Restraining Grace

Thank you. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening.

Good evening. Would you please stand for the call to worship? Our call to worship comes from Psalm 106 verses 1 and 2.

Hear the word of God. Praise the Lord! Oh, 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?

You may be seated. Please join with me in prayer. Before we go to prayer, one other thing I would like to make you aware of is be in prayer for our Elder Scott Starcher. He's been ill for the last few weeks.

I believe it's supposed to be tested for COVID, but I haven't heard any results of that. But please be in prayer for him and his family. Now let's go to 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 on our hearts and our minds now to clear us of all worldly things, all thoughts that we could come to you now thinking of praise to you. And we pray that your spirit would work in us today to drive us to worship, for that is what we are made for, to worship you and to 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. We pray that your your word would warm our hearts and encourage us to be obedient, to confess our sins, to be repentant and to be driven to godliness. We pray that this worship today in the words that are that are sung, that would please you, that would reflect your glory, reflect your character and reflect our 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 it would penetrate us, that would motivate us to godliness. We pray that you would work in the lips of the speaker today, the preacher, that those words would ring true to the words you have given us in your your holy word. Lord God bless this congregation that we might be a light 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. Lord God, we give you all praise, honor and glory today. We do pray this in Jesus name.

Amen. We're here this morning to make much of God to worship him. Let's begin with a psalm. Psalm 146 is a psalm of praise. It says, Hallelujah. Praise Jehovah. And of course, Jehovah is God's covenant keeping name. It reminds us that he is always faithful to every promise he's given to us as his people.

Let's think about these things as we stand together and sing. Hallelujah. Praise Jehovah. Oh my God, Jehovah praise. I will sing the glorious praises of my God through all my days.

Put no confidence in Princess Lord for help on man depend. He shall die to dust returning and whose purposes shall end. Happy is the man that chooses Israel's God to meet his aid. He is blessed whose hope a blessing on the Lord is God is stayed.

Heaven and earth, the Lord created, sees and all that they contain. He delivers from oppression, righteousness will maintain. The food he daily gives, the hungry sets, the morning prisoner free raises those bound down with anguish makes the sightless eyes to see.

Well, Jehovah loves the righteous and the stranger he defends helps the fatherless and little judgment on the wicked sense. Oh, Hallelujah. Praise Jehovah. Oh my soul, Jehovah praise. I will sing the glorious praises of my God through all my days. Over all God reigns forever. Through all ages he is King. Hark to him, my God.

Oh, sigh on joyful Hallelujah. Creation sings the father's song. He calls the sun to wake the dawn and run the course of day till evening falls in crimson rays. His fingerprints in flakes of snow. His breath upon the spinning globe.

He charts the eagle's fly commands a newborn baby's cry. Hallelujah. Let all creation stand and see.

Hallelujah. Fill the earth with songs of worship. Tell the wonders of creation's King. Creation gazed upon his face. The ageless one in time's embrace unveiled the father's plan of reconciling God and man.

A second Adam walked the earth whose blameless life could break the curse, whose death would set us free to live with him eternally. Hallelujah. Let all creation stand and see.

Hallelujah. Fill the earth with songs of worship. Tell the wonders of creation's King. Creation longs for his return.

When Christ shall upon the earth, the bitter wars that wage are birthdays of a coming age. When he removes the land and sky, all heaven and earth reply with one resplendent fee the glory of our God and King. Hallelujah. Let all creation stand and see.

Hallelujah. Fill the earth with songs of worship. Tell the wonders of creation's King. Our New Testament reading this morning is from Philippians chapter four, verses one through nine. Very familiar passage of scripture I trust. Philippians four, beginning at 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 Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 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 Lord. 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 demean his sovereignty, his glory, his promises when we live 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? O 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 waver. 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 budding 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 tempt you to the uttermost, to wear out your patience, have lived wickedly in word and action. Had I been a prince, I would long ago have crushed such a rebel.

