1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,400 I want to talk some about women's Role Models, you know, 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:10,700 that's a topic of great interest right now among people who are 3 00:00:10,700 --> 00:00:13,600 Christians and even who would not consider themselves 4 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:18,300 Christians lately, there's been a lot of talk from people in the 5 00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:24,600 world about role models, for young women, and for young girls 6 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,600 and holding up these examples for them. 7 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,300 And, you know, proverbs 31 verses 30 and 31, says, charm is 8 00:00:33,300 --> 00:00:38,900 deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord. 9 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,300 She shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her 10 00:00:42,300 --> 00:00:46,800 hands and let her own works. Praise her, praise her. 11 00:00:47,300 --> 00:00:51,100 In the gates. Here we have the wisdom of 12 00:00:51,100 --> 00:00:59,100 Proverbs saying, hold up a Godly woman as an example and let her 13 00:00:59,100 --> 00:00:59,800 works. Praise. 14 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:05,200 Or let people know about her praiseworthy attributes and 15 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,100 present her as an example to be emulated. 16 00:01:09,100 --> 00:01:11,500 And so that's what I like to do tonight. 17 00:01:11,500 --> 00:01:16,600 I'd like to share with you the story of one such godly woman 18 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,900 from the book of 1st Samuel. And to introduce our study, I 19 00:01:20,900 --> 00:01:28,900 want to read 1st Samuel, chapter 25 verses 2 and verse 3 there. 20 00:01:28,900 --> 00:01:34,600 The Bible says as now, there was a man in man whose business was 21 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,900 in Carmel and the man was very rich. 22 00:01:38,100 --> 00:01:42,000 He had 3,000 sheep and a thousand goats and he was 23 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:46,700 sharing his sheep and Carmel. The name of the man was navel 24 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,800 and the name of his wife, Abigail. 25 00:01:50,500 --> 00:01:54,200 And she was a woman of good, understanding and beautiful 26 00:01:54,200 --> 00:02:00,500 appearance but the man was harsh and evil in all his Links 27 00:02:00,900 --> 00:02:05,600 friends. This is an action-packed account 28 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,400 from the Bible in which disaster would have been sued. 29 00:02:10,699 --> 00:02:15,400 And many people would have died on account of the stubbornness 30 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,500 of one, man, and Israel's future. 31 00:02:18,500 --> 00:02:23,800 King would have been disgraced if it wasn't for the bravery and 32 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:29,800 for the actions and the wisdom of one godly woman named 33 00:02:29,900 --> 00:02:32,600 Abigail. I hope this study will be 34 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:37,200 beneficial to you, this study, which I have chosen to entitle 35 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:42,600 Beauty and the Beast. Now, if you're familiar with the 36 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:48,300 history of the nation of Israel, you might remember that first 37 00:02:48,300 --> 00:02:53,800 Samuel chapter, 25 was a troubling time in the Kingdom. 38 00:02:53,900 --> 00:02:59,000 Remember that Saul was anointed as king of Israel, but because 39 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:03,600 of his He fell out of favor with God. 40 00:03:03,700 --> 00:03:08,100 And so, David was anointed to be his successor, and this made 41 00:03:08,100 --> 00:03:11,200 Saul Furious. He went crazy. 42 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:17,000 In fact, he tried to kill David. And so, David had to run for his 43 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:22,000 life and go hide out in the wilderness, and people knew 44 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,800 about these events that were going on. 45 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,700 And so pretty soon people were coming from all around to join 46 00:03:29,700 --> 00:03:31,200 us. Up with David. 47 00:03:31,300 --> 00:03:36,700 And the Bible says that these were rather CD individuals, they 48 00:03:36,700 --> 00:03:40,800 were Outlaws, they were people who were in debt because of 49 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:45,300 Saul, there were people who were in trouble with the law. 50 00:03:45,700 --> 00:03:49,100 So they made up a Motley Crew. In the Bible says, that they had 51 00:03:49,100 --> 00:03:53,000 faces like lions. These were men who were 52 00:03:53,300 --> 00:03:57,900 warriors, but they respected David. 53 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:03,400 And through his Charisma, David Is able to direct them and so he 54 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,400 became their captain. Now the Bible says there were 55 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:12,100 about 400 men who joined up with David David had almost like a 56 00:04:12,108 --> 00:04:16,500 personal Army where he could have gone and fought back 57 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:20,800 against Saul but you know, he didn't want to do that because 58 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:26,500 he recognized Saul was God's anointed. 59 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,800 And so he said, I'm going to let God take care. 60 00:04:29,900 --> 00:04:32,900 Are of removing Soul. When the, when the time comes, 61 00:04:32,900 --> 00:04:36,000 if the time comes, it won't be up to me. 62 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:41,100 It'll be up to God. So, we get to First Samuel 25, 63 00:04:41,900 --> 00:04:45,600 and the prophet. Samuel has just died. 64 00:04:45,700 --> 00:04:50,000 Verse 1, says now, if you remember, Samuel was really the 65 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:55,500 last person who could on occasion talk, some sense into 66 00:04:55,500 --> 00:05:01,200 Saul and now he is just died. And so King Or the anointed 67 00:05:01,300 --> 00:05:07,200 David he relocated to a place called The Wilderness of Paran. 