Sound Doctrine

Jeff Johnson: When we are weak, then we are strong in the Lord. That’s coming up today on Sound Doctrine. He is going to give us victory, and our enemy is then helpless and he doesn't have a chance. Even the weak can laugh. Why? Because we're taking the bridle out of our enemy's hands and we're turning it against him for God's glory.

See, when I am weak, then I am strong in the Lord. And the Lord wants to show us that even the weak are going to be able to laugh at what the enemy is trying to do.

Guest (Male): Hello and welcome to Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff Johnson. We're so glad you've joined us today as we continue our verse-by-verse journey through the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel. Now, this book centers around King David and the tremendous victories he won against his enemies.

David was a man after God's own heart. So it follows that God would honor David by protecting him against harm. It should also be noted that David was a sinner, just like all of us are. Yet God still protected him. Here's Pastor Jeff in 2 Samuel chapter 8.

Jeff Johnson: In the Bible, Esau is always representative of the flesh. So what is God saying? I'll bring them under control. That people, listen, in Christ, our flesh, our bodies can be under subjection. Didn't Paul say that? I bring my body under subjection and I fear lest having preached to others I myself should be a castaway. I myself should be disqualified.

So I bring my body subservient to me, which is your enemy. So God says, I'm going to do this. And then he goes on in the end of this verse, this is Psalm 68: Philistia, triumph thou because of me? And actually what God is doing there, he's just using a little sarcasm. You think you're triumphing because of me? No, no, I'm going to triumph over you. And so those in Philistia would become slaves to David also and serve him.

The last part of verse six there in 2 Samuel 8, it says that the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went. And this is really the key verse here, that it was the Lord that was doing the work for David. The Lord blessed David and caused him to have success. It wasn't David. The Lord preserved him. Now David is growing in numbers, but more than just growing in numbers, what's really important is that David is growing in strength.

Look at verse seven. And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. And from the cities of Hadadezer, which David took, exceeding much brass. Now David begins to gather, and we talked about this a little bit last time we were together, all of the materials for the temple. Remember David could not build the temple for God. And God told him that in 1 Chronicles 22:8. David, you will not do it.

Can you imagine David saying this once God told him, David, you can't build the temple? David would say, okay, if I can't build the temple, I'm not going to do anything at all. You know how we get an attitude? Okay, if I can't come and sing in front of everybody, I'm not going to sing at all. I'll just sit there. But I want you to see that David didn't, just because he was told he couldn't do something, he didn't run off and start pouting. I love this.

He began to prepare the plans. He began to set up the contractors. He began to gather up all the materials for the temple. What a great heart. What a great attitude. David saying, I might not be able to do what I wanted to do, but I'm going to work behind the scenes. I'm going to do whatever I can to help and to serve God. Isn't that a great attitude? Okay, I can't do that, well, I can do this then. And he did that.

And those things that we do like that are eternal rewards, man. God sees everything that we do and he keeps good books. The brass that he collected would be used to build this giant labor or this bathtub that would sit outside of the temple for the priest to ceremonially wash. The brass also was used on those two giant columns outside of the temple that would be totally brass plated.

Now verse nine. When Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had smitten all of the host of Hadadezer, then Toi sent Joram his son unto the king David to salute him and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him. For Hadadezer had wars with Toi, and Joram brought with him vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and vessels of brass. It is interesting how two rivals can become friends when you have a common enemy.

You're at odds with each other and you got complaints and you don't like them. You know what's great about the harvest? As we're gathering together, we just got together with over 300 churches, different pastors of different denominations, all coming together in Southern California area to do battle with the devil for the souls of men.

Isn't that exciting? We all have our different things that are going on. And some denominations really hold and are at odds with other denominations. We don't like the guys because they do this and they do that. But then we come together, we pray together, we worship together, we sing together. Why? Because we have a common enemy, who is Satan, who is stealing the souls of men. And we're saying, let's get him, man. And let's get him for Jesus, because the gospel's going to be preached.

Notice verse 11. Which also King David did dedicate unto the Lord, all of the things that were given to him, with the silver and the gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued: Syria, Moab, children of Ammon, the Philistines, the Amalek, the spoil of Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah. So David prepares tons of brass and silver and gold and he's stockpiling it. But he's doing more than that. He's dedicating it all to God.

It was all to be the Lord's, all to God's glory. In other words, when you say dedication, it means to be sanctified. The word means to be set aside for God's use and God's use only. You know when we have communion? Those communion plates that we have and the little cup holders? Those are sanctified for God. They're put aside only for one thing and that is to serve communion. Set aside for God just to do that.

That's what it means to be set aside. So we dedicate our children's lives, our families' lives, and our lives to be set aside for God, for God's use. In Psalm 2, which David wrote during this time, David says, why do the heathen rage? The people imagine a vain thing? Then he goes on to say, he that sits in the heavens is going to laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision.