Had I been a father, I would long since have rejected my child. O father of my spirit, king of my life, cast me not into destruction. Drive me not from your presence, but wound my heart that it may be healed.

Break it that your own hand may make it whole. Amen. 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, a 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.

Thank 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, O Lord, as we come to you to receive the food of your holy word. Speak, O Lord, as we come to you to receive the food of your holy word.

Take your truth planted deep in us, shape and fashion us in your likeness. Let the light of Christ might be seen today in our acts of love and our deeds of faith. Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us all your purposes for your glory. Teach us, Lord, obedience, holy reverence, true humility.

Test our thoughts and our attitudes in the radiance of your purity. Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see your majestic love and authority. Words of power that can never fail, let their truth prevail over unbelief. As we go home and renew our minds, help us grasp the heights of your plans for us. As we move unchanged from the dawn of time that will echo down through eternity. We'll stand on your promises and by faith we'll walk as you walk with us. Speak, O Lord, till your church is built and the earth is filled with your glory. Let's remain standing in honor of God's word as we read it together this morning. If you have your Bibles with you, turn with me if you would to 1 Samuel 25.

We're looking at verses 1 through 8 to get started with. Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah. Then David rose and went down to the wilderness of Paran, and there was a man in Mahon whose business was in Carmel. The man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel. Now the name of the man was Nabal, the name of his wife Abigail.

The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh, badly behaved. He was a Calabite. David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. So David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, Go up to Carmel and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name, and thus you shall greet him. Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all you have. I hear that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm.

And they missed nothing all the time that they were in Carmel. Ask your men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your servant David. Bow with me as we go to our Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we pray right now for those in our congregation that are going through difficult times. I pray for Jim Hefner and his family, that you would be with them as Jim has experienced the passing away of his brother yesterday.

Give them encouragement and peace. I pray, Heavenly Father, that you would be with Scott Starcher and his family, Lord, as he has been sick for a while now. We ask, Father, that you be with him, help him to a complete recovery. Father, we pray for Rich and Theresa Carter as they have been diagnosed with COVID disease. We pray, Father, that you would help them, strengthen them, encourage them.

May they get well quick. Heavenly Father, we're studying a passage of scripture today that powerfully reminds us of our need for your grace. When we first became Christians and experienced redeeming grace, we were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were by nature children of wrath, and your grace did an amazing work. You resurrected us from spiritual death.

You regenerated a stone-cold heart, and you empowered us to believe upon you and repent. As we began our life with quiet Christ, we needed another aspect of your grace. We needed restoring grace.

When we were saved, we became new creatures in Christ, but our sin nature was not eradicated. And we need the felt 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 our tendencies to run back to sin. So we ask today that you might do in us what you did for David at Carmel. Your grace restrained him, stopped him in his tracks from destroying his testimony and dishonoring you. Help us to love and experience your restraining grace. For it 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 Creedmoor, North Carolina, I played on the church softball team. And one particular Saturday afternoon, we were playing 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 three feet foul, and the umpire called it fair, and we scored two runs on that play. Another time, we had a guy sliding into second base. He was out by a mile, and the umpire called him safe.

Well, the pastor was getting hot, and you could see it. But he got up to bat, and he had a line drive to our left fielder. And our left fielder made a diving catch, caught it on the first hop. It was not an out. He trapped the ball. But the umpire pulled up his arm, out!

And you could see that pastor just getting hot. And our left fielder was an honest guy, and he held the ball up. He said, no, I trapped it. It wasn't an out. And the umpire said, decision stands.

He's out! Well, by that time, the pastor just lost it. And he cursed a blue streak, took his bat, threw it across the infield, and then he went over, got in that umpire's face, and I think threatened him bodily. Well, some of the guys on the team had to usher him back into the dugout. Two of the deacons from that team came over and apologized to us. And I looked over at him sitting in the corner of that dugout, and he was just absolutely fuming.

