Amen so in second Samuel 17 we've got this story here about these characters a hit the fell and who shine if you remember
Who's shy in the story is a good guy if you were?
Because remember back in chapter 15
I'll just remind us that when who shy which was David's friend went to him David actually sent him back into
Jerusalem to kind of be like a spy to kind of be counter-intelligence there
He said in chapter 15 you'll return to the city and say unto Absalom
I will be thy servant of King as I've been thy father's servant hitherto
So now will I now also be thy servant that thou mayest thou that thou excuse me?
Then mayest thou for me defeat the council of a hit the fell
So you got to kind of keep that in mind the stories are reading it that who shy is actually on David's side now
It doesn't really sound like it when you kind of read the advice that he's giving here
And and we'll get into that here in a minute
but I want to look at these two characters a hit the fell and who shy and really I want to focus in on a hit the
fell and
What we see first of all with the hit the fell is that this guy's a very very proud guy
He's a very proud man, and if you notice there in verses 1 through 3 it says there
I'm over a hit the fell said unto Absalom
Let me now choose out twelve thousand men and I will arise and pursue after David this night
And I will come upon him while he was weary and
Weakened it and will make him afraid and all the people that are with him shall flee and I will smite the king only and
I will bring back all the people so you can kind of see what a hit the fell is up to here
He really just wants to go do this because he wants you know all the self-enggrandizement
He wants to be lauded he wants to be praised. He wants to be lifted up
He wants to be the one that you know sent David and his mighty men to flight right it killed the mighty King David
And you can kind of see here when who shy kind of gives him his advice
He kind of talked some sense into him and says that's not how that's gonna go at all
We just read that but you can get a sense here what hit the fell is like he's a very proud man
Because he's just all about you know, I'm gonna do it I'll go do this and we have to remember that you know
Well, let me just make this point here is that hit the fell actually is a fool when you think about it now when you
Read chapter 16 verse 23
You might not think that it says in verse 23 in the council to hit the fell
Which he counseled in those days was as if a man acquired at the Oracle of God
So was all the council to hit the fell
So when it says there they was as if a man acquired at the Oracles of God that doesn't mean he was actually speaking as
An Oracle of God. Okay, because you gotta remember what was his advice at the end of chapter 16 where he had bought
You know, we won't take the time to read it, but he advises, you know
Absalom to go in unto David's concubines now that was a very smart political move, but that's not something God, you know had intended
That's not of course. I was part of God's judgment, but that wasn't necessarily something that was you know
Good solid advice that wasn't something that was godly or edifying
That was just something that he said
Hey, you know you need to go do that because it's gonna show people that you are in charge
So when it's saying there that he's you know that he is as the Oracle of God
You know what? I believe that's just that when it hit the fell would say something people just say, you know
It's as it said as if the Lord said it, you know, it's just it's written in stone
It's a hit the fell said it, you know
Then you got to know it's right and that's just how people perceive this guy
And you can kind of see how that would go to somebody's head, you know
We're at this guy where everything you say everybody just obeys and does it
Everyone's always coming to him trying to get his take on the situation trying to get you know, what what what what?
You know what course of action should we take? Well, let's go ask a hit the fell
You know, he'll straighten us out and you can see how this would make him a very proud person
Okay, but in reality, he's a fool because one he's sitting here saying look
I'm just gonna take you know, I'm gonna take with me
You know 12,000 men and I'm gonna go and just single-handedly me and my 12,000 men are just gonna put the flight David and all
Everyone on his side and we're only gonna have to kill David and we're gonna bring everybody else back
Like they're just gonna see him go over there and defeat David and then all David's valiant men are just gonna go
Well, you know what? We're on we're with the hit the fell now. We're gonna switch over to Absalom side
It's just not reality and it goes to show you that this guy is actually a fool
You know if you would go over to Proverbs chapter 16 Proverbs chapter 16
Because we under we see in the story what happens to hit the fell in the long run
you know he ends up hanging himself and it's kind of this just out of nowhere like
You hear just at his reaction to who shy it's you know
Council is just over the top
You would think oh, okay
Maybe he's a little upset but he goes home and he writes his last will and testament and then literally just hangs himself
Which is you would read that and whenever I read that I'm thinking that's kind of an overreaction
You know
but it's because this guy is so proud this guy has so much pride and he's so full of himself because he's so used to
People coming to him and saying it's as if the counsel of God, you know, he's as as the Oracle of God speaking here
The Bible says when pride cometh then cometh shame right you're over there in Proverbs
16
The Bible says in Proverbs 14 in the mouth of the fool of the foolish is what a rod of pride in the mouth of
The foolish is a rod of pride and now what's so what's that rod there?
