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2 Samuel 3 (Part 1) Bible Study | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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I believe the past week has sifted the church from those who
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are true and those who have been in Disguise, those who claim to
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follow Christ, those who claim to love God's word, but when it
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really is applied in culture, I think what we saw with the
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Supreme Court has really revealed even more those who
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really love God and his word. And those who, who love God's
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word when it fits their agenda, and their particular sin.
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And I want to tell you something, I believe that's only
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going to continue in the days ahead and a very short amount of
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time. You and I are going to see a
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thicker line drawn, that's going to make a greater separation
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between those who are truly Be of God and those who are not.
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And what's going to protect you. And I from deception, is the
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word of God, what's going to make you?
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And I equipped to help those who claim to follow Christ, but are
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clearly, deceived is the word of God.
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I'll prove it to you this past week.
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I'm not on social media often, but when I do go on, I just cast
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the line and see where it goes and sure enough.
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I was engaging with somebody that I've never met in my life
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who was arguing, arguing vehemently.
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About how God indeed does approve of abortion.
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And, you know, where they went to make their case the Old
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Testament and Numbers Chapter 5, am I going to turn there?
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But it just it just proved to me that there are those who totally
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reject the word of God. And there are those who go to
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the word of God, to try to justify sin and based on those
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arguments. If people don't really know the
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scriptures not only can they be let into deception?
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They can lead others into deception and so this is not
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just a study for For just nice, little bit more mature, Sunday
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school lessons. This is to have the word of God
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implanted into our hearts. So that when there is falsehood
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and there are things that are twisted and taken out of
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context, you can detect it immediately.
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You can detect it immediately because you have people who are
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going even to the Old Testament to justify current cultural
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issue. So this is a very significant
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thing for those who come here consistently You are growing
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more than you can imagine. When you're receiving the word
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of God, more than just the traditional.
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Once a week, there is a strengthening that's coming to
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you whether you see the immediate effects of it now or
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not, there is an investment that you're making.
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So this is a glorious thing and I praise God that we have people
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who want to be here on a Friday night.
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With that being said, meet me in the book of second.
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Samuel chapter three, second Samuel, chapter three.
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Pray with me. Lord we Humbly come.
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Before you we boldly come before you?
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Lord, our hearts are moved just by the fact that we get to open
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your word and feast tonight. We ask Lord that by the spirit,
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you would cancel any Any Interruption of the flesh.
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Both in the delivery of your word and the reception of your
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word. Help us receive what you've
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intended to say and for us to apply it and submit to it
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totally. We ask Lord that this would not
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just be investment of knowledge but it would be, in fact, an
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investment to our Holiness. And to our christlikeness, Lord,
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we just ask guide us tonight. And knit, our hearts not just
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together with your word but to one another, as a people who
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love the truth, be Glorified and be pleased as you see us now
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coming to you to receive from your voice and Jesus name we
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pray. Amen.
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David. Is King in Judah Abner, the
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former commander of Saul's Army has raised up one of Saul's Sons
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ashot to rule over the northern part of Israel and to take over
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the different tribes. And to convince them that Saul's
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successor is in fact, his son and not the anointed one.
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David and there are many things we learned from last week.
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But one of the things that we drew, from the previous
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chapters, how the relationship between In David and Abner is
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very much like the relationship that the believer has with sin
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Abner wasn't satisfied with just having 11 of the tribes.
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He wanted Judah and sin is very much the same way doesn't want
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just part of us and wants to all of us.
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It doesn't want to just just have an aspect of Our Lives that
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wants to control our lives. And you and I have learned from
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David and his response of how we can guard ourselves from the
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ambition of sin and that illustration between David and a
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After and how it parallels the Believers conflict with sin only
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continues as we come to this chapter and verse 1, read with
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me, there was a long war between the house of Saul and the House
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of David and David grew, stronger and stronger.
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While the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.
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What a wonderful summary. What's taking place?
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David had a long War. With the house of Saul.
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And it really lasted seven years you and I don't just have a long
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war with sin. We have a lifelong War.
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And, for many of us, that will look like 40 more years, 50,
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more years, 70, more years, 10, more years.
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All we know is that it is a lifelong battle with sin, and
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Paul makes it very clear and Galatians 5:17 something.
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So, crucial, in understanding the Christian experience that
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the desires of the flesh are against the spirit and the
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desires of the spirit are against the flesh.
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Now, this is important for these are opposed to each other.
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These are opposed to each other to keep you from doing what you
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desire to do. It is undeniably clear.
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That as long as we are in this body, there will be an inner
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conflict between the indwelling of the spirit of God, and thus
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flesh that wraps us and keeps us anchor to the things that have
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been impacted because of Adam's sin.
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We are still in this flesh. It is not a glorified flesh.
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Is a tainted flesh, but praise be to God.
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The indwelling of the spirit has come to give us some kind of Not
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just a hope. But also the strength to be able
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to be in victory, over sin and the goal of the flesh is the
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same goal that Abner had with David to hinder the advancement
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of the will of God. David was God's men.
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David's dynasty was God's program Abner knew that, and he
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wanted to resist that. Send this flesh, realizes the
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spirit in us has been given to be empowered to do, the will of
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God and sin knowing that he can't erase that seal.
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But can in fact hinder hinder you from moving forward in the
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empowerment of God in his wisdom and his fruit for your life.
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And I often quote Paul statement to the Galatians and Galatians
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5:17 to Christians who want to know if they are truly in dealt
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with the Holy Spirit. If you are in this place today
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and you struggle very much whether or not, if you are truly
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a child of God, let me give you one of my go-to versus and help
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you clarify, if this is. So here's a clear answer for the
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Assurance of somebody salvation. Look, what Paul says, I hope
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you're a Galatians 5:17. If you're not turned their
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quickly turn their quickly, Galatians 5:17, And I want you
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to see this with your own eyes so that you can be helped and
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you can help others. Look what Paul says.
