The Testing of Faith

Welcome to this week's message from the Church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

I want you to turn in your Bibles this morning to Psalms chapter 3.

Psalms 3 · chapter mention

We've been looking at walking by faith.

In fact, we started this whole series in January.

Can God Trust Us?

Can God Trust Us?

And boy, has it been an illuminating series.

It's been a very inspiring series, a very instructive series.

And how God has been teaching us.

The first month we dealt with stewardship.

And this month, February, we've been dealing with the word faith.

Walking by faith and not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5.17.

I mean 2 Corinthians 5.7 says that we walk by faith and not by sight.

And last week we looked at separated faith, that how Abraham had to separate himself from Lot because there was some conflict, there was some unrestfulness.

So we said that as we walk by faith, sometimes we have to separate ourselves from influences that cause us what?

To walk by sight instead of by faith.

Amen.

And so we have to do that.

So the next few weeks, we're going to be looking at a man named David because I want to now go in.

In Psalms, really, chapter 3, 4 and 5, we see David.

And David, in his part of his life, David had gone through the tragedy of Bathsheba.

You know, he was he had had a major failure there with Bathsheba, but he had, you know, he had been restored.

But now, as there always is, listen, I want you to understand something.

There's always forgiveness of sin.

Always.

Can I get an amen?

Aren't we thankful?

1 John 1 9.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to what?

Cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

But there's still, that does not mean it erases the consequences.

Amen.

And so David, yes, was a great sinner, but he was a great repenter.

And Psalms 51 is the greatest chapter ever written in the Bible about repentance.

So he repents.

But there are consequences.

And sadly to say, some of those consequences, some of those consequences happen to be in his family.

And now we pick up.

I mean, it was terrible between his daughter being raped by a brother and and uh and it was just terrible, horrible.

It really was.

But now we see probably the one of the most depressing situations David is in during his life, I mean, could not be more devastating than his son that he loved the most, Absalon, now is really undermining his dad and literally about to take the kingdom away from his dad and put his dad in flight, running for his life.

I mean, he absolutely, hey, Absalon was absolutely trying to kill his dad.

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

And so that is the setting that we're going to look at these this message today and next week.

And the title of the message this week is The Testing of Our Faith.

Ladies and gentlemen, when you and I decide that we're going to go with God, we're going to walk by faith and not by sight.

Listen to me.

Listen to me.

All hell is going to come against you.

Hello.

Amen.

All hell's coming against you.

Every trial, every test that is imaginable, Satan's going to send your way.

Because his goal is to knock your feet out from under you before you really get grounded in what faith really is.

And so that you will not walk by faith, but that you'll walk by sight.

Because when you walk by sight, you live in a defeated arena.

Because you're in control.

And I got news for you.

When you and I are in control, when the devastating trials and tests come, we're in trouble.

We're in trouble.

So with that said, that is the context in which we are going to be looking at Psalms 3, which is the testing of our faith.

And then next week we're going to look at the prayer of our faith in Psalms 4 with David in this situation.

So we see, first of all, the language truth throughout these few psalms that we're going to be looking at the next few weeks deals with the story of human life.

How many of you have ever had problems?

Let me, let me, every hand better go up.

Okay.

Because if you don't have problems, Todd, your hand didn't go up.

I know that.

Okay, get it up.

I know you have problems.

He's a contractor.

In fact, some of his problems have been my problems, so I know we have problems.

Amen.

I mean, when you start building, and uh, we all have problems.

I can remember I always, when I went to Open Door Baptist Church, I said, Well, I won't have her have to be in a building program.

And then uh never, oh, was that a joke?

And never say never.

And then when I when God called me here with David, uh, we were talking about, you know, well, hey, let's go build this little community church down here.

And I thought to myself, man, we got a great place.

Man, this uh this would just be fine.

We we'll we'll take us four or five years maybe to fill it up.

If, you know, we won't need to build anything around here.

Boy, was that a joke.

And then my wife finally turned and said, Honey, God's called you to be a builder.

You everywhere you've sent, then you've had to build.

I said, I know, but I was thinking he might give me a break.

She said, No, he's gonna give you a break when you go to heaven.

I said, quit being so smarty spiritually.

Amen.

But she's right.

So here we are again, Todd.

We're building it.

That's all we've been doing.

But isn't that exciting, folks?

Lives are being changed.

But with that comes testing and trials.

With life comes testing and trials.

Amen.

In life, you have the good, the bad, and the ugly.

And the key to being victorious through the bad and the ugly is walking by faith.

And we've got to learn how to translate that into practical daily living.

And that's what we're gonna be looking at these next few days.

And we see that David, right here, hey, David, we see he just expresses himself in some fantastic ways here.

So the first thing I want us to be looking at today is, number one, in your outline is the believer's test, the believer's trials.

Look at verses one and two.

Lord, how are they increased that trouble me?

And many are they that rise up against me.

Many there be which say, of my soul, there is no help from him in God.

In other words, God's not with him.

God is not helping David anymore.

