1 00:00:02,280 --> 00:00:05,080 Hello and welcome to the Arise Church Podcast. 2 00:00:05,520 --> 00:00:08,200 We are so glad you're here and want to thank you for joining us 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,240 today for the audio version of our Sunday morning message. 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,680 We want to invite you to join us in person at our Sunday morning 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,040 celebration every Sunday at 10 AM. 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,760 We are located on Old Jenks Rd. in Apex, NC. 7 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,760 All right, if you have your Bible, let's go to Judges 8 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:30,960 Chapter 6. Judges Chapter 6 and I am going 9 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:35,440 to teach a message that is for everyone, but I'm specifically 10 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,320 going to teach to the men of God today. 11 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,000 The men in the house, not just the dads, but all of the men of 12 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,600 our church and to those watching online or in one of our house 13 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,680 churches. By the way, I meet every month 14 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,440 with our house church leaders and you would just be so blessed 15 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,640 of how they're able to receive the same spirit of what God is 16 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,360 doing here through online. And so let's just give a big God 17 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,720 bless you to all of our house churches and all of our friends 18 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,640 who are watching and Indiana, Tennessee and here in North 19 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,760 Carolina. But the title of message is this 20 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,120 in the age of mighty men, in the age of mighty men, and I feel 21 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:17,760 like we are in the age of mighty men were in the time of mighty 22 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,720 men. And this is a phrase that's used 23 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:23,360 very often throughout the Old Testament. 24 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,160 And it would come as God was moving among the children of 25 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,920 Israel and he would raise up mighty men. 26 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:35,680 And I want to start with a familiar figure within the Old 27 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,400 Testament. He's something I obscure, but a 28 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:40,680 lot of us have heard about him and his name is Gideon. 29 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:45,600 And then from there I'm going to move into somewhere else that 30 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,960 even in today's reading, I just started to catch so many things 31 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,760 in our Bible reading yesterday. But in Judges chapter 6, I want 32 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:54,760 to start in verse 11. If you don't have a Bible, no 33 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:56,480 problem, you can follow up on the screen. 34 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:58,960 I'm reading out of the new King James Version and this is what 35 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,440 it says. Judges 6, verse 11. 36 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,080 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree 37 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,039 which was in Orpha, which belonged to Joash the 38 00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:13,160 Abyssirite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress 39 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,320 in order to hide it from the Midianites. 40 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:17,880 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, 41 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,560 The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor. 42 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,080 I love that the Lord just knows how to find you even when you're 43 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,120 hiding and he'll tell you something that seems very 44 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:30,280 opposite of what you feel like you are. 45 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,280 So he finds Gideon and he says that to him in the verse 14. 46 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,480 Then the Lord turned to him and said, go in this might of yours, 47 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,680 and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. 48 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,400 Have I not sent you? So he said to him, Gideon said 49 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,400 back, Oh my Lord, how can I save Israel? 50 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,720 Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh. 51 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,720 It's a lot of confidence there. My plan is the weakest in 52 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,600 Manasseh and I am the least in my father's house. 53 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,680 And the Lord said to him, surely I will be with you and you shall 54 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,480 defeat the Midianites as one man. 55 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,600 Now this is phenomenal because the Midianites, their group of 56 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,880 people who had been plaguing the children of Israel, harassing 57 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,560 them, I said they were harassing them. 58 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,760 And the Lord finds Gideon hiding and he wasn't playing hide and 59 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,360 go seek. He was hiding. 60 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,840 He was not signing up and enlisting and saying, I'm down, 61 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,440 Lord, use me. He wasn't praying any of those 62 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,640 prayers. He was trying to hide the crop 63 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,800 from the Midianites. And that's who the Lord chose. 64 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:43,000 That's who the Lord chose. The Lord chose the boy who was 65 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,440 hiding. And he told him, you're a mighty 66 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:49,000 man of valor. You're a mighty man of valor. 67 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,760 You're a mighty man of valor. And I just said so strongly that 68 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:58,080 we need to hear this and our men, the men of God, you need to 69 00:03:58,080 --> 00:03:59,800 hear this. You're a mighty man of valor. 70 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,920 And Gideon said, how can I save Israel? 71 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,680 I just love this questions that we have for God, right? 72 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,800 It's like, how is this possible? How is this going to happen? 73 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:17,519 And then he he he talks to the guy like you don't know what 74 00:04:17,519 --> 00:04:19,120 family I'm from. Yeah. 75 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:20,640 The Lord doesn't know. You're right. 76 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,280 The Lord doesn't know where you come from, what side of the 77 00:04:23,280 --> 00:04:26,640 tracks you're born on, where, what city you were born in, what 78 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:28,400 house you're born in. He doesn't know your family. 