Amen. Title of this message this morning is be a good receiver. A lot of us who
have grown up in churches here on the island of Oahu or in general churches
that are you know independent fundamental Baptists have heard lots of
sermons on the subject of giving and receiving right and that's a Christian
attribute that is very prevalent in the Bible. The Bible constantly talks a lot
about giving and receiving but usually when we hear sermons on the subject of
giving and receiving we're primarily talking about giving because the Bible
does clearly teach it is more blessed to give than to receive but the title of
this message what I want us to get across is we need to be a good receiver
someone who accepts a gift because think of it like this the Bible says in James
chapter 1 verse 17 you don't need to turn there it says every good gift in
every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights
with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning so the Bible saying
that anything we receive that is good virtually comes from God yes God uses
instruments like peoples in our life to give us things but every good gift comes
from above God is the one that bestowed upon us even the breath that we breathe
is from God I mean think about the word the present right we have the past the
present in the future every one moment is truly a gift from God we're not
promised any one second from now and when we go out and preaching the gospel
we need to emphasize this you know elsewhere in the Bible it talks about
it's appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment today is the day
of salvation when we go and preach the gospel we want people to know the
emphasis of you're not promised tomorrow you're not promised one second from now
for crying out loud you know an airplane can just crash on you for any reason
and like I know that's an extreme example but you can choke on a chicken
bone at dinner and not only that some people just don't wake up for any
clinical reason doctors look at it and they say there's nothing physically
wrong with this person they just didn't wake up so we got to remember the
importance of being good receivers now disclaimer understand this I just
preached the message last week right about the concepts of we don't believe
that you need to continue in righteousness to maintain your salvation
that's very clear the Bible makes it clear that he that worketh not but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted unto him
for righteousness right as it says in Romans 4 but let us be good at receiving
gifts what do I mean you know the Bible says that salvation is a gift from God
to men right for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves
it is the gift of God and not of works as any man should boast right so let me
give you an analogy right you have two people standing here both are truly
saved both have put their faith in Jesus Christ both are on their way to heaven
and are saved this guy does nothing with his salvation he chooses to just live
the way he always lived and never cracks open a Bible never dawns the face of a
church never preaches the message of salvation to anyone but he is truly
saved then you have this guy on the side who put their faith in Jesus and realize
the importance of what was bestowed upon him he is a good receiver kind of like
the analogy that Jesus Christ gives us of the parable of the sower we have
three types of seed that were sown good ground thorny ground and stony ground we
want to hope that when we get people saved they are good at receiving the
message of salvation not because they have to share this message but because
they want to share the message of salvation the Bible teaches us clearly
right if our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost and what a blessing
that you and everyone here today understand salvation but lets us share
that message and be good receivers and go out and preach the gospel to the loss
now look down at your Bible if you would at John chapter 13 notice what it
says in verse 5 after that he poureth water in a basin and began to wash the
disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded then
cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter saith unto him Lord dost thou wash my feet
Jesus answered and said unto him what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt
know hereafter Peter saith unto him thou shalt never wash my feet Jesus answered
him if I wash thee not thou has no part with me Simon Peter saith unto him Lord
not my feet only but also my hands and my head Jesus saith unto him he that is
washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is cleansed ever wit and ye are
clean but not all so understand the picture right we understand that the
lot of the symbolisms in the Bible right and when Jesus washes the feet of the
disciple this is a symbolic teaching of Jesus bestowing upon them the importance
of going and preaching the gospel because our feet being shod with the
preparation of the gospel is a commandment given to us right and when he
washes their feet number one in you know ancient Israel and in the ancient world
you know most people had pretty nasty feet they're walking around with sandals
or barefoot and it's just kind of nice and appropriate to wash your feet before
you enter into someone's home we here in Hawaii practice something similarly
where when we come into someone's house we take our shoes off so hopefully their
feet are fairly clean but regardless that's just a cultural custom that we've
adopted here in Hawaii but in ancient Israel and in the ancient world this was
something that when a visitor or guests came into your home you washed their
feet because you wanted them to be catered to host to you're there to serve
them and Jesus Christ is trying to show us an example as it says how we ought to
love one another let us you know be willing to let alone give something to
someone like cleaning them or you know hosting for them but also be willing to
receive as well I know that in today's world right I believe that on the
subject of giving because once again the Bible is clear it's more blessed to give
than to receive it's truly a great feeling to give someone something I know
I feel great when I can bestow upon someone you know something but at the
same time we need to be willing to also receive gifts as well you don't want to
rob someone of them trying to bless you a good example that I like to use right
is when I go out to eat dinner with friends or family you know there's like
a group of three or four of us right and then like for some reason there's
something built within all of us men that we all want to reach for the tab
right and like think of it like this you know when I go out to eat with me and my
