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

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Eager to go into the Bible with you.
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Second Samuel chapter 2 is where we were last time together and
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we were at verse 12 before we stopped and so, let's meet
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together at verse 12 of chapter 2 of second Samuel, And our
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brother just prayed. But why don't we pray one more
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time as we have the word of God opened before us.
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O Lord, we thank you. We thank you for the word.
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We love your word, it is our Delight.
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It is our joy, it is sweet to the taste.
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It is strength to the bones. We thank you Lord, that it is
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the window by which we can see you.
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It is your invitation for us to know you.
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And Lord, we just sit at your feet today as a family.
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And we just ask Lord, as this is a study that you would help us
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learn of you about you and I Lord it would get into our blood
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so that we can live like you and we can answer the call that you
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have for us in this text. We ask Lord that there would be
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a special touch when the power of the Holy Spirit Upon Our
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Hearts. We thank you Lord.
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That these doors are open every Friday night.
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We bless you. By your grace Lord, one service
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a week is not enough we long for more of you.
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Oh God and we are blessed by a people who want to gather
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together to receive from your voice.
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We give you all glory and thanks in Jesus name.
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Amen. The most profitable thing that
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you and I can do before we continue in this chapters to try
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to understand. Where we are at this point in
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this story before completing this chapter.
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So let's recollect, what we learned last week.
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Let's summarize him Saul died, he's no longer on the scene,
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David becomes king, he is Anointed by certain men from a
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certain tribe. Namely the tribe of Judah, his
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own people and so they recognize and acknowledge Him and they
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they clothed him with their approval that you are indeed,
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God's anointed You will become our King.
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Now, unfortunately, David is not King over all of Israel and from
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the human standpoint. The reason for that is because
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there is another man who had a different agenda.
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His name was Abner, he was related to saw, he was the
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commander of his army and realizing that his position was
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threatened because of David's exaltation, he takes saws, last
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son, the remaining son, the living son, because the other
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ones died in battle ish. But chef and Him and allures,
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the rest of the tribes to be convinced that he is the right,
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heir to the throne. And so what you have here is
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Abner using a spaceship as a puppet to really satisfy his own
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ambition. And this is in a way, declaring
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war on the dynasty of David. This is a resistance to God's
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plan and Abner knew that himself.
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This is not because he cared about Sol's name.
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This is not because he wanted Al's descendants to be honored.
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This was because he had a desire of his own and I want to prove
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that to you very briefly go to chapter 3 in the Bible.
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And look at verse 6 of second Samuel to you.
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Scroll down to verse 6 of chapter 3, what do you read
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while there was war between the house of Saul?
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And the House of David Abner was making who making himself strong
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in the house of Saul. So this man was so consumed with
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self. That he was even willing to make
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ishka Chef King, but he was really trying to keep his
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position. He was trying to nurture his
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pride, his Prosperity, his name. And so with that background as
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our context, we come now to verse 12 to understand what will
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take place between these two kings, what is going to happen.
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And as I personally studied these verses that will Conclude
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chapter 2, I could not help but realize there is a threat of a
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theme and it is intensely practical and the theme.
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Really is the great need for wisdom that despite your
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strengths and my abilities and your way of thinking and my
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cleverness, no matter what would be even positive no matter what
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our efforts might even be towards even if it's towards
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ministering God's work, if wisdom is not there to To guide
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us to lead us to instruct us. We are setting ourselves up for
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great failure and many ways. And you will see that and
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different illustrations in this portion of our Bible study, it
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is going to be intensely practical, but that is what our
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faith is. And so we come to this verse and
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the first thing I want to mention concerning wisdom is
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this. Wisdom encourages us to be on
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guard at all times. That's the first thought there's
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four total in this study. The first one is this wisdom
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teaches us to be on guard? Not sometimes, not when it's
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dangerous. Not when the devil's right at
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your front door, but at all times to be alert, let's read in
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verse 12 Abner, the son of nerve and the Servants of ishka, the
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son of Saul went out from mahatmyam to gibeon.
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I enjoyed the son of Zechariah and the Servants of David went
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out and met them at the pool of gibeon, and they sat down the
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one on the one side of the pool and the other on the other side
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of the pool. What's Happening Here Abner?
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The son of Nur is making his way and towards a certain direction
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and his movements here should not be seen as casual.
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They're not shot. Be seen as non suspicious,
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they're actually extremely suspicious.
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And the reason why is because headquarters for Saul was man
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named we learned that in the former versus we learned that
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here. Back in verse verse 8, that the
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end of it that mahanaim was where he put ishka shot and
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where their headquarters was he Leaving headquarters and he's
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actually heading towards Judean territory.
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This is concerning enough for David to call his commander, and
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his army, joab, and a few of his men to go and to see what Abner
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was up to. He wants him to bring back news
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to learn what it is that he is doing in his neighborhood.
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And what's incredible here is that Abner making this kind of
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move is declaring something. What he is trying to show here
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is that he is hungry for all of Israel.
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He already has a majority of the tribes by his side.
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The only tribe that's really not on his side is Judah and Abner
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is so ambitious that he is convinced that he can actually
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make way to overthrow David and to bring Judah on his side.
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You see when the Abner made this decision to make a special King,
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he essentially declared war on David.
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That's in verse 1 of chapter 3. Look at it again.
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There was a long war between the house of Saul and the House of
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David. So in that seven year and six
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months period, while David was King over Hebron in Judah, there
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is a war between the house of Saul and the House of David and
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he's making his way to try to planning somehow.
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Way to usurp The Authority that God has placed in his servant
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David. Now what do you learn from this?
