Restraining Grace

Would you please stand for the call to worship: worship comes from Psalm 106 verses one and two here the word of God. Praise the Lord will give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever. Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord or declare all his praise may be seated. Please join me in prayer before we prayer of one or thing would like to make you aware of his being prayer for our elder Scott Starcher. He's been ill for the last few weeks. I believe this must be tested for COBIT but I haven't heard any results of that but please be in prayer for him and his family ousted a prayer father in heaven we do give you praise and we do give you thanks for you are good and your steadfast love does endure forever your mighty deeds and we declare your praise Lord, we pray that you would work in our hearts and our minds now to clearest of all worldly things all thoughts that we could come to you now thinking of praise to you. We pray that your spirit would work and has us today to drive us to worship for that is what we are made for to worship you and give you glory. We pray now that as the word is preached, that it would convict us and also encourage us to godliness to be light to our neighbor that we might live a life glorifying you to pray that your your word would warm our hearts and encourage us to be obedient to confess our sins to the repentance and to be driven to godliness. We pray that this worship today in the in the words that are that are sung that would please you that will reflect your glory.

Reflect your character and reflect her devotion to you. We pray that our minds would be focused now on on just those things that our ears would be open to hearing the word that would penetrate us motivate us to godliness. We pray that that you would work in the lips of the speaker today the preacher that those words ring true to the words you have given us in your holy word or God bless this congregation that we might be alike to our community for your glory.

We pray that as the word is preached today if there are any here who have not yet made a commitment to Christ as Lord and Savior that that word would penetrate and change that heart today and for the rest of us that it would just deeply encourage us and commit us to holiness or God, we give you all praise and honor and glory today, when you pray this in Jesus name and were here this morning to make lots of God to worship him. Let's begin with the Psalm Psalm 146 is a Psalm of praise and says hallelujah praise Jehovah. Of course Jehovah is God's covenant keeping name. It reminds us that he is always faithful to every promise is given to us as his people was thing about these things as we stand together and say no and and and and all will will will will and will and will will all and all will will will will will and testament reading this morning is chapter 4139 verse familiar passages trust Libyans for beginning verse one. Therefore, my brothers whom I love and long for my joy and crown, stand firm. Thus, in the Lord, my beloved, I entreat you, oh yeah, and I entreat since a key to agreeable war. Yes I ask you also true companion help these women who have labored side-by-side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always again I will say, rejoice.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things, what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

This is the word of the war.

Let's take a moment to acknowledge before this God of peace who guards our hearts and minds to acknowledge that we often get anxious.

We forget he is sovereign. He is the God of peace. We forget to pray. We forget to give thanks in everything and we we demean his sovereignty, his glory. His promises will relive that way.

Let's acknowledge we need his mercy even this morning church. Would you confess your sin along with me as we pray together all righteous and holy, sovereign, in whose hand is my life and whose are all my ways. Keep me from fluttering about religion fix me firm in the faith, for I am quick to waiver my decisions are smoke and vapor and I do not glorify you or behave according to your will cut me not off before my thoughts grow to responses and the bonding of my soul into full flower for you are forbearing and good patient and kind. Save me from myself from the cunning devices and deceits of sin from the treachery of my perverse nature from denying your charge against my offenses from a life of continual rebellion against you from wrong principles views and ends, for I know that all my thoughts, affections, desires, and pursuits are alienated from you, I have acted as if I hated you although you are love itself. I have contrived to 10-Q to the uttermost to wear out your patience have lived wickedly in word and action that I've been a prince. I would long ago have crushed such a rebel that I've been a father I would long since have rejected my child old father of my spirits keying of my life. Cast me not into destruction drive me not from your presence wound my heart that it may be healed. Break-ins that your own hand may make it whole. Myth take a moment to silently confess your particular sins to the Lord now listen now to these beautiful words from Exodus 34 that remind us our God is a gracious and merciful God, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin like the Lord. He is a merciful God, we need that mercy and we need to hear from him. We need to hear from his word this morning, let's prepare our hearts to do that very thing. As we stand together and prayerfully sing speak the Lord as we come to you to receive the food of your holy work. All all and I will will will will will will all all and all will all never bobbles with return receipt he would for saving 25 were looking at versus once he like to get started with. Now Samuel got all Israel assembled and mourned for him and they buried him in his house at Ramah. Then David Rosen went down to the wilderness of Paran.

There was a man in May on his business was in Carmel. The man was very rich yet 3000 sheep in a thousand goats. He was sharing the sheep in Carmel know the name of the man was Naipaul name of his wife Abigail.

