The Death of a Brilliant Fool

Angels commander-in-chief is a clear example of a brilliant man who died there was a man who was a prep there was a man who was a great man was a man who was a brave man was a man who was a discerning man and yet he died so foolishly so needlessly so therefore things I want to learn about Abner because of David Abner may reflect you if you're an unsaved person welcome to love find teaching insightful lessons and profound teaching of Adrian Rogers second Samuel chapter 3 tells of the tragic demise of Abner was the commander-in-chief of King Saul's arm Abner was a man of middle-age, yet robust health, but he died in a foolish manner.

His story gives warning to those who want to live lives full of wisdom and abundance. If you have your Bible turn to second Samuel chapter 3 will begin in verse 33 as Adrian Rogers shares the lessons we can learn from the death of a brilliant fool second Samuel chapter 3 and verse 33 and the king lamented over Abner and said died. Abner has a fool by and I want you to skip down to verse 38, and the king said unto his servants, no you not there is apprentice and a great man fall in this day in Israel. There was a man who is apprentice here was a man who was a great man was a man who was a brave man was a man who was a discerning man die like a phone. He died in Midway. He died in a time to help. He died in a heedless and foolish manner. Therefore, things I want to learn about Abner and I pray God that he lay them on your heart if you're not a Christian because in a deed Abner may reflect you if you're an unsaved person for things that I want you to see about them.

First of all I want you to see his fearful danger. Abner was in a place of fearful danger and I wanted placed Abner in such danger was this there was a and at this particular time, Abner was fighting against David David, the king of Israel.

Abner was on the wrong side.

He had not yet come over to David's side. Later on he would come over to David's side, but in this particular battle. Abner was fighting against David and fighting against David's troops and Abner was losing the battle and going against and Abner is running away from the battle. He is been defeated, but he hears footsteps behind, and he looks back and he notices that a man named as a hell is chasing him.

He's behind him and and you can read this story when you get home in the second chapter beginning in about verse 17 and there is a young man behind him who is chasing after him and Abner turns around and and says to him, leave me alone I go back looking verse 20. Then Abner looked behind him. Mrs. chapter 2 verse 20 and said art thou as a hell and he answered. I am in Abner set under him turn aside to lie right handed to buy live and lay hold on one of the young men and take his arm but as a hell would not turn from following him and Abner set again and as a help turn the aside from following me, wherefore should I smite me to the ground. How then should I hold up my face to Joab by brother how the Bible says this man as I hell with the truck started today meet. He was as complete as of the Bible says as a young road, he could wrong Abner is as I've said a middle-aged man, though he's strong, a valiant warrior. He knows that he cannot not outrun the young man as a hell but he doesn't want to do battle with as a hell because as a help is Joab's brother choice as to the young man living alone chasing me. Chase one of these young men. Please I have no right with you.

I don't want to fight with you but the younger man stays relentlessly on the trail relentlessly on the trail. Abner knows that he must do something in self-defense. He's carrying his spear as his running.

He can feel the hot breath as I hail behind me and filing an act of desperation. Abner takes his spear and he ran back and as he does. It pierces the body of the younger man was chasing him and it rooms him so that he dies looking verse 23, howbeit he refused to turn aside.

Wherefore, Abner with a handrail of the spear smoking for three of that the spear came out behind him and he fell down there and died in the same place now Joab was the brother of as a hell, Joab was David's commander-in-chief and they have a law in Israel that there was such a thing as the Binger of blood if someone was slain in that day and day of primitive justice, the avenger of blood.

But next of kin could put the person to death and could avenge the blood of his relative, and he was called in that day, the avenger of blood and it may Joab be avenger of as a Hells blood and so looking verse 24. Joab also and Abby shy pursued after Abner Abner is in severe danger.

There is a Joab of justice on his trail.

He is a hunted man. Here's a pursued man be sentence of death. Now is hanging over his head so the first thing I want you to see is his fearful danger is fearful danger. Now the next thing I want you to see is is foolish that for David said that he he died as a phone guys look again at your will. In verse 33 David lamented over Abner and said died. Abner as a fool dies. Well, how did he die will look if you will in chapter 3 and verse 27 and read here and when Abner was returned to have Ron Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly and smote him they are under the fifth rib that he died for the blood of as a hell.

His brother now Joab who was David's commander-in-chief said to Abner Abner, would you come over here for just a moment.

I have some words with you miss something I want to speak to you about Anna's Abner comes over to Joab.

Joab pulls out his dagger and smites them under the fifth rip any dies right there. He's killed by Joab.

This is the thing that broke David's. There was not one reason that Abner should have been killed by Joab because Abner was right there at a particular city name wrong. Look again in verse 27 then when Abner was returned to Braun are he brought to some habit.

Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly and smote him there under the fifth rib you say why shouldn't he have died because have Ron was a city of refuge. What is a city of refuge will God knew that in this day of primitive justice. There would be some people like Joab who would not ask was I as I hail killed in self-defense.

