find the 515 00:22:46,930 --> 00:22:48,950 book of Jasher in the table of contents 516 00:22:49,790 --> 00:22:50,790 Don't think that for a minute. 517 00:22:50,950 --> 00:22:52,810 In fact, I think I've heard Mormons try 518 00:22:52,810 --> 00:22:55,610 to use that line with me They'll they'll 519 00:22:55,610 --> 00:22:57,450 say you say well, we don't need the 520 00:22:57,450 --> 00:22:57,930 book of Mormon. 521 00:22:57,990 --> 00:22:59,450 We have the Bible and they say well 522 00:22:59,450 --> 00:23:01,090 You know, the Bible is an incomplete book 523 00:23:01,090 --> 00:23:02,570 I mean look at it talks about the 524 00:23:02,570 --> 00:23:03,870 book of Jasher here and we don't have 525 00:23:03,870 --> 00:23:05,850 the book of Jasher And so the Bible 526 00:23:05,850 --> 00:23:07,290 is incomplete one nonsense. 527 00:23:07,590 --> 00:23:11,970 It's a completely Unjustified leap of logic to 528 00:23:11,970 --> 00:23:14,870 say that just because the Bible mentions a 529 00:23:14,870 --> 00:23:17,630 book that somehow that book was inspired Scripture 530 00:23:17,630 --> 00:23:20,050 it needs to be in our Bibles That's 531 00:23:20,050 --> 00:23:23,770 just a completely Illogical leap that that's beside 532 00:23:23,770 --> 00:23:24,110 the point. 533 00:23:24,210 --> 00:23:25,350 Let's look at the song of the bow 534 00:23:25,350 --> 00:23:29,850 verse 19 Again, remember the context and who 535 00:23:29,850 --> 00:23:33,630 David is singing about The beauty of Israel 536 00:23:33,630 --> 00:23:35,630 is slain on your high places how the 537 00:23:35,630 --> 00:23:38,370 mighty have fallen Tell it not in gas 538 00:23:38,370 --> 00:23:40,310 proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon 539 00:23:40,310 --> 00:23:42,970 Bless the daughters of the Philistines rejoice less 540 00:23:42,970 --> 00:23:46,310 the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph All mountains 541 00:23:46,310 --> 00:23:48,410 of Gilboa let there be no dew nor 542 00:23:48,410 --> 00:23:51,130 rain upon you nor fields of offerings for 543 00:23:51,130 --> 00:23:53,270 the shields of the mighty are cast away 544 00:23:53,270 --> 00:23:56,130 the shield of Saul not anointed with oil 545 00:23:56,130 --> 00:23:58,070 From the blood of the slain from the 546 00:23:58,070 --> 00:23:59,710 fat of the mighty the bow of Jonathan 547 00:23:59,710 --> 00:24:01,590 did not turn back and the sword of 548 00:24:01,590 --> 00:24:04,670 Saul Did not return empty Saul and Jonathan 549 00:24:04,670 --> 00:24:07,510 were beloved and pleasant in their lives and 550 00:24:07,510 --> 00:24:08,350 in their death. 551 00:24:08,430 --> 00:24:11,070 They were not divided They were swifter than 552 00:24:11,070 --> 00:24:11,410 eagles. 553 00:24:11,510 --> 00:24:14,090 They were stronger than lions Oh daughters of 554 00:24:14,090 --> 00:24:17,690 Israel weep over Saul who clothed you in 555 00:24:17,690 --> 00:24:20,350 Scarlet with luxury who put ornaments of gold 556 00:24:20,350 --> 00:24:23,050 on your apparel how the mighty have fallen 557 00:24:23,050 --> 00:24:25,530 in the midst of the battle Jonathan was 558 00:24:25,530 --> 00:24:26,790 slain in your high places. 559 00:24:26,930 --> 00:24:27,970 I'm distressed for you. 560 00:24:28,070 --> 00:24:28,890 My brother Jonathan. 561 00:24:29,430 --> 00:24:31,310 You've been very pleasant to me Your love 562 00:24:31,310 --> 00:24:34,070 to me was wonderful Surpassing the love of 563 00:24:34,070 --> 00:24:36,730 women how the mighty have fallen and the 564 00:24:36,730 --> 00:24:42,190 weapons of war Perished I think we are 565 00:24:42,190 --> 00:24:46,190 so used to phoniness in our day and 566 00:24:46,190 --> 00:24:50,770 age Insincerity where people say things that they 567 00:24:50,770 --> 00:24:54,190 really don't mean That it's almost hard for 568 00:24:54,190 --> 00:24:56,190 us to believe that David really meant this 569 00:24:56,190 --> 00:24:59,310 but he did He really meant it and 570 00:24:59,310 --> 00:25:01,350 when you think about how he meant it 571 00:25:01,350 --> 00:25:04,870 It's unbelievable to see how David's heart was 572 00:25:04,870 --> 00:25:08,310 towards this man who dedicated his life to 573 00:25:08,310 --> 00:25:11,330 ruining his life Look at what he says 574 00:25:11,330 --> 00:25:15,270 about Saul The beauty of Israel is slain 575 00:25:15,270 --> 00:25:16,390 on your high places. 576 00:25:16,410 --> 00:25:17,310 Who does he mean? 577 00:25:17,950 --> 00:25:21,470 Can you imagine David calling Saul the beauty 578 00:25:21,470 --> 00:25:24,150 of Israel and Then he says I don't 579 00:25:24,150 --> 00:25:27,390 want anybody to rejoice over the death I 580 00:25:27,390 --> 00:25:29,690 don't even want the Philistines to rejoice over 581 00:25:29,690 --> 00:25:32,910 the death of Saul Nobody should rejoice and 582 00:25:32,910 --> 00:25:36,690 then he wants everybody to mourn He wants 583 00:25:36,690 --> 00:25:39,610 the mountains and the fields to mourn for 584 00:25:39,610 --> 00:25:42,970 Saul He tells the mountains of Gilboa and 585 00:25:42,970 --> 00:25:45,410 the fields of offerings no rain upon you 586 00:25:45,410 --> 00:25:48,230 No, you should be in mourning as well 587 00:25:48,230 --> 00:25:53,350 Then he praised Saul as a