HAD ENOUGH OF THE ENEMY’S BLUFF?
2 SAM. 5:3,6-9
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: FACT OR FICTION
1. I spend a lot of time with my grandkids and sometimes they have some very perceptive questions.
2. One pastor (not me) had just been telling his grandchildren a fascinating bedtime story. When it was finished, ones of the older ones, Johnny, took a deep breath and said, “Grandpa, was that all true or were you just preaching?” He must have gotten the idea that grandpa stretched it sometimes! [Treasury of Humor, Clyde Murdock]
B. TEXT
3 When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David. 8 On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies.” 9 David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. NIV
C. THESIS
1. We’re going to see this morning how the enemy tries to hinder you but how God wants to give you victory!
2. Title: “Had Enough of the Enemy’s Bluff?”
I. A NEW DAY HAS DAWNED
A. GOD IS DOING A NEW THING
1. God says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing!” Isa. 43:19. God always wants to do a new thing in our lives. The question is, will we allow it and participate in it?
2. God raised up a champion, David, who would eventually defeat all the nations around Israel and end all warfare. Spiritually, God has raised up a Champion for US – the Greater Son of David – the Lord Jesus Christ!
3. He is “God’s Anointed.” He’s come to defeat all the hindrances, strongholds, problems, and temptations in your life. Two things remain for us to achieve this:
4. We, like Israel, must make a covenant – a heart agreement with God – that we will serve Him all the days of our lives. The second requirement is that we make God’s Champion, Jesus, our sovereign King! We must join with Him and follow Him, as His soldiers. A soldier no longer does his/her own will, but follows the lead of their commanding officer.
5. So for Israel, it was a Year of New Beginnings! This year can be one for you if you commit your life to Jesus!
B. SEEKING THE HIGH GROUND
1. David immediately lead them to seek “higher ground.” “Higher ground” in military terms and from a battle perspective, is ground which is much more defensible, a place where you are safer, and a place from which the enemy will find it much more difficult to dislodge you from your faith, in the future.
2. David sensed this; you should too! “HIGHER GROUND” for the Christian, is developing a solid walk with God, getting involved with others in a church (2 are better than 1), developing a strong prayer life, and daily reading the Bible, etc. The devil will find it far more difficult to bring you down in the future if you get a strong walk with God.
II. THE ENEMIES’ CHILLING BOAST
“The Jebusites said to David, "You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off." They thought, "David cannot get in here", 2 Sam. 5:6.
A. THE LAST STRONGHOLD OF CANAAN
1. God had said from the beginning (even from the burning bush) that the Jebusites were to be dispossessed because of their sin (Ex. 3:8,17; 13:5; 23:23, etc.). But for almost 400 years, the Israelites had not been able to conquer this 12-acre stronghold.
2. MANY OF US HAVE STRONGHOLDS:
a. Some of you have KIDS that aren’t saved or that you have a bad relationship with – that’s a stronghold!
b. Some of you have FINANCIAL STRESS;
c. Others have chronic HEALTH PROBLEMS;
d. Others have MARITAL PROBLEMS;
e. Some of you battle LONELINESS or DEPRESSION.
f. Some of you battle TEMPTATIONS – pornography, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, cursing, unforgiveness, bad thoughts, sex outside marriage, etc.
3. YOU MUST NOT GIVE UP THE BATTLE! The Israelites had accepted that the Jebusites would always be there; they no longer tried to dislodge them. They were actually being disobedient to God by allowing them to stay! And we can do the same thing! “But I just can’t do it, Pastor!”
4. But, praise God, we don’t have to face our strongholds alone, WE HAVE A CHAMPION, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, if you’re a Christian, He’s living inside of you and is present to help you defeat your stronghold.
5. Jesus has never lost a battle! He overcame all sin and defeated death, Hell, and the grave. Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Lk. 10:19). “Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world” 1 Jn. 4:4. We CAN defeat our problems through Him!
B. MOCKING OF THE JEBUSITES
1. The Enemy boasted to God’s people, “You will never dislodge Me! I am here to stay. You will never have the strength to overcome me.” Have you ever heard the devil say that to you? The enemy even added the insult, “Even the blind and the lame could ward you off!” – “Even my weakest efforts can defeat your strongest efforts.”
