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We're in second Samuel chapter 
18, cherish these moments 

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because we have including this 
chapter seven chapters left in 

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our study of second Samuel, 
we're coming near the end. 

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What will happen after 2nd 
Samuel? 

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I do not know. 
I don't think we will jump into 

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1st Kings right away. 
Maybe we will we might take a 

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little break and address 
different things. 

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Different topics might have a 
Q&A or two. 

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So enjoy these moments. 
I pray that you do enjoy these 

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moments. 
We take our time in the 

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scriptures, and that is what we 
are. 

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Going to do with this chapter. 
And one of the benefits of being

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here. 
Week after week, is that you 

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don't need much background 
information because you're so 

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familiar with the narrative 
already. 

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And so I will not give you an 
exhaustive background. 

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What I will say though, before 
we even open up the verses here 

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is that we have reached the 
climax. 

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We have reached the Pinnacle, we
have reached the peak of this 

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story between David and his son 
Absalom. 

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They're about to face off in war
a war that Absalom wanted and a 

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war that David dreaded. 
He did not want to engage in 

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this but they are left with no 
other choice. 

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Lest they be consumed by an evil
man and a deceived nation. 

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And so before we break into 
this, I want to pray one more 

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time. 
My brother prayed so grateful 

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for that but it's a habit of 
mine to pray before we even read

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a verse. 
And so I want to do that with 

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you before we read the first few
verses here together Oh Lord, 

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there is so much joy in our 
hearts to be gathered in a place

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with people who love the truth. 
Lord, we are not here because we

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have to be, we are here because 
we get to be, it is an absolute 

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Delight to be in your presence 
and to be with those who are the

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excellent ones of the land. 
The Saints of the land, we ask 

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Lord that you would open our 
eyes as we sang and Lord, that 

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you would burn our hearts for 
you and that you would give us 

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understanding in our minds so 
that we can be shaped. 

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And molded into the very image 
of your son help. 

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The delivery of this word may be
under the power of the spirit, 

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may be filled with unction 
compassion truth. 

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That are not be mingled with 
error. 

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Oh Lord, let there be the 
delivery that you intended this 

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message to be delivered and we 
ask that you would be exalted 

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and Jesus name. 
Amen. 

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Are you with me? 
Let's read verse 1 together. 

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Then David mustard the men who 
are with him and said over them,

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commanders of thousands and 
commanders of hundreds and David

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sent out the Army 1/3 under the 
command of joab, 1/3 under the 

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command of abishai, the son of 
Zechariah joab's brother and 1/3

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under the command of it tie, the
get tight. 

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And the King said to the men, I 
myself will go. 

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Also will also go out with you 
but the men said You shall not 

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go out for if we flee they will 
not care about us. 

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If half of us die they will not 
care about us but you are worth 

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ten thousand of us. 
Therefore it is better that you 

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send us help from the city. 
The king said to them, whatever 

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seems best to you, I will do. 
So the king stood at the side of

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the gate, while all the Army 
marched out by hundreds and by 

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thousands, they are not in 
Jerusalem. 

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Remember they're at mahanaim, 
they are beyond the Jordan, they

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are in a different place because
David obviously, he's in Exile. 

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But they're prepared to go to 
war. 

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And what I want to highlight to 
you first is what we see here in

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verse 2, notice David's 
willingness to participate in 

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this. 
War, he says, clearly I myself 

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will also go out with you. 
That is impressive and one of 

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the joys again of a Bible, study
of a systematic study. 

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Verse by verse chapter by 
chapter is a you get to see many

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things. 
And one of the things that you 

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get to see his character 
development or the decline of 

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character and in the case of 
Saul. 

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But we see something here about 
David that is praiseworthy. 

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Why are they in this place to 
begin with? 

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Well, it all started in 2nd, 
Samuel 11. 

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When David decided not to go to 
war. 

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You remember that, right? 
That's where all the trouble 

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began. 
He was on the rooftop when he 

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was supposed to be on the 
battlefield, and that's where he

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was exposed to Bathsheba and 
where he entertained temptation 

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to the point where he committed 
a grievous sin. 

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And here we see now, with 
different David with a much more

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difficult, task ahead of him, 
but still a willingness to say, 

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I will go out. 
To fight this war. 

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You might disagree with me, but 
what I see here is a man who has

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learned from his mistakes. what 
I see here is a man who 

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understood How is negligence in 
his unwillingness to be where 

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God called him to be. 
Originally is the reason why 

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he's in this Dilemma to begin 
with and he does not want to 

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repeat that mistake and I want 
to tell you, that's what true 

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repentance. 
Looks like repentance is not 

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merely feeling. 
Sorry for yourself or even 

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regretting what your sin has 
done. 

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To repentance is a willingness 
to change? 

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It's a change of mind. 
It's looking at what your sin 

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has done. 
Looking at what sin is and then 

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agreeing with God's word about 
it. 

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And the more than that agreeing 
with God's power. 

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To overcome it in the future. 
There's not much that David 

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could do about the past and 
that's true for all of us to 

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meditate on it to wallow in it 
to feel shame from it doesn't 

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benefit anybody including 
yourself but what you and I can 

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do with our past failures is 
what David is doing here to make

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an effort by the grace of God to
be in the will of God. 

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Never mind what happened 
yesterday. 

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Never mind what happened last 
year. 

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Never mind what happened five 
years ago. 

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Where are you today? 
Where are you in the will of God

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today, where are you and your 
hatred for sin today where you 

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and your alertness and 
watchfulness against Temptation?

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That is what is most important 
here? 

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And David is not just proving 
his growth in godliness in this 

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point. 
You've heard me say it sometime 

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before, I don't remember exactly
when it was. 

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There's another example, another
example where we are given proof

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that David did indeed learn from
his past. 

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And endeavored to seek to honor 
God with his today. 

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You have any idea what I'm 
talking about. 

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Let me give you a hint. 
It's not in the book of second. 

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Samuel. 
I'll just tell you for the sake 

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of time, go to 1st Kings. 
David is near the end of his 

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life. 
All you have to do is flip a few

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pages to the right? 
And we're told in First Kings 

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11, David was old and advanced 
in years and he could not get 

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warm. 
His body was shutting down. 

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And so the servants came up with
a plan and that plan was to 

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bring a very beautiful woman and
to park her inside his bed and 

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to keep him warm by close 
proximity. but what's 

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interesting about that is what 
we see here in verse 4, the 

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young woman was very beautiful 
and she was of service to the 

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king and attended to him, but 
the king knew her not An 

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interesting statement for the 
Holy Spirit to include in this. 

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Let me say this first. 
Temptation will follow you all 

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of your days. 
Temptation will follow you until

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your last days. 
The same Temptation that David 

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experience on that rooftop, 
which is interesting because the

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very same description of this 
young woman is given to 

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Bathsheba. 
We're told in second Samuel 11 

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that Bathsheba was a very 
beautiful woman and now we come 

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to First Kings where David is 
old and years and we are 

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introduced to another woman who 
was very beautiful and so I 

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understand that the fight 
against Temptation the fight 

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Against sin will follow you 
until your final breath. 

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Keep that in mind. 
So that, you know, how to be 

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strengthened day after day. 
But the Holy Spirit wants to 

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tell us something, the king knew
her not like why is that 

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important for me to know? 
And the reason why it's 

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important is because the Holy 
Spirit wants us to know, David 

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has grown. 
David is a different Man. 

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David doesn't look at a very 
beautiful woman, the same way he

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did when he was at the peak of 
his life. 

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The peak of his Reign. 
No, he's a changed person and I 

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think there's a pattern here 
worthy of imitation. 

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I think there's a standard here 
for the children of God and here

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it is. 
The the more you grow in years, 

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the more you grow in life, the 
stronger, you should have a 

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resistance against sin. 
We should grow from glory to 

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glory, right? 
We need to learn. 

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We don't want to stay in the 
same place that we were 20 years

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ago, and unfortunately, that's 
the case. 

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For many people do the same. 
They submit to their passions in

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their 60s. 
The same way they did in their 

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20s if not even worse. 
But what God wants to do with 

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us, is very much of this to 
graduate us and godliness and to

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empower us, and they give us 
victory. 

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To Victory strength to strength.
And David is a wonderful example

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of that here. 
So we read on. 

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He decides that he wants to go 
to war but you heard it. 

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The men said you're not coming 
with us. 

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We honor you we admire you, we 
respect you, but David, you 

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coming out with us is going to 
be more of a distraction than 

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anything else. 
They want you, They Don't Care 

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About Us. 
They want your head. 

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They want your life, your son 
wants you. 

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You're the biggest right here, 
you're the trophy. 

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And so they advised David to 
stay back and to supervise the 

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war from a safe place. 
And they also probably 

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understood the difficulty of 
going to war with your own son 

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and so there's wisdom packed in 
what these men are saying. 

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And I would say they are in the 
right, they are in the right. 

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What they are advising here is 
totally on the bullseye and what

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I again admire, there's 
something more to be admired of 

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David is how he responds to 
these men were in lower 

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positions, lower ranks. 
How they how he Ponce to there 

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objection. 
He says here. 