79 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:29,720 You're right. The Lord doesn't know any of 80 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:30,840 that. Of course he knows that. 81 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,440 And yet he still chose you. And so here's Gideon. 82 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,920 He's saying I am from the weakest clan. 83 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:39,360 And you know what? He wasn't wrong. 84 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:42,840 He was a Benjamite, Benjamin Knight. 85 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,640 And he wasn't wrong. They were the smallest. 86 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,760 And so he's he's telling them this doesn't make any sense. 87 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,440 But you know what I've just found that's often how I feel 88 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,640 with the Lord. And it's intimidating at times 89 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,480 when God points his holy finger at you and he says, I want you 90 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:01,920 and you're like, oh, you got to be kidding me. 91 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:04,640 You know what? I look, you know what I'm going 92 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:08,560 to look like if I step out there like, hey, guys, I'm going to 93 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,480 save Israel. You know what I'm saying? 94 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,440 I'm, I'm, I'm the one God chose. But you know, this is the 95 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,520 pattern of the Bible over and over and over again. 96 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:19,200 He chooses the most unlikely people. 97 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:24,080 So if you feel unlikely, unqualified, you're in the right 98 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,880 place today. If you feel like you have made 99 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,160 too many mistakes to be used by God, you're in the right place 100 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,160 today. Congratulations. 101 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,880 Because you know what? We're in the day where God is 102 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,400 looking for who will do exploits for him. 103 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,760 We really are. We're in the time where God is 104 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,680 looking for people who will audaciously believe that he will 105 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,400 do wonders, that he still is on the move, that he still has a 106 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:52,280 calling and assignments to divvy out to people. 107 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,480 He is looking. Am I in the right church this 108 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:56,680 morning? Anybody want to say Amen? 109 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,800 Yeah. I'm like, have we been here for 110 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,280 the last few months? I mean, God's hand is on our 111 00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:05,840 church. His hand is on us. 112 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,240 And if I look around, I can say, Lord, we're not the biggest and 113 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:10,880 the greatest and the grandest. But you know what? 114 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,520 I just found that the Lord loves that because he knows if you 115 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:16,680 have it all together, you'll take the credit. 116 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,440 You'll be, if you're the most educated, then you're going to 117 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:22,920 let your education take the credit. 118 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:27,360 If you're the one who's got all of the history that makes sense 119 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,280 for that position at that job, well, then you'll give all of 120 00:06:30,280 --> 00:06:33,240 that the credit instead of when God loves to find people, He's 121 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:37,120 like, you got no experience, you got no education, you got no 122 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:41,600 money, and I want you because you will give me the glory. 123 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,360 Isn't that true? Some people want to know why did 124 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,680 God choose the Jewish people? Why did he choose the 125 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:51,720 Israelites? Because they were the least 126 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:53,920 among the nations, and they still are. 127 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,240 And God wanted the least among the nations because he knew it 128 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,600 makes no sense for them to be as influential as they are today. 129 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,600 Oh, I'm going to rabbit trail for just a second, just a 130 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:07,560 second. And people leave the church 131 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,000 every time I do this, but it's all right. 132 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:16,400 I'm going to do it again is the reason why Israel grates on 133 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,760 people today. I'm not saying they do 134 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:20,600 everything right. I'm not saying that everything 135 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,720 politically is right. You know, you and I don't even 136 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:24,640 live there, so it's very hard to tell. 137 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,000 But if they're like our government, our government 138 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,240 doesn't do everything right nor righteously. 139 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:35,920 However, God chose that group of people to make Himself known 140 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,320 through because they're the least likely and they're still 141 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,080 the least likely, and He's still moving through them even today. 142 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,720 Again, I'm not saying all the political parts of it are right 143 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:48,000 or wrong. I'm just saying this is His word 144 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,080 says it about him, and you and I can relate to that. 145 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:54,960 Hello. You and I can relate to that. 146 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,160 We can relate to Gideon. I'm the least of the least of 147 00:07:58,160 --> 00:07:59,960 the least. There is no reason you should 148 00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:02,360 use me. There is no reason this should 149 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,480 work out in my favor. And God loves to use people like 150 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,080 that. You know, I love to just sit and 151 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,200 remember that I grew up 45 minutes down the road in 152 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,760 southeast Guilford County. Every time I drive by there, I'm 153 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:16,760 like, man, this really was rural. 154 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,200 I, I do, I mean, my mom's sitting right here. 155 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,480 I, I drive by and I'm like, it really was not really 156 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:27,280 Greensboro. It was SE Guilford County. 157 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:28,920 That was the name of my high school. 