In this full sermon, Bill Johnson teaches keys from David’s early years and his pathway to promotion. God is looking for people with the “heart of a king”; people who will allow Him to purify their hearts and continually refine and establish their identity in Him alone. Self-promotion is all too common in our culture, and can only be sustained through continued self-promotion; it is not God’s best for us.
so if ever there was someone who was
disqualified from being king of Israel
it was Saul and David has now been
prophesied over that God’s going to turn
him over to him but he refused to fall
into the Trap of self-promotion
self-promotion causes many Ministries
and many individuals to never reach
their potential
policeman says you’re going too fast
he responds I was just trying to keep up
with traffic
cop says there isn’t any he says I know
that’s how far behind I am
I was in South Africa
and
and somebody left me a little gift I I
don’t remember if it was on my I think
it might have been my hotel room I don’t
remember anyway I got there and it’s
just a little gift from the name tag on
a little note
and I read the note and I realized
we must have sent different sense of
humor in the U.S than South Africa
because the note they left said Bill
small appreciation for breaking the wind
in in the spirit for us
I didn’t do that
it’s true I I I kept the tag I couldn’t
believe it
I took a picture of it
like this says every time I say no my
kid hears ask again she didn’t
understand the question
two ladies are talking my memory is so
bad how bad is it how bad is what
[Laughter]
I’m not old I’m 25 plus shipping and
handling
this this may offend but it’s Sunday
night so he cares
you come with thicker skin if you come
on Sunday night or you got drug here
ignorance can be educated crazy can be
medicated but there’s no cure for stupid
[Laughter]
the four stages of life you believe in
Santa is one two is you don’t believe in
Santa three is you are Santa
and four as you look like Santa
[Laughter]
this is anyone who travels overnight
overseas should appreciate this one
do you ever wake up kiss the person
sleeping beside you and feel glad that
you’re alive
I just did that and apparently will not
be allowed on this Airline again
I do think that’s funny all right
um you know what we’re going to pray for
um
I really felt earlier today and strongly
tonight that the Lord is going to heal
people of head trauma
brain disorders disease
[Music]
um
infections
all kinds of brain stuff from dyslexia
to head trauma uh issues because of
multiple concussions I feel like the
Lord is just sweeping through we had
this happen several years ago and it
actually went on and on and on we I was
down in in Las Vegas with a friend of
mine done at his church down there uh
and the 16 people were healed in one
night of Dyslexia alone 16 people they
all got up and proved it they
Illustrated and and I just have that
sense that God’s healing stuff with the
brain tonight
and um so anything not if you want a
bigger brain you know you pray for that
one on your own I I don’t have the faith
for that one but
if I did I’d be laying hands on myself
right
uh no if you have any any sort of
disorder disease we actually saw I had a
guy brought to me in Dallas quite a few
years ago he had eaten some food that
was bad had worms in the food it ended
up getting into his brain
and it created nesting in the brain
and they were able to give him
treatments to kill the uh the bugs but
the nests had crystallized and he was
dying he was like they brought him to me
heavily heavily medicated
and um they they walked him up us up on
a stage off to the side they walked him
up and told me the situation
and prayed for him I’ve had this happen
twice
where I didn’t know
there was an evil spirit present
but I could tell when he left
I had it happen with a gal that had the
bulimia
and she was laid out on the ground as
prank and it was it’s a strange
description but she felt if the area the
atmosphere felt minty fresh
it was literally the absence of
something I could tell there was a
fragrance of freshness there that I I
didn’t discern the presence of the enemy
but I discerned when he exited and I had
it happen the same thing with this guy
and so he’s heavily medicated he’s
resolved and they had to just guide him
and walk him up and we prayed and I felt
the thing lift I just felt it left off
of him
and uh and I he still heavily medicated
so I leaned into him and I said you felt
that goat didn’t you and he he nodded
his head
and one of his relatives ended up coming
here and told me the rest of the story
some months later and it took three days
but in three days he was completely
whole everything everything is whole and
yeah so I
I
is Dixon here Dixon Slater are you here
tonight he was here this morning and he
was healed here several years ago of a
very
traumatic uh injury to the brain
and I mean he couldn’t play with his
children he couldn’t do any sudden
movement was just overwhelming and he
was healed here on a Sunday night we had
a a child healed over here of
um very could not associate with with
adults well he had been abused so
severely as a two-year-old and his head
was misshapen he was I believe at the
time he was four and uh he woke up every
morning agitated couldn’t connect with
people
and uh some of our students prayed from
right over there
and when he got up the next morning he