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Whatever seems best to you, I 
will do. 

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That's humility. 
Remember Absalom, when he was 

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pumped up by who shy to go into 
war, his ego was inflated 

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because who shot was saying, why
don't you go on to battle? 

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And he will be a show, it will 
be glorious, you'll receive all 

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the credit. 
And, and at first, when I fell 

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for brought the advice, he was 
willing to stay back but because

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hoosh, I knew how to appeal to 
his arrogance, he was now he was

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in and it led to his own demise.
But here we see David who 

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receives instruction from his 
men and he is willing to stay 

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back and to listen to them. 
And I think that's a wonderful 

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trait for any leader in any 
context, some people in here are

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leaders in different contexts, 
some of you are aspiring to be 

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leaders, maybe some here have 
been identified, the gift of 

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leadership that is in you, but 
one of the things to be mindful 

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of as a leader is to be 
open-minded and humble enough to

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receive the Council of those who
might not occupy High position, 

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who might not have your same 
history or knowledge, but who 

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have a perspective that you 
might not have And God tests us.

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God tests us Often by bringing 
people to us. 

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That might not have position 
might not have Prestige, but 

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walk with the Lord. 
And want to give you something 

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from the Lord, and you have to 
be willing to accept that. 

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Unfortunately, one of the common
things among leaders, not all 

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leaders, but some leaders fall 
into the temptation of being so 

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enamored with their god-given 
Authority or ability that they 

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get drunk, they get drunk in 
their own pride. 

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And one of the ways Pride 
manifest is that. 

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It's your Way or no other way. 
It's my plan. 

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It's my decision. 
It's my idea. 

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And no one else is you have to 
agree with me and leaders. 

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If they're not careful, they can
become extremely stubborn and 

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very difficult to work with And 
yet, we see here, David who was,

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who is humble enough to open his
eyes and his Hearts to others 

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and that made him a greater 
Commander that made a more 

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effective and successful. 
And again, for those who are 

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leaders who desire to be 
leaders, remember this that 

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there are times where you have 
to make decisions that will 

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represent utter others, right? 
And that's true for an elder run

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Church. 
Elders, have to make decisions 

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on behalf of the people at times
and Elders have to sometimes or 

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leaders again in your home and 
your work, wherever you're a 

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leader leaders, have to make 
decisions regardless of the 

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opposition or regardless of 
different people's, fears or 

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opinions. 
You have to stand your ground is

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especially if it's black and 
white truth. 

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But leaders also have to 
understand that they're unclear 

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situations and there are non 
doctrinal matters that require 

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humility in your approach and 
one of the examples of this is 

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not just an Old Testament 
observation. 

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You see this in the early church
with a guy like Paul. 

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Paul was a Cutthroat leader. 
I like Paul was like, are you in

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or you out? 
You want to serve? 

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Are you not want to serve, Mark,
your enter? 

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Yeah, you know, I go back and 
actually don't come back my son 

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aggressive, but he was a guy 
that got things done and he 

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wanted People to be sold out or 
not in at all, but that same 

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Paul, right? 
We see something in him and a 

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hint and the Book of 1st 
Corinthians, I want you to turn 

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there and see this for yourself.
And 1st Corinthians 16. 

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The holy spirit gives us an 
insight into how Paul dealt with

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those who served with him. 1st 
Corinthians, 16 verse 12. 

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Apparently, the Corinthians were
asking for the presence of 

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Apollo's, they really liked the 
Paulo's. 

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In fact, you had a whole little 
Camp of Apollo's, followers in 

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the church, and Paul response to
an apparent request for him, or 

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wondering where he's at. 
And he says this, in First 

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Corinthians 16:12. 
Now concerning our brother 

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Apollo's, I strongly urged him 
to visit you with the other 

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brothers, but it was not at all 
his will to come now. 

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He will come when he has 
opportunity. 

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How many of us just read by? 
I just read past that like okay 

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that's an unimportant Detail. 
No, you see Paul as a leader and

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how he operated as a leader. 
He strongly urged Apollo's to go

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with the brothers to the 
Corinthians and you want to 

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Paula said Paul, I don't sense 
the Lord's leading on it. 

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I don't think I should be going.
Maybe Paul's was a little 

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concerned because of the 
factions in the church and he 

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didn't want to go there and 
creating more problems. 

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Whatever the reason was Paul 
said, I need you to go and 

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Apollo said, I'm not going to go
now. 

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You know what Paul doesn't do. 
It isn't shame him, he doesn't 

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abusing me doesn't threaten 
them. 

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He doesn't demote him, he works 
with him, okay? 

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I'm not going to force you to 
go, so if you don't want to go, 

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then go and you feel like you 
need to go. 

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That's wonderful. 
That that radiates humility 

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that's a kind of person you want
to work with and understanding 

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person, a patient person, a 
person that doesn't just have 

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their understanding their review
and their ideas. 

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And everybody else has a 
surrender at no matter what. 

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Now, we see here that Paul was a
man that we should strive to be,

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and if you're going to serve the
Lord, you're going to work with 

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other people, guys. 
You know that very well. 

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And again there are moments 
where especially leaders you 

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have to make a stand no matter 
their protest or the opposition,

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but there are other times where 
Things are more open-ended. 

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You have to be sensitive to 
others. 

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And be careful, not to impose 
your convictions on others, 

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forcefully and allow the Lord to
lead people at different stages 

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00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:20,000
in life and their own 
convictions that they've been 

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00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,500
given and they're gray areas of 
our sanctification. 

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00:15:23,100 --> 00:15:26,900
So David here says all right, 
whatever you think is best to do

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00:15:27,500 --> 00:15:31,400
will do that. 
He agreed, but we stopped at 

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00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:35,800
verse 4 and we see that before 
these commanders had out their 

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00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:39,300
own way, David gives a fine 
Instruction in verse 5 of second

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Samuel 16, what does he ask 
them? 

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00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,600
This is what he says. 
And the King ordered joab and 

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00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:49,100
abishai and ittai deal, gently 
for my sake, with the young man 

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Absalom and all the people heard
when the king gave orders to all

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the Commander's about Absalom. 
So David was very intentional by

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00:15:58,700 --> 00:16:02,300
being open about this charge 
leaders. 

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00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,700
And everybody stopped before. 
They made their way into the 

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battlefield, whatever you do 
deal gently. 

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With the young man Absalom. 
And he wanted others to hear 

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00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,600
that charge. 
And you can sense the 

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00:16:17,700 --> 00:16:22,500
compassion, and the heartfelt 
appeal in this order. 

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00:16:22,500 --> 00:16:27,000
Can you not? 
And look how even David phrases 

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00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,800
and identifies Absalom deal. 
Gently with what the young man. 

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00:16:31,500 --> 00:16:34,600
He's young right. 
He's foolish. 

305
00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,500
He's inexperienced, he's unwise.
He's given over to the passions 

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00:16:38,500 --> 00:16:41,400
of the flesh. 
Just remember he's younger, 

307
00:16:41,500 --> 00:16:43,600
right? 
Yeah, he's younger but he's He 

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00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:46,300
overthrew the throne. 
He might be younger than you 

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00:16:46,300 --> 00:16:50,700
David but he's a grown man. 
David is trying to color his son

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in a certain way so that the 
people can feel what he feels. 

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00:16:53,700 --> 00:16:56,900
And it's difficult for a parent.
Especially I can only imagine 

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00:16:57,700 --> 00:17:00,700
there is, there is a there's a 
special love for your children 

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00:17:00,700 --> 00:17:04,599
that almost can Cloud your 
judgment and others see 

314
00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:07,500
something and something. 
So obviously blatantly wrong and

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00:17:07,500 --> 00:17:11,400
evil and yet as a parent you are
less willing to admit. 

316
00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:15,800
That this is what David is 
experiencing But don't get 

317
00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:17,800
caught up in the emotion of the 
moment. 

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Don't go too far. 
And, and feel for David to the 

319
00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,500
point where you, you don't 
determine what is right or 

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00:17:25,500 --> 00:17:27,700
wrong. 
Is this right or wrong. 

321
00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:32,300
Is what David requesting 
according to God's will. 

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00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:38,900
Here's my answer. 
No, the very mess that everyone 

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00:17:38,900 --> 00:17:42,600
is in right now, is because when
Absalom should have been 

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00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:45,500
disciplined, he was kept Alive 
by his father. 

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00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:49,700
And even after all, that has 
transpired, with that act of 

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00:17:49,700 --> 00:17:52,600
Mercy, would I say? 
Even Disobedience to the law of 

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00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:57,400
God, David is still convinced 
that dealing gently with Absalom

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00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:01,600
is going to change him. 
There is a lot of evil in our 

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00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:06,300
day that's being tolerated in 
the name of gentleness, right? 

330
00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:12,400
And the name of kindness and 
then name of love and that is 

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00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:17,400
dangerous because people are 
unwilling to confront evil and 

332
00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:21,600
are willing to be ignorant about
certain sins because they think 

333
00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:24,900
it's the most effective way to 
win people over. 