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I believe Abner's ambition here. His attitude is a wonderful
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reflection of the ambition that sin has in the life of a
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believer. The flesh is never satisfied
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with only having part of you. The lust of the flesh, the pride
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of life. The things that God says no to
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want to dominate you and I and that varies for all of us, but
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one thing is for certain sin longs to kill you. sin longs to
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Veer you off the will of God completely, not partially but
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completely And what we see with Abner here is that he was not
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satisfied with 11 tribes. He wanted all of them and sin
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has the same attitude for you individually, and not just on an
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individual scale, but on a macro level, Sin longs to corrupt
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everything. If you want proof of that, just
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take a peek down history and realize that with every major
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invention with with every scientific development, somehow
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it is corrupted by evil. That is true politically that is
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true technologically. That is true scientifically with
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everything that we develop as the human race, since somehow
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comes in and seeks to hijack. It for the devil's purposes,
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everything about it. Everything we come up, we
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discovered these chemicals, and these things, and what we make
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nuclear bombs, why? We have the ability to
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communicate with somebody across the world and instead now the
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internet has 30, something percent of its downloads and
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visits on website to be pornographic.
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And so what you see here is that there is an infiltration of sin
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and anything in anything, from an individual level to even a
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global level. And when I find fascinating is
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that this is a good place to mention, how Satan is not
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satisfied with only having control of part of the world.
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Satan is not satisfied, just to having China being communist.
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Satan is not satisfied. Making the gospel difficult to
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share in the Middle East. If Satan has his way, he would
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love to turn this lovely nation into a wasteland.
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And that's what he's been trying to do.
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And we have to understand here. That what we experienced in the
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past two years was not a simple experiment of political
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overreach. As I said earlier, it was a
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slick attempt. This might shock you welcome to
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Bible say. It has been a slick attempt from
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the evil one to try to render the church ineffective.
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Now that might be hard for you to believe if you don't have a
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Biblical worldview, but if you have a Biblical worldview, then
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you understand that we don't war against flesh and blood.
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We wrestle against principality. Cosmic Powers Spiritual Beings
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and demons are not just interested in possessing bodies
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and making them do strange things.
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They are sophisticated. They create doctrines and
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teachings, they hate the idea of freedom.
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They hate the idea of there being access to the gospel so
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easily. And so, what you and I saw Was a
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great bold attempt from the evil one to try to shut down the
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church. Oh yeah.
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And it was very clever because it looked like a Health crisis
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so look like everything blended with it.
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But I want to say this just because things are quiet now.
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If you and I do not learn from what we saw in the past two
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years, we will not be prepared for what's coming down the pike.
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I'm telling you, let me say this and I'm going to try not to
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raise my voice. I get very passionate sometimes
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most of the churches of sleep. Most of the church in the west
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is asleep. They're asleep in the light and
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they have reduced the Christianity to one Sunday.
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And let me get out of here, so I can clear my conscience.
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I have things to do after the service.
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I have my own plans, I had my own agendas, I'm not
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interesting, you don't even realize that in your lifetime,
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you won't be able to go to church even once a week.
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You won't have those freedoms, you won't have those luxuries
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and so we have to see the writing on the wall.
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We have to understand that as we believe that these are signs of
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the end of the age, Hebrews tells us that as you see the day
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Drawing Near you don't meet less, he says encourage one
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another and meet even more. And and so I'm really concerned
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generally speaking of the indifference and the lack of
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alertness from many many believers who don't realize as
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one court has been shared so many times.
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It's not my own normal is not coming back, Jesus is that's the
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difference. And so we have to I don't mean
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to go into tension. I'm trying to come back to this.
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I'm trying to come back to this. But we have to understand here,
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is that there is an agenda. There is an agenda.
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And just as much as there are Servants of God in this life and
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in this generation in this world, there are agents of Satan
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That have the complete opposite goal that we do.
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They want to accelerate what the Antichrist wants to do and that
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is to dominate this world to bring worship away from God, and
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to himself, and Laura, as many Souls into, the depths of hell,
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is she can? So we come back to this and I
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want to say though, we do not have remember our first point.
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Wisdom Keeps Us alert at all times though.
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We do not have as much ability to protect the streams of life
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from being poisoned. We do have a call from God to be
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responsible for that, which he has entrusted to us and that is
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the Temple of the Holy Spirit. That's you and I individually.
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And that is the local church that God has called us to be a
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part of and our attitude towards the relentless Pursuit of the
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evil, one should be the same of David's.
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What is David doing verse 13? When he when he learns these are
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early signs that he is going to be a wonderful King over Israel.
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When he learns that, there is strange Behavior coming from
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Abner. He sends joab because he seems
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to have a great intelligence agency.
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He sends job early on before, there's any obvious threat or
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danger to be able to study and see what is actually happening.
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And to prevent he's acting preemptively, here he is, he's
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coming with an awareness on his radar.
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That there is something potentially dangerous here, and
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we want to stop it in its larvae form.
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We want to stop at as early as possible.
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Before Abner comes into Judah into have-nots and creates Havoc
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that will be much more difficult to control than if we just come
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at this point. Here's what I want to say.
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A true soldier of Jesus Christ. A true soldier of Jesus Christ.
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Is a watchful Christian. They are constantly on guard.
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It's not, they don't become spiritual on Sunday.
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They don't get, they don't get, oh, they don't become aware of
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God. And his word, and work, doesn't
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just turn on. And off one day a week, they're
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constantly having the radar on And there are strengthened and
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they are nourished, and they're watching.
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And they are seeking and they are there they are armed at all
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times. And that's exactly what David is
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doing here. He's not waiting for date for
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Abner to cause trouble. He wants to even prevent the
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trouble to even begin with. And what does that look like for
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the Christian? Because we have a different war
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is not against flesh and blood. But what does it look like our
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main enemy is sin? Our main enemy is the Flesh and
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what that looks like. If I can give practical Insight,
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is that when a Believer identifies a common thought
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pattern and he knows that it's wrong.