mighty Warrior 588 00:25:53,350 --> 00:25:55,110 and let me tell you especially in the 589 00:25:55,110 --> 00:25:57,770 latterly years of David's Saul's life. 590 00:25:58,010 --> 00:26:00,750 That's a compliment that Saul almost didn't deserve 591 00:26:01,370 --> 00:26:03,270 Saul was not a man of great courage 592 00:26:03,270 --> 00:26:06,390 Saul what was a very disturbed man Was 593 00:26:06,390 --> 00:26:09,110 a man beside himself in his last years, 594 00:26:09,190 --> 00:26:11,690 but David praised him as a mighty warrior 595 00:26:11,690 --> 00:26:15,350 He complimented the personality and the loyalty of 596 00:26:15,350 --> 00:26:18,030 Saul when he said Saul and Jonathan were 597 00:26:18,030 --> 00:26:21,410 beloved and Pleasant in their lives and in 598 00:26:21,410 --> 00:26:21,850 their death. 599 00:26:21,950 --> 00:26:24,710 They were not divided You know here Saul 600 00:26:24,710 --> 00:26:27,970 loyal to the end Fighting right alongside his 601 00:26:27,970 --> 00:26:30,870 son and then he called the daughters of 602 00:26:30,870 --> 00:26:34,830 Israel to mourn and he praised Saul for 603 00:26:34,830 --> 00:26:37,150 all the good that he did for Israel 604 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:40,800 guys. 605 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,620 That's a heart That's a heart that can 606 00:26:44,620 --> 00:26:49,660 let go of The wrongs that have been 607 00:26:49,660 --> 00:26:50,900 done against us. 608 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:55,300 Oh How we need to do it You 609 00:26:55,300 --> 00:26:57,940 just can't hold on to them You have 610 00:26:57,940 --> 00:27:00,680 to let them go You have to be 611 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:03,440 able to just forgive people and not let 612 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:06,800 your mind Close like a trap on all 613 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:08,440 those wrongs that have been done to you 614 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,320 all the ways people mistreated all the lies 615 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:12,440 That they said about you. 616 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:14,000 You just need to let it go. 617 00:27:17,650 --> 00:27:19,430 I Think Lloyd in one of the earlier 618 00:27:19,430 --> 00:27:19,850 sessions. 619 00:27:19,930 --> 00:27:23,190 He mentioned Maybe it was just in conversation 620 00:27:23,190 --> 00:27:26,530 that great book by Charles Scourge and lectures 621 00:27:26,530 --> 00:27:27,430 to my students. 622 00:27:27,530 --> 00:27:28,230 Have you seen that one? 623 00:27:28,310 --> 00:27:28,850 Have you read it? 624 00:27:29,650 --> 00:27:31,850 You know the chapter in there That's more 625 00:27:31,850 --> 00:27:34,370 meaningful to any other that the chapter that 626 00:27:34,370 --> 00:27:37,750 has maybe saved my sanity in the ministry 627 00:27:37,750 --> 00:27:39,890 Is a chapter in lectures to my students 628 00:27:39,890 --> 00:27:42,730 called the blind eye and the deaf ear. 629 00:27:43,250 --> 00:27:44,350 Do you guys know that one? 630 00:27:44,690 --> 00:27:45,550 Rocky, do you know that? 631 00:27:46,290 --> 00:27:47,650 It's a great message. 632 00:27:47,770 --> 00:27:51,130 He says there's some obscure passage in Ecclesiastes 633 00:27:51,130 --> 00:27:53,210 where it talks about, you know Don't listen 634 00:27:53,210 --> 00:27:55,530 to everything that your servants say about you 635 00:27:55,530 --> 00:27:57,410 and Spurgeon gets up and you can just 636 00:27:57,410 --> 00:27:59,290 see him lecturing before his students You know 637 00:27:59,290 --> 00:28:01,330 in his pastor's college and he says I've 638 00:28:01,330 --> 00:28:04,150 often spoken before you that Every minister should 639 00:28:04,150 --> 00:28:06,470 have one blind eye and one deaf ear 640 00:28:06,470 --> 00:28:09,070 and that that is often the best eye 641 00:28:09,070 --> 00:28:11,270 and the best ear that you Have I 642 00:28:11,270 --> 00:28:12,770 said well, I thought I would spend this 643 00:28:12,770 --> 00:28:14,890 time today explaining to you What exactly I 644 00:28:14,890 --> 00:28:16,430 meant by that he goes on in this 645 00:28:16,430 --> 00:28:18,690 brilliant discussion of how? 646 00:28:19,370 --> 00:28:21,190 Well, he applies it to many points, but 647 00:28:21,190 --> 00:28:24,690 you know, you just can't listen to everything 648 00:28:24,690 --> 00:28:27,830 people say about you You can't take it 649 00:28:27,830 --> 00:28:28,690 all so seriously. 