1 Chronicles 14:2 (7/17/14)

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1 Chronicles 14:2 (7/17/14)

Sweet Spot

July 17, 2014 • Benham Brothers

David realized God had made him king.
It's one thing to want to do great things for God, it's another thing to realize that wherever God has placed you is for a specific reason.
Replace your name in this verse - "And Jason realized that God had established me as owner of BREG for the sake of those who would join our company and to bring God glory!"
The secret to thinking like this is CONTENTMENT.
Contentment is recognizing that wherever God has placed you and whatever God has given you to do is for His glory.
We think our "sweet spot" is a destination, but it's actually a state of being.
So wherever you are make your spot sweet with contentment.
vs 14:1 - David was able to think like this because he saw himself as simply a tool in the hand of God.
How you see yourself determines how you conduct yourself.
1 Chronicles 14:3 - When God blessed David he began to accumulate power and influence and wealth, etc.

All of this came from God.
The problem with accumulation is that it often unlocks our ambition.
Then it becomes cyclical - ambition causes us to accumulate more, and the more we accumulate the more ambitious we get.
Even worse, we begin to accumulate in areas where we ought not to.
We need to only let God accumulate for us - to let Him cause our growth, not ourselves.
We need to replace our craving with contentment.
It starts by recognizing the source of our accumulation - is it God Who's bringing it or is it us who's taking it?
Christopher Columbus learned the hard way - he started off on the right foot but couldn't control his ambition.
Ambition is meant to be fueled by God and not by accumulation.

1 Chronicles 3:5 (6/14/18)

June 14, 2018 • Benham Brothers

* The prophet Nathan was the one who rebuked David for his sin with Bathsheba. * How did David reward him? * First, he kept Nathan as a private advisor. * Second, he named one of his sons whom he had with Bathseba, Nathan! * One of Solomon’s older brother’s was named Nathan! * That’s true honor.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (7/10/14)

July 10, 2014 • Benham Brothers

Jabez made a simple request of God, and God granted it to him. So who was Jabez? Observe: 1) He was the right WHO - he was honorable, which meant he lived in such a respectful way that he was distinguished among his bretheren. Honorable people concern themselves more with WHO than DO - they want to BE the right person and not just DO the right things. 1 Sam 2:30 - "http://...if you honor ME I will honor you...." He knew WHO he was - Jabez means "sorrow, trouble." His mom named him this because she didn't want him to forget the pain she went through to give him life! Jesus did the same for us - He endured death to give us life! Psalm 78:9 - "The men of Ephraim turned back on the day of battle because they FORGOT" 3) He asked for a blessing - he knew his history! He remembered God giving Abraham a blessing. He aspired to be a part of God's blessing, because he knew that apart from God's blessing his life would be worthless. He knew that God's blessing was for a purpose - for God to be honored! 4) He wanted God's presence - he knew about Moses denying the Promised Land if God didn't go in with them. Jabez didn't want the blessing without the God of the blessing. He wanted God more than His blessing. We often times go for the blessing but miss the God behind the blessing in the process. 5) He wanted to be clean - he saw how dirty Solomon got even though he was the wisest man ever. He didn't want God's blessing if he was going to end up living a dirty life. 6) He got what he asked for - because he asked with the right intentions. 1 John 3:22 - we will get what we ask for when we ask with the right motives. Why? When we seek to honor God we will live honorably, and when we live honorably we will make honorable requests - and God will never say no to an honorable request! It happened for Jabez and it will happen for us! It's all about HONOR!

1 Chronicles 5:20 (9/20/23)

September 20, 2023 • Benham Brothers • 1 Chronicles 5:20

* Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey. * It all starts with Trust (security). * 1 Chronicles lists the names of leaders and the number of fighters in each tribe. * It was written to encourage those who were in Babylonian captivity to Trust and Obey. * Couched in the middle of all these names, we learn about three of the tribes and how God rescued them from an insurmountable army. * Vs 18-20 - “The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service—able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. 20 They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.” * The Hagrites had over 100k troops. * How would God rescue them? * Notice three things: * 1) The trained for battle - they sharpened their skillset. * God gives ability, but we have to turn that into skill. * God didn’t make these guys good with the sword - they had to train for it. * 2) They trusted God - they didn't fully rely on their skills or weapons. * They relied on God for deliverance. * Whatever it is that you use in your day-to-day life (your tools, your gifting, your friends, your software, whatever) you must not rely on those things, you must rely on God. * I USE my tools but I TRUST in God. * If you're a farmer you use your tractor to plant crops but you trust in God to bring the harvest. * An insurance salesman uses his ability to connect with people to sell policies but he trusts in God to provide for him financially. * Victory comes when God knows that we trust Him more than the stuff He's given us to use. * We USE stuff but we TRUST God. * 3) The battle was the Lord’s - God ordained it because He had a plan for it. * Two types of battles: * Ones we cause - because of sin. * Ones God causes - so He can do stuff! * God allowed this battle because He was going to destroy the Hagrites and enrich the Israelites. * Vs 21-22 - “They seized the livestock of the Hagrites—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, 22 and many others fell slain, because the battle was God’s. And they occupied the land until the exile.” * How else would the Israelites get this stuff except through a fight? * Think of your life, the battles you face. * Is it from God? * If so, then He’s probably sharpening you, dealing w/the person, and enriching you both on the other side!