WHEN GOD SETS YOUR FIELD ON FIRE!

2 SAM. 14:28-33

INTRO:    TODAY I WANT TO USE THESE VERSES OF SCRIPTURE TO GIVE A WARNING.

?  ABSALOM SENT FOR JOAB TO SEND HIM TO THE KING, BUT HE WOULDN’T COME TO HIM,  AND ABSALOM SENT HIS SERVANTS TO BURN JOABS BARLEY FIELD.

?  I BELIEVE JOABS BARLEY FIELD  YOU SAY WAS  SPECIAL TO HIM, BECAUSE IT GOT HIS ATTENTION, WHEN HE SAW IT BURNING.

?  NOW I BELIEVE SPIRITUALLY EVERYONE HAS A BARLEY FIELD.

?  THE LORDS BLESSED ME WITH A WIFE, A DAUGHTER, AND  A GOOD MOM AND DAD, AND  A MINISTRY FOR HIM,   AND I SURE WOULDN’T WANT GOD TO BURN MY BARLEY FIELD.

?  EVERYBODY HAS A BARLEY FIELD,  SOMETHING DEAR TO  YOUR HEART.    IT MAY BE YOUR:  JOB, HEALTH, SPOUSE, CHILDREN.

?  BUT WHEN GOD  BURNS THAT BARLEY FIELD, THAT’S WHERE HE CAN GET YOUR ATTENTION, BUT ITS TOO LATE.

?  GOD KNOWS WHAT YOUR BARLEY FIELD IS AND HE COULD BURN IT, IF YOU RESIST HIM.

?  I WANT US TO NOTICE IN THE WORD OF GOD SOMETHINGS IN THESE SCRIPTURES.

1-  THE KINGS CALL!      V.21

?  KING DAVID CALLED FOR ABSALOM, BUT SENT JOAB  V.23

?  I THANK GOD THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I HEARD THE  KINGS CALL, AND I ACCEPTED HIM AS MY PERSONAL SAVIOR.

?  I TELL YOU ITS GOOD WHEN THE KING CALLS.    THE GREATEST CALL YOU WILL EVER HAVE IS WHEN THE KING CALLS AND WANTS TO TALK TO YOU,   IT’S A  BLESSING!

?  ONE PREACHER SAID HE FOUND THE  WORD COME OVER 600 TIMES IN THE BIBLE.                                                                                                              --HE SAID COME, AND IF YOUR  HEAVY LADEN HE  WILL GIVE YOU REST!                                                                                                                        --IF YOUR DEFILED, HE WILL CLEANSE YOU!                                                     --HE SAID COME AND LET US REASON TOGETHER!                                             --IF YOUR THIRSTY AND HE WILL GIVE YOU DRINK!

HOW DOES THE KING CALL:        HE CALLS THROUGH:

1.       PREACHING       ITS BY THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING!

?  THIS NATION NEEDS PREACHING,  THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST.

?  WE NEED PREACHERS THAT WILL PREACH ON HELL!

?  GOD STILL CALLS THROUGH  THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.     THANK GOD HE STILL CALLS PREACHERS, THAT’S NOT AFRAID TO PREACH!

2.   THE HOLY GHOST       I’M GLAD HE SENT ANOTHER COMFORTER.

?  ITS NOT BY SIGNING A CARD,  SHAKING THE PREACHERS HAND,  BUT ITS BY THE HOLY GHOST CONVICTING POWER OF GOD.

?  WE NEED THE HOLY GHOST CONVICTION.   THE BIBLE SAYS EXCEPT THE SPIRIT DRAWS, THEY CAN’T BE SAVED.

?  BUT IF YOU LET THE HOLY GHOST DRAW THEM,  THEY WILL GET IT.   AND I’M GLAD I GOT IT THAT WAY.

?  THANK GOD FOR A CHURCH YOU CAN FEEL THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST .    LISTEN IT TAKES THE HOLY GHOST TO:  PREACH, TEACH, WORSHIP.