68 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:11,600 This is on the border of Southern Judah and the Sinai 69 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,700 Peninsula. It's an area that was relatively 70 00:05:15,900 --> 00:05:19,800 uninhabited. No, big cities, mostly pasture 71 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:24,400 land for grazing. And while he was there, he 72 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:29,500 noticed these roving bands of people called the amalekites and 73 00:05:29,500 --> 00:05:35,100 they Were Raiders and they would go and take crops and animals 74 00:05:35,100 --> 00:05:40,400 and attack these Villages, the people who were tending to the 75 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:45,600 herds now maybe you remember that David grew up as a shepherd 76 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:51,000 and you can imagine that not only did he know about the 77 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:55,200 difficult and the dangerous circumstances of this kind of 78 00:05:55,200 --> 00:06:00,100 job, but I imagine it. Pained him greatly to see These 79 00:06:00,100 --> 00:06:05,100 people who were in need of help. And so he took his fighting men 80 00:06:05,100 --> 00:06:10,100 and he intervened and he drove off these Raiders and protected 81 00:06:10,100 --> 00:06:15,000 the Shepherds and the herds. Now, as we read in our reading, 82 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:19,100 there was a man living in this area named nabal. 83 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:23,900 Now, this name, nabal means fool and friends. 84 00:06:23,900 --> 00:06:28,100 Let me tell you, there has never been someone more accurately 85 00:06:28,100 --> 00:06:32,000 named the neighbor. All he was a rich man. 86 00:06:32,300 --> 00:06:38,000 He owned vast amounts of land and flocks, but that's not what 87 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,700 made him a fool. It wasn't a fool because he was 88 00:06:40,700 --> 00:06:44,100 a rich man. He was a fool because of his 89 00:06:44,100 --> 00:06:49,800 attitude and his demeanor, the King James version calls him a 90 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,400 churlish man. And that's an Old English 91 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:58,100 expression, which means he acted like a dog, he was rude and 92 00:06:58,100 --> 00:07:02,100 ill-tempered, and Holger and selfish. 93 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:07,100 Now Friends, when the Bible calls somebody a fool, we would 94 00:07:07,100 --> 00:07:12,100 do very well to perk up and to pay attention and to take note 95 00:07:12,100 --> 00:07:16,500 about why they're called a fool, so that we don't make the same 96 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,400 mistake. You know, one of the easiest 97 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:26,000 ways to spot a fool is to see how they treat other people. 98 00:07:26,300 --> 00:07:29,900 And we see that in this story, the Bible says that it came time 99 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:34,500 for nabel to Shear his sheep and an Eastern culture. 100 00:07:34,500 --> 00:07:38,400 This was supposed to be a time of great celebration and great 101 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,800 Hospitality often. The master of the estate would 102 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,700 throw a feast and he would invite his neighbors and his 103 00:07:46,700 --> 00:07:50,500 workers to partake. And we He would be generous in 104 00:07:50,500 --> 00:07:55,400 giving gifts now, you better believe nay ball was going to 105 00:07:55,400 --> 00:08:00,800 feast, in fact, he feasted like a king and he gorged himself and 106 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:05,300 he got drunk. Now, David had been protecting 107 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:09,100 nabal's livestock from these radar Raiders. 108 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,700 And even though he and his men were starving, they didn't take 109 00:08:12,700 --> 00:08:17,800 a single one of name all sheep to eat for themselves and this 110 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:22,000 entitled them To some of that Hospitality, some of that 111 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,200 compensation. And so David selected, some 112 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:29,800 young men and he sent them down there and he said, tell nabal 113 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:33,500 that you are Servants of David and he knows that we have 114 00:08:33,500 --> 00:08:38,299 protected his property and ask if he'll give us something to 115 00:08:38,299 --> 00:08:43,000 eat. So these young men come down And 116 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:47,600 here's nabal sitting there drunkenly on a stool and these 117 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:52,400 men come up and they say we are Servants of David and he has 118 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,600 protected your property, and we've come to see if you'll give 119 00:08:55,600 --> 00:09:00,700 us some gifts. And I can just imagine nabal 120 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:05,300 Crossing his arms and leering at them. 121 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:08,600 Through his drunken, stupor and slurring. 122 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:13,700 Who is David except a scoundrel? And a rascal. 123 00:09:14,700 --> 00:09:17,500 I don't know who David is. I'm not going to have anything 124 00:09:17,500 --> 00:09:22,400 to do with David, he's not going to get anything that I have to 125 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,900 give. Well name, all knew who David 126 00:09:25,900 --> 00:09:30,800 was, you know, David was God's anointed that's why he's out 127 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,300 hiding in the wilderness because he's on the run from Saul. 128 00:09:34,300 --> 00:09:37,600 This wasn't a matter of neighbor, didn't know who David 129 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:45,800 was this was rebellion and rejection of God's anointed but 130 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:50,900 not only that David and his men deserved some charity, they 131 00:09:50,900 --> 00:09:53,600 deserved some compensation, you know, usually rich. 132 00:09:53,800 --> 00:10:01,000 If people are very meticulous about their assets often more so 133 00:10:01,100 --> 00:10:06,100 than poor people are rich. People know exactly where their 134 00:10:06,100 --> 00:10:11,300 money is, where it's going, who's responsible for it, nay 135 00:10:11,300 --> 00:10:13,800 ball knew who was keeping his flock safe. 136 00:10:14,500 --> 00:10:18,600 It wasn't a secret, he just didn't want to give David his do 137 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,300 well. These young men come back and 138 00:10:21,300 --> 00:10:25,100 they tell David. And, you know, some people think 139 00:10:25,100 --> 00:10:29,700 David might have had red hair and if that's the case, he had 140 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:34,900 red hair to match his temper, because when these young men 141 00:10:34,900 --> 00:10:38,000 tell him, nay ball, wants to know who David is. 142 00:10:38,500 --> 00:10:41,200 David says, we'll get your swords on boys. 143 00:10:41,300 --> 00:10:45,600 We're going to go teach nabal Who David is and before the day 144 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:52,000 is over, they were determined to wipe out name all and his whole 145 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,200 family. It's at this point we are 146 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:58,900 introduced to the hero of this story. 