[0:00] and his sons and so brother just come ahead and introduce them perhaps and take it from there all right like pastor walski said i'm brother hansen and uh those are my two sons here um most of my family grew up in southern california so we're actually out here visiting my dad and pastor uh i'm gonna say it wrong walski walski i always get that wrong okay walski they even prepped me back in post falls but i still got it wrong uh walski um invited me he saw one of my prayer letters i was coming out and so he invited me here so i appreciate being here again i was here in 2018 maybe some of you that's been here uh remember me um uh yeah this is uh titus right here on the end and then hayden and so we're visiting my dad because he's not doing too good i don't know how much longer he has uh before he goes and meets the lord um i grew up lutheran just down out here in san rodino lutheran church out in san rodino and uh gave me a good foundation gave me a good foundation um through that i didn't think my parents would ever go to independent baptist church or just lutheran all the way and then lutheran the lutheran church there went a little woke and so now they're going off and on on a little independent baptist church up there in pinion hills out by feeling so i was kind of rejoicing that my brothers they kind of still go to lutheran church um out there in redlands but um i praise the lord for that i think most of my family is saved sometimes it's kind of hard i don't know if you ever grew up lutheran or uh even nowadays sometimes catholic you know where they say they believe in the lord they believe he died on the cross for their sins and you know sometimes you just get a feeling like man are you really saved you know that kind of thing but thank god i'm uh got saved got in a independent baptist church and uh i now know that this is not a baptismal tank this is a glass of water so i appreciate that but i got saved there in uh john habman's church in missoula montana um those of you here remember i did a story on smoke jumpers and uh that was one of the reasons i ended up getting saved by going and taking a job out there in montana and the lord knew i needed to be there in missoula um because i'm a little crazy and i like crazy people and john habman was a crazy preacher and we got there um hey i'll just give you a quick testimony uh testimony when i got there in 95 i i went i i left came back in 96 got a dui at the end of 96 then i came back in 97 and a guy um had witnessed to me had got me out of jail there in 96 he invited me to the church went to the church and the pastor was preaching and i just loved it because we didn't scream we didn't shout we didn't do any of that stuff and so there he is he's up and he's screaming and sometimes he jumps on there you know and he's just exciting i like that it was just dull and dreary in the lutheran church so i was like all right this is kind of cool this is kind of cool and he comes down and he says derek um if you died today would you go to heaven if you died today would you go to heaven you know for sure if you go to heaven or hell if you died today i said i don't know i don't know he says well derek are you a christian i said yeah i'm a christian and then he looks at me and he says no you're not i mean he he had the tenacity to do that to say no you're not and look at me like that and i got mad and some people just need to get a little mad sometimes about the religious life that they have to see that that maybe they might be lost and so i i went back to my barracks and i uh got to think about all week if i died today would i go to heaven or hell where am i going and so um even though i got mad and left i came back and i ended up getting saved um but so i love it um if you can go to uh need you to go to um first samuel first samuel in chapter
[4:04] 27 and i'll probably talk a little bit more about chili and uh uh ministry uh how god called us there at uh 11 o'clock or 10 o'clock 10 o'clock hour first samuel and chapter 27 but i appreciate uh pastor wolski inviting me i met him over there and when he was in pennsylvania and uh i've known his parents because our church supported his parents forever to missionaries to poland and i appreciate the wolskis okay first samuel and uh our text is going to be in first samuel 30 is it not on i never can do this i gotta frisk you real quick i am in california so you know you know uh we had to be over here and we had to get off on that glenn exit glenn oaks or whatever and so we're coming off the exit and we're going what's that oh sure i always break these things by the way okay um but i so we got off the exit and then you saw the tents on the side they're setting up their you know uh the food and all that and i'm like wow i'm back in santiago when i was in santiago chili i was like okay um pastor was telling me there was culture shock and uh for anyone who has uh moved to another country or moved to a even a different city in here it kind i know what he means by it was a culture shock coming from pennsylvania to here not knowing what it's like here um for me it was kind of a little bit of a culture shock because um coming into this area it wasn't really like that uh back when i was living out here i mean we didn't come to la that much but i understand what you mean and uh i was i was thinking as uh i saw those tents i got to thinking if anyone ever wants to be a missionary to a different country if you can't even stick it out here especially latin american country if you can't