WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:03.740 Now, this morning, we have already had a time 00:00:03.740 --> 00:00:08.039 of prayer concerning when we are up against the 00:00:08.039 --> 00:00:12.439 wall, right? And a good number of you raised 00:00:12.439 --> 00:00:16.280 your hands. And when we're up against the wall, 00:00:16.420 --> 00:00:20.600 we do continually believe and are praying for 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:27.039 the wall to come down. There is something in 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:33.579 the wall experience that I believe we need. This 00:00:33.579 --> 00:00:35.759 morning, the text, we're going to read it in 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:38.899 its fullness, is in Philippians 4, and we're 00:00:38.899 --> 00:00:43.979 going to start in verse 11. This is Paul, the 00:00:43.979 --> 00:00:48.899 Apostle Paul, right? Great man of God. Not that 00:00:48.899 --> 00:00:55.710 I speak in regard to need. offering that had 00:00:55.710 --> 00:01:00.770 been given from the church in Philippi, and they 00:01:00.770 --> 00:01:04.689 had not been able to give to him or had the opportunity 00:01:04.689 --> 00:01:09.109 to give the way they had wanted to. And so he's 00:01:09.109 --> 00:01:12.650 addressing them in this, and he said, not that 00:01:12.650 --> 00:01:16.549 I speak in regard to need, for I have learned 00:01:16.549 --> 00:01:25.239 in whatever state I am to be content. I know 00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:33.560 how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:38.060 and in all things, I have learned both to be 00:01:38.060 --> 00:01:43.659 full and to be hungry. Truthfully, I think we 00:01:43.659 --> 00:01:49.290 mostly know how to be full, right? As soon as 00:01:49.290 --> 00:01:52.890 we enter into a fast, we quickly discover that 00:01:52.890 --> 00:01:57.329 we don't know how to be hungry very well. Because 00:01:57.329 --> 00:01:59.769 suddenly the Holy Spirit is saying, okay, your 00:01:59.769 --> 00:02:04.230 fast is over. When really your flesh is saying, 00:02:04.269 --> 00:02:09.650 feed me. I don't like to be hungry. I don't like 00:02:09.650 --> 00:02:14.780 to be abased. I don't like to be without. But 00:02:14.780 --> 00:02:17.840 Paul said, I've learned both to be full and to 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:23.659 be hungry, both to abound. Oh, we do well in 00:02:23.659 --> 00:02:29.860 the abounding. But have we learned to do well 00:02:29.860 --> 00:02:37.319 when we suffer need? And then it's in this verse 00:02:37.319 --> 00:02:41.139 right here that he says, I can do all things 00:02:41.139 --> 00:02:47.180 through Christ. who strengthens me. And this 00:02:47.180 --> 00:02:51.659 morning, what I want is to come along Paul. And 00:02:51.659 --> 00:02:55.379 I love the wordage that he uses here. He says, 00:02:55.560 --> 00:03:00.360 what? I just know how to be in lack. I know how 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:03.280 to do it really well. No, he didn't say that, 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:09.039 did he? What did he say? I have learned. I have 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:13.919 learned to be full. and I have learned to be 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:18.860 in need. And the truth is that we do like it 00:03:18.860 --> 00:03:21.919 better when we're full and when we're abounding 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:26.879 and the blessings are flowing. But even in that, 00:03:27.060 --> 00:03:32.099 we have to learn. We have to learn to abound 00:03:32.099 --> 00:03:36.919 so as not to be proud, to not be secure in our 00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:42.319 own self -sufficiency. or for using that abundance 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:46.719 for selfish purposes, right? We have to learn 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:51.080 how to abound well. Today, what I want us to 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:54.939 really see, though, is that in the times of abasement, 00:03:54.939 --> 00:03:58.039 the times when we are brought low, when we are 00:03:58.039 --> 00:04:01.819 restricted, the times of suffering and need, 00:04:02.219 --> 00:04:07.020 there is a temptation that can come in that place. 00:04:09.069 --> 00:04:12.469 In that place of suffering need is our temptation 00:04:12.469 --> 00:04:20.290 to lose comfort in God. It's temptation to distrust 00:04:20.290 --> 00:04:24.089 his provision. Well, I've been tithing for years. 00:04:26.110 --> 00:04:29.029 And when it doesn't feel like we're abounding, 00:04:29.230 --> 00:04:34.709 right? Many of us have been there. We begin to 00:04:34.709 --> 00:04:40.000 distrust, is God really providing? It is in those 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.899 moments that we are tempted to make the blessing 00:04:43.899 --> 00:04:49.319 happen on our own. Abraham and Sarah knew something 00:04:49.319 --> 00:04:53.379 about that, didn't they? Thus was born Ishmael. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:57.720 These are temptations that we have to learn to 00:04:57.720 --> 00:05:03.420 navigate when we are up against the wall. And 00:05:03.420 --> 00:05:07.860 so this morning, We're going to be taking a little 00:05:07.860 --> 00:05:13.620 journey through the life of David. About a month 00:05:13.620 --> 00:05:19.680 ago, I had a brief dream, and I have discovered 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:23.060 in my life that there have only been a few times 00:05:23.060 --> 00:05:26.600 when I have had dreams that I know are from God. 00:05:28.439 --> 00:05:33.600 One was in our previous church. And I had had 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:38.740 a very vivid dream about gossip. I get chills 00:05:38.740 --> 00:05:43.519 even now. And in the church, it was very demonic, 00:05:43.699 --> 00:05:49.060 like just vomiting. And that was a very vivid 00:05:49.060 --> 00:05:51.839 dream that I had. I had a dream concerning my 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:56.620 son. I had a dream one morning. It wasn't really 00:05:56.620 --> 00:05:59.800 a dream. It was more the Holy Spirit. in those 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:04.759 waking before you're awake, a command to pray 00:06:04.759 --> 00:06:08.480 for the spreading of the Holy Spirit through 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:12.800 the region. And about a month ago, I had a dream. 00:06:13.019 --> 00:06:15.720 It wasn't a dream, really. It was more like the 00:06:15.720 --> 00:06:19.040 voice of God speaking in my sleep. And I think 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:21.379 sometimes he does that because every time I've 00:06:21.379 --> 00:06:25.740 had those moments, I've had need to stand in 00:06:25.740 --> 00:06:30.360 faith, believing. And it's like he knows that 00:06:30.360 --> 00:06:33.660 in that state of being, it's like my spirit just 00:06:33.660 --> 00:06:37.980 is open. And it was very simple and very quick. 