Grace Is The Victory

this past week

June the sixth

is a day that is marked in history and will ever be marked in history

we know it is D-Day

tens and thousands of lives were lost

well over a hundred thousand

people were killed

over a hundred thousand injured and missing

to acquire freedom from tiring

and I don't know that we can ever think the people who went and

fought, died, bled

were tormented some to this day

of what they saw and what they had to endure and what they had to go through

we can never say thank you enough

Amen

we've received a special gift for

our veterans and I know it's not veterans day but

we'll do it again I don't think we can say thank you enough

Amen

I want to thank you for being a veteran of our armed services

and you're a veteran of our armed services would you stand today

all over the house

ushers if you would give them a hand yes

just remain standing our ushers

they're going to be coming around they have something for you today

just to show you how much we appreciate what you've done

as a reminder for your service

I know that there was a time in our history when we

had a very ungrateful nation for the sacrifices that were made

and many times I think people forgot

that soldiers do not have a choice

I guarantee you

to a man you would ask them they would rather have been home as to been sent to

where they were and endured the hardships that they had to send

and go through and none of them deserved

some of the treatment that they received when they got off an airplane at home

amen so if you served in that unfortunate

I know they call it a conflict but it was war thank you so much for your

service and we honor you today one more time would you let our veterans know

how much you appreciate them

that coin serve as a reminder to you

you have someone that loves you and a church that is praying for you always

amen if you have your bibles turn away I'm not going to ask you to yo-yo again

and stand back up I'm going to trust you'll stand on the inside

turn with me to the book of Psalms in the 20th chapter

I'll preach to you on a thought today it's simple grace is the victory

grace is the victory

the man

I think the day is if I read correctly was

the largest

offensive ever unleashed

over 150,000 forces

on one day

I'd love to say that that was the day that the victory was won but there were

battles that still had to be fought after that day but the victory came a man

I'd love to tell you in your life as a Christian that your victories

have already been secured for you and you won't have to fight another battle

but I can't tell you that today there will be battles

to face because there's an enemy still at large

for the child of God amen

so let's read Psalm 20 for just a few moments

the Lord hear thee in the day of trouble

the name of the God of Jacob defend thee

send thee help from the sanctuary and strengthen thee

out of Zion remember all thy offerings and accept thy

burnt sacrifice grant thee

according to thine own heart and fulfill all thy

counsel we will rejoice in thy salvation

and in the name of our God we will set up our banners

the Lord fulfill all thy petitions

now know I that the Lord saiveth his anointed

aren't you grateful he will hear him

from his holy heaven with the saving strength

of his right hand some trust in chariots and

some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God

they are brought down and fallen

but we are risen and stand upright

save Lord

let the king hear us when we call

grace is the victory father I love you I thank you today

for the power of your word and I pray that that word just enriches our heart

and enriches our life enables us to leave here today in that

grace full of victory I pray now Lord you touch every heart and every mind

in the house Lord as we're here simply

to draw near to you we give you

praise for all things even the battle that we face because we know that you are

with us as we glorify your name to you be praised forever

in Christ's name the church said amen and amen give the Lord a good

praise offering would you

sometime back this thought was on my mind and I remember preaching it

but I couldn't get away from it again this morning

and I know the Lord have something to say to us again it's like songs

we sing I get a blessing every time I sing them

so listen for whatever it is

you didn't hear the first time and catch it this time

amen this 20th Psalm 20 and 21

they do go together but they're separated

both are battle songs they're battle hymns

the 20th Psalm precedes the battle

while naturally the 21st follows the battle

in Psalm 20 we see a prayer for

the king and a prayer for the battle

while in Psalm 21 it is a praise for the victory

that comes through and after

Psalm 20 anticipates victory while 21 reflects

on the victory the psalmist wrote this

possibly during many of the trial

times that he had many of the difficult times but some scholars maybe believe somewhere

in 2 Samuel between 8 and 10

as the psalmist would reflect and they would write and record

this prayer that was offered up for the king as he goes out to battle

one thing you need to know about David, David was the warring

king he was the man after Gods own heart he was selected by God himself

to follow Saul as king over Israel

they sung the songs about David for a reason

Saul has slain his thousands but David has slain his ten thousands

right? one thing about David as the warring king

his sword may have been worn but it was never rusty

because he was the

warring king of Israel

the Psalm as it records an incessary prayer for the king himself

just before he encounters the enemy in battle

one thing we know is for certain battles will arise

amen?

