We're doing something a little different tonight.
I hope you're okay with it. We did this in the past where I
was in so elevated and we'll see how this goes.
If it's more distracting that I'm going to go back up there if
it's more engaging than I'm going to stay right here.
Okay. Meet me in the book of second.
Samuel chapter five in your Bibles.
Second, Samuel chapter five. I hope me coming down here.
Doesn't mean more people going to move back.
Because we already have that issue.
So if you want to come forward, I won't bite.
I might yell but I won't buy. There you go.
Thank you one person did it actually.
There you go. If you want that close I mean
that's that's those are that's really close okay.
Great second, Samuel chapter five, are you there?
Let's pray one more time. My brother pray but I think it's
worth praying one more time as we come to the text.
Lord indeed, we thank you that we have this chance to be
together in your house on a Friday night.
We don't take it for granted. Hello, we know that when we come
in the name of Jesus Christ, you were in the midst, you the Risen
Christ are here with us and Lord, more than that, you are in
us and we pray that you would illuminate these words and where
that we would sense your voice. We would realize your
fellowship, Your Love toward us in providing this portion of
sacred scripture, but we ask for your anointing in the delivery
of this word. We pray for your anointing as
first John 2 and understanding this word.
So that we can be centered in your will and that we can be
elevated in our worship and our glorifying of you.
We ask these things in the precious name of Jesus, who
purchased who purchased our Salvation in Jesus name?
We pray. Amen.
This is different and I'm going to do something else.
Different, here's what's going to happen.
I'm going to read this tax, the part 3 of chapter 5 and then I'm
going to ask you. I'm gonna ask everyone here to
participate in, including your observations of this text.
There's going to be a lot more teaching and interactive.
And so, pay attention as I read, follow along in your Bibles, we
are here in verse 17. This is our third installment in
this chapter, And I'm just going to read it straight through.
And then I'm going to ask what you see in the initial reading
of this text first 17, when the Philistines heard that David had
been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to
search for David but David heard of it and went down to the
stronghold. Now, the Philistines had come
and spread out in the valley of rephaim.
And David inquired of the Lord. Shall I go up against the
Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?
And the Lord said to David go up for I will, certainly give the
Philistines it into your hand and David came to Baal perazim
and David defeated them there. And he said, the Lord has broken
through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.
Therefore, the name of that place is called Baal perazim.
And the Philistines left their Idols there and David and his
men carried them away and the Philistines came up yet again
and spread out in the valley of rephaim and David inquired of
the Lord, he said You shall not go up go around to their rear
and come against them opposite, the Boston trees.
And when you hear the sound of Marching In the tops of the
balsam trees, then Rouse yourself for then.
The Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the
Philistines, and David did As the Lord commanded him and
struck down the Philistines from giba to his ear.
Initial observations. Anything that stands out?
Yes, he inquired of the Lord of what he should do.
Good. Yes.
The confirmation that this will. In fact come?
Yes, John. Yeah, so all the Philistines so
this is this is an important Mission.
This is serious to the Philistines.
Yes, very good. So we heard from John that he
inquired of the Lord and Barrett observed.
I'm sure you did as well that he inquired the Lord again about a
matter that was so similar to the first time.
Interesting. Yes.
Yes, he followed, he obeyed. We're told in the last four as
David did. What?
The Lord commanded him? Yes.
Amen. Yes.
And the Lord has broken through my enemies.
Absolutely Laurie. Sure.
So he goes directly to the Lord. Now somewhat assume that the
priest was there, but we're not told clearly.
So we just gonna have to go with what we see hear and say from an
initial observation, he's going directly to God.
Very good David and his men carried away, the idols that
significant will get to that. Yes, so the first thing is knew
about David obviously so they had a close watch on David,
very, very good. What prompted the Philistines to
come up against David when they heard that he was anointed.
So the timing of the attack is very very important as well.
Very good, this is great. Any other observations Pastor
Brown. Yeah.
So David went down to the stronghold.
That's an interesting observation as well.
Where do we go? When we feel like we're
overwhelmed, David Goes Down, Anything else?
The Philistines were Relentless. So even though they experienced
a crushing defeat, the first time they would again, come and
attack its audacious. Okay.
So in the, in the new King James, you said yeah, the new
King James, it reads, that that God came through, like a, like a
Breaking of water, like a flood and we'll get to that as well.
That's a great detail. Yes, very good.
So, the second time, the victory goes, even Beyond the Valley and
extends. So, it was even, it was even
more than what happened initially.
Awesome, wonderful observations, anything else?
Yes. Yes that was the sign.
Once you hear the rustling of the leaves on the balsam trees
that's the signal for you to go ahead significant.
Very significant of course anything else.
Marching. So who's marching?
Well, it's an invisible Army. Surely yes.
Any other observations, wonderful?
The reason why I'm doing this and we'll do this from time to
time, maybe we'll do it every week.
I don't know, but the reason why I'm doing this is because I want
us to be able to practice the tools that we should be
implementing when we seek to excavate from God's word, right?
And those tools are simply reflective questions that we
should be engaging with the text.
And so I want to offer you questions that I have whenever I
read any portion of scripture, my first question always no
matter what text I come to Leviticus or Romans.
It doesn't matter. I'm always asking this, what is
this teach me about? God, what is this?
Say about God, his nature, his character his ways, right?
Secondly, what does this tell me?
And teach me about, man about me in Christ about men outside of
Christ, man. Walking in obedience, man,
walking in Disobedience. What is it?
What does it teach me? What is this text teach me about
about that? What do they teach me about and
then you can get their sub questions?
What does this teach me about worship?
What is this? Teach me about my engagement
with the world. So as men and the horizontal
level, what is this? Teach me and even my vertical
relationship with God. Another question is beyond that,
what do I know from the surrounding context?
