1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,800 You're listening to the Bridgetown Church Podcast with 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,840 Pastor Casey Kendall, where our vision is Jesus, our mission is 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,760 people, and our cause is love. Thanks for tuning in. 4 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:14,240 Let's dive in. First Samuel chapter 31, the 5 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:16,280 title of the series has been heart. 6 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:18,200 We've been dealing with the heart of the matter, which is 7 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,440 the matter of the heart of the title of this message. 8 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:25,920 If you're sitting next to someone, this is the bend of the 9 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:30,520 story. The bend of the story. 10 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:34,280 Notice this for Samuel chapter 31. 11 00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:37,640 We're just going to look at verse 6 and we're going to end 12 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,280 here. Pray and go into worship now. 13 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,560 I'm just kidding. That would be a very dark verse 14 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:47,160 to end. So Saul, his three sons, his 15 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:53,960 armor bearer, and all his men died together that same day. 16 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:56,760 Can you read this with me again in your Bible? 17 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:02,880 So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men 18 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:09,600 died together that same day. What a great Christmas message. 19 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:11,720 I just want to read this verse one more time. 20 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:19,200 So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men 21 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:26,840 died together that same day. If we were just to end here, 22 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,680 it'd be very dark and dreary story. 23 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,800 But I want to talk to you today. If you have someone sitting next 24 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:34,400 to you, just say neighbor, my neighbor. 25 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:41,640 This is the bend of the story. Yep, this is the bend of the 26 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,360 story. It was an amazing Marvel movie. 27 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,520 We go on Tuesday nights. If you ever want a cheat code 28 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,760 for going to the movies, it's used to be 5 bucks, but now it's 29 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:57,920 $8 on Tuesday nights at AMC. So I was taking most of my 30 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:02,920 children to see Spider Man and it was spectacular. 31 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:08,280 No one on the movie knew who he was except us. 32 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,200 We knew who the real Spider Man was, and it was something of a 33 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:18,360 movie where we laughed, we cried, we cheered, we all 34 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:23,360 rallied together for Spider Man. And guess what the ending was? 35 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,960 He caught the villain. He got the villain. 36 00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:32,360 All of the sudden the credits popped up on the screen with the 37 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,240 music in the background. Names and what they did were 38 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,560 spreckled across all of the theater. 39 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:44,840 And we, as the credits came up, we got up and we left. 40 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,960 As I went home, one of my boys said, Dad, did you stay for the 41 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,560 end of the movie? I said yes, we stayed for the 42 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,480 end of the movie. The credits hit, the story was 43 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,600 done and we left the theater. He said no, Dad, did you stay 44 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,800 for the end of the story? I said, what do you mean? 45 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:11,040 He said the the story after the credits were over, did you wait? 46 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,600 I said no, the movie was already done. 47 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,480 He said, Dad, that wasn't the end of the story. 48 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:23,120 That was just the the bend of the story. 49 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:29,320 Then that was for us, the bend. There was more to be told. 50 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,880 If we would have waited a little bit longer, the bend of the 51 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,760 story, then there was more to see. 52 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,520 If we would have endured through who actually got the credit. 53 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,280 That's the bend of the story. We would have been better 54 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:47,760 prepared for what was next in Marvel world if we weren't so 55 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,560 panicked to exit out of that building. 56 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:56,880 That was the bend of the story, and could it be what you thought 57 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:02,200 was the end of your story today was actually just the bend in 58 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:06,680 your story today? Could it be for you and for me 59 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:12,720 that the temptation is that we begin to see the struggle as the 60 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:18,160 final scene in our life? We actually begin to take the 61 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:24,240 pain that we are in as if God has used His pin as the final 62 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:29,800 page of our life, the story in our life. 63 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:34,520 Often times when we are in this place that seems dark and it 64 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:39,480 seems like it is the end, we whisper to ourselves the lie 65 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:46,080 that we can't do this anymore and we fail to realize that 66 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:51,560 Jesus our Lord is still writing our story. 67 00:04:52,840 --> 00:04:56,040 The bend of the story. The marriage that you fought 68 00:04:56,040 --> 00:05:00,480 for, the relationships that you've actually longed for. 69 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,360 The bend of the story of the person that you're hurting for, 70 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,720 the job that you sought for. The bend of the story. 