“The Before the After”
1 Chronicles 18:1-4
(1) Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines. (2) And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David’s servants, [and] brought gifts. (3) And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates. (4) And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot [horses], but reserved of them an hundred chariots.
I. After this…How many are looking for an “after this” moment?
A. Look at your neighbor and tell them, After this; tell them hold on, don’t lose hope, don’t throw in the towel, don't give up, don't flip the switch off yet. Tell them, there's something beyond this. This is not the end. This is just a temporary inconvenience. This is just a hallway. This is the in between place. This is just the valley between two mountains. This is where weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning.
1. This is just the “valley of the shadow of death”. Where “weapons are formed but don’t prosper”. Where the oven is heated 7 times but can’t burn you. Where there is a den of lions that have lost their appetite. Where a whale may consume you but not digest you.
B. After this is also called in the meanwhile. It is the intervening period of time. It is the, for now, for the moment, for the present, for the time being, for the meantime, or a temporary place. It is the time before something happens, but it also means at the same time.
1. It’s the place where Abraham is taking Isaac up one side of the mountain to offer him as a sacrifice while on the other side a ram is making his way up to get caught in the bushes to replace Isaac. It’s the place where you are about to use the last bit of flour for you and your son before you starve to death while God is sending the man of God over to your house to finish off the natural cause from here on out they are going to be eating from the supernatural.
2. After Elijah calls down fire from heaven, and after his servant see’s the little cloud, the Bible says: And it came to pass in the meanwhile that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. The great rain came after the mean while. The great blessing came after the meanwhile. In the meanwhile, there was dark clouds and winds. The winds of adversity, the winds of pain …hurt …brokenness …setbacks; are blowing in your life right now, and the dark clouds are obscuring the sunlight. You are in the meanwhile. You’re in the place of testing, of waiting, of uncertainty, of not knowing; that valley of testing and trusting.
C. Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation” being a Christian does not exempt you from a trouble free life, the sun will rise on the evil and on the good, and …rain on the just and on the unjust. There is no guarantee you’ll never hear the word “cancer” or “terminal”. That you’ll never cry over wayward children. That you’ll never be lied on, or that you’ll never lose someone you love, or there won’t be times when you feel like quitting.
1. But He did promise an After This. He promised us that he would be with us, through it all. The Bible says, Ps 34:19 Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
2. If you will not give in to fear and doubt. If you will keep on walking through the fire. If you will keep on praising God in the midnight hour. If you will hold onto his word in the face of every contrary and negative report. You will come to after this. “This” can come in the form of a Dr. report, sickness, passing of a loved one, I don’ know what “This” is to you today, all I know is “THIS” is not where you want to be and you are ready for “After This”. The other side to this storm where there are no darks clouds.
D. What happened after this? From my text The Bible said: David smote and subdued the Philistines. Subdued, Bring down, beat down, brought under subjection, make mincemeat, wipe the floor, smash, or any other synonym you want to use; well let me give you one more, humiliated. David smote them, and David humiliated them.
1. No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; every time the devil throws something at you that fails, every time a trap he sets for you misses you, every time an offense he throws at you fails to stick, every time he knocks you down and you bounce back stronger, every time something he throws at you backfires in his face, he is humiliated.
2. After this, the script was flipped. After this, David bounced back stronger. After this, David made the enemy sorry he ever messed with him. After this, David hit the enemy where it hurt. After this, David trolled the troll. Let me put it in the words of my daughter Ilyssa, the devil got toasted! Tell your neighbor the enemy is about to get toasted!
3. This would be the best place to end this sermon, this would be a great place for an alter call…
II. After this…After this, there is only one problem I have with “after this” I made “after this” all about us. I set you up because there is so much more to “after this”. Before there can be an “after this” there has to be a “before”. What happened to David before he subdued his enemies and took their spoils? There is more to your “after” if you can understand your “before”. Your “before” is not the problem, it is not the attack, it is not the set back.
A. The answer to the “before” is found in 2 Samuel chapters 6 and 7. In chapter 6 David retrieved the Ark of the Lord that had long been removed for a generation. He would place the ark on an ox-drawn cart to carry it back to Israel. On their way back to Israel the ark began to fall and one of David's men reached out to grab it, and the moment he put his hand on the ark, God killed him.
1. This upset David because He questioned God on how they were supposed to get the Ark back to Israel. David would leave the ark at the home of Obededom for 3 months where he and his house would be blessed. David would return to retrieve the Ark and this time they would bare the Ark on their shoulders, take six paces, and then sacrificed oxen and fatlings and David danced before the LORD with all [his] might; and David [was] girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
2. What changed this time was before it was about doing it David’s way. The second time it was about doing it God’s way, David went to the Torah and saw how it should have been done and said in 1Ch 15:13 For because ye [did it] not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. They didn’t get an ox to carry the ark they took it upon themselves and after 6 paces it was time to show God how grateful they were to have His ark, presence back in Israel with sacrifice and praise. David humbled himself by setting aside his position and title, he removed the dignitary and became the shepherd boy that worshipped God while in the fields. He would Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name.
a. You have to do it God’s way. Who am I to argue with God; He is the one that set the “due order”. In Jeremiah 33:25 it says God appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth. Ordnance means a piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority, an authoritative order; a decree. God is the shot caller and does have a say in how we are to live for Him, He set the rules to how we will Worship and Praise Him, etc… Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me… “due order” you are not getting in any other way.
b. God said it best to Job in Job 38 when he drilled Job asking where and how everything works, but you can sum it all up with Job 38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? You can’t argue with God who is before all things, and by him all things consist. God is God so stop trying to play let’s make a deal.
c. There are a lot of churches that are trying to bring God in their way and He is nowhere to be found. He is across the street blessing the Obededom church that knows how to honor and respect God.
