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[0:00] I know that my Lord's wondrous grace to be as we may know, nor my unworthy as I am, he played before his own.

[0:27] But I know I am believ'n, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed, and to him against the day.

[0:49] I know not when my Lord may come, I know not how, nor where.

[1:03] If I shall pass the veil of death, or meet him in the end.

[1:15] But I know I am believ'n, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed, and to him against the day.

[1:37] Please be seated. Let us come to God in prayer together, as we come to worship and give him thanks.

[1:48] Let us pray together. Almighty and most gracious God in heaven, we come again, O Lord, confessing that we are ignorant, confessing, O Lord, that we are those whose minds are far too small to comprehend, that we are those, O Lord, who lack in the understanding department what it means for you to love us, to save us, to make us your children.

[2:14] We don't understand, O Lord, why it is that you, the great, holy, mighty, glorious God, who fills the heavens and the universe and much more beyond, why you should even be bothered with us, or think of us, or be concerned for us.

[2:31] Just one of seven billion people on this planet. And yet, Lord, we thank you and praise you that because you are such a great God, because you are so vast, because you have no limitations in your power, in your wisdom, in your love and grace and mercy, you do care for us.

[2:50] Lord, we are not just a number. We are not just a speck of dust floating in the middle of a massive universe. But, Lord, this world and the people of this world are that which is on your heart day and night.

[3:05] Lord, the people of this world are those who are the objects of your great affection and love. And we, O Lord, whoever we are, whether we are young or old, whether we are rich or poor, whether we are important or nobodies, we thank you, O Lord, that we are important to you, that you care for us, that you have an interest in us and a concern for us.

[3:27] And we thank you that every moment of our days and every moment of our lives you know about completely. Nothing is hidden from you about us, whether that means our sins and our failings, our shortcomings, those wrong attitudes of heart, those actions and words of our lives, whether it's, Lord, the big things, the momentous events, our, Lord, our birth, yes, Lord, the day and moment of our death, you know about these things too.

[3:51] Now, Lord, we come in awe and wonder. We come, Lord, and worship and bow down, confessing, yes, that we are small but you are great, that we are weak but you are strong, that we are sinful but you are holy, confessing, O Lord, that we are in need of mercy and you are merciful.

[4:09] O Lord, come upon us, we pray, and be with us this morning by your Holy Spirit. Give to us, Lord, we pray, a little bit more of a glimpse of who you are. Cause our eyes to be opened to see just a little bit more of the wonder of what it means to be a child of God, what it means to be forgiven of our sins, what it means to be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ.

[4:29] O Lord, help us to be moved that bit further, closer to yourself, that we might know something of that molding and shaping and changing work of your hand, that we might be more conformed into the likeness of your son.

[4:43] We thank you that you have saved us for a purpose and a reason. We thank you that our lives are not simply drifting through time until we die, but, Lord, you have saved us with a plan and purpose for us, that we might live for your glory, that we might proclaim your good news, that we might bring honor and praise to Jesus.

[5:03] We pray, O Lord, that even today you would further that work in us and further your work through us, we pray, in this community, in this town, in this country, in this world.

[5:14] O Lord, we praise you and thank you that we can bring our needs to you. And in the quietness of our hearts, we bring to you those concerns and anxieties that weigh upon us. Thank you, O Lord, that you know and hear.

[5:39] Because you've said that we are to cast our cares on you, O Lord, we know that you will answer our prayers. Be with us then and make yourself known to each one of us, we ask in this time, as we bring our praise and our thanksgiving.

[5:53] In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. dug down, we agree with us the peace of Jesus.

[6:30] On our Spirit, O Lord, then we вел our", where we deliver it from spare, in this town, the temple of God, where we think about it from evil.

[6:49] What a faithful God that I, faithful in every way.

[7:05] What a blessing you have heard my pride, through the strong young people, my song in the night.

[7:17] In the shelter of your wings, hear my heart's in hand, sing what a faithful God that I, what a faithful God that I, what a faithful God that I, faithful in every way.