stick it out here in silmar and you got to move up to beautiful post falls idaho that's no plug sorry sorry pastor no plug to go up there um but if you can't stick it out here and then you want to be a missionary and you know if you leave this area what do you it's going to be like that when you go into one of the latin american countries kind of like where you're at here okay first samuel in chapter 27 what i'm going to do is go 27 28 29 and then we're going to read my text i just kind of want to give you an idea of what's going on and in uh matt in uh first samuel uh 27 verse 1 it says and david said in his heart i shall now perish one day by the hand of saul there is nothing better for me than that i should speedily escape into the land of the philistines and saul shall despair of me to seek me anymore in any coast of israel so shall i escape out of his hand and david arose and he passed over with the 600 men that were with him unto achish the son of moac king of gath and david dwelt with achish at gath he and his men every man with his household sorry i gotta turn off my phone every man of this household even david with his two wives and i know him the jezreelitis and abigail the carmelitis and nabelle's wife and it was told saul that david was fled to gath and he sought no more again for him verse 5 and david said to achish if i have now found grace in thine eyes let them give me a place in some town in the country that i may dwell therefore why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee then achish gave him ziglag that day wherefore ziglag pertainth unto the kings of judah unto that day so david and the 600 men um they're going to flee from saul he's going to find refuge with achish to philistine the philistine who is king of gath he tells achish uh we will help you fight all that come against you but first let me let me do this let me set up shop in a ziglag let me get
[8:10] my family over there we're going to set up shop and then we're going to go help you fight so david and and the men they drop off the families there in ziglag then they return to help in the war efforts and they kill the amalekites and along with other tribes then in chapter 28 you have david and the philistines preparing to do battle with saul look at verse 1 28 1 and it came to pass in those days that the philistines gathered their armies together for warfare to fight with israel and achish said unto david know thou surely that thou shall go out with me to battle thou and thy men and david said to achish surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do and achish said to david therefore will i make thee keeper of my head forever so david's thinking that he's going to go out and he's going to fight uh against uh the philistines that's what he believes is going to happen um and so he prepares for it and then uh in 28 uh saw is going to go to the witch at indoor he's going to uh conjure up samuel and then in chapter 29 you're going to have some princes of the philistines are going to get a little upset with david and his men and they're basically going to tell the king you need to get rid of these hebrews get these hebrews out of here we don't want them here anymore look at uh chapter 29 and verse 6 then achish called david and said unto him surely as the lord liveth thou has been upright and thy going out and thy coming in with me and the host is good in my sight for i have not found evil in thee since this day of thy coming unto me unto this day nevertheless the lord's favor thee not wherefore now return and go in peace that thou displease not the lord's of the philistines and david said to achish but what have i done and what has thou found in thy servant so long as i have been with thee unto this day that i may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king i believe god was in it really because david never spoke against saul he never spoke against him because he was god's anointed anointed so i don't think god allowed him to fight with the philistines verse 8 and david said to achish but what have i done verse 9 and achish answered and said to david i know that thou are good in my sight as an angel of god notwithstanding the prince of the philistines have said he shall not go up with us to battle wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee and as soon as you be early in the morning have light depart so david and his men rose up early to depart in the morning to return unto the land of the philistines and the philistines went up to jezreel okay our text is going to be from uh first samuel 30 verse 1 and we're going to read to 25 and i want you to put a marker there because we'll go back and forth we'll go to john and then the psalms and corinthians um verse uh chapter 30 verse 1 and it came to pass when david and his men were come to ziglag on the third day that the amalekites had invaded the south and ziglag and smitten ziglag and burned it with fire and had taken the women captives that were therein they slew not any either great or small but carried them away and went on their way so david and his men came to the city and behold it was burned with fire and their wives and their sons and their daughters were taken captives then david and the people that were with them lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep and david's two wives were taken captives and anonim the jezreelitis and abigail the wife of nabel the carmelite and david was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved every man for his sons and for his daughters but david encouraged himself in in the lord god encouraged himself in the lord his god and david said to abathar the priest um ameliac's son i pray thee bring me hither the epod and abathar brought hither the epod to david and david inquired at the lord saying shall i pursue
