Pastor
Ock Soo Park | Good News Gangnam Church
“Now
there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David
grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.” (2
Samuel 3:1)
Victory in War Is Not Up to Man
There
are winners and losers in war. For a long time, there was a war between the
house of David and the house of Saul, and David grew stronger and stronger and
Saul grew weaker and weaker. How did this happen? It was not because Saul lacked
strategy or power. Looking back at Israel’s history, no matter how many
soldiers Israel had, if God was not with them they were defeated. On the other
hand, if God was with them, even with a few soldiers they were certainly
victorious. The victory is up to God; it is not up to man.
God Was in David, and David Believed
in God
If
you want to fight in Christ’s battles, you must forsake man’s methods and go
forward following the Word of God. When David first began to fight his battles,
he fought with the lion and the bear and later on with Goliath. Afterwards, he
was pursued by Saul, and then he fought with the Philistines and Amalekites.
Each time, David did not rely on effective tactics, weapons, or the bow, but he
always relied on God. We see this when he first fought with the lion and the
bear, and even more so when he fought against Goliath.
David
was not in the same league as Goliath. Goliath was very tall and he was a commander
of great strength while David was just a boy. David’s judgments and experiences
could never stand up to Goliath. God was inside of David and David believed in
God: “Seeing that Goliath who defiles the holy nation of God, God will surely
deliver him into my hands!” This is why he dove into a fight he could not win,
and he struck Goliath’s head with a smooth stone from the brook which made Goliath
fall.
In Saul’s Fear He Avoids the
Philistines
Saul
was different from David. He did not only rely on God, but he relied on many
humanistic methods. God chose Saul and anointed him, dwelt with him, and gave
him the Holy Spirit in his heart. From that moment on, Saul was a man who was
with God. But he did not trust in God. In 1 Samuel 13:5, there is a story of
Saul waging war with the Philistines who have: thirty thousand chariots, six
thousand horsemen, and a multitude of people as many as the sand on the seashore.
Regardless of the many weapons and soldiers, if God fights, then you will be
victorious. Although the Philistine army was enormous, if Saul goes forward and
fights, God would help him be victorious. Later on, Jonathan and his armor
bearer attack the camp of the Philistines and we clearly see they are
victorious.
God Must Allow It, I Am Unable
God
does not allow his people to fight battles that are possible by man’s strength,
but he allows them to meet problems that are impossible by man’s strength. If
David had fought against someone in the same league, he could have won without
relying on God. Likewise, in order for us to rely on God, He allows all of
God’s people to face problems that are bigger and greater than themselves. God
continually permits problems that I could never resolve with my own ability.
During those times, we may be afraid and tremble but we will be victorious if
we rely on God. A person of God is one who relies only on God and goes forward.
Fellow
brothers and sisters, if we are ignorant of the heart of God, we will avoid the
burdens we face, fall into fear, live according to the situation, and fall deep
into our thoughts. To such people, proceeding in faith towards God seems
reckless and foolish. When David tried to fight Goliath, his brothers rebuked
him and even Saul said that he would not be able to fight him. But David relied
on God and was victorious. We rely upon God not according to our plans or
methodology.
When
Peter healed the lame man at the gate of the temple called Beautiful, he did
not stop there, but he preached the gospel. The priests and the leader of the
temple did not want to hear the gospel and arrested Peter. Then they threatened
him saying, “From now on you may not speak or teach of His name.” At that time,
if Peter was intimidated, he could not preach the gospel again. In the past,
Peter was intimidated by the priest and the servant girl, but now he had faith
in God and spoke loudly to the high priest, “Whether it is right in the sight
of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak
the things which we have seen and heard.” When Peter spoke to them boldly, the
rulers were dumbfounded so they threatened him but eventually let him go. We
can see the church becoming filled powerfully with the spirit and going forward.
What Happens When We Avoid the Work
That Requires Faith?
Saved
saints do not work on humanly possible tasks. God desires to make us into
people of faith who can do the impossible. There is so much work being done in
our mission that is actually impossible. Each time, we were disconsolate and afraid,
but if we did not go forward then we would not be able to preach the gospel.
Therefore we clashed with it and every time, God helped and worked for us.
It
is important for us to know in detail how God works. If we do not know we
become like Saul being afraid and avoiding the problem. Our lives fall into this
repetitive cycle, however we should have faith to break free. Some consider
going forward in faith burdensome and even criticize that it is not the way.
They have fallen into their thoughts and they do not listen to anyone who
thinks differently. We have heard many sermons about faith, but we only know it
theoretically. When we realistically try to proceed by faith, it feels
burdensome and we become trapped in the circumstances. Naturally, people become
distant because they cannot join their hearts with people of faith, all the
while they consider themselves to be right easily judging others. The Bible
says not to criticize those without faith and not judge those who have faith.
We must hear the Word of God and forsake our conclusions and proceed with
faith.
Throw Away the Work That Matches Our
Thinking and Circumstances
How
can we be victorious in the war? We are not victorious because we chose the
right path, but regardless of how it seems, it is the way of boldly going
forward by receiving the Word of God. A person of faith forsakes his thoughts
and proceeds boldly, knowing the precise will of God in the Word. God works through
these people and fulfills His will.
In
2015, many ministers, brothers, and sisters are forsaking their ways to step
over unto the way of faith. I want all of us to refuse the work that suits our
thoughts and circumstances, to be free of our opinions and thoughts, and to
follow after God.
The
mentally ill do not listen to others, but only express their opinions. They do
not like to communicate with others. If the brothers and sisters talk to one
another, they can have faith. But if they block their ears to what others are
saying, and only assert their opinions, they can only go down a crooked path. The
mentally ill think they are right, but from an objective view they are not
right. I may consider myself to be right, but if another person says that I am
wrong, then I should open my heart and share fellowship with them. By reflecting
myself upon the Word of God, I can forsake my thoughts.
David Desired the Work to Glorify God
God
begins to work after we are saved. We don’t have to be good, righteous, holy,
and honest for God to work. Man is filthy, dirty, evil, and terrible, but Jesus
has completed perfect salvation so that we lack nothing for God to use us.
Although we are weak, through Jesus, we lack nothing to be used by God.
Therefore we should not think, “God is not going to work through me because I
am weak and lacking.”
The
saved saints are perfected through the blood of Jesus. Everything has been
prepared so that nothing will be lacking for God to work. And now we declare,
“God will work! I will boldly go forward like David with faith in God!” In
doing so, we are victorious in the spiritual battle saving the dying people around
us. I hope the precious works of God will arise to glorify God.
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