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The second part of the verse for these, the spirit and the flesh
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are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things
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you want to do. And here's what I always ask
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somebody who is struggling. Here's what I asked.
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Somebody who seems to be in this, this doubtful dread about
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where they stand with God, what do you want to do?
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In other words, what are your desires?
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If I ask somebody who's outside of Christ, what are your
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desires, I'm going to get a completely different set of
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answers than from the person who's truly regenerated by the
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Holy Spirit. And so, what you see here is
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that if you base your evidence of your salvation upon the
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struggle with sin, no wonder you're struggling with
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assurance. Because Paul here makes a very
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explicitly clear, there will be a struggle for the believer.
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The spirit of Flesh are at odds with one another.
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But what's interesting here is that the last part of it, we see
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where we should identify where we stand in our identity, what
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are your desires What are your desires in your heart?
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The legitimacy of your salvation is not in the wrestling, with
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the flesh. It's where you want to be.
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It's what you desire to do. Do you long to be holy, do you
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long to be in right? Standing.
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Not just not just positionally but practically.
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Do you want is your ambition in life to be like Jesus and to rid
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yourself of sin, even the appearance Prince of evil.
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If those sets of desires are there you are.
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In a good place. You are in a good place.
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You ask a believer? What he wants to do and it's
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going to sound different. It should sound different than
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what the world would say. You know what?
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It was like to be in the world many of you and and it was not
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to get rid of sin, it was tried to have more of sin.
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It was try to have sinned with the least consequences.
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It was trying to have some without without any kind of
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repercussions. You wanted sin, you desire, you
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thirsted for it, you hungered for it, you made your decisions
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based off, that being the passion of your life.
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But here's the thing, although identifying where where we want
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to be, what we truly desire to do is very important
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understanding where we are with the Lord, right.
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If Christ has not transform your desires then, perhaps Christ has
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not transformed you at all. But that is not the ultimate
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goal for the Christian. The Christian is not just
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satisfied with saying, all right?
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Yeah, I know I'm a righteous thing with God because I want to
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desire this and I don't desire anymore, that's just the base.
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What a mature Christian really wants to do is once they have
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those desires to deposited by the Holy Spirit.
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To now, walk in the will of God and the empowerment, the Holy
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Spirit to see those desires manifest in actual fruit.
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Now, I want to walk in this and that's why Paul is saying in
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this part portion of scripture. Walk in the spirit and you will
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not gratify the desires of the flesh, he's not just giving us
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help to say. Hey, look, if you're going to
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struggle, don't be worried. Struggle is true for the
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believer. He's not just saying that he
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wants to say. Now, let me tell you how you can
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actually be and triumphant victory over sin.
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And I believe verse 1 of second, Samuel, chapter 3 is a beautiful
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illustration of what that looks like for the true Christian, who
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is walking in the spirit. What do I mean by that?
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The House of David grew, stronger and stronger while the
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house of Saul became weaker and weaker As you and I progress in
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spiritual maturity if you want to evaluate that, here's how you
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can your strength to resist temptation becomes stronger and
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stronger. Your hatred for sin, grows more
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intense than it did last year and the allurements of the
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world, The Persuasions of the evil, one become weaker and
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weaker. That's how you.
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And I can be able to say I'm growing in.
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Jesus Christ. Yes, there are constant
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Temptations, but I can tell you that, I am not the person who
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had Outburst of anger, like I was a year ago, two years ago,
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three years ago, I can tell you that I am able to overcome the
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Temptation that when my computer screen tries to pull me into
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places into Alleyways on the web that I should not be that I can
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say no. And I can feel the strength in
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my soul to actually resist it. This is the way that you and I
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can see that we are indeed growing.
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We are growing stronger and stronger in the will of God and
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the love for the things of God and practical Holiness while the
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things that were once strong are losing its influence in our
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lives. And if you think that I'm just
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making that up based on a verse that doesn't really necessarily
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directly deal with personal Holiness.
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Then realize in one particular place in the New Testament that
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John and his first epistle, he addresses the church and within
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the church people who are at different places in their
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spiritual maturity. So I want to show you that go to
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1st John and look at this is this is so encouraging because
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it helps us be able to say. Okay, this is how I can know I
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am here. This is how I can know.
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I'm here. The sound I came here where am I
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and the spectrum of growing of growing spiritually.
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Go to 1st, John 2:12. And the same way that you and I
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can see physical development over the years.
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It is no different spiritually, okay?
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I don't know why it is for many people that spiritual growth is
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hazy. It's not hazy the same way that,
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you know, that you are growing in height from from your when
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you're 23 years old, you know, that you're growing taller over
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the years and your voice gets deeper.
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When you pass a certain point in life and certain body parts
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develop, you can see that physically.
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So it is spiritually, there are things that That should be
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tangibly evident and you can even see for yourself and
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others. Should be able to say.
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I can see that. And John here, he addresses
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different pockets of people on the spectrum of where they are
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and spiritual maturity. Look at verse 12, I'm writing to
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you little children. I'm writing to you little
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children because your sins are forgiven for his namesake.
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The first group of people that John addresses are little
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children, little children. And some would say well this is
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just speaking about those who are actually little children.
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I say he's speaking to those who are spiritually little children
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those who are infants in Christ when you and I first get saved
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we are known as babes in Christ and what's amazing is how John
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identifies what occupies the affections, and the thoughts of
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little children in Jesus Christ. Not little children actual age,
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please be reminded little children and spiritual spiritual
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age who first Walk into being born again and into the kingdom
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of God. You know what it is that
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enthralls little children. You know what it is?
