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 --> 00:00:27,480 Turn back to Second Samuel chapter 18 as we read the final 8 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:31,560 verse of that chapter and move on to chapter #19 as we see 9 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,440 Absalom is dead. And we're going to look at 10 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:38,880 David's response as he got the words from Kushai as we made 11 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:40,560 mention of last week. And so looking forward to 12 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,880 getting into that here in just a few moments from Second Samuel 13 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:49,160 chapter #18 you know, when. It comes to issues of mental 14 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,080 health. When it comes to issues of 15 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,320 mental health, you don't often hear much spoken about it in the 16 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:56,600 church, and there's probably a lot of different reasons for 17 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,680 that, if we're honest about that this evening, first of all, is 18 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,640 probably because when you hear the term mental health and all 19 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:05,600 that comes along with it, there's obviously a lot of 20 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,000 secular influence and secular advice when it comes in this 21 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,640 area of mental health. The world has all kinds of ideas 22 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,760 of books and of therapies and all kinds of answers when it 23 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,480 comes the issue of mental health, ironically enough, none 24 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:21,440 of the issues the. Or rather, rather, none of the 25 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:24,280 ideas the world has about it has anything to do with Jesus 26 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,800 Christ. But the world does talk quite a 27 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,360 bit about mental health. So sometimes that might be a 28 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,080 stereotype that we don't want to be a part of it. 29 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,600 It could be that we don't talk about mental health because 30 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:39,160 there is a stigma of perhaps weakness, that if we were to 31 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,240 talk about the fact that there could be some issues of the mind 32 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,080 and of our thoughts, that perhaps we would be perceived as 33 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,360 being weak. So perhaps it's better not to be 34 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,080 spoken of at all. Perhaps it could be because 35 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,360 people think that Christians aren't supposed to have any of 36 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:54,720 those kind of issues in the 1st place. 37 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:56,640 Because if you're a Christian and you're saved, you ought to 38 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,080 just be thinking, right all the time because that's just the way 39 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,360 the Christian ought to be. Now, here's the thing for us 40 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,200 this evening, that we don't want to think like the world thinks, 41 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:06,640 Amen. We want to think as the Bible 42 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,240 tells us to think. But I do also know this the 43 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,040 Bible talks quite a bit about the mind. 44 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,760 The Bible tells us to gird the loins up of our mind, meaning 45 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,760 this that there can often be slackness within our mind that 46 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,400 we have to cinch up to make sure that we are thinking right. 47 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:26,040 Philippians chapter 2 tells us what let this mind be in you, 48 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,960 which was also in Christ Jesus. The Bible has much to do. 49 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,160 There's over 100 verses that you will find in the word of God 50 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,000 that deal with the issues of the mind. 51 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,960 This is not something that is just out there on the fringe. 52 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:40,360 This is not just something that the. 53 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,080 World would. Speak about, but the issue of 54 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,400 mental health, whether you want to call it mental health or not, 55 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,200 making sure that we have a mind that is right with God is 56 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:51,680 certainly something that's very important to God. 57 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:53,720 And should be important to us as well. 58 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,760 Interestingly enough about God's holy book is that there were a 59 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:00,720 lot of people who had struggles within their minds and they 60 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:02,560 wrote about them in the word of God. 61 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,360 If you ever read the psalms of Asaph, if you were in the. 70s 62 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,320 of the book of Psalms, you'll find that Asaph, who was the 63 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:13,640 song leader of David, had a lot of issues with discouragement 64 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:18,320 and issues with the deeper issues of life and sometimes 65 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,440 couldn't reconcile. Why is the world seemingly doing 66 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,240 so good and I'm suing so bad? And it caused him a lot of real 67 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:28,160 difficulties of discouragement and maybe we could even say of 68 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,600 despair as well. Well, what about David himself? 69 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:36,000 Well, David had some very raw and very real Psalms, where he 70 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,200 expressed some thoughts within him where he had great despair. 71 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,320 For instance, Psalm 55, verses one through 6. 72 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:47,040 Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not thyself from my 73 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,800 supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me. 74 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,640 I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise because of the 75 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,560 voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. 76 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,680 For they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me. 77 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,960 My heart is sore pain within me. The terrors of death are falling 78 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,320 upon me, fearfulness and trembling are coming upon me, 79 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,600 and horror hath overwhelmed me. And listen to what he says. 80 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:15,920 And I said, Oh, that I had wings like a dove, for then I would 81 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:18,200 fly. Away and be at rest. 82 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:19,959 Call it mental. Health. 83 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,320 Call it despair, call whatever you want. 84 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:26,880 The Bible speaks much about the issues of despair in the mind, 85 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:31,000 and as believers, we ought not to look to the world for answers 86 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,440 when it comes to these issues, but rather we must ask ourselves 87 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,000 this. What does the Word of God say 88 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:40,120 when we have issues with what's going on upstairs? 89 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,120 What does the word of God say when we have discouragement, 90 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:49,200 when we have a despondency, when it doesn't seem like anything in 91 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,120 life is going our way? Well, ironically enough, we just 92 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,560 read from Psalm 55 and David's words. 93 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:58,360 And while David's words were not necessarily penned for this very 94 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,560 text, they certainly. Fit in quite well, because 95 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:07,520 Absalom is dead and David's going to be in great despair now 96 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:10,880 he has. A divided mind here. 97 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,120 Why? Because Absalom is dead. 98 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:14,960 But Absalom well deserved to die. 99 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,080 But he was still a son. And so I want us to look at our 100 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,000 text here tonight and really glean some thoughts to be able 101 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:26,440 to help us when we get into issues of the heart and mind and 102 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:28,960 how we can make sure we're thinking biblically when those 103 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:32,600 times of despair, when those times of discouragement, when 104 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:37,200 those times of great sorrow come not just in a way, but whether 105 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,560 they seem so overwhelming that they feel like. 106 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,760 We're going to drown. What do we do according to what 107 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,240 the Bible says? With these issues, we stand 108 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:49,360 pleased for the reading of God's Word, Second Samuel chapter 18 109 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:56,280 and verse #30. Three says that the king was 110 00:05:56,280 --> 00:06:00,440 much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. 111 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:05,840 And as he went thus he said, Oh, my son Absalom, my son, my son 112 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:10,360 Absalom, would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my 113 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,560 son. Now beginning in chapter 19, it 114 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:16,920 says, and it was told, Joab, behold, the king weepeth and 115 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:19,640 mourneth for Absalom. And the victory that day was 116 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:21,760 turned into mourning unto all the people. 