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Welcome to the Liberty Baptist 
Sermon Archives. 

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The message you're about to hear
was preached at Liberty Baptist 

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Church in Easton, MA. 
You can find out more about us 

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or contact us at my 
libertybaptist.org or just look 

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us up on Facebook. 
And now we hope that this 

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message from God's Word will be 
a blessing to you. 

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Would you? 
Please turn your Bibles to 

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second Samuel chapter #6 some of
you saying, Pastor, this is 

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moving pretty quickly. 
We could do without AC more 

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often around here. 
And the answer is what we do 

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without the AC around here about
10 months out of the year. 

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But it just happens to be these 
two months. 

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That is a little bit of a 
problem. 

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And I do want us to give 
priority to the Word of God this

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evening. 
So I do know that when you're 

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warm, you're tired. 
When the pastor's preaching, 

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there's hot air coming out that 
makes you even warmer, and then 

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the sermon goes on. 
You could be even more tired. 

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Who knows? 
So we just want to get right to 

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the word of God this evening and
hope it will be a help to you. 

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Now, I've quoted this several 
years ago here at Liberty, but I

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do think it's important for me 
to present to you again tonight 

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as a way to introduce our 
message. 

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It was a speech that was given 
back by Teddy Roosevelt in the 

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year 1910, and it was part of a 
speech that has commonly been 

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called the man in the Arena. 
And he said this. 

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It is not the critic who counts,
not the man who points out how 

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the strong man stumbles or where
the doer of deeds could have 

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done them better. 
The credit belongs to the man 

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who was actually in the arena, 
whose face is marred by dust and

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sweat and blood, who strives 
valiantly, who errs, who come 

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short again and again because 
there is no effort without error

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and shortcoming. 
But who does actually strive to 

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do the deeds? 
Who knows great enthusiasms, the

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great devotions? 
Who spends himself in a worthy 

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cause? 
Who at the best knows in the end

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the triumph of high achievement?
And who is at the worst, if he 

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fails, at least fails while 
daring greatly, so that his 

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place shall never be with those 
cold and timid souls who neither

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know victory nor defeat? 
And in many ways, the first 7 

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words of this speech are the 
most important. 

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It's not the critic who counts. 
And I love that whole speech, 

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the idea that without moving 
forward, there is no moving 

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ahead as far as you might make 
mistakes sometimes, but at least

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you need to try to move forward 
the best that you can. 

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But I will say that this issue 
of criticism, being a critic, 

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someone not who notices things 
and has discernment. 

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Remember we talked about 
discernment on Wednesday night. 

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It's good for a Christian to 
have discernment, but a level 

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beyond Bible believing 
discernment, but rather critics 

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and being a critic. 
Critics are loud, critics are 

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attention seekers, critics are 
fault finders. 

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And worst of all, critics are 
always right in their own mind. 

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So tonight we're going to find 
that David is going to be 

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confronted with a bitter critic.
And here's the worst part of it 

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all. 
David's worst critic at this 

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moment in time is his own wife. 
And so we're look at David 

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dealing with this issue of 
getting the Ark of the Covenant 

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back to Jerusalem where it 
belongs after the issue last 

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week with the new cart. 
But we find that as wonderful as

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this day was, there was room 
still for a critic to try to 

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take David's joy and bring it 
down. 

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So you can remain seated. 
But we're going to read here in 

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Second Samuel chapter 6 verse 
#12 And it says, and it was 

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told, King David saying, the 
Lord hath blessed the House of 

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Obed Edom and all that 
pertaineth unto him because of 

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the ark of God. 
So David went and brought up the

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ark of God from the House of 
Obed Edom into the city of David

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with gladness. 
And it was so that when they had

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bare the ark of the Lord, let me
try that again. 

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And it was so that when they 
that bear the ark of the Lord 

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had gone 6 paces, he sacrificed 
oxen and fatlings. 

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And David danced before the Lord
with all his might. 

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And David was girded with a 
linen ephod. 

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So David, all the House of 
Israel brought up the ark of the

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Lord, was shouting, and with the
sound of the trumpet. 

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That sounds like a great time, 
doesn't it? 

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And this time it was all within 
the Lord's will. 

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But verse 16, as the ark of the 
Lord came into the city of 

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David, Michael, Saul's daughter 
looked through a window and saw 

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David leaping and dancing before
the Lord. 

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And look at this, she despised 
him in her heart. 

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And they brought in the ark of 
the Lord, and said in his place,

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in the place of the midst of the
Tabernacle, that David had 

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pitched for it. 
And David offered burnt 

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offerings and peace offerings 
before the Lord. 

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And as soon as David had made an
end to the burnt offering and 

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peace offerings, he blessed the 
people in the name of the Lord 

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of hosts, and he dealt among all
the people, even among the whole

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multitude of Israel, as well to 
the women of his men, to 

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everyone a cake of bread and a 
good piece of flesh and a flagon

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of wine. 
So all the people departed 

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everyone to his house. 
Then David returned to bless his

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household. 
And Michael, the daughter of 

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Saul, came out to meet David and
said how glorious was the king 

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of Israel today, who uncovered 
himself today in the eyes of the

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handmaids of his servants, as 
one of the vain fellows 

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shamelessly uncovered himself. 
Now, I was just reading that 

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like I was reading the rest of 
the text, but I would probably 

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imagine that if we could have 
heard or say it, it would have 

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been something like this. 
How glorious was the King of 

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Israel today, who uncovered 
himself today in the eyes of the

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handmaids of his servants, as 
one of those vain fellows 

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shamelessly uncovered himself. 
I believe that she was speaking 

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this very sarcastically because 
she didn't think it was glorious

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at all, did she? 
She despised what she saw from 

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the window. 
And it says in verse 21. 