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00:18:26,500 --> 00:18:30,800
No, it's true that you're called
to be gentle, don't forget it's 

335
00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,500
one of the fruit of the Holy 
Spirit or the fruit of the Holy 

336
00:18:33,500 --> 00:18:36,100
Spirit, but never forget. 
Your ultimate example of what 

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00:18:36,100 --> 00:18:38,800
gentleness is, Jesus says in 
Matthew 11:29. 

338
00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:40,400
Learn from me for I Am. 
What? 

339
00:18:40,900 --> 00:18:46,000
Gentle and lowly. 
Learn from he says, learn from 

340
00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,100
me and he gives two descriptions
about himself. 

341
00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,800
I am gentle. 
And I am lowly if you want to 

342
00:18:52,808 --> 00:18:54,300
know, what gentleness looks 
like. 

343
00:18:54,300 --> 00:18:59,000
Look no further than the Christ.
And when you look at Jesus, life

344
00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:03,100
as given to us in the gospels, 
you see his gentleness, but you 

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also see a sternness and you see
a stance that he makes the 

346
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:12,200
gentleness is an operation in 
certain cases with a certain 

347
00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:16,600
audience, but we're Jesus who 
never lies and says he is 

348
00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,400
gentle, he's the ultimate 
example of gentleness, you see 

349
00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:22,000
him especially with religious 
Hypocrites, who did things in 

350
00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:26,000
the name of God, you see him In 
a way that people might say, 

351
00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:30,900
Jesus was not very christ-like. 
But he is gentle. 

352
00:19:31,900 --> 00:19:34,200
And so being gentle doesn't call
us call for us to be 

353
00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:37,400
compromising. 
It's not be strong or not, to be

354
00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:39,900
severe against certain sins and 
certain habits and certain 

355
00:19:39,900 --> 00:19:42,600
ideologies. 
Know, we are required to make a 

356
00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:45,400
stand. 
Unfortunately, David did not 

357
00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:47,600
make a stand, he still doesn't 
want to make a stand. 

358
00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:51,400
And if I just wonder what second
Samuel would have looked, like 

359
00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:56,400
if they listen to David, What 
would have Absalom done because 

360
00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:58,300
there's an incredible Insight, 
right? 

361
00:19:58,300 --> 00:20:00,800
Many people love to quote, 
Romans to where it talks about 

362
00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:05,200
the gentleness of God, right? 
His kindness leads us to what 

363
00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,800
repentance? 
Yes it does. 

364
00:20:08,900 --> 00:20:12,300
But it depends on who recognizes
that kindness and is willing to 

365
00:20:12,500 --> 00:20:16,300
submit their lives and 
Revelation to that kindness. 

366
00:20:16,900 --> 00:20:19,400
We love to quote, the and that 
is a wonderful thing to a quote,

367
00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:23,200
but let me give you another one.
It's found in Isaiah 26. 

368
00:20:23,900 --> 00:20:26,100
Isaiah 26. 
You get a different insight 

369
00:20:26,100 --> 00:20:30,600
about how people respond to God.
And Isaiah 26. 

370
00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:34,400
Verse 9, the prophet says my 
soul yearns for you in the 

371
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,400
night. 
My spirit Within Me. 

372
00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:41,600
Earnestly seeks you. 
And he goes on to say, for when 

373
00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:46,400
your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world, 

374
00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:51,900
learn righteousness, when your 
judgments are in the earth, 

375
00:20:52,500 --> 00:20:55,100
people wake up in this say this 
God is Holy. 

376
00:20:55,600 --> 00:21:00,600
I can't entertain sin. 
He is Sovereign he is in control

377
00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:05,200
and out of holy fear, they come 
to him in righteousness, but 

378
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,200
then look at verse 10, it's an 
added commentary. 

379
00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:12,900
If favor is shown to the wicked,
he does not learn righteousness 

380
00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,100
in the land of uprightness. 
He deals corruptly and does not 

381
00:21:17,100 --> 00:21:21,800
see the Majesty of the Lord. 
Not everybody responds to God's 

382
00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:26,200
favor, appropriately. 
There are those who abuse God's 

383
00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,300
favor? 
They enjoy what he has for them,

384
00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:33,900
but they never turn to him. 
And so it is true that kindness 

385
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,900
leads to repentance God's. 
Kindness does do and it aims to 

386
00:21:36,900 --> 00:21:41,000
do that but it's not 100% 
guarantee man is responsible and

387
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,500
responding to God's kindness in 
the way he designed it. 

388
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:48,100
But it's true that for some 
favor, only enables them to 

389
00:21:48,100 --> 00:21:50,800
remain headstrong in their sin 
and what they need. 

390
00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:54,300
In fact is a revelation of God's
judgment. 

391
00:21:55,800 --> 00:22:01,200
And to see the severity of God, 
Romans 11, tells us consider 

392
00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:05,800
both the kindness and what the 
severity of God. 

393
00:22:06,900 --> 00:22:08,500
We just want to consider his 
kindness. 

394
00:22:08,500 --> 00:22:12,100
Paul says no the Saint Paul 
preach salvation, by faith 

395
00:22:12,100 --> 00:22:13,700
salvation through Grace. 
Right? 

396
00:22:13,900 --> 00:22:15,600
The st. 
Paul says, don't just consider 

397
00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,200
his kindness and Romans 11, 
consider his severity. 

398
00:22:19,300 --> 00:22:23,900
We need a balance. 
And this case Absalom was not 

399
00:22:23,900 --> 00:22:27,600
handling the kindness, given to 
him the way, he should have what

400
00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:32,200
he needed was judgment. 
It makes you wonder if there was

401
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:37,300
an appropriate protocol made for
Absalom to receive this judgment

402
00:22:37,300 --> 00:22:40,500
who know he could have repented.
He could have cried out to God. 

403
00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:43,400
For Mercy, he could have been 
like Vanessa who was so wicked 

404
00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:45,500
and vile. 
But when he was brought low when

405
00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:49,600
he experienced personal Exile, 
he stopped he positing knowledge

406
00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,200
God as Lord. 
But we often in the Name of 

407
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:57,600
Love, Don't Trust in God's 
wisdom and that gets us in a lot

408
00:22:57,600 --> 00:22:59,800
of trouble and we're going to 
see what's going to happen to 

409
00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:02,300
Absalom. 
Verse 6. 

410
00:23:02,900 --> 00:23:05,900
So the Army went out into the 
field against Israel, and the 

411
00:23:05,900 --> 00:23:08,100
battle was fought in the forest 
of Ephraim. 

412
00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:11,900
And the men of Israel were 
defeated there by the Servants 

413
00:23:11,900 --> 00:23:14,800
of David. 
And the lost there was great on 

414
00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:21,100
that day, 20,000 men, who was 
outnumbered here, David. 

415
00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:28,100
Who was more vulnerable to being
defeated David. 

416
00:23:28,300 --> 00:23:31,000
And yet we read here that they 
were gaining the Victory and the

417
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:32,800
reason why they were getting the
victories because of their 

418
00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,400
experience and their mentality, 
they were seasoned Warriors and 

419
00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,600
we're speaking naturally. 
You're obviously God was on 

420
00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:40,000
their side. 
We're going to see that in a 

421
00:23:40,008 --> 00:23:42,100
moment. 
But these men though, they were 

422
00:23:42,100 --> 00:23:45,400
smaller. 
We're at an advantage. 

423
00:23:46,300 --> 00:23:49,700
Ultimately again, because God 
was on the side of David because

424
00:23:49,700 --> 00:23:51,600
God is always on the side of 
truth. 

425
00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,500
But there's an interesting verse
in Ecclesiastes that I like to 

426
00:23:54,500 --> 00:23:58,000
allude to, from time to time, 
it's an Ecclesiastes, 9 4. 

427
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,600
And it says better to be a 
living dog than a dead lion. 

428
00:24:02,700 --> 00:24:06,300
Have you ever heard that saying 
better to be a living dog than a

429
00:24:06,300 --> 00:24:10,300
dead Lion? 
And the, the the meaning of that

430
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,300
is it teaches about the hope of 
life, right? 

431
00:24:13,300 --> 00:24:16,500
As long as you have, you have 
life there is still hope for 

432
00:24:16,500 --> 00:24:19,200
you, no matter what your status 
is, no matter what you are in 

433
00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:22,200
this life, you're always an 
advantage if you have life but 

434
00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:24,700
there's a sprinter spiritual 
principle behind it as well. 

435
00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:28,200
When you compare a dog to a 
lion, what's more impressive? 

436
00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:34,200
The line, of course, what's more
demanding of people's adoration,

437
00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:36,200
and love. 
And respect the lion dog is 

438
00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:39,000
common. 
And so, let's look at this in a 

439
00:24:39,008 --> 00:24:41,900
spiritual sense. 
It's better to be small better 

440
00:24:41,900 --> 00:24:45,300
to be humble. 
Better to be seen as common in 

441
00:24:45,300 --> 00:24:48,400
the eyes of others, but have the
life of God. 

442
00:24:50,300 --> 00:24:54,400
Then to have Glamour and gifting
and resources and be devoid of 

443
00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:56,900
the spirit. 
That is true for you 

444
00:24:56,900 --> 00:24:59,500
individually and that is 
especially true for local 

445
00:24:59,500 --> 00:25:02,400
churches as a not people 
measure, local churches and 

446
00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,600
their success based on numbers 
and resources, and and 

447
00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:10,000
performance, and all these 
different humanistic ideas. 

