What about Uriah?
Evangelist Ethan Elms Preached on 10/4/2026
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60:55
Summary
Evangelist Ethan Elms explores the tragic story of Uriah the Hittite to show that God sees the forgotten and the abused, highlighting how Uriah serves as a powerful type of Christ who died for the sins of others. Through the lens of David's fall and restoration, the message offers hope for forgiveness to the sinner and a place of belonging to those who have been neglected or abandoned.
Key points
- •David's failure began with idleness; he was in the palace when he should have been on the battlefield, proving that positioning matters in spiritual warfare.
- •Uriah stands as a type of Christ - an innocent man who was wrongfully convicted, carried the instrument of his own death, and died for the sins of another.
- •In the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1), the inclusion of 'her that had been the wife of Uriah' demonstrates that God purposefully includes the forgotten, the abused, and the neglected in His family.
- •True repentance, modeled by David in Psalm 51, is a 'military turn' where one acknowledges their transgression and runs in the opposite direction toward God's mercy.
- •God desires to move believers from 'Manasseh' (forgetting the affliction) to 'Ephraim' (becoming fruitful in the land of affliction).
Scripture
Repentance
Restoration
Grace
Purpose
Trials
Life application
Identify the 'rooftops' or idle places in your life where you are vulnerable to temptation and reposition yourself to the 'front lines' of spiritual activity and service this week. Trust that God can make you fruitful even in the middle of current hardships rather than just waiting for the pain to be forgotten.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life are you 'idle' when you should be in battle, and how is that positioning affecting your spiritual health?
- How does seeing Uriah as a type of Christ change your perspective on the unfair trials you have faced?
- Are you currently in a 'Manasseh' season (just trying to forget) or an 'Ephraim' season (being fruitful despite the pain)? How can you move toward fruitfulness?
- What 'letters' or burdens are you carrying that feel like they might destroy you, and how can you surrender them to the One who already died for them?
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Full transcript
0:00loose in the Holy Ghost.
0:00Music opens you up. So thankful to be
0:01here today. [music]
0:02I give honor to Pastor Elms, Pastor and
0:04Sister Elms. I know that they would love
0:07to be here as well. Um, my wife is not
0:11with me today,
0:13which is why half of you only talked to
0:14me for about two seconds when I got in
0:16here. How you doing, Ethan? Oh, good.
0:18Where's [music] your wife?
0:21Oh, she's not here. Oh, okay. [laughter]
0:26That's all right. I know she's the
0:27better part of me, but she wanted to be
0:30here so badly. Thank you old her brother
0:35for that fantastic introduction.
0:39He was always better than me at
0:40everything growing up. And finally when
0:43I got to my senior year of high school,
0:45I started getting bigger than him.
0:48Not in the important ways like shoulder
0:50width and bicep circumference, more
0:52around the waist and the hips.
0:56But I always thought, well, at least
0:57maybe if we got in a fight, I could beat
0:59him up.
1:01And then he started learning jiu-jitsu
1:03and I facetimed in for [music] his first
1:04competition and that thought quickly
1:06vanished.
1:09So I'm okay just being the younger
1:11brother. Today I want to talk [music] to
1:13you on this subject. What about Uriah?
1:16What about Uriah? Won't you pray with me
1:18over the remainder of this service?
1:20Lord, I thank you for what you've
1:21already done. I thank you for the sweet
1:24[music] anointing, the sweet presence
1:27that's in this place today, God.
1:30Lord, you know what we prayed about this
1:33morning. God, I pray in Jesus' name that
1:36your spirit would fall. I pray in Jesus'
1:39name that you'd break up fellow ground.
1:42I pray Lord that there would be a
1:44restoration that floods this place. God,
1:47I pray Lord that you'd fall down in such
1:50a way we can't ignore it. Do a mighty
1:54work here in Jesus name. I want to tell
1:58you in advance just so you're ready for
2:00it. When I end this sermon, I I'm going
2:03to welcome everybody to come up to the
2:05front. I'm telling you now [music] so
2:08that you got the next three hours of my
2:11preaching.
2:13It's a joke to get ready to come to the
2:15front because I really believe I really
2:17believe God can do the impossible.
2:22>> Why don't you greet your neighbor as
2:23you're seated this morning?
2:27Tell him they look cute.
2:30If it's a man, tell him he looks [music]
2:31handsome.
2:40Show him that beautiful smile of yours,
2:43even if you don't think it is.
2:46The Bible tells us that to everything
2:49there is a season. Ecclesiastes, Solomon
2:52wrote it. said, "There's a time for war,
2:54a time for peace, a time to love, a time
2:56to hate, time to laugh, a time to weep.
2:59There's a season for everything. We know
3:01this. In Florida, there's a time where
3:03it's hot.
3:05There's a time where it's less hot.
3:08I live in Cincinnati now and and we do
3:10get seasons. We get times for
3:12everything. And right now, the leaves
3:14are starting to change color. And that
3:17means it's time for pumpkin spice.
3:22Pumpkin spice lattes. You go to
3:24Starbucks, you get pumpkin spiced
3:26everything.
3:27>> They got pumpkin bread.
3:29>> Pumpkin nitro cold foam. Pumpkin lattes,
3:34iced pumpkin lattes. It's better warm,
3:36but sometimes you like to mix it up a
3:38little bit. You know, pumpkin spiced
3:40credit card debt. You name it,
3:43they got it there.
3:45There's time when you might say it's
3:48finally okay to listen to Christmas
3:51music. I was persuaded that that was
3:55always the day after Thanksgiving.
3:57Perhaps after you finally finished
3:59dessert on Thanksgiving Day.
4:01But the longer I was around Sophia
4:04Lorraine, my wife, I found that
4:06Christmas
4:07is an all year thing.