He's, in fact, his whole enemies were, they were telling everybody, Absalon and everyone, they were telling everybody, God has abandoned David.

And there was no doubt they were using his past sins with all that was going on that had gone on with Bathsheba and all that.

They said, This man's wicked.

This man has been abandoned by God.

Now that's pretty strong language, but that is exactly what's going on here.

In fact, we see this to be the case.

In other words, David is being tremendously bombarded by the greatest tests and trials of his life so far.

And he had been through a lot.

Do you remember?

This was the little teenager that took on Goliath.

And so we'd seen that he had already been through so many trials.

Remember, this is the same guy that had to run from his life.

He was run, hey, he had been run out of Jerusalem by Saul because of Saul's jealousy, and now he's about to be run out of Jerusalem again by his own son.

So I meant this guy is in major problems.

In fact, in 2 Samuel 15, and we'll look at it, 30 and 31, he is up on top of the Mount of Olives.

He's barefooted.

Uh he he's about as low as he's ever been in his life, weeping.

His the ones that were with him, they were weeping, crying out to God.

And this is part of the setting that where David wrote these few psalms.

So it's a powerful testimony to how we can overcome such heaviness.

Or how to keep your calm when your conflicts get heavy.

How to keep your calm.

That'd be another great title.

You may want to write that down.

How to keep your that's good.

How to keep your calm when your trials get heavy.

How to keep your calm when your trials get heavy.

So, why should a believer have trials?

Is where David is really expressing himself.

And he answers while we have trials, and here's how he answers them.

Look at it.

First of all, number one, in verse one, he says, How are they increased that trouble me?

Now, we see that the trials are coming, but notice what he says.

How are they increased that trouble me?

Now, the first thing I want you to see under the believers' trials is the oppression of the enemy.

He oppresses us.

He comes after us, and he doesn't stop.

It's, you know, it's one thing to have one trial and you overcome it.

But have you ever been there where you have one trial, you get bam, you got another one.

And then you get through that one.

Bam, you got another one.

The old saying is they come in threes.

Amen.

Bam, bam, bam.

Well, that's exactly what's happening.

David, and let me tell you how he expresses.

Look at the word trouble.

It's the Hebrew word czar.

Okay?

And the Hebrew word czar literally means distress.

It means narrow.

It means like a right here, if I was trying to walk through there, that'd be a tight fit.

I'd have to lose a little bit more weight before I could do that.

But that'd be a tight fit.

So it means narrow.

It means tight.

It means uh adversary.

It means enemy.

In fact, here's what it means: it means David felt like he was being put in a corner and his back was against the wall and there was nowhere to go.

Ever been there?

A few of us.

Well, if you haven't, it's coming.

Your corner's coming.

I guarantee it.

But he was put in a position where he felt like he had nowhere to go.

Look at what Samuel 16, 15 says.

This is the setting.

Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem.

In other words, his whole kingdom.

Not only his son, his army, and you're going to see in a moment, and Thippel, who was his counselor, his real close friend, they're all coming against him.

You know, it's one thing for your enemies to come against you, but now your son that you love so much is coming against you.

And now your counselor, one of your closest friends, is coming against you.

Hello.

That would put me in a corner.

You have nowhere to turn.

And we see that right here.

But let me remind you what the scriptures also say, and this is powerful.

In Mark chapter 3, verses 24 through 25, he talks about a house that is divided cannot stand.

Mark 3:24–25

And a kingdom that's divided against itself cannot stand.

Verse 25, if a house be divided against itself, it can't stand.

So see how Satan works?

He brains with oppression to divide the kingdom, to divide the home.

He's making a mess of our home today.

We're living in a day in America I never thought I would see when we don't even know the definition of what a home really is.

Isn't that sad in America, church?

God help us.

When we can see same-sex marriages taking place on a Capitol steps in the state of Alabama, we're in trouble.

Come on, we're in trouble, church.

We're in trouble.

Why?

Satan has brought the oppression.

Satan is using every trick he knows to divide the home.

And as the home goes, goes the church.

As the church goes, goes the country.

So we see that.

And he's doing it right here with David.

He is dividing his kingdom.

Listen to what he says in Matthew chapter 10, verse 36.

Matthew 10:36

It's powerful.

He says, well, I'll get there in a minute, but here's what it says The enemies of your house can be, hey, your enemies are they of your own household.

Wow.

We see that literally right here.

That's why Ephesians 4.3 says, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

Now watch this.

This is unique.

David was disloyal to Uriah and his family with Bathsheba.

And now, watch this.

David's family is disloyal to him.

Be not deceived.

God is not mocked.

For whatsoever a man soweth, say it with me, that shall he reap.

So, the consequences are there.

But that's okay.

David's not given up.

David had repented, and David knew that God was still with him.

Amen?

So we see this unbelievable oppression.

Now notice the second thing we see, though.

Not only do we see the oppression from the enemy, why do trials come?

He comes because he's trying to oppress us.

But secondly, we see the opposition of the enemy.

Look at verse 1 again.

Many are they that rise up against me.

