Advancing The Kingdom: The Anointing of David

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Today, on Real Life Radio.

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Right now, what’s going on in your life? God’s working behind it. Oh, Pastor, you don’t know what kind of day I had. He’s working behind it! It’s true. When you worry about something, have you noticed what you worry about rarely ever happens? Worrying about, worrying about it. God knows all about it. He’s behind it all, either in a passive sense or an active sense, but He’s there.

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This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I’m David Jay, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God’s Word, the Bible. This December, Pastor Jack Hibbs is doing something a little different and a lot special. All month long, he’s offering a double-feature Book of the Month, two very powerful resources to help you finish the year strong and step into the next year spiritually grounded. First, Pastor Jack’s annual favorite, the One Year Bible. every year lives are changed as people discover how simple and doable it is to read through the entire word of god with just a few minutes a day also pastor jack’s going to include his brand new devotional watching waiting it’s a 40-day journey designed to help you slow down look up and recognize what god is doing in your life so this december why would you choose one when you can get both and grow deeper Visit jackhibbs.com to get your December Book of the Month double feature, the One Year Bible, and Pastor Jack’s brand new devotional, Watching Waiting. They’re available for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com. Again, that’s jackhibbs.com. on today’s edition of real life radio pastor jack continues now with his series called first samuel and a message titled advancing the kingdom samuel of the old testament was the last judge of israel and he was the first of its prophets so here as we continue in chapter 16 We’ll consider how God’s anointing is about his choice and purpose and not based on human merit. You see, David is anointed as king because of King Saul’s disobedience. As God’s spirit departs from Saul, David is sent to play the harp for him to relieve his torment. Now, David’s role as a harp player is seen as humbling, but that kind of humility is exactly what the Lord is looking for. So today, Pastor Jack teaches that our advancement is in God’s timing. Like David, our focus is to be ready for service in whatever role we find ourselves. To live a Christ-centered life is to submit to His agenda, not rushing ahead or comparing ourselves to others. Now, with his message called Advancing the Kingdom, here’s pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs.

