Same Devils, New Levels

0:00:02.120 --> 0:00:04.680 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 0:00:04.960 --> 0:00:07.160 Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:10.520 you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 0:00:10.520 --> 0:00:12.559 it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 0:00:12.600 --> 0:00:17.320 see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. Hey, 0:00:17.360 --> 0:00:19.440 let's do a roll call real quick. Just turn around 0:00:19.440 --> 0:00:22.120 somebody in your area, if you're in physical location, if 0:00:22.160 --> 0:00:24.880 you are watching online before or after the fact that 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:26.920 I preach it, I want you to just put your 0:00:26.960 --> 0:00:30.320 first name from and your city, your first name from 0:00:30.360 --> 0:00:32.519 and your city. Do it right now. Turn around and 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:39.880 tell somebody my name is. Tell him I come from 0:00:39.920 --> 0:00:46.520 and tell him I'm here to praise the Lord. I'm here. 0:00:46.600 --> 0:00:50.960 Come on, state your intention. Tell him I'm here to 0:00:51.159 --> 0:01:03.000 praise the Lord. I'm glad to be with you, but 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:06.720 I'm here to praise the Lord. I didn't come to 0:01:06.760 --> 0:01:10.720 look at you. I didn't come to listen to you. 0:01:12.560 --> 0:01:15.160 I didn't come to hear a preacher in a plaid jacket. 0:01:16.240 --> 0:01:20.679 I came to hear from God and give him glory. 0:01:21.280 --> 0:01:30.200 That's what I came for, praise the Lord. Let's get 0:01:30.240 --> 0:01:33.680 into the word of God. Remain standing or stand up 0:01:33.720 --> 0:01:37.680 if you didn't yet, shake off all those lazy devils 0:01:40.400 --> 0:01:43.160 and all of those get that sleep out of your eyes, 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:45.720 wipe it right out of the inside of your sockets, 0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:48.600 and get ready because God is going to speak to you. 0:01:48.680 --> 0:01:50.360 I thought about texting y'all that are going to be 0:01:50.400 --> 0:01:52.680 on the stools in a minute. You should have put 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:55.840 a five hour energy drink in your omelet today. You 0:01:55.840 --> 0:01:58.040 should have just cooked it right into your omelet because 0:01:58.040 --> 0:02:01.960 I've got quite a quite a few miles to cover today. 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:10.400 Are you ready? You're ready now. I've been been teaching 0:02:10.440 --> 0:02:14.480 and preaching in a stream about making room for the 0:02:14.520 --> 0:02:16.120 new things that God is doing in our life. I 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:19.480 want to continue in that stream, and I want to 0:02:19.520 --> 0:02:24.799 share a story that is really, really a life saver. 0:02:25.880 --> 0:02:30.480 It's really a lifesaver, and so don't underestimate the power 0:02:30.480 --> 0:02:34.720 in this little story. I wonder if you've ever heard 0:02:34.720 --> 0:02:38.360 this one before. It's not very well known, but I 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:43.320 think it's very very rich. In tewod Samuel twenty one, 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:46.280 verse fifteen, did I give you my scripture yet? Or 0:02:46.320 --> 0:02:48.200 was that the first time I said it? Okay, I'll 0:02:48.200 --> 0:02:54.200 give you a second. I've been in this scripture so long. 0:02:55.120 --> 0:02:57.280 I feel like we. I feel like we just we've 0:02:57.280 --> 0:02:59.640 been together all week because while I've been preparing it, 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:03.960 I've been picturing you and praying and hoping that God 0:03:04.000 --> 0:03:07.520 would communicate it. So they moved my camera way back 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:09.320 to the back of the room like it always was 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:12.200 for months. I had it real close. But let's just 0:03:12.639 --> 0:03:15.560 there's no distance in the spirit, all right. So wherever 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:22.040 you're watching this, we're right there together. Second Samuel twenty 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:24.239 one fifteen. If you're in Philippians, just look at the 0:03:24.240 --> 0:03:29.440 screen because you won't find it. Once again, there was 0:03:29.440 --> 0:03:33.240 a battle between the Philistines and Israelites, and David went 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:36.320 down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:41.560 he became exhausted. And everybody feels that that scripture is 0:03:41.600 --> 0:03:43.800 not about David. It's about you. Say amen real quick 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:49.800 and ish Fai Benob, one of the descendants of Reifa, 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:53.960 whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:56.560 armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:02.839 He threatened to kill David King David, but Abashi, son 0:04:02.880 --> 0:04:05.840 of Zaruja, came to David's rescue. He struck the Philistine 0:04:05.880 --> 0:04:10.080 down and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, saying, 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:14.000 never again will you go out with us to battle 0:04:14.880 --> 0:04:19.720 so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished. 0:04:21.680 --> 0:04:24.320 There's quite a few preacher cliches and I like them. 0:04:24.320 --> 0:04:26.080 They're really cool. I like to use them in my 0:04:26.120 --> 0:04:30.680 sermons because they stick things that you might hear preachers 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:36.040 say like, I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I 0:04:36.120 --> 0:04:42.400 know who holds tomorrow, and it's true. I think that's 0:04:42.520 --> 0:04:44.320 very true. I think you could make a biblical case 0:04:44.320 --> 0:04:48.200 for that, and I like it. But sometimes you want 0:04:48.200 --> 0:04:50.359 to kind of ask the preacher who saying that, well, 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:54.000 could you please tell the one who holds tomorrow? Ask 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:55.800 him what I should do today, and ask him to 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:57.640 let me in on it, because I had some decisions 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:02.320 to make. Amen. I heard another one one time. I've 0:05:02.360 --> 0:05:06.560 said this one before. Actually, confession time, I've said, it's 0:05:06.560 --> 0:05:10.280 not a setback, it's a setup. Your setback is a 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:13.279 setup for a combat. It's like, I see what you 0:05:13.320 --> 0:05:17.880 did there, but I'm broke right and the light company 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:20.840 doesn't take Mother Goose Bible Verse spin offs for payment. 0:05:20.880 --> 0:05:23.160 You know, I got paid the bills to help me 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:26.479 with that. The one that I've heard a lot and 0:05:26.520 --> 0:05:29.920 I found it to be partially true is they'll say, 0:05:30.080 --> 0:05:32.679 when you're moving forward in your relationship with God, you'll 0:05:32.800 --> 0:05:36.840 experience increased resistance. Right, And that's not necessarily a sign 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:39.839 you're doing something wrong. It just means that you're advancing, 0:05:40.960 --> 0:05:42.839 and so every time you go higher, you have to 0:05:42.839 --> 0:05:45.919 fight harder. And the way that I've said that before 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:48.880 and heard it said is I wonder if you've heard 0:05:48.880 --> 0:05:56.360 this one, New Levels, New Devils. Have you heard that before? 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:01.440 It's true on Mario brothers. You know, the more you win, 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:05.760 the bigger the bosses get, And it's true in life. 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:08.400 I'm not discounting that fact. But today I want to 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:11.640 preach it a little bit differently, and I don't want 0:06:11.640 --> 0:06:15.320 to preach on new levels, New Devils. Instead, the Lord 0:06:15.360 --> 0:06:17.200 sent me with this passage to talk to you about 0:06:18.240 --> 0:06:29.080 same devils, new levels. Father, what you gave me was good. 0:06:29.880 --> 0:06:33.760 Don't let me mess it up. The needs are too great, 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:35.280 So I put it in your hands. I know that 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:37.760 you will multiply it and feed your people now all 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:42.159 over the world. In Jesus' name, everybody, say amen, Come on, 0:06:42.240 --> 0:06:45.400 say amen, Say amen. In the chat you may be seated. 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:54.520 Reminded me of Thanksgiving when I think the Detroit Lions 0:06:54.560 --> 0:07:00.839 play every Thanksgiving, Is that right? My Thanksgiving memories consist 0:07:00.920 --> 0:07:03.280 of going over to Uncle Tommy's and Aunt Mary's in Florence, 0:07:03.279 --> 0:07:09.960 South Carolina, then feasting, but always Uncle Tommy had the 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:15.239 NFL on TV. It was always the Lions, the Detroit Lions. 