Unusual Friendships

Welcome to Sharper Sword, the publication ministry of White House Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California.

White House believes that individuals can reach their potential for the Lord as they grow in Christ.

We want to hear our Lord say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

Let's join Pastor Doug Fisher as he preaches another important biblical message from the Word of God.

His men of war set him at naught and mocked him and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe and sent him again to Pilate.

And then an unusual statement.

Verse number 12.

And the same day, Pilate and Herod were made friends together.

For before they were at enmity between themselves.

Isn't that interesting?

What an unusual friendship to come together to face the God of this universe.

What do you mean, the God of this universe, brethren?

That's God they're talking to.

That's God they're questioning.

What an unusual thing for them to be made friends over opposing the God that created this universe.

Brethren, I want to make this statement to you.

It's not uncommon in the Bible to see two people joining together to go against God or go against God's people.

In fact, uh, there's a good possibility before your life is over, someone will get together with someone else against you.

You don't have to design it, it'll just be designed for you.

What do you mean?

How did they find each other?

How did they know each other?

How did have those two people at work?

How those two people in the military, how how did those two people out in the community, what in the world are they doing opposing me?

How did they find each other?

Do you know what I'm talking about?

Say amen.

Now you may not have that right now, but brethren, before this life is over, don't be surprised if uh principalities and powers turned two people against you.

I have nobody in mind tonight, but I'm saying to you tonight that Herod, if you would, and Pilate became friends in a very unusual way.

Pilate waffled a little bit, and Herod, if you would, was definitely the one that Jesus even called him, this Herod, a fox.

Very cunning, uh, very uh scheming.

This is the Herod that uh John the Baptist called out for his unlawful marriage.

This is the Herod that uh, if you would, uh, beheaded John, even though it said he was grieved, he did it anyways for his oath's sake.

This is two people coming against God, and and don't be surprised when two people join forces in some way, shape, or form to gossip about you, to uh to Facebook about you, to say something about you.

And you're like, what did I do?

May I give you a couple thoughts on that tonight, and may I say to you, you're not in a unique category.

It's in the Bible.

It's a few places in the Bible.

You say, no, brother, I don't have to worry about that right now.

Uh may I say that sooner or later you might find uh two of your neighbors getting on you.

Uh uh two people down at the workplace that uh it's like uh, what did I do to them?

And they start conferring and they begin to feed each other about you.

If you would take your Bible tonight and notice this, look at 2 Samuel 15.

2 Samuel chapter number 15.

And again, I know this is a little bit of an unusual message, but but don't be surprised when this takes place.

In 2 Samuel 15, uh, probably two of the most famous uh people in the Bible that we know in the Old Testament oppose David, a man after God's own heart.

And may I say those two people, if you are new to your Bible, 2 Samuel chapter 15, look at verse 12.

2 Samuel 15 · chapter mention

Verse 12.

And the Bible says, and Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite.

What was unusual about this is you wouldn't think these two would have ever got together.

Absalom was one of the sons of David, and Ahithophel was David's close counselor, but now they had turned on David.

Uh Ahithophel, no doubt, for uh what uh David had been involved with, with Ahithophel's granddaughter, Bathsheba, and Absalom, no doubt, because of uh Tamar.

And may I say to you that uh Absalom and Ahithophel get together and they begin to conspire against David and what they can do to overthrow him and destroy him.

And the Bible says, and the conspiracy was strong.

For the people increase continually with Absalom.

I want to make a statement to you tonight.

Uh these scriptures won't make much sense to you until you have it happen to you.

Until someone begins to uh, if you would, chide on you, and then they kind of find each other.

Uh may you never face two people that get bitter at you.

May you never face two people that hold grudges against you.

What do you mean?

If someone holds a grudge against you, inevitably they'll find that other person.

What do you mean?

They'll find each other sooner or later that they'll have something in common.

And as a Christian, let's not be surprised when that happens.

And don't be surprised when uh when somebody feels like uh you did something in a wrong manner and they find somebody else that they feel like you did in a wrong manner.

Don't be surprised in the workplace when uh two people that don't even know each other all of a sudden become friends.

In fact, uh, don't be surprised because it says that Herod and Pontius Pilate were enmity against each other, but they found common ground that day in that they both questioned and opposed the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't know if Ahithophel and Absalom had much to do with each other until situations put them together where they oppose David jointly.

And may I say to you, when that happens, brother, I want to tell you something.

