Upheld Without the Upgrade | II Samuel 21:15–17

You've been invited to fellowship with me this morning, book of 2 Samuel. 2 Samuel, more specifically, verse— chapter number 21. 2 Samuel chapter number 21. I want to begin reading my best around verse number 15. Y'all here with me this morning? 2 Samuel 21, want to begin reading verse number 15. The word, word of God says, the Philistines again waged war against Israel. David went down with his soldiers. And they fought the Philistines. But David came exalted. Then Ishbabinah, one of the descendants of the giant whose bronze spear weighed about 8 pounds and who wore new armor, intended to kill David. But Abishai— I'm not cussing— son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, you must never again go out with us to battle. You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel. You may be seated. We thank God for his word. For the perpetual nature that lies there within. I'm stuck on this part where David grew exhausted, grew tired, exhausted. For just a few moments this morning, brothers and sisters, I want to wrestle from the subject Upheld without the upgrade. Upheld without the upgrade. It's the month of May, graduation time. Higher education practitioner, scholar, I am overjoyed during this time of year to see so many matriculants, students, cross the stage to receive their degree. However, the excitement of this time of year was kind of challenged this past week because nationally and globally The LMS, the learning management system Canvas, went through a hacking situation. Brothers and sisters, Canvas is what students use to be able to participate in class in a virtual format. Place where students take tests, place where students take quizzes. It's the place where students took or take their final exam. It happened at such an odd time, during finals, during graduation, where what the students need to be able to prove that they know the information has been compromised. Now we have information officers all throughout the land who are trying to fix and upgrade Canvas to make sure that it is functional and secure.

But something hit me this past week that while they are working on the upgrade, students still graduate. So before the upgrade has been completed, students are still victorious. Institutions did not wait on the upgrade of canvas to confer the degree. But even with a dysfunctional system, you have degrees that have been conferred. And brothers and sisters, will you sneak with me this morning to 2 Samuel chapter 21, where this king of Israel by the name of David Yeah, he's no longer the strong, mighty young David that we're used to, but now David has grown older. Yeah, now David has gray hairs. Yeah, now David has a walking cane. Now David is on blood pressure medication. Now David is dealing with aching joints and pains in his body because life has happened to him. But just because life has happened to David, it did not stop the enemy from coming to try to attack David. And we find here in this particular curriculum David, all right, where the Philistines, a familiar foe, has come to fight Israel again. But here is what happens. The Bible says that David grew weary in the midst of the battle. David grew tired in the midst of the battle. And when David grew tired, the enemy still came. But even though the enemy still came to attack a weak David, David was in the presence of Abishai, who was able to help him anyway. But here is what arrests me in this text, is that David didn't all of a sudden become younger. David didn't all of a sudden drink a Gatorade and get electrolytes, but while David was weak, David won the war. Y'all missed everything I just said. While he was struggling, David was able to win. While he was still tired, David was able to win. He was not the best version of himself, but even a weaker version of him was able to get the victory because he had the aid of God. And I'm talking to someone this morning who's not paying attention to the word I'm saying, but you are not the best version of yourself. You have been dealing with life and it now has you in a lesser state. You may have some pain in your body and you're not the best version of yourself. You've gone through work this week and they've gotten on every last one of your nerves and tissues. And this morning you are not the best version of yourself. You look at your bank account and you see that you spent some money that you shouldn't have spent. You're not the best version of yourself. You cried some tears last night because of some situations that you're dealing with. You are not the best version of yourself. You can think about some sins that you've committed since you walked in here this morning, and you can confess confess that you are not the best version of yourself. I know you got the gift of tongues. I know you got a white dress. I know you got some oil in your car and you anoint it before you start it up. But the reality this morning is that as long as you live in this human body, there will be moments where you will not be the best version of yourself. But here is the good news. God knows how to give you the victory even when you are not your best version. And somebody this morning has lost hope because you see who you really are. You see your limitations and you see how bad you feel and You see that you don't step as fast as you used to step, and now you think that God has forgotten about you, and now you think that your best days are behind you. But God sent me on cruise control this morning down Highway 167 to let you know that even when you are not at your best God is still good, and the blessings that you've received in your life is not because you've always been your best, but there have been some moments where you've been favored without some dotted i's. There have been moments where you must confess, I've been favored without some cross t's. But by his grace and by his mercy, God is there to give you the victory even when you're not at your best.

Gavin Arham, what is your thesis for this morning? Because Tony is here now, and you know Tony is your preaching power.

So since he's here, tell the people your thesis.

Here it is: God's power does not expire when my strength is expended.