0:07:16.440 --> 0:07:18.280 We will know that Jesus is about to come back 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:20.600 for real when the Lions don't play on Thanksgiving. A 0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:23.560 lot of crazy crap has happened over the last twelve months, 0:07:23.600 --> 0:07:25.760 but when that happens, the signs of his coming are near. 0:07:27.400 --> 0:07:31.080 And my Papa, at the end of his life, he 0:07:31.120 --> 0:07:33.160 would play dumb, but he would know what was going on, 0:07:33.240 --> 0:07:35.040 and his mind was sharper than he would let you think, 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:36.560 and he'd sit there for a long time and then 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:38.520 he'd say something kind of funny just to mess with you. 0:07:39.440 --> 0:07:41.960 And one Thanksgiving, I must have been about eleven or twelve, 0:07:42.000 --> 0:07:44.920 we were watching the Lions and I don't know I 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:47.239 remember this, You know, you just remember little dumb stuff. 0:07:47.640 --> 0:07:49.920 It's like the spice of life, these little weird memories. 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:53.200 And he goes, ah, he looks at the Lions playing 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:57.120 football and Thanksgiving, and he goes, they're still going at 0:07:57.200 --> 0:08:03.520 him after all these years. They're still going at it. 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:07.680 He is messing with us, They're still going at it 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:11.679 after all these years. I kind of felt like that 0:08:12.400 --> 0:08:18.640 when I was reading Second Samuel twenty one, because if 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:22.440 you'll notice how it starts, it says, once again, put 0:08:22.480 --> 0:08:26.960 it on the screen, please once again. And I'd love 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:28.960 for you to write those words down or just put 0:08:28.960 --> 0:08:33.080 it in the chat right now. Once again. It kind 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:39.680 of signifies a cyclical struggle. Once again, put it on 0:08:39.720 --> 0:08:41.720 the screen one more time, please, just to make sure 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:43.720 that it sinks in. I'm going to use repetition here 0:08:44.520 --> 0:08:49.800 because it's describing something that's repetitive in David's life, is 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:54.520 that he's fighting the Philistines. Now, all of you Bible 0:08:54.559 --> 0:08:57.840 students are like, hey, wait a minute. He can't be 0:08:57.840 --> 0:09:03.719 fighting the Philistines. Killed the Philistine in First Samuel seventeen, 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:08.200 and pastor Steve, I'm not so good at the Bible 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:13.640 or theology. But Second Samuel twenty one comes way after 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:19.120 for Samuel seventeen, So David can't be fighting the Philistine 0:09:19.320 --> 0:09:23.360 in Second Samuel twenty one. He killed him in on 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:27.559 Samuel seventeen. His name was Goliath. He was nine foot 0:09:27.640 --> 0:09:30.960 three by some traditions, at least six foot nine by 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:34.240 the lowest estimate. He had a big old six hundred 0:09:34.440 --> 0:09:37.600 shekel tip of his spear, and he came at David 0:09:37.679 --> 0:09:40.839 talking trash, and he defied the armies of the Living God. 0:09:41.200 --> 0:09:44.120 And David had five stones, but he sold the other 0:09:44.200 --> 0:09:49.559 four on eBay as miracle memorabilia because he only needed one. 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:55.440 So you're correct, you're correct, you're correct, you're correct. He's 0:09:55.480 --> 0:10:05.920 fighting a different philistine enemy, the same the same opponent, 0:10:08.120 --> 0:10:10.280 the same thing. I had these moments in my life 0:10:10.320 --> 0:10:18.240 now where I'm like, really still this so it doesn't 0:10:18.240 --> 0:10:21.079 surprise me, like new levels, new devils, Like okay, well yeah, 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:22.920 I've never done this before. Yeah, of course it's this 0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:26.400 kind of hard. But can I be honest with you 0:10:26.480 --> 0:10:31.040 when I find the same insecurities that I was dealing 0:10:31.080 --> 0:10:36.200 with as a fifteen year old, and they're still running 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:43.600 after me, running after running after me, when I find 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:46.720 those kinds of things that are still on my heels, 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:51.000 and I've been running with the Lord for twenty five years. 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:57.320 So when I called the message, same devils I knew 0:10:57.320 --> 0:10:59.800 that you would know what I was talking about, because 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:02.199 every once in a while you get a look at 0:11:02.200 --> 0:11:05.840 yourself in the mirror and you see some things that 0:11:05.880 --> 0:11:10.960 have changed, much to your chagrin, and then you see 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:19.280 several things that you're like, still this really and So 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:21.160 where I want to get us in the sermon today, 0:11:21.480 --> 0:11:24.319 God being my hope and portion is I want to 0:11:24.320 --> 0:11:27.760 get us from verse fifteen put it up, please once again. 0:11:27.840 --> 0:11:30.800 There was a battle between the Philistines and Israel, and 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:32.920 I want to get us, and you and your family 0:11:33.120 --> 0:11:35.400 and me and all of us crazy people. I want 0:11:35.440 --> 0:11:38.640 to get us all the way to verse seventeen and 0:11:38.720 --> 0:11:41.679 verse seventeen. Right in the middle of the verse, he 0:11:41.720 --> 0:11:48.440 says never again. So that's what I'm interested in today. 0:11:49.000 --> 0:11:51.920 Is I want to get from verse fifteen, where it 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:58.439 says once again you ready? Are you ready? So verse seventeen, 0:11:58.480 --> 0:12:03.640 where he says again, Now I need allow mouth person 0:12:03.720 --> 0:12:11.040 to shout never again. All right, so sit down and 0:12:11.120 --> 0:12:14.640 let's get there, because this is gonna be a rough journey. 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:18.360 He is fighting the same giants. Now it's not that 0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:21.520 it's not Goliath. Goliath is dead and his head's cut off, 0:12:21.600 --> 0:12:25.400 and he doesn't come back, but but it lists here 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:28.720 in Second Samuel twenty one. Some of the people who 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:32.720 were who were kind of like Goliath. They were kind 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:36.880 of like Goliath, the descendants of Raifa, not the tennis player, 0:12:37.000 --> 0:12:43.000 chunks different, different God. It's it's kind of like Goliath, 0:12:44.040 --> 0:12:48.560 but it's it's not Goliath. And David has changed, but 0:12:48.679 --> 0:12:52.599 some things about him are still the same, and so 0:12:52.640 --> 0:12:55.400 you kind of surprised sometimes every once in a while 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:58.400 to see what's still the same and what has changed. 0:12:58.440 --> 0:13:01.880 I mean, for David, he's come a long way to 0:13:01.960 --> 0:13:05.040 be the king of the United Monarchy. You know, he's 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:08.600 got the Southern and Northern Kingdom together. He's forty years old. 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:12.160 Now I relate to David in this way, not in 0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:16.080 many ways. I don't have a harp in my music room. 0:13:16.520 --> 0:13:19.559 David played harp. I've never done that. I played acoustic guitar. 0:13:19.679 --> 0:13:22.679 So it's kind of like that. I don't relate to 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:26.280 David all the way. I remember somebody telling me one time, 0:13:26.880 --> 0:13:29.160 you know, we shouldn't compare ourselves to the Bible characters. 0:13:29.200 --> 0:13:32.559 Then what are we doing studying history? God gave these 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:35.720 people to us as examples the good and the bad, 0:13:37.280 --> 0:13:40.320 and so I relate to David in certain ways. In 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:42.920 some ways, he's very different than me. I don't have 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:46.560 his fighting skills or anything. I have his temper, but 0:13:46.640 --> 0:13:51.600 I don't have his acumen. I relate to him in 0:13:51.640 --> 0:13:53.800 the sense that, you know, he had a sense for 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:56.240 what God wanted him to do as a teenager. I 0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:59.320 relate to that. I started sensing what God wanted me 0:13:59.360 --> 0:14:02.000 to do early. I even relate to the fact that 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:05.080 in some ways he didn't fit in, because you can 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:08.199 feel like that sometimes. I don't relate to bring in 0:14:08.240 --> 0:14:10.160 the Ark of the Covenant back. I've never done anything 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:13.319 that big in my life. I really started a YouTube channel. 