158 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:33,960 And when I think about the Lord of what has happened in my life 159 00:08:35,159 --> 00:08:38,880 and I'm not I'm not even halfway done yet, but what he's already 160 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,600 done in my life, all the the nations that he's allowed me to 161 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:45,440 go to and has used me in. And I think about the little 162 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,840 bitty church that I came from in southeast Guilford County. 163 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:54,600 It blows my mind. So I like to remember and being 164 00:08:54,600 --> 00:09:01,520 like that's I relate to Gideon. You might see me today, but you 165 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,920 should have seen this 2530 years ago. 166 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,360 It was homely. Amen. 167 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,800 It was my my parents did not have money till I graduated high 168 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,120 school. I don't know what happened, but 169 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:15,760 and it wasn't it wasn't anything until we left. 170 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,040 But you know what? I'm thankful for those roots. 171 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:23,120 I'm thankful for those roots. I'm thankful for those roots 172 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:27,560 because they helped me remember. You didn't come from something 173 00:09:27,560 --> 00:09:31,360 that makes all this makes sense. You really don't. 174 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:34,480 Our church doesn't make sense that we paid off $1,000,000 175 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,840 mortgage in two weeks time. It makes no sense. 176 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:43,760 Except for God, except for the Lord. 177 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:49,440 Except for the Lord, the math does math It doesn't. 178 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:53,960 But yet when God says my hand is on you, nothing can stop it. 179 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,400 I wish I was in a more Amen in church today. 180 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,360 I'm going to preach to myself. I said when the hand of the Lord 181 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:09,000 is on you, nothing can stop it. If I have to preach to myself, I 182 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:14,120 will no these things. Because if you can't Amen here. 183 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:16,280 When you're faced with challenges out there, you will 184 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:19,560 forget. If you can't anchor into it 185 00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:21,040 here, you're going to have a hard time. 186 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,440 And by the way, when I'm preaching a message on mighty 187 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:25,800 men, don't, don't be shocked. I'm going to be a little bit 188 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:27,040 strong. Praise the Lord. 189 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,840 The Angel of the Lord said, go in this might of yours and you 190 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,200 shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. 191 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,280 Go in this might of yours. Isn't that fascinating? 192 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,760 Go in this might of yours. He had little strength and he 193 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:43,280 told whatever strength you got, go use it because what was the 194 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,640 difference maker? He said I will be with you and 195 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,760 you shall defeat the Midianites as one man I shall be with. 196 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,920 That statement was going to ring very true for Gideon when his 197 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:59,640 big old army, which wasn't even big got whittled down to 300. 198 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,480 So don't think it coincidental that God says I'll do it through 199 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:09,240 one of you. If it had gotten to just Gideon 200 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:13,120 God would have won. Come on, y'all believe the 201 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,480 Bible? These things that God says to 202 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,480 you, lean into them because you think, oh it's a metaphor. 203 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:23,880 It was not a metaphor. He whittled a a group of 10,000 204 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:29,200 to 300. But God said if it was just you, 205 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:34,600 I would have won. Glory to God, I'm encouraged 206 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:35,640 already. Praise the Lord. 207 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:39,360 Now let's look at first Samuel chapter 22. 208 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:44,320 First Samuel chapter 22, you're going to be happy you came 209 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:45,520 today. I'm just telling you right now. 210 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:48,960 So just get your happy meter going because you're going to be 211 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,000 really thankful because you know what? 212 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:56,640 I, I received such strength from the scriptures, such strength 213 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:59,000 from the scriptures. Look at First Samuel chapter 22, 214 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,680 verse 2, and everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in 215 00:12:02,680 --> 00:12:06,080 debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him, 216 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,600 him being David. So he became captain over them 217 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:11,720 and there was about 400 men with him. 218 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:16,160 Wow, Lord, thanks. He's like, I'm going to bring 219 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,560 you a great group of guys and they're going to be all 220 00:12:18,560 --> 00:12:20,320 indebted. They're going to be distressed 221 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:22,400 and they're going to be discontented. 222 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:25,880 They're going to be just the most grumpy of men out there and 223 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:27,200 they're all going to come to you. 224 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:29,240 And by the way, there's going to not be a couple of them. 225 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:33,080 I'm going to give you a 400 thanks. 226 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:39,080 But you know, I love the details of Scripture because when we 227 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:42,800 read in just a couple moments about the men that these men 228 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:49,720 became, it's awe inspiring. It's awe inspiring. 