1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,040 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:26,600 I think I mentioned that we're in Second Samuel chapter #8 T. 8 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:28,680 I'm glad to be back in our series this evening. 9 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,720 I want to pick up right where we left off a few weeks ago as we 10 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,360 were looking at David and we were looking at Absalom and we 11 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,680 were looking at the death of Absalom, and we're really 12 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,840 getting into the Scriptures right after Absalom has died, 13 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,320 but David doesn't know it yet. Do you remember that David gave 14 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,960 an instruction as he had his men go out in three different groups 15 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,560 and he had them go out into Ephraim Wood for that battle 16 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,400 that was there, and he gave one very specific instruction and 17 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:59,440 that was this, don't touch Absalom. 18 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,400 Now remember there was a problem with that, a great problem that 19 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,560 David had some blind spots when it came to his family, that 20 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:08,960 David had a blind spot when it came to his son. 21 00:01:08,960 --> 00:01:13,640 Absalom deserved to die. Absalom was a usurper of the man 22 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:18,200 of God there, David, but he was a usurper of that which God had 23 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,160 put into his own life and that which he was trying to do it. 24 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,480 There was no reason why he should have been put to death. 25 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,000 There was a multitude of reasons why he should have been put to 26 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,040 death. But yet David said don't do it. 27 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,960 Of course Joab decides he's going to do his own thing. 28 00:01:31,960 --> 00:01:35,080 Joab, you know, kind of enjoyed that, didn't he, doing his own 29 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,920 thing. And so Joab sees an opportunity, 30 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,000 takes that opportunity. And now Absalom is dead. 31 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,720 Remember, hung by his hair there in the tree that which was his 32 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,040 glory. We saw the last time we were in 33 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,040 our text that the Bible tells us that sowing and reaping is real. 34 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,600 Do you remember that? That the principle of sowing and 35 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:55,800 reaping is real. That it's not just something for 36 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:57,440 the Old Testament. It's not just something for the 37 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,880 New Testament, but it's as true today as it wasn't the Garden of 38 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:01,640 Eden. Amen. 39 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,880 That sowing and reaping is real. But here we see that now the 40 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:07,960 absolute is dead. Joab knows it. 41 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:09,919 There's someone who doesn't know it, and that's David. 42 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,960 And Dave's going to be upset when he finds out that job is 43 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,320 dead because that goes absolutely against what he had 44 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,000 commanded here just hours before. 45 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,760 But in the midst of that, we're going to see that there's going 46 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,600 to be two messengers that are supposed to bring this message 47 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,160 to David. 1 is very fast, 1 is very slow. 48 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,160 One likes to speak and the other doesn't like to speak. 49 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,560 And from this, we're going to look at tonight the very issue 50 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,760 of a messenger with no message. Now, if you're going to be a 51 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:42,880 messenger, you probably ought to have a message. 52 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:45,120 Kind of goes with the title, doesn't it? 53 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,720 It goes with the job description that a messenger ought to be 54 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:50,720 able to have a message. Can you imagine me coming up 55 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,120 here tonight in the pulpit and looking at you all and saying, 56 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,040 open your Bibles and then after that say, well, I really don't 57 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:58,720 have anything to say. Now, some of you might rejoice. 58 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:00,000 I don't know. You might think you'd get out 59 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,560 early. I don't know that could be the 60 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:03,320 case. But the fact of the matter is, 61 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,200 if I walk up to this pulpit as the messenger, if you will, you 62 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,520 expect me to have a message. You expect that I have been in 63 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,280 the word of God. You expect that I rightly divide 64 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,200 the word of truth. This is the expectation that you 65 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:18,920 ought to have of your pastor about of any man that gets 66 00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:20,800 behind the pulp. But he's not just get up here 67 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,280 and talk like he's on talk radio or get up here and go through 68 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,760 his rants and ravings of the things that bother him in life. 69 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:30,840 But rather what he's going to do is preach the Word of God 70 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:34,240 straight and true for what it is, leaving his own opinions and 71 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,560 his own thoughts out of the mix. Why? 72 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,160 Because it's all about having a message when you're a messenger, 73 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,400 but there's a guy who's supposed to be a messenger who chokes up 74 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:45,640 when it's time to give the message. 75 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:49,000 And we're going to look at him tonight and draw some parallels 76 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,640 to ourselves as well. Now find it interesting that 77 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,640 Brother Sandy preached on what he did this morning, because 78 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,800 preaching this morning about the word of God, preaching this 79 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,360 morning about the need for those to be saved, preaching this 80 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:06,120 morning and brought bringing parallels to Acts chapter 2 and 81 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,560 that which is going to be taking place here in just a few weeks 82 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,480 in Foxborough. Certainly it's important for us 83 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,880 to get involved when there's these types of opportunities. 84 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,440 But I would say even more so than that, ever before the World 85 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:21,760 Cup takes place, there's people that need to get saved in this 86 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:23,680 area today. That's right, yeah, but if 87 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:25,960 people need to get saved in this area tomorrow, and what are we 88 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:28,880 going to do with the message that God has entrusted to us 89 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,760 when it comes to the message of life? 90 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:33,640 Would you stand please, for the reading of God's Word? 91 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:45,060 Second Samuel chapter #18 We're going to be in verse #19 Don't 92 00:04:45,060 --> 00:04:46,940 worry about sick. I just have some allergies. 93 00:04:47,020 --> 00:04:50,500 There's I like Scotland, but my sinuses didn't. 94 00:04:50,540 --> 00:04:53,420 All right, Second Samuel 18. I thought that was funny. 95 00:04:53,420 --> 00:04:58,080 All right, verse #19 it was funny in a different time zone 96 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,840 maybe. All right, verse #19 in four 97 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:05,000 hours you'll laugh at that. OK, then said to him, As the son 98 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,320 of Zadok, let me now run and bear the king tidings. 99 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,760 Now what tidings? Absalom is dead. 100 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,960 How that the Lord hath the venture of his enemies. 101 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,200 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day 102 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:19,200 without shall bear tidings another day. 103 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,640 This day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the King's son 104 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:27,240 is dead. Then said Joab to Kushai, Go 105 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,400 tell the king what thou has seen. 106 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,080 And Kushai bowed himself unto Joab. 107 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:36,520 And Ram then said to him, as the son of Zadok, yet again to Joab. 108 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:41,160 But howsoever let me, I pray thee also run after Kushai. 109 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,400 And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing thou 110 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,400 hast no tidings ready? You, you don't have a message. 111 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:53,280 The message just went out. And howsoever he said, let me 112 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:56,840 run. And he said unto him, run then 113 00:05:56,840 --> 00:06:00,720 him as ran by the way of the plane, and overran Kushai. 