Living by the Word

Also would like to call your attention to next week next Sunday evening service. The 6 PM service will be having the Lord's supper and for now, take some time here to prepare your hearts and your minds for worship or the understand we have someone we been praying for watching our lifestream service. Rick DeVore from Ohio so Rick, if you're watching today welcome you to our service and the luscious are called worship today comes from Psalm 103. Would you please stand for the call to worship someone on three verses 15 through 19. As for man, his days are like grass he flourishes like a flower of the field for the wind passes over it and it is gone. In its place knows it no more stop right there to be pretty sad but the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments, the Lord has established his throne in the heavens and his kingdom rules.

Overall, please be seated. Would you join with me in prayer father in heaven, Lord God Almighty. We come this morning to worship you to worship you for who you are and what you have done you created all things you've given us eternal life. You've shown us your great love and mercy. And while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Let us have the spirit work in our hearts to really meditate upon that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and that is the reason why we come to worship this morning for your great love and mercy for us how you've transformed us out of the kingdom of darkness in the into the kingdom of light. Your Holy Spirit dwells within us to have us to be able to understand your word given to us the words of eternal life, the words of truth that we can depend upon Lord God, we just thank you for your tender mercies for us that you deliver us from evil. You provide us our daily bread, and you lead us not into temptation. We thank you for your mercies for us that you give us fellowship. The fellowship of the saints. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit that you guide us along our way that you shine your light upon our path that we trust not in her own wrist known understanding that we laid upon yours that you would guide our way surpassed straight or not. We pray that this morning that we indeed would come with repentance, adoring hearts for you that we would certainly give you worship for what you have done for us. We pray that you would build up this church that you've called out of this world to be a light to the world that we indeed would do that, that we would honor you, not out of earning your favor, but because you've shown us your favor and we live our lives and thanks for that favor.

We prayed he would burn the word of God into our hearts that the desire to share that word with others would come alive with fire that are worship today would be a firing worship in our hearts we warmed that you would be glorified, that you would be pleased with our worship, would you please work in the words of the preacher today that it would work with work in our hearts to see where we need to repent where we need to be obedient and where we need to shout praises of glory pray that you would be glorified today, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We ask in your name. Amen. Psalm 103 portrays a God who is simultaneously transcendent and immanent.

He is above us at all times, but he is also among the seals with us.

He is the King of heaven, and yet he is a God who pours out blessings and innumerable audits escape both of those aspects of God in mind as we saying today as we confess our sin as we rest in his forgiveness as we hear the word preached and read as we commit ourselves to obeying that word. Our God is both the King of heaven and the one who pours out blessings. Innumerable blessings innumerable honest, would you stay with me as we sing Psalm 103. Bless the Lord, muscle and will all all all all on all all and all all will and all all and you can be seated our New Testament reading this morning is Romans chapter 14 verses one through 12.

Hear the word of the Lord as the one who is weak in faith welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servants of another. It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld for the Lord is able to make him stand.

One person esteems one day is better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind, the one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord, the one who eats, eats, in honor of the Lord since a gift.

Thank since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God for none of us lives to himself and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die we are the wars for to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or you while you despise your brother, for we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. This is the word of the Lord. We have no righteousness in the bar cells to earn merit to earn God's favor. We need the righteousness of another imputed to us.

We can't even keep the words we just read from Romans 14 not to judge one another but to leave judgment in God's hands. We break God's law every day because of that it is good and right to run to our high priest to acknowledge our need for his mercy. Let's do that church would you confess your sin with me. God is light in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the lines we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son, purifies us from sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Most holy and merciful father. We confess to you and to one another that we have sinned against you by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength.

We have not fully loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not always had in us the mind of Christ.

You alone know how often we have grieved you by wasting your gifts by wandering from your ways.

Forgive us we pray most merciful father and free us from our sin renew in us the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit for the sake of Jesus Christ, your son, our Savior, a man of few moments to silently confess your particular sense of the Lord now listen now to these words. Beautiful words from Lamentations chapter 3. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end.

They are new every morning great is your faithfulness sing about faithfulness as we stand again and sing great is thy faithfulness, oh God my father and I and I and and will will all will will to come up for this morning's missions will when we will pray for the winters and also for jars as general Cory is is working with technical and things and he asked for your prayers concerning that or they try to relate things and support in these times overseas me back here in the states quickly as he worked with solar power. Another things for the translators on the field.