147 00:10:59,700 --> 00:11:05,500 Abigail you know Abigail was an exceptional woman who was 148 00:11:05,500 --> 00:11:08,400 trapped in difficult circumstances. 149 00:11:08,700 --> 00:11:12,600 You know most likely she was in this marriage by Arrangement. 150 00:11:12,900 --> 00:11:16,500 That was the custom of the time. Her parents probably had an 151 00:11:16,500 --> 00:11:21,000 estate comparable to Nee balls and so they arranged this 152 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,700 marriage for her. And let me tell you This 153 00:11:23,700 --> 00:11:28,600 marriage was a total mismatch. The Bible says that this young 154 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:34,900 woman was beautiful on the inside and on the outside, but 155 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:39,800 her husband was ugly. In personality and I imagine an 156 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:46,100 appearance as well, Abigail was intelligent, but her husband was 157 00:11:46,100 --> 00:11:50,200 a fool. She was prudent and skilled with 158 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:55,300 dealing with people and a ball certainly was not other people 159 00:11:55,300 --> 00:12:00,400 respected Abigail, but nabal was a source of contempt. 160 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:05,000 Now isn't this the case? Oftentimes, we hear about this 161 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:11,000 where a woman finds herself in a mismatched marriage, this 162 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,400 happens all the time and you know, sometimes this woman 163 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:20,400 marries a man and maybe it turns out that he wasn't the kind of 164 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:26,300 person that she thought he was. He kept things hidden from her 165 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:30,100 and maybe she ends up in this situation through no fault of 166 00:12:30,100 --> 00:12:31,900 her own. And friends. 167 00:12:31,900 --> 00:12:35,800 That is heartbreaking. I mean, just imagine how you 168 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:41,100 would react being stuck in this marriage to nabal. 169 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:45,300 You know Abigail had to live with the shame of her husband's 170 00:12:45,300 --> 00:12:50,200 reputation. She was unjustly affected by 171 00:12:50,300 --> 00:12:55,100 nabal's misdeeds. And I am sure that she was the 172 00:12:55,100 --> 00:12:58,700 subject of abuse from him. Friends. 173 00:12:58,700 --> 00:13:03,700 That's a terrible situation and Abigail had every right to feel 174 00:13:03,700 --> 00:13:06,300 sorry for herself. You know, she had been 175 00:13:06,300 --> 00:13:10,200 transformed into a bitter Woman by her circumstances. 176 00:13:10,500 --> 00:13:14,500 Nobody would have batted an eye. But that's not what happened. 177 00:13:15,300 --> 00:13:20,900 Her response in this situation was to be strong and to make the 178 00:13:20,900 --> 00:13:24,800 best of difficult circumstances. She didn't compromise her 179 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:28,700 morals. She didn't stoop down to nabal's 180 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:33,800 level, or allow his abuse to transform her into somebody who 181 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:39,300 was bitter but she continued to put the interests of other 182 00:13:39,300 --> 00:13:42,500 people above herself. She trusted. 183 00:13:42,700 --> 00:13:46,400 Added in the Lord. And as a result, she made a 184 00:13:46,408 --> 00:13:51,200 reputation for herself. You seen a balls workers knew 185 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:55,100 that she was more trustworthy than her husband and so when 186 00:13:55,100 --> 00:13:58,300 there was a problem, they were coming to Abigail for a 187 00:13:58,300 --> 00:14:01,500 solution. They weren't going to nabal and 188 00:14:01,500 --> 00:14:05,600 that's what happens here. One of these workers over here 189 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:11,100 is nabal's insult and come straight to Abigail and we read 190 00:14:11,100 --> 00:14:16,100 here in verses 14 through 17. This man says look David sent 191 00:14:16,100 --> 00:14:19,500 Messengers from the Wilderness to greet our master and he 192 00:14:19,500 --> 00:14:24,100 reviled them, but the men were very good to us and we were not 193 00:14:24,100 --> 00:14:26,200 hurt. Nor did we miss anything? 194 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,600 As long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields, they 195 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,400 were a wall to us both by night and day. 196 00:14:32,700 --> 00:14:36,200 All the time we were with them, keeping the Sheep now. 197 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,600 Therefore, no, and consider what you will do. 198 00:14:40,300 --> 00:14:44,800 Or harm is determined against our master and against all his 199 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:48,400 household for. He is such a scoundrel, that one 200 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,700 cannot speak to him. This worker says Abigail, you've 201 00:14:51,700 --> 00:14:56,700 got to do something because they balls not going to listen and he 202 00:14:56,700 --> 00:15:02,500 is bringing disaster on our house and on your family. 203 00:15:03,500 --> 00:15:06,600 And Abigail agreed. She thought to herself. 204 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,800 I've got to act quickly or David's wrath is going to come 205 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:15,200 down on us and so she called for some of her maidens and she 206 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:20,200 said, quick get some food and some gifts together and they got 207 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:25,800 on their camels and they went out to meet David on the road. 208 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:31,200 Now, what a sight that must have been here comes David and his 209 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:35,400 fighting men with faces like Lions then got their weapons in 210 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:37,800 hand. And they've got blood in their 211 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,500 eyes. And then here comes from the 212 00:15:40,500 --> 00:15:45,600 opposite direction. A group of women riding out to 213 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,500 meet them, what a sight that must have been. 214 00:15:49,300 --> 00:15:55,200 And when David saw this woman Abigail and he saw her humility 215 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,500 and heard the wise words that she had to say to him. 216 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,700 It stopped him in his tracks friends. 