David defeats the Philistines at Baal-perazim and names the place after God's power. The speakers argue that tension and conflict confirm you're called to something, using David's journey from anointing to kingship as proof that perseverance through recurring enemies shows God's faithfulness.
Chapters
There is an exegetical invitation I want to extend to you. I pray that you accept. You've been invited to fellowship with me this morning in the book of 2 Samuel. 2 Samuel. Chapter number 5. 2 Samuel chapter number 5. I had to almost beg my barber to get me in yesterday. I'm really lying on him, but, uh, I told him, man, last week I ain't preach worth nothing because I ain't have no fresh cut. And so give me a fresh cut so I can preach worth something this morning.
Amen.
2 Samuel. 2 Samuel chapter number 5. I want you all to peregrinate with me down to verse number 20. Word of God says, so David went to Baal-perazim and defeated them there and said, like a bursting flood, the Lord has burst out against mine enemies before me. Am I reading the right verse? Therefore he named the place the Lord Burst Out. Some translations say Baal-perazim. You may be seated. We thank God for his word and for the perpetual nature that lies there within. For just a few moments, I want to wrestle from the subject tenacious Through the tension. Tenacious through the tension. Now, that was very impressive. Let's just— how y'all all sit down at the same time. We often focus in the childbirth period on the pain in which the mother endures. But have you ever considered what it's like to be a baby when it's your time to come into the earth? When it's the baby's time to come that place in which they have been made to go to.
They say that a baby is crushed, a baby goes through pressure. Babies actually, at that moment when it's their time, they experience some level of shock because they're going from one temperature to another. Think about it.
You're a baby, your fetus, or whatever you call it, in your mother's womb.
You've been in this place of preparation for around 9 months. All right, it's finally your time. And when it's your time to go to a new place, it's not a smooth process, but you gotta go through pressure, shock, stress. And the stress, shock, and pressure that you endure as a baby when it's your time does not mean that you did something wrong, but the pressure that you experience is just a part of going to a new place. That's what David goes through here.
We know David was anointed king in 1 Samuel 16. All right, let's speed this thing up, Gavin.
In 1 Samuel 16, he was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel. It does not happen immediately where he assumes the throne to be the king of Israel.
He had to go— we talked about 2 or 3 weeks ago—
he had to go through plots on his life because even though he was anointed to be king Saul was on the throne and Saul was jealous. We are now here in 2 Samuel 5. A few chapters earlier, David was finally anointed after the death of Saul to be the king of just Judah. Now Saul's son has died. Now David has become— in 2 Samuel 5 He's now the king of the joint Israel. All right, all right. Oh, David, after he's anointed king, finds himself in a battle immediately after becoming king. It's finally David's time. And when it's David's time, David does not have a smooth exalt to the throne, but David has to deal with tension from the Jebusites and ultimately, in the verses I read, from the Philistines. All right, all right, this teaches us a lesson. That even when it's your time, you still may have to face some tension. But can I spoil it for you? No matter how much tension you may go through, if you can remain tenacious through your tension, God will show you that he is who he said he is. And I want to let somebody know today You may be in a tense moment in your life where all types of hell and heat have been turned up against you, and you're waiting on when is it finally going to be my time. And perhaps you may think this morning that your time is after detention, but what if I came down 167 at a speed of 70 miles per hour to let you know that detention does not mean it's not your time, but the tension could be the confirmation that it is your time. So in other words, I came to serve notice to the devil that you've been tricking us long enough to bring tension in our life.
But God wants to expose that spirit this morning and let somebody know that now is the time while you're dealing with your attention to give God the praise, because it means that God perhaps could be taking you to that place of where he's called you to be. And I know that you've been waiting for a long time, and you thought that when your time had come, that it was going to be a smooth journey, it was going to be a smooth ride, but that's not always the case. The devil is not going to just sit back and allow you to come out just pure and pristine. He's going to cause cause some life to happen to you. Some hell is going to happen in your life. And somebody listening to me this morning, you are in a tense season right now. You don't have to lift your hand and admit it. I know that it's going on because God gave me this word. But let me tell you today, just keep on holding on. Just keep on believing in God. Just keep on worrying in his word. Just keep on, on your knees in prayer, and you will discover that my time may have came with tension, but I've been tenacious, and now God is going to elevate me even higher. Do you believe that by faith this morning that good times are coming, better, that you are getting better, and God is a God of his promises? I don't care what Fox News says, I don't care what the Enterprise said, I don't care what I see on Facebook or X, I know what God has put in my life And God is true to his promises. He's true to his word. I may have to go through some tears, but I'm gonna be tenacious. I may go through some frustrations, but I'm gonna be tenacious. I may go through some stress, but this is not gonna last forever. I shall come out of this. And when it's your time—
here's what I came to preach. When it's your time, there will be still tension, but God's grace is always more tenacious than the tension.