He said pray for the didn't have courage and in love and their service of Christ in these uncertain times in their uncertain times also real pray for jars this morning, praying still for the translation work there in Cameroon but also human praise because of the work that the Dennis of video work and in Columbia and also in Bolivia and also I have a big need for funding for the airstrip down here in Waxhaw for the for the to have that read redundant resurfaced. So we need to pray for them.

If this is up on the board pray with your eyes open as I lead us in prayer. Okay father in heaven. I thank you for this day and I thank you for the ministry. Cory and deLisa that you just bless them and their family. Given that courage and that faithfulness to you as they grow in Christ, and as they trust you in these uncertain times in the and his adventures out around the world. Pray father also for jars that you bless them and we just praise you Lord that they finished the said videos that will be presented to the people they are in a be a great ministry to those who can't read about a great outreach for the gospel pray to help them in the critical need for repairs and that you just bless them a reason. Thank you for the work in Cameroon that you just continue to bless the translation father, thank you for your faithfulness and for these who are faithful to you in the farm fields. We pray now your blessings on them. In Jesus name one other thing this morning is that we are have the privilege of having their install.

He has a unique perishing new unique ministry to wearers that Raleigh is the state capital and the people that work there there and we want to welcome you and Kevin make your presentation. It's an easy group of people to work with as well known division and nerve strife or anything like this could be with you this morning. My name is Darren Stone and I am the minister to the North Carolina state capitals will said with ministry to stay ministry to state is the PCAs ministry to the government community. So what my role is to go in amongst senators and representatives, policy advisors, legislative aides, lobbyists whole crew and the state capital and to serve as a minister and a missionary to them. When we look in Scripture we see a lot of this type of ministry happening. We think of Joseph before Pharaoh Wright and Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar and there's even this great story in the book of acts in acts 26 or Paul before Festus is like a governor, and King Agrippa and he is giving testimony to the Lord as to his conversion and Festus thinks that he is completely out of his mind. He is he is crazy and Agrippa responds with a question to Paul by saying in such a short time would you persuade me to become a Christian and Paul response to him by saying I wish that all were as me, meaning that they were followers of Christ, except for these chains and really that is the essence of this ministry to go in and develop relationships amongst people who are entrusted with great decisions for the well-being of our state and to minister to them with no political agenda whatsoever to go in and to simply bring the word of God to bear upon them to bring the gospel to bear upon them to shepherd them towards the one true and good Shepherd.

So I would just ask for you to keep us in your prayers as we go into this fascinating and sometimes challenging parish church that I am entrusted to to pastor these people and to to pray for us to support us were very thankful for the support in prayer and financially that grace provides to us and as we approach the upcoming legislative session, the election and then the legislative session in beginning in January.

We want to be back there full time and so we need the prayer support in the financial support of God's people in order to do that. I love the talking more about this if you're interested in learning a little bit more out on the table.

There's a table right over here to your left as you exit the building and I've got a few materials. Therefore you one is this little postcard with picture of a bald guy with five other beautiful people so you can meet all them were here and on the back and tells you just a little bit about me and about MTS and you can also with your phone to scan these little QR codes and one of them will give you the opportunity to sign up or just to get a monthly e-news C can be praying for us and can knowing what's happening and then this QR code is a way which you can support our ministry as well. And then there's a larger brochure which will tell you little bit about ministry to state going on in Washington DC and other state capitals and even in international capitals as well. So thank you so much for your times treat to be here and look forward to meeting you after the service and thank you so much for coming and sharing with us this morning till early great wiggle. Keep supporting but we expect him to get Roy Cooper straightened out saline Ms. Nancy Malone, would you raise your hand. What you raise your hand up on thereby look at Nancy. She is had a double amputation of her legs, and I don't hear any more excuses about not come to church if Nancy can come to church like that and the rest of us can make it to Nancy. God bless you and it's good to have you back.

Be with us again in respect to the word of God might ask if you would stand up and I respect the word of God will be in first Samuel chapter 23 versus 134 that I told David the whole of the Philistines are fighting against Kayla and robbing the threshing floors. Therefore David inquired of the Lord shall I go to attack these Philistines and the Lord said to David go to attack the Philistines and save Kayla, but David's man said to him, behold, we are afraid here in Judah.