[12:15] after this troop shall i overtake them and he answered him pursue for thou shalt surely overtake them and without fail recover all so david went he and the 600 men that were with him and came to the brook besor where those that were left behind stayed but david pursued he and 400 men for 200 men abode behind which were so faint that they could not go over the book the over the brook besor and they found the egyptian in the field and brought him to david and gave him bread and he did eat and they made him drink water and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins and when he had eaten his spirit came again to him for he he had eaten no bread nor drunk any water three days and three nights and david said unto him to whom belongest thou and whence art thou and he said i am a young man of egypt servant to amalekite and my master left me because three days ago ago i fell sick we made an invasion upon the south of the charitites and upon the coast which belong to judah and upon the south of caleb and we burned ziglag with fire and david said unto him canst thou bring me down to this company and he said swear unto me by god that thou will neither kill me nor deliver me in the hands of my master and i will bring thee down to this company and when he had brought them down behold they were spread abroad upon all the earth eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the philistines and out of the land of judah and david smote them from the twilight even in the evening of the next day and their escape not a man of them save four hundred young men which rode upon camels and fled and david recovered all that the amalekites had carried away and david rescued his two wives and there was nothing lacking to them neither small nor great neither sons nor daughters neither spoil nor anything that they had taken to them david recovered all and david took all the flocks and the herds which they drove before those other cattle and said this is david's spoil and david came to the two hundred men which were so faint that they could not follow david whom they made also to abide at the brook besor and they went forth to meet david and to meet the people that were with them and when david came near to the people he saluted them then answered all the wicked men and men of belial of those that went with david and said because they went not with us we will not give them out of the spoil that we have recovered save to every man his wife and his children that they may lead them away and depart then said david ye shall not do so my brethren with that which the lord hath given us who hath preserved us and delivered the company that came against us into our hand for who will hearken to you in this manner but as his part is that goeth down to the battle so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff they shall part alike and it was so from that day forward that he made it a statue and ordinance for israel unto this day let's pray father we thank you for your mercies we thank you for the blood of the lord jesus christ thank you for this church thank you for the faithful members that stayed thank you for those that came back after the uh coronavirus the pandemic lord and uh thank you for those that are staying faithful supporting uh the pastor lord there's always a transition that goes with the new pastor comes in and uh lord i pray you bless these people that have been faithful and stayed and even the new ones that has come in help them to be faithful father father in serving you and in this church lord we know as we get closer and closer to the last days uh it's going to be hard for the lord to find a faithful man or or a woman lord and so uh pray you bless them and bless this church in jesus christ's name amen okay um let's go to john 21 in verse 15 um david and his men they weren't wanting anywhere so they returned home and then uh we just got done reading 24 verse 24 it said so shall his part be that
[16:19] tarryeth by this stuff they shall all part alike john 21 john 21 sometimes we are in church and we wonder what our job is what is it that we can do we feel like we don't contribute to anything and that's kind of what i want to talk about uh in this uh sunday school hour john 21 and look at verse 15 john 21 verse 15 21 verse 15 it says so when they had dying and jesus said to simon peter simon son of jonas lovest thou me more than these he said unto him yea lord thou knowest i love thee he said unto him feed my lambs he said uh to him again the second time simon son of jonas lovest thou me he said unto him yea lord thou knowest i love thee he said unto him feed my sheep he said unto him the third time simon son of jonas lovest thou me peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time lovest thou me and he said unto him lord thou knowest all things thou knowest i love thee jesus said unto him feed my sheep verily verily i say
[17:41] And of the verse 18, when thou was young, thou girdest thyself and walkest whither thou wouldest. But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
[17:53] This spake he signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he said unto him, follow me, follow me. 20. If there's a title for this message, it'd be follow me.
