WEBVTT 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:09.599 Welcome to Sharper Sword, the publication ministry of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California. 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:16.480 Lighthouse believes that individuals can reach their potential for the Lord as they grow in Christ. 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:22.320 We want to hear our Lord say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:29.600 Let's join Pastor Doug Fisher as he preaches another important biblical message from the Word of God. 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:35.280 Look at John chapter 15, verse 14. 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:36.399 Verse 14. 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:41.759 He says, This, ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:49.679 Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth. 00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:52.159 But I have called you friends. 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:57.840 For all things that I have heard of my father, I have made known unto you. 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:09.760 And the concept I'd like to bring to you night in a brief manner is that Jesus demonstrated this concept that you're not just a servant, you're a friend. 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:14.159 And in friendship leadership, we tell our friends what's happening. 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:20.799 We edify, we give understanding to, we lay out the plan, we communicate. 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:26.719 And in friendship leadership, he said, I want you to know everything that I've heard of my father. 00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:30.239 And what I've been trying to do is make that known unto you. 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:35.760 Brethren, if you're a leader, you owe your followers edification. 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:38.000 You owe understanding. 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:48.560 You owe, if you would, to present the plan and to talk about some of the things that are going on in such a way that they go away and they go, I get it. 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:50.719 It's a means of respect. 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:51.920 Say amen. 00:01:52.159 --> 00:02:00.560 The idea is communicating and being in conjunction with somebody, in Christianity, there's no big shot. 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:04.319 There's no I'm in charge and you need to know it. 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:14.400 There's we're in this together, and I want you to know what I know, and I want you to understand what I understand, and we need to work together as a team on this. 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:21.919 And may I say, as we come up to leadership conference, friendship in the way of leadership is so important. 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:32.400 We have so many meetings that explains what we're doing, why we're doing, how we're doing, and what are the problems with what we're doing, and how can we work it out and make it better. 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:39.360 I hope a leader in our church will not say, I don't know what's going on, they don't tell me anything. 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:43.360 I want you to know a pet peeve of mine is I can't stand that. 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:46.400 Why are you quiet? 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:50.800 I don't know what's going on, they don't tell me a thing. 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:51.919 I'm gonna tell you something. 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:54.159 In the military, that never fly. 00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:58.639 In the military, if you don't know, we'll find out. 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:01.360 There's always someone to ask. 00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:05.360 Leadership takes the initiative to find out what they don't know. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:11.439 They don't tell the followership, well, they don't tell me anything like there's some kind of leadership victim. 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:14.159 We don't have leadership victims. 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:21.039 We just have some that maybe are not as educated as they should be and should not be passing around discord. 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:23.599 Come on, are you still with me or not? 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:30.479 I'm not saying anybody is, but if someone in here has said they don't tell me anything, well then find out, Mr. 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:35.599 Victim or Miss Victim, what's going on because we're not trying to be secretive. 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:39.360 This is not CIA stuff going on here. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:44.960 This is not, you know, we're not, we're not in the two shop talking about you can't reveal this to anybody. 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:50.800 The idea is everything's an open book on what we're doing and why we're doing it and how we're doing it. 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:59.199 Maybe we keep things a little bit under the lid while we're planning, so you don't hear change one to change two to change six. 00:03:59.439 --> 00:03:59.840 Why? 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:03.840 Because once in a while that can cause people to go, do they know what's going on? 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:09.919 Well, sometimes there's a metamorphosis that God reveals as we go to make something better. 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:11.439 Are you still with me tonight? 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:24.240 And the idea is friendships say, Well, here's what I know so far, and I'll find out a little bit more, and once I know, I'll let you know, because I'm a leader, and friends tell other friends what's going on. 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:26.959 And friends want other friends to participate. 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:30.000 Look in your Bible, look at Genesis chapter 45. 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:36.639 In Genesis chapter 45, it's a new era, it's a switch that's going on. 