How much more than if we go to Kiel against the armies of Philistines and David inquired of the Lord again and the Lord answered him, arise, go down the Kayla bra will give the Philistines into your hands. Pray heavenly father. In this passage of Scripture, we can identify with David shows that he is mistreated, taken advantage of in everything he does tries to be obedient to God. Things don't go his way. He risk his life to help people out those very people turn on him and the train this kind of mistreatment can make us frustrated and angry and even bitter. So teach us to quit rely on feelings and emotions when we feel hurt and betrayed.

Help us to run to you for our comfort, help us to depend on the word of God, which is always trustworthy, infallible, inerrant and instructive lower there going to be times when we don't understand your will. When something hurts and you don't remove it. We get frustrated when you remove something or somebody out of our lives we fret because we know that you could have stopped it. Please deepen our vision of God, help us to quit living by feelings and learn the truth of Romans 828 that God works all things together for good to those who love him and are the called according to his purpose. Teach us to stand on your character, your promises and your word for it is the precious holy name of Jesus that we pray.

Amen. You may be seated.

Not long after I fell in love with Sandy. She told me that she had a hero better set a heroin that he wrote was Elizabeth Elliott, Elizabeth Elliott is the wife of Jim Elliott who was speared to death on Al Qaeda Indian in Ecuador is trying to share the gospel with these Alta Indians. Elizabeth took his body back to the United States. They had the funeral they buried him and she immediately went back to Ecuador to minister to those same after Indians.

They killed her husband on June 15, 2015 Elizabeth Elliott went to be with the Lord had a memorial service for a few days after that one of her dear friends Arleta shared a story at that memorial service that most people do not know about Elizabeth Elliott Knight asked Cindy before about why Elizabeth Elliott meant so much to work and she said Elizabeth Elliott knows God she doesn't just know about God. She knows God and Cindy listen to the memorial service and she shared with me the story that Arleta had shared. She said after Jim Elliott's death, Elizabeth went back and she realized it was a great naysayer and without Indians was that they have a Bible in their own language, so she decided to start working on a translation that wasn't long after that that she met a young Indian girl a teenage girl. She share the gospel with her. This girl came to Christ.

She took her up under her wing and started discipling her and the girls and I would like to be your interpreter.

I would like to help you with this translation so they worked day and night for three years in a row to it on that translation work and then as they were just about to finish it up. Elizabeth was in her tent.

One night she heard a shot and she went outside and her interpreter. This young girl had been shot to death and then died right outside of her tent. She died just right outside of her tendon. When that happened. They had knew they had to leave quickly so they got into a van and they backpacked all their stuff up and suitcases to the suitcases up on top of the divan they took off down the road. The role of very high mountain. Is there going across is high mountain road. The van hit a bump and to divan a little bit. One of the suitcases flew off the top of that van and flew down that that DD Cliff that what was in that suitcase. All of her translation work three years of work was in it and hit a rock. The suitcase burst open her papers just flew out and they all fluttered down into a river below, never to be retrieved again. Needless to say she was confused. She knew the power of God. She knew that God could've prevented that God could've stopped that bullet from hitting that interpreter.

That young girl God to save that that translation work picketed stop that that suitcase from bouncing off the van and down that cliff and into that river.

But God didn't do that sort question was why she should Lord what is missing. I've given my life to you. I love you three years of translation work in the Bible just thrown off the side of a mountain.

She said I don't even understand why I'm in this jungle. She started reading Scripture she went to the book of Isaiah started reading and writing. Finally got the 43rd chapter she got to the 10th verse and she said God spoke to her heart to that verse with more authority and more power in the word of God never spoken to her heart before only take a minute and read you that verse says this. You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen that you may know me. Believe me, and remain steadfast to me and understand that I am he. Before me. There was no God formed, neither shall there be after me and then she put her name in that verse. She read it this way you Elizabeth are my witness says the Lord, and you Elizabeth are my servant whom I have chosen that you Elizabeth may know me. Believe me, and remain steadfast to me and understand that I am he. What did that verse due to work. What did that verse teacher. She said I need to know my God and his ways, and I need to know them in a way so that I am not shaken. What did she learn through all that she learned that the most important thing in her life was that she might know God. It was more important than a Bible translation. It was more important interpersonal human relationships.