I felt you saying it. I know it look good when I say it.
I'm gonna say it again. When it's your time, there will be tension, but God's grace is more tenacious than the tension.
In other words, God gonna outlast your trouble. God's blessings outlast your burdens. God's power outlasts your problems. And if you can just keep on waking up in the morning, God will let you outlast what's been trying to take you out.
All right, there it is.
Y'all got the thesis? Yeah. So now let me work this between the antithesis and the thesis.
And see how we can relate these things together. And I'm not your way down 167.
Here it is. Text teaches us in this relationship about the tenacity and tension that conflict— here it is— is confirming conflict. It's confirming conflict. David becomes the king over joint Israel, Dr. Mason, in chapter 5, because I just told you that prior to this he had finally got to be king of just Judah, and there was civil unrest in the land because Saul's son had the other kingdom. And David had just Judah. Now David is king of the United Israel. Y'all mind your business. And since he's the king of United Israel, now he comes under attack from the Philistines. Now, now we're gonna have a new pope here.
I said we're not gonna—
they're gonna appoint a new pope here in a few days. Uh, y'all remember when Charles became king and you had all this music, pomp and circumstance? Y'all remember on January 20th when Donald Trump, uh, was inaugurated as president?
Well, y'all don't like that.
Y'all remember January 20th, 2009, when Barack Hussein Obama became the president of these here United States. They had that beautiful ball, and Michelle and Barack danced. They had all this beautiful pageantry because he had ascended to the ranks, and he had a moment to celebrate his ascension.
But David here didn't even get a chance to dance with one of his wives to at last.
As soon as David took office, David had to fight. Now I can't speak for you, but I can speak for myself. If as soon as I finally walk into what God has for me and I immediately come into a fight, I will tell y'all, y'all can take this crown and give it to somebody else.
Because if I would have known it was gonna come with all this hell, I would have never accepted the position. In other words, when it was my time, I would have said, y'all can have my time.
But Can I teach you a little bit? Uh, the Philistines were a constant problem.
I'm gonna bore you for a little while.
Were, uh, hey, they were taking it easy on the children of Israel at this time because they were a divided kingdom. And so the Philistines did not have to come as hard because the children of Israel were so divided that they were even defeating themselves. But now that God's people are united, they are now a threat. So since they are now a threat, the Philistines say, we gotta fight. Y'all missed what I said. The Philistines wouldn't have bothered them if they were not a threat, but since they are Threat.
Now the Philistines gotta bother them. Did y'all just miss what I said? That your conflict is actually confirmation. Talk, Gavin R. Hills, PhD. You've been thinking that the conflict means that you are not consistent, but the conflict is actually confirmation that you are walking in your purpose. The anointing means that I'm gonna have to deal with adversity, but thanks be to God, the adversity don't take away my anointing. Is there anybody in here today, you may be dealing with hell right now and you want to vacate the premises, but God said the devil is a liar. I knew you was gonna come into conflict when I called you, but be consistent and let the conflict be your confirmation. I preach by myself. Y'all can go home if you want to.
Here it is, here it is. When conflict comes, sometimes we see that as a chance to exit, but don't Exit.
When you see conflict, get excited.
I work too hard for y'all to sit there and look at me like that.
I'm gonna point at the exercise again. I'm gonna get you involved in it.
When you come into conflict, when it's your time, your immediate response is to exit.
But God said today that you need to get excited because it means that you are a bigger threat than what you you thought that you were. And I want to serve notice today that God has qualified you too much for you to leave now, because the Philistines were already defeated by David in 1 Samuel 17. So God had been getting you ready this whole time. That means that you already qualified to deal with the adversity and walk in your anointing.
