Your Biggest Fight

March 14, 2021   /   Pastor David Squyres   /   Palms Baptist Church

Your Biggest Fight

Your biggest fight is the internal struggle to release anger and bitterness in order to walk in the image of Christ.

  • “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger.” Ephesians 4:31
  • “See to it that … no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15
  • “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.” Ruth 1:20
  • “For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” Acts 8:23

Ahithophel: Study in bitterness.

1. Ahithophel was one of David’s 2 Samuel 16:23)

2. Ahithophel betrayed his king.

  • 2 Samuel 15:10-12
  • Absalom’s hair, 2 Samuel 14:26
  • Ever notice bitter people attract each other.
  • 2 Samuel 15:31-34.

3. Ahithophel used his (2 Samuel 16:21-22)

  • Fulfilled Nathan’s prophecy in 2 Samuel 12:11.
  • Ahithophel’s advised Absalom to do something that was so perverse, so evil, so hurtful that everyone would hear about it and know that David had been utterly shamed.

4. Ahithophel wanted (2 Samuel 17:1-3)

Who is Ahithophel?

  • The Father of Eliam.
  • Eliam was one of David’s mighty men. (2 Sam. 23:34)
  • Eliam was the father of Bathsheba. (2 Sameul 11:3)

= Ahithophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba.

  • 2 Sam. 17:1: Ahithophel wanted to personally kill David.
  • 2 Sam. 17:2: He says their “grudge” is against one man. One man need to die.

5. Bitterness (2 Samuel 17:23)

Some pastoral thoughts:

1. Trust God

  • Deuteronomy 32:35
  • 1 Timothy 5:24

2. Stop

  • Notice the military nature of 2 Corinthians 10:5. We take every thought “captive.” We refuse our own thoughts access to the inner self.
  • Advice: Don’t stir your own resentment. You don’t need to know what everyone thinks about you. Don’t worry about what others are saying.
  • Philippians 4:8 encourages us to focus on three things daily:

I should daily focus on God’s Word. What the Bible says is “true.”

I should daily focus on God’s Will. What is “noble” and “right.” Asking God daily, “What do you want me to do?”

I should focus daily on worship. What is pure, lovely, admirable. Notice in 2 Samuel 15:32, David in a time of great distress went “where God is worshiped.”

 

3. Enjoy

  • Ahithophil’s great grandson was Solomon. But because of his bitter choices, he would never get to influence his family for God. He never got to enjoy his legacy, but forever cast a terrible shadow over himself and his family.
  • Take time to identify the blessings in your life. Count your blessings.
  • Work to enjoy the blessings of God. Blessings take work! Because usually, blessings are people. And we have to work and plan to enjoy people. Otherwise life drips by and we never enjoyed the people right in front of us.
  • One of the greatest acts of ingratitude is when we reject God’s blessing in favor of bitterness.

 

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