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 --> 00:00:13,000 Let's dive in. We've been in the book of First 5 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,160 Samuel, if you've been following along with us, and we've been 6 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,120 studying through the book of First Samuel, chapter by 7 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,480 chapter, verse by verse. And we've taken a little bit of 8 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,280 time off during Christmas. Then I was in Redlands preaching 9 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,480 for a friend, and then I flew out to Tennessee with my family 10 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:31,160 to speak to 300 youth out there in Tennessee, in the middle of 11 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,800 Tennessee. And God's doing a great work all 12 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,520 over the world and we get to be a part of it. 13 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,120 But I was just trying to think of three words to start your 14 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,320 2026 off right. And as we're going through the 15 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,200 series called Heart through Second Samuel chapter 1, if you 16 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:51,040 have your Bible, I wanted to give you a three words in 2026 17 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,280 to start your year off right. And that is Let it go. 18 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,720 Let it go. I'm not talking about Disney. 19 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,319 I'm not talking about Elsa and Olaf and the team. 20 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,560 I'm talking about these 3 words that will help you move forward 21 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:15,080 in 2026 and that is let it go. So with that being said, we're 22 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:20,320 going to read chapter 1, verse 27 and we're going to bring it 23 00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:23,240 back through the whole chapter. We're going to go through the 24 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,920 whole chapter of of Second Samuel chapter 1 this morning. 25 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:28,600 But it's good to be back with all of you. 26 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:34,200 And I pray that you're having a great entrance into 2026. 27 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,040 All right, this left side's having a great year. 28 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:42,160 We'll pray for the right side. We're with you. 29 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,800 We're going to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those 30 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,880 who rejoice. So First Samuel, Second Samuel, 31 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,120 excuse me, chapter one, verse 27. 32 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,120 The song is written there in the middle of the war. 33 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,440 How the mighty have fallen and the weapons of war perished once 34 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,680 again. How the mighty have fallen and 35 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,240 the weapons of war have perished. 36 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,039 As we always do. I write at the top of my notes 37 00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:11,000 every time I preach anywhere at any time. 38 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,720 Preach is never sure to preach again as a dying man to dying 39 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,120 men and women. And I write that down. 40 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:19,880 It's a quote from Samuel Rutherford. 41 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:24,240 And because I know the brevity of life, and I don't want to 42 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,560 leave this spot today without some urgency for eternity's 43 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,480 sake. And I want us to come to a spot 44 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,920 in our lives where we would be able freely to look at your 45 00:02:34,920 --> 00:02:36,680 neighbor and say, neighbor, my neighbor. 46 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:40,800 Just tell him I want to give you the three most powerful words 47 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,920 for the new year. Yeah, I want to give you the 48 00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:45,680 most. I want to give you 3 of the most 49 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:48,080 powerful words for the new year. All right. 50 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,200 You ready? Let it go. 51 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:58,280 Let it go. I think the definition brings 52 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,240 the mission into clarity and to focus. 53 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:08,160 When we talk about this term and these 3 words, let it go. 54 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:14,160 Here is the most powerful truth written in one sentence for the 55 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,080 year of 2026. If you're taking note, write 56 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,400 this down. Put this in your phone. 57 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:25,120 Put this in your Bible. Here is 2026 and I know we're 58 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:28,760 already 3 weeks in, but I want to just highlight this for you. 59 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:34,920 To let it go means to relinquish one's grip on someone or 60 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:39,440 something. Once again, to let it go means 61 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:44,120 that you are going to be willing to relinquish one's grip on 62 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:50,440 someone or something. I've learned a lot in this past 63 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:52,680 week. I've learned that I love to 64 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:57,920 travel, but I hate airports. Once again, I love to travel. 65 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:06,080 New adventure, new places, new people, but I just don't like 66 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,400 airports. It seems like in airports that 67 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:17,000 people give themselves a license to be rude and unkind and act 68 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,040 foolish. That's what I learned in this 69 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:22,200 past week. I don't know if you've ever 70 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:26,600 found yourself there waiting behind someone that thinks at 71 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:31,800 TSA they could bring a gallon of lotion on their carry on and 72 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,080 they slow the whole security lying down as you're waiting for 73 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,360 them. I don't know if you've ever seen 74 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,440 one, someone act like a fool when they had found themselves 75 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:46,000 running to their gate and then they find out that their flight 76 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:50,480 has been delayed and then they're cussing out the agent at 77 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,760 the gate that doesn't have any control of any of these flights. 78 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,400 I don't know if you've ever found yourself there where 79 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,360 you've seen someone that can really walk. 80 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,240 They're in a wheelchair because they want to be the first person 81 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,840 online in the plane. I don't know if you've ever 82 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:08,720 found yourself. I learned this this this week. 83 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:12,040 I, I saw a lady, she went to the gate and as she went to the 84 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:17,240 gate, she had four carry on baggage bags in her hand. 85 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,800 Now, if you're traveling, you're only allowed to carry one carry 86 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:23,920 on in a backpack normally or a purse. 