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:44.180 And all I heard was, I have restrained you so 00:06:44.180 --> 00:06:49.439 I can expand you. That was it. And I just kept 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:52.319 on sleeping. But I woke up having heard that. 00:06:53.069 --> 00:06:57.230 And ever since I heard that, it's been just resonating 00:06:57.230 --> 00:07:03.110 within my spirit. I have restrained you so I 00:07:03.110 --> 00:07:09.430 can expand you. And the question that came out 00:07:09.430 --> 00:07:17.990 of that was this. Do I trust the restraint of 00:07:17.990 --> 00:07:29.220 the Lord? over abundance in my life? Is knowing 00:07:29.220 --> 00:07:37.899 that God is in the restraint of my life, do I 00:07:37.899 --> 00:07:43.199 trust being in that place with him? Or is it 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:46.439 only when I feel his abundance that I trust him? 00:07:48.519 --> 00:07:52.279 And from that question, I've been saying, God, 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:58.319 teach me like Paul. Teach me how to be in the 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:01.899 restraint. Teach me how to be in the place of 00:08:01.899 --> 00:08:05.279 suffering need. Teach me how to be in the place 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:10.160 of being brought low. Of feeling like every time 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:13.899 I turn around, I hit that wall. And I think that 00:08:13.899 --> 00:08:18.339 Paul understood that. I think that Paul often, 00:08:18.459 --> 00:08:20.879 every time he turned around, it was like he was 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:23.959 getting slapped in the face. He endured such 00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:27.939 hardship that every time he turned around, that's 00:08:27.939 --> 00:08:32.299 what he was being faced with. And he says, I've 00:08:32.299 --> 00:08:38.059 learned how to be in this place. And so this 00:08:38.059 --> 00:08:43.929 morning, I want us to walk through quickly. Five 00:08:43.929 --> 00:08:46.789 seasons that were critical in the life of King 00:08:46.789 --> 00:08:51.029 David. Often when we think about restraint and 00:08:51.029 --> 00:08:53.509 how to live well in the places of restraint, 00:08:53.629 --> 00:08:57.169 we do think about the life of Joseph. But I have 00:08:57.169 --> 00:09:03.149 this strong pull toward King David. Because I 00:09:03.149 --> 00:09:05.909 feel like he's just so real, right? He just, 00:09:06.169 --> 00:09:11.889 he made so many mistakes. He endured so much 00:09:11.889 --> 00:09:14.870 up and down that I feel like he could just relate 00:09:14.870 --> 00:09:20.090 with stuff in our life. And so we're going to 00:09:20.090 --> 00:09:22.669 quickly, it's 1117 already, so we're going to 00:09:22.669 --> 00:09:25.409 quickly move through. I would encourage you, 00:09:25.429 --> 00:09:28.470 though, this is, we're going to be in 1 and 2 00:09:28.470 --> 00:09:32.090 Samuel today. I would encourage you at your leisure, 00:09:32.129 --> 00:09:35.029 in your private study, to just slowly walk through 00:09:35.029 --> 00:09:40.789 the life of David. and see his interaction with 00:09:40.789 --> 00:09:44.990 God. The first season that we're going to look 00:09:44.990 --> 00:09:48.929 at is his season of Bethlehem. This is his childhood. 00:09:49.429 --> 00:09:52.309 Now, how many of you know your childhood often 00:09:52.309 --> 00:09:57.690 can make and break your life if it's not dealt 00:09:57.690 --> 00:10:02.090 with as an adult? And David didn't have it always 00:10:02.090 --> 00:10:09.759 the easiest growing up. when it came time for 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:15.059 the kingdom to be removed from King Saul, and 00:10:15.059 --> 00:10:20.759 Samuel was sent to anoint another king, and so 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:24.899 he goes to the house of Judah, he goes to the 00:10:24.899 --> 00:10:30.220 house of Jesse, and he invites them to sacrifice 00:10:30.220 --> 00:10:36.480 to the Lord with him and his sons. Do you think 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:40.159 that Any of them, not the father, none of the 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:45.820 brothers, thought to call David in from being 00:10:45.820 --> 00:10:51.340 out in the field watching the sheep. No, not 00:10:51.340 --> 00:10:54.919 one of them said, hey, do you think we should 00:10:54.919 --> 00:11:02.840 invite David? It did not occur to any of them 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:09.080 to invite David to sacrifice with the great prophet 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:16.480 Samuel. And so all of the sons passed before 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:23.700 Samuel. And God says, no, no, no, no. Get to 00:11:23.700 --> 00:11:27.840 the end of the line of the sons. Nope. And Samuel's 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:30.840 like, what's up? There's got to be another son. 00:11:31.379 --> 00:11:33.820 Don't you have another son? Oh, well, yeah, he's 00:11:33.820 --> 00:11:39.360 just David out on the field. Call him in. I want 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:45.799 David to walk in front of me. And so Samuel said 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:50.100 to Jesse, send him, bring him, for we will not 00:11:50.100 --> 00:11:55.799 sit down till he comes here. This is in 1 Samuel 00:11:55.799 --> 00:12:01.779 16. I'm summarizing for you. So he sent and brought 00:12:01.779 --> 00:12:05.019 him in. He was ready with bright eyes and good 00:12:05.019 --> 00:12:09.480 looking, and the Lord said, Arise, anoint him, 00:12:09.620 --> 00:12:15.860 for this is the one. Then Samuel took the horn 00:12:15.860 --> 00:12:20.879 of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. 00:12:21.580 --> 00:12:26.419 Oh yes, this is going to cause such brotherly 00:12:26.419 --> 00:12:30.779 love. I'm sure the brothers were just Yeah, one 00:12:30.779 --> 00:12:37.779 of us gets to be king. The Spirit of the Lord 00:12:37.779 --> 00:12:44.639 came upon David from that day forward. This season 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:49.220 of David's life had been a season of dirt, hardworking, 00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:54.419 smelly sheep. It had been a season of learning 00:12:54.419 --> 00:12:58.299 how to fight. the animals, becoming a warrior. 00:12:58.500 --> 00:13:01.639 It was learning how to worship when he's alone 00:13:01.639 --> 00:13:05.700 in this field and everybody has overlooked him. 00:13:08.919 --> 00:13:14.740 This was a season that formed David for his future. 00:13:17.059 --> 00:13:20.740 I think that in the next chapter here, we have 00:13:20.740 --> 00:13:23.960 an additional look at... the brotherly affection 00:13:23.960 --> 00:13:26.879 that was happening. If you go over to chapter 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:30.799 17, we have the account with David and Goliath. 