229 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:54,240 They were not the ones that made sense to make a great army out 230 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,240 of. They weren't the ones that a 231 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:59,680 kingly man would choose. They were the ones that God 232 00:12:59,680 --> 00:13:07,720 chose and God began to 1 by 1 by 1 by 1 call the right men at the 233 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:12,760 right time and they gathered to David and David became captain 234 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:14,760 over these men. These were the same men. 235 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,560 They would go in and out of the caves and they would fight the 236 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,400 for the Philistines sometimes, sometimes against the 237 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,040 Philistines, but they were, the Bible says they were fighting 238 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,840 the battles of the Lord. And so let's look at First 239 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:29,760 Chronicles chapter 12. By the way, if you, if you're 240 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:33,480 not familiar, first and second Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, First 241 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:36,840 and second Chronicles, a lot of them are telling similar stories 242 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,360 and they're kind of crossing over one another. 243 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:42,000 They're just from different accounts, but you get little 244 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:46,920 bits and pieces from each one. And so this isn't the exact same 245 00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:51,000 place where we find David in First Chronicles, but you'll get 246 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,600 the idea of it's the same men though a little bit later on at 247 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:56,680 First Chronicles chapter 12 verse 16. 248 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:00,400 Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David 249 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,560 at the stronghold, and David went out to meet them and 250 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:06,680 answered and said to them, If you have come peaceably to me to 251 00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:09,240 help me, my heart will be united with you. 252 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,760 But if to betray me to my enemy, since there is no wrong in my 253 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:14,920 hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring 254 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:17,960 judgement. Then the Spirit came upon MSI, 255 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:21,800 chief of the captains, and he said, We are yours, O David, we 256 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:25,200 are on your side, O son of Jesse, peace, peace to you, and 257 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:27,920 peace to your helpers, for your God helps you. 258 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:31,600 So David received them and made them captains of the troop. 259 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,360 Verse 19. And some from the NASA defected 260 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:36,960 to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle 261 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:40,920 against Saul, but they did not help them, for the Lords of the 262 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:44,720 Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying he may defect 263 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,680 his master soul and endanger our heads. 264 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:50,920 And when he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected 265 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:55,880 to him were Abna, Josabad, Jeddiel, Michael, Josabad, 266 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:59,920 Elihu, and Zelathi, captains of the thousands who were from 267 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:02,280 Manasseh. And they helped David against 268 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,360 the bands of Raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, 269 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:07,000 and they were captains in the army. 270 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,040 Look at verse 22. For at that time they came to 271 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:15,120 David day by day, to help him, until it was a great army, like 272 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:19,200 the army of God. For at that time they came to 273 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:24,080 David day by day to help him until it was a great army, like 274 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:30,040 the army of God. So they became a great army. 275 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:31,560 Why? Because they came day by day 276 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:34,520 because God was collecting them. You know, it's interesting how 277 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,240 God will use practical things to draw people. 278 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:41,240 He'll use people who don't even know they're being led by God to 279 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:43,920 get them to the right place at the right time for his own 280 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:47,680 purposes. Not everybody who's using being 281 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:50,120 used by God is going to come and say thus, saith the Lord. 282 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,400 In fact, most of the time people are unaware that God moved you 283 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,960 here. Some of you are here today not 284 00:15:55,960 --> 00:16:00,040 because you had some sort of spirit LED plan that you knew 285 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:01,800 of. You just are like, yeah, it's 286 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:03,360 just a church. We're not quite sure we're here 287 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:05,840 at the amount of times I've heard people tell me we're not 288 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:08,200 quite sure why you're at their church, which by the way, is not 289 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:09,720 the most encouraging thing, but it's OK. 290 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:11,120 They're here. They're like, we're not quite 291 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,400 sure why you're here inside. I'm like, I know why you're here 292 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:17,800 because God's drawing people here. 293 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:23,480 He's drawing people here. And I watch people come and go. 294 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,960 And what you may not know is we're on the side praying, Lord, 295 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,120 bring people. And may the people that you want 296 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,880 here not be able to leave. And may the people that you 297 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:35,600 didn't bring here who shouldn't be here, may they not be able to 298 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:41,240 stay. And I test that every once in a 299 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:48,520 while with some things that I say, but I do that. 300 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,040 I can't think of a time where I didn't do it when it wasn't 301 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:54,400 something based on the word of God. 302 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:00,640 Last week I gave a very pointed message. 303 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:02,920 How many of you got my e-mail this week with just a follow up 304 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:04,119 statement? Yes. 305 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,240 And I got wonderful emails of Amen, Amen. 306 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:10,200 Thank you for saying it and all what not. 307 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:14,480 I did get a couple people who left our church this week said 308 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:16,040 please remove me from your membership. 309 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,599 They didn't say why, but the timing is interesting, isn't it? 310 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:24,160 And then I got another interesting e-mail which told 311 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,480 me, oh, I'm right on track, that I should be saying these things. 