448
00:25:10,900 --> 00:25:14,500
But may I say this to you better
to be a dead or living dog than 

449
00:25:14,500 --> 00:25:18,100
a dead lion. 
Better to have the life of God 

450
00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:21,000
and not have the main and not 
have the Roar, and not have the 

451
00:25:21,008 --> 00:25:26,300
strength and the flesh because 
life with God is ultimately what

452
00:25:26,300 --> 00:25:29,500
we're after. 
And we see that with this 

453
00:25:29,500 --> 00:25:33,500
scenario, God's assistance was 
with David because look at verse

454
00:25:33,500 --> 00:25:37,800
8, the battle spread over the 
face of all the country and the 

455
00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:38,800
forest. 
Look at this. 

456
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,100
The forest devoured more people 
that day than the sword. 

457
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,400
How does a forest kill more 
people than javelins and Spears?

458
00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:50,700
Now, obviously, this was 
strategic, right? 

459
00:25:50,700 --> 00:25:53,900
Because they had so many more 
people than David did. 

460
00:25:53,900 --> 00:25:58,600
And so to bring him in a place 
like this dense and difficult, 

461
00:25:58,900 --> 00:26:01,500
it would demand them to split up
and it was easier for them to 

462
00:26:01,500 --> 00:26:03,800
conquer. 
But what you see here also is 

463
00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:08,300
God's invisible hand at work. 
The forest devoured, more 

464
00:26:08,300 --> 00:26:09,900
people. 
And naturally speaking, it was 

465
00:26:09,900 --> 00:26:12,700
because of the difficult 
terrain, there was swamps and 

466
00:26:12,700 --> 00:26:16,000
hills and crevices and animals. 
And we don't know, we get an 

467
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,600
idea what's going to happen with
Absalom, how it was difficult. 

468
00:26:19,500 --> 00:26:22,500
But it reminds us of a verse in 
Joshua when we study the Book of

469
00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:25,200
Joshua, maybe you remember the 
story where Joshua himself was 

470
00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:29,600
outnumbered and God encourage 
them when he was about to face 

471
00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:31,300
various Kings, do not be afraid,
right? 

472
00:26:31,300 --> 00:26:33,900
I'll be with you and the way he 
showed up as that he reigned 

473
00:26:33,900 --> 00:26:38,400
hailstones on the enemies of 
Israel and their in Joshua 1011.

474
00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:42,900
We are told that more were 
destroyed by the hailstones than

475
00:26:42,900 --> 00:26:48,800
by the sword. 
To show us again that regardless

476
00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:52,500
of how limited your resources 
are how outnumbered you may seem

477
00:26:52,500 --> 00:26:54,800
to be. 
You were never at a disadvantage

478
00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,900
when you live to please. 
God whatever you're lacking in 

479
00:26:57,900 --> 00:27:00,500
the natural. 
You are always the majority when

480
00:27:00,500 --> 00:27:05,100
you are walking with God, Well, 
that's hailstones from heaven or

481
00:27:05,100 --> 00:27:07,800
Forest that fights for you. 
God is the one who's 

482
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:09,500
providentially? 
Making this all happen. 

483
00:27:10,900 --> 00:27:16,000
I fear for those, I fear for 
those like Psalm 2 says who plan

484
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,300
and plot against the anointed 
one because they will fail. 

485
00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:25,800
David here succeeds and verse 9.
We zoom in from this General 

486
00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:29,300
summary of this battle to the 
main instigator of all, this 

487
00:27:29,300 --> 00:27:33,600
Blood verse 9 and Absalom 
happened. 

488
00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:37,100
I like that word happened to 
meet the Servants of David 

489
00:27:37,100 --> 00:27:42,300
Absalom was riding on his mule. 
And the mule went under the 

490
00:27:42,300 --> 00:27:49,400
thick branches of a Great Oak 
and his head, his head caught 

491
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:53,400
fast in the Oak, and he was 
suspended Between Heaven and 

492
00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:59,600
Earth while the mule that was 
under him went on. so here's 

493
00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:05,600
Absalom riding a mule and some 
part of this forest and All of a

494
00:28:05,608 --> 00:28:10,100
sudden, maybe a branch with a 
fork like design caught him by 

495
00:28:10,100 --> 00:28:12,000
the neck. 
Many people assume that his hair

496
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,600
was caught, it's not explicitly 
clear. 

497
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,000
One thing's for certain is that 
he was caught by the head, 

498
00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,900
whether that be his hair or his 
neck, and he was suspended in 

499
00:28:19,900 --> 00:28:23,600
the air and the mule, which is 
fascinating, because when you're

500
00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:24,800
saying, why would he ride a 
mule? 

501
00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:27,700
Because that's what Kings would 
ride a mule. 

502
00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:32,400
And the same, the same seat that
he fought for and rebelled for 

503
00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:36,000
and deceived for in a matter of 
seconds is disappeared from 

504
00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:39,500
under him. 
Just taken from him like that. 

505
00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:43,700
And here he is hanging from a 
tree like how the seems almost 

506
00:28:43,700 --> 00:28:46,600
comical but it's really a 
pathetic sight. 

507
00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,800
It's tragic. 
This man who had the whole 

508
00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:54,400
nation tied around his finger is
now tied on a tree. 

509
00:28:54,500 --> 00:28:56,300
Remember how I feel for died, 
right? 

510
00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:01,100
He hung himself and Absalom is 
about to die in by hanging as 

511
00:29:01,100 --> 00:29:04,500
well. 
So here he is suspended, right? 

512
00:29:04,900 --> 00:29:08,300
But you have to remember, when 
we studied earlier, we realized 

513
00:29:08,700 --> 00:29:12,700
that we're told by the holy 
spirit that God had a purpose to

514
00:29:12,700 --> 00:29:17,100
destroy. 
Absalom and that's why he 

515
00:29:17,100 --> 00:29:19,200
believed who shies advice 
instead of a he thought was 

516
00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:21,800
advice. 
God is behind all of this and so

517
00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:25,800
don't be mistaken. 
The design by which David is 

518
00:29:25,900 --> 00:29:28,100
rather Absalom is about to 
experience. 

519
00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:30,300
Death is ordained by God 
himself. 

520
00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:35,700
This is not random. 
This is actually strategic God 

521
00:29:35,700 --> 00:29:38,900
wanted Absalom to hang from a 
tree. 

522
00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,200
And I believe it communicates 
two things. 

523
00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,500
The first thing is and this is 
the beauty of understanding, the

524
00:29:45,500 --> 00:29:47,700
Old Testament. 
God had given a law to the 

525
00:29:47,700 --> 00:29:50,000
nation of Israel. 
That if anybody were to commit a

526
00:29:50,008 --> 00:29:53,000
crime worthy of death, what was 
to happen to them? 

527
00:29:54,300 --> 00:29:58,100
There are to be hung on a tree. 
If you want to reference for 

528
00:29:58,100 --> 00:30:03,100
that to Deuteronomy, 21 and 
Deuteronomy 21 verse, 22 to 23. 

529
00:30:04,500 --> 00:30:05,900
Says there, you should hang them
on a tree. 

530
00:30:05,900 --> 00:30:10,300
And then 23 tells us that those 
who are hung on a tree, are what

531
00:30:10,700 --> 00:30:14,900
cursed by God? 
Paul utilizes, this reference in

532
00:30:14,900 --> 00:30:18,100
Galatians 3 to speak about how 
Christ became a curse for us. 

533
00:30:18,500 --> 00:30:21,100
Right? 
But we see here that this man 

534
00:30:21,100 --> 00:30:24,500
was worthy to be cursed by God 
and this is the frightening 

535
00:30:24,500 --> 00:30:27,100
thing, you know, David was 
reluctant to discipline his son 

536
00:30:27,100 --> 00:30:29,800
and to execute judgment the way 
the law demanded but he could 

537
00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:34,200
not Escape God's justice. 
And men today might find 

538
00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:36,600
loopholes in our governments 
men. 

539
00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,800
Today might evade they might 
trick they might bribe their way

540
00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:43,200
out. 
Of their sin but they will not 

541
00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:47,400
ultimately be able to flee from 
God's coming wrath. 

542
00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:55,300
The unrepentant will know the 
satisfaction of God's Wrath. no 

543
00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:58,100
matter what is going, well for 
them in this life, everything 

544
00:30:58,100 --> 00:31:02,100
can change in a moment and it 
will in eternity And so, what is

545
00:31:02,100 --> 00:31:03,600
God wanted to communicate 
through this? 

546
00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,800
Out of all the ways that Absalom
could have been dealt with. 

547
00:31:07,100 --> 00:31:10,200
He hangs him on a tree so that 
people would know that Absalom 

548
00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:12,200
perhaps would known. 
And those who would read the 

549
00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:15,200
story. 
Would know this man is cursed by

550
00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:19,000
God. 
This man has no favor from God. 