87 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:30,120 She had four. And she was so upset when the 88 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:34,240 agent at the gate told her, ma'am, you're going to have to 89 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:39,680 leave some baggage behind because if you want to fly on 90 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:44,160 this flight, you can't take all that baggage with you. 91 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:49,920 I would like today to kindly be your agent at the gate. 92 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:57,880 We are all boarding Flight 2026. We're heading to a place of 93 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:00,800 glory. We are going to an amazing 94 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,040 destination. We're heading towards holiness 95 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:08,160 and things that are better and more excellent for us. 96 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:13,360 And as we get there, I want you to know beyond a shadow of a 97 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:17,600 doubt that you're going to have to leave some baggage behind in 98 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,320 the year, the former year of 2025. 99 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:26,440 What you went through in 2025 you cannot carry into the flight 100 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,520 of 2026. I want you to hear me this 101 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:33,440 morning as we've joined together that you are going to have to 102 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:39,160 leave some baggage behind you in where we are headed in this new 103 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:43,800 year and all that Jesus has for you in 2026. 104 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,560 You're going to have to leave the baggage of hurt behind from 105 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,320 2025. You're going to have to leave 106 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:52,240 the weight in the baggage of the bitterness that you're carrying 107 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:56,200 from 2025 into 2026. You're going to have to leave 108 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,800 behind the baggage that you've been holding on to of 109 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:01,760 resentment. You're going to have to let go 110 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,680 of unforgiveness. You're going to have to let go 111 00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:06,800 of the wrath. You're going to have to let go 112 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,680 of the frustration that you've been carrying, of unmet 113 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,120 expectations. You're going to have to let it 114 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,200 go. You're going to have to let go 115 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:20,000 of the hatred and the jealousy that you're feeling inside of 116 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,040 your heart. You're going to have to let go 117 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:25,200 of the outburst of anger. You're going to have to let go 118 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:28,440 of the abusive speech. You're going to have to do what 119 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:32,840 else is saying for us. Let it go. 120 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:37,200 You're going to have to let it go because if you continue to go 121 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:42,560 and carry the baggage with you, you will not go further in your 122 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,760 life. You will stop at the gate 123 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:50,800 because of the amount of weight that you're choosing to carry. 124 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:55,960 If I could say anything to you as we enter into 2026, that is 125 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,400 the words of Jesus. In Matthew Chapter 11 verse 28, 126 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:03,360 Jesus said, come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy 127 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,200 laden. He said, take my yoke upon you 128 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:10,920 and learn from me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 129 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:14,600 I want you to hear the words of the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 130 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,760 chapter 12 verse one, who said, Therefore, since we have such a 131 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:22,800 great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us run this 132 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:26,440 race with endurance, the race that is set before us, laying 133 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:32,400 aside every sin and weight that so easily entangles us. 134 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:36,720 I want you to hear the words of Peter in first Peter chapter 5 135 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:41,760 verse seven, who said these words, casting all your cares 136 00:08:41,919 --> 00:08:46,760 upon him, because he cares for you. 137 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:49,880 Listen to what AW Tozer once said. 138 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:53,720 He said these words. He said the reason why many are 139 00:08:53,720 --> 00:09:00,800 still troubled and still seeking, still making little 140 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:05,720 forward progress, is because they haven't yet come to the end 141 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,880 of themselves, he writes. We are still trying to give 142 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:16,400 orders and we are interfering with the work that God is doing 143 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:22,280 in US. Let it go. 144 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,160 If there was any man who knew this, this was the man by the 145 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,920 name of David. You remember David from First 146 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,520 Samuel. You remember his story as we end 147 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:38,760 in First Samuel 31 where Saul is still seeking the life of David 148 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:43,920 and here is Saul out of jealousy over David and David's calling 149 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:49,560 that David finds himself now watching this battle unfold as 150 00:09:49,560 --> 00:09:53,960 the Amalekites are coming against the nation of Israel. 151 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,280 If there's ever a man that had to let some things go, it was 152 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:02,160 this man by the name of David. You remember as we study the 153 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:06,760 book of First Samuel and second Samuel, the timing of this is 154 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:10,320 right after the book of Judges where the the Bible says that 155 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:14,640 every man was doing that which was right in his own eyes. 156 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:19,560 Sound like California, sound like America, sound like Gavin 157 00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:23,760 Newsom, sound like our government, sound like this 158 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:25,920 California movement here that's happening. 159 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:28,880 We noticed this. Every man's doing that which was 160 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:33,200 right in his own eyes. And in this moment, Israel asked 161 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:38,480 for a king like every other nation, and they asked for a 162 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:42,480 man, and God gave them what they asked for. 163 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,880 Up above everybody else was a man who was head and shoulders 164 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,360 above. Everyone else's name is King 165 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,600 Saul. His name actually means asked 166 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:55,600 for. God gave them a king like every 167 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,360 other king, but Saul did not measure up. 168 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:05,320 Thus God called another king. His name was David, and we see 169 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:10,360 that David points us to the greatest king of all, and that 170 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:16,280 is King Jesus. In this moment we see that David 171 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:21,720 is rejected by his family, he's abandoned by his brothers. 