114 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,960 We'll pick that up here again and see the remainder of the 115 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,120 text in just a moment. Why don't you be seated and 116 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:13,320 let's pray together. Lord, we thank you for this 117 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:14,840 evening. We thank you that you have given 118 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:16,560 us the opportunity to be your messengers. 119 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:21,000 We have a message, but let us be the messengers who give the 120 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,600 message and not just the messengers who hold on to it. 121 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:28,120 And not give the words that needed to be given. 122 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,280 Lord help us to draw some parallels from this text to our 123 00:06:31,280 --> 00:06:33,960 own life. Help this not just to be a story 124 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,760 from the word of God that goes in one ear and out the other. 125 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,520 But let's remember this is a real factual account of an event 126 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:42,880 that took place that has relevance for us today. 127 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,360 May we find that relevance and apply it to our own life this 128 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,600 evening. And we do ask it in Jesus name, 129 00:06:48,280 --> 00:06:50,440 Amen. As a reminder, this is the 130 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,000 capstone of all that has taken place over the last few 131 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:55,680 chapters. In fact, we could go all the way 132 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:59,400 back to when it said that David looked upon Bathsheba. 133 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,840 You remember that took place and all of a sudden David's 134 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:04,800 household began to unravel. And it seems like this is in 135 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,840 many ways the culmination. It's not that this ends the 136 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,360 sword being in David's house because the sword will plague 137 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:13,480 David's house throughout the rest of his life. 138 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,400 But yet it seems like in many ways this is a culmination 139 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:22,240 leading up to the the rebellion of and the battle of man against 140 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:25,320 man, Israelite against Israelite fighting against one another, 141 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,080 one for the House of David and the other for his renegade son 142 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:30,960 Absalom. It's all done. 143 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,800 It's been put off to the side. David, his forces won. 144 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:35,920 Why? Because they were on the side of 145 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:37,600 the Lord. He is the anointed king. 146 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:40,960 He is the one who is supposed to be crown king and crown 147 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,080 sovereign. Absalom was nothing but a 148 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:44,960 pretender. He was nothing but a paper 149 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:46,920 tiger. He was certainly big in his own 150 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:50,000 mind, but his own mind was where he was best because in real life 151 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,160 he wasn't the man that he was supposed to be in the Lord's 152 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,160 eyes. But now the time has come. 153 00:07:55,400 --> 00:08:00,120 Absalom is dead and David has to find out the news and Joab has 154 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,680 to, to send somebody to come and to be able to give that news. 155 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,400 And so as we see this, this evening, first of all, I see 156 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:08,400 that there's a burdened messenger. 157 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:12,400 There's this man named Ahim as. And there it is in verse #22 If 158 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,000 we go back there, it says, actually, you go back up to 159 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,800 verse #19 and it says and then said, Ahim as the son of Zadok, 160 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,280 let me know. Run and bear the tie, the King's 161 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,440 tidings. How that the Lord hath avenged 162 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:27,440 him of of his enemies? Now I will say I read several 163 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,560 commentaries about this verse. And there are those who would 164 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:36,039 condemn him As for seemingly having some zeal or excitement 165 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:40,039 for wanting to go and run and tell David about what's taken 166 00:08:40,039 --> 00:08:41,480 place. And of course, when it talks 167 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,560 about the avenging of the King's enemies, it's talking about 168 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:47,640 those who align themselves with Absalom, but it's also talking 169 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:49,240 about Absalom. And the next verse makes that 170 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:51,400 clear. Joab makes the connection when 171 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,720 he says that thou shalt not bear tidings this day, thou shalt not 172 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:56,840 bear tidings another day. Or rather, thou shalt bear 173 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,200 tidings another day, but this day thou shalt not bear. 174 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,400 Note, try again. This day thou shalt bear no 175 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,640 tidings because the King's son is dead. 176 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:08,040 Joab, it's a finer point on what a Himaz is trying to say. 177 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:11,760 No, you are not going to be the one to go and tell David that 178 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:13,400 his son is dead. And again, there's some 179 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,480 commentators who really get upset that a Himaz would 180 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,080 actually want to go and tell David because of what David had 181 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,520 said before. But I would have to argue on a 182 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:27,400 Himaz's aside and in his defense that Absalom had abhorred the 183 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:31,480 nation of Israel, that Absalom had abhorred his father, and 184 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,880 most importantly, that Absalom had abhorred God himself. 185 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,360 And there is a him as who at least has a little bit of 186 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:41,120 gumption within him, that has a little bit of fire within him to 187 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,520 be able to say, no, this man has fought against Israel. 188 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,000 This man has fought against his own brethren. 189 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,160 This man has fought against his own father. 190 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:51,880 And most important, this man is fighting against the very will 191 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,000 of God. No, no, somebody needs to be 192 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,400 able to give the news to David. And so I don't look at this as a 193 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,640 bad thing. We ought to have more people who 194 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:01,880 are burdened about their Christian beliefs. 195 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,640 You have more people who are burdened about that which they 196 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:06,280 believe. I'll be honest with you, there's 197 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,920 a lot of lackadaisical Christians that are out there 198 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:10,280 today. And maybe we'd have to put 199 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,680 ourselves into that category as well, that we get a little bit 200 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,600 lackadaisical, that there ought to be a little bit of fire in 201 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:18,800 the pulpit, that there ought to be a little bit of fire when it 202 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:20,760 comes to our devotional life. There ought to be a little bit 203 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:23,920 of fire when it comes to the way that we handle our day-to-day 204 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:26,360 business as believers. I'll be honest with you, there's 205 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,840 a lot more of those who believe the wrong things who are sincere 206 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:31,720 than Christians who believe the right thing. 207 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,000 I'll say that again. There's a lot more people who 208 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,720 believe the wrong thing but are yet sincere about it than those 209 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,480 who believe the right thing. And they're not sincere about it 210 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,080 as we ought to be, as we were going through immigration at 211 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,960 Heathrow Airport. And I'll tell you, I was so jet 212 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,400 lagged because we were going from Boston to Heathrow. 213 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:54,720 We're supposed to sleep during the night. 214 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:56,880 And there was turbulence almost the whole time. 215 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:01,000 And I got to London and it was 7 in the morning and it was just, 216 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,200 I'm, I'm sleepwalking through, but I know I got to wake up 217 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:05,280 because I'm about to go through customs. 