117 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,120 For the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for 118 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:26,520 his son. And the people get them by 119 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,800 stealth that day into the city. People being ashamed steal away 120 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,800 when they flee in battle. But the king covered his face 121 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:35,400 and the king cried with a loud voice. 122 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,720 Oh my son Absalom. Oh Absalom, my son, my son. 123 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:45,480 And Joab came into the House of the king and said snap out of 124 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,880 it. No, that's not there case. 125 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:51,640 You thought I had one of those easy reading Bibles here. 126 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,280 That's not what I'm saying. But in essence, he's going to 127 00:06:55,280 --> 00:06:58,240 give him some hard truth here. Say what you want about Joab, 128 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:03,000 and Joab is the enigma of all enigmas, but certainly Joab here 129 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,200 has some good counsel for him, and we'll look at that in just a 130 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,160 moment. Thou has shamed this day the 131 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:12,000 faces of all thy servants, which this day I've saved thy life, 132 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,800 and the lives of thy sons, and of thy daughters, and the lives 133 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,800 of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines, and that thou 134 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,400 lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. 135 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:22,880 For thou has declared this day that thou regardless neither 136 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:25,720 Princess nor servants. For this day I perceive that if 137 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:30,000 Absalom had lived and we all died this day, it pleased thee 138 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,880 well. Now therefore rise, go forth, 139 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:34,520 and speak comfortably unto thy servants. 140 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,240 For I swear by the Lord, if thou go not forth, there will not 141 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:42,120 tarry one with thee this night, and that will be worse unto thee 142 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:46,120 than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now. 143 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,040 Then the king arose and sat in the gate. 144 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,680 And they told unto the people, Unto all the people, Behold, 145 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:54,800 saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. 146 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:57,640 And all the people came before the king, for Israel had fled 147 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,240 every man to his tent. You may be seated. 148 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:06,200 David is pained in his heart. David is pained in his mind. 149 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:08,720 There's no doubt about that from what we just read. 150 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:12,880 But yet could we also equally say David's not thinking 151 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:15,520 straight? And there are times within our 152 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:20,000 own life, because of the issues of life, we're just not thinking 153 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:22,360 straight. How do we deal with that? 154 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:27,280 You know, I don't care what the psychologists say or the pH DS 155 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,040 say or those so-called scholars say, let's ask ourselves this 156 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:32,919 question this evening. What does the word of God say? 157 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:36,679 We get into a situation where we're in such great pain, we 158 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:42,799 could end up making some very, very bad decisions because we're 159 00:08:42,799 --> 00:08:45,440 not in the place we ought to be. Heavenly Father, be with us here 160 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:47,000 tonight. Help me to be able to talk about 161 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,080 this subject in a way that's compassionate, but also that 162 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,080 hits the point that hits the mark as your word says it. 163 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:55,320 Be with us this evening. If there's someone here that's 164 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,360 going through this great season of discouragement, depression, 165 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,800 the issues of the mind, Lord, help them not necessarily to 166 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,200 feel shame, but rather help them to realize that first and 167 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,160 foremost, they need to run to you to be able to bring these 168 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:09,840 things to you first and foremost. 169 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:13,360 And that you can be the one that takes care of these things in a 170 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:18,160 way that the world who offers so many answers often falls far, 171 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:20,360 far short. Or be with us tonight as we get 172 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,360 into your word and we ask it in Jesus name, Amen. 173 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:27,080 What do we find in verse #33 David receives the message from 174 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,520 the hands of Kushai and he is in mourning. 175 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:32,960 You can feel David's grief. You can feel David's pain, even 176 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:35,600 just from the way this is written for us here. 177 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:37,960 Oh my son Absalom. My son. 178 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:39,680 My son Absalom. Would. 179 00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:43,520 God, I had died for thee, Oh Absalom, my son, my son. 180 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:46,440 And here is David, where he is pained in his heart because he 181 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,240 wishes he would have died in the place of Absalom. 182 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,520 That's how great his grief is here in this moment. 183 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:55,840 Now Joab hears of this news. Why is that? 184 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,680 Well, because David was mourning in a very public place. 185 00:09:59,680 --> 00:10:02,320 You may have noticed at the beginning verse #33 when it 186 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,240 says, and the king was much moved and went up to the chamber 187 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,480 over the gate. Remember that he was in that 188 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,760 city called Mahanam. And there he was sitting at the 189 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,560 gate, and he was looking for a place that was private to be 190 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:15,920 able to mourn. And the best he could find was 191 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,800 to be able to go into a chamber that was over the top of the 192 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:20,240 gate. So what does that mean? 193 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,760 That everyone that's coming back from the battle can hear David 194 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:27,280 wailing and weeping as soon as they come into the city? 195 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,320 David has no pretense. David's not hiding anything. 196 00:10:30,560 --> 00:10:33,640 Everyone can hear David in his great morning. 197 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:36,320 And so the word has come to Joab. 198 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,560 And Joab is told, listen, you got to talk to David because 199 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,200 here's what's happening. People are coming back into the 200 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,240 city, and they're hearing David crying like this. 201 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,320 And they're hearing David. All he's talking about is 202 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,920 Absalom, Absalom, Absalom. He's giving no regards for the 203 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:56,000 people who the men who hazard their lives to win the battle, 204 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,840 Ephraim would that day. He's giving no regard to the 205 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:01,360 fact that now he and his people are safe. 206 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,480 All he can think of is Absalom and everybody can hear it. 207 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,240 In fact, it says that the men who are coming back from the 208 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,320 battle, when they heard David, they didn't feel great joy for 209 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:11,840 the victory. Now they felt ashamed. 210 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,280 In fact, it said that they kind of slunk away like men who are 211 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,760 trying to escape from a battle. You know, when men are in a 212 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,440 battle and, and they are deciding that they're going to 213 00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:24,160 cut and run, that they're going to hightail it, they do so in a 214 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:27,760 way that is without honor. That is what it is when men 215 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:30,680 would run away from the field of battle, there is no honor there 216 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:34,720 to be able to do so and to leave your brethren to be able to 217 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:36,720 fight the battle that you're supposed to be shoulder to 218 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,120 shoulder with. But yet the word of God tells us 219 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:42,880 that the men felt great shame, just as if they were running 220 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,360 away from the battle because look at what they had done to 221 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:47,400 David. They love David, they went to 222 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:50,680 battle for David, and yet here is David weeping. 