Do You Really

Know Who

Your

Enemies Are?

Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 16:9-14; Romans 5:10-11 (Revised 12/13/20007)

Preached on the Lords Day 12/09/07 Stewart Memorial Church, Pittsburg, CA.

Lummie Hearn, Pastor.2 Sam 16:9-14

9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog

curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head."

10 But the king said, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of

Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, 'Curse David,' who

can ask, 'Why do you do this?'"

11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, "My son, who is of my

own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite!

Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.

12 It may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for

the cursing I am receiving today."

13 So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going

along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at

him and showering him with dirt.

14 The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination ex-hausted.

And there he refreshed himself. NIV

Rom 5:10-11

10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through

the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be

saved through his life!

11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus

Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. NIV.From these two passages of texts out of this we hope to deal with the sub-ject;

Do You Really Know Who Your Enemies Are?

I am sure that all of us have at some time or another we wonder who are my

“Enemies” and where do they come from? We look back from where we are

now standing on the scale of life and wonder where do they coming from.

To ask yourself the question; “Who Your Enemies Are?” I would

conculde to say that it is a legalmite question to ask one-self.

I also think that if we would only stay in the care of the God, He in due time

we lay tyhem out before you if you just pray and trust Him.

Someone in here this morning maybe saying to themself “I do not have a an

enemey in the world. Well let me remind you If you are on the side of Lord

and your so called friends are not do you not relealize that they are your

enemies if they are out of convent with God. Look at what Paul said to the

folks at Phillipi;

Phil 3:18

18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again

even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of

Christ.NIV

Just as then, there are now still those who are enemies of the cross of Christ,

even in the Church.

Do You Really Know Who Your Enemies Are?.Let me if you please share an article that I read in the “EAST COUNTY

TIMES” in Wednesday addition (Dec 12,07).

Buried back on page A24, the heading stated:

State needs to revoke theift license

To cut this article do to size so we will not be here all morning. It had not to

do with home invacions by gang members, nor did it have to with just every

day theifts.

It had to do with legal license theft. It had to do with persons who had been

trusted by mothers and grandmothers by the daughters and \no doubt sons,

but the article only stated three cases and all three were women.

The weapon used to commit these acts are called “Power Of Attorney”

Case (1)

A woman hired to take care of a 92 year old Stockton woman was hit up for

more than $100,000.00 $12,000.00 of that went to install five decorative

gates at this woman home. (Power of Attorney)

Do You Really Know Who Your Enemies Are?

Case (2)

An East Palo Atlo woman is accussed of taking out a $200,000.000 on her

disable 92 year old grandmother’s home without her permission.Takes part

of the cash and purchase her a champagne-colored Hummer. If that is not

bad enough she leaves the grandmother alone in the house for days in a

house full of rats.

Do You Really Know Who Your Enemies Are?.Case (3)

An Oakley woman who sells her home and received $230,000.00 from the

sell. She puts most of the money in the bank where she thought it would be

safe.

One of her daughters were the “Power of Attorney” Some where along the

way the mother decide to buy her a condo in Oakland. But the daughter kept

put mom off, but one of the other sisters pressed the account of the money.

Come to find out the “Power Of Attorney” had gamble away $197,000.00 of

the money up, at Cashe Creek Casino”.

In this case after all said and done her mother forgave her daughter, but the

thing tore the other family members apart.

Do You Really Know Who Your Enemies Are?

That brings me to our lessson:

The frist potion of the text the was read from the OT taken from 2 Samuel

chapter sixteen verses nine thru fourteen.

The author of this book is not really known. Some has said or suggested that

it could very well have been the son Nathan whose name was Zabud. But

no one is really sure.

The book of 2 Samuel it tells the story of David one will be fille with ex-citement

as he or she read this book. It talks about how he was crowned

King over Judah and then King over over all of Isreal.

You will find him giving praise to God as he bring the ark of the covenant

back to the tabernacle and exulting as he leads his armies to victory over all

their enemies and completes the conquest of the promised land begun by

Joahua..David was a man who accomplished much.

In the first book of Samuel chapter 13 verse 14 it tells us that David was a

man that was after God’s on heart.

But one must never forget that David was human and there were those dark

times when he stumbled and fell in to sin.