172 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:26,000 He goes to the valley of Elah and he fights a man by the name 173 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,880 of Goliath. He wins the battle because the 174 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:33,880 battle is the Lord's. He now goes into this victory, 175 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:38,280 but as victory happens, he enters into the greatest valley 176 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,280 of his life. He begins now for the next 15 177 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:45,440 years of his life, to run from King Saul, who was trying to 178 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,240 kill him. So if there's ever a man who 179 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:53,920 knew that he needed to let things go, it was this man's 180 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:56,840 David. He knew it, but he purposed 181 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,080 himself in this posture. He gained some vision in the 182 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:04,560 valley in the the pain of David's life would not be 183 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:06,880 wasted. And although the journey seemed 184 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:11,440 too long for David, he knew that the Good Shepherd was still Lord 185 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,200 of David. And so as we come to this second 186 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:19,440 Samuel chapter 1, we're in the heat of the battle. 187 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:26,200 The war is happening all around and this is how we're leaving 188 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:32,240 2025, entering into 2026. We're going to do something in 189 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:39,440 our lives this morning. We're going to let it go. 190 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:41,160 As some of you are tired this morning. 191 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,400 I understand Rachel put out the spread this morning on the 192 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:47,600 hospitality table with the team. You're a little bit tired. 193 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,120 You might need a little bit of coffee in you, but I need you 194 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:53,920 this morning. All right, let me try that 195 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:55,240 again. I need you this morning. 196 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:00,040 We're going to let it go. Just look at your neighbor and 197 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:05,280 say I'm going to let it go. I choose to let this go. 198 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:09,480 I choose to let this go. Now, that doesn't mean that you 199 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:12,880 act like that didn't happen. That doesn't mean that you don't 200 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,680 act like that herd. That doesn't mean that you bury 201 00:13:15,680 --> 00:13:18,160 your hand in the sand and you don't prepare for your future. 202 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:20,400 That doesn't mean that you just don't. 203 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,000 You just, like you just like wipe everything away. 204 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:25,960 It's part of your story, but it's not your whole story. 205 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,280 And now because of that, we're going to come to a place in our 206 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,000 lives and we are going to let it go. 207 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,240 And I'm glad you're asking this as you're sitting there right 208 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,800 now. Casey, Pastor Casey, how do we 209 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:41,640 let this go? How do we let this go? 210 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:46,320 Can you write this down for me somewhere in your notebook, in 211 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:51,400 your Bible, on your phone? You have to write this down. 212 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:58,120 Grieve what is gone. You have to grieve what is gone. 213 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,360 I want to read you just this portion in First Samuel chapter 214 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:02,480 one. Now it happened. 215 00:14:02,560 --> 00:14:05,160 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul. 216 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,760 Notice that when David had returned from the slaughter of 217 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,320 the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, that 218 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:15,120 on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from 219 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:18,560 Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. 220 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:21,640 And so it was when he came to David that he fell to the ground 221 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,560 and prostrated himself. And David said to him, Where 222 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,240 have you come from? And so he said to him, I have 223 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:31,320 escaped from the camp of Israel. And then David said to him, How 224 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,080 did the matter go? Please tell me. 225 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,160 And he answered the people that fled from the battle, many of 226 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:44,840 the people are fallen and dead, and Saul and Jonathan his son 227 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,680 are dead also. So David said to the young man 228 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,720 who told him, How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son 229 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,200 are dead? And the young man who told him 230 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,280 said, as I happened, by the chance to be on Mount Gilboa, 231 00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,480 there was Saul leaning on his spear. 232 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:03,000 And indeed the Chariots and horsemen followed hard after 233 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:05,040 him. And now when he looked behind 234 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:08,760 him, he saw me and called to me, and I answered, Here I am. 235 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:11,560 And he said to me, Who are you? And so I answered him, I'm a 236 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,240 malachite. And he said to me again, Please 237 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:18,640 stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my 238 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,320 life still remains in me. So I stood over him, the man 239 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:27,040 said, and I killed him. Notice these wordings, because I 240 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:31,560 was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. 241 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:35,200 And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that 242 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,960 was on his arm. And I've brought them here to my 243 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:39,000 Lord. Then David. 