218 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:07,160 They're going to start to asking you questions, all these 219 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,320 different things. And I get through, I hand them 220 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:11,120 my passport. And again, some of you may have 221 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,120 traveled a lot internationally. Me, not so much. 222 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:14,880 I know I'm an international speaker, but I just haven't 223 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:18,000 travelled that much. I wasn't at that point yet. 224 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,760 It's still a week away. But I, I was going through and 225 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:23,880 they said, you know, can we speak to you for a minute Now 226 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,040 that's not what you want to hear a customs agent to be able to 227 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:27,600 tell you. And I said, do you happen to 228 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:29,680 have a knife in your, in your bag? 229 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,120 And immediately I thought a knife. 230 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,000 And then the first thing I thought, to be honest with you 231 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,920 was what did AJ put in our bag? You know what, what did he put? 232 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:41,320 Because we've gone through before with empty water bottles 233 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:43,120 and didn't know that he didn't want an empty water bottle. 234 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:45,280 And he filled his up. And then we got through TSA and 235 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:46,600 they're like, why is that water bottle filled? 236 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:48,240 And AJ thought, well, I want a water. 237 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:52,080 So he said no, no, he but he but he clarifies, you know, maybe 238 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:53,880 like a butter knife or something like that. 239 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,920 What ended up being a comb that had an edge to it at the end 240 00:11:57,920 --> 00:11:59,760 that it looked, I guess through the X-ray machine a little bit 241 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,200 funny. But as it was that we went over 242 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,480 to the X-ray technician and the X-ray technician that was there 243 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:08,080 was a Muslim woman in her Muslim head guard. 244 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:12,000 And she starts going through our bag and she has her gloves on. 245 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:16,320 And she says right there in the bag shows are these Bibles. 246 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:19,760 And if you're like me, probably for your thinking, you thought 247 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:23,920 this may not be so good. And I said, yes, ma'am, these 248 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:25,880 are about, this is my wife's Bible and my Bible. 249 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:28,600 And she says, do you mind if I take these gloves off? 250 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:32,960 She says, I believe that these are holy books and I don't want 251 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:34,840 to touch them with these gloved hands. 252 00:12:35,680 --> 00:12:41,400 And I said, oh, I'm so I'm not getting arrested. 253 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:46,200 I didn't say that part. I thought, oh, I was shocked at 254 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:50,040 the reverence that she had for the Word of God and I was able 255 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:52,120 to talk to her a little bit about her testimony right there. 256 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:54,920 Obviously had to be pretty careful in that situation, but 257 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:56,600 explained to her that I was a pastor. 258 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,360 My wife then came over that time we were talking to her a little 259 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,440 bit just about the Lord and about what we believe as best as 260 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:04,160 we could in that very short period of time. 261 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:06,640 But you know what I walked away from in that moment thinking 262 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:10,720 she's more serious about the Word of God as a Muslim than a 263 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:15,360 lot of Christians are. That really troubled me. 264 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:18,920 It really made me ask myself about my own commitment. 265 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:21,640 No, no, we can't be upset when there's someone who has a little 266 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:23,400 bit of fire. No, we can't get upset when 267 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,880 there's someone who has a little bit of zeal, particularly about 268 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:28,120 the things that are right. No, we're not talking about zeal 269 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,120 for things that are wrong. Listen, you can be wrong and 270 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,120 zealous and you're just zealously wrong. 271 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,200 You want to be zealous and right. 272 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,920 But here's a him has who had the right message and had some zeal. 273 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,480 No, I'm not going to condemn him here, at least not in this 274 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:44,280 moment for the fact that he says no. 275 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:46,640 David needs to know what took place. 276 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:49,600 David needs to find out. He was a burdened messenger. 277 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:53,200 And you and I, we need to be burdened messengers as well. 278 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,800 Why? He and him has had a message of 279 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,320 death. A man has died and David needs 280 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:01,640 to know. But you and I have a message, 281 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:05,800 not of death, but of life, that you and I have been entrusted 282 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,040 with the very message of life. What is that? 283 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,720 Well, that there was one of the line of David who died, that's 284 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,880 Jesus Christ. But that he rose again and lives 285 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,480 today and will live forever more, and that if you believe in 286 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,440 that same Jesus, you will have life everlasting. 287 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:23,800 That's the message that has been entrusted to us. 288 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:26,160 And there ought to be a burden. There'll be a fire that'll be a 289 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:29,040 little bit of get up and go within us to be able to tell 290 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,840 other people the message of the good news of Jesus Christ. 291 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:37,080 That was John the Baptist as Malachi chapter 3 verse one in 292 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,800 the prophecy of John's birth said behold, I will send my 293 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:44,080 messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord 294 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:46,840 whom you seek shall suddenly come to his temple. 295 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,800 Even the messenger of the covenant whom he delight in. 296 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,680 Behold, he shall come saith the Lord of hosts. 297 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:56,160 John was the one who laid the axe at the root of the tree. 298 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,080 The Bible says, meaning this. He always got to the very heart 299 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:00,840 of the matter. You didn't walk away from here 300 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:05,080 in John the Baptist, say, I wonder what he meant, The 301 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,640 message of life. Herod understood what he meant. 302 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,360 We said you ought not take that woman. 303 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:15,560 He paid for it with his head, but he did what was right 304 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:19,800 because it was the message. But that message that was 305 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:23,880 committed to John and the disciples had been also 306 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,920 committed to us, said Corinthians 5 verse 20. 307 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,440 Now that we were ambassadors for Christ, as though God did 308 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:34,920 beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead be reconciled 309 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:37,440 to God. Walking through the streets, you 310 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,640 know what I saw? Consulate, consulate, consulate. 311 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:42,920 What is that? Places where ambassadors are, 312 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:46,600 places where someone is working on behalf of another. 313 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,120 This one's working on behalf of the French government. 314 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:51,160 This one is working on behalf of the German government. 315 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,120 Just going down the street and seeing an American flag right 316 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:56,520 there in the middle of Edinborough, I was thinking, I 317 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,440 just wanted to, I want that eagle to go, you know, right 318 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:01,520 down, right in that moment. I thought that would have been 319 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:02,160 great. You know what? 320 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:05,080 They were ambassadors. They are working on behalf of 321 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:08,240 those who had sent him. You and I are working on behalf 322 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,400 of he who has sent us, and that is Jesus Christ. 