“Four Warnings and a Promise” | Sunday Message (with Pastor Jonathan Laurie)

Hey there Victor, listening to the great glory part just a ministry supported by harvest partners on Greg Laurie encouraging you if you want to find out more about harvest ministries. To learn more about how to become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org good morning house of David.

He has been enjoying the series so far. Excellence excellent. This is one of those those amazing stories and narratives that we could spend so much time getting into me just the just the life of David alone. We could spend years and love getting to go over this with you and were excited as we bring this series to a close, not today but a couple of weeks were to be kicking off our new series am I doing this right, talking about parenting talking about singleness talking about marriage talking about grandparenting can be something there for everybody. So make sure you stay tuned for that can be great time, but today we are talking about King David.

We're talking about his life or talk about the repercussions for his decisions. As we learned last week about David and Bathsheba, the God of the second chance was not a great message last week.

Hearing God is the God of the second chance for the amazing attributes of his character hello to our friends watching as well from harvest Riverside as well as those were watching all over the campus here in Orange County officers aloft in the family room, as well as those that are outside in the heat right now.

I think there might be a few of you out in the courtyard of Riverside you are crazy. I don't understand you.

It's so warm out there. Can we make sure we welcome all those that are joining us outside of this room, as well as those of you watching on my Harvest at Home by great to have you all here well right now it's summertime in Southern California is that you guys enjoying the summer. I'm enjoying it.

I'm looking forward to my kids going back to school. I like the routine that it offers in getting everything back into a normal pace of things. It's nice, but is its it's hot in summer obviously right.

It gets hot during the summer and I tend to run hot. If you're in the front row right now your hearts Orange County or harvest Riverside. You tend to notice that it's like a meat locker in the front row, because the air conditioning the pipes down is supercold is I run hot and I hate to sweat. You don't want to see me sweat. It is not. It's not a good look and so during the summer.

My favorite way to beat the heat is go to the beach right go to the beach. It's always a little bit cooler on the sandwich is nice and cool down quite a bit but my favorite thing is going in the water is water is like 73� at the warmest so it's always just right to take that heat often to really get you to cool down. It's great to because it's free and as were the only things that you can enjoy in Southern California know that is free. It's a perk for sure and taking the kids there to come home tired, which is maybe the best part of all, they fall asleep in the car and you're like oh my goodness. Thank you that you actually exerted some energy doing you know something outside which is great and I also love the fact that did I mention that it's free is always positive, so it's a good time.

Yes, one of the best things about living in California.

Lord knows it's not the property taxes.

Recently I was at the beach with my kids and one of my favorite things to do with them is to go look for different things at the beach whether it's fish or look in the tide pools or in this case, was walking with my son Christopher to go look for some crabs I've talked about Christopher before he loves to catch anything that moves.

He'll catch snakes. He'll catch lizards all day long to catch bugs. He is not afraid of spiders at all. I am a full arachnophobia and he is actually helped me break this.

He started catching these little spiders and it's like okay this was not too bad. I'm blown away. This cat has no fear. So he looks catching so we are walking down to one of the jetties in Newport to go catch crabs he was looking for some crabs and as we were walking their head about maybe note 100 yards or so to walk to the jetty and as were walking from where our stuff was to the spot with the crabs where I would turn every so often, as were walking down, and watch the sets were coming through because I love going in the water in the body surfing and were walking down I'm looking at the ways in some kind of turning and walking and checking it out and as I turn around crispers like, almost bumping into knees right behind me and before I can even ask what he's doing so closely he actually turned around. He turns to me rather he says this he says dad I'm right behind you walking in your footsteps and I look at his little 3 1/2 foot shoe size is literally pacing every step inside of my 10 1/2 foot shoe size. No walking there on the sand and he's turning when I'm turning I look and sure enough when I was pivoting and cut across stepping over looking at the the waves, but moved in the same direction he is turning his little frame and trying to step in my steps as well.

And of course hearing that just made me pause and maybe pause and of course I'd heard this phrase before but never out of the mouth of my own son, right dad, I'm right behind you. Following in your footsteps so fathers and grandfathers mothers, grandmothers, sons and daughters the way you walk matters. The way you walk matters. I'm not talking about if you prorate for supernatant right walk on the inside your feeder the outsider heat of feeder. If you're bowlegged or whatever it might be or how fast you walk, but it is actually pretty funny how kids will take on the characteristics of how their parents walk. Maybe your dad walked in. He like flailed his arms around a lot or something and someone told you you kind of flail your arms around like like I do. My dad used to do that. I didn't want to do that. I hated that about my dad. It's funny how those things get passed on to us.

