Sound Doctrine

Guest (Male): Coming up today on Sound Doctrine.

Jeff Johnson: You need to make time for the Word of God. It's just not going to say when I get time I'm going to read it. Give me a break. You think the enemy's going to just kind of set everything up for you and give you time so you can open the Holy Scriptures and get into them? No way.

Break through, man. Break through the apathy that comes into your life and the lethargic just kicking back and thinking it's not a big deal when you're getting ripped off and the living water is not coming to you. Once you taste and see that the Lord is good, you're going to want to go back and drink again. It's sweet. It's powerful.

Guest (Male): Consider for a moment the great men in the Bible. Certainly Moses, Abraham, and the Apostle Paul all come to mind. Another man who certainly makes the list is King David, a man after God's own heart. Welcome to Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff Johnson.

All these men knew that every word they spoke and every action they took would be scrutinized. And in the case of King David, as his life neared its end, he wanted to leave his people with some strong words to think about, and we find them in 2 Samuel, chapter 23. Here's Pastor Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: Lord, deal with those Philistines in my own life. Help me to stand up against them. And Amos 6 says, "Woe unto them that are at ease in Zion." Woe unto those that are kicking back and just putting it in neutral and cruising. Woe unto you that are just doing your own thing and not doing God's thing. To be overwhelmed by the enemy, and man, I'm sure that Shammah felt overwhelmed. But we've got to do just as he did, and that is to make war in the spirit, man, and to watch the enemy go down.

That we would fight the good fight, put on the whole armor of God and refuse to give in, to take our stand as he did. Now, these guys, if you ask me, these were stubborn guys. Do you see stubbornness in these guys? I mean, when they just stood their ground, they were stubborn, man. They took out whoever came at them. They're like those kung fu guys, just wiping them out, man. And they just wouldn't move.

They dug in as we need to dig in into God's power, into God's protection, to see victory in our personal lives, to see victory in our families' lives, to see victory at our works' life, and our church, within our church to see victory everywhere. To see Philistines fall that are seeking to take those things that are God's. You stand your ground. You don't move.

You're a mighty man and woman of God to see the mission field really having the support that they need, to have men and women on the backlines just going for it themselves, and they're out there going for it, and everyone's fighting the good fight and experiencing sweet victory. So many haven't taken spiritual warfare seriously. And maybe your involvement is you think, well, if I just give a little something in the offering, and last Christmas I wrote a missionary. I did.

Wow, you're serving God, man. It's amazing how big we think these things are when we take a little step and I'm going to serve God. And it's neat, and they loved it, but is that it? Well, maybe this Christmas I'll write one. Well, God help us that it's more than that, that we need to be on all the time. We need to be seeking the Lord all the time. And if we don't have that fire and we don't have that burning and that urgency of warfare, and we're not seeking to put on the armor of God, then there's something wrong with us.

And we're going to say, "God, fire me up. Lord, get me on task here because I'm just languishing. I'm just kind of just being dragged along here. I want to be able to run with the rest of them. Lord, I want to be in the game. Choose me. Here I am. I want to get into it." Whether you like it or not, if you're a child of God, you're a part of it. Now, you might not be in the midst of it, but you're still a part of it.

And I want you to know, and God wants you to know, that you matter, that you matter. What you can do, the gifts that you have, the abilities that you have, they matter in the kingdom and for the kingdom of God. But they need to be stirred up, and you need to go for it. You need to take the step of faith and get involved. As we begin to understand our weapons, and they're all defensive weapons and there's a few offensive weapons. A few of the offensive weapons are, of course, prayer and the word.

As we begin to understand them, we will stand and have victory over the enemy. But our greatest danger, I think, many times is to substitute Heaven's armor, and so many have done this. Heaven's armor is righteousness, purity, faith, salvation, holiness, the things that God wants to put on in our lives. To substitute these with man's equipment through the gimmicks and the programs and the money and the strategies that man puts together and says, "Oh, this is foolproof."

