Israel receives an evil report, threats from their enemy afraid schemes. (devices. tactics) FEAR FEAR is a spirit FEAR does not come from God

Transcription

1 THE STONE OF HELP 1 Sam 7: Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 So the children of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines." 9 And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car. 12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us." 13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. I. In this passage of scripture we find keys for complete victory: A. 1 Sam 7:13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 1. In The Prophet Samuel s life and ministry, he did not keep: a. facing the same enemy b. or fighting the same battle over & over again c. vs 13 They (Philistines) did not come anymore into the territory of Israel 2. Our Lord Jesus Christ offers us the same degree of victory: a. John 8:36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (1) Amp Trans: So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free. 3. Def Free: to liberate, not a slave a. It does not matter what situation may hold you captive b. it does not matter what sin holds you as a slave c. It does not matter what battle or enemy you keep facing over & over again (1) Jesus promised victory over that thing, so it does not come anymore into your Territory, life, home, marriage, family, health, ministry, career, finances

2 II. Back in I Sam 7 Israel receives an evil report, threats from their enemy: Philistines: A. 1 Sam 7:7 Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 1. This evil report accomplished the very thing it was meant to do: a. They (Israel) were afraid of the Philistines 2. New American Standard 2 Cor 2:11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. (devices. tactics) a. FEAR is a device, tactic, a scheme the devil uses in attempt immobilize your faith 3. In order to overcome our enemies, we must understand what fear is & where it Comes from: a. 2 Tim 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (a) FEAR is a spirit: For God has not given us a spirit of fear (b) FEAR does not come from God: For God has not given us a spirit of fear (1) Fear comes from the devil & his demons b. God does not give us a spirit of fear.. Rather, He gives us a spirit of: (1) power: dunamis the anointing / miraculous power / an anointing (2) love: agape.. divine love of God (a) 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment... DWELL (3) sound mind: self control, discipline 4. When the evil report comes our way & the spirit of fear attempts to Come upon us, we must speak the Word of God to that devil: a. 2 Cor 4:13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, (1) the spirit of faith believes & speaks the Word of God, not the devils lies & threats b. Heb 13:6 The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (1) The Lord is my helper.. that was the revelation the Prophet Samuel had (2) and that is the revelation you and I must also walk in, in order to completely Defeat our enemy & see circumstances turned around from defeat to victory III. In the midst of receiving this threat from the enemy, Israel goes to The Prophet Samuel & reveals to us the key for complete victory: PRAYER A. 1 Sam 7:8 So the children of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines." 1. Why did Samuel & Israel turn to God in prayer?

3 a. That He may save us (1) Def save: bring salvation, rescue, preserve, free, deliver, bring prosperity, bring liberty, get victory (a) that is why we pray!!!!!!! 2. This is not generic prayer that comes from our mind, Rather this is intense prayer that comes from our heart / depth of our spirit man, this was not quiet religious prayer.this was not meditation type prayer, this was not praying prayers from a book someone wrote: this prayer was loud, verbal, intense intercession, this is groaning, this is praying in the spirit: a. Do not cease to cry out to the Lord God (1) Def Cry out: shriek 3. This is not just personal prayer with the Prophet Samuel doing all the praying: a. This was corporate prayer where Samuel and Israel gathered together to cry out to God. (1) Def Cry: to gather together as a company, to assemble 4. You will discover that in order for victory to manifest in some battles you face In life, it requires CORPORATE PRAYER to bring victory: a. Matt 18:19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they b. Lev 26:8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you. c. Joel 2:15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; 16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. 17 Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, "Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" d. 2 Chron 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. (1) to save our nation, to intercede for the nations.. does not say if one person prayers, or if the preacher prays My PEOPLE..pray & seek My face (2) Also to save a nation it is requiring corporate prayer. (a) vs 15 My (God) ears attentive to prayer made in this place( temple / church)