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:46.639 There's so many factors that we'll not go into everything tonight, but look at Genesis chapter 45 and watch this concept of friendship leadership, if you would. 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:48.399 Verse number three. 00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:52.160 Joseph said to his brethren, I am Joseph. 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:55.199 Doth my father yet live? 00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:58.800 Brother, in those days they didn't have texting and email. 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:01.040 He hadn't earned anything for a long time. 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:04.319 First thing he wants to know is, hey, is my father still alive? 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:07.600 And his brethren could not answer him. 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:11.920 Brother, it wasn't that they didn't know, it's that they were in shock. 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:26.560 After not seeing him for so many years, after them putting him in the pit, selling them off, selling him off to the Midianites, they were shocked that he was still alive, and his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence. 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:29.360 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me. 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:30.800 That's friendship. 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:32.240 Come near. 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:34.560 Come a little closer. 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:36.079 Come a little closer, I pray. 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:42.639 And they came near, and he said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:47.120 And I don't think, please look up here, I don't think he said, Whom you sold. 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:48.639 I don't think he was scolding. 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:50.879 I was going to say, hey, here's what happened. 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:53.120 Y'all sold me into Egypt. 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:58.079 But then he goes on, now therefore, be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves. 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:00.720 Brethren, he's trying to get a little intimate with him. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:03.360 He he knows that leadership has changed now. 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:04.319 Please look up here. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:06.000 He knows he's in charge. 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:08.800 He knows God has put him in charge. 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:16.240 And he says, uh, uh uh, nor angry with yourselves that you sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life. 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:18.639 And what he's doing, he's defining reality. 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:20.000 He's giving understanding. 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:23.519 For these two years hath the famine been in the land. 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:32.560 And yet there are five years in the which there shall be no earring, nor or no uh earring nor harvest. 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:36.959 The idea is he's explaining what his dreams have shown to him. 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:45.439 And he says, we're we're two years into this first part of the plan, and then there's gonna be another uh uh where we've already had seven years of plenty. 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:56.480 Now we have two years of famine, we've got five more years to go, so I do know what's happening, and I do want to know what's going on, and I want you to know what God has revealed to me. 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:58.560 I want you to be friends in this. 00:06:58.639 --> 00:07:06.800 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:08.959 Boys, you're not gonna die. 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:10.959 Your children are not gonna die. 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:19.600 I'm here to take care of you and God's blessing, and we've got the stores put up, and I'm in charge of a whole lot, and believe me, I'm gonna take care of my family. 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:23.839 By the way, when they come up, Joseph has four in his families. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:31.279 There's 66 in their family, there's 70 total, and David, uh Joseph says, I'm gonna take care of you all. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:32.720 Everything's gonna work out. 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:37.600 Brother, may I say to you, friendship leadership puts people at ease. 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:40.560 It explains and says, it's okay. 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:42.720 I know there's people dying out there. 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:45.519 I know what's going on, but you don't understand. 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:48.959 I'm governor over the land, I control the grain. 00:07:49.199 --> 00:08:03.360 I'm the one who God set up for this, and I'm the one who gave the, he gave the the vision about the insight on the dreams, and he said in verse 8, so now it was not you that sent me hither, but God. 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:08.160 And he hath made me a father to Pharaoh. 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:11.040 Hey guys, you think you sent me? 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:11.759 You didn't. 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:13.519 Let yourself off the hook. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:17.360 In fact, don't take credit for where I'm at right now. 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:34.240 I'm here because God sent me here, and I want you to know I'm I'm even helping Pharaoh along, and uh he made me a father to Pharaoh, meaning like I'm advising Pharaoh on what to do, and the Lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egyptian. 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:35.039 Haste ye. 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:41.200 Go up to thy father and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph. 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:44.159 God hath made me Lord of all Egypt. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:09:00.000 Come down unto me, tarry, tarry not, and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou and thy children, thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast, and there will I nourish thee. 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:06.720 Yet there are fair five years of famine, lest thou and thy household and all thy hast, all that thou hast come to poverty. 00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:21.200 Behold, your eyes see in the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you, and ye shall go tell my follower of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that he has seen, and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither. 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:24.080 What he says is here's reality. 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:31.600 Here's what's happening, here's what's taking place, here's what God is doing, and here's your part in that. 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:35.519 I want you to go tell my father, and I want you to make sure you bring him up. 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:37.600 It's all planned, it's all prepared. 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:42.879 I've got a place for you, I'll nourish you, I'll take care of your children, I'll take care of your children's children. 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:44.080 Everything's gonna be fine. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:44.799 Please listen. 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:47.120 That's friendship leadership. 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:48.799 That's edifying. 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:51.200 That's uh that's that's security. 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:53.120 That's you can buy in. 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:58.320 And may I say uh servitude leadership is a big part of Christianity. 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:03.519 Debtor leadership, but friendship leadership is let me tell you what I know. 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:06.240 Let me tell you what God has said to me. 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:15.120 Let me tell you and edify you with the plan, and here's what's gonna happen next, and you're a part of that, and everything's gonna be alright. 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:25.919 I want you to know at the leadership conference, we're gonna tell you what we know, what we're planning for, what God has done for us, and I want to tell you this: I think everything's gonna be alright. 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:30.639 When we put the effort in, however it comes out, God is pleased. 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:44.639 And I'm we're putting in prayer meetings, we're putting in extra things, we're adding a few things, we're in we're uh enhancing a few things, we're doing a few things to order to serve people, it'll benefit us as a church later. 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:53.039 And we believe that God's gonna do a wonderful work at leadership conference, and we want everybody as friends to know that now. 00:10:53.279 --> 00:10:55.200 That means we show up to meetings. 00:10:56.080 --> 00:10:58.399 We commit to meetings, we show up to meetings. 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:01.120 Talk to me a little bit, or the message is getting longer now. 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:03.759 I want to be your friend, but you're not being mine. 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:14.080 We're gonna get through this quick tonight, and the rains are out there, and maybe you're a little soggy and wet and everything, but I want you to get home tonight, or I want you to go have a meal or something like that. 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:18.320 The idea is I want a good spirit in our church as we go into meetings. 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:21.279 I want people communicating with each other. 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:25.519 I don't want people sitting there like a bump on a log in uninterested. 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:29.120 This is God's work, this is God's plan. 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:34.320 This is an opportunity that we get to do and that we'll stand before God later. 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:36.159 I hope people take notes. 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:37.840 I hope they get involved. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:43.039 I hope they, if they sign up for something, they don't wait until the last minute and say, Well, nobody told me. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:44.480 Well, find out. 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:46.080 Be proactive. 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:47.840 Find out who the leader is. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:52.000 Well, I I thought I was supposed to be involved in this, and and I don't even know who the leader is. 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:53.360 So ask somebody. 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:55.279 Brother Northcut, where are you at? 00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:58.159 Where are you at, Scott? 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:00.000 To my what? 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:02.480 Now, Scott, stand up. 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:07.679 If you have any question on leadership conference, go ask this guy. 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:10.159 He'll be your friend. 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:14.320 And if he doesn't know the answer, we'll find out the answer. 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:16.000 Are you still with me tonight? 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:18.080 Somebody says, I don't know to go to. 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:19.600 Everybody knows now. 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:21.120 Go see Scott. 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:29.440 You go see him, and and he'll find out who your leader is, what it is, what's going on, and he'll get that leader in touch with you. 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:35.919 What I don't want is, well, you know, I thought I was gonna do this, but nobody contacted me. 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:39.360 That won't fly at the judgment seat of Christ. 