That will help me understand the flow of this text.
So I'm always looking just prior to what I'm reading in my daily
reading. I'm looking at what I read
before this. And then from there, I'll say,
well, the wider context. So the book now, what is it?
What's the themes of the book, your house, the flow of thought?
How is this happening? And what are these things
connected bring about? In terms of a greater
Revelation, then I'm going Beyond.
I'm saying, okay, I'm looking at this text again.
And the way I visualize reading over the sink tax.
It's as though you're digging deeper and deeper, right?
So you read again, and then you read again and it seems like
you're just getting any. You find one nugget here and you
could keep digging, you find another Jewel here.
That's how you should look at it.
So then after that, I'll ask something along and it's not
even in this particular order, but I'll ask, do I see any
repetitions? Do I see any emphasis in this
text? Do I see any names?
Or places. That might help me understand a
deeper meaning, like we read here of a couple places but I'll
pair azim rephaim, what are those names mean?
And when you go, when you go the extra mile, it's always worth it
because you will indeed find something of worth in that
Pursuit. And then I might continue to
read and say, what new testament.
I always do this and you're the only way you can, you can
consistently and carefully. Apply the Old Testament is, if,
you know, the new, which I don't think we struggle with.
But the way I go about engaging with the oldest, What new
testament principles or truths? Do I see Illustrated, especially
in the narratives of the old? So, I look, we look David
inquired of the Lord. So there's lessons there about
prayer. Do I see anything in the New
Testament that I can see being exemplified in real life here in
the story, very simple tools. But if you, if you just, if you
go beyond just, oh, I read my text.
Okay, I paid my dues. That's where you're going to get
Revelation. That's where your Bible.
The Bible gets exciting, and when you come to a new text or a
new book, whenever I come to a new book, like what, I just
finished acts, right? And I actually Romans and now
I'm coming in to First Corinthians and now I've First
because I've lost count, how many times I've read it.
But as I come to First Corinthians with those tools in
mind at all, what am I going to see?
Now, what am I going to see this time?
Because, you know, over the years I've dug, I've dug, but
here's the thing with the word of God, it's endless, it's
endless so you keep digging it. Does you don't like Kink and you
don't come to a place where the, okay.
I think I figured it out. It's endless and so have that
Faith as you approach the word of God.
So here we are in second, Samuel chapter 5, and what's happening
here in the context is David as we heard was anointed king of
Israel. And we know here that a familiar
foe to the Israelites have now they arose.
And now their attention is up. There are learn about what's
happening in this shift, in Israel's political Arena.
And so they are ready now to attack, and David here is not
unfamiliar with the Philistines, his own personal history, he's
dealt with them before, he's gone to war with them.
He has ransacked and he's defeated them more than that.
Remember when David was back slidden.
A little bit over a year, he was with who these guys.
And so I'm sure David was a smart individual.
He gathered Intel and he understood how they thought and
he probably heard conversations and so he was even more equipped
at this point and understanding how to deal with the Enemy.
But what's interesting here is that David and choirs of the
Lord and he does it again and with his General, contextual
frame of I now we're going to dig in and see exactly what it
is. That the Holy Spirit has
prepared the meeting details in these verses.
I'm telling you I was on verse 14.
So long, I was scared we were going to finish with you apart
for. So I had to force myself a
little bit, not that I want to, but in order to cover the
context, look at verse 17, when the Philistines heard that David
had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went
up to search for David, okay, the timing of the attack, the
timing of the attack personally reading this, I took three
lessons out of you. Just at the timing.
When the Philistines came, what do you see there in the timing
of the Philistines that you can draw principles from in our own
lives? Yeah, very good point.
So it is often the strategy of Satan that when there is
progression in the will of God advancement in the will of God,
a graduation in godliness that he will fight and he will gather
his troops. He would gather his schemes and
he will launch them towards you need, because he is very
Vigilant of the spirits activity.
He's very aware and he is observant and he's calculated.
And he knows something is gaining traction, then he is on
alert and he preemptively seeks to bring a halt less something,
whether it's individually, or corporally, advances further.
And so that is that is something that we should understand less.
We become discouraged for no reason.
If we understand that, this is how the enemy works, then we
will be prepared in those transitional moments and those
times where you put your mind to do something or when you're set
on putting your hand to the plow and a particular Ministry, or a
habit, or a conviction know that the enemy is right there, ready
to put it to a stop as early as possible.
And I wonder if because of the lack of this, understand, you
have so many people who don't grow or who is easily just fall
back into where they started from.
Because they don't realize that if I'm really going to do
something for God in God's name, the enemy is not just going to
sit back and that includes so many things.
So many things, I was reading this.
And I thought of a simple visit that Paul wanted to make to the
Thessalonians. And first Thessalonians chapter
2, I just want to read the student.
Notice what Paul. Says to the church.
He says in verse 18 because we wanted to come to you, that's
the desire. We we wanted to come to you.
I Paul again and again but Satan hindered us.
So he was fully aware, we're trying to get to you physically
and Satan is putting one obstacle before us after the
next. And what was it?
What was the plan just to come to them?
And that's important because that shows just how much Satan
hates you coming here with the people of God.
Sunday morning. Okay, Friday night.
You got to be kidding me and he'll do anything to make sure
because there's a special Grace, a special protection from Satan
himself. You read that in First
Corinthians 5. I was in my reading today.
There's a special protection from Satan.
That's why excommunication is terminal eyes.
As what being given over to who Satan.
So we have to understand that there's there's something
special that this the enemy hates.
So even when bosses we want to come to you cause I don't know
how I'm going to put up a fight. And when you set yourself to do
something for the little one and Ministry, seeks to be gospel
centered and to go out and Mission.
