Sunday Morning Worship Service

standing and get your Bibles thank you praise team [Music] get your Bibles stay standing we're going to go to the word of God first Samuel chapter number 21 there is a spirit of encouragement in the house today there is a spirit of encouragement and refreshment in the house I don't know what you have come in here needing but I know that God can meet you right where your faith starts God does not meet us in our comfort zone he meets us in our faith I must say it again because you're not paying attention to me I said God doesn't meet us in our comfort zone he meets us at our faith and is there anybody who's got some faith today to believe that God can do something before we walk out of here today do you believe that he could touch somebody he's got cancer in their body do you believe that he can feel somebody with the Holy Ghost today do you believe he can put a family back together he can put a marriage back together do you believe he can do that today amen first Samuel chapter number 21 beginning at verse number one we're going to read this first portion of this great chapter today then David came to Knob to him elect the priest and a himelect was afraid at the meeting of David and said unto him why art thou alone and no man with thee and David said to him elect the priest the king hath commanded me a business and has said unto me let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee and what I have commanded thee and I have a poem in my servants to such and such a place now therefore what is under thine hand give me five loaves of bread someone say bread or what it is present and the priest answered David and said there is no common bread under my hand but there is hallowed bread or holy bread if the young men have kept themselves at least from women and David answered the priest and said to him of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days since I came out in the vessels of the young men are holy and the bread is in the manner of common yay though it were Sanctified this day in the vessel so the priest gave him hallowed or holy bread for there was no bread there but the shoe bread that was taken from before the Lord to put hot bread someone say hot bread in the day when it was taken away jump down to verse number eight and David said unto a himalek is there not here under thine hand spear or sword for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me because the king's business required haste and the priest said the sword of Goliath the Philistine whom thou slew Us in the valley of elah behold it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod if that will take that take it for there is no other save that here and David said there is none like it give it to me I want to preach this morning with the help of the Lord and the help of this great church Witness and warfare witness and warfare if you believe God is going to do something for you today I want you to lift up your hands and I want you to lift up your heart and lift up your voice right now and I want you to cry out in faith that God is going to do something for you today come on is there somebody I said God's going to do something for you today are you gonna are you are you gonna believe for it are you ready for it you have faith for it do you have faith for will you lift up your voice now come on somebody I wonder if somebody's desperate today I've not come to have play church today I wonder if somebody wants to get a hold of Jesus will you lift up your voice [Music] come on somebody this is this is a moment where you know if you're desperate if you're ready you need to drag that thing into his feet today come on are you ready for healing are you ready for refreshment are you ready for encouragement today if you believe it will you clap your hands unto the Lord amen you can be seated thank you for standing I know you've been standing for a Time Witness and warfare we've come to a transition in the in the story of David where he no longer has any any favor with Saul King Saul the first king of Israel I'm not really sure if he ever had favor with Saul but he definitely doesn't have any favor with Saul by the time we get to chapter number 21. Saul's raging jealousy has taken over his clear thinking and he has thrown Spears at his own son Jonathan and he has even thrown them at David Jonathan Saul's son realizes that his father intends to kill David and tells him to run for his life and David goes from giant killer that everyone loves and celebrates to a fugitive fearing the sword of King Saul in just a matter of a few chapters so after David and Jonathan commit to one another in a covenant David flees to Knob look at the first verse here it says then came came David to Knob to a himalek the priest the first place David went to when he was in trouble was the house of God as soon as he has faced trouble he went to the house of God we must keep in mind though that the Tabernacle had gone through some challenging times throughout David's lifetime Eli the high priest and his sons weren't the greatest of leaders and under their supervision the Ark of the Covenant had been taken by the Philistines it was only to be returned to Israel at a place called karjath jerem where it stayed in the house of abinadab for 20 years it would stay there until David would become king and he would go and fetch it commentators aren't exactly sure why or how the Tabernacle and the Ark were