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And so we see in our second point tonight, verses 15 to 17, that there’s a solution that actually advances the will of God. Look at this, verse 15, it says, And Saul’s servants said to him, Surely a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. That’s interesting. So those who weighed on Saul, they knew what was going on. Let our master now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful. A skillful player on the harp and And so they’re going to go look for this guy. More on that in a moment. But what’s amazing to me is that God is advancing the kingdom. And God is going to replace Saul. But those that are around Saul, they know that there’s trouble. Something’s wrong with this guy. This is whacked out stuff. And they even begin to understand there’s an evil spirit here. So consider this, that even in trouble, God can use it. That’s a very sobering thought for us here. It’s obvious, though it wasn’t obvious to Saul, apparently, that God was doing something. And that, by the way, speaks to the danger of deception. Saul had been so independent, so stubborn, so self-willed, so against God, even though he claimed to know God. He was so against God, not so much in his mouth, but how he lived his life, that he deceived himself. He became deceived. And I think there are many people today that are living that same kind of life. They talk up the Christian witness on Sunday, but they drag God’s name through the dirt all the rest of the week, and then they go back on Sunday. That’s a lost way to live. Well, listen to this. Verse 16 teaches us something interesting and a little bit about worship. Verse 16 says, let our master now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. Some of your Bibles have lutes. It’s very much like a guitar would be today. And it shall be that when he play it with his hand, when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, you shall be made well. Now listen to this. Get a skillful man to play, right? Now, what’s interesting is, remember, before this chapter, God had already known about David’s appointment to be king, right? He knew this from all eternity. The wheels are turning in that direction. Though man, Saul specifically, is not off the hook. Saul’s responsible for his actions, as we all are. You know, God sits on the throne, but God allows you and I to be responsible for our actions. And so the wheels are grinding in a certain direction. God will even use trouble to his glory. In fact, he says in the book of Isaiah, I will even use the wrath of man to praise my name. I don’t know how he’s gonna do that, but he’s gonna do it. And so there’s a solution to the advancing of the kingdom and God is gonna promote his man. How does he do it? Saul’s alone now and he’s got a troubling spirit. His servants notice it, so they call for music. They call for worship. Well, who do you think the worship leader is going to be? Not some guy down the street. It’s David. God is working behind the scenes in everything. What’s going on in your life right now? Right now, what’s going on in your life? God’s working behind it. Oh, pastor, you don’t know what kind of day I had. He’s working behind it. It’s true. You ever worry about something? I strike that. When you worry about something, have you noticed what you worry about rarely ever happens? No one can worry that perfectly. You’ve got, I’m worried about all this stuff. Most of the stuff never happens. And some of the stuff, thank God, some of the stuff that does happen was so huge, it was so life-shaking, that it’s a good thing you didn’t know about it. You had a heart attack. From the real big heavy stuff, he keeps us from knowing about it till we’re right on it. Have you noticed that? Or you’re like standing in shock. You have nowhere to run. You can’t anyway. God’s there. Then there’s the stuff we’re worried about, worried about it. God knows all about it. He’s behind it all. Either in a passive sense or an active sense. But he’s there. In this case, we’re learning about worship, music. Music’s a powerful tool for good or evil. You know that? You know that. It’s unequaled when it comes to power in the mind of a person. Music is tremendously powerful. In my opinion, the only thing that is more powerful than music is the word of God. Interesting, heaven is a place filled with the fulfillment of God’s word. And what else is it all filled with? Worship, music, and praise. Worship is extremely powerful. And so his servants, they’ve learned, hey, go get a worship leader and your spirit, you know, your heart, you feel better. And let this be a lesson to us. When you’re troubled, turn on Christian worship praise. Look, I’m all for modern Christian bands. That’s cool stuff, okay? But it’s pretty, I don’t know. I don’t know if you’re going to get all that, you know, calm and And lay back with, I don’t know, whoever your Christian rock band is, you know. Remember the Rez band? Turn them on, your hair will fly, back of the ears are flying, you know. Well, okay, there’s a place for that. But you know what? When you need your heart to be soothed and calmed, and listen, those of you, those of us, you have bad dreams. You ever have a bad dream in the middle of the night? You can’t go back to sleep? Turn on praise music. I hope… All of you own praise CDs. If you don’t, somebody call the bookstore and have a bunch of them ready for sale in a minute. I’m joking, I’m joking, but no, I’m kidding. But really, you need to have praise worship CDs because there’s times when you need to put that on and you just need to relax with the Lord. And I tell you, when things aren’t feeling and seeming right, put on praise music and worship music and worship Him. Watch what happens. I tell you, if you’re getting attacked in the spiritual sense, you’ll hear the screen door fly open and away goes that enemy darkness because they can’t handle praise. That’s one of the greatest powers that you and I possess is the ability to sing, worship, and praise unto God. And it causes not only just a normal general depression or confusion to leave us, but if you’re under spiritual attack, it will cause that to flee as well. That’s very important in my life. I pray that it is in your life. Worship music will absolutely be a great benefit. 2 Chronicles 7 verse 1 says, And when Solomon had finished praying… It’s at the big brand new temple they had. Fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the temple and the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of God had filled the Lord’s house. Isn’t that great? Come on, let’s go in. They couldn’t get in. They’re like, they kept trying to get in. God’s presence was filling the building. They couldn’t even get in. It’s like he wanted to try out his seat first. beautiful revelation 14 verse 2 and i heard a voice from heaven like the voice of many waters like the voice of loud thunder And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. And they sang as it were a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. Those are the tribulation witnesses, the tribulation saints that were the evangelists. But what did they hear and what were they singing? They heard and sang the praises of God. Revelation 19, you can read about the praises of God that we’re going to be involved in, in heaven. Nehemiah chapter 8, verse 4 through 6. Nehemiah 8, 4. So Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit made of wood, which they had made for that purpose. And beside him and at his right hand stood a bunch of people, a lot of guys whose names I can’t even come close to. to pronouncing. And Ezra opened the Bible in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above the people. And when he opened it, listen, when he opened the Bible, wouldn’t it be great? Look at it. He opened it up. Ezra stood on a wooden pulpit. He opened up the Bible. When he opened up the Bible in the sight of all the people, For he was standing above the people and with the people stood up and Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered and said, amen, amen. While lifting, listen, while lifting up their hands, they bowed their heads. So you got your hands lifted, your heads down and they worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Isn’t that a humble sight? Ezra picked up the Bible, gives glory to God, the people, they can’t take it. They raise their hands, they bow their head, and they give glory to the Lord, and they’re shouting amen, amen. That’d be a great moment. Psalm 150. Psalm 150 says, praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary. That’s right here. Praise Him in His mighty firmament. That’s outside under the stars. Praise him for his mighty acts. Praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet. We need a trumpet. Praise him with the lute and the harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance. Praise him with stringed instruments and flutes. Praise him with loud cymbals. Praise him with the clashing cymbals. There must be a difference between those two. Loud cymbals and clashing cymbals. Let everyone that has breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. We might need earplugs in heaven.