The enemy will show up, the enemy will show up and he'll do
it as early as possible. One of the ways I've seen is the
most in my personal life, pre Ministry during Ministry when
people decide to get baptized. When people make the decision
that they're going to make that Monumental step and actually get
in the water die to self. Right?
As a symbol. But as an act of obedience to
the Lord, Jesus Christ and that ordinance.
It never fails. It never fails to see spiritual
warfare, come like a flood and so now it's come to the point
where it's so common. When somebody comes up to me and
they're serious about getting baptized one of the first things
I say to them is, hey, watch the opposition.
It's coming your way and the enemies creative.
So be extra vigilant, be extra prayed up.
Don't give yourself to the Flesh.
And warfare, blows up at home, things happen in their own
minds. I've had people call me the
night before. True Born Again.
Spirit-filled people call me brother.
I can't do this. There's no way.
I don't know why. Whoa, what's going on?
I don't know, I just, I can't imagine myself, relax, and it
happens all the time, because Satan does not want you to walk
in obedience and it does not want you to glorify God in any
way. And so this is the first thing
anything else from the the timing of the attack.
I was kind of like to mention this but when I see when I see
David and the Philistines reminds me of Ukraine and
Russia, okay. And one
the Ukraine now and the Ukraine people Taking all the weaponry
and the reclaiming, the land again.
It's almost like what he is. Yeah.
So I see what you're saying and I think I want to do something
else with this text. Now you want to look at the
principle. So we saw the very obvious
interpretation of it, but look at the principle of it even
though this is the devil, you know, it's revealing his tactics
towards the children of God. There's something here about a
strategy that we should apply as the people of God, concerning
Warfare on our end. And here's what I want to say.
It's our Warfare concerning sin, So the same way that Satan came
as early as possible to put a halt to this advancement of
God's Will, and God's purpose and God's Kingdom on the earth.
You and I should look at sin as a threat as early as possible
and do everything that we can to extinguish its influence in our
lives, okay? And this is why it's important
because many strongholds that people are trying to pull down
today, could have been dealt with much earlier when they were
just but seed All right, so much of the struggles that people
have in their lives today is because they refuse to see the
Hazardous danger of sin when it was just a thought pattern. when
when they saw their emotions begin to Cloud their judgment
and they began to be reactionary and they begin to be in the
flesh towards things towards people towards situations when
they failed to realize that words will eventually lead to
actions, And so in the same way, the Philistines came to David
Wright when he was anointed right when when he was beginning
to gain strength you and I should have the exact same
approach and attitude when we see sin.
Not just not just in full force, but sin and its seed form in its
in its embryo state. So I have to do something about
this. Now right here right now let's
this become something that will be overwhelming.
It's like extinguishing a spark, you don't wait for the bushel to
burn up. You don't wait for a tree to
combust in Flames it requires much more energy and much more
counseling and much more conversation if you had just
dealt with it. When it was there in the
beginning, things could change. And here's the thing, if you and
I want Avoid dealing with sin and its destructive stage.
Then you and I by the wisdom of God in the pursuit of true
Holiness deal with sin and its desire phase, don't wait till
its destructive deal with it, even when it's a desire.
And so, where do I get that idea from?
Well, James tells us, James tells us the sequence of sin
developing its strength in our lives.
If you don't know the passages in James chapter 1 and James
chapter 1, we read in verse 14, but each person is tempted, when
he is Lord and enticed by what his own desire eyes are looking
up. So I'm assuming is behind me
yes. By his own desire.
Then desire when it has conceived, it gives birth to sin
and sin when it is fully grown, what brings forth death, here's
the thing that I want to say that if you and I just deal with
sin while it's a desire, We don't have to wait for death to
come. And and what I want to help you
see, is that unchecked desires will eventually and can lead to
Untold devastation. So look at the wisdom here.
James is telling us you don't have to wait for sin to
conceive. You don't have to wait till
Decay comes in when it is just a desire, then you can go to war
with it. And so here's what I want to
say. Just give me one moment.
Just here's what I want to say. When you look at something like
this, go to God with your imaginations, when you see them
going in the wrong direction, don't wait till they manifest
into Deeds. The moment you begin to see it
become a pattern and an Unholy highlight reel.
Do something about it then don't wait for that.
Friction to turn it to faction when you know that there's
something off with a brother or sister and you don't understand
what it is. Communicate early on, don't wait
until divisions happen deal with it right there.
As early as you can. Bring that brother.
Bring your wife. Bring your husband.
Bring your children. Bring your parents before you
and communicate. If you think about it, even in
different ways ways that you don't even perhaps perceive when
your heart begins to feel the chill.
Of worldliness cooling off your Zeal for God don't wait until
it's completely crystallized. Go to God right away.
Say Lord, this frost on my heart.
I can't be like I don't want to stay like I see where this is
going. Would you do something with my
heart now? Would you rekindle a fire and me
now? And so if there's anything to
learn from the enemy, if there's anything to relate to our own
lives is go at it as soon as you can go at it in its early form.
Don't wait till it matures. Don't wait till takes root.
Squeeze the life out of it while it's still a seed.
I want to give you a third one. So there's two right there.
There's a third one. When the Philistines in verse
17, heard that David had been anointed king over Israel.
And here's the thing, what happened to Israel when David
was anointed king? Very good.
Unity prior to this, you had David's Kingdom in Hebron and
you had the kingdom of ishka Chef the son of Saul.
And there was division for how long seven years, right?
During those seven years, there wasn't a single interference by
the Philistines. Not one.
We don't see the Philistines Gathering their troops in their
armies. To come against David why
they're fighting themselves. There's internal strife right
there. Let them just go out as long as
possible of anything. What was happening for seven
years? Were serving the purposes of the
enemy? What a horrific illustration?