family I'm expected to pay for me and my family right because the Bible makes
clearly if a man doesn't provide for his own and especially that of his own
household he's worth it in an infidel and is denied the faith we need to as
men be able to be able to provide for our families but when we go out to eat
with friends and family you know it is natural that sometimes when you have
extra finances you want to bless brothers and sisters in Christ let me
get the tab for you right and every time I go out and whether it's food or
wherever like let's say you're at the zoo or you're doing something fun you
know sometimes people want to bless you and say like let me take care of this
for you right I give a to ask rule so first time say no no it's okay I got
this I appreciate the gesture thank you so much I get it but I got this I can
take care of my family and then they'll insist right the back no like let me
pay for it I'll give it a second attempt I'm like no thank you so much you know I
appreciate that like you know it this is my responsibility or in Hawaii we say
this is my goal is to care for my family and I appreciate it right but if they
say it a third time I just say okay go ahead sure you want to pay for the bill
go for it because like I said I don't want to rob a brother in or sister in
helping someone because if if we know it's good to give we need to know it's
also good to receive it's kind of like it's good to be a leader but you need to
know how to follow as well if you can't follow someone you're not good at
leading people if you can't receive something you can't give things you know
elsewhere in the Bible that says in Romans chapter 5 verse 8 this is a
famous passage that we use when going out giving the gospel in that while we
were yet sinners Christ died for us you know and he left us an example of how to
be good receivers yes unto whom much is given of him should much be required we
receive salvation received the things of God we are able to come to a church
hear the message of you know the Bible or whatever it is that the preacher has
for us let's not us be ungrateful about that let's be good receivers but notice
actually turn if you were to Luke chapter 6 Luke chapter 6 while you turn
there I'm gonna read from Acts chapter 20 and now brethren I command you to God
and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an
inheritance among all them which are sanctified I have coveted no man silver
or gold or apparel ye yourselves know that ye have that these hands have
ministered unto my necessities and to them that were with me I have showed you
all things how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the
words of the Lord Jesus how he said it is more blessed to it is more blessed to
give than to receive so the Apostle Paul is trying to explain that like while
he's going around on his missionary journey and while he's going around
starting churches he wanted people to know that he's not a charity case yes it
is good to bestow help on the Paul and any evangelist or missionary who's going
around doing a great work for God the Bible clearly teaches they that preach
the gospel live of the gospel it's not wrong to financially support a missionary
or an evangelist a deacon or a pastor but to be above reproach to set an
example he was saying I with my own hand was able to go to work his Paul
built tents as a part-time gig even though he was supposed to be preaching
the Word of God all the time to be an example unto the people he wanted them
to know that I'm not above working I can go to work and get a way to take care of
myself and we need to remember that though Paul was a good receiver I'm sure
he was I can't necessarily point to any passage in the Bible where he's being
ungrateful about receiving I'm sure he was very grateful about all the things
that were given to him but just to let people know that he's not in it for
handouts he's letting them know I'm gonna go to work as well just to show
you that I'm not above this but notice if you would look at Luke chapter 6
birth verse 32 it reads for if you love them which love you what thank have ye
for sinners also love those that love them and if ye do good to them which do
good to you what thank have ye for sinners also do even the same and if you
lend to them of whom you hope to receive what thank have ye for sinners also lend
to sinners to receive as much again but love ye your enemies and do good and
lend hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and ye shall be
the children of the highest for he is kind under the unthankful and to the
evil but ye there be therefore merciful as your father also is merciful judge
not and ye shall not be judged condemn not and he shall not be condemned
forgive and ye shall be forgiven this is a very popular passage in the Bible it's
you know a parallel in Matthew chapter 5 the judge not lest ye be judged but
notice what it says in verse 4 and if he lent to them whom you hope to receive
what thank have ye for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again but
love your enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again like I was
saying when we give gifts to people as receivers don't think it's important to
don't feel like you're compelled or have to give back to someone because then at
that point you've lost the definition of a gift we go out and when we preach
the gospel I use this analogy all the time and maybe you have or maybe you
haven't but I give the concept of giving a gift right and I explain to people who
pays for a gift the giver or the receiver obviously the one giving the
gift pays for the gift right and I explained to them just like Jesus Christ
paid for salvation we don't have to pay for it he's the one who purchased it
right I have to go out and I use my Bible as the analogy and I say if I were
to give you this Bible and you had to give me five bucks would this be
considered a gift and they're like no because I bought it I would have
purchased it for five dollars exactly I paid for the Bible I went out and worked
earned money and now I'm giving you this Bible but if you have to give me anything
in exchange it is no longer considered a gift right and they get that they're
like okay yeah you bought it what if I sell them here's my Bible but you got to
give me one penny and I asked would this be considered a gift they're like no
sometimes I've heard people be like yeah it's kind of a gift but obviously it's
still purchased for one penny it's cheap but it's still purchased then I'll go on
and say what if I gave you this Bible but you had to give me or you had to
wash my car or like clean my house sometimes people are confused about this
but most times I get it they're like no I worked for it I did something in an
exchange I got your Bible and at that point you would think it's all good and