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That brings a person to rejoice and praise and be overwhelmed as
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a little child and God the Revelation that their sins are
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forgiven. Your sins are forgiven for his
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namesake and you know that, right?
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You know, the jolt of Joy when that truth of being Redeemed by
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the blood of Jesus Christ that you have the gift of eternal
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life, it just swallowed up every other thing you were so consumed
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with that, you came singing and you could not stop singing.
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You want to tell everybody about it.
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Just the simple gospel truth that your sins are forgiven.
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Now, that is not to say that. As you grow that, you move from
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that truth or you lose joy in that truth.
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But it is to say this, that as you do grow, something is going
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to be added, you are going to grow into something else.
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And so, what he does now is he addresses fathers and young men?
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He dresses little children, children, young men, father's.
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I just want to go to the young men for the sake of the Bible
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study. So you scroll down to verse 14.
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Look, what you read here, I write to you.
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Fathers. Because, you know, him who is
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from the beginning. Now, look at this, I write to
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you young men is a young man, the same as a little child.
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No, I write to you young men because you are strong because
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you are strong and the word of God abides in you.
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Now, look at this and you have overcome the evil one.
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So now, John is addressing the young men and this is what they
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are characterized by one main thing.
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You ready? The ability to overcome the evil
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one? As you grow in faith and some of
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you can testify to this when you're first saved.
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Spiritual warfare is not so much of a reality, is it?
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It's almost like there's a special Grace where there's
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like, like just like a baby, there's just this this disgrace
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to just see everything as a miracle and it's almost as
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though. You're so sensitive to the
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things of God and then something begins to happen as one year
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goes by and you're still, you're still walking consistent with
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their two years three. Now, you begin to see things.
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Now, you begin to see Satan at work and, and push back.
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And you see the ugly things with in Ministry and you see Warfare
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and young men, they fight Right, young woman in the faith, they
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doubt enter into a struggle to the reality of spiritual
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warfare. That becomes more real that
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becomes more frequent. But what's amazing here is that
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Not only are they engaged in spiritual warfare but they are
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able to actually actually walk in victory over the Temptations
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and the lies of Satan. No.
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John's thoughts about the spiritual phases here.
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Do not mean that your physical growth will parallel, your
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spiritual growth. So you can have people who are
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physically father's, but they're spiritually still little
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children. And you can have young men,
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young women who spiritually can be like fathers and mothers.
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But what's amazing here is, when you see the young men, something
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is added to them. They are able to overcome the
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evil one. So this is how, you know, that
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you've graduated from being a little child.
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This is what occupies little children.
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They are just consumed with the Forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
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And they stay there, they stay there, they don't grow from that
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knowledge, they are able to explore and see more into the
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mind of God, the will of God, the character of God, Hebrews
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tells us repentance Faith, baptism the laying on of hands,
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Eternal judgment. Those are Elementary things and
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he says, let's move on from that, not to ignore it, not to
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incorporate it, but you got to build off of that.
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And here I want to tell you something.
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There are people who have been in the faith for 15 years and
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spiritually. There's still little children
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because their knowledge doesn't go beyond and the gospel.
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It doesn't go beyond what Jesus Christ did on the cross for you.
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It doesn't go beyond your sins, being forgiven and here's how
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you know that you've grown at least to the next phase, you
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don't just Relish in the fact that you're forgiven, you now
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know what Christ purchased for you to overcome.
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To resist sin to become more like Jesus.
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And so I want to tell you today, it's so important that growth is
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identified the way the Bible calls you to identify it.
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I don't want you to be in great one for 40 years.
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I don't want you to remain in the same place for 10 years and
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how do we grow it? So simple.
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It's so wonderful. It's in the very same verse and
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the word of God abides in you abides, in you.
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That's how you go from a little child to a young man.
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The scriptures is something that you now listen, he says, abides
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in you, you will never grow if you visit the Bible, If the
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Bible is something that you just touch on once every two weeks,
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once every three weeks twice, every two that you're never
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going to grow, you will remain a little child abide means to live
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to remain to stay. So you take this word and you
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read it, you take this word and you eat it, you digest it, you
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study it, you meditate on it, you memorize it and you apply
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it. And it over time, as you do that
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consistently, you will grow, you receive strength and then you
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will be able to overcome the evil one.
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I'm telling you, it's so sad. I've used this illustration
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often. Any any true parent would be
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devastated if their physical child remained in one grade for
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several years. Nobody would say.
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Yeah, it's okay, just to happens, you know, it's a common
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thing, but we do it spiritually. We do it spiritually.
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You have people in the Pew for 5 years, 8 years, 10 years, 15
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years and they're in the same place they never grow and we
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seem to all be okay with it, it's not normal.
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There should be progression. We should grow stronger
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stronger. While the things of this flesh,
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the things of the enemy, the things of this world have a
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weaker influence in our lives. Okay, we're still in verse 1, we
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gotta move on here, let's go to verse 2, second Samuel 3 verse
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2. And Sons were born to David at
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Hebron his firstborn was em. None of em you know mm of
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Jezreel and a second hilly above Abigail, the Widow of neighbor
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of caramel and a third Absalom. The son of Maha the daughter of
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tell my king of gesture and the fourth added, I just the son of
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Hadith and the fifth shifa, Thalia the son of a beetle and
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the 6 e 3, mm of egg Le David's wife.
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These were born to David and Hebron So what we're being told
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you this verse is that David's government.
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His military is not the only thing that's increasing his
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personal family is growing. We are given a detailed account
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of the increase here of his wise and of his children.
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He entered into Hebron with how many wives who remembers.