Now, if oppression is the multitude of trials, opposition is the magnitude of the trials.

What are you saying, Pastor?

If oppression does not fulfill his purpose, Satan then regards or he turns to outright opposition.

He'll send strong opposition against you.

He won't say, hey, you may, if you overcome the oppression and that doesn't work, for him to discourage you and take you out, he'll send you direct opposition.

I mean, they'll be in your face.

Ever been there?

I meant he'll send it directly toward you.

How did he do that?

In 2 Samuel 16, 5.

Shimei.

Shemiah was of the house of Saul.

And he was a relative of Saul.

He could not stand David.

Never did like David from the very beginning.

And here, man, Shimei now gets the opportunity to go with Absalom against David, and he's having a heyday.

He's having a fall.

I mean, he's cussing David.

He's throwing stones at David.

He is saying, you're getting exactly what you deserve.

I can see it now.

And poor old David there.

David's standing there and he's saying to himself, Lord, I don't know if I can handle this.

Lord, I'm in a corner.

I don't know if I can take this.

Lord, I don't know if I can go any further.

Have you ever been there, church?

We've all been there.

If you haven't, you will.

That's where David is.

But I got good news.

I got good news.

Hey, but God.

Can I get an amen?

But God.

Amen.

So here's where David is.

And boy, is it getting tough.

The opposition's unbelievable.

But I got good news.

Look at Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10 through 12, and then verse 16.

Ephesians 6:10–12

Finally, my brethren, but God, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armor that you may be able to stand against the wiles.

That word wiles there means methods.

It means traps.

It means trials.

It means testings, all of the above of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a human battle.

Amen?

It's not a human battle.

You've got satanic, powerful foes coming against you.

In fact, he says, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

But what listen, Satan's coming at us with oppression.

He, hey, then he comes with us with opposition, straight on.

But I got good news for you.

Look at verse 16.

Above all, taking what?

Say it with me.

The shield of faith.

That's it.

We're walking by faith.

Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

They're coming.

Those methods, those, hey, that oppression, that opposition, they're coming.

But you got the shield of faith.

And we're going to be talking more about that.

Hey, you know this verse.

If God be for us.

Say it again, church.

Romans 8 31.

If God be for us, who can be against us?

And by the way, the opposition of the enemy, let me tell you.

Let me tell you where it comes.

I'm going to give you this is going to help you.

It comes from three places.

Guaranteed.

I can show you, and I'm going to show you right here.

First of all, it came from his family.

Matthew 10, 36.

I think it's there.

Put it up there.

And a man's, read that out loud with me.

And a man's foe of his own household.

Amen.

I have seen more family situations to try to keep their children from doing what God's called them to do.

I think it's one of Satan's greatest tools.

Somebody's called to go to the mission field.

Oh, you can't go to the mission field.

Oh, I hey, I don't want my grandchildren.

I don't want to lose my grandchild.

Can I say something?

It's not about you.

Hello.

It's not about me.

I didn't want my grandchild to be in Sacramento, California, but it's not about me.

Hello.

Amen.

Amen.

It's not about me.

It's about what God wants in their lives.

And I just got to get out of the way.

Amen.

And I've made a promise to myself early.

I'm not going to try to tell my.

Well, first of all, I'm not going to try to tell God what I think He ought to do for my kids.

That was a very has anybody ever thought that, that I think I could help God help them.

Hello.

Don't look at me like that.

I know.

I've watched you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But you know, they'll come and say, Dad, I think God's doing this, or I want, I think he maybe want.

Yeah, but son.

No, there's no butts with God.

Okay, there's no butts.

We don't believe in billy goat Christians, butting all the time.

Amen.

No, there are no butts.

God, if God calls, you go.

Where God calls, God provides.

Can I get an amen?

Every time.

Yeah, but.

No, no, yeah, but no.

Listen, you'll have an eternity to live with those kids.

Praise the Lord.

And eternity.

Amen.

You will.

So, by the way, that's why they do have airplanes.

You can fly out and see them every once in a while.

But don't stay a month, please.

But anyway, we see the opposition.

We see how Satan comes against him.

Now, the second one.

The second one's, hey, not just family, but from friends.

Friends are going to try to hinder you.

Sorry.

And Hippotheril, his friend, his counselor.

Some of my best friends have told me you're crazy.

In fact, they said, you don't want to leave Liberty to go to Tennessee Temple.

They said, you don't want to do that.

Now, that might have been true after I'd been there for a while.

But if I'd never been at the temple, I wouldn't be at Chelsea Westover right now.

I'd still be in Lynchburg, Virginia.

So, hey, and by the way, it's not every call of God's not always gonna be a bed of roses.

Amen.

Ladies and gentlemen, when you get saved, by the way, if you're not ready for battle, don't get saved.

Hello.

Some might say, well, I'm Saved and I've never been in battle.

Well, you sure you're saved?

Examine yourself.

Hey, listen, you cannot be a strong Christian and walk by faith and not be in a battle.

Because again, here it comes.

He's going to send the oppression, he's going to send the opposition, and notice the third thing he's going to send.

