1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,840 Turn with me to the Book of First Kings in chapter 21. 2 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,920 We are the near completion of this book. 3 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:14,640 We have one more chapter after this before we move forward into 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:18,000 Second Kings, which will be the natural sequence to this Bible 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,400 study. And as returning there, I want 6 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,320 you to hear what a well known preacher. 7 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:32,000 Said concerning sin, he wrote quite insightfully. 8 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:42,080 When sin is tempting us, it is loved, but when sin is done. 9 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,240 It is loathed. I'll say that one more time. 10 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,680 When sin is tempting us, it is loved. 11 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,000 But when sin is done, it is loathed. 12 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,720 How true that is, and that is one of the many lessons that you 13 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:02,840 and I are going to glean from in the rest of this chapter 14 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,600 together. And I want you to turn your 15 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,200 attention to verse 17 of First Kings 21. 16 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,400 Let us read a few verses before we do what we always do, and 17 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,840 that's take our time to comb through the Scriptures and to 18 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,160 pluck out these grains of gold for our hearts. 19 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,960 We read here. Then the word of the Lord came 20 00:01:22,960 --> 00:01:25,960 to Elijah, the Tishbite saying, Arise. 21 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:31,200 Go down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who is in Samaria. 22 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:35,320 Behold, he is in the vineyard of Nabeth, where he has gone to 23 00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:39,000 take possession. And you shall say to him, Thus 24 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,920 says the Lord, Have you killed and also taken possession? 25 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,920 And you shall say to him, Thus says the Lord, In the place 26 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,280 where dogs licked up the blood of Nabeth, shall dogs. 27 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:55,000 Lick your own blood. Ahab said to Elijah, Have you 28 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,520 found me all my enemy? He answered. 29 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:02,920 I found you because you have sold yourself to do what is evil 30 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,120 in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I will bring disaster 31 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:10,000 upon you, I will utterly burn you up, and we'll cut off from 32 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,920 Ahab every male bond or free in Israel. 33 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,240 And I will make your house like the House of Jeroboam the son of 34 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,960 the Bat, and like the House of Basha the son of Ahijah, for the 35 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,440 anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made 36 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:26,760 Israel to sin. And of Jezebel the Lord also 37 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,680 said, the dog shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel. 38 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:35,440 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city, the dogs shall 39 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,840 eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country, the birds 40 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,400 of the heavens shall. Eat, pray with me. 41 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,280 Lord, we believe that this is Your word, and we ask that we 42 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:53,760 would be able to, by Your grace, bind it around our necks and tie 43 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:58,120 it around our hearts, that it would, in the days to come, talk 44 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:05,440 to us, guide us, warn us, comfort us, convict us. 45 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:10,400 So Lord, we open ourselves to you and we pray that you fill us 46 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,200 with your truth. In the precious name of the 47 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:15,320 living Word, Jesus Christ, we pray. 48 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,360 Amen. We haven't heard from Elijah in 49 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,400 quite a bit. The last time that you and I 50 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,880 have encountered Elijah in our study was back in First Kings 51 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:30,600 chapter 19, where Elijah was instructed to go find a man by 52 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:35,000 the name of. Elijah and to invite him to be 53 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,720 his apprentice. And there has been an 54 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,840 undisclosed amount of time that has passed before. 55 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:45,000 Now we see the word of the Lord coming to Elijah yet again and 56 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:49,160 commissioning him to go back to Ahab in Samaria. 57 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,640 Now why this command is so intriguing is because we 58 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:59,480 remember what happened to Elijah when he found himself in a 59 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,680 similar setting. We recall, do we not, when 60 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:08,400 Elijah was in close proximity to the king and the queen after the 61 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:13,360 triumph on Mount Carmel? And the same Elijah who was able 62 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:18,240 to see a nation come to their knees all of a sudden now flees 63 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,720 into the wilderness because of the threats of Jezebel? 64 00:04:23,280 --> 00:04:25,960 I'm thinking to myself, if that's what happened to Elijah 65 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:30,200 the last time he came near the king and the queen, namely the 66 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,960 queen, why is the Lord sending him there again? 67 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:38,160 Why put him in that vulnerable position once more, especially 68 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:42,920 since you and I studied in the previous chapter that many other 69 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:44,760 prophets were sent to deal with Ahab. 70 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:46,720 You remember that? Those unnamed sons of the 71 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,880 prophets? Why doesn't the Lord just send 72 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:51,560 another one of those guys to Ahab? 73 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:58,200 Why Elijah? I think that one of the reasons 74 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:02,680 for this is so that you and I can see the fruit, the fullness 75 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:07,200 of God's restorative mercies, that He worked patiently in 76 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,040 Elijah when he was at his lowest point. 77 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:17,000 This cowering, scared, anxiety crippled man is now back to a 78 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,280 wholeness and a usefulness because of how the Lord 79 00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:24,280 ministered to him. And as we absorb that truth, as 80 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:28,640 we see the outcome of what God can do to a broken soul, you and 81 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,520 I listen, are supposed to feel the expectation and believe with 82 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:37,200 all of our hearts that the same God is able to address our fears 83 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:43,800 and weaknesses and replace them with the necessary grace that 84 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:50,160 makes us effective and efficient and energized in the will of God 85 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,600 once more. So that's what we're seeing 86 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,520 here. You know, for Elijah to comply 87 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,960 to these commands faithfully demonstrates that there is a 88 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:04,160 power at work in him that is outside of him, that there's 89 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:08,680 this special touch that. Cannot be boasted about in his 90 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:13,760 own strength or wisdom or might, but is a power that other 91 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:16,520 prophets testified of and experienced, surely. 92 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,000 Let me give you another cross reference of another prophet who 93 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,680 declared the truth that I am giving to you. 94 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:25,280 It's in Micah and if you can't find it quickly, I'll read the 95 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:28,160 reference to you and you can look look it up for yourself at 96 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,080 another time. But it's in Micah chapter 3 in 97 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,280 verse 8. Listen to what another prophet, 98 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,160 another prophet who was faithful like Elijah was, and who 99 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,880 experienced the grace of God like Elijah did, and Micah 3/8 100 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,320 this man of God declares. But As for me, I am filled with 101 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:49,520 power. I am filled with power, with the 102 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:54,080 Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might. 