4:11I walk around in the heat of July
4:14singing Chestnuts roasting on an open
4:16fire.
4:18I'm wiping sweat from my nose,
4:20pretending it's Jack Frost nipping.
4:24It's the most wonderful time of the year
4:26and I'm sweating through my clothes.
4:28I believe it's all time, but there is a
4:31time for everything.
4:34You ever been running or perhaps moving
4:36a little fast? you're running late for
4:37work or for school or just got to meet
4:40somebody somewhere.
4:42Perhaps it's dark in the bedroom and you
4:44don't want to wake up your wife or your
4:45husband and you
4:48find a way where your shin
4:52meets with the bread frame
4:56and they converse and they speak angrily
4:59towards one another. It's time to curl
5:02up in the fetal position
5:05and do your best not to scream. Does
5:07anybody know what that feels like this
5:08morning? Stub your toe and you're like,
5:10I don't say those words anymore.
5:15There's a time for everything. And in
5:18our text that was read earlier, it said
5:21that it was the time when kings go forth
5:24to battle. And yet our king we're
5:27reading about, King David, is not on the
5:30battlefield. He's in his bedroom.
5:34It's a small detail, but it really it
5:37sets the tone for the entire chapter and
5:39what is undoubtedly
5:41King David's worst failure.
5:44The same warrior that once ran towards a
5:47giant named Goliath with a stone and a
5:50sling now is idle in the palace.
5:55And because King David was not where he
5:57was supposed to be, he positioned
5:59himself for failure. And the truth is
6:02same for us. Where we position oursel
6:05matters. It matters what you're looking
6:08towards. That's why Lot and his family
6:11fell in such a horrible thing when Sodom
6:13and Gomorrah was destroyed because they
6:15pitched their tent toward Sodom. It
6:18matters where you present yourself,
6:20where you place yourself. If you beg for
6:23God to break an addiction but surround
6:26yourself with temptation, you're gonna
6:28find it hard for God to intervene.
6:32>> I had a friend that told me at Bible
6:34college, they said, "I don't know why,
6:36but seems like everybody just comes to
6:39me for the gossip.
6:41I don't want it."
6:44Well, my response, I said, "Everybody
6:47knows where to take out the trash.
6:55It's a good one. I like I'm gonna write
6:57that down. I'll preach on that one day.
7:00The Bible tells us, "Resist the devil.
7:02Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil
7:05and he will flee from you." But when it
7:08comes to your flesh, it says, "Flee from
7:11youthful lusts." It's on us to make sure
7:14we're positioning oursel in the right
7:17place. So restless. King David gets up
7:21out of his bed when he should be in the
7:23battlefield, but gets up, the Bible
7:25says, at an evening time and wakes up
7:28from his nap, looks over the vast
7:31expanse of his kingdom, sees the houses,
7:35sees the people,
7:38sees a rooftop,
7:41sees a woman on that rooftop, and he
7:44likes what he sees. Rubs his eyes. Am I
7:46seeing this correctly? Gets the crusty
7:48bits out. It's a good nap. Got the
7:51sheets imprinted into your cheeks, you
7:53know. And he he he's like, "Hey,
7:57servants, I want you send that woman to
8:00me. Who is this?" They said, "This is
8:01Ba'ath Sheeba, the wife of Uriah."
8:04And she goes to him. The Bible doesn't
8:07deny the details. It says she was very
8:09beautiful to look upon. It's at this
8:12moment where David should run. He should
8:15flee from his youthful lusts.
8:18but he's not supposed to be there. And
8:21we see that lust walked through the door
8:24that his idleness left cracked open.
8:28And David asks about this woman. And
8:31they send her to to David. And they lie
8:34together.
8:35And David ignores these laws that he
8:38loves so much for a lust he can't fight
8:40on his own. That's what sin makes you
8:42do. It'll take you right out of your
8:44right mind. It'll make you think
8:46thoughts you would have never thought.
8:48>> It'll make you do things and say things
8:50that you thought would would always be
8:52too far, but but it corrupts your
8:55thinking.
8:56>> And David's mind is corrupted.
8:59And he goes and they lie together, finds
9:03out that she's having a baby. And so
9:05David does what everyone does when
9:08they're about to get caught. He plans to
9:11cover it up. He says, "Send me Uriah.
9:14Send me Uriah. Commands the guards. Word
9:17gets to Joab, who is the general of the
9:18army at this time. General sends Uriah
9:22home. The plan is very simple. If I can
9:25just whine and dine Uriah a little bit.
9:28Maybe I can just chitchat. We'll catch
9:30up on the battlefield. I'll send him
9:32home to be with his wife and everybody
9:34will assume that the child is theirs.
9:37But he's not factoring one thing. He's
9:39not factoring in Uriah's righteousness.
9:43Uriah's a good man.
9:46And so David does exactly that. They
9:50talk about the battlefield,
9:52chitchat a little bit, sends him home
9:54with a basket of goodies, sends him home
9:57with meat and fruit, whole edible
9:59arrangement. The chocolate dipped
10:01marshmallows are the only thing good on
10:02that entire basket. But sends him home.
10:06He goes and next morning David wakes up.
10:09Job accomplished.
10:11But he finds out from his servants that
10:14Uriah never went home.
10:17Uriah goes and he he sleeps at the door
10:19of the gate with the other servants.
10:23This is not very good. It's not going
10:24according to plan. So David says, "All
10:26right, here's what I'll do. I'll get him
10:27drunk.
10:29That way when he's inebriated, he won't
10:31be as willing to make good decisions.
10:34He'll be talking a little bit slurred
10:36and a little bit louder and he'll be
10:38wobbling as he walks his way back home
10:40to his wife. He won't think clearly.
