Ignorance Of Grace Will Lead To Death

I. EXORDIUM:

Are you enjoying GOD's Grace or ignoring it?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that grace can be ignored but still shows his goodness to us.

IV. TEXT:

1 Samuel 25:10 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

“Who is this fellow David?” Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters.

V. THESIS:

Grace can be ignored and it's goodness expires if we don't take the chance to repent.

VI. TITLE:

Ignorance Of Grace Will Lead To Death

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Authors: Samuel (Israel's last greatest judge) - some parts of it, Nathan and Gad (1 Samuel 10:25, 1 Chronicles 29:29) and some say it's Anonymous

1 Samuel 10:25 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home again.

1 Chronicles 29:29 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

All the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in The Record of Samuel the Seer, The Record of Nathan the Prophet, and The Record of Gad the Seer.

B. Purpose of writing: Account of the history of Israel from 12th to 10th B.C.

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Nabal symbolizes fools who reject the knowledge of GOD.

1. Nabal came from the Hebrew word:"nabal" meaning fools, stupid, wicked, vile person. Nabal represents any person who rejects the knowledge of GOD, claims there's no GOD, and everything happens by accident or chance.

1 Samuel 25:25 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests. But I never even saw the young men you sent.

Psalms 14:1 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!

Isaiah 26:10 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good. Although others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the Lord’s majesty.

1. Nabal (fool) came in contact with King David (symbolizing grace) and yet ignored him and his goodness. He repaid evil for good to David. He repaid GOD's goodness and grace to him with evil. It's a biblical fact that even you expose the wicked or a fool, the wicked or fool will keep on doing what is wrong and will not take notice or ignore the LORD's majesty.

1 Samuel 25:14-16 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants went to Abigail and told her, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed insults at them.

These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us.

In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep.

1 Samuel 25:21 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

David had just been saying, “A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good.

B. Nabal did not acknowledge David's kingship

1. David's identity was ignored.

"Who is this fellow David?"

2. David's profession and his whereabouts was ignored.

"Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is?"

3. Parallel with CHRIST when He was ignored.

Mark 6:2-3 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?”

Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

C. Yet GOD is Merciful, He gave us chances to live long to repent

1. Example of Nabal where GOD was merciful to him and allowed him to live even after he ignored GOD's servant: King David and King David's goodness to him.

1 Samuel 25:37-38 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke, and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone.

About ten days later, the Lord struck him, and he died.

2 Peter 3:9 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)