or without the ark were located at knob when it had been at Shiloh for so many times for so many seasons and is here in knob it is between Rhema and Jerusalem on the north side of Jerusalem and either way David when he is in distress he turned to one place the house of God that's the first the first decision for David if I'm in trouble I'm going to the house of God Saul never did that Saul Saul did not turn to the Tabernacle or the ark or the priesthood when he was in trouble no he was always it was always the last resort for Saul but for David David it was the first place that he would go to he knew if I can just get in the faithful presence of God whether it was Samuel the prophet or whether it was the tabernacle and knob or whether he was uh and he was calling out for uh for the IFA to encourage himself and the Lord David knew when he was in trouble he was going to get in the presence of the Lord that's the first thing not the last thing if I'm in trouble when he's facing a giant he's calling on the name of the Lord when he's running from a jealous King he's running to the house of the Lord I want to tell somebody today if you're in trouble if you're facing situations you're in the best place possible why because this is the very place where God dwells [Applause] now when you get the book of Psalms is is is a is a large book but there is a grouping of Psalms in in this book called The Psalms of ascent and these were songs that most Bible commentators believe that David had a pen uh in writing and they would sing these songs as pilgrims would take the uh make the journey towards Jerusalem and the temple later on and we see this mentality at the very beginning the first three uh the first three songs of the Psalms of ascent that David wrote If you look it begins in Psalm 120 it says in the first verse Psalm 120 and 1 in my distress I Cried unto the Lord and he heard me he says deceitful lying and false tongues shot their arrows at him but he knew that if he can just get to the presence if he can just call on the name of the Lord when he was in distress he went he cried out listen we we've gotten to uh we've gotten into a certain mentality in our culture that when we get into distress we go to Facebook uh we go to social media I got a post about it you wouldn't believe what happened to me at the airport today and you wouldn't imagine what happened to me in the meeting today with my boss you wouldn't not David David said no I'm not going to social media in my distress I cried out to the Lord when I got a bad report I cried out to him I want you to know he's not overwhelmed by your request he's not overwhelmed by your crying out to him prayer should not be our last resort it should be our first option come on somebody prayer cannot be our last resort it needs to be our first option we cry out to him in our distress the next Psalm and the psalm of a sense chapter in 121 he says I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from which cometh my help my help comes from the Lord I'm in distress I'm calling for somebody now when you're sick you go to the doctor when you have car trouble you go to the mechanic when you have Plumbing issues you call Joseph Perez you got to know the who to fix your problem David said I know my problem now let me take you to the greatest who that I know I'm going to take it to the Lord I'm gonna lift up my eyes to see where my help comes from you want to know something today that your greatest need can be met by the greatest of King of Kings and the Lord of lords you don't have to put it off you don't have to go through a Channel of Your Rolodex and scroll through your phone who should I call no when you're sick you go to him when you're in trouble you go to him when you have something you that you need you go to him that's what David did if he's facing a giant call in the name of the Lord if you're facing a jealous King call in the name of the Lord if you're faced with the guilt of your sin call on the name of the Lord he knew God never slept nor slumbered he knew God was not tired of him he said he's going to keep me in the morning and he's going to keep me at night because why because he's faithful his distress led to his Discovery then it led to his destination the next chapter of the sum of a sense is Psalm 122 and 1. I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord if you've got a need the best place for you to go is the house of God I wish somebody was helping me today I wish somebody was I want you to realize you're in the greatest place in the world when you I know we can have church anywhere I know a few years ago we had to go online and I know we try to encourage everybody and say it's okay it's okay he's with you but let me tell you something don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together why because when we Gather in his name he shows up oh it's Sunday I was mad when they said unto me oh it's Sunday I should be mowing my yard I should be sleeping in I should be barbecuing I should be fishing that's not what David said when I'm in trouble I cry out to him when I have trouble I Look to Him and when I'm in trouble I go to the place where I can find him I want you to know I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord I'm not just glad about it during camp meeting I'm not just glad about it during great conferences I'm glad to do it in September with you I'm glad to I wish somebody was hearing me today