came into the mother and said Mommy I’m
okay now I had a dream last night I’m
okay now
and Jesus just literally his head was in
the right shape everything so I tell you
there’s just an anointing for head
trauma so if you’ve had any kind of
injury to the head or any kind of
disease could be epilepsy could be
a frequent concussions doesn’t matter
what it is dyslexia any kind of learning
disorder that’s you stamp it’s now we’re
going to pray
and those watching online just get in on
this this thing there is such a powerful
anointing let me tell you where this
started because I want you to understand
how the Holy Spirit works
he will actually at times
you will find yourself pondering
something and in the pondering you find
out he’s the one who brought it up do
you understand what I mean by that I was
flying back from New Zealand I had just
recently heard about the incredible
miracle in Roland Baker’s brain he his
brain was literally dying they have
x-rays of his brain dying the family
showed up to say goodbye and Jesus did
an absolute Miracle of Miracles in
resurrecting his brain and healed him an
extraordinary miracle and I was then in
New Zealand and spent a little bit of
time with winky pratney who had suffered
a stroke where I think it was a quarter
of his brain blew up
and he I mean he uh it was extremely uh
traumatizing to his brain his mind is
functioning these are the two probably
the two smartest men I know in the world
these two guys and their brains were
traumatized and it made me
realize that the the Lord is wanting to
restore what the enemy is trying to
steal because he’s he’s trying to raise
up Sanctified intelligence
Sanctified intelligence and sometimes
Pentecostal circles that I am a part of
sometimes put intelligence down and it
doesn’t rule over the spirit but it’s
you know Sanctified intelligence becomes
the banks of the river that Faith Flows
In
it gives a context for great faith and
so we’re gonna we’re gonna pray for
these folks here all of you that are
standing put a hand up if you would
because in a moment I’m going to have
the rest stand up and they need to know
who to go to so if if you can get to
somebody get to them now and uh but
don’t pray until I tell you to all right
just get to them and um
and then as soon as somebody comes to
you can put your hand down that’ll help
me to know that everybody is being
ministered to
all right
okay still see some hands up
all right still right here
okay if you’re about to pray for someone
that still has their hand up would you
pull it down for them
help them out help them out all right
now just
hold on
you need to find out what’s wrong some
need
healing listen carefully please because
I’m going to give you instruction that
you need to know
for some people we had a gal you’ve seen
many of you have seen the video that we
have of the miracle she had in uh she
was dying of terminal systemic lupus of
the brain and she stood right back there
Chris valton called out a word of
knowledge she stood in the middle and
God is really touching her but the
spirit of trauma had to be broken and as
soon as that thing was broken she was
completely totally healed if you’re
praying for someone that was in any kind
of traumatic accident then I want you to
do that just just stand with him say we
just declare Spirit trauma you have no
place here number one some of you may be
praying for someone who they were born
with dyslexia maybe it was a learning
disorder maybe just a malfunction they
need just a restorative a creative type
Miracle it doesn’t matter what it is I
want you just to pray in that way and
just declare Jesus makes all things new
as you lay hands on that person those of
you that are praying for those with
trauma I want you to pray for a few
minutes but towards the end of that
prayer time I want you to lift as though
it were steel band I want you to lift it
off their head and I want you to declare
This Ends Tonight
make a proclamation so all right so Holy
Spirit we do welcome you come and
restore once again we thank you for the
testimony of Roland Baker of Winky
pratney how you healed them and that
testimony provoked us to pursue this for
everyone and we pray right now restore
what’s missing restore what’s broken we
declare in Jesus name trauma your
influence Ends Tonight now just go ahead
and begin to pray find out how to pray
and then serve them well
foreign
thank you Lord
Jesus restores all
not someday today
we release
right now the power of God the word of
the Lord over these infirmities we
declare This Ends Tonight
this ends now in Jesus name
trauma we cancel your assignment break
your power by the authority of the name
Jesus loose people now in the name of
the Lord just lift that still band off
the head
we declare that ends tonight in Jesus
name God we call for Creative Miracle we
confess that you make all things new
you’re the God who makes all things new
All Things New
thank you thank you thank you Lord
okay
go ahead and end the prayer but stay
with the person all right
now this is this is a interesting one to
test but you do need to test it
uh sometimes people know within an hour
or two sometimes it’s in moments
sometimes as I stated already tonight uh
one in particular was three days later
but they were completely whole
I I want to ask the question how many of
you when they rebuke trauma and they
they took that steel ban it’s it’s a