God's still on our side.

And we have to treat it right.

We have to do the right thing.

You say, what's the right thing?

One of the toughest things is to pray for them who despitefully use you.

I mean, and really get to the place where you can really pray for them.

I mean, when they're when they're when you're water cooler talk down at the shop.

What do you mean, water cooler talk?

When they're when you walk in and they stop talking real quick because they're talking about you.

When they're emailing about you, when when they're uh Facebooking about you.

Isn't it amazing where somebody will say this and somebody will say that, and with the media the way it is now, they find each other and feed each other.

They can even feed each other wrong perceptions.

Come on, you still with me tonight?

Because in Absalom and Ahithophel's case, they got stronger and stronger against David.

Notice if you would, chapter 16, chapter number 16, and notice verse 20.

Notice verse 20.

Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, give counsel among you what we shall do.

So Absalom's asking Ahithophel for counsel, and Ahithophel comes up with this plan to embarrass and shame David.

And the two get together and accomplish this, and one uses the other.

And please listen to me, they're both going against the man who's said to be a man after God's own heart.

Brethren, as long as God's for us, what makes the difference?

I know it's difficult.

I know it's when you hear about some of this stuff and you and you find yourself the focal point of that.

May I say to you, it happens in uh with teenagers.

It can happen with young adults, uh, it can happen in your extended family.

Uh, it can happen in all kinds of different ways, shapes, and forms.

Where uh where two people get together and they begin to feed each other to oppose you or to oppose someone you love.

Uh, I'll make a statement to you in a minute, give you a scripture about this, but I'm just trying to present to you that one day Herod and uh Pilate got together and they used to be enmity against each other, but on that day they became friends.

May I say to you something?

That would have been a day they wish they wouldn't have become friends.

Because when they opposed the Lord Jesus Christ, that's a day that they wish they wouldn't have never became friends on that matter.

And may I say to you, Ahithophel and Absalom thought they had the upper hand.

And boy, they were feeding each other, and and boy, they they they thought they had David.

May I say to you, uh, we need to be careful about getting into friendships opposing someone.

We need to be careful about finding ourselves in a friendship where we're at and feeding each other about someone.

Brother, we need to be careful because if we're not careful, we'll grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

We'll get involved and somebody will feed us and we'll feed them back, and they'll feed us and we'll feed them back.

And if we're not careful, brother, we'll find ourselves in the seed of Absalom and a hit the fell.

You say, but but we're right.

Sometimes it doesn't matter if you're right or not.

Sometimes the Holy Ghost may say, I don't want you part of that.

I don't want you to be involved in that.

I don't want you, if you would, to be a busybody in someone else's matter.

Because busybody, uh, you understand what busybodies are, right?

Busybodies are those that go around looking to stick their nose into situations that they shouldn't, and when they do, it grieves the Holy Spirit of God.

I'm just saying sometimes someone might oppose you, but other times we need to be careful that we go we don't get pulled into something.

Brother, we want to have a walk with God.

We want to be in fellowship with the Spirit of God all day long.

Not just at church, not just on Sundays.

Don't we need the Holy Spirit to guide us tomorrow?

Tuesday.

I mean Wednesday.

What do you mean?

Those are that you mean every day?

I mean every day.

We need the Spirit of God comforting us, guiding us, directing us, and we don't want to grieve the Spirit of God whereby we'll see it, we're sealed to the day of redemption.

So maybe someone's opposing us that way, or maybe God would say to us tonight, be careful.

Be careful about that friendship.

Be careful about that person you used to be against, but all of a sudden you found each other, and now you're agreed to oppose this person.

Brother, make sure that that's that's something that the Holy Spirit would not be grieved with.

I want to show you one more tonight, if you would, and then we'll tie this all together.

Look at Numbers chapter 13.

Numbers 13 · chapter mention

Numbers, please, chapter number 13, and also pick up Deuteronomy chapter one.

Numbers chapter 13 and Deuteronomy chapter number one.

Numbers 13 · chapter mention

It is uh it is sometimes better if uh if you're a married couple to be careful what we jump on.

What do you mean?

It's it's okay to share different things and uh and you know to be involved in discussion on things.

But what we need to be careful about is finding ourselves agreeing on something and talking about it way too much, where the Holy Ghost gets grieved even in the marriage.

Come on, is that okay to say that?

Uh well, but but but she opposes this and I oppose that.