10:42I'll be fine. And so David does that. He
10:44gets him drunk on wine. He goes to send
10:47him home. But even in his inebriated
10:49state, Uriah is such a good man
10:52>> that he stays in the palace. Doesn't go
10:56home to see his wife. He sleeps with the
10:59servants by the door of the king's
11:02palace.
11:03The next morning, David asks him, "Why?
11:08Why didn't you go, Uriah?"
11:11We get to see Uriah's response in 2
11:14Samuel 11:11. And Uriah said unto David,
11:18"The ark of God, and Israel, and Judah,
11:23they abide in tents. And my lord Joab,
11:27and the servants of my Lord, they're
11:28encamped in open fields.
11:31Shall I then go into my house to eat and
11:36to drink and to lie with my wife?
11:39And he says this to King David. He says,
11:42"As thou livest
11:44and as thou soul liveth, I will not do
11:48this thing."
11:51I can imagine that must have pricricked
11:53David the wrong way when he's trying to
11:56get a man to do the wrong thing and the
11:59man says, "I've been inspired by you to
12:01do the right thing."
12:04Uriah was a righteous man. And King
12:08David, he he he
12:10sees the plan isn't working. And so it's
12:14time to pivot here. He goes and he
12:18writes up a letter to General Joab.
12:20Handwrites a letter and it says, "I want
12:23you to take Uriah
12:26to the front lines of the hottest
12:29battle." And the moment the violence
12:31reaches its peak, I want you to desert
12:34him. I want you to run in the opposite
12:36direction and leave him alone. And David
12:38writes word for word so that he would be
12:42smitten and die.
12:45Cold hands, colder heart. He writes
12:48these words down,
12:50seals it, puts the wax down, the kingly
12:53signate to show this is from the king.
12:55And he goes to your eye, says, "Be safe.
12:58Win the war. By the way, can you take
13:02this letter for me to Joab when you get
13:04there?"
13:06And so it goes that Uriah carries with
13:10him the very thing that will kill him.
13:13and he takes it to Joab.
13:16Joab reads it.
13:19So strange.
13:21What a strange command the king is
13:23giving.
13:25Maybe he knows something I don't. Maybe
13:27Uriah's caught up and and and giving
13:30away our secrets to the other countries.
13:32I I I don't know. But I I'll be
13:34obedient.
13:36And so Uriah dies fighting in battle.
13:43Job sends a messenger back to David.
13:47He tells the messenger, "There's been
13:48too many casualties. You've got to tell
13:50him something else. Don't Don't just
13:51tell him about what just happened. Tell
13:53him tell him that Uriah is dead also."
13:59So the messenger goes before David,
14:01tells him what's gone on and says, "Yeah
14:04is dead also." And David says this. He
14:06says, "That's all right.
14:10Tell Joab not to get too upset about it.
14:13The sword devours one as well as the
14:16other.
14:18Who is this king?
14:20How is this the same man that boldly
14:24refused to kill King Saul because he was
14:27once anointed of the Lord?
14:30>> How is this the same king that that
14:33defended Israel from the Philistines?
14:36Could this be the same David that showed
14:40kindness unto a crippled man named
14:42Mphibicheth and said, "You can eat at my
14:44table." It doesn't seem that this is the
14:47same man.
14:50How did he get this far?
14:53But you've got to remember
14:55he's not supposed to be there.
14:59He's supposed to be on the front lines
15:01of the hottest battle.
15:03He's not supposed to be there. What we
15:07learn from that today in 2026 is this.
15:11You only lose the fights of the battles
15:14you refuse to show up in.
15:18I don't know what battle you're fighting
15:19this morning. I don't know whether you
15:21feel like you're drowning in it or
15:23you're losing. But I want to encourage
15:25you today. Don't stop fighting because
15:28you only lose when you refuse to fight.
15:32>> [applause]
15:33>> You're going to make it through the
15:34storm. You're going to make it through
15:36the rain. You're going to make it
15:37through the heartache. I want to tell
15:39you, you'll make it if you just make up
15:41your mind. I'm [screaming] not done
15:44fighting.
15:46[applause]
15:49>> The simple answer is this. If you want
15:51to defeat the temptation on the rooftop,
15:55don't go to the rooftop.
15:58That's why Jesus said, "If thy right
16:00hand offend thee, cut it off.
16:03If your eye offend thee, pluck it out."
16:06It's better to go to heaven maimed than
16:09to be whole and in hell.
16:11Where you place yourself matters.
16:14The story hits a hinge point here
16:16because there's a prophet in the nation
16:18that David trusts very much. His name is
16:20Nathan.
16:22And Nathan, God's told him what's going
16:24on. And he's got this impossible task.
16:26He has to go before a king who is a
16:29murderer and he has to go before him and
16:32tell him I know what you did.
16:34How do you do that?
16:37So Nathan,
16:38he writes this story.
16:41It's like a sermon. Nathan does for
16:44David what I am trying desperately to do
16:47for you today. He preached to him
16:52and it pleased God to save through the
16:54foolishness of preaching.
16:57And so he puts this sermon together and
16:59he goes up to David and he says, "David,
17:02I want to tell you a story.
17:05There was two men in a city. One was a
17:08very wealthy man. He had cattle. He had
17:12land. He had sheep. He had rams. He had
17:14it all. He had the brand new 2026
17:18version of that Toyota.
17:21Toyotas are pretty expensive these
17:22days."
17:25He had the second garage that he only
17:27used for his lawn mower.
17:30He had the nice lawn which was perfectly
17:32cut on the edge. He didn't do it. He
17:33didn't have to. Somebody else did it for
17:34him. This was a rich man.
17:38And the other man in this city was dirt
17:41poor. They didn't have nothing about
17:44nothing. Lived in a shed, did their best
17:48to get caught up with payments, but were
17:51always behind. They didn't have nothing.
17:54All they had was one lamb.