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You’re listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. To learn more about this ministry or to catch up on some previous episodes, go to jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com. And now, let’s get back to today’s message. Once again, here’s Pastor Jack.

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Third point, verse 18 says, Worship takes place on the battlefield. It says here in verse 18, Then one of the servants answered and said, Look, I have found a son of Jesse, a Bethlehemite, who is skillful and plain and mighty, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person, and the Lord is with him. Just quickly, and we’ll have a fourth point and we’ll be done. But this third point is this, that worship takes place on a battlefield. Worship is something that God loves and Satan hates. But here’s the deal. It involves music. And music is one of Satan’s strongholds. Worship takes place on the battlefield. I think when worship begins, it creates a battlefield, in my opinion. There’s something about worship that when you enter into worship, it galvanizes you into action. You know what I’m saying? It’s true. It galvanizes you. You’re bolstered in your spirit, in your hearts. If you’ve ever read any of the accounts of Fox’s Book of Martyrs, I commend every Christian you should own the Fox’s Book of Martyrs and read what your brothers and sisters have gone through in their love for Jesus. While they were being skinned alive with pliers, as they skinned pastors while they made the church look on, thinking that they would renounce their faith in Christ? These ministers start singing praise songs to God while they’re peeling their skin off of them. They slit them with razor blades and then they grab the piece of the skin and begin to pull their skin over and over again. They sing in songs. How can they do that? In the famous Boxer Rebellion in China, these communist Chinese came up against the church. They brought the pastor out, but before they brought him out to kill him, they’re going to kill him in front of his church. He said, listen, if it doesn’t hurt… I’ll raise my hands. While they’re killing me, here’s the code. If it doesn’t hurt, I’ll raise my hands. So they took him out there and they said, okay, get the congregation out. We’re going to bring them in front. And we have the pastor there. They brought sticks. They put them under his feet. They put gasoline on there and they lit the guy on fire. You know what the guy did? He lifted his hands to them with a smile on his face until he melted away. And you know what happened? Every one of those Christians got in a line and and walked up to their burning. The grace of God spawned by worship. I think that great moment there was a transition from earth to heaven for those martyrs. But worship takes place in the battlefield. And know this, there’s a man called. It says, oh, look, I have seen the son of Jesse, David. the son of Jesse. Not only called, but he developed his gifts. Look, it says that he was a skillful player. There’s a balance. You need a good player, one who knows his instrument or his voice. But just because he has a good voice and a good instrument doesn’t mean he’s called to be a worship leader in any way, shape, or form like that. But when God calls people, a worshipper, they will be serious about their gift. And they will play skillfully as the scripture says here. Why? Because they’re giving it to the Lord. That’s their joy. It’s given unto the Lord. And then it says here, we learned that he’s a man grounded. David’s a man grounded for both worlds, the spirit and the flesh. It says that he’s a man of valor. He’s a man of integrity. And he knows how to conduct himself. And then we see that he’s a man of the big picture. It says that he’s a man of war. I love this guy, David. Isn’t he great? You gotta love him. He’s a songwriter. He wrote most of the Psalms. He writes songs and poems. Okay, obviously a very tender guy in one aspect, but don’t ever cross the guy because he’d pull out a sword and cut your head off. He’s very skilled at battle. You don’t mess with David. And ladies, that’s kind of, in my opinion, that’d be kind of a perfect man, don’t you think? He’s strong, but he’s soft. He’s gentle, but he’s a warrior. You know, girls, you ought to pray for a David. sing you songs, write you poems, pick up a little, you know, little caterpillar going across the street, and then some guy come by and insult you, and he’ll turn around and knock him out. David was a man, the Bible says, after God’s own heart. And then finally, verses 19 to 23, notice this, that David’s promotion comes from God. To me, this is amazing that David is so patient, it says, therefore Saul sent messages to Jesse and said, send me your son, David, who is with the sheep. Wait a minute, I thought David got anointed by Samuel. Remember, he did. Well, how come he’s not like sitting in the front room waiting? Hey, Dad, can you bring me a drink? After all, I’m anointed by Samuel the prophet. I’m going to be a king someday. He’s with the sheep. This is an amazing character. He’s shepherding sheep and he knows that he’s called, but he’s waiting upon God. What a big deal. That’s tremendous. What would you do? What would I do if we knew that we were called and it’s not happening quick enough? Come on, man. Let’s get the show on the road. Somebody send a note to Saul and have him come call for me. No, that’s manipulation, man. You’ll never know if you’re called doing that stuff. God called David, but David went back and spent time with the sheep because that’s what God wanted. He’s not trying to force the issue. And the beauty here is that David does not advance himself. He lets God promote. The second thought here is that God shows his hand being upon David. It says that, and Jesse took a donkey and loaded it with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by his son David to Saul. And so David came to Saul and stood before him. And Saul loved him greatly. And David became his armor bearer. And then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight. To me, this speaks volumes. Because it tells me that when God is promoting somebody, he’ll have the blessing of his parents. Look at this. Jesse loads up the donkey with all the goodies. His parents are with it. Even Saul himself is with it. There’s nothing anyone could say against David. They may make up things. They may conjure up things. But it’s amazing to me, and it’s a beautiful thing, how David just waited upon God to be his creator for the work that God had called him to do. And then finally we end here. God begins to establish David’s life. It says, And so it was, whenever the Spirit from God was upon Saul… that David would take a harp and play it with his hand, and then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him. Isn’t that amazing? Boy, the power that God wants to exercise in our lives. It’s inviting and exciting. Father, we thank you for your word tonight, and Lord, that we’re learning how the kingdom is advancing. Advancing by gifts of the Holy Spirit, advancing by warfare of the Spirit, advancing advancing through you imparting wisdom, Lord, to your people through your word. Advancing, Father, is your kingdom. And we ask you, Lord, that in these last days, as we see these amazing things around us, both in prophetic significance and the advent and rise of evil continuously, Lord, we look around at this world scene and we say, come quickly, Lord Jesus. And so, Father, we pray that tonight we will go from this place, filled with your Holy Spirit, excited to be busy about our Father’s business, knowing, God, that you’re going to advance the kingdom. And, Father, I pray again and again and again, Lord, that you would find this church, these, your people, we, us, together, Father, in that place of being used by you, Lord, don’t pass us by. If there’s anything that would keep us, Lord, from not being in step with you, oh God, change that within us. And Lord, make of us servants who in the end, we will hear from you, from a heart of your pleasure, from lips of your joy, saying, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord. May that be our heart’s passion, that we would bless you and you only. For unto you, Lord, belongs all the glory. And all God’s people said, Amen.