My dad is like one of the maybe probably the top three fastest walkers that I know perpetually doing a slow jog everywhere. I don't know what it is but he is able to do like it slow you sane bold walk or something.

I don't know what it is I did not inherit that I am not a fast walker. I wife is also not top three categories. She is consciously walking ahead of me and Mike, do you want to walk together or do you want me to jog with you and not sure what to do here. I think she is encouraging me probably to jog with her subtly but no I'm I'm not talking about the way you walk in the sense of your physical gates are the way that you have your steps and so forth. No, I'm talking about the choices we make and lives.

The choices we make.

Matter right. It's been said that we make our choices then our choices make us talk about the way we speak to the people we love.

I'm talking about the type of affection.

We display our devotional life. If we drink alcohol. If we smoke if we overeat, we want pornography. If we serve at church. If we've been divorced for a prayer warrior. These behaviors for better and for worse, can be passed on to our children and those around us, not because you are necessarily teaching those things directly but because of your behavior around those things. Being a prayer warrior or a drinker or having a devotional life watching porn man. There is evidence in your life of those things and around those things that point towards the actions whether they are private or public know if you came here last week.

Again, you are my dad's message, the God of the second chance and maybe you're thinking, hey, I thought we got a second chance in life here if we came to Christ is and he cast our sins as far as the east is from West is not in the Bible somewhere.

Doesn't he forget our iniquity. Didn't Jesus come so that we could go to heaven. Absolutely, absolutely. And to help summarize kind of what I'm getting at here is a preacher said this in Alan Redpath and commentator.

He said the chastening hand of a loving heavenly father is a very different thing from the judging hand of a holy God.

You see, we were delivered will be put our faith in Christ from the hand of the holy God. We do not want to be judged by a holy God because we would be judged as we are only put our faith in Christ, we are pardoned we are excuse. We have the righteousness of Christ imputed to us given to us and so we stand, accepted in the beloved. But no, the loving hand of heavenly father is what we experience, and that's what happens when we sin we face the consequences right. God is the God of second chances be because he forgives our sin and the Bible also teaches us whatsoever a man sows, that he will also reap. In Galatians 6, seven, we know that to be true in life.

We know there are certain laws to be true right there's a lot of gravity. We know that right. What goes up must come down.

That's right.

What goes up must come down. There is a law of thermodynamics, which is basically everything that is in motion will not always perpetually being in motion and is slowly breaking down is true of our body. Is that true of energy in general doesn't continue on forever. I think I got that one right thermodynamics, your I'm not the right person to get that exactly right. And then of course there's the law of Murphy. My favorite right on a thing as natural law. But it sure seems to be and that is what can go wrong will go wrong. Yes, I've definitely had that happen firsthand. The question is, under certain laws we accept to be true in this life like if you go and rob a bank and then a week later you feel really bad about it because you're you go to church maybe with a friend in your you know, patting your eyes with hundred dollar bills. You're feeling terrible about what you did and you commit your life to Christ and you repent you recognize that that was sin things that you know what I need to go turn myself into the local police department.

So you go you tell them what you did and you tell them that you're sorry and they say okay and they put you in handcuffs. They send you to jail for 10 years. Are you gonna say what I thought that I was you know, forgiven by God, and I'm a Christian. Absolutely, you are forgiven by God hate praise the Lord. But you know what, there are consequences for your actions right. The choices we make matter. My message title for today's message is for warnings and a promise for warnings and a promise and I want to warn you little bit as we get into this message. We are going to be looking at the consequences of King David's actions with the sin he committed with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite and all the things that unfolded as a result of that one sin and the behavior that he displayed to his children and how his children followed in his footsteps of this is a warning and then at the end will be a promise and so just hold on, it's good to be a good message and you'll be encouraged and challenged so last week we heard the story of David and Bathsheba.