I got in the car with my son, Jake, who's eight years old, and we were headed back for home. And Jake said, Daddy, that preacher was mad, wasn't he? And I said, yes, sir, son, he sure was.

But you know, I felt sorry for that guy. He had spent 15 years trying to build a reputation and a good testimony in that community. He was a good preacher. He worked hard.

He had built up a good reputation. And in a period of about five minutes, he just destroyed it all over a silly ball game. You know what? I don't know who won that ball game. I don't remember.

I don't remember what the score was in that ball game. But I will never forget that incident. And I will never, every time that man's mind comes, or that man's face comes into my mind, all I can think about is that particular incident. I wanted to share that with you today because David is in a very similar situation. Now, up to this time in David's life, there's not a whole lot that you can criticize David about. He was a godly man.

He did godly things. And during the last couple of years, David has been running from King Saul. King Saul has been chasing him all over Israel, trying to put him to death, throwing spears at him, putting 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 has gone 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, and it's a glorious, wonderful thing. But David's in an area where a man named Nabal owns a huge, huge plot of land. And David is walking on the outskirts of his land, marching his men through that area. And the men of Nabal are on the other side, and they are shearing the sheep. David and his men kind of form a wall, a protective wall, and they keep sheep thieves and rustlers and wild animals away from Nabal's men. So David and his men are doing a great service for Nabal's men.

But now David's men are tired, and they're hungry. And so David says, this is what I want you guys to do. I want you to go to Nabal. I want you to ask him for permission for us to go on the corner of Nabal's land so we can fill up our canteens with spring water, so we can take baths in the creek, so we can eat some apples and figs from their trees.

That's what I want you to do. What was David doing? He was just being polite. If he had wanted to, they could have gone on to the land.

They could have done whatever they wanted to, and Nabal and his men could have done a thing about it. But David was being courteous. He was being kind. He was being respectful to Nabal. You know, the name of David at this time is just a household name.

He's kind of like a modern-day Rambo. I mean, everybody knows him. A lot of people love him, and I think almost everybody respects David. And David tells some of his men to go and ask permission for Nabal to eat some of his fruit, to stay on their land for just a little bit, and so they can kind of get things together. David says, also, when you go, do this.

Be sure and tell them that it's David who's asking for permission. Now, why did he do that? Because David knows that he's got a good reputation. David knows that he was the one that killed the giant Goliath and set the people of Israel free from that horrible, horrible man. He knows that he has driven the Philistines out of Israel completely gone, and he has done that, and they have been set free.

He has made Israel a more wonderful and safer place to be. So he thinks that if Nabal hears that, then surely Nabal will treat him with dignity and treat him with respect. David got a surprise, a huge surprise. Now, David's men obey David.

They go to Nabal, and they ask permission for Nabal to go on to their land. Let me read you about the encounter from verses 9 through 12. When David's young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David. And then they waited, and Nabal answered David's servants, Who is David?

Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters. Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed from my shears and give it to men who come from I do not know where?

So David's young men turned away and came back and told him all this. Let me share with you what Roger Ellsworth said about this. He said, Daniel M. Doriani says the word implies viciousness, atheism, and materialism.

Dale Ralph Davis is more blunt. He calls Nabal a thick-headed clod, a spiritual, moral, and social disaster. Isaiah 53, verse 1 says, When we think of that word fool, we think silly or nonsensical or absurd. That's not the biblical word. It means atheist, a God-hating, God-denying atheist.

Now you've got a picture of this scene to get the full impact. David's men have made their little polite request to Nabal. And they think that Nabal 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 Nabal to respond to their request and their request on behalf of David. And then Nabal is standing there and all of a sudden his expression turns from sullen to sour to horribly angry.

And all of a sudden there's this horrible sarcasm that's coming out of his mouth. He says, David? Who's David? I don't think I've ever heard of David. Who is this guy?