The woman was discerning beautiful. The man was harsh, badly behaved as a Kayla bite. David heard in the wilderness at Naipaul shearing sheep.

So David sent 10 young man.

And David said to the young man go up to Carmel go to Naipaul and grieving in my name, and thus you shall meet and greet him. Peace be to you and peace be to your house and peace be to all you have. I hear that you have shares that your shepherds have been with us and we did them no harm and I miss nothing all the time that they were in Carmel. Ask your million and they will tell you therefore let my young man find favor in your eyes fully come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants, and to your servant David that with me as we got our Lord in prayer.

Heavenly father, we pray right now for those in our congregation that is going through difficult times. Pray for Jim Hefner and his family that you would be with them is Jim as experience of passing away of his brother yesterday. Give them encouragement, and peace. I pray heavenly father that she would be with Scott Starcher and his family, Lord, is he is been sick for a while now. We asked father that you be withing FM to a complete recovery. Father we pray for Rich and Teresa Carter as they have been diagnosed with because the disease we pray father that you would help them strengthen them, encourage them may they get way get well quick heavenly father were studying a passage of Scripture today that powerfully reminds us of our need for your grace. When we first became Christians experience redeeming grace we were dead in our trespasses and sins.

We were by nature children of wrath in your grace did an amazing work you resurrected us from spiritual death, you regenerated a stone call heart and you empowered us to believe upon you, and repent. As we begin our life with quiet Christ we needed another aspect of your grace we needed restoring grace we were saved. We became new creatures in Christ, but our sin nature was not eradicated and we need the failed forgiveness of God in order that we might be able to move forward and not spiritually stagnate today's message reminds us of our need of restraining grace.

Lord, you know our weaknesses you know are tendencies to run back to sin. So we ask today that you might do in us what you did for David Carmel. Your grace restrained him, stopped him in his tracks from destroying his testimony in dishonoring you help us to love and experience your restraining grace. 40 is in the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.

You may be seated.

When I was pastoring my first church in Creekmore North Carolina played on the church softball team and one particular Saturday afternoon, we were playing a committee another church in our community. The pastor of that church was their preacher and this pastor had been there for about 15 years and it was known as a good reputation and just a solid preacher, but the game started and the umpire was making some horrible calls and all of them were going our way. One of our guys hit a foul ball about 3 feet file and they the umpire called it fire and we scored two runs on that play another time.

We had a gas line into second base. He was out a mile and umpire called insight will the pastor was getting hot. You could see it but he got up to bat and hit a line drive to our left fielder, left fielder made a diving catch covered on the first top. It was not a nail he trap the ball but the umpire pulled up his arm out and you could see that that pastor just getting hot and are left fielder was an honest God. He held the ball up he said no he said I trapped it won an eye out in the umpire said decision stand.

He's asked well by that time the pastor just lost it and he cursed a blue streak took his bat threw it across the infield and anyone ever got in that umpire space and I think threatening bodily weld. Some of the guys on the team had to usher him back at the end of the dugout to the deacons renting came over and apologized us and I looked over him sitting in the corner that dugout and he was just absolutely human. Well I got in the car with my son Jake is eight years old and we were headed back for home and Jake said Danny. He said that preacher was man, one and I said yes sir sunny sure was it you know I felt sorry for that. God, he had spent 15 years trying to build a reputation and a good testimony in that community. Hey it was a good preacher. He worked hard to build up a good reputation but in a period of about five minutes he just destroyed it all over a silly ballgame. You know what I don't know the one that ballgame. I don't remember I don't remember what the story was that ballgame but I will never forget that incident, and I'll never air every time I that man's mind comes that man's face comes into my mind. All I can think about is that particular incident wanted to share that with you today because David is in a very similar situation. Not this time in David's life is not a whole lot that you can criticize David about is a godly man. He did godly things, and during the last couple of years.

David has been running from King Saul king Saul is been chasing him all over Israel trying to put him to death, throwing spears, adding put bounties out on his life trying everything he could to destroy David and yet David's response to him, just leaves us absolutely speechless. Absolutely amazing how David handled all that. But now some time is going by David is up in the area of Carmel. Now Carmel is the area where a few years later Elijah the prophet is going to call down fire from heaven and God does it.

It's a glorious wonderful thing, but Dave is an area where a man named eyeball owns a huge huge plot of land and a David is walking on the outskirts of his land margin is me and through that area and that the men of night ball on the other side and they are sharing the sheep. David and his men kind of form a wall.