For what happens when Believers turn on one another.
If you need any motivation, if you have any sense of the fear
of God in you, if you if it shouldn't be the greatest moment
as you. But if you need any motivation
realize that in those moments, when you fail to forgive, when
you fail to reconcile, when you fail to communicate, if somebody
is offended, you, if you're offended, somebody else the way
Jesus that you are an ally in the eyes of Satan, And I'll lie,
they're just killing themselves, they're biting each other, we
don't deal with them. And we'll go on to the next
church that has a little bit more wisdom in the things of
God. So imagine that the Philistines
did not interfere, but the moment that David becomes king,
and all the tribes are now unified.
This is trouble, this is now there's something serious here
and so the Philistines now come against David, they seek to do
something. Before becomes too strong for
them to even handle how much more for the Church of Jesus
Christ. Unity is such a like it's such a
it's again it's in the christianese language, but we
don't understand how important Unity is one.
Many people do understand what true Unity is.
So the unify just because people use the name Jesus, they have a
cross in front of their building.
That's dangerous. We don't unify with those who
have false Doctrine. Do they claim a Christ?
That's not right Unity. But true.
Unity among Believers is absolutely.
If you just look at the Bible and study Unity New Testament,
presents to us, how Unity is absolutely foundational to
effective gospel. Witness It is.
What did Jesus say in John 17:21 that they may be what one just
as you father and I are in me and I in you rather that they
also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have
sent me. Let me let me just repeat this
one more time, pay attention. I'm going to ask you a question
that they may all be one just as you father are in me and I in
you that they also may be in us so that the world may believe
that you have sent Meet John 17:21.
Here's my question. What is the relationship between
unity in the church and the world?
Realizing Jesus was sent by the father and to the world we had
asked questions, what's the relationship there?
Because according to the prayer Jesus, in this text, there is an
effective witness, a gospel witness to a watching,
cold-hearted divisive unforgiving world that when they
behold how Believers treat one another, it will actually direct
them to the gospel. Any ideas?
It's not very complicated. Yes, corgis Okay.
Amen. You need apart from Christ is
impossible. Some people unify for evil
things. And a lot of those times they
eat each other eventually. They devour one another but true
Unity of course is not possible apart from Christ but what else
how it is. Believers becoming one lead
people to the conclusion. Jesus was sent by the father.
He must have been sent by the father The tangible evidence of
Christ's redeeming power, which also includes the indwelling.
Holy Spirit. Is that you and I from different
tribes, different tongues, different, cultures different
backgrounds, different sin. Histories can actually come
Together live together. Get along.
And such a way that a watching world would say how is it that
you have Chinese and you have Arabs and Assyrians and you have
you have Romanians and you have African-Americans and you have
Mexicans all coming together. How is it that you have 85 year
olds and 15 year olds, 20 year olds and six-year-old all coming
together, consistently loving each other, embracing one,
another serving one, another upholding one.
Another, what's the secret? And then they would realize
That's the power of the Gospel. That's the power of the Gospel.
So we're saying, let's be missional, okay?
You want to be missional, forgive You want to be
missional, listen to Jesus when he says, if a brother offends,
you deal with it. And Paul gets very, very
specific with these instructions and Paul understood the prayer
of Jesus when he spoke to the Corinthian Church because news
comes to Paul, that one Corinthian is taking another to
court. They're actually going before
unbelievers and suing one. Another.
And I love what Paul says because I Revisited today,
listen to what he says just hear the language and First
Corinthians 6 verse 6, but brother goes to law against
brother. And that before unbelievers,
then he goes on to say in verse 7 to have lawsuits at all with
one. Another is already a defeat for
you. I love Paul.
It was the fact that you're even the suggestion that you're going
to take your brother to court, you already lost.
Like you already lost your testimony is gone.
Look what he says, why not rather suffer wrong?
Why not rather be defrauded? Here's what he's saying, so a
Believer wants to take you to court.
Why not? For the sake of your testimony?
Just give the guy what he wants, if he wants to be in the flesh,
give him what he wants. Why don't you suffer Rock for
what sake, for the sake of the testimony of Christ?
For the sake of the Gospel. See you want to be a serious
Christian, huh? This is what it means to die to
self because everything in you would say you want to take me to
court. I'll hire a better lawyer.
You want to do this? Let's fight.
You want to go for it. Let's go for it.
Paul saying, why don't you just lose just loose?
Why? Because you're going to
ultimately lose if you go before the world and show, what Jesus
said that he would want from us, there's something greater here
than your house, your car, more money, your business
flourishing, there's something more and here's the I read this
in a came to this conclusion, that people who continually
strive, who can't forgive, who don't want to have conversation
to, don't want to seek reconciliation, those people do
not care about the lost. Have you ever thought of it like
that? We always think that they're
just in the flesh that they're selfish, that they're proud.
No. No.
According to what Paul is saying, here, they don't
actually care about winning those who are perishing Because
what Paul is using here, as a motivation to bring matters to
an end to settle things. Is, there is a world that is
perishing and desperately needs to see the power of the Gospel
at work. So, for Christ's name, and for
his message, sake, would you not die?
And people who can't people, who remain in the flesh, in terms of
relationship, with other people, those people don't have a sense
of the Gospel. That's what I take out of it.
Any of us claim to be serious about winning people to Christ,
then you and I will be serious about dealing with our offenses.
And seeking to put things in total Clarity and even willing
to do what Paul says I'm willing to actually suffer wrong.
So people always criticize, the gospel is not the solution to
everything. Well, read the New Testament.
The gospel is the motivation for a lot of things.
Even in your marriage, what does Paul uses a motivation?
The gospel go to court. What's the motivation?
The gospel witness, the message of Christianity, our faith.