223 00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:56,720 And they realized we did this to David and they had this reaction 224 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:03,640 that really was not a good one. Well, Joab comes to David verse 225 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:07,400 #4 he continues and it says he continues with a loud voice. 226 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:11,480 Oh my son, Absalom, oh Absalom, my son, my son. 227 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:16,920 Do you see a theme here? Absalom, my son, my son. 228 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:22,200 Absalom, oh, my son. Absalom, my son. 229 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:28,160 My son. O over and over and over again. 230 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,000 And Joab comes and gives him a hard truth. 231 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,520 He's what's the matter with you. You make it sound like Absalom 232 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:37,840 is more important than the people who risk their lives for 233 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:40,360 you. In fact, if you don't get it 234 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:42,400 together, here's what's going to happen. 235 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,920 All the trouble that's befallen you from your youth until this 236 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:50,400 day will pale in comparison to what's about to happen, because 237 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,760 those same men will turn on you when they realize you don't 238 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:58,040 value their lives. All you did was value Absalom. 239 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:02,160 And David, to his credit, said you're right. 240 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:04,960 And what did he do? He cleaned himself up. 241 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:07,640 He came down from the chamber above the gate. 242 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,400 He sat at the gate, which was the place of leadership, and he 243 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,720 watched his men come back. And his men came to realize that 244 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:19,720 David did truly appreciate that which they hazard themselves 245 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:22,960 through the battle there that day and even the days before as 246 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:26,480 they escaped from Jerusalem and made it out over across Jordan 247 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:28,920 in the first place. Now, I'm going to be honest with 248 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,360 you here this evening as I've been in preparation for this 249 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:33,880 message for several weeks. And that's one of the beauties 250 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,880 of going through a text and going chapter by chapter and 251 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:38,560 verse by verse. You always know what's coming. 252 00:13:38,560 --> 00:13:41,680 It's not a surprise to me what text is coming when we study in 253 00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:43,760 this way. And for weeks, I was very 254 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:48,960 prepared to lay it on heavy and be very, very negative against 255 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:51,240 David. Because here's the thing. 256 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:53,640 David, what's the matter with you? 257 00:13:54,680 --> 00:13:56,880 David, why are you crying? For this guy. 258 00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:59,760 Do you realize what he put you through? 259 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,480 Do you realize what he put your nation through? 260 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:06,720 And I was getting ready to get up here and for 30 or 40 or 50 261 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,800 or 60 or however long minutes to be able to get up here and just 262 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:12,960 tell you what a louse David is. To be able to react like this 263 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,960 and like David, snap out of it. You're acting like a baby. 264 00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:21,920 Act like a man and react in a way that's appropriate to the 265 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:23,680 situation. This is the way I wanted to 266 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:28,720 preach the message, but I have to be honest with you when you 267 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:32,280 really get into the text and. When we read the Bible, I want 268 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:34,120 to remind you some of this Eve. I know you know this, but I'm 269 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:36,640 going to say it anyway because in my contract I have to say it 270 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:40,680 when when we read the Word of God, we're reading about real 271 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:43,560 people, OK? This isn't a storybook. 272 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:46,960 This isn't a fantasy. This isn't something provided to 273 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:50,160 us by Walt Disney. You know, these are real people 274 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:52,320 who went through real situations. 275 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:56,360 And because of that, those real people had real emotions. 276 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:57,960 Now let me ask you are your complex? 277 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:00,840 Are your emotions complex? Yeah. 278 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:03,360 Oh, we like to think we're pretty simple minded in some 279 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:05,000 ways. But really, let's be honest, our 280 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:08,600 emotions can be very complex. And if that's the case for us, 281 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,800 would that be no different for David here in this case? 282 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,040 As I started to really think about what David was going 283 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,960 through in that moment, the flood of emotions that come 284 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,160 across him at that time had to have been overwhelming to think 285 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:23,480 about this. His son's dead. 286 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,800 His son. Say what you want, but there is 287 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:32,280 a bond that comes from fathers and mothers and their children. 288 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:38,080 And whether this young man had acted appropriately or not, he 289 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:41,400 was still a son. And for five years this son had 290 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:45,640 been the focus of his life. Whether he had had him close by 291 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,800 or whether he was at arm's length, there was probably never 292 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,960 a day where David didn't have Absalom on his mind. 293 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:57,240 And now Absalom was gone. I wonder if David in that moment 294 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:01,000 is morning because he has to wonder if Absalom's death is his 295 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,520 own fault. He's made some bad choices. 296 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:07,120 He allowed things to get out of hand. 297 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:09,040 So how did he let other things get out of hand? 298 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,680 Well, the issue with Ammon and Tamar, David was supposed to 299 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:14,840 have handled that. He didn't handle it. 300 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,240 What happened? A snowball effect took place 301 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:22,720 that ended up with Absalom hanging in a tree and dying at 302 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,800 the hand of Joab. You think there's some guilt in 303 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:30,840 David's mind, thinking this was a totally preventable thing from 304 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:35,880 happening if I had just acted appropriately as a man and as a 305 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:38,560 king. I imagine he's physically and 306 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:42,560 mentally exhausted from his flight from Jerusalem and from 307 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:44,720 all that's taken place over the last few days. 308 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,520 Understanding what's happening in Jerusalem, understanding 309 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:48,960 what's happened to his concubines. 310 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,760 No doubt word has gotten out, because remember, that all took 311 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:55,640 place under the sun. Absalom in public, humiliated 312 00:16:55,640 --> 00:17:00,800 and raped his concubines. And David understands all this. 313 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:02,880 He's mentally, physically exhausted again. 314 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:06,640 Maybe guilt over that as well, The guilt of dragging all Israel 315 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:10,119 into his own family's business. There's at least dozens of his 316 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:14,440 own men who died trying to protect David in a battle that 317 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:16,280 never should have taken place in the 1st place. 318 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:18,880 And really? If you want. 319 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:22,160 To trace this all the way back to its genesis, you can go to 320 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:27,480 Second Samuel chapter #11 when David didn't go to battle at the 321 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:32,440 time when kings went to battle. And David went out onto that 322 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:35,720 porch. And what does he see? 323 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,640 Well, he sees Bathsheba. And instead of turning around 324 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,160 and saying this, it's not for me to look at, he calls his men, 325 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:44,440 says, who's that woman over there? 326 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:48,200 And just the fact he asked that question opened the door to be 327 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:50,720 able to have what happened take place. 