This is so prophetic because it goes on in Psalm 110 and it says, the Lord said to my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The enemies of God coming against the things of God, the kingdom of God. God says he sits in heaven and he laughs at them. But he laughs only to scorn at the powerlessness of his adversaries, of what they're trying to do. It's ridiculous.

It says in that day, every knee is going to bow, every tongue is going to confess to the glory of the Father. You don't got a chance. You either do it now in this life or you're going to do it in the next. But to do it now is to receive all the blessings that go along with submitting your life to the Lord. To do it then is to be condemned for eternity. Not much of a choice, huh? Better to do it now.

If you look at us, where we have been corrupted, if you look at our lives, how we have been made unclean, where we have fallen into idolatry, where we have come into materialism, in the realm of the flesh, when we had sold out our birthrights for a self-life, we did our own thing. All of these areas can be written down with what Paul wrote to the Romans in Romans 8:37. He said now in all of these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

You see, once you give your life to the Lord, he deliver you from all of your enemies. He sets you free from those things that were holding you in bondage. He does a number in your life. But we need to give him our lives, to give it to him unconditionally just to say, Lord, here I am. And what is he going to do? He is going to give us rest. And then he's going to empower us to go on the offensive against the enemy, which we need to do.

Time is now to launch an attack personally in your life. You can't just sit there. That the Lord would show you the timing. You can't just continue to go on like you've been going on, status quo. Things have to change in your life. That you're not going to be happy with the little that God's got in your life, but you want to give him more. You want to go for it more, like David was.

And then as he empowers us to go on the offensive, Jesus Christ in our lives, through our lives, as we can do all things, the scripture says. Awesome things are going to take place. If we will obey him, he is going to give us victory, and our enemy is then helpless and he doesn't have a chance. Even the weak can laugh. Why? Because we're taking the bridle out of our enemy's hand and we're turning it against him for God's glory.

See, when I am weak, then I am strong in the Lord. And the Lord wants to show us that even the weak are going to be able to laugh at what the enemy's trying to do. Over in 1 John, I found a scripture that kind of fits right in here. He says in chapter 5, verse 4, for whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

Who is he that overcomes the world but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God? It says that David took all of the land. And when you look at our own lives, it's true that we're not to struggle. It shouldn't be a struggle. If you're striving, if you're struggling in your walk, you need to step back and say, Lord, I don't like this, and nobody likes to strive and struggle.

It's not to be a struggle. What do you mean, Jeff? We're to rest in the Lord who has already fought and won the battle for us on the cross. He's already purchased the victory. We just need to be at rest and enter in. He'll make it a reality in our lives as we just look to him. In Psalm 2:8, it says, ask of me and I will give to you. And then it goes on in Acts 1:8 and it says, and you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses.

Ask of me and I will give you. You're going to be his witnesses. I'm going to be his witness. David didn't settle for part victory, and neither should we. It's time to move out. And I'll tell you, once you take that step, he will empower you, he will work through you to give you complete victory of whatever you're in the midst of. David's victory came through, number one, what? Obedience.

We saw that in verse four. He went ahead and obeyed the Lord in destroying the horses. What do you mean, Jeff? Well, in Psalm 20:7, it says, some trust in chariots, some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are fallen and they are brought down, but we have risen. Going on from that, actually what David was doing, he was destroying those things that you could get confidence in.

They must be destroyed. In Psalm 33:16, there is no king saved by the multitude of a host. A mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety, neither shall he deliver any of his great strength. You see how we so many times that we have confidence in certain things other than God. We look to the counselor, we look to this, we look to that, we look to everything but looking to the Lord.

His strategy was death to all misplaced confidence. And number two, he surrendered to God's way and said, I want to go your way. And I want you to note this, that the great wealth that came from the enemy wasn't for David himself, it was for the Lord. David dedicated it to God. So David burnt all of their images and their gods, and he dedicated the spoils.

And the temple, actually, when you look at it, was built by material that was captured by God's people from the enemy. This was the enemies' that now is God's because God's people moved out and took it. And now it's dedicated to him. Look at verse 13. And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting the Syrians in the valley of salt, being 18,000 men. So David's name grew great.

And here's another reason for David's victory, note this, that he got a name. In other words, beware of popularity. When you become somebody, people look at you and say, oh, look at him. Do you know his name? That's David. And David could have went, yeah, it's me. It goes to a guy's head real fast, man, when you get a name for yourself. But I want you to see how David dealt with this name that he had gotten.

Over in Psalm 60 again, verse 12, it says, through God, David proclaims, we shall do valiantly, for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. David gave all of the glory to God. He didn't take any of it for himself. He looked to the Lord. So David's victory is in three things that I see here: destroying false strengths, something that you would lean on to be your strength, destroy it; number two, he dedicated the fruits of victory, that which God gave to him he dedicated back to God; and number three, he declined any kind of applause at all and he gave all of the glory to God.