You know rod is something that you use to beat somebody with you know
A rod is something that you bring harm against somebody
The Bible says that in the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride
Now they use their words they use their mouth to do harm to other people and that's exactly what you see a hit the fell
Doing in the story, you know
He's giving counsel and he's saying look we're gonna go over there and we're gonna beat David and he's giving all this advice on how
He's gonna win this war, but really what he's showing is that he's a fool because in his mouth is the rod of pride
And he's somebody who just really thinks a little too highly of himself
Bible says, you know if a man think of himself to be something when he has nothing he deceived with himself
But you're there in Proverbs chapter 16. Look at verse 18 pride goeth before destruction
We all know this verse and we've all heard it pride goeth before destruction and in haughty spirit before a fall
And isn't that exactly what you see taking place with this guy it hit the fell, you know, it's very lifted up
I'm gonna go do this. I'm gonna beat David. I'm gonna bring everybody back
I'm gonna be the man, you know, everyone thinks that I have all you know
I'm as if the Oracle of God speaking here
But what happens is this fall where he actually loses his life?
And that's the other thing we got to look at here in the story. So he gives this advice
You know how he's gonna go do it. Hey Absalom. You just stay here. I got this. I'll take care of David
You know, he's he's a nobody which is ridiculous
Just shows how foolish and puffed up and arrogant this guy is to think that he's just gonna go take out David and these all
These warriors that he has with them
But that's what he says, you know
I'm gonna go do this and of course who shy speaks up in verse 7 and he tells them you know that this isn't gonna
work and he makes his case and then you've got a hit the fell eventually, you know when when they side with
Who shy's advice he goes in verse 23 and when if the fell saw that his counsel was not followed
He saddled his ass and arose and got him to his house to his city and put his household in order and hanged himself
And died and was buried in the sepulcher of his father
I mean has anybody else just read that and think well that escalated quickly, you know that I didn't see that coming
You know just I mean be like you get this little bit of criticism
There's a little bit of pushback and it's just like well, that's it. I'm just gonna kill myself
You know and it that's this and we'll get into that here but you know, he's killing himself
I believe because of his pride, you know because the like the Bible says, you know, howdy spirit become before a fall, right?
We just read it, you know, he that's you know, when pride cometh then cometh shame. All right
So he hung himself because you know, he was a proud man now some people might make the objection say well, no he hung himself
Because of the fact that you know, he knew David was gonna win
But I don't I don't agree with that
I think that what especially when you consider the case that who shy makes right because he's saying look that plans not gonna work
You need to get everyone you need to get all Israel from Dan unto Beersheba
Which means the entire kingdom right get everybody together and then we'll go fight David
and of course
we know how in verse 14 Absalom and all the men of Israel said the council of who shy the Archite is better than the
Council of the Hithophel for the last Lord at the point of defeat the good counsel of Hithophel
They said his advice is better, right? And what was his advice?
Look, don't just go over there with 11,000 guys and think you're just gonna beat them
You know, they're they're chaffed in their mind or chafed in their minds or as there is a bear
Well, the bear robbed over whelps, you know, they're in some pit somewhere. They're upset and they're looking for vengeance
You know, they're mad right? This isn't gonna work
You need to get everybody together and go over there and again that that advice, you know
It's hard when you if you didn't know the story of who shy you think this is David's friend
you know David sends him it's kind of humorous you think about it like
David sends him over there to like defeat the council to hit the fell and hit the fell is just like well
We'll just go over the 11,000 man 11,000 men and beat him and who shy is like no, let's get everybody
Let's get the entire kingdom together and then go over there
You can kind of imagine maybe David like hearing that going he said what like there, you know, I could take 11,000
He's saying get the whole whole crew together and go over there. But what's going on? Of course is that he's stalling, right?
He's making he's making it so there's time to go there and he tells Absalom, you know
You've got to go over there, too
So that's kind of you can kind of see the strategy that who shy has there that he's actually making a point of one
stalling to get everybody together giving David a time to escape and get you know
Get himself ready and then to making sure that Absalom's over there in the battle
Whereas the hit the fell is like hey Absalom you stay here, right?
But who shy is like well if we can get Absalom over there
Then we can just take out Absalom and and that'll be it, you know
If you can just take out the leader, you can defeat everybody. Everyone will come around so that was you can kind of see why?