650 00:28:28,710 --> 00:28:30,210 You can't grab on to it. 651 00:28:30,530 --> 00:28:32,650 You have to turn a deaf ear towards 652 00:28:32,650 --> 00:28:39,100 it Benjamin Franklin said this I've always Had 653 00:28:39,100 --> 00:28:40,120 this stick in my mind. 654 00:28:40,180 --> 00:28:43,020 He said you can't control your own tongue 655 00:28:43,020 --> 00:28:45,240 and it's in your mouth How can you 656 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,540 hope to control the tongues of other people 657 00:28:47,540 --> 00:28:48,500 you can't? 658 00:28:49,540 --> 00:28:52,120 There's that you can't do it People will 659 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:54,680 talk they're going to talk what you can't 660 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,720 do is you can't let your heart become 661 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:02,540 hardened and bitter towards them And Remember yesterday 662 00:29:02,540 --> 00:29:05,280 when Brian was speaking about the love that 663 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:07,840 we need to have for the people and 664 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:12,180 how we need to serve them well It 665 00:29:12,180 --> 00:29:14,820 sometimes starts out very easy to love the 666 00:29:14,820 --> 00:29:17,720 people But you will find that love challenged 667 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:19,960 at different points along the way right the 668 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:22,300 devil does not want you to love them 669 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,160 and so Experiences will come along where you 670 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:31,460 feel totally burned totally hurt Totally betrayed by 671 00:29:31,460 --> 00:29:33,480 people within the body, and what does it 672 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:34,520 make you want to do it makes you 673 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:34,900 want to say? 674 00:29:35,260 --> 00:29:36,960 I will never open up to anybody else 675 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:37,280 again. 676 00:29:37,820 --> 00:29:39,300 I will not love them I will not 677 00:29:39,300 --> 00:29:41,500 give myself to them and just as Brian 678 00:29:41,500 --> 00:29:42,680 said yeah, I will preach I will be 679 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,380 their preacher But I won't be their pastor 680 00:29:45,380 --> 00:29:48,000 now I'm going to set this guard around 681 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,320 my heart, and I'm going to protect myself 682 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:53,400 Listen you you have just escaped the nature 683 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:59,990 of Jesus there Spurgeon said He said it 684 00:29:59,990 --> 00:30:03,110 would be better to be hurt a thousand 685 00:30:03,110 --> 00:30:06,050 times than to live a life of perpetual 686 00:30:06,050 --> 00:30:11,410 suspicion And it's true You know whatever advantage 687 00:30:11,410 --> 00:30:14,450 you think you're gaining by having this protective 688 00:30:14,450 --> 00:30:16,570 attitude We say I'm not I'm never going 689 00:30:16,570 --> 00:30:18,110 to let them hurt me like that again 690 00:30:18,110 --> 00:30:20,710 You're giving up far more than you ever 691 00:30:20,710 --> 00:30:23,830 think you're gaining You're really hurting yourself, and 692 00:30:23,830 --> 00:30:25,690 yes I know you open up your heart 693 00:30:25,690 --> 00:30:27,730 to the people and it will be stepped 694 00:30:27,730 --> 00:30:28,470 upon at times. 695 00:30:28,570 --> 00:30:30,230 I know that you know that It's going 696 00:30:30,230 --> 00:30:33,850 to happen But can you imagine somebody giving 697 00:30:33,850 --> 00:30:37,210 forth love and grace and forgiveness? 698 00:30:37,690 --> 00:30:40,390 Towards people and having it trounced upon time 699 00:30:40,390 --> 00:30:41,090 and time again. 700 00:30:41,150 --> 00:30:44,930 Well, I guess that's Jesus isn't it Isn't 701 00:30:44,930 --> 00:30:47,370 that Jesus towards us and towards others, so 702 00:30:47,370 --> 00:30:48,810 that's the kind of nature That's the kind 703 00:30:48,810 --> 00:30:50,670 of character that he's trying to work within 704 00:30:50,670 --> 00:30:52,690 us And so we're just called to bear 705 00:30:52,690 --> 00:30:55,330 up bravely under this kind of conflict and 706 00:30:55,330 --> 00:30:57,730 to have a heart That is that is 707 00:30:57,730 --> 00:31:00,950 just free from this bitterness from from this 708 00:31:00,950 --> 00:31:03,450 anger towards people You know how it is 709 00:31:03,450 --> 00:31:05,170 your mind just can't get off of it 710 00:31:05,170 --> 00:31:07,610 You rehearse in your head over and over 711 00:31:07,610 --> 00:31:09,250 again the things you want to tell those 712 00:31:09,250 --> 00:31:11,770 people You can be very eloquent telling them 713 00:31:11,770 --> 00:31:14,290 off in your head can't you and and 714 00:31:14,290 --> 00:31:16,170 it may never happen in real life But 715 00:31:16,170 --> 00:31:17,710 you spend a lot of time a lot 716 00:31:17,710 --> 00:31:19,090 of energy a lot of a lot of 717 00:31:19,090 --> 00:31:21,830 spiritual energy goes into that doesn't it you 718 00:31:21,830 --> 00:31:23,790 Telling them off and you setting it right 719 00:31:23,790 --> 00:31:26,370 and you being the writer of every wrong 720 00:31:26,370 --> 00:31:29,310 and everybody knows how right right right you? 721 00:31:29,490 --> 00:31:32,250 Are and you're right and they're wrong and 722 00:31:32,250 --> 00:31:34,290 you know what and then it's just you 723 00:31:34,290 --> 00:31:36,630 and your wife in the church And she's 724 00:31:36,630 --> 00:31:39,970 not so sure about you either Because it's 725 00:31:39,970 --> 00:31:41,070 