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And he knows that it's entertaining sin that believer
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doesn't just allow his thoughts to wander where the he sees the
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potential direction that this is going into and he stops it at
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the, but he deals with the, he faces it when he sees and Feels
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that his emotions begin to provoke and cause unrighteous
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Behavior. He deals with it right there at
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the emotional level. When that believer sees that the
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crowd that I'm in and the crowd that I'm with is now removing me
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from relishing and spiritual things and is now dominating the
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things of God. A my desires of my Pursuits, I'm
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going to do something about it early on they act preemptively
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they act before Things become disastrous.
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They are able See pass? What's may seem innocent on the
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surface and see the actual harm that it can produce.
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If that was true of many Believers, there would be a lot
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less remorse in their lives a lot, less counseling meetings.
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Because like David, they are playing it safe, they see the
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subtle activity, that identify it and they take measures to
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face it before. It gains more ground over your
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will, over your mind, over your resources, over your
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relationships and David's vigilance.
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Here is a wonderful example of how to be on guard giving you
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Vision seeing the potential Hazard of these things that may
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seem harmless at the beginning which brings us to our second
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Point. Wisdom is not just The necessity
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to being alert at all times, it takes into account future.
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Consequences of present. Compliances wisdom takes into
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account future consequences of present compliances.
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Where do I get that from? Look at verse 14.
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Here's the scene. You have Abner with his men and
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they are sitting at this large pool, maybe a well, you have job
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in his men, sitting on the other side and look what Abner does?
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He breaks the silence. She says to joab.
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Let the young man arise and compete before us.
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And job said, let him arise. Abner has some goal here, mind.
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Right? And so he seized the opportunity
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and he says, let them compete some translations say, let them
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play. And the Hebrew word has
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different shades of meaning, depending on its context.
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That word can be used when David played instruments, played
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instruments before the Lord, that word was also used when
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Samson was apprehended by the Philistines and when they
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realize that they got Enemy Number One, they wanted him to
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come out and entertained. Um it's the same Hebrew word and
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there was laughing and mocking their their scorning him as he
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was almost like a clown and acting as though he was just
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think for them and humiliation. When we come to this word here,
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when he says, let the young man arise in compete before us, it's
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almost as though he is calling them to have some kind of a
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match to prove which side is stronger.
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He's not he's not he's not looking to initiate a bloodbath
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at this point. What he's really wanting to do
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is is to make a statement by creating less casualties to say
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look at look at us. We prevailed over David and to
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convince somehow through that that they should join his side
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because David side is inferior. They are weaker.
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And so that's what he is proposing here and regardless of
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the motive. One thing is for certain.
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Abner is the aggressor Abner's the one trying to stir the nest
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Abner's the one who wants to kind of cause trouble joab is
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not entertaining as he's not initiating this but
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unfortunately, we're job failed was where he complied he hears
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this and instead of rejecting the senseless idea.
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He actually B. He says, okay, let them arise
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now listen, it doesn't take much intellect to realize that when
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you have two opposing people coming to some kind of a
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wrestling match that that's going to fuel the tension.
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This isn't a friendly competition here.
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This is a way of flexing your muscle at the expense of young
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men who are going to become casualties for no reason.
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But job here, gives in and my question is, why job why would
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you do this? And if you've studied jobs life
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before if you've studied this text before, you know what kind
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of character is job was tough job was relentless, he was
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ruthless. Actually he was a never backed
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down kind of fellow and so when this was proposed this challenge
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is brought before him those who know job say, okay, it's kind of
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we kind of saw this coming yet. He's going to give into this and
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he does. But for what reason?
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Remember job is the commander of David's Army Abner's the
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commander of Saul Sons Army. I wonder if job feels
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threatened. I wonder if job wants to make a
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point. I wonder if Joy type here is
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allowing his pride to override. His reason, you want to
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challenge me and my men, huh? Okay, let us move it.
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Guys, get up and he's selected 12 of his vast and Abner did the
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same. And they went at it, and it
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didn't last very long, before swords were taken out, and they
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thrust it in each other's sides and twenty four young men, And
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I'd for no reason. And I look at this and I see
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jobs failure to take the higher road to take the higher Road.
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Because of that, there would be an open door for Unnecessary
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tragedy. What do you and I learned?
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This is remember, this is intensely practical tonight.
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We want to be Servants of God. We want to be effective, we want
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to testimonies to shine bright. We want to be used by God.
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Well, then understand this wisdom takes into account future
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consequences of present compliances and so here's a word
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from the book of wisdom and proverbs in Proverbs 1714.
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Here's what this verse says. And Proverbs 17:14 the
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beginning. Of strife.
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Is like letting out water. So, quit before the quarrel
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breaks out. The beginning of strife is like
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letting out water, so quit before quarrel breaks out.
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So what's the teaching their? Well, when you begin to see
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Sparks of contention fly, And one heated, word is exchanged
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for another. And one blow of accusation is
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served after one was received, and there begins to be some kind
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of Brewing of tension between two parties.
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You know what this calls us to do be the better man.
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Be the true representative of your master in Jesus Christ in
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humility and back down. Pull back, quit.
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Press the eject button. Let him get the last word.
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Let her have the last word don't even try to defend yourself.
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Don't even try to go back. You did this, I'm going to quit
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before it becomes worse. It is much easier to fix a small
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leak than it is to deal with a broken Dam.
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And that's the wisdom here. Once you have a massive water
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that gushes out, it becomes incalculable in its destruction
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and much more difficult to control when it is in its forms
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of drops. That's much more, easy to handle
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and wisdom. In the Christian Life, where you
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will deal with many characters, wisdom will often whisper in
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your ear and encourage you to realize that this tension these
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issues with others or somebody who's trying to cause you and
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invite you into some kind of a battle wisdom will say it will
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become way worse, if you entertain it.
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So pull out while you can because this battle can lead to
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a war. This is so appropriate for our
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church. This is so improper it for us as
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a family in Jesus Christ. If you're not a part of this
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church, take this with you to your local church.