103 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:58,400 And what does this power do to declare to Jacob his 104 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,000 transgression and to Israel his sin? 105 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:07,200 It takes power from the Holy Spirit to serve the Lord in any 106 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:11,240 capacity, especially if the ministry that you are you are in 107 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:16,400 confronts people with their sin, confronts people with the truth. 108 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,560 You can't just use brain power. You can't just use emotive 109 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:22,840 power. You can't just use intellectual 110 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,720 power. You need power from on high. 111 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:31,640 And so this is a man of God, Elijah, who is animated by the 112 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:37,120 same power, this power that the prophets tapped into that was 113 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,280 able to make them bold and faithful even when their message 114 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:45,040 was resisted with adversity. And what's so encouraging about 115 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,000 this power that we see manifested in Elijah's life? 116 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,400 The same power that Micah writes about is a power that is not 117 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:57,920 exclusive to ancient men of God. What did Paul tell Timothy in 118 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,800 Second Timothy 17? You know very well that God has 119 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:03,080 given us a spirit, not a fear, but of what? 120 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:09,160 But of power, love and what a sound mind or self-control. 121 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:14,760 So whenever my heart is being sabotaged by fear, I can know 122 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:16,360 one thing, that this is not from God. 123 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,600 It's not from God. There is a fear of God. 124 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:25,840 That's a whole different subject, but a fear that causes 125 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:30,600 to be hesitant to obey God or to overcome temptation or to be 126 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,280 courageous, that's not from God. So right there you can dismiss 127 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,640 whatever is overcoming you, but but it's more than that. 128 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:40,799 You have Paul telling Timothy, who is a pastor, who is a pastor 129 00:08:40,799 --> 00:08:43,919 in the New Covenant, and he had these tendencies of being timid. 130 00:08:44,039 --> 00:08:46,880 If you read the writings that Paul wrote to Timothy, you get 131 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,400 that impression. And Paul's not even telling just 132 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:54,840 Timothy that he has access to this grace, this power that's 133 00:08:54,840 --> 00:09:00,320 able to help him serve the Lord and be faithful in character, he 134 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:05,120 says. But God has given to us, to us. 135 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,320 So this is not just limited to prophets in the Old Testament or 136 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,480 pastors in the New. But to us, to believers, this is 137 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:15,640 all of our inheritance. We all have access to this grace 138 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:22,960 that helps us be powerful, loving and self controlled. 139 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,640 Christ purchased that for us and you have to understand that 140 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,840 inheritance and walk in faith and constantly asking the Lord 141 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,480 to be operating under that kind of grace. 142 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,640 So we see here that the Lord is ready to supply vitality to 143 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:42,400 achieve those realities and it's no different for Elijah, right? 144 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,520 So come back to our main text we read here. 145 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:47,920 The word of the Lord came to Elijah, the Tishbite saying 146 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,280 arise, go down to me, Ahab, king of Israel, who is in Samaria. 147 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:53,720 Behold, he is in the vineyard of Nabeth, where he has gone to 148 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,920 take possession. And we read here what he's 149 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:58,160 supposed to do once he arrived there. 150 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:01,560 So he got the location of the king, but now he's given the 151 00:10:01,560 --> 00:10:04,480 script, so to speak. And what is that script? 152 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,520 Verse 19 gives us an idea. And you shall say to him, Thus 153 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,200 says the Lord, have you killed and also taken possession? 154 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:12,960 And you shall say to him, Thus says the Lord, in the place 155 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,800 where dogs licked up the blood of Nabeth, shall dogs lick your 156 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:20,520 own blood? Here's the overarching lesson of 157 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:28,320 Elijah's message that whatever pleasures sinners in joy, it 158 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:32,920 will all one day be intercepted by the judgement of God. 159 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:40,200 So we have here this King Ahab who in our previous study. 160 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:44,000 Schemed with his wife and the elders of the city where Nabeth 161 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,760 resided and thought that they got away with murder. 162 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:53,560 And the last scene of our previous study was Ahab getting 163 00:10:53,560 --> 00:10:58,840 out of his bed, you know, removing his sniffles and 164 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:03,760 nonchalantly hearing about Nabeth's death, waltzes into his 165 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,720 vineyard and seizes something and enjoys something that 166 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,480 doesn't belong to him. And perhaps what has disturbed 167 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:14,120 you in the 1st 16 verses of this chapter is that God, or the 168 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,400 mention of God is nowhere to be found in the whole ordeal. 169 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,360 I mean, you only had a small remnant in Israel who are 170 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:23,920 faithful to the true and living God. 171 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:28,120 And now one of them who stood up for the truth is taken out. 172 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:30,760 And you would think that the Lord at some point would have, 173 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:32,600 would have stood up and defended him. 174 00:11:34,560 --> 00:11:36,840 But here's what you're supposed to get out of this part of the 175 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:40,840 chapter. That though God was silent with 176 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:43,800 all of that, doesn't mean he wasn't watching. 177 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,000 He was watching. In fact, when we read verse 19 178 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,280 again, we realize that he was taking note of everything Ahab 179 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:55,320 was doing. We learn here that he know who 180 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:56,880 he killed. We learn here what he took 181 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,480 possession. Of we know exactly God knew 182 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:05,200 exactly where this man would be found and you knew exactly how 183 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,240 long he would be there for Elijah to find him. 184 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:10,880 And so this is just yet another example of how the eye of the 185 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:15,600 Lord is upon each of. Us what you plan in secret. 186 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:21,400 What you do to or with others where your feet may travel, 187 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,040 never escapes the knowledge of God. 188 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:29,240 And that truth is comforting for the righteous, but it should 189 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,240 strike terror in the heart of the wicked. 190 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,800 Why? Why should it cause sinners to 191 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:40,120 tremble? Because this is a strong example 192 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:43,000 of a king and a queen who thought that they were above the 193 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:47,880 law, who thought that they can manipulate justice, who thought 194 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:52,040 that they could get away with their sin because they held the 195 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:54,080 highest position, humanly speaking. 196 00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:57,920 And though they could have perverted the law of the land, 197 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:02,040 evidently they could not evade the justice of God. 198 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:07,800 So you, you and I here, I mean the, the corruption in modern 199 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:09,720 day politics is not even subtle anymore. 200 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:13,520 It's blatant. It's right in your face and 201 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,360 there's an outcry, right? Where's justice? 202 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,560 What do you do when the judges, What do you do in congressman? 203 00:13:19,560 --> 00:13:23,120 What do you do in lawmakers, so to speak, are unrighteous? 204 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:24,240 Who's going to hold them accountable? 205 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:27,560 I'll tell you, God, God will hold them accountable. 206 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:33,120 So you just sit tight and wait. He has the ability to to strike 207 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,040 and to invade in their lives at this very moment. 