And so the deeper understanding that you have a gospel, the
moral impact your practical day-to-day life.
And so, if you see anybody acting out and one specific way
or another, you can know one thing.
The fundamental issue there is that there is not understanding
of the depth of the love of Jesus Christ and the witness
that we should have out in the world.
So notice once Unity came. Then the Philistines came,
we're, I don't know how we're going to finish this tonight.
We're still half of verse 17 can.
Now, let's come down to verse 18.
Now, the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of
rephaim and David inquired. Of the Lord.
Shall I go up against the Philistines?
Will you give them into my hand? And the Lord said to David go up
for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.
Here's what makes us so special and so exciting.
David wasn't an expert at War David understood how to war
against the Philistines. Especially, and for many, when
it comes to prayer, it's usually engage with when they enter into
the unknown. Or when they feel like there is
no other option, there's no other Solutions.
And so might as well just pray because we're desperate and
there's there seems to be nothing that I can do or anybody
else they can do for me. But here's the thing, true
prayer, as David demonstrates. Is that even though you think,
you know what to do, even though you may have strategy, you may
have gifting, you may have knowledge.
You still want to invite God's intervention into the matter.
That's true. That's like true prayer.
People say if you pray your humble.
Yeah. But if you really want to pray,
you pray like this man who in essence is confessing Lord.
This may seem right. I may seem to know what to do,
but you see what? I don't see.
You know what, I don't know. You understand what?
I Can't comprehend and totality. And so I'm asking you Lord that
you would bring about the best possible outcome and that you
would protect me from the worst because I live for your name, I
represent your name and I want to glorify you in all that I do
I want all that you can offer in this.
I'm not going to presume. I'm not going to assume.
Yes, I have a history defeating these people.
Yes, I am Fearless. Yes I'm educated.
But Lord, I come before you and I say, would you would you Would
you be with me in this? That's true prayer and the
principle behind David's prayer here.
Although we may not receive verbal step-by-step instruction
like he gets, we get to experience what he experienced
and what he experienced was, ultimately confidence, he was
looking for answers. Yes, but the core of it, he was
looking for courage to get confirmation from God and he
received that courage. And here's the thing, you and I
whenever we pray, we can expect the same thing.
That's your inheritance in mind because here's the thing,
whenever you bring Matter before God, there is absolutely no
reason to fear the outcome, no matter what it is.
Because you've done your part and you brought it before the
Lord. And so the outcome is favorable
in the moment or not. You can rest assured.
I've done my part, I've brought it before the Lord and God
understands that I want his will so God will honor that.
So you may not get an audible voice.
That will tell you, go here go there.
But the scriptures are absolutely filled with promises
about what you get when you do one simple thing.
Dang, can I read you one promise?
Psalm 91, precious song verse 15.
I want you to notice, if you want to turn that you can about
all the, I Wills that God declares as a result of one
decision that you. And I make one simple posture
will open a world of divine, I Wills for you.
And I Psalm 91 verse 15 when he calls to me.
So as a result of that, when he calls to me, look at all the I
Wills, I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble.
I will rescue him and honor him with long life.
I will satisfy him and show him. My steadfast love.
I will answer him. I will be with them.
I will rescue him, I will honor him, I will satisfy him.
I will show him. Direction.
Presence. Deliverance and even in some
cases promotion, I will honor him.
Here's the point, in David's case he had all those things
happen in this situation, And here's the guarantee for you and
I when you call to him, he will is a simple as that he will do
something with that prayer every single time.
That's what makes prayer so exciting.
That's what gets me giddy even when a situation comes my way
and it does not seem possible. By any human means to solve, oh,
I'm going to bring you before a God, who can, who will?
And I want to see what he's going to do with this.
A prayer of this person has no hope they have no guarantee you
have every reason to fear you have every reason to run around
and waste your energy. If you do not take the time to
pray, just one simple thing, it's amazing.
It didn't say you will, you will you will.
And I will do. He goes, you do?
And I will not, I will not. I will not.
I will.
What more how much easier do you want it to be?
It would make sense as Mortals and creatures.
You do you do you do fill out Step 1.
When you're done with that form, go to form a b and then fill
that one out and then I will do. Maybe if I feel like it.
No no you do I will, I will, I will.
I will You can't find the motivation, the pray, yo, mama.
So you praise. Now look what happens in verse
20. And David came to Baal perazim
and David defeated them there. And he said, the Lord has broken
through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.
Therefore, the name of that place is called mph azim.
So something happened with this. David has seen victories in his
life but something spectacular happened at this moment in such
a way where he wanted to memorialize it and he want to
have a testimony for generations to come Come to recall an aspect
of God's faithfulness that is unique to this text.
That it's a title that you and I have not really heard often
about who God is and what he's able to do.
So what was it here? That impressed David so much.
I mean, read verse 20, there was something that he saw God, do
that marked him for life and our brother read it earlier.
It's the way in which God came How did he come like a what?
Breaking flood. If you want a visual, it's like
the tsunami that crashes through a crack.
Damn without notice with David observed in God's dealing with
his enemies is that he overwhelmingly.
And without without any ability to stop it was Unstoppable swept
up the Enemy Within the blink of an eye.
That's what he saw before him and goes.
But I'll pair azim. I mean if you have an advanced
Bible you will see that the definition, there's in the
bottom of the page. What does Baal perazim mean?
What was it? Okay.
There's by all means what? Anybody understand what by all
means. Not God.
Lord or master. A azim is generally translated
as breakings fourth or break through even.
So when you can read, this is the Lord of breakthrough.
The Lord of breaking forth, breakings forth and that is what
he's on the visual. There again is like, it's just
like a flood that comes out of nowhere without without notice
without any update, just suddenly happens and this is how
David renames the region. He goes this area for will be
known to our people as Baal perazim.