The protective wall and they keep sheep thieves and rustlers and and wild animals away from no balls man so David and his men are doing a great service for 90 balls man but now David's men are tired and they're hungry and so David says this what I want you guys today won't you go to night ball what you ask him for permission for us to go on the corner of 90 balls land so we can fill up our canteens with Springwater so we can take bass in the creek so we can eat some apples and fixing their trees. That's what I want you to do what was David doing just being polite. If you wanted to they could have gone on to the land I get done whatever they wanted to and eyeballed his men could have done a thing about it, but David was being courteous he was mankind. He was being respectful to night ball. You know the name of David.

At this time is just a household name is, like a modern-day Rambo. I mean everybody knows them. They a lot of people loving and I think almost everybody respects David and David tell some of his men to go and asked permission for night ball to date.

Some of this fruit to stay on their land for just a little bit and said I can kind of get things together. Davis is also when you go do this.

Be sure and you tell them that it's David he's asking for permission wanted to do that because David knows that he's got a good reputation.

David knows that he has been he was the one that killed the giant Goliath and and set the people of Israel free from that horrible horrible man. He knows that he is a has driven the the Philistines out of Israel completely gone and he is done that and they have been set free P is made Israel a more wonderful and safer place to be. So he thinks that if night ball hears that then surely night ball will treat him with dignity and treat him with respect. David got a surprise a huge surprise now. David's manner by David they go to night ball and they asked permission for night ball to go on to their land. When you reach about the encounter verses 9 to 12 when David young man came. They said all this, and eyeball in the name of David and then they waited and eyeball answer David's servant is David is a son of Jesse there many servants these days were breaking away from their masters. Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I've killed for my shearers and given to me and who come from. I do not know where to David young man turned away and came back and told him all this share with you what Roger Ellsworth said about this he said in his name. Strangely enough, means full. We are not told how he came to have such a name. We can perhaps imagine his parents becoming so exasperated with this lad if they begin to call him by this derogatory name, but it is doubtful whether they would have given him such a name at birth. Perhaps his acquaintances gave him this name and it stuck the word full makes us think of silliness and crazy behavior, but the word carries a quite different connotation in Scripture.

Daniel M.

Giuliani, says the word implies viciousness, atheism and materialism Dale Ralph Davis is more blunt because they ball a thickheaded clod, a spiritual, moral, and social disaster.

Isaiah 53 verse one says the fool said in his heart there is no God. We think of that word full we think silly or nonsensical or absurd is not the biblical word means atheist, God hating God denying atheist.

They got a picture this scene to get the full impact.

David's men have made their little polite request to night ball and they they think that night ball is going to be pretty impressed with the fact that they are with David and so they kind of sit back with smiles on their faces waiting for night ball to to respond to their request and their request on behalf of David and then night ball is standing there and all of a sudden his his expression turned from sullen to sour to horribly angry and all of a sudden there's this horrible sarcasm this coming out of his mouth pieces. David is David think I've ever heard of David, who is this guy a us all yeah wait a minute, wait a minute now I remember please that degenerate that Saul is having to go after these that degenerate that's that's true that's causing treason. Please. Please note no good at all. That's what David is says. I tell you what I'm not going to befriend him. I'm not going to have anything to do with him. He thinks he's going to come in here and and eat my fruit and he's going to drink my water is going take all the stuff that I could be given over to my mommy and I could be helping them. That's not gonna happen. He said you go tell David to get his sorry carcass off my land and if he didn't do it immediately.

I'm going to do him in. Nice guy. I free for its own share with you very quickly number one David surprising response.

Look at verse 13 and David said to his me and every man strap on his sword every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword about 400 men went up after David while 200 men remains the baggage not call this a surprising response because it seemed to be so out of character for David. David then usually let little Patty Meehan aggravate him. He doesn't usually let aggravating circumstances send him into a fit of rage, that's exactly what happens here David stands there for second he's letting all this information just sink into his brain and his stand and they are he's getting madder and madder and madder. The muscles tense up and is back his arms begin to tremble.

His hands just clinch up in a big theist and David yells out Naboth said what he says he does. Even though I am night and eyeball then goes on to say that I was a enemy of King Saul, that I was a trainer to Saul that I'm the one that is committed treason. Naboth said that he says that I can needed David's food and that we came to take any of his water.