00:13:31.259 --> 00:13:36.100 And so David is taking some food to his brothers. 00:13:36.460 --> 00:13:39.860 And I think it's interesting to see here his 00:13:39.860 --> 00:13:44.019 interaction in verse 28 with Eliab, his oldest 00:13:44.019 --> 00:13:48.980 brother. He heard David and his anger, because 00:13:48.980 --> 00:13:51.840 David's like, what's going on here? Why are you 00:13:52.669 --> 00:13:56.090 Why aren't you out fighting? And he gets so angry 00:13:56.090 --> 00:13:59.110 with David. And he said, why did you come down 00:13:59.110 --> 00:14:04.629 here? Who did you leave the sheep with in the 00:14:04.629 --> 00:14:10.669 wilderness? He said, I know your pride and the 00:14:10.669 --> 00:14:13.049 insolence of your heart, for you have come down 00:14:13.049 --> 00:14:16.429 to see the battle. Man, Eliab did not have strong 00:14:16.429 --> 00:14:18.289 feelings. Well, he had strong feelings toward 00:14:18.289 --> 00:14:21.000 his brother. We're not seeing overly amounts 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:25.259 of love, though, are we? And I love David's response 00:14:25.259 --> 00:14:28.139 because I feel like it's the response of many, 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:31.539 especially the baby. I don't know. I think Faith 00:14:31.539 --> 00:14:33.919 left. She's the baby of the family, so maybe 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:38.279 she can identify. But David's response to his 00:14:38.279 --> 00:14:44.320 brother is, what have I done now? Obviously, 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:47.460 this was a common occurrence of interaction for 00:14:47.460 --> 00:14:50.480 David and his brother. What have I done now, 00:14:50.500 --> 00:14:54.779 Eliab? I just brought you food. What have I done 00:14:54.779 --> 00:14:59.139 now? So we can see that in his childhood years, 00:14:59.460 --> 00:15:06.019 it was not this wonderful, blissful, I'm just 00:15:06.019 --> 00:15:09.919 lying in the grass, strumming my harp, worshiping 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:12.700 the Lord with pretty little sheep around me. 00:15:13.710 --> 00:15:18.669 No, it was hard, nasty work. And he was overlooked 00:15:18.669 --> 00:15:22.710 by his family. And yet it was in that place he 00:15:22.710 --> 00:15:28.509 learned to fight and he learned to worship. He 00:15:28.509 --> 00:15:32.110 learned to fight. It's in this season of abasement 00:15:32.110 --> 00:15:37.289 that David embraced. He could so easily have 00:15:37.289 --> 00:15:40.870 become embittered. He so easily could have been 00:15:40.870 --> 00:15:44.570 resentful. And what we find is that he learned 00:15:44.570 --> 00:15:47.950 to fight and he learned to worship. What are 00:15:47.950 --> 00:15:52.809 we doing in our season of abasement? What are 00:15:52.809 --> 00:15:57.409 we doing in our season of lack? Are we just becoming 00:15:57.409 --> 00:16:02.250 disgruntled because we've been overlooked? Because 00:16:02.250 --> 00:16:08.169 we've been passed over time and time again? Are 00:16:08.169 --> 00:16:17.559 we learning to worship? At the end of chapter 00:16:17.559 --> 00:16:23.539 16, see, he had been, and we're going to go into 00:16:23.539 --> 00:16:27.159 our next season, but we find him already in the 00:16:27.159 --> 00:16:29.700 courts of King Saul, and he's going back and 00:16:29.700 --> 00:16:35.080 forth between home and with King Saul. And even 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:39.539 in this space, the brothers had no respect. He 00:16:39.539 --> 00:16:44.529 was still the annoying little brother. Running 00:16:44.529 --> 00:16:51.230 errands for his father. Listen, it might feel 00:16:51.230 --> 00:16:54.070 degrading. It might feel because you've been 00:16:54.070 --> 00:16:56.730 overlooked and you're in the season of just hard 00:16:56.730 --> 00:17:02.730 work that nobody sees. You're busy running errands 00:17:02.730 --> 00:17:08.089 for your father or whoever. Listen, it was when 00:17:08.089 --> 00:17:12.240 he was running errands for his father. That he 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:17.359 encountered Goliath. If we will learn how to 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:21.240 be in the season of need and lack and do it well. 00:17:22.440 --> 00:17:25.160 This is why I feel that this is so important. 00:17:25.339 --> 00:17:28.799 Because I know so many of you carry God -given 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:32.400 purposes. And we have yet to see the fulfillment 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:36.500 of all of it. Listen, if we will get these places, 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:41.069 these spaces right. then we are setting ourselves 00:17:41.069 --> 00:17:45.990 up for the God moment. And it was in the basic 00:17:45.990 --> 00:17:49.710 running of errands to serve his brothers who 00:17:49.710 --> 00:17:53.890 overlooked him and found him annoying that God 00:17:53.890 --> 00:17:57.410 gave him his Goliath moment that sent him off 00:17:57.410 --> 00:18:01.490 into his future. How well will we do our season? 00:18:04.230 --> 00:18:10.160 Like Paul, I felt especially this, overlooking 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:12.799 when I was writing this, that some of you here, 00:18:12.920 --> 00:18:15.299 I don't know, it may be in your job, your family, 00:18:15.380 --> 00:18:19.380 whatever, you've felt overlooked. Can I say to 00:18:19.380 --> 00:18:23.259 you, it does not matter if a man sees you, if 00:18:23.259 --> 00:18:27.359 God sees you. That's all that you need to know. 00:18:27.859 --> 00:18:32.440 God sees you. God, in that moment, nobody else 00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:36.259 can hear your worship. Nobody else can see you 00:18:36.259 --> 00:18:40.160 faithfully caring for the sheep. But God sees 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:45.160 you. God does not overlook you. Man can overlook 00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:50.259 you on every side. But when it comes time, God 00:18:50.259 --> 00:18:53.700 has seen you, and he's the only one that matters. 00:18:54.140 --> 00:18:59.519 He sees you. He has not overlooked you. His second 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:03.839 season that was transformational was Gibeah. 