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pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs, here on Real Life Radio, and his message called Advancing the Kingdom. Thanks for participating with us today. You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack’s series called First Samuel. It’s a series that highlights the prophet Samuel who was called by God during one of Israel’s darkest times to bring the people back to a heart of true worship. And we’ll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio. You ever felt like something’s missing in your life? Maybe you’ve been searching for answers for peace or a sense of purpose. You know, the truth is those longings are there because you were created to know God. At JackHibbs.com, there’s a tab called Know God. It’s designed to help you discover what it truly means to have a relationship with God. This isn’t about religion. It’s about understanding who God is and why he loves you and how you can find hope and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. The page breaks it down in a simple, clear way, answering common questions and guiding you through the steps of faith. It’s a great place to explore and reflect whether you’re just curious or you’re ready to make that next step. So don’t miss out on the most important relationship you’ll ever have. Visit that tab called KnowGod at JackHibbs.com and start your journey today. That’s JackHibbs.com because knowing God changes everything in your life for the better. Take that next step. Explore and reflect at the Know God section at JackHibbs.com.

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Hey, this is Pastor Jack, and I want to encourage you to join me every morning this year at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, where we literally get together online in a prayer group. And there are thousands who are joining us. I’d love for you to participate. That’s 5 a.m. every day throughout the entire year. We get together and pray. I look forward to meeting up with you.

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Come get prayed for and join Pastor Jack in the Word. That’s the Lift Daily Prayer every day this year on Pastor Jack’s Facebook page. This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in His Word. We’ll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.