[18:06] Follow thou me. 20. Then Peter turned about, seeing the disciple whom Jesus loved following, that would be John, which also leaned on his breast at supper and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
[18:19] John's the only one who said, which is he? Everyone else said, is it me? But John said, which is he? 21. Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
[18:29] Peter's talking about John. What shall this man do? 22. Jesus said to him, if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.
[18:40] What is that to thee? Follow thou me. Peter wants to know what's John going to do? What's John going to do? And the Lord had just given Peter a gentle rebuke. It was a gentle rebuke in 15 through 17.
[18:52] In verse 17, because he says, he says there in 15, 17, feed my lambs, feed my sheep. And by the third time in verse 17, he's grieved. Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time.
[19:05] I mean, if you knew Christ was here on this earth and you went to go see him and he says, you're a faithful follower. But then he starts telling you, feed my sheep, feed my sheep.
[19:15] And you keep answering him. And then you're going to be a little upset, too. You're going to be like, why is he? Why is he pointing me out? Why is he getting a little? He seems like he's getting maybe a little upset with me a little bit because he keeps questioning me.
[19:27] I mean, I told him, does he think I'm lying? Does he think I'm lying? I mean, I'm sure Peter was probably thinking, Christ, you know, I was the only one who stepped out of the boat.
[19:38] Where was all the other disciples? I took that step of faith and I stepped out of the boat. Hey, Lord, you know that when the Romans came for you and Judas betrayed you, I was willing to take that sword and cut that guy's head off.
[19:54] But he ducked and I got his ear. But I was going to cut his head off for you, Lord. Where was John? John wasn't doing nothing about it. I was there. I was serving. And we can get that way sometimes in church.
[20:07] We can get that way sometimes when we're doing things for the Lord and we get to looking at other people. And that's what Peter does here.
[20:17] That's what the wicked men of Belial and first Samuel was doing. Like we went out to the battle. Us 400 went out to the battle. The other 200, they have stayed behind. They don't they don't get any of these rewards.
[20:30] They don't get any of these rewards. We need to quit worrying about what someone else is doing and quit saying, what shall this man do? And we need to worry about ourselves and what we can do for the Lord.
[20:45] They were worried in first Samuel and in John here. They were worried about the who, what and where. The first where worry that they're worried about is where were you?
[20:58] Where were you? The wicked men of Belial. They weren't in the fight. They're saying about those 200. Where were you? Why didn't you keep going with us? You were weary?
[21:08] What? You guys, I'm sure, have soul winning here maybe on a certain day. And maybe you're one of the faithful ones that are always there, whether it's a Saturday or a Wednesday night or whenever you go out and you talk to people.
[21:21] And sometimes I know this has happened in my life because I did the bus ministry and I was there every Saturday. And sometimes I'm like, where is the church? Where are they at?
[21:33] And I started worrying about other people and I can't do that because I don't know what they're doing on their jobs. They might be witnessing the people on their jobs. They might be bringing, trying to get their relatives in.
[21:45] They might be talking to their friends. They might be going out, I don't know, to the mall or whatever, passing out tracks just because they didn't come to that dedicated time.
[21:56] Now, I think you ought to come to that dedicated time because it emboldens others. It helps others. And when you get in there with other people and they're out there with you and they're going out, that's just a blessing to see other people.
[22:08] Go to Psalms, Psalm 68. But sometimes we worry about, where were you? I didn't see you. Psalm 68.