I had both of my hands up and I talked with my hands and y'all looked at me like I didn't say— now say it again. God's power does not expire when my strength has been expended. Said a different way, Gavin, when I'm down to my last, God's provision doesn't expire. When I'm weak in my body, God's power does not expire. When I'm tired as I can be, God still is my strength. And is there anybody in Pilgrim Rest this morning who can admit that I am expended? I'm tired, I'm frustrated, I'm weak, I'm stressed, I'm anxious, I'm mad, I'm hot, I'm frustrated, I'm sick, I'm worn, but God, his power has not expired. And I want by the time we leave here today, somebody to be able to skip out of here saying, I ain't stronger yet, but God just keeps on strengthening me. The situation hadn't changed, but God is keeping me. He's still on the throne. He's still walking with me, he's still talking with me, and it's evidence that his faith and power has not expired. Is there a witness in the house this morning? Is there a mother in the house who know that you didn't always have the resources, you didn't have everything you needed, but look at your child today? They crossing stages, getting diplomas, they crossing stages, getting degrees, they getting jobs. They getting awards, and you can look back and say, God, your power must not expire.

Calm down, Jeff.

That's all I'm really trying to preach this morning. I'm trying to relieve somebody this morning because you know you not your best version, and you've been asking God, what are we gonna do? God said, I don't know what you gonna do, but I'm gonna be God. I'm gonna be Jehovah Jireh. I'm gonna be Jehovah Nissi. I'm gonna be your savior. So just trust me and watch how this thing works out.

Big hand turn on the clock. Let me see if I can get to my movements here because 167 is calling my name. Uh-uh, there are some things hermeneutical highlights that God has expressed to me to give to you.

I will do my best to give them to you. So I'm gonna explain this thesis, and once I do that, I'm gonna see if I can find my way north to south of 167.

Here it is. Text educates and empowers me about the concept of an instilling acquaintance, an acquaintance that instills something in me. Uh, uh, uh, uh, here I come, Tony. Notice in this text that the writer talks about how the giant who's descendant of the giants, what he's, um, Tells about the sword, how much it weighs.

But here is something that shouted at me, because the writer, 2 Samuel, says something that I thought was irrelevant.

Says that he went by the gun store and bought some new armor. Read in the text, it says he had some new armor.

That's problematic because you got new armor and old David.

All right, you got fresh armor and famished David.

David's tired, but the enemy don't just have all, but he has new armor. And, and I look today, and, and you must confess that we have grown weary and tired in life. And when we grow weary and tired The enemy does not stop. But the enemy does not only just stay persistent, he goes to the store, right, and he buys some new armor.

Wow.

Y'all thought civil rights was over with a long time ago. Now look, some new armor. You thought, you thought, you thought these girls wearing Daisy Dukes was over with a long time ago, but now there are some new armor. You thought crooked people were over with a long time ago, but now there are some new armor. You got that blood crucifix, now you're sugar sky high. It's some new armour. You tired of taking Lasagna, but now you— while you're tired, you got to take some new pills because the enemy has new armour. Y'all stop arguing about money last month, now y'all arguing about gas because the enemy has new Armor.

Anyone this morning dealing with some new armor? You still trying to recover from the armor you was dealing with in '25?

You came into this new year, you made a May's revolution, you so say.

Now you found out that because May is a new month You still got some new armor. But can I give you some good news?

Even though he had new armor, here's what blessed me. He was dealing with new armor, but the text says that it was a Philistine.

I gotta unpack why they shouted at me.

Because a Philistine is a descendant or a part of the family that David has historically been able to defeat. Y'all remember when David was first anointed, they didn't give him a consecration service. They put him in the field, and there was this man, this giant named Goliath. And if memory serves me correct, Goliath was a Philistine. There were several other moments, especially when David first ascended in 2 Samuel 5, that David had to deal with and defeat Philistines. So what I'm trying to tell you is that David Even though he may have been aggravated by Philistines, he was still anointed to deal with the Philistines. And what shocks me in this text is that no matter the new weapons that's in the hands of the Philistines, it's still a Philistine. And if I look back over my life, I can see that Philistines just keep on coming. I got rid of them in '78. They came back in '91, but I got them then too. After I got them in '91, they came back in '96, but God took care of them then. After '96, they came back in 2013, and God did it again. So if a Philistine comes in 2026 I don't care what armor he got in his hand. At the end of the day, it's the same old enemy. And child of God, I'm trying to tell you this morning, all CNN and Fox is doing is just telling you about the new armor. All the news and Facebook and social media and TikTok, all they're doing is telling you about the new armor. That's why it's called the newsa. Because they're telling you about the new armor. But when you get through looking at the new armor, I want you to get back on your knees and talk to the same God who helped you deal with the enemy and say, God, they got some new armor out there, but I still know you good. I know that you have anointed me. I know that you have kept me. I know you have empowered me. So no matter what new thing I see, I'm still gonna trust in you.