244 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:44,960 David took hold of his own clothes, sense the emotion of 245 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:50,200 David, and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 246 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:54,560 No notice, if you would, please. If we're going to really let 247 00:15:54,560 --> 00:16:00,000 some things go, we're going to actually have to grieve what has 248 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:03,320 been gone. I'm going to grieve what's gone 249 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,320 in 2025. I want you to see the 250 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,040 seriousness of this. And if you would just highlight 251 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:11,240 this in your Bible, look at verse one. 252 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,280 Look at the wording. Now it came to pass after the 253 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:18,840 death of Saul. No, no notice if you would 254 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:24,360 notice the the wording. And on the third day, behold, it 255 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:28,000 happened that a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes 256 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,600 were torn and dust was on his head. 257 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:36,360 No, notice the wording if you would in verse 4. 258 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:38,920 Then David said, how did the matter go? 259 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:42,120 And please tell me the answer. Notice this, the people have 260 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:48,480 fled the battle and many are fallen and many are dead. 261 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:54,000 Notice the wording if you would not just in verse 4, but notice 262 00:16:54,200 --> 00:17:00,160 he says Saul and Jonathan are dead in verse 5. 263 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,040 Notice it if you would in in your Bible. 264 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:08,040 David begins to ask him, OK, tell me exactly what happened. 265 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:14,520 And in verse 6, he says these words that Saul was leaning on 266 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:23,200 his spear committing suicide. And notice the wording Saul said 267 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:29,840 to the man, stand over me in verse 9 and kill me. 268 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:33,000 Notice again the the wording in verse 10. 269 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:39,240 So I stood over him and I killed him. 270 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:43,520 No notice the words in in this this section. 271 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:49,880 Death fled. Dead, standing over the sword. 272 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,800 Kill me now. That's not the message you want 273 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,880 to hear in 2026. I don't want to hear a message 274 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,800 of death. But if you're going to move 275 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:04,760 forward into 2026, you're going to have to grieve what has been 276 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:09,640 gone from 2025. Now, understand this if you 277 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:11,680 would. There's been death. 278 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,480 This is dirty. The people are running for their 279 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:20,600 lives and maybe you find yourself in the same spot this 280 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:26,400 morning that what you thought was alive was killed right in 281 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:30,960 front of you. I can't imagine the emotion that 282 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:38,800 David must have felt within him. His best friend is gone. 283 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:48,640 Jonathan, the man that he wanted to honor, saw has now been taken 284 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:53,560 from him. And maybe today, in this spot 285 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:56,640 that you're in, your dreams have died. 286 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:04,680 Your life has been dirty, not holy desires have died within 287 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:09,720 you, and everything that was anything has been killed right 288 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:12,040 in front of you. Can we get a little bit more 289 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:16,480 practical? Your marriage has died, your 290 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:22,240 friendships have died, your health has died, your finances 291 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:27,880 have died, your job has died, your joy has died. 292 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,120 You've lost people that you've loved. 293 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:34,320 You've been in dry places and deserted spaces. 294 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:40,360 And how do I respond to all of these things that are dead? 295 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:47,880 I was taught in my church, you should be like a duck that's 296 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:50,560 like water off of his back right now. 297 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:55,360 All of this death and all of this pain and all of this agony 298 00:19:55,360 --> 00:19:59,920 and all of this grief, Just let it just roll right off of you. 299 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,640 Don't don't absorb any of it because as a Christian, you can 300 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:09,880 have the highest of joys, but you should not experience the 301 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:14,040 depths of despair. But that would. 302 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,840 Cut out what it means to be human. 303 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:23,720 If you can have the highest joys in Christ, you should be able to 304 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:27,440 have the lowest despairs. And I believe as a follower of 305 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:31,760 Jesus Christ, we have the power to hold them both. 306 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:35,280 And here is the moment that we're in. 307 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:41,880 How do I handle all that has happened in 2025? 308 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:46,480 Do I act like it's water on a duck's back and just let this 309 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:51,160 pain roll off of me? Do I deny that this is even hurt 310 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,400 me at all? How do I do this? 311 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:59,200 Do I just, maybe you've been taught, shove it down, put it 312 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:04,720 underneath the dirt, act like it's really now it's buried and 313 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,200 once it's buried, it will never come up again. 314 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:09,800 How do I handle this? Do I cover it with no new 315 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,960 alcohol and more alcohol? How do I handle this? 316 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:17,320 Do I overwork and get busy and now in my busyness, I don't have 317 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:19,280 to think about things that were painful. 318 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:21,760 Look at what David does in the midst of this. 319 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,680 Look at what he does. The Bible says in verse 13 or 320 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:29,640 verse 12 that he mourned and he wept. 321 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:34,840 He mourns and he weeps. The word mourning there means 322 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:40,800 that he's he's crying out loud. This is painful for him. 323 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:45,080 This is heartbreaking emotion of David. 324 00:21:45,360 --> 00:21:50,200 And then the Bible says he wept. Not only is he wailing, but he's 325 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,440 shedding tears that are just coming down his face. 326 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:58,440 And then the Bible says these words that he fasted in verse 12 327 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:03,440 until evening. The pain was so great, he 328 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:12,360 couldn't even eat. You've been there, you know, you 329 00:22:12,360 --> 00:22:15,520 know what it's like in 2025, Be socked in your stomach and 330 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:17,600 something sudden that you didn't even expect. 