GOD OF THE BREAKTHROUGH
2 Sam. 5:17-21
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: New Year’s Humor
1. On New Year’s Eve an elderly man was stopped by the police around 2 AM and was asked where he was going at that time of night.
2. The man replied, "I'm on my way to a lecture about alcohol abuse and the effects it has on the human body, as well as smoking, and staying out late."
3. The officer asked, "Really? Who's giving a lecture this time of night?" The man replied, "That would be my wife."
B. TEXT
“But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David....[and] spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up to [“attack,” NIV] the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” And the LORD said to David, “Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.” And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, “The LORD has broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim.” And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.” 2 Sam. 5:17-21.
C. THESIS
1. After 15 years of trouble and perseverance, David finally reached the fulfillment of his dreams; He was anointed king of all Israel and placed on the throne.
2. Everything was perfect, right? No! Suddenly, as David stepped up to a new level, he faced a new devil. Higher ground = bigger challenges.
3. We’re going to look at what it means to go up to a higher level, see the 3 anointings David received for victory, and see the culmination of God’s plan for his life – his whole nation delivered from oppression.
4. Message title: “God of the Breakthrough.”
I. GOING TO A HIGHER LEVEL
A. WHAT IS “GOING TO A HIGHER LEVEL?” “Going to a higher level” means that:
1. We recognize that we haven’t achieved perfection, but have room to grow.
2. It means that we refuse to be satisfied with where we are, and are taking action to improve ourselves.
3. It usually calls for a higher level of obedience, stretching our faith, being empowered by the Holy Spirit, outreach to the lost, walking with God in relationship, getting deeper in God’s Word, ‘getting on fire,’ and having a heart after God, like David.
B. WHY SEEK TO GO TO A HIGHER LEVEL?
1. IT’S GOD’S WILL. David sought a new level because it was God’s will. Our growth & perfection is God’s will: Paul said, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Phip. 3:12.
2. THERE’S A GREATER WORK GOD WANTS US TO DO. God had a greater work for David. God wants us to affect more people for Christ. As we obey God, the anointing on our lives will get stronger (Acts 5:32). Eph. 5:18, “Be filled with the Spirit.”
HUMOR. Many of us are like the guy who went fishing and caught nothing, so he went to the fish store. He told the attendant, “Throw me ten fish so I can tell my wife I caught them!” Don’t pretend; let’s do a greater work!
3. We should grow up in our RESPONSIBILITY – Heb. 5:12. John 17:4, "I have glorified Your Name on the Earth by completing the work You gave Me to do." I want to be able to say that. We all have a destiny and a destination.
4. FULFILL YOUR PURPOSE. Eph. 5:15-17, Amplified Version; "Live purposefully... Therefore do not be vague or thoughtless or... but understand what the will of the Lord is." We can’t achieve things without a purpose and goals.
5. The devil will pull out all the stops to keep us from going on with God. The devil wants to keep us in a wimpy, lukewarm, lazy zone where we’ll be ineffective.
C. JABEZ & SPIRITUAL AMBITION
Jabez’ prayer, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.” 1 Chr. 4:10.
1. SPIRITUAL ENLARGEMENT
a. "Enlarge my territory" ("borders,” RSV). Probably NOT referring to property, but to how he might glorify God on a larger scale.
b. Jabez wanted to be valuable to the Lord; do we? SAND on the beach is free. If bagged, it’s worth $1/lb. If made into sandpaper, it’s worth $5/lb. If made into a silicon computer chip, it’s worth $500/tsp. The sand is the same, but it has increased value by greater purpose!
2. SUPERNATURAL EMPOWERMENT
a. "And that Your hand might be with me."
b. Jabez realized that if God enlarged his borders, he would need God more than ever.
3. People say, "I've been praying to come up higher and all I get is trouble. This isn’t going smooth; I guess it's not God." How wrong. "Narrow" means "contracted by pressure." On the narrow path there is no room for fleshly baggage. You don’t need less troubles, you need more anointing!
4. When God asked Gideon to go to a higher level, he said, "I'm the least of all my clan; surely you have the wrong man." You must see the possibilities in you that God sees! When God calls us, the first thing we do is tell God every reason why we can’t do it. Yes, but with God you CAN!
II. THE CHALLENGES OF A NEW LEVEL
A. NEW LEVEL, NEW DEVIL
1. As soon as the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over Israel, their came to destroy him. The devil always tries to stop God’s servants when they’re in their infancy.
2. New Level, New Devil. What you could get by with at one level, you can't get by with at a higher level. You used to could be lazy in prayer and haphazard in your devotions; now you better get serious with God!