just everything's gone. 726 00:31:41,250 --> 00:31:44,910 You've just run all the people off And 727 00:31:44,910 --> 00:31:46,930 you didn't want it to be that way, 728 00:31:47,050 --> 00:31:50,910 but it it flowed out of this business 729 00:31:50,910 --> 00:31:54,790 of you being hurt and You not responding 730 00:31:54,790 --> 00:31:55,870 to it rightly I? 731 00:31:56,990 --> 00:31:58,770 Guess I'm saying is you have to forgive 732 00:31:58,770 --> 00:32:02,990 them you have to open up your heart 733 00:32:02,990 --> 00:32:06,610 and say No matter what they did to 734 00:32:06,610 --> 00:32:15,220 me It measures nothing compared To what I 735 00:32:15,220 --> 00:32:19,220 did to God And he forgave me I'm 736 00:32:19,220 --> 00:32:21,340 the man who was forgiven ten million dollars 737 00:32:21,340 --> 00:32:23,620 from God and in comparison to what God 738 00:32:23,620 --> 00:32:26,560 has forgiven me this man has Owned me 739 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:30,610 ten dollars, and so I will forgive now 740 00:32:30,610 --> 00:32:36,230 if you cannot do that Your future in 741 00:32:36,230 --> 00:32:38,230 ministry will always be clouded. 742 00:32:38,430 --> 00:32:39,990 I'm not saying there will never be any 743 00:32:39,990 --> 00:32:41,410 good times I'm not saying there will never 744 00:32:41,410 --> 00:32:43,870 be any blessing All but there will always 745 00:32:43,870 --> 00:32:45,730 be a hindrance to what the Holy Spirit 746 00:32:45,730 --> 00:32:47,510 wants to do there always be this sort 747 00:32:47,510 --> 00:32:50,670 of block in you Because Satan knows just 748 00:32:50,670 --> 00:32:52,450 how to push that button in you and 749 00:32:52,450 --> 00:32:54,010 it'll come up from time to time again 750 00:32:54,010 --> 00:32:56,790 And you'll find yourself hardening yourself towards more 751 00:32:56,790 --> 00:32:57,810 and more people and you know you may 752 00:32:57,810 --> 00:32:59,850 never reconcile with that person I'm not saying 753 00:32:59,850 --> 00:33:02,790 you'd necessarily reconcile with them because they may 754 00:33:02,790 --> 00:33:07,570 remain Completely unreconciled to you let's remember Saul 755 00:33:07,570 --> 00:33:10,350 and David never got it together did they? 756 00:33:10,970 --> 00:33:13,350 There was never this you know tears and 757 00:33:13,350 --> 00:33:16,270 hugs, and I'm sorry David for everything of 758 00:33:16,270 --> 00:33:17,990 course There was an occasion just like that 759 00:33:17,990 --> 00:33:19,970 on one of these times when when David 760 00:33:19,970 --> 00:33:22,570 could have killed Saul But he didn't Saul 761 00:33:22,570 --> 00:33:25,190 is totally repentant that the tears are flowing 762 00:33:25,190 --> 00:33:27,050 down his face, and he's a goat David 763 00:33:27,050 --> 00:33:29,250 You're more righteous than I and and you've 764 00:33:29,250 --> 00:33:30,570 done it all and I've been such a 765 00:33:30,570 --> 00:33:32,130 fool and all of that And I believe 766 00:33:32,130 --> 00:33:36,850 Saul meant it for about five minutes And 767 00:33:36,850 --> 00:33:39,270 then it was gone But at the end 768 00:33:39,270 --> 00:33:41,630 there was no reconciliation, but here in this 769 00:33:41,630 --> 00:33:44,970 example of David you see how David could 770 00:33:44,970 --> 00:33:49,730 keep a totally soft warm tender heart towards 771 00:33:49,730 --> 00:33:52,910 Saul Even though Saul hated his guts and 772 00:33:52,910 --> 00:33:56,950 continued to do so Until he died how 773 00:33:56,950 --> 00:34:02,210 tragic for Saul to die in that Unreconciled 774 00:34:02,210 --> 00:34:04,870 horrible conflict against David, but you know what 775 00:34:04,870 --> 00:34:07,870 it didn't hurt David Because David kept a 776 00:34:07,870 --> 00:34:11,790 soft heart towards it all and here's the 777 00:34:11,790 --> 00:34:17,170 other aspect about it is that David Absolutely 778 00:34:18,909 --> 00:34:24,980 Needed this You know I had never thought 779 00:34:24,980 --> 00:34:27,580 that never had that thought before of what 780 00:34:27,580 --> 00:34:30,400 Brian mentioned yesterday in his message that That 781 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:34,460 Saul was David's hero And you hear him 782 00:34:34,460 --> 00:34:36,679 talking from that kind of focus there in 783 00:34:36,679 --> 00:34:37,940 the song of the bow at the end 784 00:34:37,940 --> 00:34:42,040 he's still his hero And almost we should 785 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:48,000 say deservedly so Because Saul in all his 786 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:52,420 ungodliness was a mighty Instrument of God in 787 00:34:52,420 --> 00:34:56,030 David's life think of the life of David 788 00:34:57,250 --> 00:35:01,470 What made him a man after God's heart? 789 00:35:02,490 --> 00:35:04,250 Now I don't think it was this whole 790 00:35:04,250 --> 00:35:07,850 business with Saul Because God picked out David 791 00:35:07,850 --> 00:35:09,690 as a man after his own heart when 792 00:35:09,690 --> 00:35:13,430 David Loved him and served him and communed 793 00:35:13,430 --> 00:35:15,750 with him in total obscurity as a shepherd. 