208 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:39,720 But there is a day coming where it will come to these people 209 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:41,920 standing before their maker and giving an account. 210 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:44,320 For everything that they have done. 211 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:49,240 And I'd look at this man who does obey God, and I'm refreshed 212 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:51,720 because this is the Elijah that we're used to complying with the 213 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,440 marching orders of heaven without hesitation. 214 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,960 But before Elijah even says a word, when he gets to Nabit's 215 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,360 vineyard, we get the reaction of the king. 216 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:02,920 And what is his reaction? It's found here in verse 20. 217 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:09,000 Ahab said to Elijah. Have you found me O my enemy? 218 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,160 Why would you say that unless you're trying to hide something? 219 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,840 Have you found me? Oh my enemy? 220 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:23,600 Now this not only confirms what we knew already about how Ahab 221 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:30,080 felt about Elijah, it actually shows us how Ahab. 222 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:34,520 Grew in his hatred for Elijah. Do you remember the last time 223 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:38,360 there was an intermission between Ahab and Elijah meeting 224 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:41,720 and what Ahab said to Elijah before Mount Carmel? 225 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:45,520 What did, what did Ahab say to the prophet? 226 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:49,840 Let me remind you in chapter 18, verse 17, look at it with your 227 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,400 own eyes. When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said 228 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:56,880 to him, is it you, you troubler of Israel? 229 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:01,440 And now he says, have you found me? 230 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:06,560 Oh, my enemy. So Ahab's loathing grew from 231 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:11,640 Elijah being a public nuisance to a personal foe. 232 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:14,280 You're not just the trouble of Israel. 233 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,120 You're a problem to me. You're an issue for me. 234 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:22,840 You're a thorn to my side. And what makes this fascinating 235 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:27,160 is the events that transpired between these two statements, 236 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,320 between the Lord telling Elijah, or, excuse me, Ahab telling 237 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,000 Elijah you're a troubler of Israel, and him saying you're my 238 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,560 enemy. So much has happened, including 239 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:41,520 this very special incident that we studied in depth what 240 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:46,280 happened when Ahab was told to race back to Jezreel. 241 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:50,720 We're told there at the end of chapter 18 that that Elijah ran 242 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:52,480 before the chariot. Do you remember that? 243 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:56,880 Can anybody, in a very brief statement, summarize the 244 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:01,040 significance of Elijah running before the chariot of Ahab? 245 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:09,440 Exactly. Many have reduced that moment to 246 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,120 the miracle of the hand of the Lord being a pawn, Elijah, so 247 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:15,160 that he can outrun the chariot. But it's not. 248 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:20,000 That that's not the main point. Because in the scriptures we see 249 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:24,160 that when men or a man ran before someone's chariot, it was 250 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:28,600 a public symbol and display of loyalty and respect to that 251 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,440 king. And so for Elijah to make that 252 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:35,240 conscious decision and for the Lord to actually enable him to 253 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:40,440 do it would have made any onlooker understand that this 254 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:44,520 bold, confrontational prophet doesn't have a personal dislike 255 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:49,400 for Ahab, but that even in his strong stance against him, he's 256 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:51,960 doing it because he loves this man and he is seeking his 257 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:54,800 ultimate salvation. That's what that's what Elijah, 258 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,800 running before the chariot would have communicated to Ahab and to 259 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:00,480 others. So here's this man of God who 260 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:07,440 humbles himself to a position of servanthood in a way to showcase 261 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:10,520 publicly. I respect this man positionally 262 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:12,440 as a king. I'm not here to overthrow him or 263 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,720 dishonor him. I'm a prophet, my duties 264 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,319 ultimately to the Lord, but I am for this man. 265 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:20,160 I am not against this man. That's what that is all about. 266 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,520 And so the miracle of the hand of the Lord coming upon him is 267 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,680 less about him having the legs to run, and more about a heart 268 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:32,040 being humbled. Despite all of that humility, 269 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:39,000 Despite all of that submission. All the efforts to try to tell 270 00:17:39,120 --> 00:17:44,320 Ahab that he is for him, Ahab chooses to view him as an enemy. 271 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:50,360 Here's where this hits home, and what we take from this applies 272 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:52,640 to real life. You know, sometimes in your 273 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:57,680 efforts to redirect or to reconcile with another you, you 274 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:01,120 might be ignored. Or worse, you might even be 275 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:05,320 despised. There's nothing blameworthy on 276 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:08,520 Elijah's side. There's nothing that he did 277 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:12,320 sinfully or ignorantly that would have caused Ahab to 278 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:15,680 dislike him. All Elijah has done was good to 279 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:19,800 Ahab, and yet Ahab chose to identify and label him as an 280 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,840 enemy that might happen to you. That's so important when you 281 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:26,000 serve the Lord in any capacity of ministry, especially as you 282 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:27,920 deal with people, all ministries dealing with people. 283 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,880 There, there, there are some precious Saints who are so 284 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:36,840 bothered because no matter what they do for one person, never 285 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:38,920 mind the different people who love you and cherish you and 286 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,560 appreciate you, but one person that they they can never see 287 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:44,920 come to terms with the truth or willing to come alongside them 288 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,840 or love them in return. It's going to happen. 289 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:53,440 Don't think that you're going to win absolutely everybody on a 290 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,880 personal level, even when you're trying to win them to the Lord. 291 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:00,960 But if you're going to be hated for anything, be hated for the 292 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:07,120 reason why Elijah was hated. Elijah was despised because he 293 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:11,040 served God. Elijah was seen as an enemy to 294 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:14,080 Ahab because Elijah was an ally to God. 295 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:20,160 So the real reason why Ahab saw Elijah as an enemy is because 296 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:22,920 Ahab ultimately saw God as his enemy. 297 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,120 And if you're a friend with God, if you're a servant of God. 298 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:33,200 You will be hated. Even by those that you've hoped 299 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,560 would love you in return, be prepared for that. 300 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:39,840 Be prepared for that. And in moments where you're 301 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,960 irked by that or disturbed by that or losing sleep over that, 302 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,600 remember that it's not about you as much as it is about the 303 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:50,600 doctrine that you adorn as much as it's about your light shining 304 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:52,360 on darkness. Even though you're not intending 305 00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:54,480 for that light to shine because you walk with Him, that light is 306 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,760 there. Especially moments where you're 307 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,880 encouraged to compromise or you're standing out from the 308 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:03,360 sinners in your midst. People who love their sin don't 309 00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:06,520 want light to shine upon it. And here you are shining light. 