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The personal feud between Abner and joab, would actually lead to
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other people dying. And if we are serious about the
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health of the local church, if we are serious about the
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testimony of the church. Then we have to understand what
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wisdom teaches us and that's my personal problem with another
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brother or sister in Christ can actually lead to collateral.
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Damage can actually create much, more difficulty and friction to
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those who are not even necessarily involved to begin
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with, and this verse among many versus calls.
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You and I to die to ourselves. To die to ourselves.
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Let me give you a new testament. In example.
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Okay, I love versus like this because I always think Lord, you
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didn't have to put a person like that.
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I mean you could have filled every epistle from the beginning
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to the end with wonderful descriptions and Theological
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truths about the person and Glory of Jesus Christ.
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But then you come to verses like this turn your Bibles with me.
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The Philippians chapter 4 and look at this in verse 2.
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Philippians 4 to Paul writes to this church in Philippi.
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And he gets to a certain point where he addresses a couple of
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women And this is what he says. I entreat.
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Yo, Dia and Ian treats in Turkey to agree in the Lord.
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Full stop. Why is that in the Bible?
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Why is that in the Bible? Well, for Paul to write this in
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this epistle. As a public letter, surely means
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that he is. Learn about a contention, a
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conflict between two women. That was actually causing
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problems to the church as a whole it was causing issues from
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from them and he wanted to deal with it head-on and we don't
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know the exact nature of the issue because he doesn't tell
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us. But one thing we know for
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certain is that it's not doctrinal because if it was a
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doctrinal issue, then Paul would obviously side with the person
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who was in right, the person who is teaching the truth.
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With that being eliminated as a possibility.
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What is the strongest possibility?
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Is that these two women had personal issues between each
26:59
other? It was totally personal But it
27:03
has come to a point where now sides are being taken.
27:07
There's there's there's a heaviness in the meetings and as
27:10
the Believers are coming together, there's awkwardness
27:13
and there's there's a sense of walls being built up because of
27:16
emotional conflict and disruption and Paul's, like I'm
27:21
hearing about this and I can see where this is going and Paul as
27:24
a great Pastor to pastors and church planter says agree in the
27:29
Lord. Agreeing the Lord that tells me
27:32
something very, very important. One of the reasons no matter
27:34
what the nature of the problem is one of the reasons why
27:38
conflicts between people are not solved amongst Christians is
27:41
because the Lord is not included in their reasoning.
27:46
You get so consumed with self that, you forget to see that you
27:50
and that fellow believer have common ground in the kingdom of
27:53
God. And that you have a greater
27:55
cause that is bigger than the issue that you guys had between
27:59
one another But see problems arise more and more, the more we
28:03
become self-absorbed. And the more self-absorbed, we
28:07
become the more we push out God from our thinking, and from our
28:11
planning and, and from our life goals and that's exactly what is
28:15
taking place here. And in the case of Abner and joy
28:18
of who are brothers, after is going to say that later on, they
28:21
were brothers. They're of the same people, the
28:23
same Kingdom, they serve the same God.
28:26
Apparently 24, young men are going to die and more later on.
28:31
just because of two guys who have ego issues, it's because of
28:35
two guys, mainly one who had more of under the other who had
28:39
selfish ambition, that was more Abner than it was job after give
28:42
job credit and how many have suffered suffered within the
28:46
church? How many churches have lost
28:50
loved and lost that fervency in Lost.
28:52
Focus for the gospel because of personal issues, Listen, the
28:57
church is not a glorified Nursery, okay?
29:01
It's an army. It's an army and we have to be
29:05
careful because little things like this can actually Road and
29:09
we can the body of Jesus Christ. And what I find so amazing about
29:14
what we see in Philippians 4 2, Is what you read in the next
29:18
verse look at Philippians 4 3, he continues with this thought.
29:23
Yes I ask you also. True Companion help these women
29:28
so now he's addressing somebody there's debate who is addressing
29:32
Help these women who have labored side by side with me in
29:36
the gospel. Together with Clement and the
29:39
rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life.
29:43
What stands out to you from that verse?
29:49
What stands out to you? Let me ask this question.
29:53
What is the quality of these woman?
29:55
What did they contribute? Paul says, they have labored
30:11
with me side by side. So, these weren't carnal woman
30:15
that came to church because it was a social thing.
30:17
These were genuine Servants of the Gospel.
30:22
These were women who contributed to the ministry of the Apostle.
30:28
Paul, these were these were women who who evidently had some
30:33
kind of spiritual maturity. Now, here's the warning, but
30:37
even such woman of such caliber were overcome by selfishness.
30:44
That's how power the flesh can be.
30:46
That's how powerful the flesh can be.
30:48
That even women have such standards in the church can
30:52
succumb to self to such a degree that it overrides their
30:56
Ministries. It overrides.
30:58
What they were contributing for the kingdom of God.
31:01
To the point where they don't even care.
31:02
If it's creating disunity among the people of God, isn't that?
31:06
Like, if you're scared? Good.
31:08
I hope you're even more scared. There is a healthy fear of what
31:12
this flesh can bring us to. Unless we subject it to the word
31:16
of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
31:19
These are these are good woman. These Are Holy woman.
31:21
And yet still, they could not agree because of a personal
31:25
issue and it was creating issues within the church.
31:29
And so you see Paul Here is addressing something at its seed
31:34
form, because as a leader, he realizes where this can go and
31:39
what Paul has in mind is the gospel, the advancement of the
31:42
Kingdom through the church. And so I invite you today that
31:46
if you have an issue with somebody, you be the higher
31:49
person and die to yourself. Die to yourself.
31:55
Die to yourself for the sake of the Gospel.
31:58
Well, what if they do? Don't worry about them.
31:59
You do it. You do it.
32:03
Don't worry. If they agree, don't worry.
32:04
If they see our, I don't worry. If they clap back, you die to
32:07
yourself. You see Paul solution to this
32:11
conflict. Look what he says in verse 3.
32:13
Yes, I ask you also True Companion.