328 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:54,680 This isn't my message tonight, but can I take a moment and 329 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:59,320 remind you when it comes to the issues of lust, you don't know 330 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,680 where the harmless sin of lust will take you in the end. 331 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:08,200 Well, it's just a look. Well, what turned for David as a 332 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:12,920 look ended up destroying his household, end up destroying his 333 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,000 Peace of Mind. And don't tell me that David in 334 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:20,520 that moment as he's crying, oh, Absalom, Absalom, my son 335 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:24,640 Absalom, Absalom that he's mourning for Absalom and maybe 336 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:28,360 in his mind feels like Absalom somewhat of a victim because of 337 00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:33,080 his own sinful decisions. No, he's in bad shape here. 338 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:37,360 I can't come to you tonight and, and, and say the things that I 339 00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:39,520 wanted to say about him. Why? 340 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:43,800 Because I can understand if we give ourselves an honest look at 341 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:47,040 this text and really try to understand the mind of David, we 342 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:50,800 can see where he's coming from. Could we maybe even put it this 343 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:52,960 way this evening? In fact, the title of my message 344 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:54,640 is this. David has a breakdown. 345 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,160 It's almost as if he's having a mental breakdown here. 346 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:00,400 There's no conversation to be had. 347 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:04,840 There's nothing other for him to say other than Absalom, my son, 348 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:06,960 my son. And I know I was poking fun at 349 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,440 it just a few moments ago, but you're literally looking at a 350 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,280 man on the edge. You're looking at a man who has 351 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:17,880 lived from calamity to calamity to calamity for five plus years 352 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,160 now. And it's all come to a head and 353 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:24,000 he's been given the bill of sale for all the bad decisions that 354 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,200 he has made. He's seeing his son dead. 355 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:30,720 He is seeing all that has the wreckage of what's taking place 356 00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:36,080 and it's coming crashing down on him now. 357 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:42,480 When dealing with issues of depression, heartbreak, or 358 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:47,600 feeling that you're on the edge, it is very easy to make 359 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:53,640 decisions in the short term that are ungodly, that are unwise, 360 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,880 and those short term decisions could end up changing you for 361 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:02,120 the long term. This is what David's on the edge 362 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:03,560 of here and doesn't even realize it. 363 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:07,640 He doesn't realize in this moment if he doesn't shape up. 364 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,800 The Kingdom that he just regained, he's going to lose 365 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:15,000 again because those men are going to turn on him. 366 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:22,040 Now, the issue is for David that in the moment when he is on the 367 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:26,280 edge, the last thing that a person wants to do is to think 368 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,520 biblically. Now, let's say that again, when 369 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:33,440 you were on the edge, the last thing you want to do is to think 370 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,360 biblically. But here's the issue. 371 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,880 It's not the last resort. It should be our very first 372 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:44,680 thing to do. No one will readily admit 373 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:46,480 something here this evening. I'm not a healthcare 374 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:47,880 professional. I know a lot of your surprise 375 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,880 about that tonight. I'm not a healthcare 376 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,120 professional. There are sometimes that there 377 00:20:53,120 --> 00:20:56,440 are things in the body, there are things that are taking place 378 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:58,200 in the body that can affect the mind. 379 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:01,440 This is scientifically proven. This is not something that 380 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:03,320 should be a surprise to anyone this evening. 381 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,760 Sometimes it can be as simple as something as a UTI, which can 382 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,640 cause someone to have extreme mental distress, and sometimes 383 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:14,160 it could be something as complex as hormones that can cause 384 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:16,080 thoughts that would not normally be there. 385 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:18,600 Sometimes there can be complications, medications that 386 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,360 you might be taking that might cause very dark thoughts that 387 00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:24,320 would not be there. I'm not a physician, I'm not 388 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:28,080 your doctor, I'm not APA. I've been in the hospital a few 389 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:29,160 times. That's all I can tell you. 390 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:35,080 So I'm not trying to tell you what you need to do in these 391 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:40,840 areas, but I will say this. God has created us as physical, 392 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:46,640 mental, emotional, and yes, spiritual beings. 393 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:51,680 And those are all delicately intertwined and we cannot 394 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,200 pretend that they do not affect one another. 395 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:57,360 And I'm not here to tell you tonight. 396 00:21:57,560 --> 00:21:59,120 Well, listen, you don't need a doctor. 397 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:00,520 You just need to get right with the Lord. 398 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:02,400 I've heard that kind of preaching before, and it can be 399 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,440 dangerous. That's not what I'm here to 400 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,000 preach tonight. You don't need the doctors, you 401 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,640 just need Jesus. Well, listen, Jesus gave us 402 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:13,720 doctors, and I'm thankful for some of them. 403 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:17,320 So you didn't catch that. I'm thankful for some of them. 404 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:22,400 I am. But I also say this what we also 405 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,560 need to be careful of. As that we don't run to medicine 406 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:28,560 first before we run to the Lord first. 407 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,880 There was a king in second Chronicles chapter 16 named ASA 408 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:39,160 who is diseased in his feet thoughts not pleasant, but what 409 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:42,760 does the Bible say about in verse number 12A said are in his 410 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:46,480 thirty and 9th year of his reign was diseased in his feet until 411 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:49,240 his disease was exceeding great. Here's the issue. 412 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,960 Get in this disease. He sought not the Lord, but to 413 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:56,000 the physicians. Is the issue the physicians? 414 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:58,840 No. I know we all make jokes about 415 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,200 physicians and doctors, but the issue is not that. 416 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,800 The issue is this. When you seek the Lord before 417 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,560 the physicians. When you do not seek the Lord 418 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,000 while you're seeking the physicians. 419 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,760 When you don't seek the great physician as you're seeking the 420 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,360 physicians. I'm not here to tell you 421 00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:18,840 tonight, if you're struggling in your mind that you should never 422 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:21,560 be able to get outside help as long as that outside help is 423 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:23,200 within the bounds of the Word of God. 424 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:24,880 That's not what I'm here to tell you tonight. 425 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:28,400 What I'm saying is this, before we go to those extremes, before 426 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,200 we go to those places, should we make sure that we're thinking 427 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,360 biblically? Shouldn't we make sure that 428 00:23:33,360 --> 00:23:35,360 we're thinking right? You know what, David? 429 00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:38,320 He needed here more than anything, was just a good dose 430 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:41,400 of the Word of God. What David needed here more than 431 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,320 anything was someone to look him in the eye and say, David, 432 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:48,200 you're not thinking right? And that's what he received. 433 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:52,360 What do you do when you're on the verge of a breakdown? 434 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:55,040 Say, pastor, I will call you. All right, Well, that's fine. 435 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,720 You can call me. But you know what I'm going to 436 00:23:57,720 --> 00:23:58,960 tell you? I'm going to tell you these 437 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:01,160 three things, and they're found in our text here tonight. 438 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:03,640 The 1st is this. I want you to realize this and 439 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:07,360 recognize this tonight. Feelings can be faulty. 