But wait a minute. It's by the mighty weapons of God that strongholds are pulled down. It's through the weapons of our warfare that things are going to really be changed, not the things that we come up with as man and our strategies and our mission programs and our 2000-whatever. It's through the mighty weapons of our warfare. We need to understand them. These will impact our world. These will bring down the strongholds.

So we're to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. We're to take on this armor because our enemy is seeking to minimize and to divide our relationship, not only with one another, but with Him. And he's seeking to minimize the warfare aspect in your life. Just say he's trying to keep you just to kick back and be at ease. Don't get too carried away with this thing. You've got a life to live, and there are plans and future and you've got to get into this and that. Oh, my, lions, tigers and bears, oh my.

And you think, well, I'll get into this and I'll do this, and you get worried about the things of this world and your education and this and your children, and you get so carried away in this place like you're acting like it's your home, like you really live here or something. No, man, your heart and your life has got a home that outshines the sun. And we need to start gazing upon those things that are above, start thinking about those things above while you're here so you can do a great work in the spirit. He's changing us to be mighty men and women of God.

Verse 13 now: "And three of the thirty chief went down and they came to David in the harvest time into the cave of Adullam, and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim, and David was in a hold, in a cave, and the garrison of the Philistines were then in Bethlehem, and David longed and said, 'Oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate.'"

David here is, of course, thinking out loud as he looks down at Bethlehem and as he longs for a nice cool drink of water. I mean, he's in a dusty, dirty cave with a bunch of guys. He's there. Now, it's interesting how he got there. In fact, I looked up over in 1 Samuel 22 and verse 1. Listen to this: "David therefore departed thence, escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brethren and all the fathers heard of it, they went down each of them to him. And everyone that was in distress, everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was discontented."

A bunch of rogues went to join forces with David. A bunch of people that just were going through it in this world. A bunch of people who were just confused and dragging, and everybody looked at them like, "You loser. You're never going to make nothing of your life." And they're just trying to make ends meet. These guys all gather around to David in this cave. And I thought, "Boy, isn't this just like the Lord? These are David's misfits that are going to become David's mighty men."

But these are people that the world looks at that they would no way choose. But God chooses these guys to become mighty men of God. It's like some of the Calvary Chapel pastors that God has chosen. Losers, man. In the eyes of men, "Get this guy out of here." God says, "No, I love this guy. I'm going to use this guy." That's amazing grace. Amazing God that can take a wretch like me and save me and use me and any of us. I mean, He loves us and He wants to make us something beautiful for His glory as He did with these men.

Now, if you remember, Bethlehem was called actually Bethlehem because it meant the house of bread. And I believe that what was going on here is that as David, who grew up in Bethlehem, at one time drank the water of Bethlehem. And as he's in this cave, he's thinking, "The water of Bethlehem, wow. Do I remember those days when I used to chug-a-lug a quart? The stuff is so good. It's so sweet. Oh, man, I'd love to have a drink of that."

Now, Bethlehem being the house of bread, which is interesting where the water was, the bread, the bread of life, the Word of God, where are you going to get living water? Jesus says, "Come, learn of Me. Come to Me." Get into the Word and you're going to find the sweetest living water you have ever tasted. And they're longing for this water and David wants it. And yet notice the enemy was in the way. The Philistines were in the way. They were surrounded with them. The enemy was in Bethlehem.

Listen, guys, the enemy is in this world. And the one thing he's going to seek to do is to keep the Word of God away from you. And he's going to use TV, he's going to use hobbies, he's going to use whatever he can get you into to stay out of the Word of God, to stay out of that living water that will change your life. Now, the exciting thing here is as you go down to the next verse, you see that it says in verse 16, "And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, and that was by the gate and took it, brought it to David."

"Nevertheless, he would not drink thereof, but he poured it out unto the Lord and he said, 'Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives?' Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men." I love this because it says that they broke through the enemy's lines. You need a breakthrough and you need to break through what the enemy's trying to do in your life.

You say, "Well, I don't have time." Well, then you need to break through the time barrier and make time. You need to make time for the Word of God. It's just not going to say when I get time I'm going to read it. Give me a break. You think the enemy's going to just kind of set everything up for you and give you time so you can open the Holy Scriptures and get into them? No way. Break through, man.