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And David said unto Michael, It 
was before the Lord, which chose

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me before thy father, and before
all his house, to appoint me 

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ruler over the people of the 
Lord over Israel. 

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Therefore will I play before the
Lord, and I will yet be more 

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vile than us, and we'll be based
in my own sight. 

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And of the main servants which 
thou has spoken of, of them 

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shall I be had an honor. 
Therefore Michael, the daughter 

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of Saul, had no child until the 
day of her death. 

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And certainly this text has 
given us a lot of twists and 

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turns, hasn't it? 
From the ark going towards 

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Jerusalem to us, a touching the 
ark to us a dying, to the 

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resumption of the ark towards 
Jerusalem, the great joy, and 

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Michael ridiculing her own 
husband when he returns home. 

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It's been ups and downs, ups and
downs in chapter #6 but through 

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it all, here at the end, it's 
the critic who were left with 

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this impression of this woman 
named Michael, remember the 

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daughter of Saul. 
And I want us to look at this 

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issue tonight of criticism in 
this message that I've entitled.

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It is not the critic who counts.
Heavenly Father be with us 

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tonight. 
I do ask, and I know that this 

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is not an optimal situation that
we have this evening within our 

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own minds to be able to be in a 
building that is as warm as it 

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is outside. 
But I do pray that you would 

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work through all of that because
I do believe that you've given 

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me this message and that we're 
here tonight for a purpose and 

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for a reason. 
So I do pray that we would put 

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aside anything else within our 
own selves to be able to listen 

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to the Word as it's given or 
help me to know what to say, 

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what to leave in a message, what
to remove from the message for 

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the sake of time so that I can 
best bring forth the things that

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need to be brought forth in the 
message tonight. 

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But I do pray to be with us this
evening. 

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Lord, when we leave here 
tonight, may our first thought 

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not necessarily be the situation
within the building, but may our

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first thought be this, how good 
you have been to us tonight as 

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you are always good to us and we
ask it in Jesus name, Amen. 

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I will say this is not a good 
sign when you start preaching in

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the sweat's already going down 
your back. 

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All right, so we're just kind of
try to do the best we can here 

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tonight. 
Well, there's been a three month

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hiatus from what we saw in the 
message last Sunday night, and 

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the parade is back on. 
The Ark of the Covenant is about

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to be transported back to 
Jerusalem as it's supposed to 

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have been months ago, except the
whole problem with the new cart 

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and as I having touched the Ark 
of the Covenant and the breach 

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of God's power being placed upon
him. 

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And verse #12 tells us that it's
a glorious scene. 

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Verse #12 And on it says that 
they brought the Ark of the 

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Covenant out of the House of 
Obed Edom into the city of David

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with gladness. 
And that summarizes the day that

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there was great gladness. 
And may I remind you that when 

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they did this, we have the 
corresponding passage in First 

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Chronicles chapter 15 that tells
us that they looked in the word 

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of God and they found out that 
they weren't supposed to use a 

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new card. 
That they were supposed to use 

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staves. 
And that the Levites were 

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supposed to take the Ark of the 
Covenant, take those staves and 

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put it over their shoulders that
no one was supposed to touch it.

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That no one was supposed to 
mimic the way the Philistines 

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had carried the ark all those 
years ago. 

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But now it's a time of and it 
was so great that as they were 

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taking the Ark of the Covenant, 
every six steps that they took, 

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they offered another burnt 
offering right there on the 

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ground. 
It was David almost 

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overcompensating, if you will, 
to be able to ensure that God 

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would bless. 
And it was a way of David 

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showing a repentant heart as 
well to show that, yes, Lord, I 

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am now following Your word. 
Where I disregarded it before, 

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it is now at the forefront in my
mind. 

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It's interesting in verse #14 it
says that David danced before 

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the Lord. 
Now I was thinking about dancing

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before the Lord here for you 
tonight, and I have a lot of 

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problems with that. 
First of all, well, I don't 

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dance. 
And #2 the dancing before the 

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Lord that we see here is not the
type of dancing that we would 

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think of today. 
A lot of the things that pass in

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this world today for dancing is 
mostly lewd and suggestive. 

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But what we see here is just an 
exuberance in David's body that 

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there is just such gratefulness 
and gladness in his heart for 

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what the Lord has done, that 
what was on the inside just 

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comes out on the outside. 
Now, we don't dance before the 

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Lord today. 
There's a lot of different 

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reasons for that. 
But I will say this, it's OK in 

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church to at least be excited 
about church. 

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It's OK during a message when 
the Lord speaks to your heart to

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at least show that from the 
inside, the outside. 

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Listen, you won't get hurt if 
you raise your hand during a 

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church service. 
They won't hurt you one bit, all

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right? 
If the Lord speaks to you 

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through a message or through 
song or anything like that, you 

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know, we're not talking about 
being wild and out of control in

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the House of God. 
First Timothy tells us that we 

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ought to behave ourselves well 
in the House of the God. 

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But at the same time, again, 
we're not talking about whipping

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ourselves up into an emotional 
frenzy for the sake of having an

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emotional frenzy. 
We're just talking about the 

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fact that when God speaks to us,
it could be a very moving thing 

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and it's OK to say Amen. 
It's OK to say Hallelujah. 

