How To Be A Champion With God

Father’s Day June 2016

How To Be A Champion With God

Introduction:

!. Thank people for the kind acceptance they have extended to us.

2. Father’s Day story about my Dad. (The time he confronted some street gang in church).

A Foreword to what I am going to share with you: Men in general…and, Christian men in particular…have a need to look good. We need to appear to be in control. But, in truth we are very much like ducks gliding along on a pond…we look serene…and calm…but, underneath we are paddling like mad. We have this nice veneer…but, underneath we still struggle. We struggle with jobs that are dead-ends with no opportunities. We still fight against lust. We may even struggle with addiction to Porn….we may be dishonest at our work….or, secretly engage in domestic violence. What I want to share with you this morning is a challenge to come clean…step into the light of God’s wonderful love…and find your rightful place as man of power and authority in the kingdom of God.

A backdrop for our story:

God is always bringing order out of chaos. Gen 1.1 … God created (that was the potential of His creation) … the Earth was without form and void. It was PREGNANT with PROMISE, but EMPTY OF ANY FULFILLMENT. (That potential was not being achieved). The spirit of God hovered over the chaotic mess…and, something happened. God said, “Let there be light” and the chaotic mess was never the same again! These are fingerprints of God.

Abraham….had a promise for God that he would be the father of many nations. That the world would be blessed through his family. But, there was a void: Sarah’s womb was empty…then the Angel of the Lord appears…and Sarah conceives…and, the child of promise is born…and, the world is never the same again!

God had promised that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent in that first Gospel message in Genesis 3:15. But, generation after generation that promise went unfulfilled….until a young woman named Mary. Like Sarah…her womb was without child…empty…but, the spirit of God hovers over her…and, Jesus of Nazareth is born…

God incarnate!

Emmanuel, God with us!

The Wonderful Counselor!

The Mighty God!

The King of Kings!

The Lion of the Tribe of Judah!

The Righteous Branch out of Jesse!

The One Who upholds ALL THINGS with the Word of his Power!

OH! But, wait! That was all POTENTIALLY SO…but, not PRACTICALLY SO! UNTIL Jesus, now 30 years old…the child of promise…but, no ministry was happening. No life changing words of Life were coming from Him. No grand announcement of the kingdom of God just yet. A life of promise…but, empty of fulfillment. Then, he meets John the Baptizer at Jordan…and, over the objections of John, insists on being baptized…and, the Holy Spirit descends upon Him in the form of a dove…and, Jesus of Nazareth the carpenter is now Jesus Christ the anointed one…and goes from Jordan into the wilderness to meet and defeat Satan…and, sets about announcing the kingdom of God….setting people free from the bondage of death and sin..and the world is never the same again.

This same pattern of promise—but, empty of fulfillment—followed by intervention by the Holy Spirit—and, a remarkable result appeared in Israel in the time of David. God had intended for Israel to be a kingdom that would make His over-rulership known to mankind. But…through the discouraging times of the Judges..and, the disastrous reign of Saul…Israel had failed to be that people of promise. Then, the prophet Samuel was sent to anoint a boy…David…and God’s spirit hovered over him….and, we see him move into national attention as he kills the giant Goliath…and, eventually under his leadership Israel becomes a unified and powerful nation and God is glorified in the region.

David didn’t do that alone…he had assembled a large army of men who stood with him and helped to establish his kingdom. 2 Samuel 23: 8-12 opens at the end of the life of David and he is recognizing his mighty men by name … to accord them the respect and honor they are due. And he starts with the top Three Mighty Men.

These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

This was not the first day he ‘wielded his spear’. His preparation for that day began early…most likely in childhood. He had to prepare himself to have SKILL with his spear.

May have started as a child…practicing with a spear.

May have had a mentor/coach to refine his natural ability

May have faced other smaller challenges in battle that helped prepare him for that fateful day.