1 Chronicles 11:1-3 (9/27/23)

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1 Chronicles 11:1-3 (9/27/23)

Dying To Ambition

October 4, 2023 • Benham Brothers • 1 Chronicles 11:1–3

- When you have a dream or vision in your heart, pursue it with your feet but die to it in your heart.

- Move toward it practically, but leave the results to God.

- Don’t let ambition jump into the driver’s seat.

- Wait for God to make it clear.

- Three stages of a dream:

- Birth of a dream - God puts it into your heart.

- Death of a dream - you let it go in your heart.

- Fulfillment of a dream - God brings it about in His time.

- David was a great example of what this looks like.

- Samuel anointed him to be king, but he went right back to tending sheep.

- That’s what death to a vision/dream looks like.

- He was faithful when nobody was watching.

- He fought the lion and bear long before he fought Goliath.

- He had several opportunities to take the throne but he refused.

- Vs 1a - “All Israel came together to David at Hebron …”

- They “came to David” - he didn’t have to go to them.

- Vs 1b-2 - “…and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”

- Apparently word got out that David was anointed king.

- David’s brothers probably blabbed their mouths!

- Before Saul’s death, people told David to take the throne (his men in the cave, etc).

- But David wouldn’t do it - He let God elevate Him when He chose.

- Vs 3 - “When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

- Samuel had anointed David more than a decade earlier.

- It was a long time coming.

- During that time God made him into the man who could handle the job.

- Imagine the reaction of the Israelite leaders if David had killed Saul.

- They wouldn’t have willingly followed him.

- Dying to ambition allows God to make us into the person who can handle the place where He’s leading us.

- And it allows Him to work on the people who will be a part of our next chapter in life.

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!