AMNON HAD A FRIEND
II Samuel 13:1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
2 And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.
3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.
4 And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king's son, lean from day to day?
wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
Amnon had a friend… Amnon was a kings kid…he was a son of David, king of Israel. He lived in a palace and enjoyed all the regal splendors of a child of the king. In the text we probably find Amnon in his teenage years. Although, his age is irrelevant because I think its notable that all of us regardless of the season of life we find ourselves in can have the same tendencies as Amnon.
But here in his youth he finds himself in a predicament…he has fallen in love with his sister…more correctly his half-sister…Tamar. They shared the same father…but different mothers.
Understand in this setting and time…there was nothing illicit or improper with this relationship…it was quite common at this time.
I would guess that the emotions that Amnon initially had for Tamar were innocent…but a battle began to be lost in the confines of his mind-
Romans 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
It’s in the mind that many of our greatest battles are won and are lost. It’s in your mind that you will determine the outcome of the battle often times before it even begins. There is power in what you place in this mind.
Think defeated…and you will find yourself defeated.
Think negative and you become negative!
You allow the devil to entertain thoughts in your mind that are unholy…those thoughts will become subtle desires…those desires not reigned in will morph into an unbridled passion….that passion if not quenched becomes an action….that action put into motion is an iniquity in the eyes of God…that iniquity if not repented of becomes a wedge between you and God…isolating you from the presence of the Almighty!
Sins path will lead you to a place of pain, torment, addiction, bondage and loss of self-control- and you become a slave to sin!
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I’ve seen good, strong saints in the Lord become slaves to sin simply because they lost the battle in their mind!
Quit entertaining those thought…quit thinking about that junk in the past…quit putting things in your mind that will be a detriment to your walk with God! Quit listening to the rumors of the adversary…
quit allowing STINKING THINKING ROB YOU OF THE VICTORY!
I want to tell someone here in this house to rise up a little higher in 2012!
Your fickle faith wont make it through this year!
Your inconsistent, wavering walk will not stand in 2012
Your unfaithfulness and lukewarm casual commitment will crumble in this year that stands before us!
I wander if there is anybody in this house that will declare- IM GOING TO BE ON FIRE FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN 2012
I’M GOING TO PUT HIGHER EXPECTATIONS ON MYSELF IN SERVING GOD
I’M GOING TO GO TO NEW DIMENSIONS IN MY WALK WITH GOD
I’M GOING TO PRAY MORE FERVENTLY- PRAISE MORE PASSIONATELY- WORSHIP MORE TRUTHFULLY- SPEAK MORE POSITIVELY- GIVE MORE CHEERFULLY-LIVE MORE HOLY!
I’M GOING UP HIGHER IN 2012---ANYBODY WANT TO GO WITH ME??
So we see Amnon a young man that had all the privileges of growing up in the Kings palace. All of the luxuries and upbringing of being a son of the king! But yet he still lost the battle!
I want to help someone in the king’s house…you see…you can be in the king’s house and still not be saved.
You can sit at the king’s table, eat the kings food, walk through the king’s palace, have the love of the king in your life…BUT IN THE END LOSE IT ALL!
THERE IS A BRUTAL REALITY THAT SOME US NEED TO UNDERSTAND---JUST BECAUSE THEY SIT NEXT TO YOU IN THE KINGS HOUSE DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN THAT THEY ARE GOING THE SAME PLACE YOU’RE GOING!
WHAT WAS AMNON’S DEMISE?
WHAT WAS HIS DOWNFALL?
AMNON HAD A FRIEND
I would go out on a limb and make this statement- there are people here that have connected themselves with other people that will destroy their walk with God!
II Corinthians 6:4 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
THIS IS A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN JUST WHO YOU ARE MARRIED TO…BUT WHO DO YOU CONNECT YOURSELF WITH? WHO DO YOU HANG OUT WITH? WHO DO YOU SPEND ALL YOUR TIME WITH AND SOCIALIZE WITH?
WHO ARE YOU YOKED UP WITH?
I CHALLENGE YOU TO REFUSE TO HANG OUT WITH DREAM-KILLERS
RUN FROM NEGATIVE, PESSIMISTIC- CRITICAL, CONDESCENDING PEOPLE
LET GO OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE SPIRITUAL SPONGES IN YOUR LIFE!
SOME OF YOU IN 2012 NEED TO SEND OUT ONE LAST TEXT MESSAGE TO SOME OLD FRIENDS IN YOUR LIFE---JUST SAYING DELETE MY NUMBER PLEASE
SOME OF YOU ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WHO WILL BE YOUR FRIEND AND WHO WILL PAT YOU ON THE BACK- WHO WILL COMPLIMENT YOU- WHO WILL CALL YOU UP FOR COFFEE- WHO WILL LIKE YOU AND WHO WILL BRING AFFIRMATION IN YOUR LIFE---THAT YOU LET ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY CONNECT IN YOUR LIFE AND YOU PUT POPULARITY BEFORE HIS PRESENCE!
CAN I TELL YOU- I MAY NOT BE A FRIEND OF JOE- JOHN- OR JERRY---BUT IM A FRIEND OF GOD!
AM I SAYING WE MAKE OURSELVES STUCK UP OR UNAPPROACHABLE? NO---WE ARE THE SALT OF THE WORLD---SO IF THEIR INFLUENCE OVER US IS GREATER THAN OUR INFLUENCE OVER THEM---ITS TIME TO MOVE ON!
IF SALT LOSES IT SAVOR- OR ITS ABILITY TO CHANGE---THAN ITS GOOD FOR NOTHING!!