71 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:12,880 The plans you have made for yourself but haven't come to 72 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,440 pass. Could that be not the end of 73 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,760 your story? But maybe it's just the bend of 74 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:22,400 your story. All throughout Scripture it is 75 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:26,520 given to us the story the theological preference and 76 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:32,040 proximity that Jesus Christ in Philippians chapter one verse 6 77 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:36,200 that he who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it 78 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:41,440 until the day of Christ Jesus. All throughout Scripture from 79 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:46,360 the book of Revel Genesis into the Book of Revelation, we start 80 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:50,160 in a garden and God ends creating a garden. 81 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:54,120 What we thought was the end of death was actually just the bend 82 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:57,480 in the story. When we see this in Joseph's 83 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:03,160 life, Joseph was thrown into the pit, but that was just the bend 84 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:06,400 of the story. We we see this in Moses. 85 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,160 Moses was sent to the desert, but that wasn't the end of his 86 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:12,960 story. That was just the bend in his 87 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,360 story. We see this with Esther in the 88 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:19,320 palace and it looks like Haman will wipe out all of the Jews. 89 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,000 And that is not the end of Esther's story. 90 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,960 That is just the bend of the story. 91 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:30,000 We see this in Elijah in a cave where he is now depressed and 92 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,280 facing emotional distressing feelings. 93 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,040 That wasn't the end of Elijah's story. 94 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,720 That was just the bend. In Elijah's story, we see 95 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,400 Jeremiah throwing into a cistern. 96 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:46,320 That wasn't the end of Jeremiah. That was just the bend of the 97 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,160 story. We see Jesus, our Lord, our 98 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:53,520 Savior, hanging on a cross. That wasn't the end of the 99 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,120 story. Although he cried out, it is 100 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,400 finished. He wasn't finished and he lives 101 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,560 to make intercession for you and I. 102 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,240 He is faithful to do what he is called to do. 103 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:08,680 And this is something that we have to understand. 104 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:13,920 Although we come to the end of First Samuel, I want you to get 105 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,800 something profound. I want you to take this 106 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:19,880 theologically with you. Are you ready? 107 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:26,600 First Samuel is followed by Second Samuel. 108 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:33,200 That was deep. First Samuel is followed by 109 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,760 Second Samuel. First Samuel is not the end of 110 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:41,320 the story, it's just the bend in the story. 111 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:46,920 Chapter 31 bleeds into Second Samuel chapter 1. 112 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:52,960 But if we were just to take this one last chapter, we would see 113 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:57,000 it as something that is drastically dark. 114 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:04,800 Saw dies Saul's three sons die in that three sons is David's 115 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,880 best friend by the name of Jonathan. 116 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:13,880 Not only does Saul die in for Samuel 31 verse 6, but we also 117 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:18,040 see that the Philistines get this cut his head off, strip him 118 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:22,160 of his armor and they decorate their wall with his lifeless 119 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,120 body. That is a very dark ending to 120 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,360 the story. We we shall see ourselves that 121 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:33,520 we, if we stop here, we're going to sell ourselves short. 122 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,159 So we don't stop here. And I love what one author 123 00:08:38,159 --> 00:08:41,720 writes. They said these words, breathe. 124 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,360 This is a chapter, not the finished book. 125 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,760 And I want to challenge you this morning in your life to breathe, 126 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,120 to breathe in your relationships. 127 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:57,400 It's not the end of your story. It's just a chapter in the book. 128 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,120 I want you to breathe at the job you're at. 129 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:05,800 It's not the end of your story. It's just a chapter of the 130 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,480 story. I want you to breathe. 131 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:13,480 When you go into Christmas time and you can't find a parking 132 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:19,560 spot at the mall or at Walmart or at Hobby Lobby or at Target, 133 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:24,640 breathe. It's not the end of the story. 134 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:29,000 It's just the bend in the story. Listen, please. 135 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:33,960 I think it's important that every single one of us breathe 136 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:39,400 in grace and exhale some mercy. And I think we need to 137 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:43,320 understand that God is faithful to meet you in the bend of your 138 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,200 story. And I always want to backtrack a 139 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,520 little bit. If you're at my age, I want to 140 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,600 hit the VCR and I just want to hit stop real quick. 141 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:55,680 And I want to hit rewind because I want you to see that God's 142 00:09:55,680 --> 00:09:57,960 bend of your story could be at the lowest point. 143 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:01,080 It could be at your transforming point, or it could be at the 144 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:04,680 ending point of your story. And I want you to get this out 145 00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:09,400 of David's life because God meets him in every situation. 146 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:13,880 So if you would just rewind with me into the story of David back 147 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:18,440 in Chapter 30, you remember last week we had discussed that David 148 00:10:18,560 --> 00:10:22,880 had gone back to Ziklag, forced by the Philistines to leave. 149 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:27,560 And he goes back into Ziklag and he realizes that from there his 150 00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:31,680 family and all the families, all the children have been 151 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:34,480 kidnapped. Now what would you do as a 152 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:42,080 parent if your children were being held hostage by the enemy? 