00:19:04.339 --> 00:19:07.720 And Gibeah was the city in which King Saul had 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:12.339 set up as his royal city. And so King Saul, if 00:19:12.339 --> 00:19:14.099 you'll remember, now the kingdom had already 00:19:14.099 --> 00:19:18.180 been taken from him. And so what happened was 00:19:18.180 --> 00:19:21.160 the spirit of the Lord had been removed from 00:19:21.160 --> 00:19:25.200 King Saul, and now he was experiencing tormenting 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:30.920 spirits. And so Saul, being tormented, said to 00:19:30.920 --> 00:19:36.859 his servants, provide me now a man who can play 00:19:36.859 --> 00:19:44.319 well and bring him to me. Oh, oh, here's a skill 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:50.799 needed by the king in which David had learned 00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:55.849 when he was being overlooked. And one of the 00:19:55.849 --> 00:20:19.279 servants answered and said, Wow! One moment he's 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:23.579 being overlooked and the next he's being lifted 00:20:23.579 --> 00:20:27.960 up to King Saul. How would you like that to be 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:34.779 said about you in the king's presence? And so 00:20:34.779 --> 00:20:39.000 David is sent for. And whenever King Saul was 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:42.900 tormented by these spirits, he would call for 00:20:42.900 --> 00:20:47.650 David and David would begin to play. And when 00:20:47.650 --> 00:20:54.690 David began to play, King Saul would be at peace. 00:20:55.829 --> 00:20:59.809 And so it's in this season, he's going back and 00:20:59.809 --> 00:21:04.210 forth between being in King Saul's residence 00:21:04.210 --> 00:21:09.920 and his father's residence. And so what is happening? 00:21:10.059 --> 00:21:14.640 He's beginning to see promotion. He's beginning 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:18.980 to find, I have known abasement, but now I'm 00:21:18.980 --> 00:21:23.259 beginning to find provision. Now I'm beginning 00:21:23.259 --> 00:21:29.779 to be well fed. And it's from this place that 00:21:29.779 --> 00:21:36.240 he faces Goliath. And after he kills Goliath, 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:44.859 He begins to be sent out by King Saul. And he 00:21:44.859 --> 00:21:49.900 begins to develop a reputation. And in fact, 00:21:49.900 --> 00:21:54.559 here's the testing in his time of beginning to 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:57.920 be promoted. Proverbs actually says it in chapter 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:03.279 27, verse 21. The crucible for silver and the 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:08.700 furnace for gold. But people are tested by their 00:22:08.700 --> 00:22:14.619 praise. You will find when people begin to praise 00:22:14.619 --> 00:22:19.619 you, it becomes a testing time. And think of 00:22:19.619 --> 00:22:25.160 that when David in 17 .5 says this, David went 00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:29.640 out wherever Saul sent him and behaved wisely. 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:37.420 And Saul set him over the men of war, and he 00:22:37.420 --> 00:22:41.200 was accepted in the sight of all the people. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:44.880 Can you imagine this young man having been overlooked 00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:50.819 by his family to suddenly being accepted by men 00:22:50.819 --> 00:22:57.640 everywhere? And not just men. Now, as it happened, 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:02.039 they were coming home from battle. And when David 00:23:02.039 --> 00:23:04.880 was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, 00:23:05.099 --> 00:23:11.279 the women had all come out of the cities of Israel 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:14.440 singing and dancing. Can you imagine a young 00:23:14.440 --> 00:23:19.720 guy who has been overlooked by everybody suddenly 00:23:19.720 --> 00:23:24.000 coming into town and having it lined with singing 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:28.500 and dancing of women? You can't tell me there 00:23:28.500 --> 00:23:34.039 was not testing. They've got their tambourines 00:23:34.039 --> 00:23:38.920 and their instruments. This is the language of 00:23:38.920 --> 00:23:43.099 David. David is a singer. David is a dancer. 00:23:43.859 --> 00:23:49.319 They are speaking his language. And as they sang 00:23:49.319 --> 00:23:52.500 and as they danced, they said, Oh, this had to 00:23:52.500 --> 00:23:57.480 just get Saul's goat. Saul has slain his thousands. 00:23:58.140 --> 00:24:04.839 David his... Tens of thousands. No king wants 00:24:04.839 --> 00:24:07.539 to hear that being sung throughout the land. 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:11.119 But it's in this moment that the shifting takes 00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:16.460 place for David. He marries Michael and jealousy 00:24:16.460 --> 00:24:20.339 occurs and King Saul begins to turn from him. 00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:25.640 And it says that Saul saw and he knew that the 00:24:25.640 --> 00:24:31.440 Lord was with David. And Saul was more afraid 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:35.480 of David, so Saul became David's enemy continually. 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:42.000 It says that David acted more wisely than all 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:45.660 the servants of Saul, and his name became highly 00:24:45.660 --> 00:24:50.960 esteemed. He began to come into promotion. He 00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:55.309 began... Far, far away did the fields of abasement 00:24:55.309 --> 00:24:58.950 and overlooking feel. Now he is being elevated. 00:24:59.049 --> 00:25:03.150 Now he's being sung praises. But now the king 00:25:03.150 --> 00:25:08.609 is against him. And suddenly all of that praise, 00:25:08.769 --> 00:25:14.309 all of that glory is gone. He had a taste of 00:25:14.309 --> 00:25:19.410 it for a moment. And it's gone. And suddenly 00:25:19.410 --> 00:25:26.950 he finds himself in his third season in the cave 00:25:26.950 --> 00:25:30.849 of Abolem, the cave of difficulty, about 16 miles 00:25:30.849 --> 00:25:36.509 outside of Jerusalem, the cave of Abolem. And 00:25:36.509 --> 00:25:42.950 this began seven years of running from King Saul. 00:25:43.730 --> 00:25:49.150 Can you imagine? He lives overlooked, and suddenly 00:25:49.150 --> 00:25:52.950 he's being anointed king. And then he's thrust 00:25:52.950 --> 00:25:56.349 into promotion, and suddenly it's all taken away 00:25:56.349 --> 00:26:00.390 from him, and he is now running for his life 00:26:00.390 --> 00:26:06.390 from King Saul. And all of the people that surrounded 00:26:06.390 --> 00:26:12.150 him was everybody in distress, everybody in debt, 00:26:12.390 --> 00:26:17.869 and everyone who was discontented. Way to build 00:26:17.869 --> 00:26:27.009 a kingdom. 400 of them. I'm just imagining 400 00:26:27.009 --> 00:26:32.230 of the lowest of the low, disgruntled in debt, 00:26:32.470 --> 00:26:37.250 discontented, now surrounding. These are his 00:26:37.250 --> 00:26:41.940 companions. And for seven years, he runs from 00:26:41.940 --> 00:26:47.500 King Saul. And we find him in chapter 27, where 00:26:47.500 --> 00:26:52.039 he said in his heart in verse 1, Now I shall 00:26:52.039 --> 00:26:58.259 perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is 00:26:58.259 --> 00:27:02.200 nothing better for me than I should speedily 00:27:02.200 --> 00:27:06.779 escape to the land of the Philistines. And Saul 00:27:06.779 --> 00:27:10.059 will despair of me. to seek me anymore in any 00:27:10.059 --> 00:27:15.660 part of Israel, and I will escape his hand. In 00:27:15.660 --> 00:27:20.779 this moment, the anointing he received to be 00:27:20.779 --> 00:27:26.839 king from Samuel was like a distant dream. Suddenly 00:27:26.839 --> 00:27:30.279 his future, what it looks like, is not being 00:27:30.279 --> 00:27:36.019 king. It is being killed by King Saul. He has 00:27:36.019 --> 00:27:41.099 mentally here given up. The anointing of being 00:27:41.099 --> 00:27:45.200 king. And all he sees in front of him is perishing. 