David saw this beautiful woman from his palace from his throne yelled from his is basically his balcony by his bedroom looks out he sees this beautiful woman. Bathsheba she's naked. She's taken a bath. She knew what she was doing to. She knew that she was directly in eyesight of the king, and so get into that another time. But King David doesn't resist his impulse and he sent someone to go get her to bring her up and they have a night of pleasure. They enjoy each other. They have sex with each other and what happens next. She gets pregnant.

That does happen and so David decides that rather than own up to his sin.

He's gonna cover it up, and he tries to get Uriah her husband to go and sleep with his wife while he is still on the bow front brings about Rye is a standup guy. I can't do that. My mentor out on the battlefield suffering. I refuse to let dry get some drunk trice can do it again. He won't do it.

This is a standup guy. So David Caesars only one choice left. He goes and he sends a ride to the battlefront and he tells the commander he says send everybody on a charge sent everybody forward to go and fight the Army and then when Uriah advances pull everybody back and so ultimately he signed Uriah's death sentence. Uriah is killed in battle, and for 12 months. King David wrestled with the guilt, the shame, and the unrepentant's until Nathan the prophet confronted him with a hypothetical situation which really paralleled but King David had done.

Basically, he told the story about how this wealthy livestock owner had tons and tons of sheep and he was rich and a friend came in visited him and so they decided to slaughter a lamb to eat together but instead of going and killing one of his many sheep, he goes over to his neighbor who is poor and only has one sheet and he slaughters that sheep instead know this.

She was not any ordinary sheep. It was the family pet the guy had named it the guy literally saw is one of his own daughters, King Nathan said.

Rather, the prophet Nathan says. And so he's framing this whole thing is King David hears us his blood begins to boil and he so angry and so at the end of it. He says King David. What do you suppose should happen to such a man.

And David says right away or he should restore fourfold what he is taken and then he should be put to death while pretty harsh judgment right I mean it was bad but put to death and fourfold pretty severe and then Nathan says the famous words that we all know you are the man. You're the guy King. You just pronounce judgment upon yourself. This is what you think should be done and almost prophetically, we see that these things begin to happen to David fourfold. He pays dearly for his time that he had with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. Jesus said in Matthew seven to listen to this, you will be treated as you treat others the standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

Roof King David live those words out. Truly he paid dearly for that one night of pleasure and almost prophetically the judgment. King David declared against that livestock owner is exactly what happened to him. So again were to be looking at the four tragedies that they would experience that were a direct result of his sinful behavior. Serve as a warning to us and then look at the promise that we can put our hope. And when we have failed because we have all failed. We have all fallen short of God's standard and we have a hope in Jesus. And so the first death were to be looking at today. The David experienced as a result of his sin was the death of his child that he had with Bathsheba. Point number one the death of David and Bathsheba's first son, second Simon 1214 says that the Lord sent a deadly illness to the child and even though David Banta Lord to spare. The child ultimately the child died seven days later experiencing the death of a child is one of the worst if not the worst things that a person can ever go through. It breaks the natural cycle of children bearing their parents and as time goes on for the parents. The pain not may not be as sharp anymore but there's always a whole. There in the heart that the child once filled David said in second Samuel 1223. What can I do now. Speaking of this child that that passed away. What can I do now. Can I bring them back again. I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me. I think David's word set a perfect example. A great template on how we should grieve DIMMs is what can I do now.

I fasted, I prayed. I did everything I could while the child was alive but now all that's left to do is leave it in the Lord's hand. He cannot come to me, but I will go to him one day when we experience the death of a loved one. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

But when that happens, especially when it's unexpected.

Often our minds go to the cesspool of wise and what if's. We always want to know the unknown. Why did this happen.

Why did God let this happen. Why couldn't it have happened to me why why why and we also asked the question what if there's something I could've done to prevent this. What if I was driving the car that day.

What if this happened, what if I had this conversation with someone if I picked up the phone that day and told him don't go. What if there was something I could do and those are questions that will fill our mind and take up all of her consciousness and her energy and I let me just tell you first hand experience here. They will never bring you comfort, they will never bring you peace. Those things will never help you though never help you process it. It will just haunt you and play you and ultimately hurt you, and I'll tell you that first hand. As I've not lost a child. But I've lost a brother who was very close to the will occupy your mind forever, but will never bring you peace, and in David's case. You can imagine he probably had those thoughts literally because it is sin that brought about the death of this child, the guilt, the David experience would've been unlike anything he had ever gone through, but instead what is King David, do he says what can I do.