They would know that every man needed his time in court and so God in his mercy set up cities across the face of the land of Israel. They were called cities of refuge and if anybody had an avenger of blood on his trail. He could go inside one of the cities of refuge and there he could be safe. Keep your bookmark there in second Samuel, the third chapter turned to Joshua chapter 20 W. beginning the first verse in the Lord spake on to Joshua, saying speak to the children of Israel, saying, I'll point out for you cities of refuge, whereof I speak of you by the hand of Moses, that the slayer that kill of any person unawares and unwittingly may flee better and they shall be your rescue from the avenger of blood. God said to Joshua, and Joshua said to the people we're going to set up some of the cities where people will be safe and I'll skip down to verse seven and they appointed K – in Galilee and mount nebulae and Shechem and Mount Ephraim and courage are Arbaugh which is the Braun in the amount of Judah. He Braun or have Ron was one of the cities of refuge and they were all overland now go back if you will please to second Samuel the third chapter and looked at your will.

In verse 27 and when Abner was returned to have Ron Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly and smote him there under the fifth rip, that is, he die right at the doorway of the city rescue right in the place of safe, he would've had to have done was just step right inside the and he would of been absolutely safe.

This is the reason that David lamented this is the reason that David wept and he said Abner was a great man, but I like, he died right outside the gate of the city of refuge and that's that's an interesting thing to me because I believe that I've met many of the brothers of Abner today, many men were so why many men were so capable. Many men were so great, but they die like a fool because they die without the Lord Jesus Christ there successful in every other realm, but they die like a fool because they die without Christ. I'm reminded of the 16th chapter of Luke where Jesus tells about a man who went out to survey his fields and he said, what shall I do, I don't have room to bestow all my goods.

This is all I know what I'll do, I'll pull down my barns and then I'll build bigger barns and and then I'll put all my goods and those bigger barns and then he said, in effect, I'll get me a hammock in glass of pink lemonade and I'll sit in the shade of the tree and I'll stretch and I'll say soul take 90s eat drink and be merry.

Paul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years.

And God said to him, thou fool, this night shall I soul be required of the then shall those things be, which thou hast provided. Now I suppose when that man died that was described in Luke 16. They had a big funeral and has funeral been today. That would've been many Cadillacs in Lincoln Continental's and buying expensive automobiles out front.

And when the man got up to give the eulogy he would've said as he bent over that coffin here lies a successful man, a man of great enterprise, a man of great influence and heater parts mourned by the whole community. He was good for the business of our community. He was a successful farmer but I want to tell you ladies and gentlemen.

His soul was in hell before his friends and learned that he was dead and had God written an epitaph for that man. It would've been in for letters and LOL cool thou, thou fool, this night shall I soul be required of the and the counterpart of this man was Abner in the Old Testament and David said he died like a old I wonder have you considered the value of your soul.

Are you going to die like a food is are you are you going to die right outside the city of refuge. Do you know your city of refuge is Jesus Christ you know why God set up the cities of refuge in the Old Testament they were types, they were pictures. They were prophecies of the Lord Jesus. The Bible says that the name of the Lord is as a strong power. The righteous run into it and they are saying their safe Jesus is our city rescue and yet many men are going to die. Many men were great men. Many men who are princes many men who are leaders. Many men were designing man are going to die like a fool because they going to die just outside the gate of the city with you. Jesus said watch it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul. I watch a man give in exchange for soul. Your soul is worth more than all the stocks to bonds. The goal the rubies and emeralds in schools.

The real estate media institutions of this world put together what shall a man give in exchange for soul. Spurgeon said that he does not prepare for death is worse than a fool.

He is a mad man. The first thing I want you to see is his fearful thing.

The second thing I want you to see is his foolish dad he die just outside the gates of the city of refuge. The third thing I want you to see is what I call his friendly deception.

How was it that such an otherwise brilliant man could die like a fool. He was to see how was he to see look in verse 27 if you will again and when Abner was returned to have Ron Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly not, can't you see a picture Joab's essay with a smile on his face where fellow some I want to tell you I can see as he puts his arm around and probably his left arm because he wants to use his right hand to smite them under the fifth rip. He puts his arm around and he smiles at it as though he would whisper something to as though we would share some confidence with obviously he was to see. Look again at your will and verses 33 and 34 and the king lamented over Abner and said died. Abner is a full diet pelican verse 34. His hands were not bound his feet put in fetters as a man fall before wicked man so jealous, thou, and all the people wept again over him.

His hands were not bound, he wasn't changed he wasn't dry Joab sleigh Abner. He did it by deception. How is it that so many men smart man brilliant man wise men die and go to hell there to see, and they are deceived by the devil. The Bible says the way of the transgressor is hard, but the devil has so to see people that they think that somehow God is the enemy and Satan as their friend Joab, who was a murderer. Joab who wanted to harm Abner and put to death with a smile on his face and his arm around this man as though he would speak secretly to him. Oh dear friend of friendly deception. Our friendly enemy is the devil, he will smile at you. He will appear.

