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PUBLISH IT NOT
II Samuel 1:17-20
Sunday Night Sermon
Fair Avenue Baptist Church
August 29, 1999
1999 Sermons II / Publish
This may be one of the most significant sermons I’ve ever preached. If I had one sermon left to preach to the members of the Fair Avenue Baptist Church, this would be it. If I had only one more opportunity to preach in this church, I would preach this message. Please do not underestimate the importance of this message.
If you grasp the truth of this message, you will have in your power the ability to stop someone from backslidding -- you can be used of God in a direct way.
If you will put into practice the truth and principle of this sermon, you will have in your power the ability to help this church beyond comprehension.
If every member of this church would apply this truth to their lives, it would change the lives of family members and friends, guaranteed.
If you will put into practice this truth, you will be able to bring someone back to the Lord and His church.
Here in II Samuel Chapter 1, we read a Bible truth that has gone virtually unnoticed.
Please, child of God, don’t miss this Bible truth.
Let’s review the story to set the foundation for the message.
In the last few chapters of I Samuel, Saul and his armies were in battle with the Philistines.
The battle was not going well for Saul and the children of Israel.
Finally, in I Sam. 31 we read where Saul and his sons all died in battle with the Philistines.
We read where Saul killed himself in battle after he was wounded and when he realized the battle was lost.
Jonathan, David’s best friend, was killed in that battle.
Defeated, the children of Israel left their cities and ran away and then the Philistines went into those cities and took them over.
In VERSE 9 we read where they cut off Saul’s head and paraded it all around.
They stripped off his armor.
They took his decapitated body and nailed it to the wall of Bethshan.
It was not a good time for God’s people.
The battle had been lost.
Their king had committed suicide.
The king’s sons had been killed.
They had suffered a humiliating defeat.
It was not a good day for the children of Israel.
The children of God had been soundly defeated.
They were forced from their homes.
Now we move to II Samuel Chapter 1 when David found out about the bitter defeat.
David was broken-hearted about the whole matter.
There was mourning and fasting.
It was devastating.
But I want to draw your attention to VERSE 20 and focus on a Bible truth that can change your Christian life and the lives of those around you.
Notice what David told the people after this defeat and humiliation, “Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon: lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.”
David did not want the defeat to be made known.
He did not want the enemies to have an opportunity to rejoice because the children of Israel had been defeated.
Defeat is hard enough without the enemies being told about it and allowing them to rejoice.
Humiliation is difficult enough without the enemies laughing about it.
And David said, “Publish it not.”
Now let’s go to Matt. 7:6 and read a word from our Lord and Saviour.
“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
Jesus is teaching His disciples the same lesson that David had said to the children of Israel many years ago.
When the troubles come, and they will,
When the defeats come, and they will,
When the tough times come, and they will,
When the humiliation comes, and it will,
When discouragement comes, and it will,
When the devil fights, and he will,
When people turn on you, and they will,
When it looks bleak, and it will,
When it appears hopeless, and it will,
PUBLISH IT NOT!
Now, to the nitty-gritty.
You’re a member of a local New Testament Baptist Church.
And since the church is made up of people, there will be misunderstandings,
there will be hurt feelings,
there will be things said that shouldn’t have been said,
there will be things done that probably shouldn’t have been done,
and if you’re not careful you’ll get upset,
you’ll get your feelings hurt,
you’ll get bitter,
you’ll get discouraged,
and you might even think about quitting.
But, here’s the worse part.
Listen carefully.
Here’s what most people do.
They PUBLISH IT everywhere.
They tell unsaved friends,
They tell unsaved relatives,
They tell backslidden spouses,
They tell backslidden brothers,
They tell reprobate dads,
They tell wicked friends,
They tell anyone who will listen.
And when they do, they give the enemies an opportunity to rejoice.
They give the enemies another excuse to stay away from God and God’s house.
They give the enemies reason to rejoice and triumph!