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:17.080 I never brought the Ark of the Covenant back, So 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:19.000 in a way I relate in a way is much different. 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:21.680 There are some things about the story that are probably 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:24.560 just to show me a bigger picture of what God 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:28.040 has always been doing, and that part I don't relate 0:14:28.080 --> 0:14:32.080 to so much. But when it said once again there 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:35.800 was a battle between the Philistines, and I realized that 0:14:35.960 --> 0:14:43.160 David was still fighting over two decades later with some 0:14:43.280 --> 0:14:47.640 of the same giants that he killed at age seventeen, 0:14:49.040 --> 0:14:53.640 I related to that. So we may want to give 0:14:53.680 --> 0:14:59.040 this message a subtitle. It's the same devil, it's just 0:14:59.160 --> 0:15:06.800 dressed different. Once you begin to understand that the devil 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:12.160 is not creative God is, you can more easily discern 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:15.400 when he's bringing a different flavor of the same temptation 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:20.520 into your life in a different season. And I think 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:25.360 that's important because otherwise you will become like David, exhausted 0:15:26.160 --> 0:15:30.000 trying to fight every new devil. But once you recognize 0:15:30.840 --> 0:15:34.920 that this is the same fear that's making me drink 0:15:34.960 --> 0:15:39.160 too much that earlier in my life was a part 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:41.560 of how I grew up, or once you realize this 0:15:41.720 --> 0:15:44.920 is the same fear that's making me push people away 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:49.760 at age. Now, now here's what happens. Though. See like 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:52.160 it's the same stuff we deal with, right, It's the 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:55.640 same exact stuff. The world, the flesh, the devil. Everybody 0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:59.080 say that the world, the flesh, the devil. Only three enemies, 0:15:59.120 --> 0:16:02.200 the world, the flesh, the devil. The world is the system, 0:16:02.200 --> 0:16:04.280 the flesh is the patterns, and the devil is that 0:16:04.960 --> 0:16:09.840 other thing, that other thing that we can't exactly pinpoint 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:13.200 on a person. But once you understand that's all the 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:16.080 devil has, and it just comes back and forth in 0:16:16.120 --> 0:16:20.120 your life in different seasons. It dresses up in different disguises. 0:16:22.080 --> 0:16:32.040 And when you're younger, the devils are less expensive. So 0:16:32.120 --> 0:16:35.560 when you're younger and you want attention, you just act 0:16:35.560 --> 0:16:40.760 out in class and you get detention. That's it. That's it. 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:43.040 You just want attention, that's what you want. So you 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:45.400 do something stupid and you get detention, and that's it. 0:16:46.360 --> 0:16:50.120 But what about twenty five years later, when the same 0:16:50.240 --> 0:16:56.640 need for attention outside of your marriage doesn't end in detention, 0:16:56.760 --> 0:17:01.320 it ends in divorce. Do you see what this country 0:17:01.360 --> 0:17:05.040 preacher is trying to say to you. It's really simple. 0:17:05.280 --> 0:17:10.000 It's the same devil. It's just coming at you at 0:17:10.000 --> 0:17:18.800 an entirely different expense. The stakes are higher. So that's 0:17:18.800 --> 0:17:24.440 why I love like elevation youth, because while my kids 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:27.200 are young, I want to teach them they can pray 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:31.200 about anything, they can ask God for anything, they can 0:17:31.240 --> 0:17:34.880 trust God with anything, they can go to God for anything. 0:17:35.320 --> 0:17:39.760 They can find everything that the world falsely advertises in 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:42.480 the House of God. And you don't have to run 0:17:42.520 --> 0:17:45.720 from your calling. You can embrace it because you've got 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:53.280 it on the inside. I don't know if you know 0:17:53.359 --> 0:17:58.640 this but the same passion that made David great as 0:17:58.680 --> 0:18:01.160 a teenager to kill Goliath, which was his first giant 0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:06.040 that he killed, almost got him killed a little later 0:18:06.080 --> 0:18:14.200 in his life. See he's conflicted in two Samuel twenty 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:20.080 one because he's not a shepherd boy anymore. He's a 0:18:20.160 --> 0:18:23.880 king now, he's not in a wheelchair. When I first 0:18:24.040 --> 0:18:26.440 read this, I was like, man, David must have been 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:31.160 really old that he got so tired in battle. Then 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:34.800 I thought he was weak. But I read it a 0:18:34.800 --> 0:18:36.920 few more times and it didn't say that. It said 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:40.760 once again, there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. 0:18:41.560 --> 0:18:44.520 David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, 0:18:45.520 --> 0:18:52.400 and he became the Bible says, exhausted. It didn't say 0:18:52.400 --> 0:18:56.280 he was weak. That's not almost what got him killed. 0:18:57.680 --> 0:19:01.000 David was not weak. He's one of these guys. Even 0:19:01.000 --> 0:19:02.760 if you thought that, you wouldn't say it to his face. 0:19:04.760 --> 0:19:10.639 He wasn't weak, and he wasn't lazy. The Bible doesn't 0:19:10.680 --> 0:19:13.840 say that David was careless. It said he was weary. 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:21.320 There's a big difference between weak and weary. It's like 0:19:21.359 --> 0:19:25.240 the other day, me and my partner, who's also my 0:19:25.280 --> 0:19:29.200 firstborn son. We're pumping some big weights in the pound. 0:19:29.440 --> 0:19:32.200 That's what we call the room. We work out in 0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:38.320 the place of ultimate natural development. Pound. It's an acronym 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:39.800 have a good time. You got to have a good 0:19:39.840 --> 0:19:41.640 time in life. You can't preach all the time. Yeah, 0:19:41.720 --> 0:19:44.159 use your creativity in other ways. So come it's we 0:19:44.240 --> 0:19:48.720 call it the pound. And I said, what would you 0:19:48.760 --> 0:19:52.240 do right now if I put a video of you 0:19:52.320 --> 0:19:56.280 curling these five pound weights? But see when I tell 0:19:56.280 --> 0:19:58.920 you he was curling five pound weights. What I didn't 0:19:58.920 --> 0:20:03.560 tell you is it was the fourth exercise in a 0:20:03.600 --> 0:20:07.399 super super super setting. If you had walked in at 0:20:07.440 --> 0:20:09.920 that moment where you saw him with the fives, you'd 0:20:09.960 --> 0:20:15.240 be like, haha, look at you. Do you even lift this? Like, yeah, 0:20:15.320 --> 0:20:17.760 I was lifting for five minutes before you got here. 0:20:20.480 --> 0:20:26.520 You just walked in at the end. So here we are. 0:20:26.560 --> 0:20:30.639 I'm curling tins, he's curling fives, and we're laughing at ourselves, 0:20:30.760 --> 0:20:38.320 but knowing we're much stronger. We're not weak, We're just weary. 0:20:39.119 --> 0:20:41.080 I thought you'd be happy. I'm letting you off the hook. 0:20:42.520 --> 0:20:45.840 That's why you did the dumb thing that you did yesterday. 0:20:46.640 --> 0:20:49.160 You are not a weak person. You are strong. How 0:20:49.200 --> 0:20:51.720 can Christ live in you and you'd be weak? It's 0:20:51.760 --> 0:20:57.400 not possible. That's not possible. How can greater is he 0:20:57.480 --> 0:21:00.000 that is in you than he that is in the world. 0:21:00.400 --> 0:21:04.080 How can the great I am be the spirit that 0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:06.960 brings life in sight of you and you be weak? 0:21:08.720 --> 0:21:13.840 David wasn't weak, and neither am I. I feel weak 0:21:14.520 --> 0:21:19.600 when I get weary, and I get weary when I've 0:21:19.640 --> 0:21:24.320 been fighting the same battle over and over and over again, 0:21:24.480 --> 0:21:26.360 and then people walk in on you and they're like, 0:21:26.400 --> 0:21:29.000 why would you do something so dumb? Oh God, why 0:21:29.040 --> 0:21:31.600 would you do something like that if you would have 0:21:31.640 --> 0:21:34.000 saw the three sets I had to do before you 0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:42.280 got here. Yeah. I used to want to walk out 0:21:43.160 --> 0:21:45.960 because for years I preached three services or four services, 0:21:46.240 --> 0:21:47.480 and I used to want to walk out to the 0:21:47.480 --> 0:21:50.679 eleven thirty on the third service and go, can you 0:21:50.680 --> 0:21:53.560 all be nice to me today? I mean, I barely 0:21:53.600 --> 0:21:55.640 have a voice left. I drank all the throat coat 0:21:55.680 --> 0:21:58.800 that they make in the I'm practically like living off 0:21:58.800 --> 0:22:01.240 a recola cough drop to even get these words out. 0:22:01.359 --> 0:22:03.000 Can y'all please not sit there and look at me? 0:22:03.280 --> 0:22:05.760 Cross eyed and crossed arm? Looking at me like I 0:22:05.800 --> 0:22:07.440 stole something out of your house and you want to 0:22:07.440 --> 0:22:09.480 throw me in prison. Can we please not have you 0:22:09.520 --> 0:22:11.440 looking like a terrorist on the front row of the 0:22:11.480 --> 0:22:13.280 church today while I'm trying to appreciate you know, just 0:22:13.280 --> 0:22:15.679 like pity me. I'm tired. Please help me, help me anyhow. 