17:57And they loved that lamb so greatly. The
18:00scriptures tell us that they love that
18:03lamb like a daughter.
18:05That lamb ate at the table with them.
18:10When I grew up, the dog wasn't allowed
18:13near the table.
18:15But this lamb was no dog. It was a
18:17daughter to them. They loved it like a
18:19child.
18:20So all they had was this lamb. And so
18:23they cherished it with everything they
18:24had. But the rich man, he had friends
18:27coming in from town.
18:29And he said, "Let's have a feast." And I
18:32don't want to look like I don't have a
18:33lot. So rather than take one of the
18:36sheep I've got, the rich man went over
18:40and took that one lamb from the poor
18:43man.
18:45David,
18:47something's shifting now because David,
18:50he's a shepherd first.
18:52Listen, before he was a king, before he
18:54was a warrior, a giant killer, he was a
18:56songwriter in a sheepfold. This is all
19:00he knows. First time he learned to trust
19:02God is when he had to defend the sheep
19:04from the lion and from the bear.
19:06>> So, Nathan has perfect perfectly and
19:09purposefully crafted this sermon to pull
19:12at the strings of David's heart. That's
19:14what I'm trying to do today.
19:17He's crafted it in such a way that David
19:20is moved to respond when he hears the
19:23ending.
19:25Finally, we see David in his prime
19:28again. We see vintage David come back
19:32flashback Friday. We see him at his
19:34peak. He stands up and he responds with
19:37this righteous anger and he says unto
19:41Nathan, "Whoever this man is will surely
19:44die
19:46and he will restore unto the poor man
19:49four times as many lambs for the price
19:52that he has taken."
19:55Then he says this, "And
19:58because of the fact that he had no pity
20:01on that man."
20:03Now, it doesn't say this part in the
20:05scriptures. It's just the gap in the
20:07middle of the verses, but you can feel
20:10the tension in the next words.
20:13Could it be that Nathan points his
20:14finger at David in this brief pause
20:17where the tension building so greatly as
20:21he looks at David and the scripture
20:24writes what he said?
20:26Thou art the man, David.
20:29It's you.
20:31You're the rich man that went over into
20:33that poor man's yard. And you took the
20:38one thing Uriah had. All he had was his
20:42wife. He's not even an Israelite. He's a
20:45Hitittite and he's fighting for Israel.
20:49You took the one thing he had, David.
20:52You took Bath Sheeba and you made her
20:54your own.
20:56It's here where David, he finds himself
20:59at a crossroads.
21:02Does he deny it?
21:05Does he kill the prophet?
21:08Does he Does he say this prophet's old
21:11and he doesn't know what he's talking
21:12about? Does he confess?
21:16We get the beautiful privilege to read
21:20not only his response to Nathan,
21:24but the exact prayer that he prayed to
21:26God in that moment.
21:29caught in his sin,
21:32standing condemned for what he's done.
21:35He runs and falls down on his face and
21:38he cries in Psalm 51, "Have mercy on me,
21:43oh God,
21:46according to thy loving kindness.
21:49According unto the multitude of thy
21:51tender mercies, blot out my
21:54transgressions.
21:56Wash me. Wash me. Wash me. Wash me from
22:00mine iniquity. Cleanse me. Cleanse me.
22:04Cleanse me. Cleanse me from my sin. For
22:07I acknowledge [screaming]
22:08my transgressions
22:10and my sin is ever before me.
22:14See, David deserved to be punished.
22:18He deserved the wrath of God for his
22:20actions.
22:22He deserved [screaming]
22:23every ounce of judgment.
22:27What I read when I open this living
22:30word,
22:32what I see in this story, what I am
22:36persuaded of in the red letters, what
22:39takes control of my mind when I read the
22:41New Testament is this. God can't help
22:45himself but come down when somebody is
22:49praying in repentance. He just can't
22:52help himself but incline his ears to
22:56those that say, "God, I need you. Wash
23:00me. Make me new. [laughter]
23:02Make me clean. I don't know when I lost
23:05my way, but I acknowledge my
23:08transgressions."
23:10When David didn't know what to do, when
23:13everything around him seemed to be
23:15crumbling, he went to what he knew.
23:18He said, "According to thy loving
23:20kindness, according to the multitude of
23:22thy tender mercies, blot out my
23:24transgressions."
23:26What do you do when you don't know what
23:28to do? Do what you know.
23:32See, I don't know what to do in this
23:33moment, but David said, "God, I
23:37[screaming] know you're merciful.
23:40Lord, I know you're gracious. Lord, I
23:43know you're loving and you're kind.
23:46according to that I pray
23:49God always shows up at a repentant
23:51prayer.
23:53It's a military term repentance.
23:56It's just it just means turn around and
23:58run in the opposite direction. And when
24:01we repent of our sins, we ask God for
24:03forgiveness. But deeper than that, we
24:06turn and we run in the opposite way. And
24:09he gives us the strength and the ability
24:12to do so.
24:14The Bible promises us in first dawn, if
24:16we confess our sins, he is just and he
24:21is faithful to forgive us our sins and
24:24cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
24:28There's forgiveness in the house today.
24:31There's healing in the house today.
24:33>> There's a God that sees more than you
24:35do. There's a God that knows every ounce
24:38of failure that you have ever felt and
24:41he wants to give you a new chance.
24:43There's a God that wants to wash you of
24:46all of your sins and give you a new day.
24:48Oh, I feel it right now. There is a God
24:50that is hungry to hear your voice. There
24:53is a God that's hungry to answer a Psalm
24:5651 kind of prayer. There is forgiveness
24:59for you today. There is restoration for
25:02you today. God can heal any hurt you've
25:06experienced. He can forgive any sin.
25:09[cheering]
25:10There is no place so deep he can't reach
25:14down and pick you up out of.