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How many wives did he come in to have brown with before he became
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king to? And now we see here that there's
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an additional four and by the end of the chapter, we're not
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going to complete this chapter tonight.
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No way, the end of the chapter, we have a total of seven wives.
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Total of seven wives now David's decision to marry all these
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women. Whether it was motivated by lust
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or political power could be, both is problematic for many
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reasons. We've touched on polygamy in the
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Old Testament, many times in our study before we won't come back
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to it now. But the guilt of David's
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polygamy is even more severe because of his position as a
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king. Why Who remembers?
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Who remembers what Moses said to the Israelites before they even
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had one king of what they need to do.
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And holding that King accountable, when he becomes a
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ruler of God's people, what was one of the laws?
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Yeah. Right down the law.
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Your own copy. That's true.
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There is another thing though. Deuteronomy 17 17.
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Our brother made it clear that a king should not have multiple
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wives. Now, that is true for all people
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but especially for a king because the king would have a
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temptation to make political alliances by marrying.
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The daughter of a foreign ruler so that they would be at peace.
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So it was an additional Temptation and God didn't want
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his Kings to put their faith in their alliances.
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They wanted he wanted their kings to have faith in his
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leadership and his empowerment and wisdom alone.
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And here's what's amazing here. When David marries these woman,
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you don't see any immediate condemnation or broke a rebuke
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from the author, but what you will see is that it's going to
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get very, very ugly down the road.
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The calm around his choice. Here is deceptive.
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This is going to, in fact be the seed of great thorns and the
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garden of David's life. I believe, remember, we're going
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to see this in this book that David's Infamous scandal with
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Bathsheba, Is connected to the early forms of a lack of
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self-control that you see here. Does that make sense?
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Let me put it this way because David would not honor God's will
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for his marriage that we see in Genesis, Jesus quotes Genesis as
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a standard of marriage because David, there's an honor God
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standard for his marriage. Is there any reason why he would
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honor anybody else's marriage namely Uriah If he doesn't have
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any conviction about his own, how is he going to have any
26:10
conviction about somebody else's?
26:12
And so what you see here is the early forms Of a lack of
26:18
self-control, lack of understanding, where down the
26:21
road it's going to manifest and bitter fruit.
26:26
And what's sad here? Is that as you see this?
26:31
The sons that are mentioned here are going to be the reason for
26:34
his heartache for majority of this heartache at least which
26:38
son's here are going to cause trouble for David down the road.
26:42
Absalom number one. Who's number two?
26:46
Well there's so many before Absalom and then what did and
26:49
then do. Yeah, heard it.
26:53
So everybody thinks this is what I'm saying.
26:58
He raped his half, sister Tamar, who was whose full sister
27:03
Absalom, what does Absalom do? Because of that kills Antonin,
27:08
but he doesn't just kill. And then what does he do?
27:10
He attempts to usurp the Throne of his father, right?
27:14
He fails, he dies, who comes next?
27:18
To cause havoc in the Kingdom, there's one more.
27:23
Adonijah. If you said adonijah, you are
27:25
right adonijah who seeks to seize the throne before Solomon
27:30
occupies it because he is the rightful Heir.
27:33
So you see three out of this list are going to cause so much
27:36
problems for David. And I just David for all of
27:38
Israel would you like to know why?
27:41
Would you like to know why does anybody have an idea?
27:43
Why David's Sons, at least the majority of them were
27:46
troublesome? Was David a good King?
27:53
Yeah, so many times, the profits have pointed back to David as a
27:57
standard that they failed to keep up with in terms of his
28:02
relationship with God was David a good dad.
28:06
They have proof of that. And we have so much proof to say
28:13
that he was a good King. But do we have any proof that he
28:15
was a good dad or a bad dad? There was a sword in his family,
28:23
as a result of his sin with Bathsheba.
28:25
Absolutely, that is part of the reason why there would be so
28:28
much trouble in his kingdom in his own family.
28:30
Yes, it was a consequence, but there was another thing.
28:33
There's a failure on David's part, and another way.
28:40
We're onto something. When Tamar was violated the
28:45
David intervene, no, here is a blatant statement.
28:52
Of David's leniency with his children.
28:56
Go to 1st Kings, go to chapter one.
29:00
Look at verse 52, verse 6, and you will see a direct commentary
29:05
on the failure of David's part as a dad.
29:08
First Kings, chapter 1, verse 5, First Kings chapter 1, verse 5.
29:12
This is when adonijah sprung up and started to cause problems,
29:17
verse 5 now, adonijah, the son of Hagee exalted himself, I will
29:23
be king and he prepared for himself chariots and Horsemen
29:27
and fifty men to run before him. Now, look at this verse six.
29:30
His father had never at any time, displeased him by asking,
29:35
why have you done thus? And so Do you see it?
29:40
His father had never disciplined him.
29:44
His father had never admonished him.
29:46
His father had never sat him down as his, why are you doing
29:49
this? How could you do this?
29:51
You have to be disciplined for this, that was completely absent
29:55
and I'm sure it was not just with adonijah but with all of
29:58
his children he didn't raise them up.
30:01
He didn't raise them up and righteousness.
30:03
He failed to give the necessary attention that a child would
30:06
need especially in a specific window of time where the roots
30:10
of their character are developed.
30:14
So, David was a great king, great administrator, great
30:18
warrior bad father. And how could he be when you
30:23
have several wives? All sharing the same, man.
30:26
How do you do that? How do you give equal attention?
30:31
Most people struggle with one wife, one husband, one
30:34
household. You can just imagine the
30:37
complexities would jealousy and this kids issues and that child
30:41
wants their father's attention and who knows probably.