32:15
Help these women. He's calling the church.
32:18
He's calling somebody else in the church, but you can say he's
32:20
calling the church. He's calling someone from within
32:23
to help these women who are in the same church to come to a
32:27
place of solution. And I love that.
32:29
You know why I love that because God designed the local church.
32:35
To have a measure of influence upon selfishness in someone's
32:38
life. Can I tell you something?
32:43
I've seen so many relationships destroyed.
32:48
Not just between people like on a French level, mainly even in
32:52
marriage. And you know, what many of those
32:53
marriages have in common, if not all of them, I'll tell you what.
32:57
Either both or one are not part of a local church.
33:03
For years, I've seen it and they may come like to hear messages,
33:07
but I'm saying they're not plugged in there, not like this
33:10
is my church, I'm a member here. These are my elders.
33:12
I'm accountable to these men. I'm accountable to this body.
33:16
I can't think of one relationship.
33:18
That's not having great problems where they don't, share the same
33:22
common denominator. Either one or both are not
33:25
seriously devoted to a local church.
33:30
Because Paul here sees a solution to these two going to
33:34
war with each other. He sees the church who is
33:37
outside of them who is unbiased who stands for what is right to
33:41
come in and to quench the fire. And so we all struggle with
33:46
selfishness, but what you and I need and God's wisdom, is a body
33:51
of believers who love us enough to say smart, not snap out of
33:56
it. Do you realize how you are
33:58
actually hindering the work of Christ.
34:00
Do you realize how you were actually damaging the ministry
34:03
that you are a part of because of a personal issue with someone
34:05
else wake up. Wake up.
34:09
And that's what Paul is doing here you and I need to see that.
34:13
Because wisdom, wisdom, foresees, future consequences to
34:18
present, compromises and compliances.
34:20
And sometimes we are so blinded by our own selfishness, and our
34:24
own desires that we need other eyes of the same body, the body
34:28
of Jesus Christ to call it out for us and to speak up.
34:34
Thirdly wisdom teaches us to take advice is a perfect
34:37
transition. So, look at verse 15 of second.
34:40
Samuel too. Then they arose and passed over
34:45
by number 12 for Benjamin and Ishmael Chef, the son of Saul
34:47
and 12 of the Servants of David and each caught his opponent by
34:51
the head, and thrust his sword and his opponent side.
34:55
So they fell down together. It was a draw.
34:59
And then we come down here to verse 18 and the Three Sons of
35:04
Zechariah were their job abishai and a Sahel.
35:08
Now as to how was as Swift as foot as a wild gazelle.
35:13
So now we're being introduced to this set of Brothers.
35:18
Does anybody know how they are related to David?
35:22
There is nephews when you go to 1st Chronicles in Chapter 2, you
35:26
realize Azariah here is actually David sister.
35:29
David sister had three sons. These three sons join David's.
35:34
Can't they trusted that he was the Lord's anointed and they
35:38
were warriors. And what's interesting here is
35:41
that we're going to learn not just something about Joy, but
35:43
have another brother and that is as to how all we are told about
35:46
us the hell is that he was as Swift of foot as a wild gazelle.
35:49
In other words, he was really fast.
35:51
He was, he had agility. He was known for his swiftness.
35:57
But as you read on, you realize that a Sahel had something in
36:00
common with his brother job and it is this that though he had
36:03
great ability. And in his case, he had a great
36:06
zeal. He lacked what his brother had.
36:11
I rather yeah. Also like, with his brother
36:13
lacking that is wisdom. Job was known for his great
36:16
courage. He was Fearless.
36:17
He would take up any Challenge and you were going to see that
36:20
throughout second Samuel. But what you see here with his
36:22
brother is that he actually had the same problem.
36:25
Great gifting great ability, but it wasn't guided and protected
36:31
by wisdom. Here's my so fast.
36:34
And I was reading this today and I thought to myself, up to this
36:37
point David stands out from his family in so many ways, like
36:41
though he is related by blood, He differs so vastly and
36:47
character. I mean, realized, Who David was
36:50
in light of his parents, especially his dad realize who
36:54
David was in light of his brothers.
36:55
His brothers were not the same as him.
36:57
Realize, who David was in light of his nephews.
37:01
He really stood out. And the point is this, that
37:04
though, you may share the same blood, does it mean you have the
37:07
same spirit? Though you may have a certain
37:12
lineage even if it's a spiritual lineage does not mean
37:15
necessarily that you will share in that.
37:17
But here's the encouraging thing that even though David came from
37:21
a family that wasn't necessarily the most admire below.
37:25
And the most exemplary God still chose David.
37:28
God still would use David. He didn't come from a Polish
37:31
family. He came from a family, where his
37:33
dad even recognize him as a son, when Samuel asked for all his
37:36
sons. He came from, it came from
37:39
brothers who had issues, he From nephews who had issues, he had
37:42
issues all around. And if you're thinking that God
37:44
recruits those who have a certain pedigree in their
37:47
family, you're sadly mistaken and you should be encouraged
37:53
salvation. And true walk with God, comes
37:57
from an individual sense of who he is and individual
38:01
responsibility of submitting to him.
38:04
And I praise God for that. God won't hold me accountable
38:06
because of my parents because of my uncle's because of anybody
38:08
else you and I have this walk and it's a one-on-one walk with
38:12
the Lord that is deeply, deeply encouraging to me.
38:15
But as to how look what he does here.
38:18
Verse 19 as to how pursued Abner as he went.
38:22
He turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from
38:24
following Abner he's running after him, not to give him a
38:29
just a little beating. He wants to kill him.
38:33
He wants to destroy Abner and he thinks this would be a wonderful
38:36
trophy for the kingdom of David. And what we see here is that,
38:42
this is a great Zeal, this is a great Passion, this is great
38:45
fervency, there's great dedication here.
38:48
I mean, he's running way ahead of everybody else.