440 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:13,760 Feelings can be faulty. Feelings are not your enemy in 441 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:16,480 and of themselves. Aren't you glad God gave us 442 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:18,920 feelings? Without feelings, we wouldn't 443 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:20,960 know the joy and rapture of life. 444 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:24,800 We wouldn't know how to appreciate the beauty of the 445 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:26,760 creation that He's put around us. 446 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:31,320 I'm thankful for the emotions of which He has gifted us with, but 447 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,680 our feelings are not always to be trusted. 448 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:37,240 Feelings are like funhouse mirrors. 449 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,120 They'll give you all the information, but they're going 450 00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:44,080 to put it in ways that do not accurately represent that which 451 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,960 is before you. Your feelings cannot be trusted. 452 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:49,520 Say. Well, Pastor, did you have some 453 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:52,000 examples in the Bible? I'm glad you asked, Esau. 454 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,160 I'm so hungry. I'm going to die. 455 00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:00,440 Look it up. That's what he said. 456 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:03,960 I'm going to die. Esau, you're not going to die. 457 00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:08,920 You're hungry. There's Jacob, literally and 458 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:10,360 metaphorically. Stir in the pot. 459 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,000 You know what I'm saying? He's stirring the pot. 460 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:15,760 He says, Esau, I'm gonna wait for you. 461 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:19,080 Hey, he says, I'll be glad to give you some of this, to give 462 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,520 me your birthright. And Esau said this. 463 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:24,000 What goodwill that birthright do me if I die? 464 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:27,240 May I reiterate, Esau, you will not die. 465 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:31,200 In that moment, his feelings were this I am so hungry. 466 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,560 Nothing else matters. And what did he do? 467 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:39,560 He ate that bowl. He was satisfied and probably he 468 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:41,160 felt like you. And I feel when you eat a whole 469 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,200 carton of ice cream and it feels so good till you get to the 470 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:47,080 bottom and then you realize when your stomach is gurgling for the 471 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:50,840 next 6 hours that you made some very bad life choices. 472 00:25:52,120 --> 00:25:55,160 But I'll tell you this, the consequences of eating a whole 473 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:58,800 gallon of ice cream have nothing even close to what he saw and 474 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:01,680 gambled away that day or traded away that day. 475 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:07,160 Why he trusted his feelings. Elijah was a great prophet. 476 00:26:08,120 --> 00:26:11,320 Can you imagine Mount Carmel? I love if there was something I 477 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,800 could replay in the Bible when I get to heaven. 478 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:18,560 I want to see the instant replay of Mount Carmel and the fire 479 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:21,080 fallen from heaven and Elijah standing against. 480 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:25,840 All those prophets of Baal. But afterwards, when the fire of 481 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:29,600 God came down and the rain of the heaven came down to break 482 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:35,960 the 3 1/2 years of no rain, Jezebel says if you're alive 483 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:40,160 tomorrow, he said the gods do so more, more and even more to me 484 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,640 than I'll do to you if you're still around. 485 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,840 What did Elijah do? He got scared, He ran. 486 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:52,000 He was on the edge that he told God. 487 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:53,640 I'm the only one that serves you. 488 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:58,920 I'm the only one. That's left, and God had to deal 489 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:04,560 with him in a very unique way because of how he felt David's 490 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:08,880 feelings with Bathsheba in that moment when his hormones are 491 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:15,520 raging and he sees this woman in a state of undress, he knows, he 492 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:18,880 knows in his in this moment that there's only one course of 493 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:21,640 action, and that's to call that woman to his chambers. 494 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,880 Well, that's not the only course of action. 495 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:29,000 In fact, that's the only thing you're not supposed to do, do 496 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:31,920 anything but that. So don't call her there. 497 00:27:32,120 --> 00:27:37,720 But feelings can be faulty. You see, feelings often make us 498 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,840 focus on a pixel instead of the big picture. 499 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,040 It makes us focus on one little part, Esau said. 500 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:49,000 I don't have any food, Esau. There's food everywhere. 501 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:52,040 Just make something like a man coming home. 502 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:53,840 Well, what's for dinner? There's nothing around here. 503 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:56,200 And wife says we'll just go grab something. 504 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:57,760 There's about 1000 things in the pantry. 505 00:27:57,760 --> 00:27:59,080 Just go grab something. I'm hungry. 506 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:05,280 Feelings work, right? I'm the only one. 507 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,640 Esau knew that there were other prophets he had met other 508 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:09,840 prophets that had been in hiding. 509 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:14,440 He knew that Israel together had come and called upon the Lord 510 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:16,320 there a Mount Carmel just the day before. 511 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,080 But in that moment, all he could see was just that little bit, 512 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:23,600 that he was the only one supposedly, and missed the whole 513 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,520 fact that, well, God was at work in a major way, in a way that 514 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:28,960 God hadn't been in work in Israel for a very long time. 515 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:31,560 But all he could do was focus on that little bit. 516 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:38,120 David here in our text saw a dead son, but he forgot the 10s 517 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:41,240 of thousands that were still alive and that his Kingdom was 518 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,440 preserved. What happens? 519 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:47,800 Feelings cannot be trusted. Proverbs 28 verse 26. 520 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:49,520 He that trusted his own heart is a fool. 521 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:53,560 But whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. 522 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:57,440 Our feelings are often strong, but just as often they are 523 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:00,240 wrong. Our feelings, oftentimes in the 524 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:03,840 moment, seem like the most wise course of action. 525 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,320 But yet when we step away from that moment of passion, we 526 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:11,760 realize we acted the fool because we were just thinking 527 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:16,600 about this one thing instead of looking at all that takes place 528 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:19,480 now. There would be some preachers 529 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:20,920 who would tell you something like this. 530 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:22,280 You know your feelings aren't real. 531 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,720 Your feelings aren't real. I'm here to tell you something 532 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:29,840 tonight. Whatever you feel is real, OK? 533 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:33,200 I'm not here to try to explain to you with some kind of voodoo 534 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:35,320 that you know whatever you're feeling doesn't actually exist. 535 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:42,440 Your feelings are real. Whatever you are feeling is 536 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:45,600 real. But I want to be just as clear 537 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:47,560 with you tonight. Just because you are really 538 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:49,840 feeling it doesn't mean it's valid. 539 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:53,520 Just because you're really feeling it doesn't mean it's 540 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:56,120 right. Your old rotten flesh. 541 00:29:56,840 --> 00:30:00,520 Will bring up all kinds of feelings and all kinds of 542 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:05,080 thoughts and all kinds of mental types of issues, and they'll 543 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:08,640 bring these to the forefront as if they are the Bible itself. 544 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:14,040 But yet it's not real so well, how do I know which ones are 545 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:16,920 real and which ones aren't? You know what you got to do? 546 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:23,560 Take some time, slow down, and inspect it according to the word 547 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,800 of God. Here's what James 125 says. 548 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:29,440 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and 549 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:32,320 continue with therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a 550 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:34,840 doer of the work, this man shall be blessed indeed. 551 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:37,760 Compare your feelings to the word of God. 552 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:40,280 And I just heard this, and it's true. 553 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:41,560 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. 