323 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:14,960 We are ambassadors for Christ. I'm ambassadors for ourself, not 324 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,360 ambassadors for our own thought processes and designs, but 325 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,400 ambassadors for him. Acts chapter one, verse 8. 326 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,520 We saw this morning, but you shall receive power after that. 327 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:26,080 The Holy Ghost has come upon you. 328 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,920 He shall be witnesses but unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all 329 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:33,520 Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. 330 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:35,560 Romans 9 verses one through three. 331 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:39,240 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not my conscience also bearing 332 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,600 me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and 333 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:46,520 continual sorrow in my heart. For I, I wish myself were cursed 334 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,520 from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. 335 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,960 Paul said this. If I could trade my salvation in 336 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,360 so that all of Israel could be saved and I could spend an 337 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:00,400 eternity in hell, I'd do it. Now I'd say if anyone ever said 338 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:02,640 that to you, they're probably blowing smoke. 339 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,920 But when it's in the Word of God, inspired by the Holy 340 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,000 Spirit, Paul meant it. Now it doesn't work that way, 341 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,160 does it? But Paul said this, I may not be 342 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:17,200 able to give my eternal life for Israel, but I can give my life 343 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:20,440 for them and making sure I do everything I can to give them 344 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:22,960 the message. No, here's a him as he, he's a 345 00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:26,960 very burdened messenger. It says he was a son of Zadok, 346 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:28,359 who is a dog. He was one of the priests. 347 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:29,800 Who do you work for? David. 348 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:34,720 He watched David, he watched his father work for David. 349 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:37,200 Now Zadok the priest worked for the Lord before he worked for 350 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:38,920 David, but he was faithful to David. 351 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:45,680 He says this, I've seen this man, I've seen the Lord, I've 352 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:50,000 seen how faithful my father has been both to David and the Lord, 353 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:54,040 and I got to have a message sent to him. 354 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:58,600 So there is this burden messenger that is there, but we 355 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:02,000 also see that there's also that before, actually, before we get 356 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:04,880 to that, it's not just that that burden messenger is about to 357 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:06,320 give the message. What does Joab say? 358 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:12,000 Son, I like your spirit if I could distill it into something. 359 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,120 It's not like your spirit. But today's not your day. 360 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:19,040 It looks this man named Kushai, he says this Kushai go run. 361 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:22,160 And he says, I'll go. Isn't that what he says there in 362 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,080 verse #21 It says. And Kushai bowed himself unto 363 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:28,000 Joab and ran. He goes on his way, but but 364 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,320 there's him, as he can't give it up, he sinks his teeth in. 365 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:34,520 He says to it says the son of Zadok yet again to Joab. 366 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,120 But howsoever let me, I pray thee also run after Kushai. 367 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:41,280 And Joab said Wherefore what thou run my son, seeing thou has 368 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:45,520 no tidings ready, now you say, well of course he has news, we 369 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,520 know what the news is. But basically Joab saying this, 370 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:50,360 it's not your news to give today. 371 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,520 I just gave it to Kushai. What are you going to say? 372 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:55,880 Why would you go? I've already given the news to 373 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,640 another man, but he's so agitated, his spirit, he says 374 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:03,840 this, just let me go. And Joab, I kind of wonder if 375 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,080 Joab just like, man, get out of here, I can't deal with you 376 00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:08,120 anymore. He's like, hey, hey boy, you 377 00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:11,560 want to run, run, go for it. You know, it's kind of like, you 378 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:13,480 know, the parent just wants to let the kid out in the backyard. 379 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:15,000 Just like, look, hey, just leave me alone. 380 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:17,120 You want to go run in the backyard, Go run into a tree for 381 00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:17,880 a while. That's fine. 382 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:20,280 Go do it. Just, you know, don't cry to me, 383 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:22,960 man, just go. And Joab just says hey, run. 384 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:26,600 And him has ran by the way of the plane and overran Kushai. 385 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:31,800 It says in verse #23 that he ran and he ran so fast that he 386 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:34,760 overran Kushai. Now Kushai had the news. 387 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:37,440 Now Emma has had the news as well. 388 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:40,800 But Kushai was the appointed messenger and he was doing the 389 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:42,560 best that he could. But for some reason that him has 390 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:43,840 had a little more pep in his step. 391 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:46,280 That doesn't mean that he was right and Kushai was wrong. 392 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,760 It just happens to be that some people are faster than other 393 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:50,560 people. And the man who had the news was 394 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,600 a little bit slower. The man who was the one who says 395 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,240 let me go, Coach put me in, coach put me in, coach put me 396 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:58,000 in. Finally, he had all that energy 397 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:01,000 in him, and man, Red Bull gave him wings or something. 398 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,400 I don't know what it was, but he was on his way. 399 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,840 And so you have this burdened messenger, and again, that 400 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:11,600 burden should be ours as well. I think of First Corinthians 401 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:14,000 Chapter 9, verse 16. For though I preach the gospel, 402 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:16,560 I mentioned this just a few weeks ago, I have nothing to 403 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,720 glory up for. Necessity is laid upon me. 404 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,600 Yeah, woe is sent to me if I preach not the gospel. 405 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,360 You say, pastor, it's a good thing that you preach the word 406 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:25,720 of God. Well, Amen. 407 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,520 And I praise the Lord for whatever good you find in me. 408 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,360 But I will say this, I'm not good because I preach the 409 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:32,640 gospel. I'm just doing what I'm supposed 410 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:34,800 to be doing. That is just what God has called 411 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:36,760 me to do. That's special about me because 412 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,480 I'm standing behind this pulpit. It's just what God's calling is 413 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:41,520 in my life. And I know you believe that 414 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,040 about me, but I'll say this, I believe that about you as well, 415 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,920 that God has called you to be able to give the gospel to the 416 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:49,960 people around you. And it's not that we're doing 417 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:51,440 anything special. It's not that we're doing. 418 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:54,640 No, no, I know the fact that it's, it's special. 419 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:56,920 It's important in God's eyes that we give the gospel. 420 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:59,880 What I'm saying is this, we're not going above the Call of 421 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:01,680 Duty. It is the Call of Duty. 422 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,920 Sure, it's special anytime the gospel is given when the word of 423 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:08,040 God is presented. Sure, it's special anytime 424 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:10,080 someone gets saved. The angels in heaven rejoice 425 00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:13,440 when one soul comes to Christ. But it is not that we are going 426 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,160 above and beyond the Call of Duty to give the gospel. 