2 Samuel 11 verse 14, it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle. Retire ye from him that he may be smitten and die. It came to pass when Joab observed the city that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out and fought with Joab and there fell some of the people of the servants of David and Uriah the Hittite. died also. Title of message tonight, The Depths of Sin. The Depths of Sin. Let's pray. Father, thank you for tonight. Thank you for our school. Thank you for blessing in so many, many ways. We're grateful, Lord. We're thankful that you have blessed us so abundantly. We pray now for your guidance in this service. Speak to our hearts, work in our lives, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. We've said, as we've looked at the life of David, his experience with Bathsheba, his great sin, number one, it's always dangerous to be in the wrong place. Always dangerous to be in the wrong place. And oftentimes, just not being in the right place means you're in the wrong place. You need to be in the right place. Number two, there's never a good day to not walk with God. Thirdly, we said temptation can be lurking anywhere. Number four, we said we're all one bad decision away from disaster. And number five, God always makes a way to escape. Number six, evil days are a reality, not a possibility. Every one of us are going to face evil days. Number seven, sin is hard to cover. Number eight, you can permanently lose your good name in an instant. So number nine, one sin oftentimes begets other sins. Number 10, sin blinds and changes and hardens. We said number 11, the human heart is capable of great evil. That brings us tonight to our 12th point. Number 12, people who do wrong with you. will do wrong to you if it will help them. People who do wrong with you will do wrong to you if it will help them. In 2 Samuel 11 verse 14, again it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him that he may be smitten and die. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. The men of the city went out. and fought with Joab. And there fell some of the people of the servants of David, and Uriah the Hittite died also. Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war, and charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, and if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the wall, when ye did fight? Knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobocheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall that he died in Thebes? Why went ye nigh the wall? Then ye say, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. So the messenger went, and came, and showed David all that Joab had sent him for. And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them, even unto the entering of the gate. And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants, and some of the king's servants be dead. And thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead. Also, then David said unto the messenger thus shalt thou say unto Joab Let not this thing displease thee for the sword devoureth one as well as another Make thy battle more strong against the city and overthrow it and encourage thou him Joab would have well understood That something was up He would have known that something wasn't right. I Uriah is getting set up to die, but it's supposed to look like an accident, just a casualty of war. But Joab knew that if Uriah had done something worthy of death, then charges should have been brought forth. There needed to be two or three witnesses. The law required it. There needed to be a trial. but the king is asking him to betray one of his mighty warriors, and an honorable one at that. Verse 11, Uriah said unto David the arch, and Israel and Judah abide in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go into mine house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As thou seest, as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. And we saw Uriah's great integrity His tremendous character, and he's going to do right, and he's going to do right no matter what, and he's been set up to be killed. Joab knows that what he's being asked to do is wrong. Then Joab sent and told David, verse 18, all the things concerning the war, and charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, and if so be that the king's wrath arise, he knew this was going to make David mad as a warrior. Why did you do this? And he say unto thee, Wherefore approach ye so nigh unto the wall? When ye did fight, knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? And he brings up a reference in the past that they were familiar with, who smote Abimelech the son of Jerebosheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall? That he died in Thebes? He made a critical military error. Why went ye nigh the wall? Then say thou, thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. That will shut him up. That will calm him down when you just remind him, hey, we got Uriah killed in this, took care of the problem. And David was happy to have such a willing accomplice in his general. The day would come when David would wish that Joab hadn't helped him commit murder. And the day would come when Joab would not do wrong with David, he would do wrong to David. A few years down the road, Absalom rebelled against his father, David. 