00:27:46.299 --> 00:27:49.579 Has anybody ever been there? You've had the dream. 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:51.740 You've had the anointing. You've had a prophetic 00:27:51.740 --> 00:27:56.480 word. And years down the road, you've yet to 00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:59.960 see the fulfillment of it. And you find yourself 00:27:59.960 --> 00:28:04.099 like King David. Well, I guess I'll just try 00:28:04.099 --> 00:28:07.299 to live this life the best I can live and die 00:28:07.299 --> 00:28:12.160 and go be with Jesus. Listen, that is not what 00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:16.039 he has for you. It's not what he planned for 00:28:16.039 --> 00:28:18.579 King David. It's not what he's planned for you. 00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:30.220 Following this season of running for seven years, 00:28:30.500 --> 00:28:35.460 in that season, I'm just going to quickly remind 00:28:35.460 --> 00:28:40.579 us of two things in this season. We have the 00:28:40.579 --> 00:28:45.660 scenario of Ziklag. Do you remember Ziklag? When 00:28:45.660 --> 00:28:48.259 David and his men had been out fighting and they 00:28:48.259 --> 00:28:53.640 came home to discover their wives had been taken 00:28:53.640 --> 00:28:58.539 captive, their sons and their daughters had been 00:28:58.539 --> 00:29:04.119 taken captive, and everything had been set fire. 00:29:08.359 --> 00:29:11.900 It feels a little bit like Job, doesn't it? He's 00:29:11.900 --> 00:29:15.500 already running, and now everything, the little 00:29:15.500 --> 00:29:24.579 bit he has, has been taken. How does David respond 00:29:24.579 --> 00:29:30.230 in this season? How would we respond? Lord, I've 00:29:30.230 --> 00:29:33.369 given you everything. I've said yes to you. And 00:29:33.369 --> 00:29:36.410 now you've taken my sons and my daughters. Now 00:29:36.410 --> 00:29:40.789 you've taken my wives. Now you've burned all 00:29:40.789 --> 00:29:45.890 my belongings. Is this what I get? Is that what 00:29:45.890 --> 00:29:52.930 David said? No. It says this, but David strengthened 00:29:52.930 --> 00:30:00.779 himself in the Lord. David strengthened himself 00:30:00.779 --> 00:30:06.680 in the Lord. He didn't go on Facebook complaining 00:30:06.680 --> 00:30:10.859 so that everybody could comfort him in the comments. 00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:16.859 He didn't go complaining to everybody that they 00:30:16.859 --> 00:30:22.500 knew would receive the complaining. No, he went 00:30:22.500 --> 00:30:26.759 straight to the Lord. And he strengthened himself 00:30:26.759 --> 00:30:33.220 in his God. It wasn't even that he had been taken. 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:35.619 All of these things had been taken. And what 00:30:35.619 --> 00:30:41.339 he was facing was an extreme isolation because 00:30:41.339 --> 00:30:44.799 his own men had turned against him and were talking 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:46.880 of stoning him because of what had happened. 00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:55.500 Again, his family that is around him. is ready 00:30:55.500 --> 00:31:01.200 to stone him. And how well does he handle his 00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:05.339 abasement? How well does he handle it? He strengthens 00:31:05.339 --> 00:31:11.839 himself in the Lord. I get challenged every time 00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:15.220 I read that account. It's a good account to read 00:31:15.220 --> 00:31:17.339 when everything feels like it's going bad in 00:31:17.339 --> 00:31:20.099 your life. Just pull out the story of Ziklag. 00:31:21.160 --> 00:31:23.599 And then read how David strengthened himself 00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:27.359 in the Lord. And it gives you a little perspective, 00:31:27.619 --> 00:31:36.980 doesn't it? Following this account, we read that 00:31:36.980 --> 00:31:43.680 Saul has died. The king has died. And this brings 00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:53.019 us into his next season of life. In Hebron, the 00:31:53.019 --> 00:31:56.000 beginning of his prophetic purpose. And this 00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:58.519 is interesting because if you heard the news 00:31:58.519 --> 00:32:01.720 that the king who had been chasing you to kill 00:32:01.720 --> 00:32:06.900 you had died, what would your immediate response 00:32:06.900 --> 00:32:13.299 be? Oh, this is it. It's time for me to be king 00:32:13.299 --> 00:32:18.700 of Israel. I was anointed for it. Saul is gone. 00:32:19.230 --> 00:32:23.289 it's time for me to be the king. This is my moment. 00:32:24.390 --> 00:32:29.630 You know, this isn't how David responded. In 00:32:29.630 --> 00:32:35.029 2 Samuel chapter 2, in chapter 1, we read of 00:32:35.029 --> 00:32:37.970 the death of Saul. In chapter 2, it says, it 00:32:37.970 --> 00:32:41.829 happened after this that David inquired of the 00:32:41.829 --> 00:32:46.950 Lord, saying, shall I go up to any of the cities 00:32:46.950 --> 00:32:52.799 of Judah? to his clan, to his tribe. And the 00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:57.500 Lord said to him, go up. And he then followed 00:32:57.500 --> 00:33:02.519 with, well, where shall I go up? And God said 00:33:02.519 --> 00:33:09.359 to him, to Hebron. I love his heart. He's now 00:33:09.359 --> 00:33:13.039 entering again. He's leaving the abasement. And 00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:16.619 now he's about to come again into the place of 00:33:16.619 --> 00:33:21.579 abundance. Such an up and down life he had. And 00:33:21.579 --> 00:33:24.420 he's about to enter into promotion once again. 