551
00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:23,400
This man has no support, but 
from God, this man is in 

552
00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:26,600
Disobedience to God and God is 
expressing his displeasure over 

553
00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,600
him. 
But again. 

554
00:31:31,300 --> 00:31:34,500
We read earlier that Absalom was
a man of pride. 

555
00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:38,500
And we are told that from the 
soles of his foot to the crown 

556
00:31:38,500 --> 00:31:41,200
of his head. 
There was no blemish found in 

557
00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:43,200
him. 
He was gorgeous. 

558
00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,500
Okay? 
He was brilliantly. 

559
00:31:46,500 --> 00:31:48,800
Beautiful. 
I mean, people were just 

560
00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:53,400
mesmerized by his looks and on 
top of that, he had Charisma and

561
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:55,900
he just put the whole nation 
under a spell. 

562
00:31:56,500 --> 00:32:00,100
But after that description, we 
are told that this man who was 

563
00:32:00,100 --> 00:32:03,400
recognized for his Beauty, 
recognize that beauty himself. 

564
00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:07,100
And one of the ways that he 
Express his acknowledgment of 

565
00:32:07,100 --> 00:32:11,200
his Unique Look is that he cut 
his hair once a year and he did 

566
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:12,400
work. 
Something that I don't know. 

567
00:32:12,408 --> 00:32:16,100
Anybody's ever done. 
He weighed his hair Who does 

568
00:32:16,100 --> 00:32:21,100
that he weighs his hair to show?
Obviously, it's a public thing 

569
00:32:21,100 --> 00:32:24,700
to show. 
Just how luscious and glorious 

570
00:32:25,100 --> 00:32:26,700
that set of hair on his head 
was? 

571
00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,400
Isn't it ironic? 
No, it's not ironic. 

572
00:32:29,900 --> 00:32:33,800
The very same head that Absalom.
Boasted in is where his Shane 

573
00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:37,900
came. 
The very same thing that he 

574
00:32:37,900 --> 00:32:43,200
praised and he adorned, and he 
made public and allured people 

575
00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,400
with would be the means of his 
own death. 

576
00:32:46,500 --> 00:32:51,100
That same head now is hanging. 
It's hanging and he looks like a

577
00:32:51,100 --> 00:32:55,300
trapped animal. 
And the lesson is very clear, if

578
00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:57,900
we're not careful, what we put 
our confidence in. 

579
00:32:58,900 --> 00:33:03,700
Can become our curse. 
But your confidence in the Lord,

580
00:33:03,700 --> 00:33:06,200
learn to give God glory for 
everything that is good in your 

581
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,600
life can be your looks it could 
be your abilities. 

582
00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:10,500
It could be your successes, it 
could be your accomplice should 

583
00:33:10,500 --> 00:33:14,200
make it a habit to know how to 
crown him when people seek the 

584
00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:17,400
crown you, whatever? 
Good you possess, whatever. 

585
00:33:18,500 --> 00:33:21,100
Whatever it is that you think 
makes you unique. 

586
00:33:21,100 --> 00:33:23,600
Remember, you didn't make it 
yourself. 

587
00:33:24,900 --> 00:33:27,800
Got put it on you and he has one
intention with it for him to be 

588
00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:32,500
glorified through it. 
And unfortunately this man used 

589
00:33:32,500 --> 00:33:35,400
his looks to deceive a nation 
which you've heard me say 

590
00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,400
before. 
If you look at the, if you look 

591
00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:40,200
at the Old Testament, there are 
different their handful of 

592
00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:43,100
moments where we were told about
somebody's attractiveness or 

593
00:33:43,100 --> 00:33:45,300
their looks. 
It's like why would the Holy 

594
00:33:45,300 --> 00:33:46,900
Spirit? 
Tell us that it's it's because 

595
00:33:46,900 --> 00:33:50,300
one that's a Temptation. 
When somebody is attractive 

596
00:33:50,500 --> 00:33:53,200
that's a Temptation that they 
have to deal with on a daily 

597
00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:54,700
basis. 
They can give in to that 

598
00:33:54,700 --> 00:33:56,900
temptation to utilize it for 
their flesh and for their 

599
00:33:56,900 --> 00:34:00,800
advancement in Life or like in 
the case of Daniel and David and

600
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:05,000
Joseph and Esther. 
They use it for the glory of 

601
00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:07,500
God. 
Even with all the advantage that

602
00:34:07,500 --> 00:34:10,000
they might have with their 
attraction, they still submitted

603
00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,500
to the will of God and they 
found greater pleasure and 

604
00:34:12,500 --> 00:34:14,900
pleasing him than pleasing their
flesh. 

605
00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:16,400
That was not the case for this 
man. 

606
00:34:17,100 --> 00:34:22,000
So, here he is hanging from a 
tree for God, to pronounce the 

607
00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:23,900
curse on him. 
And for him to realize that his 

608
00:34:23,900 --> 00:34:27,500
pride led to his demise and 
something interesting happens. 

609
00:34:27,500 --> 00:34:31,199
This you know One of the things 
that I love about Bible study 

610
00:34:31,300 --> 00:34:36,400
reading the Bible through and 
through is encountering, unnamed

611
00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:41,300
characters in The Bible like 
just actors that show up and 

612
00:34:41,300 --> 00:34:45,300
then disappear. 
But these individuals were 

613
00:34:45,300 --> 00:34:48,199
blesses me. 
The most is when they proved to 

614
00:34:48,199 --> 00:34:50,900
have more christ-like character 
than the main characters of the 

615
00:34:50,900 --> 00:34:54,300
story and that is what you and I
are about to see in verse 10. 

616
00:34:54,300 --> 00:34:58,300
So here's here's Absalom hanging
and dangling from a branch and 

617
00:34:58,300 --> 00:35:01,600
verse 10 says and A certain man 
saw it and told joab. 

618
00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:05,100
Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in
an oak job. 

619
00:35:05,100 --> 00:35:07,600
Said to the man who told them 
what you saw him. 

620
00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:11,300
Why then did you not strike him 
there to the ground? 

621
00:35:11,300 --> 00:35:14,200
I would have been glad to give 
you 10 pieces of silver and a 

622
00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:16,900
belt. 
But the man said the job, even 

623
00:35:16,900 --> 00:35:20,500
if I felt in my hand, the weight
of a thousand pieces of silver, 

624
00:35:20,500 --> 00:35:23,400
I would not reach out my hand 
against the King's son for an 

625
00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:26,800
are hearing the king commanded 
you and I wish I knit tie for my

626
00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:29,800
sake, protect the young man 
Absalom, I like this guy. 

627
00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:38,400
Unnamed unidentified. 
But what a man he was this 

628
00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:42,500
Soldier. 
Pussies Absalom refuses to kill 

629
00:35:42,500 --> 00:35:45,400
him. 
The report comes to joab job and

630
00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:48,600
is an Essence, rebukes him, not 
only rebukes them, but scolds 

631
00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:51,100
them says, you know what, if you
would have killed him, I would 

632
00:35:51,100 --> 00:35:54,800
have crowned, you, I would have 
given you money and I would have

633
00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:57,100
given you a belt with some 
believe to be some kind of 

634
00:35:57,100 --> 00:36:00,300
military promotion, some kind of
badge of honor, some kind of 

635
00:36:00,300 --> 00:36:03,300
metal, I would have showered you
in recognized. 

636
00:36:03,300 --> 00:36:09,000
You And this man says look even 
if you multiply that money, I 

637
00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:13,300
would not care. 
For one sole reason. 

638
00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:18,300
The King has a will. 
And what's more important to me 

639
00:36:18,300 --> 00:36:22,400
than your money and your 
promotion is him being pleased 

640
00:36:22,500 --> 00:36:24,900
Now, isn't it funny that 
Soldiers of Christ today face, 

641
00:36:24,900 --> 00:36:29,100
that same temptation? 
To be disloyal to Christ money. 

642
00:36:29,100 --> 00:36:36,600
The Love of Money. 
And position or opportunity or 

643
00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:41,100
some kind of advancement. 
Those things are just as real 

644
00:36:41,100 --> 00:36:44,200
Temptations as it was here for 
this young man for the soldier. 

645
00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:47,500
Unfortunately, many did not find
the grace and the strength to be

646
00:36:47,500 --> 00:36:49,400
able to stand for the cause of 
Christ. 

647
00:36:49,900 --> 00:36:53,900
This man was devoted this man 
Stood Still, and what I love is 

648
00:36:53,900 --> 00:36:58,100
his answer in verse 12. 
You heard it right, he quotes 

649
00:36:58,100 --> 00:37:01,800
David not only does he quote 
David, he reminds joab. 

650
00:37:02,500 --> 00:37:05,600
What David said, who he said it 
too. 

651
00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:12,400
Like this man was attentive, 
when David spoke in verse 5, he 

652
00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:14,700
was all ears. 
And not only that, he guarded 

653
00:37:14,700 --> 00:37:17,800
it, in his heart, he kept that 
as a principle in his bosom, 

654
00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:21,500
throughout this war and this man
loved his King. 

655
00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:22,900
It's so clear and it's so 
obvious. 