554 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:44,360 Lean not unto thine own understanding. 555 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:47,680 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy Pratt. 556 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:49,880 Proverbs 3, five and six. That is very true. 557 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:56,080 You know, being in Scotland a couple weeks ago, we had cash. 558 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:59,320 I've never had pounds before, but these, these pounds, I had 559 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:03,320 them and they, you know, got into change, you know, their 560 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:05,320 money look more American. That's all I got to say. 561 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,920 All right, I know I don't want to make, I don't make other 562 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:09,520 countries into America. I'm just saying it'd be a lot 563 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:11,800 more helpful if their coins and bills looked a lot more like 564 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:12,920 America. That's all I'm saying. 565 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:16,320 Because every time I was paying with cash, I found myself like a 566 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:20,800 child pulling this wad of change out of my pocket and going like 567 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:24,240 this. And, and because there's, 568 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:28,560 there's a A1 cent piece, 1 pence, there's 2 pence, there's 569 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:36,720 5 pence, there's 20 pence, 50 pence, a dollar coin and a $2.00 570 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:38,000 coin. Like this people, these people 571 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:39,280 got way too much precious metals. 572 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:40,360 They don't know what to do with. All right? 573 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,960 It's like why you have so many coins and I'm pulling them out 574 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:50,000 and I'm, I'm literally reading each coin and I look like a 575 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,840 fool. There was at one point I, I 576 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:56,160 stood in front of a woman at a cash register and I said, take 577 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,520 what you need because I didn't know what to do. 578 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:01,640 And I was so frustrated. I just take it, you know, she 579 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:03,480 could have taken it all. I wouldn't even said anything 580 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:05,800 because I didn't know. But you know what I had to do in 581 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,840 that moment because I was unfamiliar with what was in 582 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:11,320 front of me. I had to inspect each one 583 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:14,160 carefully. When you have feelings that are 584 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:19,080 unfamiliar to you know what you need to do stop, inspect each 585 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:22,400 one carefully record in the word of God. 586 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:24,920 David in that moment needed a time out. 587 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:27,400 He need a break. I didn't say you need a safe 588 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,440 space. We're not Co opting the stuff of 589 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:32,800 the world because a lot of that stuff is lunacy is what it is. 590 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:35,720 What I'm saying is this, you know what you need to do. 591 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:38,760 He is stop and say how do you think about what the Bible says? 592 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:41,400 Now you may not always have your Bible with you. 593 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:43,760 Now I will argue you probably do if you have your cell phone 594 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,000 because you probably always carrying the Bible with you in 595 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,320 an app on your phone, but you may just need a moment to stop, 596 00:32:51,320 --> 00:32:57,760 breathe, pray, ask the Lord in this moment, help me think 597 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:01,000 biblically. Am I thinking rightly? 598 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:04,160 And people don't do that. You're right, they don't. 599 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:06,120 And that's why we get ourselves in so much trouble. 600 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:08,600 That's why we get ourselves in so much trouble. 601 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:12,120 What do you do? You understand your feelings can 602 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:17,800 be faulty #2 when you're on the edge, you determine your 603 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:21,360 desires. What's most important to you in 604 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:23,880 that moment. I think verse #6 is telling. 605 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:26,760 We look at it again with me. It says in that thou lovest 606 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:30,080 thine enemies and hatest thy friends. 607 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:34,920 Just stop right there. Now, was that the way David 608 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:38,240 really felt? No, but it was that the way 609 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:42,840 David was presenting himself, It looked like David cared more for 610 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:45,040 the rebels that he did his own men. 611 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:49,440 And Joab says your desires look like they're out of whack. 612 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:53,320 You got to care more for your men than you did for the rebels. 613 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:58,040 Dave's mains desire, David's main desire was on his kid and 614 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:00,960 not on the Kingdom. And if he wasn't going to get it 615 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:04,800 right, he would lose that very same Kingdom in a moment. 616 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:08,920 You know, there are times that our hearts are broken because 617 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,239 our desires are wrong. You know, sometimes we get our 618 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:15,360 desires out of whack and they get our mind out of whack. 619 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:18,440 You know, kind of like a, a washer that gets out of balance. 620 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:21,080 You put too much in the wrong place and it's not balanced. 621 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:23,239 What ends up happening? It sounds like your house is 622 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:27,199 about to fall apart because it's out of balance. 623 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:32,960 A mind that is not balanced properly with godly things will 624 00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:35,880 end up getting you into a very, very bad place. 625 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:38,639 When your desires are out of whack. 626 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:41,880 There could be the problem of unfulfilled expectations. 627 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:43,480 Well, God, this is what I thought you were going to do 628 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:46,120 with my life. God, why aren't I farther along? 629 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:48,840 God, I was supposed to be at this place within my job. 630 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:50,920 God, I thought I was supposed to have more money than this. 631 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:51,880 I thought I was going to have a family. 632 00:34:52,639 --> 00:34:55,000 I thought that my life was going to be totally different. 633 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:59,320 Proverbs 13 verse 12 says hope deferred maketh the heart sick, 634 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,600 but when the diet cometh, it's the tree of life. 635 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:06,520 We have to be careful what we put on our expectations in life. 636 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:10,360 Can I help you with something? You don't know what God's going 637 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:13,240 to do with your life. You may think you know where 638 00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:15,040 God's going to take your life, but you don't know where He's 639 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:17,880 going to take you. You know what your expectation 640 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:19,600 should be. God's going to take care of me 641 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:22,280 today. Didn't Jesus talk about that in 642 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:24,960 the Sermon on the Mount? What is he going to do? 643 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,240 He'll provide for you today. Look, you plan for the future as 644 00:35:28,240 --> 00:35:30,000 best you can. I'm not saying to be unwise in 645 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:31,440 your planning. It's good to plan for 646 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:34,080 retirement. It's good to plan your finances. 647 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:36,520 It's good to plan where you're going to be in six months, a 648 00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:38,040 year. It's good to plan those things. 649 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:40,360 But if God overrides those things, let it be. 650 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:44,360 Let it be unfulfilled expectations can really 'cause 651 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:47,600 the mind to turn. Let's just be honest. 652 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:50,560 Sinful longings. Did David, sinful longing for 653 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:52,440 Bathsheba cause some real problems? 654 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:54,480 Absolutely. James. 655 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:57,480 For one through 2 From whence come wars and fightings among 656 00:35:57,480 --> 00:35:58,880 you? Come They not. 657 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:01,400 Hence even of your lusts, that war in your members. 658 00:36:01,720 --> 00:36:04,560 You lust and you have not. You kill you desire to have and 659 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:06,920 can it obtain you? Fight and you war. 660 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,040 Yet you have not because you ask not. 661 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:11,640 He says there's some of you that you're not mentally right 662 00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:13,880 because all you're doing is thinking about doing wrong. 