And I said, oh yeah, wait a minute, wait a minute. Now I remember he's that degenerate that Saul is having to go after. He's that degenerate that's causing treason. He's no good at all.

That's what David is. He 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 eat my fruit and he's going to drink my water and he's going to take all the stuff that I could be giving over to my men and I could be helping them.

That's not going to happen. He said, you go tell David to get his sorry carcass off my land and if he doesn't do it immediately, I'm going to do him in. Nice guy, huh? Alright, three points I want to share with you very quickly. Number one, David's surprising response. Look at verse 13. David said to his men, every man strapped on his sword and every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword.

And about 400 men went up after David while 200 men remained with the baggage. Now I call this a surprising response because it seems to be so out of character for David. David doesn't usually let little petty men aggravate him. He doesn't usually let aggravating circumstances send him into a fit of rage.

But that's exactly what happens here. David stands there for a second. He's letting all this information just sink into his brain. And as he's standing there, he's getting madder and madder and madder. The muscles tense up in his back.

His arms begin to tremble. His hands just clench up in a big fist and David yells out, Nabal said what? He says, he doesn't even know who I am. Nabal then goes on to say that I was an enemy of King Saul, that I was a traitor to Saul, that I'm the one that has committed treason.

Nabal said that. He said that I can't eat any of his food and that we can't take any of his water even after all we've done for him in protecting him and protecting his men. He said, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to kill him. By this time next week, he'll be a week old ghost. I'm going to take my sword, the sword of Goliath, and I'm going to slash him into a million pieces. That's it for him. I'm going to take his life. Then he took 400 men. And these are soldiers, well trained soldiers. And they take off.

They go straight to see Nabal to do him in. I want you to look at David just a minute and think about him. What's verse 13 tell us? Who is this guy? This is the writer of Psalm 23. This is the man after God's own heart.

This is the future shepherd king of Israel. And he's completely out of control. Somebody has violated his rights. Somebody has hurt his feelings. Somebody has not paid him gratitude that he felt like he should have had that was owed to him. And he's mad. I mean, steam's coming off his head.

He is snorting fire out of his nostrils. He is so uptight that he's ready to kill somebody. Listen, Christian. Is anybody doing that to you? Are you allowing some situation or some ugly, critical Christian to dictate to you how you're going to 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.

Let's go on to point two. The blessing of godly counsel. Look at verse 25. Let not my Lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him.

But I, your servant, did not see the young men of my Lord whom you sent. Now this is a situation when Nabal's hired hands heard what Nabal had said to David's men. They got scared. I mean, they were really scared because they knew that when David came after Nabal to do him in, that they would do them in as well. They knew this was tough. This was not going to be easy. So what did they do? They go to Nabal to talk to him?

Absolutely not. They knew that wouldn't do any good. He wouldn't listen. He was a pig-headed fool. So who did they go to? They went to his wife. They went to 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 the question. How do you deal with a fool? I'm not talking about a silly person.

I'm talking about a moral and spiritual degenerate. How do you deal with a fool? In Proverbs chapter 9, or 23 verse 9, it says, Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words. Proverbs 9 verses 6 through 8 says this, Leave your simple ways and live and walk in the way of insight. Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who 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 beat a skunk, but is it worth it? So you've got a skunk out here in your backyard, and you're going to run out there and grab him and kill him. Or you're going to 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 heavens for the next three weeks. Is it worth it?

Probably not. And that Bible says, Don't waste your time with fools. A fool doesn't want godly help. And if you give truth to a fool, that person, that fool will probably try to hurt you because he doesn't want it.

So Nabal's men don't go to talk to Nabal. They go to talk to Abigail, and then Abigail goes to talk to David. I want to give you three sub-points. What to look for when you're seeking godly counsel. Number one, a godly counselor will be humble and selfless. Verse 23 through 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, On me 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, and I'm telling you, this was a banquet. I can imagine her making lamb chops and beef steaks. She's got all this fruit and vegetables that she puts out.