656
00:37:23,100 --> 00:37:26,000
We see here that he was again, 
attentive to his word that he 

657
00:37:26,008 --> 00:37:29,000
was committed to the cause and 
he was immovable when he was 

658
00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:32,000
tempted. 
Now, compare verse 12, to verse 

659
00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:36,800
15 and 10 young, men jobs, armor
Bears, surrounded, Absalom and 

660
00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:41,600
struck him and killed him. 
So you have 10 other guys who 

661
00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:43,800
are probably in the same 
position and the of this man may

662
00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:48,900
be in lower Rank, and when they 
had opportunity, they struck the

663
00:37:48,908 --> 00:37:50,600
man, especially after job did 
it. 

664
00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:52,900
Because job initiated he took 
three javelins and he struck 

665
00:37:52,900 --> 00:37:54,000
Absalom. 
And the other guy said, well, 

666
00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,700
job that lets do it. 
And that's what we see in a lot 

667
00:37:56,700 --> 00:38:00,900
of people's lives today. 
Their followers, all they know 

668
00:38:00,900 --> 00:38:04,100
what to do is imitate somebody 
who has some kind of influence, 

669
00:38:04,700 --> 00:38:07,500
some kind of persuasive 
personality, some kind of 

670
00:38:07,500 --> 00:38:10,900
gifting they just no other 
people. 

671
00:38:11,900 --> 00:38:14,500
That's all they do. 
They have no conviction. 

672
00:38:14,500 --> 00:38:16,400
They have no sense like this, 
man. 

673
00:38:17,900 --> 00:38:21,700
Of the will of the king and that
orchestrating their every step. 

674
00:38:21,700 --> 00:38:25,100
Now, what's fascinating is King?
David was not present. 

675
00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:29,900
For this man to feel the 
accountability of his Lord. 

676
00:38:29,900 --> 00:38:32,900
No, he wasn't present. 
All this young man had was the 

677
00:38:32,900 --> 00:38:35,000
word of the king. 
That's all he had. 

678
00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:38,100
And that's all he needed. 
He learned the word of the king 

679
00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:40,000
and he lived by the word of the 
king. 

680
00:38:40,500 --> 00:38:44,300
And this man had enough sense to
live for the king even in the 

681
00:38:44,300 --> 00:38:47,600
absence of the king. 
And that, what, as what makes 

682
00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:49,900
the true Christian effective, 
right? 

683
00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:54,300
Don't follow other people. 
Don't do that. 

684
00:38:56,500 --> 00:39:00,000
Learn and ask the Lord to give 
you such an understanding of his

685
00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:04,300
person, the reality of who he is
the authority of his word so 

686
00:39:04,300 --> 00:39:07,100
that when Temptation comes, you 
can be like this individual 

687
00:39:07,100 --> 00:39:08,700
here. 
Don't go with the crowd. 

688
00:39:08,900 --> 00:39:13,700
The crowds are often wrong. 
So you have two types of 

689
00:39:13,707 --> 00:39:15,200
soldiers here. 
You have the soldier who 

690
00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:18,600
understands the commands of his 
Lord and walks by and you have 

691
00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,300
others who are in the same 
field, the same battle. 

692
00:39:21,300 --> 00:39:24,500
But they look at others and they
look and they compare their 

693
00:39:24,500 --> 00:39:26,800
standard to their standard and 
they just follow that. 

694
00:39:27,500 --> 00:39:30,300
Holiness is not, you comparing 
yourself to other Christians who

695
00:39:30,300 --> 00:39:32,200
are struggling. 
Holiness, is you comparing 

696
00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:34,600
yourself to Christ and Christ 
Alone? 

697
00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,700
If you, if you, if you use 
yourself and measure up to other

698
00:39:38,700 --> 00:39:40,100
believers, you're not going to 
go very far. 

699
00:39:40,100 --> 00:39:43,500
But if Christ is ever before 
you, oh, he will take you higher

700
00:39:43,500 --> 00:39:46,900
and higher and you and no 
Greater Joy in his will for your

701
00:39:46,900 --> 00:39:49,600
life. 
This man doesn't move in here. 

702
00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:54,200
I love what he says here in 
verse 13, on the other hand, if 

703
00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:57,300
I dealt treacherously against 
his life and look at this in 

704
00:39:57,300 --> 00:40:01,700
parentheses and there is nothing
hidden from the King. 

705
00:40:03,300 --> 00:40:06,100
There is nothing hidden from the
King. 

706
00:40:06,300 --> 00:40:10,400
This man knew that David had 
such a high-tech intelligence 

707
00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:13,500
agency that even if he were to 
do this and he kept it 

708
00:40:13,508 --> 00:40:17,000
ambiguous, whatever the case may
be he would be found out and he 

709
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:21,400
would be dealt with accordingly.
Now if that's true for a man 

710
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:24,000
like King David how much more 
true for the Heavenly King? 

711
00:40:24,700 --> 00:40:26,100
You can't hide anything from 
him. 

712
00:40:26,700 --> 00:40:29,500
You can't. 
He sees all he hears. 

713
00:40:29,500 --> 00:40:34,500
All he is present in all places.
And this man, NaturallySpeaking 

714
00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:36,800
had an awareness of David's 
knowledge. 

715
00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:39,900
How much more the believer You 
know, you have a lot of 

716
00:40:39,900 --> 00:40:42,500
Christians and people around the
world that talk about my iPhone.

717
00:40:42,500 --> 00:40:45,500
Here's what I say. 
Look at all the ads that pop up.

718
00:40:45,500 --> 00:40:47,600
When I have this conversation, 
you're more afraid of your 

719
00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:51,700
iPhone than the Lord. 
You have more people who fear 

720
00:40:51,700 --> 00:40:54,500
Mac, then they do fear, God 
almighty. 

721
00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:57,400
Yeah, your phone can hear you, 
but you know, what's more 

722
00:40:57,400 --> 00:41:00,700
important God can hear you. 
God can see you. 

723
00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:04,100
I don't know that encourages you
or what? 

724
00:41:04,100 --> 00:41:10,600
But encourages me. 
There's nothing hidden from the 

725
00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:12,500
King. 
Then you yourself would have 

726
00:41:12,500 --> 00:41:14,000
stood aloof. 
And look what? 

727
00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:17,000
Joab says, job said I will not 
waste time like this with you. 

728
00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:19,500
I get out of my face. 
Who are you to stand up against 

729
00:41:19,500 --> 00:41:21,900
me? 
I will not waste time like this 

730
00:41:21,900 --> 00:41:24,500
with you and he took three 
javelins in his hand and thrust 

731
00:41:24,500 --> 00:41:26,800
them into the heart of Absalom, 
while he was still alive in the 

732
00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:29,900
Oak and 10. 
Young men, jobs are more bears. 

733
00:41:29,900 --> 00:41:32,800
Surrounded, Absalom and struck 
him and killed him. 

734
00:41:35,700 --> 00:41:39,900
I feel tension with this verse. 
And the reason why I feel 

735
00:41:39,900 --> 00:41:42,500
tension is because I understand 
where job is coming from to some

736
00:41:42,500 --> 00:41:46,200
regard. 
Because joab knows David enough 

737
00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:49,400
to realize that he's most likely
going to Pardon him if we 

738
00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:54,300
capture him alive. 
And that's going to be the end 

739
00:41:54,300 --> 00:41:56,400
of the Kingdom that's going to 
be end of joab. 

740
00:41:56,400 --> 00:42:00,600
And so he realizes David is not 
in his right place of thinking 

741
00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:05,000
and so he steps in and he takes 
matters into his own hands and 

742
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:07,100
he eliminates him as a stret 
forever. 

743
00:42:08,700 --> 00:42:11,700
At the same time, he's being 
disloyal to the king and this is

744
00:42:11,700 --> 00:42:15,000
what I love about the scriptures
is that things are not so black 

745
00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,900
and white. 
They're complicated complex 

746
00:42:18,100 --> 00:42:21,000
because life is complex. 
It's not as not as black and 

747
00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:23,600
white as we would like it to be.
But there's all these, there's 

748
00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:25,800
all this nuance and there's all 
this what-ifs and there's all 

749
00:42:25,800 --> 00:42:28,000
this, a you go this way, but you
can also go that way. 

750
00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:29,700
And so we get that impression 
here. 

751
00:42:29,700 --> 00:42:31,400
It's very real because it is 
real. 

752
00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:36,400
It's a real story. 
And so e just makes a decision. 

753
00:42:37,700 --> 00:42:40,000
And then you wonder what's his 
motive is. 

754
00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:42,900
He fiercely loyal to David? 
Because he did Love David, but 

755
00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:45,100
remember, we've studied job 
enough to know that whenever 

756
00:42:45,100 --> 00:42:49,100
he's committed murder outside of
a warlike scene. 

757
00:42:50,100 --> 00:42:52,300
It's usually motivated by 
Personal Agenda, whenever he 

758
00:42:52,300 --> 00:42:55,200
sees a threat, he eliminates 
that threat and remember, 

759
00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:57,800
Absalom and you are not in good 
terms, what did Absalom do to 

760
00:42:57,800 --> 00:43:00,300
joab at one point when he was 
trying to get his attention? 