conflict will present itself the enemy will

come and face you, amen?

therefore we have to

have the goods so to speak

to last and make it through the battle

we have to have the goods to endure through the hard times

I mean there are some hard times in life I'd love to tell you life is so sweet after you

find Jesus but you really just get to deal with some hardships

when you come to know the Lord because the devil then doesn't have you

so he's out to get you back

he's out to take you out

so we got to have the goods and as we look at this Psalm this morning

we think about what's going on through the battles

it's grace that brings us the victory

God's grace we say amazing grace how sweet the sound

that saved a wretch like me I once was lost

but now I'm found right?

and we look at this Psalm we think about how God's grace is added and

the people of God call out on the name of God because they know

God will hear and answer isn't that what he said?

the Lord hear thee in the day of trouble the Lord hears us

when we pray when we call upon the name of the Lord so when we

begin to look at this Psalm we have to think about something that there is one enduring

fact and that is that God hears us when trouble comes

never for a moment allow the enemy to convince you that God has

not heard your prayer he has heard your prayer

never allow the enemy to convince you God doesn't love you because he doesn't

answer the prayer the way you told him to answer it

a lot of our incessary

is instructional prayers we instruct

God how we want him to do what we need done hello

surely I'm not the only one in here that does that I tell

God best way for him to do it and make it better for me

but the longer you go you realize it's about him

and not necessarily all about you well I'm the one going

through the trouble yes but it's his grace that gets you through it so be careful

how you begin to question the grace that is sent your way

that enduring fact enduring means lasting continuing it means stable

the Lord hear thee it is so encouraging to

know that the Lord not only hears our prayer but he is

also ready to help us in the time of trouble

the Lord hear thee in the day of trouble the name of the

God of Jacob defends thee I am so

grateful that he not only hears me but he is willing and

able and desire us to enter into my supplication

not my instruction but he enters into my supplication when I

ask him oh God I need your help whatever you deem necessary

do that grant that him here's my situation but however

you see fit to help me I am here ready willing

and able to accept that help that you bring into my life Jesus

said in John 15 and 7 if you abide in me and my words abide in you

you shall ask what you will and it shall be done under you

there's an enduring fact that the Lord is on your side and he hears

you when you pray the secret here is that little word

if if you're abiding if it's a it's a conditional prayer

it's a conditional promise if you're where you're supposed to be

God will do what he has promised to do if you are where

you're supposed to be then God will provide the help that he has

promised he would provide for you and me in our life and in

our situation but let me just share something with you that help doesn't

always show up like I think it ought to show up that's the

reason Romans said Paul would be inspired by the spirit to record those

words all things work together for good to those who are called according

to his purpose those who love him right all things work together for good

well I'm here to tell you right now I've seen some things working that I didn't think were so

good but God in his infinite wisdom over my finite

in capabilities he knows what I need when I need it how I

need it and if I'm where I'm supposed to be he'll do what he

has promised to me to perform over my life and somewhere along

the way good is going to be extracted from every situation

oh it may not turn out the way I want it it may not turn out the way I picture it

and it may not be the end result that I desire but for me and

for you when it's over and said and done with if you are abiding

then the promise is coming good is going to come your way it

I know it may not be good here below it may not be good in life it may not

be a good circumstance it may not be good anyway we can see it

but somehow the goodness of God is going to make its way through every

dilemma and every situation in your life if you are where

you're supposed to be the Lord hears you in your day of trouble

if you abide in me

favorable answers in

prayer are always conditional and the

condition is on our end not God's there are always

conditional in accordance to my and your faith and our

obedience to what God's word says his word is

settled in heaven heaven and earth shall pass away but you know

what's not going to pass away his word will stand for

ever and ever and ever and ever his word is established

so the condition is not on his end the condition

is on our end the condition is where you find yourself if you're

in doubt you're not going to get a faith answer if you're in disbelief you're

not going to get a faith answer but if you're in faith and you're in believing

and you're abiding in him he's going to hear you in your day of trouble

first John five fourteen fifteen and this is the confidence that we have in him

I just want to know does anybody have any confidence in God today or

has the devil can deceive you and treat you and lie to

you and try to break your confidence in God we have this

confidence in him I am confident in him

I'm here to tell you he doesn't do everything the way that I think he ought to do