[7:54] Lord, oh, sovereign and in peace of all men, let me comfort us in summer. In the comfort you have been I will stand on your prayer For as long as I may Sing what a faithful God I've had What a faithful God I've had What a faithful God What a faithful God I've had Faithful in every way We're going to be reading now from our Bible and if you would like to turn with me to 1 Samuel and chapter 19 in the church Bible and if you have one of the Red Church Bibles one of the Pew Bibles that's page 291 page 291 that's 1 Samuel chapter 19 those of us who are here regularly on a Sunday morning know that we've been looking at the life of Samuel not going through the whole of 1 Samuel but the life of Samuel and how God worked in his life and used him and we're learning very vital lessons from that we're going to pick up the events from 1 Samuel 19 verse 8 okay so verse 8 of page 291 and we're reading through then to the end of the chapter so verse 8 once more war broke out and David went out and fought the Philistines he struck them with such force that they fled before him but an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand while David was playing the liar

[10:00] Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall that night David made good his escape Saul sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning but Michael David's wife warned him if you don't run for your life tonight tomorrow you'll be killed so Michael let David down through a window and he fled and escaped then Michael took an idol and laid it on the bed covered it with a garment and putting some goat's hair at the head when Saul sent the men to capture David Michael said he's ill then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them bring him up to see me in his bed so that I may kill him but when the men entered there was the idol in the bed and at the head was some goat's hair Saul said to Michael why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped Michael told him he said to me let me get away why should I kill you when David had fled and made his escape he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him then he and Samuel went to Naoth and stayed there word came to Saul

[11:19] David is in Naoth at Ramah so he sent men to capture him but when they saw a group of prophets prophesying with Samuel standing as their leader the spirit of God came on Saul's men and they also prophesied Saul was told about it and he sent more men they prophesied too Saul sent men a third time and they also prophesied finally he himself left for Ramah went to the great cistern of Seku and he asked where are Samuel and David over in Naoth at Ramah they said so Saul went to Naoth at Ramah but the spirit of God came even on him and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naoth he stripped off his garments and he prophesied in Samuel's presence he lay naked all that day and all that night this is why people say is Saul also among the prophets if you have a Bible at hand

[12:20] I'd encourage you to turn then to the passage we read just a few moments ago from page 291 page 291 in your Bibles 1 Samuel chapter 19 and we read from verses 8 to the end of the chapter and we're going to be looking at this event particularly because it is associated with Samuel as I said before we've been looking at his life many of you will have heard of Moody and Sankey they were a pair of evangelists who travelled all of the United States at the end of the 19th century and even came across to the UK and Europe as well and Ira Sankey was the musical one of them he wrote many hymns and he had a great ministry in song well in 1875 in fact on Christmas Eve 1875 Ira Sankey was travelling on a steamboat up one of the many rivers of the United States because he'd become a sort of a household name through the ministry that he'd had some people recognised him and they encouraged him and asked him please will you sing for us and so he sang a hymn with the title

[13:30] Saviour like a shepherd lead us one of the verses of that hymn begins with the words we are thine do thou befriend us be the guardian of our way when he finished singing a man stepped forward from the crowd and he asked Ira Sankey did you ever serve in the civil war for the Union Army that's the American Civil War the Union Army he said yes he said can you remember if you were on guard duty on a bright moonlit night in 1862 yes he said much surprised by the question from the man so did I he said but I was serving in the opposing army the confederate army I saw you standing at your post and I thought to myself that fellow is not going to make it away alive and so I raised my rifle and I took aim I was standing in the shadow but you were in the full of the moonlight

[14:30] I couldn't possibly miss you but in that moment you began to sing and I thought let him sing his song to the end I can't miss it I'll wait till he's finished singing but then you sir sang the same song you just sang a few moments ago that same song which has those words we are thine do thou befriend us be the guardian of our way and those words brought back to me memories of my childhood and my God fearing mother how she used to sing that song to me as a child again and again when you'd finished your song it was impossible for me to take aim I thought to myself the Lord who's able to save that man from certain death must surely be a great and mighty God and my arm just fell to its side of its own accord none of us know how many times in our life we've been spared none of us can know how many times

[15:33] God has preserved us from danger fatal accidents or from catastrophe we just have never known about it unlike Ira Sankey who found out many years later unlike the people who were spared when the Twin Towers were demolished and destroyed by that terrorist attack on the 11th of September 2001 many people were spared because they'd been ill that day or they had the day off or they'd been on a holiday or the rail network hadn't worked or been in travel disruptions we'll never know why those sort of things happen to us and what the Lord has spared us from in them our lives and God's work in our lives is often unseen mysterious and marvelous and when we come to 1 Samuel 19 we come to the final recorded events in the life of Samuel we're looking at his life and when we get to chapter 5 we'll find that he dies but this is the last time he's involved he's engaged and God is at work in and around him and though Samuel doesn't have anything to say in one sense he's almost a background figure to a certain degree the events around his life are worth us considering this morning because it's now