It was the most important thing in her life, she said. Isaiah 43 can't taught me that my biggest wonder is God.

She said my favorite book is God's Word, the Bible and she said if I have God and his word. Then I have it all. When you share with you that story today because it reminds me of David in first Samuel chapter 23. David is going to a time where they experience tribulation and a hard day in great pain and what did that do that drove him to the word of God, that he might know God after David's lying to the priest been a hemolytic he backslid in Nob and then after that he went to a place call a Delaware there was a series of case while he was out there he met a man was a prophet of God's name was Gaia and dad said to him, God has a word for you. He wants you to leave this place and go back to Judah and go right now. David wasted no time. He gathered together his family gathered together 600 million who couldn't stand Saul anymore and and were committed to David and they laughed and went to Judah therefore points I want to share with you in this passage. Number one is supplication look at me again if you wouldn't versus 134. Now they tell David all the Philistines are fighting against Kayla and a robbing the threshing floors.

Therefore David inquired of the Lord shall I go and attack these Philistines and the Lord said to David go and attack the Philistines and save Kayla but David's man said to him while we are afraid here Judah how much more the end. If we go to Kayla against the armies of the Philistines. Then David inquired of the Lord again and the Lord answered him, arise, go down to Kayla for I will give the Philistines in your hand and the wonderful acrostic that we have for prior acts AC TAS does that stand for adoration, confession, Thanksgiving and supplication what is supplication mean it means to ask earnestly and humbly of God. David is back in June. Finally, there's a little bit of peace that he's experiencing, but then Wally's.

There gets a message from the people of Kayla and they say that he and David were in great trouble.

The Philistines were attacking us and they're going to wipe us out.

We need some help please come here and help us and what he David David immediately prayed the supplication he petition the Lord he was growing he was spiritually maturing. Would to God that he had done that in Nob is not what he did in Nob when he was in knobby Baxley Eddie UVA just depended on his own human ingenuity and he lied, but not here. He's learned his lesson and what is he do, he prays he said God should we go. Should we defeat the Philistines and will you use us to save the city and God said to David, yes, go, and you will defeat them. What did God give to David he gave David his word folks � what we need the word of God. We need to hear from God.

And that's what David got in Psalm 19. David said this, the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure or enlightening the eyes. Psalm 109 and verse 105 Psalm 119 verse 105. David said that word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. God said Joe and David said to his million white guys we got to go, let's go right now is going to feed the Philistines and Kayla and the men balked at that should wait a minute David we got enough trouble right now just trying to stay away from Saul. We don't want to add to our trouble, why, why should we do this we not sure this is right. David said okay I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll pray again and what did he pray for a prayed that God would giving a word. Why is it so important.

Hebrews 412 tells us the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints of the mayor is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. So David had competing voices to deal with here is me and were saying don't go God was saying go please got a decision is got a man was he going to do is he going to bake his man or is he going to buy God is he going to trust in human wisdom or is he gonna be faithful to the word of God.

David did a wise thing he said my me and have a different opinion that I do. So this is what I'll do. I just pray again I pray again, I'll ask God again and he did and what did God say God said the same thing. Go David and you will win. Listen to this carefully is God's word clearly prescribes a certain course of action. We are to obey it. Regardless of what other voices say I've deeply appreciated John MacArthur's stance on keeping his church open when the California government has told him to close down this past Friday. A new ruling a new injunction came down from the judge telling them that that church was to stay close down and it was not to open Sunday and they were not to open it. No way they were to open. I don't know what to going to.

I don't know if the if the police are going to go in arrest 4000 people and take about handcuffs. I don't know if the police gonna stand there and bar them from getting in the door. I'm not sure what they're going to do this interesting to me than the California all of these protest took place in all these riots took place.

Nobody said a word.

All of those things took place.

Nobody said a word, the abortion clinics didn't stop there. Running full stain. Nobody says a word, but they say to the people of God.

You close down.

You don't go to church and if you do they're going to be great consequence. I don't expect the godless governor to understand God's command to his people that we are not to forsake the gathering together of his people. I don't expect the godless governor to understand our need to corporately worship and to go to church daily weekly that that we might be under the teaching of God's word. I don't expect the godless governor to buy out of the greatest commandment thou shall love the Lord thy God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength from brothers and sisters that governor's ignorance that governor's ignorance is not our excuse. In this situation, God's people have a decision to make. Am I going to be obedient to God or am I going to be obedient to man. I think that's what David is doing right here "Roger Ellsworth and I could not have said it better than he did.