She sets up tables, and where does 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 Nabal. And all of a sudden, here comes David. He's coming up over the hill. He's got his sword in his hand. He's swinging that sword. He's swinging out and just shouting 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 an army on the face of the earth that could have defeated David at this point in time. David's coming over that hill, and he's mad. There's fire in his eyes.

There's vengeance in his heart. But then instead of seeing a army that was set there before him, there's a woman, a lady, a beautiful lady that's standing there in front of all this food. And this beautiful lady is standing there, and as soon as she sees David, what does she do? This beautiful lady, who's 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 Nabal. Not only that, but she wanted to take 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 to hurt his reputation. Listen, when you're seeking a 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. And 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've got a physical problem, if you've got a chemical imbalance, yeah, you need to go to a physician. But if you've 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 made David stop. It was much more than that. It was Abigail's willingness to sacrifice.

That's important. Subpoint two, a godly counselor will tell you the truth. Look at verse 25 again. Let not my Lord regard this worthless fellow Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him.

But I, your servant, did not see the young men of my Lord whom you sent. David wanted to kill Nabal. He was as mad as a wet hornet. Nobody should talk about a man like Nabal had talked about David. And David wanted to take this piece of scum and just wipe him off the face of the earth. And I'll guarantee you that Nabal's men would have probably been glad to have seen Nabal be taken out.

Nabal died. They won't have to worry about him anymore as long as they could have been safe themselves. And what about Abigail? If David kills Nabal, then she's a free woman. She doesn't have to live with this foolish, horrible man any longer.

And she could have said, that's right, David. Go ahead, put an end to this guy's life. He is rotten to the core. He doesn't deserve to live.

Go ahead and take his life. But 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 Nabal?

If you go ahead and kill Nabal and create in your heart all this kind of animosity and bitterness, then you become just as foolish as he is. Thirty-five years ago, I was counseling with a man who was a homosexual. He was falling apart emotionally.

He was in a suicidal depression. He told me that he'd be into a Christian counselor for a year, almost every week for a year, and that Christian counselor had never one time shared the gospel with him. I said, what did the Christian counselor tell you? He said, he told me that I was born this way, there's nothing that 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 he said, but the depression did not leave. I said, do you want me to tell you the truth? And he said, yeah, tell me the truth. I said, the lifestyle that you're living is a sinful lifestyle. And Jesus said, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. I said, Jesus died for sinners like me and like you.

Jesus died to set the captive free. I said, do you want me to go on? He said, oh, yeah. I started going through a gospel presentation with him, and I could tell as I was going through that the word of God was just penetrating his heart. When I finally got ready to finish up, he said, can I pray right now?

I said, yeah. And he got down on his face and he wept and he repented, and you could just tell it was a genuine repentance. When he got up, you could see the transformation.

You could see the joy and the freedom that he had in his eyes. A week later, he got sick. He went to the doctor. The doctors told him he had AIDS. They put him in the hospital. I went to visit him in the hospital. They made me wear this suit.

It was almost like a space suit. I sat down beside his bed. He said, Doug, would you read me scriptures about heaven? And I read one scripture after another for a long time. Two weeks later, my friend died, and I preached his funeral service. My text for that day was 2 Corinthians 5, verse 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, for I knew that his bondage was no more.

He was in heaven and would be in heaven forever. In Galatians 4, 16, Paul was being attacked by the Judaizers. He claimed to be Christians. And Paul says to them, he said to them this, Have I then become your enemy because I've told you the truth? How many times do we feel like we've become somebody's enemy just because we're 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 30 through 31. And when the Lord has done to my Lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you prince over Israel, my Lord shall have no cause of grief or pains of conscience for having shed blood without cause for my Lord working salvation himself. And when the Lord has dealt well with my Lord, then remember your servant. Now 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 are going to be long-term consequences. She said, now think about it, 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're going to 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've got a problem in your life, someone's giving you advice.