312 00:17:29,120 --> 00:17:33,000 Basically told me that a pregnant person, not a pregnant 313 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,280 woman, a pregnant person should be able to make whatever 314 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:39,880 decision they wanted to, whether their partner is involved or 315 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:41,680 not. This was on our e-mail 316 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:45,320 distribution list. Somebody who got our e-mail, 317 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:47,640 they don't go to our church. I didn't even know who it was, 318 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,520 but I got their e-mail and I, I wanted to send them a thank you 319 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,440 back and say thank you. You just filled my tank. 320 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:58,560 I can run off this fuel for a long time because this tells me 321 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:00,600 I'm right on track. This is why I need to be 322 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:05,640 preaching the unadulterated, uncompromised Word of God to 323 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:09,000 tell people that you don't listen to the doctors when they 324 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:10,960 come in. And, and by the way, I had some 325 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:13,480 people in our own church that said they're, they're, they're, 326 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,080 they have conceived and they have child right now. 327 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:17,680 They're, they're pregnant right now. 328 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:22,040 And even without issues, the doctors asking them, do you want 329 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:24,520 to terminate the pregnancy? They're giving them timelines of 330 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:26,640 when they would need to know by the time they need to terminate 331 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:28,920 the pregnancy. And then all the more, if 332 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:32,960 there's any sign of any issue in the womb, they offer that and 333 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,320 they push it. That's demonic. 334 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:39,760 And I don't have any problem preaching it, saying it. 335 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:43,480 I don't care how many emails I get it why or that I get from it 336 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:46,680 why. Because this is the age of 337 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:51,240 mighty men and you can't cower. You can't be afraid. 338 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,720 You can't be. You just can't. 339 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,520 You got to be able to stand. And if a pastor can't stand on 340 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:01,080 the pulpit with confidence, then how can I look at you, 341 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:03,560 straighten the eyeball, and tell you you should stand strong at 342 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:12,970 work? For at that time they came to 343 00:19:12,970 --> 00:19:17,010 David day by day to help him until it was a great army, like 344 00:19:17,010 --> 00:19:21,610 the army of God. God is drawing people to the 345 00:19:21,610 --> 00:19:24,650 places that He needs them. Some of them are here, some of 346 00:19:24,650 --> 00:19:28,290 them are still coming, some the Lord has assignments elsewhere 347 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,080 for the army of God, The army of God. 348 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:32,880 I love it. What? 349 00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:36,080 First, just a few verses down in verse 38. 350 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:39,920 Still in First Chronicles 12, it says all these men of war who 351 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:44,600 could keep ranks came to Hebron with the loyal heart to keep to 352 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:48,760 make David king over all Israel and all the rest of Israel were 353 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:52,040 of one mind to make David king. Now at this time, that was the 354 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:56,320 purpose God was working on a a plan for David to become king. 355 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:58,800 That's not the part that I'm applying here today. 356 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,160 What I want to apply here today is that God was bringing people 357 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,280 who could keep in line with his purpose. 358 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:09,280 This this phrase that they were able to keep ranks is repeated a 359 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,480 number of times within this chapter and other chapters like 360 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:17,040 it of of a of an attribute of mighty men. 361 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:22,600 Mighty men can keep rank. Mighty men can stay standing. 362 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:26,120 Even in the midst of tremendous pressure, even in the midst of 363 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:28,560 tremendous ridicule, they keep rank. 364 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:30,800 We don't move. We don't get out of order. 365 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,120 We don't get out of line. We stay right where we need to 366 00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:35,480 be. We face the enemy head on, 367 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,520 unafraid. We keep rank that takes might 368 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,320 and strength. Now I'm going to talk in a 369 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,840 couple moments that we know our strength comes from the Lord, 370 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:47,040 but I just want to for a moment lean into the fact though, that 371 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,840 it is going to sometimes feel intimidating. 372 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,800 But you cannot succumb to that kind of pressure. 373 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,840 You have to keep ranks. We're in the day and age where 374 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:02,800 we need the men of God to keep rank for our families, for our 375 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:06,680 church, for their own assignment, for their own 376 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:10,160 calling, for the Kingdom of God. You must be able to keep ranks. 377 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:16,400 You, you know, many of you would have seen different movies, 378 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,280 whether it be historical movies or just, you know, Hollywood 379 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,240 type movies where there's the battle and you know, this 380 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:25,880 overwhelming army is coming at another group. 381 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,120 And then what they do, they break ranks, they turn around 382 00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:30,080 and they retreat. That is not us. 383 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:34,960 Am I the right church? Amen. 384 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,480 That's not us. We're not those the Bible says 385 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:39,080 we are not those who shrink back. 386 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:43,640 I'll tell you right now, I am not one who will shrink back. 387 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:47,120 I'm not one who will shrink back. 388 00:21:47,120 --> 00:21:50,240 And neither are you going to be. You're going to be able to keep 389 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,040 ranks. And we're going to be, we're 390 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,640 going to do stuff with love. Even the people who love the 391 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,000 church, I love them. They can come back next week and 392 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,240 I'll hug them because it's not personal. 