00:33:25.140 --> 00:33:30.759 But his immediate response, I love, God, what 00:33:30.759 --> 00:33:36.099 now? God, what should I do? He's not just going 00:33:36.099 --> 00:33:39.500 and demanding, hey, everybody, Samuel anointed 00:33:39.500 --> 00:33:44.420 me to be king. I'm up. It's my turn. Tag, I'm 00:33:44.420 --> 00:33:49.579 it. He didn't do that. No, he said, God, where 00:33:49.579 --> 00:33:55.279 should I go? What should I do? And it's in this 00:33:55.279 --> 00:34:00.579 place. This is his tribe. And it says that Judah, 00:34:00.839 --> 00:34:04.779 the men of Judah came to David after he had gone 00:34:04.779 --> 00:34:11.840 back. They came to David and they anointed him. 00:34:14.030 --> 00:34:18.989 They anointed him to be the king over the house 00:34:18.989 --> 00:34:23.929 of Judah. So what we find in this season is the 00:34:23.929 --> 00:34:27.869 partial promotion. He is not king over all of 00:34:27.869 --> 00:34:31.309 Israel in this moment. He is only king of the 00:34:31.309 --> 00:34:40.190 house of Judah. And in this place, He could begin 00:34:40.190 --> 00:34:43.289 to say, God, it's my time. You anointed me over 00:34:43.289 --> 00:34:46.409 all of Israel. I've only got Judah behind me. 00:34:47.449 --> 00:34:49.349 I thought I was supposed to be king over all. 00:34:52.809 --> 00:34:56.789 I feel like David's heart is in such a place 00:34:56.789 --> 00:34:59.889 that if God had said to him, David, I want you 00:34:59.889 --> 00:35:03.769 to go back to Bethlehem, I believe he would have 00:35:03.769 --> 00:35:06.710 done it. I want you to go back to your homeland. 00:35:06.849 --> 00:35:11.639 I believe he would have done it. His heart was 00:35:11.639 --> 00:35:13.880 open. God, what should I do? Where should I go? 00:35:16.699 --> 00:35:21.260 And so in this state of abundance, he's begun 00:35:21.260 --> 00:35:26.000 to move toward the fulfillment of it. He stayed 00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:34.420 in this place for seven and a half years in a 00:35:34.420 --> 00:35:39.420 partial fulfillment of his purpose. Seven and 00:35:39.420 --> 00:35:43.559 a half years. And here's my takeaway from his 00:35:43.559 --> 00:35:51.219 initial promotion. Right after he returned to 00:35:51.219 --> 00:36:00.019 Judah, there were men from Jebesh Gilead who 00:36:00.019 --> 00:36:06.699 had buried King Saul with honor. And David hears 00:36:06.699 --> 00:36:12.480 of this. And he sends a message to the men of 00:36:12.480 --> 00:36:17.380 Gilead. And he says to them, of the man that 00:36:17.380 --> 00:36:21.119 was trying to kill him, you are blessed of the 00:36:21.119 --> 00:36:24.619 Lord, for you have shown this kindness to your 00:36:24.619 --> 00:36:30.920 Lord, to Saul, and have buried him. This strikes 00:36:30.920 --> 00:36:34.019 me because I just wonder what I might have done. 00:36:36.679 --> 00:36:39.219 About the person that had been trying to kill 00:36:39.219 --> 00:36:45.500 me. When I got into my place of promotion and 00:36:45.500 --> 00:36:49.719 provision and abundance, and I look back to the 00:36:49.719 --> 00:36:54.099 last seven years of running from King Saul, I 00:36:54.099 --> 00:36:56.440 wonder what my attitude would have been toward 00:36:56.440 --> 00:37:00.440 him. Look at the trauma you caused me, King Saul. 00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:04.099 Look at everything I lost because of King Saul. 00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:09.440 with an embittered spirit for those last seven 00:37:09.440 --> 00:37:14.380 years, and you do not see that. He blesses and 00:37:14.380 --> 00:37:20.500 honors the men that buried his enemy. There's 00:37:20.500 --> 00:37:25.820 a lesson here. When we're in our places of blessing 00:37:25.820 --> 00:37:31.179 and provision, how we view those that have wounded 00:37:31.179 --> 00:37:34.550 us, those that have been out after us and against 00:37:34.550 --> 00:37:40.670 us. God needs to be able to trust us with our 00:37:40.670 --> 00:37:50.760 enemies. He concludes in 2 Samuel 3. as we're 00:37:50.760 --> 00:37:53.360 coming into the end of his season in Hebron. 00:37:53.460 --> 00:37:56.380 Now there was a long war between the house of 00:37:56.380 --> 00:37:58.679 Saul and the house of David, because there was 00:37:58.679 --> 00:38:01.199 another that had tried to rise up and take that 00:38:01.199 --> 00:38:04.940 house of Israel. And so there was a long season 00:38:04.940 --> 00:38:11.340 of conflict. It says, though, David grew stronger 00:38:11.340 --> 00:38:15.619 and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker 00:38:15.619 --> 00:38:24.420 and weaker. Listen, God will do it. God will 00:38:24.420 --> 00:38:28.039 do it. God will make you stronger and stronger 00:38:28.039 --> 00:38:33.340 and stronger. And your enemy weaker and weaker 00:38:33.340 --> 00:38:37.559 and weaker. But how we handle the abundance. 00:38:38.920 --> 00:38:43.139 And then he finally moves into his fifth season, 00:38:43.420 --> 00:38:47.880 the glorious season. Zion, the promise fulfilled. 00:38:48.039 --> 00:38:51.679 How many of you love that place? This is the 00:38:51.679 --> 00:38:54.920 place. Yes, Lord, this is what you have destined 00:38:54.920 --> 00:39:01.239 me for. And in 2 Samuel 5, finally, all the tribes 00:39:01.239 --> 00:39:08.360 of Israel come to David. And David took the stronghold 00:39:08.360 --> 00:39:13.010 of Zion. That is the city of David. And it says 00:39:13.010 --> 00:39:16.369 in verse 10, so David went on and became great, 00:39:16.510 --> 00:39:23.889 and the Lord God of hosts was with him. Now here's 00:39:23.889 --> 00:39:26.869 an interesting verse. These are the things we 00:39:26.869 --> 00:39:30.030 have to learn in the places of abundance. And 00:39:30.030 --> 00:39:34.110 we only learn them, I think, if we learned the 00:39:34.110 --> 00:39:40.050 season of lack well. It says David knew. He knew. 00:39:41.710 --> 00:39:46.309 That the Lord had established him as king over 00:39:46.309 --> 00:39:51.110 Israel. He knew it didn't come from his own manipulation 00:39:51.110 --> 00:39:54.289 of trying to make the promises of God come true 00:39:54.289 --> 00:39:58.349 for himself. God had established him as king. 00:39:58.750 --> 00:40:04.130 And that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake 00:40:04.130 --> 00:40:09.969 of David? No. For the sake of his people, Israel. 00:40:11.579 --> 00:40:18.059 Israel. David knew this. And the times that David 00:40:18.059 --> 00:40:21.460 struggled in his season of abundance, because 00:40:21.460 --> 00:40:23.900 David didn't always handle his abundance well, 00:40:23.980 --> 00:40:28.400 did he? He had seasons of pride. I think of the 00:40:28.400 --> 00:40:33.260 census when he began to count his men and the 00:40:33.260 --> 00:40:38.019 Lord had to bring consequences to him. He had 00:40:38.019 --> 00:40:43.519 his seasons of self. absorbedness with Bathsheba 00:40:43.519 --> 00:40:48.300 and her husband. He didn't always handle it well, 00:40:48.320 --> 00:40:52.980 but what you find is that David was a repentant 00:40:52.980 --> 00:40:57.260 man, and this is good news for us. Because we 00:40:57.260 --> 00:41:00.500 don't always handle our lack well, and we don't 00:41:00.500 --> 00:41:04.380 always handle our abundance well. But if we will 00:41:04.380 --> 00:41:07.159 have a heart toward God, a heart of repentance, 00:41:07.440 --> 00:41:10.739 if we will recognize that God's mercies are new 00:41:10.739 --> 00:41:14.000 every morning, and I can come before him just 00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:19.300 as David did, and I can repent, he is restoring 00:41:19.300 --> 00:41:27.309 God. He will restore us. I think of when King 00:41:27.309 --> 00:41:32.190 David, because even in his fulfillment of becoming 00:41:32.190 --> 00:41:34.670 king of Israel, it doesn't