this is the greatest place this is the greatest house why because this is where God can do something David said if I could just get to the house of God if I could just get there I know I'm in trouble if I could just get there if I have to walk six miles to Knob I'll walk six miles to Knob but Nothing's Gonna Keep Me From the house of the Lord oh he runs empty-handed and hungry to the house of the Lord he gets to a himelect in knob comes with a few men he says um a Himalaya and first of all a Himalaya comes out trembling scared to death wouldn't you be scared to death if giant killer David showed up at your front door he comes out trembling he's a little worried why are you here he's fearful David said I'm not coming to do any harm I'm hungry I'm hungry and he said do you have any bread now listen between Jerusalem and Nob I'm sure there were some Farms I'm sure David walked through some marketplaces I'm sure there are those who set up on the side of the roads and had set up get your bread here but David said I want to keep walking until I get to the Tabernacle I can get bread anywhere I can get fed anywhere I'm David I've brought Victory I've brought all kinds of Celebration to Israel they know who I am I can get bread I can get fruit I can get vegetables anywhere he said but there's one place on my mind and I'm going to get to the house of the Lord why because I know if I can get there I'm not going to be rejected you're not hearing me you're not hearing me if I can just get there I can stop over here at Farm Bill's Place and get me some bread over here I can go over here uh to oh Old McDonald's house and get me some vegetables over here but I'm going to the house I'm going to the house of the Lord I'm going to a place I know that I can get nourishment I'm going to the place I know that I can get provision I know where I'm going to get some help in my life I'm going to the house of the Lord the priest comes out and trembling and David says do you have any bread bread I don't have any common bread but I do have holy bread and it's in the house someone say in the house the bread is in the house not common bread holy bread you see the the the Tabernacle was made up of two places the out Outer court and then on the inside it was the Holy place in the holy of holies and in the Holy place there were three things there was light there was incense and there was bread the bread was stacked up into two stacks like this six loaves of unleavened bread were put there every Sabbath day every Sabbath day 12 Loaves and two stacks will be sat on the golden table where the shoe bread went and it was sat before the Lord it was called the shoe bread or the bread of the presence and it represented God's provision for his people Israel it also represented communion with them and fellowship God Emerson and they would set hot bread there every Sabbath day for the Lord you see the Lord wasn't hungry and the Lord didn't eat it like Santa Claus on Christmas Eve it was sat there as a memorial for his people that I provided for you to come out of Egypt and I provided bread for you in the wilderness and I've also provided for you a covenant between me and you so set the bread there every Sabbath day and on the seventh day the priests can take some of the bread and eat it only in the Holy place the bread it's for the priests only to be eaten in the Holy place and David said I'll take some uh David I don't think you heard me bro bro that's that's for the priests and that's that's that's holy bread that's shoe bread that represents a covenant between God and Israel you should know this David uh you should know about that and David said yeah that'll do I need Five Loaves who else asked for Five Loaves he said I just need five you can keep the rest and he says I I don't even know this is for holy people and this is uh this is for the priest who have been eating the holy place it's holy bread and and David said yeah yeah we're good we're holy y'all y'all holy and I've been with your wives okay yeah we're holy and the priest goes all right I'll be right back goes in and gets the holy bread in the Holy place and brings it to David and I'm going to see David going pretty good uh got any more have you ever I mean there's a place over in Clinton Highway on Sunday afternoons you go over to Clinton Highway and you get out there by the Walmarts and um you smell fresh break baked bread you ever smelled that before makes you want to wreck your car and as you can see I love some carbohydrates in the form of bread give me the big bread give me the small bread give me the crack of bread give me any of the kind of bread that you want just give me the bread we and this is listening is so crazy that when Ashley and I got married uh we in Back Home In Indiana we eat pizza when we eat pizza we eat bread sticks with our pizza and she's like why would you do that and I was like why would you not it's called bread and so there's one place to get pizza there's another place to get bread sticks and you eat breadsticks with nacho cheese it's nachos because it's not yours it's mine so now we have to have is this part of what we do you might know what I'm talking about you got to have a little bread with here with your meal got to have bread well I want you to know that the word of God is called the bread of life that whatever you need that you can be found in the bread of life that when Jesus Christ came to Earth he said I am the bread why