And when you put all the pieces together with the context, what
you see here is that David comes to this conclusion that he is,
he is able to Suddenly shift a situation.
Despite the obstacles that would make such a dramatic change in
possible in the natural. Here's my question to you, Bible
study Friday night Have you ever viewed?
God is the god of breakthrough. Have you ever heard him referred
to in such a way? I've heard, I've heard him
referred to as the god of breakthrough but in a very
shallow way. But when you see the context,
when you understand that, this is actually a Biblical title, I
wonder how many of us perceive the Lord in such a way.
Because the way David Psalm was God has the ability to
miraculously change the course of action in a moment.
So, what does that look like in our context?
Because we're not going to war with Philistines?
What that can look like is? You have an enemy one day, who
threatens? You may be friends you to go to
court the next day, they just disappear.
Where do they go? It looks like not having
groceries and not having food to eat and not knowing where you're
going to get your next meal and all for a sudden grocery show up
at your front step enough to feed you.
For the next three weeks, it looks like not having a church
building. And before your next meeting a
church building shows up, that's what it looks like.
Baba, a Azeem, the Lord of breakthrough all for sudden.
God just did it. And there's no way to explain in
human terminology or human explanation.
This was God himself and although God doesn't always work
that way he does. And he's able to work in this
way and you and I should have that faith and you and I should
trust God to be able to do that. And do you know how you can open
your life for Baal perazim to make his way in your life?
Do what David did? He pray.
He brought it before, God, he sought the Lord.
The only way of Baal perazim was be able to manifest himself was
because of a man who humble themselves before this kind of
God, I don't know how this is going to happen.
Lord, and God said just watch. Watch How I will break through.
That excites me, but I would caution you to not ask for that.
If you're not ready for what it will require, you want you want
to see the Lord break through? You want to see the Lord do that
and create memorials in your life, then expect to be placed
in positions that will make you extremely uncomfortable.
Sometimes in oftentimes for a season grueling testing,
pressing X that will leave you in a place where you have
literally, no, hope unless Heaven comes to your help.
So, people ask for this, they want this, they want the
testimonies they don't. Just they do, they don't want
the test for the testimonies though they begin to squeal.
Where is god? Well.
You wanted to see him do what he can only do.
Yes, and hold on. Keep praying stay before the
Lord seek him. He was here's what's amazing,
the beauty of that. Is that God will do something
and he's able to do something to such a degree that you will
never forget it. What was this?
What was this Valley called? Because he renames it.
Valley of what somebody said that Ruffian, does anybody know
she again here's the tool belt. What is r?
Fa e mean because that's not in my English vocabulary so you do
a little bit of research and you realize that Refugee means while
Giants. Valley of giants.
So put the pieces together. Now, your morning, devotions are
getting exciting now, you're not even concerned about your cup of
coffee. Now you're in it and now you're
engaged, hold on the Lord of breakthroughs comes into the
valley of giants. And the understanding is so
simple without over spiritualizing, it is that God
is able to suddenly remove the most fierce and intimidating
enemies in my life. The most overwhelming as I stand
in the shadow of things that would easily swallow me up.
If I didn't have God on my side and God can do something about
it. Not in stages, he can do it
suddenly suddenly you and I should see God in such a way,
because then you don't fear any man, no matter what kind of a
giant he is physically political Giants, giant businessmen, Giant
gangs gang leaders, gang Lords. You're dealing with the God who
looks at Giants like grasshoppers.
And in a moment, he can come and deal with you.
I'm glad to be on his side but I also see secondary thing here.
The Philistines were defeated and our brother brought it up to
us earlier verse 21 and the Philistines left their Idols.
There And David and his men carried them away.
So why do you think the Philistines brought their Idols
to the battle? Oh yeah.
There are God's going to deliver us.
You're always in trouble. If you can carry your God and
your pocket, all right, if you can put your little got on a
cart and bring them, along with you, and put some fruit in front
of him, because it's going to whatever you're probably in
trouble, all right? And so the these guys, they
bring their gods and then all four sudden they realize in a
very dramatic way. Our God's failed us.
And they were so disappointed that it was such a rude.
Awakening that they did even, they didn't care to bring their
gods, under the backpacks, and their shoulders and run back.
They just left them on the field useless.
And I read this and I thought to myself because I know some
Prosperity people who love to use the Lord of breakthroughs.
And what they mean by that is sudden prosperity.
That banking I'll give you filled, just give us a seed.
You want the psalm 91 blessing sow a seed of $91 and watch how
the Lord of breakthrough will come in that sound nice.
What a load of breakthrough suddenly will bring recovery to
your body. All you have to do is buy our
anointing oil by my handkerchief, the Paul go around
selling his handkerchief. And they stop there.
Why don't you honor the context and understand what the lord of
breakthrough did if there's any suddenly that God will and is
able to bring its to tear down idols and render them powerless?
I See You gospel truth here, maybe you don't, I do here's the
gospel truth that when God by the power of His holy spirit
enters into a life, he brings Idols down He brings sin down
and the law of Grace brings about dominion over that, which
the flesh could not see victory in. and so if there's anything
that got can do suddenly in believe it is that when he truly
enters into your life, in the power of the regenerating work
of the Holy Spirit, he can bring about your Idols to be as
nothing. And that's the gospel I believe
in. I don't believe in the gospel
that saves you but doesn't save you from the power of sin.
That's not the gospel of the Bible.
And so you have to understand here that this is a wonderful
picture of these Idols submitting to the Lord who can
come and suddenly change how Idols operate, how Idols worked
in your life. The power that they might have
had in your life and some might object and say, well, brother, I
believe in the gospel, but I am honest with you, I can't seem to
shake off. What Idols do in my life, what
sin does in my life? It seems to just have total
control over my will and then, I would answer in this way as much
as God can and will and purchase the ability for you to know
victory over sin, you have a role to play in it.