Hit the fell his you know was his counsel was defeated why who shy you know was preferred, you know
What the so I don't think that's why I hit the fell hung himself because he thought well, you know
This isn't gonna work because you know, you know, David's gonna win. He didn't know the outcome
I believe they hung himself because he's full of pride because who shy's plan actually makes more sense strategically
I mean, that's why they went along with it. They're thinking yeah, that makes a lot more sense to just get all these people over there
That's a sure thing and will surely beat him. So I don't think it was because you know, he knew David would win
He hung himself because he's you know, a proud man
But I want you to notice also that him hanging himself was self-imposed
You know, that wasn't something that God intended even because if you look at the end of verse 14
It says there for the count the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of hit the fell
To the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom. So Absalom is the one he's trying to you know, God is dealing with and
Here you have hit the fell going. He's just kind of like collateral damage. You know, he's just kind of a byproduct
This wasn't God's intent
I mean, I'm not sure that it was really bothered the Lord or anything that this wicked guy did this
But this wasn't something that God did you wanted, you know intended to happen
This is something that who shy or excuse me hit the fell took upon himself to do because he was such a proud man
And really there's a lesson here to learn about this, you know, and that is this is that you need to stay far away from
Rebels you stay far away from Absalom's in your life because they will drag you down they will ruin your life
You know whenever you see somebody kind of you know
Getting away from God and being rebellious against the Lord rebellious against the things of God get away from that person because you know
There's just collateral damage. It's gonna take place and there's a lot of stories in the Bible about this
You know one you could think of is is
Aiken right when he coveted after the Babylonian garment and the wedge of gold right that when they took down Jericho and God said don't
Touch any of it and he took it and then what happened his whole family gets wiped out, right?
They all take him to the valley of a core and they stone them all to death and burn them and pile rocks
Upon them, you know
There's stories like that in the scripture and this is one of them here where we've seen that people want to team up with wicked
People it actually comes back on their own head, you know, it actually brings harm and destruction in their own life
You know in a real practical example of this would be let's say, you know godly young people, right?
And we've got quite a few them in this room godly young people who you know get tired of the Bible
And it's rules they get tired of mom and dad and their rules
They get tired of trying to have them to live some Christian life, you know
They just want to cut loose and then they start to you know, rub elbows with other people who are a little you know
Who don't have the same morals that don't have the same principles who don't believe the same things that we believe and you know
They start living a very wicked life, right and you know, you know girls that might think oh, you know
I want to get with the bad boy, right?
They want to they want to be edgy and get with the bad boy out there
They don't want that the nice Christian kid, right the nice Christian young man
because he's just not as exciting or something like that, which is a foolish thought and
And you know, they want to get with an Absalom, you know who grows out his hair and it's just cool and everybody loves him
He's new in town. He's the he's the new kid on the block. He's real hip all that
He's edgy, right and that's who they're attracted to
They like that that thought of the thrill that excitement right of getting with the bad boy
But is you know, that's what we kind of see happening here with the hit the fell now
Not in the same way, of course, right, but but isn't that what he kind of said?
Hey, you know Absalom comes along and he calls for him. He's like, yeah, I'm gonna go along with this
We're gonna we're gonna throw off King David
We're gonna get away from him and get out from under his reign and we're gonna do our own thing
Right, but how did it end with it for a hit the felt? Did it end very well?
No, he ends up, you know killing himself
Now I'm not saying if you go chasing, you know, the the bad boy
You're gonna end up committing suicide or something like that. But look it could have some serious
Bad effect, you know serious negative effects on your life, couldn't it?
You know you like that bad boy and how cool he is
But when he gets what he wants and leaves you, you know high and dry, you know bouncing a baby on your knee
He's not he then you're good then it's gonna be oh he's bad in another way and not in the cool way
Now you're gonna realize he's a bad boy and you know what that's what he is it's a bad boy
Right, and that's all these a lot of these guys ever are just boys
We just do what they want and just please themselves. They don't care about anybody else, you know, here's the thing bad boys
You know what? They don't make good men do they bad boys don't make good men, you know
You should look for the good man
You should look for the good woman who's gonna be a good spouse a good provider a good, you know homemaker a good
You know
You know parent to your children. That's what you should be concerned about not just getting with you know
Absalom over there with this with this cool haircut or something like that
You should be look a little bit deeper than just what's on the surface, you know, he wears this leather jacket
I'm not against you wear a leather jacket. All right, you're not
You're not a rebel, you know, but he rides a motorcycle no helmet, you know
He's got a leather jacket and he's just bad to the bone
I'm just gonna get with him and just make mom and dad mad. Well, you know that might not turn out so well for you
You know when he when he leaves and takes off and leaves you with a baby or you know
Some kind of disease or you know
Just takes your purity or something like that or gets you into who knows what right?