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It's OK to raise one hand. 
It's OK to raise both hands. 

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All right? 
Don't believe it or not, the 

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Bible talks about lifting up our
hands in the book of Psalms. 

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There's nothing wrong with that 
in and of itself. 

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So here is David dancing before 
the Lord that says he was gird 

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with a linen ephod. 
Now those were priestly 

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garments. 
And this is important because 

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David in his heart was not out 
there in his kingly robes. 

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Because if he was out there in 
his robes, everyone would be 

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able to identify David, right? 
Everyone on that parade route 

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would have seen David and their 
eyes would have followed him. 

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But what he wanted to do 
literally was just to blend in 

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with the crowd. 
He wanted to be able to look 

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like the other Levites that were
there in the process of getting 

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the Ark of the Covenant back. 
Why? 

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Because the single and sole 
focus was to be the Ark, which 

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meant this, the single and the 
sole focus was to be God. 

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He didn't want to be the focus 
of attention there on that 

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parade route. 
And so there he is in garments 

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that were probably looser and 
garments that were much 

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different than what he would 
normally wear. 

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And that's going to become a 
part of what we're going to look

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at here in just a second. 
Well, we see that all of this 

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takes place in the Ark of the 
Covenant, comes there into the 

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city and verse #17 through 19 
said that they made Burt 

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offerings and peace offerings. 
Then when all that was done, 

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they took of the meat and they 
took of bread and then they took

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of juice and they put it all 
together and David sent everyone

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00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:33,880
home with doggy bags. 
That's how you know, they were 

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00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:36,040
Baptists all right, because they
had a meal and they made sure 

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everyone had something to take 
home with them when they were 

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there as well, with this good 
potluck that they had there. 

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And it was a great day. 
It was a glorious day by every 

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00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,920
metric, by any possible way that
you would have looked at this 

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day is that man? 
This was a great day. 

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The Lord blessed. 
The Ark of the Covenant is here 

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in Jerusalem. 
The Tabernacle has now been 

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erected in Jerusalem as well, 
because remember, there's no 

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temple yet. 
We'll see about that in a little

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bit more in the coming weeks. 
But the Tabernacle, that movable

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00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,520
tent where God would meet with 
man, that has now been placed in

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Jerusalem, the city of David. 
And I mean, things are good. 

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I mean, who could complain about
something like this? 

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Well, the problem is the critic 
always finds something to 

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00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,640
complain about. 
The critic always finds 

251
00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,120
something that's wrong. 
And unfortunately for David, the

252
00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:22,480
critic lived within his own 
house. 

253
00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,560
Look again at verse #16 where it
says. 

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00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:29,080
And as the ark of the Lord came 
into the city of David, Michael,

255
00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,280
Saul's daughter, looked through 
a window and saw King David 

256
00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:34,240
leaping and dancing before the 
Lord. 

257
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And she despised him in her 
heart. 

258
00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,440
It's amazing to me that she 
could look at her own husband. 

259
00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,880
This is Saul's daughter. 
Remember to look at her own 

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00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:47,560
husband and see him joyful about
the Lord's presence and joyful 

261
00:12:47,560 --> 00:12:49,440
about what the Lord was doing in
Israel. 

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00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,840
And the only emotion that could 
be invoked within her heart was 

263
00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:55,720
this. 
She despised her husband. 

264
00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:59,040
He comes home and she 
sarcastically greets him. 

265
00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,880
Oh, how glorious was the king of
Israel here this day who has 

266
00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,720
uncovered himself. 
And I believe that this issue of

267
00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,840
uncovering itself really comes 
back down to the issue of him 

268
00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:14,000
wearing the linen ephah that he 
was in different clothing than 

269
00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,600
his normal rural robes. 
Rural robes would be luxurious 

270
00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:21,800
and heavy and long, where a robe
for a Levite would have been 

271
00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,360
much lighter. 
And there's, it's very possible 

272
00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:28,040
that David, in his exuberance, 
David as he's jumping up and 

273
00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:32,040
dancing before the Lord, that he
very well might have revealed 

274
00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:35,400
himself briefly in a way that, 
you know, probably wouldn't have

275
00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,040
been a very good thing. 
But it was something that was 

276
00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,480
inconsequential in the day and 
probably something that very few

277
00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:43,240
people, if anyone would have 
noticed. 

278
00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:45,160
But Michael noticed, you know 
why? 

279
00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:47,000
Because she wasn't looking at 
the Ark of the Covenant. 

280
00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,200
She was staring a hole right 
into her husband and she saw him

281
00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,640
jumping around and dancing and 
being excited for maybe 1 brief 

282
00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:56,680
moment because of the way his 
garments were and because the 

283
00:13:56,680 --> 00:13:59,880
way he jumped up that he may 
have revealed part of his body 

284
00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:01,480
that would not normally have 
been revealed. 

285
00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:04,000
Again, we don't know how much 
that it is, the Bible doesn't 

286
00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,520
reveal it to us, but this is all
she could focus on. 

287
00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:09,640
Oh how glorious you were 
basically saying this. 

288
00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:13,600
Do you realize what a fool you 
made of yourself out there now? 

