CONTROL OR BREAKTHROUGHS The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice August 23, 2009 Trinity Fellowship Raton, NM Scripture References: I Chronicles 14 Genesis 32 GIANTS IN THE WORLD (read I Chron 14) HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE TO BE CONTROLLED? HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE TO BE IN CONTROL? (I CHRON 14 : 9) --- “VALLEY OF REPHAIM” MEANS THE VALLEY OF THE GIANTS. HOW MANY GIANTS DID YOU HAVE TO GO BATTLE WITH THIS WEEK? IT SEEMS DAVID WAS ALWAYS FACING GIANTS IN THE EARTH. • LIONS • GOLIATH • SAUL’S HATRED • THE PHILISTINES • HIS WIFE SKILLS AGAINST THE GIANTS MOST OF US CAN SAY WE ARE EXPERIENCED IN ONE OR TWO THINGS. THAT IS WE DO A LOT OF THINGS, BUT WE CAN DO ONE OR MAYBE TWO THINGS VERY WELL. WE COULD SAY WE ARE “SKILLED” IN AN AREA. WITH ME, I CAN SAY I AM A “SKILLED” MUSICIAN. BUT TO BE EXPERIENCED IN IT, I HAVE TO CONTINUALLY PRACTICE IT, CONTINUE TO BE WELL TRAINED. BECAUSE AT SOME POINT, WE MAY HAVE TO USE THAT SKILL TO FACE A GIANT OR TWO. WITH A GUITAR, I MAY HAVE TO BE CALLED UPON TO FACE A CROWD OF PEOPLE AND STAND UP IN FRONT OF THEM AND PERFORM. THAT CAN BE INTIMIDATING. AND LIKE DAVID, IF WE’RE WELL TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED, GOD WILL HAVE GIVEN US MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FIELD TO DEVELOP THE NECESSARY SKILLS WE NEED TO FACE THE GIANTS. SO THAT’S IN THE PHYSICAL REALM. BUT HOW ABOUT THE SPIRITUAL? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU FELT GOD REVEALING SOMETHING TO YOU ABOUT WHERE HE WANTS YOU TO START HEADING, AND YOU FEEL SPIRITUALLY UNEQUIPPED TO DO IT? THAT’S WHEN WE ARE TO BEGIN PRAYING AND TRUSTING THAT GOD IS GOING TO EQUIP US FOR THE TASK. THE EQUIPPING PROCESS MAY BECOME A DISCIPLING PERIOD, OR LEARNING TO USE A PARTICULAR NEW ANOINTING ON US; IN OTHER WORDS A NEW SKILL. WHY DO YOU THINK DAVID LIVED ALL HIS YOUNG LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS, TENDING SHEEP? BECAUSE GOD KNEW HE WAS GOING TO NEED THOSE WILDERNESS SKILLS LATER IN LIFE, WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FROM SAUL, OR OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL LEADING WARRIORS INTO BATTLE WITH THE PHILISTINES. OUR SKILLS GET US INTO TROUBLE OUR PROBLEM WITH BECOMING SKILLFUL, IS THAT IT BECOMES AUTOMATIC. I AM GOING TO BE PLAYING SOME MUSIC NEXT SATURDAY IN TRINIDAD, IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, I’M STILL A LITTLE NERVOUS. SO I’VE BEEN PICKING UP MY GUITAR THIS WEEK, LEARNING SOME NEW SONGS, BUT ALSO RUNNING THROUGH SOME OLD ONES, AND PRACTICING THESE THINGS SO THAT WHEN I STAND UP THERE, AND THE STRESS AND ADRENALIN RISES, CERTAIN ACTIONS BECOME AUTOMATIC. CERTAIN GUITAR CHORDS BECOME SECOND NATURE.. THAT’S WHAT BECOMING SKILLFUL MEANS. BUT WHEN GOD GIVES US SKILLS, SOMETIMES WE GET IN TROUBLE WITH THEM. HOW? BECAUSE WE START RELYING ON OUR OWN ABILITIES AND EXPERIENCE, AND LEAVE GOD’S PLANS TOTALLY OUT OF IT. (V. 10-13) NOTICE THAT DAVID INQUIRED OF GOD’S PLAN EVERY TIME HE WENT INTO BATTLE. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS GOING TO BE THE SAME OLD ENEMY, USING THE SAME OLD SKILLS, AND HE KNEW HE COULD BE SUCCESSFUL UNDER HIS OWN ABILITIES. THE MASTER OF BREAKTHROUGHS LET’S LOOK AT THIS BATTLE. WHEN DAVID UNDERSTOOD THAT, EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW HE HAD THE BATTLE SKILLS TO DO IT, HE NEEDED TO ASK GOD’S PERMISSION, AND GOD GAVE HIM THE VICTORY. AND DAVID GAVE HIM THE GLORY BY CALLING HIM THE MASTER OF BREAKTHROUGHS. AFTER THE VICTORY, DAVID FOLLOWED THE LAW OF MOSES BY BURNING UP ALL THE IDOLS OF THE PHILISTINES. BUT THE PHIISTINES CAME BACK AND ATTACKED AT BAAL PERAZIM. (V11ff) “Baal Perazim” MEANS “MASTER OF BREAKTHROUGHS” SAME ENEMY, SAME WAR, BUT DIFFERENT TACTICS. DAVID COULD’VE JUST GONE ON INTO BATTLE, RELYING ON HIS SKILL, BUT HE ONCE AGAIN ASKED GOD’S ADVICE, AND THIS TIME GOD TOLD HIM TO WAIT TIL HE HEARD THE MARCHING IN THE TREES! GOD WAS GOING TO SEND AN ANGELIC HOST AHEAD THIS TIME! WE DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WHATEVER HAPPENED, GOD AGAIN GOT ALL THE GLORY. “THE MASTER OF BREAKTHROUGHS” HAS GOD BROKEN THROUGH ANYTHING FOR YOU LATELY? THE PROPER ORDER OF THINGS THE BIGGER CONTEXT HERE IS FOUND IN 13:12: “DAVID WAS AFRAID OF GOD THAT DAY…” THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ARK…THEY COULDN’T GET IT TO JERUSALEM. GOD WAS STRIKING PEOPLE DEAD LEFT AND RIGHT, BECAUSE IT WASN’T IN HIS TIMING. THEY WERE TRYING TO DO THINGS IN THEIR OWN POWER, AND IN SO DOING THEY WERE DISRESPECTING GOD’S POWER (REPRESENTED BY THE ARK) WHEN DAVID REALIZED THIS, HE REGAINED A HEALTHY FEAR (RESPECT) OF THE LORD, AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. HE REMEMBERED THAT GOD WAS IN COMMAND, NOT HIM, AND THIS IS WHY HE BEGAN CONSULTING HIM IN THIS WAR AGAINST THE PHILISTINES. DAVID GOES ON TO BE ESTABLISHEED AS KING IN JERUSALEM. HE GOES ON TO DEFEAT THE PHILISTINES IN THESE TWO MIGHTY BATTLES. (17) AND BECAUSE OF ALL THIS GOD BRINGS DAVID’S RESPECT OF HIM TO ALL THE NATIONS. AND ONLY THEN IS GOD READY TO BRING THE ARK TO JERUSALEM. TO DO OTHERWISE WOULD’VE REDUCED THE ARK TO JUST ANOTHER TRAPPING OF THEIR RELIGION. SUMMARY ARE YOU TRYING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE? OR MAYBE GOING TO FIGHT THE VALLEY OF GIANTS AND WONDERING WHY YOU’RE NOT BREAKING THROUGH? GOD WANTS TO BE A GOD OF BREAKTHROUGH FOR YOU. LIKE HIS HAND PARTING THE WATERS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE. BUT SOMETIMES WE GET OUT AHEAD OF HIM, DON’T WE? MAYBE WE NEED TO CONCEDE SOME CONTROL OF THE BATTLE BACK TO THE REAL COMMANDER.