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:42.480 I signed up, but that was the end of it. 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:46.320 Sign up and be proactive and knock on somebody's door. 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:50.399 Hey, when you go for a job interview, you don't just go in and that's it. 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:56.480 You follow up, you send a text, you send an email, you show interest in what the job is. 00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:57.759 Come on, is that right? 00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:59.759 I know we're not paying very well. 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:00.879 I get that. 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:02.320 That's a joke. 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:04.320 I know we're not paying very well. 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:12.720 But the idea, my brethren, is this this is more important sometimes than the job for money that God has given us. 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:14.639 We get to serve the Lord. 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:16.399 And I'm not scolding you tonight. 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:22.559 I'm just saying if you jump in and you hear somebody with kind of a bad attitude and they say, Well, I don't know what's going on. 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:24.879 Nobody's told me anything, anything like that. 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:26.000 May I say something? 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:29.919 Tell them, well, we can go see Scott if it's about leadership conference. 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:30.960 I don't care. 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:34.080 Call me, text me, ask me. 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:35.200 I don't mind that. 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:36.240 I'm not above that. 00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:40.320 And I'll try to be a friend and we'll find out the answer and get that information to you. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:47.360 Now, I want to say this: if we don't quite know something yet, we're still formulated, and we haven't got to that yet. 00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:57.440 Be a little patient as these things unfold and as we add a few things and and and fine-tune a few things and a few new leaders and a few doing that. 00:13:57.519 --> 00:14:02.480 I've heard some wonderful, innovative things that are going to happen at this leadership conference. 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:03.840 I'm excited about it. 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:05.919 Well, you say, was that all cleared with you? 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:10.559 It was cleared enough with me to inform me, and I'm going, hey man, that sounds good to me. 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:11.279 What? 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:14.240 Brethren, every decision ought to not rely on me. 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:15.679 Come on, is that right? 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:19.679 It's good that we have leaders who say we want to do this, we're thinking about doing this. 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:26.720 Now, I want to tell you this: don't go off and do something in the leadership conference and not tell somebody, we don't like this. 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:28.480 We don't like this concept. 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:32.000 I'm not gonna ask because if they say no, I'm still gonna do it. 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:35.679 Let me say that again. 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:41.279 The concept is why don't you ask and be a friend about it rather than just, well, I'm just gonna do this. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:43.360 I don't need to ask anybody, I'm just gonna do that. 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:45.279 And then they'll just forgive me later. 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:46.320 Don't do that. 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:49.519 Come on, don't you understand what I'm talking about? 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:52.240 Man, go to somebody, get permission. 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:54.159 Well, what if they say no? 00:14:54.399 --> 00:15:03.919 Well, we may say no to the big picture, but we won't say no to everything unless it's some, you know, something that goes against policy or something like that. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:05.840 But we're big boys and big girls. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:10.799 We we can we can we can listen, we can, we can decide whether it'll work or not. 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:15.519 And may I say to you, we want to do things decent and in order. 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:16.720 Come on. 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:22.879 We have men and women coming here, they're paying money, they're given time, and we want to serve them. 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:26.639 But it's this this conference is not just for them, it's for us. 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:30.960 It's for our church, it's for our growth, but a great opportunity. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:37.919 Brethren, God gave this facility and God gave us this building, and God gave us this campus to use for others. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:41.919 Praise the Lord, we got a praise the Lord, we got a platform we can use. 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:50.240 Praise the Lord, we got a building, and we got a bookstore, and we got a fellowship hall, and we got different places that we can utilize for people to come. 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:53.919 In our first uh buildings where we're at, we couldn't do that. 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:57.279 There's no way we could accommodate what God has done for us now. 00:15:57.360 --> 00:15:59.039 But praise the Lord, we can. 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:01.200 Have I sound scolded tonight? 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:02.639 I'm not trying to scold you. 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:07.120 I'm just trying to define reality that we need to be mature about this. 