Response to Judgment

Have your Bibles with you turn with me if you want to second Samuel, and where in chapter 1, just start off of the first verse. After the death of Saul when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites. David remained two days in sick lag that with me in prayer.

Heavenly father, we come before your throne today to praise you.

Thank you for your goodness. Lord we have several that are sick today that we will lift up to you. We pray for Linda Catherine who has been suffering for three years now and has found out this week that she had another of vertebrae to break in her back and they can have to go in a and do treatment on that. We pray father you would comfort her and encourage her loyalty pray for healing. Pray for Jim Henson Lord, who has been taken to the hospital just the other day and is suffering the lung problem we pray father you administer great power to him.

Heavenly father as we look at this passage of Scripture. Today we know that your word is is in error. At its infallible is absolutely perfectly inspired by God but heavenly father for us to understand it. We need illumination from your spirit, we pray today Lord, that she would help us that we might understand what we are reading so that we can apply it into our lives so that our lives can be more like Christ. Heavenly father. This passage is a lot to Dale do with the subject of death. We pray that you would help us that we might realize Lord, how frail we are and how short this life is you said, Lord, that is, appointed in me and wants to dine after that the judgment may that be real to us. May it fill our hearts with a fear of God that drives us to the grace of God that our dependence might be totally and completely on you heavenly father. This passage has to do with forgiveness after the first service was over. My brother-in-law was here and he shared with me that forgiveness is is a tremendously important attribute in the Christian life. And Lord it's an attribute that we have that is hard to fake heavenly father, help us, that we might not be phony in forgiveness, but that it might be true God, and directors through this passage today. May Jesus be uplifted in it and it's in your holy and precious thing we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Will Ferris and Steve McCall have recently been teaching the word of God to pastors and medium are now. They had gone over there in times past and were able to do that in person, but because the code 19 virus had to stay home this year and so they improvised and they were able to teach it online.

Only Morris is all way around the other side of the world so they are in a different time zone and so their teaching had to be. Sometimes at midnight and then sometimes before the sun came up in the morning they shared with me that it was a joy teaching these pastors because they were so hungry for the word of God. What did they teach them. They were teaching them of the great glorious subject of covenant theology up to a few years ago in the Amar had another name is called Burma and the missionary who is most responsible for planning the church in Burma was at an hour. Judson only take a moment share with you about at an hour. Judson's conversion. Judson was a brilliant student at Providence College in in Rhode Island. He'd been raised in a Christian home, but when he got to college, he was powerfully influenced and then started to embrace some of the Enlightenment ideas that were coming from Europe. He also became very close friends with a witty upperclassman whose name was Jacob teams and Jacob teams talk to him in to believing that there was no real personal God that there was no God that we were really accountable to when a unit when the Judson was 20 years old.

He broke his parents heart by telling them that he had abandoned the Christian faith, and that he was on his way to New York City in order that he might live a life of working in the theater was during this trip to New York that God providentially led him to a particular EN any win is that in the night when he tried to go to sleep that night closed his eyes and all of a sudden he heard crying and moaning from the next room right deciding in a man in the next room was a young man who was in pain he was in excruciating pain and he would try and he struggled all night long until finally Don came in he died. During that whole night at an hour.

Judson could do nothing but think about death when he got up the next morning he went to pay his bill and he said to the Mandy do you know how old the young man was that died in the room right beside me and do you know his name and he said yes. He said that young man was 21 years old and his name was Jacob teams his name was Jacob Ames. He was a student at Providence College in Rhode Island. John Piper wrote a small biography on Evan are in Judson and he said this about Judson's reaction to the innkeepers statement is a Judson could hardly move.