794 00:35:15,890 --> 00:35:20,370 I think it was David's Personal communion with 795 00:35:20,370 --> 00:35:22,510 the Lord that made him a man after 796 00:35:22,510 --> 00:35:25,630 God's heart There's this David up in the 797 00:35:25,630 --> 00:35:27,390 shepherds field, and it's just him in the 798 00:35:27,390 --> 00:35:30,630 Lord And it's that depth of relationship with 799 00:35:30,630 --> 00:35:32,810 the Lord in the secret place when nobody's 800 00:35:32,810 --> 00:35:35,390 looking That's what made David a man after 801 00:35:35,390 --> 00:35:38,330 God's own heart, but what made David? 802 00:35:39,110 --> 00:35:42,270 Trained him prepared him to be the greatest 803 00:35:42,270 --> 00:35:45,670 king Israel ever had Do you want to 804 00:35:45,670 --> 00:35:46,790 know what a great king? 805 00:35:47,210 --> 00:35:48,570 David was over Israel. 806 00:35:48,810 --> 00:35:50,430 He was so great that God's going to 807 00:35:50,430 --> 00:35:52,910 give him an encore I Mean as far 808 00:35:52,910 --> 00:35:54,410 as I'm concerned for my reading of scriptures 809 00:35:54,410 --> 00:35:57,170 in the millennial earth God is going to 810 00:35:57,170 --> 00:35:58,730 have David reign over Israel again. 811 00:35:59,190 --> 00:36:00,850 I mean, I really believe that God's going 812 00:36:00,850 --> 00:36:02,130 to let him do it again I'm the 813 00:36:02,130 --> 00:36:06,750 millennium What made David a king and a 814 00:36:06,750 --> 00:36:08,870 great king it was this whole business with 815 00:36:08,870 --> 00:36:12,150 Saul It was these many years so that 816 00:36:12,150 --> 00:36:16,830 finally when David sat enthroned over Israel He 817 00:36:16,830 --> 00:36:18,390 was the man God wanted him to be 818 00:36:18,390 --> 00:36:20,930 a man after his heart And and a 819 00:36:20,930 --> 00:36:24,090 man of God sitting on that throne that 820 00:36:24,090 --> 00:36:28,130 trained in God's difficult school of leadership And 821 00:36:28,130 --> 00:36:31,830 it was really Because of Saul and David's 822 00:36:31,830 --> 00:36:36,260 response to what Saul did As hard as 823 00:36:36,260 --> 00:36:38,100 it is to see and as harder it 824 00:36:38,100 --> 00:36:40,760 is except in our own life Saul was 825 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:46,100 a gift to David and I guess David 826 00:36:46,100 --> 00:36:50,360 understood that somewhere along the line Spurgeon in 827 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,060 that great chapter of lectures to my students 828 00:36:53,060 --> 00:36:55,500 the blind eye and the deaf ear He 829 00:36:55,500 --> 00:36:58,200 speaks of a guy that used to write 830 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:00,940 him an anonymous letter every week I don't 831 00:37:00,940 --> 00:37:02,680 know it from the way. 832 00:37:02,780 --> 00:37:04,000 He described it seems like it went on 833 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,620 for several years Every week Spurgeon would get 834 00:37:07,620 --> 00:37:10,640 a letter from this guy and in the 835 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:14,460 letter the guy would point out every mistake 836 00:37:14,460 --> 00:37:16,890 he thought Spurgeon made in the sermon and 837 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:20,000 Some of the mistakes he thought were perhaps 838 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:23,060 doctrinal Some of them were stylistic. 839 00:37:23,180 --> 00:37:26,100 He thought he wasn't pronouncing words correctly and 840 00:37:26,100 --> 00:37:27,660 some of them He thought were just sort 841 00:37:27,660 --> 00:37:30,500 of on speaking manner, but he thought that 842 00:37:30,500 --> 00:37:35,480 Spurgeon quoted the hymn Nothing in my hand. 843 00:37:35,620 --> 00:37:37,440 I bring only to thy cross. 844 00:37:37,540 --> 00:37:39,340 I cling he thought he was quoting that 845 00:37:39,340 --> 00:37:42,120 way too often He's wrote something like this 846 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:42,520 this Spurgeon. 847 00:37:42,620 --> 00:37:43,960 We know your hands are empty. 848 00:37:44,020 --> 00:37:45,640 You know think of another way to illustrate 849 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:49,840 it How would you like to get that 850 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:50,500 every week? 851 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:54,080 How would you like to get that letter 852 00:37:54,080 --> 00:38:00,020 every week You know Spurgeon said he said 853 00:38:00,020 --> 00:38:02,820 my only regret was that the guy was 854 00:38:02,820 --> 00:38:05,320 anonymous And I never had the chance to 855 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:08,520 thank him And I said I didn't agree 856 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:10,060 with him on every point I mean, it's 857 00:38:10,060 --> 00:38:11,400 not like you just read it and said 858 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:13,480 well, whatever you say is true, but he 859 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:16,380 said that man helped me He helped me 860 00:38:16,380 --> 00:38:21,380 become a better preacher Well, obviously many attacks 861 00:38:21,380 --> 00:38:25,140 that come against us are much much