He's going to send false opinions.

Oh my.

Look at the opinions of the enemy.

Many there be which say of my soul, there is no help for him.

Wow.

Look at that.

No help.

What they say.

Have you heard what they're saying?

Have you heard the rumor?

How many of us have been guilty of that?

That's about a third of us.

Okay.

Lying lips are abomination unto God.

They will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 12, 22.

Hey, hey, what did they say?

Oh, I've been masterful at this.

Oh, now this is not what I'm thinking or saying, but.

Well, if that's not what you're thinking or saying, don't say it.

Amen?

And how can you not be thinking it if you're about to say it?

But you say you're not thinking it.

Hello.

You with me, church?

In fact, let me tell you what scripture happens to say about that.

We better be careful with what we're saying.

Look at Proverbs 13 3.

Proverbs 13 3.

Powerful.

Here's what it says.

You got it up there?

He that read that out loud for me.

He that keeps his.

But he shall have.

Woo! That's pretty good.

Hey, you keep talking.

You going down.

Amen?

And let me tell you what I've learned after 33 years of serving God.

The way you talk about people, the way people are going to talk about you.

Hello.

Amen.

Amen.

Look at another, there's another verse.

You got to see Proverbs 21, 23.

Proverbs 21, 23.

Listen to what it says.

Read it again.

I like you reading to me.

Read it again.

Now do you wonder why you may be in trouble?

Amen.

You may be that mouth may be getting you in trouble.

How many of us have allowed our mouth to get us into trouble?

Every hand but to go up.

I meant, how many times have I put my foot in my mouth?

And you know, and once it goes out and you say, huh, bring it back.

Can't bring it back.

Can't bring it back.

Can't bring it back.

That's why he says, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, building up, that it may minister grace unto its hears.

If it's not good, hey, if it's not building up, if it's not spoken graciously, and if it doesn't exalt Christ, don't say it.

You say, well, that'd cut out 95% of my conversation.

Yeah, it would.

Amen.

So we see the opinions there is, hey, their opinion is there is no help from God.

Now let me tell you something.

Don't listen to the naysayers.

Can I get an amen?

Don't listen to them.

They'll tell you, let me tell you what they'll tell you.

That, hey, they'll say, they'll say, and they said here, that God had left David.

I got news for you.

God did not leave David.

We can be content with such things.

God has said, I'll never leave thee nor forsake thee.

Amen.

He said in John 13, 1, I will love thee to the end.

The naysayers, you know what they'll say?

They'll say, There is no God.

Well, I got news for you.

Proverbs 14, 1 says, Hey, the fool has said in his heart, there's no God.

The naysayers not only will say there's no God, they'll say, do your own thing.

You're not going to get caught.

I got news for you, God will bring every work with every good or evil thing into being.

Amen.

The eyes of the Lord in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

Proverbs 15, 3.

The naysayers will say, God can't solve your problem.

I got news for you.

Nothing's impossible with my God.

Luke 137.

The naysayers will say, Your way, my way personally is the right way.

I got news for you.

Proverbs 14, 12 says, the way of man is right in his own eyes, but his end is destruction.

Proverbs 14, 12.

The naysayers, they will say, You have plenty of time to serve God or to get saved.

I got news for you.

Behold, now's the time.

Behold, now the day is the day of salvation.

The rich man in Luke 12 said he's going to have plenty of time, and he had so much he's going to build some more barns.

But God showed up and said, Aren't you making a major mistake?

Because tonight your life will be taken from you.

The naysayers, you don't have to answer to God.

It's your life.

Do what you want to do.

I've got news.

One day every knee's going to bow, every tongue's going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

The naysayers will say, God won't send anyone to hell.

Revelations 21, verse 8.

Revelation 21:8

But the fearful and unbelieving and abominable and murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, and adulterers all shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.

Don't listen to the naysayers.

Amen.

Don't listen to the naysayers.

There is nothing which paralyzes a believer more than the undermining of his faith in God.

There is no hope.

Verse 2, he said, for him in God.

No hope.

David is at his lowest point, 2 Samuel 15, 30 through 31.

He talks about that.

He's barefooted.

Well, hey, no, good.

Go back up to Matthew chapter 5.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

Thank you, Jeremy.

Throwing that up there.

That's where I thought to forget that one.

Listen to what Jesus said about the naysayers.

Okay?

Read it to me.

Come on, church.

Stop.

What does it say?

Revile you?

All right, keep going.

Verse twelve?

Read.

Wow.

Wow.

Jesus said if they persecuted me and said all manner of falsely against me, who what makes you think they're not going to do that to you?

I got news.

They're going to do it to you.

I've been in 33 plus years in ministry, and I've had people call me everything, anything, and I'm telling you, folks, it's going to happen if you stand for something.

You don't want to be talked about, don't do anything.

Hello.

By the way, why would Satan want to talk about anybody's not doing anything?

Hello.

You don't have to worry about that.

Just do nothing.

Be a deadbeat.

Do nothing.