[22:19] And that worry can cause you to lose patience when you're worried about someone else.
[22:33] 68. Psalms 68. It can cause you to lose sight of what your job is to do for the Lord. Psalm 68 verse, and it's not just soul winning.
[22:45] We'll get to that. Psalm 68 verse 11. Now it says in Psalm 68 verse 11. The Lord gave the word. Great was the company of those that published it.
[22:59] So the Lord gives us the word. And it's great the people that go out and publish it and tell others. Look at 12. Kings of armies did flee a pace. And she that tarrieth at home divideth the spoil.
[23:14] A lot of times my wife had to stay at home, had to raise our boys. And we got to a point where we can take them out with us. But sometimes she had to stay at home. And sometimes people have to stay at home sometimes to raise family, do other things.
[23:29] Church members have to stay at home while missionaries go out. And the job of the church members just to stay faithful. And if they can't financially help in missions, then prayer.
[23:40] I've got a couple prayer warriors that a couple of them is going to die. And I'm like, Lord, let him live a little longer. I know this guy, man. I know he's praying for me. He calls me and tells me. I'm like, I love it.
[23:51] You know, it's like, boy, I need that. Because, you know, the Bible says men are always to pray. And men are the weaker vessel in prayer. They really are. Women are stronger vessels in that area of prayer.
[24:04] And so sometimes we might look at a woman and say, well, she doesn't go out. And she doesn't do this. And she doesn't do that. Well, how do we know what she's doing? She might be on her knees praying and getting some victory there.
[24:16] Go to 1 Corinthians 12. Looking at the time. 1 Corinthians 12. I'm sure you've seen this. Been saved for a while. You've seen this in 1 Corinthians 12.
[24:29] You heard messages preached on this. about being a member and being a team member. 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 12. It says, For as a body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
[24:47] 1 Corinthians 12, verse 13. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit.
[24:58] For the body is not one member but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body. Is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body. Is it therefore not of the body?
[25:10] If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now God has set the members. Every one of them in the body, as it has pleased them.
[25:20] And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body? And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
[25:31] Nay, much more of those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor. And our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
[25:44] For our comely parts have no need, but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacketh. That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another.
[25:57] We should. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. Or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, the members in particular.
[26:09] And God has had some of the church, first apostles, secondary prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, gifts of healings, helps governments, diversity of tongues, are all apostles, are all prophets, are all teachers, are all workers of miracles, have all the gifts of healing, do all speak with tongues, do all interpret, but covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet show I unto you more excellent way.
[26:31] Now, in order to do the best job for Christ, we need every part of the body. We need every part of the body. We need some people, of course, obviously, to take care of the nursery.
[26:44] We need some people to go out and pass out tracts. We need some people in this part, especially, to learn Spanish and reach the Spanish community. There is a lot of things that churches need people for.
[27:02] Might need someone to do bus ministry. I don't even know if you can even do that here in California anymore. But some to go in the jails. And I'm saying things that have kind of been outdated now with the coronavirus.
[27:15] Not letting you go back in the jails or nursing homes or those things. But we can still reach people. Maybe there's a member who's in the church or who was in the church, and then they've had problems with coronavirus.
[27:28] Maybe someone needs to go visit them. There are things you can do. We had a guy that came out of the jail when I was working the jail ministry, and he was working in construction. You know what he did? He made, during his lunch, he took his lunch hour out, and he spent his money, and he made a big smorgasbord of food and gave it away free.
[27:48] And he gave them, of course, the gospel as they were going through the line, and he gave them tracts. And that was something he did, and it was only for an hour. He only had that little bit, that hour to do that.
[27:58] But there's always something you can do. Maybe, you know, just passing out tracts or sending tracts in the mail. So we need to quit thinking about, okay, I need to do something big and grand for God.