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:10.720 We're volunteers working together for God. 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:18.080 We're fitly framed, we're jointly compacted, and friendship communicates what's going on. 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:19.440 Take your Bible, if you would. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:22.240 Look at one more scripture, 2 Samuel 10. 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:24.960 2 Samuel chapter 10. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:26.720 No, I haven't heard anything. 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:28.159 I'm not scolding anybody. 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:30.080 I don't have a name or a face in mind. 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:47.759 I just want to make sure that our atmosphere, as we prep for meeting after meeting after meeting and plan after plan, and as we uh grow a little bit, increase a little bit, do things just a pinch different, add this, do this, move that room around, new leader here, new leader there. 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:49.279 Oh, they're not quite informed. 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:51.039 Okay, we'll get them up to snuff. 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:53.360 Uh oh, uh, did you hear somebody's doing that? 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:54.559 Oh, we hadn't heard that. 00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:58.639 Maybe that person ought to check in with us on that, and we'll see if that'll all work out. 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:04.880 Brethren, by the time leadership conference is over, we ought to not be grabbing at each other's throats. 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:07.839 There ought to be a friendship about this. 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:11.119 We ought to be able to say that was great serving together. 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:13.039 Boy, didn't God really do something? 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:15.440 Because God blesses unity. 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:17.279 God blesses harmony. 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:19.519 Look at 2 Samuel chapter 10. 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:23.440 In 2 Samuel chapter 10, look at verse 7. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:24.799 Verse 7. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:34.000 And when David heard of it, the it was the Ammonites and the Syrians were coming up against David's army. 00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:38.640 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty man. 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:47.039 The children of Ammon, they're mentioned, if you would, in verse 8, and the Syrians, these are the two uh enemies that are coming up. 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:47.839 Verse 9. 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:57.839 When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him, before and behind, he chose all of the choice men of Israel. 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:01.359 Put them in array against the Syrians. 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:06.319 So he decided in the midst of the battle, he made a command decision. 00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:23.680 And when he saw the intensity of what was happening, he chose out, if you would, a very valiant choice men, and he put them against the Syrians, and the rest of the people he delivered in the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon. 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:27.119 So he so he looked at the battle condition. 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:33.599 He looked at where his greatest opposition was, and he put his best in there to attack that. 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:36.160 And then he put everybody else against the Ammonites. 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:37.680 And here's what he said in verse 11. 00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:42.720 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me. 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:49.200 But if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:52.319 Brethren, there was flexibility involved. 00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:58.480 In leadership, in management, in operation, there has to be flexibility. 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:03.839 There has to be, well, here's what's happening, so here's what we need to run to and do now. 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:06.160 Here's what we didn't foresee. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:09.920 Here's what we couldn't, if you would, have control over. 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:12.640 And so we're gonna address that as it comes. 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:16.640 And Joab says, I'm gonna take these choice men and put them against the Syrians. 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:18.960 Evidently the Syrians were great fighters. 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:24.079 And he said, now everybody else we're gonna put under the hand of Abishai, my brother, against the Ammonites. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:26.160 But we are in this together. 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:29.200 Listen to me, nobody cuts and runs. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:35.039 Nobody packs up their toys and goes home because it didn't go their way. 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:38.720 Brethren, we need some character. 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:43.119 You don't quit your job when things don't go just the way you want it to go. 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:44.400 You stay right in there. 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:44.720 Why? 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:45.839 There's a paycheck. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:48.000 How much more for God's service? 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:53.200 When things don't go exactly the way you want, and you would have done it a different way. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:20:06.400 I'm gonna tell you, every leadership opportunity we have, it could be done in how many different ways, but what submission does, it says this is the way they've got it planned, and I'm gonna submit to myself to that. 