prophetic picture is what it is they
lifted that thing off you actually felt
something shift for you put your hand
apart because I want to see because
there’s always people look at that
there’s always people that feel that
take place beautiful we thank you for
that Lord
we thank you for that now I want you to
turn I want you to pray over them one
more time one more time just take a
couple minutes to pray and declare the
wholeness
the mind of Christ
sound mind is the inheritance of every
believer
power love and a sound mind
we declare over the children even
represented in this room by parents and
grandparents who suffer with dyslexia we
just say Lord even now rewire rewire the
brain so things work correctly things
are seen correctly all for the glory of
God all for the glory of God
thank you Lord
beautiful
all right she did wonderful again now
stay with the person always try to help
them we don’t ever want someone to feel
pressured to pretend anything this that
God is doing is way too special for that
what instead what I want is I want you
to try to help them to discover what God
has done if there was a learning
disorder visibility was different uh
letters or backwards whatever math or
sometimes maps that kind of stuff grab a
Bible do something to examine yourself
right now if it was sudden movements
then be careful but do that for yourself
to see if the if that dizziness if that
equilibrium issue is still there all
right everybody do something to see what
the Lord has done and as soon as you
find that Jesus healed you tonight at
least 80 percent better because things
are progressive if that’s you then I
want you to wave both hands over your
head like this and we want to just
celebrate with you what the Lord is
doing so wave your hands right back over
here is one we’ve got one right down
over here there’s another wave the hands
over your head like this as soon as you
testify right down here’s another
there’s another right here
yeah we give you thanks Lord there’s
another back over here
that’s beautiful beautiful
all right give him a hug or do something
nice and be seated
okay
you did good I love it I love it
okay if you could just
just find your places here quickly I’m
just curious uh
those with uh any kind of reading
difficulty dyslexia that sort of thing
have you been able to examine and are
able just to put a hand up to say Jesus
has healed me and I and it’s
everything’s working fine whatever
disorder there was is gone put a hand up
if that’s you because I want to see how
many people right right over here
there’s one Whatever here’s another one
isn’t that beautiful right over there’s
another one
thank you Lord beautiful
thank you Lord I tell you one Sunday
morning we had to
uh later he became a pastor friend but
he he was visiting us from another state
and he uh he had extreme extreme
dyslexia he could not he could not read
he um he was a pastor and he couldn’t he
couldn’t read his Bible he had to
actually study off of like CDs where
they uh where they would read the Bible
out loud and that was his way of
learning the Bible and studying the
scriptures
and he he was just encouraged to come to
Bethel sometime and and as he explained
it to me he came just to kind of check
it off the list because people are kind
of pressuring him and so he you know
been there done that uh sort of deal
which I I don’t fault anyone for feeling
that way I’ve done that myself so I I
have mercy on anyone who who gets
pressured to come here so
but anyway he was in that condition
and uh and during the the Sunday morning
service I had this word of knowledge
about the Lord healing uh dyslexia in
learning disorders that sort of thing I
had trauma and the Lord really
highlighted it as he did tonight and he
was sitting over here somewhere
and um and as I was talking
the spirit of God Came Upon him he
physically felt God touch his brain in
his body he physically felt this fire
this heat come on him
and he began repenting so fast because
he had such a bad attitude the entire
service
bad attitude because he you know he got
pressured to be here and he didn’t want
to be and he was checking it off the
list and and he came face to face with
the fact that he that he was not open
and yet God was touching him anyway and
so he was repenting really fast oh God
forgive me forgive me please you know
don’t don’t let my bad attitude keep
this miracle from me and the Lord just
kept pouring it on I mean you know you
don’t have to qualify for Jesus no he he
just is so good the Lord just poured it
on and poured it on poured it on and he
was dramatically healed he went from
someone who could not read
to someone within I think it was days it
was no more than a week or so he went
from someone who could not read to
someone who read six to eight hours a
day
he was just absolutely absolutely
transformed so I really I just feel like
there’s just weighty weighty momentum on
this so if you deal with this maybe in
your home the child or grandchild just
be confident in the Lord this is the
heart of God for them to be well all
right we’ve got some scripture we’re
going to read study tonight so open your
Bible Bibles to Acts chapter 23
and then also first Samuel 24.
we’re going to do acts first and then uh
for sandwich if you would open to First
Samuel so we can get there quickly put a
piece of paper in there or your finger
or something
Acts chapter 23 verse 1.
