Sermon Archives 7 - Trinity Fellowship

CONTROL OR BREAKTHROUGHS

The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice

January 23, 2005

Trinity Fellowship

Raton, NM

Scripture References:

I Chronicles 14

Genesis 32

GIANTS IN THE WORLD

(read I Chron 14)

THIS WEEK I TOOK A COURSE ON HANDGUNS. WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE LAW, AND THE SOBERING RESPONSIBILITIES OF OWNING AND POSSIBLY USING A HANDGUN IN SELF DEFENSE. ONE OF THE PHRASES THAT CONTINUALLY CAME UP IN CLASS CONTAINED THE WORD “CONTROL”

· KEEPING CONTROL OF A SITUATION

· CONTROL OF YOUR EMOTIONS

· CONTROL OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT

· CONTROL OF YOUR WEAPON

SO, HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE TO BE IN CONTROL? HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE TO BE CONTROLLED? HOW MANY OF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GOT GIANTS IN YOUR LIFE?

THE VALLEY OF THE GIANTS (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

· GOLIAT

· SAUL’S HATRED

· THE PHILISTINES

· HIS WIFE

SKILLS AGAINST THE GIANTS

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.

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU FELT GOD REVEALING SOMETHING TO YOU ABOUT WHERE HE WANTS YOU TO START HEADING, AND YOU FEEL 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.

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. ON THE TRAINING RANGE THIS WEEK, LEARNING SOME FIREARMS SKILLS, WE WERE TOLD WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TRAINING AND PRACTICING THESE THINGS SO THAT IN A CRISIS, AND THE STRESS AND ADRENALIN RISES, CERTAIN ACTIONS BECOME AUTOMATIC.

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.

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