331 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,520 You know what it's like to be at a place where you lose someone 332 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:27,000 that you've loved so much that the pain of that you can't even 333 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:32,440 eat a meal because you're mourning so much about it. 334 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,240 Some of you, you know that pain. You know the agony. 335 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,960 You know what it means to mourn, to weep, and to fast. 336 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:45,440 Notice what David does not do. David does not numb the pain. 337 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,720 David does not avoid the pain. David does not distract himself 338 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:53,040 from the pain. He expresses his pain. 339 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:58,200 I was always taught don't express that. 340 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:05,080 If you express it, your tears are a sign of your weakness. 341 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:11,360 So if I express any type of emotion to you, and you all know 342 00:23:11,360 --> 00:23:16,400 me already, I'm an emotional guy, I'll cry up here on stage 343 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:20,680 all the time. You're like, come on, Pastor 344 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,200 Casey, you just, you got to stop crying up there. 345 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:30,760 There's a book in the Bible that if you think weeping shouldn't 346 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:36,520 happen in your Christian life, read the book of Lamentations. 347 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:42,400 And I think it's just as holy to praise God and lament with God. 348 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:48,160 Read the book of Psalms and see that David said that my bed has 349 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:53,600 become filled with my tears. When did we ever think that 350 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:57,680 weeping was weakness? When did we ever begin to 351 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:03,120 believe that we cannot express our anger, our hurt, our pain, 352 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:07,640 our questions, our doubt, our grief back to the Lord? 353 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:11,760 And This is why some of us don't move forward in 2026 is because 354 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:15,000 we don't think it's godly and good to grief. 355 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:20,720 And I'm not saying that we land our plane in the grief, but what 356 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:24,000 I am saying is if you continue to hide it and bury it, you're 357 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:25,520 never, you're never going to heal from it. 358 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,320 And we have to come to a spot in our lives where we're, we're 359 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:35,320 willing to grieve what is gone. We're we're willing to bring our 360 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:39,400 weeping, not as weakness to the Lord, but as worship to God. 361 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:46,160 And we must bring everything that we're carrying and carry it 362 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:51,760 to 1st his throne. Jesus invites us to bring it. 363 00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:58,000 He calls us and commands us to bring it, to approach His throne 364 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:05,920 of grace with boldness, to find help in our time of need. 365 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:11,840 Don't ever tell anyone in this world that has lost someone that 366 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:15,480 they've loved and a friendship has died or whatever it might 367 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:17,440 be. Don't ever look at them three 368 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:19,160 weeks in and tell them to get over it. 369 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:24,680 Don't ever tell them to get over it, because you don't get over 370 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,840 stuff like that. You walk through stuff like 371 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:30,040 that. You don't come to this mountain 372 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:32,240 peak and then say, oh, it's all over. 373 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:36,600 You walk through the valley of the shadow of death and you fear 374 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:40,480 no evil because the Lord is with you today. 375 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,200 And because of this, I can grieve all of these things that 376 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:47,600 are gone. I can face it, I can walk 377 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:51,840 through it, I can express it. And maybe we're not moving 378 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:57,640 forward today in our lives, not because we're not strong enough, 379 00:25:57,640 --> 00:25:59,960 but we're afraid to admit that we're struggling. 380 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:18,000 When did we ever begin to think? That it's not right for us to 381 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:22,360 cry. It's not OK for us to weep. 382 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:28,080 It's not OK for us to ask questions, to fast. 383 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,800 For heaven's sakes today, stop holding it. 384 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:46,040 Stop holding it, stop holding this weight, because if you 385 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,720 continue to hold it, it will crush you. 386 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,720 But when I find that I'm willing on a daily, minute by minute 387 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:59,600 basis to bring it to the Lord, what He does in my life is He 388 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:05,360 brings me to a place of freedom. You can have a nice face this 389 00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:11,160 morning in a broken heart, and maybe we need some men that 390 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:13,040 would be willing to weep over some things. 391 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:18,480 Maybe we need some men that would fall on their face before 392 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:22,160 the Lord and worship and say, God, I'm hurting, I'm 393 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:24,960 struggling. Maybe we need some women that 394 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,840 would have their eyeliner running down their face because 395 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:33,160 they're tired of holding it in. Maybe we need to come to a spot. 396 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,280 We're in church. It's not awkward for people to 397 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:38,120 come and bring these things to the Lord. 398 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,680 It is the healing process that we all embrace as a community To 399 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:47,560 say that today I will grieve these things that are gone. 400 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,720 Can you remember this? When when we're doing this, I'm 401 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,480 going to lay this down. I'm going to be willing to get 402 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:55,960 this out. And I want you to remember this. 403 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:59,680 Grief is messy. Grief is messy. 404 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:03,920 David tore his clothes. Tearing David's clothes meant 405 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:05,920 that David would bear his nakedness. 406 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:09,920 It's messy. They're fasting. 407 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,440 This guy has dust on his head. It's messy. 408 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:16,440 Grieving is messy. It's a messy process. 