663 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:16,920 Some of you aren't mentally right because all you're doing 664 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:20,120 is setting your mind on that which is destructive within your 665 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:22,360 life. Really, we can put it this way, 666 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:26,720 that the double minded man is unstable in some of his ways. 667 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:28,800 Oh, some of you quoted it the right way. 668 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:31,000 I was trying to make sure you're paying attention. 669 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:34,280 The double minded way. The double minded man is not 670 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:36,240 unstable in some of his ways. That's the way we'd like it to 671 00:36:36,240 --> 00:36:39,000 read. So the Bible says he's unstable 672 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:42,800 in all his ways and sinful longings, having those desires 673 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:44,800 out of whack. When you have more desire for 674 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:47,440 sin than for righteousness, you think that's going to work out 675 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:50,920 well. Unfulfilled expectations. 676 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:52,720 Sinful longings. Wrong priorities. 677 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:56,840 Luke 14 verse 26, as if any man come to me and hate not father 678 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:59,240 and mother and wife and children and brother and sisters. 679 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:01,960 Yeah, His own life also He cannot mean by disciple. 680 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:04,880 You know, Jesus wasn't asking for you to hate those who should 681 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:06,400 be the closest to you. There's far too many 682 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:08,960 commandments that tell us we're supposed to honor those people. 683 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:11,600 But what Jesus was saying is that you're longing for him 684 00:37:11,720 --> 00:37:15,680 should be so great, and so great in comparison to those that it 685 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:17,960 would seem to the world that you do hate those. 686 00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:23,000 And when we love the Lord as we should, it puts everything else 687 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:27,560 into its proper perspective. That's why it says in James 4 688 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:30,160 verse 8, draw an eye to God. He'll draw an eye to you, 689 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:33,120 cleanse your hand, you sinners, and purify your heart's you. 690 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:35,760 Well, there's that word again, double minded. 691 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:38,680 Set your affection on things above, not on things of the 692 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:42,120 earth. Colossians 3 verse 2 when you 693 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:44,120 have a breakdown, you need to understand first of all, 694 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:47,120 feelings could be faulty. David's feelings, we're not 695 00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:50,480 giving him the proper view of the situation. 696 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:54,160 Determine your desires. It seemed like he cared for the 697 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:56,480 rebels more than he cared for the people of God. 698 00:37:57,520 --> 00:37:59,440 And 3rd and finally here tonight is this. 699 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:07,920 Welcome, unwelcomed counsel. Welcome, unwelcomed counsel. 700 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:11,720 It takes courage to give a rebuke. 701 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:16,320 There's no doubt about that. But I also say this, it takes 702 00:38:16,320 --> 00:38:17,920 courage to receive a rebuke as well. 703 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:24,640 Joe AB, what do you even say about Joe AB? 704 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:28,160 You're cheering him one moment and he's stabbing people in the 705 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:32,120 5th rib the next. What do you do with this guy? 706 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:38,880 He he dispatched Absalom in a way that David really should 707 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:43,320 have endorsed in the 1st place, but yet also you see him 708 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:45,840 dispatching people who had no business. 709 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:51,120 Dying in the first place. But David or Absalom here or 710 00:38:51,120 --> 00:38:54,080 Joab, absol job. Joab. 711 00:38:55,840 --> 00:38:57,000 He does something really good here. 712 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,800 He gets in his friend's face and he does two things. 713 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:04,280 He tells him what he's doing wrong. 714 00:39:05,240 --> 00:39:06,920 Was it very clear? Here he was telling him he was 715 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:08,560 wrong. He wasn't mincing words. 716 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:11,200 But he didn't just tell him what he's doing wrong. 717 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:14,240 He tells him what to do right. Did you catch that? 718 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:18,160 Look at, look, look at verse #7 he says, Now therefore rise, go 719 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:21,120 forth, speak comfortably under thy servants, for I swear by the 720 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:23,920 Lord, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one more 721 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:26,640 with thee this night, and that will be worse unto thee than all 722 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:28,560 the evil that befell thee from my youth unto now. 723 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:31,480 He doesn't just say, David, snap out of it. 724 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:33,920 He also says, this, David, here's what you need to do, 725 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:35,240 because I know you're not thinking right. 726 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:42,520 Clean yourself up, blow your nose, go downstairs, sit at the 727 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:44,760 gate and speak comfortable words. 728 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:47,600 These men who were willing to give them their lives for you 729 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:52,360 this last day. And Joab in that moment gave 730 00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:55,000 good counsel. I'm not saying that Joab was the 731 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:57,080 world's greatest counselor in that moment. 732 00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:01,280 He gave good counsel. And David exhibited A 733 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:06,080 characteristic which he which he shows many times throughout the 734 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:08,600 Scriptures, and that's this. When someone tells him he's 735 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:13,040 doing wrong, he takes it, Nathan says. 736 00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:18,120 Thou art the man he said I am. Joab says you're acting the 737 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:21,280 fool. David says I'll do what you say. 738 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:26,560 David says number the people. Joab says I wouldn't do that. 739 00:40:27,240 --> 00:40:31,480 He says I said go number him. And the Lord brings him word 740 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:35,240 that he'll be judged. And David accept the judgment 741 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:39,160 that could possibly also include him where the others would have 742 00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:43,000 sheltered him from judgment. He's willing to put himself in 743 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:46,520 harm's way because he realized he was the one who did wrong. 744 00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:52,440 David had this incredible ability to be told he was wrong 745 00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:56,520 and accept it. Now I've got this thing as a 746 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:59,560 pastor that when people do wrong, I got to tell them 747 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:01,440 they're doing wrong. Isn't that fun? 748 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:04,120 I got to tell them they're doing wrong. 749 00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:06,560 I don't like it. I'll be honest with you. 750 00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:09,800 I don't enjoy it. But there are times it has to be 751 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:12,920 done. You say, let's take courage, 752 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:15,840 pastor, to be able to do so. It does to a point. 753 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:19,080 But I would say the courage really lies on the fact that the 754 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:22,000 one who has to receive it, if they're getting biblical 755 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,280 counsel, they need to have the courage to listen and follow 756 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:26,920 through with that counsel and to do what they're being told 757 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:29,120 biblically. Not because it comes from me, 758 00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:32,560 who am I, but because it's coming from the Word of God. 759 00:41:34,240 --> 00:41:37,400 Are you in a place where you welcome unwelcomed counsel? 760 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:41,280 I have several examples here in my notes. 761 00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:43,040 And forsake of time we won't turn there. 762 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:50,480 But I think of I think of King, I'm sorry, King Jehoshaphat. 763 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:54,680 And Ahab. And Ahab gets all of his 764 00:41:54,760 --> 00:41:59,960 favorite prophets to come and they're all saying everything he 765 00:41:59,960 --> 00:42:02,240 wants to hear. And Jehoshaphat, who really 766 00:42:02,240 --> 00:42:03,800 shouldn't have been what they have in the 1st place he. 767 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:06,080 Says Isn't there someone here to speak? 768 00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:08,600 For the Lord. And Ahab says, well, there's 769 00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:11,520 one, his name's Makaya, but I didn't call him. 770 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:13,800 And Joe Joseph says, why? Says why? 771 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:15,560 I hate him. He never tells me what I want to 772 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:18,200 hear. And Joseph says, you know what? 773 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:20,000 I like this guy, bring him over here. 774 00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:26,160 And Makaya gave the word that Ahab would die on the field of 775 00:42:26,160 --> 00:42:29,560 battle and sure, shooting. And I mean that seriously 776 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:34,320 because an arrow just says at a venture, just a man just 777 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:39,400 literally went in the air and it happened to fall right in the 778 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:42,480 exact spot of the joints of Ahab's armor. 