Even after all we've done for him and protecting him and protecting his men pieces. I tell you what I'm to do. I'm get a killing by this time next week you'll be a week old ghost I'm in a take my sword. The sword of Goliath and I'm get us/EM into a million pieces. That's it for him.

I'm going to take his life.

Then he took 400 million. And these are soldiers, well-trained soldiers and they take off they go straight to see night ball to do him in all to look at David, just a minute. Think about was verse 13 tell us who is this guy, this is a writer of Psalm 23. This is the man after God's own heart. This is the future Shepherd King of Israel and is completely out of control. Somebody has violated his rights, somebody has hurt his feelings. Somebody is not paid him gratitude that he felt like he should've had that was owed to him and he's mad.

I mean steam coming off his head. He is sort of fire out of his nostrils. He is so uptight that he's ready to kill somebody listen Christian is anybody doing that you are you allowing some situation or some ugly critical Christian to dictate to you how you can live. Are you in a spiritual prison, a spiritual prison because it's easier to hold a grudge than it is to forgive. That's a deep dirty bondage and folks, there's no room in the life of a Christian for that deep dirty bondage storms .2 the blessing of godly counsel. Look at verse 25. Let not my Lord regard this worthless fella Naboth for as his name is so is he.

Night ball is his name and folly is withing but I your servant did not see the young men of my Lord, whom you sent that this is a situation when eyeballs hired hands heard what Naboth had said to David, to me, and I got scared. I mean they were really scared because they knew that when David came after night ball to do him in that they would do them in as well and they knew this was tough it was not going to be easy. So what if they do they get an eyeball to talk to. Absolutely not. I knew that would do any good AA he would listen. He was a pigheaded full so do they go to. I went to his wife and went Abigail, why because she was a godly woman because she had a discerning spirit because they knew that they could trust her so here's a question. How you deal with the full Maasai fool not talk about a silly person I'm talking about a moral and spiritual degenerate. How do you deal with the full in Proverbs chapter 923 verse nine says do not speak in the hearing of a full frame will despise the good sense of your words. Proverbs 9 versus 60 wait to see us leave your simple ways and live and walk in the way of insight whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse and he reproves a wicked man incurs injury do not reprove a scoffer or he will hate you reprove a wise man and he will love you. Or think of it this way, you might be able to bleed a stock, but is it worth it. So yeah Scott County in your backyard and you going on that they are grabbing them and killing or you can try to drive him off your property and he turns right around on you and spews that stink all over you, and you smell to high heaven. So the next three weeks.

Is it worth it.

Probably not in the Bible says, don't waste your time for fools of full doesn't want godly help and if you give truth to a full that truth that that person, that fool will probably try to hurt you because he doesn't want it snowballs me and don't go to talk to Naboth ago to talk to Abigail and then Abigail goes to talk to David want to give these three subpoints want to look for when you're seeking godly counsel.

Number one, a godly counselor will be humble and selfless. Verse 23 to 24 when Abigail saw David she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. She fell at his feet and said only alone, my Lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears and hear the words of your servant.

When Abigail found out what her husband had done. She was terribly upset but this is what she did immediately.

She set up a feast on till musicians. The banquet I can imagine her making lamb chops and beef steaks.

Got all this fruit and vegetables that she puts out she sets up tables in which she set up all this wonderful glorious food. She sets it up right in the path where David is going to have to come in order to get an eyeball, and all of a sudden, here comes David is coming up over the he always got his sword in his hand he swing and that sword he swing it out. Incus just chowing out encouragement to his men. He wants to get them ready and get them pumped up for the battle and tell you what.

There's not Army on the face of the earth that could have defeated David at this point in time. Dave is coming over that he'll and he's mad, there's fire in his eyes there's vengeance in his heart, but then instead of sin, a army that was set there before and there's a woman, a lady, a beautiful lady that standing there in front of this all this food and and this beautiful lady is standing there and she soon as she sees David, what is she doing this beautiful lady is not just beautiful on the outside but also beautiful on the inside goes up stops David and his men.

She goes right up to where David is and she falls down on her knees before David she bows down on her face, prostrate before David and then she looks up to David and she says please, please, I apologize for my husband she said let his iniquity be on me, I'll take the blame. I'll take the blame.

Just hear me out. Abigail was willing to sacrifice her own life in order that she might protect the hired hands of an eyeball. Not only that, but she wanted to take the the life of her own husband, and even more than that she wants to protect David.

