MOVING WHEN GOD MOVES
2 Sam. 5:17-24
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A doctor had trouble with his plumbing. The pipes in his bathroom began to leak. The leak became bigger and bigger.
2. Even though it was 2 A.M. the doctor decided to call his plumber. Naturally the plumber was upset at being awakened in the middle of the night. “For Pete’s sake Doc, is this any time to wake a guy up?”
3. The Doctor answered brusquely, “Well you’ve never hesitated to call me in the middle of the night with a medical problem. Now it just happens that I’ve got a plumbing emergency!”
4. “You’re right Doc” the plumber said, “Tell me what’s wrong.” The doctor explained about the leak in the bathroom.
5. “I’ll tell you what to do” said the plumber, “Take two aspirins every four hours and drop them down the pipe. If it hasn’t cleared up by morning, phone me at the office!”
[Braudes, 576]
B. PROCRASTINATION
1. It looks as if the plumber were procrastinating. We’re going to look this morning at a time in King David’s life when it looked like he was procrastinating.
2. But we’re going to find that David had his priorities in line; he was waiting for orders from God, which we would do well to do also. Read with me.
C. TEXT
17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 19 so David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.” 20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim. 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off. 22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.”
D. TITLE
1. The devil doesn’t like it when we decide to make an impact for God. Listen to Neh. 2:10; “When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them…” that someone had come to “seek the welfare of the children of Israel.”
2. The enemy doesn’t want you to:
a. get a burden for reaching the lost;
b. decide to work in the church;
c. determine to change things through prayer or make new commitments to God. Don’t be surprised if you’re opposed when you begin to work for God’s kingdom.
3. The title of this message is “Moving When God Moves!” God is alive; He’s speaking. He’s moving around the world and we should be moving with Him.
4. David can teach us a lot about God. He was the –
a. Sweet Psalmist of Israel. He published 73 songs of love he wrote to God;
b. He was anointed with oil & the Holy Spirit;
c. He killed Goliath, the arch-type of Satan, and brought the Presence of God back to Israel. This passage reminds us first of….
I. THE BATTLES OF LIFE
A. COMMON TO ALL
1. DAVID’S SITUATION
a. Valley of “Rephaim” = Valley of “Giants.” Multiple battles were fought in this same valley.
b. Previously, there was a giant named Goliath that David defeated; but that wasn’t the end of David’s battles.
God was preparing him to fight whole armies later.
2. WE WILL ALL HAVE BATTLES! “There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it” 1 Cor. 10:13.
3. The enemy doesn’t mess with you unless you’re a threat. David had just become King of the Northern 10 tribes and they knew he would attempt to unite all Israel.
4. So they decided to strike him before he could get organized. They mobilized and immediately attacked before he could get prepared.
B. GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE VICTORY!
1. Q – Do You believe God wanted David to be victorious? Do you think He wants YOU to be victorious?
2. God’s Word says that He wants you to be:
a. The head and not the tail;
b. To ride upon the high places of the earth;
c. To be an Overcomer, to put your foot upon the necks of kings of darkness;
d. To be “more than a Conqueror,” and put Satan under your feet!
3. God has never lost a game and He’s never tied one! TO HAVE VICTORY MEANS:
a. To be successful & prosperous in all you do;
b. To be in good health;
c. To be victorious over sin;
d. To be productive in the area of ministry God has called you to.
II. INQUIRE OF THE LORD
It should be 2nd nature for us to inquire of the Lord. It should be as natural for the Child of God as breathing.
A. RECOGNIZE YOUR SOURCE OF POWER
1. After David had already defeated them once, you’d think he’d feel confident he could ‘do it again.’
2. Often we have a victory and get to thinking WE are able to conquer.
3. But David recognized where his success came from: “Power belongs to the Lord!” “It’s not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of Hosts.
4. CHURCH, let’s learn from David not to take steps without God’s direction.
B. BUT DAVID, “INQUIRED OF THE LORD”
1. The second time, had David not waited for orders, he might have been defeated.
2. One of his strategic steps to ensure victory was to seek the wisdom of God/ counsel of the Lord for how to overcome his adversary.
3. EXAMPLES:
a. When Rebekah felt “the babies jostle each other within her, she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.” Gen. 25:22.
b. Moses warned Israel, “You shall not inquire after other gods…” Deut. 12:30. God wants us to come to Him.
c. Jehoshaphat wouldn’t go into battle without inquiring of the Lord, 1 Kings 22:5.
d. Nine times (9X) the Bible says that David inquired of the Lord! David was a man after God’s own heart.
4. The Gifts of the Spirit are real and for today – the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, gifts of revelation, etc. The Holy Spirit still speaks to us today. Jesus said, “He will show you things to come.”
5. The Bible has stern warnings against altering God’s Word; that includes some teachers saying God doesn’t do things by His Spirit anymore, as in the first century. That is false teaching that contradicts Jesus Himself.