409 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:20,040 But not only is grieving messy, grieving can be embarrassing, 410 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:25,120 because grieving puts you in a vulnerable spot for people to 411 00:28:25,120 --> 00:28:31,120 see you for who you really are. I had this young girl named 412 00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:33,800 Charlene wrote me this letter. In 2004. 413 00:28:34,360 --> 00:28:36,960 She came to a concert at Calvary Chapel with the band Hawk 414 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:43,440 Nelson, this punk band, she said. 415 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:45,360 I don't like this music. I don't even know why I'm here, 416 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:50,080 but my friend invited me, She said I was raped by someone very 417 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:55,080 close to me, She said I don't trust church and I don't trust 418 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:59,800 any adults, she said. But on this day in September, 419 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:05,200 September the 12th of 2004, she said I surrendered it all to 420 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:09,480 Jesus. She said I'm known as the shy, 421 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:12,480 goofy girl who cares too much and I wear so many masks. 422 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:16,520 She wrote me, she said. But on that night of September 423 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:21,480 12th, she said on that night that she gave her life to Jesus. 424 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:28,920 She no longer has the nightmares that she had every night because 425 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:32,800 of what she faced. And she said on that night, my 426 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:35,120 life was changed. She said these words because I 427 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:40,520 gave it all to God. And maybe you've come in here 428 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:44,080 and maybe you just need to be a little bit vulnerable and maybe 429 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:47,200 like a Charlene, you just have to give it all to God. 430 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,800 But but can I just tell you this also, grief has no timetable. 431 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:55,040 No timetable. I cannot look at your grief and 432 00:29:55,040 --> 00:30:00,480 go, OK, you are now here. Grief is like this. 433 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:05,920 It's all over the place. And what happens in that is I 434 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:09,000 realize that I can bring it to the Lord and I can let it go. 435 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:14,320 I can let it go. Chapter 1 of David's life was 436 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:19,320 followed by chapter. This is really deep and very 437 00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:22,560 theological. Followed by chapter 2. 438 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:28,480 That was good, huh? I'm exegeting the text. 439 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:30,400 You're like bastard Casey. That's that's fire. 440 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:34,680 Chapter 1's not the end of David's story. 441 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:39,360 The grief was part of David's story, but it wasn't the whole 442 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:42,840 story of David's life. Can you write this down? 443 00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:45,960 If you're going to let it go, deal with what's destroying you, 444 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:51,720 deal with what's destroying you. Notice this in verse, verse 13. 445 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:55,400 The Bible says these words. Then David said to the young man 446 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:58,480 who told him, where are you from? 447 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:03,280 Where are you from? And he answered, I'm the son of 448 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:07,520 an alien, I'm an Amalekite. Oh, if you would just highlight 449 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:09,680 that for a minute. Notice. 450 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,000 And David said to him, how was it you were not afraid to put 451 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,120 forth your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed? 452 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:18,720 You remember David would when he cut the King's robe off that he 453 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:22,400 was so convicted in his heart that he would be the person that 454 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:27,200 would be willing to say, stop, we're not moving any anywhere in 455 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:30,120 forward in this motion. And notice the Bible says these 456 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:32,800 words. And David said to him, how was 457 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:35,360 it you were not afraid in verse 14 to bring forth your hand to 458 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,280 destroy the Lord's anointed? And then David called one of the 459 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:45,360 young men and said, go near and execute him, and he struck him, 460 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:49,320 and so he died. And so David said to him, your 461 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:52,880 blood is on your own head, for your own mouth is testified 462 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:56,520 against you, saying, I've killed the Lord's anointed. 463 00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:01,960 This man was an Amalekite. That might not mean anything to 464 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:07,400 you right now, but in the Bible in First Samuel chapter 15 verse 465 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:12,520 3, when God called Saul to be king, the reason why Saul lost 466 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:20,200 his Kingdom was because he would not destroy the Amalekites. 467 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:23,480 Notice verse three. You can look it up for Samuel 15 468 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:28,240 verse 3. Now go and attack Amalek and 469 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:36,320 utterly destroy all that they have and do not spare them. 470 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:39,960 Interesting, isn't it? The first thing Saul was called 471 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:44,240 to do he didn't fully get rid of them, and what he didn't get rid 472 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:53,560 of eventually got rid of him. The Amalekites throughout 473 00:32:53,560 --> 00:33:01,000 Scripture are a type of the flesh, my fleshly nature, which 474 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:06,280 would be fornication, lust, which would be abusive speech 475 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:10,200 coming out of my mouth, which would be a lack of holy living 476 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:11,880 before the Lord. It would be wrath, it would be 477 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:13,280 bitterness, would be unforgiveness. 478 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:16,440 They're all dealing with the flesh now. 479 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:20,720 Theologically, we've been delivered from the power of sin 480 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:24,520 theologically through Jesus. Theologically, though, we still 481 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:26,200 struggle with the presence of sin. 482 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:30,480 So because we struggle with the presence of sin, I have to 483 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:36,800 continually put to death these things in my life where I am 484 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:41,800 prone to go towards. And because I'm prone to go 485 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:46,920 there, I realize I'm going to deal today with the things that 486 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:51,680 are destroying me. Can you make it your goal in 487 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:55,960 2026? This is a good this, this is 488 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:56,800 good. You ready? 