0:22:15.920 --> 0:22:22.720 I'm person, David is a person. You're a person. Yeah, Yeah, 0:22:23.119 --> 0:22:29.520 we have the treasure in earthen vessels. Yeah, and you 0:22:29.560 --> 0:22:34.199 get tired. The only thing I hate is when I 0:22:34.240 --> 0:22:36.680 see you getting tired over battles that you don't even 0:22:36.720 --> 0:22:43.760 have to fight. I hate that for you. Some battles 0:22:43.840 --> 0:22:47.240 you have to fight when you're running back and forth 0:22:47.280 --> 0:22:49.480 to the nursing home where your mother is and she's 0:22:49.560 --> 0:22:51.399 an hour away, and then you're coming back home and 0:22:51.400 --> 0:22:53.200 you don't have enough to give and you're spread. Then, 0:22:53.320 --> 0:22:57.879 I mean, that's one thing, But then to have imaginary 0:22:57.920 --> 0:23:07.320 battles that you fight alongside the real So where in 0:23:07.359 --> 0:23:14.919 my life am I being defeated because I'm drained? What 0:23:15.000 --> 0:23:20.240 a question? Right? Where am I stronger than what I 0:23:20.280 --> 0:23:24.080 am acting? Like? Where am I? Where am I? Actually? 0:23:24.320 --> 0:23:27.000 I remember when I went over to somebody's house one 0:23:27.000 --> 0:23:29.400 time and their kid was acting so colicky and bad 0:23:29.440 --> 0:23:31.720 at the probably like a six month old kid, and 0:23:31.760 --> 0:23:33.919 they said, I promise they're good. They just they just 0:23:33.960 --> 0:23:37.680 need a nap. And sometimes I want to like apologize 0:23:37.680 --> 0:23:40.239 for myself like that, I promise I'm good. I just 0:23:40.280 --> 0:23:43.000 need a napp I just need a bubble bath. I 0:23:43.160 --> 0:23:45.520 just need to take a walk with Holly. I just 0:23:45.560 --> 0:23:49.720 need something. And yet so much of it, if you'll 0:23:49.760 --> 0:23:52.120 notice in the passage, so much of it is solved 0:23:53.680 --> 0:24:01.240 when we allow the strategy to match the season. And 0:24:01.280 --> 0:24:04.199 that's what drew me to the challenge of this text 0:24:04.359 --> 0:24:08.240 was that David is doing what he has always done 0:24:08.520 --> 0:24:11.399 and what has made him successful up to this point, 0:24:12.240 --> 0:24:15.080 and it almost gets him killed. So here's how God 0:24:15.119 --> 0:24:17.440 showed it to me. The thing that got him crowned 0:24:17.800 --> 0:24:22.160 almost got him killed. He was crowned for killing a giant, 0:24:22.440 --> 0:24:24.480 which was what he was supposed to do in that 0:24:24.560 --> 0:24:28.200 season of his life. But now we find him almost dying. 0:24:28.440 --> 0:24:34.720 David almost died, He almost died, He almost died before 0:24:34.760 --> 0:24:37.520 he did everything God called him to do. He almost 0:24:37.680 --> 0:24:40.919 died anointed and he almost died. You can be anointed 0:24:41.000 --> 0:24:43.600 and exhausted, and if you don't know what to do 0:24:43.680 --> 0:24:48.800 in those moments, then the thing that crowns you in 0:24:48.840 --> 0:24:53.400 one season can kill you in the next. Excellent. Can 0:24:53.440 --> 0:24:58.959 I share this personally? When COVID nineteen says it, are 0:24:59.000 --> 0:25:01.280 y'all sick of even hearing that? Can we call it 0:25:01.320 --> 0:25:06.160 something else? When the plague broke out on the earth 0:25:10.280 --> 0:25:13.520 for four weeks? And you'll verify this. I went on 0:25:13.640 --> 0:25:17.280 zoom to every meeting in the church. Every meeting. It 0:25:17.440 --> 0:25:20.480 was me creeping on every meeting. What are we talking 0:25:20.520 --> 0:25:23.359 about today? I think the e Kid's logo should have 0:25:23.359 --> 0:25:26.800 a slightly lighter shade of yellow because I was scared 0:25:27.800 --> 0:25:29.560 because they told me we couldn't open the doors of 0:25:29.600 --> 0:25:33.560 our church. And I spent almost fifteen years. This church 0:25:33.600 --> 0:25:39.720 will turn fifteen next week. Oh yeah, we kill some 0:25:40.080 --> 0:25:53.760 Zians too, Boy, we kill some big ones, some big ones. Now. 0:25:54.320 --> 0:25:57.040 Back in those days, I was in every meeting at 0:25:57.080 --> 0:26:01.040 my kitchen table with no office. I mean, and I'm 0:26:01.080 --> 0:26:03.000 not trying to make the sermon about me. I know not, David, 0:26:03.000 --> 0:26:07.040 But I just relate to trying to do something that 0:26:07.160 --> 0:26:10.080 made you successful in one season, but you don't have 0:26:10.080 --> 0:26:12.359 the strength for it in the next season, and you 0:26:12.359 --> 0:26:17.000 can't figure it out, why is this killing me? So 0:26:17.160 --> 0:26:19.120 I was trying to run the church how I used 0:26:19.119 --> 0:26:22.160 to run the church, just like you're trying to live 0:26:22.200 --> 0:26:24.040 in your marriage like you did when you were single. 0:26:29.720 --> 0:26:31.639 You don't get to keep the same schedule as a 0:26:31.680 --> 0:26:35.520 married person as you did as a single person. That 0:26:35.640 --> 0:26:40.080 will kill the law that you had in your marriage. 0:26:41.119 --> 0:26:42.880 I feel it in my legs. I don't know why. 0:26:45.160 --> 0:26:48.240 So so for a few weeks, I was going to 0:26:48.320 --> 0:26:50.639 every meeting. You remember, I was going at every meeting. 0:26:50.840 --> 0:26:53.119 I was going at every meeting, and I think I 0:26:53.160 --> 0:26:55.199 needed to for a minute, just to stabilize. But then 0:26:55.240 --> 0:26:58.400 there came a point where I became so exhausted from 0:26:58.440 --> 0:27:00.240 doing what I did fifteen years ago to or at 0:27:00.280 --> 0:27:03.200 the church, and I realized, and maybe it will help 0:27:03.240 --> 0:27:05.120 you realize that you have your own version of this, 0:27:07.040 --> 0:27:11.439 that I'm killing my creativity that God needs me to 0:27:11.560 --> 0:27:15.960 use to do what he called me to do. Can 0:27:16.000 --> 0:27:21.120 you relate? I'm not David. I never thought what's his name? 0:27:21.560 --> 0:27:24.080 Ish bay? Being not? I never I can't even pronounce it, 0:27:24.200 --> 0:27:26.240 let alone, Can I kill him? I never thought something 0:27:26.320 --> 0:27:29.440 like that, all right, But what I can relate to 0:27:31.560 --> 0:27:36.840 is trying to use an old strategy in a new season. 0:27:42.359 --> 0:27:44.879 And like, if you've lived through any kind of scarcity, 0:27:44.920 --> 0:27:47.320 this is a big temptation because you can have enough 0:27:47.400 --> 0:27:52.000 but not know what to do with it. You can 0:27:52.040 --> 0:27:53.800 have a phone full of people who would love to 0:27:53.840 --> 0:27:56.080 hear from you, and tell yourself to lie. Nobody wants 0:27:56.119 --> 0:28:01.080 to talk to me, because maybe at one point in 0:28:01.119 --> 0:28:05.520 your life nobody would talk to you. And you're still fifteen, 0:28:10.400 --> 0:28:16.320 and you're forty you're forty five. Here's what I'm trying 0:28:16.320 --> 0:28:18.639 to say nicely. You're running out of time to upgrade 0:28:18.680 --> 0:28:25.359 weapons because Ishbai Binobi is coming for everything you have. 0:28:26.760 --> 0:28:29.959 One version says he cornered David, and some of you 0:28:29.960 --> 0:28:33.320 are feeling cornered right now. And if you don't figure 0:28:33.359 --> 0:28:38.440 out what to do in this weary place, that same 0:28:38.520 --> 0:28:41.400 instinct that God gave you for survival that David had. 0:28:41.720 --> 0:28:45.400 Remember he said, I killed the bear, I killed the lions. 0:28:47.040 --> 0:28:49.520 Papa said, they're still going at it. It was the 0:28:49.600 --> 0:28:51.800 lions That's what made me remember it, because David was 0:28:51.880 --> 0:28:56.240 killing lions right But now if he tries to fight 0:28:56.440 --> 0:29:02.200 in this season like he fought in that season, he 0:29:02.280 --> 0:29:07.800 will die at the hands of his own instinct you 0:29:07.800 --> 0:29:09.280 want to go home or you want me to keep going. 0:29:13.280 --> 0:29:15.800 So I realized I can't keep going in all these meetings. 0:29:15.800 --> 0:29:18.640 It's just taken all. So I want to ask you 0:29:18.760 --> 0:29:23.520 the question again, where in your life are you using 0:29:23.560 --> 0:29:28.040 an old strategy in a new season. Where does that 0:29:28.080 --> 0:29:30.480 need to be upgraded? You know, like when you do 0:29:30.560 --> 0:29:33.600 go through the legend of Zelda. This is a current 0:29:33.640 --> 0:29:36.240 pop culture reference here, Okay for all the young people. 0:29:36.680 --> 0:29:38.960 When you do go through a video game, you got 0:29:38.960 --> 0:29:42.360 to pick up all the weapons along the way. And 0:29:42.400 --> 0:29:44.840 now the shame of it is when you're fighting with 0:29:44.880 --> 0:29:55.640 an inferior weapon, because it reminds you of Gowiath. You know, 0:29:56.080 --> 0:30:01.080 when you're defensive but nobody's attacking you. That's bad. The 0:30:01.200 --> 0:30:03.800 whole thing of whether David lives or died, the whole 0:30:03.840 --> 0:30:06.040 thing on whether your joy lives or died, The whole 0:30:06.080 --> 0:30:08.160 thing on whether or not you make it, the whole 0:30:08.200 --> 0:30:09.920 thing on whether or not you live to show your 0:30:09.960 --> 0:30:12.600 kids something different. See, I feel sorry for David. He 0:30:12.720 --> 0:30:16.040 doesn't know how to be a king in this way. 0:30:16.720 --> 0:30:21.000 He had a bad example in Saul. He was only 0:30:21.040 --> 0:30:25.000 the second king that Israel ever had. The whole reason 0:30:25.160 --> 0:30:29.120 israel wanted a king was because the Philistines were oppressing them. 0:30:29.360 --> 0:30:32.080 The whole reason the Philistines were oppressing them is because 0:30:32.120 --> 0:30:36.600 the Philistines were metalworkers, so they had more weapons. The 0:30:36.680 --> 0:30:39.320 Israelites didn't have the weapons, so they wanted a king. 0:30:39.840 --> 0:30:42.600 But they got a bad king because they selected on 0:30:42.640 --> 0:30:45.920 the basis of hight, not heart. When David came into 0:30:45.960 --> 0:30:48.560 the throne, he had the heart for it, but he 0:30:48.720 --> 0:30:51.800 didn't know how. And that's the thing about the people 0:30:51.840 --> 0:30:54.200 I passed her. I have the heart to be a 0:30:54.200 --> 0:30:56.560 good dad. I have the heart to be a good woman. 