761
00:43:00,300 --> 00:43:01,600
And he wasn't answering the 
phone? 

762
00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:04,100
He burned his barley field, 
right? 

763
00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:05,700
All right. 
You're not going to answer your 

764
00:43:05,700 --> 00:43:07,200
phone. 
Let me just set this field on 

765
00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:08,100
fire. 
Fire and enjoys. 

766
00:43:08,100 --> 00:43:11,400
His what are you doing? 
Is job upset with Absalom. 

767
00:43:12,700 --> 00:43:16,200
His job regretful that he tried 
to bring Absalom and David 

768
00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:19,800
together and it failed. 
We have we have no clear 

769
00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:23,600
indication but what is obvious 
is the irony of all of this. 

770
00:43:24,300 --> 00:43:28,500
Here's Absalom. 
Who became a king as a rebel. 

771
00:43:28,500 --> 00:43:30,900
And now he is dying at the hands
of a rebel. 

772
00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:36,100
Here is Absalom who when he 
stayed back took over the 

773
00:43:36,100 --> 00:43:38,100
kingdom. 
Listen to the advice of a man 

774
00:43:38,100 --> 00:43:42,000
named at Heathrow who said, take
your father's concubines and 

775
00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:44,800
violate them on the rooftop and 
how many concubines did David 

776
00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:48,100
leave behind? 
10:00. 

777
00:43:49,500 --> 00:43:51,700
The scriptures tell us 
specifically at 10 concubines 

778
00:43:51,700 --> 00:43:54,900
were left behind how many armor 
bearers killed Absalom. 

779
00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:04,400
Yeah, God's retribution is very 
precise scary, isn't it? 

780
00:44:05,500 --> 00:44:10,900
You see how all of this connects
and you see how God's mind is so

781
00:44:10,900 --> 00:44:13,700
specific in his dealings with 
man? 

782
00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:17,800
You violated 10, concubines will
hear a ton 10 armor bearers, who

783
00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:25,400
would deal with you accordingly?
So we read on Joe, I blew the 

784
00:44:25,400 --> 00:44:29,100
trumpet verse 16, and the troops
came back from pursuing Israel, 

785
00:44:29,100 --> 00:44:32,600
from job, for job, restrain them
and they took Absalom and threw 

786
00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:35,600
him into a great pit. 
The forest in the forest and 

787
00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:38,600
raised over him. 
A very great heap of stones and 

788
00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:41,500
all Israel fled everyone to his 
own home. 

789
00:44:43,700 --> 00:44:45,400
It reminds us of Joshua again, 
right? 

790
00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:49,600
Akin Rebels, against the word of
the Lord it creates. 

791
00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:54,000
This kind of tension in the camp
between them and God 

792
00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:56,700
unknowingly, but they seek God. 
God says, Rebellion, the camp. 

793
00:44:56,700 --> 00:45:01,100
They bring out Aiken and his 
family and they stoned them and 

794
00:45:01,100 --> 00:45:05,300
they create this heap of stones.
As a memorial, And we see the 

795
00:45:05,300 --> 00:45:09,800
same here with Absalom. 
And what's more tragic, is that,

796
00:45:10,500 --> 00:45:12,700
that is the pillar by which 
people will remember him, but 

797
00:45:12,700 --> 00:45:14,900
that was not his intention while
he was alive. 

798
00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:18,300
Absalom had a goal for the way 
he would die. 

799
00:45:18,300 --> 00:45:21,100
Absalom had a goal for what 
happened after he would die and 

800
00:45:21,107 --> 00:45:25,800
it's found here in verse 18. 
Now, Absalom in his lifetime had

801
00:45:25,800 --> 00:45:29,700
taken and set up for himself. 
The pillar that is in the Kings 

802
00:45:29,700 --> 00:45:32,100
Valley. 
For he said, I have no son to 

803
00:45:32,100 --> 00:45:35,700
keep my name and Remembrance he 
called the pillar after his own 

804
00:45:35,700 --> 00:45:39,500
name and it is called absalom's 
Monument to this day, that's how

805
00:45:39,500 --> 00:45:42,900
he wanted to be remembered. 
He want to be seen as royalty 

806
00:45:42,900 --> 00:45:45,900
even after his death. 
And instead, he's buried 

807
00:45:45,900 --> 00:45:50,800
underneath a pillar of rocks in 
the depths of some Forest. 

808
00:45:54,100 --> 00:45:58,100
There are men who prefer to live
in obscurity, they don't care 

809
00:45:58,100 --> 00:46:00,500
about recognition, they just 
want to, they just want to live 

810
00:46:00,500 --> 00:46:04,800
a normal life, provide food for 
their family, do some, you know 

811
00:46:04,900 --> 00:46:08,200
fun activities go on vacation 
and just and just be buried 

812
00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:09,500
peaceably and just move on, 
right? 

813
00:46:09,500 --> 00:46:11,800
And that's I get that but there 
are other people who want to 

814
00:46:11,800 --> 00:46:15,200
live for a legacy. 
They want to be remembered for 

815
00:46:15,200 --> 00:46:19,800
an accomplishment or some kind 
of honorable deed or a way of 

816
00:46:19,800 --> 00:46:22,900
life that will be praised by 
others people people. 

817
00:46:23,500 --> 00:46:27,500
Organize their lives for that 
very goal and that can be right?

818
00:46:27,500 --> 00:46:28,900
And then I also be dangerous, 
right? 

819
00:46:28,900 --> 00:46:33,300
Just depends what your ultimate 
motive is and this man had that 

820
00:46:33,300 --> 00:46:36,700
he wanted a legacy. 
He wanted people to I mean his 

821
00:46:36,700 --> 00:46:39,700
pride was so overwhelming that 
he wanted people talking about 

822
00:46:39,700 --> 00:46:43,900
him even though he wasn't around
to be talked about, And so he 

823
00:46:43,900 --> 00:46:47,600
sets up a monument for yourself 
hint, you don't set up monuments

824
00:46:47,600 --> 00:46:49,300
for yourself. 
You let other people's build a 

825
00:46:49,308 --> 00:46:54,300
monument for you, right? 
You don't do this unless you are

826
00:46:54,700 --> 00:46:58,800
totally consumed with love for 
self. 

827
00:46:59,800 --> 00:47:02,700
And that is true from and it's 
as though the sign off on a 

828
00:47:02,700 --> 00:47:06,400
person's life. 
It's for us to reflect on all 

829
00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:09,000
that has just taken place 
because of this main reason he 

830
00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:12,100
was a man filled with pride and 
God brought down his pride. 

831
00:47:14,700 --> 00:47:19,800
At the same time. 
God does encourage us to seek 

832
00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:25,000
after or at least motivates us 
to live in a certain way with a 

833
00:47:25,008 --> 00:47:29,200
reward of Honor. 
But it's not a pillar found in 

834
00:47:29,200 --> 00:47:32,300
this life, it's not a memorial 
here. 

835
00:47:32,500 --> 00:47:34,200
People want to be remembered in 
history books. 

836
00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:39,300
People want their names to be 
found in museums and God wants 

837
00:47:39,300 --> 00:47:43,300
us to look Beyond this world and
whatever platform or stage is 

838
00:47:43,300 --> 00:47:45,900
presented to you as a goal in 
life. 

839
00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:51,100
And Jesus tells one church and 
that one Church represents the 

840
00:47:51,100 --> 00:47:54,300
church at large. 
He tells this church of what 

841
00:47:54,300 --> 00:47:57,100
will come to them, what they can
expect. 

842
00:47:57,200 --> 00:47:59,700
If they are about conquerors in 
this life and I want to end 

843
00:47:59,700 --> 00:48:02,200
there with you, it's in 
Revelation chapter 3. 

844
00:48:10,500 --> 00:48:19,000
In Revelation chapter 3. 
He says, in verse 12 to the 

845
00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:26,000
church in Philadelphia. 
The one who conquers I will make

846
00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:29,700
him a pillar. 
In the temple of my God. 

847
00:48:31,200 --> 00:48:35,400
Never shall he go out of it and 
I will write on him. 

848
00:48:35,500 --> 00:48:38,800
The way you would inscribe on a 
pillar, I will write on him the 

849
00:48:38,800 --> 00:48:43,400
name of my God and the name of 
the city of my God, the New 

850
00:48:43,400 --> 00:48:49,200
Jerusalem which comes down from 
my God, out of heaven and my own

851
00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:53,700
new name. 
You want to build a pillar for 

852
00:48:53,700 --> 00:48:56,500
yourself? 
Let it be found in the temple of

853
00:48:56,500 --> 00:49:00,400
God, for all of eternity. 
This is what he tells these 

854
00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:03,200
Believers. 
If you're going to strive after 

855
00:49:03,200 --> 00:49:06,900
any kind of honor and this life 
Let it be for the one that will 

856
00:49:06,900 --> 00:49:07,900
really matter. 
In the end of it. 