217 00:16:04,700 --> 00:16:09,600 I want to take a moment to read this speech that Abigail makes 218 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,200 to David. I think it's one of the most 219 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:15,900 poignant speeches in the Bible and there are some things here 220 00:16:15,900 --> 00:16:19,900 for every one of us to learn. Let's read the wise words of 221 00:16:19,900 --> 00:16:26,500 Abigail here in 1st Samuel 25. This is verses 24 through 31. 222 00:16:27,700 --> 00:16:33,000 It says, so she fell at his feet and said on me, my Lord on me, 223 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:37,700 let this iniquity be and please let your maidservant speak in 224 00:16:37,700 --> 00:16:40,900 your ears and hear the words of your maidservant. 225 00:16:41,300 --> 00:16:45,900 Please let not my Lord regard. This scoundrel nabal for as his 226 00:16:45,900 --> 00:16:50,100 name is so is he nay ball? Is his name and Folly is with 227 00:16:50,100 --> 00:16:53,300 him. But I your maid servant did not 228 00:16:53,300 --> 00:16:56,900 see the young men of my Lord whom you sent now. 229 00:16:56,900 --> 00:17:00,200 Therefore, Oh, my Lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul 230 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:04,200 lives, since the Lord has held you back from coming to 231 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:08,900 Bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now 232 00:17:08,900 --> 00:17:11,599 then let your enemies and those who seek harm. 233 00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:15,700 From my Lord, be as nabal. And now this present which your 234 00:17:15,700 --> 00:17:17,800 maidservant has brought to my Lord. 235 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,000 Let it be given to the young men who follow my Lord. 236 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:25,599 Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant for the Lord 237 00:17:25,700 --> 00:17:30,200 will certainly make for Mi And enduring house because my Lord 238 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:34,300 fights the battles of the Lord, and evil is not found in you 239 00:17:34,300 --> 00:17:39,600 throughout your days yet. A man has risen to pursue pursue 240 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:43,600 you and seek your life. But the life of my Lord shall be 241 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:47,600 bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God 242 00:17:47,700 --> 00:17:51,000 and the lives of your enemies. He shall sling out as from the 243 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:55,300 pocket of his sling and it shall come to pass when the Lord has 244 00:17:55,300 --> 00:17:57,900 done for my Lord. According to all the Oh good. 245 00:17:57,900 --> 00:18:01,100 That he has spoken concerning you and has appointed. 246 00:18:01,100 --> 00:18:05,200 You ruler over Israel. That this will be no grief to 247 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:07,600 you nor offensive heart to my Lord. 248 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:11,600 Either that you have shed blood without cause or that. 249 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:16,200 My Lord has Avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well 250 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:21,200 with my Lord, then remember your maidservant, you know, the Book 251 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:25,700 of Proverbs personify his wisdom as a woman. 252 00:18:25,900 --> 00:18:30,800 And I think there's a lot of Truth In that often when men are 253 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:36,100 quick to anger, it's the cooler heads of women that Prevail in 254 00:18:36,100 --> 00:18:40,300 those situations. And thankfully, there was a 255 00:18:40,308 --> 00:18:46,700 Godly woman here, named Abigail to intervene and to cause David 256 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:52,200 to prevent David from doing something that he was going to 257 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:55,200 regret later. I want to take a minute to 258 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:59,500 unpack some of the wisdom. That Abigail presents in this 259 00:18:59,500 --> 00:19:04,100 speech, there's something here for all of us to learn and to 260 00:19:04,100 --> 00:19:08,800 apply to our own lives and to our interactions with other 261 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,000 people. The first thing, the Abigail 262 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:15,800 says is David stop and think and whatever you're about to do 263 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:20,700 today, ball, do it to me. Now think about that, here's 264 00:19:20,700 --> 00:19:25,300 this beautiful woman down on the ground and she says, I know 265 00:19:25,300 --> 00:19:30,300 you're mad at nabal and rightly so because he's a fool, he's 266 00:19:30,300 --> 00:19:34,900 acted foolishly and you're on your way to kill him but do it 267 00:19:34,900 --> 00:19:39,100 to me instead and you know that took the wind right out of 268 00:19:39,100 --> 00:19:44,900 David's sales and it forced him to stop and to think about the 269 00:19:44,900 --> 00:19:52,400 consequences of his actions. Nay ball was a Yes, but Abigail 270 00:19:52,900 --> 00:19:57,200 and the servants and the children, they didn't deserve to 271 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:00,100 suffer death because of his foolishness. 272 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,000 You know, it's easy to take Vengeance on somebody that 273 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:09,500 you're angry with, but what about other people who would be 274 00:20:09,500 --> 00:20:12,900 affected. Sometimes, we don't always think 275 00:20:12,900 --> 00:20:15,800 about that. Do we jump to actions 276 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,700 rationally? But we don't think about who 277 00:20:19,700 --> 00:20:25,800 else could be affected. You know, the guilt of sin is on 278 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:29,300 the person who commits it, that's what the Bible teaches, 279 00:20:29,900 --> 00:20:35,200 but the consequences of sin are far-reaching and, you know, we 280 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:38,600 understand this. We are still experiencing the 281 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:44,300 effects of Adam and Eve's sin and the curse, the corruption 282 00:20:44,300 --> 00:20:49,500 that they brought on the world, we don't inherit In from them 283 00:20:49,500 --> 00:20:55,800 genetically but we experience pain and childbirth conflict in 284 00:20:55,800 --> 00:21:00,100 the home. We have to work and sweat in 285 00:21:00,100 --> 00:21:03,900 order to eat because the Earth is no longer the paradise that 286 00:21:03,900 --> 00:21:08,100 it used to be in Eden. These things were consequences 287 00:21:08,500 --> 00:21:13,100 of Adam and Eve sin and they affect us even today. 