The Kingdom of Darkness

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 9:1-2
• Hymn — Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Sin — Strasbourg Liturgy
• Assurance of Pardon — Ephesians 1:7
• Scripture Reading — John 15:12-17
• Prayer
• Hymn — Speak, O Lord
• Offering
• Prayer
• Sermon
• Hymn — Rock of Ages (vv. 1–2)
• Lord's Supper
• Hymn — Rock of Ages (vv. 3–4)
• Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14

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Sermon Title: The Kingdom of Darkness

Scripture: 2 Samuel 15:1-12

I. The Kingdom of Darkness Is Determined

A. Absalom rises early to stand at the city gate — the place of judgment — demonstrating relentless ambition and hard work in pursuit of the throne (2 Samuel 15:2)

B. Like Hitler's rise in Germany, dangerous ambition is often underestimated; David appears to have missed the threat in his own son

1. With Jonadab we saw intelligence without godliness; with Absalom we see ambition without godliness — both are equally dangerous
2. Absalom's conspiracy had been brewing for years, not days — four years of patient scheming (2 Samuel 15:7)

C. Satan himself mirrors this determined, tireless ambition

1. In Job 1, Satan describes himself as "going to and fro throughout the earth" — the language of restless energy
2. 1 Peter 5 warns that the Devil prowls like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour
3. After failing to tempt Christ, Satan departs "until an opportune time" (Luke 4) — crafty and calculating

D. Application: We must not be ignorant of Satan's designs (2 Corinthians 2:10-11); David has not been seen praying or inquiring of the Lord, leaving him vulnerable; we are called to pray without ceasing and stay alert

II. The Kingdom of Darkness Is Desirable

A. Absalom presents himself with a chariot, horses, and fifty men running before him — Saul-like pomp, a Disney-king figure (2 Samuel 15:1)

1. Absalom was already established as the most handsome man in Israel (2 Samuel 14:25-27) — a king after the people's heart in outward appearance

B. Absalom plays the politician at the gate, intercepting litigants and telling each one "your claims are good and right" (2 Samuel 15:3)

1. He does not do the hard work of discerning right and wrong; he simply flatters everyone
2. He stoops to embrace and kiss the people rather than receiving their homage — performing false solidarity with the common man

C. This flattery is one of the most effective tools of the kingdom of darkness — it mirrors the culture today

1. The message of the kingdom of darkness: it is never your fault; blame parents, society, church, country
2. The temptation is reinforced by glittering wealth and celebrity: flash mixed with flattery, showmanship with sympathy
3. "He stole the hearts of the men of Israel" — the Hebrew word for steal is the same root as the eighth commandment (2 Samuel 15:6); Absalom takes what belongs to God and his anointed king

III. The Kingdom of Darkness Is Deceitful

A. Absalom uses the guise of godliness to gain permission to go to Hebron, invoking the covenant name Yahweh three times in two verses (2 Samuel 15:7-8)

1. David's final words to his son before the rebellion: "Go in peace" — deeply ironic, as Absalom goes to wage war
2. Absalom chooses Hebron — the very city where David was first crowned — mimicking and tracing the Kingdom of Light; the kingdom of darkness dresses itself as an angel of light

B. Secret messengers are dispatched throughout all Israel to proclaim Absalom king the moment the trumpet sounds (2 Samuel 15:10)

1. Two hundred unsuspecting guests are drawn into the conspiracy in their innocence, effectively trapped into affirming Absalom's kingship

C. The betrayal of Ahithophel — called the Judas Iscariot of the Old Testament — is the most tragic moment (2 Samuel 15:12)

1. Absalom first stole the hearts of the common people; once the masses were with him, leaders like Ahithophel were swept along
2. "Majority rules" is a tool of the kingdom of darkness — never mind the soundness of the argument, if the masses are on board it must be right
3. Leaders within the kingdom of darkness are driven by every wave and wind of popular opinion

D. The Lord's Table is the answer: it represents a kingdom that rejects the determination, desirability, and deceitfulness of the kingdom of darkness

1. Jesus himself faced the crowds crying for his crucifixion; even Peter joined the majority — yet Christ never abandoned the Kingdom of Light
2. At this table we align ourselves with the one who is the same yesterday, today, and forever — the solid, immovable Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:8)