For instance --
Take a wife whose husband doesn’t attend church. He has something against churches or preachers.
The wife attends church.
She gets her feelings hurt.
She goes home and complains to her husband.
And what has she done?
She has given him another excuse to turn his back on God and the church.
She has given him ammunition to shoot the man of God with.
And many times she has done irreparable harm to her husband.
In all probability he will never come to church again.
In all probability, he will never be in a position for the Holy Spirit of God to speak to his heart.
David said, “PUBLISH IT NOT!”
Jesus said, “they will turn again and rend you.”
For instance --
A husband with a wife who is really not faithful to church,
a husband with a wife who is really not involved nor wants to be involved in the work of the Lord,
a husband with a wife who is really not willing to be a submissive wife and follow his leadership,
that same husband will come to church,
something will be said,
something will be done,
and he gets upset,
he gets disturbed,
he gets mad,
and he goes home and tells his wife all about it.
And what has he done?
In all likelihood, she will never be the wife he wants her to be.
In all likelihood, she will never get involved in the ministry of the church.
In all likelihood, she will never be faithful.
David said, “PUBLISH IT NOT!”
Next --
We have parents who are members of the church,
they come fairly faithful,
they are decent people and pleasant to be around,
they tithe,
They have teenage or grown children,
and one day something happens,
they get their feelings hurt,
they get upset about something,
and they go and tell their kids all about it.
They criticize,
They complain,
They second guess,
Sometimes they call it “having roast preacher.”
And, yes, you guessed it,
They just blew any chance for those children to turn out to be good Christians and members of the church.
Think with me for a moment.
If you go to church for years,
If you raise your children in church,
If you always maintain a positive attitude,
If you always, and I repeat, you always, avoid criticism and complaining,
And you raise those same children with good feelings about church and the preacher,
If they grow up and church is a good thing to them,
If they can grow up in a church with parents who never criticize or who never get upset and mad,
If they grow up in a home where their parents are teaching Sunday School, working on bus routes, singing in the choir, love the preacher, love the church, get involved in the missions program and stewardship ministries,
WHY WOULD THEY WANT TO STAY AWAY?
On the other hand,
A kid grows up in church,
His parents are always complaining about something,
His dad is always criticizing,
His mom is always gossiping,
His parents never go soul winning,
They won’t make the commitment to be Sunday School teachers,
His parents get to church late,
His parents basically just come to church and sit,
They sit in the back of the auditorium where it is always distracting,
They sit in the back and flip through the songbook,
They sit in church and balance their checkbook,
His parents miss most revival services,
They never stay for prayer meetings,
AND WHY WOULD THAT KID WANT TO STAY IN CHURCH?
PUBLISH IT NOT!
Why do we want to tell everyone about our problems?
Why do we want to publish our upsets and criticisms?
Why do you want to publish the troubles and trials of the church?
Jesus said, “they will turn again and rend you.”
Your husband will turn,
Your wife will turn,
Your children will turn,
and rend you.
One day they will turn and rip your heart out.
AND ALL HOPE WILL BE LOST!
If you’re a wife whose husband will not attend church,
If you’re a husband whose wife does not attend church, or will not attend church faithfully,
If you’re a parent and you have children at home,
or if you have grown children
IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE,
IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT,
IF YOU WANT TO STAND ANY CHANCE WHATSOEVER,
Listen to these few suggestions:
· Don’t stay at home
· Don’t talk bad about the church
· Don’t criticize
· Don’t second guess
If you’ve got a problem, Jesus said take it to Him.
And:
· Remain positive
· Stay involved
· Take on a new challenge
· Get re-focused
PUBLISH IT NOT!
Never talk to unsaved or backslidden spouses about the battles,
or the problems,
or the defeats,
or anything negative about the things of God.
Never talk to unsaved or backslidden friends,
or business associates,
or brothers or sisters,
or aunts or uncles or cousins,
and you will always have an open door to reach them and either see them saved or in church serving the Lord.
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