427 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,440 We're just doing what God has called us to do. 428 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,040 Well, I'm a super Christian. I'm going out on visitation. 429 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:26,560 We're a Christian. No, not be unkind about it. 430 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:28,280 I'm just saying this is what God's called us to do. 431 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,080 I'm a super Christian. I give out tracts. 432 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:35,080 We're a Christian. No, not diminishing it one bit. 433 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:37,400 No, no, don't understand, don't misunderstand what I'm saying. 434 00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:41,360 What I'm saying is this. It's just what God has called us 435 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:46,760 to do and that which God has called us to do, God will equip 436 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,400 us to do. Well Pastor, I, I could never do 437 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:51,680 that. One of my favorite verses comes 438 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:53,520 at the end of First Thessalonians when it says this 439 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:59,200 faithful is he that calleth us, who also will do it mean this 440 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:02,640 God will equip those 3 calls. If God's called us to give the 441 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:03,760 gospel, you know what he's going to do? 442 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:08,040 He's a help you give the gospel. How awful would it be for God to 443 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:10,640 call you to do something and say well, you're on your own now. 444 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,920 Some almighty God. Well he is an almighty God. 445 00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:22,560 Almighty belongs to him. And if He calls us to be able to 446 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,640 do a certain task as He has for us to be able to give the gospel 447 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,400 in the Great Commission that He's going to equip us for that 448 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,880 task, does it look differently for all of us? 449 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,520 It does. Some can seemingly give the 450 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:37,920 gospel with ease. They can find their way into a 451 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,880 conversation and turn to the Lord almost at every turn. 452 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:44,600 Others have more difficulty. Some enjoy talking. 453 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:50,080 Some don't enjoy talking. Well, no matter what your 454 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:54,120 personality trait is, God will help you in your own way to be 455 00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:56,920 able to give the gospel and not just give the gospel, but to 456 00:22:57,360 --> 00:23:01,200 live the gospel. But I'll tell you, I've reached 457 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,280 a lot more people just by the faithful witness, by living the 458 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,320 way that I should than just by handing people tracks. 459 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:09,560 No, I'm not against handing people tracks. 460 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,200 God uses that as just that planting and watering that we 461 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:13,320 should. You should be hanging out more 462 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:15,720 tracks. But you'll find that more people 463 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:19,320 will come to you about Christ as you faithfully live Christ and 464 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:21,600 as you faithfully talk about how Christ has been a blessing in 465 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:23,760 your life. And you'll find that people will 466 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,440 come to you because they'll want to learn more about how you have 467 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:28,000 the peace that they wish that they had. 468 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:30,680 It's a burden messenger. There's only one problem about 469 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,360 this burden messenger. He was also a bashful messenger. 470 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:38,120 We didn't finish the story. We only gave you the first half. 471 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:40,000 And I want to look at first number 24. 472 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:41,920 And on it says. And David sat between the two 473 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:45,520 gates and the watchman went up to the roof, over the gate under 474 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:49,200 the wall, lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, a man running 475 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,360 alone. And so David, of course, needs 476 00:23:51,360 --> 00:23:53,480 to find a way to be able to get the news. 477 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:55,320 You remember, he was told to stay behind. 478 00:23:55,560 --> 00:24:00,200 They said, listen, we know that Absalom wants you and that you 479 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:03,000 have to stay behind because he doesn't care about us. 480 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:05,200 He'll mow through all of us to be able to get to you. 481 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:08,440 So David, you stay behind. You sucker us, meaning you bring 482 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:12,000 us reinforcements if necessary. But in general, you stay behind. 483 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,520 So David's staying behind. There's no Twitter, there's no 484 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,280 Facebook, there's no Telegram Telegraph, there's no nothing. 485 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:20,440 And so he, all he's doing is sitting there and waiting with a 486 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:22,920 few men and waiting for a messenger to come. 487 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:28,040 And so he sees cresting over a hill, a messenger, a man running 488 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:29,920 alone. Well, we would know that that 489 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:30,920 would be a hemaz. Why? 490 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:34,640 Because he overtook Kushai. Kushai was the appointed 491 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:36,760 messenger, but a hemaz overtook him. 492 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,320 So what he's going to be seeing here is a hemaz. 493 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:43,040 And verse #25 says the watchman cried and told the king, And the 494 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,440 king said If he be alone there is tidings in his mouth. 495 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:53,360 And he came apace and drew near. The watchman saw another man 496 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:55,040 running. And the watchman called into the 497 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:57,720 Porter, and said, Behold, another man running alone. 498 00:24:57,720 --> 00:24:59,800 And the king said he also bringeth tidings. 499 00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:03,600 The watchman said methinketh the running of the foremost, the one 500 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,800 in the front is the running of him as the son of Zadok. 501 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,400 And the king said he is a good man and cometh with good 502 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:11,880 tidings. Now, my heart goes out to David 503 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:16,200 here because you could tell he's just reaching for any type of 504 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:18,320 good news. Just because you're a good man 505 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:19,560 doesn't mean you come with good news. 506 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:24,360 And he says, hey, him as I like that guy, he's got good news. 507 00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:28,160 Well, David, just because he's a good man doesn't mean he's got 508 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,120 good news. In fact, I would say to you that 509 00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:31,520 the good man will give you the news. 510 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:33,400 It's the truth, not just the news that you want to hear. 511 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:37,240 You know, that often comes to my mind in preaching because I want 512 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:38,840 everyone to love me. Because why? 513 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:40,440 Everybody wants everyone to love them. 514 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:42,320 You know, I don't come into this church. 515 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:44,320 I don't drive up to 800 Washington St. and say, boy, you 516 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:46,120 know, by the time I'm done today, I hope everybody hates 517 00:25:46,120 --> 00:25:49,400 me. It's never come into my mind. 518 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:51,800 It never has. I hope that when I walk in, 519 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:53,840 everybody loves me. I hope when I walk out after 520 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:56,440 preaching, my gut's out that everyone still loves me. 521 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:00,960 But do you know what? I found that it really doesn't 522 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:04,480 come down to being a good man and preaching the good word in 523 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,280 the sense that it makes everybody happy that I hope you 524 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:09,680 find that I'm a good man. And sometimes that it may not be 525 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,160 a good word that you hear, but it's his word. 526 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:15,600 That's what it comes down to. And listen, if that makes me 527 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:17,240 your enemy, then we'll have to be enemies. 