She wants to help David. She wants to let David know that she wants him to be the king and she does not want him to ruin his testimony and hurt his reputation listen when you're seeking to counselor the best thing to do is to seek out someone who's willing to pay the price to do what's right. So many people who suffer with emotional, spiritual, or marital problems will go to a secular counselor and so oftentimes what happens. The secular counselor puts them on antidepressants. I want you to know that so much of the time that's not what's needed so many times antidepressants just numbs the conscience and it doesn't deal with a permanent solution. It deals with something that's very, very temporary, as God's people. We need to seek out godly counsel if you got a physical problem. If you got a chemical imbalance. Yeah, you need to go to a physician if you got a spiritual problem you need to go to a godly person who is going to stand before you humbly and tell you the truth, it was not just Abigail's beauty that may David stop. It was much more than that it was Abigail's willing to sacrifice that's important so .2 a godly counselor will tell you the truth. Verse 25. Again, let not my Lord regard this worthless felon eyeball brass.

His name is so is he. Eyeball is his name and folly is withing but I your servant did not see the young men in my Lord, and you sent David wanted to kill Naipaul. He was as mad as a wet hornet, nobody should talk about a man like Naipaul had talked about David and David want to take this piece was, just wipe him off the face of the earth, and I guarantee you that Naipaul's men would have probably been glad to see Naipaul be taken out Naipaul die they want to worry about him anymore. As long as I can insights himself and what about Abigail if David kills Naipaul and she's a free woman. She didn't have to live with this foolish horrible man any longer and she could've said that's right, David, go ahead put into this guys life. He is rotten to the core even deserve to live. Go ahead and take his life.

She didn't do that because she wanted to tell David what he needed to hear and not just what he wanted to hear.

She said, look, he's a fool.

David why should a person of your stature, lower yourself down to the level of Naipaul. If you go ahead and kill Naipaul and create your heart, all this kind of animosity and bitterness than you become just as foolish as he is 35 years ago is counseling with a man who was a homosexual. He was falling apart emotionally. He was suicidally it was an suicidal depression. He told me that he be under Christian counselor for year almost every week for year and a Christian counselor and never one time share the gospel withing us and with the Christian counselor tell you he said he told me that I was born this way.

There's nothing I could do about it and I may as well live with it and then just move on and he said, and that's what I wanted to hear and exhibit the depression did not leave. I said you want me to tell you the truth, he said you tell me the truth I send this lifestyle that your living is a sinful lifestyle and Jesus said, except ye repent, you shall all likewise perish. I said Jesus died for sinners like me and like you, Jesus died to set the captives free. I said you want me to go along.

He said oh you I started going to a gospel presentation withing, and I could tell. As I was going through the word of God was just penetrating his heart. When I finally got ready to finish up. He said can I pray right now so yeah and he got down on his face and he and he wept and he repented and you can just tell it was a genuine repentance when he got up, you could see the transformation. You can see the, the, the joy and the freedom that he had in his eyes. A week later he got sick he went to the doctor.

The doctor told him he had AIDS.

They put them in the hospital I went to visit him in the hospital they made me wear the suit. It was almost like a spacesuit. I sat down beside his bed.

He said Doug would you read in the Scriptures about heaven and a red one scripture after another for long time. Two weeks later my friend died and I preached his funeral service my text for that day was second Corinthians chapter 5 or 17 if any man be in Christ he is a new creation. Old things are passed away behold all things are become new. I walked out of that funeral that day with tears in my eyes but they were tears of joy run you that his bondage was no more. He was in heaven and would be in heaven forever.

In Galatians 416.

Paul was being attacked by the Judaizers a claim to be Christians. And Paul says to them AAA since Olympia's have then become your enemy because of told you the truth. How many times do we feel like we become somebody's enemy just because were telling them the truth of God's word. I want you to know that whether it feels like that or not we need to stick with the truth. We need to tell people the truth because lies will do nothing but hinder the third subpoint is a godly counselor will warn you of the consequences of sin. Verse 33, 31 and when the Lord has done to my Lord, according to all the good that is spoken concerning you is appointed you Prince over Israel, my Lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without calls for my Lord working salvation himself, and when the Lord is dealt with well with my Lord. And remember, your servant, you talk about wise counsel Abigail said to David, Sir, I know how you feel. I understand what you would like to do, but if you do what you want to do and you go out now and kill my husband then there going to be long term consequences. She said I think about David is that momentary pleasure of getting a little bit of revenge.

Is it going to be worth it. She said David, the hand of God is on you. She said David you're going to be the next king of Israel.

You can be the monarch of the greatest nation on the face of this earth.