dandy like okay they get the concept of a gift it's free no strings attached
that's that but I'll then take it a step further I'll say let's say gave you this
Bible and I let them grab it I said for analogy sake just grab it for me and
they take it from you right and then I tell them but if I see you being a bad
person I am going to take the Bible back from you I asked them is this a gift and
you'd be surprised about I'd say 50% of the time people don't get that right
because they don't understand the world out there is trying to teach us
something else that the Bible is explaining to us a gift has no strings
attached period and if you have to be good to have the Bible there is a
contingency if you're not good you don't get the Bible so once they understand
that they really get the concept of a gift for God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten Son salvation is a gift to man you know elsewhere it
talks about for instance in like Romans chapter 6 right for the wages of sin is
death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord right
so they get that and then you can go right into the rest of the gospel one
time I remember I went out soul winning and I'm giving the gospel to a
professed black Hebrew Israelite and I don't know if you've ever run across
black Hebrew Israelites but they are some tough cookies to crack I've yet to
ever see one get saved I'm not saying there aren't I've just personally never
won one to the Lord and they're very like consistent and like they're really
into like Abrahamic line and genealogy and stuff like that but I remember one
time going through the concept of a gift with someone who believes in black
Hebrew Israelite faith and I gave them that analogy and at the end of it with
the gift or like if you had to be good and I took it back was it a gift he said
yes he's like yes that's still a gift I'm like well how do what makes you say
that and he goes well let me give you another analogy let's say I gave you a
gun and I gave you this gun I told you you have to keep one round out of the
chamber you have to have it on safety all the time and in a holster at all
times and if it's not I'm gonna come and take the gun from you see I could give
you something and then you squabble it and don't use it properly therefore I
took it back from you because you're irresponsible with what I gave you and I
just think to myself I'm like you said that there's contingency if I don't have
one in the chamber if I don't leave it on safety if I don't have it in my
holster you will not give it to me or if you see it happening so obviously some
people are confused I'm like what is a gift and I believe it's very important
for us to make sure people understand this when we give them the gospel
because yes believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is all it takes to be saved but
then they kind of misunderstand what that means to believe or to trust in
something so we want to make sure we use the gift analogy and when we give
something we don't expect anything in exchange neither does the Lord I mean
the Lord expects of his children a lot the Bible is big and there's a lot that
we need to do as children just like people who have you know children in
their family they expect their kids to do a lot but they don't have to do these
things to be their children they just have to do it to be pleasing unto their
father or mother and just like with us as children of God we are not expected
to do good things to maintain our salvation but because we love our father
which is in heaven we want to be a good receiver of what was given to us unto
whom much is given of him should much be required we were given salvation
let's share the message of salvation with the loss but if you never do you're
still saved you just are a bad receiver you didn't take what was given to you
very seriously and let me give you an analogy of what I'm trying to get at
let's say Christmas comes around or your birthday right and someone get like
let's say yeah like my wife's birthday comes around and my uncle buys my wife a
gift right he's like hey this is for your wife it's like right on I'm cool
thank you I appreciate she's thankful like she likes it that's great thank you
so much and then my uncle's birthday comes around and we didn't call him we
didn't email him nothing we just we forgot about it and then he calls me
he's like hey David how come your wife didn't get me something for my birthday
what are you talking about well I gave your wife something for her birthday why
didn't she get me something in exchange it's like oh so that's what you think a
gift is you think a gift has contingency you think is something that like we owe
you now because you've given us something I'd rather when someone gives
something that they realize that once it's gone it's gone and it mean you may
never see a return in your investment so to say and God's that same way God gives
salvation it's free it's you know all by his death barrel and resurrection Jesus
Christ alone and when we believe in that that's it you're saved you're
sealed under the day of redemption and you're on your way to heaven so let's
stop there let's just choose to do nothing for our Lord and Savior which
saved us no the Bible makes very clearly that we are held to a higher standard we
should do good things I mean if Ephesians 2 8 9 right that passage that
we all like to use for salvation it says for by grace are you saved through faith
and that not of yourself it's the gift of God not of works unless any man should
boast but then it goes on to say that we were made unto good works that we should
walk in them that we should be doing these things Jesus says if you love me
keep my commandments and I just want us to understand the importance of what's
given to us salvation so let's be good receivers of what's been given to us the
rest of the Christian world out there I don't know if you've noticed they're not
doing much for the Lord Jesus Christ they think they are they feel as if they
are but then you ask them or their neighbor about salvation and they
haven't even given their literal neighbor the gospel and it's like if you
are following a man Jesus Christ God in the form of a man who said you know the
foxes have holes and the birds have nests but the Son of Man hath nowhere to
lay his head and he's going around preaching the gospel and you think
you're better than going around and sharing your faith with others you're
ashamed of the cause of Christ because it is of utmost importance that we
emulate what he has done for us but look turn if you would one chapter to the
right Luke chapter 7 verse 36 notice what it says in Luke chapter 7 verse 36
it reads and one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him