528 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:19,280 I'm not looking to be anyone's enemy and I sure don't want to 529 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,160 be someone's enemy because I present the word of God and an 530 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:26,120 I'll found way. But I will say this, I got to 531 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:28,640 preach it straight and true. Well, he's a good man. 532 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:30,040 He's going to say things I want to hear. 533 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,600 Well, I may not be saying things you want to hear. 534 00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:35,000 In fact, I may say the opposite you want to hear. 535 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:37,800 But if it comes down to the Word of God, then you got to believe 536 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:39,880 it because the word of God said it, not because I said it. 537 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:42,360 And so here's Dave. He says he's a good man. 538 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:44,800 He's got good tidings. And the answer is, well, David, 539 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,280 that's all the way it works. But we understand in our heart 540 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:49,720 that the David again had that blind spot to his family. 541 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:52,320 He's hoping against hope that there's something good here. 542 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,840 And Ahemaz verse 28 called, remember, he's overtaken 543 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:58,600 Khushi's in the rear. Ahemaz is now in the front. 544 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:02,440 Ahemaz is the one who has the that had the news that that we 545 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:05,040 wanted to go. Khushi is the one who was just 546 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:06,560 ordered to go a little bit slower. 547 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:10,640 And Ahemaz called and said, verse #28 under the king, all is 548 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:12,440 well. And he fell down to the earth 549 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:15,080 upon the face before the king and said blessed be the Lord thy 550 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,880 God, which has delivered up the men that lifted up their hand 551 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,520 against my Lord the king and the king said, is the young man 552 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:29,120 Absalom safe now again, David's blind spot here is real him has 553 00:27:29,120 --> 00:27:33,320 just told him your men have won the victory and seven give glory 554 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:36,680 to God and we're and we're going to find this out the next time 555 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:40,760 that David was more caring for Absalom than he was for his own 556 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:42,120 people. That was problematic. 557 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:48,000 But instead of saying praise God, the victory was won in his 558 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,160 name. What's the first thing he says 559 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:56,000 as my son, He says, is the young man Absalom safe and him as 560 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:57,760 answered. When Joab sent the King's 561 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:02,680 servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew 562 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:06,080 not what it was. Now stop right there for a 563 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:07,880 moment. He said. 564 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,920 Pastor, am I tracking this story right because of him? 565 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:16,720 As was the one who said he wanted to go and tell David the 566 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,640 news. He's the one that overtook who 567 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:22,200 shot. And now David looks him in the 568 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,720 eyes and he says, is this what happened? 569 00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:28,080 And he goes, you know what? Who could say? 570 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,560 I have no idea. Now, again, looking at some 571 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,320 commentaries, I saw some that would defend him as say, well, 572 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:35,640 maybe he didn't know what happened. 573 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:38,240 But I don't have to be a Bible scholar to know back at the 574 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:41,720 beginning of our text that when him as he wanted to go, Joab 575 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:45,640 said someone else is going to say that the King's son is dead. 576 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:49,920 I mean, you saw that just a few moments ago, just as I did. 577 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:54,760 So Ahemez knew with 100% certainty that Absalom was dead. 578 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:57,680 But David looks him in the eyes. He says that Absalom dead. 579 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:00,480 He goes, well, who could know? And he walks up. 580 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:05,240 Now, why would he not tell the truth here? 581 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:10,480 I think there's probably a couple of reasons why 1, he 582 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:12,120 could have been afraid for his own safety. 583 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:16,680 Now, why was that? Well, there have been times that 584 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:20,080 men had come to David and said so, and so is dead. 585 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,320 And David's answer was and you're dead too. 586 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:28,440 Hey, Saul is dead. Oh, well, you had a hand in 587 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:29,280 that. You're dead too. 588 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:32,520 Ishbosheth is dead. You think I was going to be 589 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:34,080 happy about that? You're dead too. 590 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:36,160 Now. Is this the same situation as 591 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:37,400 that? Not even close. 592 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:41,200 He's just the messenger. I believe that in both those 593 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:44,120 other cases there were men who acted unrighteously and David 594 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:46,080 was acting righteously in that which he did. 595 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,000 But maybe in his mind he had a flashback about those other men 596 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,120 who had brought some news to David about kings or pretenders 597 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:56,240 of kings that had been slain, and he thought maybe his head 598 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,920 would be on a platter next. It could be because he was 599 00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:03,240 afraid of the recipients reaction in general. 600 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:05,520 He didn't want to see David upset. 601 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:07,920 Like in that moment he's looking Dave in the eyes. 602 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:10,560 He's thinking, this wasn't as fun as I thought it was going to 603 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:12,760 be. Maybe he thought he was going to 604 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,520 be the big man, the big dog who's going to come to David and 605 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:18,720 give the news. And now he's looking David in 606 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,040 the eyes, and he realizes this isn't some exercise, this is 607 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:25,160 real, and that now he's had to look this man in the eye and 608 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:26,680 tell him the truth about what happened. 609 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:30,000 And he locks up. He doesn't know what to do. 610 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:33,760 Well, what does David say about this verse #30? 611 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:38,360 And the king said unto him, turn aside and stand here. 612 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:40,360 And he turned side and stood still. 613 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:43,840 David basically says, son, I don't have much use for you. 614 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:46,400 You're a messenger with no message. 615 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:51,480 You ran all this way, you ran so fast, and now you've got nothing 616 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,600 to say. Just stand off to the side. 617 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:55,000 I'll wait for this other man to come. 618 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:59,440 And Kushai was slower, but Kushai was willing to give the 619 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:02,080 message. And the king said unto Kushai, 620 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,200 or rather verse #31 Behold Kushai came. 621 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,080 And Kushai said, Tidings my Lord the king, For the Lord hath 622 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,480 avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. 623 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:12,000 This is, this is the same thing that a him has just said. 624 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,480 And the king said unto Kushai, Is the young man Absalom safe? 625 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:20,480 And Kushai answered, The enemies of my Lord the king, and all 626 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:23,480 that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man 627 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:26,680 is. Now He said this very artfully, 628 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:31,600 but yet still gave the truth. And that boils down to this. 629 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:35,520 Absalom is dead. And if you don't think that's 630 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:37,040 what he said, look at the next verse. 631 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:40,880 And the king was much moved and went into his chamber over the 632 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:43,880 gate and wept. And as he went, he thus he said, 633 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:49,080 Oh my son Absalom, my son Absalom would God, I had died 634 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:52,480 for thee. Oh Absalom, my son, my son. 635 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:55,440 And this will continue the next chapter. 636 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,200 We'll look at it by God's grace next week. 637 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,800 But Kushai was slower. We got the job done. 638 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:06,640 He gave the message that needed to be given. 