it but I'm not God and his ways are higher than mine his ways

are past finding out I have learning I'm trying to learn as I

go through this walk of faith that I simply just trust God for

the end result and it's not it's not easy sometime

to have but I have seen God do some great and mighty things

and it builds my confidence in him that he hears me

when I pray and in my day of trouble he is

aware of my dilemma we have this confidence that in him

that if we ask anything according to his will

if there it is again that conditional phrase

if we ask according to his will

now you know what you won't done right

I know what I won't done in any given particular situation

but that necessarily may not be his will

for my situation my circumstance or my dilemma

something we do not like to accept is a simple fact what Peter said

if need be there's a manifold

trials and temptations that are coming your way

if it's necessary

do you know it requires some of those things to be necessary for you to

surrender your will to his will

oh I know that's not I'll shout and chandelier swing

and preach him right there because that puts the onus back on us doesn't it

it puts the condition back in mind your court

it puts us trusting God even if he deems it necessary for us to walk through

a wilderness for a little while even we may have to go through a fiery

furnace or two in life and we have to trust God and somewhere along the way

you've got to get enough muster about you to have confidence in God

that if you ask in accordance to his will he'll grant it to your life

if it's not his will you and I do not need it anyway

you do not want it if it's not God's will for your life

here's a simple question has anyone been outside of the will of

God before that's a miserable place to live

a miserable place to live you may be sitting in

here miserable right now and if you are hello

little self inventory maybe you're outside

his will I know this if there's active sin in your

life you're on the outside looking in

somebody say amen pastor preach to me get me to heaven somebody say would you

shake that bush a little bit pastor I want to go to heaven I have my heart's

desire set on heaven but I'm here to tell you if your will is contrary to his

you're not going

now look I listened I listened to brother

Milton's message last week God's portion

I listened to that and I told y'all he had spoiled you

he just ooze his encouragement and then here I have to come with a plow

I have to come in and tell you you can't go to heaven with active sin in your life

you can't really shout about that especially if that's you I'm talking to

without these I can't see you anyway

and you balcony folk are in real good shape because I don't even know half who's up there

so let's join you in the Lord and then see when I do put them on if you're past the podium I really can't see you

so you're alright I have this confidence that if we ask anything according to his will he

hears us and if we know that he hears how many knows he hears you

here's his condition again if we know that he hears us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petition that we desire of him

if you know that he hears you stop panicking in life

well it ain't going so well well it might be one of them need be seasons in your life

Paul said I'd rather glory in the sufferings that I have how many of you want a glory in your suffering

no human nature is that we want pity

we won't pity in our suffering we don't glory in them why well mainly because we're suffering

you're in pain you're in agony you're in anguish it's hard to find glory in those situations

but somehow for the child of God the condition is the if and if we have confidence in him

knowing that he's able knowing that God hasn't forgotten nor forsaken and we have this enduring fact that the Lord hears us

and he knows what we need

Psalm 56 and 9 says when I cry unto thee then shall mine enemies turn back

listen to this last phrase this I know for God is for me

how many ever heard the name Charles Spurgeon known as the Prince of Preachers

he made this statement concerning this verse listen to this

it is impossible for any human speech to express the full meaning of this delightful phrase God is for me

he was for us before the worlds were made are you still with me

he was for us or he would not have given his well-beloved son

he was for us when he smoked the only begotten and laid the full weight of his wrath upon him

he was for us though he was against him he was for us

when we were ruined in the fall he loved us not withstanding all he was for us

when we were rebels against him and with a high hand forbidding him defiance he was for us

or he would not have brought us humbly to seek his face he has been for us in many struggles

we have been summoned to encounter host of dangers we have been assailed by temptations from without

and within how could we have remained unharmed to this hour if he had not been for us

he is for us with all the infinity of his being with all the omnipotence of his love

with all the infallibility of his wisdom arrayed in all his divine attributes

he is for us eternally and immutably for us for us

when yon blue skies oh I love this when yon blue skies shall be rolled up like a worn out vesture

for us throughout eternity and because he is for us the voice of prayer will always ensure his help

when I cry unto thee then shall mine enemies be turned back grace is going to bring you the victory

this is no uncertain hope but a well grounded assurance the psalmist said this I know