I hope that didn't sound blasphemous. because here again,
we see, and if you want another question to put in your tool
belt, is there a paralleling passage to this text?
And if there is what other details Does it include, that is
not here. We see here that the Philistines
left their Idols, there and David and his men carried him
away to do what with them, put them in their homes.
Somebody said it, what how do you know?
Close. Yes.
What John know Deuteronomy is a passage though.
You're right Deuteronomy. Chapter 7.
So I'm not discrediting you because God told him to cleanse
the land from Idols. But in the exact same passage
and a paralleling text we have exactly what it is that they did
with these items. You want to see it first
Chronicles chapter 14, verse 12. And they left their gods, their
and David gave command. And they did what and they were
burnt. Yes.
So these Idols felt powerless before God who intervened and
now they were able to carry these Idols in their hands.
And let me tell you in the gospel, God puts the weapon of
Grace in your hands but you have a choice in what you're going to
do with that Idol. That's what.
Yeah. Unfortunately for some people
they just they're still infatuated with certain sins.
They still love certain says they still can't let go of
certain since they can't let go of the pleasure or the benefit
or whatever it is that a certain sin offer so they can't fully
get rid of it. Well, God did what he can.
Now you got to do your part and your part is to burn it.
Your part is to willingly say, I want to see this turn to Ash, I
never want to see it. Resurrected ever again in my
life? That's the kind of hard posture
that she's complete victory over sin and so if you really want to
see it, it's not God's fault. He did all that he can on
Calvary. It's now with the grace that
he's purchased play, sitting in your hand, so that you can now.
Look at those things that in the law, you could not do to say.
Now I will put you to Extinction.
I do not tell you about sinless perfectionism because look what
happens. Next verse 22 and the
Philistines came up yet again. And spread out in the valley of
rephaim. Our brother said, it sin is
Relentless. The flesh is ambitious.
Satan is a fighter. And so let us encourage the
people of God who go to war with her sin who want to grow in the
will of God. No, this you are not going to
see total relief until the resurrection.
Okay, you're not going to seek. It's not going to ever.
I promise you be a vacation in this life.
That's awaiting us, when were clothed with white robes.
And we're In our minds and our bodies in every way possible.
Why do I bring that up? Don't be weary.
Don't, don't be discouraged. If Satan's going to do anything.
He might remove himself for a season but not for very long.
Unless you're not doing anything to advance.
The will of God. He will come again, he will show
up. He is again very, very
ambitious. so the Philistines show up and look what David does
in verse 23 and when David inquired of the Lord, What a
wonderful example. I mean, God put this story here
for us for a reason, David inquired of the Lord and here's
what's so special. He does not implement the same
strategy. Although the situation is the
same, the same guys, in the same Valley.
Okay, let's just do what we did the first time.
And he doesn't do that. He pauses again.
And he comes before the Lord and He inquires?
What a reflex, what an attitude? What humility?
Can I encourage you to do something, please believer.
Talk to God about everything. Talk to the Lord about
everything, bring it all before him, just just let your humility
shine before him. As you say, oh God I need you
again. There's trouble in my marriage
again, I need you again, right? And I think there's a lesson you
learn is that just don't give up seeking the Lord.
Oftentimes it is the testimony. Many Believers were prayer was
so fervent in those beginning phases and you really saw God do
things and if for some reason maybe because we get jaded or
you come familiar or we just feel like we could figure things
out and maybe we've tried things without prayer and it seemed to
be okay. So we just remove ourselves from
that place. No stay there.
Stay there. He inquires of the Lord, he
seeks the Lord again. And here's what's so incredible?
God's going to answer differently.
Here's what I take out of this. What you shouldn't take out of
this is maybe we should explore unbiblical methods to deal with
certain situations because maybe the Bible, doesn't prescribe to
every dilemma wrong wrong, know what you do?
See out of this is that we must learn how to be dependent upon
the Lord, even in the application of the wisdom and
precepts that he has provided us.
So with the truths that we have, we should be, we should still be
able to say. Lord, how do I go about this?
How do I implement this truth? How do I how do I deal with
this, with what you have given me?
Let me give you an example. Let's say, for example, a dear
servant of God approaches you and or they call you in this a
brother. I'm so sad.
I'm my mind is so cloudy. I'm even.
I'm even entertaining. Thoughts that?
I never thought I would, I want to just give up.
I'm going to pull away. I think I'm done with this.
I'm just going to. I don't know what to do with
myself anymore. I'm just overwhelmed.
I almost feel like I just want to go to heaven now.
Okay. Now stop don't answer out loud.
I know it's tempting to but just think about it.
How would you prescribe a remedy to that person?
Can I give you the general, answer it read and pray, the
read the Bible and pray, right? Read the Bible and pray now that
is wonderful and that is that is a core action to everything.
But Elijah had that problem. What did God do?
Did he say read your Bible and pray?
That he know the man was suicidal.
You know what? God did eat drink.
Take a nap. This is how very spiritual
that's it. It was God wakes up.
Okay here eat again during a go back to sleep.
What's the Great Commission? Go into all the world and preach
the gospel right Make Disciples of all Nations, baptizing them,
and teaching them everything that I've taught you.
Pulsar to preach the gospel when he, when he wants to go to free
gun. When he went to go to galatian
acts 16 and we're told in Acts 16 that the Holy Spirit forbade
him. Okay.
So what does he do? He thinks.
Okay, maybe I'll go to my jie. So he goes up north and it says,
the spirit of Jesus did not allow him.