He stayed there for hours pondering the death of his unbelieving friend. If Ames were right then. This was a meaningless event, but Judson could not believe it that Hale should open in that country EN and snacks. Jacob teams his dearest friend in God. From the next bed. This could not simply could not be pure coincidence that event changed at an hour Judson's life became to realize that this life is not the end he came to realize that there was a heaven again and I Hale to shun and over several months, God brought them under great great conviction and he came to Christ as his Lord and Savior and God called into the mission field in Proverbs chapter 9 verse 10 it was King Solomon who said the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the holy is understanding why is it that the church in America is in the condition that it seemed today. Why is it that so much of the church is following the prosperity gospel, and so much of the churches just turned away from the, the word of God in order that they might substitute entertainment for worship. I believe that the problem is a lack of the fear of God in second Samuel chapter 1 that we are looking at today we see the death of King Saul and we see the rising, the power to become the new king. King David Saul's death in battle was not just a freak military accident. It was the judgment of God.

Saul had rejected God's word and God's direction and God's love, Saul had been purposely, deliberately and intentionally disobedient to God and the results of that was judgment that takes us into the text. Before we look at the text I want to share with you about the. The battle report that we receive here and in the Scripture will overlook it. The first 10 verses just verse one first to look with me at that verse one after the death of Saul when David returned from striking down the Amalekites data remained two days and sick lag now before I read the next nine verses let me refresh you on what is just happened in chapters last two chapters of first Samuel, David and his men had been marching with the Philistine army got ready to fight against Israel and the Philistine general said no, you're not going you might deceive us, you might fight against us, you're not going to David and his men went back to their home in sick lag when they got to sick lag they realized are they Saul at the whole city had been burned down the Amalekites and come in stolen all of their possessions taken their wives in their children and and took them away and just captured them. David when he saw this was an absolute depression. His leasehold, his whole countenance had fallen.

He said it was like everything had gone wrong and what did that do that caused him to run to the Lord in repentance. The Scripture says that David strengthened himself in God. Everything begin to turn around. God called David to go to the Amalekite camp had to destroy the Amalekites and David did pay any whittle Amalekite camp that they were outnumbered about 10 to 1, but the Amalekites had been partying and drinking and and when they got there they were ready for a fight and David absolutely and his men slaughtered them. They took back their children and their wives. I took back their possessions and been stolen and they took back all the spools of victory from from the Amalekites. That's what's going on with David but it simultaneously Israel and the Philistines are in a huge battle is a terrible battle and the Philistines are defeating the Israelites and during that battle, Saul commits suicide and his son Jonathan is killed fighting valiantly in that war. David had no idea that that was going on at this particular time. So now while David is rejoicing with his men. An unexpected visitor shows up. Look at what Whitney verse two through 10 on the third day, the whole demand came from Saul's camp with his close torn and dirt on his head and when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. David said to him where you come from, and he said to him. I've escaped from the camp of Israel. And David said to him having to go tell me. And he answered the people fled from the battle and also many of the people of fallen or dead.

Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead. Then David said to the young man who told me how you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead, and the young man who told him said by chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots, the horsemen were close upon him, and we look behind me him.

He saw me and he called me and I answer here I am, and he said to me, who are you. I answered him. I'm in Amalekite and he said to me, standstill. But inside me and kill me for anguish is seized me, and yet my life still lingers.

So I stood deciding and shielding because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen and I took the crayon that was on his head and arm that that was on his arm and I brought them here to my Lord. So David and his men were relaxing. They were enjoying their family.

They were praising God for the great victory and all of a sudden this Amalekite messenger arrives he is is closer torn. His face is dirty. These are signs of grief and lamentation and deep deep sorrow and subject David knows that this is bad bad news. David says to this man.

Where did you come from, and the man said I skate from the battle between Israel and the Philistines.

Davidson will tell me how did it go. Let me know. Tell me right now, and the man said many of the Israelites fled many of the Israelite soldiers have been killed and King Saul is dead and his son Jonathan are dead.

Now remember, David is just being with that Philistine army and David knows how cocky they were.

They were strong and were very confident that they were gonna win this battle.

He also knows what's going on with King Saul that he is fatigued and terribly demoralized and so he says to David says to the to the messenger, Jesus.