393 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:03,880 But everybody who God has called here, I pray that there's 394 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:05,480 nothing you can do except for stay. 395 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,280 And I pray that anybody who comes for false motives, demonic 396 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:12,560 motives, any other motives, may they not be able to stay. 397 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:15,520 They got to go. Amen. 398 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:22,640 That takes strength to say it. That takes strength to live it 399 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:24,200 out. That's true. 400 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:32,120 In your own life, friends, companions, things that you may 401 00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:34,880 have allowed in. It takes strength to hold ranks 402 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,440 and say, no, you have to bend. I'm not bending. 403 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:43,120 That takes strength. That takes might. 404 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:48,400 And God chose indebted, distressed, discontented people, 405 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,080 and he made them into mighty men who could keep ranks. 406 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:57,280 That was not their predisposition in life. 407 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:01,560 God made them that way. He caused them to be that way. 408 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:03,400 I, this is not my predisposition. 409 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,840 I, when I was in high school, half my high school day was in 410 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,600 the creative arts. I was in band for 1/4 and I was 411 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:18,320 in show choir and 1/4. So this is not my predisposition 412 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:21,360 to be like, you know, that's not my predisposition. 413 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,960 I was playing a trumpet and, you know, singing in dance tunes, 414 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,720 you know, like that was that was my high school. 415 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:36,160 OK, yes, it's true. I'm like, I can do the box step 416 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:41,640 like anybody, you know, like, but that's not who I am anymore. 417 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:45,760 Not that that's bad, but I, God needed me to be this way today. 418 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:50,840 And he made me this way. He did, He caused me to be 419 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:54,040 strong in the Lord. He did. 420 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,160 And he will cause you to do the same thing. 421 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:02,000 This is not a personality thing. This, this has nothing to do 422 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,680 with the disk profile or with the enneagram or with any of 423 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,200 those things. This is how God makes you when 424 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:11,240 you enlist in his army. He makes you a mighty man of 425 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:16,000 Heller. He trains you, he conditions 426 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:21,160 you, he tests you. Glory to God so that when you 427 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,840 get into the fight, he's like, you can keep rank. 428 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,760 That's good. And I'm afraid that we're in. 429 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:33,000 We've been through a season of the church where we, we, Lord, 430 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,960 help me, I'm going to say it, where we trained a bunch of 431 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:43,520 wussies so that when pandemics hit and cultural issues hit, 432 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:47,680 they all break. Rakes come on, they disappear. 433 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:49,240 They, they, they, they, they flood. 434 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:52,360 And I don't blame as much the people as I do. 435 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:55,640 There were many leaders who stopped training for war. 436 00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:00,600 They stopped holding strong. They stopped standing strong. 437 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:04,320 They stopped calling people to discipleship, costly 438 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,000 discipleship. We made it easy. 439 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,480 We're like, oh, you can, you know, you can sip your, your, 440 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:13,840 your, your latte and it won't cost you anything. 441 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:15,480 This is just going to be smooth ride. 442 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:17,080 This is like your best life ever. 443 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:19,960 And I'm like, where did you see that in Scripture? 444 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:24,040 Jesus said, if you want to gain life, you have to lose it. 445 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:28,120 Paul said, I have been crucified with Christ. 446 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:30,800 It's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me. 447 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,560 That's that's the language of mighty men. 448 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:36,800 That's the language of mighty people. 449 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,680 So it's no wonder that it's those kind of people who are 450 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:43,680 still around. I look around and I see the ones 451 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:45,760 who are like, well, I don't want to be legalistic. 452 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:49,320 Where are they today? Hello. 453 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,040 Where are the ones who are like, well, we don't want to, we 454 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,160 don't, you know, we just believe it's all under grace. 455 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:57,160 Well, I believe in the grace of God to do the will of God. 456 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,640 So when you stop doing the will of God because it's all under 457 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,280 grace, you have misinterpreted scripture. 458 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:07,400 And honestly, you probably are under the sway of a doctrine of 459 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:09,760 demons. Because when you have the Spirit 460 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,640 of God, it is to empower you to do the will of God. 461 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:17,360 Not to hang at home in a lazy boy chair to just what I just do 462 00:26:17,360 --> 00:26:18,880 whatever the Lord tells me to do. 463 00:26:19,120 --> 00:26:21,680 I just do whatever I feel like doing on any given day. 464 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:24,640 Well, that must be great. I heard a message this last 465 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:26,840 Wednesday night. I brought it to our team and 466 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,960 they're like, well, that must be nice that you get to do whatever 467 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:32,560 you want to do. But because I've been crucified 468 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:35,360 with Christ and that's what Scripture says, that I have to 469 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:37,880 live that way. And I just look around and I'm 470 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:41,560 like the the people who are still standing are mighty men 471 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:44,240 and women of God who live that way. 472 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:47,920 Everyone else that I heard that had all this kind of lazy 473 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:51,880 theology, they get swept out 1 by 1 by 1 by 1. 