So all the souls, the money, the glory is taken away from the enemy and put into God's service. Man, I'll tell you, this destroys the devil. This just knocks him right out. He can't get to you. And everything's being taken from him and used to God's glory. It's great. So this is God's work in our lives by the Holy Spirit.

I want you to see this. As we die to ourselves, as we yield to him, God says I will anoint you, I will be with you, I will give you your victory. You will be more than a conqueror in me, the Lord says. Verse 14. And he put garrisons in Edom throughout Edom, he put garrisons, and all they of the Edom became David's servants. And this is when he took over Edom in the kind of the east-south direction.

And the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went. So the end result of David's doing all of these things, of David's seeking the Lord, giving all things to the Lord, is that God preserved David. Because what? God blesses the obedient, doesn't he? And what does he do to the disobedient? He punishes them. You can't get away from it. He blesses those that seek him and he punishes those that do their own thing.

And David is a beautiful example of that. Verse 15. And David reigned over all Israel. David executed judgment and justice unto all of his people. David ruled why? Because God delivered him and preserved him. He ruled with goodness and integrity and justice. But what's sad about David's rule is that it wouldn't last because David would forsake all of these principles eventually. This is what's sad about David. A lesson definitely can be learned.

Verse 16. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host, and Jehoshaphat was the recorder, Zadok and Ahimelech were the priests, and Seraiah was the scribe, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David's sons were chief rulers. So we see how David sets up his leadership here. He really organizes Israel and sets it up like a leader should.

And this is really the pinnacle of the kingdom of David. This is the top of the heap. This is the best it's going to get here. This is it. He's got the whole land, he's ruling over it, everything is in order now. And this is their final beautiful top. But from here on out, it's going to fall apart. It's not going to last. David is definitely a type of Jesus Christ in that he did what the Lord's going to do, but he didn't keep it.

And I want you to see in Revelation chapter 19, it says talking about Jesus Christ coming and doing it, verse 11. John says in Revelation 19:11, I saw heaven open and behold a white horse, he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire. His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no man knew but he himself.

He was clothed with the vesture dipped in blood and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were with him in heaven, talking about us, following him upon white horses, clothed in white linen and white and clean. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword. And then it goes on to talk about how he's going to come to rule, to reign with a rod of iron, who treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and the wrath of God Almighty.

He hath on his vesture, on his thigh the name written King of kings and Lord of lords. He is coming to do what? To rule and to reign, Jesus. Once and for all, forever and ever. And why did he get the victory where David didn't? Well, it says that Jesus was obedient unto death. Listen, Jesus was obedient unto death. It's the same with us. It's the same with us. Are you going to be more than a conqueror? Are you going to be able to rule and reign over your situation?

Guest (Male): That's a really good challenge from Pastor Jeff Johnson as we bring today's program to a close here on Sound Doctrine. Jeff will be right back with one more challenge for us in just a moment. Hopefully as you listen to these messages in 2 Samuel, you'll have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying in these critical times. God's word is so practical, giving us direction, instruction, and wisdom to our lives.

To hear this message again, simply go to sounddoctrineradio.org or listen through the Sound Doctrine podcast app. You can also hear Sound Doctrine on oneplace.com and wherever you enjoy podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We would very much appreciate your support. It helps us deliver Sound Doctrine on stations like this one all across the nation. And you can donate to this radio outreach at sounddoctrineradio.org. Now with a closing thought or two on who we obey and what happens in the wake of that decision, here's Pastor Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: We'll end here with this. Romans 6:16. Know you not, Paul says, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked that you were servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you, being made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness. To yield to the Lord, to die to yourself and to live unto God, is victory.

That's what he is proclaiming here. To obey his word is to be an overcomer. To believe in Jesus Christ is to overcome this world and the pressures of this world and the things this world will try to throw on you. It's our faith as we die to self. Our victory is in Jesus Christ. Death to everything that grieves God's heart that would seek to get us away from trusting in the Lord, depending upon the Lord.

We're dead in Christ, the scriptures say. And as we surrender to the Lord and give God the glory, he is going to preserve us as he preserved David. And his promise is going to come to pass. And we, listen, we will reign and be delivered out of the bondage that seeks to pull us down. We're going to rule and reign in this life over what the enemy's trying to do, and we're going to have victory. We're going to be more than conquerors.

As we learn from what David went through and as we do those three very important things, and that is to just look to the Lord and to trust him with our lives, to submit everything that God gives us to his glory and to not take any of the glory ourselves, and just to say, Lord, I want you to have the victory first in my life so then I can have victory with others, and in praying for them and in seeing them come to you, and just my family, and just to have victory over what's going on in the home and what's going on in our church and anything that this world tries to throw at us. More than conquerors. Not just a conqueror, right? More than a conqueror.

Guest (Male): We hope you'll join us for our next study in 2 Samuel. It's going to be a good one. That's right here on Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff, a presentation of Calvary Chapel Downey.