How do you know that Saul and his sons Jonathan are dead. He said I was on Mount Mount Gilboa and I saw all these people been wounded that I looked over and I saw Saul, he too was terribly wounded and he called over to me and asked me who I was upset.

I'm in Amalekite in any settlement you come and stand here right beside me that I want you to to take your sword and kill me. I want you to do me in, because I don't want to be taken alive and tortured by the Philistines and the young man said talk shielding.

I killed him knowing that he could not live before David could respond to that, he reached into his satchel and he pulled out his Saul's cranium, and he pulled out his armband and he gave it to David. This was absolute proof that Saul was actually dead in the Lord's sovereignty. David was miles away from Saul.

When Saul died, David went anywhere around there. I believe that God did that providentially so that everybody would know that David had nothing to do with Saul's death.

I with that said, I want to share with you three points today concerning God's judgment and you know what I know we don't like hearing about God's judgment. Dewey kinda hurts it bothers is it it makes a steam and yet the Scripture says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom .1 God's judgment calls for grief and repentance. Look at verse 11 to 12. Then David took hold of his close and tore them and so did all the men who are withing and they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people. The Lord, and for the house of Israel because they had fallen by the sword, you can rest assured of this that is not the reaction at this messenger thought that he was going to get from David. He knew that Saul's been chasing David all over Israel for years now trying to take his life and he knew that David wanted to be back with his people in and out Israel, but he couldn't because of Saul and he and he knew that God had called David to be the king of Israel, and David wanted to be that King of Israel. Saul was living and he was in the way.

So this messenger thought that David would be rejoicing over this needs that Saul was dead we take something. David was not rejoicing.

David was morning. David was not laughing. David was weeping. David was not feasting. David was fasting while David have this reaction. David knew that God is displeased with a heart that is vengeful, even vengeful against his enemies. Proverbs 17 five says this he was glad calamity will not go unpunished and vote when we have joy over somebody else's calamity. Most of the time. The problem is just self-righteousness. In other words, David had truly forgiven Saul here want to listen. This definition of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is ceasing to feel resentment toward an offender and making a conscious choice to refrain from retaliation. David mourned over Saul's death, he grieved he wept. He lamented he was sad was he sad about. He was sad that Saul had had just gotten so far away from God. He was sad that he had not been able to have a relationship and fellowship with Saul they could get together and they could enjoy each other's presence and he was sad that Saul's reign had ended in such great tragedy that shows that he had forgiven Saul, he didn't feel hatred and resentment toward Saul. In fact, I think David understood at this point that all this persecution that Saul had brought on him and made him a better man now. He was much more dependent upon God, and now is he's forgiven Saul is doing something his heart is making his heart tender and soft. Read article a while back about a man is married, had to 10-year-old twin daughters loved his wife with all of his heart. His wife is coming home from work one day driving home and a drunk driver rinsed a red light and plowed into their car and killed the wife on the spot. That man had a terrible time dealing with it each day. The man's heart became more and more bitter against the drunk that had killed his wife and each day it just became became stronger and stronger and it was affecting everything in his life. He became very testy and short with his own daughters when he was at work he could even concentrate because that bitterness was eaten him eaten him alive.

Finally, his daughter said this, they said we lost mama to a car accident, but we lost Danny to hatred. Unforgiveness is a choice votes is not an emotion is a matter of the wheel.

If anybody had a right to be mad to be offended to be better to be indignant. It was David. Saul was paranoid. He was wicked. He was selfish and he was ruthless David to kill Saul.