fiercer 862 00:38:25,140 --> 00:38:27,440 than that But we still have to deal 863 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:29,500 with them the same way We have to 864 00:38:29,500 --> 00:38:31,360 have hearts so full of love so full 865 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:35,140 of grace and forgiveness towards others If we 866 00:38:35,140 --> 00:38:37,540 don't I think it will consume us in 867 00:38:37,540 --> 00:38:40,440 the ministry and it will hinder us in 868 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:42,500 what God wants to do in our congregations 869 00:38:43,180 --> 00:38:45,200 You know God's looking for men who just 870 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:48,120 have simple hearts before him Soft and tender 871 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:50,260 hearts towards him and his people and these 872 00:38:50,260 --> 00:38:51,780 things have a way of building up that 873 00:38:51,780 --> 00:38:58,340 very very thick callous upon So to make 874 00:38:58,340 --> 00:39:01,960 it through and to See God's work done 875 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:03,780 through a time of conflict like this. 876 00:39:03,860 --> 00:39:06,560 You need to keep the very soft heart 877 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:09,480 Especially towards those who attack you, you know, 878 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:11,540 the very practical way to do this is 879 00:39:11,540 --> 00:39:14,180 to pray for them You just pray you 880 00:39:14,180 --> 00:39:16,820 make a dedicated aim to pray for them. 881 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:19,340 And I know your your first prayers will 882 00:39:19,340 --> 00:39:21,960 be like some of those What do they 883 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:24,840 call me in Precatory Psalms of David, you 884 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:27,460 know, Oh Lord break their teeth in their 885 00:39:27,460 --> 00:39:30,240 mouth, you know That's a vivid image, isn't 886 00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:30,500 it? 887 00:39:32,020 --> 00:39:34,820 and You know your prayers may be like 888 00:39:34,820 --> 00:39:36,280 that to begin But I promise you if 889 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:38,600 you keep praying for that person your heart 890 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,420 will warm towards them And you will really 891 00:39:41,420 --> 00:39:43,420 begin to care for them That's why Jesus 892 00:39:43,420 --> 00:39:45,840 said to pray for your enemies to pray 893 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:48,560 for those who spitefully use you That's a 894 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:50,560 very practical way that you can begin to 895 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:52,160 put it in action and even as I'm 896 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:54,340 speaking You may have very vividly in your 897 00:39:54,340 --> 00:39:55,920 mind one or two people who just fit 898 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:59,060 this profile exactly Well, you need to do 899 00:39:59,060 --> 00:39:59,260 this. 900 00:39:59,380 --> 00:40:02,040 I mean you must do this You cannot 901 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:04,320 pass this by So you need to keep 902 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:05,780 that soft and tender heart But I'll tell 903 00:40:05,780 --> 00:40:07,480 you one other thing you need in this 904 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:09,800 time of conflict not so to end with 905 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:12,060 this Point though not that I'm going to 906 00:40:12,060 --> 00:40:14,220 end real soon, but just the kind of 907 00:40:14,220 --> 00:40:18,400 creature thing Is that you also need to 908 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,860 have what I would call the the hardened 909 00:40:21,860 --> 00:40:26,460 face the face like flint You know that 910 00:40:26,460 --> 00:40:29,440 great passage in Isaiah 50 where it describes, 911 00:40:29,620 --> 00:40:31,980 you know The Messiah set my face like 912 00:40:31,980 --> 00:40:34,480 flint to do what the Lord wanted me 913 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:36,220 to do is the whole context of it 914 00:40:36,220 --> 00:40:38,140 there What you need to have a hardened 915 00:40:38,140 --> 00:40:40,640 face now not hardened towards God, of course 916 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,840 and definitely not hardened towards the people The 917 00:40:43,840 --> 00:40:45,940 idea of the hardened face there isn't that 918 00:40:45,940 --> 00:40:49,340 you're insensitive or or unloving but that is 919 00:40:49,340 --> 00:40:54,900 you're utterly focused and this this is something 920 00:40:54,900 --> 00:40:57,640 that I think God has taught me about 921 00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:00,980 these times of conflict or Difficulty in the 922 00:41:00,980 --> 00:41:04,520 ministry is as much as anything Satan wants 923 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:07,240 to use those to get us off Focus 924 00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:09,960 know those three things that Brian spoke of 925 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:10,320 yesterday. 