[16:51] David who's the center of the stage remember last week we looked at how the Lord led Samuel to anoint David as the future king a lot has happened in that time many years have passed David has killed Goliath he's become not just a young boy but now a military leader he's become someone of great maturity a decorated soldier in God's army we read there in verse 8 how he went and fought the Philistines and struck them as such for us they fled one of many victories he had but now Saul the one who God had rejected as king because he was disobedient to God and his heart wasn't after God now Saul sees what God is doing in David's life and he's become terribly terribly jealous so much so that that jealousy has turned into a poison in his soul and a hatred and a venom against David so if you look there in chapter 18 and verses 10 just a few pages before a page before you'll see the next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul he was prophesying in his house while David was playing the liar as he usually did

[18:05] Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it saying to himself I'll pin David to the wall but David eluded him Saul was mad with hatred and jealousy but God had promised Samuel and David that David would be the future king and when God plans something and when God purposes something there is nothing that can prevent and no one that can stop him from fulfilling his will when God promises something not all the powers of all the universe can stop God's promise from coming to completion but in this moment in time as we begin the story as we begin particularly in verses 9 and what's happening with David and Saul we see well that promise of God to make David king is a long way off that promise that he gave in those years earlier as a young shepherd boy are nowhere near being fulfilled in fact

[19:07] David is in more danger than ever before he's more likely to be killed than ever before and the promises of God are more likely to fail than ever before so how is God going to save David how is God going to fulfill his purposes for him to make him king in these events that we have in 1 Samuel that we've read I believe that we have again a revelation of the way that God works the means that God uses to bring about not just the salvation of David but the salvation of anyone the salvation of someone who he has purposed and planned to save the purpose and plan of God from before the world to bring to himself people men and women boys and girls sinners who are lost now the Bible makes it very plain that when somebody becomes a Christian when somebody comes to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that is God at work that is God saving them that is God working in their lives again and again

[20:08] Old and New Testament Jonah that wonderful prophet he declared from the very belly as it were of the whale salvation comes from the Lord Paul as he writes to Timothy tells him God has saved us and in Revelation in chapter 7 in verse 10 all of heaven surrounding the throne of God is singing a wonderful hymn and the hymn says salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne nobody can make themselves a Christian nobody can be made a Christian by somebody else whether they be a priest or a vicar or anybody or a parent or a grandparent it's God's amazing work it's God's sovereign work to save us from the extreme danger of hell and to bring us into his everlasting grace and security how does he do that how is God going to save David and fulfill his plan how does God work in a person's life and bring them to that place of salvation trusting in him knowing him well there's a journey in one sense and then three instruments if I can put it that way that God uses he uses the bad the not so bad and the very good

[21:30] I couldn't try to work out the good the bad and the ugly I wanted to do that being a fan of Clint Eastwood but I couldn't so I've got the bad the not so bad and the good so begin with the bad verse 9 an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul so he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand while David was playing the liar Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall that night David made good his escape is it just me or isn't David just a bit naive to play his harp with Saul listening with a spear in his hand how many of us have gone to a music concert well armed just in case we don't like the musician I mean I've heard of people throwing rotten vegetables you know but spears stones guns either David is fearless utterly fearless or he's completely trusting remember we read there didn't we in chapter 18 twice he's avoided the spear of Saul remember Saul is not some sort of amateur javelin thrower he's a soldier he's the leader of God's army he was a mighty man of valour no doubt in chapter 19

[22:45] Saul's thinking something like third time lucky if he missed it twice I've got to get in the third time no the spear again misses David and he flees from Saul I'm sure you're all thinking why on earth was David in such a dangerous situation why was what's going on there's some strange things that are being spoken of let's just get to the bottom of them for a moment David played his lyre a bit like a small harp type thing whenever King Saul was troubled and the music that David played brought much soothing to the king's mind go back if you would just a couple of chapters to 1 Samuel 16 we read about how that happened 1 Samuel chapter 16 and verse 23 whenever the spirit from God came on Saul David would take up his lyre and play then relief would come to Saul he'd feel better and the evil spirit would leave him but when we read here we read that this evil spirit comes from the Lord that's a confusing thing isn't it an evil spirit that comes from the Lord what's that all about it's slightly odd isn't it well if you've got the