489 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:05,720 Can you make it your goal in 2026 not to aim to be happy, but 490 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:11,760 to be holy? I've met a lot of people in the 491 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:17,800 last year that sought. I just want to be happy. 492 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,000 So in your marriage right now, your wife's not giving you what 493 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,520 you need or your husband's not giving you what you need. 494 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:28,800 And So what often times happens in that moment is we begin to 495 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:32,560 seek validation from outside relationships, which the Bible 496 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:35,800 calls adultery. We like to cover it and put 497 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:37,280 sugar on it and call it an affair. 498 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:43,320 The Bible says it's an adulterous relationship, but we 499 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:45,320 get ourselves into that. And this is what people have 500 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:52,400 told me in 2025, Pastor Casey, I just want to be happy. 501 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:59,320 You don't like your job, so you begin to cut corners at your 502 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:02,760 job. You begin to do things behind 503 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:06,160 your boss's back because you really don't like your job. 504 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,440 And your goal in 2025 was just to be happy. 505 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:13,760 So you cut corners. And cutting corners eventually 506 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:17,200 means that your walls will fall down around you. 507 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:21,800 So we now make a choice in our lives to bring ourselves to a 508 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:29,200 place where, hey, I'm single, I'm ready to mingle, hop on apps 509 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:34,480 like Hinge and Tinder. We just, we got to find the 510 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:38,120 right person. No, no, no, no, listen, listen. 511 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:46,440 I have heard this year from singles, I just want to be 512 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,720 happy. You're a teenager in here and 513 00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:54,680 you can't stand your parents. I mean, they're old school. 514 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:58,560 They're so old school. You asked them to drop you off 515 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:00,680 like at the parking lot of the mall, not at the front of the 516 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:02,560 mall. They're embarrassing. 517 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:07,320 They say things to you that cut to the core of who you are. 518 00:36:08,120 --> 00:36:11,080 They don't let you have certain, like, color of hair. 519 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,680 They tell you what time you have to come home at night. 520 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:18,280 They even encourage you to hang out with certain friends that 521 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:20,600 you're. And this is what teenagers have 522 00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:23,240 said to me this past year. I just want to be happy. 523 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:28,640 And So what you do as a teenager is you lie to your parents about 524 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:32,800 where you're going and who you're hanging with because you 525 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:36,960 want to be happy. You're so frustrated at your 526 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:40,200 parents. You run down the hall, you slam 527 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:43,240 the door of your room, and you say things like this. 528 00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:47,560 I wish I was never part of this family because if I was at 529 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:51,120 another family I would actually be happy. 530 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:56,120 No, no, no, listen, listen. It doesn't come back to the 531 00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:59,240 level of your happiness. It comes back to the your level 532 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:05,440 of holiness and all that. We are called to deal with the 533 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,000 lying, to deal with the cheating, to deal with the 534 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,920 jealousy, to deal with the insecurity, to deal with the 535 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:16,000 drinking, the dope, the the, the, the shadows of our lives 536 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:19,440 together. We find ourselves living in 537 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:24,080 places without living in the covenant of the blood of Jesus 538 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,840 Christ. I'm meeting a lot of couples in 539 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:32,080 2025 that want to move in together without being married. 540 00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:37,440 And there's it's, this is what I hear. 541 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:41,720 It's just easier for us. And this is what the guys have 542 00:37:41,720 --> 00:37:45,320 been saying to me. This is bothering me. 543 00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:47,240 Can I just preach about this for a minute? 544 00:37:48,720 --> 00:37:51,960 Well, I need to test drive the car before I actually commit to 545 00:37:51,960 --> 00:38:02,480 the purchase. You have just lowered a soul to 546 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:06,840 an automobile. I'm just trying it out, Pastor 547 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:08,160 Casey. No, no, no, you're not trying it 548 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:12,160 out. You're using God's daughter. 549 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:17,560 You're using God's daughter, and you need to stop now. 550 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:20,080 Well, come on. I just. 551 00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:21,840 I just want to be happy. No, no, no, no. 552 00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:26,480 Listen, you're like the guy who is siphoning gas out of the 553 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:36,720 mobile Home Park and he reaches to that long RV, he grabs his 554 00:38:36,720 --> 00:38:39,240 hose and he puts it in the hole and he sucks on it to get the 555 00:38:39,240 --> 00:38:42,120 gas out. But he put it in the wrong hole. 556 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:44,680 He didn't put it in the gas tank. 557 00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:50,280 He put it in their sewer system. So he did get gas, but not the 558 00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:55,160 gas he was thinking. And that's exactly what you will 559 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:59,840 get when you do these things. Oh, yeah. 560 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:06,400 Is this hard to hear? I do want to say some hard 561 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:10,160 things. I do want to talk about sin. 562 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:16,920 I do want to share about us coming to a spot where we deal 563 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:23,000 with things in my own heart, my own life, my own insecurity, my 564 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:28,280 own issues of abandonment and unworthiness, my issues of 565 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:31,760 identity that I'm not fighting my identity in Jesus. 