and that's a lesson that can be learned here from a hit the fell is this guy thinks so I'm just gonna get with
Absalom and and we're gonna we're gonna take over and just do our own thing
You know, it didn't go so well and really it doesn't go so well for Absalom either. We're gonna see that here next week
So stay away from these rebels in your life
You know in your personal life or you know, even in a church setting, you know
When you have a group of people that start to cause problems within a church, you know
you should distance yourself from those people and
and and not try to like, you know be some kind of a mediator between
Between them and in church leadership, you know
I'm just gonna go hang out at their house for a few hours just to get their side of the story
You know, that's not a good look, you know and that and that's that's you know
Usually that's a telltale sign that you're not really with the leadership, you know
And we've seen things like that
But stay away from these people in your personal life stay away from in the churches and you know
You'll be a lot better for it because these Absaloms, you know, they you know
They're gonna bring more harm into your life in the long run
Then you you care to have they're there, you know, they might seem cool at the time
But in the long run, you know, there's gonna be a lot of grief and heartache, you know
The same thing goes for young men too, you know young men who are looking for you know
A spouse or something like that, you know, you should probably find somebody, you know, who's a Christian
Probably find somebody who believes the way you believe and not just go for you know, the you know, the floozy
you know the girl who's just living loose and
It doesn't have any morals, you know, because if she's willing to be you know that
Promiscuous with you who's to say she's gonna take her vows very seriously, you know, maybe she'll decide
Hey, I'm gonna go get with another guy after she marries you
You know when she starts having kids or you know has one or two and says well this isn't for me anymore
You know, it's gonna be a lot of heartache
So you need to really think about that when you people get with these absolons in life things don't typically do not go very well
Now we're just kind of making some application with the hit the fell
The other thing I want to look at and kind of focus in on here is that you know
I hit the fell is a very proud man
But at the same time I hit the fell was a snowflake
Okay, hit the fell is a snowflake and probably everybody in here knows what I mean by that
I'm not talking about you know, he was pretty and unique or something like that
You know snowflake and that you know, he thinks he's unique
But he's just this delicate little snowflake that if you just just just so ever so gently just breathe on him
Just you know, he just melt
Right. He's somebody and when I say it when I say somebody's a snowflake what I mean is that he's somebody who can't take
Criticism somebody who can't take correction somebody who can't take rebuke and look we don't want to be like this in life
you will not go far in life if you're somebody who cannot handle correction and
It hit the fell is one of them and really in the story
No one really even corrects the hit the fell right if you look there in verse 7
It's just this just this you know, it's I would wouldn't even call it criticism
But even if you set call the criticism, it's so mild. It's just so
Gentle, right and who shy said unto Absalom well verse 6 and when who shy was come to Absalom Absalom spake on him saying
It hit the fell hath spoken after this manner shall we do after his saying if not speak thou and
Who should I said unto Absalom the council that a hit the fell hath given is not good at this time?
That's not a very hard saying is it that I mean if you heard somebody say and he's kind of giving him up
He's kind of throwing my bone. Look it's not you didn't say that's the worst thing
I've ever heard that who came up with that. That's guys an idiot
This is just the dumbest thing anyone's ever proposed or what's wrong with you?
Examine like why it's good thing. I came along and made sure that you guys didn't follow that advice because that's terrible advice
Is that what he said? No, he said his his counsel is not good and then he throw that in there at this time
He's kind of trying to give him credit say, you know, there's other times when you could listen to hit the fell
You know and it's just this I wouldn't even call it criticism. It's just so gentle, but this guy can't handle it
He's such a snowflake that he ends up hanging himself
Right over just this little just like hey, it's not that good you might want to consider something else
Well, here's what I think and he just can't stand the fact that you know
This this Johnny come lately this new guy comes around cuz you have to remember it hit the fell
You know, he was David's counselor
We won't take the time to go there
If you went to first chronicles chapter 27 the Bible tells us you don't have to go there that it hit the fell was
David's counselor and who shy was his companion. So who shy is not even like in his cabinet
He's just somebody and we read here, you know in chapter 16 where they call him David's friend
That's why and there's a whole nother sermon right there that I don't have time to preach
But that's why Absalom doesn't bother with who shy because he knows he's loyal
He's a friend to David, but he goes after hit the fell because he's his counselor, right?