38:50
But again, as I said earlier, he's clearly demonstrating a
38:53
great lack of wisdom. And the great lack of wisdom is
38:57
this. He was warned. he was warned by
39:03
Abner to stop and he would not stop, and because of that, He
39:10
would hurt himself. It would actually lead to his
39:12
own demise. And when I looked at that, I
39:16
thought to myself. Zeal without knowledge is not
39:20
good. Even if your Zeal is targeted
39:23
towards that which aims to glorify God.
39:28
And I was looking at this and I was reflecting on my own life
39:31
when I first got saved. And if I can give a description
39:34
about those early days of walking with the Lord, there was
39:37
a lot of zeal. Maybe need for more wisdom.
39:45
It was it was it was in the name of God, it was witnessing for
39:49
God, it was sharing the gospel. I was helping people.
39:53
And I think that's common for many people who become born
39:55
again. They become very very zealous,
39:59
but even in our Evangelistic efforts do you just Jesus tells
40:01
us to be wise as serpents. He wants us to exercise, wisdom
40:05
and all things, even those things that are good.
40:08
And I think here, what we see with with a Sahel is that he had
40:13
a Zeal, he lacked the wisdom and something that he wanted to do.
40:18
In his mind, perhaps could have been right would actually turn
40:21
out to his to his own harm. God is so patient with us, he
40:27
teaches us and I think that's why he's extremely patient with
40:30
all of us when we first get saved.
40:32
But here's the thing, the solution to his Zeal early on in
40:35
our walk with the Lord, as we grow older.
40:37
The Lord is not less zeal. It's not less Zeal for the lord.
40:42
It's more wisdom. Right?
40:44
So you have people who grow in the Lord over the years and they
40:47
become less zealous and they think that's more wisdom that
40:49
that's not true. See, I remember when I was
40:53
zealous for the Lord, I used to do it.
40:54
Well, what happened? You don't do anything anymore.
40:58
That's not wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to learn
41:01
from your mistakes and learn from those who have went on
41:04
ahead of you to be able to teach you how you can channel that
41:07
Zeal for maximum Effectiveness and minimizing of issues and
41:12
problems. nothing can be worse for your spiritual success, or
41:20
mine than stubbornness It doesn't matter how gifted you
41:26
are, doesn't matter who you are or who you're referred to, as
41:32
you're the next dish. You're the next that if you and
41:34
I do not have a teachable spirit if you and I do not know how to
41:38
submit to the word of God, and the word of God, applied by
41:41
others, who know how to apply it to your life, then then we will
41:45
fall and fail in serious ways. I've seen it myself over the
41:49
years, people who had great Zeal crashed.
41:53
When they could have avoided those walls, if they had, simply
41:56
just listen to those who had enough sense to say, you got to
41:58
do it this way, or you got to be like this, or you got to be
42:00
careful how you do this and that's what happened to a Sahel
42:03
look what happens here. Verse 20, then abdur looked
42:06
behind him and said, is it you as to how?
42:09
And he answered it is. I Abner said, to him, turn
42:12
aside, to your right hand or to your left and sees one of the
42:14
young men and take a spoil. But as to, how would not turn
42:17
aside from following him and Abner said again to us.
42:20
I'll turn aside from following me.
42:23
Why should I strike you to the ground?
42:25
How then can I lift up my face to your brother joab but he
42:29
refused to turn aside therefore Abner struck him in the stomach
42:32
with the butt of his spear. At the spear came out of his
42:36
back and he fell there and died where he was and all who came to
42:40
the place where isil had fallen and died.
42:42
Stood Still. So you see what happened as to
42:45
how this pursuing him. Abner looks back, he warns him
42:48
turn aside and he doesn't again. He says turn aside, and he
42:52
doesn't. And finally, he takes out his
42:54
Spear and he thrust it in such a way that with the speed of a
42:58
Sahel is running. It literally penetrated him
43:00
through his frame and the Spirit came out the other side of his
43:03
back. And so I want to say that the
43:09
greatest thing that you and I have to protect ourselves from
43:14
harming ourselves or harming others is to be teachable.
43:19
Is to take heed of warnings. Again, especially for younger
43:26
believers. Something happens often with
43:30
younger Believers and in their Zeal, they can become very
43:33
critical. Very critical of authority, very
43:37
critical of older Believers because in their minds, they're
43:39
so zealous and they look at those who might be more
43:41
controlled and their emotions or may do things in a certain way
43:45
and it conflicts with what you think.
43:47
And you begin to criticize and you begin to is what happens.
43:50
You have people become Lone Wolf Christians and they despise
43:53
Authority. They don't think they should be
43:54
part of the local church because a local church is dead and
43:57
pastors just don't get it and this and that and I'm on fire
44:01
and My Band of Brothers, my band of sisters aren't front Since
44:05
you are setting yourself up for great Danger.
44:09
And you may not be a younger believer here.
44:11
But if, you know, younger believer, listen to what I'm
44:13
saying, encourage those and encourage your own heart that
44:17
even though you may feel like you are gifted, or you have a
44:21
certain way of thinking, or you have a better strategy to
44:23
continue to remain open to being instructed and taught.
44:28
Now, listen, that's not just true for younger people years.
44:30
I'm just, I'm just saying that Because that's especially true
44:33
with younger Believers, but it can certainly be true those who
44:36
mature in the faith, but that was not the case of a man in New
44:38
Testament, who was mature and his knowledge of the scripture
44:42
and his ability to communicate it.
44:46
Can you think of that man with me?
44:48
Who is he in the New Testament? The book of Acts?
44:56
Close. who was, who was a man who is known as Competent in the
45:04
scriptures. and powerfully refuted the Jews paulose I'm
45:13
encouraged by by Apollo's his life that the little window that
45:16
we have of his life, a little snippet, not because of his
45:18
ability to teach or preach, not in his might in the scriptures
45:22
but because when he was approached with correction, he
45:27
humbled himself and he received it And I want to show you that
45:31
and we're almost done here. I know we're running a little
45:34
bit over time with the remaining verses that we have here, but
45:36
it's worth going there. Go to acts 18 very quickly in
45:39
verse 26. Wisdom teaches us to take
45:42
advice, wisdom teaches us to take advice and to be open to
45:46
correction. And acts 1826.