4 III. Samuel then reveals another key for completely defeating our enemy in: 1 Sam 7:9 And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. A. Because Jesus is our sacrificial lamb that has been offered up to The Lord, we No longer offer animal sacrifices unto God: 1. But we still are to offer spiritual sacrifices unto The Lord: a. Heb 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 2. Must learn to offer up to God the spiritual sacrifices of Praise & Worship at All times.. including when you receive the evil report & threat from the powers Of darkness: a. When the children of Israel were faxing a tragedy in their land they asked The Lord how to handle the situation: (1) Judg 20:18 Then the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God to inquire of God. They said, "Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin?" The Lord said, "Judah first!" (a) Def Judah: PRAISE (b) the first thing we are to do is SEND PRAISE FIRST (2) When King Jehoshaphat & Israel received the evil report / the threat that three Nations formed a great army against them. Note how victory came about: (a) 2 Chron 20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you." 2 Chron 20: 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever." 22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. (3) When Paul & Silas were arrested, beaten & thrown into prison. The power Of praise opened their prison doors: (a) Acts 16:25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

5 (4) It does not matter what the evil report or threat is that you received (5) it does not matter what army of demons you may be facing (6) It does not matter what prison you may find yourself locked up in today (a) The power of prayer & praise can bring you victory (1) of you refuse to be paralyzed by the spirit of fear (2) and in the midst of our situation, just began to pray, call of Jesus & praise His Holy Name (a) God will send the earthquake to open your prison doors (b) God will send His angles to fight on your behalf God will send the presence of The Holy Spirit into your midst & give you Peace.. because: (a) God inhabits praise Ps 22:3 (b) & where the Spirit of The Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor 3:17 3. We have to learn to move in the power of praise, while in the midst of the Attack of the enemy: a. 1 Sam 7:10 Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. (1) In the midst of being attacked, The Prophet Samuel continued with his Sacrifice unto The Lord (2) In the midst of our attacks: (a) you have to keep on praising, shouting, clapping, dancing (b) you have to keep on worshipping, singing you have to learn to keep yourself hidden in the presence of God B. The Prophet Samuel and the people of Israel gathered together and cried out To the Lord and look at the results: 1. vs 9 The Lord answered them a. Our God answers prayer: (1) John 16:23 I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name (JESUS) He will give you. (2) 1 John 3:12 we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (3) 1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

6 C. Israel & the Prophet Samuel prayed, offered sacrifice unto The Lord and The Lord answered them 1. 1 Sam 7:10 But the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel. NASU a. Thunder in scripture is a type and shadow of God speaking the voice of God 2. Do we grasp what takes place in the spirit realm when God speaks? a. Isa 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (1) It (the Word / the Rhema Word / shall prosper in the thing (you & I) (2) Def Prosper: to push forward 3. An example of how we prosper when God speaks and sends His word into our Life & situation: a. Ps 107:20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. (1) Whether God sends His word to you thru a prophetic voice, or a rhema Scripture / a promise in the bible that speaks directly to you: (a) It thunders in the spirit realm and brings confusion into the camp of the enemy IV. Look at the magnitude of this complete victory.. and we should not believe for anything less on our behalf: A. vs 10 and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel 1. Def confused: to destroy & to crush a. Rom 16:20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. (1) crush Satan under who s feet? YOUR FEET (a) Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, (1) instead of the devil walking all over you (2) the Word of God says: The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly (a) Can you hear the thunder in the spirit realm? (b) Can you see the confusion in the camp of the enemy?

7 V. 1 Sam 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us." A. Samuel took at stone: a type of Jesus / the precious corner stone Eph 2:20 1. and said: Thus far the Lord has helped us a. I want you to know that thru Jesus: Thus far The Lord has helped us B. In fact the bible says our God always shows up in the midst of trouble: 1. Ps 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, 2. Ps 115:9 O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. C. Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah & Shen and then named that Place: Ebenezer: 1. Def Ebenezer: stone of help 2. When a child of Israel walked by this place called Ebenezer a. they remembered how God helped them b. they remembered that their God is a stone of help D. Do you have a place in your life named Ebenezer: 1. a place & time where you can go back to & remember how God helped you a. saved you, healed you, delivered you 2. Maybe you are in need for God to move on your behalf today a. If a Christian, if Born Again go to your place of Ebenezer & remember what God did for you, how He helped you stir your faith up (1) and begin to Pray (2) began to offer him a sacrifice of praise (3) and listen for the thunder in the spirit realm as God moves on your behalf b. If never been Born Again & today you need God s help: (1) There is a Stone / a Rock called Jesus upon whom you can call (2) to save you from your sins (3) to bring peace & victory into your life c. The altar is open.. take a step of faith. Pray for you