VIDEO: Wing Clips, "Got to Try", and Hulk vs. Abomination
INTRO:
* Bruce has found a way to control the rage that turns him into the Hulk
* His dreams are about to come true. He is going to marry the girl of his dreams
* But there is an enemy (Abomination) (explain)
* Who is on the loose and destroying innocent lives
* Bruce makes a choice to fight
Today's message comes with a warning it's a bit aggressive
* We have too many fair weathered saints
* Sometimes we need to fight
Like Joshua
* In the valley
* Drew his sword at an angel
* You show me a man who has lost his fight...
* ...I'll show you a man that has been beat and beat down...
o In the board room
o In the bed room
o On the battle ground
* David is facing the fight of his life
* You may misunderstand David's soft side...
o ...crying/singing/poetry/worship
* But I submit it was his worship...
* That enabled him to war
* A mighty warrior
* Champions may lose some battles...
o ...but they never stop fighting
o ...mighty warriors
o ...might get beat
o ...but you keep coming back
* Been beat in the church...
o The family
o Your vision
o Your life
* But it's not time to be defeated
* It's time to recover all
* The Devil always tries to kill the vision
* Killing men
* Killing the seed giver
* Then, there won't be a harvest
* You haven't lived until you've lost a battle
* You won't pray and praise and prioritize and seek power until you run up against something you can't beat
* Everybody has something that kicks the wind out of them
* David was out fighting one battle...
o ...and he was losing another!
* David's men reaped his benefits and his enemies
* David came home tired - - - we have tired people
* Bad news is never good...
* But, when you're tired it's worse:
o Pastor Failure
o Pastor @ Plymouth Church of Christ
o Anthony Clark
o Tim Roeske
o Trey Moldovan
Enemy wants to defeat by:
1. DIVISION
a. 2 vision
b. Kills vision
c. A house divided against itself will not stand
d. While you're not looking, he will divide you
e. David could have come home tired
f. And everything would have been fine
* But they were divided
o The women were in one place
o The men were in another
* Anytime the man is in one place
* The woman in another...
* It's a door for the Devil
2. DEFEAT
* He was defeated because they were divided
* You can be defeated
* When you're not divided
* Now the Defeater
* Is on the verge of defeat
* To someone who is used to winning
* It's hard to lose
* Wondering...
* ...do you still have what it takes
* The worst thing about a man crying is that it usually comes without tears
* And no one notices he is on the verge of defeat
* This on top of everything...
* His own men turn against him
* Feelings of being all alone...
o Who do I trust
o Who do I call
o Who will listen
o I've been there for everyone
o But, where is everyone for me!
3. DISCOURAGEMENT
* Discouragement will make a mighty man
o Look like a weak man
o Sound like a weak man
o Talk like a weak man
* He's at the end of his rope
* And he can't tell anybody
* And, they are still wanting answers
* Discouraged - - - he lost his courage
„X - - - he's tired of encouraging everyone
* It's hard to tell when a man is discouraged
o His wife is gone
o She's distant
o He's discouraged
o It's a recipe for destruction
4. DISTRACTION
* Defined: Extreme emotional or mental disturbance
Diverts attention or focus
II. THE PLAN
1. Prayer
* The first thing David did was inquire of the Lord
* I know you would rather have...
* ...a new answer
* ...a slick idea
* ...a fresh revelation
* ...a magic tool
* But some things you're only going to get...
* Some things you will only recover...
* Some family will only get saved...
* Some shackles will only fall off...
* Through >>>>>> Prayer
* The only language the Devil understands...
* ... not talking
* ... not crying
* ...not complaining
* ...not bargaining
* >>>>>>> it's prayer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* Listen, we need not only praying women
* It's time to have some praying men
* I would like to have some men, like Bill Burger stop at the Prayer Gate on their way to work
* ...and pray
* ...not eat
* ...not fellowship
* ...Pray!!!
* 80% of suicides in this nation are committed by men
* Men are 3 times more likely in their 40's and 50's to commit suicide
* Men die when they feel defeated
* Prayer will cause you to refuse to die
* Heaven moves when I pray
* Jeremiah 17:5
* Cursed is the man who trusts in man. . . and makes flesh his strength
* This is our generation
* We would rather do anything except pray
* In the church family or the natural family
* No matter how good the intention
* The flesh will always birth an Ishmael
* My kids will speak more next week on prayer
2. POWER
* When I talk about power
* I am talking about the Power of the Holy Spirit
* We have denied this 3rd person of the Trinity
* In practice of theology
* But let me state we need a power bigger than ourselves
* The Holy Spirit draws people...
* ...not pushes away
* 2 churches today
* 1. Surviving
* 2. Succeeding
3. Priorities
* David was conquering the world
* But losing his family
* Some of you are losing because priorities are wrong
* Losing in finances...
o You build His house, He will build yours
* Losing in time...
o Spend time on wrong things
o Give time / money / energy...
o To God / to family / to self
* When he is defeated his priorities fail
* He is looking for something / someone to give him success
4. Positive
* The tongue has the power of life and death
* We had talked about
* Problems so much the last 3 months
* The atmosphere was stale
* Some of your homes are so filled with negative talk / action / TV
* That the atmosphere is defeat
* David encouraged himself
o Atmosphere is set by responding to spiritual influences
o Atmosphere sustained creates climate
o We were meant to be counter culture
o Hanging heads; frowning faces; stressful thoughts; burdened hearts; saddened spirits; bitter memories; and unhappy feelings are just a few descriptions of the people we've allowed ourselves to become.
o We've been robbed. We've been shackled by heavy burdens; we've been buried in guilt and shame; we've been messed over by our own shortcomings; we've been tapped by our past.
o We're still holding on to the past. Satan has used us against ourselves. He's caused us to live a life of panic and fear because he's stripped us of our God given personalities.
5. Perspective
ƒ{ Suddenly every goal David had didn't matter
ƒ{ What mattered was his family
ƒ{ Perspective = outlook / view / vision
ƒ{ I challenge you to get a vision for your life
6. Participation
ƒ{ The best place to be
ƒ{ Participate in your family
ƒ{ Every boy wants to know
ƒ{ Every girl wants to know
ƒ{ There is blessing in participation
„X My story with Bill Bright
ƒ{ The most stressful and rewarding at the same time
ƒ{ Verse 22
7. Praise
ƒ{ He called for the Ephod
ƒ{ The Ephod was a symbolic expression of the Presence of God
ƒ{ He will inhabit the praises of His people
ƒ{ Let's put on the Ephod...the Presence of God