153 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:47,280 This is what the Bible says David did, and notice what it 154 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:52,320 says in verse 4 of chapter 30. Then David and the people who 155 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:57,720 were with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had 156 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:04,520 no power to weep. Then this is the lowest point in 157 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:08,960 David's life at this point in time, that this is a point where 158 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:13,120 everyone's been kidnapped, mostly everything has been 159 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:17,080 taken. And David, along with all the 160 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:22,840 people who were with them, they lifted up their voices and they 161 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:27,160 did two things. They wept, the Bible says, until 162 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,800 they had no more power to weep. Now, I don't know if you've ever 163 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:35,440 cried so much that you stopped crying because you were crying 164 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,440 so much. This is validity through 165 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:44,600 Scripture that it is OK to express your emotion, but you 166 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:47,360 don't have to be led by your emotion. 167 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:50,960 Sometimes in Christianity we get the perspective that the best 168 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,240 thing you could do and the most blessed thing that you could do 169 00:11:54,400 --> 00:12:00,160 is to bury how you're feeling. Don't bury it, bring it and then 170 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:04,720 let God lead you in it. That was a good spot for an 171 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:06,240 Amen. Now notice this. 172 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:11,640 The Bible says that they lifted up their voices and they 173 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:16,560 actually wept. They cried out. 174 00:12:16,560 --> 00:12:22,440 This, this was the point of of mourning, of moaning, of 175 00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:24,760 sobbing. This is it. 176 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:27,560 If we were to get a little bit more graphic, this is you're 177 00:12:27,560 --> 00:12:32,000 crying so hard that you can't stop the snot from coming out of 178 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,880 your nose. It is you look like messy as you 179 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,360 are mourning. This is the spot that David's AT 180 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:41,360 and he's crying out with all of these people. 181 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,840 But it gets worse for David. Notice this. 182 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,640 The Bible tells us in verse 6, then David was greatly 183 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:50,400 distressed. So he's weeping with people. 184 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,400 He weeps so much that he cannot weep anymore. 185 00:12:53,560 --> 00:12:58,120 And then the Bible says it. David was greatly distressed. 186 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,000 The word greatly there in your Bible means abundantly. 187 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:05,520 He has an abundance of what? Notice the Bible says 188 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:11,520 distressing emotion. The word distress there in the 189 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:15,880 Bible means afflicted and frustrated. 190 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:21,040 David's crying to the point he can't cry anymore and he's 191 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,720 abundantly afflicted and frustrated. 192 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:30,000 Anyone ever felt like that? David's plans aren't matching 193 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,280 David's path at this point in time. 194 00:13:33,560 --> 00:13:37,440 And the Bible says for the speak people spoke of stoning him. 195 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,080 Let's get a little bit deeper. Davidde lowest point. 196 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,560 Now David comes to a point in his life. 197 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:46,560 Now everyone is against him. Once they're all mourning 198 00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:48,920 together. Now they're fighting against 199 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:51,920 them and they want to get rid of David. 200 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:54,920 Now notice what happens in David's story. 201 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:58,800 The Bible tells us that the people wanted to stone him 202 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:02,080 because the soul of all the people were noticed this they 203 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:06,960 were grieved and then the Bible says every man for his sons and 204 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:10,720 his daughters, but David strengthened himself in the 205 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:12,600 Lord. Now check this out if you would. 206 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,320 The lowest point, David's weeping to the point he can't 207 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,400 don't weep anymore. Then he's greatly distressed. 208 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:21,480 Then people are speaking about his death. 209 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:29,880 Merry Christmas David, this is a horrible season of David's life. 210 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:38,320 Notice this David was now facing that the Amalekites had stolen 211 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,240 the wives and the sons and the daughters. 212 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:47,080 The Amalekites had kidnapped their family and it as everybody 213 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:49,560 is mourning. Notice this. 214 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:57,040 This chapter in David's life could have left David resentful, 215 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:03,840 angry, cynical, due to this experience of disappointment. 216 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:08,840 This is so low that notice this in David's life. 217 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:13,920 This negative outlook normally could have led to the difficulty 218 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:19,560 of forgiving, led to holding grudges, and LED David to only 219 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:24,680 seeing the negative side of the situations in his life. 220 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:28,720 And here's the problem with the low points is that it creates 221 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:34,560 lemon people. Low points have the possibility 222 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:42,160 to create lemon people. They just become completely sour 223 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:45,200 and you probably have met them in your life. 224 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:47,840 I'm sure no one in here is one of them. 225 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:54,040 No one has faced so much in their life that it has left you 226 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,400 sour. But maybe you have met someone 227 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:01,560 who has gone through their lowest point and they have 228 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:08,240 become this lemon person. I mean, everything about their 229 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:12,040 life is they've had a bad experience. 