I will direct my prayer unto thee and will look for the answer assured that it will come

and that mine enemies shall be defeated for God is for me

oh believer Spurgeon said how happy art thou with the king of kings on thy side

how safe was such a protector how sure thy cause pleaded by such an advocate

if God be for thee then who can be against thee

I'm here to tell you an enduring fact that God is for you and he hears you in your day of trouble

do not panic because grace will usher to you the victory that you need to acquire in your life

with all

hallelujah

I didn't know I was going to get this bent out of shape this morning

hallelujah

you have the enduring fact know this you also have a strengthening force by your side

amen

he said he strengthens thee in the second verse

he hears you in your day of trouble and he strengthens you

that word strengthen means simply to support to hold up

when you don't feel like you're going to stand when you feel like the weight of the world is going to tear you down and knock you over

he will strengthen you he will uphold you in your day of trouble

Micah 7, 7 and 8 therefore listen therefore I will look unto the Lord I will wait for him the God of my salvation

my God will hear me rejoice not against me oh mine enemy when I fall when I fall when I fall

I shall arise and when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me

you need to get it down in your heart he is going to hear you and then he's going to strengthen you

do not rejoice over me oh mine enemy when I fall I shall arise

when are you going to tell yourself I may be down but honey I'm not out it ain't over it ain't over

and I love what he said the old prophet declared it when I sit in darkness thy light will be there for me

you will be my light when you feel like you're inundated with darkness and darkness is all around

and you feel like the devil's got the upper hand in your life hear me child of God

he's your strengthening force and he is the one who will ever endure when you're down you shall arise

don't stand over me devil don't look over me don't you dare look down on me I may be down today

but I'm coming up tomorrow because the grace of God is going to usher the victory to me

well hallelujah

some of you sitting in the dark rooms of life waiting on the negatives to be developed

huh ain't that the way we do

we unroll a spool of negative and we get in a dark place waiting for it to develop

well I'm ready to expose some film

to the light

who needs a negative hello

I'm ready to expose the negative to the light

and let his glory radiate in the negativity of my life

somehow someway I've got to determine in myself that the grace of God will usher the victory that I need

and that I'm requiring at this very moment and the devil needs to be notified in your life

I may be down but I'm getting up and don't you dare stand over me pointing a finger at me looking down at me

I may be sitting in darkness but the glory of his light is coming my way and I refuse to accept the negative

let your ushering in

hallelujah

strength of the Lord is the force that will take you through every battle

somebody needs to know it's always sufficient

God's grace is never insufficient

what does that mean?

that means that whatever he sends you is enough to get you through whatever it is you're facing

part of the problem for most of us is we get so down in our negatives

that all we can do is make juniper juice and pout with an old prophet by the name of Elijah

and just throw our hands up and quit

I'm telling you don't quit

you can't quit

if there's no crying in baseball then surely there's no quitting in church

don't quit

look at your option

my lord I'm about to preach

look at your options in quitting

look at your options of refusing the grace of God

walking away from the tender hand of his mercy

you walk straight into the hands of a torturous enemy

crawl your sorry hide back into a bar stool and see where an empty bottle gets you

it'll put you right back in the gutter that he pulled you up out of

I'm going to show you my age roll your newbie and see where it takes you

take you straight to a devil's hell

rot you from the inside out

hello

versus the option

make your way to an altar

and let the all sufficiency of his grace strengthen you one more time

he won't put you back in the gutter

he won't separate your mind from thought

he'll bring you back to your composure

so that you can look the devil in your eye and resist him so that he flees from you