310 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,120 Here you are governed by the law of Christ when others are 311 00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:12,880 governed by the law of the flesh. 312 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,760 And so for some you're going to be a fragrance from life unto 313 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:18,120 life. To others you're going to be a 314 00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:22,200 fragrance from death to death. And that's just the package. 315 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,240 That's the package that you and I have as we follow the Lord. 316 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:30,120 But I can't help but also think how in Ahab's, the idea of 317 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:35,160 Elijah being an enemy is the fruit of how sin distorts 318 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:39,320 everything. Sin warps everything. 319 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:42,440 It warps your relationship with God. 320 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:44,920 It warps your relationship in every capacity. 321 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,080 It warps your view of money, sin, the world, everything. 322 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:49,960 Everything. When you're dominated by sin, 323 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:55,200 everything is altered, even the way you view people. 324 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,720 You know what you should think to yourself in this whole story 325 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:02,680 of Ahab, Jezebel and Elijah, who should have been Ahab's real 326 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:09,160 enemy? Unfortunately, his wife, who 327 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:10,760 should have married in the 1st place. 328 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,760 If there was anybody who was an enemy of Elijah, it was Jezebel. 329 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:19,480 Jezebel, in the same text we're going to read, incited Ahab to 330 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:21,320 sin. And if there is anybody who 331 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:24,040 should have been Ahab's best friend, it was the very man. 332 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:27,280 He said he's my enemy. His sin does that. 333 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:31,360 I've seen it. I've seen sin 'cause people to 334 00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:34,480 push away the people they're supposed to draw in and cherish 335 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,880 and protect, and those same people bringing in the people 336 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:41,960 that they're supposed to shun. So sin messes everything up, 337 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:45,080 your perspective, your priorities, the people in your 338 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:48,160 life. And you can't help it, can you? 339 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:50,680 You can't help being drawn to the righteous. 340 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:52,680 Why? Because your heart is riddled 341 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:57,800 with the sins, the sins that you have tolerated and justified now 342 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:00,520 has created a filter for you to see the righteous as somebody 343 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:02,800 that you dislike and the ardent righteous as somebody that you 344 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:05,760 can find good company with. Sin distorts. 345 00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:10,000 Sin will make things that are supposed to be your friend be 346 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:11,480 your enemy. There are people who look at the 347 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,320 Bible and say this is an evil book. 348 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,360 Why? Because their judgement is 349 00:22:18,360 --> 00:22:22,480 impaired by sin. I've seen people in different 350 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:26,560 contexts when a true pastor walks in the room, they squirm. 351 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:30,240 Why? Because that pastor and their 352 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,960 view is an enemy and an enemy to their sin and their convictions 353 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:39,120 and their worldview. I've seen biblical churches not 354 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:42,560 growing, whereas the other church down the street that's 355 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:45,640 carnal and is waving rainbow flags or whatever the case may 356 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:47,280 be gaining. Why? 357 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:51,800 Because that church stands for the truth, and so they're an 358 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:57,520 enemy to the culture. So Ahab is an unfortunate 359 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:03,000 example of what sin can do to your perspectives and your 360 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:08,920 discernment and your standards. But here's why I love Elijah. 361 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:11,120 Elijah's here not to make friends. 362 00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:16,840 Elijah's here to function as a prophet, his duties ultimately 363 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:21,600 to the friend of friends. And so he comes up to the man of 364 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:26,440 sin and he says, yeah, I have found you. 365 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:29,120 I like that answer. Have you found me? 366 00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:30,240 He's like, yeah, actually, I did. 367 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:33,880 Why? Because your sin will find you 368 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,720 out. That's the lesson there. 369 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:41,440 Here you are, thrilled. An adrenaline rush because you 370 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,880 thought that you gained Nabis Vineyard without consequence. 371 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:51,360 And as one person put it, but Ahab gained Nabit's vineyard, 372 00:23:51,360 --> 00:23:58,440 but he got Elijah with it. And so Ahab now is confronted by 373 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,760 the man of God and he says something quite interesting in 374 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:09,120 his statement. He says here I have found you 375 00:24:09,120 --> 00:24:13,720 because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight 376 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,680 of the Lord. You have sold yourself that. 377 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:20,680 That's a very intentional way of conveying somebody who is bound 378 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:23,000 by sin. You have sold yourself, and it's 379 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:24,440 not foreign to the New Testament. 380 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:26,840 I encourage you to go to the other side of your Bible in the 381 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:31,000 book of Romans Chapter 7, and look at how Paul borrows this 382 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,920 language but intentionally provides variation to it, and 383 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:37,960 you're going to see why. Romans 7 verse 14 384 00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:54,680 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh 385 00:24:55,200 --> 00:25:01,320 sold under sin. So Paul here is speaking 386 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:06,040 personally, but it applies to the universal condition of man. 387 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:11,120 He says here that in his flesh he is sold under sin, sold under 388 00:25:11,120 --> 00:25:12,640 sin. And what he's trying to 389 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:17,720 communicate is that inherit in his nature, there is something 390 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:21,000 that makes him subject to the influence of the mastery of sin, 391 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,760 as though he was given up to this kind of ownership, which is 392 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:31,920 perfectly explained by something that took place in Genesis, the 393 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:35,280 fall. Because of the the sins of our 394 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:39,280 first parents, humanity was given over to the bondage of 395 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:40,720 sin. And that's a condition, that's a 396 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:42,920 default that you and I are born into. 397 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,400 And this is what Paul is trying to convey. 398 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:49,320 In the flesh. We are sold, we are given over 399 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:55,880 to, we are handed over to the flesh and dominance of iniquity. 400 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,160 And although that is something that you and I inherit, that's 401 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:05,400 something that is just a part of being human, we've also been 402 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:10,320 given hope that you in that place can still make a decision 403 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:13,200 to be liberated from such slavery. 404 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:16,560 And that's what Paul says in Romans 6. 405 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:18,400 That's what he conveys at the end of Romans 7. 406 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:22,520 And that's the exclamation mark. And Romans 8, yes, he describes 407 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,440 the hopeless conditions, so to speak, the helpless condition of 408 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,360 being sold under sin. But then he tells us how we can 409 00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:30,520 escape it. And it's a choice on our part. 410 00:26:32,360 --> 00:26:35,320 But go back to First King 17 or 19. 411 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:43,480 Wait 21 First Kings 21 and I want you to see how Elijah 412 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:48,200 frames the idea of being sold under sin. 413 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,960 He says I have found you in verse twenty of First Kings 21. 