I've done everything that I can. I cannot, he cannot come to me, but I can go to him instead of dwelling on those types of questions that we have no good answers and no sure answers.

David shifted his focus away from what he did not know onto what he did know that someday he would see his child again. There one day there will be a heavenly reunion that one day he would be able to embrace that child and that is what the Bible teaches. And that is the source of hope of those for those of us who have lost loved ones will lock the lost children or parents or family members or relatives or close people that were believers that is the hope of heaven. The heaven guarantees reunion.

Amen.

That is what we put our our hope in point number two. The second consequence, the David face as a result of his sin was rape of Taymor the rape of Taymor second Samuel 13 one tells us that no David son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Taymor and Emden. Her half-brother fell desperately in love with her and became so obsessed with Taymor that he became ill. She was a virgin and Anna thought he could never have her before Bathsheba David had concubines that he was sleeping with and having sex with. He had multiple wives that he was impregnating and so he was going way off the reservation before Bathsheba came around in his affair with her and so a quick footnote here, let me be really clear just because we see King David doing these things and we don't always see immediately say in this was sin. The David did that. It's just missing out the story for us and generally yes the Bible does say that it is sin. A quick footnote.

It is still very, very clear. The Bible still very very clear that monogamy is God's best and original design. Just because David had concubines and multiple wives does not mean that the Bible or God condones or supports that monogamy, being married to one person of the opposite gender for life is God's original and best design. The Bible still very clear about that. Some some will say I mean it. What I've heard people argue this on the Internet and wherever else and not to my face because it would be hard not to laugh at them but some people would argue that because King David did it, and he was still called a man after God's own heart that this would somehow justify extramarital sex. First of all you have to completely ignore all the other Scriptures hundreds of scriptures found in the Old Testament and New Testament that condemned this kind of behavior, but I would encourage you when you're reading your Bible to know that the Bible sometimes will report things and it's important that we recognize that it is not always prescriptive.

If it's describing certain behavior, meaning the Bible is kind of two things you can you can frame it this way. It is both descriptive and prescriptive is descriptive and prescriptive somethings are for us. They are prescribed for us by God. Like a doctor would prescribe a prescription.

You go to the no doctor's office. They give you a prescription because you've got a infection you got some scratch and now it's all messed up and you need antibiotics so they send you the pharmacy that is a prescription and so in the same way God gives us prescriptions he prescribes things for us to give you an example of something that God prescribes to all of us. First Thessalonians 43 for this is the will of God, your sanctification that you abstain from sexual immorality. That's for us after all of us that is prescriptive right now.

Let me share something that is descriptive.

Let's take David and Goliath. David hears about this giant Philistine and he's blaspheming the name of the Lord. And so David goes and he decides that he's gonna take this Philistine out so he goes and gets a rock puts it in his sling and he nailed Goliath in the face he knocks him down. He goes over, pulls out the guys sword and he decapitates a know you tell me is that prescriptive or descriptive. Thank you very much. Yes, that is descriptive exactly we should not go around doing that some of you might want to don't do that.

That is not what God wants us to do the blasphemers need to pray for them. Okay not decapitate them and so some things are descriptive and some things are prescriptive first lesson is for three prescriptive forcing the 17 descriptive just because it's in Scripture does not mean is approved by God. Now course, we look at Scripture to the lens. All Scripture is profitable and good, for reproof and correction, and for teaching somethings. We learn from their mistakes.

Somethings we learn from the things that they did. There were positive and were to follow and that behavior okay so not covered back to point number two. Taymor, the rate of Taymor number two David had a daughter named Taymor and a son named Ammon, both from different mothers. Taymor it was beautiful and Ammon, love with her, rather than pursuing the appropriate route of making his half-sister Taymor's wife again descriptive very descriptive here British Royal family should probably take note of the whole incest things about idea, but instead of pursuing marriage Ammon rates Taymor has sex with her against her will, and then his passion and is less that is completely blinded him to what he should be doing. It wears off right away. It wears off, and then his love and his passion towards her turns to hates and he banishes her from his site. Where else would Ammon have observed this kind of behavior except his own father David had concubines. He had wives. He was sleeping with other people's wives and then followed the sinful footsteps of his father David. David demonstrated this behavior and Ammon followed in this behavior, in America today. It's reported that 36% of marriages end in divorce. This wreaks havoc on the children that are the product of those broken relationships, and as a result of this. Children are statistically speaking more likely to experience emotional and behavioral problems and the likelihood of them getting a divorce themselves is driven up 69%. Now if both the child and their spouse now come from homes that were divorced, the risk of divorce skyrocketed to 189% devastating. It's devastating. We cannot pretend that our actions do not affect those around us.