and he went into the Pharisee's house and sat down to meet and behold a woman
in the city which was a sinner when she knew that Jesus sat at me in the
Pharisee's house brought an alabaster box of ointment and stood at his feet
being behind him weeping and began to wash his feet with hurt with tears and
did wipe them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anointed
them with the ointment now when the Pharisees which had bidden him saw it he
spake within himself saying this man if he were a prophet would have known who
and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him for she is a sinner and
Jesus answered and said unto him Simon I have something what to say unto thee
and he saith master say on there was a certain creditor which had two debtors
the one owed 500 pence and the other 50 and when they had nothing to pay he
frankly forgave them both tell me therefore which of them will love him
most Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgave most and he
said unto him thou has rightly judged and he turned to the woman and said unto
Simon see as thou this woman I entered into thine house thou gavest me no
water for my feet but she hath washed my feet with her tears and wiped them
with the hairs of her head thou gavest me no kiss but this woman since the time
I came in have not ceased to kiss my feet my head with oil thou didst not
anoint but this woman had anointed my feet with ointment wherefore I say unto
thee her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much but to whom
little is forgiven the same loveth little and he said unto her thy sins are forgiven
this passage is such a amazing passage in the bible that here's a woman who if you look at the
parallel passages she's a harlot she's a whore she is a prostitute it's calling her a sinner in
this context but it says it in other ones that she was a sinner very sin like she was a very bad
sinner and she came and saw jesus cleaned his feet with her tears kissed his feet anointed him
and all these things did she have to do this no but he goes to the pharisee's house expecting from
them what she has given them and when he went there right because the bible said in reference
to the jewish people you know you were given the oracles of the things of god you should have been
the one preaching the gospel to the lost they failed they dropped the ball in what they were
doing nevertheless here's an example of someone who understood what was given unto them because
notice what it says in verse 48 thy sins are forgiven thee jesus christ forgave her of all
the sins she has ever done which were a lot and you know i don't know for sure if he's using the
pharisees at the parallel because he says one debtor had a lot and one debtor had a little
and let's assume he's saying that the pharisees had less debt to owe they still owe they still
have something to give back but they didn't and this woman though her sins be many he forgave her
a lot and this is why i've noticed and i mentioned it last week it is better to be raised in a good
godly family to know salvation as a child to grow in your faith and to live a long christian life
and and preach the gospel as you're young and then continue all the way to the end but there
are lots of people who have not had that blessing that good gift from above to have been saved as a
young child and understood what is bestowed on them and got saved later on in life and they had
lots of problems in their life before salvation but their sins though they were many they were
able to now realize what was given under them think about the apostle paul the apostle paul was
a pharisee of the pharisees above all his equals went around persecuting the church of god killing
people imprisoning them but once he got saved he became what's known as arguably one of the
greatest christians that ever lived he realized what was important he realized that unto whom
much was given of him would much be required and we need to follow that same example let's be good
receivers of what's been bestowed upon us look down at turn if you went to first samuel 25
here's a bad example of someone in the bible being a bad receiver notice what it says
in first samuel chapter 25
verse one let me drink some water really quick
first samuel chapter 25 verse 1 it reads and samuel died and all the israelites were gathered
together and lamented him and buried him in his house at rama and david arose and went down to
the wilderness of peran and there was a man in mayon whose possessions were in carmel and the
man was very great and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats and he was shearing
his sheep in carmel now the name of the man was navel and the name of his wife abigail and she
was a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance but the man was churlish
and evil in his doings and he was of the house of caleb and david heard in the wilderness that navel
did shear his sheep and david sent out ten young men and david said unto the young men get you up
to carmel and go to navel and greet him in my name and thus shall ye say to him that liveth
in prosperity peace be both to thee and peace be to thine house and peace be unto all that thou hast
and now i have heard that thou has shearers now thy shepherds which were with us we hurt them not
neither was their aunt missing unto them all the while they were in carmel ask thy young men and
they will show thee wherefore let the young man find favor in thine eyes for we come in a good
day give i pray thee whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants and to thy son david and
when david's young men came they spake to navel according to all those words in the name of david
and seized so i'm gonna pause really quick let's get context right i mean it seems pretty
self-explanatory there's not a lot of hard vocabulary the one hard vocabulary word i remember
was churlish i was looking i had to figure that out but it just basically means you're like a rude
arrogant person and you know david has these men samuel just died and he's found that there's a
person of israel who needs protecting of his flock because you got to remember at this time
in history you know the cananites the hiveites the perizzites the jebesites they're at war with
israel there's there's like border wars all the time they're trying to always infiltrate and get
in and cover land so saul the king was supposed to be going around and protecting the border of
israel but david in this scenario was able to protect navel's field it talks about what he has
he's protecting his area did he have to do this no this was saul's job saul is supposed to be
protecting the people of israel nevertheless david took it upon him to do this and we're gonna see