288 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,200 And so, we've got to think friends about how our actions 289 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:21,400 may have. Affect other people, especially 290 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,300 in these times of Temptation, you know. 291 00:21:24,300 --> 00:21:29,800 It's easy to get Swept Away by emotion in these times. 292 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:35,600 Think about it, David in this situation, he was hungry, he was 293 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,800 tired. He was isolated. 294 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,800 He was on the run from someone who is frankly, crazy. 295 00:21:43,700 --> 00:21:49,100 This is when the devil is looking to strike the devil's, 296 00:21:49,100 --> 00:21:52,600 not looking for a fair fight friend, he is going to strike 297 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,200 you. When you are at your weak point, 298 00:21:55,800 --> 00:22:00,000 isn't that when he came to tempt, Jesus, he came after 299 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,000 Jesus, when Jesus had been in the wilderness forty days and 300 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:08,500 forty nights in fasting, he's not looking for a fair, a fair 301 00:22:08,500 --> 00:22:12,000 fight and so we've got to be on our guard. 302 00:22:12,700 --> 00:22:18,300 As Jesus said, Watch and Pray, lest you enter into temptation 303 00:22:18,300 --> 00:22:23,700 and so often these sins that occur, when we act rationally 304 00:22:24,500 --> 00:22:29,600 would be avoided if we would just stop and think and pray. 305 00:22:30,300 --> 00:22:34,800 Now, the second thing Abigail says to David is nabal is not 306 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,700 worth killing. She says, nabel lives up to his 307 00:22:38,700 --> 00:22:44,600 name, he is a fool And because he's a fool, he is not worth the 308 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:49,300 time and the energy and friends. That's true. 309 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,900 Now, when we're talking about a fool, a fool is someone who is 310 00:22:54,900 --> 00:22:59,900 characterized by a lack of fear of the Lord, they're not afraid 311 00:23:00,100 --> 00:23:04,100 because they think they're perfect in their own eyes. 312 00:23:04,700 --> 00:23:09,900 You can't reason with a fool because they think they're 313 00:23:09,900 --> 00:23:13,700 perfect. As Proverbs 18 verse 2, says 314 00:23:13,700 --> 00:23:16,500 fools, have no interest in understanding. 315 00:23:16,700 --> 00:23:19,300 They only want to air their own opinions. 316 00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:25,300 There's no correcting someone who's a fool and as Proverbs 26 317 00:23:25,300 --> 00:23:30,200 verses 4 and 5 says, do not answer a fool according to his 318 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:35,400 foolishness, or you will also be like him answer a fool as his 319 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:40,300 foolishness deserves, so that he will not be wise. 320 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,700 His own eyes. You know what this is saying, 321 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:49,100 this is saying, don't get into an argument with a fool because 322 00:23:49,300 --> 00:23:53,000 they will drag you down to their level, and then beat you with 323 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:57,500 experience, you're not going to get anywhere arguing with a 324 00:23:57,500 --> 00:24:01,700 fool. One of my friends and a preacher 325 00:24:01,700 --> 00:24:07,100 who I look up to brother Bob Loudermilk, he said some things 326 00:24:07,100 --> 00:24:10,600 are better off ignored than attacked. 327 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:14,000 I think that's a great statement, you know, attention 328 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:20,500 is the oxygen of conflict and there are some conflicts that 329 00:24:20,500 --> 00:24:23,400 you don't need to fight. You need to starve them of your 330 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:28,200 attention. Instead, you need to suffocate 331 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:33,900 them. By just ignoring them not giving 332 00:24:33,900 --> 00:24:36,400 them your attention and your energy. 333 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:40,600 And such is the case when dealing with foolish people 334 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,900 Proverbs 6, verses 12 through 15 says the wicked. 335 00:24:43,900 --> 00:24:47,100 Man's Calamity shall come suddenly. 336 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:52,300 Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy the way that a 337 00:24:52,300 --> 00:24:57,300 foolish person chooses to live is going to bring Calamity down 338 00:24:57,300 --> 00:25:00,700 on them. If they don't change and turn to 339 00:25:00,700 --> 00:25:02,300 the Lord. So you're better off. 340 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:09,100 Ignoring those situations, third Abigail, advises David, let the 341 00:25:09,100 --> 00:25:13,000 Lord of avenge you. If you are God's anointed if 342 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:18,500 you're God's chosen, let him take Vengeance on your behalf 343 00:25:19,100 --> 00:25:23,800 friends that some fantastic advice and that is so hard to do 344 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,700 sometimes. You know, Abigail had lived 345 00:25:27,700 --> 00:25:32,000 humbly with This man for a long time, she had put up with his 346 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,500 foolishness. If there's anyone in this 347 00:25:34,500 --> 00:25:38,900 situation who had the right to be angry, it was Abigail, in 348 00:25:38,900 --> 00:25:42,300 fact she could have said, David, I want you to come and get rid 349 00:25:42,300 --> 00:25:45,000 of this man. For me, I'll take you right to 350 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,300 him. That's not what she did. 351 00:25:47,700 --> 00:25:52,200 She didn't stoop to nabal's level, she took the high road 352 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,200 and she encouraged David to do the same and friends. 353 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:57,800 We need to learn how to do the same too. 354 00:25:58,700 --> 00:26:03,400 Personal vengeance is the easy way out in reality. 355 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:08,600 It takes greater strength to trust that the Lord is going to 356 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:11,300 work. Things out on your behalf. 357 00:26:12,100 --> 00:26:16,200 You know, later on, as he reflected on this difficult 358 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:22,600 period of his life, David penned these words over in Psalm 34 in 359 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:26,200 verse 15. He said the eyes of the Lord are 360 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:30,400 on the righteous and his ears. Ears are open to their cry and 361 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:34,100 then in verse 17 he said the righteous cry out and the Lord 362 00:26:34,100 --> 00:26:36,900 hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 363 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:41,300 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves 364 00:26:41,300 --> 00:26:47,100 such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the 365 00:26:47,100 --> 00:26:52,400 righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all friends. 