And he's just all about you know, his own self and promoting himself
But that's that's what triggers a hit the fell in this he's like, well man, I was like the king's counselor, right?
That's what it said there
The end of chapter 16 verse 23. So was all the council of a hit fell both with David and with Absalom, right?
This guy's got clout. This guy's got weight
he's got you know some pull and
He can't stand the fact that just who shy comes along who's just you know
David's companion David's friend didn't really hold a public office as coming along and and they're going with his advice
And he's and he's kind of just telling him. Well, you know, it's not that good of an idea and it just triggers it triggers him
Because it hit the fellas one of these people that's just accustomed to always being right
You ever you ever meet anybody like that? Just they're always right
Yeah, I know you have right this they can never be wrong or they've always got an excuse
like if you kind of if you can say like look no you're wrong and
Here are the facts and here's why you're wrong and they're just like well no this and that and they've got an excuse
That's what this hit the fell guys like he's somebody who can just never be wrong and that's what it said there
You know, he was as as if a man inquired at the Oracle of God
I mean if somebody came that you know, that's that's could really puff somebody up, you know
Someone were I'm glad nobody does this because it's not true. It's like brother Corbin when you speak
It's like it's like the Lord speaking. It's like you're the Oracle of God up there
Like I would probably you know, call you flatter at that point or something like that, you know, I'd say what do you want?
You know, you're probably trying to just butter me up for something, right? But this guy he's hearing it all the time
You know, there's just like every time he opens his mouth. It's just like wow, so wise
Let's just do what hit the fell says this guy is just like the Oracle of God
And it's going to his head and he's just accustomed when he speaks everyone just goes along with it
They say, you know, he's he's right
but then you have you know who shy comes along and
Kind of just mildly rebukes him a little bit just kind of says well, you know
We might want to think about doing it this way, you know
That's not that good of an idea at this time and he's got to go hang himself
Right because he can never be wrong because he's a snowflake
Look, that's not how you want to be in life because you know newsflash. Let me just break it to you. You're gonna be wrong
You're gonna there's gonna be times in your life where you are wrong. Will you say something wrong?
When you do something wrong when you're thinking is wrong and somebody's gonna have to come along and say hey guess what you're wrong
You know and you don't want to be one of these people that just digs in their heels and hardens their neck
You know stiffens their neck and just says no, I'm right, you know, especially and that look that's just like so
Infuriating to deal with people like that. I mean think about just even when we're out soul-winning, you know, you'll show somebody
Well, this is actually what the Bible says and they're like, well, yeah, I don't know but then they argue with the Bible
It's infuriating right, but you know, it's infuriating when you do that in any area of life
you know when you're trying to show somebody look you're wrong and they just want to pretend that they're not and
Just make up all these excuses. It's you you can't work with people like that
You know, you know if you want to succeed on your job being you know
You're gonna make mistakes. It's just part of the human experience to make a mistake right? Nobody's perfect for all the sin
There's none good, right and it's you know people who are you know?
Managing other people bosses and things like that. They don't expect everyone to be perfect
They aren't you know, if they're reasonable people they understand look people are gonna make mistakes
You know human error is just part of human nature. It's something that's gonna happen, right?
Well, you know what aggravates people that are in those positions is when those people make those mistakes and they can't admit they're wrong
You say look you messed up you made a mistake because all they're trying to do is get it fixed
You know if I'm an employer somewhere and I'm trying to get a guy to do something and he keeps messing up
And I'm saying look do you see what you did wrong? Well, I didn't do anything wrong
It's like no you did do something wrong, you know, how can I fix the situation if you can't even admit that you're wrong?
And look you will not go far in life if you cannot admit that you're wrong
If you have to be this a hit the bell type who's just used to always being right?
Well, I'm the Oracle of God. Who are you? You know every time I speak, you know
It's just it's as if the heavens split open, you know
And there's just a radiant beam comes shining down and and that enlightens you right? So, how could I be wrong?