Satan won't mess with you.

Because guess what?

That's what he wants you to do.

He wants you to be a deadbeat.

He's a master at it.

Oh, is he a master?

Opinions.

Opinions.

And let me tell you, back in the day with David, listen to me now.

If you were having hard times, the creed was back during his day that you had done something wrong and that you were wicked, and that's why God wasn't blessing you.

That was their thought process.

We've got religions that'll preach that.

Well, the reason you're having problems, the reason you sick, because you're not you don't believe in God.

You don't trust God.

I got news for you, that's a lie.

Hey, let me tell you, if we lived on the mountaintop all the time, hey, there wouldn't be a God.

If we lived on the mountaintop all the time, we wouldn't need God.

Amen?

So, again, we see the naysayer.

Well, let's look at the second thing.

Not only do we see the believers' trials, but notice what David says.

Boy, this is good.

We see the believers' trust.

Look at verse 3 and 4.

But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill.

Now notice the word selah, that's the second time in two verses.

The word selah has two or three meanings, but in this context, it means to pause and ponder what has just been said.

In other words, be still and listen to what God is telling you.

David is being still and he's understanding, even though he's at his worst circumstances and he's in his worst situation.

He knows that his answer's God, and he knows that he's got to be still in the midst of a tragedy so that he doesn't make the wrong mistake.

Hello.

Most of the time in a major trial, if we're not walking by faith and we're walking by sight, we can make a major wrong decision that will not help the trial or the test, but it will contribute more to the trial and test.

Ever been there?

Don't ever rush in to a decision when you're in the midst of a major trial.

It's through prayer and godly counsel before you make any kind of major decision.

Can I get an amen?

And we see that's what David's doing.

He's pausing, he's being obedient, he's being still to ponder what is being said, even by his opposition, his oppression, and the opinions that he's listening to.

And then what does he do?

He's listened to his adversary, his enemy, and now what does he say?

Okay, I've heard everything they're saying about me, and now he turns and he looks up to heaven and he's there on a Mount of Olives, barefooted, weeping out, and he said, But God! But God.

See, ladies and gentlemen, when we're in the midst of a fire, there's only one hope, and that's God.

No other hope, but God.

And notice what he said.

What does that mean?

Oh Lord, you're my shield.

David comes to the place where he understands that all the resources that he needs is in God through Lord through the Lord Jesus Christ, and the word, the word their Lord, is Jehovah.

Oh yeah.

In other words, so here's what I would say.

But thou, O Jehovah, Jehovah Jirah, the Lord that provides, Jehovah Shalom, the God of peace, Jehovah, hey, Jehovah Nisi, the banner of God's love is all over us and around us.

That's what he's talking about.

The real trust comes from a true understanding of the resources.

And then not only does he is he being still, now watch what he says.

Now he turns around and he then quotes back to all the people that are weeping with him.

He says, We've got resources, and our resources in Jehovah.

And let me show you what they are.

Watch this.

I mean, now he answers them.

He's been still.

He's allowed to cry out to God so that God can give him and he says, This is what we find in God.

Number one, he says, There is safety in the Lord Jehovah.

The safety that is in Jehovah.

Look at what he says in verse 3.

But thou, but God, but Jehovah, but Adonai, but Yahweh are a shield for me.

Or more literally, thou, O Lord, are a shield around and behind me.

Wow.

Is that not good?

In other words, he's saying, we have God's ultimate protection.

Wow.

You didn't get that.

I'm going to say that again.

We have God's ultimate protection.

And let me remind you, no person can pluck us out of God's hand.

Can I get an amen?

Nothing.

Nothing.

I love Psalms 55, verse 22.

Psalms 55:22

I've been memorizing that this week.

He says, give your burdens.

Read, church.

Time to read again.

Read to me.

And he shall say thank you.

Did you get that?

Somebody ought to be saying, Amen.

Let's try it again.

Read it again.

Whoa, stop right there.

Cast that burden.

How many of you got a burden?

Got a burden?

Ha ha.

Now, boy, that's the most the hands went up yet.

I told you y'all might haven't been telling the whole truth, nothing, but nothing.

Okay.

All right.

You got a burden?

Okay.

Now what are we going to do with it?

Go ahead.

And he shall.

Woo! Hey, he said, that's it.

Go, Naiva.

Amen.

In other words, hey, he's with you.

He's not going to let you go under for the count of ten.

You may go under for nine, but bless God, on number ten, he's bringing you up.

You're not down for the count, church.

Amen.

Hey, you may go under a few times, bless God, but he's not gonna let you drown.

Woo! God didn't come to let you drown.

Hey, he didn't come to let you be discouraged.

He didn't come to let you die.

He came to give you life and give it more abundantly.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen, church.

God didn't die for us to drown.

He died for us to live.

Amen.

He didn't die for us to be discouraged.

In fact, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, but God, hey, when you say, but God, you helpless turns to hopefulness.

But God, hey, defeat turns to victory.

But God, darkness turns to light.

But God, weakness turns to power.