B. Once David gets the ark back in 2 Samuel chp. 7 David is sitting in his palace when he says to Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. This creates a dialogue between God and David where God tells David that he would not be the one to build the Temple but God would bless David and his son Solomon would be the one to build the house.
1. Do you see the “before” now. The before is that David was concerned about God. He was interested in pleasing God. No wonder God would say, I have found David the [son] of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
a. If you will set God up; He will set you up. When you bless Him, He blesses you. While you are working for Him; He is working for you to bring it all to pass according to His riches in Glory in Christ Jesus. Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
2. We have somewhere along the way started to think that our walk with God was all about us. It’s not about us it is about Him. The Bible tells us to “seek first the Kingdom” and then all things are added to you. Look at Hebrews 11 it is filled with people who “by faith” lived for God and took care of God’s business and for that they were blessed. You need to be in God’s business, that’s the “before”. Jesus at a young age said, I must be about my Father’s business. His business is being a world changer, a life changer, making an impact where ever we go.
C. There is a Casting Crowns song that ask, “if we are the body: Why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the body: Why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way?”
1. I fear the Church has went in to a deconditioning state. Deconditioning is simple term that defines a much larger term that the medical community uses to describe someone that has stopped moving and has just stop doing any activity, basically someone that has just sat down or sits longer than they do anything else which causes the body to slow down and not function properly. We got to exercise our faith, we got to walk and not grow weary.
2. God made man to move and not remain in a sedentary state. He designed us to labor, work, to move in order to maintain this life and body that He has given us. In Luke 12 Jesus tells the story of a rich man that had a prosperous harvest and decides that since he had such a surplus that he would tear down his old barns and build bigger ones to hold all his excess and the rich man said I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee:
3. You got to participate in your blessing, I know we live in a time when everyone should get medals whether they did something or not, but we got to work, there are requirements and actions needed for the miraculous, get up, go wash, show yourself, etc. James said Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Faith without works is dead.
4. What are you doing with what God gave you? Jesus gives us the parable of the Ten Talents, you know the story each person received a portion of talent, the one that received 10 flipped it 1000%, the one that received 5 flipped it 500%, and the one that got 1 did nothing and it was given to the one that made the 1000% increase.
a. Let me tell you something you can’t sit on your talents. If you want all that is in His hand you got to release what is in yours. Pr 12:24 The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. That verse is saying that when you have diligent hands that you carry some authority and dominion, but laziness ends in enslavement.
b. I know there are some entrepreneurs in here that want to get their business off the ground but let me tell you something if you want your business to stand out, stop holding your gift for ransom. You can’t expect God to bless your business when you will not bless his house. David said in 1Ch 29:3 Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, [which] I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,
c. You can’t do God’s business effectively when you don’t know him, live for him. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
5. The “before” is all about having a heart after God, having a mind to work, having a desire to leave the 99 just for 1, knowing the truth and letting it set you free, leaving the old man behind, picking up your cross daily, giving, praying without ceasing, trusting in the Lord with all your heart, your “before” should line up with the words of Peter when he answered Jesus by saying, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
a. The “before” is knowing and living that God is before all things, that means that as the way maker; He already has the solution before there was a problem, He had a way before there was one needed. Jesus said, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, He is the before and after!
b. Your existence comes from His existence. He is the I Am of all existence ...the I Am of all I ams. Your I am only exists because of His I Am. And as you exist from Him, so it is only from Him that you can find the reason and purpose of your existence.
c. Because His existence is first and your existence flows forth from His. That's the flow of existence. Therefore, you must put Him first and then let everything flow from that. Let everything begin with Him and flow forth from Him. That's the secret of life. To not only live for Him, but to live your life from Him, to live from His living, to move from His moving, to act from His actions, to feel from His heart, to be from His being, and to become who you are from who He is ...I am. Let God be for you and have Him before you!