so that you can arise with the glory of God that lives in you

for greater is he that's in you than he that is in this world

there is no other option

it's like supper at the house when we were kids

there was no other option

if it's on the table you ate it or done without

and I ever told you I despise goulash

I ever told you that was my dad's favorite meal

you know how many nights I went to bed either with a whip and are hungry

several

mom knew dad liked it so

that's what you had

I mean I took a mini of striping

I despise that stuff

now I like manwich

but manwich and mama's goulash

I mean that's so far away

it's not the same

there's some things in life that you're not going to like

but you're going to have to deal with it anyway

you're going to have to allow God's grace to sustain you

you may have to fast like I did

and like I probably need to be doing today

I never told Sister Kathy the recipe to goulash

so we do not have that dilemma at our house

there's things in life that you're going to have to deal with that are not necessarily your favorite things

but you're not left to deal with them alone

His grace, those thorns of your life, those

afflictions that come your way, that enemy that is sent from hell to come against you

Paul talked about that thorn in the flesh

it was an angel sent from the devil to buffet him to come against him

and he wanted it gone

and he prayed and touched heaven on three different occasions

until he heard from heaven

said Paul my grace is sufficient for you

it may not change the way you want it to change

but accept the grace that's being offered to you

because of sufficiency

I found one description toward this word in the Greek and actually it was hunky dory

I thought you really want me to pray? I'm going to pray. Yeah, say it, might as well

sufficient

His grace is hunky dory for your life

yeah, come on think about it

it's sufficient, it's adequate, it's enough, it's hunky dory

somebody need to hear that this morning

no, the situation may not change the way you want it to change but his sufficiency is hunky dory in your life

you're going to have adequate supply from heaven to endure whatever it is that's coming your way

because he's heard you and he will strengthen you

you got a few more minutes?

Paul learned that lesson

as sufficiency of God's grace empowered him

to overcome every circumstance that was sent against him

too many times in battles we try to go it in our own power

we try to go in our own strength

and so we fail every time

the only way to get through

the battles of life is simply to rely on the strengthening power of God's grace and his help

that's the only way

Psalm 63 and 7 because thou hast been my help therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I praise

somebody's in a shadow and you need to start praising your way out

well there's nothing to praise about

oh really?

you really want to go there?

what about everything he's already done?

what about all those battles he's already brought you through?

is that not enough? is it what you do for me lately? is that all you got?

well that's pretty sad

you've not done anything for me lately so therefore I'll hold back my praise

well there's one of those conditions

you need to get under the shadow of his wing and start lifting up your praise

because he is good

he has been good

and will always be good regardless of what life has brought our way

oh life, I've said it many times, life stinks sometimes

it's not always positive, it's not always up

but for the child of God it's better than the lemonade theory for the world

isn't that what they say? life gives you lemons will make lemonade?

well I'm of the southern camp of lemonade

if it ain't sweet lemonade I don't want it

hello? it's like tea, who drinks unsweet tea? unless you're diabetic, don't go there

but there's no way you can dislike the flavor of Lipton unsweet tea

you tell me that? I want to look at your taste buds, they've been scorched

you have learned to drink it, but it don't taste good

it's like drinking tar like some of you drink, call it coffee

nothing pleasurable about that, you've just adapted to where you can drink it

that's the way it is with life sometimes

part of our problem is we've just gotten to where we can tolerate it

I'm not going to stop right there and preach, we don't have time, I'm going on

Paul finally made his way to where he could declare, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

he made his way all the way from this thorn

to making that declaration, it's not I that lives, but it's Christ that lives in me

and he could talk about the hope of glory

that he could declare, I have not seen, neither is the ear heard

and it hasn't entered into the heart of man

what good God has in store for him

while he's dealing with a festering thorn

praise him anyway

a steady faith always overcomes

verse 7 that psalm said we will remember the name of the Lord our God

I think sometimes we forget who it is we actually serve

right? Abraham called him what? Jehovah Jireh

why? because the Lord has seen and he heard

and not only did he see and hear, but he provided

right? to Gideon, Gideon declared him as Jehovah Shalom

Jehovah who is our peace

right? you know the guy threshing wheat at the wine press

wrong harvest, wrong place, but for fear he's hiding

and God finds him there and he calls him out

Gideon, thy mighty man of valor

it's like me when I go some places and these guys try to introduce me

like I need an introduction to preach later

they go through all these accolades and things and I look at the door and wonder who's coming in to preach

that's the same way with Gideon, thou mighty man of valor

he said who are you talking to and where is he at?

is that another boy around here named Gideon?