because he was the word made flesh and he dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth and so he said partake of My Flesh this is my bread for my body which was broken for you because when you eat the bread when you come into His presence you are eating the bread of the covenant not an old covenant not stale bread but it is his body broken for us and when you partake of his bread and you partake of the living bread the word of God into your life you can't fight if you're weak and we've got too many Christians trying to fight spiritual battles on an empty stomach and we're trying to get filled up with Facebook and Netflix and worldliness and I'm going to tell somebody today all of your needs and all of your nourishment can come from the bread of life which is the word of God we need a healthy give us this day our weekly bread no no no no no no give us this day our conference bread no no no no no no give us this day our daily bread we need to be a digesting the word of God hot bread not stale bread not leftover bread bread that's hot that's just been baked that's why we need preachers who have baked their sermons in prayer and meditation they've baked the bread of God in the hot fire of Affliction why because we need to give some people some hot bread we don't know if they're coming to the house of God with they're coming week they're coming they're coming broken they're coming with trouble and Circumstance I've not come to preach pretty today I've come to preach about some hot bread and we need the word of God in our life come on self-help is not going to get you through your trouble positive statements are not going to get you through your trouble it's going to be the fresh bread of God I wish somebody was helping me today is this microphone on dear God have mercy I'm talking about the word of God today we need to be partakers of the word of God Ezekiel see the scroll eat it you're not to piecemeal the word of God you're not to add to the word of God you're not to take away from the word of God you're to eat the word of God because when you begin to eat something it becomes digestion into yours into your system it brings the right nourishment and nutrients into your body so you can get to the next day that's why we got we Christians that's why we got weak Christians all we do is just one little text that we've taken out of context I can do all things through him who strengthens me I'm gonna dunk this basketball Paul wrote that in prison he was not putting that on his face getting ready to go play a football game come on somebody hear me right now if you want to make it in this world you're going to have to eat the bread of God's word I'm talking about eat it every day reopen the book and read yourself silly read it until you keep your eyes cross but you need to open up the word of God and yeah I'll take the bread I'll take the bread yeah uh he said uh now uh like I'm going out on a limb here thank you for the bread I appreciate that's going to get us through tomorrow do you got any weapons in the Tabernacle Tabernacle this was a peaceful place this is a place of sacrifice this is a place of worship this is a this is Holy things are taking place here these are priests priests who don't even get their own land priests who don't even get an inheritance all they're doing is the work of the Lord and David Goes you got a sword in the house got bread in the house you got a sword in the house and a Hammel that goes you know what David I you know what come to think of it I do have a sword in the Tabernacle uh you see there's a sword that used to belong to Goliath and it's wrapped up behind the ephod [Music] the ephod was what the priests wore now this is not an IFA this is what the best land could find in my closet last night looks special it's not so but the epha was what the priests wore you see the 12 pieces of bread was the 12 tribes of Israel and on the ephod that the priests would wear the names of the 12 tribes of Israel so everywhere the priest ate he went as a memorial and as a mediator for God's people it was he was wearing it he was eating it and he was representing God to the people and the people to God that'll preach right there and he would wear the ephod and the ephod was special because of the time the Ark of the Covenant was not in the Tabernacle as I said earlier the Philistines had taken the Ark of the Covenant and so the people believed that in the meantime the place marker was the ephod and so you got the bread of the presence and now you've got the ephod which represented the presence and he said David the only thing that I've got is a sword that belonged to Goliath and it's behind the ephot it's behind your worship [Music] and when he put He didn't this wasn't this wasn't just hanging up somewhere on as a trophy for for the priest like look what God did no no no no it was it was wrapped up hidden behind the worship behind the presence and David said uh let me see that sore because I know that sword you see that might not mean anything to me and you that sword might be so insignificant to me and you but it was a sword that meant something to David you see it was a witness to what God has done you see David took a stone and he slung that stone and he knocked down Goliath and he went down but let me tell you something God doesn't want you just to knock down the giant he wants you to go and get the sword and cut his head off David took Goliath's own sword and