[23:55] NIV perhaps other translations you'll find that the word evil in connection with spirit has a footnote which says harmful and perhaps the word evil isn't necessarily that helpful a meaning or a translation it can mean that but it means a distressing spirit an upsetting spirit one that disrupts and we need to remember of course that this is in the life of Saul a very very different thing to how God had dealt with him before God had called Saul to be king at the people's request but Saul had disobeyed God rejected God and rebelled against him and so we find that something happens is a change in the relationship between God and Saul again if you go back to 1 Samuel 16 and this time page 30 verse 14 1 Samuel 16 verse 14 now the spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul so God had put his spirit upon him to enable him to serve but because he had rejected

[25:05] God an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him a harmful spirit the way that I understand it and you're welcome obviously to have a different view on this is this that because God's spirit had been removed from Saul there came upon him a deep conviction of his own sin a deep grief over the fact that he was now in a wrong relationship with God he was troubled in his mind and soul God's spirit can trouble us over our sin just as his spirit can comfort us when we mourn and the music that David played had this wonderful soothing effect we know the power of music don't we whether we it can excite us it can calm us it can enrage us it can be used in all sorts of ways and this music brought some peace to this troubled soul this convicted and grief stricken man let's get back then to what's happening in chapter 19 so

[26:07] David's plan so God's plan is that David should be rescued from the attack from the attacks of Saul he should be ruling as king now this event that we read about there in verse 9 and 10 is the very last time that David is in the presence of Saul playing his harp from now on David is on the run from now on David is never going to be target practice for Saul again he is on the road to becoming the king he's going to be on the run from Saul for many years and he's now on the journey towards becoming all that God planned and purposed for him in one sense this event was the pushing out of David from Saul's household the pushing out from him in the service of Saul to becoming king himself God will work using any means at his disposal to get us moving towards himself God will work through all sorts of things to get us from where we are on the journey towards where he wants us to be

[27:11] God is not adverse to using trials not adverse to using problems even the hostility of others to get us on that road to rescue illness bereavement loss redundancy heartache maybe the things that God has to use to get our attention to shift us because we are so blind and so deaf to his grace C.S.

[27:39] Lewis that Christian writer of the previous century wrote in his book the problem of pain he said this God whispers to us in our pleasures speaks to us in our conscience but shouts in our pain it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world God is not the mover as it were of evil men but God is a God who is so powerful that through even their actions he can bring his purposes and God works through the things that we are told or the world believes are chance happenings good luck and bad luck karma and fate none of those things make sense of life the only thing that makes reasonable sense of your life and mine is that God is at work behind the scenes even though we do not see it he is working in it because his desire and purpose is to save then we move on don't we to what happens next we move on to the not so good if I can put it that way

[28:42] God worked through the bad Saul the not so good let's see what happens verse 11 Saul sends men to David's house so David's run away in the night in the night Saul says soldiers go to David's house as soon as he gets up in the morning kill him so they go they wait but in the morning Michael David's wife greets them and says oh he's ill in bed so they go back to Saul Saul is not particularly pleased bring him to me in his bed in other words just pick him up where he is in his sick bed bring him here because I want to kill him such is his determination how's David going to escape this soldiers are after him now it's not just Saul how is he going to get away well he gets away through Michael doesn't he Michael warns him there in verse 11 if you don't run for your life tonight tomorrow you'll be killed she helps him yes she uses some deception but a subterfuge tells a lie makes this sort of wooden statue whatever thing she had puts it in the bed with some goat's hair on and he gets bought just enough time to get far away from Saul as possible here the Lord is using the love of a wife for her husband to carry out his plans the rescue of

[30:06] David now Michael is not a perfect wife there's very few of them about as many as there are perfect husbands I might notice but by any man's estimation she loved David if you look back at chapter 18 verse 20 Saul's daughter Michael was in love with David so she wasn't perfect she didn't do it perfectly as we know she told a lie about David saying that he would kill her if she didn't let him go lying about his illness and so on but through her not so impeccable actions God was still at work God was still at work through somebody who was not so bad imperfect but who loved Christians have a very deep love for those who are in extreme danger and separated from God Christians have the Holy Spirit of God in their hearts who has given them a love for people who are in rebellion against God and it's the