289
00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:17,720
How sad is it to be excited 
about having a relationship with

290
00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:18,600
God? 
And maybe you've been in a 

291
00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:20,720
situation like this before. 
You're excited about what God's 

292
00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:22,400
doing in your life. 
You're excited about how he's 

293
00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:24,160
grown you. 
You're excited about maybe you 

294
00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,280
were away from him for a while 
and now you're back in your 

295
00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:28,280
relationship with the Lord and 
someone comes up to you and 

296
00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:29,920
says, really, you're going to 
church? 

297
00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,560
Who do you think you are? 
You know what kind of life 

298
00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,440
you've lived. 
Oh, don't worry, you'll stop 

299
00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:39,160
going in a few weeks. 
You always stop going to church.

300
00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:43,800
How encouraging is that? 
Well, the answer is it's not at 

301
00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:45,320
all. 
But it's the very thing that the

302
00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,560
critic does. 
Critics criticize. 

303
00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:51,920
Now, before we continue, again, 
I want to be clear. 

304
00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:56,040
Having discernment is important.
There are absolutely times in 

305
00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,000
the Christian life we are 
compelled to point out when 

306
00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,680
something is wrong. 
Amen that there are times that 

307
00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:05,240
we're not to to just ignore 
things that are going on that we

308
00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:06,880
are to confront them as 
believers. 

309
00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:08,720
Listen. 
A church that is falling in 

310
00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,200
false doctrine, yes, it needs to
be addressed. 

311
00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,480
A friend who is making poor 
spiritual choices, Yes, that 

312
00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,440
needs to be addressed. 
A spouse who has done wrong to 

313
00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:19,360
you, Yes, that needs to be 
addressed. 

314
00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:22,280
A child that needs to have 
correction, yes, that needs to 

315
00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:24,520
be addressed. 
But I believe there's a great 

316
00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:28,000
difference between offering what
we would call constructive 

317
00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:32,720
criticism today and living the 
life of a critic who constantly 

318
00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:37,080
feels a superiority to others 
and always feels a superiority 

319
00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,800
of their ideas to other people. 
Listen, critics can be found 

320
00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:42,800
anywhere. 
Can they be found in the church?

321
00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,800
Absolutely. 
They can be found in a spouse. 

322
00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,040
They can be found in a 
grandparent. 

323
00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,000
They can be found an employee. 
They can be found an employer, 

324
00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,600
they can be found in either a 
customer or a consumer. 

325
00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,440
And I will say this, we have to 
make sure that we are careful 

326
00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,840
that we don't slip into the 
habit of becoming a critic even 

327
00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,480
within our own lives. 
Discernment, yes, absolutely, 

328
00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,360
that's biblical. 
To be able to judge righteously,

329
00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,880
it's a command. 
But to be a constant critic and 

330
00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,160
to have an air of superiority 
about yourself and your ideas, 

331
00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:20,240
nowhere is the Lord near that 
type of thinking. 

332
00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:24,160
I see four things that I want us
to be able to look at here this 

333
00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,680
evening that are identifying 
marks of the critic. 

334
00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,480
Right here in our text. 
There's four identifying marks 

335
00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:31,320
of the critic. 
And the first is this. 

336
00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,800
They always look down. 
They always look down. 

337
00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:39,880
I don't think it's a mistake 
that Michael is looking from on 

338
00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:43,600
high through her window down at 
David. 

339
00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:45,320
Now, first of all, let's say 
this. 

340
00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,160
Where should Michael have been 
in the parade? 

341
00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,400
Where should Michael have been? 
She should have been excited 

342
00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,400
that the Ark of the Covenant was
coming into Jerusalem, but she 

343
00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:56,240
wanted no part of it. 
I think that's actually pretty 

344
00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,920
telling because it tells us a 
lot about the critics spiritual 

345
00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,760
life that the critic doesn't 
have, the spiritual life that 

346
00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:04,000
they think that they have. 
But there she is. 

347
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,880
She's in her window and she's 
looking down at David. 

348
00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,520
Why wasn't she with her husband?
Why wasn't she at the 

349
00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:11,000
Tabernacle? 
Instead? 

350
00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,560
She sat on her perch and she 
complained. 

351
00:17:14,319 --> 00:17:16,480
But what did Jesus do? 
Well, Jesus had a different 

352
00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:18,800
posture. 
He didn't look down on others. 

353
00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:22,520
Rather, he said this, for I am 
meek and lowly in heart. 

354
00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:26,119
He Himself, as we saw this 
morning, biblically took the 

355
00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:29,880
form of a servant. 
Listen, the only time that Jesus

356
00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:33,040
looked down on somebody in His 
earthly ministry was when He was

357
00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:36,320
on the cross. 
The only time Jesus looked down 

358
00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:39,080
upon someone, His earthly 
ministry, was when He was on the

359
00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:41,720
cross. 
Now listen, before you get too 

360
00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:45,760
squeamish on me tonight, that 
doesn't mean he didn't identify 

361
00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:48,800
other people's sin. 
He most certainly did. 

362
00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,280
Quite the opposite. 
He most absolutely identified 

363
00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,960
other people's sin, but he 
always identified it with a 

364
00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,520
purpose to lovingly confront 
them with the truth. 

365
00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:03,760
No, Jesus wasn't being a quote 
UN quote critic as a servant of 

366
00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,800
the Lord When he saw that 
someone was in sin, when he saw 

367
00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:09,640
someone needed correction, he 
brought it to them in love. 

368
00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,720
Why to lovingly bring them back 
to God? 

369
00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:15,640
When we have those situations 
where we need to talk to 

370
00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,440
somebody about something, are we
looking down upon them? 