414 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:56,120 I have found you because you have sold yourself to do what is 415 00:26:56,120 --> 00:26:57,880 evil in the side of the Lord. What's the difference between 416 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:02,680 Paul's language and Elijah's sold yourself? 417 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,360 So in Romans 7 he speaks about how in the flesh we are. 418 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:14,400 Sold under sin as a result of what happened at the fall. 419 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:18,760 But then Elijah now conveys you making a willful choice to being 420 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:23,640 sold under sin. And what's the idea about that? 421 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:26,520 The idea is like as I said earlier, we all have been given 422 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:33,160 a choice, yes, all sold under sin, but also given the 423 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,160 opportunity to be free through Christ. 424 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:39,960 And yet there are others who make the decision to remain in 425 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:44,560 their sin. And that is exactly the the 426 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:48,600 crime of Ahab, that, yeah, in his nature, like all of us, sold 427 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:52,640 under sin. But denying freedom in 428 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:58,600 righteousness, in a sense he is selling himself into sin. 429 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:01,120 You know, there's some people who come up with. 430 00:28:01,120 --> 00:28:03,840 Clever ideas of wiggling out of conviction. 431 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:08,040 And I've heard this before. Well, if it's our sin nature to 432 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:12,920 sin, then how can God hold us truly and justly accountable? 433 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,840 And it's not about that. It's not about that as much as 434 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:19,320 it is about this, that yes, though you have been given this 435 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:23,000 default, you still have a decision to make, to be free in 436 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,880 Christ or to, like Ahab, sell yourself further into sin. 437 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:29,000 That's what you're going to be held accountable for. 438 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,600 Ultimately. It's what you've done with the 439 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,480 gospel, that's what you've done with God's provision, what 440 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:38,560 you've got done with the golden key from Calvary that unlocks 441 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:46,120 that cage and gives you liberty. So there is a sold under sin 442 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,720 that's inherited, and there is a selling yourself to do what is 443 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,600 evil that is willful and intentional. 444 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:58,200 And that's Ahab's fault. And so now we get a description 445 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:02,200 of the verdict, the verdict of Ahab's prolonged disobedience. 446 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:06,800 Behold, I will bring disaster upon you in verse 21. 447 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:11,200 I will utterly burn you up, and we'll cut off from every, from 448 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,560 Ahab rather every male bond or free in Israel. 449 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,280 And I will make your house like the House of Jeroboam the son of 450 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:19,600 Nabat, and like the House of Asha the son of Ahijah. 451 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:22,000 For the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you 452 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:27,320 have made Israel to sin, what's the ultimate punishment that 453 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,640 Ahab is going to face? Absolute. 454 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:36,680 Annihilation of his dynasty. This is indicated by the 455 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:41,920 comparative fate of two other kings, Jeroboam and Bahasha, who 456 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:46,080 lost any chance of seeing their children succeed the throne. 457 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:50,240 And now that's been granted to Ahab. 458 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:55,280 And this would have been absolutely crushing for any king 459 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:58,440 in their right mind, because any king in the right mind would 460 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:03,520 have had the dream and the hope that their children would have a 461 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:08,120 bright future in following them and occupying that dignified 462 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:14,040 position because of this man's sin that was taken from him, 463 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:19,960 such as the case of sin, it dashes it, destroys it. 464 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:24,400 Takes from you. So Ahab wins a vineyard at the 465 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:27,240 cost of what? The bright hope of his children? 466 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,080 You think that's just unique to Ahab? 467 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,000 You don't think that people's sins affect their children? 468 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:36,080 They do. I don't believe in general 469 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:38,360 generational curses. Neither should you. 470 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:41,520 But there are generational consequences and patterns to 471 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:47,520 sins, and this is what this man is unfortunately going to 472 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,200 experience. And notice that the explanation 473 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:53,640 of such devastation is provided in greater detail when he says, 474 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:57,680 for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you 475 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:03,800 have made Israel to sin. God, listen to this, please. 476 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:08,440 God doesn't just take into account of our sin, but He also 477 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:11,560 registers. When we encourage others to 478 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:17,240 entertain and embrace sin. So that's further confirmed by 479 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:19,960 what he says about Jezebel like this is about Ahab, but he 480 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:23,440 doesn't forget about his wife. So in verse 23 we read and of 481 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:25,720 Jezebel. The Lord's also said The dog 482 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:27,600 shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel. 483 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:31,400 That's that's just a horrific picture for the obvious reasons, 484 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:34,200 but in this culture is even worse because Jezebel would not 485 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:41,960 be given a honorable burial. Her limbs would be in the belly 486 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:49,440 of wild dogs. Yeah, she would be judged for 487 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,400 evil. But one of the greatest parts of 488 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,400 her evil is what you read in verse 25. 489 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:57,880 Just peek at it very quickly. There was none who sold himself 490 00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:00,440 to do what was evil on the side. Of the Lord, like Ahab, whom 491 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:09,000 Jezebel, his wife, incited. So God highlights Ahab's sin as 492 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:14,160 being the example and the model for Israel to sin. 493 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:18,040 And now God holds Jezebel accountable, yes, for her own 494 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:21,200 sin, but also for inciting her husband to sin. 495 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:26,920 What a sobering alarm for making sure you marry the right person, 496 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:31,960 right? Jezebel incited her husband to 497 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:34,280 sin. But please, I don't want you to 498 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:39,880 make this tragic mistake. Being influenced by somebody to 499 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:45,360 sin does not, does not soften or justify our guilt in the matter. 500 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:53,080 Some try to again. We're very clever and trying to 501 00:32:54,400 --> 00:33:04,560 escape God's holy standard. He seduced me, she pressured me. 502 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:10,160 Well, yeah, I knew initially it was wrong, but what was I 503 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:11,880 supposed to do? They were my leaders, and 504 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:13,480 they're supposed to set the example. 505 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,280 Now I'm supposed to give them my trust. 506 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:16,840 So I went in the same way that they did. 507 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:25,280 Do you remember what God pronounced against the very 508 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:27,520 first sin of all of human history? 509 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:32,240 He said many things, but I don't think people remember this one 510 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,240 as much. What he told Adam in Genesis 511 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:40,240 317, He said this and to Adam, he said because you have 512 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:44,440 listened to the voice of your wife, he could have removed that 513 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:46,400 completely. He could have just said, because 514 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:48,880 you have eaten of the the fruit that I told you not to eat of. 515 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:53,800 No, no, no, he included your. Your problem, Adam, is that you 516 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,480 listened to the voice of your wife. 517 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:02,560 And the principle is that the Lord doesn't just hold those 518 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:05,160 accountable who influence others to sin. 519 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:08,840 He will also consider those who allow themselves to be 520 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:12,440 influenced. Remember that. 521 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:17,000 So he's your best friend, Who cares? 