No, people are wrong often and you know his you could see right through what it hit the fellas after in the story
It was all about his own, you know
Puffing up himself and lifting up himself and he's gonna go do this great act
But it was the wrong thinking if you would go over to Proverbs chapter 9 Proverbs chapter 9
Look if you're gonna go far in life whether it's in you know in in work or in church
You know if you're gonna go if you're gonna be part of a church where they actually preach the Bible
You know, you're gonna get you're gonna come to church and be told that you're wrong
Because we're sinners right and this book points it out, you know
Just page after page after page after page the Bible says you're wrong. You're wrong. You're wrong. You're wrong
So don't come to church and expect every time the preacher gets up starts preaching a message
That you're gonna walk out feeling good about yourself. I
Mean, it's always good to get the encouraging message. It's always good to be you know
To get that but you know, that's really not always what happens is it a lot of times we come to church and it
We're just like we're reminded of you know
how
We're coming up short in our Christian life
The things that we need to fix the things that we need to get right the thing the sin that we got to get out
The good things we got to start doing, you know
We come to church and we're often told we're wrong because the Bible is basically just one long rebuke when you think about it
It's just you know from Genesis to Revelation
It's just just God showing man that he comes up short over and over again no matter the situation
Even think about in the millennium Christ is raining on the earth
you know a thousand years of peace and
Christ is there and all the saints are ruling and raining
It's a it's just it's an Eden and man still at the end rebels
It's like why did that?
Why did why does he even bother with a thousand years just to show man again one last time you're wrong
And without me without Christ you'll never be right
So we can't be people who are like a hit the fell where and this guy doesn't even told isn't even told he's wrong
You know, they say oh, yeah, that's good counsel. What's who should I say? Well, this is might be the better idea
Well, let's do that. Oh
You know what he just overreacts we don't want to be like this are you in Proverbs chapter 9
Let me go over myself Proverbs chapter 9
The Bible says it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools
It's better to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. You know, that's a perfect description of
Churches today, isn't it?
You can go to a lot of churches today and just hear the song of fools. I
Mean, that's like all their service is is just one is just them getting up and singing just emotional chorus after emotional chorus
You know, they get the you know, they get the mood lighting in there, you know, which we're not doing
We're not gonna put any pink LEDs behind this sign
You know, we're not gonna get the the little kick lamps with the the purple glow and the fog machine
I'm not gonna get rid of the pulpit and take up the guitar and just you know
It's just seeing the same like it's been so long since I've heard one just some emotional chorus
We're all just gonna stand here. We're just we're gonna chant this. It's it's the song of fools
But look people like to go to churches like that, you know, why because no one ever tells them they're wrong
Cuz no one ever says that gets up and says hey, you're you're sinful, you know, your life's a mess
You're not doing right. Here's what the Bible says. Here's what you're doing fix it, right?
But the Bible says that it's actually better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for the man to hear the song of fools
You know, look it might be nice to go there and it might make you feel good, but it's not gonna fix your life
If anything it's gonna make you twofold more the child of hell
I'm gonna go out there and just think well my life's great
Even though it's a complete mess, even though everything you know, you have problems and things you're not learning how to fix
Yeah, but I went to church and I and I had a religious experience. I went to church and I just I felt
Religious, you know, I felt like I was worshiping Jesus
You know, look we worship Jesus and song here, you know, we sing the hymns
but you know the we're here to preach the Bible the Word of God to people that you know can receive it and
It's better to hear the rebuke of the wise. It's better to go to church and have your face ripped off
Then to go have somebody, you know, you know draw a tear from your eye as they they sing, you know
Like the hundredth time in a row
You know, we want to go there and have these emotional experiences so we can feel better
That's not gonna help you fix your life
It's better to go somewhere where the preachers actually can get up and say let's say it the Lord and it might hurt
But you know, it's what the Bible says
Bible says it's better to hear the rebuke of the wise
Than for a man to hear the song of fools why because the song of fools isn't gonna fix your life
The rebuke will I mean they get what Paul told Timothy in second Timothy 4 to you
So what did he say?