30:44
So overwhelmed that he just backs off of it completely and
30:47
leaves it completely to these mothers.
30:49
But that that vacuum, that vacancy there of a father,
30:54
contributed to the rebellion of their children.
30:56
That is so important to understand because when you see
30:59
this This Valley in general. What you also see down the road
31:05
is that he was a distracted and disconnected.
31:07
Father. And you cannot ignore, you
31:12
cannot ignore the strong lesson about the importance of the
31:15
family unit. And its impact in society.
31:20
What I mean by that, when you put all the pieces together, you
31:24
cannot deny that there was a direct influence between the
31:27
trouble and David's house and the stabilization of the nation
31:30
of Israel. All of these Sons cause trouble
31:35
to the nation. Yeah, the problem started at
31:38
home and we're within the household, but had a ripple
31:42
effect into the streets into into into it cause even a Civil
31:47
War at one point and it is no difference.
31:51
It is no difference for Any Nation.
31:52
The strength of Any Nation is dependent upon the foundation of
31:56
the family institution. You can't separate those two
32:00
realities. And what's so important to see
32:02
is that you can add to it by saying that the strength of a
32:06
local church. Church is greatly supported
32:10
about the robustness of the inter familiar relations of
32:13
individual Christian homes. Let me prove it to you, if you
32:17
don't think that's the case. Then why is it that Paul says,
32:20
if a pastor cannot rule his home, he has no business ruling
32:24
a local congregation. Because you can't have a sick
32:29
home and a healthy Church. If we really believe that may
32:33
God, give us wisdom, then where should most of our energy and
32:37
our programs, and our teachings go to, at least outside of the
32:41
word of God, the whole counsel of God families.
32:44
Nurturing marriages giving people a help and how they can
32:48
interact and know how to involve their children involved.
32:51
Their lives and their schedules. We need to build Healthy
32:54
Families because that will have a direct impact on the church
32:57
and that will have a direct impact on society.
33:00
I'm telling you, most of our news headlines can be solved if
33:02
we put most of our taxpayer dollars into building healthy
33:05
homes. All the foolishness in the
33:09
craziness it all statistically points.
33:11
Back to fatherlessness, you know this and here we are spinning on
33:15
our heads. Wondering what we're going to
33:16
do. Change all the laws you want.
33:19
If you don't have healthy marriages, you're not going to
33:21
have healthy kids. If you don't have healthy kids,
33:22
you're not going to have a healthy Society.
33:26
I wish David believe that. What would have become of his
33:30
kingdom? If he truly gave the attention
33:32
that he did to his army and to his War plans and to his
33:37
whatever it was, what would it be?
33:39
If he gave this kind of heartfelt, Devotion to his
33:43
children? I'm sure his kingdom would be
33:45
different different thing, a blessing.
33:48
But because he failed to do so Israel paid for it, not just
33:51
him. So we come back to to our
33:54
chapter and verse 6. Wow, there was war between the
33:57
house of Saul and the House of David Abner was making himself
34:00
strong in the house of Saul. Now, saw how to concubine whose
34:06
name was rizpah. The daughter of AI and is beset,
34:11
set to Abner. Why have you gone into my
34:14
father's concubine? Then after was very angry over
34:19
the words of ishka. Chef and said, am I a dog's head
34:22
of Judah to this day? I keep showing steadfast love to
34:26
the house of Saul, your father to his brothers and his friends,
34:31
and have not given you into the hand of David.
34:33
And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman.
34:37
Let's stop there for a moment. In verse 1, you and I learned
34:42
that the house of Saul was becoming weaker and weaker.
34:45
There are different reasons for that.
34:47
The obvious reason, was that the House of David had God on their
34:50
side but I'd like to look at the verses that we just read as just
34:56
one Insight. Because what's about to happen
34:59
right now will bring a final And lethal blow to this
35:04
establishment and it began with a confrontation.
35:07
It really began and ended with a confrontation is for Seth,
35:10
approaches Abner and he accuses them of a specific sin.
35:15
Why did you sleep with one of my father's concubines?
35:19
Now, this sin here is beyond just sexual immorality.
35:24
This is more than a scandal within leadership.
35:30
In the days of David, what would happen is when the king died, he
35:34
would transfer many things to the successor.
35:36
One of the things he would transfer was Haram.
35:39
He would transfer these concubines his wives over almost
35:43
in a way, like, it was kind of property, right?
35:46
And so that would be brought over to the successor.
35:50
Now, if anybody overstepped his bounds and went to violate one
35:55
of these weeds concubines or sleep with Them, it was more
36:00
than just saying you know, I'm trying to satisfy my lust.
36:03
This was a political move. It was a said, saying I want
36:08
control, I'm claiming your property to be my property and
36:11
it was, it was in a sense, a declaration that I have a desire
36:17
for equal Authority as the king and we can prove that in
36:21
scripture. Remember when Absalom tries to
36:24
overthrow, David, David and his men move out into the Wilderness
36:28
and he received Eyes. Take your father's concubines
36:31
and sleep with them on the roof and make a public spectacle that
36:34
you are now the King by doing such a thing adonijah.
36:38
There's something very similar. He goes to Bathsheba and First
36:40
Kings chapter 2, when Solomon becomes king and he asks for one
36:44
of Solomon's concubines and Solomon understood what he meant
36:50
by that and has him killed. And so this is less about A
36:55
scandal sexually and more about a political struggle for power.
37:01
Why is this important to understand?
37:03
The house of Saul became weaker and weaker.
37:06
If you and I want to protect our individual respective homes, if
37:10
you and I want to protect this church home, then let's receive
37:14
some insight and how we can prevent internal erosion.
37:19
And here's one way we can see it.
