My Sermon from Last Night

It's Time to Get Up! By Randall Culpepper Preached 4/28/05 @ Repairers of the Breach Ministry Main Text: 1 Samuel 30:6 "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God." 1. Verse 6 (A) David faced adversity- 1) He faced stoning. 2) He faced the loss of his wives, city, the people therein, and all their children. 3) He faced distress. Verses 1-5 He and his men came home wanting to relax, rest, be with their families. All they saw was ruin. The enemy had stolen all from them! They were drained, weary from the journey. Are you drained? Let us be not weary in well doing. Gal. 6:9 The Key to VICTORY is to learn how to get up on the inside when you are knocked down . (B) But!! David encouraged himself in the Lord his God! V6 1) He prayed in verse 8 2) He stood firm- he didn't stay down. 3) He got up on the inside! He was knocked down on the outside. All was Lost, but he got UP! Are you down on the inside?!? Facing adversity? Don't know where to go? What to do? Stand still and stand firm! Get up! Eph 6:13 C) God Answered David in Verse 8 1) God said Pursue- GO = Get up! God acts on our faith. "Without faith, it is impossible to please Him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6 Develop a Victor mentality and watch what God does! Act in faith and get up and see what God does! 2) God told David to get up! Not to sit there. Not to stay In his present state. Not to wallow in self pity. Not stay, but pursue! GO! Get up! 3) David acted in faith in God! He got up and went, showing the enemy he wasn't Afraid! D) Verse 9 The Brook Besor- 10-20 miles southwest of Ziklag. 1) David and his men were weary from traveling. 2) 200 men could go no further. Often we feel that way. 3) 400 men went with David on to battle. E) Verse 10 David Pursued-Determined 1) Didn't face opposition alone. He went with the Assurance of God and with his men behind him. F) Verse 11-15 God used the adversary, the enemy to bring the victory! He works like that sometimes. 1)The favor of God is seen here! G)- Verse 16 The enemy thought he had won. He was rejoicing. H) Verse 17 Victory Comes- the enemy flees. Flee= run in terror. I) Verses 18 and 19 David Recovers ALL 1) Promise of verse 8 fulfilled. 2) Recovered everything. 3) No one was murdered. Men of the Bible who were knocked down but stood up on the inside! Job- In Job Chapter 1, he started to lose all he had. In chapter 42, he got it all back. It took time, but he recovered all! God gave him double what he had lost! Down on the outside, but he stood up on the inside. David against Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:1-51 David looked small, but was big on the inside! Goliath didn't look so big on the outside to David! David saw his God bigger than his adversary! Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25:26. God was moved by their faith. They were knocked down on the outside, (they were in prison and at the darkest part of night, midnight, they began to sing praises to God) but they got up on the inside! Praise broke the chains. No matter how your adversary looks on the outside, rise up and stand tall on the inside! God lives inside you! Greater is he that is in me that he that is in the world! John 4:4

That is a great sermon. We all need a reminder from time to time that we are never alone. All we have to do is look to god for the strenth we need. He will never fail us. Carolyn

Thank you Carolyn! We all do need a reminder. I'm glad He said He'd never leave or or forsake us. Even when we are down. He's there to pick us up. Randall