371
00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:21,920
No, what we realize is, look 
man, I am a Sinner saved by 

372
00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,600
grace just like you are. 
I'm no better than you are. 

373
00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,480
I'm just bringing something to 
your attention because God 

374
00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:30,080
brought me through some things 
and I hope He'll bring you 

375
00:18:30,120 --> 00:18:32,360
through some things and I want 
to talk to you in a spirit of 

376
00:18:32,360 --> 00:18:33,880
humility. 
But that's not what the critic 

377
00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:35,760
does. 
The critic always feels 

378
00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,120
superior. 
The critic always looks down. 

379
00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:42,160
The critic is not a participant.
They are just a surveyor and 

380
00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,640
they are able survey what 
everyone else is doing wrong 

381
00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,240
while they are doing listen to 
this nothing. 

382
00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,680
The critic always looks down #2 
I also see this. 

383
00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:53,400
They missed the bigger picture. 
They missed the bigger picture 

384
00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:57,200
back in verse #20 how glorious 
was the king of Israel today, 

385
00:18:57,360 --> 00:19:00,160
who uncovered himself today in 
the eyes of the handmaids of his

386
00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,760
servants, as one of the vain 
fellows shamelessly uncovered 

387
00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:06,400
himself. 
You know, she may not have 

388
00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:11,920
actually noticed that wardrobe 
malfunction that David had for a

389
00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,600
few moments if she had actually 
been taking in the whole scene 

390
00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:19,600
instead of just watching her 
husband with disdain. 

391
00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,280
Again, what happened with David 
wasn't great. 

392
00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,720
If he actually did uncover 
himself in some way, even if it 

393
00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:28,440
was for a moment and most 
certainly would have been 

394
00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:30,840
accidentally. 
We're not saying that that's 

395
00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:32,200
good. 
I wouldn't suggest it was. 

396
00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:34,920
I don't believe David would 
suggest that it was, but I would

397
00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:39,040
say this it also was a very 
small moment of a much greater 

398
00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:41,320
day. 
The end result of the day, if 

399
00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:43,400
you were to summarize it was not
well. 

400
00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,520
There was a big parade and David
uncovered himself. 

401
00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:48,160
I think the summary of the day 
will be this. 

402
00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:53,520
It was a big day, and the ark of
the Lord and His presence came 

403
00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:56,280
to where it should rest in 
Jerusalem, and there was great 

404
00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:58,600
gladness. 
You know, if you go through life

405
00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:03,120
criticizing every small thing, 
you will miss that which God has

406
00:20:03,120 --> 00:20:07,480
for you in your life. 
Listen, we have this problem in 

407
00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,320
life, and here's one of the 
great problems of life that we 

408
00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:12,160
have. 
We like to be right. 

409
00:20:13,120 --> 00:20:14,960
I don't know about you, but I 
like to be right. 

410
00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:17,720
If I'm at the traffic light and 
someone does something wrong, I 

411
00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,400
want to be the one that's right.
If I'm at the checkout line, I 

412
00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:22,400
want to be right. 
If I'm dealing with someone in 

413
00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:24,440
situations, I'm the one that 
wants to be right. 

414
00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:28,200
And there's nothing wrong with 
doing things in a right way. 

415
00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,160
But at the same time, if we're 
not careful, that can take us to

416
00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:34,880
a place where we become critics 
because when we perceive that 

417
00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:38,600
other people aren't doing things
right, then we miss, listen, we 

418
00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,840
end up missing the big picture. 
Here's what I mean. 

419
00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:44,400
You can criticize the checkout 
person. 

420
00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,160
You could be rude to them 
because of the way that they are

421
00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,520
bagging your groceries or the 
way that they're handling things

422
00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:52,800
and you're just focused on that 
one thing. 

423
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:54,200
But are you missing the bigger 
picture? 

424
00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:58,240
This is a sole. 
Let me ask you, if you criticize

425
00:20:58,240 --> 00:20:59,520
them, well, don't. 
Hey, don't put those together. 

426
00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:02,560
What's the matter with you? 
Are you going to be able to hand

427
00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,600
them a track before you leave? 
Are you able to tell them about 

428
00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:07,960
Jesus Christ? 
Maybe we've missed the big 

429
00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:10,640
picture because we're so focused
on something small. 

430
00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:14,920
Nitpicking your spouse's habits.
Comment and how they load the 

431
00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:17,360
dishwasher, how they lead the 
Sox, how they maybe you comment 

432
00:21:17,360 --> 00:21:18,480
that they don't load the 
dishwasher. 

433
00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:20,920
Could be anything. 
You comment, you don't. 

434
00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:22,360
You know, one of you likes the 
AC high. 

435
00:21:22,360 --> 00:21:24,680
One of you likes the AC low. 
Anyway, we don't want to go 

436
00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:26,680
there tonight, all right? 
But here, here's the idea. 

437
00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:30,120
You can constantly criticize, 
but you know at what cost. 

438
00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:34,360
Meanwhile, peace in the home 
fades and your chance to reflect

439
00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:37,240
Christ's love and your marriage 
starts to decline. 

440
00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:39,960
Does that mean you just ignore 
things in the marriage? 

441
00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:42,440
No, but you don't have a spirit 
of criticism. 

442
00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,920
You even when you handle issues 
in the marriage, you do so in a 

443
00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:49,200
way that the other spouse is 
glorified and most importantly, 

444
00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,640
God is glorified. 
That you are being a servant. 