779 00:42:43,240 --> 00:42:46,640 You can't hide from God. And Ahab died. 780 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:51,240 King Uzziah was told that he couldn't offer incense on the 781 00:42:51,240 --> 00:42:53,800 altar. But King Uzziah got to the place 782 00:42:53,800 --> 00:43:00,520 where he was so successful in his Kingdom that he felt like 783 00:43:00,520 --> 00:43:01,760 the rules didn't apply to him anymore. 784 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:04,520 And he went to offer incense at the altar. 785 00:43:04,520 --> 00:43:05,800 The priest says, you can't do that. 786 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:09,080 That's for the priest to do. And he told him, stand back. 787 00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:13,640 And immediately as he did so, the Bible says that leprosy came 788 00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:16,760 and latched onto his head. Now, do you think there's 789 00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:18,320 something symbolic about that? I sure do. 790 00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:21,280 The fact that he thought he was so much better than everyone 791 00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:22,560 else. And where's the place that the 792 00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:26,200 leprosy clung to his head? And immediately everyone said, 793 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:28,560 whoa, who's I? You can do whatever you want. 794 00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:32,120 We just don't want to be near you. 795 00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:35,080 And that was the last act of Uzziah because he died as a 796 00:43:35,080 --> 00:43:37,240 leper. Why? 797 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:39,960 Those men were trying to help him, but he thought, I'm too 798 00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:43,920 good for this. When it comes to the issue of 799 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:48,400 counsel, heed the counsel of the Word of God. 800 00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:54,160 Heed the counsel of your pastor. I'm not perfect, but when I sit 801 00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:56,200 down with you, I want to talk to you from the Word of God. 802 00:43:57,200 --> 00:43:59,160 And you can take it or you can leave it. 803 00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:02,320 If you take it, take it because from the Word of God, if you 804 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:05,280 leave it, you find out for yourself what the word of God 805 00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:07,520 says and why you're right and I'm not. 806 00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:10,920 And then you follow what the word of God says, but you follow 807 00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:15,320 the word of God. Welcome unwanted, or rather 808 00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:17,480 unwelcomed, maybe unwanted counsel. 809 00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:20,640 You know what we should do as believers within a church? 810 00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:23,400 You know, I'm not saying to be self-righteous and go around and 811 00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:26,680 telling people off, but there are times when you see people 812 00:44:26,680 --> 00:44:29,280 that are hurting. There are times you see people 813 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:32,160 who are discouraged, and maybe you just need to go up to him 814 00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:35,760 and say something like this. Hey, man, it seems like you're 815 00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:38,280 struggling right now. Not you in particular, but it's 816 00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:40,200 just, it seems like you're struggling right now. 817 00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:43,120 You know? Is there something I can help 818 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:44,560 you with? There's something we can talk 819 00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:46,880 about. And if somebody says that and 820 00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:49,400 you really are struggling with something, don't do this. 821 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:52,400 Well, no, I'm fine. Yeah, you're not fine. 822 00:44:53,880 --> 00:44:55,800 Just just say, you know what, brother? 823 00:44:56,320 --> 00:44:58,160 I'll be honest with you. I am struggling a bit. 824 00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:02,920 Can we talk about it again? We don't do that very often, but 825 00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:04,240 we shouldn't. We do that as believers. 826 00:45:04,240 --> 00:45:09,600 Isn't that what we ought to do? David had a friend in Joab, and 827 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:13,800 again, this friend was up and down, but at this moment he was 828 00:45:13,800 --> 00:45:16,720 as good as gold. But he's because he told David, 829 00:45:16,960 --> 00:45:19,920 get with it. There's danger if you don't get 830 00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:22,040 this right. And what did David do? 831 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:25,880 David got it right. Am I saying that David felt 832 00:45:25,880 --> 00:45:27,520 great the next day? Probably not. 833 00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:31,560 His son was still dead, but he had someone help him to get it 834 00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:35,480 right in his mind. What do we do with these issues 835 00:45:35,640 --> 00:45:37,600 of mental health? I I was actually go to one of 836 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:39,720 ASAP Psalms and we don't have time to do that tonight. 837 00:45:39,720 --> 00:45:43,000 I'd encourage you. Psalm 73, Psalm 77, These would 838 00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:44,720 be great psalms for you to read. Just read it. 839 00:45:44,720 --> 00:45:48,920 Read the struggle of ASAP, but every time ASAP struggled. 840 00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:54,760 Psalm 88 is another one where it talks about the great struggle 841 00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:58,560 of man. Every time you see these psalms 842 00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:01,280 where someone struggles, it always comes back to this. 843 00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:05,040 They remembered and recognized that God was good. 844 00:46:08,320 --> 00:46:09,720 They came back and they recognized. 845 00:46:09,720 --> 00:46:13,000 In fact, ASAP says it's Psalm 73 and it's when I went back into 846 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:15,000 the House of the Lord. I went back into the sanctuary. 847 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:19,720 He got back with God's people. He got back in God's house and 848 00:46:19,720 --> 00:46:24,480 things got into focus again. I'm not a medical professional 849 00:46:24,480 --> 00:46:26,160 here tonight, nor do I pretend to be 1. 850 00:46:26,800 --> 00:46:30,280 There are some very real medical issues, as I've mentioned 851 00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:33,600 before, some short term, some long term, some acute, some 852 00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:36,480 chronic, that you might need to talk to a medical professional 853 00:46:36,480 --> 00:46:38,680 about because of very specific things. 854 00:46:40,120 --> 00:46:42,800 But be careful when you run to everyone else for the answers 855 00:46:43,320 --> 00:46:47,600 and you forget there's a Lord in heaven who created you and knows 856 00:46:47,600 --> 00:46:52,640 every hair on your head and He knows you from the end to the 857 00:46:52,640 --> 00:46:55,920 beginning. And maybe you want to seek Him 858 00:46:55,920 --> 00:46:59,680 first out before anyone else when you're on the edge. 859 00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:03,200 Don't trust your feelings, they are faulty. 860 00:47:03,800 --> 00:47:07,800 Compare them to the Word of God. When you go through these 861 00:47:07,800 --> 00:47:09,440 issues, check out what you desire. 862 00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:11,760 What are your desires? Are you desiring to get closer 863 00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:14,320 to the Lord or is your desire more? 864 00:47:14,320 --> 00:47:16,600 Anything that gives you the latest dopamine hit of feeling 865 00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:20,680 good you're charging. That credit card isn't going to 866 00:47:20,680 --> 00:47:23,800 make you feel better. Going on another vacation is not 867 00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:26,760 going to make you feel better. Eating more is not going to make 868 00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:28,800 you feel better. None of those things are going 869 00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:30,480 to make you feel better. They might in the short term, 870 00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:33,120 but boy, it goes away and it pays with interest. 871 00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:38,160 And then what do we see? Last and foremost, welcome 872 00:47:38,360 --> 00:47:42,280 unwelcomed counsel. Whether it comes from a trusted 873 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:44,880 Christian friend, but it comes from your pastor. 874 00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:47,640 If it's biblical counsel, take it. 875 00:47:48,280 --> 00:47:49,720 Well, I don't. I don't take counsel for 876 00:47:49,720 --> 00:47:51,320 everybody. Well, there's a word for you, 877 00:47:51,480 --> 00:47:53,680 Proud. Proud. 878 00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:55,840 We all need it. We. 879 00:47:56,000 --> 00:47:58,760 No, I said we all need it. We need someone to shoot 880 00:47:58,760 --> 00:48:01,480 straight with us and tell us from the word of God what we 881 00:48:01,480 --> 00:48:03,320 need to do. Welcome it. 882 00:48:04,960 --> 00:48:06,400 We've all been on the edge before. 883 00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:08,800 It doesn't happen in a moment. Did it happen in a moment for 884 00:48:08,800 --> 00:48:10,600 David? You say what happened in a 885 00:48:10,600 --> 00:48:12,320 moment because Absalom died. Now this has been brewing for a 886 00:48:12,320 --> 00:48:14,120 long time. It just came to a head when 887 00:48:14,120 --> 00:48:16,720 Absalom died. Does it go away in a moment? 888 00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:19,360 No, you keep thinking biblically. 889 00:48:20,000 --> 00:48:21,800 You keep your desires right for the Lord. 890 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:26,200 You keep taking counsel, good counsel in your life, and God 891 00:48:26,200 --> 00:48:29,480 can bring you healing in your mind, so you can let this mind 892 00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:32,840 be in you, which also is in Christ Jesus. 893 00:48:33,960 --> 00:48:36,480 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 894 00:48:36,480 --> 00:48:39,400 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 895 00:48:39,400 --> 00:48:42,880 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 896 00:48:42,880 --> 00:48:47,480 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 897 00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:52,280 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 898 00:48:52,280 --> 00:48:55,120 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 899 00:48:55,120 --> 00:48:56,320 grow in His Word.