0:30:56.800 --> 0:30:58.920 I have the heart to be a good employee. I 0:30:58.960 --> 0:31:00.880 have the heart to make it. I have the heart 0:31:00.920 --> 0:31:03.240 to break these changes. I want to get free, but 0:31:03.360 --> 0:31:08.680 I never saw a how So now I'm out here 0:31:09.200 --> 0:31:15.120 fighting forty year old giants with fifteen year old tactics, 0:31:15.280 --> 0:31:18.880 and you can't fight grown up battles with teenage tactics. 0:31:19.840 --> 0:31:22.719 You've got to grow into this season. You've got to 0:31:22.760 --> 0:31:26.400 grow into this challenge. You've got to grow into this assignment. 0:31:26.800 --> 0:31:29.360 You've got to grow into the annoying thing that you've 0:31:29.400 --> 0:31:36.760 had all along. It's not automatic, it's not automatic. And 0:31:36.800 --> 0:31:39.880 whenever I face something that scares me. You know what 0:31:39.960 --> 0:31:44.360 I do? They say, what is it? New levels, new devils? No, 0:31:44.760 --> 0:31:46.920 when I hit a new devil, I sink back to 0:31:47.000 --> 0:31:52.320 the same level. I go back to the sewer, you know. 0:31:54.800 --> 0:31:57.760 I go back to the dumpster, back when I was 0:31:57.760 --> 0:32:00.840 emotionally homeless and had nothing to eat. Go back inside 0:32:00.880 --> 0:32:03.760 myself and keep counsel with the most unreliable person that 0:32:03.800 --> 0:32:12.440 I know, me unchecked. How does it go? See all 0:32:12.480 --> 0:32:18.040 these crazy things preachers say, new levels, new devils. So 0:32:18.080 --> 0:32:21.040 I wanted to show you, on one hand, how this 0:32:21.200 --> 0:32:25.080 is not Goliath. It just reminds you of him and 0:32:25.120 --> 0:32:29.360 that you have grown. But really, what I want to 0:32:29.360 --> 0:32:33.000 show you is what God did for David when he 0:32:33.080 --> 0:32:34.560 was cornered, and I believe He's going to do it 0:32:34.560 --> 0:32:37.880 for you. I know what we want to happen. That 0:32:38.000 --> 0:32:41.440 is not going to be what happens we want when 0:32:41.520 --> 0:32:45.000 David's got a sword to his throat. Remember this guy, 0:32:45.200 --> 0:32:48.400 this Ish. I like how his name starts with ish 0:32:48.400 --> 0:32:53.000 because we're all dealing with some Ish, aren't we. That's 0:32:53.000 --> 0:32:58.600 the part of his name. I can't say. Somebody put 0:32:58.640 --> 0:33:03.560 in the chat new Ish, same God, all right, stop 0:33:04.880 --> 0:33:10.719 stop it? He had a sword three hundred sheecls. Can 0:33:10.760 --> 0:33:14.239 you believe that that's seven pounds? Can you believe that 0:33:15.840 --> 0:33:20.640 Golias was fifteen pounds six hundred shekels? It was only 0:33:20.760 --> 0:33:25.840 half the size of golias sword. So why couldn't David 0:33:25.880 --> 0:33:29.880 beat him? I should be able to do this. I 0:33:29.920 --> 0:33:32.320 should be able to movement. I always did it this 0:33:32.360 --> 0:33:34.640 way before, and I got up and you know, my 0:33:34.720 --> 0:33:36.520 get up and go, got up and went. While we're 0:33:36.520 --> 0:33:39.720 doing cliches. You know what's happening right now? Why isn't 0:33:39.720 --> 0:33:42.959 this working? Because it sucks because the moment you mastered 0:33:42.960 --> 0:33:48.440 the strategy of chefs. So like when my oldest became 0:33:48.480 --> 0:33:50.160 a teenager, I'm so proud of him, but I didn't 0:33:50.160 --> 0:33:51.720 know how to raise a teenager. And you know, everybody 0:33:51.720 --> 0:33:56.080 start telling me, just give him his space, I says space. 0:33:58.320 --> 0:34:01.240 So let me get this right. This human being that 0:34:01.320 --> 0:34:05.080 gave me no space or sleep for the first two 0:34:05.160 --> 0:34:07.880 years of his life now so it's just back off. 0:34:09.760 --> 0:34:13.880 That's hard to do. Why are y'all looking at me crazy? 0:34:14.040 --> 0:34:16.880 You can't parent a fifteen year old the way you 0:34:16.960 --> 0:34:20.279 parent a two year old. I see people try to 0:34:20.320 --> 0:34:24.319 do it, and then I see the kid explode when 0:34:24.320 --> 0:34:27.239 they get out from under that supervision because you did 0:34:27.280 --> 0:34:33.480 not shift the strategy to match the season. Do you 0:34:33.480 --> 0:34:36.200 think pastoring this church now is like how it was 0:34:36.320 --> 0:34:42.880 pastoring when we had nineteen people. Imagine if we imagine 0:34:42.880 --> 0:34:44.840 if we tried to have the cookout on my grill 0:34:45.000 --> 0:34:47.880 after this sermon like we did back then. There's not 0:34:48.040 --> 0:34:52.959 enough propane in North Carolina. Uh huh uh huh huh 0:34:53.080 --> 0:34:58.120 huh huh. So what you have to do is what Abashi? 0:34:59.160 --> 0:35:01.080 I want somebody to their baby that I wish I 0:35:01.080 --> 0:35:02.840 would a name one of my kids Abishai. It's a 0:35:02.840 --> 0:35:05.840 good name. No, it's a good name. It means father 0:35:05.920 --> 0:35:12.200 of a gift. And what I wanted for the Bible 0:35:12.239 --> 0:35:15.719 to say, because when I feel like the enemy is 0:35:15.719 --> 0:35:20.799 closing in on me and I'm tired and I'm spent, 0:35:22.320 --> 0:35:26.080 and I'm out of ideas and I'm sick of people, 0:35:28.040 --> 0:35:33.480 I want him to send me an angel. God did 0:35:33.520 --> 0:35:38.160 not send an angel to rescue David. He sent abishaid. 0:35:43.800 --> 0:35:48.520 God did not send an angel. He sent a person. 0:35:51.640 --> 0:35:56.680 What David does when Abishai comes determines whether he lives 0:35:56.760 --> 0:36:06.080 or dies. Are you pushing your abishi away because it's 0:36:06.160 --> 0:36:08.440 like I'm waiting on God. You know the old story 0:36:08.800 --> 0:36:12.320 the man was dying and the Lord sent him a helicopter. 0:36:12.440 --> 0:36:14.520 And how's the story going, Danny, you heard it before. 0:36:15.000 --> 0:36:16.920 He's like, God, if you'll save me, he's dying, he's 0:36:17.000 --> 0:36:19.880 about to drown, and helicopter flies by. He says, no, 0:36:19.920 --> 0:36:23.080 I'm waiting on God. The boat comes by. I'm waiting 0:36:23.120 --> 0:36:25.400 on God. Jet ski comes by. He said, I'm waiting 0:36:25.440 --> 0:36:29.760 on God. And he dies and he gets to heaven 0:36:31.560 --> 0:36:33.919 and they said, Lord, I waited on you. He said, 0:36:33.960 --> 0:36:37.239 I sent you a helicopter and a boat and a 0:36:37.320 --> 0:36:44.239 jet ski. I sent you aver ashire. But you know 0:36:44.280 --> 0:36:47.640 what you keep doing. You keep reverting back to when 0:36:47.640 --> 0:36:55.719 you had no help. How stupid does a king look 0:36:56.560 --> 0:37:00.399 with a sling like this. You're not stupid. We look 0:37:00.440 --> 0:37:03.000 when we start trying to fight things in the flesh. 0:37:03.520 --> 0:37:05.320 I'll show them. I got in a fight with a 0:37:05.360 --> 0:37:07.480 woman the other day, not a physical fight or anything. 0:37:07.640 --> 0:37:10.000 She was just talking crap. She was saying some stuff 0:37:10.160 --> 0:37:13.600 and I checked her. It wasn't inappropriate. You wouldn't have 0:37:13.640 --> 0:37:16.399 been ashamed to call me your pastor. But I checked 0:37:16.400 --> 0:37:21.080 her enough enough enough, and do you know what I 0:37:21.120 --> 0:37:23.879 got for it? Y'all are clapping. Y'all are cardinal. Y'all 0:37:23.920 --> 0:37:27.040 are real cardinal. Y'all are real cardinal. Just like me. 0:37:28.719 --> 0:37:33.200 I got two hours of an elevated heart ray, good job, 0:37:39.840 --> 0:37:42.600 didn't get a check, didn't get a royalty, didn't even 0:37:42.600 --> 0:37:47.880 get a belt, you know, like nothing, no metal, no nothing. 0:37:50.000 --> 0:37:53.359 But that's what I'm used to doing, right, That's what 0:37:53.400 --> 0:37:56.719 I'm used to doing. I going back to what I 0:37:56.920 --> 0:37:59.360 used to do. In some cases, that's worked well for me. 0:38:00.360 --> 0:38:02.560 You know, in some cases that's what I had to do. 0:38:02.600 --> 0:38:05.600 But you don't always have to. In some cases you 0:38:05.640 --> 0:38:07.279 had to make it alone. But maybe you don't have 0:38:07.320 --> 0:38:13.800 to right now. Maybe God's got somebody carrying the Father's gift. 0:38:14.920 --> 0:38:20.799 Abashi Abishai, pray for the next seven days, God, make 0:38:20.880 --> 0:38:25.799 me aware of the abishi, the help that you've said 0:38:25.840 --> 0:38:30.439 in my life. Pray it and see what happens. Get 0:38:30.480 --> 0:38:35.160 some cards, Get two or three cards, and handwrite some 0:38:35.239 --> 0:38:37.200 notes to people who have been an abashi for you 0:38:37.320 --> 0:38:40.879 in a season. Because at the moment that David would 0:38:40.920 --> 0:38:45.359 have died in steps abashi and Abishai is like no, no, no, 0:38:46.080 --> 0:38:51.000 we can't let the light go out. David is symbolic 0:38:51.120 --> 0:38:53.680 of the land. He's the one who keeps the covenant 0:38:53.680 --> 0:38:56.399 for Israel. He's the one that God gave. They were 0:38:56.480 --> 0:39:00.839 protective of their light. Are you protect of your light? 0:39:03.280 --> 0:39:05.920 He said, You can't put Verse seventeen up. You can't 0:39:05.960 --> 0:39:09.000 go out to battle like this anymore. You can't keep 0:39:09.040 --> 0:39:12.359 doing this like this anymore. You have got to upgrade 0:39:12.440 --> 0:39:14.759 how you do this or the light is going to 0:39:14.760 --> 0:39:18.560 go out. And what I'm seeing in this season of 0:39:18.560 --> 0:39:20.279 being a pastor, if I can be honest with you, 0:39:20.400 --> 0:39:23.560 I'm seeing a lot of people's lights go out. I'm 0:39:23.560 --> 0:39:26.520 seeing the light in their eyes go out. I'm seeing 0:39:26.520 --> 0:39:28.800 the light in their mind go out. They're not thinking clearly. 