366 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:56,300 God's promise is not that because you live righteously, 367 00:26:56,300 --> 00:26:58,000 you're going to have an easy life. 368 00:26:58,500 --> 00:27:02,600 In fact more often than not living righteously, choosing the 369 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:06,400 high road. It invites more persecution on 370 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:12,200 you because there are wicked evil people who they don't like 371 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,700 how you make them feel when you live righteously and so they try 372 00:27:15,700 --> 00:27:19,700 to attack you to Snuff you out, the promise is not that you're 373 00:27:19,700 --> 00:27:25,500 going to have an easy life but the Assurance is The God hears, 374 00:27:25,500 --> 00:27:28,500 your plight and he is watching over you. 375 00:27:28,500 --> 00:27:34,000 And even if you aren't delivered physically, you have spiritual 376 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:39,700 Deliverance through him. The fourth thing Abigail says to 377 00:27:39,700 --> 00:27:42,600 David. She says, you are innocent so 378 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:48,800 far David, but if you do this, you won't be innocent anymore. 379 00:27:49,100 --> 00:27:52,900 Keep your innocence keep a clear conscience. 380 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:57,800 It's true. David had been unjustly treated 381 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:02,900 and defrauded in this situation but two wrongs don't make a 382 00:28:02,900 --> 00:28:09,900 right to sins cannot cancel, each other out. 383 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:17,000 And so she advises David don't commit wrong to undo nabal's 384 00:28:17,300 --> 00:28:19,400 wrong and friends. That's right. 385 00:28:20,100 --> 00:28:23,300 We need to do the same. In fact, this is how Jesus. 386 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:28,000 Responded to Injustice in 1st Peter 2, verse 23. 387 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:32,900 It says that when Jesus was reviled he did not revile in 388 00:28:32,900 --> 00:28:37,300 return when he suffered, he did. Not threaten but committed 389 00:28:37,300 --> 00:28:42,900 himself to him, who judges righteously he trusted in the 390 00:28:42,900 --> 00:28:48,200 Lord and were called to follow. After Jesus example, we do this 391 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:54,200 because we hope that through our actions This person who is 392 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:58,100 mistreating us. Will see the error of their ways 393 00:28:58,100 --> 00:29:03,900 and will be turned to God as Romans 12 verses 19 through 21 394 00:29:03,900 --> 00:29:06,600 describes. It says beloved do not avenge 395 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:10,100 yourselves but rather give place to wrath for. 396 00:29:10,100 --> 00:29:12,800 It is written. Vengeance is mine? 397 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:16,400 I will repay says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is 398 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,700 hungry, feed him if he is thirsty. 399 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:24,600 Give him a drink for in so doing Doing you will Heap coals of 400 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:28,800 fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil but 401 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:35,000 overcome evil with good friends. We overcome evil with good. 402 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:44,100 We don't respond to attacks against us with Injustice with 403 00:29:44,100 --> 00:29:48,400 vengeance because our hope is that through our peaceful 404 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:52,300 Lifestyle, the person who is attacking us. 405 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,900 Will have their conscience seared and they will get to 406 00:29:56,900 --> 00:30:00,300 thinking about why we responded the way we did. 407 00:30:00,500 --> 00:30:04,800 And it will bring them to God and will have saved another Soul 408 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:09,800 if they don't do that, if they don't turn and repent, then 409 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:14,000 they'll have to answer to God for that and for God's 410 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:18,700 long-suffering, fifth Abigail tells David. 411 00:30:18,700 --> 00:30:21,100 If you do this you're going to regret it later. 412 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,100 Maybe you won't regret it. It immediately. 413 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:29,600 But sometime in the future, when you are King, you will look back 414 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:33,600 and regret this action. You see Abigail believed in 415 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:34,800 David. She believed. 416 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:39,800 If God has anointed you King, then you are going to be king. 417 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:44,100 Someday that is a fact and so she says, don't do something 418 00:30:44,700 --> 00:30:49,200 that you're going to regret. When you look back and that's 419 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:52,900 good advice friends. Before you act before you I 420 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:59,700 think the word speak something in Anger, stop and think it's an 421 00:30:59,700 --> 00:31:03,800 amazing thing to get to the end of your life and to be able to 422 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:07,600 look back and say, I don't regret anything that I did. 423 00:31:08,300 --> 00:31:12,300 Now, of course, we are going to have some regrets because we're 424 00:31:12,300 --> 00:31:17,100 human and we make mistakes and we can be forgiven of those 425 00:31:17,100 --> 00:31:20,800 mistakes. But let's try our best to live a 426 00:31:20,808 --> 00:31:22,700 life where we make as few mistakes. 427 00:31:22,900 --> 00:31:28,500 It's as possible and we do that by stopping and thinking before 428 00:31:28,500 --> 00:31:31,000 we act so we don't have to regret. 