3.   THROUGH PRAYING SAINTS            THANK GOD SOMEONE PRAYED FOR ME.    THANK GOD FOR A MOM AND DAD THAT PRAYED FOR ME!

?  (STORY)   OR PREACHER INVITED FOR SUPPER  AND THE LITTLE LADY FIXED THE MEAL BUT TOLD THE PREACHER TO GO AHEAD AND EAT THAT WHILE HE AND THE PASTOR ATE, SHE WAS FELT LIKE SHE NEEDED TO PRAY WHILE THEY EAT, FOR HER BOY THAT WAS ON HIS WAY HOME FROM THE MILITARY, FOR GOD TO SAVE HIM.        THE PREACHER AND PASTOR TURNED THAT SUPPER INTO A PRAYER MEETING THAT NIGHT.

                       DURING THE ALTER CALL THAT NIGHT, HE CAME IN  AND WENT TO THE ALTER AND GOT SAVED.     HE SAID THE LORD HAD BEEN DEALING WITH HIM FOR 3 DAYS.    THANK GOD FOR PRAYING SANITS!

2-  THE REFUSAL      V.28-29

?  NOW ABSALOM HAD BEEN IN JERUSALEM FOR 2 YRS AND HADN’T SAW THE KING, SO HE SENT FOR JOAB,  TO HAVE SENT HIM TO THE KING,  BUT HE WOULDN’T  COME TO ABSALOM, LET ALONE THE KING.   HE WENT THE SECOND TIME AND HE STILL WOULD NOT COME.

?  EVERY TIME YOU COME TO THE HOUSE OF GOD AND THE INVITATIONS GIVEN AND THE HOLY GHOST IS DEALING WITH YOU TO COME AND YOU SAY IM NOT GOING,  YOUR TURNING AWAY FROM GOD!   YOUR NOT SAYING NO  TO THIS PREACHER , BUT TO GOD, THE HOLY GHOST, THE KING OF HEAVEN.

?  THE BIBLE TEACHES US  BECAUSE HES CALLED AND WE REFUSED, HES GOING TO LAUGH AT YOUR CALAMITY.

?  IF YOU’RE HERE AND THE LORDS CALLING YOU TO DO A WORK FOR HIM, YOU WILL NEVER BE HAPPY UNTIL YOU FIND THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD.

?  JONAH  REFUSED AND WAS OUT OF GODS WILL AND IT CAUSED HIM A LOT OF SORROW, HEARTACHE, PAIN.

?  WE NEED TO SAY HAVE THINE OWN WAY LORD.

?  THE SWEETEST THING YOU WILL EVER DO, IS GO AND DO WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO DO.

?  I WOULD RATHER BE AN OLD TIME CHRISTIAN IN THE LORDS WILL THAN ANYTHING I KNOW.

?  PHAROH SAID NO, HE WASN’T GOING TO LET THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL GO.

?  FOLKS ARE NOT LIVING RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY DON’T  WANT TO LIVE RIGHT.

?  FOLKS SAY NO TO GOD, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO FEAR OF GOD.  BUT ONE DAY  SOMES GOING TO SAY NO TO GOD FOR THE LAST TIME.

?  IF YOUR RUNNING FROM GOD, HE CAN GET YOUR ATTENTION!

3-   THE COST OF REFUSING        V.30

?  BECAUSE  JOAB WOULDN’T COME, ABSALOM TOLD HIS SERVANTS TO SET JOABS FIELD ON FIRE.

?  I BELIEVE ABSALOM KNEW THIS WOULD GET HIS ATTENTION1

?  V.31   AFTER  SEEING THE FLAMES AND THE CRACKLING OF THE BARLEY BEING BURNED UP,   JOAB AROSE AND WENT TO ABSALOM AND SAID  WHEREFORE HAVE THY SERVANTS SET MY FIELD ON FIRE?

?  LET ME SAY,   I DON’T KNOW WHERE YOUR BARLEY FIELD IS THIS MORNING,  BUT GOD DOES,   I DON’T HOW HE WILL BURN IT , BUT IF IT NEEDS BURNING ,  HE WILL KNOW HOW TO BURN IT.