But God, sorrow turns to joy.

Woo! Is that not good?

I'm preaching now.

Forget the teaching.

I'm preaching.

You with me, church?

I'm about to have a Pentecostal spare.

Woo! Glory.

God's protection.

David knew what a shield meant.

He had fought with a shield.

Oh, you got to read this one.

Psalms 121, verse 1 through 3.

Psalms 121:1–3

Now this is going to get my Pentecostals a little excited.

Well, no, uh, go go to uh go to Psalms 8:4.

Psalms 8:4

I mean 84.11.

Read it.

Read, church.

The Lord will give you grace and glory.

No good thing will be withhold from them walk upright.

Ha ha! Let's say this second part.

No what?

No good thing.

Say it with me, church.

No good thing.

No good thing will he withhold for them that walk uprightly, to them that walk by faith.

That's what he says.

And then Psalms 35, every word of God is pure.

He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

The safety that's in the Lord Jehovah.

I still wanted to get.

Do I have a Psalms 121, verses 1 through 3?

Psalms 121:1–3

Is it not in there?

Okay, well, I'll quote it.

I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence my health cometh.

My health cometh from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth, church.

Amen.

I will lift up my eyes unto the hills.

And that's exactly what David was doing right here.

But notice what else he says.

Not only is there safety in Jehovah, but number two, he says, look at the sufficiency that is in Jehovah.

The sufficiency that is in Jehovah.

Look at what he says in verse 3 again.

Thou, Lord, art.

Now watch, my glory.

Now the glory represents God's divine presence.

When you go through the Old Testament and when he was guiding the nation of Israel through the wilderness, the cloud in the day was the glory of God guiding their direction.

And at night, it was the fire in the sky that was guiding their direction.

Everywhere you see the glory of God, you see the presence of an awesome Jehovah Jireh.

Ladies and gentlemen, when he starts talking here and writing down God's sufficiency, my glory, he's saying that I know, I know David knew that as long as he had the presence of God, all was well.

Amen.

You said, but you don't know there are no buts.

Yes, you're going through it, but that's okay.

You're not going through it alone.

Can I get an amen?

You're not going through it alone.

Look at Romans 8.37.

Christ is the glory of the believer.

And not only is he the glory of the believer, but because he's the glory of the believer, we are all complete in him.

Can I get an amen?

We are all complete in him, Colossians 2.10.

Okay?

Because he's the head of all the principality and the power.

Okay, but look at what uh Paul said.

Read church.

Nay.

In all the what?

In some of these things.

Impartial things.

And just the good things.

You sure?

You sure?

Okay.

And now you know what that word conquers is?

There is not an English equivalent to it.

Now we try, but it really isn't.

You know why?

Because here's what it means: it means that we are super conquerors.

Oh, it doesn't mean you just, well, I got victory.

No.

No.

Woo! I got victory.

Amen.

I know that he's never gonna leave me.

I know he's never gonna forsake me.

I know, I know, I know.

Quote it with me.

I know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

I know.

Nay, I know in all things.

Not some things, all things.

Yeah, but there you go with that butt again.

But my wife walked out on me.

But God, if you're gonna use butt, put this behind it.

But God.

Amen.

Woo! Super victorious.

Second Corinthians 2 14.

Read, church.

Read church.

Stop.

Read again from that part.

Start over.

Stop.

Always causes us to what?

That means we're not gonna lose.

Come on, church, we're not gonna lose.

You can't lose with Christ.

You gotta go with Christ.

You can't lose.

Because he would be a liar.

And my God can't lie.

Hebrews 6.18, my God can't lie.

Numbers 121, my God can't lie.

Oh.

Triumph in Christ and make it manifest the Savior of His knowledge by us in every place.

Notice the third thing he said.

Woo! He said, We got safety, we got sufficiency, and then I love this last one.

We got sweet comfort.

I didn't just say comfort, I said sweet comfort.

Can I get an amen?

Thou, O Lord, look at verse three, art.

The lifter of my head.

You know what I pictured here?

You know when you get tired, you go and you lay down.

You usually go and try to find a good fluffy what?

To lay your head down.

Or if you're on the like me on my recliner, I put my pillar underneath my back because it supports my back.

I saw David.

Now you gotta realize something.

Listen to me.

David is up on the Mount of Olives in the midst.

He's just been run out of his kingdom.

He's uh uh And no yeah Anhithophil and Shimei, Shemiah's doing everything he can to kill him, and Hithophil says that he will muster 10 to 12,000 soldiers that'll go after David.

His best friend now, closest friend.

Gonna go get him to kill him.

Okay?

To kill him.

And in this mist, he says, I can lay down and go to sleep.

You know why?

And he was able to do it when Saul was after him.

You know why he could do it?

Because when I saw this, you know who his pillow was?

The hands of an almighty Jehovah Jirah.

He knew that his God, his Savior, his deliverer, his Savior was holding his head in his hands.

That's faith right there.

Come on.

So when you lay down tonight, if you're walking by faith, guess who's holding your head?

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Is that not idle?