25:19Wow. This story in David's life has this
25:21tragic beginning.
25:23If you're watching it as a movie, you'd
25:25think, "Why would you let me watch this?
25:27It's so sad."
25:29It has a beautiful ending. It doesn't
25:32stay that way. And that's how God works.
25:34You know, it might be sad at the
25:35beginning, but it never ends that way.
25:39>> David is forgiven by God.
25:42>> And he gets he he has consequences for
25:45his sin because sin always has
25:46consequences. It's just the wages of sin
25:49is death.
25:51And the consequence is that David and Ba
25:53Sheba lose that child.
25:56But the Lord, he shows mercy as he
26:00always does. He shows mercy unto them.
26:05They have another son. And the next son,
26:08his name is Solomon.
26:10And Solomon would be the wisest man who
26:13ever lived. Solomon would be the next
26:16king of Israel. He would be the king
26:18that builds the temple. Solomon would
26:21write many books in your Bible. He would
26:24do many great things as he dedicated the
26:26tabernacle to the Lord.
26:29I see a beautiful ending for David and
26:32Ba Sheba.
26:35But Jesus told the Pharisees in John 5
26:38and verse 39, see the Pharisees thought
26:41that they were better than everybody
26:42else. And so he said, "Search ye the
26:46scriptures.
26:48Go through that Old Testament, which is
26:50what he's speaking about. search
26:52throughout all the Old Testament. For in
26:55them ye think ye have eternal life, but
26:58these are they which testify of me.
27:02Now, I I get that for David. It makes
27:05sense. I I get that. I I can see how
27:08David represents Jesus in this story in
27:11that there's this glorious triumphant
27:13return to to to the right way that he's
27:17forgiven of his sin. That makes sense.
27:20And you know what? It makes sense for
27:21Bath Sheba, too, because she's she's
27:23dealing with the grief of losing a
27:25child, but God gives her another one.
27:28God gives her a promise and access to a
27:31heavenly kingdom. I I see, God, it makes
27:35sense.
27:37I see how it testifies of Jesus and
27:39David, how it testifies of Jesus and
27:42Beth Sheeba.
27:45For these two, the ending is happily
27:47ever after.
27:50But what about Uriah?
27:54How is this testifying
27:56of Jesus?
27:59What did Uriah ever do wrong?
28:02Ever stopped to think about the fact
28:03that David is such a great sin that
28:07Uriah never even got the chance to find
28:09out what was happening between his king
28:12and his wife.
28:14He died before Nathan ever went before
28:17David.
28:18Uriah never deserved
28:21the front lines. He was nothing but
28:24faithful.
28:26And yet Uriah dies in the heat of a
28:29battle he never asked to be involved in.
28:34How in the world
28:37does this man's tragedy testify of
28:40Jesus?
28:42Make that make sense. Lord,
28:46how come Uriah [screaming] doesn't get
28:48his part in this story?
28:51But search ye the scriptures.
28:53Take some time to dive into the
28:56scriptures. Take the time to really peel
28:59back the layers and see what's going on
29:02here. Look with me because this story of
29:05Uriah is a little bit more familiar than
29:08maybe you realize this morning.
29:11Think about the fact that Uriah was a
29:13man that didn't do anything wrong.
29:19Uriah was brought before the leader of
29:22his country and he stood his ground and
29:25did not yield to temptation that was
29:28placed around him.
29:30sort of feel something here because
29:33Uriah
29:36because he could not be convinced
29:39he was convicted wrongfully.
29:43You see, Uriah is a little bit more
29:45familiar than you may realize because
29:48Uriah carried with him the very thing
29:52that would kill him.
29:55Uriah suddenly becomes a little bit
29:57clearer when I see it from the fact that
29:59Uriah
30:01died to pay for the sins of somebody
30:04else. Does that remind you of anybody
30:07today? Because there was one that was
30:10testified about in those scriptures
30:13we've got to look through. From Genesis
30:16to Malachi, there were prophecies given
30:19that a Messiah would come, that a savior
30:23would make his way into this world.
30:26Abraham declared that God himself would
30:28provide a lamb. Micah told us that the
30:31Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
30:34Isaiah told us he would be born of a
30:36virgin and that through him we would
30:38have the freedom from our sins. Isaiah
30:42told us that he would be wounded for our
30:44transgressions and bruised for our
30:47iniquities, that the chastisement of our
30:49peace would be upon him, and that by his
30:52stripes we would be healed.
30:55Uriah makes a little bit more sense when
30:58I say that Jesus was a man that did
31:01nothing wrong. And Jesus was brought
31:04before Pilate and because he stood his
31:06ground and couldn't be convinced, he was
31:08convicted wrongfully. that Jesus carried
31:11a cross on his shoulders and over his
31:14plowed field back that would carry him
31:17and kill him and he died to pay for the
31:21sins of somebody else.
31:24We get to see something about this
31:26Jesus.
31:28In Matthew chapter 1, we read the
31:30genealogy
31:32of Christ.
31:34Now, it's a little bit hard. You've got
31:35to search you the scriptures for this
31:37one because the he begats and the she
31:40begats are tough.
31:44Every time we do Bible reading in
31:46January,
31:47a lot of people sign up the first day
31:50because those are the cool stories of
31:52creation and Noah and Joseph.
31:56And it gets real slim picking for the
31:58next week.
32:00And then we make it to the New Testament
32:02and it's all a sudden you can't even get
32:03a spot because people are just flooding
32:04in for the New Testament. It's a little
32:07difficult to get through these passages,
32:08but search the scriptures with me this
32:10morning.
32:12Bear with me for these six verses.
32:16Matthew chapter 1 and verse one, the
32:19book of the generation of Jesus Christ,
32:24the son of David, the son of Abraham.