Okay, all right, discuss a little bit, but don't get so caught up in it where God is grieved with the conversation.

Brethren, we don't we don't need that kind of grieving in our homes to raise our children.

We don't need that kind of grieving amongst our couples, if you would.

We don't need that kind of grieving where we're feeding each other.

And may I say, we need to be careful that uh couples that are close to each other, this couple or that couple close to each other, uh be careful that we're not going back down to the same mantra again and talking about negative things that maybe shouldn't be talked about.

Brethren, there's great things to be talking about.

Hey, if you don't know any good things to talk about, uh listen to the Spanish report about people getting saved and talk about that tonight.

Think about the Roman Catholics that got saved today.

I mean, think about that and think on good things, if you would.

In Numbers chapter 13 and Deuteronomy chapter 1.

Numbers 13 · chapter mention Deuteronomy 1 · chapter mention

This is a classic case of where it's more than one, but I want you to see this if you would.

We know the ten spies and the two spies.

We know the 12 spies.

God told Moses to send them out.

And we know they came back with a report.

Numbers chapter 13, stay with me.

Numbers 13 · chapter mention

Numbers chapter 13, verse 30.

Numbers 13:30

Verse 30.

Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once and possess it.

We're well able to overcome.

Remember, it was Caleb and Joshua who came back in agreement with Moses that they could definitely go into the promised land, even though there were giants up there.

And Caleb, if you would, and Joshua, but the other ten, the other ten got together and they began to influence.

And they began to influence against Moses, against Joshua, against Caleb.

What do you mean?

They bonded together to oppose Joshua, Caleb, and Moses.

And notice what they said in verse number 31.

But the men that went up with them said, We be not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.

By the way, may I say something to you, brethren?

That was true.

They were stronger than the Israelites, but they were not stronger than the God of the Israelites.

Yes, they had walled cities.

Yes, they were giants, but God said, I'll put my fear on the land.

And if you remember the story, by the time they got the Rahab the harlot, Rahab told them about the fear that had come on that uh city of Jericho, if you would.

And the point of it being is these ten spies, they they stirred each other up and they they bolstered each other, and they uh they uh emboldened each other, and those those ten leaders of those tribes came against Joshua and Caleb and against Moses.

In fact, it says this stay with me over in Deuteronomy chapter 1.

Deuteronomy 1 · chapter mention

Deuteronomy chapter 1.

Deuteronomy 1 · chapter mention

And notice what it says in one verse.

Look at verse number 28, Deuteronomy 1, verse 28.

Deuteronomy 1:28

Thanks for staying right with me tonight.

Deuteronomy 1, 20 up.

They said, uh, whither shall we go up?

Our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying that the people is greater and taller than we.

The cities are great and walled up to heaven.

Moreover, we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

This is uh the rehearsal of what happened when the ten spies spoke in the way they spoke.

It discouraged, if you would, the hearts of the rest of the people.

They spoke, if you would, against uh the report of Caleb and against the report of Joshua and against the desire of Moses and the desire of God.

Because it's God's full will for them to go up.

And these ten bonded together to discourage the hearts of the people.

Brethren, I want to say this to you.

Uh, when two people bond together and begin talking, they can discourage your heart.

They can demotivate you if you listen too much.

It's sometimes better not to listen.

It's sometimes better, brother.

You know what?

It's sometimes better that if you know two people are talking about so-and-so, don't tell so-and-so.

I want to say that again.

If you know two people are talking negative about so-and-so, don't go over to so-and-so and tell them.

They might be in blissful ignorant peace.

What's blissful ignorant peace?

When you don't know someone saying something.

I mean, if you don't know someone saying something, you just go home and sleep well.

Well, I just want to tell you, I want you to be careful.

I want to give you a warning.

Be careful.

So and so and so-and-so are saying this about you.

Why'd you tell me that?

I don't want to know.

Why?

Because it's in God's hands.

He can handle it, he can work it out.

I don't need to be discouraged knowing that.

I remember uh, I remember this is a true story.

I probably told it before.

I remember getting off an airplane in a in a distant country, and it was a young man, and he was well-meaning.

He was really well-meaning.

First time I'd been to that country, and uh, by the by about four or five minutes, by the time we got in the car and started driving away, and just before we uh went very far, he said, Brother Fisher, I just want you to know I don't believe what they're saying about you.

This is a true story.

Well meaning.