[28:14] Maybe he does want you to do something. But maybe he just wants you to be faithful. And we need to quit worrying about everyone else and what they're doing. Okay.
[28:25] Who deserves the spoils of war? What is in it for me? We're worried about the what. What is in it for me? Why should I risk my life for someone else?
[28:36] Our prayer life usually, and mine too, starts with us asking for something for us rather than for someone else. That was the guy who started Salvation Army.
[28:50] What's his name? Booth. Yeah, William Booth. His last dying words was others. Others. Go to Philippians 1. Philippians 1. We're worried about ourselves.
[29:01] And I've caught myself many times praying for myself or just the whole prayer life being on my family. And it's like, why haven't I prayed for anyone else?
[29:14] Philippians 1. Philippians 1. And verse 15. Philippians 1 verse 15. It says, Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife, and some also of goodwill.
[29:31] The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds, but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.
[29:44] Philippians 1 verse 15. Philippians 1 verse 15. What then notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
[29:56] Here Paul is an example of a true Christian minister. He doesn't care about the who. He doesn't care about the who. He doesn't care about the what. He doesn't care about who gets the credit.
[30:08] He rejoiced in the fact that Christ is preached. Or the who, yeah. All he cares about is the work of God and is it going forward. Is it going forward, not who gets the credit.
[30:21] Sundar Singh and a companion, they were traveling through a pass high in the Himalaya mountains. At one point, they came across a body lying in the snow. And Sundar Singh wished to stop and help the unfortunate man.
[30:35] But his companion refused, saying, we shall lose our lives. He was worried about the who. We shall lose our lives if we burn ourselves with them. But Sundar Singh would not think of leaving the man to die in the ice and snow.
[30:48] As his companion made his farewell, Sundar Singh lifted the poor traveler onto his back with great exertion. On his part, he bore the man onward.
[31:01] But gradually, the heat from Singh's body began to warm up the frozen fellow, and he revived. Soon, both were walking together side by side, catching up with his former companion.
[31:13] They found him dead, frozen by the cold. You know, when you join in the missions program, whether in prayer, money, or what have you, or any other method, you get a part of the spoils of the war.
[31:24] You're like those 200 that was left behind. They wanted to get in the war. They wanted to be there. They came out with David. But for whatever reason, they couldn't go on, and the 400 went on.
[31:39] Remember how they were so grieved because of what had happened, and their wives, and they had come back to their city, and their families were gone. They were probably just in such a deep depression that they couldn't go on.
[31:54] They couldn't move on. But they came back, and they got a part of the spoils of war. Lastly, the what shall this man do is what Peter says about John, and how many times have we compared ourselves to others.
[32:09] Even after messages preached, we sometimes have a tendency to compare ourselves. Go to Luke 18. Luke 18. Luke 18.
[32:23] And verse 9. It's hard. We all do it. We do it in the world when we're looking at people that has this job or that job, and we say we would like that.
[32:37] We would like to make that money. We would like that car. There's a lot of comparison that goes on. And Peter says, what shall this man do? Chapter 18 and verse 9 of Luke.
[32:50] It says, and he spake this parable unto certain which trusted themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican.
[33:04] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
[33:14] I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes on the heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful unto me, a sinner.
[33:27] We look at our lives or someone else's life and says, what shall this man do? Or we'll look at someone else and say, well, at least I'm not like that. At least I'm coming to church. At least I'm serving God.
[33:39] And we can't do that. We can't do that. We can't get complacent in our life. We can't say, at least I am doing this. We should say to God, what more can I do?
[33:51] That's a hard prayer to pray. Because you know God and you know he's going to give you something to do. So, you know, it's hard to pray that and say, okay, Lord, get me out of my comfort zone. We might say, get me out of my comfort zone.
[34:02] Just a little, just a little, just a little bit, Lord. Just a little tiny bit. And it's hard to say that. Go back to 1 Samuel and we're going to finish there.