You as an angel of light in order that he might destroy you but there's 1/4 thing I want you to know I want you to notice not only his fearful danger not only his foolish dad not only his friendly deception, but I want you to notice his final determination look in verse 32 and they buried Abner and he brought and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave, but all of the tears of King David couldn't bring them back again. He was dead and he is gone and well-liked David weep over Abner's death and well-liked the people of David weep over Abner's death. But there was nothing they could do to bring him back. All I could do was to stand in his grave and weep its appointed on the man once to die, and after this the judgment. Abner's final determination, it was decided at the moment death.

He was deceived and he died in all of David's tears could not bring them back.

He had but one life, and he threw it away, David wept after the fact. Jesus wept before the fact hold. May God give me a heart that's broken over the lost destiny of man.

I believe that God sees our tears when we weep for the unsay oh listen, friend week we pray without fasting we pray without weeping, where is a broken heart. The Bible says when Zion she brought forth. I tell you. May God forgive the coldness of our churches.

May God forgive the sterility of our hearts. Here, David wept and wept after the fact. He waited too late and he said Abner died as a full-time. I want to tell you something. Ladies and gentlemen is a world Abner's out there brilliant people, great people and we need to weep over then we need to have a broken heart for the people without the Lord Jesus Christ see his fearful danger. See his foolish dad see friendly deception as his enemy appeared to be his friend and see his final determination. There's nothing that tears could do the bringing back one of these days you're going to water the grave of your loved one with your tears. And when the clouds call that casket. Every clod will say love will last and you will not be able to get them back. You will not be able to get them back as the tree fall socially long. If you're going to win souls.

You better get out here going to bring your children to Christ, you better get out if you're going to bring a neighbor Christ are going to get a I want to tell you something legs enjoyment heaven is going to be wonderful. But there's one thing we can do that here we can do in heaven. And that's when souls did you know that I want you to notice again just where he died.

Look again if you will, in verse 27 and when Abner was returned to Hebron. Joab took him aside in the gate. I mean, he was in the very to speak with him. He was so very close, and yet he was so very far away that date speaks of Jesus Christ himself said in John 10 verse nine I am the door by me. If any man enter in shall be saved.

I am the door by me. If any man enter and he shall be saved. He was yet so lost, though he was so close that I believe are some of you here tonight who are very close to being say, but yet you're very great loss to be have saved is to be altogether lost. No one is have save either your inner you're out one door and only one, and yet it sides up to I'm on the inside on Woodside are you here at the very gate at the very poor salvation at the very core of the city you this man name Abner die know what David lamented no glycol like white male plans died like a he wasn't bound he wasn't handcuffed had to do was step inside. He let Joanne this evening. So close and yet so very far away.

I want to you tonight friend your city of refuge Jesus is very close to nine and you are right at the very door. I pray God you know who you're dealing with.

I pray God that you will know that is not some governor but the King of Kings and Lord of lords and stands now to welcome you to pardon you to forgive you and save you when you speak with will you open your heart will you receiving Abner die right in the gate so close but so far away some of you are right in the very house of God, your hearing the words of God. The word is nigh, even in my mouth that is the word of faith that we preach that thou shalt believe in thine heart that Jesus is Lord you be saying when you do if you want to receive the forgiveness that Jesus is offering right now I something like this from your heart of God in heaven.

I know that I am a sinner in your holy and I cannot do enough good to earn my way to heaven.

But Jesus came he gave himself.

He died on the cross for me and he rose again to new life.

And so today I don't trust in anything I can do I trust in what Jesus did for me and I claim him as my Savior and Lord. From this day forward come into my life change me from the inside out and help me to follow you this day forward in Jesus day in bed.

If you prayed that from your heart just now, let us celebrate with you to discover Jesus page on the website you'll find answers, you may need about your newfound faith. We also have a response section where you can share your testimony or maybe how this message is made a difference in your life today go to LWF.org/radio and click the tab at the top it says Discover Jesus welcome to God's forever family. We can't wait to hear from you today You like to order a copy of this message in its entirety. Call us at 1877 love God and mention the title the death of her brilliant fool's message is also part of the insightful series live like a king for the complete collection all 12 powerful messages. Call 877 love God or you can order online it LWF.org/radio or rightists or addresses love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183.

Are you safe in the city of refuge. That is a relationship with Jesus Christ you're heartbroken for the lost.

Pray for the salvation of those who don't yet know Jesus and be sure to join us next time.

For more profound truth.

Simply stated you and Roger were is a letter I want to share. That was really encouraging to us the listener road and said once again I'm giving thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for your dedicated service. Words cannot express how I feel about love worth finding's faithfulness to continue. Pastor Rogers ministry. There are no others that explain God's word is Adrian. We are honored to continue sharing these messages and resources were truly grateful for your prayers and your gifts. To make that possible when you donate to the ministry right now.

We would love to send you a hardcover copy of our new devotional book 25 days of anticipation as we celebrate the birth of our state. Since this book looks at the prophecies regarding the Messiah and reminds us how Jesus fulfilled everyone request the book when you call, with a gifted 1877 love God or you can give online it LWF.org/radio