I'm scared to death, it's pretty obvious, I got my wheat at the wine press

afraid of the enemy, but can I tell you God knows more about you

when you accept the anointing that he places in and on your life

and you operate in and through that anointing, he knows what you become

when you allow him to become on you and use you and in you and through you

he knows what he's capable of so therefore he knows what you're capable of through him

Gideon, thy mighty man of valor

you know, let me know the story of Gideon

several thousand he has in his army

till God says I can't use every one of them, let's start weeding them out

who else is scared, go home, two thirds of his army left

time is over and said and done with, Gideon's got 300 good old boys

red neck as red neck can be, hello

and then he gets his instruction, gets you a pitcher and a candle

get a horn and get up on the hill

look, all you're waiting on is some instruction

all you need is some, grace will usher to you the victory

he's confident in who he is

and he's confident in what he can do in you and through you

if you trust him

if you trust him, stand with me, I'm not finished by any stretch but I know you're about done

a steady faith, remember who the Lord your God is

know for a fact

that our foe is already defeated

already defeated

one spiritual principle that the average Christian has never fully understood

it is in that they think that Satan still has the upper hand in all earthly things

it's not so

Christ defeated Satan

Romans 5, 17 puts it this way

for if by one man offense

death reign by one

much more they which receive an abundance of grace

and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life

by one, Jesus Christ

the thief cometh not but to steal, kill and to destroy

but Jesus said I've come

that you might have life

and have it more abundantly

grace is the victory that we look for

it's the all sufficiency of God's

enabling power to our

weak and mortal lives

part of our dilemma also comes is when we try to see God

in light of our own strength and weaknesses

we

it's just a subconscious thing we do because of our human nature

we compare God's ability with our strength and inability

we think cause we can't get it done that

God can't get it done

but I'm here to tell you something this morning God can

he can

a lot of things we don't like to face in life

we don't like to fully accept the will of God

because the will of God sometimes isn't favorable

in our life

you think all those people leaving

was favorable to get in

we know now that God provided for Abraham a realm on top of the mountain but

Abraham didn't know that when he was climbing up the hill

Abraham didn't know just yet when he put the stones together for the altar

Abraham hadn't heard the ram caught yet when he laid Isaac down

still no interjection when he lifted his hand

but it was then

what are you saying all that for pastor I said you got to walk all the way through it child of God

you can't quit

can't give up you can stop he's already been too good to you

and his grace will bring you the victory his grace is sufficient

needless to tell yourself it's hunky-dory

it's hunky-dory

tell your doctor that I'm hunky-dory how you doing I'm just hunky-dory

what does that mean his grace is sufficient father I love you this morning

thank you for your goodness your mercy and your grace

over the household of faith this morning

Lord I know this is the word you burn in my heart you wouldn't let me go any other place

you arrested me right here

there are those here this morning who needed it

because every situation is not ideal

but your grace is the victory

I wonder this morning while heads are bowed

how many of you feel like that prophet old Micah when he was sitting in the dark room anybody

lift your hand up you feel like you've been in a devil just making fun of you in the dark place

how many of you feel like him in that verse 7 when he said I may be down

but don't stand over me I'm getting up

how many feel like you've been knocked down life just took took the sails

and ripped holes in them and you're sitting still

heavenly father over this group

those who are standing in this sanctuary today

I'm praying for the all sufficiency of your grace

let your glorious light penetrate to the darkness which they feel surrounding them

let your light shine

those who feel knocked down extend your hand

and may they declare with the psalmist he picked me up up out of the miry clay

and he set me up on a rock and established my goings

pick up your children Lord pick them up they feel as though they've been steamrolled by life and ran over

your word today the grace your grace is sufficient as encouraging us this morning

father I pray over each one today

add your grace because your grace is the victory

the ninth verse of that 20th Psalm said save us

sometimes that's all we can get out Lord save me

hear the prayers of your people the petitions of their heart

encourage each one in this room today father

we'll be quick to praise you for your goodness and your mercy

and the abundance of your grace

amen amen could you give the Lord a good praise offer him for his grace