then Paul looking earnestly at the
council said men and brethren
I have lived in all good conscience
before God until this day
and the high priest ananias commanded
those who stood by him to strike him on
the mouth
and Paul said to him God will strike you
you white-washed wall
I
[Laughter]
some of us find unusual comfort in this
passage
yeah
God will strike you you whitewashed wall
for you sit to judge me according to the
law and do you command me to be struck
contrary to the law
and those who stood by him said do you
revile God’s high priest
Paul said I did not know Brethren that
he was the high priest
for it is written you shall not speak
evil of a ruler of your people
wow
notice he did not say
oh but that’s under the law
he actually quotes a passage out of
Exodus 23
where it says do not revile God nor
speak evil of a ruler
of your people
it’s a fascinating time to be alive
because people are crucified
in conversation
day after day after day you
it’s hard to be in any kind of position
of influence or responsibility
and not be crucified
in Media
in social media
so many different ways the careless
opinions of people are taking this
gospel and they are spread to
really to cause pain Affliction and to
destroy the reputations of people
Paul
talked in Romans 13 and he talked about
our responsibility on how we respond to
governing leaders
and in this particular passage he says
if you do right they will praise you if
you don’t then they will punish you and
and the context actually I don’t want to
get into this tonight so I’m just going
to make a quick reference but the
context actually talks about the
necessity for civil rulers to rule with
a rod of iron to be very Swift
and severe is not the right word but to
bring Justice
the Justice in the land is actually
administrated by governmental leaders
and
I man I don’t want to fall into this
hole tonight I can feel gravity pulling
me into this
chapter 12. let me just give it to you
this way I’m going to give you
abbreviated version then my conscience
will be clean and I’ll move on
chapter 12 of Romans gives us the
Pastoral response to people in crisis
people in need it’s very caring very
loving people who don’t deserve it get
treated fairly kindly mercifully chapter
13 introduces the need of government to
ex to enforce Justice
and those two things are not at odds
with each other although sometimes it
appears it is
the church is to be the group that
extends mercy and forgiveness and
kindness but we’re to realize God raised
government up to bring severity to those
who break the law
and oftentimes we want Christian leaders
to be like us in the church and not like
how God assigned them to be
yep it’s a big hole
I can’t even see the bottom from where
I’m standing
it’s not a conflict
to have leaders that insist on Justice
and have the church plead for mercy
it’s the marriage of the two
it’s the marriage of the two
in this particular Passage
Paul strikes out against the high priest
not knowing that’s who he was
and as soon as he does
they correct him because of his language
to the towards the high priest it’s
interesting if he wouldn’t have been the
high priest
Paul would have felt totally fine with
what he said you whitewashed wall God’s
going to strike you
that fascinates me that he felt good
about that comment that that uh
I’ve had a few white wash walls cut me
off in traffic
and of course I blessed them
my horn said bless you bless you bless
you I bless you I bless you
[Laughter]
I want you to look at it’s actually the
story I wanted to look at to the story I
wanted to look at tonight was in first
Samuel 24.
foreign
chosen men from all Israel and went to
seek David and his men on the rocks of
the wild goats
and he came to the sheepfolds by the
road where there was a cave Saul went in
to attend to his needs
David and his men were staying in the
recesses of the cave
then the men of David said to him this
is the day which the Lord said to you
behold I will deliver your enemy into
your hand
that you may do to him as it seems good
to you and David arose and secretly cut
off a corner of Saul’s robe
now it happened afterward that David’s
heart troubled him because he had cut
Saul’s robe
and he said to the man the Lord forbid
that I should do this thing to my master
the Lord’s anointed to stretch out my
hand against him seeing he is the
anointed of the Lord
so David restrained his servants with
these words he didn’t allow them to
raise their hand against Saul
Saul got up from the cave went on his
way David Rose afterward and went out to
the cave and called out to Saul my Lord
the king and when Saul looked behind him
David stooped with his face to the Earth
and bowed down
David said to Saul why do you listen to
the words of men who say indeed David
seeks your harm
look this day your eyes have seen that
the Lord delivered you today into my
hand in the cave and someone urged me to
kill you but my eye spared you and I
said well I will not stretch out my hand
against the Lord my Lord for he is the
Lord’s anointed verse 12. the lord judge
between you and me let the Lord avenge
me on you but my hand shall not be
against you
the last phrase of verse 13 my hand
shall not be against you
this story goes on it’s just one of
those bizarre stories
to give you a little bit of context Saul
of course is King
and there have been prophetic words now
that God has shifted his attention from
Saul to David he’s actually been
anointed king
he’s proven himself in battle