what navel's reaction was after david had done this notice what it says in verse nine
and when david's young men came they spake to navel according to all those words in the name
of david and seized and navel answered to david's servants and said who is david and who is the son
of jesse there be many servants nowadays that break away every man from his master shall i then
take my bread and my water and my flesh that i have killed for my shepherd shearers and give it
unto men whom i know not whence they be so david's young men turned their way and went again and came
and told him all those things and david said unto his young men gird ye on every man his sword and
they girded on every man his sword and david also girded on his sword and there went up after david
about 400 men and 200 men abode by the stuff but one of the young men told abigail navel's wife
saying behold david sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master and he railed on
them but the men were very good unto us and we were and we were not hurt neither missed we
anything as long as we were conversant with them when we were in the fields they were a wall unto
us both by night and day all the while we were with them keeping the sheep now therefore know
and consider what thou will to do for evil is determined against us our master and against all
his household for he is such a son of belial that a man cannot speak to him i'm going to pause
again so notice navel's response right once again did david have to do what he did no but david was
trying to be a good stewart and he obviously had men able-bodied men to protect this section of
land and he was willing to do it now disclaimer understand this remember you don't give to expect
something in return right but i believe if you notice navel's response it says in verse 11
shall i then take my bread and my water and my flesh that i have killed for my sheerest what's
every other word out of his mouth my me i blabble it's he's constantly thinking like he has
possession to all this stuff he doesn't understand that every good gift came from above and i believe
that if navel wasn't so churlish or rough about his response i'm sure king david not at that time
he was just david would have been willing to just be like it's okay like could you imagine i went
and protected someone's fields from other people stealing their harvest and i came up to the owner
and i said hey can i have some food for my men because we protected you guys and we're hungry
they need to eat and the guy's like i'm sorry i can't i don't i don't have enough to give
i don't have i can't give you anything because we i barely have enough to feed my family
do you really think i'd get loud and proud and arrogant and go try to kill that guy
no i wouldn't be like well no worries i'll just take your stuff no it's his response that got
david to get fired up like oh yeah you think you own all this stuff you think you're like some big
shot navel you you're a child of belial a child of the devil that's basically what that's saying
so he's like okay i'll just take everything and how about that now that's not a good response
i will say this because the bible will continue and tell us that praise the lord as it said of
abigail she was a wise and understanding woman and prevented this from happening why because
he would have spilled blood and that would not have been right of david to do let's keep reading
notice what it says
in verse 13 and david said unto his men gird ye on every man his sword and they girded on
every man his sword and david also girded on his sword and there went up after david about 400 men
and 200 abode by the stuff but one of the young men told ab oh i'm sorry i have to go back to 18
go to verse 18 then abigail made haste and took 200 loaves and two bottles of wine and five sheep
ready dressed and five measures of parched corn and 100 clusters of raisins and 200 cakes of figs
and laid them on asses and she said unto her servants go on before me behold i come after you
but she told not her husband navel and it was so as she wrote on the ass that she came down by the
covert of the hill and behold david and his men came down against her and she met them now david
had said surely in vain have i kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness so that nothing was
missed of all that pertained unto him and he hath required me evil for good so and more also do god
unto the enemies of david if i leave of all that pertained to him by the morning light any that
pisseth against the wall and when abigail saw david she hasted did she say she walked or did
said she hated she ran to him and let it off the ass and fell down before before david on her face
and bowed herself to the ground and fell at his feet and said upon me my lord upon me let this
iniquity be and let thine handmaid i pray thee speak in thine audience and hear the words of
thine handmaid notice how humble this abigail's being she runs over jumps off the donkey flies
herself on the ground and says please listen to me don't don't make any rash decision just just
listen please let my lord i pray thee verse 25 regard this man of belial even navel for as his
name is so is he navel is his name and folly is with him but i thine handmaid saw not the young
men of my lord whom thou did send now therefore my lord as the lord liveth and as thy soul liveth
seeing the lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood and from avenging thyself with
thine own hand now let thine enemies and they that seek evil to my lord be as navel and now this
blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord let it even be given unto the young men
that follow my lord i pray thee forgive the trespass of thine handmaid for the lord will
certainly make my lord a sure house because my lord fighteth the battles of the lord and evil
hath been found in thee i'm sorry and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days yet a man is
risen to pursue thee and to seek thy soul but the soul of my lord lowercase lord she's speaking of
david shall be bound in the bundle of life with the lord god thy god and the souls of thine enemies
them shall he sling out as thou as out of the middle of a sling and it shall come to pass when
the lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee
and shall have appointed thee ruler over israel that this shall be no grief unto thee nor offense
of heart unto my lord neither that thou has shed blood costless or that my lord hath avenged
himself but when the lord shall have dealt well with my lord then remember thine handmaid and
david said to abigail blessed be the lord god of israel which sent thee this day to me and blessed
be thy advice blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from
avenging myself with mine own hand for in very deed as the lord god of israel liveth which hath