6. We can seek God and, if we wait on Him and get quiet, hear the inner voice of the Lord, giving us direction.
7. GOD GAVE DAVID SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS:
a. “Circle around behind them, by the poplar trees;”
b. “Don’t attack until you hear a special sound.”
8. TIMING IS VERY IMPORTANT.
a. In natural things – lift-off of a spacecraft; baseball thrown to first base; giving an engagement ring.
b. In spiritual things – Philip & the Ethiopian Eunuch; the Woman at the Well; Zacchaeus climbing up that tree.
9. HUMOR. One lady was trying to get her Mom to fly out for a visit. Mom said, “No way I’m getting on an airplane!” “But Mom, when it’s your time to go, it won’t matter whether you’re in the air or on the ground!” Her Mom responded, “I know. But I don’t want to be that high off the ground when IT’S THE PILOT’S TIME TO GO!”
III. A SUBSET OF GOD’S ARMY
A. DAVID’S INSTRUCTIONS – SPECIAL SOUND
1. Vs. 24, KJV – “a going,” literally in Hebrew, “marching.”
2. C.H. Spurgeon stated, “as the Rabbi’s have it…the footsteps of angels walking along the tops of the trees…”
3. David was to wait until he heard God’s Army of Angels move out to defeat the enemy, then he should move out with them!
4. Imagine David silencing his men and listening. They might ask, “What are you listening for?” He’d answer, “The Armies of God to move out!” (Other examples of angels fighting for God’s people: Judges 5:20; Dan. 10:13; Rev. 12).
5. WE’RE to watch for God’s moving too!
B. THE MOVING OF GOD
1. THERE ARE TIMES THAT GOD IS MOVING IN HIS CHURCH – saving, healing, expanding His kingdom, bring multitudes into His church.
2. THE CHIEF WAY GOD WANTS TO USE US IS TO WITNESS
a. 90% believe they should witness
b. 40% invite someone to church
c. 3% share their faith with an unbeliever 1 X a month.
3. REASONS FOR THE DISCONNECT?
a. Fear
b. Lack of Urgency
c. Lack of Knowledge
d. Too Busy
e. Assuming the Best
4. How many of you would be mad if someone witnessed to you? They probably won’t get mad either.
5. We’ve OUTSOURCED EVANGELISM to missionaries, programs, or comments on social media! Let get back to those around us.
6. Do you have a neighbor, a husband or a wife – who’ve been indifferent, but now some sickness, loss, or trouble has happened to them and they’re anxious – now’s their time of being open! Move out; go to them and offer them the hope and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Pray with them.
7. Your own children – there are certain times they are more receptive. Don’t let those moments pass. You must act!
8. Vs. 24 says, “move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you.”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: Wilber Chapman’s Regret
1. Wilber Chapman was a famous evangelist, a close friend
of D.L. Moody, and was responsible for leading baseball great Billy Sunday to the Lord.
2. Chapman told how he had a roommate in college for two years. During that time Chapman was taking classes to be a minister – that was his major.
3. Chapman knew his roommate wasn’t a Christian, but he never talked to him about Christ for the whole two years.
4. When he was about to graduate, his roommate finally asked him, “Why have you never asked me to be a Christian?” Chapman said, “I didn’t think you were interested.”
5. His roommate said, “I deliberately chose you for my roommate because I knew you were a Christian, and there hasn’t been a single day I wasn’t willing to talk to you about it, but you never did.”
6. Chapman was struck with conviction. “And then,” Chapman said, “try as hard as I could to lead him to Christ, he was unwilling.” [Knights New Illus., p.647]
B. ILLUSTRATION: Opportunity Missed
1. A man stood up in a church service to give his testimony. It turned out to be a sad one. He said…
2. “When I was a boy, about 14, a minister came to stay at our house overnight. In the morning he began walking to the next close town on foot. I went with him to help carry his baggage.”
3. “I have never forgotten that walk; it stirs in me great sadness. One great desire was surging through my soul; ‘I wish he would talk to me about Jesus and my soul!’ But he didn’t”
4. “How much sin and sorrow I might have been spared from, had he spoken the word I believe God wanted him to speak.” [Knights New Illus., p. 650]
C. THE CALL
1. God is moving! Will you move with Him? Is there person around you that God may be stirring? Commit to speak to them!
2. God may be dealing with you today about laying down an addiction, or making a deeper commitment, or being filled with the Holy Spirit. Don’t ignore His dealing!
3. If we refuse to listen and act, God may cease dealing
with us! We have to respond at the time He’s dealing with us or that dealing will go away.
4. Remember the word of the Lord; “No man can come to Me except the Father draw him.” Gen. 6:3, “My Spirit will not always strive with man…”
5. If you feel God has been dealing with you to do something, I want you to come to the front and let’s clinch it with prayer!
