and read it. It's an honor to be here and it's always an honor to be here and you pray for us and we'll pray for you up in Gladwin, Michigan. Turn your Bibles to the book of 2 Samuel chapter 23 and I'll read verse 8 then I'll turn to 1 Chronicles chapter 11 and read verse 11. One thing that I probably got from my father is I love to preach on Bible characters. I think there are so many valuable lessons that we can learn, whether they be Old Testament or New Testament characters in the Word of God. I have been told that I should not preach from the Old Testament at all, but I pretty much ignore that. Yes, I know that men and women, we have not changed. It doesn't matter if they're lost or saved, we haven't changed. They're still depraved and even once we're saved, we still sin against God. Another thing I know is that God hasn't changed. And how God dealt with sin and sinners in the Old Testament days is much the same as He will deal with sin and sinners in our day and time. 2 Samuel chapter 23 and verse 8, the Bible says, These be the names of the mighty men whom David had, the Taqmanite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains. The same was Adonai, the Esnite, whom he lifted up his spear against eight hundred whom he slew at one time. First Chronicles chapter 11 and verse 11, we have the same character but he is given a different name. Often times that happens in the Word of God. Jacob became Israel, Saul of Tarsus became Paul, and names are changed often times due to the circumstances and the accomplishments of their life. First Chronicles 11.11, the Bible says, and this is the number of the mighty men whom David, Joshabeam, the Haccamite, the chief of the captains, he lifted up his spear against 300, slain by him at one time. I preach to you on the subject, Joshabeam, lessons from a killer. Joshua Beam, he was a killing machine. And we learned that in this instance, not all killers are bad. Like all leaders throughout history, David was wise enough to surround himself with very capable men. 2 Samuel 23, verse 39 tells us that there were 37 men whom David chose. These men were called mighty men. Reminded me of my dad when we were growing up and young kids, he would always say, I am the mighty man and then we'd get the big splash. And I'll never forget that. And someone talked to me the other day and said they remember some stranger, somewhere daddy was out preaching, my dad giving them the big splash and he was the mighty man. Well, he wasn't, but these men were mighty men, and that means they were champions, they were warriors. In the day of that time, they were heroes who were looked up to. David trusted these men with his very life, and they served him very well. Now, there isn't much said about Joshua Beam or many of these men. Many of them, all we have is their names and the meaning of those names. Considering some of these men, there may only be one verse or two verses given to their exploits. But what more do we need? Wouldn't it be a great thing to have God include you in His book of those who served Him in a great capacity? These men, though very little is said about them, and I preach a series in glabbing on obscure characters of the Word of God, they stand out in the Old Testament as courageous, as powerful, as faithful men of God. I believe in our churches, we have that today. If God has burdened me lately, I mention often to our people about our sister churches throughout the land, here in Florida, and Georgia, and Alabama, and over in the Philippines, and in Guyana, and all over the world, little true churches that have in them faithful men and women that go about the business of serving God. Today we study a man named Jezebel. We're told that he was the chief. He was a leader. He was a big shot of all the mighty men that David had in his service. We can learn from the limited information that we have about him that he was faithful and that he was brave, courageous, and a servant of the king. He was a fearless warrior out on the battlefield. So I speak to you on Jehoshabim lessons we can learn from a killer. He teaches us how to give proper and good service to our king. We have a king! Jesus is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. And there is no power on this earth, no power below this earth that can defeat the kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has always been King. And no matter who is President or who are leaders or what the United Nations does, Jesus is still king, he still sits upon the throne, and he is ruling over all the affairs of this world that he might work out his plan. Our God has a plan. That plan is for the rapture, and then the seven year tribulation, then the millennial reign leading into the eternal state. Now I want to share three characteristics of Joseph B.M. that teach us how we can be better servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. First of all, he stood out. Secondly, he stood up. And thirdly, he stood in. First of all, he stood out. Now with the limited information we have, he is called Jechebim, a Hackmanite. His name literally translates to man of Baal or son of a Hackmanite. This tells us that Jechebim was probably raised by an idolater. that he at one time was raised by and probably himself worshipped Baal, the Canaanite god of fertility. Baal worshipped was a horrible thing that involved obscene sexual practices such as simple prostitution and homosexuality. I believe that we can deduce that there came a time in his life But he came to know the true God of Israel. What great things our God can do. You know, we must never give up on giving the gospel to those who are lost. I remember a woman telling me one time, she said, if my husband's not saved by now, he's never going to be. And I asked her, don't you believe in the sovereignty of God? Don't you believe in God's ability to save sinners? Sometime during his life, God sent him somebody to give him the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Showed