926 00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:12,500 You need to love the people you need 927 00:41:12,500 --> 00:41:13,860 to serve them And you need to bring 928 00:41:13,860 --> 00:41:17,540 them good words Satan wants you to do 929 00:41:17,540 --> 00:41:22,800 anything, but those three things anything He wants 930 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:24,560 you to obsess about the people who hurt 931 00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:24,760 you. 932 00:41:24,860 --> 00:41:27,080 He wants you to play politics He wants 933 00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:29,520 you to manipulate things behind the scenes He 934 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:31,340 wants you to do all this all that 935 00:41:31,340 --> 00:41:33,780 all the other thing But anything he can 936 00:41:33,780 --> 00:41:35,340 get you to draw your focus off of 937 00:41:35,340 --> 00:41:37,900 those three things He will use and in 938 00:41:37,900 --> 00:41:39,560 a time of conflict don't we want we 939 00:41:39,560 --> 00:41:40,980 want to draw back from the people and 940 00:41:40,980 --> 00:41:43,660 not love them We don't want to serve 941 00:41:43,660 --> 00:41:45,800 them we don't feel like doing anything and 942 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:47,740 preaching the word that you know We just 943 00:41:47,740 --> 00:41:49,680 do the best we can but we can 944 00:41:49,680 --> 00:41:51,440 hardly study in times like that. 945 00:41:51,460 --> 00:41:53,200 Do you see what Satan's trying to do? 946 00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:56,880 It's not just that the conflict but it's 947 00:41:56,880 --> 00:42:00,820 what the conflict pushes you away from Then 948 00:42:00,820 --> 00:42:03,120 it's a double victory for Satan He's got 949 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:05,380 you and this whole business of despair and 950 00:42:05,380 --> 00:42:08,200 conflict But in the other aspect he's gotten 951 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:10,440 you to the place where you're not doing 952 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:14,340 what you must Absolutely do you start obsessing 953 00:42:14,340 --> 00:42:17,500 over everything living this life of continual suspicion 954 00:42:17,500 --> 00:42:20,940 and fear You know the movie one pastor 955 00:42:20,940 --> 00:42:22,480 recommended to me in a time when I 956 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:25,120 was going through this In my ministry is 957 00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:27,900 the movie the cane of mutiny Old movie 958 00:42:27,900 --> 00:42:30,160 from like the 50s or the 60s and 959 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:32,020 it has this Cab I can't even remember 960 00:42:32,020 --> 00:42:34,660 the Humphrey Bogart played the characters captain who's 961 00:42:34,660 --> 00:42:37,640 going nuts and And his men kind of 962 00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:39,160 had to take over the ship from him 963 00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:42,900 and and the whole business of him Going 964 00:42:42,900 --> 00:42:45,380 nuts was displayed by the fact that he 965 00:42:45,380 --> 00:42:48,700 would obsess on small things He had two 966 00:42:48,700 --> 00:42:51,580 silver balls that he liked to twirl around 967 00:42:51,580 --> 00:42:53,720 in his hands And he was being questioned 968 00:42:53,720 --> 00:42:55,760 you know in this thing and and he 969 00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:57,680 what he wanted to obsess on was the 970 00:42:57,680 --> 00:43:01,880 strawberries They had a whole can of strawberries 971 00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:04,860 in the in the mess and Somebody had 972 00:43:04,860 --> 00:43:06,880 snuck in and took some of the strawberries 973 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:08,900 and there he is when he's just totally 974 00:43:08,900 --> 00:43:10,980 flipping out on the witness stand He's there. 975 00:43:11,260 --> 00:43:13,900 You know Rolling around these two metal balls 976 00:43:13,900 --> 00:43:15,460 in his hand because it was a strawberry. 977 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:18,080 That's what it was it was the strawberries 978 00:43:18,080 --> 00:43:21,960 I've been like that in the ministry Yeah, 979 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:24,980 it's like you're flipping out you're obsessing over 980 00:43:24,980 --> 00:43:27,560 this thing which is a big picture It's 981 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:29,320 a small thing isn't it there you have 982 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:32,320 the strawberries You got to see the movie. 