[31:12] Holy Spirit within the Christian the love that the Christian has that moves him motivates him compels him to tell others of the danger that they're in and the need to run to Jesus Christians aren't motivated by finance we want to have more of your money Christians aren't motivated by filling up the church and having bums on the seats Christians are motivated by love for God and love for people and just like Michael we are imperfect messengers imperfect helpers we get it wrong we don't present the gospel as best as we could sometimes as Christians we are downright handicapped to the gospel aren't we by the way that we behave the way we act the way we speak we get it so wrong yet wonderfully marvelously in spite of the fact that we are in perfect vessels and instruments in God's hand he has planned and purpose to use us to save and to point people to Jesus here's Paul as he writes to the

[32:14] Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 6 as God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain isn't that wonderful we're God's followers workers it's his work but he's given you and I as Christians the wonderful privilege the wonderful joy and the responsibility of warning men and women if you don't run you're going to die if you don't come to Christ you're lost if you don't see just what danger you're in from your sin and from the judgment of God that waits before you then you're going to face it we're moved by love people may not listen to our warnings they may call us names they may think that we're stupid that we don't know what we're talking about but we just don't know what God will do in that person's heart in the days to come we don't know how we're part of God's plan we can't see what God is doing but we know that he's called us to do it and we'd be faithful to do that faithful to share

[33:14] Jesus faithful to warn faithful to speak so we've looked at the bad and we've looked at the not so bad so we come at last to the good not talking about Samuel but it's Samuel in fact who David runs to doesn't he in verse 18 he's at Ramah that was Samuel's home as you know if you've been in following the story why does he go to Samuel well probably because Samuel is the only man he can trust at this time not in the king's employ he's somebody who is able to help him protect him perhaps he knows that it's Samuel who was the one that God called to anoint him as king and so he tells Samuel all about it but it's not long is it before Saul hears about where David is word came to Saul verse 19 David is in Naoth at Ramah so what does he do he sends more soldiers he sends them to

[34:16] David's house no good sends them to Ramah right let's send some troops let's get this David either killed or brought back to me so I can kill him and that's the end of it but Saul in all of his wildest imagination could never have thought what would happen when the soldiers arrive at Ramah he just couldn't think this could be a possibility they arrive and there is Samuel along with the prophets there was probably like in Elijah's day a school of prophets godly people who Samuel was training and encouraging and teaching in the things of God a seminary you might put it there he is leading them in this prophesying and as these soldiers come along suddenly the spirit of God the Holy Spirit God comes upon them and they are prophesying too just need to make something quite clear here when it speaks about them prophesying it doesn't mean they're all forth telling the future that's not in this context they're praising God vocally they're worshipping God that's what's going on the spirit of God is causing them to worship and praise

[35:17] God for everybody around to hear so what happens Saul gets word all the soldiers you sent they've gone mad they're all just singing so he sends some more men what happens to them the same thing spirit comes upon them they start singing he sends some more men a third time he's persistent isn't he Saul he doesn't give up easy a third time and they also prophesied you must get the idea of Saul you know the thought really this is the sad thing isn't it with people as well we are so downright stubborn God resists him not one time not two times but three times God resists him God says no you're not going to have David no you're not going to have your way no you're not going to overrule that how many people how many times dear friends have you heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and so many times again and again you keep putting up the barrier putting up the barrier making excuses making excuses

[36:21] I'm not going to listen I'm not going to yield to you Lord Jesus how many times are you going to continue to do that until you realize that it's an absolute waste of energy but no Saul this time goes himself he thinks if you want a job doing do it right do it yourself I'll go and here we find one of the most amazing and baffling portions of the Bible don't we when he eventually arrives Naoth Naoth the the Spirit of God came even on him and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naoth there he takes all his garments off and he lies on the floor naked singing the praises of God all that day and all through the night what has happened is that God has sovereignly worked to force his will over human will you see none of those soldiers came to Ramah thinking I want to know God

[37:24] I want to know the Spirit of God I want to be right with God they came seeking to carry out the plans of their own devices the orders they were given but God came upon them by his Spirit and against their will they are praising God and Saul comes and against his will he is praising God this is a sovereign act of God this is God doing exactly what he chooses to do when and how he chooses to do it this is God being God God is not the lackey of humanity God is not waiting on the sidelines saying when you feel like it or when you want it or when it's convenient for you then I'll come God is working acting speaking and moving in this world exactly as he chooses as he wishes and he does that particularly in the lives of men and women in bringing them to faith in Jesus think of Saul the New Testament version remember Saul the New Testament version in Acts chapter 9 could you meet anybody who was more like Saul the Old