He was well-meaning.

He wasn't saying like that to end around.

He was like trying to be loyal, brother Fisher.

I don't, I don't, I don't believe what they're saying about you.

I didn't ask.

What'd you say?

I said thank you.

Now, don't you think I didn't wonder what was being said, but I remember saying thank you.

Good job, or something like that.

We drove on.

I never did ask you.

Why?

Brother, I was there to preach.

Not to hear what somebody was saying about me.

Weren't you curious?

Sure I was.

I thought about it a couple times that night, and then I thought, well, you know what?

Take a number.

You know what I mean?

I'm not saying that in an arrogant way, I guess that was a little arrogant, but but I but it's like I can't do anything about it, anyways.

And there are either God's gonna work it out and God's gonna work for me and God's gonna bless.

That was my that was what I was there for, not to be discouraged about what someone had said.

So sometimes it's better not to know.

Well, the uh the tribe of the tribes knew about it, they got discouraged, and if you remember, they rebelled about going forward.

Why?

Mainly because ten spies, ten influencers got together and opposed what they were doing.

Now, I want to stop here for a moment and remind you about something.

We talked about Herod and Pilate getting together.

Do you know things did not fare too well for Herod and Pilate?

We talked about Absalom and Ahithophel getting together.

You know things did not fare too well for Absalom and Ahithophel.

We talked about these ten spies getting together.

And may I just say this?

Uh things didn't fare too well for those ten spies.

What happened to those ten spies?

Uh they all had a common death together.

Now, I'm not saying God is gonna kill the people that are talking about you.

You say, well, why not?

That's what I've been praying.

Wrong prayer.

Wrong prayer.

Wrong prayer.

It says, pray for them that despitefully use you.

Yes, I'm praying that God will remove them.

I know, I got it.

But uh, but there's a little bit more to that scripture than that.

The idea, brethren, is number one, we may not want to hear what someone's saying.

And number two, even if you hear what someone's saying, it's not always necessary to go to them.

Leave it alone.

Just privately pray for them.

And if you know someone's saying something about each other, hey, maybe it's better we just uh let it stop right there with us and stick it in a compartment and dog it down.

What do you mean?

Uh it's old military, you know.

Stick it in that compartment and and and dog that thing down and just lock it away so we're not the one carrying on the gossip.

Because sometimes people don't need to know.

And then may I say to you that this there's a scripture that says something very carefully that we need to know.

Look at Proverbs 26, and we'll get ready to close tonight.

I know you've been busy, you've been working a lot, we've been having some uh wonderful services here at the church.

We've been keeping you a little bit longer.

I want to give you a little extra time out tonight.

Look at Proverbs chapter 26.

Proverbs 26 · chapter mention

Don't get used to it though.

Proverbs chapter number 26.

In Proverbs chapter 26, here's something that we need to just bank on.

Proverbs 26 · chapter mention

That we just need to have in our brain that the Holy Ghost can bring up.

Proverbs chapter 26.

Proverbs 26 · chapter mention

It's in verse number 27.

Verse number 26.

Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein.

And he that roweth a roweth a stone, it will return upon him.

Brethren, if you can just bank on that.

What do you mean?

If someone like Herod and Pilate dig a pit, don't worry that there's a good possibility they're gonna fall in.

If Absalom and Ahithophel roll a stone against David, there's a good possibility, just like it happened, that that stone rolled back over them again.

What am I saying?

Sometimes the very thing someone creates is to their own destruction.

I'll say it again.

Sometimes something that someone creates or passes along is is to their own destruction.

The ten spies, they destroyed themselves.

What do you mean they destroyed themselves?

A plague got them.

No, their attitude and their spirit destroyed them.

Especially when they discouraged God's church from moving forward.

Say, what do you mean?

Deuteronomy was a church?

Yeah, it was a church in the wilderness.

And they hindered a church from moving forward.

Don't be surprised when it comes on us.

And may I say, sometimes the Lord will say, look, just leave it alone.

Don't recompense evil for evil.

Overcome evil with good.

If I want to do something, I will.

If I want that which is said to roll back over the top of them, it will.

If I want that pit that they've dug for you, if I want them to fall in, I will do that.

That's not your business, that's my business.

And when we have that kind of spirit and attitude, God can do a wonderful work in our heart, and we can live peaceably with all men, even those who oppose us.

Come on, that's gonna happen sooner or later.