he killed the lion he killed the bear
when no one was watching which qualified
him to kill Goliath when two nations
were watching
the women of the city the women of the
nation were so inspired by David’s
Conquest that they would write songs
and they would sing these songs these
songs would say David assault has killed
his thousands but David has killed his
ten thousands
Saul
as a father would have delighted in his
son’s excellence
but because he had the mindset of an
elder brother one who was very insecure
driven by competition the success of
another is very threatening
and when the success of another is very
threatening to any one of us it means
jealousy is always Within Reach
it is always very possible to lean into
jealousy and to act out of that jealousy
and so Saul was very jealous of David
David had the favor of the people David
had the favor of God he’s been able to
watch how
um how God is with him he was able to
see how David would play a harp for
example in the evil spirit that was
released against Saul that torment would
drip was driven from him he was able to
observe and watch just this God favor
thing on David and it so provoked him to
anger if you remember the phrase Samuel
made this a statement to Saul when Saul
disobeyed the Lord the Lord spoke to him
and said you’re to give everything that
you obtained in this particular Conquest
the king the choices of the animals
everything’s to be given to the Lord to
be sacrificed and Saul kept back some of
the best the finest stuff he said as a
special sacrifice to the Lord but he
disobeyed the Lord and he turned it into
a religious excuse
and so the Lord spoke through Samuel and
said Rebellion is as the sin of
Witchcraft it’s really interesting now
Rebellion disobeying God when God gave
him a directive a command
he disobeyed that and the Lord called it
rebellion and said that’s where that’s
the the breeding ground for witchcraft
is rebellion
and so here is Saul’s heart he’s he’s
been in Rebellion he’s disobeyed God he
has um
he has given himself to Rebellion to the
spirit of Witchcraft he has given
himself he ends up Consulting with a
psychic I mean he just he just goes off
the deep end so if ever there was
someone who was disqualified from being
king of Israel it was Saul
and David has now been prophesied over
that God’s going to turn him over to him
he’s going to put him in his hand but he
refused to get a promotion through his
own effort he refused to fall into the
Trap of self-promotion self-promotion
causes many Ministries and many
individuals to never reach their
potential because they they relied on
self-promotion
maybe in the guise of well if I do this
correctly more people will get saved
more people hear the gospel more people
read my book more people do this than
that and not realizing they’re driven by
a need for recognition a need for
Applause
and in insecure when we when we find
ourselves in those moments of deep
insecurity we feed from the Applause of
people and when the Applause goes to
someone else it provokes ugly things in
us and here David displays before he’s
even a king he displays to us the ways
of a king
how
how does a king think
I’m in a Godly King we’ve got a lot of
bad examples but how does a Godly King
think in Scripture
he’s in the back of a cave
he’s hiding out with this man he heard
that Saul was coming with an army to
find him and kill him his heart Saul’s
already made several attempts on his
life he’s throwing his Spirit at him
he’s done all kinds of insane things
and and God has protected him every time
so now David’s hiding in the back of a
cave
and Saul doesn’t know anyone’s in there
and so he goes in to rest
and while he’s sleeping David’s men says
this is the word of the Lord
you remember that word that was given to
you God is going to turn your enemies
over into your hands this is it
thus saith the Lord
through me
and he gives he gets literally he gets
these prophecies he gets these words
that this is the Divine moment
but David had such a fear of God
to not fall into self-promotion that he
would rather live under the oppression
of an inferior King
than to be to take his role as king out
of God’s perfect timing
this is a stunning moment in history
it’s a stunning moment in David’s life
because he had two opportunities like
this another time where he he actually
went in and took the spear next to
Saul’s side and water and went to the
other side of a Ravine and yelled out
and said you know your guard should be
killed for not guarding you look you
were in my hands and I didn’t take your
life again and then David prayed this
prayer he said I I pray that God will
show mercy on me
as I have shown mercy on you
what if
in David’s David did not live a perfect
life he was a man after God’s heart but
he had some pretty serious blunders some
pretty serious sins
what if David
actually set the stage
for how he would be treated his entire
reign when he refused to take control of
God’s promise for him out of order out
of sequence
see premature babies always need extra
care
and when we move into self-promotion we
actually are giving birth to things at
five months and six months that need
constant care to keep them alive
and sometimes our anxiousness is just
that evidence of insecurity is that
evidence of our identity is wrapped up
in the Breakthrough our identity is
wrapped up in the miracle my identity is
wrapped up in the size of the crowd or
the you know whatever it might be
whatever however it fits into your world
