The Winning Hand

The Winning Hand
By: Bobby Sullivan

Some of the greatest benefits come from some of the greatest battles. The Psalms is a journal of David’s journey. It is a roadmap of his songs in the midst of his sorrow.

Psalm 59:9 “You are my strength, I watch for you, God, are my fortress, My God on who I rely. (NKJV) says, God is my defense.”

Vs. 10 “God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me.

Vs. 11 “But do not kill them, Lord our shield, or my people will forget. In your might uproot them and bring them down.”

Vs. 12 “For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride for the curses and lies they utter. 13. Consume them in your wrath; consume them till they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. They return at evening, snarling like dogs and prowl about the city. They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied.

Vs. 16 “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love, for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

Just wondering why David was such an emotional basket case? Why was he so fragile?  He was tender one moment and terrible the next.

I know he had a range of motion but surprised at his range of emotion!
Many people knew the public David but Very few people knew the private David.

QUESTION: If no weapon formed against me shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17) and I’m more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37), why is it that we feel more than conquered?  Defeated, Deflated is not our destiny!

GOD IS NOT YOUR REFUGE FROM TROUBLE

HE IS YOUR REFUGE IN TROUBLE

Some of the times in your life that you think you’re in trouble-your in training.
I’m telling you today that God is about to turn your tragedy in triumph!!
What you think is a trial is not Gods denial. You’re not in the penalty box!

1 Samuel 17: 45-46 If people didn’t know David was anointed and set apart to be king, they did after he got done with Goliath.

David began to declare what God was going to do! This was no prophecy! This was a promise!

WE NEED TO GIVE GOD GLORY BEFORE GLORY IS DUE
WE NEED TO BE DETERMINED TO DECLARE BEFORE THE DEADLINE. 

*Don’t wait for a bridge to be built before you begin to march
*Don’t wait until you have confirmed guest before you make the dinner
*I’m not going to wait until next year to get the grounds ready.
*I’m praising Him in advance for people!
*I’m walking out the new parking lot, in preparation for new pavement!
*I’m getting quotes to stretch my faith for the future
*I’m prepping for the prophetic promise

What did David say to Goliath and the Philistine nation?
1 Samuel 17: 45-46

He has the confidence to declare victory before the battle. Way to many people go around talking about their giants rather than to their giants.

They sleep with their giants rather than slay their giants.
David understood a spiritual truth about the power of words!

Joseph Garlington said, “Nothing happens in the kingdom until something is said.”
Life flows from the heart for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

David knew the God of the impossible was on his side and was about to make the impossible. Possible!! By making this declaration, David partnered with the unseen realm of Heaven and brought Heavens reality into manifestation on earth.

It’s one thing to be anointed, it is another to be anointed and appointed!
David was becoming that which he was anointed for by showing up for the appointment!!!!!

“It’s not what happens when you fall on the floor. It’s what happens when you get up! 

YOU BECOME WHAT YOU BEHOLD!

We are all becoming something. Listen to what I just said, “We are all becoming something. Does not matter if you are idle, active, complaining, or conquering.  Doesn’t matter if you are an under achiever, over achiever, visionary or just breathing. You are becoming something because every breath you take provides an opportunity for action one way or the other.

Here is a key element of growth. The degree to which we understand our identity and purpose-who we are becoming-is always determined by the degree of our revelation of who Jesus in us, through us and around us. 

Bill Johnson says, “Beholding Jesus can not be reduced to reading about Him in scripture.”

Scripture says, “Every good and perfect gift comes from above” Meaning that even the most successful of non-believers have God given gifts that have yet to be acknowledged by the individual.

The test that David endured were tests that specifically addressed his ability to keep focused on his identity and purpose.

He was tested in every circumstance of life. It was like God was saying, will you be a King when the people you used to serve are verbally attacking you and hurling insults like spears?

Will you be King when the people you served turn against you? Will you be King when your palace is a cave in the wilderness? And will you be King when your closest of friends disown you and threaten you?

The key today is to place your heart, your motives, your intentions, your will, your desires, your character, your integrity and your name in the palm of God’s hand and stay close to His heart. If you are wrapped up, tied up, tangled up in Jesus know for a fact that you are the culmination of divine destiny.

From that identity comes the confidence to face your adversary.

David had 3 statements to Goliath that triggered action from Heaven.

• David said, “In the name of the Lord.” David boldly without reservation or hesitation declared his allegiance to God. He was not fighting for his reputation but for righteousness. David knew that as he spoke as a representative and he was given much responsibility and with that came authority.
• David said, “The Lord will deliver you into my hand” His confidence gave him courage
• David said, “That the earth may know that there is a God of Israel.” To David, Goliath wasn’t an assassin, he was an assignment.

The destinies of nations are shaped by our declarations!

Proverbs 18:20 “From the fruit of their mouth a persons stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied”
Proverbs 6:2 “You have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth.”

When we come into agreement with our assignment, we will overcome all assaults from spiritual assassins.

Listen carefully today: If we want our words to have positive power, they must be filtered through the father!  1.) We receive the word 2.) We become his word 3.) We release His word.

Before we move on let me give you 4 ways positive speech can cultivate your ability to be a giant slayer.

1. The Name of Jesus: We must recognize the power of the name. COL3: 17 “Paul said, and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
2. Recite Scripture: The Revelation of scripture is revealed truth. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind
3. Declare your Identity: Much of the church has an identity crisis
4. Prophecy Destiny: We like David must declare our identity and association.