I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that when it's your time, that you still gonna have to deal with some adversity. But the good news is that you've already been prepped, prepared, and made right for it.
And all you gotta do is just keep on moving through the conflict. Keep on moving through the adversity. Keep on moving through the problem and be what God has called you to be.
Y'all, y'all know, y'all know, Honorable Mayor, that I really am not a big fan of heights.
Uh, uh, I, I like geography and I like, uh, seeing, uh, different historical monuments, but really, uh, I get nervous sometimes when I drive over a bridge.
It's okay if I drive over a bridge and the bridge don't move. But has anyone ever driven across a bridge and you can kind of feel that bridge moving a little bit. It took me to learn something, to know that the bridge moving ain't a problem, because a bridge is made not just to be engineered, constructed, and to just sit there. But a bridge was made to deal with pressure of your 2-ton car. The bridge, when it's its time, we don't just say, uh, the bridge, let's just look at that bridge, let's just celebrate that bridge.
But you know when is that bridge's time? When they take off the signs and open up the bridge for traffic to come through.
In other words, it's the bridge's time when it's ready to deal with weight.
And so what the engineers do, they make a bridge with suspension mechanisms that it don't just stay sturdy when it's dealing with the weight, but in order to deal with the weight and not to succumb to the weight, they engineered, designed it to be able to move a little bit. And because it moves a little bit, that means it can take the pressure. Is there anybody in the house this morning you feel feel yourself moving a little bit, you feel yourself shaking a little bit, you think you're shaking, meaning God ain't called you. But the reason you're shaking this morning is because God designed you not to crumble under the weight.
I ain't scared now because that bridge preached to me.
I want my bridge to move because when the bridge moving, I feel— I know the bridge can handle me. And God designed you to be able to move That way you ain't so rugged. That way you ain't so stiff. And there, I see some stiff bridges in the room today. You ain't lifted your hand yet. We've been here 36 minutes and 14 seconds and you ain't even breathed. But I want to let somebody know that if God has made you mobile through your mess, you need to just keep on moving under the weight.
It's, it's, it's, it's confirming conflict. The only reason the Philistines just showed up is because now the children of Israel back at it.
And the only reason you going through hell is because the devil see you back at it.
I gotta move. I'm making good pace this morning. I'm trying a new time concept, so y'all bear with me. I'mma exercise this this morning. This text also teaches us that you have a consistent covering. When it's your time, the enemy may come.
I worked hard on this, so please like it.
The enemy may come in a different way, but he won't come in a new way.
I'm gonna make you love me, baby.
Y'all don't like this this morning. Who is the enemy in this text?
Say it with me.
The Philistines. The Philistines. Have been problems of the Israelites since back about 150 years, since around the Book of Judges. The children of Israel have been plagued by the Philistines. Translated, you've been dealing with this enemy for a long time. And it comes in different ways, but thanks be to God, God makes sure you know at the end of the day it's the same enemy. All right, years later, you may have used to have dealt with addiction, now you're dealing with gout. He comes in a different way, but it's the same enemy.
Today is your problem with a co-worker over here in this office. Tomorrow is going to be a co-worker in that office. He may come in a different way, but it's the same enemy. Today you got high blood pressure, tomorrow your blood pressure too low. It may be a different way, but it's the same enemy. Somebody can help me preach today. You thought that once you dealt with that way, you wasn't gonna have to deal with another way. But let me give you some good news: you've been dealing with the same enemy this whole time. He's just been trying to come in different ways, but it ain't nothing new. It's still the same old Philistine.
In case y'all don't get it, can I teach a doctrine?
We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but principalities and rulers in high places and realms of darkness. In other words, it's the devil at the end of the way. It may be a devil in her, it could be a devil in you, it could be the prince of hell working in your body, he could be working in your finances, but it's the same enemy just coming in a different way.