Wedlock is to be a padlock. It is to be a lot can you throw the key away divorce cannot be an option at the moment you say, I do and that is why we want to make you all sure that you are coming out for our next series that were to be going through September 11.

As we talk about my doing this right, we talking about singleness were to be talking about marriage, parenting what foundation to build on and some strategies to follow so you can guarantee success. Whether you're single, newly married parent or even a grandparent am I doing this right, starting September 11. Here's a sneak peek of what you're gonna be hearing about do with the Bible says that that's basically that's can be in a nutshell is due at the Bible says and so we see David's behavior now being displayed in his own children Ammon rates his version half-sister Taymor absolutely sickening devastating but to make things even worse. What is David do. He has no response is a complete lack of response to Ammon's wickedness second Samuel 13 tells us 21 verse 21 when King David heard of all these things. He was very angry. Great. Now is it no action of my Bible actually has a footnote it says that David did not punish Ammon because he loved him, for he was his firstborn. Okay, that is not an excuse to not punish sinful and wrong and horrifying behavior. David saw the behavior of Ammon.

I believe this is the reason why it was like looking in a mirror he saw what Ammon had done and he saw himself.

He loved him, but he didn't punish them because he knew his son had observed him. King David engaging in the same behavior and so again see the consequences for David's sin with Bathsheba and even before that. Listen when you engage in sin.

It's easy to see the same sin and others hard to correct what Jesus warned against. When you are picking the splinter out of your brother's eye to beware of the log in your own that's what David was wrestling with. He was struggling with his like I know that I did these things. I know that it how can I correct that behavior when I was doing it myself. Or maybe in currently doing it. David's guilt from past sins made the same behavior difficult to correct and his children which caused further suffering.

Everyone third we see David son Absalom basically saying if King dad's knocking to take care of this issue. If he's knocking to go in reprimanding correct Ammon.

I'm going to take matters into my own hands and that brings us to number three. The murder of Ammon, the murder of, and in second Samuel 1328 says Absalom told his men. When Ammon gets drunk at my signal kill him. Don't be afraid I'm the one who's given the command take courage and do it and so it Absalom signal. They murdered Ammon and then the sons of the other King jumped on their mules and fled. And so we see Absalom now repeating the same behavior that David committed first and entreats Taymor's David treated Bathsheba, then Absalom treats Ammon is David treated Uriah the husband of Bathsheba. David's failure to correct this disgraceful behavior and Ammon created even further animosity in his home. Understandably, Absalom was outraged about what happened to his sister Taymor and even more so. His father's lack of action, not even a rebuke. No punishment was given to Ammon so we took the matters into his own hands, and parents. This is why it is so important that we discipline our children that we correct them when they're going off the reservation when they're doing something that is wrong that we lovingly correct them and lovingly discipline our children, not out of anger not out of spite but because we want to protect them from the destructive behavior and the further repercussions of their sin. You can think of parental discipline.

Kind of like guardrails on a mountain road and if if your kids out of control or spinning out of control, or heading towards a cliff.

Are you just gonna let that happen.

Know you're going to be that guardrail you're going to be that buffer to make sure they bounce off of you. So they don't further harm themselves and those around the because why because you love them, you don't want to see them go to the nth degree with their sin, you don't want to see them go to the nth degree with lying when you catch them and us looking a little white lie. You teach them the principles and you hold their feet to the fire and you do it because you love them, not because you're angry.

Not because you're jealous, but because you want the best for them. The Bible tells us to not discipline is to not love Hebrews 12 six says the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son to not discipline and teach and train up your children in the way they should go is to fail to repair. It's been said by failing to prepare you prepare to fail both Absalom and Ammon could say I'm right behind you, dad following in your footsteps that brings us to our fourth and final movement number four the rebellion in the death of Absalom second Samuel 1337 to 39 says Absalom fled and want to tell my the son of Emma Hood, King of gusher and David Moran for his Sunday after day so Absalom fled and went to gusher and he was there for three years in the spirit of the Lord long to go out to Absalom, because he was comforted about Ammon since he was dead.