37:21
Wherever there is selfish ambition, there is disorder and
37:25
any organization. Whenever there is a lust, not
37:30
just sexually a Lust For position, a lust for power,
37:35
whatever the case may be, what you will inherit inevitably is
37:42
destruction. There will be problems that you
37:46
cannot even imagine the weakness of its passats kingdom was, was
37:50
for many reasons, but as I said earlier, one man's apparent
37:54
craving would bring a deathblow to any potential.
37:58
This Kingdom becoming something effective long-term.
38:02
The New Testament speaks of the same thing.
38:05
I've quoted this verse many times, but I want to I want to
38:07
tell you about two evil twins to evil twins, that live in a lot
38:12
of people's congregations and even their own homes.
38:16
James 3:16 Says for where jealousy and selfish ambition
38:21
exist. Those are the two evil twins
38:24
jealousy and selfish ambition, wherever they exist wherever
38:27
they are. Tolerated, wherever they're
38:29
living wherever they are. Not resisted and Dealt with, and
38:32
it's early forms for where jealousy and selfish ambition
38:37
exist. What do you have there will be
38:39
disorder and every vile practice.
38:46
Abner clearly had a desire to secure his position and maybe
38:50
over time, he now wants to grow in his position and take over is
38:53
besides place if that is indeed true.
38:57
And this is now about to now split up because he's about to
38:59
now make his pledge of allegiance to David.
39:02
It started with his his desire be coming out of control, for
39:07
his ambition, to be met. And I want to tell you that that
39:11
will be true for any place, especially in Ministry.
39:15
And I what I love to do is whenever I see command like
39:17
this, that that puts that puts a sober understanding of the
39:21
potential of what we can do. I like to flip it, positively to
39:25
see the potential fruit if you do it in the opposite way.
39:28
So this verse says, for where jealousy and selfish ambition
39:31
exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
39:35
I look, and I said, well what's the opposite of jealousy?
39:36
And selfish ambition, any ideas? I think the opposite of jealousy
39:44
is what thing honor. You don't covet something that
39:49
doesn't belong to you. You don't feel threatened by
39:50
somebody. Who does something that you
39:51
would want to want to. Do you honor them, you see them
39:54
as an asset, you see them, as an addition, you see them as a
39:57
partner. What's the opposite of selfish?
39:59
Ambition. Humility.
40:03
It's not about what you want, isn't about your drive, your
40:06
passions, your dreams. It's about a greater goal.
40:09
It's about God's kingdom his name and wherever you have to
40:12
fit in the slot to make it run properly.
40:14
You will fit in that slot. So let me put it this way,
40:17
wherever there is honor and humility.
40:22
What's the opposite of disorder? Hoarder orders, good right there
40:28
will be order. And what is this?
40:31
A every vile practice. I like to say every good, every
40:35
good practice, every good thing where there is honor and
40:38
humility, there will be order and every good thing May honor
40:43
and humidity live in our hearts in this church.
40:47
So we come now the verse 8 and 10.
40:50
We read verse 8. Let's continue with Abner's
40:53
words. God do so in verse 9 to have
40:55
there and more. Also if I do not accomplish for
40:58
David, what the Lord has sworn to him to transfer the Kingdom
41:01
from the house of Saul and set up the Throne of David over
41:04
Israel. Over Judah from Dan to Beersheba
41:07
and look at this verse 11 and it's bichette could not answer
41:10
Abner another word because he feared him tell me, what kind of
41:13
man is for Seth was Abner's reaction.
41:18
Here is not what we would, probably think for someone who
41:22
was caught for potential treason. and people are divided
41:27
on, whether or not Abner really did do what he was accused of
41:32
Some say he's defensive here and others would say he's not really
41:37
disregarding the charge, but he's offended by the fact that
41:41
he would be challenged for something.
41:44
After all that he has done for this Manish bichette.
41:48
Where do you stand? Do you think there's any clues
41:50
in here that Abner actually did do this?
41:52
Or do you think this is just a false accusation?
41:57
What are some reasons for us to believe that he did do it or
42:00
potentially, did it? Look at verse 6 again.
42:08
Abner. The second part was making
42:10
himself strong in the house of Saul.
42:15
Makes you wonder that over the years of Abner has built a
42:19
loyalty base, and he knew that he had the support of the
42:21
majority of the tribes, that he felt confident enough to make
42:25
such a bold move thinking that somehow it might even, it might
42:29
be on to his benefit because he has a support of majority.
42:33
Look at verse 11 again and ishka.
42:35
Seth could not answer Abner another word because he feared
42:38
him. This guy was a coward.
42:40
This guy did not have, he did not have courage Abner knew that
42:44
because he made him a king and he made it more like a puppet
42:47
kind of figure because he was using him to, to do something
42:50
for Abner. It's very difficult to believe.
42:52
If this was issued with his character, say, is force of ten
42:56
times in a row. Give me mercy, please.
42:59
It's very difficult to believe that if this King was this kind
43:02
of man, that he would have the courage to confront him.
43:07
For something that wasn't true. It would make more sense.
43:09
If he actually had evidence that he did do this, with the hope
43:12
that this evidence was would shut the mouths of Abner and he
43:15
would be able to put him in his place.
43:18
Now these are just speculations. Others would say well no Abner
43:23
if you really wanted the throne he wouldn't he wouldn't say I'm
43:27
going to David's side. He would say, you know, I have
43:30
the right and if he could overcome a specific with the
43:32
support of the people, he could have, he could have done more
43:34
things. Like what we see in the book of
43:36
Kings kill, King's assassinate them, whatever, but no, he backs
43:39
off his, okay? If you're going to accuse me of
43:41
this, then I'm out of here. See you later and he walks away.