mean that everything 00:41:34.670 --> 00:41:38.969 went okay for him. And I think of when his own 00:41:38.969 --> 00:41:45.670 son, Absalom, wanted the kingdom. And his own 00:41:45.670 --> 00:41:50.730 son betrayed his father, David. His own son tried 00:41:50.730 --> 00:41:54.250 to win the loyalty, the affection in the hearts 00:41:54.250 --> 00:41:58.150 of Israel so they would make him king. And David, 00:41:58.230 --> 00:42:02.889 because of his own son, had to run again in the 00:42:02.889 --> 00:42:09.670 wilderness. I can't imagine. Again, he's lost 00:42:09.670 --> 00:42:14.969 his home. He's lost his kingdom for these moments 00:42:14.969 --> 00:42:20.139 as Absalom is taking the throne. And as he is 00:42:20.139 --> 00:42:23.960 running, there is one from the house of Saul 00:42:23.960 --> 00:42:28.260 that begins to curse him and curse him. And David's 00:42:28.260 --> 00:42:31.599 man wants to go and kill him. And I love even 00:42:31.599 --> 00:42:34.699 in this moment, if David once again in the place 00:42:34.699 --> 00:42:40.980 of abasement, after being king of Israel, he 00:42:40.980 --> 00:42:44.920 says, no, you don't know that God didn't send 00:42:44.920 --> 00:42:49.019 him. You don't know that that is not from God. 00:42:50.800 --> 00:42:57.219 Can you imagine? Continually a heart of saying, 00:42:57.300 --> 00:43:03.179 God, have your way in my life. In the good, in 00:43:03.179 --> 00:43:07.099 the bad, in the ugly, have your way in my life. 00:43:09.920 --> 00:43:18.980 There was a saint back in 225. 225. This was 00:43:18.980 --> 00:43:24.920 the early church. And St. Lawrence was born in 00:43:24.920 --> 00:43:30.800 Spain. And St. Lawrence served as a deacon in 00:43:30.800 --> 00:43:38.440 Rome during time of major persecution. And one 00:43:38.440 --> 00:43:42.940 of the most notable stories of St. Lawrence is 00:43:42.940 --> 00:43:47.639 that of his martyrdom. It's interesting. Sometimes 00:43:47.639 --> 00:43:50.920 we get turned away because we hear the word saint 00:43:50.920 --> 00:43:54.219 and we think of, you know, Orthodox or Catholic. 00:43:54.340 --> 00:43:57.619 But a lot of these men and women were amazing 00:43:57.619 --> 00:44:04.519 men and women of God. And he is martyred for 00:44:04.519 --> 00:44:09.260 his faith. The emperor at the time had it out 00:44:09.260 --> 00:44:14.260 for all Christians. But he specifically had his 00:44:14.260 --> 00:44:21.920 sights. on St. Lawrence. He gave Lawrence the 00:44:21.920 --> 00:44:26.460 opportunity to save himself, asking Lawrence 00:44:26.460 --> 00:44:30.960 to show him where all the church's gold and silver 00:44:30.960 --> 00:44:36.619 were. He wanted in in the money bags of the church. 00:44:38.510 --> 00:44:41.650 And so when asked for the gold and the silver 00:44:41.650 --> 00:44:45.690 of the church, Lawrence returned three days later. 00:44:47.949 --> 00:44:55.230 And he had with him the poor, the sick, the handicapped. 00:44:56.349 --> 00:45:00.210 And he presented to the emperor, here, this is 00:45:00.210 --> 00:45:04.590 the wealth of the church. They had a different 00:45:04.590 --> 00:45:14.610 view of lack. Of a basement? Enraged, he put 00:45:14.610 --> 00:45:20.210 Lawrence, he had him burned in public on a griddle. 00:45:22.210 --> 00:45:25.789 And I love, this is the beauty of martyrs. There's 00:45:25.789 --> 00:45:28.409 a grace that comes on those, I believe, being 00:45:28.409 --> 00:45:31.730 martyred. And they are always known in those 00:45:31.730 --> 00:45:35.920 moments to have such joy. The martyrs of the 00:45:35.920 --> 00:45:38.519 early church were known for their joy and their 00:45:38.519 --> 00:45:40.920 singing as they were being led to their death. 00:45:41.659 --> 00:45:46.519 And St. Lawrence was no different. He's in that 00:45:46.519 --> 00:45:49.679 moment of execution. He's joking with the guards. 00:45:50.440 --> 00:45:55.159 And he's saying, it's time to turn me over. I'm 00:45:55.159 --> 00:46:00.869 done on this side. Can you imagine? Flip, it's 00:46:00.869 --> 00:46:03.610 time to flip me over. I made pancakes this weekend. 00:46:04.849 --> 00:46:09.210 What does he have? There is in, it's a spirit 00:46:09.210 --> 00:46:15.130 that Paul had. It matters not whether I am in 00:46:15.130 --> 00:46:19.309 the place of provision or poverty. I have learned 00:46:19.309 --> 00:46:23.929 how to do both well. And I often think that the 00:46:23.929 --> 00:46:26.369 breakthroughs we believe for aren't happening. 00:46:27.050 --> 00:46:30.090 Because we have yet to learn some things well 00:46:30.090 --> 00:46:35.730 in the places of restraint and restriction that 00:46:35.730 --> 00:46:41.210 God wants us to get. I know you guys get so excited 00:46:41.210 --> 00:46:44.989 and amening at my sermons. You're like, bring 00:46:44.989 --> 00:46:47.610 Darren back. Let's believe for breakthrough. 00:46:50.829 --> 00:46:55.630 Think about the life of Paul. How much he spent. 00:46:56.460 --> 00:47:02.880 imprisoned, being beaten. He wrote 13 of the 00:47:02.880 --> 00:47:06.960 27 books of the New Testament, four of those 00:47:06.960 --> 00:47:12.139 he wrote while being imprisoned, a home imprisonment, 00:47:12.139 --> 00:47:16.460 but still he was restrained and restricted. And 00:47:16.460 --> 00:47:21.840 he wrote Philippians while being imprisoned. 00:47:23.949 --> 00:47:26.510 So while he's in restraint, he's saying, hey, 00:47:26.610 --> 00:47:29.889 I know what it is to abound and be well fed. 00:47:30.090 --> 00:47:32.969 And I know what it is to be restricted and abased. 00:47:33.309 --> 00:47:36.510 As he's imprisoned, he writes this. And he says, 00:47:36.590 --> 00:47:40.469 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens 00:47:40.469 --> 00:47:46.320 me. I can do all things, the abasement, the poverty, 00:47:46.599 --> 00:47:49.980 the restriction. I can do all things. He wrote 00:47:49.980 --> 00:47:53.820 Ephesians while being restricted. I love Ephesians. 00:47:54.000 --> 00:47:57.940 Ephesians talks about how we are rich in Christ. 00:47:58.239 --> 00:48:02.960 It talks about how he lavishes all grace on us. 00:48:03.039 --> 00:48:06.099 And we read that and we think, oh, God's lavishing 00:48:06.099 --> 00:48:08.260 all grace. I'm going to do all this great stuff. 00:48:08.500 --> 00:48:12.780 Listen, he lavishes grace on us. so that in poverty 00:48:12.780 --> 00:48:17.079 and in wealth, we can do all well because we 00:48:17.079 --> 00:48:26.219 have grace. 2 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul wrote 00:48:26.219 --> 00:48:32.260 this. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming 00:48:32.260 --> 00:48:37.480 conceited, isn't it good to know our own weaknesses? 