Chapters 11-13 is not so easy reading. The record here tells us about the

lust, it tells us about of his adultery and about the murder that was indirectly

committed by David.

Do You Really Know Who Your Enemies Are?

In chapters 11-13 reveals to us that great men and great people who try to

follow God are suscepitble to tempitation and sin.

Simple because we are trying our very best to live and follow a Godly and

living and staying as close to Godliness, none of it guarantee an easy and

carefree life.

David had family problems- his own son incited the entire nation to rebel-lion

and crowned himself King. This son whose name was Absalom.

Do You Really Know Who Your Enemies Are?

He was very handsome charismatic like his father David. But pride can be

one of our downfalls.

Do You Really Know Who Your Enemies Are?

Your enemies are the results of sin. It can be direct or indirect sin. We.know that much of what happen in the life of David was the result of the

sins that he had committed in the early years of his life.

You remember do you not what God through the prophet Nathan had al

ready told David what was going to happen to his family because of what

he committed with Uriah wife.

Listen if you pleaase;

2 Sam 12:7-16

7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the Lord, the

God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you

from the hand of Saul.

8 I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms.

I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I

would have given you even more.

9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his

eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to

be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because

you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'

11 "This is what the Lord says: 'Out of your own household I am going to

bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and.give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in

broad daylight. (These were the cuncibines that David had left behind to

take care of house when he had to flee from his son)

12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all

Israel.'"

13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan

replied, "The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.

14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show

utter contempt, the son born to you will die."

15 After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife

had borne to David, and he became ill.

16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house

and NIV

Enemies are the direct result of sin.

David’s Family Troubles:

David’s many wives caused him much greif. And as a result of David’s sin

with Bathsheba God said that murder would be a constaint threath in his

family, his life would rebel, and someone else would sleep with his wives.

All this happen as the prophet Nathan had predicted. The consequences of

sin affect not only us, but those we know and love. We ought to remember

that the next time we are tempted to sin.

Absalom the son of David conspired to kill his father, but God can

confound things that we may have in our mind to do. God can confess.sisuations so they do not work the way your enemy have plain for them to

happen.

It was not David who died in the pursuit, but his son Absalom ended up

dying.

But those who was around David could not understand was that David

weep bittly when he got the news that Absalom had died in battle. They

could not understand that how could David love someone who was in hot

pursuit to take his father’s life.

But David loved his son in spite of how his son felt about him.

David had ask his commanders to go easy with Absalom, but that did not

happen as they had been ask to do.

2 Samuel 18:33

33 The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gate-way

and wept. As he went, he said: "O my son Absalom! My

son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you — O

Absalom, my son, my son!" NIV

This shows that even inpsite of how the son felt about the father the father

still had love for the son. Even inspite of the son conspiring to take the life

of his own, flesh and blood father, the father still grived over the death of

him.

Do You Really Know Who Your Enemies Are?.That brings us to the last point in this lesson. Romans chapter five

verses nine, ten and eleven;

Rom 5:9--11

9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more

shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to

him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been

reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord

Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

NIV

The same love that caused Christ to die on the old rough cross is the same

love that sends the Holy Spirit to live in us and guild us through every day

life. Then if we are guilded by the Holy Ghost we will not be enemies to

those around us , first and formost we will not be an enemie to God.

Someone may be saying we are now in the Christmas Season, ought we, or

should we not be talking about gift giving. Or maybe baby Jesus?

Yes God has given all mankind who accept Him, He has given gifts; Look if

you please..Rm 9:10-13

ELECTION: God’s choice of an individual or group for a specific purpose

or destiny.

Rm 4:25; 5:18

JUSTIFICATION: God’s act of declaring us “not guilty” for our sins.

Rm 3:25

PROPITIATION: The removal of God’s punishment for sin through the

perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Rm 3:24; 8:23

REDEMPTION: Jesus Christ has paid the price so we can go free. The price

of sin is death; Jesus paid that price. (Oh what a gift)

Rm 5:2; 15:16

SANCTIFICATION: Becoming more and more like Jesus Christ through

the work of the Holy Spirit.

Rm 8:18,19, 30

GLORIFICATION: The ultimate state of the believer after death when he or

she becomes like Christ.