You know preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine
And that was a charge he gave before God and the Lord Jesus Christ
He said I charged you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort
reprove and rebuke and
Exhort the exhort we like the exhorting part where we're encouraged where we go to church and you know
The pastor the preacher preaches a good message that you know encourages us in the Lord exhorts us to do works for God
live for the Lord, but you know what a lot of times we go there and it's reprove and rebuke and
Reprove is that mild, you know, like that's probably not the best thing you need to do right now
That's like the who shy advice right the reproof. It's kind of a gentle just reminder, you know
That's probably now you should with a rebuke is like hey, I'm gonna rip your face off
You know, that's a big difference, right? And that's what Paul told Timothy to do
Right, you need to go there and reprove and rebuke with all longsuffering and doctrine
Right. Did I have you went to Proverbs? I don't know where I had to go Proverbs 9
He says in verse 8 reprove not a scorner lest he hate thee
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee
You want to know if somebody's wise is how they take rebuke how they take correction that tells you a lot about a person
If you can say hey, you know what? This is what the Bible says. This is what you're doing. You need to fix it
It's wrong and if people can take that, you know that tells me that they're a wise person
And look if you have somebody in your life, that's rebuking you
You know, if you were wise you will love that person
Because there's not how many there's a lot a lot of people that will do that are there
There's not a lot of people in life in your life
They're gonna get up and tell you look what you're doing is wrong. You need to fix it
there are few and far between most people don't and look it's not like
We like I do that as a preacher because I enjoy confrontation. It's not something I enjoy
You know, I I don't look forward to it
I'm as uncomfortable whenever I have to do that. I'm as uncomfortable as the person I'm speaking with
You know what I mean? And and it's not like it's something I have to do often
But when I when the time comes, you know, that's part of the job of the preacher reprove rebuke exhort
But look, you know who else is gonna do that
Because most people, you know, it's self-included don't enjoy confrontation
They would rather not deal with with things but that's not how it goes in the Word of God
That's not how it goes in the house of God, you know, that's our job to improve rebuke
So look if you have somebody who rebukes you, you know, if you're wise you'll love them
Right, you know that can go for kids to that should go for the children in the room and the young adults and the young
People is that look when your parents are rebuking you, you know done. I know I know I know
All these replies that they have it's like no you don't know because if you knew you wouldn't be doing that or you would be doing
this
You know you started getting after him and I always hear that, you know, I probably said it plenty myself growing up
I know mom. I know dad. I know it's like no you don't know
That's why I'm telling you. I'm rebuking you and you know, then it's
You know get the attitude and everything else. Look if you have that in your life, you should be thankful for that
You should be thankful that there's somebody that's willing to correct you because they love you
Because they don't want to see you do the wrong thing
They don't want to see you make a mess out of your life. They're trying to guide you, right?
You should love that person
So, you know, it's it's better to hear the rebuke of the wise it's it's a good thing
We have people in our lives that are rebuking us
Let's say in verse 9 give instruction on a wise man, and you will be yet the wiser
Teach a just man and he will increase in learning
You know, that's why we shouldn't either, you know speak in the ears of a fool either because they have no heart to receive it
You know, they don't they don't have they're just they're like a hit the fell, you know, they're full of pride
They're full of themselves. They know they know. Okay. Stop telling me that I know
right
That's the hit the fell. He thinks he knows it all. It's like you don't know it all. Okay, and
And we need to be people that have a tender heart and that can that can handle a rebuke and take it. Well
You know, I know I preach this in another sermon when I was guest preaching somewhere
But I'll make this point because you know probably a lot of people in the room didn't listen to sermon
But you know early on in my Christian life that that was literally one of the one of that
The only thing I had going for me is that I could be told that I was wrong
Like and that was literally something my old pastor told somebody he was trying to get me a job somewhere
And he said and he said why should I hire him? He's like he can handle being rebuked
coincidentally, I never got the job
I'm thinking that's probably not the best thing to tell an employer. It's like so you have to tell him he's wrong a lot
So he's always messing up. Let's
You know what I mean, but but that was something that I learned it's like oh
I'm if I'm gonna stick at this thing if I'm gonna make it in this Christian life if I'm gonna change and grow and get
Better I'm gonna have somebody coming to me quite often and probably saying okay you messed up here. Oh you messed up there
Oh, you made a mistake this you got to fix that and there was a lot of that and look
I'm not saying that I'm arrived or anything that there's that still takes place, you know, if I make a mistake
You know, what? I don't don't do is just make excuses and say, you know what? I'm sorry, you know fix that
I'll take I'll be proactive. I'll put measures in place to make sure that doesn't happen again, right?
We should have those type of people in our lives and if you do, you know
You should be thankful for that that you're not just you know
A child that has left unto himself with a parent who doesn't care
Who's just gonna let you do whatever you want and have no rules. You'll make a mess out of your life
That way go over to Proverbs chapter 27 Proverbs chapter 27
If I will talks a lot about, you know rebuking and being somebody who can be rebuked and not being a snowflake
right and look we're living and just like
Snowflake city now. I mean people every you just it's so hard
nobody wants to be told they're wrong and everyone wants their feelings to just be handled so delicately anymore and I feel like you know,
My generation, you know born on the cusp of what was it?