he took it and he began to cut that head off and he drugged that head and that sword into Saul's tent and he never seen that sword he never seen that sword again but somehow God's provision in David's past ended up behind the ephod in the Tabernacle and when David said that he said give me that thing give me that sword give me that sword why because it's a witness to what God has done in my past and if I can get that testimony for what God has done in my past I know that he's going to show up in my presence [Applause] he healed me of cancer 25 years ago let me see that stored I know he can do it again for you why let me take that testimony down let me take that witness down he he showed up in my bank account four years ago let me take that testimony down let me see that sword why because it's a witness to what God has done now Paul would say that the word of God is the sword of the spirit you got the word in the bread and you got the word and the sword what is going to get you through your today and going to get you through your tomorrow is going to be word but you can't fight word in the sword until you get word in your spirit I wish I was preaching better let me let me see that there's none like it but it's behind it's wrapped up behind your worship it's wrapped up behind your praise what did David grab when he was walking back into Jerusalem with the Ark of the Covenant what was he wearing when he was dancing before the Lord every six Paces he was wearing the e-filed why it was the same he fought that his sword was behind let me tell you something if you want your miracle today it's going to be wrapped up in your worship if you want Victory today it's going to be wrapped up in your worship if you want to overcome today it's going to be wrapped up in your worship [Applause] come on worship is not about a slow song worship is not about a fast song worship is warfare that's why we want you to lift up your voice why because you're unceiving a sword you're unsheathing past testimonies and if he did it before he can do it again [Applause] almost done come on musicians I'm almost done now listen you want a sword what are you facing today what are what is this what are you facing this morning what did you what did you walk in here with this let me tell you something this is why we just can't go through the motions at church is going through all of his Traditions he's going through all of his Customs he's gone through every ritual that he's got to do and all of a sudden Here Comes somebody got any bread you got any testimonies uh we sing three songs around here and we take up offering and we just we just do this right here and then we go home and we go and eat Long John Silver's you know what's going to get us to the next level of reaching our community is being a place that's ready to offer them bread and a testimony because when they show up we don't need to be worried about our our routine and our traditions we need to make sure we got the bread ready we got to make sure we got the sword ready why because he's a warrior he's a Healer he's a provider I'm telling you this is the best place where you can get fed and this is the best place for you to get victory I wish somebody would stand at their feet right now and say this is a place where I can get fed this is a place where I can become a lawyer come on well David don't you know uh don't you know it's not camp meeting yet and Jay Osborne's not here and Tim Hammond's not here and you're gonna have to wait and come back in July you see we're all out of bread and we're all out of swords and you know but we gotta we got some really cool traditions you see we got some cool stuff we do here you know this is what we do and this is how we do it here and if we're not careful we'll have a form of godliness but no power and if we're not careful we can shout about listen this is one thing I I try not to do and I I'm I'm trying to make myself aware of this but I'm trying not to shout over our traditions you know who I am yeah a sinner do you know what kind of church this is yes a house full of sinners and if we start getting so that we owe this is our car this is our church this is what we're doing this is how we're doing and we go through these rituals and this is what we do and people go do you have any bread do you have something that will feed me I like your songs I like your programs I like your school I like the music I think that's great I like the lights I love the production but do you have any bread and do you have a sword come on somebody we can get so caught up with how we have church and there are some now listen to me and I'm just I went from preaching to Medlin real quick but there are some who feel like we can't have church unless we're in the old building yeah we hadn't had church since 1969 I haven't spoken in tongue since Ronald Reagan was President but you know every time Dick and Harry on the UT football team and you know the score of everybody's game but you can't tell me who the 12 disciples are and you can't tell me where Revelation is do you got any bread do you got any bread are there anybody who needs some bread today is there anybody who needs a sword today oh no I hit that Idol didn't I I just tipped that Idol didn't I I just tipped that Idol called football around here oh brother Nate it's more than the game yeah it's called an idol and we can't have good church if a team loses and we got Sinners walking into the place