6. Jesus said in Mt 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. We have to see things from a different prospective. In Heaven there is no …death …sorrow …crying …pain: there is only life, victory, healing, and unspeakable joy and glory. Jesus said “It is Finished”. It’s not going to be done it already is done. 'On earth as it is in heaven,' that is the heaven-to-earth principle.
a. It is the direction of God and His blessings proceeding from heaven to earth. We must live our lives from heaven to earth, but what happens if we take it from the realm of space to the realm of time? Heaven is not just what's above us, but what's ahead of us. Heaven, in one sense, is that which comes at the end, at the end of earthly history and earthly life. So heaven is also what is yet to come, the future.
b. So to live from heaven to earth, is for us to live from God's future for us. Every problem you have will be answered, either in heaven or before. So the secret is to live not from the problem, but from the problem solved, from the answer, before the answer. You must choose to live not from your present crisis, but from its future overcoming, not from your present obstacle, but from its future breakthrough. You're in a battle. In the future that battle will be won. So don't live from the battle. Live from its future victory. As it is written, when you ask in prayer, believe you have received it, and in your asking, give thanks to God.
c. Live from heaven, from the kingdom yet to come, from the life yet to be, from the you that you are yet to become. Fight the won battle, run the finished race, accomplish the finished work, start from the finish line, begin from the victory, rejoice now from the joy at the end. Live now from what will one day be, and you'll live a life of blessing, and victory, on earth as it is in heaven.
III. The “before” and the “after” are on an assignment to fulfill 2Sa 9:1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? When you have positioned God before you the “after this” moment is not just for you but it so you can share it with others.
A. Just a little context here, please study the life of David. The former King, Saul and his family have all been killed. David and Saul’s son Jonathan were tight and the only request Jonathan ever made of David was found in 1 Sam. 20:14-15, Jonathan must have known that David would be king and he said to him, "While I live show me kindness that I die not, and please don't cut that kindness off from my house when you're removing your enemies." The reason he made such a request was in Bible times when a new king ascended to the throne he would kill all the family of the previous dynasty, exterminating their enemies in order to remove the threat of a revolt.
1. When David makes this request they locate one Saul’s former servants Ziba. David asks him if there is anyone left of Saul’s descendants that he can bless, and Ziba responds Jonathan hath yet a son, but listen to how he follows that response; [which is] lame on [his] feet. He didn’t need to add that, that wasn’t what David asked. David wasn’t looking for the condition; he was looking for the person.
2. It was almost like Ziba was trying to let David know that the one he was looking would not fit in around here, because he was broken.
3. The Bible earlier in 2 Samuel chp. 4 tells us how this happened to him. They had been killing off all Saul's descendants. They went after Jonathan's 5 year old son Mephibosheth. When the nurse learned that his life was in danger she fled with him in her arms, but in the heat of the moment she dropped him. When she dropped him he broke both of his feet and he was left lame as the result.
4. David didn’t care about the condition because the Bible says; Then king David sent, and fetched him. Fetched is important to that statement because it shows that the only way to get Mephibosheth was to go to him in his present condition and carry him back.
a. Sometimes you need God to fetch you out because you can't get out on your own. You can't fix it on your own, mend, solve... You did everything you could to get out but it failed and you need God to fetch you. 1Jo 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Jesus said God hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised
b. FETCH. This is how God delivers you. He picks you up and brings you out. Ps 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, [and] established my goings. It's not your strength, but you're leaning on His everlasting arms. You come out but …Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD
c. If God hadn't carried me out I'd still be in a broken state. I wouldn't even be here if He hadn't carried me out. I was so messed up, so broken, so bruised until I wouldn't be out if God hadn't carried me out.
5. When Mephibosheth arrives; David tells him that he is going to restore to him all of his family’s land and that he will eat from David’s table for the rest of his life. Then David informs Ziba the one that didn’t seem to want Mephibosheth there that he and his 15 sons and 20 servants were going to be the ones that would till the land for him and bring in the fruits, and Mephibosheth, shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. He let him eat meals he didn't cook. Live in houses he didn't build. Vineyards he didn't grow. When he was seated with the rest of the family he looked like everyone else.
a. God accepts cripples at His table. You may be broken but you're welcome, be wounded but… had a divorce... baby out of wedlock... had multiple abortions... When you sit at his table all you can see is from the waist up. His table covers my weakness, dysfunction, and handicap. God doesn't see you as a cripple, broken or damaged, but as a family.
b. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. We are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;
B. The before the after is to position you to fetch the broken. Jesus prayed in Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
1. The victories you are winning are paving the way to bring in broken people, neglected people, rejected people, and cast aways. Those that have been crippled from lies from hell, crippled by deceit, crippled by legalism, racism, denominationalism, sexism, etc..
2. The healing you received was not just for you that was to keep you on assignment to tell others there is a healer. That promotions wasn’t just so you can get your bills caught up it was so you can sow more in the Kingdom. The blessings on your life are meant to increase the Kingdom.
C. All of this was to help you see that when David put God before him that he had access to all of God. Every promise, every word, everything that was God’s was his.
1. There is a threefold blessing when you learn to let “God before”, He blesses you so you can bless others. This is a cycle of blessing that God doesn’t want broken, a threefold cord is not quickly broken. When we go to God, He comes to us so that we can reach out to others.
2. I am here today because I am on the side to where I am looking for the broken. I am looking for those that have been dropped. I am looking for those that are looking for their “after this” but need a “before” encounter with God. I am talking about shifting it all before God so that He can let His presence overtake you, your problems, your brokenness, your sin, whatever the need is, “Let God before it”!