David's refusal to discipline and correct sinful behavior. Unfortunately, did not stop with Ammon. Now, Absalom has murdered his son and he is fled from his father David's house and went to his grandfather tell myself and gusher for three years. I love that for just a second that he literally ran away to grandpa's house when you were growing up, and you are in trouble with mom and dad did you have a type of grandparent you like I can run away to growl live with them. They'll let me do whatever I want right that's literally what we see and in doing here Absalom kills his brother and he runs to grandpa's house. How classic is not tell my his grandfathers like come on, Abby will take you out for ice cream you can forget all about that murder that you committed.

We still love you. Don't worry about that. Minal dad David years.

My favorite thing was when I would be disciplining my kids and talking to them or punishing them for something they did that was wrong and I'm helping instruct them as they would get upset they say will I'm just gonna run away him to go live in Papa's house I be like you be doing us all a favor though I never said that I never said that. So yeah you know what Absalom you go tell grandpa tell my butt we read that David longed for Absalom.

He loved his son.

He loved his son.

He didn't condemn his behavior. He missed him and honestly have to so it kinda sympathize with the humanity of David here. He had been through the ringer he had suffered for his sin, and you can almost sympathize with them until you remember David model this behavior for his family. He modeled this behavior just like Absalom ran from David and hid from him.

David hid from the Lord for those 12 months, he hid from the Lord. He was unrepentant. He didn't talk to the Lord. He didn't confess what he had done wrong and so Joab who was the commander of David's army saw that the king loved his son and wanted his son to come back and so but he was unwilling to go and reach out and reconcile Absalom to himself. So Joab thought he would help the king and he devised a plan to help the king get what he really wanted, so we brought in a wise woman from a nearby kingdom called Toccoa to come and deliver a hypothetical scenario. Once again, to corner the king into bringing his son back from banishment very similar to what Nathan the prophet did with King David when he confronted him over his sin with Bathsheba presenting a hypothetical situation, presenting as fact. So this woman shows up to the king, which is okay, and have mercy on me. I have an issue and I need your attention right away and she tells him is made up story about how she's a widow and she has two son, your husband is died and she has two remaining sons and the two sons got into an argument.

He got into a squabble and one of the sons was killed at the hand of the other son and now the people in the local community are calling for the death of her last remaining son and she comes to the king that she saying please have mercy on him. I only have one descendent left.

Would you have mercy on him and make sure that he doesn't get put to death, and so King David Telus Ernie okay I will take the case on you go home I'll make sure nobody messes with your remaining son and she's like okay that's good but I need action now can you like make me a promise or something about this and Dave's is okay. I assure you I promise you nothing will happen to your son and choosing okay thanks. What can you like baby swear an oath to me and really cement this and David said okay. I swear an oath you nothing will happen to your son and then she was like gotcha it's actually your son Absalom if you're willing to do it for me. How much more should you be willing to do it for your own sons and then King David was like, and I really need to stop doing this. Letting this happen to me. I need to plead the fifth. More often here and so he brought back Absalom he welcomed Absalom back and while David does invite Absalom back. He pretty much sentences. His murdering son to house arrest. There is no discussion of what he had done to Ammon. There is no discussion of what and and did with Taymor.

He basically says okay you can come back you can live in Jerusalem, but you can't come and see me and you have to live in your home and you can't leave the reservation you can't leave your property. Basically put some under house arrest. They hadn't seen each other for three years when he went off to live with his grandfather. Absalom did and then for another two years. David didn't even show his face he would allow Absalom to come and seems over five years now.

David said nothing about Absalom's behavior or Absalom's murder of Ammon.

This is not a pattern of healthy parenting right here.

This is the definition of sweeping things under the rug and so what happens Absalom becomes resentful of his father. He becomes discouraged. He gets angry. He is a no man's land, not knowing where he stands is under house arrest but is also not being held accountable for his actual Ammon and so he asked for a meeting with his father.

He tells Joe a pay go tell my father the king. I want to meet with him and I want to hash this out. Get this figured out. There's no action, nothing happens. So Joab rather Absalom goes and tells Joab again hate tell my father the king. I need to meet with him and I want to have this discussion let's figure this out. Where do I stand my heir to the throne.

My good be sentenced to death. What's going on.