And here's how David proved that he was ready. David was an old shepherd boy, and he had a way of talking to God. He escaped Saul several times, escaped him about 8 times, we say now. And I told you, you remember 1 Samuel 17, he defeated a giant by the name of Goliath, who was an uncircumcised Philistine. They've been around for 150 years, at least we think. The same enemy. But guess what David did? He's ascended now in rank, but he went down low in his posture. What do you mean, Gavin R. Hams? Thank y'all for asking, because I'm nosy and I like to tell y'all people's business. Here is what David did. David, when he saw the enemy, even though he's had success over them in the past, he did something so simple yet so effective.
He sought the Lord. David said, I ain't high enough now. There's a point where I ain't gonna go low down in my posture. And I know that God has taken care of them before. So if God has taken care of them before, let me go to that same God and see what you want to do with this same enemy. He's not new. And I got— I know that your mercies are new, but the enemy is still the same. And you have proved to me that you are an expert Philistine killer. So let me come back to the expert and see what the God wants me to do. And what I'm trying to tell somebody today, you have an expert Philistine killer in your life who's been killing sickness in your body, who's been defeating comfort— discomfort in your body, who's been defeating depression in your mind, who's been defeating the sin-sick soul. And now that you dealing with the same animal, which is the enemy, why don't you go to that same God? Don't get so high that you forget to go low, because when it's your time, you may think that you got this thing by yourself. But let me tell you something, the worst thing you can do when it's your time is forget where you come from. It's been prayer that's got you through this point. It's been his grace, it's been his mercy, it's been his hand, it's been his anointing And don't get to this area and forget where you came from. It was God when I was in the outhouse. It was God when I was in the White House. It was God with a GED. It's God with a PhD. It's God with a 6-figure income. It's God with just a barely enough to make it. At all times I will seek God in my life. I wish I was a preacher this morning because I would make you go back all over your life. It was God when people gave up on you. It was God when you gave up on yourself. It was God when you were sick and couldn't get well. It was God when you couldn't pay your bills. It was God when you was eating baloney sandwiches. It was God when you was cracking the nut. It was God when you was a big old fool. It can be God today. And every time we get a chance, seek that same old God. He know what to do with him, I tell you. He know how to handle your Philistines. He know how to handle your enemy. He know how to handle that thing.
I promise Y'all gonna make me sweat my line up.
I'm gonna show it to you like this. That's right, go ahead and give God praise because you know where to go. You've been thinking you had to try something new. You've been thinking you had to try a different source. It is the King of Kings.
The Lord of Lords.
It is El Elyon. It is El Shaddai. It's Jehovah Jireh. It's Jehovah Nissi. It's the one who died one for us, stayed in the grave 3 days and 3 nights, but he got up early Sunday morning. That's who it is.
Lord, have mercy today. It pays to remember and know that you got the same enemy.
And all this new stuff that's happening in life, it comes from the same enemy. And all of my help comes from the Lord.
I wanna, I wanna go home. Thank you. And have peace today. So, so y'all brothers, I need y'all to pray with me because I want to have peace at the house, but I gotta show something to you. Y'all know a good thing, this NBA playoff time, and, and there's a difference between the NBA playoffs and the NCAA tournament. In the NCAA tournament, you can just have one good night and you can beat a team that's really better than you. The ball can go one way or another. So the NCAA tournament is not always a, an expression of who's the better team. You may have just been better that night, but now in these NBA playoffs, you have a series. Y'all remember—
I want to go home, y'all pray for me—
2016 Uh, the Cleveland Cavaliers were playing the Golden State Warriors. I ain't gonna look this way. Uh, Golden State won 73 regular season games.
They beat my 96 Chicago Bulls by one game for the regular season.
Everybody knew, everybody just knew LeBron was gonna take Another Finals loss. It got worse. Cleveland went down in the series 3-1 against a team that had won 73 regular season games, which is a regular season record. Everybody thought that it was over. But let me tell you, since it's a 7-game series, you play a different game, but you got the same opponent.
And what happened in that series, they played different games, but because LeBron, Tyronn Lue were going against the same enemy They kept on studying that same enemy, and the more they studied that same enemy, they made adjustments. And the more they adjusted, the better they got. And what I'm trying to tell somebody today, the same enemy that was bothering you in 1966 is the same devil today. And just adjust and pray a little bit more. Shut your mouth a little bit more. Stop trying to think about yourself a little bit more and let your God take care of that same enemy.