639 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:11,400 You know, we've been given a message of grave importance and 640 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,800 it requires that we give the message even if we don't get 641 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:17,720 there as fast as others may want us to get there. 642 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:20,280 It's not about how fast we get there. 643 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,760 It's about the fact that we get there and are faithful to the 644 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:27,320 message that we've been given. Now look at Brother Sandy. 645 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:32,120 Every month Liberty Baptist Church sends $100 a month. 646 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:35,160 You say that's not a big deal. Well, when there's 30 or 40 647 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:38,240 other churches that are also sending $100 a month, and I 648 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:40,200 don't know, that's how many supporting churches they have. 649 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:43,240 I'm just guessing. But we're giving him the money 650 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:47,440 that is necessary to do what? To be able to do that which God 651 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,480 has called him to do. And if we could, I would say 652 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:58,880 something like this, that we put money in Scott Sandy's hand and 653 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:05,200 we tell them this, run, run, go give the message. 654 00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:08,960 That's what we're doing. Kenny Keck in Papua New Guinea 655 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:11,960 and Kaylee Keck, I should say, because he's not the only 656 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:13,200 missionary. His wife's the missionary and 657 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,240 the kids are the missionaries. We put money in their hands and 658 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:19,600 say this, run. Now, we don't put that on the 659 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:21,680 memo line of the check. We just put their name. 660 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:23,680 But do you know what we're saying? 661 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:28,200 Hey, go run. You got a message, and when you 662 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,640 get there, you give the message that you're supposed to give. 663 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:34,800 Run. I don't know if you're aware of 664 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:38,520 this, but you pay me. I hope that doesn't upset any of 665 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:41,320 you, but it's you pay me a little bit of money. 666 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,200 And that's not always been the case, but I thank the Lord of 667 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:45,480 the past few years. That's what it is. 668 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,640 But you know, you probably think that, you know, you pay your 669 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:50,800 pastor to gallivant around the world and be an international 670 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:52,560 speaker, but that's not why you pay me. 671 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:54,520 I thank the Lord that there's abilities to be able to do 672 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,400 certain things at certain times. But you know why you have a 673 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,200 pastor? Every month there's a paycheck 674 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,560 that's put in my hand. And you know what you're telling 675 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:09,560 me as a church run, do not run away from here, but to go run 676 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,400 and give the message to as many people as I can. 677 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:17,280 That's what you expected me, by the way. 678 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:22,120 You ought to expect that of me to be able to proclaim from 679 00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:26,880 behind this pulpit or in front of this pulpit the good news and 680 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:30,080 to proclaim the good news outside of this building to as 681 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:33,320 many people as we can. This is what you expect of me. 682 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:37,800 But also remind you today that the expectation that is had of 683 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:40,840 the missionaries and the expectation this had of the 684 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:48,000 pastor is God's same expectation for you as well, is that he's 685 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:51,000 put the gospel in your trust. And this is what he's saying, 686 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:57,400 run, run. And when you get there, make 687 00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:00,680 sure you open your mouth and say what you need to say. 688 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:04,720 You know, here's the problem. This man had the story. 689 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:08,840 He had the speed, but he didn't speak. 690 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:13,360 What do we have? We have the story. 691 00:35:14,240 --> 00:35:16,600 You know, I'm not talking about a story like a fairy tale. 692 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:22,720 We have the greatest story ever told, the story of the good news 693 00:35:22,720 --> 00:35:24,920 of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. 694 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:27,640 We have the story. We have the speed. 695 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,480 The message can get out faster than any other time in human 696 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:34,960 history that God has allowed you to be able. 697 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,800 Some of you will give the gospel on your social media. 698 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:39,080 I see you do that. You can. 699 00:35:39,240 --> 00:35:44,040 You can give your own words to hundreds, if not thousands of 700 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:48,320 people for free. Do you realize how amazing that 701 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:50,000 is? Now, not everybody is 702 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:52,080 comfortable doing that. Not everybody should do that. 703 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:58,160 But we can have tracks printed at a low price, a very low 704 00:35:58,160 --> 00:35:59,800 price. In fact, we've got three boxes 705 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:02,480 in the back that I'm about to put out now that I'm back that 706 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:04,800 because we've used so many of them and there's more. 707 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:08,920 We can print those. We can do social media 708 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:12,720 campaigns, a YouTube videos, all these different types of things, 709 00:36:12,720 --> 00:36:15,640 but it really all comes down to this, that every single one of 710 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:20,600 us, we have the story, we have the speed, but if we don't 711 00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:24,280 speak, we're nothing better than him as who runs and runs and 712 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:26,320 runs and runs. He gets there, he's out of 713 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:29,080 breath, and when he looks the guy in the eye, he's got nothing 714 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:31,560 to say. Now, let's get real here for a 715 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:33,320 moment. Not that I haven't been real for 716 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:35,280 the last 30 minutes, but let's get real here for a moment. 717 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:37,880 There are times you know you need to give the gospel. 718 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:41,200 You can feel within your heart the Holy Spirit telling you this 719 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:43,640 is someone that you need to talk to about the Lord and you look 720 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:50,680 him in the eye and it doesn't come out. 721 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:55,600 Why? Well, it could be like a him as 722 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,040 you're afraid of the repercussions. 723 00:36:58,000 --> 00:36:59,440 Maybe he thought he was going to die. 724 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:03,080 It could be because you're just afraid of the reaction to the 725 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:05,160 other person. So I'm not afraid of what other 726 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:06,880 people think. Well, come on, man. 727 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:08,720 Let's get, remember, I said we're getting real. 728 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,640 Of course you are. I'm a pastor. 729 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:15,680 I get afraid. I, I, I, I'm embarrassed to 730 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:17,440 admit that. But at the same time, I, I have 731 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:20,320 to be honest with you. There are times I am fearful of 732 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:22,120 giving the gospel. Why? 733 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:24,160 Why should I? God's given me everything. 734 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:26,640 But yeah, I looked that guy in the eyes. 735 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:28,400 I looked that woman right in the eyes. 736 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:30,560 And I, I think I don't know how they're going to respond. 737 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:36,160 Maybe this isn't the day and I'm a Himez. 738 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:39,680 I got the story, I got the speed, but I don't speak. 739 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:44,480 But yet there's all these different groups out there that 740 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:51,080 have got lies wrapped up in lies, gift wrapped in further 741 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:54,920 lies, and they're out there peddling their wares everywhere 742 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:57,400 you go. And here we are. 743 00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:01,920 We got the truth. We've got a Resurrection Sunday 744 00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:05,240 two weeks from now, and there's people you know that need to be 745 00:38:05,240 --> 00:38:08,360 in this building even more that there's people that you know 746 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:12,720 that need to know the gospel. And you can invite him in here 747 00:38:12,720 --> 00:38:14,000 and we can preach the gospel to him. 748 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:16,440 Praise the Lord for that. But you could also give it to 749 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:18,400 him if the Lord opens the doors for you as well. 750 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:22,640 We have a visitation right before the day before. 