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:13.440 I might make a suggestion, but if that's overruled, then I'm gonna go with the plan and I'm gonna participate. 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:20.880 What we don't want is a bunch of, and please don't say, take this wrong, we don't want children who quit. 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:24.160 Let me say it again. 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:27.039 We don't want adults who are children that quit. 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:30.000 We don't want, well, well, you know, I'm gonna do that. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:36.640 Well, that offender, we will say something or write it down, and after the conference, we'll try to get it right. 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:39.519 But we don't quit in the heart of the battle. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:42.640 Brethren, there has to be a camaraderie. 00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:45.599 There has to be a we're in this thing together. 00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:50.160 We're defining the friendship of the whole thing, and we're in this thing together. 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:53.920 Brethren, we don't need Judas's quitting. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:57.680 Come on, is that right? 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:00.559 Judas quit for money. 00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:03.920 Judas quit because he was a thief. 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:07.279 Judas quit because he was carnal. 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:11.839 It would have been better for Judas, Jesus said, had he never been born. 00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:15.200 The idea is we don't quit for selfishness. 00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:18.000 We don't quit for self-centeredness. 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:25.519 We get on through, and even if we disagree, we agree that we disagree and go on and finish the job. 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:27.920 Is that still all right to say that? 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:38.240 Man, I tell you what, uh, I I was in charge of volunteer organizations in the military, special forces all is all volunteer, and people don't come and quit. 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:41.119 You get screened to even get in. 00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:44.079 They don't quit when it gets a little tough. 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:46.240 That's what they're in there for. 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:53.359 We don't we look, there's a camaraderie in those types of units that's unique, and it takes some character. 00:21:53.599 --> 00:22:01.359 And please don't think in my days 40 years ago, all the men were not robust and I mean, big muscles. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:06.240 There were some wiry guys in there that had character and just kept going. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:14.240 You wouldn't even think they could carry their own pack, but they had a mental toughness that they just wouldn't quit. 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:16.400 They would just keep on going. 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:22.000 And some of those big boys would pass out on the trail, and those wiry guys just kept on going. 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:27.279 The idea, brethren, is a lot of it's right up here in the mind and in the heart. 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:28.880 Everybody still all right tonight? 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:37.759 I'm not trying to inspire you to say that we're doing something wrong, but brethren, volunteer church organizations that God puts together. 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:42.559 We want to follow the Holy Ghost of God, and the Holy Ghost is not a quitter. 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:46.640 When he commits us to something, he wants us to fulfill it. 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:51.920 And he's tolerant and he's flexible and he's comforting to us. 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:53.759 But he says, let's keep going. 00:22:53.920 --> 00:23:01.119 One more scripture I want to show you tonight, because may I say to you, friendship type of leadership causes us to want to participate. 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:03.599 It causes us to want to buy in. 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:05.920 It causes us to want to commit. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:08.880 It causes us to want to take ownership of. 00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:12.480 It causes us to want to serve beside the person next to us. 00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:17.839 Even though maybe our personalities clash a little bit, we're still going to work to get along. 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:18.400 Why? 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:21.200 Because we're doing it as unto the Lord. 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:23.519 Is this okay tonight what I'm saying? 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:26.160 I mean, you say it's almost like a pep talk. 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:30.000 Call it what you want, because sometimes preaching is a little peppy. 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:39.039 The idea is let's get behind this thing and let's not let principalities and powers divide us over superficial things. 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:54.000 If the depth and the harmony of friendship leadership is there, and we're describing what's going on to the best of our ability, and we're defining reality, and we're saying, here's what we know, and here's what we plan on, and here's what we need to be flexible. 00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:56.559 And if you need help over there, we'll run to you. 00:23:56.640 --> 00:24:02.880 And if we need help over here, you run to us, and we'll just make this whole thing work out for the Lord by God's grace. 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:04.160 I want to show you one more. 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:05.680 Look at Nehemiah 4. 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:07.039 Nehemiah 4. 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:08.079 That's the one, right, Curtis? 