You gotta pardon me, I'm just trying to preach, so don't get mad at me, but I gotta leave.
Let me go holler at my brother.
Can I tell you one last thing? God gives us Chronological contributions.
Chronological contribution. I told you that the Philistines had been a problem for about 150 years.
It's David's time.
The Philistines done came back.
This is about 3 generations of the same problem. But can I tell y'all a secret?
This pivotal battle here, when the Philistines were defeated by David and Israel, were one of the last times that we see the Philistines as a problem.
I'mma leave my hand there so y'all can see it. They've been a problem for about 150 years.
We see the last pivotal battle with the children of Israel and the Philistines in 2 Samuel chapter 8.
We're in 2 Samuel chapter 5, which means that when it's your time, you can do things to defeat enemies that have been plaguing generations over and over and over again. Which means that your contributions can outlast you.
No, help me.
He's been—
they've been a problem for all this time, and now it's David's time. God put his hand on him and said, you gonna be the one to handle this enemy that's been bothering my people for a long time.
I'm trying to tell somebody The reason you gotta stay with it— come here, listen, listen, listen— the reason you can't exit and you gotta stay excited is because generations depend upon you doing what God has called you to do. Which means I don't brag about being anointed so I can just preach here and people can say, he sure can preach. That's fine and dandy, but what God has anointed people to do is to do things for generations and people who are around you. Can't be selfish.
And actually, now you got to stay with it. And the Philistines came back again after right here, but— and, and, and, and God— David sought God again the next time.
Read it when you get home.
This is your homework assignment.
The next time, God said, don't go straight up on them.
I want you to go around the back.
In other words, here's what I'm gonna do. You sought me one time and you messed around and sought me again.
So what I'm gonna do for you, I'm gonna make it easier for you in the future because you obeyed me the first time.
David was so smart that he named the place place that God burst out. Y'all catch that? It's David who was out there doing this, or whatever you fought with, however you fight with swords. But David said, even though I was out there doing this, it was God who burst out.
I was out there, but I had a secret weapon. It was God. Who burst out.
And here it is, Lord, I wish I could preach. It was a problem that was going on for a long time, but God worked on behalf of one man, and God dealt with an enemy that had lasted for generations.
That they weren't gonna have to deal with.
No, say it slower, Gavin. It was God going to burst out on the request of one man. And because that one man was empowered by God, a problem that lasted a long time was getting ready to come to a close forever. It's been a week, so y'all forgot already.
Last week we celebrated how we had an enemy called sin that has been a problem since the garden, but God went through one man and burst out through that one man, and now that problem that had been plaguing us for years, we never have to fight it no more. And if you go get it, I'm trying to tell you that one Friday on a hill called Calvary, sin had been bothering us, sin had been plaguing us, sin made me subject to the wrath of God. But there was one man named Jesus who went on behalf of God, and because he went on behalf of God, now death is defeated, now sin is defeated, now all my problems have defeated, and I ain't got to box with him no more.
Y'all better be glad I missed my hooping lessons.
He, he, he, he, he burst out. All you got to do is show up and he'll burst out. All you got to do is be obedient and he'll burst out. Even with the tension, just be tenacious and let God burst out for you. We all for Jesus this morning.
We offer the one who burst out to you. Baptism, another Christian experience.
You may be dealing with tense situations and it made you question whether or not it's your time. I came today to let you know it's still your time.
God just say, just show up.
Let me burst out.
Let me be the God who show that I'm the same God when you was out there in the field.
I'm the same God when you elevated. And the reason for the tension is because God see the good that's happening. He— the enemy sees the good that's happening and he's threatened by And he wants you to escape. He wants you to give up. He wants you to throw in the towel.
But God's word today— get your praise back, get your joy back, get your excitement back.
Because generations depend on it. Yeah, your church family depends on it.
And he could pick so many other people., but he assigned you for it.
He doesn't assign you without anointing you, and the anointing can get you through every bit of adversity. Do y'all believe it this morning?
I don't know who that's for.
Take it with you, put it in the freezer because you're gonna need it.
Microwave it, eat a little bit of it every day, it'll last you.
All right, let's give God a hand clap of praise.