522 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:19,199 God's supposed to be your best friend. 523 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:23,280 Well, she's my boss, who cares? God's your boss. 524 00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:28,520 Well, he's my husband. Yes, submit to your husband. 525 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:30,320 But if your husband tells you to do something that God tells you 526 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:36,920 not to, God's your bridegroom. So that level of loyalty and 527 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:40,960 allegiance for some reason is weakening in our culture. 528 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:45,280 Live before God, and if any voice speaks into your life that 529 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:49,520 contradicts His voice, you have every divine authority and right 530 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:52,760 to ignore it and to reject it and at times to even rebuke it. 531 00:34:54,159 --> 00:34:56,600 I listen to Him above everything, above all. 532 00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:05,680 And so Israel, listen to Ahab. Ahab, listen to Jezebel, and 533 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:07,880 they would all be held accountable by a holy God. 534 00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:12,840 Now look at verse 25. This is remarkable. 535 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:20,680 There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight 536 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:24,320 of the Lord. Like Ahab, whom Jezebel, his 537 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:31,040 wife incited, he acted very abominably and going after idols 538 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:33,840 as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord. 539 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:37,440 Cast out before the people of Israel pause. 540 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:40,680 Why do you think this commentaries provide to this to 541 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,320 us at this point of this text? Any idea? 542 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:48,640 I'm actually asking. I'll give you a few more 543 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:54,760 seconds, a few more. Well, let me ask this. 544 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:58,320 Is it worth considering and meditating on Why this is 545 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,080 mentioned to us? Like, we already know this, so 546 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:02,840 why is this brought to our attention yet again? 547 00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:06,840 I think one reason is because we're forgetful. 548 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:13,360 So one might say the reason why the Spirit of God includes this 549 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:17,360 is so that we can be reminded that as severe as this judgement 550 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:21,760 is, it's warranted. It's as though we're being told, 551 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:24,240 hey, do you remember who Ahab is and what he's done? 552 00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:26,080 Do you remember the reputation he has? 553 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:27,760 You remember all the evil that he has done. 554 00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:29,880 But I don't even believe that's the main reason. 555 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:32,960 I don't believe it's to try to help us understand that what 556 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:35,920 Elijah just proclaimed is justified. 557 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:40,400 I believe it's mentioned to prepare us for the mercy he's 558 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:44,560 about to experience, saying, how does that make sense? 559 00:36:45,240 --> 00:36:49,480 Because when you understand the depths of depravity in Ahab's 560 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:55,160 case, it will declare the great depths of the mercy that God has 561 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:59,320 for sinners. Because notice what's about to 562 00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:04,000 happen, verse 27. And when Ahab heard those words, 563 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:09,480 he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and 564 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:17,680 fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly, Wow, who 565 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:21,760 is this man? After everything that this man 566 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:25,920 saw, after all the chances, finally. 567 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:35,240 A hint, just a small hint of humility and contrition and 568 00:37:35,240 --> 00:37:39,000 notice why he responded this way in verse 27 and eight when Ahab 569 00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:44,840 heard those words. What words Words like because 570 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:47,840 you've sinned dogs are going to lick up your blood. 571 00:37:48,280 --> 00:37:50,680 Oh, and your wife dogs are actually going to eat her. 572 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:53,440 Not something you hear on Sunday mornings. 573 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:54,000 These. Days. 574 00:37:56,320 --> 00:38:03,280 And there are some who are advocates of trying to tell 575 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:09,080 preachers not to preach heavy messages, who are very vocal, 576 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:12,120 ensuring that nothing about God's wrath is mentioned, 577 00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:14,280 nothing about his justice, nothing about His Holiness, 578 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:19,040 nothing about hell. And they think that they're 579 00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:22,800 doing, they're doing the right thing by by trying to persuade 580 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:25,120 others that that's not how you're really going to get a 581 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:27,760 hold of people. And yet I find a man whose heart 582 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:32,320 was crystallized and it was cracked because of those words. 583 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:35,480 So who's smarter? You are God. 584 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:37,240 Who knows the human condition better. 585 00:38:37,240 --> 00:38:40,280 You are God who knows how to bring somebody out of their sin. 586 00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:45,080 You are God. Yes, I'm an advocate for telling 587 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:47,800 people God is love, God is merciful, God is forgiving. 588 00:38:47,960 --> 00:38:50,000 If we don't have that message, we're not Christians. 589 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:52,200 But what about the other side of the issue? 590 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:56,680 I'm, I'm, I'm afraid these Christians, these churchgoers 591 00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:59,640 are going to be absolutely shocked when the Book of 592 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:03,120 Revelation happens. Like where did this come from? 593 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:05,640 The end of the book that you forgot to read? 594 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:13,560 And so those words, it's a reminder that the profound 595 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:16,320 potential of God's truth, especially the truths that are 596 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:22,640 not easy to share or hear, have the capacity to awaken the 597 00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:30,800 stubborn and the rebellious. But we might, we might have to 598 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:36,000 consider if Ahab's repentance is complete, because this looks 599 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:40,440 hopeful, this looks encouraging. But this is not the end of the 600 00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:42,800 Book of First Kings. There's still another chapter. 601 00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:47,080 And what we're going to discover, perhaps to your 602 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:52,040 disappointment, is that the same Ahab in the following text, he 603 00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:55,600 doesn't make any effort to confront his wife. 604 00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:01,600 He doesn't campaign for the cleansing of the Land of Israel 605 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:05,640 from Baal worship. In fact, you're going to 606 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:08,520 actually find him inquiring of the self-proclaimed prophets of 607 00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:12,080 Baal for guidance instead of the true prophets of God. 608 00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:20,360 So what you see here is, is real, is authentic, but it's 609 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:24,080 momentary. And the reason why I can say 610 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:26,320 that there's something here that is genuine is because God is 611 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:28,920 going to commend it. But you also have to recognize 612 00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:34,920 that it's short lived. It's short lived and that's just 613 00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:37,920 the disappointing reality of the human condition. 614 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:42,200 I want to say this, I wasn't planning to, but let's do it 615 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:46,080 anyway. Just to give you another reason 616 00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:51,120 why you should read your Bible from cover to cover based on the 617 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:53,640 scene that we have described and study up to this point. 618 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:57,160 You have Nebith Vineyard and who are the characters involved? 619 00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:03,520 Please somebody answer. Who are the characters? 