kept me back from hurting thee except thou hast hastened and come to me come to meet me surely
there had not been left unto navel by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall so david
received of her hand that which he had brought him and said unto her go up in peace to thine house
see i have hearkened to thy voice and have accepted thy person abigail came to navel now
i'm going to pause one more time navel or i'm sorry abigail begs david to have mercy
to to not take vengeance upon himself because he would be in sin in doing this she knows her
husband navel is a child of the devil she knows he's a horrible person and she's like i know
you're the lord that the lord will appoint to be king one day and so one day so that you don't have
this blood on your hands just take all these offerings take all these things she was a good
receiver she had mentioned that had she known what david's men had done she would have just
offered them to him anyways because she understood the importance of being a good receiver of what
was given to her protection keeping the flock from getting stolen or anything like that because
there's an investment made i kind of see this as a work trade you know like i said you don't have to
go and do something like this and then expect something in return but he went and protected
the fields in hopes that he would get food i i believe that's what he was doing i heard a story
one time from my old church faithful word baptist church of now uh uh deceased brother gregory and
it's a really cool story that kind of reminds me of this he used to um when he was a kid go around
and uh go to certain trees and there's like this certain bug that was on the trees and it would
kill the tree he'd go and pick all the bugs off and then he would go up to the door and be like hey
you can purchase these bugs in this jar or i'm gonna go put them back on your tree so basically
he was saying because i was nice enough to take the bugs off your tree now you get to have your
tree but if you don't pay me i'm gonna put the bugs back on your tree and they're gonna kill the
tree it's kind of a mess of analogy but it was just a way to kind of show that he was trying to
save the tree but you know i when i heard that story it reminded me of this david just kind of
volunteered himself and was like i'm gonna protect this guy's field in hopes that i get some food and
i get some food in return but like i mentioned before i'd assume that if navel wasn't such a
churlish man he would have been like ah don't worry about it we'll go on and move forward you
know but notice what it goes on to read in verse 36 and abigail came to navel and behold he held
a feast in his house like the feast of a king navel's heart was merry within him for he was
very drunken wherefore she told him nothing else or more until the morning light but it came to
pass in the morning when the wine was gone out of navel and his wife had told him these things that
his heart died within himself and he became as a stone and it came to pass about 10 days after that
the lord smote navel that he died what does the bible say vengeance belongeth to me i will repay
could you imagine that david took it upon himself to have killed this guy in advance
and then the lord's wrath would have been upon david rather abigail was wise enough to educate
david say don't do this the lord will reward him according to his ways and he did so we need to
remember that if people if we go and give gifts to people right don't expect anything in return
but they're rude gruff mean and arrogant with us we don't need to take it upon ourselves
to settle the score to make it right i give someone you know a soda at work and then they
make it their life's goal to destroy me at work they're trying to like i don't know find ways to
shave hours off of my time or whatever the case may be i'm not going to be like oh yeah let's go
buddy i'm going to let the lord protect me the bible says i've not seen the righteous forsaken
nor his seed begging bread if we in our lives just go around doing the right thing giving
and when people give us stuff be good receivers then we're gonna have right standings with god
the horse is prepared under the day of battle but safety is of the lord and that's an example
we can see in this story of abigail being a good receiver but not only that turn if you would to
job
job chapter two i should have said that job chapter two and
with the subject of giving and being good receivers you got to remember that every
good gift comes from above but it's also possible that you're giving something bad
you have to be ready to receive something that you don't like that you don't want that you think
is bad but the lord knows what's best for us and there are times in our life when we beg the lord
for things like you know god please help me get this car this super nice lamborghini it would be
so helpful to just be able to zoom around in town at 80 miles per hour i just really want it and the
lord's like not happening you ain't getting no lamborghini but then you get you know a mom van
with like eight seats in the back and he's like what i want you to do is to fill this up with
people to go out and preach the gospel and go the speed limit so you're not risking getting a ticket
and spending money into the system and getting caught in the mess so see the lord can choose
to give us good and bad things so we need to remember that when we as receivers get bad things
let's be grateful because you think you know best i think i know best everyone thinks they know best
but our heart is desperately wicked and who can really know it and we know that if you have two
kids and one kid gets everything and one kid has hardship in their life it builds character and
suffering the kid that gets everything is going to become a monster because when they get everything
they want they will not appreciate anything they're going to expect everything from people
and it's just not a good it's a recipe for disaster to give a child everything they want
the kid that's in the store that's screaming for a candy bar give me a candy bar give me a candy bar
and you give them a candy bar you're basically creating a monster so when you don't get the
candy bar kids you got to remember your parents are trying to do what's best for you you don't
need candy at two in the afternoon you don't need to be eating sugar and destroying your teeth
it's okay to get candy from time to time but if your parents say no it's because they're looking
out for you and just like with us have we asked the lord for things and he says no thank you there
must be something i don't understand why you're choosing that to give this to me and job understood
this job is one of the best examples of someone who understood how to receive gracefully paul