230 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:15,440 And now because the bad experience, they leave a bad 231 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:19,720 taste in everyone's mouth wherever they go. 232 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:26,360 I wonder no one probably here the married couple who is 233 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:31,320 struggling, the married couple who is struggling. 234 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:36,680 Your lowest point of your marriage because marriages 235 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:42,800 aren't always on high notes. That was a good spot for an 236 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:48,480 Amen. Marriages have low points, but 237 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:52,720 sometimes in those low points, married couples become lemon 238 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,720 people. This is how we become lemon 239 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,840 people. Listen, you speak to singles 240 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:02,440 around you. Oh, you just wait till you get 241 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:07,079 married like it's payment and punishment. 242 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:13,359 Or maybe it's this. You thought being a single was a 243 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:17,480 struggle. Wait till you get married. 244 00:17:19,319 --> 00:17:23,839 And this is how married couples become lemon people is they get 245 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:30,560 the engagement ring, they find the wedding ring, and then they 246 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:38,680 face the suffering and they live in the suffering of a struggling 247 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,640 marriage. Have you ever met a single 248 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:50,360 person who's a lemon person? You ever meet a single person or 249 00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:54,280 maybe someone who's just been dating, not not for like a 250 00:17:54,280 --> 00:18:00,560 month, but maybe like a year. A single person who becomes a 251 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:07,800 lemon person normally says things that would go like this. 252 00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:12,800 God, you promised, but you're not providing. 253 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,720 Relationships, you might say are too much work. 254 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:24,960 I'd rather have my freedom. Have you ever faced a someone 255 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:32,160 who is sour at their job? That's a good spot for the 256 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:35,200 church to respond. You ever you ever met a lemon 257 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:39,480 person at their job? This is the job they prayed for. 258 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:41,680 This is the job they asked for of the Lord. 259 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:43,840 And this is what a lemon person does. 260 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:49,480 They make me work so much. This is what you actually prayed 261 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,000 for. Your answered prayer is now your 262 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:57,360 complaint to God. You ever faced a lemon person at 263 00:18:57,360 --> 00:19:03,400 church? Not here. 264 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,960 This is normally what happens not at Bridgetown, but at other 265 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,920 churches. The pastor isn't meeting my 266 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:16,680 needs anymore. How about this one? 267 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:19,840 I've heard this one a lot. I'm not being spiritually fed 268 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:28,640 here. The worship Why would we ever 269 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:34,120 have a violin? Why would we bring in drums? 270 00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:37,720 Why, why why do we even have carpets? 271 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:41,000 Casey? Why are we still in this 272 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,280 building? Why do we have to set up and 273 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:51,120 tear down every Sunday? At the lowest point? 274 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:56,520 There is a danger of staying somewhere and you park where 275 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:01,720 it's just simply become the pathway of your life. 276 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,480 Here's here's the here's the problem. 277 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:09,320 We park in the pain rather than drive through the process. 278 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:15,440 Here's here's the problem. We park in the pain rather than 279 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:19,680 driving through the process. You weren't supposed to pitch 280 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:22,880 your tent there. You were supposed to keep moving 281 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,280 there. You weren't supposed to just 282 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:28,680 park in the pain there. But but now what happens in life 283 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:34,840 is the lowest point becomes my only point in life at your 284 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:37,920 lowest point. It is the bend in your story, 285 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:41,560 not the end of your story. Listen to what God allowed for 286 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:43,640 David in the context of the Scripture. 287 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:48,120 God allowed David to feel mourning, grieving, affliction, 288 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:54,960 frustration, threats. But what he allows does not mean 289 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:58,320 it's the final authority over Davidde life. 290 00:20:59,120 --> 00:21:02,800 And I think it's important that we understand that because all 291 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:06,080 of us are facing things in our lives and experiences in our 292 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,840 lives that David going into Ziklag, you didn't expect it to 293 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:12,680 happen like that. You didn't expect for it to look 294 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:15,640 like that. But what happens is it is the 295 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:19,520 low points have the potential to make you believe that you are 296 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:23,080 behind in life and God is not really building your life 297 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,520 anymore. But I want to encourage you 298 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,840 today, if I could, to do some things if you find yourself at 299 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:32,720 the low, lowest point, or maybe write these down because at some 300 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,360 point in your life you will find yourself at your lowest point. 301 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,720 And that is this. Can you just write these things 302 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:41,040 down if you're at your lowest point? 