He said through my years as a pastor I been astonished to see many Christian stop going to the house of God.

When difficulty said he and him we always need to be in the house of God, and especially in times of trial, God did not design Christianity to be a fair weather faith. In other words, he does not intend us to practice our faith only when things are going whale and they cast it aside in times of difficulty to embrace messages that contradicted God design Christianity is a seaworthy vessel that can withstand the storms of life. One would never know this by looking at some professing Christians as soon as the storm hits.

They seem to abandon ship. They run from God and the church. At the very time they most need to be running towards both David arises from the pages of Scripture to remind us to heed the word of God when we are in the midst of vexing circumstances, a man .2 raining through the word look with me at verse four and five then David inquired of the Lord again and the Lord answered him, arise, go, then tequila for I will give the Philistines in your hand and David and his men went tequila and fall with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with the right blown so David say the inhabitants of Kayla David is given us a great example here of what godly leadership is David not turn against his million and and and and and grunted them and denounced them as cowards even do that. He said okay we got a different opinion here something to pray again I'm to seek the Lord.

Again, I will ask God for his word again and he did that and God said yes David you were to go and fight the Philistines and defeat them. We Christian leaders need to learn from this leadership is not following the latest management practices or mark market ploys is not compromising with the culture it is finding out what God's word say is, and then leading God's people to obey it.

This is why Paul's teaching methodology always centered around the idea of preaching the whole counsel of God. This is why David said in Psalm one blesses the man who walks not in the counsel he ungodly. Your stand is in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night, so David led his man tequila. They were now convinced that that David had been right that God didn't want them to go and so they went and they defeated the Philistines family and the Philistines ran from them and all of a sudden the people of Kayla were free but they were not under bondage to the Philistines anymore.

They were set free.

Not only that, when the Philistines left.

They left their livestock. They and David and his men got to keep the livestock and spools of victory brothers and sisters that is raining in the word .3 rescued by the word. Look at verse 6013 web IFR, the son of Ahimelech and fled to David tequila. He had come down with an effort in his hand that was told Saul that David had come tequila and Saul said God is given them into my hand, reassured himself, and by entering the town that has gates, and bars and Saul summoned all the people toward to go then tequila to besiege David and his men. David knew that Saul was plotting harm against team and he said about are the priest bring the effort here and then David said, oh Lord, the God of Israel, your servant is surely heard that Saul seeks to come tequila to destroy the city on my account with a meal of Kayla Surinder Mae into his hand. Will Saul come down as your servant is heard.

Oh Lord, the God of Israel. Please tell your servant, the Lord said he will come down. Then David said, will the men of Kayla Surinder Bailey in my me and into the hand of Saul, the Lord said they will surrender you that David is million were about 600 arose departed from Kayla and went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David escaped from Kayla.

He gave up the expedition. Not long after this great victory where David and his men were rejoicing in and just having a good time celebrating the victory enjoying this. Of war they heard that King Saul had found out that David had one this great victory in Kayla and that Saul was headed tequila for the purpose of killing David salsa keel is a town with gates, and bars and that means that if David is in that town when I get there. He will be able to escape and I will be able to killing. I want you to consider. Today the wickedness Saul's heart. David went in and delivered these people from the hands of the Philistines. These were citizens of Saul. Saul should be greatly appreciative of what David had done David save the lives of his citizens, but no is not greatly appreciative.

He wants David. So just as David finds that out about our shows up. Remember about our about Thor was the one priest that made it out of knob is the only one of that whole town that lived and he took off and he went to to see David about Thor's dad was Ahimelech the high priest and before he left knob. He did something he took the high priest effort and he took it and he ran with it to David, what is aphid effort is a priestly garment that is worn over the chest and the effort there's a pouch sworn over the chested is a pouch there looks like a pocket and I put two things in it to flat objects will be two stones recall the euro and the lumen don't you listen to what Roger Ellsworth said how he explains this piece of the effort was a garment that included what was known as the euro and the lumen it was a small pouch containing two flat objects one side of each was coherent, which means curse the other side of each was designated lumen which means to be perfect and both sides turned up here from when the priest drew out the objects. The answer was negative.