SALT HAS THE ATTRIBUTE OF WHAT IT TOUCHES IT CHANGES TO BE LIKE IT!
When you put a bunch of salt on chicken---it becomes salty chicken!
When you put a bunch of salt on popcorn---it becomes salty popcorn!
When you put a bunch of salt on your eggs---they become salty eggs!
No matter how much you put chicken in a salt---you will never taste a handful of salt and say yumm that tastes like chicken!
SALT TRANSFORMS BUT NEVER CONFORMS!
Understand we at New Life will Love the sinner
We will love the crack addict, we will love backslider, we will love the adulterer, we will love the alcoholic…SUCH WERE SOME OF US!!
BUT IF IT EVER COMES TO THE POINT WHERE THEY HAVE MORE INFLUENCE OVER US THAN WE DO OVER THEM---ITS TIME TO SAY I LOVE YOU BUT I HAVE TO LEAVE YOU BECAUSE I’M GOING TO A HIGHER LEVEL!!
WE’VE BEEN CALLED OUT…WE’VE BEEN BROUGHT OUT…WE ARE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD…A PECULIAR PEOPLE!!
That’s what happened to Amnon---he had the wrong friends…he hung out with the wrong crowd!
He was walking down the corridors of the palace, his face was gaunt, his eyes painted with dark circles from sleepless sick nights of worry and anxiety. His head was bent over, his heart aching and his friend Jonadab…the son of Shimeah…Shimeah was one of David’s brothers and Amnon was friends with Jonadab…he trusted him…he was connected with him!
Jonadab looks at Amnon and inquires with him “What is wrong with you?”
Some of your worse enemies will guise themselves in a cloak of concern!
Satan always comes as an angel of light before he pulls you into darkness
His response is “It’s Tamar…I love Tamar!”
I want to be with her…but I will not shame her…I will not bring reproach to her…I know it’s wrong!
Jonadab looks at him with this subtle grin on his face, as if to say WHAT?
You can do whatever you want…nobody can tell you what to do!
So Jonadab suggest the plot-Most people if they are brutally honest with themselves they are really only about one person away from making one of the biggest mistakes in their lives!
Jonadabs plot is this…Amnon just pretend like you are sick. When David comes in and asks you what he can do to help you, just state I would really feel better you know if Tamar could come and fix me some chicken noodle soup or something and when she comes in you grab her and take advantage of her!
Sin always tries to make you feel like you’re missing Something!
Can I tell you- Ive met and talked with many people of different backgrounds that have given their life to God!
Ive known the crack addict that has come clean
Ive seen the drunk come staggering in church and leave filled with the Holy Ghost
Ive prayed men through that were guilty of numerous brutal murders!
NOT ONE TIME HAVE I EVER HEARD THEM SAY--- WHOA I WISH I WOULD HAVE WAITED LONGER TO GET IN CHURCH---NOT ONE TIME HAVE I EVER HEARD THEM SAY---WISH I WOULD HAVE WAITED LONGER
BUT THEY ALL ECHO AND AGREE---I WISH I WOULD HAVE FOUND THIS SOONER!
So Amnon listens to the voice of his friend Jonadab---plot is placed into action
Tamar begs him no don’t do this and he overcomes her with his strength and steals her innocence--AFTER SIN IS CONCEIVED SOMETHING DEVIOUS HAPPENS!
AMNON HATES HER AND TELLS HER TO LEAVE---HE DIDN’T HATE HER---HE HATED WHAT HE HAD DONE AND WHAT HE HAD BECOME
PREACHING ABOUT MORE THAN JUST BAD COMPANY- BUT IM PREACHING AGAINST SIN---IT WILL DESTROY YOU!
PETER CALLS THE ADVERSARY A ROARING LION-
LION- ONE OF THE MOST VICIOUS KILLING MACHINES- GROWN MALE WEIGHS ABOUT 350-500LBS- 9FT LONG- STANDS 3 ½ FEET TALL- CAN RUN 35MPH- CAN SEE IN THE PITCH BLACK DARKNESS- RUN DOWN LEAP UPON ITS PREY AND SNAP ITS BACK INSTANTLY AND DRAG AWAY A 600LB ZEBRA
IT WOULD TAKE 6 MEN TO DO WHAT 1 LION CAN DO!
CONCLUSION-
2 YEARS WENT BY- 2 YEARS WHICH TAMAR SHUT HERSELF IN HER BEDROOM CRYING, HIDING IN SHAME- NEVER WOULD SHE MARRY- NEVER WOULD SHE BE WHOLE AGAIN---BECAUSE WHAT AMNON HAD DONE TO HER!!
AMNON WALKED THE HALLS OF THE PALACE LIKE NOTHING WAS WRONG---EVEN ABSALOM- TAMARS FULL BROTHER TALKED WITH AMNON AS IF ALL WAS GOOD---FOR 2 YEARS!!
CAN I JUST SAY UNTIL SIN IS COVERED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS IT HAS THE ABILITY TO COME BACK AND STALK US DOWN!
THEN ONE DAY AMNON WAS INVITED TO A PARTY- A PARTY THROWN BY ABSALOM- AMNON WAS TO BE THE GUEST OF HONOR
BUT ANOTHER PLOT WAS ALREADY PUT INTO ACTION- ABSALOM HAD GIVEN THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT AFTER WE HAVE DRUNKEN- I WANT MY SERVANTS TO COME UPON AMNON AND KILL HIM---I WANT AMNON DEAD!!
DAVID FIGHTING OFF THE LION!!
2 legs and an ear!!
Amos 3:12 Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch
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New Life Aposrolic Church
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