303 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,320 It's the bend of your story. So write this down. 304 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:48,040 Focus on the now. Focus on the now. 305 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:53,200 Focus on the now. God's Word to you is not a 306 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,680 spotlight into the future necessarily. 307 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,600 It's a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. 308 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:03,640 Focus on the now. Concentrate on your current 309 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:09,040 God-given goals and the very next thing that God asked you to 310 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:14,880 do rather than on the lost time that you've experienced. 311 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:19,200 Philippians chapter 3, verse 14. Just as a side note, you can 312 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,480 write that down. Can can you write this down? 313 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:25,840 Also, if you're at the lowest point of your life, learn from 314 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,040 the past. Someone once said the only thing 315 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,080 that we've learned from history is that we really haven't 316 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:35,920 learned from our history. Learn from your past. 317 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:40,040 Next time, David, don't go to the land of the enemy of the 318 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,840 Philistines. Next time, stay in Israel. 319 00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:48,640 Next time, don't pitch your tent and get comfortable in a place 320 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:55,680 that you do not belong. Don't go back to the enemy's 321 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:58,760 camp. Just because it's familiar, it 322 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:04,720 doesn't mean that it's free. Learn from your past that the 323 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:09,600 drugs didn't really satisfy you, that the relationship that you 324 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:13,600 got into outside of Jesus really didn't meet the needs that you 325 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:18,680 thought it would mean. Learn from the past that the the 326 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:24,360 the situation you are facing maybe at your job is not 327 00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:28,160 necessarily because there are bad people, but maybe you made 328 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:32,760 some bad decisions. Learn from the past David. 329 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:38,400 Don't go with the Philistines anymore and thinking that 330 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:42,360 budding up with the enemy means that they won't steal something 331 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:45,520 from your family. Listen, I want us to learn from 332 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:47,240 our past. If you would just write this 333 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:54,840 down, do the next thing, do the next thing, do the next thing. 334 00:23:56,120 --> 00:23:58,120 I had a friend I was meeting with on Friday. 335 00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:00,120 He looked at me and he said, Casey, He said, what does 336 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:02,400 obedience look like in this moment for you? 337 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:05,400 And I want to ask you the same question today. 338 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:11,680 What does obedience look like for you in this moment? 339 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:18,280 Obey the word of God. Obey the word of God. 340 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:23,560 Can I just say it again? Obey the word of God. 341 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:27,640 If you're at your lowest point, I want you to focus on now. 342 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:29,560 I want you to learn from the past. 343 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:32,400 I want you to do the next thing and obey what God tells you to 344 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:34,280 do. This is what David does. 345 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:37,400 His lowest point turns into his turning point. 346 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:41,840 No notice this if you would that the Bible says that David found 347 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:44,960 himself in verse 6. David strengthened himself in 348 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:47,480 the Lord. Excuse me, his God. 349 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:51,960 David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 350 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:55,880 Notice some versions say that David found his strength in the 351 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,160 Lord his God. Other versions say that David 352 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:05,160 encouraged himself in the Lord his God. 353 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:11,520 Notice the turning point, if you would, for David's life is at 354 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:15,080 the bend of his story. So not just your lowest point, 355 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:17,800 but your turning point in your life. 356 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:24,080 The bend of the story is David did not stay, he stepped out and 357 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:30,040 he owned not just just mourned about his situation and he takes 358 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:34,040 responsibility and accountability for himself. 359 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:37,960 Notice this, he doesn't blame, he actually brings himself to 360 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:42,000 God in this situation. And as he brings himself to God, 361 00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:47,440 he takes initiative in the Lord and this is what he does. 362 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:49,560 He encourages himself in the Lord. 363 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:54,000 Then the Bible says that he in verse 8, David inquired of the 364 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:56,880 Lord, he encourages himself self in the Lord. 365 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:04,400 Then he inquires of the Lord and he went for the Lord and then he 366 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:12,080 recovered for the Lord and then he moved closer to his family 367 00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:18,720 because he was willing not to stay in the place of weeping and 368 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:23,200 mourning. He actually got up and he moved 369 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:28,360 forward towards the Lord. This is what I want to encourage 370 00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:32,160 you to do today. If you're taking note, stop 371 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:35,080 waiting for people to turn your life around. 372 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:43,200 Stop waiting for people to turn your life around. 373 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:50,720 This is for you at this point in time that we encourage ourselves 374 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:55,160 in the Lord. The Lord strengthens and the 375 00:26:55,160 --> 00:27:01,720 Lord transforms his people and it's all part of the story. 