620 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:09,600 Involved Ahab and Elijah Goodwin turn to 2nd Kings 9 please. 621 00:41:23,070 --> 00:41:25,030 This is a man by the name of Nehu. 622 00:41:25,030 --> 00:41:29,110 Nehu is going to be raised up by God to actually fulfill the 623 00:41:29,110 --> 00:41:32,110 prophecy of the House of Ahab being eradicated. 624 00:41:32,790 --> 00:41:37,550 But I want you to notice. What Jehu says in verse 25. 625 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:42,600 Jehu said to bid Car his aid. Take him up and throw him on the 626 00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:45,440 plot of the ground belonging to Nabath the Jezreelite. 627 00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:50,160 For remember when you and I rode side by side behind Ahab his 628 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:53,680 father, how the Lord made this pronouncement against him As 629 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:56,880 surely as I saw yesterday. The blood of Nabeth and the 630 00:41:56,880 --> 00:41:59,680 blood of his sons, declares the Lord, I will repay you on this 631 00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:02,520 plot of ground. Now, therefore, take him up and 632 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:05,760 throw him on the plot of ground in accordance with the word of 633 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:09,720 the Lord. So it wasn't just Ahab and 634 00:42:09,720 --> 00:42:13,560 Elijah. Apparently we had Jehu and his 635 00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:18,680 aide Bit Car who were on the site and who were heard Elijah's 636 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:22,240 prophetic pronouncement against Ahab and realizing this moment 637 00:42:22,240 --> 00:42:24,200 that this was a fulfillment of just that. 638 00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:29,480 So he heard these words for himself and you would hope that 639 00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:32,280 this would have sobered him up. Though he wasn't the direct 640 00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:36,160 object of that pronouncement, he would realize how holy God is. 641 00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,000 And how terrifying it is to fall into the hands of the living 642 00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:41,600 God. And Jehu faithfully observed 643 00:42:41,600 --> 00:42:46,880 what God tells him to do as a as a man who was called to cleanse 644 00:42:46,960 --> 00:42:50,200 the land from such filth. But you're going to realize this 645 00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:54,800 when we study second kings that Jehu, we're told of him that he 646 00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:56,800 did not carefully walk in the ways of the Lord. 647 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:05,160 So God's Word has the capacity to to crush the confidence of 648 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:08,560 the Sinner. But the sinner's heart can be so 649 00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:12,640 wicked and evil that even after being sobered for a moment, they 650 00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:19,560 can return to their vomit. That doesn't mean that we should 651 00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:20,800 stop preaching the truth, though. 652 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:27,080 First King 17. Let's go back to chapter 21, 653 00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:29,240 verse 27. Ahab heard those words. 654 00:43:29,240 --> 00:43:31,920 He tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his flesh, and 655 00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:34,800 fasted and laying sackcloth and went about dejectedly. 656 00:43:35,840 --> 00:43:40,680 So now the same Lord who silently watched Ahab plot and 657 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:44,960 approve the murder of an innocent man and would punish 658 00:43:44,960 --> 00:43:52,440 him for him, is the same Lord who watched the man breakdown 659 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:56,800 mourn over his sin and would provide relief because of it. 660 00:43:59,280 --> 00:44:01,200 What does he do? Look at verse 28. 661 00:44:01,200 --> 00:44:03,960 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah, the Tishbite, saying, 662 00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:07,760 Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? 663 00:44:08,600 --> 00:44:10,560 Because he has humbled himself before me? 664 00:44:10,640 --> 00:44:16,040 I will not bring the disaster in his days, but in his son's days 665 00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:19,160 I will bring the disaster upon his house. 666 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:22,920 If that doesn't move you, I don't know what will. 667 00:44:27,240 --> 00:44:30,480 Here you have a man who has fresh blood on his hands. 668 00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:34,160 Here you have a man who is neglected and ignored and defied 669 00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:36,520 and blasphemed God over and over in ways that are just 670 00:44:36,520 --> 00:44:40,280 unfathomable. And the moment he shows even 671 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:44,400 what you and I would deem, check this out, shallow repentance. 672 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:55,680 It still moves God fleeting, sorrow and shame fleeting, and 673 00:44:55,680 --> 00:45:01,800 it still stirred God's heart. And some would be disturbed 674 00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:04,760 perhaps by this. It didn't cancel the verdict, 675 00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:08,080 but it did suspend it. God did suspend it and prolong 676 00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:11,960 it in a way He delayed it. But even in that some would say, 677 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:14,840 look, how is this? How is this fair? 678 00:45:14,840 --> 00:45:18,800 Didn't God know that this man would only go back to his ways 679 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:23,720 in in a brief moment? Yes he does. 680 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:27,640 But instead of trying to decipher and settling to 681 00:45:27,640 --> 00:45:31,920 decipher Ahab's motives. Let this text convince you of 682 00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:37,560 the absolute incredible mercy of God, because again, if God is 683 00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:42,880 willing to be moved in this way for something like this, what do 684 00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:45,200 you think He's willing to do for the heart who is ready to 685 00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:48,000 totally surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? 686 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:54,320 Have you thought about that? If this man could do something 687 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:59,560 external, yes, it's from the heart, but superficial. 688 00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:02,680 And he had God says, did you see how he humbled himself before 689 00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:05,040 me? I'm going to do something about 690 00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:06,880 that. What would God do for the one 691 00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:12,480 who says, Lord Jesus, I repent and I fully trust and you're 692 00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:15,960 saving work for my life, Be the Lord of my life. 693 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:19,000 What would God do for a man or woman like that? 694 00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:26,360 You would think, OK, maybe that's for a, but definitely not 695 00:46:26,360 --> 00:46:29,920 for Jezebel. Well, Jezebel never repents, 696 00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:31,680 unfortunately, so we would never know. 697 00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:35,240 But can I remind you what the Lord was willing to do for 698 00:46:35,240 --> 00:46:38,520 another Jezebel? This is not the only time 699 00:46:38,520 --> 00:46:40,280 Jezebel's mentioned. She's mentioned as you know 700 00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:41,320 where. Tell me where. 701 00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:44,880 Revelation, good. Revelation 220. 702 00:46:45,600 --> 00:46:50,200 I want you to see these words again and perhaps what the Lord 703 00:46:50,200 --> 00:46:54,600 was willing to do for this Jezebel in a church He was 704 00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:59,080 willing to do for the original Jezebel in the Kingdom of 705 00:46:59,080 --> 00:47:02,760 Israel. So there is a woman in a church 706 00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:06,000 who was trying to take over that church with the same spirit of 707 00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:07,880 this woman that we've been studying the past few weeks. 708 00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:10,320 And the Lord says this. But I have this against you 709 00:47:10,320 --> 00:47:13,360 speaking to the church that you tolerate, that woman Jezebel, 710 00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:16,840 who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my 711 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:19,320 servants to practice sexual morality and to eat food 712 00:47:19,320 --> 00:47:21,800 sacrificed to idols. And look at the next verse. 713 00:47:21,840 --> 00:47:27,400 I gave her time to repent. I gave her Jezebel. 714 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:30,680 Can you imagine somebody operating in the same spirit as 715 00:47:30,680 --> 00:47:33,920 Jezebel in the Church of Jesus Christ? 716 00:47:35,720 --> 00:47:39,800 And yet Christ, the head of the church says I gave her time. 717 00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:47,080 I even give this woman who is influenced by that spirit, who's 718 00:47:47,080 --> 00:47:49,800 operating with that same frame of mind, time to change. 719 00:47:50,440 --> 00:47:53,440 But notice But she refuses to repent. 720 00:47:55,200 --> 00:47:57,000 Who's held accountable for not coming to Christ? 721 00:47:57,000 --> 00:48:00,000 The person who refuses to repent, but she refuses to 722 00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:03,520 repent of her sexual morality. Why don't we read the next verse 723 00:48:03,520 --> 00:48:04,440 anyway? So here it is. 724 00:48:04,640 --> 00:48:07,800 Instead of repentance being granted, instead of joy and life 725 00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:10,920 being experienced, Behold, I will throw her unto a sick bed, 726 00:48:11,160 --> 00:48:14,640 and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great 727 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:15,680 tribulation. Unless. 728 00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:20,080 They repent of her works. So he's even still now through 729 00:48:20,080 --> 00:48:25,040 this final ammunition, this final appeal, giving time for 730 00:48:25,040 --> 00:48:28,040 her and her children, her spiritual children, to repent. 