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:09.519 Nehemiah 4. 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:12.559 And the idea in Nehemiah 4 is similar. 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:17.440 And again, this takes volunteer mental maturity. 00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:18.880 We're all volunteers. 00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:19.759 We're all here. 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:24.160 Brethren, uh, would you agree that salvation is a want-to? 00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:28.480 It's not salvation is not a have-to, it's a want-to. 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:33.359 Salvation is a, I freely accept Christ as Savior. 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:36.079 I want to tell you, service is a want-to. 00:24:37.039 --> 00:24:38.559 Serving after we're saved. 00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:40.720 Not everybody's going to get to heaven. 00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:44.640 They'll enter into heaven, but not everybody's going to get rewards. 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:46.799 There's some that will suffer loss. 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:52.400 They didn't suffer the loss of their salvation, but they will suffer the loss of their rewards. 00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:53.119 Why? 00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:56.319 They were superficial and got offended down here. 00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:00.480 And they didn't know that the comforter could comfort them in that offense. 00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:04.240 The comforter, through the word of God, could keep them going. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:06.400 And they're going to be saddened a little bit. 00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:08.400 And I know God wipes away all the pain. 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:10.960 And I know God wipes away all the sorrow. 00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:16.000 But it does say that there are some that will suffer loss in their rewards. 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:20.559 That doesn't mean they'll suffer the loss of their salvation, and God will wipe that all away. 00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:31.680 But brethren, we don't want to get to heaven and find out we were created in Christ Jesus unto good works, but something offended us and we used that like we were victims and didn't serve. 00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:34.400 Come on, is that right? 00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:35.920 Not here. 00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:38.559 We don't have to be victims with each other. 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:43.519 I mean, come on, we ought to be man and woman enough to say, hey, that offended me, I'm gonna go talk to them. 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:46.720 Or I'm just gonna eat it and keep on going. 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:48.880 Either way works. 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:57.119 Go to your brother or go to your sister if you want, or just let her alone and cast your cares upon God and move on. 00:25:57.359 --> 00:25:59.359 Either way, it doesn't matter. 00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:03.359 But what we don't want to do is, well, they haven't told me anything. 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:04.960 I don't know what's going on. 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:14.319 And discord, discord, discord, doubt, doubt, doubt, and disharmony, disharmony, disharmony, because you know they should have told me they don't know who I am. 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:15.759 Brethren, brethren. 00:26:16.079 --> 00:26:18.240 Sometimes we just don't know yet. 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:21.279 And sometimes we can't read minds. 00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:26.240 We can't read minds. 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:29.359 We didn't know somebody didn't get it. 00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:31.519 We didn't know we missed somebody. 00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:32.880 Come to us. 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:34.640 Let us know. 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:36.640 We'll try to fix it. 00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:38.319 Go see Scott. 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:43.440 That's the buzzword for the next three weeks. 00:26:43.519 --> 00:26:45.119 Just go see Scott. 00:26:46.160 --> 00:26:47.039 It's fine. 00:26:47.279 --> 00:26:48.240 Well, what about this? 00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:49.359 Go see Scott. 00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:51.519 Scott might say, go see Art. 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:53.920 Scott might say, go see Brother Cheney. 00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:56.000 Scott might see, go see Cal. 00:26:56.160 --> 00:26:57.519 That's a good one, amen. 00:26:57.759 --> 00:26:59.279 All right, you finally got it. 00:26:59.359 --> 00:26:59.680 That's right. 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:03.200 Look at Numbers or Nehemiah chapter four, and we'll finish so you can get on home tonight. 00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:04.559 Nehemiah chapter four. 00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:11.119 I'm excited about what's going on because I know some of the men and women are coming, and we get to serve them, but it's for our church. 00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:13.279 And may I say to you, please listen. 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:17.759 Our young generations need to see the adults getting along. 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:20.960 We are setting an example to them. 00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:36.480 And they need to see adults getting along in church, in leadership, in pressure, in growth, in finances, in additions, in doing new things, in new leadership, where they say they weren't perfect, but they kept trying. 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:38.000 What do you mean? 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:40.799 The adults weren't perfect, but they didn't give up. 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:42.640