376 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:05,440 But you're responsible for your own part in the story. 377 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,680 You're responsible for your own part in the story. 378 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,840 I love that David was not a victim to what he had been taken 379 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:18,640 from. David did not live with this 380 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:23,200 victim mentality. There are a lot of people that 381 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:28,360 are getting involved in the Victim Olympics. 382 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:34,760 They live in this victimhood mindset. 383 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:37,840 Can I just define that for you really quick? 384 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:43,760 If you have a victim mentality, you will see your life entirely 385 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:47,400 through a perspective that things constantly happen to you. 386 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,760 Victimization is thus a combination of seeing most 387 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:55,760 things in life as negative, beyond your control, and is 388 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:59,400 something you should been given sympathy for experiencing as you 389 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:03,320 deserve better. At its heart, a victim mentality 390 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:07,600 is actually a way to avoid taking any responsibility for 391 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:12,200 yourself or your life. By believing you have no power, 392 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:15,240 then you don't have to take any type of action. 393 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:19,960 Now there's a difference between a victim mentality and someone 394 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:22,680 who is a victim. And there's some of you that 395 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:27,400 you've been a victim to very horrible and hard experiences, 396 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,240 abuse. You've been victim to things 397 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:36,600 that have happened in your life. There are innocent victims that 398 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,320 it is condemned by God. If you want to read about it in 399 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:43,520 Zechariah Chapter 7 verses 9 through 10 and in James chapter 400 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:47,560 2 verse 6, people can be innocent victims, but we can 401 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:50,640 suffer unjust evil at the hands of others. 402 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:53,760 But this is what I want you to be aware of, of moving from 403 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:58,320 being an innocent victim to adopting a victim mentality, the 404 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:01,080 victim mentality. In the case of other victims, we 405 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:05,800 should affirm the reality of their suffering, but there is 406 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:09,520 healing for what has happened and we can, much like David, 407 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,200 move forward in the light of everything that we have faced. 408 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:19,120 So what does it do when you live in this victim mentality and you 409 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:23,280 are stuck in a certain spot? Listen, I want you to write this 410 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:25,200 down. This is important. 411 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:29,120 The Bible doesn't encourage A victim mentality. 412 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:33,400 The Bible doesn't encourage it. While the Bible does recognize 413 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:38,720 reality, see the reality of innocent victims, it stops short 414 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:43,240 of affirming A victim mentality. We see this in the life of Jesus 415 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:46,360 himself. If anyone had a right to adopt A 416 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:49,320 victim mentality, blaming other people for their own unjust 417 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:52,600 suffering, it was Jesus. And yet, according to Scripture, 418 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:56,320 Jesus didn't adopt any behavior consistent with a victim 419 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:59,000 mentality. Instead, in response to his 420 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,200 suffering, he had the mindset of a humble servant. 421 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:06,120 Listen to this He endured faithfully as he saw the joy 422 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:09,160 that waited for him on the other side of his resurrection. 423 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:12,760 And he actively trusted God throughout the ordeal, knowing 424 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:14,800 there was a purpose behind His suffering. 425 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:18,760 Furthermore, he lovingly suffered and bled for those who 426 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:21,120 victimized him. Even in the midst of His 427 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:24,120 suffering, he prayed the words of forgiveness. 428 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:28,240 In Luke 23, verse 34, the foremost victim of human 429 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:33,600 history, Jesus never adopted the victim mentality. 430 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,720 Can you write this down? The victim mentality distorts 431 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:41,600 our view of reality. The victim mentality distorts 432 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:44,120 the view of reality. The victim mentality distorts 433 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:46,640 our view of reality. When we adopt A victim 434 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:51,280 mentality, we tend to see things always through a negative lens. 435 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:55,640 We magnify the bad things that happened to us and attribute 436 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:59,240 them exclusively to people and forces outside of our control. 437 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:04,040 And we lose the perspective of our own reality of our life #3 438 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:07,240 the victim mentality. It binds us to our own sin, in 439 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:14,960 our own need of a savior #4A victim mentality will disempower 440 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:22,120 you, and then it sucks the joy right out of your life. 441 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,120 And then the victim mentality does this. 442 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:28,560 It damages relationships around you. 443 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:32,960 So notice what David does. David gets up from where he's 444 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,760 at. He inquires of the Lord. 445 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,760 The Lord says go, and David goes. 446 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:42,280 He lands himself, finding one of the servants of the Amalekites. 447 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:46,280 That servant takes David and his men to the Amalekites. 448 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:51,560 David recovers everything. Would David have recovered 449 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:56,920 everything if he still sat in the place of being a victim? 