our identity is too much wrapped up in
the externals
instead of actually
completely fully having an identity that
is built on the name of the one who
called you to himself
I think we know that concept well enough
to put it in songs and sing it we know
it well enough to
to confess it to boldly declare that my
identity is in Christ
but the problem is is when someone else
gets promoted instead of us
someone else gets the the promotion or
the recognition
um a friend of mine was reading a
article magazine article
and he
it was about these uh this extraordinary
event and he was a key player in that
event
and when he read through the article he
got through the end of it it was in one
of the major
periodicals in in the United States when
it got to the end of the article he
thought to himself my name wasn’t in
that article
and he was he was like the key guy there
and he thought to himself my name wasn’t
in the article and then the Lord
interrupted him and said my name wasn’t
in there either
sometimes the very fact that I saw
something
is not you know if it was me I saw that
my name was in in your in the article
let’s just assume for a moment that
would that would have been me I saw my
name wasn’t in the article
the very fact that that stood out to me
is not to cause me shame
is to it still caused me to realize I
have a bent that needs to be fixed
see those things come to the surface the
Lord never does that to embarrass us
never does it to shame us he just dials
things up so that we can deal with him
confession basically means to agree with
God so that insecurity comes up right I
feel that need to compete I feel that
need to share a testimony that’s just
one step better than the one that person
just shared
you understand what I’m saying now that
that sense of need to to have the last
word the final word the best word maybe
just in friend friends conversation that
have the best story that need to for
recognition because of our performance
When You See It Stick its head up it’s
never for shame
it’s just so that it doesn’t stick its
head up any higher so that it never
becomes fully manifest but through
confession repentance we’re able to deal
with this we’re able to get before the
Lord God what is it that you say about
me I can’t psych myself in to believing
my identities in you somehow you’ve got
to perform that work in me so that it’s
ingrained in me that I know I am who I
am because of your grace not because of
my significance not because of my
performance simply by your grace
it’s time with the Lord we we oftentimes
try to fix things
outside the presence
I know he’s always with us so that’s
kind of an awkward way to put it but
some things we try to just apply
ourselves to instead of just get along
with God and say you know
this ugly thing came up again today
and I I acknowledge
I have an issue
I feel insecure I feel like competing I
feel like demanding my own rights when
I’m in this kind of a setting
and I don’t ever want that to hurt or
offend or destroy people
and I don’t want it to hurt you
so God I’m confessing it as Sin I bring
it before you and I’m asking God do the
Heart Change in me right now and you
just take that time you take that time
to be alone with the Lord stop trying to
take care of the vital things in passing
stop trying to fix the things that he
puts his finger on something never to
embarrass me but just to say son we we
need to have a conversation
we need to have a conversation and so we
we sit down it doesn’t mean it’s ours it
just means it’s intentional it’s
intentional God this thing just keeps
coming I’ve noticed in the last week
I’ve had so many of these situations
where I I felt like
I felt like it wasn’t right for them to
be honored in my place and it’s and I’m
embarrassed to say it but it is what I
felt and I need God not only for you to
forgive me but you see when there’s
the the deeper the root into how we
think the deeper the repentance has to
be
it’s not self-abuse it’s not that that
sort of thing but it’s like I take I
take a moment to consider deeply God I
actually value the Applause of people
more than you
and that that’s horrible
I don’t ever want that to be a reality
in my life but I can see in my thinking
I was looking for someone to Champion me
instead of me taking the time to hear
you Champion me
so here’s David
it set his heart
bothered him I love this
I love this phrase here
verse 5 after he cut the corner of the
robe off it said that David’s heart
troubled him
David’s her children picture this
a king
has kingly garments
they are the best
that a nation can produce
they represent him in
in Royal color
in design in value everything
that that Nation can produce is
represented in this kingly rope
David
goes and he
cuts off
part of the Splendor in the Majesty that
the king is supposed to carry before the
people
he actually tarnished
the image of the king before people
his heart smote him his heart he was
convicted in heart because he actually
brought a blemish
to the appearance of a very ungodly King
we’re not talking about tarnishing the
image of a Billy Graham
a Mother Teresa we’re talking about
tarnishing the image if you will
of a man who has already proven he has
this bent against God
I wouldn’t say he couldn’t have repented
at this point but the point was God had
shifted his attention to David and yet
did not promote David yet David refused
to take his position by self-promotion
if there’s any example in Scripture that
should help us to tone down that