Ask yourself this. Is the advice they're giving me going to lead to a temporary solution, or is it going to lead to an eternal solution? When somebody's giving you advice, they ought to 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 we're going to stand before Jesus. And what if I have to say to Jesus, Lord, I gave in to this sin, and why did I 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 is 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's stupid, loudish 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. Point three is the burden removed. Look with me at verse 35.

Then David received from her hand what she had brought him, and he said to her, Go up in peace to your house, see I have obeyed your voice, and I have granted your petition. There's an aftershave commercial that came out in 1979. Some of you that are old enough might remember it.

It was a menning commercial, and the guy's putting aftershave on his face, and then as soon as he gets it on, a woman reaches over there. Pow! Slaps him right in the face. And he shakes his head, and 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 him? Abigail gave it to him. She gave it to him in love. She gave it to him diplomatically.

She gave it to him in his best interest. And how did David respond? David listened. He really listened. It was a wake-up call for David. David listened to Abigail. It was like God himself had spoken to him. David calmed right down, and he got things back into perspective again. And he said to 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. Now that's not all David gets.

We're going to see next week how God rewards him in some glorious and magnificent, amazing things that God does for him. But now let me get personal. What's bitterness doing to you? How are you handling it? Is it destroying sweet fellowship with Christ? Listen, if someone has hurt you deeply, and they are completely and totally in the wrong, and you hold bitterness against them, what's it going to do to you right now? It's going to destroy your fellowship with Christ. And what's it going to do to you later? What's it going to do to you later when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ? Here's a question I think that we need to ask, is it worth it?

Is it worth it? Hebrews 12, 15 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 if you're holding bitterness in your heart, is to repent, to run from it, to don't leave this building today until you've 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 do I love Jesus? Folks, when you give it to the Lord, and you are telling the Lord, I know you can handle it. I trust you.

And let me tell you, when that happens, you're going to experience a freedom that will absolutely change your life. You believe that? Amen? Amen.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, most of us in this building today have had to deal with a person or people like Nabal. Those people have offended us, they've hurt us, or they've used us. We don't like that.

We don't like the angry emotions that get stirred up inside of us when we're forced to deal with these people. Help us, Lord, to handle it in a godly way. Help us to realize that you use prickly people like heavenly sandpaper to sand off our rough edges and to make us like Jesus. Help us to remember Romans 12, 19, where you inspired Paul with these words, Beloved, never avenge yourself, but leave it to the wrath of God. For it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.

When people rub our fur the 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. For it's in Jesus' precious and holy name that we pray. Amen. Would you stand with me as we respond to the truths that we've heard this morning and meditate specifically on the person, our Savior, our Helper, our Keeper, our Restrainer. He is the one we adore. Let's sing Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners. Jesus, what a friend for sinners, Jesus, lover of my soul. Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole. Hallelujah, what a Savior, Hallelujah, what a friend. Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end.

Jesus, what a strength in weakness, let me hide myself in Him. He, my strength, my victory wins, Hallelujah, what a Savior, Hallelujah, what a friend. Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end.

Jesus, what a help in sorrow, while the billows o'er me roll. When my heart is breaking, He, my comfort, helps my soul, Hallelujah, what a Savior, Hallelujah, what a friend. Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end.

Jesus, what a guide and keeper, while the tempest still is nigh. Storms above me nigh, Lord takes me, He, my pilot, hears my cry, Hallelujah, what a Savior, Hallelujah, what a friend. Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Jesus, I do now receive Him more than all in Him I find. He hath granted me forgiveness, I am His and He is mine. Hallelujah, what a Savior, Hallelujah, what a friend.

Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. With the new members class, everybody's invited to that. Eugene's dealing with the sacraments tonight, and there's not any of us here that don't need a refresher on the sacraments, and he'll be doing that this evening. In closing, let me 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 uphold you with my righteous right hand. And all God's people said, Amen.