[38:30] Testament version a man who loved killing people Acts chapter 9 listen to this meanwhile Saul this is the New Testament Acts chapter 9 was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples he went to the high priest asked for letters to the synagogues in Damascus so that if he found any there who belonged to the way that's Christians whether men or women he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem as he neared Damascus on his journey suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him he fell to the ground heard a voice say to him Saul Saul why do you persecute me who are you Lord Saul asked I am Jesus here's Saul who becomes Paul as we know riding his donkey determined to arrest Christians and to do away with Christianity and everybody who follows Jesus and God says no you're going to fall on the ground on your face like Saul of old and you're going to put your faith and trust in me it's exactly what Jesus himself says concerning the work of the

[39:41] Holy Spirit this is the good by the way the spirit is the good not Samuel he's the good through whom God works and by whom God works John chapter 3 in verse 8 Jesus explaining to Nicodemus how people come into the kingdom of God he says the wind blows wherever it pleases you hear it sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it's going so it is with everyone born of the spirit in other words God the Holy Spirit goes where he wants to go does what he wants to do we may not see it but it really happens that's how you become a Christian that's how anybody becomes a Christian yes God engineers and works through the trials and difficulties and the elements of life to bring us and start us on that journey of seeking after him he engineers who we marry who we're the children of who we're related to who we work with in all sorts of different ways who we're caring for how he gets us into church or gets us under the gospel is his way but he does it and then he gets somebody who loves us enough to tell us the good news of

[40:47] Jesus to tell us that we need to flee from the rough to come to tell us that there is forgiveness with God and that we must put our faith in him and to begin with we say no I'm not interested I'm going to continue to do things my own way and we put up our barriers again and again maybe four times like Saul but ultimately in the end if God has purposed and planned that we should be saved his spirit will come upon us and we will put our faith and trust in him and you and I dear friends if we're Christians this morning that's exactly what happened God does it in a wonderful way he doesn't have to do it as dramatically as Saul here doesn't have to do it dramatically as Saul in the New Testament knock us off our horse horse he may do it in a much more gracious gentle way but it's just as powerful just as strong just as un just as irresistible if I can put it that way the final work of God is this he strips us of our pride as he strips all of his clothes and he causes us to bow down before

[41:53] Jesus as our Savior and Lord and worship him let me ask you then where are you on that journey where are you on that journey from Saul to Paul from David in Saul's house to David upon his throne have you begun to run to God your Savior are you still sitting around dodging the spears of life as it were and not recognizing that God is warning you and showing you that you need to get right with him what about those who've spoken to you again and again of Jesus those you've heard speaking about the reality of heaven and hell those who've warned you that if you continue to live your life without Jesus there is judgment to come how many times have you seen or thought about Jesus seen it on the seen him on the cross or seen him in a in a movie or seen it people speak to you and you've rejected again and again and said it's not for me it's not for me how long are you going to resist God's Holy

[42:56] Spirit who is calling you and speaking to you how long are you going to refuse to worship Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Savior how long are you going to wrestle with and struggle with God before eventually you yield to him and say Jesus you are my Lord my God my Savior let me ask you a simple question who do you think is going to win the fight between you and God are you really so strong are you really so stubborn are you really so mighty that you can say to God no I'm not going to resist I'm not going to trust in you you're really going to be the one who's going to have the victory in the end isn't it better dear friends just to submit to him now isn't it better to heed what he's saying to you now isn't it better to listen to the Spirit's voice work in your heart and say Lord Jesus I've fought too long I've resisted far too long forgive me be my Savior let my life worship you from this day forward let's sing together as we close 796 796 I'm not skilled to understand what God has willed what God has planned but this I knowpiстьesh

[44:27] Shhh I am not sealed to understand For God's will of God has planned I only know that his right hand Stands for who is my Savior Christ made him at his word of thee Christ had for sinners, best I read And in my heart I find a need Off him to be my Savior

[45:29]  Let living, dying, let me bring My strength, my soul, and from this spring That he who lives to be my King Was trying to be my Savior And now to him who is able to do Exceedingly, abundantly, above all we ask Or even imagine According to his power that is at work within us To him be glory in the church And in Christ Jesus throughout every single generation Now and forever and ever Amen Amen