says elsewhere in the new testament i know how to abound and i know how to be full i'm content in
all things in every aspect of our life whether we have or we don't have let's be content what
does it say in job chapter 2 verse 1 again there was a day when the sons of god came to the to
present themselves before the lord and satan came also among them to present himself before the lord
and the lord said unto satan from whence comest thou and satan answered the lord and said from
going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it and the lord said unto seen
hast thou considered my servant job that there is none like him in the earth a what perfect and
upright man one that feareth god and what escheweth evil i'm going to pause there really quick
because this is another good point as a sub point to just get into perfect in the bible doesn't mean
sinless perfect just means complete he was a well-rounded person and being well-rounded
means that you eschew evil or hate that which is evil hate the things of the devil hate sin
hate false prophets hate false religion so for christians to go around thinking that we're
supposed to be all-inclusive and we're supposed to accept the world and how they worship god and
hindus and and buddhists and false christianity and you're supposed to love them no we are
supposed to hate false prophets we are supposed to hate false religion eschew evil when a pedophile
gets caught off the hook and gets out of the jail system we shouldn't be like oh we should have
sympathy for that guy no he deserves to be brought out back and shot because anybody who would defile
a child jesus christ has said it were better that a millstone were hung about his neck and that he
was cast into the sea that's jesus christ saying that so you think i'm better than jesus when
jobe who's called a perfect man excuse evil when jesus said i've come not to bring peace but a
sword in reference to division like i said sub note but that's a good point i think this passage
is also pushing that joe being perfect also hated evil so we need to learn to hate evil in our lives
and it goes on to read and eschew evil and still he hold his fast his integrity although he movest
me against him to destroy him without cause and satan answered the lord and said skin for skin
ye all that a man hath will he give for his life but put forth thine hand now and touch his bone
and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face and the lord said unto satan behold he is in thine
hand but save his life so when satan so went satan forth from the presence of the lord and
smote joe with sore boils from the sole of his foot under his crown and he took him a potsherd
to scrape with all and he did sat down among the ashes then said his wife unto him does thou still
retain that integrity curse god and die but he said unto her thou speakest as one of the foolish
women speaketh what shall we receive good at the hand of the lord and shall we not receive evil
and all this did not joe sin with his lips so clearly a perfect example of someone who
understoods naked came i into this world and naked shall i return for the lord gives and the
lord takes away blessed be the name of the lord because that's another thing that we've got to
remember that a gift is not just something that is financial it's not just something that is
material a gift could be taking something from someone or giving i think the best gift anyone
could give anyone is your time and your um your attempt like listening to them because if i give
you my time that's the commodity we'll never get back right when i give someone my time and my
attention then that's the best thing i can offer someone i mean what really is money i mean you
get a piece of paper that says 20 20 what it's 20 measurements of unit that we would equate to time
right you've heard of jobs that pay 20 an hour so basically when i hand you a 20 bill what i'm
saying is here's an hour of my time that i want you to have that i spent doing something but i
want you to have this hour of time i could spend on whatever i want but i want you to have it so
it's i'm not saying don't give money or don't give material things i'm saying you don't only
have to give those things those aren't the only things that can be considered a gift taking
something from someone is a prime example i mean i have friends where you know they're drug addicts
and i go up and i take their stuff from them and i throw it in the trash i'm like what are you doing
man like you're taking my stuff and i'm like yeah i'm giving you a gift i'm taking what's destroying
your life and i'm trying to get you straight and if you don't understand what i'm doing now
one day you will thank me for what i've done and there's too many people who going around
enabling bad behavior and they're not taking from the kid the candy bar taking from the child
something that they did wrong taking from a friend who's a trunk who's a crackhead who has
problems with pornography who has problems with whatever the case may be i mean for crying out
loud people who like smartphones for instance right i don't think everyone needs a smartphone
for crying out loud it's a it's a tool for good and it's also a tool for evil and i remember
when my sister got out of jail i told her to get a phone to contact my wife and me to get in contact
with her mother so that we could stay connected but i said do not get a smartphone do not get on
social media get yourself a flip phone and just call us that's it that's all you need you don't
need to be on the internet you don't need to be on facebook you don't need to be looking around
and what's going on on youtube or whatever all you need to do is stick your nose in the bible
go home and call your loved ones that's all you need to do but she didn't listen and you know
what it destroyed her and it's not just her it's lots of people lots of people the phone can be
used as a tool for good but it could be used as a tool for evil and i like that they're so
breakable because sometimes when the phone drops and it cracks it's like ah too bad i guess you
gotta go get a flip phone now which they make flip phones like more expensive nowadays i don't
know if you noticed i i went to go get a flip phone one time and it was like more expensive
to get than a smartphone and i'm like oh i see what's going on here you want people to have
access to all this information plus it's a gps tracker and you can be tracked another sermon for
another time but what i'm trying to get at is taking someone from something from someone can
be considered a gift as well turn if you would to matthew 25. jesus explains this to us in matthew
that it's not just physical things that can be considered a gift matthew chapter 25