David, David, David, David got this acquaintance that's instilled something in him.

He done figured out a pattern.

I may be old, but it's the same, ain't it? And so now I'm discovering something. When I took the slingshot and defeated Goliath, it really wasn't me.

I was just a conduit.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So the whole time, if I can defeat a giant with a sling, that means that I can still be weak and have the victory. So when God has helped you do some miraculous things before you got to this point. You may be weak in your body, but you can still say Our Father. You may be going through, but you still got some power because God is still with you.

Yeah, you preach it too long. These folks trying to go eat. Here it is, here it is. This This text teaches us something so key when you're dealing with familiar foes who got new armor.

Can I tell you what it is?

That God, when he has anointed you, a sign that you have been anointed and touched by God is that when old enemies can get new armor, and the new armor does not consume you, but it confirms you.

I'm going home. Y'all don't want to play ball with me today. You know that you've been touched by God when that which was supposed to consume you, somehow, some way, when God works in that thing, it mess around and confirms you. What does it confirm, Gavin? It confirms that I am the righteousness of God. It confirms that I'm the head and not the head—

tail.

I'm above and not beneath. I'm the lender and not the borrower. It confirms that I've been justified. It confirms I've been sanctified. It confirms I've been redeemed. Is there anybody this morning whose life tried to take you out, but it messed around and confirmed that God got his hand on you? You can't always go shopping.

With the enemy and help them pick out their artillery. That ain't none of your business.

It's not your business to try to be the controller of the armor of the enemy. But what your job is, right, is to trust the God who's keeping you despite the armor of the familiar enemy.

2015. 2015, Jimmy Carter, one of the most morally correct presidents, if not the most morally correct president in United States history, at the age of 90, was struggling with stage 4 melanoma. Stage 4, that's death sentence.— at people's prognosis, stage 4 is grim. Still, people in 2015 were planning for the demise of Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter just died around 25, 20, at the end of '24, '25.

Made it to be 100 years old.

So not only is the pro— the prognosis for stage 4 melanoma is grim for a 30-year-old. But the man was 90 and lived 10 years after something that was supposed to take him out quick. Can I tell you how? Can I tell you how this blessed me? It ain't gonna bless you because I know normally when things bless me, it don't bless y'all. Here's what happened up until this point. Typically, doctors, oncologists, fought cancer by attacking tumors and the cancer itself. Ah, ah.

And so when they would destroy the cancer, chances are new cancer can come back. Ah, ah, ah. But the doctors took a new approach with Jimmy Carter.

They implemented something called immunotherapy.

Can I tell you what it is?

Immunotherapy is a different approach to treating cancer. What they do when treating cancer with immunotherapy, they don't work as much on the tumors, they work more on the immune system of the person with the cancer. That way, no matter if it's a new cancer that comes, because they've worked on the patient's immune system, that no matter what comes, the person is ready to deal with it. And child of God, I can't tell you if you're gonna have to deal with some new issues, but if you let God work on you No matter what new things come to you, if God works on you, you're able to withstand whatever the devil tries to throw at you. Anybody in here today know that God just kept on working on you? The devil tried to throw new things at you, but God just kept on working on you. They still talking about you, they done got a group text going about you, but God just keep on anointing you. He just keep on blessing you. He just keep on elevating you. And the more you go with God, the less you see the enemy.

Get out of here again. You, you said again that wasn't gonna bless them. You said it wasn't gonna bless them. You must be a real prophet. Get on out of here. Here it is. Next thing this text teaches me It's about intercessory accommodations. Intercessory. Uh, how many of y'all know that we serve a wonder-working God? We serve a miracle-working God who can do anything that he so chooses to do. Some theologians say that he's sovereign, meaning that God don't have to ask for a motion in second before he does something.

He is his own Robert's Rules.

Yeah, with that being said, this bothers me. David's weak. Why not give David some pre-workout? Why not give David a Celsius? Why not give David an Alani Why not give David 2 cups of coffee to give him strength?

Why not give David some steroids? Why not give David some spinach like Popeye? The tension in this text is that God did not fix the fatigue of David. David was tired in battle.

David stayed tired in battle.

This is for us who, who are waiting on it to feel better before we accept the fact that we have victory. Yeah, you waiting on everybody else to change before you accept victory. God is a miracle-working God, but God does not always work the miracle of letting you be better than Y'all saying amen?

We're gonna be stressed out about it tonight. You're waiting on your feelings to change as a sign of confirmation.