00:48:39.760 --> 00:48:42.480 I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger 00:48:42.480 --> 00:48:47.360 of Satan to torment me. Three times, much like 00:48:47.360 --> 00:48:51.159 Jesus, he pleaded that it would be taken. Let 00:48:51.159 --> 00:48:56.320 this cut pass. But he said, my grace is sufficient 00:48:56.320 --> 00:49:01.159 for you. For my power is made perfect in what? 00:49:01.260 --> 00:49:07.519 In strength? In weakness. We have to learn to 00:49:07.519 --> 00:49:11.519 do weakness well. Because it's there that his 00:49:11.519 --> 00:49:15.179 power is made perfect in your life. But when 00:49:15.179 --> 00:49:18.099 we have unforgiveness, when we have resistance, 00:49:18.420 --> 00:49:21.940 when we are just frustrated and upset with God 00:49:21.940 --> 00:49:24.559 because we're in this place of weakness, we're 00:49:24.559 --> 00:49:31.920 cutting off the source of strength. Therefore, 00:49:32.099 --> 00:49:35.960 he said, I'll boast in my weaknesses so that 00:49:35.960 --> 00:49:42.599 Christ... power may rest on me. Therefore, for 00:49:42.599 --> 00:49:47.920 Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, 00:49:47.920 --> 00:49:52.079 in hardships, in persecutions, and in difficulties. 00:49:53.719 --> 00:49:58.099 I'm wondering when we're getting together, are 00:49:58.099 --> 00:50:01.760 we delighting in, hey man, everything went wrong 00:50:01.760 --> 00:50:05.239 for me this week. Praise the Lord. That must 00:50:05.239 --> 00:50:08.059 mean he's doing, that means I have access to 00:50:08.059 --> 00:50:11.119 his power. That must mean God's up to something. 00:50:11.360 --> 00:50:14.760 Praise the Lord. I've had trials this week. I've 00:50:14.760 --> 00:50:17.840 had difficulties this week. I fear that that's 00:50:17.840 --> 00:50:23.360 not how we're talking about our struggles. For 00:50:23.360 --> 00:50:29.019 when I am weak, then I am strong. We cannot wait 00:50:29.019 --> 00:50:32.380 for the places of abundance to begin to walk 00:50:32.380 --> 00:50:35.690 out. what God has called us to do. He's looking 00:50:35.690 --> 00:50:39.090 for us in the places of restraint and restriction 00:50:39.090 --> 00:50:43.250 to begin to do it. You can't wait for a better 00:50:43.250 --> 00:50:46.050 moment. You can't wait for a perfect opportunity. 00:50:46.429 --> 00:50:49.630 It is the call of obedience. God, you've called 00:50:49.630 --> 00:50:52.670 me to do this, so I'm going to do it in the lack. 00:50:52.750 --> 00:50:55.170 I'm going to do it in the restraint and the restriction. 00:50:55.989 --> 00:50:59.539 Paul carried out his purpose. He didn't say, 00:50:59.579 --> 00:51:02.780 well, I'm imprisoned, everybody, so get in touch 00:51:02.780 --> 00:51:09.280 with one of the other apostles, please. He didn't 00:51:09.280 --> 00:51:13.840 wallow. He didn't complain. Was it hard? Yes. 00:51:13.920 --> 00:51:16.139 Would he have preferred to have the cup passed 00:51:16.139 --> 00:51:25.300 from him? For sure. In fact, he said, I persevered 00:51:25.300 --> 00:51:29.679 in demonstrating among you. the marks of a true 00:51:29.679 --> 00:51:33.059 apostle, including signs, wonders, and miracles, 00:51:33.159 --> 00:51:37.579 even in the hardship. I'm going to ask the worship 00:51:37.579 --> 00:51:39.820 team to come. I know that I preached a little 00:51:39.820 --> 00:51:45.260 longer today, but I really believe with all of 00:51:45.260 --> 00:51:49.500 my heart that God's given to each of you, God 00:51:49.500 --> 00:51:56.239 -given purposes and promises, and the years have 00:51:56.239 --> 00:51:59.750 gone by. I've yet to really see in the Bible 00:51:59.750 --> 00:52:03.289 great men and women that have not gone through 00:52:03.289 --> 00:52:09.610 seasons of abasement and trial before they were 00:52:09.610 --> 00:52:12.789 brought into the fulfillment of God's purposes. 00:52:12.989 --> 00:52:15.989 I've yet to really see them, even in the fulfillment 00:52:15.989 --> 00:52:21.269 of it, to not see them in difficulty. And I want 00:52:21.269 --> 00:52:26.219 us I want us to grab hold of Paul's attitude. 00:52:26.659 --> 00:52:31.179 I have learned. God, I'm not handling my lack 00:52:31.179 --> 00:52:36.019 well. I'm not handling my physical ailments well. 00:52:36.340 --> 00:52:39.579 I'm not handling my financial situation well. 00:52:39.800 --> 00:52:44.519 I'm not handling my loneliness well. Would you 00:52:44.519 --> 00:52:48.710 teach me? I want to learn like Paul learned. 00:52:48.829 --> 00:52:52.570 Would you teach me contentment in these places? 00:52:53.050 --> 00:52:57.070 Would you teach me to be satisfied by your presence 00:52:57.070 --> 00:53:01.889 in these places? I don't want to be a fair weather 00:53:01.889 --> 00:53:07.550 follower. I want to follow you on the path of 00:53:07.550 --> 00:53:12.750 Gethsemane if need be. I want to be where your 00:53:12.750 --> 00:53:17.050 presence is at. And for some of us that may mean, 00:53:17.349 --> 00:53:20.710 I've had to in my heart as I've asked this question, 00:53:21.130 --> 00:53:27.190 Lord, do I trust your restraint on my life? It 00:53:27.190 --> 00:53:31.710 doesn't feel safe. It doesn't feel secure. The 00:53:31.710 --> 00:53:35.110 unknown is scary. Do I trust your restraint in 00:53:35.110 --> 00:53:39.510 my life? I've had to ask myself hard questions. 00:53:39.710 --> 00:53:45.230 I've had to repent of attitudes. in the restraint. 00:53:47.150 --> 00:53:51.269 And for some of us today, that might be you saying, 00:53:51.429 --> 00:53:54.989 I've not been doing it well. In fact, I've not 00:53:54.989 --> 00:53:57.670 even been open to learning how to do it well. 00:53:58.949 --> 00:54:03.050 In these final moments as we worship, I want 00:54:03.050 --> 00:54:05.789 you just to find a space, whether it's at your 00:54:05.789 --> 00:54:09.570 seat or at this altar, I don't care. But can 00:54:09.570 --> 00:54:14.889 we begin to just say to the Lord, Lord, Forgive 00:54:14.889 --> 00:54:19.590 me for being resentful and carrying unforgiveness, 00:54:19.650 --> 00:54:27.210 for despising the places of lack, for being discontented 00:54:27.210 --> 00:54:32.690 and embittered. Would you forgive me? I want 00:54:32.690 --> 00:54:37.550 to make those spaces now sacred spaces of your 00:54:37.550 --> 00:54:44.849 presence. Places where I encounter you. Your 00:54:44.849 --> 00:54:50.349 presence is enough, Jesus. Your presence is enough, 00:54:50.530 --> 00:54:54.710 Jesus. And so if you'll stand with me in a few 00:54:54.710 --> 00:54:57.110 moments, we'll be finished. But I don't want 00:54:57.110 --> 00:55:00.210 to leave without creating a space to respond 00:55:00.210 --> 00:55:04.489 to the Lord. I'm walking out of here saying, 00:55:04.630 --> 00:55:07.570 I'm going to do the difficult places differently. 00:55:11.719 --> 00:55:15.639 them places where the power of Christ is displayed 00:55:15.639 --> 00:55:18.880 I'm gonna make them the places where I encounter 00:55:18.880 --> 00:55:22.420 the suffering of Christ the fellowship of the 00:55:22.420 --> 00:55:26.780 suffering of Christ he wants to encounter with 00:55:26.780 --> 00:55:31.360 you in those places he wants to encounter with 00:55:31.360 --> 00:55:35.599 you And so as the team leads us, I want you to 00:55:35.599 --> 00:55:38.059 be respectful. If you're having to leave, if 00:55:38.059 --> 00:55:40.760 you could just slip out quietly, because we want 00:55:40.760 --> 00:55:44.760 to make this place a place of response to the 00:55:44.760 --> 00:55:50.139 Lord, a place of encounter to the Lord. Thank 00:55:50.139 --> 00:55:50.619 you, Lord.