him that he was a sinner and brought him to salvation. This seems clear because he served David. According to Acts 13, 22, was a man after God's own heart. That probably explains why his name appears as Adonai the Esenite. That name means a sharp and strong spear. This name may have been given him by King David or perhaps given him by those who fought alongside of him. But Jezebel distinguished himself in battle. And he earned a nickname that was far better than his birth name. And I'll tell you, once God saves a man, he's far better. Doesn't matter what happens in the circumstances of his life. He may become sick, he may become poverty stricken, he may come in contact to create many enemies, but his life will always be better than it was before he met Jesus Christ. Now what makes Joshua Bim so special is that he came from a wicked family and eventually became a leader of an elite group of fighters whose job was to serve King David. He rose to the ranks to become the chief of David's mighty men. Joshua teaches us that our past is no barrier to our service to God. I have had people tell me, you don't know how wicked I've been, God would never use me. How bad we've been in the past has nothing to do with God using us in his service. That's the marvelous grace of God. Many people seem to think that their yesterdays will prohibit them from serving God today. And I don't care if it was ten years ago or yesterday or this morning, we can always become right with God and be used by God in His service. Consider the kinds of people that Jesus chose to serve Him. Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector from Rome. As such, he would have been a thief, he would have been an extortionist, and a liar. But God used him. Simon the Zealot was a member of a political party that defied Roman rule in Israel. As a zealot, Simon would have engaged in terrorist-type attacks. He was a terrorist. He was much like the terrorists of our day and time. He would attack and attack. And yet God used him. Saul of Tarsus was a self-righteous Pharisee. He believed that keeping the law was sufficient to please God. He hated the name of Christ. He hated the church. He hated anybody that even claimed to be a child of God. He beat them. into lines of demarcation where they were not allowed to cross, consented to the death of Stephen. And he himself even says, I salute the prophets of God. He was a murderer! And yet, God, has God ever used anyone any more so than he used the apostle Paul? Paul's past was not held against him. He was a blasphemer, a persecutor, a violent man. But God saved him. In spite of their sins, God used them for his honor and glory. That means that he can use us. We have to understand that I'm here on this earth not for my good or my family's good. That comes second. I must first take care of my obligations to God. I told someone not long ago, they were talking about, well, family comes first. I said, it shouldn't. I said, I'll tell you what, if you'll put Christ first, family will take care of itself. The world will take care of itself as long as we give Christ the preeminence. No matter what we used to be, salvation makes us a new creature. in Christ Jesus. Joshua Bim stood out because he was all in it for David. His devotion to the king translated to his promotion in the kingdom. We have to understand that. If we serve God, we're faithful, we'll be promoted in the kingdom of God. I believe in rewards. I know that Reformed Baptists and others deny rewards, but I believe there are rewards for the children of God. I believe one of those rewards are restricted to the membership of a Baptist church and those who faithfully serve God in that church, and that's being in the bride. You've got to be faithful to God to receive rewards. One of these days, I'll preach a series of sermons on that Bema Street. One of these days, all of us who know God, we're going to stand before Him. Not going to have anything to do with our salvation. But it will have to do with our rewards and our position in the kingdom of God. Shashem stood out and rose to the top. God today, he is looking for faithful servants that he can use today. And I tell you, we need them in this day and time. We need them. The parable of the talents. Jesus said, well done, thou good and faithful servant, that I have been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord. In other words, be happy because you serve God. And if you're living a life that is not involved in serving God, may God give you misery. May God make you a, I talked to a man, bless his heart. Eighty some years old now. Used to serve God faithful. Faithful. Sing at Bible conferences, teach and everything else. And my dad went out and preached his mother's funeral. He left the church, been excluded from the church. And he said, I am of all men most miserable. Dad said, well you know what to do about it. Years went by. Probably two years ago, I get a phone call. Weeping on the phone, he said, I've just wasted my life. I'm 85 or 6 years old now. I can't do hardly anything. I can't see hardly. I can't hear. And I've wasted my life because I didn't serve God. I said, well, it's not too late. We quit breathing. It's not too late. to begin diligently serving God, and I am in regular communication with him. He sends money to the church, and you know, God bless him. God bless him. Get tired of people saying back, well, he did this, and he did that. God bless him! God forgives us for our failures, and God will use us. How would he use us? There are some people to whom the Lord gives an expanded ministry. There are others who make a difference in your community. Your next door neighbor. Now I'll tell you, if you have a next door neighbor you've never witnessed till you've failed as a neighbor. Sorry. But one way you testify that neighbor is when it comes Sunday morning, Sunday night, your car's gone. And they know where you are. They know you're in the house of