If both turned up lumen, then the answer was positive. This was one form of guidance God employed in the Old Testament, the Primary Way, God guides his children today is through the written word. When David needed guidance. He was able to say bring the effort here when we need guidance we are able to say, in the words of Matthew Henry, bring me the Bible. A man David knows that Saul is coming so he tells about our to bring the aphid and about Thor brings the effort and any and and he cries out to the Lord and Davis as I got two questions here. I want to know first of all it if Saul is going to come tequila to try to kill me get the effort out takes out the human and in a in the third room in the lumen takes it out, and the answer is yes, Saul is coming Saul is going to try to kill you. He says okay I have another question gets at the euro means assuming again he checks it out and he is.

The question is this, he said, will the people of Kayla Surinder me to Saul and the answer to that question was also yes the folks. These are people who David had just saved and these people of Kayla God tells him will not have pity on you they will not hide you they will not protect you from Saul. They are more concerned about their lives than they are about yours.

If you imagine that these are people that David has just saying to save their lives. He came to to Kayla to protect them to run the Philistines out and after that that happen.

What did they do.

I soon will we can help you. David were sorry about this, but we just can't help you will have to turn you over to Saul what would happen if David had just attended. They are on his own human ingenuity instead of going to God and asking for word from God. I think he would probably come up with this conclusion.

Men on their hero. They look up to me. I'm the one that protected them on the one that saved them from the Philistines, they would never turn me and God said oh yes, they will.

They would, David. They'd read on you in a heartbeat. So David with a 600 million make a hasty escape and they get out of Kayla doesn't apply to us. We may think, humanly speaking, that we may never fall into some type of terrible sin, just use immorality for an example when next I will never do that I will never happen to me, but how many times has it happened that a person has an idea thinks that that won't take place in his life. And then, just as that perfect time wicked in moral temptation strikes the heart with great power and that person gives over to that immorality is marriages destroyed her marriage is destroyed and countless lives are just terribly terribly hurt give you a situation here. What if in that situation right before that immorality took place right before that person was ready get into that temptation with that person heard a voice from heaven, and that voice from heaven spoke and spoke these words. Listen carefully, flee from sexual immorality.

Let the marriage bed be undefiled for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his close not be burned or can one walk on hot coals in his feet not be scorched, so is he comes into his neighbor's wife. None who touches her will go unpunished. Commits adultery lacks sense to you does it destroys himself. You think of that situation. If that man was getting ready to get involved in a moral situation and all of a sudden he heard those words from heaven. What you think you do. I know what he do many run like crazy to get away from that resident sisters were not going to hear a word audible word spoken to us from heaven, but I want you to know that where I written the script. The words that I just read to you a minute ago come right from God's holy word, they come right from Scripture, and I want you know that the Scripture is just as authoritative just as powerful and just as true as if God spoke those words to us from heaven itself, but this is important. The word of God's will. Risky David and the word of God will rescue us .4 the danger bitterness. Look at verse 14 and David remained in the stronghold in the wilderness in the hill country of the wilderness and see if Saul saw him every day, but not God did not give him into his hand.

How you keep from getting bitter when you feel let down or betrayed when your spouse walks out of your life and leaves you for another person. When your supervisor at work passes over you for a promotion gives it to somebody that work half as hard as you do when someone's negligence causes you pain and and a lot of hurt and sorrow when your child is in the car and a drunk driver hits that car and mangles your child's body or kills your child in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 15. The Scripture says this see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble and by it many become defiled. This story is always blowing my mind to think that these people begged David and his men to come down tequila and help them because they were getting defeated by the Philistines and I said please come and help us. David and his men come and I fight and I fight for the people of Kayla and they run the Philistines out and they save the city and they save their lives and then right after that hearing these people in the city who were willing to rant out David who were willing to turn him right over to Saul that Saul might take his life brothers and sisters, that is the enemy of ingratitude, and it would've been so easy for David if said no no no you don't treat me like that. I'm going to be the king of Israel and I've got a long memory, think back to what you did and you're gonna pay for it. I'm going to get vengeance on you. David could've done that he could have gotten bitter and become vengeful or he could just let that situation throw him into a terrible depression. He didn't do that.

Instead, he honored God the honor God by refusing to get better a golf course was a wealthy owner of the Coors brewing company.