Can I deal with that? God is teaching us in this text how to get victory even when you are not the initiator. Victory will not always come through your hands. Victory will not always come on you being the hero of the story. But can I help you? Sometimes in my life, my praise is not that I've been the hero, but my praise is that I was helped. when I couldn't pray for myself. God put somebody in my life to take my name to the throne room of grace, and I received a blessing not because I was a hero in my prayer life. And that didn't make me less anointed, it didn't make me less called, it made me human. And God allowed me to have help and be human even in my condition. That's for you strong independent folks in the house. You don't need nobody else.

Here it is, here it is.

Sometimes the blessing is not based on you being a blesser, but being a blessed one.

Yeah.

That when you didn't have it yourself, God put somebody in your corner to be able to give you the help that you needed. That's why it's important to not have your head in the sky. That's why you need to put your nose down sometimes, because you don't know what life will do to you. Where you may be tired, you may be human, but God can have an Abishai right there with you to help you when you need it.

And you still tired.

Intercessory, meaning somebody was there for me when I couldn't do it myself. Somebody did it with me. Somebody stood on my behalf, and I'm still blessed. He accommodated David. David, who's a bad boy.

Then he told David this time, I'm gonna remind you that you're a human being. I'm gonna leave the attack, I'm not gonna leave.

Did y'all hear what I just said? Sometimes he might leave the attack, but he will not leave you nor forsake you. And sometimes the sign that God is with you is not your strength, But it's the strength of Abishai. I didn't cuss. Here's what I got to get out of here.

I'm preaching. God, here it is, he's helping me with this because God— God can let you be you without humiliating Watch what happens in this text after David had this moment of vulnerability.

The writer says that they told David, we're not gonna let you go into battle no more because we don't want the lamp of Israel to go out. They didn't try to take the light bulb out the lamp. They said you still the lamp. We still see you for what God has called you to be. And just because you having a human moment don't mean we don't see who God has made you to be.

Here's what Shaddai— here's what Shaddai— go read the rest of this tonight. Y'all know I give you a quiz, right?

Y'all should know that by now. I will give you a quiz. This might be your quiz.

At the end of the text, the writer said something so strange, because it goes on from a series after this that more giants and other people came in and defeated the giants.

Four more, more giants came. It was four other people besides David who fought and won.

But at the end of the text, the Bible says And God gave them victory at the hand of David and his servants.

Y'all missed that. David, you tired, you ain't touching nothing. But at the end of the story, since you are who God called, even though other people's hands were in it, The victory came through your hand. Is there anybody this morning who knows that you got some credit that you don't deserve? Because God said, you still my child, and even when you rely on help, I'm still gonna give you the blessing.

Bishop, if I was a real preacher, I would put my blink on. And took exit right there.

And you know the exit I would have took? I'm reminded of another battle I won. It was one try I put in place.

Hotel.

I was in the battle, but I couldn't fight. And I say Jesus fought it, and I got the blessing.

I would, I would, I would I maybe should have took the exit, but God gave me something else.

Me and the moon, you know, me and the moon have conversation. The moon said, you've been missing something about me, Gavin. Mr.

Moon, what is it about you?

Said, first of all, you see me, and all this time y'all been talking about moonlight. Y'all been talking about how beautiful the moon is, and you know that is not my light, right? It's the light of the sun, but y'all still call it moonlight.

Moon say, I get all that credit and I ain't touch nothing.

Then the moon pushed me a little bit further. He says, have you ever seen a beach, Gavin? Yeah, I've seen a beach. He says, you notice that sometimes the tide of the ocean comes up and goes back. The moon asked me, what do you think caused that?

I gave an answer.

I said, Mr.

Moon, I think it's probably the wind.

I think it's the swimmers in the ocean— that's causing friction and kinetic energy that's making the tide shift. Moon said— that's why I got to preach this to you. The moon told me something, say, Gavin, what it really is, I'm light years away from the ocean, but because I got a gravitational pull, it's not those who are touching the ocean that's causing the change, but it's me who's way over here. That's because I got an energy inside of me, because I got a pull in me, because I got a spirit in me. I'm able to cause change and I don't have to touch a thing. Somebody today, you need to take your hand off something and rely on the spirit of God that's in you to cause a change. You can't pay it, you can't fix it, you can't change it, but you got something on the inside of you that causes things to change even when you didn't touch it. Is there anybody today who's got the situation— you saw something change, you had your hands on it, you was trying to fix it, but God said, take your hands off of it and pray to me. And what you discovered is that that ruled on the inside of you caused the tide to change. It wasn't your knowledge, it wasn't your power, but it was the Spirit of God that was inside of you.

I'm done, I'm done, I'm done, I'm done, I'm done. We all for Jesus.

We offer Jesus.

I want to let somebody know this morning, God may not be calling you to have a hand in it, but he may be calling you to put your hands forth. We offer Jesus.