445
00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:54,280
That you are being this Mike's 
not normally there, That you are

446
00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,000
being a servant to that other 
person. 

447
00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,320
Why? 
Because you see the big picture.

448
00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:00,920
The critic can't see the big 
picture. 

449
00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:03,120
You complain about your 
coworkers habits. 

450
00:22:03,120 --> 00:22:05,440
You don't like the way that they
fill out the spreadsheet. 

451
00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:07,040
You don't like the way that they
do their work. 

452
00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:08,560
You don't like the way they 
handle things. 

453
00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:10,240
You're constantly complaining 
about them. 

454
00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:13,240
And again, listen, we understand
there are times you have to take

455
00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,880
criticisms about a coworker to 
the proper channels. 

456
00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,760
But I want to caution you. 
Are you just doing it because 

457
00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:23,360
your pride has been wounded? 
Are you doing it because you've 

458
00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:25,600
been annoyed? 
Have you really thought about 

459
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:26,920
the bigger picture, which is 
this? 

460
00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:28,480
This is a soul that needs to be 
saved. 

461
00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:30,840
They've seen me read my Bible on
my break. 

462
00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:32,680
They've heard me talk about 
church. 

463
00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,000
I need to make sure that I'm 
thinking about this right. 

464
00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:37,920
Listen, the critic always misses
the bigger picture. 

465
00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,360
Again, I'm not saying that you 
shouldn't handle things that are

466
00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:42,480
wrong. 
Have discernment, but in that 

467
00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:45,240
discernment understand there is 
a bigger picture. 

468
00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,240
Could we even put it this way? 
There is an eternal picture at 

469
00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,920
play as well. 
The critic always looks down. 

470
00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:53,520
They always miss the bigger 
picture #3 They always think too

471
00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:55,920
highly of themselves. 
They always think too highly of 

472
00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:57,440
the Selms. 
Look at verse #22. 

473
00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,080
David responds. 
Or rather verse number, No to 

474
00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:04,600
verse #22 He said this. 
I will be more vile than thus, 

475
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,760
and will be based in my own 
sight, and of the maidservants 

476
00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,960
which I was spoken of. 
Of them shall I be had an honor.

477
00:23:11,360 --> 00:23:13,800
David says this. 
He says, you say that I'm vile. 

478
00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,760
He says, I'd rather be vile than
be what you are. 

479
00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:22,600
I'd rather be vile in my own 
sight and let others look at me 

480
00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:27,280
and see me as a servant. 
David defends himself by saying 

481
00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:30,040
he'd rather look vile in her 
eyes because his approval 

482
00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:33,280
ultimately came from God and God
alone. 

483
00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:35,600
Michael's mindset was this. 
She goes. 

484
00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:37,440
I would never demean myself in 
such a way. 

485
00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:40,640
I would never be out in a parade
like that with all the people. 

486
00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,400
Listen, I literally think that 
she thought of herself as a 

487
00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:45,880
Princess, and she was, in some 
ways, was she? 

488
00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,520
She was the daughter of soul. 
Now, she was married to David, 

489
00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:50,800
and she handled herself like a 
Princess. 

490
00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:52,600
I wouldn't be out there. 
I wouldn't do that. 

491
00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:54,880
I wouldn't dress like that. 
I wouldn't jump up and down. 

492
00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:57,440
I wouldn't demean myself. 
I wouldn't look vile. 

493
00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:01,720
But here's the problem. 
The critic forgets that God's 

494
00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:06,200
calling upon the child of God is
like our Savior, to be a 

495
00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,400
servant, and a servant cannot 
think too highly of himself. 

496
00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:14,000
Remember, let this mind be in 
you, which was also in Christ 

497
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,360
Jesus. 
Philippians chapter #2 The word 

498
00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:21,960
servant is found 462 times in 
the Bible, or rather 462 verses 

499
00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:25,160
in the Bible it's more. 
Sometimes it's listed twice in a

500
00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,560
verse. 
Paul, James, Peter and Jude all 

501
00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,760
introduce themselves and at 
least one epistle as a servant 

502
00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:34,360
of Jesus Christ. 
And we mentioned Jude before. 

503
00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,920
Jude could have led with this. 
I'm the half brother of Jesus 

504
00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:40,520
but it never even comes up in 
his epistle. 

505
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,880
All he mentions is I'm a servant
of Jesus Christ. 

506
00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:45,440
I'm a servant of my half 
brother. 

507
00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:49,040
He was willing to look low upon 
himself. 

508
00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,440
David not only wanted to be seen
as a servant, but it shows here 

509
00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:57,320
that he wanted to be seen as a 
servant to other servants. 

510
00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,440
Again, verse #22 of the maid 
servants which thou has spoken 

511
00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:03,680
of, of them shall I be had an 
honor. 

512
00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:08,920
He says this, I want those other
servants to see me the way I was

513
00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:12,640
today as a servant. 
The critic always thinks too 

514
00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:14,920
highly of themselves. 
But the number four, I also see 

515
00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:18,000
this, and perhaps this is the 
most important thing. 

516
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,600
Number one, they look down #2 
they miss the bigger picture #3 

517
00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:22,920
they think too highly 
themselves. 

518
00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:28,920
And #4 the critics are barren. 
I don't know about you, but that

519
00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:32,920
last verse, verse #23 kind of 
stung a little bit. 

520
00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,040
It seems like it's really harsh,
doesn't it? 