2 Samuel 18 verse 5, And the king commanded Joab, one of his generals, the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. Absalom is causing a rebellion, a revolt, a coup against his father. But David, his heart smitten now, he said, Deal gently with my son. Deal gently with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. And so the people went out into the field against Israel. And the battle was in the wood of Ephraim, where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David. And there was a great slaughter that day of 20,000 men. For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country. And the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak. And his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth, and the mule that was under him went away. And so Absalom is trapped by his hair in the branches of this oak tree. And a certain man saw it and told Joab and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. And Joab said unto the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? And I would have given thee ten shekels of silver and a girdle. And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son. For in our hearing the king charged thee, and Abishai and Ittai saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. Otherwise, I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life. For there was no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldst have set thyself against me." He says, I'm not going to go against what the king said. And if I did that, you yourself would turn on me. I'm not going to do that. Smart man. Verse 14, then said, Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. And ten young men that bear Joab's armor come past about and smote Absalom and slew him. And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab held back the people. And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him, and all Israel fled, every one, to his tent. A messenger brings news of the battle, the demise of Absalom to David. Verse 31, Behold, Cushai came, and Cushai said, Tidings, my lord, the king, for the lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. And the king said unto Cushai, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushai answered, The enemies of my lord, the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt. Be as that young man is. The king was much moved. and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son. And it was told, Joab, behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people, for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son. And the people get them by stealth that day into the city, as people, being ashamed, steal away when they flee in battle. But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son. And Joab came into the house to the king and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons, and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines, in that thou lovest thine enemies and hatest thy friends. He's just killed the king's son and he's coming now to say this. For thou hast declared this day that thou regardest neither princes nor servants. For this day I perceive that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants. For I swear by the Lord, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night, and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now. Joab's the one that brought this about. Joab's the one that, with his disobedience, has broken the king's heart. Even though Absalom had rebelled against his father David, now there's a great rising up in his heart of father's love. He's brokenhearted that Absalom has been killed. And Joab's saying, hey, you better get out and comfort the people who are all gonna forsake you now. There was another insurrection, 2 Samuel 20. There happened to be a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, the agent of Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet and said, we have no part in David. Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse, every man to his tent. So Israel, remember we said the last 20 years of David's life were going to just be turmoil, tragedy, and heartache. And here's another incident in that time. So every man of Israel went up from after David and followed Sheba, the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah claimed unto their king from Judah, from Jordan even to Jerusalem. Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present. So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah, but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him. David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom. Take thou thy lord's servants and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities and escape us. And they went out after him, Joab's men. and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men. And they went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri. When they were at the great stone, which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins, and the sheath thereof. And as he went forth, it fell out. said to Amasa, Aren't thou in health my brother? How are you doing? Are you doing well? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand. So he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again, and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. Joab wants no competitors. Amasa was to take his place and be a general and be a rise to prominence and Joab wants no competitors and so now he's going to kill him. As David was on his deathbed there would be an attempt made to seize the throne from his appointed successor Solomon. In 1 Kings 1 verse 5, then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself saying, I will be king. And he prepared him chariots and horsemen and 50 men to run before him. And he conferred with Joab the son of Zariah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed and Adonijah helped him. And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth. They're going to shout out about this and promote him. And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth. And now, my lord, the king, thou knowest it not. And he has slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance and hath called all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the captain of the host. But Solomon, thy servant, hath he not called? And so as someone brings word to him that, hey, there's been an insurrection. And Joab is there, but Solomon hasn't been called. So, Joab is on the wrong side again. And David speeds up the process for Solomon to become king. Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet and all the people said, God save King Solomon. And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating." Now they're having a campaign dinner at this time for the insurrection. they're having a banquet the idea that they're going to promote somebody else Adonijah instead of Solomon in defiance of King David's wishes as he's on his deathbed trying to get Solomon to be his successor notice who's there on the wrong side again and when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet he said wherefore is this city this noise of the city being in an uproar Joab's at the banquet insurrectionist. Joab's on the wrong side of this issue. He's going to go against David yet again. Solomon in his wisdom recognized that he couldn't trust Joab. He wasn't going to take any chances with him. Then tidings came to Joab, for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told King Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord. Behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay, but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab. And thus he answered me. And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said. fall upon him and bury him, that thou mayest take away the innocent blood which Joab shed from me and from the house of my father. And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah." So he'd fallen upon both those men and killed them, in addition to having killed Absalom, all of those in defiance of the king's wishes. This was the man that was willing to do wrong with David. He was willing to do wrong with him. He took care of King David's Uriah problem. He helped save face. He helped him cover his sin. He murdered Uriah. He enabled David to marry Bathsheba. Mark it down. People who do wrong with you will oftentimes do wrong to you if it will help them. There's a saying, no honor among thieves. No honor among thieves. You know, oftentimes there's reward money given for information leading to the arrest and conviction of somebody. Somebody has been killed and there's reward money leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever it was, the perpetrator, somebody that brings forth evidence of who it was or where they might be or whatever it might be. You know, oftentimes that information comes from friends and companions of that person. Not because they're concerned about justice, They want the money. And so they'll come forward. And so oftentimes you see when someone has been, maybe someone's child, an innocent child has been murdered, and the police don't have any leads, and nothing happens in the case, and then a week later somebody will put up money, maybe the city will, or maybe concerned citizens, or some fund, some charity, and they'll put $25,000 reward for the arrest and conviction, the evidence leading to the person that committed this murder. And then sometimes somebody else will add in some more money, $25,000, maybe $50,000. And sometimes the reward gets up, sometimes to several hundred thousand dollars. And eventually someone comes forth. Oh, this good citizen came forth to give testimony. No. It's somebody just going, oh man, for $300,000, sure, I'll throw him under the bus. It's worth it for that. And that's why the reward money has to go so high sometimes. Because actually, an honest citizen would just come forward. I know who killed him. It's so-and-so. I know where he is. It's so-and-so. And they would do that just by virtue of being a citizen that cares about law and order. But no, they got to get that reward money high enough to tempt the guy that actually knows who did it. And he's not too far removed from that same guy as far as morality and all that. But he said, man, I'm going to take that money. I don't care what happens to him now. If I can get $300,000 out of this, they can put him in prison for life. They can give him the death sentence. I don't care. I'm getting $300,000. No honor among thieves. To turn state's evidence. How often people will, maybe two or three people involved in a crime, there's not enough evidence for it to convict any of them? One of them will turn the state's evidence. He'll testify against the other two. Not because he thinks those guys need to be locked up, man, those guys did something wrong. No, he's thinking, man, I don't want to pay for this. I'll throw them under the bus. People who do wrong with you. Oftentimes they'll do wrong to you if it'll profit them. They may turn one day on you. Proverbs 1, my son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause, let us swallow them up alive as the grave and whole as those that go down into the pit. We shall find all precious substance. We shall fill our houses with spoil. Cast in thy lot among us. Let us all have one purse. My son, walk not thou in the way with them. Refrain thy foot from their path, for their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood. And one day they may turn on you. One day they may steal from you. One day they may shed your blood. And then tonight, number 13, lessons we learn from the lives of David and Bathsheba. Stronger men than you and me have fallen. Stronger men than you and me have fallen. Remember, we're trying to learn the things that were written aforetime, that God says were written for our learning, and we need to learn the lesson so we don't repeat the sin, we don't repeat the mistake. And I think it's important for us tonight to understand that stronger men than you and me have fallen. It's easy to sit in a church service on a Sunday night and say, well, I would never do this, I'd never do that. Don't be too sure. Stronger men, stronger women than us have fallen. This is a point that needs to be reiterated often. David showed great promise. He showed great strength of character early on in his life. He was a man of great potential, great promise. In 1 Samuel 16, 6, it came to pass when they were come that he looked on Eliab. Remember, they were trying to anoint the successor who's going to be king. He looked on Eliab and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord seeth not as man seeth. For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. At this point in time, David's heart was good. David's heart was right. And God's looking on his heart. He said, here's a young man that I want to serve Me. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. David is recommended to Saul. David then answered one of his servants and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, that is cunning and plain, a mighty, valiant man, a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he hath found favor in my sight. David was an extraordinary young man. And word was beginning to spread as people could see him and say, hey, here's a young man that, boy, he's going places. And his heart is right, and he's got good discernment. In 1 Samuel 17, Jesse said unto David his son, take now for thy brethren the ephah of this part's corn and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren. At this point, David's the keeper of the sheep. He's going to go to the battle. You remember the battle against Goliath, and David rose up early in the morning. His father is saying he rises up early in the morning. He's not going to sleep in till noon. Rises up early in the morning, left the sheep with the keeper, showed a sense of responsibility, and took and went as Jesse had commanded him, submissive to his father. He came to the trench as the host was going forth to the fight and shouted for the battle. for Israel and the Philistine to put the battle in array, army against army. And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, again showing good responsibility, and ran into the army, eager to do the will of his father, and came and saluted his brethren. And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines and spake according to the same words. And David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid. And David said to Saul, let no man's heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with his Philistine. It wasn't even in the army. He didn't have his uniform, didn't have the armament, wasn't trained in the way of war, but something rose up in the heart of this young man who'd been a shepherd. He sees somebody defy the armies of the living God and something rose up within him, said, I'll go fight. All of these trained warriors are sitting back cowed with fear, and they're quaking day after day, and nobody wants to go fight Goliath. We're not gonna fight this giant. We're just gonna get ourselves killed. Here comes David simply on an errand from his father. Bring some food to your brothers and see how the war is going. And as David comes, his heart is challenged, his heart is stirred. He said, I'll fight this man. And Saul said to David, thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him. For thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he rose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Nice servants slew both the lion and the bear and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them. Seen he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said, moreover, the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear. He will deliver me. God delivered me before. I know God can deliver me again. He'll deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And David and Saul, son of David, go and the Lord be with thee. So David goes and runs to engage Goliath in battle, then said David to the Philistine, thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied this day. Will the Lord deliver me thee into mine hand and I will smite thee and take thine head from thee and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day under the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. David was an extraordinary young man. Here he comes and this giant of a man is I'm going to take your head off you today. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hands. And it came to pass when the Philistine arose and came and drew nigh to meet David that David hasted and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. what all these trained warriors and soldiers for Israel must have thought as they stood on the sidelines and stood back as they had for 40 days. And they're back here. Nobody wants to do battle. And here comes this little shepherd boy. And he doesn't even have the armor. He doesn't have the armor bearer. He doesn't have any of that. The shield and all of that. And he goes running to meet Goliath. He goes running into battle. I wonder how many of those warriors thought, oh man, this is gonna just be a wipeout. I don't even wanna look. And David put his hand in his bag and took fence of stone. Can you imagine these hardened, battle-hardened soldiers too afraid to fight and they see this little shepherd boy reach into his bag and he pulls out a rock and puts it in his sling? And they're thinking, oh brother, this is ridiculous. He takes that stone and he slang it and smote the Philistine in his forehead that the stone sunk into his forehead. He fell upon his face to the earth. David was an extraordinary young man. An outstanding young man. Chapter 18, the next chapter says, David behaved himself wisely in all his ways. And the Lord was with him. all Israel and Judah loved David. He said, went out and came in before them. And as they observed his life, he lived an exemplary life, an outstanding young man. And they loved him as they saw that he was a valiant man. And then the princes of the Philistines went forth and came to pass after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was much set by. That's the beginnings of David's adult life, if you will. Incredible young man. David was extraordinary. We could go through many, many verses showing that, and you see the heart of David. Psalm 42, as the heart, or as the deer panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee. Oh God, oh God, I wanna know you better. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 63, O God, Thou art my God, early will I seek Thee. My soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, to see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary. Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee. Psalm 84, how amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallows a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house. They will be still praised in thee, Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee. and in whose heart are the ways of them. He was right in Psalm 119, that tremendous psalm on the wonders of majesty and power, the word of God. Oh, how love I the law. It is my meditation all the day. In verse 101, I've refrained my feet from every evil way that I might keep thy word. Verse 103, how sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Through thy precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. 127, therefore I love thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way. Thy testimonies are wonderful, therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of thy words giveth light and giveth understanding unto the simple. I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for thy commandments." David was a man blessed by God, gifted in unusual ways. The last words of David, 2 Samuel 23, David the son of Jesse, the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, the spirit of the Lord spake by me, his word was in my tongue, the God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. The man that wrote those words The man that did those extraordinary exploits that we just looked at is the same man of 2 Samuel 11. The same man. Hard to believe, but true. A man who had started out with such promise, such potential, an appetite, a heart for the things of God. that early on in his life was marked for prominence and marked for greatness, that would pour out his heart in praise and adoration of God, ended up being the David of 2 Samuel 11. Hear me and hear me well, greater and stronger men than you and me have fallen. Don't think because you've been saved 20 years You can put it on cruise control. Don't think that. Don't live in the past successes and think that you're immune from messing up your life. That you can afford to get away from the things of God and get involved in the things of this world and you can handle it. There's not a one of us in here tonight that can handle it. The life of David is a sobering reminder that the best of men are men at best. Who dare not forget that. And even in Galatians, as we saw previously, where God says that the spiritual, ye that are spiritual, restore such an one. The fallen brother, he said, considering thyself. Considering thyself. Considering thyself. Why? Because the human heart is capable of great evil. First Corinthians 10, 12, wherefore let him that thinketh, he standeth. Take heed lest ye fall. Do you sit here tonight and think, I'm doing fine? I don't have anything to worry about. Then that verse is for you. Wherefore, let him that thinketh, he standeth. You say, I mean, things are going great. I'm doing fine. Be careful. Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. A man's pride should bring him low. Every one of us. It's a sobering passage. To me, David is one of the most difficult characters in all the Word of God. Early on in his life, man, what's not to love? The last three decades of his life, especially the last two, his life was a mess, a mess. Wherefore, let him that thinketh, he standeth. Take heed lest he fall. God says, I wrote these things for your admonition. I wrote these things to warn you. And so I would challenge us tonight, church. Be warned. Be admonished. Be challenged. If you've been saved for any length of time at all, If you've been faithful in church, you know people that used to, used to, used to, used to come to church, used to sing in the choir, used to teach a Sunday school class, used to go on visitation, used to, used to, used to, used to. But something got to them. Wherefore, let him that thinketh, he standeth. That's you, that's you, that's you, that's you, that's you, that's you, that's you, that's me. Don't ever think, you got it. Paul said, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, 2 Corinthians 3, 5. Our sufficiency is of God. Jesus said, without me, you can do nothing. Those of you that are saved tonight, hey, things might have gone smoothly for six months or six years or 16 years. Don't let your guard down. Keep your heart with all diligence, the Bible says, for out of the issues of life, the very essence of who you are, Proverbs 4.23. He says, do it diligently. That word keep means guard, guard. There's not a one of us in here tonight that can afford to not guard our heart, especially in a day and age in which the devil has more tools. more weapons at his disposal than he's ever had, than he's ever had. And if people a generation or two and five ago needed to guard their hearts, how much more? to you and I need to guard ours. Greater and stronger men and women than you and I have fallen. Wherefore, let him that thinketh, he standeth. Take heed, lest he fall. Lord, our hearts are sobered tonight as we look at David's life. As someone who started out so well with such promise, A man that you blessed, a man that you enabled to do great things, but somewhere along the line his heart turned and everything fell apart. Lord, I pray that every Christian in here tonight would purpose we want to finish, finish well, finish strong, to serve you till the end. May we guard our hearts. May we humble ourselves before you. May we be willing to acknowledge that we desperately need you, not just for salvation, but every day of our lives, that we might finish well. Bless now in this invitation we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.