43:44
or, or Is it possible? That is beset with made this up?
43:53
Because he saw that Abner was becoming strong and he realized
43:57
this is a threat to me. And so, let me accuse him of
44:00
this and, and with the hopes that maybe he will be offended
44:04
and he will leave and or something.
44:07
We can speculate, can we not? We can go on and on about what
44:11
and how, and who and her. And we're not going to do that.
44:14
Because the main point here to draw from these passages was the
44:18
reason for Abner's desire and decision to transfer his support
44:23
from this King to David. Was Abner doing the right thing
44:27
to choose to be on David's side. Yeah.
44:33
So right decision. Was it for the right reason,
44:35
though. I don't think so.
44:41
I don't think he's doing it for the right reason.
44:43
What reason do you think he's doing this for?
44:48
Number one Revenge. Despite this man you're going to
44:54
tell me I did this. If it's true then you're going
44:57
to actually confront me, you pipsqueak, right?
45:00
You're going to come you little coward and you're going to
45:02
actually come from me after all that.
45:03
I've done for you if it was true if it wasn't true.
45:06
That's even a greater offense, you're going to accuse me of
45:07
this, after all that I've done for you.
45:10
And so he says I'm going, I'm going to the other side and I
45:14
need to teach you a lesson. I'm going to make you regret
45:16
what you just did, okay? Secondly, Remember verse one,
45:21
the House of David was what becoming stronger and the house
45:25
of Israel. Seth was what becoming weaker
45:27
and weaker? Do you think Abner knew that Was
45:31
he not a professional General? Could it be that Abner realized
45:37
that his plan is failing? And he realizes this ship is
45:43
sinking. And because of that, the king
45:48
comes up, brings up this. This, this accusation and Abner
45:53
sees this as an opportunity to jump ship.
45:56
Okay, you're going to accuse me and he makes a whole spectacle.
45:59
He doesn't try to reconcile. It doesn't try to defend
46:02
themself. She's all right.
46:03
And he leaves so that he doesn't seem like he's betraying, but
46:07
that he has a story on a side, you know, you made me think
46:09
that, you know, he caused this and spreading rumors about me.
46:11
So I'm out of here and he joins David side hoping to secure
46:15
something and David's blessed Dynamic Dynasty.
46:23
And that's what you see because he sends Messengers to David and
46:27
he says, make a covenant with me.
46:28
We're going to read that in a moment.
46:29
Actually, this reader right now. Verse 12 and Abner, sent
46:31
Messengers to David on his behalf saying to whom does the
46:34
land belong, make your Covenant with me and behold.
46:38
My hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.
46:45
There's no repentance here. There's no apology, there's no
46:49
confession of wrong for years. You were causing trouble for
46:52
David bass in your own words. You knew that David was God's
46:56
man from the beginning and you still deliberately Caused
47:01
obstacle and problems because you had an ambition greater than
47:04
God's glory. And now all four is sudden, when
47:07
you realize that your plan is failing, you're going to join
47:09
The Winning Side. This is this is arrogant.
47:13
This is so, obviously, despicable and Paul would say
47:18
that the motive of many Servants of Christ.
47:22
Are also no different than Abner's didn't he say to the
47:27
Philippians? Some indeed preach Christ out of
47:30
envy and rivalry. Some indeed preach Christ out of
47:35
envy and rivalry. Paul knew that Paul knew that
47:38
people went into Ministry. Paul knew that people preached
47:41
and taught the word of God, spread the gospel not out of
47:44
Goodwill, but out of envy and rivalry, it was a sport for some
47:49
preachers. We want a bigger church.
47:51
We want a bigger conference. We want a bigger Bible study, we
47:53
want more numbers. It was just kind of six
47:55
competition and Paul knew that so, we have to understand that,
48:01
not everybody who serves God is really serving God, but it's not
48:05
up to us to judge people for that because in the same passage
48:09
Paul says, but I Rejoice. Why does Paul Rejoice still?
48:12
Because Christ is being preached.
48:15
Christ is being preached. You have to see beyond if the
48:20
sea Beyond what's happening in people's hearts, you have to see
48:23
how even despite that God's name is still being glorified.
48:27
And Paul says in that I could that's a mature Christian man,
48:30
that is a mature disciple of the Lord.
48:32
Jesus Christ, amateur servant of God, even even though he knew
48:37
people were not in the right place, he says that that's up to
48:38
Christ, that's up to Christ to deal with them.
48:41
I'm seeing the fruit, I'm seeing the result of what's taking
48:45
place here and I can still praise the Lord.
48:47
And that's incredible to me, Abner is not doing it for the
48:50
right reason. He wants to make peace.
48:52
David is up for it verse 13. He said good, I will make a
48:56
covenant with you. Look if this means peace, If
48:59
this means that this civil thing can come to an end then good.
49:03
I'll make a covenant with you. It doesn't try to dig deep into
49:07
his motives and reasons. But look what he says here.
49:09
He wants to see if he's really serious.
49:12
But one thing I require of you that is you shall not see my
49:14
face. Unless you first bring Mahal
49:16
Saul's daughter? When you come to see my face?
49:18
Wow, we haven't heard that name in a long time.
49:23
Okay, you want peace. Go get my first wife.
49:29
How was David's first wife? Did David divorce.
49:34
His wife? Did she divorce David?
49:36
What happened? Despite David's all takes his
49:41
wife and gives her to another man.
49:44
David did not forget about it. And really, this timing is even
49:49
more brilliant than if he had done it earlier.
49:52
Because now at this point with the contention, with all the
49:54
things happening in Israel, what greater way to show that the
49:57
house of Saul is joined to the House of David by marrying or at
50:01
least three stablishing, a union with Saul's daughter, go get
50:06
her. I want her.