521
00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:39,200
Read it again. 
Therefore, Michael, the daughter

522
00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:42,480
of Saul, had no child until the 
day of her death. 

523
00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:48,040
She criticized her husband. 
She had the spirit of criticism 

524
00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:52,320
within her, and the judgment of 
the Lord was this, that she 

525
00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:56,440
never had a child. 
Now, at first that seems like a 

526
00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:59,680
very, very harsh penalty for 
what took place. 

527
00:26:00,120 --> 00:26:04,360
But I do believe there's a 
greater principle that's at play

528
00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:08,080
here that God wants to teach us 
here tonight, even though this 

529
00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,520
took place around 3000 years 
ago. 

530
00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,240
And there's, there's one thing 
that I, I would give to you 

531
00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:15,360
tonight. 
Well, there's two things you 

532
00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:17,800
remember. 1, the AC was out. 
And two, is this. 

533
00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:22,720
The critic lives a life of utter
barrenness. 

534
00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:28,360
The critic ends up living a life
of utter bearlessness. 

535
00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:32,120
They don't have their own ideas.
They don't have encouragement to

536
00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:34,040
offer. 
They don't build anything of 

537
00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,040
value. 
They don't have souls that 

538
00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:37,440
they're able to lead to the 
Lord. 

539
00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:40,160
They don't offer hope. 
They just perch there. 

540
00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:44,960
They tear down at others like 
Michael at her day, at frowning 

541
00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,080
at Davis dance. 
They're too caught up in scorn 

542
00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,800
to grasp joy. 
They're too empty to join the 

543
00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,440
song. 
And just like Michael, the 

544
00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:58,000
critic is barren. 
And God uses Michael as a very 

545
00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:01,240
graphic example that if you 
continue to live the critics 

546
00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:04,360
life, if you constantly 
criticize, criticize and nitpick

547
00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:07,840
and feel above other people, 
better than other people, 

548
00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,480
superior to other people, look 
down, miss the bigger picture, 

549
00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:15,120
think too highly of yourself, 
you will live a Christian life 

550
00:27:15,120 --> 00:27:19,640
of utter barrenness. 
And how sad is that? 

551
00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:22,600
Well, Pastor, I've seen some 
things. 

552
00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:25,440
Well, we've all seen some 
things. 

553
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:29,560
And the question is not whether 
we should ignore those things or

554
00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,040
not. 
The question is, will I handle 

555
00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:36,400
it like a critic or will I 
handle it like Christ? 

556
00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:41,600
I didn't say not handle it. 
Will I handle it like a critic 

557
00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:46,240
or will I handle it like Christ?
Perhaps the greatest critics 

558
00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:49,400
you'll find in the word of God 
were those 10 spies that were 

559
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:53,680
sent out into the promised land.
There were 12. 

560
00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:56,520
Two of them made a good report, 
10 came back. 

561
00:27:56,920 --> 00:27:59,240
And what do they say? 
We can't do it. 

562
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,480
They won't go. 
And they criticized everything 

563
00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:07,520
about the plan. 
They're too big, they're too 

564
00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:09,520
strong. 
We can't do it. 

565
00:28:10,360 --> 00:28:12,800
And they ended up influencing 
all of the people of Israel. 

566
00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:17,000
Now listen to this. 
The critics were the ones that 

567
00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:18,560
lived a life of utter 
barrenness. 

568
00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:22,480
Why? 
They all died in the wilderness.

569
00:28:24,120 --> 00:28:28,640
They criticized and criticized 
and criticized and they died. 

570
00:28:29,360 --> 00:28:32,640
Never seen the promise of God. 
How sad is that? 

571
00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:37,360
Doesn't have to be that way. 
I've dealt with critics here or 

572
00:28:37,360 --> 00:28:40,720
there within church life, and 
that's the way church life is. 

573
00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:45,200
And I will say this, the critics
in a church often see things in 

574
00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:49,600
other people, in the pastor. 
They see things, but they refuse

575
00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:54,240
to see things in themselves and 
they can't possibly think that 

576
00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:56,360
there could be anything wrong in
their life. 

577
00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,400
What happens? 
They live Baron, a home where a 

578
00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:04,680
spouse is a constant critic. 
A combatant instead of a 

579
00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:08,440
companion is not a house where 
God is being glorified. 

580
00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:11,480
So we have problems in our 
marriage then. 

581
00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:16,520
Do we handle them like a critic 
or we handle it like Christ, a 

582
00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:20,640
coworker who is constantly 
you're constantly criticizing 

583
00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:25,720
the employees, the employers and
and you know that if they would 

584
00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:27,320
just listen to you for 5 
minutes. 

585
00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:29,160
This whole business would be 
straightened out. 

586
00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:33,680
Could it be that God brought you
there for such a time as this to

587
00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:37,040
be able to show them not the 
best way to run their business, 

588
00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:40,080
but the best way to know Jesus 
Christ. 

589
00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:44,080
And that might require you 
taking down the notch of the 

590
00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:48,840
criticisms a few and instead 
showing Jesus Christ and maybe a

591
00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,600
bit of here's a word from this 
morning long-suffering. 

592
00:29:54,560 --> 00:30:00,240
I'll be honest with you. 
Critics can get to me sometimes 

593
00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:04,120
I try not to live in the past or
what people say or what people 

594
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:07,880
have done, but but critics can 
get to all of us sometimes and 

595
00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:09,360
and I have found this to be 
true. 