32:28Now Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac begat
32:31Jacob. Jacob begat Judas and his
32:34brethren.
32:35That's when I stopped knowing these
32:37names.
32:40And Judas begat Phz and Zar of Tamar.
32:43Phz begat Israel. And Israel begat Aram.
32:46And Aram begat Aminadab.
32:50Good baby name.
32:53And Aminadab begat Nissan. And Naan
32:55begat Salmon. and Sammon begat Boaz of
32:58Raikab, Rachab, and Boaz begat Oed of
33:01Ruth. And Oed begat Jesse.
33:05Now, you'll miss this if you're just
33:06trying to get through your daily Bible
33:08plan, but but if you'll search the
33:11scriptures with me and see how they
33:12testify of Jesus.
33:15Verse six. And Jesse
33:18begat David the king.
33:21And David begat Solomon
33:25of her that had been the wife of Uriah.
33:32That's it right there. It's a detail you
33:33can miss so quickly.
33:35There's no reason to put Uriah in the
33:40bloodline of Jesus.
33:43He is not family. He's not related in
33:48any way, shape, or form. But when God
33:52was working on Matthew to write his
33:54gospel, when God was pushing on his mind
33:57to write the things he was an eyewitness
33:59of, he told Matthew, "I want you when
34:03you start to talk about my family, when
34:06you start to talk about my bloodline,
34:09don't forget. Don't forget.
34:11[cough and clears throat]
34:12Don't forget. There's a man that's been
34:15forgotten for a thousand years. I want
34:18you to make sure you put Uriah in there,
34:21too.
34:24[applause]
34:25You see this church? It's not just for
34:29the Davids.
34:31>> It's not just for the king.
34:34>> It's not just for Beth Sheeba, the
34:37mother of the king.
34:39But I want you to know this family, this
34:42family right here, this family called
34:45the Cathedral of Pentecost, it's for
34:48Uriah, too. It's for the forgotten. It's
34:51for the abused. It's for the neglected.
34:54It's for those that feel like you're
34:56fighting somebody else's fight and
34:58you're never asked to be [screaming]
34:59here. God, I don't know why I'm walking
35:02in what I'm walking, [gasps] but I know
35:05if I can get close to your bloodline,
35:08[laughter]
35:09if I can step into [screaming] the
35:11family of God,
35:13I can have purpose.
35:15>> The pain can have meaning. The storm can
35:19have a reason.
35:23The blood of Jesus, yes, it's for David.
35:27I don't know who I don't know who you
35:29relate with today in this story. Could
35:32it be that you're a David here today
35:35and you're trying not to get caught in
35:36your sins? I want you to know there's
35:39blood for you. There's a place for you.
35:42Could it be that you are Bath Sheba
35:46griefing the loss of a loved one?
35:49There's a place for you. There's blood
35:51for you. But could it be? And I feel in
35:55the spirit that it is there's someone
35:58here today that feels abandoned and left
36:01in the heat of the hottest battle. Left
36:04by your brothers, left by your friends,
36:07left by your family. You don't know why.
36:10You can't explain how. When you see it
36:13on paper, it doesn't make sense. Why am
36:15I here? But I want you to know, Uriah,
36:18[screaming]
36:18there's a place for you here.
36:21[applause]
36:26Oh hallelujah.
36:29There's a place for you, Uriah.
36:32Doesn't matter how far you've gone.
36:34Doesn't matter how far you've run,
36:36David. There's a place for you.
36:39We see another example of Jesus Christ
36:42when we search the scriptures.
36:45When we see Joseph,
36:47he's sold by his brothers into slavery.
36:51He's thrown into prison because the man
36:53that bought him from the slave market,
36:55his wife, lied
36:58and said that he forced himself on me
36:59when really it was the opposite. So,
37:02he's wrongly thrown into prison. He's
37:04sold into slavery. And then finally, it
37:07seems like he might get this chance when
37:09there's a butler and a baker that have
37:10this dream and he interprets it and it
37:13comes to pass and he says, "Remember
37:14me." But he's forgotten.
37:17So years pass and he spent many years in
37:19prison now for something he didn't do.
37:23And Pharaoh has these dreams and all the
37:26sudden
37:28this butler remembers,
37:30I know a guy that can interpret dreams.
37:33>> He's in the prison right now. And so
37:35Joseph goes before Pharaoh. Pharaoh has
37:38these wild dreams of corn and cows. And
37:41Joseph says, "This is the interpretation
37:43of these dreams. There will be seven
37:46years of plenty, seven years of barren
37:48fields. So what we should do, he forms
37:52this plan and he he tells it to Pharaoh,
37:54says, "Let's save up for these seven
37:56years of plenty
37:58and then we'll have enough in the years
38:00of famine and we'll be able to feed the
38:02world."
38:04Pharaoh was so amazed by his wisdom that
38:07he gets exalted.
38:09Doesn't matter where Joseph was. If he
38:11was in prison, if he was a slave, if he
38:15was next to Pharaoh, he was lifted up.
38:18That's what happens to the children of
38:20God. Doesn't matter where you work,
38:22you're going to be lifted up. If you
38:24live, by the way, the Bible tells you,
38:26you just get exalted. That's how it
38:27works. Not worshiped, exalted. Lifted
38:30up exalted.
38:32And so, Joseph,
38:34he's in Egypt now. He's the second in
38:36command, the vice president of the
38:39country.
38:41The Bible says he has two sons.
38:45First son, he names him Manasseh.
38:49The meaning of that name is God has
38:51caused me to forget my affliction and my
38:55family.
38:58And it doesn't say when it happened in
39:00the scriptures.
39:02Just says that he had a second son.
39:05And somewhere between Manasseh and his
39:08next child, there is a shift in his
39:10thinking
39:12because he names his next son Ephraim.