That's good.

That's good.

What a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful picture.

Thou art the lift, listen to what he says.

Thou art the lifter of my head.

We may, hey, we may have hung our heads in shame, but he will lift our heads in honor.

We may have lifted our hand, uh, lowered our head in sorrow, but he will lift them up in joy.

For the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Wow.

What about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace?

There was another one.

Remember when he counted?

One, two, three.

Who's that fourth man in the fire furnace?

Who's that fourth man in the fiery furnace?

Well, let's see what the scripture says, and he says, that fourth is like the Son of God.

In the midst of your deepest trial, your deepest furnace, that's when God shows up in power, in presence, in comfort, in everything, and he walks you through it.

He walks you personally through it.

Wow, that's good.

Well, one other.

Not only did we see the trust, we see the test, then the trust, but now look at the believer's triumph.

See the progression here?

There's trials, there's testings, and then there's triumph.

That's pretty good.

Because now you know when the testing, if you're in the testing and the trials, you know the triumph's coming.

Can I get an amen?

You know the triumph's coming.

It's coming.

Or God would be alive.

It's coming, folks.

It's coming.

Look at it.

Look at verses 5 through 8.

Well, verse 4.

He says, I cried to the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill.

I laid me down and slept.

I await for the Lord sustain me.

I will not be afraid of 10,000 of the people.

Remember, Absal uh and Hippophil was trying, had 10,000, 12,000 going after him.

They have set themselves against me round about.

Arise, O Lord, save me.

Oh my God, for thou hast smitten all my enemies like that.

Upon the cheekbone, thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Salvations belongeth unto the Lord.

Thy blessings is upon thy people.

See, David knew.

Hey, notice what he throws in here.

You probably would have missed this if I didn't bring it.

Hey, notice what he says.

He says, For thou hast smitten all my enemies like the cheekbone.

Okay, upon the cheekbone that hast broken the teeth of the angle.

Remember when he was the little shepherd boy and the bear and the lion came after his sheep.

And he broke the jawbone of the lion.

Woo! He was reverting back.

He already knew that God had delivered him out of the paws of the lion and out of the paws of the bear.

So he wasn't afraid of these, hey, 10,000 soldiers, because he knew that his God was still the same God yesterday and today and forever.

And he wasn't gonna hey he wasn't gonna leave him now.

Amen.

He wasn't gonna leave him now.

Man, that's good.

Not gonna leave me now.

Three things he said.

Let me tell you what the triumph of the believer.

One, we have the peace of God.

Look at what he said.

Verse five and six.

I lay me down.

Remember that little nursery rhyme?

I lay me down.

Amen.

How many of you grew up saying that?

That used to be the last thing that we'd say before we went to sleep.

Amen.

Listen to what you just said.

I pray the Lord and I soul.

If I should die before I wake, the Lord, my soul.

I know He'll take.

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

You can't frighten me with death.

Amen.

2 Corinthians 5, 8.

Can't do it.

Can't do it.

So here we see the peace of God.

Isaiah knew this.

Hey, Isaiah knew this.

Listen to what Isaiah said in Isaiah 26, 3 and 4.

Oh, thou will keep him in.

Read church.

Thou will keep him in perfect.

Because he trusteth in thee.

Stop.

Thou will keep him in what kind of peace?

You know what that word perfect there means?

Complete peace.

That means it doesn't matter what you're in, what you're going to be in, or what you've been in, God's going to take care of you, and you've got perfect peace.

You do not have to worry.

But no, there are no buds.

I know we all want to say, but.

No.

Unless you say, but God.

Amen.

Look at verse 4.

Read, church.

And the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

Same word.

Jehovah.

Used in Psalm 3.

For the Lord.

Jehovah.

Jehovah Jirah.

The Lord that provides.

Philippians 4, 6 and 7.

You know what Paul said?

Be careful for nothing but in everything by what?

Prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

Let your request be made known to God in verse 7.

And what?

The peace of God.

What?

Wait, wait.

Pat says, All understand all situations shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Boy, that's good.

That's good.

For thou hast been smitten all my enemies.

Oh, it is Psalms 31.15.

Well, no, throw up Psalms 119, 165.

Great verse.

Gotta read it.

Church read.

Well, read that last part again.

I don't want you running to me about being offended about anything.

Or hello.

Boy, I about miss my best verse.

Hey, don't come complaining and being offended over to me.

Hello.

Listen, you know what?

And I'm guilty.

I'm guilty.

I'm not, I'm gonna blame you, but I some of you I'm thinking about.

But hey, hey, hey.

I know you're thinking about me too.

I understand that.

But but great peace have which uh great peace have they which love the law.

Now watch, and nothing shall offend them.

That means if I'm really walking by faith and trusting God for that complete safety, that shield that's completely engulfed me, completely encompassed me.

There's nothing that should offend me.

Woo! I know, I know.

I I I was thinking about that.

But really, think about that.

Why?

Here's why.

Because I'm I'm terrible with this.

I'm granny, I'm bad.

But no, but let me tell you why.

