The Bad Minister, The Wicked Witch, and the Good Serial Killer

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The Bad Minister, The Wicked Witch, and the Good
Serial Killer

• Pastor Sam Lamerson
• to access this message go to
• www.drsamlam.com

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The Nature of Tragedy

• Aristotles Poetics describes several things that
  one should look for in a tragic story
• The story will start high
• The main character will have a tragic flaw
• The story will end low, often horribly low
• Look for these things in the stories today

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STORY ONE

• THE MOST FAMOUS MAN IN AMERICA HENRY WARD
  BEECHER

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He Was Famous Because of His Family

• He was an eloquent preacher
• His father was a fairly famous preacher
• His sister was Harriet Beecher Stowe

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He Was Famous Because of His Preaching

• He was a very eloquent preacher, able to move an
  audience with his words
• He preached in favor of womens rights, thus
  increasing his press
• He preached harshly against slavery which caused
  much controversy

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He Was Famous For How He Ended His Ministry

• There were many rumors that Beecher (who was
  married) preached to five or six of his lovers
  every Sunday
• On January 11, 1875 a suit was filed by Theodore
  Tilton against Henry Ward Beecher for seducing
  his wife
• Other accusations were filed by other men

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The Beecher Trial

• At the end the trial which lasted six months the
  verdict finally ended with a hung jury

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• The church, town and indeed many from the entire
  country took this as a victory for Beecher
• He was welcomed back into the church as a hero

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• Only two months after the hung jury Mrs. Tilton
  confessed to having an affair with Beecher
• In a published letter she wrote
• The charge of adultery between Henry Ward
  Beecher and myself was true . . .

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• Beecher continued to pastor the church, but his
  influence waned and he was never the same.
• He started high
• He had a fatal flaw
• He ended low-his life was a tragedy

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STORY TWO

• THE MOST FAMOUS MAN IN ISRAEL, KING SAUL

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2 Samuel tells the story of Saul

• The people wanted a king 1 Sam 81-9
• Samuel warns them about a king 810-22
• Saul finally becomes the king
• Saul is modest at first 921
• Saul is tall and regal looking 1023-24

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Saul Rejects the True King

• Saul disobeys Gods command about killing the
  Amalekites I Sam. 151-11
• This is the last in a series of disobediences
• Saul lies to Samuel 1512-15
• God, the true King rejects Saul
• God chooses another King, David
• God refuses to speak to Saul

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Saul Looks for Help from a Witch

• 1 Samuel 287-9 7 Then Saul said to his
  servants, "Seek for me a woman who is a medium,
  that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his
  servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman
  who is a medium at En-dor." 8 Then Saul
  disguised himself by putting on other clothes,
  and went, he and two men with him, and they came
  to the woman by night and he said, "Conjure up
  for me, please, and bring up for me whom I shall
  name to you." 9 But the woman said to him,
  "Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has
  cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from
  the land. Why are you then laying a snare for my
  life to bring about my death?"

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• 1 Samuel 2810-13 10 And Saul vowed to her by
  the LORD, saying, "As the LORD lives, there shall
  no punishment come upon you for this thing." 11
  Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for
  you?" And he said, "Bring up Samuel for me." 12
  When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a
  loud voice and the woman spoke to Saul, saying,
  "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul." 13
  And the king said to her, "Do not be afraid but
  what do you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I
  see a divine being coming up out of the earth."

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• 1 Samuel 2814-15 14 And he said to her, "What
  is his form?" And she said, "An old man is coming
  up, and he is wrapped with a robe." And Saul knew
  that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to
  the ground and did homage. 15 Then Samuel said
  to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing
  me up?" And Saul answered, "I am greatly
  distressed for the Philistines are waging war
  against me, and God has departed from me and
  answers me no more, either through prophets or by
  dreams therefore I have called you, that you may
  make known to me what I should do."

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• 1 Samuel 2816-17 16 And Samuel said, "Why then
  do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from
  you and has become your adversary? 17 "And the
  LORD has done accordingly as He spoke through me
  for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your
  hand and given it to your neighbor, to David.

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• 1 Samuel 2818-19 18 "As you did not obey the
  LORD and did not execute His fierce wrath on
  Amalek, so the LORD has done this thing to you
  this day. 19 "Moreover the LORD will also give
  over Israel along with you into the hands of the
  Philistines, therefore tomorrow you and your sons
  will be with me. Indeed the LORD will give over
  the army of Israel into the hands of the
  Philistines!"

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What Did the Witch Actually Do?
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3 Alternatives

• Maybe she really brought up Samuel
• Maybe this was a demonic impersonation
• Maybe this was a trick (the witch was a
  ventriloquist)
• Note Saul commits suicide the next day

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• Saul started out high- King of Israel
• Saul had a fatal flaw
• Saul ends low- tragically low

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STORY THREE

• Who is the worst serial killer that you can think
  of?
• THE MOST FAMOUS MAN AMONG SERIAL KILLERS JEFFRY
  DAHMER
• Dahmer went beyond lines even other serial
  killers would not cross
• A Minister named Roy Ratcliff was called one day
  by Dahmer and asked to meet with him in prison

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• After meeting with Dahmer, he believed that
  Dahmer was a genuine Christian who had truly
  repented and desired to follow Christ in baptism
• Ratcliff baptized Dahmer, met with him once a
  week for approximately six months for Bible study
  until Dahmer was murdered
• During this time Dahmer told Ratcliff that he
  believed that he should have been given the death
  penalty

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How Can We Call Him A Good Killer?

• HE IS GOOD ONLY BECAUSE HE IS CLOTHED IN THE
  RIGHTOUSNESS OF CHRIST

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REMEMBER

• Remember, it is not how you start out, but how
  you end up you life that matters.
• Remember, there is no one sitting here who is
  worse than Jeffery Dahmer
• Remember, there is no one sitting here who is
  beyond the grace of God
• Remember the parable of the good Samaritan

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REMEMBER MOST OF ALL

• William Temple The only thing I bring to my
  salvation is the sin from which I need to be
  redeemed.