474 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:54,200 Everyone's like, what happened? We know what happened. 475 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:56,280 They were not able to keep ranks. 476 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:07,640 Just kidding, but this is Bible. Men need to hear this kind of 477 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:12,520 preaching. You are not snowflakes. 478 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:14,760 Praise the Lord. You will not melt. 479 00:27:16,360 --> 00:27:18,080 Glory to God, right? You're not. 480 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:22,720 You can take it, we can take it. The God designed us. 481 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:26,520 He created us to be able to take truth in love. 482 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,120 He created us to be able to, to, to stand up straight and to take 483 00:27:32,120 --> 00:27:35,480 it. Praise the Lord. 484 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:45,080 Second Samuel chapter 23, chapter 23, verse 8. 485 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:47,600 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had. 486 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:51,760 So remember the indebted, the distressed, the discontented, 487 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:56,960 these are their names. Joseb Bashabeth, the Tachmanite, 488 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:01,240 chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite 489 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:04,000 because he had killed 800 men at one time. 490 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:13,320 Is this in the Bible? And after him, what is this list 491 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:15,760 keeps going. After him was Eleazar, the son 492 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:22,320 of Dodo. I could pronounce it different, 493 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,360 Dodo or something like that, to make it sound more 494 00:28:25,360 --> 00:28:30,200 sophisticated. The Alhite, one of the three 495 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:33,120 mighty men with David, when they had to, defied the Philistines, 496 00:28:33,120 --> 00:28:35,480 who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel 497 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:38,920 retreated. He arose, he won, arose and 498 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,360 attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary and his hands 499 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,880 stuck to the sword. The Lord brought about a great 500 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:49,240 victory that day, and the people returned after him only to 501 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:52,520 plunder. He took He took control of the 502 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:55,080 situation and he fought back. Why? 503 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:58,440 Because God was with him. When you fight the battles of 504 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:00,520 the Lord, it's no longer you who's fighting. 505 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,880 It's God who fights with you. And when he fights with you, you 506 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:05,600 will do things you never thought possible. 507 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:08,920 You will do things that you never thought possible. 508 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:13,160 We no longer sling us a sword and kill people ourselves. 509 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:15,960 But when you're talking about the battles of the Lord and 510 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,400 you're talking about taking territory and fulfilling God's 511 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,080 assignment, you better believe you'll know when you come up on 512 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,800 a supernatural battle. I have faced many, many, many in 513 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,760 my life, both in this ministry and in the ministry that I came 514 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:29,880 from. Supernatural things have 515 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:31,400 happened. Some of them are in the book 516 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:35,720 that I have written and that is coming out on September the 1st. 517 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:40,160 Praise the Lord, but a lot of those stories are in there. 518 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:42,200 Why? Because the the title of that 519 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:46,600 book is Battle Ready Faith. So this has stirred in me that 520 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,080 there are great victories that happened when you follow the 521 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,480 Lord. Verse 11 And after him was 522 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:55,720 Shema, the son of Aji the Ahurite. 523 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:00,400 The Philistines had gathered together in a troop where there 524 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:02,360 was a piece of ground full of lentils. 525 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:05,320 Everybody say beans. This was the bean field. 526 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:08,760 So the people fled from the Philistines, but he stationed 527 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:12,920 himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed 528 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:15,320 the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a 529 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:18,520 great victory. Did you hear me? 530 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:20,960 He stationed himself and the bean field. 531 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:22,360 You know why? Because when the Spirit of the 532 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:26,200 Lord comes on you, you're like, I'm not given one inch. 533 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:28,800 Someone says, well, it's just a bean field. 534 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:31,400 It's my bean field. And I'm going to stand in the 535 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:35,560 middle of it and you're going to back off until, until every 536 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:40,520 single one of y'all slayed, hello, this is my bean field. 537 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:42,480 Just turn your neighbor and say, this is my bean field. 538 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:48,560 This is my bean field. This is my, you know how many 539 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:52,320 bean fields the body of Christ has given up in recent years 540 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:54,440 because it was just a bean field. 541 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:58,040 And then when you turn around you realize, Dang, we all gave 542 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:00,360 up bean fields and that means he took tons. 543 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:04,400 The Satan took tons of territory, tons of territory, 544 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:08,920 tons of people, tons of people because we would just stand and 545 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:12,360 hold our ranks and allow the Lord to do a wonder through us. 546 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:14,880 So the Lord brought about a great victory. 