2. We may have friends or family who discourage us; “Just accept your situation; you can’t change it anyway!”
3. HUMOR. They’re like the story of the pastor who finished his sermon with great fervor:
a. "If I had all the beer in the world, I’d take it and throw it into the river." The congregation cried, "Amen!"
b. "And if I had all the wine in the world, I’d take it and throw it in the river." The congregation cried, "Amen!"
c. "And if I had all the whiskey and the rum in the world, I’d take it all and throw it in the river." And the congregation cried, "Amen!"
d. No sooner did he sit down than the song-leader stood and said, "let’s all sing, ’Shall We Gather at the
River.’" We don’t need to be like that!
4. That’s what the Enemy says to some of you today; “that’s always been a stronghold in your life, and there’s nothing you can do about it!” But let me inform you that the devil is a liar!
5. Jesus said “ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH!” (Mt. 28:19) Friends, the One with all power has come! Today is a new day. You no longer have to submit to your yoke of bondage. “Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!”
6. No devil, no habit, no bondage, no stronghold, no problem, no temptation, no circumstance CAN STAND BEFORE THE NAME OF JESUS! IT HAS TO ‘GO!’ IN JESUS’ NAME!
7. “No weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn!” Isa. 54:17. That means that the devil really doesn’t have a weapon that can withstand the power of Jesus!
8. ILLUS. We need to have faith and vision that sees NO limitations! I remember the story of a man who had done something incredibly courageous and the king called him in and told him he could mark off as much of the kingdom as he wanted and it would be his. The man took his staff and traced a line in the dirt around himself. The king watched as he finished and said, “Is that all you want? Just what’s in that circle?” The man said, “NO. I want everything OUTSIDE the circle.” Instead of thinking you can’t, step out and believe you CAN!
III. HOW DAVID GOT THE VICTORY
A. HE DIDN’T LISTEN TO THE ENEMY
1. When David heard the Jebusites say, “You’ll never get in here!”, David laughed, because he had heard all this before.
2. He’d heard the roars of the lions or bears attacking his sheep, but in God’s Name he ‘took them out!’ He’d heard Goliath’s threats & boasting, but in the name of His God, David ‘took him out.’ IT WAS ALL A BLUFF! The Jebusite mockery was just another bluff by the devil!
3. You see, Jesus said the devil is the father of lies and whenever he speaks, he lies, for that is his native
language.
4. If the devil is telling you there is no hope, then you know there IS hope right around the corner. If the devil tells you you’re not worthy, then be assured, you are! If the enemy tells you that you’ll never be free, or whole, or healed, or happy, then you can take it to the bank that the reverse it true and that there’s a rainstorm of God’s blessings about to fall on you! Hallelujah!
B. DAVID’S STRATEGY/INSIGHT
1. David said, "Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those 'lame and blind' who are David's enemies." (vs. 8)
2. Scholars believe that “water shaft” was a secret tunnel from the Gihon spring outside the city, into the fortress. This shaft was found by English archeologist Charles Warren in the 1860’s. (see 2 Chron. 32:30.)
3. It’s highly SYMBOLIC that this city, which would later come to symbolize the Heavenly Jerusalem, could only be reached by a water course!
4. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” John 3:5-8. If we would enter God’s Kingdom, we must be born of the water and the Spirit! How many of you want to be born again? Slip up your hands.
5. Needless to say, we need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit! God told His people, “It’s not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit” says the Lord of Hosts (Zech. 4:6). Jesus told the Apostles that they needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). That is the key to victory!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION:
1. At a young age, Bianca Rabbaney got caught up in the wrong company and started smoking marijuana and drinking excessively. By the time she turned 18, she had turned to more dangerous drugs. She was sexually assaulted.
2. She says, “All my relationships failed; my children were living with their grandparents, I was lonely and knew I was dying – physically and spiritually. Many nights I begged God to take me away from this destructive
lifestyle. I was addicted for 22 years!”
3. “It was an icy winter’s night, pouring with rain. I was sitting in a churchyard feeling sick, hungry, and cold. That’s when a friend told me that he’d given his life to Jesus and was going into recovery.”
4. Eventually she joined the program and learned how God loved her and Jesus had died for her. Today she’s been clean for 3 years, has gotten married, and her relationships have been restored.
5. “All praise to God who showed me mercy. When people ask me how I did it, I smile and say: ‘Just surrender to God and He will do the rest for you.’”
6. If God can do that for Bianca, what can He not do for you?
B. ALTAR CALL
1. How many of you have a stronghold you want to defeat? How many of you need to be filled with the Spirit? Come join me at the front for prayer.
2. How many of you are facing challenges, discouragements, obstacles, needing faith, vision, & fighting addictions? Stand and let’s pray!