Break through the apathy that comes into your life and the lethargic just kicking back and thinking it's not a big deal when you're getting ripped off and the living water is not coming to you. Once you taste and see that the Lord is good, you're going to want to go back and drink again. It's sweet. It's powerful. Out of your innermost being will flow gush torrents of life. You're going to receive it and you're going to be able to give it out.

And you know the enemy wants to stop that. But to be able to break through, and they broke through. Notice it says, and I can see these guys, "Hey, David, look what we got, man. We went down there, yeah, we broke through. We got you some water, David, water from Bethlehem." And David looked at that water and I can see him start to cry. And he said, "What did you guys do?" You see, a mighty man or woman of God is going to hear and is going to respond to whatever the Lord says.

And they were so in touch with David, they were so listening, that David was just thinking out loud going, "Boy, what I'd give to have a drink of Bethlehem's water." He said it probably under his lip. And these guys go, "Did you hear what David said? Let's go get it for him." And they're immediately down there breaking through the lines, getting the water, bringing it to David. And David looks at it and says, "I can't drink this."

"You guys risked your lives to get this water. This is like your blood. You went and got it for me." And as tears are rolling down from his eyes, he pours it out upon the ground unto the Lord. And here I see the final prerequisite in being a mighty man or woman of God, and that is David himself. As he poured out the water, as David himself was a worshiper of God. And how we need to pour out our hearts, pour out our lives unto the Lord after all He's done for us.

Verse 18: "And Abishai, here's some more mighty men, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three and he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them and had a name among the three. Was he not most honorable of three? Therefore he was their captain, howbeit he attained not unto the first three." Abishai, remember him? He was the one that saved David from one of the giants that were coming against him. Abishai was mightily used of the Lord, one of his mighty men.

Verse 20: "And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man." When I read that, I thought, "Oh, this is neat. The son of a valiant man." In other words, you might be a mighty man of God yourself and you're praying, "Lord, make my children mighty men, mighty women of God." And as we pray and as we pray over them and lay hands on them and keep interceding for them, they too will grow up to be men and women of God.

And so this son of a valiant man, who had done many acts, slew two lion-like men of Moab, and then he went down and he slew a lion in the midst of a pit in the time of snow. And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man, and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a staff and he plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and he slew him with his own spear.

These things did Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among three mighty men. He was more honorable than the thirty. He attained not to the first three, and David set him over his guard. And then it goes on to list all of David's mighty men name by name, and I'll let you read them later on. Let me get back for a moment to Benaiah and we'll close with him. Benaiah became Solomon's general after Joab was killed. Remember Joab was his general for a long time.

I want you to note that Benaiah first killed two lion-like men. Now, we know that the scripture says that we have an adversary who is like a lion, roaming around seeking whom he may devour. Satan himself is a lion in the scriptures. So he takes these two lion-like men and wipes them out. So what is he doing? Well, he's just doing lion-like men first, then he goes to the real thing, right? And the next thing he slays is a real lion.

So he's getting involved in that spiritual battle like we need to get involved in the spiritual battle that is set before us. We're going to have to deal with lion-like people. They almost look like the devil. They sound like him, too. And we've got to deal with them. What are you going to do with this guy? Well, you've got to deal with the guy and he's coming direct from the enemy, right? And then at times you'll take on the lion himself.

You'll go against the spiritual wickedness in high places and begin to make warfare in the spirit and begin to see the victory and watch the enemy fall, and it's so exciting to watch him eat the dust when he's trying to get a victory and then you thwart that victory through prayer and in just watching the Lord work His mighty hand. Now, it is interesting also when you look at this, that it was at a time where it was cold. The snow was on the ground. It was desolate.

In other words, Benaiah's situation wasn't the greatest situation. Your situation might not be the greatest situation. You might find yourself in a pit today. You might be down and out and saying, "Well, I'm weak and I can't do anything." But yet the Lord's saying, "You just stand in Me. You stand firm. Don't run. Don't panic. Just stay firm upon Me and I'll get you through this. Don't flee, but just say in the name of the Lord I'm going to do battle."