appetite my personal conviction is is
instead of being driven be focused
don’t allow yourself to be driven
be intentional and be focused because
oftentimes when we become driven
especially those in Ministry are known
for just being driven and it’s and I
don’t know somehow it just seems to
exist in the confines of ministry
because it falls under the guise of
Burden for Souls
you can you can give anything that’s
wrong a spiritual name when you’re the
pastor
you can call it burden for Souls it’s we
we just we got to change the world and
there’s this there’s this need to
achieve to feel good about oneself
one of my favorite statements from
a prophet in this last century he made
the statement he said whether
I I uh whether I take a nap or raise the
Dead the pay is the same
because sometimes those spiritual thing
you can do is take the nap I mean it
really is
it really is
there’s there’s a twisted View
of what it is to serve the Lord
this this need
I believe in achieving so much I
I just I do I just believe so much in
accomplishing things for the Lord
but the whole thought of being
driven
instead of discipline Focus
I don’t know it feels like a monkey in
my back I I can’t live that way I refuse
to live that way
and I think also I think
sometimes
um as as Believers we
we have this need to um
this need to accomplish stuff
and it’s almost like to me it’s almost
like um it’s the counterfeit of biblical
vision
it it drives us
instead of being directed by a vision
that God has established in our lives
and and the need to to be still before
the Lord
the need to to he puts his finger on
something and to not just take care of
it in passing oh sorry I did that again
forgive me please and just go on take a
moment where you just you just you just
stop
and you get before the Lord and say I
don’t want this to be a part of my life
and Lord I I am confident in your grace
please forgive me here’s the beautiful
thing is when he forgives
if there’s real repentance when he
forgives he uproots the root
of where that thing came from
and that’s what we want to learn to do
we want to as he reveals that insecurity
that competition that I need the drive
for success in human terms that that
thing that cripples so many people to
Ministry listen so many people in
Ministry burn out
and they burn out because they have more
going out than what’s coming in
that’s right
how many of you lived in reading back in
the 70s 76 77 78 in that area you guys
may remember the drought that we had
back then
and there are four rivers that pour into
Shasta Lake
and all of them had diminished water
flows and the light got lower and lower
and lower and you go to the dam
and the lake got so low that the the dam
is something like 450 feet deep the
water is there
and the light got so low that there was
this metal scaffolding that was sticking
up high up out of the water because the
water the lake was just getting so low
and they never bothered when they built
the dam they never bothered removing the
metal scaffolding because they wouldn’t
need to it would be covered forever with
water and so they just left it in there
way below the surface here’s the deal
as soon as you see let’s say this is the
metal scaffolding and so the water level
of our life starts getting low because
more is pouring out from us than what’s
pouring in as soon as you see ugly
right under the surface of the water
in your attitude
in that feeling of jealousy that the
ugly as soon as that starts having form
underneath the surface of the water you
better quickly check to see if there’s a
log Jam
if if the the flow of the spirit of God
into your life has been blocked or
hindered does that analogy make any
sense to you against what I’m saying so
there’s more flowing out than what’s
coming in
and when you get on an airplane we know
this I’ll be doing this tomorrow get on
the airplane and the stewardess says uh
if in case we need oxygen put the mask
on yourself first then on those
around you who need assistance
it sounds unselfish to not serve others
first
when in reality
you won’t be around to help anyone else
if you don’t help yourself first
there’s the there’s the priority of Self
in in a biblical sense
if you remember the story about the The
Virgins in the oil they were required to
make sure they had some for themselves
and when someone came and asked them for
it they they said you’ll have to go get
your own we have to protect what what
what God’s given to us so it’s a very
it’s a very awkward part of scripture
it’s an awkward part of our life where
we protect what God is pouring into us
and we take time to to not just pour out
to not just give to others but we take
time to be in the prayer tunnel and
receive prayer it’s the it’s the time
where others minister to you it’s the
time where where others give the
prophetic word and you receive and you
benefit from the atmosphere you learn to
just draw from people around you you
come you don’t study the Bible so you
can teach for those of you that are in
teaching roles stop studying to teach
just study to learn study to learn and
when it’s time to teach take out of what
he’s given you but don’t study to teach
because then you don’t ever digest the
food
you just chew up the piece of meat and
then you put it in the baby’s mouth you
haven’t gotten any nourishment from it
it’s the truth
it’s the truth
and so the Lord wants to introduce to us
introduce us to
This Heart of a king that David had
before he was ever King
where he had such a value for a man who