3. Before David was king, he could travel and even live with the Philistines, but when he became king, he became a target. The more dangerous you are to the kingdom of darkness, the more you will be opposed.
B. YOU MUST LEARN TO “PRESS THROUGH”
1. When the quarterback throws the football to a section of the field where there are 2 or more receivers, he intends that one of them will catch the ball. He may not aim to hit a particular one; he is making the ball available to whomever can catch it in that area. He aims at the hashmark on the field (a dash between numbers). The term “timing patterns” describes what they’re doing.
2. Likewise, God tells us, “I’m about to make a move to do something, but you’re going to have to push through to receive.” You have to press through the battles to get to where you need to be. God says, “If you do not go, I will find someone else that is available to go.”
3. God put King Saul in to defeat the Philistines, but he never received the extra anointing, but David did.
C. GOD’S 3 ANOINTINGS TO ASSIST DAVID
1. THE FIRST ANOINTING (1 Sam. 16:13) took place when the prophet Samuel anointed the teenager David. This anointing brought him to the king’s court and national prominence, but it also brought the opposition of his brothers and the jealousy of King Saul.
2. THE SECOND ANOINTING (2 Sam. 2:4) took place when he was anointed as king over the tribe of Judah. He fortified Hebron and took it as his capital. He reigned there for 7 years. But with this level came open warfare between the house of David and the house of the King Saul’s descendants.
3. THE THIRD ANOINTING (2 Sam. 5:3) was when David was made King over all Israel. He was 37 years old.
a. David knew he was entering a larger arena of conflict, so he decided to capture Jerusalem, the strongest fortress in that area of Palestine.
b. The Philistines determined to stop David. Notice that the Philistines again rise after the anointing. Goliath, a Philistine came after the first anointing. Now after the third anointing, the Philistines are after him again.
c. Too often we want the anointing but no battle. Or we want the battle without the anointing, but we must understand that both of them must come together and work together.
III. GOD IS A GOD OF THE BREAKTHROUGH
A. THE TURNING POINT
1. So as the Philistines came on, David heard from God about what to do. 2 Sam. 5:20 declares -- “And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, ‘The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters.’ Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim.”
2. This verse is prophetic. David calls God “The Lord of the Breakthrough!” and that’s what David named that location.
3. THIS BATTLE WAS A TURNING POINT. Up to this time, the Philistines had always dominated in their wars with Israel. They had never even been defeated/ dislodged during the days of Joshua (13:2).
4. They plagued Israel all during the time of the Judges, during Samuel’s life, and ultimately defeated and killed Saul & his sons.
5. But this battle was the turning point, the beginning of the breach in the power of the Philistines, and was the breaking of the domination of the promised land by them.
6. From this point on, David had the stronger position and always defeated them in battle. THE SPIRITUAL TIDE OF VICTORY HAD TURNED!
B. THE TIDES OF VICTORY LOOSED
1. David’s words, “The LORD has broken mine enemies before me, like the breach of waters …” or like waters breaking a dam open, means that the blessings that have been dammed up a long time have now been breached and are being released! Praise God!
2. Today we are praying for the tides of victory to turn in our lives, in our church, and in our nation. Let’s call on the God of the Breakthrough!
3. Let’s fast and pray and ask God to tear down generational curses, to overthrow addictions, to give us breakthroughs in our finances, our jobs, our marriages, our kids, and our churches!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. There was an old Western with Gary Cooper called, “The Hanging Tree.” Gary Cooper is a doctor and he saves people’s lives.
2. In one scene, a young man gets shot; he’s dying. Gary Cooper goes in, pulls out the bullets, and saves the man’s life. The man, grateful for being rescued, asks what he can do for the doctor.
3. Gary Cooper says, “Well, you know, I’ve always needed an assistant, so why don’t you assist me. I’ll teach you what to do.”
4. When the young man asked how long the doctor wanted his help, Gary Cooper replied, “For the rest of your life, for that’s how long you would’ve been dead if I hadn’t saved you.”
5. That’s what God says to us. “For the rest of your life, since I’ve saved you, I want you to yield yourself to My purposes, My pleasure, and My goals.”
B. THE CALL
1. How many of you want a breakthrough in 2026? For that to happen, you need to make a deeper commitment. You need to commit to daily devotions, to seek the filling of the Holy Spirit. Let’s PRAY – “I REPENT of my lukewarmness, I SURRENDER ALL to You, I receive You HOLY SPIRIT – fill me with your presence!”
2. If you want to go up to a higher level, I want you to come to the front and form a single row behind the altar. I’m going to anoint you with oil and pray for a new anointing to make you more than conquerors!
3. Prayer.