596
00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,000
Remember George W Bush said you 
don't negotiate with terrorists.

597
00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:15,160
If I was to make a similar 
quote, it would be something 

598
00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:16,800
like this. 
You don't negotiate with critics

599
00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:19,400
because no matter what you do to
try to placate them, they're 

600
00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:23,520
never happy. 
But I will say this, even in 

601
00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:27,600
preparing the message this week.
And This is why when a pastor 

602
00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,920
has to get ready for a message, 
it's not just thus sayeth the 

603
00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:34,360
Lord. 
It's got to go through my heart 

604
00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,920
first because it was easy for me
to think of people who have 

605
00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:40,280
criticized me over the years and
say, you know what? 

606
00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:43,720
They need to hear this message. 
I hope. 

607
00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:48,560
I hope they find it online. 
I hope, I hope they hope they 

608
00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:52,480
rage watch our our services and 
I hope they find this one. 

609
00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:54,480
And they know that I'm talking 
about them. 

610
00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,280
And I thought that's probably 
not from the Holy Spirit. 

611
00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:03,560
That's a spirit. 
All right, You know what the 

612
00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:06,760
problem with thinking about 
critics is this, we always think

613
00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:09,720
of someone else. 
But the real issue is this. 

614
00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,680
The critic that we need to worry
about is the one you're looking 

615
00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:17,600
at at the mirror because you may
not have a life of criticism, 

616
00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:23,040
but the spirit of criticism can 
with can live within us. 

617
00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:25,760
Now I tell you it'll ruin a 
marriage. 

618
00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:29,480
It'll embitter you with 
children, It'll embitter you to 

619
00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:32,200
your grandchildren. 
It'll embitter you to extended 

620
00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:34,360
family. 
It'll cause you to go from job 

621
00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,720
to job to job or from a 
relationship relationship to 

622
00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,320
relationship. 
And maybe you say why I don't 

623
00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:43,680
have any long term friends. 
I just, I'm not finding, could 

624
00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:50,200
it be that maybe the thing that 
is the same in all of those is 

625
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:55,480
you? 
Well, I have, I don't have 

626
00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:58,680
criticism, I have discernment. 
Well, that's between you and the

627
00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:01,040
Lord. 
But I would tell you these will 

628
00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,320
help you understand the 
difference between the two. 

629
00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:08,640
Do you look down on others not 
participating, just looking down

630
00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:11,400
with disdain? 
Do you miss the bigger picture? 

631
00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:13,600
Do you think too highly of 
yourself? 

632
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:16,480
Are you barren of spiritual 
fruit? 

633
00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:19,760
It's a good sign that you are a 
critic. 

634
00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:24,640
You know, Abraham Lincoln is 
revered as a president today, 

635
00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:26,360
isn't he? 
I mean, who's going to say 

636
00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:28,920
something negative about Abraham
Lincoln today? 

637
00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:32,360
But I will tell you this. 
I just mentioned a couple weeks 

638
00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:35,360
ago, I was reading a history of 
Stonewall Jackson. 

639
00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:37,920
And of course there's issues 
with the Civil War with with 

640
00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:41,160
Abraham Lincoln in that book. 
And I really enjoy Civil War 

641
00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:43,960
history quite a bit. 
And it's amazing to me that the 

642
00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:48,760
the manner that Abraham Lincoln 
is beloved today was not the way

643
00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:50,320
he was thought of during the 
Civil War. 

644
00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:53,160
Why? 
Our country had never come into 

645
00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,200
a situation like that before, 
obviously. 

646
00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:59,040
And everyone thought they had a 
better way than Abraham Lincoln.

647
00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:03,400
Some thought he was too soft, 
some thought he was too harsh. 

648
00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:07,280
And no one seemed to agree. 
In fact, I would say this, no 

649
00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:11,240
one seemed to agree on how great
he was until he was dead. 

650
00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:16,680
But Abraham Lincoln said 
something about critics that I 

651
00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:18,840
think is very, very good. 
And he said this. 

652
00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,520
He said I do the very best I 
can. 

653
00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:25,600
I mean to keep going. 
If the end brings me out all 

654
00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,120
right, then what is said against
me won't matter. 

655
00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:33,360
But if I'm wrong, 10 angels 
swearing I was right won't make 

656
00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:38,320
a difference. 
He says it's not the critic who 

657
00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:41,800
counts. 
I just need to move forward and 

658
00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:45,080
do what I know is right, he 
says. 

659
00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:48,160
And if I'm right, it doesn't 
matter what people say, because 

660
00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:49,920
I was right. 
And if I'm wrong, it doesn't 

661
00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:52,480
matter who tries to prop me up 
that I was right, I was still 

662
00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:54,960
wrong. 
Just do right. 

663
00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:57,520
And when it comes to the 
Christian life, listen, don't 

664
00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:01,640
meddle with criticism. 
Just do right. 

665
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,040
The critic lives a life of utter
barrenness. 

666
00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:09,320
Thank you for listening to the 
sermon from the pulpit of 

667
00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:12,239
Liberty Baptist Church. 
If this message was a blessing 

668
00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:15,679
to you, or if there's any way we
can serve you, please let us 

669
00:34:15,679 --> 00:34:20,320
know by contacting us at 
info@mylibertybaptist.org. 

670
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:25,120
Or you can visit us this Sunday 
at 800 Washington St. in Easton,

671
00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:27,960
MA. 
May the Lord bless you as you 

672
00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:29,159
grow in His Word.