verse 31 matthew 25 verse 31 it says when the son of man shall come in his glory and all the
holy angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him
shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd
divided his sheep from the goats and he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the
left then shall the king say unto them on his right hand come ye blessing of my father inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for i was in hungered and he gave me
meat i was thirsty and he gave me drink i was a stranger and he took me in naked and he clothed
me i was sick and he visited me i was in prison and you and you came unto me then shall the
righteous answer him saying lord when saw we thee in hunger and fed thee or thirsty and gave the
drink when saw we the a stranger and took the in or naked and clothed thee or when saw we the sick
and in prison and came unto thee and the king shall answer and say unto them verily i say unto
you and so much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren you have done it
unto me then shall he say also unto them on the left hand depart from me curse into everlasting
fire prepared for the devil and his angels for i was in hungered and he gave me no meat i was
thirsty and he gave me no drink i was a stranger and he took me not in naked and he clothed me not
sick and in prison and he visited me not then shall they and also answer him saying lord when
saw we thee in hungered or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and and did not
minister into thee then shall he answer them saying verily i say unto you and so much as he
did it not to one of these least least of these he did it not to me and these shall go away into
everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal so there's so many examples food
ramen time right someone's in prison and you go to them they're just there for them pure religion
and undefiled before god and the father is this that you visit the fatherless and widows in the
reflections and that you keep yourself unspotted from the world like i said giving your time could
be the best thing you could give somebody but being a good receiver when someone's trying to
give you their time don't be ungrateful when someone's trying to give you knowledge information
remember what's the verse that we're going to be memorizing this week receive my instruction and
not silver and knowledge rather than choice gold i'd rather be in a room of people who are trying
to bestow upon me wisdom than money and i've said this before you want to try to destroy someone's
life give them money they'll destroy themselves the love of money is the root of all evil which
will some coveted after they have earned from the faith pierce themselves through with many sorrows
so obviously we as christians and people can be responsible with their money but what i'm trying
to get at is time i believe is the best commodity we can give to each other we have time where we
fellowship we have time where we come and hear the word of god preach we have time where we
go out and preach the gospel to the lost so when we receive these things like church like singing
hymns like fellowshipping let's be good receivers of what's been given to us but turn if you would
to romans 12 this is the conclusion this is where i want you to end up on
let's share the message let's go out and share the message of salvation let's be good receivers
let's go out of our way because when it's hot and rainy and life's hard and things are going
not according to plan let's still go soul winning let's still go preach the gospel because you're
having a bad day means that your neighbor gets to go to hell right because you're hot because
you're sticky because whatever the case may be but let's not us you know suppress what's given
to us let's be good receivers of what we've been given but notice what it says in romans chapter 12
verse 1 i beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of god that ye present your what
bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable in the god which is your what
reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of god for i say
through the grace what given unto me to every man that is among you not to think of himself more
highly than he ought to think but to think soberly according as god has dealt to every man the measure
of faith for as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office so we
being many are one body in christ and every one members one of another having then what gifts
differing according to the grace that is given to us whether prophecy let us prophesy according to
the proportion of faith or ministry let us wait on our ministering or he that teacheth on teaching
or he that exhorteth on exhortation he that giveth let him do it with simplicity he that ruleth with
diligence he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness let love be without dissimulation abhor that which
is evil and cleave to that which is good isn't it funny that the very last verse right here in verse
nine says the same thing job said or about job abhor that which is evil cleave to that which is
good so if we as brothers and sisters in christ have different abilities and gifts that were
bestowed upon us some of us are good talkers some of us are good teachers some of us are financially
blessed some of us have lots of time on our hands some of us have lots of different things that we
all can contribute to the cause of christ together but don't look at someone who has something you
don't have and covet that don't be like oh i wish i had as so much as as much money as so and so
so that i could do this with my money look if the lord wanted you to have that money you'd have it
if you were to have that time he'd let you have that time if the lord every good gift comes from
above like the passage said in james who we first started with but regardless of whatever stayed in
life we are in man woman boy girl husband grandma grandpa whoever you are we can all find time in
our lives to shave off to go preach the gospel to the lost because if our gospel be hid it is
hid to them that are lost let us be good receivers of what's been bestowed upon us it is given unto
us the ministry of reconciliation so let us like i said be good receivers bow our heads and have
a word of prayer dear heavenly father thank you so much for your word thank you so much for the
gift of eternal life and while that we were yet sinners you died for us help us to in to remember
what's bestowed upon us and the importance of wanting to be pleasing unto you and sharing
the message of salvation with others please be with us for the rest of the day that we
have good fellowship and all our conversations are pleasing to you
in jesus christ name we pray amen