Well, I thought the Great Commission was go out to all the
world and preach the Gospel. Holy Spirit says, not here wants
to go that not there. So he goes south and he comes
down to troas and there he receives a vision of a
Macedonian man says come here and help us but it was also
there when he met dr. Luke Because if you read acts
carefully, the narrative changes from an outsider writing to, now
the word we being introduced and Luke wrote the Gospel out so
must have been there at that location where Luke joined the
missionary team, so God didn't want to go there.
Got there, want to go there. God wanted to go where he would
meet dr. Luke And in dr.
Luke would join the team and what a blessing dr.
Luke was. So you see, even though things
are clear and they're black and white in the scripture and there
are things that people say I'm praying about, it's like, you
don't have to pray about forgiving your brother.
Okay, you know how to fasten ask people to help you you forgive,
but there are some things that require timing and action and
and even just just the way you do, things that we must seek the
Lord for Lord help me. I don't know what to do with
this. I know what I'm supposed to do
to certain degree but I need your grace and and doing it in
your absolute wisdom. I hope that makes sense.
But here's the thing I believe, and we're closing in a moment
that these two battles were put side by side to teach us.
Thing about a balanced view of the ways of God in our lives.
Because we see here that when David sought the Lord, the first
time, it was extraordinary, it was like credible.
And then when you see him coming to this same situation, look how
the Lord answers him. He says in verse 23, you shall
not go up, go around to their rear and come against some
opposite. The balsam trees the first time.
He said, go up What Davidson, what do I do?
Are you gonna give it to my hand?
So you can just go up right now. It's time to move forward when
you seek some again, he says don't move.
Until you get this sign. So we just heard about the Lord
of breakthrough who can suddenly do things and then the same
passage, we have the Lord who makes you wait.
The Lord will makes you wait. And here's here's where we have
to be careful, especially because we can Harbor
discouragement and we can invite even bitterness. when we look at
how God is moving in, somebody else's life in the same area of
your life and it's not the same If we're not careful, look, this
is the same situation and two different approaches
orchestrated by God. And if you just widen that
application to our lives, facing a same situation or enduring a
similar season and then you look around and you see how God's
doing it for brother so-and-so or sister.
So, and so, and it does, it's very sudden, it's very glorious.
It can go viral, they do the testimony on YouTube.
You can get discouraged easily. and God was no less glorified in
the second way that he answered that he was in the first And so
you have people who discouraged in Ministry, they don't see
that, they're they're years our ranking up and they're not
accelerating at, they're not seeing the numbers that they
thought they would. And, I mean, I would say this to
ministers, especially, but you can apply in any way.
You have people in relationships, we're looking for
a relationship. They look at people, their age
range, and they say they're getting married.
And why didn't happen to me so quickly, and why is my story?
So Bland, it's not as exciting and riveting.
Well, hold on, it's the same God, Here's a different script
for each of our sanctification. It's not going to be the same
script. So don't envy don't be worried
the same God who answered David and two different ways for the
same situation will very likely do the same in your life as you
contrast it to the. Next person's all you need to do
is seek Him and trust them as David did.
So be encouraged timing is much different, no less glorified and
David saw victory. When you hear the sound of
Marching In the tops of the balsam trees, then Rouse
yourself for then. The Lord has gone out before you
to strike down the army of the Philistines.
Oh, I wonder what that was like for them to wait and all for a
sudden. They may be heard a wind or
maybe they heard something in the distance, but there was it
was obvious that these trees were moving and God went out
before them and that was their confidence and really that's
what prayer. Is it not?
It's inviting God's intervention in the matter.
God go before me God do this. I don't want to do it without
you. I just call upon your name and
let me know that you are indeed in this.
Let me know. Your hand is out of want to do
this. If your hand is not in it, I
don't want to pursue this any further.
If you're not going to go before me, that's what it looks like.
That's what it looks like. Moses had that same cry.
If your presence does not go with me.
I don't want the land. I don't want the angel that you
promised. I don't.
Victory over the enemies. I want your presence. and if you
really want to know true joy in this life, it's when you know
that God goes before you That's where you will know true,
sincere satisfaction. And all we can say so much more,
can we not? But I trust that.
As you have these tools, maybe you can say something about this
passage, maybe we could talk about it over Fellowship.
Let's pray. Lori.
Tell you from the bottom of our hearts.
What? A mighty God.
We serve You are indeed the Lord of breakthrough.
You can come crashing in. You can come and deal with it
within the blink of an eye. And Lord by faith.
We ask that if there is a need in this house, That you would
break through. And it would heal.
You would provide, you would bring an answer, you would
subdue. The enemy who seeks to devour
our faith. But Lord, you're also The God
Who says wait. It's a lord teach us to wait and
teach us that if you do not come suddenly you were still in
control and you know exactly what you're doing with our
lives. You know exactly what kind of
testimony you are preparing for your namesake through us as your
vessels. Lord, we pray that if there
would be any suddenly, he's in our lives, it would be the
gospel work of sanctification. That would shatter the work of
sin that has eroded and destroyed us prior to coming and
knowing you destroy it. Lord, we believe you.
Not just for our justification, we place our faith in you.
Sanctifying us that the holy spirit in US.
Can resurrect and bring to life Holiness and strength to soar
above that, which seeks to have dominion over us.
Lord, we pray that we would be so serious.
About gospel, work and gospel witness that we would nurture
and protect the unity of this ministry and that Lord, we would
trust in the words that you said that in our Unity, the world
would say surely the father has sent Jesus into this world to
die for Sinners. Look at that church.
They are unified and it has to be a supernatural source.
Lord may we with our short lives.
Glorify you in such a way we bless you for this study.
We bless you for the interaction.
We pray that our hearts would be edified and Lord, we just give
you. Thanks and song tonight in Jesus
name. Amen.
Let's stand and Worship the Lord.