DAVIDS WARS 

David is a worshiper, a warrior, a winner and now the woman starting chanting how great he is.   1 SAMUEL 18: 6-7

PSALM 59 We see David’s strength but in 1 Samuel 19 is the historical context where we see David’s struggle.

We need to see his struggles to understand his strength. It’s important to understand his struggle or we will misunderstand his strength.

Your greatest testimonies will come from your greatest test

1 Samuel 19:8 “And there was war again, and David went out and fought with the Philistines and stuck them with a mighty blow, and they fled from him. “

***People will sometimes use you for what you can do for them while secretly hating the threat that you represent to them.

Some of David’s biggest battles were not with what was standing in front of him but what lived within him.

You see while one battle was being won another was being waged.

1 SAMUEL 19: Vs9 “Now the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as sat in his house with his spear in his hand and David was playing music with his hand. How can we serve someone who is threatened by your potential?

David was blessed yet Saul was bewildered. (Deeply or utterly confused, perplexed or puzzled) Saul became jealous and he knew that the Hand of God was all over David and not him.

Saul is not thinking! He is out of control! A raging lunatic.  David is tripping Saul out.
Saul is a walking, talking civil war and he is trying to assault the closest available target at whatever cost.
He is lashing, thrashing, accusing and threatening. All by-products of the battle within.
Saul is trying to kill the very one that God sent to help him but Saul sees David has trick and not a treat.

David held a harp while Saul held a spear

Saul is now throwing spears at David. The very one that God sent to fight his battles.

QUESTION:  Are you trying to kill something that God is trying to use to fight your battles?
Sometimes we are fighting against what we should be fighting for!

VS. 10 Then Saul sought out to pin David to the wall with the spear but he (DAVID) slipped away from Saul’s presence and he drove the spear into the wall. SO David fled and escaped the night.

SAUL-SPEAR  DAVID-HARP

We have to stop trying to kill what God is trying to use.
Who do you connect more with? David playing a harp minding his own business or Saul with spear trying to prove a point?

I want to be a man after Gods own heart. I want to kill my own Goliath’s!
Let’s face the facts that we have 1 or 2 or a family of giants that we need to get rid of.

Sometimes I’m fighting against what I should be fighting for!!!

Saul had his hand on the spear and David had his hand on the harp. What weapon and with who would you go into battle with?
SPEAR OR HARP?  What’s your choice?

DAVID MUST MAKE A DECISION:

Do I take my hand off the harp, reach for my sling or throw back the spear knowing that he has a pretty good aim?
What did David do when he knew he would not miss?
NOTHING!!!!! 

David had a reputation –It must have been hard not to retaliate.  How many of us have tried to be Gods defense lawyer? We try to control, manipulate, dominate, get our own way, and dictate.

VS. 19:10 “Spear stuck in the wall” Does David take his hand off the harp and grab a spear?  NO!!!

SAUL should have killed David for good when he had a chance but something else was happening in that moment that we can’t see.

Do you remember reading; “David was a man after Gods own heart”?
“He was anointed to be king”

There had to be another hand in the room that the scripture doesn’t talk about.

Just because you can see an angel doesn’t mean they are not there!!

What does David do?   HE DUCKS!    DAVID DUCKS
Saul had his hand on the spear
David had his hand on he harp-in the natural-who had a greater chance of winning?

One hand on the spear the other on the strings. One was in military school, the other in music school!!

How could Saul as a seasoned, well trained warrior miss from such a close distance?

Psalms 31:15 “My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.” 

You keep your hand on the harp and God will keep his hand on the spear so it doesn’t stop your heart!!

SAUL CAN’T KILL WHAT GOD HAS CROWNED~~ 

The harps of my praise wreak havoc in the hallways of hell! David knew that the hand that plucked him from the field, delivered him from the beasts, killed a giant and   stopped a spear, was the hand of God himself

I was wondering, maybe worship is a weapon after all!!  We have to let God fight our battles!
If you don’t know how to worship, you don’t know how to fight. If you don’t know how to fight, you don’t know what its like to win. If you don’t know how to win-you’re not in the game. If you’re not in the game, you’re just watching. If you’re not watching, someone else is doing what your supposed to be.

LISTEN!!  I don’t fight for victory-I fight from victory.  The world fights to get back and get even.  Ladies and Gentlemen, our worship is our weapon!

David knew that if he can win the battle with his soul –God would deal with Saul.

WE ALL NEED TO DUCK LIKE DAVID!

The war is within and so are the weapons. You can’t fight fear with a spear!

David rolled the dice and played his hand by keeping it on the harp.

SO when David says in Psalm 59:9 “God you are my strength, I watch for you, you God are my fortress. My God on who I rely.” You know that he is not worried.

Interesting, David wasn’t watching the spears, he was watching God. David had his eyes on God not Saul.
David’s name means, ‘beloved’. The same crown that was placed on beloved David was placed on beloved Bob! The same crown that fit David’s head fits yours.

Vs. 11 But does not kill them, Lord. Lord our shield or let my people forget. I might uproot them and bring them down.

WAIT DAVID DID HAVE A WEAPON! THE SHIELD!

When Saul spears started sailing, David got behind the Shield of our Savior.
Shield of faith will quench all the fiery darts of the enemy all day long

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Psalm 18:2   The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold

Psalm 3:3  But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head

Psalm 33:20 Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield

Ephesians 6:16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.

I GOT THE WINNING HAND.

The Winning Hand, Sermon notes to print, PDF

The Winning Hand, PowerPoint Slides, PDF