429 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:37,000 Finally Abigail tells day that you are a part of God's 430 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,900 treasure. She says you are bound up in a 431 00:31:39,900 --> 00:31:44,300 bundle with the Living God. And what she's talking about is 432 00:31:44,300 --> 00:31:47,700 when someone would go on a journey, they would roll all of 433 00:31:47,700 --> 00:31:52,600 their possessions into a sort of pack or a bundle and what you 434 00:31:52,608 --> 00:31:54,500 do. Is you take your most valuable 435 00:31:54,500 --> 00:31:58,100 possessions and you put them in the middle so they don't get 436 00:31:58,100 --> 00:32:01,500 misplaced or stolen. Really? 437 00:32:01,500 --> 00:32:06,200 What she's saying is David? This is Unworthy of you. 438 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:10,600 Remember, who you are now. I know that's a cliche. 439 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:15,200 My mom told me that every time I was going out with friends and 440 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:20,800 maybe yours did too, she said Noah remember who you are but 441 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,600 sometimes we need to be reminded Who We Are? 442 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:29,800 It makes me think of First Corinthians chapter 6 when Paul 443 00:32:29,900 --> 00:32:34,600 was talking to those Christians and he gave that long list of 444 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,100 ugly sins that they had been involved in. 445 00:32:37,100 --> 00:32:41,600 But then in 1st Corinthians 6:11, he said and such were some 446 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:46,100 of you. But you were washed, you were 447 00:32:46,100 --> 00:32:50,900 Sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. 448 00:32:51,100 --> 00:32:54,800 And by the spirit of our God, he was saying don't turn back. 449 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:58,600 Back into those things because you've been washed, you've put 450 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:04,800 on a new clean set of clothes spiritually speaking. 451 00:33:05,300 --> 00:33:10,000 Don't Sully those clothes or tarnish them, or dirty them with 452 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:12,700 those past sins that you were involved in? 453 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:18,300 Remember, who you are. Well, here's how David responded 454 00:33:18,300 --> 00:33:22,800 to Abigail back in. First Samuel, 25 verses 32 and 455 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:29,100 33 he said Blessed is the Lord God of Israel who sent you this 456 00:33:29,100 --> 00:33:33,300 day to meet me and blessed as your advice and blessed, are 457 00:33:33,300 --> 00:33:35,900 you? Because you have kept me this 458 00:33:35,900 --> 00:33:41,000 day from coming to Bloodshed and from avenging myself, with my 459 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,700 own hand in verse 35. He said go up in, peace to your 460 00:33:44,700 --> 00:33:47,900 house. See, I have heated your voice 461 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:51,600 and respected your person David said. 462 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:56,000 Thank God that you came. Because if I hadn't met you 463 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:01,500 today, I would have carried on with this, bloody deed. 464 00:34:02,100 --> 00:34:06,900 And Men, let's thank god, let's thank God for The Godly women 465 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:12,100 who have come into our lives and who have given us wise counsel 466 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:16,300 and who have led us back on the right track when we were going 467 00:34:16,300 --> 00:34:20,800 off astray. Let's do his proverb says and 468 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:25,600 let's let their good works. Praise them in the gates and 469 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:29,000 that's what David did. Hear David and his men received 470 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:33,900 Abigail's gifts and sent her on her way in peace. 471 00:34:34,699 --> 00:34:38,900 Now, the Bible says, she went back to her house and the next 472 00:34:38,900 --> 00:34:44,199 day, she came into the living room and there's nabal sitting 473 00:34:44,199 --> 00:34:48,100 on his stool this time with a hangover from the night's 474 00:34:48,100 --> 00:34:51,500 drinking and she comes to him and says I want you to know 475 00:34:51,500 --> 00:34:56,000 something nabal if it hadn't been for me, you'd be dead right 476 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,600 now. You and me in our whole family 477 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:04,200 because David was on his way to destroy us because of your 478 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:05,100 insults. Salt. 479 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:10,600 If it hadn't been for me, we wouldn't be alive today. 480 00:35:10,900 --> 00:35:14,800 You know what the Bible says, Bible says that his heart turned 481 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:19,800 to stone and he fell over paralyzed from a stroke or a 482 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:24,000 heart attack or something like that and they put them in bed 483 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:28,100 and a few days later, the Lord struck him and he died. 484 00:35:29,100 --> 00:35:32,100 And word got back to David and David prayed. 485 00:35:32,100 --> 00:35:37,200 And he thanked, God for avenging, his anointed, but also 486 00:35:37,500 --> 00:35:41,300 with holding his hand from avenging himself. 487 00:35:42,500 --> 00:35:45,000 And then you got to thinking about that woman. 488 00:35:45,300 --> 00:35:50,800 Abigail and not just her beauty, but her wisdom and her humility 489 00:35:51,300 --> 00:35:54,500 and her Godly traits. And the Bible says, after a 490 00:35:54,500 --> 00:35:58,500 period of mourning, David went and courted Abigail. 491 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:03,000 And he married her and friends. Let me tell you, if David had 492 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:07,500 kept Abigail as his one and only wife, it would have saved him 493 00:36:07,500 --> 00:36:10,900 from a lot of trouble that he was going to have later in life. 494 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:19,200 But as of right now, the story ends happily ever after David 495 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:23,800 learned some great lessons from Abigail's wisdom and friends. 496 00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:29,300 I hope that we can to later on when David was presented with 497 00:36:29,300 --> 00:36:33,200 opportunities to take Saul's life. 498 00:36:33,500 --> 00:36:37,200 He didn't do it. I imagine he reflected on the 499 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:41,300 words of Abigail and he restrained his hand and he 500 00:36:41,300 --> 00:36:46,000 looked The Lord watch out for him so we can learn from 501 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:49,800 Abigail's wisdom. But friends, we need women, 502 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:55,300 like, Abigail in the church, we need women who will act with 503 00:36:55,300 --> 00:36:59,300 wisdom, who will have the courage to do what is right? 