I don't like living here and so Absalom rather Joab doesn't respond in two times he does not respond to Absalom and so Absalom does what any rational person would do.

He goes and he sets Joab's barley fields on fire. Very appropriate. That'll get his attention, and so he got his attention and we read in second Samuel 1431, Joab came to Absalom and he demanded.

Why did you your servants set my barley fields on fire and Absalom replied because I wanted you to ask the king why he brought me back from � or if he didn't intend to see me just here for a moment, Absalom's heart here. I wanted asked the king why he brought me back from being banished if he didn't intend to see me.

I might as well stay there.

Let me see the king if he finds me guilty of anything, and let them kill me. I just wanted resolution and I just want to know where he stood and so Joab told the king verse 33 what Absalom had said that at last, David summoned Absalom and he came and bowed low before the king and the king kissed him restoration, right reconciliation, forgiveness, but the damage was done. The damage is done because we see what happens next.

For the next four years as Absalom had freedom.

He goes and he buys a chariot right and he rides around in a chariot.

He hired 50 bodyguards to go run ahead of him everywhere he goes he decides that he is now going to undermine his father's role throwing him under the bus any time that he can slowly slowly gaining influence in the kingdom through schmoozing anyone and everyone.

He People would come to the city gates and they would present their issues before the king and Absalom at this point seems that David kinda became a hermit and Absalom was now going out into the area and he was meeting people and people would now perform as the Prince knew take their hand and kissed her hand and he would ask them where they're from and get to know their name and you know he was just trying to schmooze everybody and win the affection of the people, and it works it works. He slowly began to devise a plan that he was going to overthrow his father is resentment. Now towards his dad. King David manifests its way into a complete rebellion against his father's authority and at last he gets enough influence to drive his father out of Jerusalem off of his throne and into hiding.

King David had to run for his life with the servants in his wives and concubines. Everybody everybody there to run for their lives.

So Absalom's plan was now complete. All he needed to do was kill his father so he hunted David at every turn. And so that he could take the throne.

Rightfully and finally we read in second Samuel 18 during a battle Absalom sees enemy soldiers of King David. Because the to the two were at war and he sees his father soldiers and he runs for his life because he is no King David.

He is no man after God's own heart. He's no mighty warrior that slew Goliath know he is the Prince right and so he's running away from the soldiers not engaging about what happens Absalom had really long beautiful hair, we read that he cut it every couple of years and they would weigh it and it would weigh like 10 shekels, which as you know a few pounds.

That's a lot a lot of hair. He was considered to be the most handsome man in all of Israel, probably because of his hair. He probably had no jewelry and a little braids and a little gold class and whatever else that's probably what made away so much. But that hair as he was riding away for his life from David soldiers he rides under a treaty know what happens is Harry get stuck in the tree and he's left hanging from his hair in the tree completely defenseless.

The donkey rides off away from him and what happens.

The men go and they kill Absalom and the paying is he's hanging from the tree. They killed him right there on the spot and so that is the death of rebellion and death of Absalom while talking about escalating quickly right now is radical. All of this. All four of these things we can draw a line directly back to David's sin with Bathsheba. All of these things. His continued failure to correct the shoulder because of his guilty conscience the direct result of Absalom killing Ammon the rape of Taymor. All of these things, you can draw back to the sin of � of his sin with Bathsheba skews me, and so now let's let's bring this message to a close. These four things. While this is heavy message. Yes, we are learning about the repercussions for your sin. These four things ought to serve as a warning to us that our children walk in our footsteps, our grandchildren will walk in her footsteps and so fathers and mothers and grandmothers and grandfathers, sons, daughters, take heed to the way you walk, lest you stumble, our actions today lay the foundation that our children and our descendents will build their lives upon that is the ultimate warning today after reading all four of those things. What's the summary of it that's it right there are actions today lay the foundation that our children and our descendents will build their lives upon for better and for worse. The choices we make today matter. Don't think this is a lesson we can learn from David's failures.

This is the warning we can take from the message and so maybe you're here today and you might be the product of a broken home in your thinking wow that was really encouraging. I learned that my children are more likely to get divorced. And because my parents were divorced.

I more likely to get divorce or maybe you're the son or daughter of a single mom and your thinking wow. Well I guess I'm headed for the same behavior.