547 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:19,920 Verse 13. Then the three of the 30 chief 548 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,680 men went down at harvest time and came to David at The Cave 549 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:25,560 Cave of Adolam. The troop of the Philistines 550 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:27,120 encamped to the valley of Raphaim. 551 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:29,880 David was then in the stronghold, and the Garrison of 552 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:33,560 the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 553 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,520 And David said with longing, Oh, that someone would give me a 554 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:39,800 drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate. 555 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,080 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the 556 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,920 Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by 557 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:46,760 the gate, and took it, brought it to David. 558 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:50,560 Nevertheless, he would not drink it, but he poured it out to the 559 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:52,280 Lord. And he said, Far be it for me, O 560 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:55,200 Lord, that I should do this. Is this not the blood of the men 561 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:57,880 of who who went in jeopardy of their lives? 562 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:01,440 Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the 563 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:12,600 three mighty men, 3, 3 not 100, not the whole Garrison, not the 564 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:20,280 whole army, 3 just three, just three. 565 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:27,240 So I just wonder sometimes what would happen if all of us took 566 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:32,040 on this kind of strength of the Lord and started functioning as 567 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:37,000 God had assigned us to. What would happen if you would 568 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:42,760 stand in the middle of your bean field and fight for it and fight 569 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:47,000 for it and you fight for your family, you fight for that 570 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,560 relationship that seems irreconcilable. 571 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:52,920 And you stand in that bean field and you pray and you pray and 572 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:56,960 you pray and you beat back every demonic onslaught, every fiery 573 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:57,560 dart. Come on. 574 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,680 That's, that's what's happening today in this culture. 575 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:04,920 And you stand there and you say, I will not yield 1 bean to the 576 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:07,400 devil. Hello. 577 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:12,480 And some of us, we're, we may even feel convicted today that 578 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,200 we've allowed too many bean fields to be taken. 579 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:21,720 And I'm tired of seeing bean fields being given over and over 580 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:23,640 to the enemy. And I just have felt from the 581 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:27,960 Lord like he's tired too. And so he is calling up an army 582 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:31,400 of mighty men that were in the age of mighty men. 583 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:35,000 This is the time of mighty men. This is the time where men are 584 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:39,400 called to arise. This is the time where men are 585 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:43,480 called to arise. Had an amazing conversation with 586 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:44,880 someone in our church the other day. 587 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,200 They're just telling me about how God's called them to 588 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:48,800 ministry and all of these things. 589 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:52,400 And I knew and I read this chapter the next day after 590 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:56,160 talking to him. I had this was in, in, in our 591 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:58,960 daily reading, the first Chronicles 1 and it was in our 592 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:00,680 daily reading. And as I'm reading, I'm like, 593 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:02,960 this literally just happened to me where it said day by day 594 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:04,480 they're coming, day by day they're coming. 595 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,840 And I'm having a conversation and he's telling me that God's 596 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:09,880 calling him up And I'm like, yes he is. 597 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,520 And so I enlisted him and he starts this week. 598 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:15,600 Praise the Lord. Hello. 599 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:23,239 So to me, this is not a theory. I live this, you can live it 600 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:24,280 too. Let's tell. 601 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,679 Stand to our feet. Are you ready to be enlisted? 602 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:30,520 3 people? Praise the Lord, I'll enlist the 603 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,360 three of you because that's all I need according to this 604 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:39,360 Scripture is 3 mighty men, glory to God, lift your hands and 605 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:42,239 let's just begin to receive strength from the Lord. 606 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:45,520 Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10 says, finally, my brethren, be 607 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:48,440 strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. 608 00:34:48,679 --> 00:34:51,840 And I just declare that over every single person here today, 609 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:56,199 especially the men, the men, the men of a rise church, be strong 610 00:34:56,199 --> 00:34:58,440 in the Lord and in the power of his might. 611 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:01,640 The strength that these men receive to do great exploits 612 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:05,240 from the Lord is available to you in the power of the Lord 613 00:35:05,240 --> 00:35:09,760 Jesus Christ. We want to thank you again for 614 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:11,800 joining us for the Arise Church podcast. 615 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:14,200 We hope you were encouraged by what you heard today. 616 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:17,760 You can find us.online@arisechurchn-c.com and 617 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:21,960 on Instagram at Arise Church NC. If you need prayer or support or 618 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:25,040 are interested in learning more about Arise Church, we encourage 619 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:28,440 you to connect with us online or in person at our Sunday morning 620 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:30,520 service. Thank you and God bless.