39:16And the meaning of that name is God has
39:19caused me
39:21to be fruitful in the land of my
39:24affliction. The affliction hasn't
39:26changed, but something changed at
39:28Joseph.
39:30something I I I can't tell you when it
39:32doesn't happen, but it it doesn't write
39:34it down. But something shifted in his
39:36thinking
39:38>> from just all of this affliction to
39:40being fruitful in the middle of it all.
39:42Why is this important? Because later in
39:45his life, his father's about to die. And
39:46so, Joseph takes his sons before his
39:49dad, says, "Dad, it's time for the
39:51blessing." And he sets up Manasseh on
39:54the right hand of his father. And he
39:56sets up Ephraim on the left hand because
39:58in this time and culture the right hand
40:01was the more powerful and greater
40:03blessing. It was the richer blessing.
40:08He thinks
40:10he's going to bless my children and
40:11he'll bless Manasseh with the right hand
40:13and Ephraim with the left hand.
40:16And Jacob at the last second crosses his
40:18hands.
40:21It confuses
40:23confuses Joseph so much that he
40:25literally says, "Did did you do that on
40:26purpose? Don't you know I set him up
40:29just this way?" Jacob says, "No, I did
40:33this for a reason.
40:35The elder shall serve the younger."
40:38Here's what we know from that. Search
40:40the scriptures with me this morning
40:43because here's what that tells me. There
40:46is blessing for Manasseh.
40:48If you're in such a painful place that
40:50all you know how to pray is, "God, help
40:52me forget.
40:54Help me forget how painful it is. Help
40:57me forget the ways of my sin." If that's
40:59all you can pray, there's a blessing for
41:01that. But there is a place. There is
41:05more beyond Manasseh. You've got to get
41:09to a place where you say, "I'm going to
41:11be like Ephraim in the middle of my
41:15failure and in the middle of my
41:17affliction. God, make me fruitful.
41:22[cheering and applause]
41:24I'm coming to a close here.
41:29I want to speak to the Ephraims here.
41:32Encourage the Manasses.
41:35I want to speak to the UAS. You're
41:37welcome here. I want to speak to the
41:40Davids.
41:41Come be clean. I want to speak to the Ba
41:45Sheebas. There's a hope for your future.
41:49I don't know where you are. I don't know
41:51who you relate to, but you are somewhere
41:54in this story.
41:56I want you to know there's a purpose
41:58beyond your pain. There's more beyond
42:02Manasseh.
42:06I remember we had just a little while
42:08ago
42:09the Jesus tent revival come to
42:12Cincinnati.
42:14It was huge. We had I don't know the
42:17exact number. I believe it was over 1500
42:19people
42:21and we saw many miracles, many people
42:23filled with the Holy Ghost speaking in
42:26another language. Many people baptized
42:28in Jesus' name. many people rebaptized
42:31that were baptized in the titles of
42:32father, son, and holy spirit according
42:35to the scriptures in Acts 19. It was a
42:38wonderful time.
42:40The first night I had off, the first
42:43night I was able to just pray with
42:45people and and worship,
42:48see how it goes, you know, trying to
42:49learn the ropes I got to sing the next
42:51night. Where do I transition in? You
42:53know, what songs work?
42:56And as I get there, there's a man to my
42:59right.
43:00He's probably about my age.
43:03He's got a mustache.
43:05Not a great one, but God bless him.
43:09He's got long curly curly curly hair.
43:15I was like, "Hey man, what's your name?"
43:16He told me his name. I said, "Man, where
43:19are you from? How'd you get to the tent?
43:21Are you from one of the churches that
43:22we're working with?" He said, "No, I I
43:24saw the ads on Instagram and I figured
43:27after the eighth time I saw it, I might
43:29as well go. I'm 10 minutes down the
43:30road." Said, "I counted. It was eight
43:33times." Yes, we didn't waste money on
43:36those ads.
43:39And
43:41I knew though there was something more
43:43going on. So, we worshiped together. And
43:46if you've ever brought a guest, you know
43:47what it's like when you have to be the
43:49example so that your guest feels
43:50comfortable to worship. Everything you
43:53do at 100%, they'll do at 20%. So, I'm
43:56leaping for joy, you know, and I see him
43:59kind of like that jump that ladies do
44:02where their heels never get off the
44:04ground.
44:08He's hopping
44:10and I say, "Praise the Lord."
44:14He goes, "Praise the Lord."
44:18I'm trying not to grin too much cuz I'm
44:20excited cuz he's he's trying stuff, you
44:22know.
44:24I said, "Amen.
44:27Amen."
44:30Looking at me for confirmation whether
44:31that's okay or not allowed.
44:34And I start jumping. I'm clapping. He's
44:36His heels are off the ground now. He's
44:39jumping. He's clapping. I spin. He
44:41didn't spin,
44:43but that's okay. It's a little
44:44intimidating. Takes coordination.
44:48And he's worshiping.
44:51I said, "Hey,
44:53you know what the Holy Ghost is?" And he
44:56stopped and he said, "Yes, I want it. I
44:59want it."
45:01I said, "Buddy, are you in the right
45:04place?"
45:05I said, "Today you're going to get it."
45:08Said, "Okay." Said, "Let's pray right
45:10now." We lift up his hands. We went
45:13through repentance. I said, "Listen, I'm
45:16going to pray and repent of my sins. You
45:18can repeat after me or you can say it in
45:20your own way. All that matters is that
45:22you mean it." And we both repented. I
45:25said, "Lord, clean me of my sins." I
45:27said, "Lord, clean me of my sins." Said,
45:29"Lord, I know what I've done. You know
45:33what I've done. I know what I've done.
45:35You know what I've done.
45:38Lord, forgive me."
45:41Gets a little bit louder. Lord, forgive
45:42me.