going I need healed of cancer and I need set free from my addiction uh but did you watch the football game last night oh y'all still there y'all some of y'all already started sitting down on me I'm still I'm close I promise but there's others who not so carnal he'll say well I'm not going to worship unless they sing my song and I'm not going to run unless they sing All in His Hands and I'm not going to worship but if it's too loud and it's too soft and it's too cold it's too hot and it's too late and it's too early it's in the middle of the week and it's too late I got kids to go to school in the morning all this and people are going do you have any bread do you have a sword somewhere come on out hope you all got Rocky Top is our our ultrasound today and I can feel a lot better but you know where David went the house listen I'm not trying to be mean I'm not trying to be rude and I'm not trying to hurt anybody's feelings I do that anyway but they're not going to get this at a basketball game I like basketball I like football I watched the game last night so don't throw stones at me just yet but they're not going to get it at Thompson Bowling when they are hurting and when they are in trouble they want to know is there anything that I can get I can get all that other stuff somewhere else I can get all that stuff somewhere else but I need something that's going to feed my soul I need something that's going to put a sword in my hand to face the giant that I'm looking at tomorrow morning I've got to do something but you know what we're gonna have to go get some bread today and we're gonna have to go get some swords today because he's a he's a witness and he's a warrior the witness is that he's done it before and he can do it again but you won't know that until you grab the bread you gotta how do I know he's a Healer for the Bible says so how do I know that I can overcome because it says that I'm more than a conqueror through him who loved me you know we just can't have some kind of passive relationship with the bread and the sword and this can't be a last resort for us we can't treat God and His word as a last resort I'm going through trouble let me just see what I can find today oh here's Song of Solomon she looks like goat's hair and she has apples for teeth you all read song a song before [Music] oh no I need I'm gonna need something else you gotta you got to know where some things are at in here you got to get familiar with some things you can't wield a sword you never handled before [Music] I'm I'm almost done I'm sorry someone said not say sorry anymore I'm sorry for saying sorry I'm closing when Jesus was in the wilderness the devil said turn these stones the bread and what did he fight back with it is written I'm not going to turn stones to bread I'm going to be bread and I'm going to give my body so you can be fed and get eternal life I wonder if somebody right now would lift up their hands right now I wonder if somebody lift up their hearts right now I wonder if somebody's hungry for some bread I wonder if somebody will come and get some bread today I wonder if somebody'll come and get a sword today I wonder if somebody's hungry enough to realize I don't need junk food I need the word of God I need something that's going to give me some nourishment I wonder if somebody who's got a witness tied up in their worship I wonder if somebody's got a witness tied up to their worship right now that you can unsee the sword of a Hand by the blood and by the word of their testimony there's a testimony in your worship wonder if somebody would lift up their voice as they began to sing as they begin to lift up their voice promote somebody there's a testimony there's a witness is there somebody who can give some more hair s [Music] grab your bread [Music] I'm not a witness [Music] ES [Music] oh yes [Music] [Applause] your testimony [Music] [Applause] [Music] pictures [Music] for a second [Music] David got David got filled up with bread he got that sword of Goliath and then you wouldn't believe this but David took Goliath's sword and he walked right into gas same chapter he walks right in to get of the Philistines where Goliath is from Dragon Goliath soared with him you know what you need to do tomorrow when you go to your job you need to know what you need to do tomorrow when you go to the doctor you know what you need to do when you're facing your situation tomorrow and your family with your kids and your marriage whatever it is you need to take the sword with you and say I'm going to take this sword I'm not leaving it there I know I got in the house but I'm taking it home with me I'm taken into the enemy's Camp I'm going to remind them of what my God's done before and he's going to do it again I misbelieve I've got to witness and I've got the Warfare and I've got the Assurance one more time would you lift on your hands somebody get some comfort get some Assurance come on I'm taking the sword with me I'm taking the sword with me I'm taking it into my situation I'm not going to be intimidated I'm not going to be intimidated I'm going to be bold in the Lord come on when she lift up your voice One More Time One More Time come on there's there's a refreshing that's coming come on there's a refreshing I wonder if somebody would unsheet their sword right now I wonder if somebody would grab me he thought of their worship right now I wonder if somebody would grab me he thought of worship right now