I think most people would have understood that Saul got what he would do what was coming towing but David was growing in his faith, and he had come to understand something about the human heart. If we allow unforgiveness in the human heart that it eats away our character, so he chose to forgive Saul and he made a conscious decision of the wheel and God mightily honored it. One of the hardest lessons in my life is this. I can't control what others do to me. I can't control what others say I can't control what others say about me but I can completely control the response that I have to those other people that is dependent upon me that is dependent upon me, and folks if I allow unforgiveness to rule and reign in my heart. It's always going to bring the great hurt is an invasive attitude that is building up in our culture today and I see it kind of just a broad buildup over our culture. What we seem to have a theme in life of retaliation in America today. We don't get mad we get even and people see forgiveness as a weakness and not a strength we take something. Any fool can be bitter and unforgiving, but it takes a whole bunch of intestinal fortitude for you to forgive somebody who is hurt you deeply, our greatest example of this is Jesus Christ. He was beaten he was scourged he was spit on, he was mocked and then they nailed him to a cross and he looked down at the people who were telling him and he looked up to heaven and said father forgive them for they know not what they did while they call that a weakness I call that the very the very height of Panamanian of strength, our society calls that weakness but to truly forgive others. We need to remember what kind of sinners, we really are in Luke chapter 13 Jesus overheard some men talking and the men were talking about 18 men that have been killed when a tower fell over on them and Jesus interrupts the conversation.

He said you think you were less sinful than them because at tower fell on them.

He said you don't walk away from your, shrug your shoulders so well. I probably got what they deserved Jesus and only tell you something, except European you will all likewise perish. David knew that the time the times that he self personally had failed God. And so when it came to Saul's death instead of being mad and angry and bitter.

He was able to mourn over Saul's death as he mourned over Saul's death he prays God for the forgiveness that God had given him on his own life .2 God's judgment is certain, and severe. Luke chapter 12 verse two says this. Nothing is covered up. That will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known know if you notice that although the needs of Saul's death had come by messenger and what I what kind of messenger was in the Scripture tells us he was in Amalekite in first Samuel chapter 15 God had given Saul a command to perform a jihad on the Amalekites.

This is a holy war. This is where all the people in that particular group are wiped out completely and totally Saul thought he was smarter than God. He thought is more compassionate than God as we didn't obey God. He didn't kill all the people like God told him to do God's it's all because you have disobeyed me I am taken the kingdom of Israel out of your hand and I'm given it to another. A man after God's own heart.

Why would God want to destroy the Amalekites. They were so wicked, they were so evil they were such an ungodly influence if they did great harm every single place that they went. Now remember when David got to zinc lag and who was it that it attacked the city and stolen their wives and children. It was the Amalekites and here we find out if there is in Amalekite who claims that he is killed King Saul and did he do that. I think probably what happened was this. He saw King Saul already pushed down on his on his sword he sewing bleeding. Saul calls them over. I think he probably just pushed him down a little harder. It was an assisted suicide. So then he grabbed Saul's crown and he grabbed his arm band and he headed back to tail David he thought David was going to be overjoyed. He thought David was gonna reward him greatly.

He was horribly wrong. Saul's death tells us that the consequences of our sin or far-reaching and unless we experience the forgiveness of God. Folks, we are going to be judged. Luke 12 two.

Jesus said nothing is covered up. That will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. In Romans chapter 12 chapter 2, verse 16.

Paul said God will judge the secrets of million people what is our hope, our only hope is the gospel.

It was Jesus who said I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father but by me was Paul. He said, for by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourself is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast. I started this message with the illustration of an hour and Judson and how he had abandoned the Christian faith. He walked away from the faith and then when he heard his own great friend, what, when he heard him dying and struggling with death and moaning and will and weeping and lamenting as he was dying. He couldn't take it anymore and God broking. And finally, after months deep, deep conviction, he ran to the Lord in faith and repentance. We ask you something. Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ today. Had you surrendered your life to the Lordship of Christ. If not that, I would encourage you not to believe the lies of the work society that we are living in today and not to believe the lies of Satan, who is the father of lies to believe the truth of Jesus who said, if you will come to me. I will save your soul. It was Jesus there. If you run to him. If you experience faith in him and trust in him and him alone. He will check your life change you forever.

So don't you just trying to scare us.