45:44God, help me to stop.
45:47Help me to stop. He's full voice now.
45:51Said, Lord, I believe you've changed my
45:54life.
45:56He said, I believe you've changed my
45:59life. I explained, it's a gift. You
46:01can't beg God for it. So, let's just
46:03worship him now. You're clean. You're
46:06whole. You're new. Let's just worship
46:09him. and we worshiped and I saw the
46:11tears stream down his face and he was so
46:13close. But he didn't get it.
46:17Not the first time.
46:19That's all right. I was taught if at
46:22first you don't succeed,
46:24try try again.
46:27We sang another song. Didn't even get to
46:30the preaching.
46:32I said, "Hey man,
46:35you want to try again?"
46:37Said, "Yeah." said, "We've already
46:39repented. Step one complete.
46:42Let's just worship the Lord."
46:45And he worshiped the Lord. And this
46:46time, he held nothing back.
46:49And he went to open his mouth. And he
46:52didn't speak English. And he didn't
46:54speak Spanish. And he didn't speak
46:57Mandarin. And he didn't know what he was
46:59speaking. For he was speaking in a
47:01heavenly language only given by God. And
47:05he spoke in tongues. I said, "Do you
47:07hear yourself?" Uh, he nodded and he
47:09stopped and he looked at me and he said,
47:11"I want to be baptized in Jesus' name."
47:14And he was baptized in Jesus' name. Came
47:17out of the water, lifted up his hands.
47:24That can happen for you today.
47:28You can be baptized in Jesus name.
47:31Why wait?
47:33What good in there is prolonging it till
47:34next week if you want to do it anyway.
47:37We've got the robes. We've got rooms you
47:40can change in. We don't have to video it
47:42if you don't want to. You don't have to
47:44have people in there if you don't want
47:46to. We'll do it in the pond if you want
47:48it to be in the pond. All you need is
47:50water and a little bit of faith.
47:54>> If you'll stand with me all across the
47:55house today,
48:00God filled them with the Holy Ghost.
48:03came up out of the water, [music] a new
48:04man.
48:06After he changed, I waited for him.
48:10I said, "Tell me your story."
48:14And all of a sudden, the real reason why
48:16[music] he was at the tent came out.
48:19He was holding back tears as he told me,
48:21"When I was 16 years old, I got a girl
48:23pregnant.
48:25My father's a preacher.
48:28I begged her to keep the baby so I could
48:32help raise it.
48:35He said she had an abortion
48:38and my father never forgave me for it.
48:41He blamed me.
48:44Said my father won't speak to me. He
48:46kicked me out of the house.
48:49He said these exact words. He said I
48:52came
48:54looking for a father.
48:59I won't tell you his real name, but can
49:01I tell you his name? It was Uriah.
49:05He was a Uriah.
49:08He was fighting a battle he didn't want
49:10to fight. [snorts] He was going through
49:12something he didn't understand why.
49:15But what I was convinced of then and I'm
49:19convinced of now is there's a place for
49:22Uriah here in this church.
49:28Oh, won't you lift up your voice unto
49:30God right now?
49:33Oh Jesus.
49:36[music]
49:37Oh, I feel healing in the house today.
49:40There's forgiveness in the house today.
49:43There's a new chance, a second chance, a
49:46new start, a new beginning, a clean
49:48slate in the house today.
49:52[music]
49:54Don't wait. I'm opening up these altars.
49:56Make your way down. I plead with you.
50:00I'm not ashamed to beg you because God
50:03wants to do something in your life.
50:08That's [music] it. Make your way to the
50:09front. I know it's uncomfortable, but
50:12make your way to the front. I promise
50:14we're not listening to your prayer.
50:16We're not listening to your needs. Just
50:18make your way. [music]
50:20Lift up your voice unto a God that loves
50:23you more than you can understand. A God
50:25who [music] sees the end from the
50:27beginning, who knows your faults and
50:29failures and loves you anyway. [music]
50:37Wonderful. [music]
50:38[singing]
50:41Your love, your love, your love. All the
50:45marvelous [singing]
50:46love.
50:47[music]
50:48Sing a song. Praises belong to
50:53[music and singing]
51:08>> [music]
51:18[music]
51:27[music]
51:32[music]
51:33>> Heat. Hey, heat. Hey, heat. Heat.
51:40[music]
51:47[music]
51:51Heat. [music]
51:57[music] Heat. Heat.
52:04[music]
52:12[music]
52:17[music]
52:19Heat.
52:22[music]
52:30[music]
52:36Heat.
52:42Heat.
52:45[music]
52:55Heat.
53:02[music]
53:04Heat.
53:09[music]
53:14[music]
53:17Heat.
53:25[music] Heat.
53:35[music]
53:42[music] Heat.
53:48[music] Heat up
53:58>> [music]
54:04>> here.
54:05[music]
54:19>> [music]
54:25[music]
54:31[music]
54:41[music]
55:15>> Heat. Heat. N.
55:22[music]
55:37Heat. Heat.
55:58[music]
56:03Heat.
56:12[music]
56:18Heat.
56:25Heat. Heat.
56:31[music]
56:39[music]
56:45[music]
56:56>> [music]
57:07>> Heat. Heat.
57:11[music]
57:23>> [music]
57:23>> Heat. Heat.
57:33Heat
57:44up here.
57:46[music]
57:51[music]
57:57[music] Yeah.
58:02Heat.
58:10[music]
58:20Heat. Heat.
58:34[music]
58:45>> [music]
59:03>> Heat up here. [music]
59:07Heat.
59:20Heat. [music]
59:28Heat. Heat.
59:33[music]
59:52Heat.
60:09[music]
60:15Heat.
60:18Heat. [music]
60:32Heat. [music]
60:53>> [music]
60:53>> Heat up here.