God I think God gave me an answer here.

And you can agree to disagree.

Because it offends me personally.

Or it uh or my own right.

It's something that I feel like I deserve.

And you are interfering with things that I feel like I have rights to, or I deserve, or and I got to thinking all that is is about me.

It's what I want, what I think, it's all about me.

It's all about me.

It's not about him.

Because if it was all about him, my first thing would not be to react toward the pro people or the situation, but my first reaction would be, Lord, what are you trying to teach me for your honor and your glory.

Now, I'm not saying that what's happening is not a bad situation, but how do I react?

See, you can't control how people treat you, but you can control how you react to them.

You listen, church?

Now, what I just say is tough for all of us to to try to do.

But if that verse is literally taken, nothing.

Guess what the Hebrew word for nothing is?

Nothing.

I bet hold my toes.

Nothing.

Couldn't it be just most things?

Some things?

No, nothing.

Nothing shall offend them.

Then number two, the power of God.

He says, not only do we have the peace of God, we have the power.

Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God, for thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the cheekbone.

Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Woo! Man, that's good.

The triumphant believer is one.

Here, here's what I wrote.

You may want to write this down.

I can't even, it was out of, I've when I was reading and study so much all week.

I'm not, I don't even remember where I got it, but I wrote it down.

When I'm reading through all my study books or and doing word studies, when something really just grabs me, I know that it's gonna grab you too.

Here's what God taught me.

The triumph, the triumphant believer.

Now, do we believe we are triumphant believers?

Come on.

Do we believe that?

Okay.

We've been what?

More than conquerors.

Through him that loves us.

We're more than conquerors.

We're super victorious.

Say that with me.

We are super victorious.

That's who we are.

We're super victorious.

All right?

Now watch this.

Mm-mm-mm.

When we, the triumphant believer, here's what I wrote to me, is one who fights.

When we're in the fight, we are not fighting for victory.

We're not fighting for victory.

Okay?

We're not fighting for victory.

We are fighting from victory.

Because victory's already been paid for us 2,000 years ago on Calvary, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.

And if we already have that victory, there's no weapons formed against us.

We're not fighting for victory.

We are fighting from victory.

Big, big difference.

Revelations 12, 11.

Listen to what he says.

And they overcame him.

Woo! Read, read, church, and they.

Amen.

Amen.

And then Isaiah 54, 17, I quoted, and no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.

Read it, church.

That first phrase.

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.

In every go ahead.

Let's read the whole thing.

It's good.

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.

In the righteousness of the Jesus.

Woo! Is that not it?

That's everything I preached today.

That's it.

There it is.

There it is.

Hey, hey, and now this is the New Testament version.

Are you ready?

This is one of my favorites.

Luke 10, 19.

Read, church.

Read that last part again.

And what?

Nothing! Woo! Is that not victory?

Is that not power?

That's what we have.

That is our sufficiency in an awesome Almighty God.

To God be the glory, great things He has done.

And then the last thing, and I'm through.

The praise of God.

Look at verse 8.

Salvation belongeth unto the Lord.

Now watch.

Thy blessings is upon thy people.

Mm-mm-mm-mm.

The words of this text are both an act of praise and an attitude of prayer.

Not only is David thankful that salvation belongs to the Lord, but he also breathes the prayer that the victory which is his experience.

Now watch, is flowing out to bless others.

I'm going to close with this.

I really, I really paused and thought through that because it's easy to just say, oh, praise.

No, but let me tell you what it means to praise the Lord.

And this is the final test that a believer is living in victory and walking by faith, and here it is.

That is that God-given victory that we are we have and that we're walking in, if we're walking by faith, is not isolated.

Let me repeat that.

If we're walking by faith, and this victory that we're walking in, it cannot be isolated.

In other words, if we're walking in faith and walking in victory, we're not allowing things to stop us or detour us or discourage us.

We can't help but be blessings to other people.

Hello.

Is that not good?

We can't help but be blessings to other people.

And that's what that means.

Now see, we can all get up here and praise the Lord and I'm all for that.

Now please, well, really I'm introverted.

I'm sorry, but uh hey, hey, I can I I love the outward expression of praise.

But if we don't take it out of these doors into the marketplace and to the filling stations and to our neighborhoods and to our schools and to our jobs and bless other people, we're really not walking in that victory.

Amen.

You know what we're walking in?

We're walking in the flesh.

We're walking by sight.

Makes sense, doesn't it?

Even in the midst of David's David's trials, even in the most devastating time of his life, he's still being a blessing to his people.

Wow.

He wasn't having a pity party.

I'm bad about having a pity party.

Anybody else ever have a pity party?

Said just me.

Thank you.

Thank you.

About half of you.

The other half at the Proverbs 12 22 again.

So as I close, trials, testing, triumphs.

Listen to what Peter said in Peter.

1 Peter 1:7.

1 Peter 1:7

Here was Peter's prayer.

That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, may be found unto what?

Praise and honor and glory at the peering of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

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We hope you have a wonderful day and again, God bless you.