0:39:28.800 --> 0:39:31.960 They're just tripping over stuff in the dark, just getting 0:39:32.000 --> 0:39:35.200 real reckless right now, getting real crazy, going back to 0:39:35.280 --> 0:39:38.320 stuff they left alone for six years, going back to 0:39:38.360 --> 0:39:41.000 stuff they hadn't thought about in a long time, because 0:39:41.080 --> 0:39:47.080 that's what you do in survival. But you're in a 0:39:47.120 --> 0:39:52.759 different season. Now, You've got ABESHI. Now God has put 0:39:52.800 --> 0:39:56.960 something between you and your enemy. I'm talking about Jesus. 0:39:57.840 --> 0:40:01.920 I'm talking about the grace of God. Because while I 0:40:02.040 --> 0:40:05.200 was praying for those who are long dogs, said, if 0:40:05.239 --> 0:40:08.360 they don't have a human amphcide, I'll be their aber shod. 0:40:08.719 --> 0:40:12.160 I will stand between them and the pestilence and the 0:40:12.160 --> 0:40:16.160 sword and the depression. I will stand between you and 0:40:16.200 --> 0:40:24.440 the darkness. Stop pushing abashid away. I'm waiting on God. No, 0:40:24.880 --> 0:40:29.239 God has given you some help in the form of humans. 0:40:30.120 --> 0:40:32.600 And if you keep pushing people away like you're pushing 0:40:32.600 --> 0:40:36.480 people away, you will die at the hands of a 0:40:36.560 --> 0:40:46.040 giant that is under your feet. One more layer of 0:40:46.040 --> 0:40:51.600 this sermon. I want to show you who skinner. It 0:40:51.680 --> 0:40:54.719 got so good to me, and every word I was 0:40:54.760 --> 0:40:59.080 seeing was showing me something. Everybody say, same devil, new level. 0:41:00.160 --> 0:41:03.040 It means that, yes, I'm dealing with the same thing. Yes, 0:41:03.080 --> 0:41:05.480 I'm dealing with the same uncertainty. No, there is no 0:41:05.719 --> 0:41:09.680 abracadabra annoying thing. I wish I had that power, man Ah, 0:41:09.800 --> 0:41:11.840 sprinkle it all over all of y'all. I'd just be 0:41:11.880 --> 0:41:14.800 out sprinkling it all through the hospitals, all through the streets, 0:41:14.880 --> 0:41:17.080 all through the divorce courts, all through the custody course, 0:41:17.239 --> 0:41:19.239 all through everything you're going, all through the unemployment lines. 0:41:19.320 --> 0:41:24.799 I just sprinkled Abricaabra's gone, but God sent him Abishi Abashi. 0:41:26.960 --> 0:41:30.600 And what really got my attention was not only did 0:41:31.760 --> 0:41:36.800 ish by benob have a sword half the size of Golias, 0:41:36.840 --> 0:41:39.200 but look what it said in verse here, It is 0:41:39.280 --> 0:41:43.880 verse sixteen. You ready, is it bad that I'm this 0:41:43.960 --> 0:41:48.799 giddy over a scripture? Okay? I feel bad. I feel 0:41:48.800 --> 0:41:51.760 like I'm like being corny because I'm like excited about 0:41:51.760 --> 0:41:53.319 the Bible and stuff, the Word of God and all 0:41:53.320 --> 0:41:55.640 that stuff. It's like I'm paying too much attention to 0:41:55.640 --> 0:42:01.920 the Word of God. All right, it said that he 0:42:02.040 --> 0:42:10.799 was armed with a new sword. I'm wondering, why, Why 0:42:10.800 --> 0:42:17.560 does it matter if it's new or used? Why did 0:42:17.560 --> 0:42:22.680 it same new sword? I believe God is using the 0:42:22.719 --> 0:42:26.520 new sword that the enemy had to point to a 0:42:26.560 --> 0:42:31.760 deeper reality. Not only did the enemy have a new weapon, 0:42:33.160 --> 0:42:40.120 so did David. Not only did the enemy have a 0:42:40.160 --> 0:42:45.640 new weapon, so did David. Yeah. Remember this is the 0:42:45.680 --> 0:42:49.840 same David that struck down the lion, the same David 0:42:50.400 --> 0:42:53.560 that struck down a bear, the same David that put 0:42:53.560 --> 0:42:58.040 a smooth stone in Goliath's forehead. You remember when he 0:42:58.520 --> 0:43:01.600 came up on Goliath and Goliath coming closer, closer, closer, 0:43:01.840 --> 0:43:04.200 but David doesn't let him come all the way. David 0:43:04.280 --> 0:43:09.759 is practicing watch this spiritual distancing, spiritual distancing. It's that 0:43:09.920 --> 0:43:12.120 David ran to the battle line and he took his 0:43:12.160 --> 0:43:15.480 stone and he hit him from a distance, because look, look, look, look, 0:43:15.760 --> 0:43:19.239 you got to keep your enemies out there and your 0:43:19.280 --> 0:43:26.400 abishize here. Many of us do the exact opposite. We 0:43:26.480 --> 0:43:30.160 bring our enemies right here, and we keep our abbesshiys 0:43:30.280 --> 0:43:35.440 out there. So what we'll do. We will go in 0:43:35.440 --> 0:43:41.719 and spend five hours on Facebook having imaginary battles with 0:43:41.880 --> 0:43:44.879 people we don't know and wouldn't like if we did, 0:43:50.760 --> 0:43:53.600 or somehow we think we owe the universe an account 0:43:53.640 --> 0:43:55.560 of how we spent our day and our money and 0:43:55.600 --> 0:43:58.400 our week. So I don't go on social much anymore. 0:43:58.560 --> 0:44:01.000 I was reminded why the other night somebody in our 0:44:01.040 --> 0:44:03.160 family we were having a Friday night dinner. We had 0:44:03.200 --> 0:44:06.000 a very very busy, fruitful week last week. I can't 0:44:06.040 --> 0:44:08.239 wait to share what we created. It's amazing, one of 0:44:08.280 --> 0:44:09.840 my favorite things I've ever been a part creating, and 0:44:09.880 --> 0:44:11.640 I can't wait to share it with you. But right 0:44:11.680 --> 0:44:15.000 after that, right after that, while I was trying to rest. 0:44:15.480 --> 0:44:17.879 Somebody in our family was like, Oh, somebody's saying something 0:44:17.920 --> 0:44:20.880 bad about the church on social Da da da da dah. 0:44:21.400 --> 0:44:23.520 And I noticed in that moment, I had a decision 0:44:23.520 --> 0:44:25.640 to make. I had a decision to make in that moment. 0:44:27.680 --> 0:44:30.880 Do I want to be a part of a gang 0:44:30.920 --> 0:44:37.680 fight in a fish tank? Because if I choose to, 0:44:38.239 --> 0:44:40.120 y'all better listen to the man of God. This is 0:44:40.160 --> 0:44:43.840 wisdom for your life. If I choose to at that moment, 0:44:44.320 --> 0:44:46.480 I can go so deep into this. Who said what, 0:44:46.600 --> 0:44:48.759 and they said this, and they said that. And then 0:44:48.800 --> 0:44:51.680 when I'm preaching to you today, I'm mad. And you 0:44:51.719 --> 0:44:55.520 didn't even say anything but praise the Lord. So now 0:44:55.520 --> 0:44:58.359 I'll be fighting you in the pulpit. So I said, 0:44:58.920 --> 0:45:01.480 I don't want to hear anymore. I made a phone call. 0:45:01.640 --> 0:45:03.360 I said, Hey, if anything happens about this, let me 0:45:03.360 --> 0:45:05.759 know if let me do it. Boom boom. Now let's 0:45:05.760 --> 0:45:08.440 go watch that movie because I had told the kids 0:45:08.880 --> 0:45:10.840 that we were gonna now for us, movie night is 0:45:10.920 --> 0:45:15.440 like a big endeavor anyway. I mean, game night is 0:45:15.480 --> 0:45:18.120 like I can the Himalayas. We don't even try game 0:45:18.200 --> 0:45:20.520 night anymore. And that's a bloody sport in the Predict family. 0:45:20.640 --> 0:45:23.440 We can't do game night, but movie night. I just said, hey, 0:45:23.560 --> 0:45:25.799 y'all want to watch a movie to night. Everybody's stealing it. 0:45:25.840 --> 0:45:28.480 We had this big week as a family ministry. God's 0:45:28.520 --> 0:45:30.160 doing a great work in our church and I can't 0:45:30.160 --> 0:45:31.960 wait to share with you. But we all experienced it together. 0:45:32.040 --> 0:45:34.280 I said, let's watch a movie tonight and they said okay. 0:45:34.280 --> 0:45:37.439 I said, without our phones, they're like, okay, you would 0:45:37.440 --> 0:45:39.040 have thought. I said, let's go on a mission trip, 0:45:39.120 --> 0:45:42.080 right like this is some huge thing, like we're gonna 0:45:42.080 --> 0:45:44.960 watch a two hour like just very very very very 0:45:45.000 --> 0:45:47.759 brave of us. And I said, what do y'all want 0:45:47.760 --> 0:45:49.239 to watch? And then I realized, don't put it to 0:45:49.280 --> 0:45:51.160 a vote. I said, I'll figure out what to watch. 0:45:51.280 --> 0:45:54.399 And while that was happening, somebody said, hey, so and 0:45:54.440 --> 0:45:56.680 so is saying so and so about so and so 0:45:56.920 --> 0:46:06.919 and so and so, and I says, stop. They don't 0:46:06.960 --> 0:46:14.680 get to come to my movie night. You get it. 0:46:15.640 --> 0:46:18.080 They don't get free space in the movie theater. On 0:46:18.160 --> 0:46:21.480 my hand, if they want a ticket, they gotta buy it. 0:46:21.880 --> 0:46:26.080 Ah ah, no right there, Ah, you don't come in 0:46:26.160 --> 0:46:33.360 the front door. So so what about you, Because I 0:46:33.440 --> 0:46:35.640 meet in a lot of people and they are letting 0:46:35.840 --> 0:46:39.600 all these voices come all in, and you are dying 0:46:39.640 --> 0:46:47.040 at the hands of ish come on, pushing away the 0:46:47.080 --> 0:46:54.600 gift of the Father. Wow, it's complicated, it's not easy. 0:46:55.280 --> 0:46:59.200 David got this far by fighting, but to stay alive 0:47:01.400 --> 0:47:10.280 the same freaking philistines, these same habits, these same christ 0:47:10.280 --> 0:47:19.239 is same fifteen this again, really so God said, it's 0:47:19.280 --> 0:47:22.400 the same devil. But I want you to fight it 0:47:24.120 --> 0:47:29.160 at a new level. Because if you don't come up 0:47:29.200 --> 0:47:32.880 higher and see it from God's perspective and seek him 0:47:32.920 --> 0:47:35.520 and be with him and start your day different Injurre 0:47:35.560 --> 0:47:39.480 day different and make some adjustments, you'll be walking around 0:47:39.520 --> 0:47:43.200 with a sling shot when you're supposed to be wearing armor. 0:47:46.480 --> 0:47:50.040 The Lord said, put down the sword, put on the armor. 