God give me the kind of charity down at my workplace that I could go in tomorrow and have a good spirit towards those two.

You say, who are those two?

I don't know.

I just have this in my brain to say somebody's going back into the workplace tomorrow, and it's two, and you need to go and uh put heaps of coal on them with kindness.

What do you mean heaps of coal?

The Bible talks about being kind.

Just God give me the kind of kindness where I can just go in and embellish this whim with kindness.

How about those neighbors?

You know those two.

Oh, you didn't know?

They're just down the down the way from you.

Oh, you do know 'em.

Just overcome with kindness.

God help me to live above that.

Help me not to lower myself into that.

Help me to walk above that.

Help me to do what Jesus did.

What'd he do?

He kept his mouth shut.

Come on, is that what he says?

I mean, when when when he was being questioned, he just stayed quiet.

Why?

He knew who he was.

He knew he was in the right.

He didn't have to prove anything to Herod, that fox.

He didn't have to, he didn't have to go and disprove Pilate.

Brethren, if I read close enough, Pilate got messed up enough by being involved with that.

My point being to you is this, brethren, the Lord answered with very few words, especially none back to those who accused him.

To those who got together, and on that day when they were used to be at enmity, they became friends.

I'm talking about in your extended family.

Brethren, may I say something to you?

You only want to talk about it so much.

And then let it alone.

Otherwise, your whole life will revolve around.

Okay, we're going to talk about it again?

Okay, we're going to talk about it again?

Boy, let's talk about it again.

Let's talk about it again.

Sooner or later, it's like, man, let's talk about something good.

Let's get into Philippians and find something good to talk about.

Let's go into that.

You know, whatsoever things are true and just and holy.

Let's go into the good report and not just talk about that again, especially on Sunday night.

You know, go eat some ice cream and forget about it tonight.

Come on, you know what I'm talking about or not?

Let alone.

And I don't even know who I'm talking to tonight.

I just felt like this was the message for tonight.

And if you know somebody's kind of bogged down into something, brethren, don't feed it.

What do you mean?

If you know somebody's already bogged down, uh it's almost better.

Maybe, I gotta tell you, uh, maybe it's almost better that you don't go up to them and saying, praying for you again.

I just want you to know I'm praying for that situation.

Remember that situation?

Remember that situation?

I'm praying for you, I'm praying for that situation.

It's like, I wasn't even thinking about it.

I had the victory over it.

I wasn't even thinking about it until you brought it up again.

Oh, thank you for praying and reminding me.

I was having a good day till now.

You know what I'm talking about or not?

They're well-meaning.

They're well-meaning.

But please, sometimes the Holy Ghost may check you and say, Don't tell them you're praying, just pray.

Don't bring it up again, just pray.

Don't remind them about it.

They might have forgot it for two days, and they're getting some relief.

Just privately pray.

So I asked you tonight to consider that once in a while two people may come against you, or you may find yourself pulled into something like that, or have a problem with maybe uh repeating something or continually talking about it.

And please, I'm not trying to meddle, I'm not trying to get into anybody's business tonight.

Uh, I think I'll go home and sleep well tonight.

Uh I hope I do.

Unless I get one of those texts saying, praying for you.

About that situation, you know that one.

Oh man, I just had a good message on it and got the victory over it for the night.

And uh, huh?

Thank you.

Now there's nothing wrong with praying, there's nothing wrong with encouraging people, but I'm just saying sometimes we leave it in the Lord's hands, and He is mighty in what He does.

And sometimes the best thing we can do is be like Jesus before those two unusual friends that on the day where they used to be at enmity against each other, they came together to judge him.

I want to tell you something though.

I think the Lord said something about that uh neither one of them could really be in a judge unless the Father had allowed it.

He knew who was in charge, he knew what he could do, and he knew he was in God's will going down the path that God, the Father, wanted him to go, and he kept himself quiet.

And in that he was victorious.

I pray God would give us that tonight.

May I say to you, if you've not received Christ as Savior, this would be a wonderful night to receive Christ.

And may I say to you, we've already had people say today, we'd love to see your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life tonight.

That would just make our night.

And may I say to you, and we promise not to bring up anything in the past.

You get saved, it's under the blood.

Thank you for listening to this message by Pastor Doug Fisher of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California.

To learn more about Lighthouse Baptist Church, visit our website at www.lighthousebaptist.com or call six one nine-461-5561.