His grandson was name a golf course. The third Adolph Coors, the third in 1960 was murdered by a man named Joseph Corbett and Adolph Coors son of Kerr, the third son had just become a Christian at that time and right after that his dad was killed when he saw the senseless murder of his dad. It just making extremely bitter and angry and all of a sudden he realized that he had just lost the joy of the salvation so he did like David did in Psalm 51 and he cried out, oh Lord restore to me the joy of my salvation, but it didn't come back so we started reading the Scripture, and he got to Hebrews chapter 12 verse 15 that tells us that if we allow root of bitterness to well up within us to spring up down inside of us that it will cause us to fail of the grace of God and he said hey that's it. That's exactly what's happened to me. I've gotten bitter over this murder, this guy that killed my dad and he said on the start praying point he started praying point that day that God would save this man's soul and he prayed and he prayed and God leading to go witness to. He said I need to go and tell them about Jesus and so he wrote a long letter out explaining who he was explaining what the letter was about, that it was to share the gospel with them.

He gave a presentation Scripture by Scripture of the gospel of how to repent of how to turn to Christ, of how to have faith and he took it to the to the prison yard. He went in the prison yard. He said I want to see Joseph Corbett. I went into getting prison guard came back he said I'm sorry but Joseph Corbett will not see you. So I brought them a Bible.

I brought in this letter, I want you to give it to me and they took it back. They gave towing a never Joseph Corbett never got in touch with him. I never made any contact whatsoever. So Adolph Coors, the third son never need whether he read that letter whether he read his Bible, whether it touched him at all. He did know it, let me taste something when he walked out of that prison yard. The weight of the world fell off his shoulders and it was like all that bitterness all of a sudden was just completely and totally gone and the Lord restored to him the joy of his salvation. Resident sisters that's was going on with David. Here I think that this story is one of the stories they teach us more about the godliness of David than any of the stories that we read about David for here. He had a situation we could easily have become bitter and angry, and vengeful, but he didn't do it. Instead, he forgave these people and moved on. We have another example of this in Scripture. Yet we have a lot better example.

His name is Jesus. When Jesus Christ was hanging from the cross, bleeding and suffering and dying. He looked down from the cross at the people who did that towing at the people who mocked him, and spit on him and quit acting and bleeding and nailed him to the cross.

Then he looked up to heaven and said father forgive them for they know not what they did. We've all been wronged.

We've all been hurt by others, but nobody has done to us with that crowd did to Jesus and whether we want to admit it or not, you and I were in the crowd because it was my sin and it was your sin that sent Jesus to the cross.

Folks don't let bitterness control you give it to Christ, give it to Christ. Spray heavenly father. This passage today teaches us that the sanctification process is not for sissies becoming like Jesus is not the goal of the prosperity gospel so many false teachers are leaving your sheet down wrong and dangerous pass so many Christians are being told that God's purpose in saving us is to make us wealthy and comfortable and problem free is not what happened to David so what happened to Moses, not what happened to the disciples, certainly not what happened to Jesus. Men and women of God are forged in the crucible of trials and battles we don't get our rough edges sanded all through luxury and ease fighting the good fight, finishing the course keeping the faith is not for the faint of heart were living through harder times nail than we've ever lived in before we never seen this kind of anger and antagonism against Christians Lord make us tough helpless not to compromise, help us to depend on you. Help us to be a bright shining light in the dark world. We love you Lord, thank you for loving us forcing the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray.

Amen. You stand with me as we conclude our service today and respond to the truth that we've heard every promise of your work on all will all will all all all and all this is no thank you, and worsen with us today. I want to really encourage you be back with us Wednesday night. Eugene set teaching a class on the two kingdoms on what it means to be a a citizen of heaven, and yet still living here on this earth, and the first session was just absolutely great. Were going on vacation this week.

I'm not going be there Wednesday night so I told him to get her cell phone up there and and recorded for me so that we could hear it on vacation this that good so be there Wednesday, not tonight. We have our new members class that's open to everybody in the church will be dealing with some teleology tonight jeans teaching this class and thus the doctrine of salvation. And that's good for everybody not just the new members to encourage you to be here and enjoy that with us.

In closing, let me encourage you with these words and after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who is called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you to him be the dominion forever and ever and all God's children said