0:47:52.840 --> 0:47:56.000 Say it with me. Put down the sword, put on 0:47:56.040 --> 0:47:59.640 the armor. When David fought Goliath, he tried on the 0:47:59.719 --> 0:48:04.200 King's armor, but it didn't fit him. Yet it fits 0:48:04.239 --> 0:48:10.160 now it fits now, I said, it fits. Now. You're 0:48:10.200 --> 0:48:13.840 not that scared little girl anymore. No, no, you're not 0:48:14.000 --> 0:48:17.720 that weak, little defeated, little anemic. I'll take every crumb 0:48:17.760 --> 0:48:20.919 you you are not that now it fits now. Now 0:48:21.080 --> 0:48:24.960 step into this season with the confidence that you have 0:48:25.120 --> 0:48:30.799 the anointing for this assignment. Come on, let the week 0:48:30.920 --> 0:48:35.000 say I am strong. That fits me now. I got 0:48:35.000 --> 0:48:39.319 a little tired, but I'm strong. I got a little vulnerable. 0:48:39.719 --> 0:48:42.759 But I got the victory. I got it. I got it, 0:48:42.960 --> 0:48:45.719 I got it right now, I got it. I got it. 0:48:46.000 --> 0:48:48.719 Get back devil. I got it out of a shode. 0:48:48.880 --> 0:48:54.120 I got it. Annoint I got the shield of faith. 0:48:54.800 --> 0:48:59.800 I've got the helmet of salvation. I got a new wardrobe. Yeah, 0:49:00.000 --> 0:49:03.279 I'm dressed different now. I don't have the rags of 0:49:03.360 --> 0:49:07.080 my filthy unrighteousness. I come into the presence of a 0:49:07.160 --> 0:49:10.720 God who has clothed me with a garment that is white, 0:49:10.920 --> 0:49:20.400 with a rangment that is righteous. I got it. Same David, 0:49:21.719 --> 0:49:31.919 new sword, Sing David, new sword, sing. You new altitude, 0:49:33.320 --> 0:49:43.359 same you, new focus, same devil, same insecurity, same problemh 0:49:43.520 --> 0:49:50.399 same problem, new passion. I want you to protect your 0:49:50.480 --> 0:49:56.080 light this week. I want you to take Abashi's advice. Man, 0:49:57.600 --> 0:49:59.840 Remember what you asked me the other day on the campus, Pesto. 0:50:00.440 --> 0:50:03.359 What happens when we see people who are really strong fall. 0:50:04.880 --> 0:50:09.120 I think they don't take Abashai's advice. They keep going 0:50:09.160 --> 0:50:12.000 out over and over again to fight the wrong battles 0:50:12.200 --> 0:50:16.239 and pushing the right people away. At least that's what 0:50:16.239 --> 0:50:18.960 I've noticed. I told you i'd answer you, and that's 0:50:19.000 --> 0:50:25.440 my answer, that's God's answer. Are you pushing Abishai away? 0:50:26.480 --> 0:50:32.280 Abishai wasn't an angel. Abishai was just one of David's guys, 0:50:32.400 --> 0:50:37.840 you know, one of those dirty he was now he was. 0:50:38.000 --> 0:50:46.040 He was a fighter like David. He said, stop letting 0:50:46.080 --> 0:50:50.359 people get your light, stop letting things steal your light. 0:50:52.200 --> 0:50:55.360 You remember in Revelation too, where the church at emphasis 0:50:55.400 --> 0:50:58.560 they're having trouble keeping what the author calls your first love. 0:50:59.560 --> 0:51:02.200 That's what the angel said. He said, you're losing your 0:51:02.200 --> 0:51:06.319 first love. And he gave a warning in Revelation two 0:51:06.400 --> 0:51:09.520 five that I want to show you before I pray 0:51:09.560 --> 0:51:13.799 for you today, because I know somebody's been caught and 0:51:13.840 --> 0:51:19.120 cornered on the battlefield and you are very weary. You 0:51:19.160 --> 0:51:24.280 are very weary. Not calling you weak, I'm saying you're weary, 0:51:24.520 --> 0:51:28.160 not because you've been fighting for a few days. You've 0:51:28.160 --> 0:51:34.200 been fighting for almost all your life. And the way 0:51:34.239 --> 0:51:39.319 the Lord said it in the revelation to John, he said, 0:51:39.360 --> 0:51:41.480 consider how far you have fallen. Repent and do the 0:51:41.520 --> 0:51:44.480 things you did at first. If you do not repent, 0:51:44.560 --> 0:51:48.799 I will come to you and remove your lampstand from 0:51:48.880 --> 0:51:56.040 his place. That's not a threat from God. It's a warning. 0:51:57.760 --> 0:52:01.640 It's a warning. Don't guard your light. And I wrote 0:52:01.680 --> 0:52:04.640 them three things for light. You can write them down later, 0:52:04.719 --> 0:52:08.719 just receive it right now. I said that light represents perspective, 0:52:10.760 --> 0:52:17.280 it represents passion, it represents purpose. So when they said 0:52:17.360 --> 0:52:21.160 stop fighting these battles this way, and that might mean 0:52:21.160 --> 0:52:24.239 a lot of things for you, you you know, like a 0:52:24.239 --> 0:52:26.239 lot of times we'll say, well, I prayed about it, 0:52:26.280 --> 0:52:32.799 did you like a real prayer, like a not you 0:52:32.840 --> 0:52:34.719 know where you're playing out every worst case scenario in 0:52:34.719 --> 0:52:37.040 your imagination and calling it prayer because you said, dear 0:52:37.080 --> 0:52:40.719 Lord when you started that exercise, But like, did you 0:52:40.880 --> 0:52:43.720 really say God? I mean, I was coming in today 0:52:43.760 --> 0:52:46.200 to preach, write and the Lord is like, this message 0:52:46.239 --> 0:52:48.359 is good, but you hadn't really asked me much about it. 0:52:50.560 --> 0:52:53.799 I said, all right, let's go. Holy Spirit. Felt like 0:52:53.840 --> 0:52:57.279 Abishai came in the room right, like you need some help, right, 0:52:58.680 --> 0:53:00.440 And when we get back to that when we get 0:53:00.480 --> 0:53:04.480 back to it wasn't anything wrong with David. It wasn't 0:53:04.480 --> 0:53:07.280 that he was It wasn't that he was a bad person. 0:53:08.280 --> 0:53:11.520 It's just that if he kept fighting, not from a distance, 0:53:11.560 --> 0:53:14.680 but in the way he was fighting, the light would 0:53:14.719 --> 0:53:20.399 go out. Have you lost your perspective? Have you lost 0:53:20.440 --> 0:53:26.360 your light? He said? Repent, come up higher change levels. 0:53:26.440 --> 0:53:30.960 Repent you see it in the text. Repent, Consider how 0:53:31.000 --> 0:53:35.560 you fallen. Consider where you've brought your enemies too close 0:53:36.440 --> 0:53:40.560 and kept your absh eyes at a distance. And I'll 0:53:40.560 --> 0:53:44.680 bring your light back. I hope you start seeing clearly again. 0:53:46.280 --> 0:53:47.960 You'll know what to do in the season, You'll know 0:53:47.960 --> 0:53:49.719 what to do. I'll give you an open door for 0:53:49.719 --> 0:53:51.440 how to win your kid's heart back. I'll give you 0:53:51.480 --> 0:53:53.319 an open door for how to win your wife's heart back. 0:53:53.440 --> 0:53:54.759 I'll give you an open door for how to re 0:53:54.880 --> 0:53:57.080 establish yourself as the leader. I'll show you how to 0:53:57.080 --> 0:53:59.160 start spending your time, since you have a lot of 0:53:59.160 --> 0:54:02.000 free time, show you how to reinvent yourself for a 0:54:02.000 --> 0:54:04.200 new career. Since things are happening going to be on 0:54:04.320 --> 0:54:07.200 your control. I will give you your life back. That's 0:54:07.239 --> 0:54:10.440 what God wants to do. But now, not if you 0:54:10.520 --> 0:54:17.720 keep fighting battles at the wrong level, same devil, new level. 0:54:19.160 --> 0:54:20.920 Are you saying when I go home that all of 0:54:20.960 --> 0:54:24.800 my giants will be dead. Nope, I'm saying that between 0:54:24.800 --> 0:54:35.040 once again and never again. Between once again and never again. 0:54:36.880 --> 0:54:44.040 It's not about a devil. It's about a decision. You've 0:54:44.040 --> 0:54:47.120 got a decision to make. You're gonna keep coming down 0:54:47.160 --> 0:54:49.759 to these battles, keep coming down to these streams, keep 0:54:49.800 --> 0:54:53.279 coming down to these sores. Or are you coming back 0:54:53.360 --> 0:54:58.680 up and getting where the light is? Are you swinging 0:54:58.680 --> 0:55:04.680 stuff in the dark? No? God, I thank you today 0:55:05.920 --> 0:55:10.480 that Abashi is coming to help your people. Not just 0:55:10.640 --> 0:55:14.719 kings and leaders, certainly, not just preachers or parents, but 0:55:14.760 --> 0:55:17.560 for every person in the room. I pray that you 0:55:17.600 --> 0:55:22.600 would sign a sign an Abashi to their life. I 0:55:22.719 --> 0:55:26.840 thank you, Lord, I thank you that Abashi is standing 0:55:26.880 --> 0:55:29.279 by for someone who will open their eyes and see. 0:55:29.320 --> 0:55:31.160 Oh I don't have to fight this way. Oh I 0:55:31.200 --> 0:55:33.040 don't have to do this alone. Oh I don't have 0:55:33.080 --> 0:55:34.759 to fight it like I used to fight it. Oh, 0:55:34.800 --> 0:55:38.560 there's new leverage, there's new levels, there's new awareness, there's 0:55:38.640 --> 0:55:41.720 new weapons. Not only does my enemy have a new weapon, 0:55:41.960 --> 0:55:44.640 I have a new weapon. I have the blood of Jesus, 0:55:44.800 --> 0:55:47.880 I have the righteousness of Christ. I have the new mind, 0:55:48.160 --> 0:55:50.520 I have the new heart. I am a new creation. 0:55:53.280 --> 0:55:58.480 Same David, new sword, same David, new sword, same devil, 0:56:00.520 --> 0:56:05.760 new level. You're raising us up. We're seated with you. 0:56:06.440 --> 0:56:09.239 We don't have to be afraid. We don't have to 0:56:09.280 --> 0:56:12.080 die by the sword. We can put on the full 0:56:12.160 --> 0:56:18.720 armor of God and stand. You don't have to die, David. 0:56:21.480 --> 0:56:25.799 But you got to stop pushing Abishai away. You've got 0:56:25.800 --> 0:56:30.640 to let God fight for you. Sometimes you have to 0:56:30.719 --> 0:56:35.480 ask for Abishai. You have to tell people what you need. 0:56:36.520 --> 0:56:39.719 I don't mean be needy. We all have that, friend. 0:56:40.960 --> 0:56:44.439 I mean sometimes you need to reach out. Stop telling 0:56:44.480 --> 0:56:48.360 everybody I got this. I'm David. I've got a smooth stone. 