450 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:02,160 He moves forward in this process, and notice what happens 451 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:07,080 in verse 21 of chapter 30. Now David came to the 200 men 452 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:10,920 who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom 453 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:13,400 they also made to stay at the brook of bazaar. 454 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,880 So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were 455 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:18,760 with him. And when David came near the 456 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,800 people, he greeted them. Then all the wicked and 457 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:25,000 worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, 458 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:29,720 Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the 459 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:33,760 spoil that we have recovered, except for every man's wife and 460 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:37,360 children, that they may lead them away and depart. 461 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:41,360 But David said, My brethren, you shall not do so with what the 462 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:44,840 Lord has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into 463 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,680 our hands the troop that came against us. 464 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:50,240 For who will heed you in this matter? 465 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:55,000 But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part 466 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:58,640 be who stays by the supplies they shall share alike. 467 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:02,320 And so it was from that day forward he made it a statute in 468 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:04,600 an ordinance of Israel to this day. 469 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:08,920 Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the 470 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:12,960 elders of Judah, to his friend, saying, here is a present for 471 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,240 you. From the spoil oil of the of the 472 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:19,360 enemies of the Lord to those who were in Bethel, those who were 473 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:23,160 in Ramoth of the South, those who were in Jatar, those who 474 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:27,520 were in AR, those who were in Sif Moth, those who were in 475 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:31,640 Eshtimoa, those who were in Rakal, those who were in the 476 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:35,120 cities of the Jahamalites, those who were in the cities of the 477 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:38,200 Canaanites and the flashlights and the parasites. 478 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,080 No, that's not in there. Those who were in Horma, those 479 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:46,160 who were in Core Rashan, those who were in A, those who were in 480 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:49,880 Hebron, into all the places where David himself and his men 481 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:53,640 were accustomed to Roe. What happened in David's 482 00:33:53,640 --> 00:34:01,160 transforming place of his life? This place of healing LED David 483 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:05,840 to a place of generosity. And that's what happens when you 484 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:09,719 heal at the end you feel is the end of your story. 485 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:14,120 It's just the bend is God takes what you have been clinching 486 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:16,480 onto and he calls you to release it. 487 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:21,120 And he uses what you release to bless others around you. 488 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:24,440 Notice David's at his lowest point. 489 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,920 No, David is at his transforming point. 490 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:33,679 But notice this, The bend of the story is even at the ending 491 00:34:33,679 --> 00:34:35,880 point. Look at chapter 31. 492 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:38,800 So the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of 493 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:42,800 Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell slain on 494 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,400 Mount Gilboa. Then the Philistines followed 495 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:49,239 hard after Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed 496 00:34:49,960 --> 00:35:02,360 Jonathan Abinadab Malkaishua, Saul's sons, heartbroken, weary. 497 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:07,360 The battle in verse 3 became intense against Saul and The 498 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:11,720 Archers hit him and he was severely wounded by The Archers. 499 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:15,800 Saul gets hit by an arrow. Then Saul said to his armor 500 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:20,000 bearer, Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest 501 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:24,280 these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me. 502 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:27,320 But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. 503 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:30,960 Therefore, Saul took a sword and he fell on it himself. 504 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:36,120 Let's just end there. Is that horrible? 505 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,640 This is suicide. This is suicide. 506 00:35:42,720 --> 00:35:46,320 Saul gives up his life and ends his own life. 507 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,880 And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell 508 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:57,760 on his sword and died with him. So Saul has three sons, his 509 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:00,240 armor bearer, and all his men died together that same day. 510 00:36:00,240 --> 00:36:02,600 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the 511 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:05,200 valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, 512 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:08,720 saw that the men of Israel had fled, that Saul and his sons 513 00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:11,280 were dead, they forsook the cities and fled. 514 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:13,840 And the Philistines came and dwelt in them. 515 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:18,360 Now the Philistines are inhabiting the same places that 516 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:19,880 the children of Israel should be living. 