[34:16] 1 Samuel in 30. It says, the wicked men of Belial, 1 Samuel in chapter 30. Hopefully you kept a marker there.
[34:26] I didn't. 30 verse 22. Those wicked men of Belial. Let's read it. Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial of those that went with David and said, because they went not with us.
[34:41] Because they went not with us. We will not give them out of the spoil that we have recovered. You know, us missionaries, we got to be careful that when we're looking at souls that are won.
[34:58] And Chile is a hard country to win souls. I think that's why he gave me the training ground in liberal Missoula and also being here from liberal California. But it's a hard ground where I'm at in Punta Reina. And I'll explain that at 10 o'clock.
[35:10] But we got to be careful as missionaries. If a missionary goes to Africa or India and he's winning souls and he's winning souls. And he's got to be careful saying, wow, God, look what I'm doing. Look what I'm doing.
[35:20] And he's got to remember there's people praying, giving, and he can't do it without the church. He can't do it without all these independent Baptist churches supporting him.
[35:32] You know, I don't know how Calvary Chapel and some of these community service church or non-denominational churches do it. I've talked to a couple. Some of them, their church will just take them and throw them out there and support them.
[35:43] And they don't even have to go on deputation. Others of these churches, they can't find the funds to support them. And I thank God for the independent Baptist churches. Because even though we don't always agree in doctrine, we do come together in supporting missionaries.
[35:59] And that is a blessing so that we can be out there. Because there are countries where you can't work. A lot of countries, especially if they know you're from the United States. Look, we've got people from Venezuela, Peru, Colombia.
[36:10] They all come over and they get a worker's visa. But when I came and coming from the United States, I was going for the religious visa, which I'm still working on, almost there, for three years.
[36:22] But they just assumed I'm not going to work. And I'm not. And it would have been a lot harder for me as a United States citizen to actually get a worker's visa. So most of the missionaries do have to rely on the money that is supported by the church.
[36:37] So we, as missionaries, we do have to be careful. Like, oh, look at all these people. No, there's people that are sitting back at home and they're praying. And so when you see a missionary letter and they say, oh, I won this soul.
[36:47] If you're giving and praying, you got a part of that winning that soul to Jesus Christ. Now, we've got to be careful of that. These men of Belial says, they said, oh, it's not fair that they get rewarded.
[37:02] We won't share our stuff. And there's a lot of envy and jealousy and worry that goes on in a church. These men, though, that stayed behind, they were faint of heart. They lost their family.
[37:13] They had no more power to weep, the Bible says. And they were loyal to David. But yet, because they hurt so much and they took their anger out on David, the 200 men, they couldn't go on.
[37:27] They were overcome with that grief. They now had a different work to do, which was tearing by the stuff. David realized all this, and he said to those wicked men of Belial, quit worrying about who gets the stuff.
[37:43] Quit being a brute. Worry about yourself. And don't worry about who gets the stuff. We're all going to part alike. Do we worry about those who are better than us?
[37:53] Do we worry about those who will receive a bigger reward? Back there in John, when we were looking at it, in verse 22, the answer from Christ to Peter, when he said, what will this man do?
[38:04] Christ said, follow thou me. Follow thou me. And I'm going to leave you off with this. The men were to follow David. And the disciples were to follow Christ.
[38:18] Were to follow Christ and follow him. Okay? But much more than that, or not much more than that, but we also ought to follow men as they follow Christ.
[38:31] Joshua, Aaron, Elisha, Timothy, Luke, Titus, what did they all have in common? They followed men as those men followed Christ.
[38:43] But you know who's one of the greatest examples is David. Why is it David? One of the greatest examples of following men. Because he followed a bad man and still followed Christ.
[38:54] He followed Saul. And he still followed God. There in verse 22, what is that to me? Follow thou me.
[39:05] So we need to follow men as they follow Christ and we need to follow Christ. We need that discernment and talk to the Lord about that. Pastor.