45:53
We learn of Apollo's. He began to speak boldly in the
45:57
synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took
46:01
him aside and explained to him the way of God, more accurately.
46:06
So think about it. This man was a traveling
46:09
apologist to traveling speaker and he would go into synagogues
46:12
and he would just dismantle people's arguments and he would
46:16
Proclaim Jesus with the knowledge that he had.
46:20
And one day in the congregation, you had a couple Priscilla and
46:23
Aquila and they heard Apollo's and they were they were they
46:26
were moved and they were obviously aware of this man,
46:29
this young man's gifting but they can they can tell that he
46:32
did not have the full understanding of the message and
46:35
the person of Jesus Christ. And so what do they do?
46:39
They take him aside and they instruct him.
46:41
Now, here's what's so significant about that what did
46:43
Priscilla and Aquila do as a trade?
46:47
They make tents, they made tents, okay?
46:50
They weren't famous a famous couple and Ministry.
46:52
They didn't have their own TV station.
46:54
A Christian TV station. There were those who had a
46:56
normal job that helped Paul later on help plant a church but
46:59
they were just average people who loved God but knew a lot
47:03
about his word. So you have to understand that
47:06
it is that kind of a couple that's approaching the pastor
47:09
after the service and saying we were so touched and blessed by
47:12
but can we can we just take you aside?
47:14
Can we just we want to tell you some things?
47:17
And Apollo says, okay sure and he's willing to receive the
47:20
where you would you guys do? We were your business card.
47:22
I know what to make of it. Nothing like that.
47:26
He's willing to hear from these people and he's willing to sit
47:29
with them and receive what they have to say.
47:31
He's willing to be open to their correction.
47:33
Now mind you. Look at how they're doing it.
47:35
They don't stand up Apollo's. Evangelist Apollo's.
47:40
You got it wrong. You don't understand what that
47:42
means. Actually, you do understand what
47:44
Jesus actually meant, they weren't doing that.
47:46
They weren't putting on blast on Facebook, they weren't exposing
47:48
him. They knew how to take him aside
47:51
privately and to be able to sit down with him and to correct
47:53
them in gentleness and humility and with respect Okay, if you're
47:56
going to ever correct anybody, please do it in a certain way
47:59
where you will win their affection and win their trust.
48:02
Okay. Apollo's receives a now, here's
48:05
here's the beauty about this. He humbles himself, though.
48:08
He was a preacher. Though he could have said okay
48:11
because you get over with. No he doesn't do that.
48:13
He sits with him as long as he needs to sit with them.
48:15
He builds his relationship and look at the result.
48:17
This is a direct result of the humility of Apollo's.
48:21
Look at verse 27. And when he wished to to cross a
48:25
takea, the brothers encourage them and wrote to the disciples
48:29
to welcome him. She say, I would love to go to
48:33
aquella. I would love to go and Minister
48:34
there and the family that he built while in Ephesus
48:39
recommended him to the Believers there.
48:42
And they received him, I believe that as a result of Apollo's,
48:47
willingness to receive instruction and be teachable and
48:52
be humble. In other words, humility opens
48:55
greater doors for us. Humility.
48:58
Expands our influence Pride suffocates.
49:01
It sabotages it. And I apologize here says, I
49:06
would love to go and they said, gladly hey this brother.
49:09
Yeah, he knows he grew and he is a wonderful person to serve god
49:14
with. Would you receive him?
49:15
And look at the next part when he arrived.
49:17
He greatly helped those through Grace who through Grace had
49:22
believed Wisdom teaches take advice as to how did not take
49:27
advice and he suffered for it. He did not heed.
49:29
Take heed the warning and he actually died and not only did
49:32
he die? But look what happened?
49:34
Those who saw him die. Stood Still.
49:36
You know what that did? That gave Abner more time to
49:39
gain ground and to have his troops surround him.
49:41
On a, top of a hill. And so many people suffered
49:45
because of because of this man's unwillingness to take heed.
49:50
Now we come to the last Point. Wisdom doesn't only tell us to
49:54
take, advice wisdom, reminds us that hypocrisy will never
49:56
succeed. Look at verse 25, we'll skip a
50:00
couple verses here and the people of Benjamin gathered
50:04
themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took
50:07
their stand on the top of a hill.
50:09
So, there was enough time now because of assholes death, that
50:13
they go on a top of a hill, which is a strategy, you have an
50:16
advantage there and the men of Benjamin's came and surrounded
50:20
Abner, and Abner was ready to confront joab and the men that
50:23
followed a Sahel verse 26, then Abner called the job shall the
50:28
Sword. Devour forever.
50:31
Do you not know that the end will be bitter?
50:34
How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from
50:37
the pursuit of their brothers? Impressive.
50:43
You read that first anything, Abner learned his lesson, you
50:45
realize the foolishness of his ways, he saw that, this was
50:48
becoming way worse than it. Could have.
50:50
If he had, just you just humbled himself from the beginning and
50:55
so maybe he did learn right. Shall the sword devour forever.
50:58
Do you not know that the end will be bitter?
50:59
That's good stuff. And he goes on the even say how
51:02
long will it be before you tell you people to turn from the
51:04
pursuit of who they're Brothers? Here's my question, is he
51:11
sincere? Well one, he's saying the right
51:14
things but is he sincere? Is he being genuine?
51:18
Do you think he actually learned his lesson?
51:20
At this point? He saw the mistakes that he has
51:22
made that he's contributed to. So he wants to put an end to
51:25
this foolishness and the senseless death I have a hunch
51:33
that this is all just a show. Look at verse 31.
