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2 Samuel 13:14-15 (5/10/18)

Love or Lust?

May 10, 2018 • Benham Brothers

* Amnon was the crown prince - the king’s oldest, next in line for the throne.
* But he couldn’t control his appetite.
* He may have known about his dad’s sin and thought, “If dad got away with it then I can too.”
* But he operated out of lust and raped his half sister.
* Love is willing to wait.
* Lust has to have it NOW.
* Love focuses on God to bring us what we need.
* Lust focuses on what we need to do to get what we want.
* When you operate by love you experience gratitude when you get it.
* When you operate by lust you experience guilt when you get it. (at least for a time - if you continue in the sin the guilt goes away)
* vs 15 - Notice his response when he was done - he hated her after more than he wanted her before.
* Why? Sin is fulfilling a God given need in a God forbidden way.
* When you meet a need in a wrong way you don’t experience fulfillment and a sense of GUILT will come over you.
* When you meet a need in a right way you experience fulfillment and a sense of GRATITUDE will come over you.
* It’s like eating healthy.
* KEY - The one thing a man needs more than anything is respect.
* Amnon knew what Tamar felt about him after he was done, and he probably felt the same thing about himself - shame, disgrace, unworthy of respect.
* But instead of repenting he had to get rid of the source of his guilt - her!
* How did it end for Amnon? DEATH.
* vs 20 - Tamar’s brother Absalom also operated out of lust.
* He saw this as his opportunity to seize the throne by killing Amnon.
* How did it end for Absalom? The same way it did for Amnon - DEATH!
* Death is always the result of operating out of lust.