THE PROCESS OF PROMOTION GOLIATH must fall SERIES Part III

Transcription

1 THE PROCESS OF PROMOTION GOLIATH must fall SERIES Part III Intro: Good morning and welcome to restoration life church this morning. If this is your very first time here or you ve been gone for some time, let me just welcome you home and introduce you to our theme this morning. GOLIATH MUST FALL Here s my anchor thought: Walking in victory tomorrow is positioned by the decisions I make today. Last 3 weekends you ve heard a lot about the Story of David and Goliath. I made clear points from this story: 1. Goliath has invaded your territory 2. Goliath champions your enemy s cause. 3. The Goliath you tolerate today will be there tomorrow. 4. The outcome of this battle determines your whether you live in freedom or slavery 5. We must decide to face our fears down with our Faith in God. 6. The Giant in front of you, is never bigger than the God who lives inside of you 7. Too many Christians have phee phy phobia 8. God wants you to change your perspective of your Goliath 9. How many would agree with me that Goliath must Fall Turn with me to our text: 1 Samuel 17:10-15 NIV 10 Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other." 11 On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. As we read this story there are so many things that are at play behind the scenes of this confrontation with the warrior from Gath & a little Shepard boy. A little back ground: 1

2 1. Saul and his son Jonathan are successful army commanders, driving back Israel s enemies. a. But there are two occasions when Saul offends God greatly. The first is when he offers a sacrifice without waiting for Samuel. In so doing he usurps the work of a priest and treats the sacrifice as a token of good luck. On another occasion Saul disobeys God by failing to destroy the Amalekites (15:7 9). He makes the excuse that he is saving the Amalekite cattle for sacrifices. But Samuel points out that it is more important to do what God wants (15:22) and not what you want. 1 Samuel 15: But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. 23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." Saul Pleads for Forgiveness 24 Then Saul admitted to Samuel, "Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the LORD's command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. 25 But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the LORD." 26 But Samuel replied, "I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the LORD's command, he has rejected you as king of Israel." 27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. 28 And Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else who is better than you. 2. Samuel anoints a young Shepard boy by the name of David. a. God sends Samuel to Bethlehem. There he discovers David, the youngest of the sons of Jesse. It doesn t occur to anyone in the family that this young shepherd boy might be a future king. But God sees things differently. 2

3 1 Samuel 16:6-13 NKJV So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, "Surely the LORD's anointed is before Him!" 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; * for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these." 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all the young men here?" Then he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him. For we will not sit down * till he comes here." 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!" 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. b. Samuel anoints David by pouring oil over his head. Young David is filled with God s Spirit & Favor for something that has not arrived as of yet but is in the works.. As the Spirit of the Lord comes upon David, so the Spirit of God leaves Saul. I HAVE ENTITLED THIS MORNIG MESSAGE THE PROCESS OF PROMOTION A man once said," The elevator to success is out of order. You ll have to use the stairs...one step at a time." There is no quick way to any promotion! Webster s dictionary defines that word promote as to raise to a higher position or rank; and to further the growth or establishment of. The second part of the definition says that to promote someone or some thing means to further the growth or establishment of. Life application: Not only does God desire to bring us into a position of increased power & responsibility He is also focused on our 3

4 continued growth and establishment as we are moving towards the place He has for us. 3. I believe that the Lord wants to lead His children into the process of promotion. a. He has a purpose and destiny for our lives and He wants us to enter into it. What we fail to understand is that we willy go through some very dark difficult times in order to be shaped, refined and prepared to enter into the destiny that God has prepared for us. God leads us through a process which can be painful at times, but later it will prove to be an invaluable and strong foundation for our lives. 4. Promotion or next level living is something many people desire but few understand. a. Usually we recognize the great only after they have achieved. We call them great after their military victories have been won, their administrative skills have brought success, or their talents have gained awards. What we see is the finished product, not the process. b. Quality and character are forged in obedience & experience. Your promotion comes only through a process that always contains an element of pain. 1. ABRAHAM GENESIS 22 : 1-2,15-18 " Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." a. Abraham was tested before he was promoted. The Lord asked him to sacrifice what he cherished most in his life, his son Isaac who was born in his old age. 4

5 When Abraham proved his willingness to obey the Lord, he received great and glorious promises from the Lord. Life application: The Lord will often test us in the area that is most precious to our hearts to prove whether we love the Lord more than anything else in our lives. When we pass the test victoriously, promotion and blessings will be waiting for us. GENESIS 22: " The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." 2. JOSEPH a. Joseph was tested before he was promoted. The Lord had a great plan and destiny for Joseph. He was to be used to save a whole nation. But before he could rise to this position, Joseph had to go through a path of trials and tribulations. He was humbled and matured through this painful process and he was prepared for the great task that he was called to fulfill. T Life Application: This should be a huge encouragement to us when we go through trials and tribulations as we realize that it is truly a pathway to promotion. GENESIS 45:4-8 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. " 5

6 GENESIS 50:20 " You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 3. MOSES a. Moses was tested before he was promoted. He had to choose whether he wanted to enjoy the luxuries of life in the palace or whether he wanted to share the affliction of the people of God and devote his life to fulfill the call of God on his life. HEBREWS 11:24-26" By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. " Moses chose to sacrifice his royal privileges and fulfill the purpose of God for his life to liberate the people of God from their bondage in Egypt. Life Application: Often we are required to make significant sacrifices in order to fulfill the destiny that God has for our lives. We must give up in order to go up. When we pay the price, we can be sure that the destiny that God has for us is far greater than anything we could have gained for ourselves. PHILIPPIANS 3:7-8" But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ " 4. DAVID a. David was tested before he was promoted. David was just a shepherd boy when the Samuel anointed him as the King of Israel. But he had to go through a path of trials and tribulations for 6

7 many years before he became a ruler over the people of Israel. He had to go through a long period of war with the house of Saul. But finally David was established as the undisputed King of Israel according to the plan and purpose of God and he went on to become the greatest King in the history of Israel. Life Application: When the Lord has a great destiny for our lives, we may go through intense battles and struggles before we enter into that destiny. I SAMUEL 16:13 " So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. " 2 SAMUEL 3:1" The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. " In closing 5. JESUS 1. The Lord Jesus was tested before he was promoted. a. He sacrificed His heavenly glory and took a human form and gave his life on the cross. As a result God exalted him above every other name in heaven or earth. When we follow the example of Jesus, we humble ourselves and adopt a servant attitude. When we surrender our lives to God and become obedient to Him in every area of our lives, We will fulfill the destiny that God has prepared for us. The Lord will exalt us and lead us in the pathway of promotion in our lives. 7

8 PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11 " Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 8