983 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:35,100 It's really instructive for how leadership cracks up. 984 00:43:37,300 --> 00:43:41,580 Oh, but But to get our focus off 985 00:43:41,580 --> 00:43:44,700 of loving the people serving them and bringing 986 00:43:44,700 --> 00:43:48,280 them good words Well, that's that's a high 987 00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:51,760 victory for Satan so what I what I 988 00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:55,060 learned to do is When a season or 989 00:43:55,060 --> 00:43:57,400 a time of conflict would come I would 990 00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:02,940 absolutely dedicate myself To loving the people serving 991 00:44:02,940 --> 00:44:07,020 them and teaching them all the more They're 992 00:44:07,020 --> 00:44:08,440 saying bad things about me. 993 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:10,920 Let them see by my conduct that it 994 00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:14,580 could never be true Let them hear the 995 00:44:14,580 --> 00:44:17,100 best messages that they've ever heard from me 996 00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:21,240 Let them feel so loved so served so 997 00:44:21,240 --> 00:44:25,320 fed That that God just touches their hearts, 998 00:44:26,920 --> 00:44:29,080 so it's not enough just to have the 999 00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:31,320 soft heart towards your enemies I really think 1000 00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:34,360 you need to have focus the focus of 1001 00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:35,540 that face like Flint. 1002 00:44:35,900 --> 00:44:39,680 I will not stop Loving them serving them 1003 00:44:39,680 --> 00:44:40,920 and bringing them good words. 1004 00:44:41,380 --> 00:44:45,530 I will not be shaken from that I 1005 00:44:45,530 --> 00:44:47,450 I wish that there was a way that 1006 00:44:47,450 --> 00:44:49,610 we could do ministry and not go through 1007 00:44:49,610 --> 00:44:51,170 these things I guess in my flesh. 1008 00:44:51,210 --> 00:44:54,230 I wish that You know in my flesh, 1009 00:44:54,350 --> 00:44:56,630 I want a life of just unending comfort 1010 00:44:56,630 --> 00:44:58,850 and ease that's what I want I just 1011 00:44:58,850 --> 00:45:00,510 wanted all to be easy all the time 1012 00:45:00,510 --> 00:45:05,330 and You know that's not how it is 1013 00:45:05,330 --> 00:45:09,560 that's not God's plan for us and his 1014 00:45:09,560 --> 00:45:12,180 plan for us really is better it really 1015 00:45:12,180 --> 00:45:15,320 is good and We can receive these things 1016 00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:18,460 as gifts from the Lord perhaps Unwelcome gifts, 1017 00:45:18,580 --> 00:45:20,000 but when we receive them the right way 1018 00:45:20,540 --> 00:45:22,700 The glorious thing is that God will use 1019 00:45:22,700 --> 00:45:25,380 them to bless our ministries and to bless 1020 00:45:25,380 --> 00:45:27,920 our own walk with him our own communion 1021 00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:30,560 with him and that's the sweetest of all 1022 00:45:31,660 --> 00:45:35,300 So father that's our prayer how we need 1023 00:45:35,300 --> 00:45:38,820 your help Lord and I I Pray for 1024 00:45:38,820 --> 00:45:40,260 my brothers here this morning. 1025 00:45:40,440 --> 00:45:43,620 I I don't know particular situations Lord, but 1026 00:45:43,620 --> 00:45:45,980 I know we all know what it's like 1027 00:45:45,980 --> 00:45:47,760 being in the ministry, and we just have 1028 00:45:47,760 --> 00:45:52,040 this sense Lord that It's not uncommon for 1029 00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:53,720 many of us to be troubled by a 1030 00:45:53,720 --> 00:45:56,760 time of conflict Well Lord won't you bring 1031 00:45:56,760 --> 00:45:59,840 your grace to troubled hearts then this morning 1032 00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:00,100 and? 1033 00:46:01,020 --> 00:46:04,620 have us Lord just be absolutely determined to 1034 00:46:04,620 --> 00:46:06,740 keep a soft heart towards those who attack 1035 00:46:06,740 --> 00:46:10,080 us and Lord to keep our face hardened 1036 00:46:10,080 --> 00:46:12,160 towards the focus that you've given us in 1037 00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:15,280 ministry that nothing can shake us from it 1038 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:17,380 and Lord we need your help. 1039 00:46:17,520 --> 00:46:18,360 We need your comfort. 1040 00:46:18,620 --> 00:46:21,000 We need your strength these things drive us 1041 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:24,680 Lord to the brink of despair And so 1042 00:46:24,680 --> 00:46:27,000 Lord won't you uphold us and give us 1043 00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:27,660 the strength? 1044 00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:32,100 The resources to do what is right and 1045 00:46:32,100 --> 00:46:35,980 honored before you in difficult times Do it 1046 00:46:35,980 --> 00:46:37,700 Lord for the sake of your people even 1047 00:46:37,700 --> 00:46:40,440 if it's not for our sake and that 1048 00:46:40,440 --> 00:46:41,780 we love you and praise you in Jesus 1049 00:46:41,780 --> 00:46:43,300 name Amen