Yes, I am and I am what you know that it's not a theater that's a fake fear that manipulates is a genuine fear that drives you to the grace of God. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse three says, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation and in acts chapter 16 verse 30 the Philippian jailer center. The apostle Paul are asking the question, what shall I do to be saved and Paul said to him, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who which it includes surrendering your heart in your life to him .3 God's judgment is punishment by death, verse 13 to 16. David said to the young man. He told me where you come from, and he answered I'm the son of a sojourner in Amalekite. David said to him, how is it you are not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed. Then David called one of the young men and said go execute him and he struck him down so that he died and David said to him your blood be on your head for your own mouth has testified against you saying I have killed the Lord's anointed. No, let me ask you some when you read those verses for the first time how did it strike you now be honest with you I read those verses are thought to myself that's a little harsh – just a little excessive but you know here's this this man this messenger that that comes to David and he brings to David what he brings in his the crown of Saul and he brings him a royal armband that man could a soulless things they could've gotten a lot of money for those things but instead he brings it to David and he's expecting a great reward from David Post.

This Amalekite was guilty of sacrilege. He claimed that he had killed God's anointed. I want you to know that is making a mockery, a mockery of God's holiness. Our culture in America is beginning to think like the Amalekites, we are beginning to think that CN just doesn't matter is been a massive voter fraud in our nation is been accomplished.

The computer algorithms by stuffing ballot boxes by running ballots through the machines over and over again by destroying votes and half of our nation says it had done matter as no big deal.

Just go ahead and let it go, forget about it so that we can have what we want folks those people to be put in jail. That is treason. Maybe worse than being put in jail. Our culture says abortion is not murder. It's a woman's right to choose if you want have sex change operation because you're not happy with the way God created you, that's fine.

Go ahead and go for it and what about same-sex marriage will that's fine too, except that God who instituted marriage said that marriage is between a man and a woman and a man and a woman alone. What about pornography was no big deal of pornography is just another artform. Although Jesus said that that it to lust in you in your in your heart is adultery in the heart to breaking of the seventh commandment. The bottom line is this, our culture does not understand the holiness of God. And so when we judge our sales we judge ourselves by comparing our sales to other sinners and when I compare myself to another sooner I can look back and say why I don't look so bad which is a problem with that bunch. That's the wrong standard. God has a standard and God standard is his perfect holiness and his perfect law God standard is his son Jesus Christ who was perfectly righteous and perfectly without sin. And guess what folks, we don't measure up. We've all seen the come short of the glory of God. What all of our righteousness are as filthy rags before God and the wages of sin is death, David's death order to the Amalekite was written for us. Not that we could question David's mercy, but so that we could be shown God's justice and to convince us of our need for a Savior. But listen, getting saved is not turning over a new leaf and trying to placate the holiness of God getting saved is the great exchange. It is the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ dying on our behalf. Jesus Christ going to the cross and pay in the payment that we were responsible to pay is Jesus Christ rising from the dead to break the power of death E what does he do. He takes my sin against me as righteousness.

He takes my misery. He gives me his joy he takes my hail and he gives me his heaven when we read of David given the order to kill the Amalekites.

We tell you how what we have a look at it. We have the say hey that Amalekite is a picture of me that Amalekite is a picture of you, except except for the blood of Jesus.

What can wash away our sin. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What make us whole again. Nothing but the blood of Jesus so precious is the flow that makes us white as snow. No other fan I know nothing but the blood of Jesus is pray. Heavenly father, we thank you, praise you today. Your great glorious God. Lord help us that we might understand the severity of your judgment that we might be driven to the glory of your grace, help us, Lord, that we might realize that it is only through the blood of Jesus, their sins can be totally, completely, and gloriously washed away. Father now as we get ready to partake and celebrate and in the Lord's supper. We ask that you be with us in power you promised.

Lord, that your presence would would be with us in the Lord's supper in a way that's different than any other time in father we ask that you bestow your presence on the snail helpless Lord, that we might see the picture of the Lord's supper. The picture of the broken body of Christ, the preacher of the shed blood of Jesus, that we might rejoice and rejoice in it greatly. We love you Lord, thank you for letting us and it's in Jesus precious and holy name we pray.

Amen