Gen X and
Millennials like I'm right on like we're like the last group of people that came up that can actually handle this
I'm sure there's you know, it can handle being told they're wrong
I'm sure there's you know exceptions, but it just seems like the last couple generations
It just gotten worse and worse and worse for now. You can't tell them. Hey, you know what you're actually a boy
No, you you are we're born a girl. That's what you are. You can't tell me what gender it's like. No, that's actually what you are
You know, I don't care what the Twix commercial says, you know, you know you and if you feel differently, you know
If you are trying to be something else, you're actually a freak
You know if you're trying to be one of these trend transgender these transvestites rather, you know, you are a freak
You know, oh, you can't say that you're gonna make people mad go ahead and get mad
You know, that's that's reality. But that's where we've gotten that's how far down we've gotten the society
That's how big a snowflakes we are. We can't even tell people a sir. Actually the men's bathroom is over there
You know, that's where we are as a society with people who are just such snowflakes
They don't even want anyone, you know, tell telling them what gender they are anymore
And look, I'm not saying that, you know, I'm not trying to paint with a broad brush and say everybody that was born out
You know 1990 and later was is this way but it's no coincidence. It's gotten more and more like that
No, I remember the job I had before, you know coming on staff here
I worked at a place where we had a younger guy in his early 20s that was working in the shop
And my in like you had to handle him with kid gloves
Because you couldn't tell him, you know, you messed up you made a mistake
You need to fix this you need to get off your rear end and clean something, you know
You can't just sit around all day
I remember my boss come to me and saying like I every time I have to be so careful with him
Because whenever I correct him he looks at me like a ran over his puppy dog
You know you you don't want to be that type of person especially as a young man
If you're trying to go out and make it in the workforce
You need to be able to take correction from from people
Because you know when that guy quit and he left the boss was not sad about it
He was like, thank you for not making me have to fire you
Right because Bobby, you know employers they don't want to work with people like that who can't be told that they're wrong
Because they're trying to get a solution. They're trying to fix things
So if the person that's made the mistake isn't even willing to admit that they're wrong. How are you gonna fix it? Okay, so
There's some advice to excel in the workplace
If you can be somebody who can take correction. Well, you will go far in life. It's just a fact
Now I have you go to Proverbs 27
The Bible says open rebuke is better than secret love look at verse 5
Open rebuke is better than secret love
I don't like going to that church because
The preacher there he gets up and he just you know, he preaches on all my sin and you know
He gets after me and I walk out feeling like dirt. You know, he just rebukes me
Doesn't love me
Well, actually I'm rebuking because I do love you, you know one it's my job as the preacher
I just can't stand my parents because they're always after me about all the dumb things I do
They're always rebuking me, you know, I wish they would just be more loving
Look, it's loving to tell people that they're wrong
You know, it's better than secret love
It's better to have somebody come up and get in your face and tell you you're wrong then to have somebody you know
Just secretly love you behind your back
You know instead of just getting you know, they're kind of like
What does it profit you doesn't profit you anything when you got somebody who's in your face? Don't yeah, you're wrong get it, right?
You can you know avoid some of the pitfalls in life
So, you know that's kind of the application I wanted to make tonight
I don't want to go real on on and on about that. But if you want to go back to
Second Samuel chapter 17, you know, we don't want to be like this this this a hit the fell
You know, we're just things don't go our way people don't take heed to us. Somebody else is gonna you know, it's favored above us
You know and it's our life is over, you know, we might as well just go home and hang ourselves
It's you know and think about how selfish this guy is. I mean, I'm assuming this guy has
Wife and children and all of that, you know, and he just goes home and writes, you know sets his house in order
You know who's gonna get what and then he hangs himself
You know, it's it's a very selfish person, okay, who does that?
but if you if you notice here kind of at the end it says in verse
basically vert the last half there the latter few verses the last five verses 24 to 29 is just
The story, you know, the sage is being set right where?
We're gonna get into the war that's coming next right? The stage is just kind of being set you got
You know David's receiving
You know the the beds and the basins and the flour and the barley in verse 28
He's getting all the pulse and honey and the butter and the sheep and the cheese
So David has this chance because of the of the council of who shy he gets this moment where he can
Gather himself he gets all this food and they get you know
They get beds too and he's able to just kind of recuperate and get ready to go to war
And then of course, you've got you know, Absalom's coming over Jordan with all the men of Israel with them
So the stage is set here at the end of chapter 17 for this
You know the the the culmination of the Civil War that's been that's been that's been coming
But you know, I want to just talk about that tonight the fact that we don't want to be
These that hit the felt types, you know
We don't want to be people that are so full of ourselves and so full of pride that nobody can criticize us
And nobody can tell us that we're wrong or that we made a mistake
Because you know your life is not gonna end well
People that are full of pride their lives usually don't end. Well, I mean it certainly didn't for a hit the fell
I mean he ended up killing himself, right and we don't want to be those type of people. So let's go ahead close