God. And when you're out in your yard, they don't hear all sorts of profane language being echoed from your house. There are others who make a difference in their families. That's good, isn't it? Raising children to nurture an admonition of God. Being an example to our children, to our grandchildren, and to our families. There are others who make a difference, perhaps, in the life of one person. That's a good thing, isn't it? If just one person, we were talking the other day about all these tragedies that take place. The Philippines and all these people died. And I said, you know what? If one soul comes to know Christ, it's worth it. It's worth it. God controls all things anyway. So let us see, I'm going to be the difference in one person's life and then move on to others. Secondly, we notice that he stood up and I've got to try, okay. He stood up. The Bible tells us in 2 Samuel 23 and 8 that Joshua killed 800 men. And in 1st Chronicles 11 and 11 that he killed 300 men. Now there are some commentators, some that I would advise you not to read, who say that this is a biblical contradiction. And when the writings of the transcript, they get all messed up. God don't mess up. And when God speaks to people, God don't make mistakes. There are no errors in the word of God. There are no contradictions, if there are. Maybe we'll shut the doors and go home because we're all going to hell. I tell you, believe this book. Stand by this book. There is no contradiction here or any other place. What happened is that Jasher B.M. killed 800 people in one battle. He killed 300 people in another battle. A total of 1,100 people. This great warrior of God. He's a killing machine. I tell you what. And we're learning lessons from him. Any man that could kill that many people in combat was powerful and a fearsome warrior. The Bible says that Joshua lifted up his spear. And that phrase in the Hebrew literally means he awakened his spear. He's just resting easy. And a spear was his weapon of choice. And he would hear about someone confronting his King David and he would wake up that spear and he would take off for war. Now we don't know the enemy, but Joshua being false. may have been that old nemesis of Israel, the Philistines. We are the warlike people that surrounded Israel. But for Jezebel, the enemy didn't matter. Didn't matter. Made absolutely no difference. Sometimes in our life, our enemies might be our family. Dad's brother called him one time and said, I hope you die and go to hell tonight and God turns up the temperature. And he said, I absolutely hate what you believe and what you preach. My father never had much of a relationship with his family because he would not compromise one iota on what this book teaches. I tell you, I have seen in the last five or ten years way too much compromise. We have excluded five or six young men from our church because they met young women who they let lead them astray and now we exclude them all up for heresy. Attending false churches on a regular basis. I told them that's what we'd do. I sit down with one couple before I married them. I said, I'm going to tell you, if you quit coming here and you go there full time, we will exclude you. And she looked at me, exclude him! I said, for I'm being a heretic. And we did. I know that it crushed some parents and grandparents in my church. Sons and grandsons. When it came time to vote them out, the hands went up. That's like Jezebel. Did not matter who the enemy was. Sometimes it may be friends, sometimes it may be your spouse, it might be your children, but it did not matter. You don't think Jezebel lost his family over this? You don't think those who worshipped idols turned against him? Anyone who threatened the king or the kingdom was the enemy of Jezebel. What would make a man fight like this? That's the question. What would make him fight like this? Why would a man risk everything on the battlefield like Joshua B.M. did? I thought about that, the answer to that question is very simple. He loved his king more than he loved himself. Pretty simple, ain't it? But not many men here would not give their life for their wife. Why? We love our wife more than we love ourselves. I've got three grandchildren back that I give my life for every one of them. Because I love them more than I love myself. And I want to tell you something, I should love Jesus more than I love them or anybody or anything else in this world. Oh, how I ought to love the Lord Jesus Christ. He has done more for me than anyone will ever do! Because he has saved me from an eternity in hell. He was willing to pay any price that he might stand against the enemies of the king. Those same concerns should motivate us to stand in our day. We are surrounded by enemies. We live in a day of time of great apathy. Many of you remember in this church, when we were on the radio, people hated us. They hated what we preached. Now, I'm afraid it's going to correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I am. One church refused to sell their building to us because of what we preached. You know what? You're still here, aren't you? They're not selling you the building, didn't stop you from eating. You're still here. God's church is going to be here till Jesus Christ returns. The world system is our enemy. The government is antagonistic towards the church and truth. I just read the other day, and I saw the picture of, oh, it was Purdy. Old Fay Moore, she had all, anything was, it's Purdy, Purdy. They built a prayer room for Muslims and turned around and forbid the Christians to pray. God have mercy. What's wrong with people? What's wrong with our nation that fights against anything that's right? Tries to tie the hands of a president that at least trying to do some things right. What's wrong with them? Sometimes I think they've taken leave of their senses. My goodness, we need to pray. We need to pray hard for this nation. Satan is another enemy we face. And then there's that old flesh, that