wanted to kill him
and his conscience bothered him
when he tarnished the image of that King
there’s something about
recognizing
God’s ordained
Authority in our lives
we happen to be alive at a time where it
is just absolutely common if you’re on
social media at all there’s the most
horrible things stated about our
president about senators about
congressmen about presidents of other
countries about
you know it’s just it’s just getting
crazy
and what hurts so bad
is that I see
modern day David’s
get in line and slam
these same leaders not realizing
that God says don’t speak evil of a
ruler of your people
see when that word was released to Paul
after he so eloquently
said May strike God strike you you
whitewashed wall
that should be a country western song of
some sort I’m pretty sure
he could have very easily said well
that’s Old Testament New Testament we
approach things differently
he didn’t because it’s still the heart
of God
it’s still the heart of God
and um
I I think the way that we approach
people in authority
regardless if you agree or disagree
how you speak how you pray how we serve
I’m telling you in many ways
the Lord uses to measure us
for what realm of authority can we
really live in
what what realm of authority can we live
in
see because Authority in the scripture
is never for self-promotion or
self-preservation
when Authority is given to someone in
the Bible
it is given so that that person
will speak on behalf of those who have
little or no voice
that’s what Authority is for that’s what
Justice is for to speak on behalf of
those who have little or no voice
so when God tests us and measures us to
see what we can carry he’s looking to
see if he can find a people that will
represent him well when they’re opposed
and when they’re supported
if he can find people that will
represent him well
in the way they they treat other people
in authority
the way they treat other people in
places of responsibility
and I’d like to suggest to you that
David’s tender heart in blemishing the
appearance of King Saul
is one of the things that delighted the
heart of the father so much
and it was still sometime later before
David became king
but he made a choice I would rather live
with a clear conscience under an
inferior leader
than to have a guilty conscience and be
in charge
amen I don’t understand
by the way I’d love for those of you
that received a healing prayer
over the next day or so as you uh
are able to further substantiate the
miracle in your body please let us know
please send Bethel an email put your
name on it or something just so that we
can know what happened because we we
really like to keep track of these
Miracles that God does around here we
want to celebrate it with you
I want you to uh just put a hand on
somebody’s shoulder next year and I want
you to take a moment to pray
and we’re going to pray together we’re
going to pray individually but also as a
group
and I want you just to pray
for the Lord to help us
help us
hips
help us with how we handle promotion
how we handle the moments where the Lord
just simply bringing things to the
surface to see how well we’ll do
there’s never punishment it’s just to
expose what we can handle so I want you
to pray because it’s it’s you but it’s
all of us
I want you to pray I want you to pray
that God would give them the grace
to live from his identity alone
that he would help them
to have more flowing in than what’s
flowing out
to never lead to burnout
that they’d be conscious of the work of
Grace poured into their life
pray for them like their life depended
on it would you
that works
just pray God help help them help them
help them
help them Lord to excel in the dealings
of God
regarding Authority God forgive us
for Rebellion forgive us for speaking
evil of anyone in leadership
forgive us Lord God we extend Mercy
towards them
we extend Mercy towards them
we pray for great grace
in Jesus name amen amen amen
my dad had this statement
yeah go ahead you can give give the Lord
thanks now we do bless you Lord
we bless you God
my dad had this uh this statement that
he would use often he said when you wash
somebody’s feet you find out why they
walk the way they do
and when you serve people
you know it’s so easy to take pot shots
at people’s decisions I I humorously
tell husbands uh
you know next time you feel like
criticizing your wife’s decisions
remember you’re one of them
besides
[Applause]
I just felt good to say you know I like
that
sometimes when you you just get down and
you serve someone you love someone if
you find out more why
why they make the decisions they make
why they do what they do
and so I just pray I pray for that Grace
upon us as a church families we go into
another level of authority no another
level of representing the lord well and
I pray for that Grace to rest on us
in Jesus name amen amen amen all right
let’s have Ministry team come on down to
the front we’re going to do
our our wonderful fire tunnels
and uh we’re just gonna lay hands on a
whole bunch of people
and bless you are you running this
Crystal Give us directions so pay
attention to him if you would
yeah I’m so glad that you watched this
video I do pray that it’s a great great
strength and encouragement to you and
I’ve got a verse that it really is My
Cry for all of us and it’s Psalms 20
it’s verse 4. may he grant you your
heart’s desire and fulfill all your
plans
that’s my prayer that’s my prayers that
this would be the season of rich rich
fulfillment
thanks for joining us