?  WHY NOT JUST LISTEN TO GOD  AND QUIT REFUSING HIS CALL.

?  BECAUSE WHEN GOD BURNS YOUR BARLEY FIELD, NOBODY CAN PUT IT OUT,  AND YOU WILL RING YOUR HANDS AND SAY GODS SET MY FIELD ON FIRE!

?  (STORY)  OF PREACHER WHO GOT MAD AND QUIT, I THINK OVER A SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS,  AND HIS PREACHER FRIEND TOLD HIM GOD WAS GOING TO SET HIS FIELD ON FIRE, AND HE SAID OH! NO! PREACHER.

                HE HAD A LITTLE BOY NAMED SONNY WHO WAS 41/2 YRS OLD.  HIS DAD WAS SITTING ON THE PORCH ONE DAY AND HIS BOY WAS PLAYING BALL AND CAME UP AND SAID DADDY,   YOU USE TO PRAY AND YOU DON’T PRAY NO MORE.  YOU USE TO PREACH, I WANT TO HEAR YOU PREACH AGAING,   HE TOLD HIM TO GO ON,  I’M NOT GOING TO PLAY NO MORE BALL WITH YOU.

               HE SAID I  BUY YOUR TROUSERS, I PUT THESE SHOES ON YOUR FEET,  I SEND YOU AND MOTHER TO CHURCH   AND  FORGET ABOUT ME, YOU HEAR!     THE LITTLE  BOY  THROWED HIS BALL AND IT WENT ACROSS THE ROAD,  SO HE STARTED AFTER IT AND AS HE STARTED ACROSS THE ROAD  THERE CAME A AUTOMOBILE  AND HIT HIS BOY AND HE LANDED IN THE DITCH. 

       OF COURSE HIS DAD SAW IT AND RAN TO HIM, PICKED HIM UP IN HIS ARMS,  HE WAS BLEEDING OUT HIS EYES, EARS, NOSE, MOUTH,  HE KNEW HE WOULD DROWN IN HIS OWN BLOOD.      HIS DAD REACHED DOWN AND KISSED HIM AND SAID SONNY WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU NOW?

          HE SAID BEFORE HIS BOY DIED HE SAID, DADDY IF YOU DON’T WANT TO GO BACK SUNDAY TO YOUR CLASS, WE HAVE 5 LITTLE BOYS IN MY CLASS AND MY TEACHER IS A GOOD TEACHER,  HE SAID GO WITH ME TO CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL.

           HE SAID THE LAST THING I PROMISED HIM WHILE THE AMBULANCE WAS COMEING, I PROMISED HIM I WOULD GO TO THE HOUSE OF GOD.

           AT THE GRAVE, WHILE HE THOUGHT EVERYONE WAS GONE, HE KNELT IN THE FRESH FLOWERS HOLDING HIS BIBLE AND SINGING,  I’LL GO WHERE YOU WANT ME TO GO,  I’LL DO WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO DEAR LORD.

             THE NEXT SUNDAY HE WENT TO CHURCH AND WENT TO HIS BOYS   SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS,    4 LITTLE BOYS WEEPING AND A PRECIOUS TEACHER.   AND HE ASKED  WHERE   SONNYS CHAIR WAS,    HE PUT HIS LEG UP OVER THAT LITTLE CHAIR AND LEANED UP AGAINST THE WALL,  WHILE  THOSE 4 LITTLE BOYS AND THE TEACHER CRIED.

         AND AS HE TOLD HIS PREACHER FRIEND HIS STORY,  HE SAID  AS I LAID MY HEAD UP AGAINST THAT WALL,  I COULD HEAR THE BARLEY FIELD A BURNING, I CAN SEE THE LICKING OF THE FLAME,    HE SAID,  GOD YOU’VE  SET MY BARLEY FIELD ON FIRE, BUT FROM THIS DAY ON, I’LL PREACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

CONCLUSION:    WHATS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO GOD AND DO HIS WILL!       IS HE GOING TO HAVE TO SET YOUR FIELD ON FIRE!