0:56:48.440 --> 0:56:51.120 Right now, you're weary, and you need to receive the 0:56:51.160 --> 0:56:56.720 help that God has given you. Stop letting your enemies 0:56:56.719 --> 0:57:02.000 close and pushing your friends away. Received this word. It 0:57:02.040 --> 0:57:05.840 came just for you at this time. He has given 0:57:05.920 --> 0:57:09.400 me a tongue to know how to encourage the weary, 0:57:10.360 --> 0:57:15.200 and he sent this word for us today. Are you 0:57:16.320 --> 0:57:23.520 weak now? You're just weary, But God has given us 0:57:23.600 --> 0:57:27.760 new weapons. Now lift your hands all over the world. 0:57:30.080 --> 0:57:33.520 Wherever this word finds you today, I want you to 0:57:33.520 --> 0:57:38.120 know you're not alone. You have an Abeshi, you have 0:57:38.120 --> 0:57:45.040 an elder brother Jesus. You have a great salvation, You 0:57:45.080 --> 0:57:51.160 have an unlimited grace, you have a fresh anointing. You 0:57:51.200 --> 0:57:56.000 have a holy spirit. Lord, as you open the eyes 0:57:57.480 --> 0:58:02.080 of every weary warrior this week to see the help 0:58:02.120 --> 0:58:05.080 that is already there. I thank you for the testimonies 0:58:05.120 --> 0:58:08.560 that I'm going to receive where people are glorifying you 0:58:09.680 --> 0:58:13.800 because they thought it was over, because ish came with 0:58:13.880 --> 0:58:19.160 a new sword. But we came with a greater weapon. 0:58:20.640 --> 0:58:25.200 But you spoke a better word. But you sent your help. 0:58:26.560 --> 0:58:30.560 But you sent your word. But you sent an army, 0:58:31.400 --> 0:58:36.560 but you sent deliverance, but you sent an instruction. But 0:58:36.760 --> 0:58:40.560 you sent a grace, but you sent a mercy. And 0:58:40.640 --> 0:58:44.520 when the enemy came in like a flood, you raised 0:58:44.600 --> 0:58:52.680 up a standard. And David didn't die. And we will 0:58:52.800 --> 0:59:02.440 live in the name of the Lord, same devil, new weapons, 0:59:03.600 --> 0:59:11.680 he'll steak now, revelation, new words, brash soil, no seple, 0:59:12.800 --> 0:59:21.400 no health, no zoys, no socks, no straks, no seasons, 0:59:22.040 --> 0:59:31.960 Brass soil, brash soil from photos. It's still huts, shug 0:59:32.160 --> 0:59:48.600 good rounding, it's swamy goods, running okay, shows, running down 0:59:49.600 --> 1:00:16.240 swim for you, it is running down study. So the 1:00:16.320 --> 1:00:18.480 Holy Spirit stopped me on my tracks. And there's two 1:00:18.520 --> 1:00:20.320 things we're going to do in response to this word, 1:00:20.640 --> 1:00:25.160 because I do think that somebody's life is in the balance, 1:00:26.160 --> 1:00:29.960 and if not your physical life, your spiritual one. So 1:00:30.080 --> 1:00:33.840 what I want to do is this week, I want 1:00:33.880 --> 1:00:37.840 our prayer team to stand in agreement with those who 1:00:37.960 --> 1:00:41.560 need God to show you and abashi in your life. 1:00:42.320 --> 1:00:45.200 And right now, if that's you, look at me. You're 1:00:45.280 --> 1:00:51.200 not alone, you're not alone. You're weary, you're confused, you're conflicted, 1:00:51.240 --> 1:00:54.880 you're between two things. That's all right. But I want 1:00:54.920 --> 1:00:57.960 you to put your name in the chat. And if 1:00:58.000 --> 1:01:01.480 you do that right now, and I'm assigning our prayer teams. 1:01:01.560 --> 1:01:03.560 We have hundreds of people around the world who are 1:01:03.600 --> 1:01:06.160 here just for this and they're going to pray for 1:01:06.240 --> 1:01:12.200 you this week specifically, God show them their ab a shi. Now, 1:01:12.280 --> 1:01:13.960 this may not be a boyfriend or a girlfriend, or 1:01:13.960 --> 1:01:16.280 a husband or a wife or something like that. It 1:01:16.400 --> 1:01:19.880 may not be what you expect, but something to stand 1:01:20.040 --> 1:01:24.440 between you and your light going out. We stand in 1:01:24.520 --> 1:01:29.240 agreement with you this week. God show me my abit 1:01:29.280 --> 1:01:34.440 Shid if you have the guts for it. There's a 1:01:34.520 --> 1:01:37.240 second prayer that we will pray for you this week, 1:01:38.200 --> 1:01:41.000 and you know what it is already. God show me 1:01:41.760 --> 1:01:44.800 where I need to be ab a shi for somebody 1:01:44.880 --> 1:01:51.240 that you've called me to fight for. All right, all right, 1:01:55.680 --> 1:01:58.600 because I'm sick of seeing David's die in the absence 1:01:58.640 --> 1:02:07.400 of Abashi. So would you be that too. I don't 1:02:07.400 --> 1:02:09.440 want it to be creepy, like we're running around and 1:02:10.120 --> 1:02:13.280 Valentine's like, be my Abba shot, be my Valentine. Not 1:02:13.520 --> 1:02:17.840 like that. But we need to pray about this. It's 1:02:17.960 --> 1:02:20.640 real out there right now. People are turning to crazy 1:02:20.720 --> 1:02:24.840 things in this season and they're reverting back to old ways. 1:02:26.600 --> 1:02:28.520 And can we stand in the gap as a church 1:02:28.600 --> 1:02:30.720 this week and just pray for the people around us? 1:02:31.520 --> 1:02:40.160 Can we do that? I don't want you to die 1:02:40.240 --> 1:02:41.920 at the hands of a giant that God gave you 1:02:42.000 --> 1:02:45.640 the victory over. I don't want you pulling out slingshots 1:02:45.720 --> 1:02:50.480 that should be in a trophy case. I want your 1:02:50.520 --> 1:02:53.880 strategy to match your season. I want you to embrace 1:02:53.960 --> 1:02:58.040 who you are now and be that person, be that parent, 1:02:58.680 --> 1:03:02.240 be that manager, you know, be that in the season. 1:03:04.680 --> 1:03:09.520 I'm sorry, I can't make the Devil's abracadabrah way, but 1:03:09.680 --> 1:03:11.120 I am praying that God would give you have a 1:03:11.200 --> 1:03:19.680 shot the father's gift. After all, if six hundred shekel 1:03:20.720 --> 1:03:23.720 tip of a spear couldn't kill you, what makes you 1:03:23.840 --> 1:03:29.360 think this ish? Well, you made it through a whole 1:03:29.440 --> 1:03:33.320 lot crazier. You made it through a whole lot crazier. 1:03:35.200 --> 1:03:37.760 Stand right now all over the world, living rooms, kitchens, 1:03:37.800 --> 1:03:41.760 hospital rooms. Pull your car over, pull over, pull over, 1:03:42.920 --> 1:03:44.520 pull over. Let me pray for you, and then our 1:03:44.560 --> 1:03:52.320 teams will take it. Lord. I uh wow, I feel 1:03:52.360 --> 1:03:54.880 like really I just began to unpack some of the 1:03:54.960 --> 1:03:59.040 things that we learned from David. But I pray that 1:03:59.120 --> 1:04:01.840 the one thing that they needed to hear, that it 1:04:01.880 --> 1:04:06.200 won't get snatched up now, and that they won't stand 1:04:06.280 --> 1:04:08.040 up and say I've got this and pretend like they 1:04:08.080 --> 1:04:13.080 don't need help. Give us the humility to receive your help, 1:04:14.440 --> 1:04:18.520 give us the boldness to believe that we've got it. 1:04:21.280 --> 1:04:26.960 I thank you that these enemies that we face, we 1:04:27.040 --> 1:04:31.920 don't look them in the eye, but we stand on 1:04:32.040 --> 1:04:36.080 the promise of your word, and we will not run 1:04:37.040 --> 1:04:41.120 from a defeated foe. Thank you for standing between me 1:04:41.480 --> 1:04:46.000 and the darkness. Thank you for giving light back. Thank 1:04:46.040 --> 1:04:48.600 you for giving light back to homes, light back to churches, 1:04:48.800 --> 1:04:50.720 light back to pastors. I feel an annoying to pray 1:04:50.800 --> 1:04:53.280 for pastors right now. There are pastors who are dying 1:04:53.360 --> 1:04:55.919 in this season. Your light has gone out. You haven't 1:04:55.960 --> 1:04:58.960 been protecting it. You've been trying to do the old stuff. 1:04:59.160 --> 1:05:01.320 But this is a new season. God has given you 1:05:01.480 --> 1:05:04.160 fresh bread, a fresh word. God's gonna give you your 1:05:04.200 --> 1:05:06.800 passion back. You're gonna get happy to preach the word 1:05:06.840 --> 1:05:11.520 of God again, worship leaders, campus fasters. God's gonna do it. 1:05:11.880 --> 1:05:15.320 God's gonna restore it. God's gonna light your lamp again. 1:05:15.760 --> 1:05:19.120 You're not out of oil, not yet. The Holy ghost, 1:05:19.640 --> 1:05:23.280 the holy ghosts, the Holy Ghost is coming upon you 1:05:24.040 --> 1:05:28.439 in a greater measure than ever before. And I pray 1:05:28.520 --> 1:05:31.680 for you right now. I pray for parents, pastors, teachers, 1:05:31.920 --> 1:05:34.880 school teachers, business owners. I thank you for them. Lord. 1:05:35.080 --> 1:05:37.160 I thank you for students, sick of being in and 1:05:37.240 --> 1:05:39.880 out of online class, sick of having to wear masks, 1:05:39.960 --> 1:05:42.320 sick of not knowing, sick of God. We come into 1:05:42.400 --> 1:05:45.320 their life and we stand as an Abishai to say, 1:05:45.360 --> 1:05:48.680 you can't have these children, you can't have this generation, 1:05:49.160 --> 1:05:51.520 you can't have what we've worked so hard to build. 1:05:54.360 --> 1:05:57.560 We thank you for the victory. In Jesus' name. I 1:05:57.720 --> 1:06:02.200 pray Amen hear your testimony this week. We want to 1:06:02.240 --> 1:06:05.160 hear from you. We love you, We bless you in 1:06:05.280 --> 1:06:08.320 the name of Jesus. It's not over. You've got the 1:06:08.480 --> 1:06:12.040 same spirit. You killed the lion, you killed the bear. 1:06:12.560 --> 1:06:15.200 You'll take it. A lot of phillos things down and 1:06:15.480 --> 1:06:21.720 this what can't kill you either. Bed bless We love you. 1:06:26.080 --> 1:06:28.560 Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of 1:06:28.640 --> 1:06:31.600 you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 1:06:31.680 --> 1:06:34.560 you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 1:06:34.640 --> 1:06:37.920 link in the description to give now, or visit Elevation 1:06:38.080 --> 1:06:41.680 Church dot org slash podcast for more information and if 1:06:41.720 --> 1:06:45.000 you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share 1:06:45.040 --> 1:06:47.200 it with your friends. You can click the share button, 1:06:47.280 --> 1:06:49.680 take a screenshot and share it on your social stories 1:06:49.720 --> 1:06:52.440 and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. 1:06:52.520 --> 1:06:53.080 God bless you.