51:42
But the Servants of David had struck down a Benjamin 360 at
51:45
Abner's men of Abner's men. And we look at verse 30 job
51:49
return from the pursuit of Abner.
51:51
And you see here the second part.
51:53
There were missing from David's servants, 19 men besides Assa.
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So at the end of the whole ordeal, David loses 19 men,
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besides a Sahel job or rather Abner loses 360.
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He was losing. He was losing and he realized
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that he was probably going to die that day.
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And so he decides to put a stop to this before it gets worse for
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him. How do I know that he's not
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sincere will go to verse 1 of chapter 3 again.
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There was a long war between the house of Saul and the House of
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David War only continued after this and so he's trying to save
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himself at this time and the reason why he speaks in this way
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It's because he's being very clever.
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He's putting on a righteous mask.
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He's putting on this Pious display.
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So that he can seem as though he's in the right, and job is in
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the wrong and of job refuses. Then he's the one who's going to
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be in the wrong. It's very, very smart.
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But what's so scary about this? Is that He's only doing this for
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himself, he's not doing this because of righteousness.
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He's not doing this because he wants to honor God, he's doing
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this because he knows that he will lose.
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If he doesn't and those who operate in hypocrisy, this is so
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important to understand know the right things to say.
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Those who know how to put on a mask, know what to say when to
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say it and who to say it to, and the ugliness of hypocrisy is
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that it unashamedly attempts to try to put the blame that was
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caused by self on others, so that South can look like they
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are in the right and that is essentially what Abner's trying
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to do here because if job refuses this, then job will look
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like the one who is actually causing war between the brothers
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and he's He's the one that wants the sword to devour, and he
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doesn't mind things becoming becoming bitter and that is
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frustrating, right? That is extremely frustrating to
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see somebody who's able to switch on godliness, and switch
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off when it's convenient. And when its profitable, Listen.
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But a wise person, a wise person.
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Will find it very difficult to be tempted.
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To be a hypocrite in any sphere of life.
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Because they are convinced through wisdom by Understanding
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God's word, and his law that in the long-term hypocrisy will
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never succeed and whatever. Gain is retrieved through.
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Hypocritical means will ultimately fail and that's
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exactly what you see. Look at, look at verse 1 of
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chapter 3 again, And David grew, stronger and stronger.
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While the house of Saul became weaker and weaker Right.
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He was going to lose if he thought he won that day, if he
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thought he escaped because of his lies and his deception, he
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was actually headed towards loss anyway.
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And I think that is that is helpful for us as Believers
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because what we need to understand is that you and I
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will experience hypocrisy. No, you, and I may become
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victims of hypocrisy. We're somebody's able to not
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only pretend to be something or someone but even project wrong
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on you and me and our names and our reputations in order to make
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themselves look like they are, they are righteous and they are
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in the right but there's no reason to fear that and here's
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why because Jesus himself promised, The hypocrisy will
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never succeed. We'll never succeed.
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I want to read this to you. I'm, you do have to turn that
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this is my last scripture for the Bible study and Luke 12:1
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Jesus is something so astounding, in the meantime,
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when so many thousands of people had gathered together that they
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were trampling. One another, he began to say to
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his disciples. First it's so important to read
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our Bibles slowly. He looks at his own disciples
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first, he doesn't look to the thousands that are coming to
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hear him preach. He looked to his own disciples
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at first and What comes out of Jesus mouth towards his
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disciples, something incredible, Beware of the leaven of the
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Pharisees. Which is hypocrisy.
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He's not warning warning, the world of hypocrisy, he's looking
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at his followers and he's saying, I'm calling you my
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disciples to beware because all it takes why would say, what
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would you say, the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
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All you need is a little bit of it.
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All you need is a little bit 11 and bred for it to for it to
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inflate. All you need is a little
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hypocrisy in your life for it to corrupt, your whole being beware
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of this. He's warning his own people
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don't let this come in because of what I'm about to tell you.
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Nothing is covered up that will not Be revealed.
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Or hidden that will not be known.
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Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark, shall be heard
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in the light and what you have, risked, whispered in private
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rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. so, when I am
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tempted, To put on something that makes me seem some way so
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that I can either advance in my Personal Agenda or try to evade
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something that I've done wrong. Jesus assures and wisdom says,
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don't even go there because it's just not going to work out
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anyway, and whatever relief comes at his temporal and Abner,
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Abner did not believe that but he would learn it and he's going
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to learn it in the next chapter wisdom, teaches us, many things.
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And tonight, we got a fresh batch of what wisdom.
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For us, wisdom tells us to be alert at all times.
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Wisdom teaches us. To consider future consequences
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of present. Compliance is wisdom.
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Encourages us to take advice wisdom.
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Convinces us. That hypocrisy will never
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succeed. All there's so much more in
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these verses but we don't have time tonight.
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Let's pray. We thank you for the word.
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Father, we ask you that these things would be true in our
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lives. We want to be wise.
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We want to be effective, we want to, we want to bear fruit.
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We want people to see Christ. But we ask that.
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You would impart wisdom into our hearts?
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thank you for these illustrations in your word, to
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take these principles that we read of and know about but CM
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lived out successfully and unfortunately in failure, But to
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our benefit Lord, you have given us these things.
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Lord, we worship you. We thank you that your word is
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so pure and so Direct. T' and so clear.
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There's no confusion in it. Even a child can understand what
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was said tonight and then we receive it with childlike faith.
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And we asked you a lure to to just make us more like Jesus.
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And Lord as a church. We pray that we would be a wise
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people. That foolishness would not rain
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here. That it would not be even in one
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heart, they would not dominate one person.
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We would all exercise wisdom and how we treat one another and how
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we see Temptation and how we deal with our own Pursuits that
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try to creep in and override your purposes in our lives.
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Louis bless you and give you all glory and honor As we sing to
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you because you've spoken to our hearts and Jesus name we pray.
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Amen.