751 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:23,680 Why? Because there's some people we 752 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:25,680 want to remind him the next day, hey, there's a church you need 753 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:29,360 to go to that's open, that loves you, that's going to preach the 754 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:30,600 gospel. We need help that day. 755 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:32,640 We need help every time we have visitation. 756 00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:36,440 We need help that day. I'll tell you something that 757 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:38,160 really affected me while I was away. 758 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:43,920 Diane had about an hour that she was doing something in Edinburgh 759 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:47,720 and, and I had an hour to myself and here I am in a foreign 760 00:38:47,720 --> 00:38:49,120 country. And I thought, what am I going 761 00:38:49,120 --> 00:38:51,520 to do for the next hour? And I said, you know what, I'm 762 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:54,400 just going to walk around and see what I can find. 763 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:57,720 And so downtown Edinborough, the old city, the castle's right 764 00:38:57,720 --> 00:38:58,520 there. I mean, it's, it's so 765 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:02,040 incredible. And I start walking and I 766 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:03,280 realized, oh, you know what I would do? 767 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,120 I'll go walk to the train station because I love trains. 768 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:08,280 And so I'm going to walk over there. 769 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:10,240 It's about 10 minutes away. So I walk over the train 770 00:39:10,240 --> 00:39:12,720 station. I look inside and it's, you 771 00:39:12,720 --> 00:39:14,160 know, it's train station all right. 772 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:16,040 But it's pretty neat. And so I walk back out and I 773 00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:17,280 look around. I say, what else? 774 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:20,160 What else should I do? I still got a decent amount of 775 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:22,200 time. And I remembered as I looked 776 00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:25,480 over into the gardens that was across the road a little bit of 777 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:28,440 a way, that there was a statue of David Livingstone. 778 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:32,080 Now the world looks at David Livingstone as a great explorer, 779 00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:36,920 the one who saw the first from Europe, who saw what would be 780 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:40,960 called become Victoria Falls, the first who who mapped out 781 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:45,800 Africa in a very meaningful way. But we know him not as much as 782 00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:47,880 explorer, but the preacher of the gospel. 783 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:53,360 In fact, he was the one who requested at his death, he says 784 00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:58,040 you can bury me at Westminster Abbey, but bury my heart here in 785 00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:00,440 Africa. And there were men who had great 786 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:04,760 expense, decided to take his body themselves and a journey 787 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:07,360 that was arduous that delivered him there. 788 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:10,640 But they buried his heart there in Africa because he loved them 789 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:12,440 so much and gave them the gospel. 790 00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:15,680 He was, he may have been explorer second, but his heart 791 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:18,160 was not let me be an explorer. His heart was, I'm going to be a 792 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:20,000 missionary and he made track so much. 793 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:21,200 They haven't explorer quite a bit. 794 00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:26,280 I'm going to look at this statue and I go over, there's David 795 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:30,800 Livingstone. The statue of him, just to be 796 00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:34,720 clear, I know I'm jet lagged, but I know it wasn't him. 797 00:40:34,720 --> 00:40:39,960 All right, there's the statue. I'm looking at it, and I look 798 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:45,920 just about 15 feet away and there's four people standing 799 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:50,400 there, groups of two with communication racks. 800 00:40:51,240 --> 00:40:56,480 And there are 4 Jehovah Witnesses standing in front of 801 00:40:56,480 --> 00:41:04,320 the statue of David Livingstone. And my heart broke and I thought 802 00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:08,520 there's no one here to tell the story of David Livingstone. 803 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,160 There's no missionary that I know of in Edinburgh. 804 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:15,440 There are some places where there are churches, but there 805 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:17,640 are so many of them don't even preach the word of God. 806 00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:20,200 I couldn't even tell you where you could hear the word of God 807 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:24,440 preached in Edinburgh or many places in in in Scotland today. 808 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:28,840 A place in the United Kingdom that sent out missionaries in 809 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:31,360 the 1800s in a way that no one else did, that now needs 810 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:33,960 missionaries in equal proportion. 811 00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:37,080 And here I'm looking at one of the greatest missionaries, 812 00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:41,360 Whoever lived and the ones who are speaking the most are for 813 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:44,560 Jehovah Witnesses. I thought if that's not the 814 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:49,560 state of Christianity Today, I don't know what is. 815 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:54,960 We've got the message, we've got the story, we got the speed, but 816 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:57,720 we don't speak. It's a problem. 817 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:04,720 So if you know the comedic duo, Penn and Teller, I, I've used 818 00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:08,360 this before. It's a very well known story and 819 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:11,200 it, but it is a real story of Penn Jillette. 820 00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:13,680 He's an avowed atheist. He went to church as a younger 821 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:18,680 person, but now is an atheist. And there was someone who came 822 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:23,320 up to him with a Bible at the end of a show and wanted to give 823 00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:25,560 him the Bible. And there were people that 824 00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:28,840 mocked this man for doing so. And Penn Jillette, you can look 825 00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:30,200 this up. This isn't just preaching. 826 00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:31,080 This is true. All right. 827 00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:36,760 I did find it on the Internet. But it's true that Penn Jillette 828 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:39,040 said this. I have more respect for this man 829 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:41,880 than anyone else. I don't believe a word he's 830 00:42:41,880 --> 00:42:44,600 saying. But if he believes the message 831 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:49,000 of which he does, then he has to tell as many people as possible, 832 00:42:49,360 --> 00:42:51,080 including me. Why? 833 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:55,680 Because the message is this heaven is real, hell is real, 834 00:42:56,840 --> 00:42:59,480 and that if he believes that he has to tell as many people as 835 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:01,880 possible, I have more respect for him than almost anyone else, 836 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:07,280 even if I don't believe it. No, if we're not careful, we 837 00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:09,040 could be messengers with no message. 838 00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:13,600 This isn't the Country Club. This is not a recreation room. 839 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:17,720 It's not a place where good Christian people meet and mingle 840 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:20,400 and have friendships that they can't have other places. 841 00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:24,840 There's a place where we gather for fellowship, but so that we 842 00:43:24,840 --> 00:43:26,920 go and tell as many people as we can. 843 00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:31,400 You may be a Kushai, you may be a little bit slower, you may not 844 00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:35,480 be the first one there, but when the times are ready, open your 845 00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:39,080 mouth and say what God's told you to say and God will bless 846 00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:41,360 it. Thank you for listening to the 847 00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:44,000 sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 848 00:43:44,400 --> 00:43:47,600 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 849 00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:50,720 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 850 00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:55,640 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 851 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:59,520 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 852 00:43:59,760 --> 00:44:02,600 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.