731 00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:32,960 It's very difficult to communicate just how merciful 732 00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:35,520 God is. It's very difficult. 733 00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:44,800 And I want you in the most perhaps helpful way to 734 00:48:44,800 --> 00:48:49,120 understand God's mercy, whether you're a Christian or not, in 735 00:48:49,120 --> 00:48:51,680 the words of Nehemiah. And this is my final verse for 736 00:48:51,680 --> 00:48:54,360 tonight. And it's so good that I would 737 00:48:54,360 --> 00:48:56,160 want you to turn there to see it for yourself. 738 00:48:56,600 --> 00:48:58,560 And if you're somebody who highlights in your Bible, to 739 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:02,240 highlight it in your Bible, Nehemiah Chapter 9. 740 00:49:02,880 --> 00:49:05,080 And I want you to look at verse 17, please. 741 00:49:10,340 --> 00:49:19,660 Nehemiah 9/17. Consider these words that the 742 00:49:19,660 --> 00:49:25,760 Holy Spirit gives to us. They refused to obey, and we're 743 00:49:25,760 --> 00:49:29,280 not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but 744 00:49:29,280 --> 00:49:32,280 they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to 745 00:49:32,280 --> 00:49:35,240 their slavery in Egypt. Pause. 746 00:49:35,240 --> 00:49:37,200 You know what's so wonderful about that commentary that 747 00:49:37,200 --> 00:49:40,160 Nehemiah gives? It sheds new light on the Exodus 748 00:49:40,160 --> 00:49:43,800 journey. There came a point that the 749 00:49:43,800 --> 00:49:47,160 nation of Israel and more than one occasion they wanted to go 750 00:49:47,160 --> 00:49:48,440 back to Egypt. You remember that. 751 00:49:48,840 --> 00:49:51,200 And they complain against Moses leadership and Aaron's 752 00:49:51,200 --> 00:49:52,200 leadership. You remember that. 753 00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:54,560 But you know what? Nehemiah tells us that they went 754 00:49:54,560 --> 00:49:56,960 beyond what just we read in those stories. 755 00:49:57,160 --> 00:49:59,000 They went beyond just complaining and murmuring. 756 00:49:59,200 --> 00:50:04,720 They actually appointed a leader that's silent in the narratives 757 00:50:05,640 --> 00:50:07,800 of the exodus. But Nehemiah tells us they went. 758 00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:09,480 They went as far to say we found. 759 00:50:09,480 --> 00:50:11,600 Somebody, we chose him. This is the guy that's going to 760 00:50:11,600 --> 00:50:16,640 lead us now again, just to show you read the whole Bible. 761 00:50:17,320 --> 00:50:20,000 You're going to get you're going to get gems in it if you do it. 762 00:50:21,360 --> 00:50:23,520 They appointed a leader to return to the slave in Egypt. 763 00:50:23,520 --> 00:50:26,280 But that's not the main point. But you are a God. 764 00:50:26,280 --> 00:50:27,760 Can we read those 3 words together? 765 00:50:28,120 --> 00:50:35,440 Ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and 766 00:50:35,440 --> 00:50:37,760 abounding in steadfast love. And did not forsake him. 767 00:50:37,960 --> 00:50:42,800 Ready to forgive, not just willing to forgive. 768 00:50:43,520 --> 00:50:46,480 Ready to forgive. When somebody's ready to do 769 00:50:46,480 --> 00:50:49,400 something, that means that that's their disposition. 770 00:50:49,760 --> 00:50:54,160 That's their posture. That at the appropriate time, 771 00:50:55,040 --> 00:50:59,280 they are prepared to do the thing, They're prepared to go 772 00:50:59,280 --> 00:51:02,480 somewhere, they're prepared to perform a task. 773 00:51:04,480 --> 00:51:08,840 You know what God's posture is. It has been and always be. 774 00:51:10,000 --> 00:51:16,200 Ready to forgive. Ready to forgive the the moment 775 00:51:16,200 --> 00:51:21,440 a Sinner knocks on the door, God will swing wide that door. 776 00:51:22,360 --> 00:51:25,080 He will swing it wide open, and he will embrace that Sinner. 777 00:51:26,320 --> 00:51:32,320 This is God's heart ready. In an Ezekiel, we're told that 778 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:35,080 he does not delight in the death of the wicked. 779 00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:39,720 And later another prophet tells us that he delights in showing 780 00:51:39,720 --> 00:51:43,160 steadfast love. And that's why we're told that 781 00:51:43,160 --> 00:51:46,840 he's slow to anger. Why is he slow to anger? 782 00:51:46,840 --> 00:51:50,680 Because he's ready to forgive. That's where he leans. 783 00:51:51,280 --> 00:51:53,320 That's what he desires. That's what he longs and yearns 784 00:51:53,320 --> 00:51:55,920 for more than anything else. So he is holy. 785 00:51:55,920 --> 00:51:57,800 He's brilliant, He's pure, he's majestic. 786 00:51:58,720 --> 00:52:02,880 But he is ready to forgive. Do you believe that, child of 787 00:52:02,880 --> 00:52:07,840 God, when you have fallen short, when you've genuinely messed up, 788 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:13,840 my God is ready to forgive. Is that your confidence? 789 00:52:14,160 --> 00:52:15,360 Yeah. You're bruised. 790 00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:18,040 You're broken. Maybe you're even embarrassed. 791 00:52:19,280 --> 00:52:22,320 But how do you come to him? Do you see? 792 00:52:22,320 --> 00:52:24,280 Him like how Nehemiah describes him. 793 00:52:27,000 --> 00:52:28,960 And I want to tell you, if you're a person visiting at this 794 00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:31,840 Bible study tonight and you don't know God and you're in 795 00:52:31,840 --> 00:52:35,680 sin, and maybe throughout this whole time you've been 796 00:52:35,680 --> 00:52:42,880 considering me as your enemy, reconsider how you view not me. 797 00:52:42,880 --> 00:52:45,200 What you think about me is irrelevant, but what I'm saying 798 00:52:45,320 --> 00:52:49,560 and what I represent with this truth that I conclude on God, 799 00:52:49,560 --> 00:52:52,200 the God that I serve, the God that this church serves, is 800 00:52:52,200 --> 00:52:57,280 ready to forgive you. But will you, like Jezebel in 801 00:52:57,280 --> 00:53:00,160 Revelation, refuse to repent? You can. 802 00:53:02,040 --> 00:53:07,080 God is a God of love. True love demands a choice, a 803 00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:11,160 willingness to love back. And so the Lord, he, he makes 804 00:53:11,160 --> 00:53:13,240 himself ready. The question is, are you? 805 00:53:13,720 --> 00:53:16,440 The thing is, I wouldn't wait to respond to that. 806 00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:22,800 I would make a choice and not waste one more second of a life 807 00:53:22,800 --> 00:53:27,800 apart from Him. You think you're autonomous. 808 00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:30,520 I know. You think you're ruling your 809 00:53:30,520 --> 00:53:31,240 life. I know. 810 00:53:31,240 --> 00:53:33,400 But let me tell you what the Bible says. 811 00:53:34,040 --> 00:53:36,320 The Bible says you're a slave of one or two things. 812 00:53:36,320 --> 00:53:39,920 You're either a slave to sin or you're a slave to righteousness. 813 00:53:40,640 --> 00:53:42,720 You have a master, and it's not you. 814 00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:48,040 Your master is either your sin, your flesh that's already been 815 00:53:48,040 --> 00:53:50,680 sold under sin, or that can change. 816 00:53:50,680 --> 00:53:54,360 The ownership of your life can change if you acknowledge Jesus 817 00:53:54,360 --> 00:54:00,080 Christ as Lord and as Savior. And the moment you make that 818 00:54:00,080 --> 00:54:06,920 shift of allegiance, this master known as Jesus Christ, oh, he's 819 00:54:06,920 --> 00:54:10,640 good. His burden is light. 820 00:54:11,480 --> 00:54:17,240 His yoke is easy. He says, come to me, come to me, 821 00:54:18,200 --> 00:54:20,640 we read in the opening of this Bible study, Psalm 81, where 822 00:54:21,520 --> 00:54:23,600 where the Lord tells and reminds the people, I've lifted the 823 00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:27,160 burden off your shoulder. And that's what Christ does. 824 00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:32,120 The heaviness of sin, the heaviness of a life void of 825 00:54:32,120 --> 00:54:35,440 purpose, the heaviness of your conscience that always rises up 826 00:54:35,480 --> 00:54:39,120 against you, the heaviness of a heart that has been created with 827 00:54:39,120 --> 00:54:42,960 eternity in it, not knowing the answers for or the absolute 828 00:54:42,960 --> 00:54:44,240 assurance that you'll experience it. 829 00:54:44,560 --> 00:54:48,320 All of that is dealt with the moment that you make Christ 830 00:54:48,320 --> 00:54:52,960 Jesus your Lord. What's What do I have to do? 831 00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:56,440 Acknowledge it. What's required of me? 832 00:54:56,480 --> 00:54:58,360 Open your hands and receive the gift. 833 00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:04,000 That's what's required of you. Humble yourself and realize that 834 00:55:04,000 --> 00:55:08,680 you have been wrong, that you're not the master of your fate, 835 00:55:11,400 --> 00:55:14,920 that you will stand before him one day, that this all came from 836 00:55:14,920 --> 00:55:18,000 him, that one day he did enter into this world in the person of 837 00:55:18,000 --> 00:55:20,840 Jesus Christ. And he didn't die a martyr's 838 00:55:20,840 --> 00:55:23,400 death. Merely he wasn't a. 839 00:55:23,400 --> 00:55:29,400 Victim, but he planned to pay for your sin, and he laid his 840 00:55:29,400 --> 00:55:33,320 life down for you to have your life raised up with Him. 841 00:55:34,240 --> 00:55:38,280 This is Christ and so we don't come to this Bible study to get 842 00:55:38,280 --> 00:55:43,560 some morals to give us a better social life and financial life. 843 00:55:43,560 --> 00:55:47,520 And now this this book all points to one person. 844 00:55:47,520 --> 00:55:50,680 That's Jesus. And I point you to him tonight. 845 00:55:51,560 --> 00:55:54,160 He is ready to forgive you, believer. 846 00:55:54,160 --> 00:55:57,400 He's ready to forgive you Before we we go into singing. 847 00:55:57,960 --> 00:56:00,600 I don't mean to put you on the spot, Brother Brian, but the 848 00:56:00,600 --> 00:56:04,200 priest team can come up. But if you can play just softly 849 00:56:05,160 --> 00:56:08,640 and I want to give us a chance to meditate on the things that 850 00:56:08,640 --> 00:56:12,360 we heard tonight at Bible study, and then we'll sing and then 851 00:56:12,360 --> 00:56:14,080 we'll close and then we'll go on our way. 852 00:56:14,560 --> 00:56:18,320 But now with the with the the thought of his readiness to 853 00:56:18,320 --> 00:56:22,440 pardon and restore us. Ask the Lord to make the 854 00:56:22,440 --> 00:56:24,480 revelation of his goodness real to you. 855 00:56:25,280 --> 00:56:28,040 Ask the Lord to do that. Don't don't disturb your 856 00:56:28,040 --> 00:56:31,400 partner, your friend beside you, just just sit in His presence. 857 00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:33,680 Let the truth of God continue to wash over you. 858 00:56:34,160 --> 00:56:37,240 And then we'll we'll respond to him as a church with one voice, 859 00:56:37,240 --> 00:56:39,520 but in your own voice. Sit here. 860 00:56:41,760 --> 00:56:43,880 I wouldn't encourage you checking Instagram at this time. 861 00:56:43,880 --> 00:56:45,240 It would be a wasted opportunity. 862 00:56:46,600 --> 00:56:50,680 Just let your heart reflect in in his truth and speak to your 863 00:56:50,680 --> 00:56:51,920 God. Let's do that.