566 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:35,040 I want to deal with those in my life because they'll end up 567 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:37,280 destroying me and everybody else around me. 568 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:41,640 And so this is what I want you to do if you're going to move 569 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:44,480 forward. I want you to remember some 570 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:46,440 things. Can I just go through these real 571 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:47,720 quick because I'm running out of time. 572 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:50,640 I want you to remember this. I want you to remember the 573 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:53,840 character of God when you're not dealing with things that are 574 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:56,480 destroying you. I want you to remember how good 575 00:39:56,480 --> 00:39:59,240 God is, how holy God is. I want you to remember the 576 00:39:59,240 --> 00:40:01,880 sinfulness of sin in what sin does to you. 577 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:04,560 I want you to remember these things. 578 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:07,360 I want you to remember the work of Christ, that He paid the 579 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:10,400 price for you on the cross. I want to remember the character 580 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:12,680 of Satan is the deceiver and the liar. 581 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:16,200 I want to remember the sorrows of the past and how it was never 582 00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:18,720 really fulfilled doing those types of things. 583 00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:20,960 I want to remember the blessings of obedience. 584 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:23,680 I want to remember there's a cloud of witnesses surrounding 585 00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:24,960 me. I want to remember the Church of 586 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:27,920 Jesus Christ. I want to remember that I have a 587 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:30,680 witness before the world. I want to remember the power of 588 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:34,000 the Holy Spirit. It was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who 589 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,480 once said that in your moment of temptation, Satan doesn't fill 590 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:39,920 you with the hatred of God, he fills you with the forgetfulness 591 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:43,480 of God. I want us to deal with it. 592 00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:45,760 And if we're going to really let it go, we're going to have to 593 00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:48,200 grieve what's gone. We're going to have to deal with 594 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:50,760 what's destroying us. And then thirdly, if you take 595 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:52,360 note, we're going to have to worship in the war. 596 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:55,240 We're going to have to worship in the war. 597 00:40:55,280 --> 00:41:01,360 Notice this David lamented in verse 17 with his lamentation 598 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:04,520 over Saul and Jonathan, his son. And he told them to teach the 599 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:06,880 children of Judah this song of the bow. 600 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:10,320 You remember Judah. It is the, the, the, this place 601 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:12,760 of praise. Indeed, it is written in the 602 00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:15,280 book of Jasher. Notice these words. 603 00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:18,240 The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places. 604 00:41:18,240 --> 00:41:21,040 They're singing this song. How the mighty have fallen. 605 00:41:21,240 --> 00:41:24,880 Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, 606 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:27,520 lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the 607 00:41:27,520 --> 00:41:29,320 daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 608 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:33,240 O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, nor let there be rain 609 00:41:33,240 --> 00:41:35,000 upon you, nor fields of offerings. 610 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:38,680 For the shield of the mighty is castaway there, the shield of 611 00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:41,800 Saul not anointed with oil from the blood of the slain, from the 612 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:44,520 fat of the mighty. The bow of Jonathan did not turn 613 00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:46,760 back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty. 614 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:49,440 So Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their 615 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:51,960 lives and in their death. They were not divided. 616 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:54,720 They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. 617 00:41:54,720 --> 00:41:57,920 So, daughters of Israel, weep over Saul. 618 00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:01,720 Excuse me. Who clothed you in scarlet with 619 00:42:01,720 --> 00:42:04,120 luxury? Who put ornaments of gold on 620 00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:06,320 your apparel? How the mighty have fallen. 621 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:09,240 In the midst of the battle, Jonathan was slain in your high 622 00:42:09,240 --> 00:42:11,600 places. I am distressed for you, my 623 00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:14,640 brother Jonathan. For you have been very pleasant 624 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:16,600 to me. Your love to me was wonderful, 625 00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:20,320 surpassing the love of women. Now people take that verse and 626 00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:23,720 they say that David and Jonathan were entering into a homosexual 627 00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:25,040 relationship. He they weren't. 628 00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:29,440 That's not the context of that. Homosexuality is sin and God 629 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:31,360 doesn't. This is not the basis. 630 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:34,120 So that's a whole another Bible study in the context of the 631 00:42:34,120 --> 00:42:39,480 Scripture, how the mighty have fallen and the weapons of war 632 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:45,600 have perished. Notice this twice David says 633 00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:50,120 that the mighty have fallen. What does David do in the midst 634 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:54,400 of the war? He sings a song. 635 00:42:55,720 --> 00:42:59,000 So what does that mean to me? That means to me I'm going to 636 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:03,680 bow before the battle in 2026. That means to me that pain 637 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:07,400 doesn't stop my worship towards Jesus, it actually flavors my 638 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:12,200 worship towards Jesus. Notice, just because the mighty 639 00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:16,360 have fallen doesn't mean that God is finished with you. 640 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:22,760 Let it go. Let it go. 641 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:28,440 And I don't know, as you're sitting here this morning in 642 00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:34,360 week 3 of 2026, what is it that you need to let go of? 643 00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:38,000 What is it that you need to bring it to the cross of Christ 644 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:41,600 and realize, as Paul said, I've been crucified with Christ and 645 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:47,360 is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me in the life 646 00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:50,240 that I now have. I live by faith in the Son of 647 00:43:50,240 --> 00:43:52,960 God who loved me and who gave himself up for me. 648 00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:56,480 Is there anybody in this place that needs to let some things 649 00:43:56,480 --> 00:44:00,240 go? We hope you enjoyed this message 650 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:03,400 and we'd love for you to join us in person every Sunday at 10:30 651 00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:05,000 AM. For more information and 652 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:07,200 updates, visit wearebridgetown.com. 653 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:09,520 Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next week.