50:09
Abner doesn't hesitate so what he does.
50:11
Is verse 14, David sent Messengers to ishka.
50:16
Seth's all son saying, give me my wife Mahal for whom.
50:20
I pay the bridal price of 100 foreskins of the Philistines and
50:23
is beset sent and took her from her husband, Paul T eldest, son
50:27
of lionfish. But her husband, this breaks me.
50:30
Every time I read this verse, it kind of makes me sad, but her
50:33
husband went with her weeping after all the way to the rim.
50:38
Then Abner set them go return and he returned.
50:42
Sad sight, huh? Years have gone by and this man
50:46
married McCall, the memories that they had together the
50:49
friendship that they had together and all for sudden a
50:51
knot comes on the door and you have the general of the army
50:54
with all these soldiers saying David is asking for me, haha,
50:56
time to go pack your bags. This man's life is just
51:00
shattered before him and you can just imagine as they're
51:03
traveling on horse or whatever by Chariot or walking at this
51:08
this husband is scaling along the path, begging for them to
51:11
make a decision for his benefit. Begging them to not do Do this
51:15
and they're just ignoring him. Finally, I've not had enough to
51:17
stop it. Go back and he goes back.
51:19
Kind of makes you feel sympathetic towards this man.
51:25
And this may sound harsh but understand where I'm coming
51:27
from. It really is his fault.
51:33
To a certain extent. Isn't it is, what business do
51:39
you have marrying somebody? That has a husband.
51:47
He agreed to this. He said, sure, he violated God's
51:51
law and just like, with David and his children.
51:54
The results did not immediately surface.
51:56
But down the road, they eventually came To haunt him.
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And what's important to understand from this, Is pal tol
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had obviously confidence to make such a decision based on
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something. And here's what I argue, Saul
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was The Mastermind behind us saw, says take my daughter and
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here's Palio saying you're the king.
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If the king says, it's okay. Then surely it must be.
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Okay, do you see where I'm going with this?
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So, I will take her. Because I have, I have not just
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the king, I have his permission the law, so to speak.
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This man has the authority over the land and if he says, it's
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fine, then surely it's fine. So, he takes an illegitimate
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wife. And he tries to build a future
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with her and tries to no blessing with her.
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And here's what this man and others fail to understand, there
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is a higher Court. There is a greater law than all
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the laws and all the courts of the land.
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And listen. I don't care how Supreme the
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Supreme Court is, there is the court more Supreme And it
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doesn't matter what they legitimize or what they
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legalized, or what they make illegal, what they say is wrong.
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God's law is always in effect, always.
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And here's the simple summary of His law across all generations,
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all cultures, if you obey God, you will be blessed.
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If you disobey God, you will be cursed, it's as simple as that.
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So, you have many people today, who find great comfort that
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culture, approves of it government, approves of it, my
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state approves a bit. So surely must be, right?
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You have to realize that there is a Higher Throne.
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And that Throne governs over all Thrones and God's law overrides
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all laws. And if a nation wants to be
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blessed, it will align itself to the law of God, Psalm 9 tells us
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that the Nations will go to XI ol, all who forget, God, And
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unfortunately here that although people tell here, patio here got
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permission from saw. He didn't get God's permission.
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And we save ourselves just like this man for Many, Many Tears.
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When we honor this word above everything else.
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When we place his word is supreme authority, we protect
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ourselves from much heartache, much pain, much regret much
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sorrow and this is a clear example of that.
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And so this man, lost his wife. No, he didn't lose his wife.
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David is getting his wife back and if he had understood that
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from the beginning and he would have saved himself from much
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trouble. And if David would have learned
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that lesson himself, When he understood that, you can't take
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somebody or something that doesn't belong to you without
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repercussions. Oh, if he had just learned from
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this, unfortunately, like many of us, we only learn when we
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feel the bite of it. When it's in sermon form.
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It's inspirational for the moment but it tends to leak out.
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until that thing gets to us and leaves a mark, it doesn't have
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to be Doesn't have to be because we can be strong as John tells
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us by getting the word of God in us and believing it and applying
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it so that we can overcome the evil one.
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Can we pray? Louis, thank you for this Bible
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study. Lord.
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It is our desire to be stronger in Jesus.
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It is our desire to grow. It is our longing.
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At this flesh. Would be subject to the spirit.
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But we thank you for the wonderful lessons that you have
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presented to us through these verses.
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And Lord, we want. We want order in our lives.
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Lord, if there's anything in our lives.
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That is so obviously outside of your will but we are not seeing
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the consequences of it yet, would you by your grace
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highlight the blind spots? Or the things that we have.
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Deceived ourselves with so that we can escape the sting of it.
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Lord, we don't want to be like Abner and serve you when it's
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beneficial to us. We want to serve you at all
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times. No matter what, we get out of
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it. And so Lord, we are heading into
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a day where more and more to be branded as a Christian.
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Will be much more difficult. Than it was 20, 30 40 years ago,
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but we want to declare to you tonight that we are staying in
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the ship. And we will honor you by your
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mercy and Grace until you call us home.
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And Lord, our desire is not to have something within your
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kingdom, but for you are King to be pleased to do what you desire
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for us. Lord, we thank you for this
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place. Where honor and humility rain,
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May you strengthen that in us so that we would see greater order
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in our relationships with one another.
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We see greater order in our Ministries.
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And that we would say every good practice, wonderful fruit.
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Although there is much we can say, but we will sing it to you.
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And we finally say before we say, Amen, that we submit to
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your word. That your court is what we
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appeal to your court is who we submit to your word.
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Your law, your will We Will Not Bow to Caesar, we will serve
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Christ and Jesus name we pray. Amen.