517 00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:23,720 So it came to pass the next day that when the Philistines came 518 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:27,760 to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons 519 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:31,480 fallen on Mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head and 520 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:34,800 stripped off his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the 521 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:38,120 Philistines to proclaim it in the temple of their idols and 522 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:42,280 among the people. Then they put his armor in the 523 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:46,320 temple of the Asterisks, and they fastened his body to the 524 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:50,240 wall of Beth Shan. And when the inhabitants of 525 00:36:50,240 --> 00:36:54,600 Jabesh Ghalid heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 526 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:58,840 all the valiant men arose, traveled all night, and they 527 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:03,160 took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall 528 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:07,120 of Beth Shen, and they became or they came to Jabesh and burned 529 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:09,920 them there. And then they took their bones 530 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:14,720 and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh and 531 00:37:14,720 --> 00:37:24,200 fasted 7 days. What a story, what a story. 532 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:26,840 But this is where some of you are at today. 533 00:37:28,240 --> 00:37:32,840 They took the bones and they buried them under the tamarisk 534 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:36,880 tree. All the things you've dreamed 535 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:42,760 about are dead and now buried. Everything that you hoped for is 536 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:46,880 now dead and buried. Everything that you would plan 537 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:51,480 for in this Christmas is dead and buried. 538 00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:57,280 Every hurt that you're harboring is now led to a life that seems 539 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:01,640 to be dead and buried. Everything that you'd hope for, 540 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:06,400 for work, seems like it's dead and buried. 541 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:08,840 But this is not the end of the story. 542 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:14,840 It's not the end. This is not the end of the 543 00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:21,080 story. If you remember, Saul was the 544 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:30,120 first king of Israel, but he wasn't the only king in Israel. 545 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:37,600 You remember it was Saul then. OK, let me read it to you. 546 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:46,200 King Saul leads into now if we get a little technical, a 547 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:51,680 Shibasheth David and David bleeds into Solomon. 548 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:53,280 But this isn't the end of the story. 549 00:38:54,520 --> 00:39:01,080 King Rehoboam, King Abayaham, King ASA, King Jehoshaphat, King 550 00:39:01,080 --> 00:39:07,920 Jehoram, King Azahiah, King Athaliah, King Joash, King Azah, 551 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:11,960 King Uzziah. You might remember him, the 552 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:16,920 cousin to the prophet Isaiah, King Jotham, King Ahaz, King 553 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:23,000 Hezekiah, King Manasseh, King Ammon, King Josiah, King Jehoaz, 554 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:30,240 King Johiah, Kim, Johiah Chin, and Zedekiah from the tribe of 555 00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:33,560 Judah. But there's another king coming 556 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:40,440 from the line of Judah. There's another king coming from 557 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:45,320 the line of Judah. There was another king coming 558 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:50,160 from the line of Judah. From the tribe of Judah, out 559 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:54,000 would come one who would rule and reign with a scepter of 560 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:58,280 righteousness. And although the serpent's head 561 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:02,800 was crushed and the heel was bruised, out of Judah would come 562 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:05,680 one who would reign forever more. 563 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:08,840 You see, this wasn't the end of the story. 564 00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:10,960 This was just the bend in the story. 565 00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:17,080 There's a king who is coming. Greater than David, has a 566 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:20,120 greater word than the prophets, who is more majestic than the 567 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:23,240 angels. He is the Word, and the Word 568 00:40:23,240 --> 00:40:27,400 became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. 569 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,560 The glory is the only begotten from the Father, full of grace 570 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:34,320 and truth. There's a king who's coming and 571 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:37,600 you might be looking at in your life just the end of your 572 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:42,440 situation, but the end of your situation does not mean that the 573 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:50,200 this is the end of your story. There's a bend, and the bend led 574 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:56,760 me to rule or to the rule and bending my knee to Jesus Christ, 575 00:40:57,240 --> 00:41:00,800 the King of kings, and he is the Lord of Lords. 576 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:04,320 So what does all this mean? What does all this mean? 577 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:08,320 That means this. The story's not over. 578 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:11,880 Let's validate some things. The story is hard. 579 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:14,440 Let's kind of validate some things. 580 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:17,680 You're angry in your story, you're hurt in your story, 581 00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:22,960 you're frustrated in your story, you're still in agony in your 582 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:25,680 story. But that does not mean that 583 00:41:25,720 --> 00:41:29,960 Jesus does not rule over your story. 584 00:41:30,240 --> 00:41:36,480 And as First Samuel ends in chapter 31, I want to challenge 585 00:41:36,480 --> 00:41:42,480 you on this December the 7th to come and bring all of that to 586 00:41:42,480 --> 00:41:44,240 the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 587 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:52,160 I want you to come and ask that the Lord would work and your 588 00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:56,360 eyes would be open to see the beauty of Jesus. 589 00:41:56,960 --> 00:42:01,600 Your ears would be attentive to the voice of Jesus, and your 590 00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:04,200 heart would be aligned with the will of Jesus. 591 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,640 He is king. It's not the end of your story. 592 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:10,320 And can I just speak this over you? 593 00:42:10,720 --> 00:42:15,400 God is not finished with you, He is faithful to you. 594 00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:19,720 We hope you enjoyed this message and we'd love for you to join us 595 00:42:19,720 --> 00:42:21,880 in person every Sunday at 10:30 AM. 596 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:24,280 For more information and updates, visit 597 00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:26,920 wearebridgetown.com. Thanks for tuning in and we'll 598 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:27,760 see you next week.