David is it worth losing your reputation for you to get a little revenge. Is it worth putting a blot on the name of the King of Israel, just in order that you might get the pleasure of revenge.

She said David, I don't think it's worth it. I think your testimony is very very important folks. That's godly counsel when you got a problem in your life. Someone is giving you advice. Ask yourself this is the advice there given me going to lead to a temporary solution or is it going to lead to an eternal solution somebody's giving you advice. They'll help you to focus on the judgment seat of Christ for this life is not all there is to it. And there's coming a day when will you stand before Jesus and what if I have to say to Jesus, Lord, I gave into this sin and why do it because I love my sin. At that point in time more than I love you. I don't know about you but that's a deterrent for me that's something I need to think about. Abigail was a godly counselor, Roger Ellsworth said it this way, Abigail completely disarmed David and it is to be hoped, shamed him. She readily took the blame, though none of it was hers freely acknowledged her husband stupid loutish behavior and graciously offered the food she had brought, but she even went beyond all this to assure David that he would indeed become king of Israel, just as the Lord had promised, and she urged him to come to the throne with a clear conscience. David then received far more than food from Abigail he received what he so critically needed at that moment. Namely, the restraining grace of God and that she helped him come to his senses before committing a terrible sin .3, is the bird removed look with me at verse 35 then David received from her hand.

What she had brawling and he said to her go up in peace for your house to your house. See I have a major voice that I have granted your petition is in aftershave commercial that I came out 1979.

Some of you are old enough might remember was a million commercial and the guys put in aftershave on his face and then soon as he gets it all a woman reaches over their house laughing right in the face and shakes his head. He said thanks I needed that. I feel like that's exactly what's going on with David. Here he is getting a slap in the face of truth that he absolutely needed and who gave it to me. Abigail gave it to me.

She gave it to them in love. She gave it to them diplomatically.

She gave it to him in his best interest and how to David respond. David listened he really listened.

It was a wake-up call for David. David listened Abigail, it was like God himself had spoken to him.

David calm right down and he got things back into perspective again and he said Abigail.

Thank God for your counsel. Abigail and thank God for you. He said I'm not going to do what I was planning to do. I repent of my bitterness and what happened a great glorious thing happened with David all that ugliness all that bitterness all that ungodliness just left right up off of him and David was set free.

That's not all. David gets we go see next week out how God rewards him in some glorious and magnificent amazing things that God does for him, but now when we get personal with bitterness doing to you.

How are you handling it isn't destroying sweet fellowship with Christ. Listen as if someone has hurt you deeply and they are completely and totally in the wrong and you hold bitterness against them wasn't going to to you right now is going to shore your fellowship with Christ and wasn't going to do to you later what you going to do to you later when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ is a question I think that we need to ask is it worth it. Is it worth it. Hebrews 1215 says that bitterness will cause us to fail of the grace of God so what's my advice to you. My advice to you today. Is it your holding bitterness in your heart is to repent to run from it to.

Don't leave this building today until you dealt with it until you've given it to the Lord. The question is not, who's right or who's wrong. The question is how much do I love Jesus, how much to all of Jesus folks when you give it to the Lord, you are telling the Lord. I know you can handle it.

I trust you and let me tell you when that happens, you can experience the freedom that will absolutely change your life. You believe that a man a man is pray.

Heavenly father. Most of us in this building today have had to deal with the person or people like a ball. Those people have offended us they've hurt us or they've used this we don't like that we don't like the angry emotions that gets stirred up inside of us.

We are forced to deal with these people.

Help us Lord to handle it in a godly way. Help us to realize that use prickly people like heavenly Sandpiper to sand off our rough edges to make us like Jesus. Help us to remember Romans 1219 were you inspired Paul with these words, beloved, never avenge yourself, but leave it to the wrath of God for his written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. When people rub our further wrong way. Give us clarity of mind to move past the present circumstances and look ahead to future consequences make us keenly aware that whatever we do, we should do to the glory of God. Thank you for saving us.

Thank you for loving us forts in Jesus precious and holy name we pray. Amen. You stand with me as we respond to the truths that we've heard this morning and meditate specifically helper our keeper.

Our restrainer is the one we adore let's sing Jesus. What a friend for sinners and the loss on and all the and all the all in the bodies invited to that will James do with the sacraments tonight and there's not any of us here that don't need a refresher on the sacraments and you be doing that this evening enclosing them encourage you with these words.

Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you.

I will withhold you with my righteous right hand in all God's people said