old fallen nature of ours that we must fight against. For us, our battle comes down to one thing. How much do you love the king? I tell you, this is the world. I'm an old sports guy. Listen, I coached football and wrestling for 25 years. I'm almost getting to the point where I hate sports because people are idiots. They're just idiots. We are now, because I'm a Carolina fan, but of course, because Kentucky lost, they're blaming this official, and he is receiving death threats over a ball game. Have mercy, what's wrong with people? It's a ball game. Doesn't really matter who wins or loses. What matters is souls are dying and going to hell. What matters is that saved people are walking around caring nothing about the truth and about being faithful in serving God. May God give us some joshua beams. Stand up and fight. Anything that defies Jesus should be on our enemy list. I tell you, we live in a day... I told somebody the other day in our group, and don't get mad at me because your preacher's one of them. The number of preachers, landmark, sound, great missionary, Baptist preachers, who I trust 100% to stand firm on the whole word of God and not compromise. I'm not sure it takes me two hands to count them. They've turned their back. Oh, let's be nice. Let's be kind. We don't want to make enemies. One made a statement. Said, oh, I want to have that man at our conference. I don't care if he's a Baptist or not. What's wrong with you? Are you a Baptist? Someone asked me last year, me and Anna, we talked about this. They said, would you have a great Jew preach at your conference? Your church does what you want. I'm worried about my church. I said, no. Too many people who believe in wine to have a grape juice will come. Would you have a four pointer? Too many who believe in five points have a four pointer come. That's the way I am. Somebody's gotta stand on this book. Like Joshua did. Stood for things that were right. May God help us to love Jesus like we should. And we'll stand against secular government. as they continue to grow in hatred, in hatred of God and of God's people. We'll stand against the devil who is behind every false movement that comes about. We will stand against ourselves. When we ourselves become the enemy, we'll stand against heresy. My dad was told one time, you can no longer use the word heresy or heretic from the pulpit. He lasted about two weeks and he was gone. Can you imagine that? You can no longer, told also, you can no longer preach against homosexuality. They said, what if I bring a homosexual to church? They don't need to hear that it's an abomination. I'll tell you, we broadcast live all of our programs, all of our services. I preached a sermon on the intolerant, tolerance, I forget the exact title. Oh my goodness, you should have heard the names I was called, I would never repeat them. Because I said they want us to be tolerant about everything and they don't want to tolerate anything. And David was challenged about his desire to kill Goliath. He said, is there not a cause? And is there not a cause? Have the causes of God ceased? Or is there not still a cause? And I'm just going to skip over a few things. You read it tonight, Romans 13, 11 through 14. Because Paul there more or less says that we are to wake up, get up, dress up, stand up, line up and live up in our service to God. It is a high call and a difficult challenge. Jesus is worth it. The gospel is worth it. The church is worth it. The truth is worth it. The future is worth it. He stood in lastly, and like I said, oh, that's the way you don't go over time, you stop the clock. He stood in. Bible teaches us that Jezebel killed 801 battle and 300, that is 1,100 enemy soldiers. Can you imagine how long it took to kill that many men? Can you imagine the strength? Can you imagine the courage? Can you imagine the dedication? Can you imagine how much courage it took for Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego to say, I will not bow down? For Daniel to say, I'm going to keep praying for millions of our Baptist forefathers. die in the flames of fire as they refused to denounce the Lord Jesus Christ. Jezebel was a man on fire. Oh, may God warm up our cold hearts. He fought like the war depended on him. He was not concerned about how others were fighting. I coach football and I get so tired, well he didn't do this, you do your job. Now how many times my players heard me say, you do your job. You have a job to do, I have a job to do. Do your job, stop watching other people. One of my best players one time, he was out there and it's a pretty tight game. He's a great player. And he's over there doing all this to the crowd. And I said, get him out of here. And I said, Mike, if you want to be a cheerleader, we'll get you a skirt and put you over here on the sideline. But if you want to play football, go out there and play football. And this is Mike, yes, sir, coach. Cheerleaders. God never called you to be a cheerleader. Called you to be a player. in the business of serving God. And the battle ended. He was surrounded by the bodies of the enemies. I see him. You see him in your mind tonight and he walked off the field a champion. John Washer being the killer. It doesn't matter what others do. I've known people who place too much confidence in what others do. But not Jeshua Dean. Well, I'm going to stop. I'm not done, but I'm going to stop. You've got the point of the message. Let me just close with this. We are not heroes. We are not champions. Many of us are not great warriors. We are common people who have been saved by the marvelous grace of God that is able to make us champions. If we will have enough love for the Lord Jesus Christ to go out and serve Him. When God saved us, He gave us everything. We have His word. We have His spirit. And we have His armor. Paul said, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. From what I know of Jezebel, he could say the same thing. What about us? May God help us. Amen.