504 00:36:59,300 --> 00:37:02,900 No matter what. We need women, who won't allow 505 00:37:02,900 --> 00:37:07,100 unspiritual and foolish men, to hold them back. 506 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:13,800 We need women who are patient and who are wise and use their 507 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:20,500 influence to dispel Wrath. We need women who instead of 508 00:37:20,500 --> 00:37:28,900 gossiping Edify and correct, respectfully and gently we need. 509 00:37:28,900 --> 00:37:34,500 Proverbs 31 women and friends. When you see those women in your 510 00:37:34,500 --> 00:37:40,100 own life DUIs, proverbs 31 says let their works. 511 00:37:40,500 --> 00:37:43,000 Praise them in the Gates friends. 512 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:48,600 Let's do our part to uphold Godly women as an example 513 00:37:49,100 --> 00:37:51,400 friends. That brings our study to a close 514 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:54,500 this evening. I want To conclude by asking you 515 00:37:54,500 --> 00:37:58,000 to consider your own life. And I want to think back to what 516 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:03,900 Abigail said about living a life with no regrets. 517 00:38:04,300 --> 00:38:09,000 Can you say you have lived a life of No Regrets, you know, I 518 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:15,300 read the story about one Alfred Nobel the inventor of dynamite 519 00:38:15,900 --> 00:38:20,100 who woke up one morning to find his own obituary in the 520 00:38:20,100 --> 00:38:23,500 newspaper. And it said, Alfred Bell. 521 00:38:24,300 --> 00:38:27,100 The inventor of dynamite died last night. 522 00:38:27,900 --> 00:38:32,900 The man invented a new way to kill millions of people. 523 00:38:33,100 --> 00:38:35,900 And as a result, he died a very rich man. 524 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:40,200 Well, there was a mistake, you see, it was Alfred nobel's 525 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:45,000 brother who had died, but that shocked him and it forced him to 526 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,600 think, you know, he didn't want to be known as the person who 527 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:51,800 had invented a new way to kill millions of people. 528 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:56,500 And so as a result, he took his large fortune and he founded the 529 00:38:56,500 --> 00:38:59,600 Nobel Peace Prize. And that's how we know him 530 00:39:00,100 --> 00:39:04,200 today. His foundation promotes peace 531 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:10,100 and and recognizes those people who have advanced us 532 00:39:10,100 --> 00:39:15,900 scientifically and culturally. You see, you can change your 533 00:39:15,900 --> 00:39:21,300 life, you can reverse Direction even if you're in the middle of 534 00:39:21,300 --> 00:39:26,500 a path that you don't want to continue down on friends, I want 535 00:39:26,500 --> 00:39:30,400 you to know the only way to live a life. 536 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:35,200 Truly with no regrets is to be a Christian and that's because 537 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:39,800 like we mentioned we make Steaks, try as we might we make 538 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:45,600 mistakes. We do things that we regret but 539 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:52,300 first, John 1 verse 7 says, if we are walking in the light, as 540 00:39:52,300 --> 00:39:58,400 he is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from 541 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:02,800 all sin, when you're living as a Christian, you have access to 542 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:07,800 the saving atoning blood of Christ, which can wash away 543 00:40:08,300 --> 00:40:15,700 those mistakes and can Wash you clean before God and cleanse 544 00:40:15,700 --> 00:40:19,600 your own conscience. How do you get into contact with 545 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:23,800 the blood of Christ? Romans 6, verses 3 and 4 says, 546 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:29,100 do you not know as many of us as were baptized into Christ were 547 00:40:29,100 --> 00:40:33,400 baptized into his death. Therefore we were buried with 548 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:38,300 him, through baptism into death that just as Christ was raised 549 00:40:38,300 --> 00:40:40,300 from the dead by the glory of the father. 550 00:40:40,300 --> 00:40:46,100 Even so we we also should walk in newness of Life, friends. 551 00:40:46,100 --> 00:40:50,100 That's how you can experience the spiritual rebirth. 552 00:40:51,100 --> 00:40:57,500 You can be washed by the blood of Christ through baptism, as 553 00:40:57,500 --> 00:41:01,400 Jesus said in John 3, verse 5 assuredly, unless you are born 554 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:06,800 of water and the spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of 555 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:08,400 heaven. And so friends, we want to 556 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:11,400 extend that invitation to you tonight. 557 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:16,200 If you have never believed and been baptized, as Jesus said in 558 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:20,700 Mark 16 verse 16, we want to invite you to obey the gospel. 559 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:25,800 Oil denying to come forward. Proclaiming your belief in Jesus 560 00:41:26,100 --> 00:41:30,400 as the Christ and your Readiness to repent of your sin and to 561 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:34,600 turn and begin walking. In the light to become a 562 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:39,100 follower of the master. And we're ready to baptize you 563 00:41:39,100 --> 00:41:42,300 right now for the remission of your sins. 564 00:41:42,300 --> 00:41:47,000 And then as you as long as you walk in the light, you can say 565 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:49,500 you've lived a life of no regrets. 566 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,400 We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the 567 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:59,200 Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you 568 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:02,300 would like any additional information, or you would like 569 00:42:02,300 --> 00:42:05,400 to receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail. 570 00:42:06,100 --> 00:42:09,900 Please email us at info at her Church of Christ 571 00:42:09,900 --> 00:42:13,900 Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays 572 00:42:13,900 --> 00:42:19,500 at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 573 00:42:20,100 --> 00:42:23,600 Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our 574 00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:24,500 honored guest.