My dad was an alcoholic and his grandfather was an alcoholic and alcoholism runs in my blood and addictions in my blood. And so that means that I'm just destined to repeat the same behavior friend. Can I tell you the promise no. The promises in second Corinthians 517 we are told, if any man if any woman is in Christ, they are an altogether new creation old things have passed away.

All things have become new. Listen when you put your faith in Christ. Those generational curses that alcohol is in the supposedly runs in your blood. The bad behavior you observed. It has no hold on you, because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world is that you do not have to be defined by your sin, you do not have to be defined by your past, you are not defined by what kind of family you came from. You can have a new beginning you can have a new beginning look back with me for a moment at the words from the woman from takeaways she was confronting King David about Absalom. She said this in second single 14. She said we all die sometime water spilled on the ground can be gathered up again but God does not take away life. He works out ways to get the XL back. That's the promise. That's the promise we've send we've done things we wish we could hit the reset button on right ever do something you're like old man I wish I could hit him send on that email.

I wish I could go back in time and tell myself, don't go down that path don't associate with those people don't try that experience don't indulge in that. Don't do it. We all have things in our life we wish we could hit the reset button on things we wish we could take back but we can't.

She said week.

She said that water spilled on the ground can be gathered up again. Kind of a first century version, or rather night for century an ancient version of no use crying over spilled milk right nothing you can do about it.

But God made away when there was no way God does not take away life. He works out ways to get the exile back that is exactly what Jesus came to do the good news is that you no longer have to be defined by or sent you no longer have to be defined by your mistakes. Yes, you will reap what you sow. But God will forgive you and when you live your life for God, and you own what your sins were, and you repent you ask for forgiveness from those you hurt.

God can even restore those relationships.

So if you have been a good father, you've been a neglectful mother or you been a rebellious son or daughter, listen, repent, call out to God, recognize your behavior for what it is. It is sin. Give your life to God. Isaiah 43 tells us the Lord says remember not the former things nor the things of old. Behold, I'm doing a new thing now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it. I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. So today, if you have not yet put your faith in Jesus.

Put your faith in Jesus be a new creation. Let them renew you from the inside out and make you this new person. It is no longer identified with their sins, is now identified with Christ. He gives you his righteousness so you can stand before God, he can restore those relationships. He can do that for you today, but if you have already put your faith in Christ. My exhortation to you is to live your life and away you would want your children and grandchildren and friends and families and relatives and coworkers to see and to also walk in and to follow in your footsteps. Amen. Let's pray Lord we ask that you would help us to do that to follow you, Jesus. Those are the footsteps we all want to walk in. We want to walk in your footsteps. Jesus you commanded us to love you commanded us to forgive. You commanded us to follow you. We want to be your disciples and so Lord whether we grew up in a great loving flourishing Christian home, that taught us the essentials of the faith, whether we grew up in a dysfunctional home Lord, what matters most is the decision we make when it comes to our relationship with you. You have given us life and life more abundantly. You've given us your Holy Spirit, you've given us forgiveness, and all we have to do is receive it.

All we have to do is walk in it were thankful for the gift of salvation were thankful for the blood that you said you paid dearly for it with your own blood.

So Lord, we ask that you would help us to walk in newness of life as your children in our heads around her eyes.

Her clothes were praying here today, there may be some who haven't yet put their faith in Jesus. They haven't asked Christ to be their Lord and Savior. I would say to you what you waiting for what more do you need to know and you can be a new creation, and you can have the things the God wants you to have the he can bless you. He can help you be the parent that you always wanted to be he can help you see the father and the mother and the grandparent and the worker and all those things that he has called you to be through the power of his Holy Spirit. But most importantly he brings her. He gives us away to bring the exile back and that's us.

We were exiled from our relationship with the Lord. It was severed and the only thing that we can do now is put our faith in Christ and he can restore that relationship and he for you can forgive us and he can even restore with the locus of eaten away. So if you like to put your faith in Jesus. Today I'll just invite you pray this prayer wherever you are.

If you're watching in Riverside or your share in the sanctuary in Osier you're watching online, just pray this prayer. Pray out loud after me say these words Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner but I know that you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and I turn for my sin. Now I turn to you from this moment forward, I make you my Savior I make you my Lord, I want you to choose for me. So help me to walk with you.

It's in your name I pray. Jesus amen and amen. Everybody, thanks for listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God