And Benaiah in the time when he was out of a pit in the snow did battle and had victory. Tough time. You might be in a tough time. You too are going to be able to experience victory through your God and your Savior Jesus Christ. Then notice his great verse 21 where he slew this Egyptian. Now, this is a great fighter, this Egyptian, and he slays this guy. Now, an Egyptian, what does that mean? Type of the world. Egypt is a type of the world.

How are we going to be able to come against this world's pull that is constantly seeking to sap us and to pull us into it and get us into its mold? It's very simple. He says he just took a staff that he had in his hand. What does a staff represent but a pilgrim? Be a pilgrim, man. Don't make this your home. Don't get rooted in this place. Get your eyes upon the Lord. Walk lightly as a good soldier. Don't get all encumbered with the things of this world and just begin to persevere and serve the Lord.

And you too will be that pilgrim looking to eternal things. You see, the more you get your eyes upon Jesus, as we sang this morning, the more the things of this world are going to grow strangely dim. Its pull becomes less and less and we've got a greater pull going this way and you're going, "I want to go, I want to go, I want to go." But I'm going to stay on it until He comes, until He comes, until He comes. And just this hope that you have, it just breaks off all of the pull.

And he had victory over that Egyptian with a staff. And then the final thing here is that he slew him with his own spear. I like that. He killed him with his own spear as our flesh is crucified with Christ. As Christ hung on that cross, over in Colossians it says, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us. He took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross."

The cross was what the enemy thought to kill Jesus on. But Jesus died on that cross, slaying the enemy himself. And when He was nailed on that cross, all of our sins and all of our transgressions nailed on the cross and having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it. I love it. Gave him the victory. Gave us the victory. Not only do we have victory against the devil, the lion, we have victory against the world and we have victory against the flesh.

Do you see it? The world, the flesh and the devil, our three enemies are going down because of the great work that God is doing in us and through us. But you've got to be able to know Him to get into this warfare. And I want to end with this. In Joshua it says simply, right before Joshua was coming to Jericho, in Joshua chapter 5 it says, "And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho that he lifted up his eyes and he looked and behold, there stood a man there over against him with his sword drawn in his hand and Joshua went unto him and said to him, 'Art thou for us or against us?'"

And it was the Lord. And Joshua fell on his face on the earth and did worship the Lord. In other words, right before Joshua was going to do his greatest battle. And I'll tell you something, the battle didn't have anything to do with how many numbers he had, the strategy he had or what he was planning to do. It had everything to do with the Lord working in and through his life. But Joshua needed to give his life to the Lord. He needed to surrender himself to God, and there's the key.

Joshua worshiped the Lord, and then he took Jericho through God's strength. You know the story of Jericho. You know how it was taken. It wasn't taken by their great numbers or their great strength, their great strategy. In fact, they thought it was ridiculous. Yet God said, "This is how we're going to take it." Isn't it great to be plugged into the Lord and to have victory in the Lord the way God wants it in and through our lives? How we need to surrender to Him, to resist the devil and he will flee from us.

Guest (Male): That's an encouraging way to bring today's edition of Sound Doctrine to a close. Stay with us because Pastor Jeff Johnson will be back in a moment with the closing thought. We're at the tail end of a study in 2 Samuel. 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.

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We all have a choice to make: go with God and His wisdom and power, or go with Satan and the sin and depravity of this world. Here's Pastor Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: God gave Joshua not only did He give him a little bit of victory, He gave him total victory. And Joshua stood in the power and might of his God. So he became a mighty man of God. And now the choice is up to us. What is it going to be? You're going to be the foolish, the lost man, or you're going to be the wise, the mighty man of God? Jesus says the foolish man hears these things and doesn't do them.

Your house is on the sand. Storms are going to come. I'm warning you, storms are going to come. And the fall of that house was great. You weren't ready for it. You weren't seeking the things of God. The house fell. But he that hears these things and doeth them, I liken unto him as a wise man, a mighty man who built his house upon a rock. And when the storms come, the house is going to stand.

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.