857
00:49:07,900 --> 00:49:12,200
All, I will set you up as a 
pillar that speaks of permanence

858
00:49:13,200 --> 00:49:17,500
and that speaks of stability. 
Yes, but it also speaks about 

859
00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:19,900
the honor. 
That would be shown in ancient 

860
00:49:19,900 --> 00:49:22,600
times were names, would be 
inscribed on pillars in certain 

861
00:49:22,600 --> 00:49:26,300
places. 
What the Lord says is there is a

862
00:49:26,300 --> 00:49:31,500
level of honor that awaits you 
in my very presence if you do. 

863
00:49:31,500 --> 00:49:34,100
But one simple thing and that's 
be a conqueror. 

864
00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:37,000
If you want to know what a 
conqueror is, just look at the 

865
00:49:37,000 --> 00:49:39,800
rest of the churches and what 
the Lord asks of them. 

866
00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:43,300
It's very simple. 
It's to keep his word to And by 

867
00:49:43,300 --> 00:49:46,700
his word to never deny his word 
that's all the Lord asks of us 

868
00:49:47,700 --> 00:49:52,800
and that pillar awaits you. 
Let your name be forgotten. 

869
00:49:53,800 --> 00:49:56,200
Let people remember, you know 
more. 

870
00:49:57,500 --> 00:50:01,600
But strive and be motivated by 
this, that there is an eternal 

871
00:50:01,600 --> 00:50:03,800
Commendation that awaits you 
believer. 

872
00:50:04,500 --> 00:50:07,800
I know, it's hard to see it now,
I know it's hard to feel the 

873
00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:11,500
force of that because you were 
so distracted by your senses, 

874
00:50:11,500 --> 00:50:16,800
but take it by faith. 
That God will crown and adorned 

875
00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:22,400
and bestow Praise on those that 
don't have the viral sermons on 

876
00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:25,200
YouTube that are not sought 
after conference speakers that 

877
00:50:25,200 --> 00:50:27,600
don't have worship teams and 
Dove Awards. 

878
00:50:30,300 --> 00:50:36,400
That are obscure unrecognized 
tucked in some corner of some 

879
00:50:36,400 --> 00:50:40,800
Hut somewhere, this discipling, 
a church of 12. 

880
00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:44,900
In a very unforgiving, part of 
the world. 

881
00:50:46,600 --> 00:50:49,900
And yea though, no one will 
acknowledge them. 

882
00:50:49,900 --> 00:50:52,300
There is a pillar waiting for 
some of them. 

883
00:50:53,300 --> 00:50:57,300
Our God is amazing and although 
I wish that Absalom would have 

884
00:50:57,300 --> 00:50:59,500
lived for that pillar instead of
making his own. 

885
00:51:00,700 --> 00:51:03,700
Oh, I wish that his future would
be different because he has this

886
00:51:03,700 --> 00:51:06,700
pillar waiting for him, but he 
has banished for all of 

887
00:51:06,700 --> 00:51:09,200
eternity. 
What does it matter? 

888
00:51:09,200 --> 00:51:10,600
What you accumulate in this 
life? 

889
00:51:10,600 --> 00:51:13,200
It all perish and it will 
perish. 

890
00:51:14,100 --> 00:51:18,500
And so we see the end of this 
man's Absalom, his presence his 

891
00:51:18,500 --> 00:51:21,700
plans. 
They all come to a halt, but 

892
00:51:21,700 --> 00:51:23,800
that doesn't mean David's story 
is over just yet. 

893
00:51:23,800 --> 00:51:26,900
That doesn't mean David's 
troubles are over just yet. 

894
00:51:27,700 --> 00:51:30,700
We still have the rest of 18 and
the rest of this book to 

895
00:51:30,700 --> 00:51:32,400
discover together. 
Let's pray. 

896
00:51:53,200 --> 00:51:58,900
Lord help us be good soldiers. 
Help us be like David who 

897
00:51:58,900 --> 00:52:07,400
learned from his mistakes. 
Help us not dwell on the past 

898
00:52:08,100 --> 00:52:09,800
but believe that you care about 
what we do. 

899
00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:15,500
With our today's and our 
tomorrow's. so for Lord, for 

900
00:52:15,500 --> 00:52:20,600
those Lord who have committed a 
grievous sin, Shameful sin. 

901
00:52:21,700 --> 00:52:24,300
Maybe be comforted by the fact 
that you have through 

902
00:52:24,300 --> 00:52:27,200
repentance. 
You have taken that sin thrown 

903
00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:29,600
into the sea of forgetfulness, 
and you do not bring it back to 

904
00:52:29,600 --> 00:52:33,300
us again. 
Help us be strengthened that 

905
00:52:33,300 --> 00:52:35,000
there are new mercies for us 
every morning. 

906
00:52:37,700 --> 00:52:42,200
So Lord, we will not be 
discouraged by even long seasons

907
00:52:42,400 --> 00:52:44,700
of perhaps lukewarmness or 
disobedience. 

908
00:52:45,800 --> 00:52:48,900
We will realize and believe 
that, how we end is what really 

909
00:52:48,900 --> 00:52:53,000
matters. 
God help us be like this unnamed

910
00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:58,100
fellow. 
Who is absolutely energized and 

911
00:52:58,100 --> 00:53:02,800
strengthened by one thing what? 
The King has said Nevermind 

912
00:53:02,800 --> 00:53:06,200
leaders who represent the king. 
Never mind what the crowds do in

913
00:53:06,200 --> 00:53:09,200
the name of the king or against 
the king that they claim to 

914
00:53:09,200 --> 00:53:12,500
represent. 
Lord help us live under your 

915
00:53:12,500 --> 00:53:19,500
presence every step of the way. 
If there is anything that we are

916
00:53:19,508 --> 00:53:22,600
inclined to boast and Lord, our 
wealth, our strength, our 

917
00:53:22,600 --> 00:53:26,700
appearance, our accomplishments 
Are Spiritual disciplines Lord. 

918
00:53:26,700 --> 00:53:29,600
We pray that you would teach us 
how to give glory to you and all

919
00:53:29,600 --> 00:53:34,000
things. 
Papa's acknowledge you for every

920
00:53:34,000 --> 00:53:38,300
ounce of goodness. 
We enjoy or people love us for 

921
00:53:41,000 --> 00:53:42,800
and Lord help us to do what is 
right. 

922
00:53:42,800 --> 00:53:47,000
Even when it is hard, help us to
stand for the truth. 

923
00:53:48,900 --> 00:53:51,600
In gentleness. 
Yes but not in a compromising 

924
00:53:51,600 --> 00:53:55,500
way, even if it deals with 
family, even if it deals with 

925
00:53:55,500 --> 00:53:57,400
friends friends that we've known
for years. 

926
00:53:57,400 --> 00:54:00,300
Help us stand for the truth 
because you are worthy of that 

927
00:54:00,300 --> 00:54:02,400
honor. 
And you told us that the cost of

928
00:54:02,400 --> 00:54:06,600
discipleship means that we must 
forsake our love for wives 

929
00:54:06,700 --> 00:54:12,600
husbands children. 
Because you are worthy of that 

930
00:54:12,600 --> 00:54:17,400
kind of devotion Lord in this 
place, May the hearts of your 

931
00:54:17,400 --> 00:54:21,000
people, the soldiers of Jesus 
Christ who are present who are 

932
00:54:21,000 --> 00:54:23,400
watching. 
May they feel your favor. 

933
00:54:25,300 --> 00:54:28,300
And may they realize that 
through this track and through 

934
00:54:28,300 --> 00:54:31,600
this battle. 
It will be difficult. 

935
00:54:32,700 --> 00:54:36,400
But you have a reward for those 
who will conquer help us be 

936
00:54:36,400 --> 00:54:41,400
conquerors in this life. 
Help us more and more to have 

937
00:54:41,400 --> 00:54:45,900
our mind set on things above, 
help us, O Lord overcome, all 

938
00:54:45,900 --> 00:54:48,900
the flares and all the 
Temptations, and all the 

939
00:54:48,900 --> 00:54:53,100
allurements of this world lord, 
it's becoming easier to do that 

940
00:54:53,100 --> 00:54:55,800
by seeing all the corruption in 
the filth below. 

941
00:54:55,800 --> 00:54:59,100
We are still susceptible to 
falling and to medicating, our 

942
00:54:59,100 --> 00:55:03,600
pain through sin. 
So, keep a strong Lord, As we 

943
00:55:03,600 --> 00:55:05,500
sing. 
Now in closing be blessed. 

944
00:55:05,500 --> 00:55:08,800
And as we part ways, O Lord, 
though, not in the presence of 

945
00:55:08,800 --> 00:55:11,200
our Our elders known on the 
presence of other believers, may

946
00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:15,000
we be again like this man who 
simply had the word of the king 

947
00:55:15,900 --> 00:55:17,600
and that was enough to govern 
him. 

948
00:55:18,400 --> 00:55:22,300
Only the word have such 
authority over us, in all 

949
00:55:22,300 --> 00:55:23,800
things, in all ways at all 
times. 

950
00:55:23,800 --> 00:55:27,500
We bless you, Lord, we bow our 
hearts before you. 

951
00:55:27,900 --> 00:55:31,600
And we praise you for the word, 
which is eternal life. 

952
00:55:31,800 --> 00:55:33,800
In Jesus name, we pray. 
Amen.