I Have Enemies – How to Overcome Evil with Good sermon video audio notes. God uses our enemies to bless us. What may seem a disappointment, such as when someone actually attempted to destroy you, was intended by God to push you up to your next level if you stay positive. No one enjoys these times, but the truth is you can’t reach your full destiny without them. It’s all a part of God’s plan to get you where you need to be.
SMILE STAYING POSITIVE WHEN…
By Pastor Delbert Young
I Have Enemies – How to Overcome Evil with Good
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Smile Staying Positive When… I Have Enemies
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17:45-46, Psalms 23:5, Acts 1:16, Exodus 7:3-4, Exodus 12:35-36
We all know God can bless us. He gives us his favor. He causes things to go our way, He heals us, etc. What we don’t realize is God uses our enemies to bless us. What may seem a disappointment, such as when someone became extremely angry with you and said vicious remarks or when someone actually attempted to destroy you was intended by God to push you up to your next level if you stay positive. No one enjoys these times, but the truth is you can’t reach your full destiny without them. It’s all a part of God’s plan to get you where you need to be.
David would have been nothing more than a shepherd boy without Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:45-46 David said to the Philistine, “You COME AGAINST ME with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty… This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head…
David stayed positive, keeping his trust in God. What we don’t think about is Goliath was created specifically for David. Goliath’s purpose was to thrust David into David’s next level. After Goliath’s beheading, we don’t hear much about him outside of David carrying Goliath’s head around as a trophy. Goliath was a giant enemy, but he only promoted David to David’s next level. The bigger the enemy, the greater the promotion if we can Smile Staying Positive when…
What if I told you there were some giant enemies created just for you? You have encountered and will encounter giant enemies. Their purpose is not to take you down but to push you up. It is impossible for you to get to your next level without them. We have to learn not to complain and become negative about our enemies. They don’t know it, but they are blessing you.
God could have used King Saul to promote David. Saul had the authority. Instead, God chose to establish David through his enemies. Even when Saul became David’s enemy, David remained positive. What we learn is we don’t need to “butter up” and “kiss up” to people. God doesn’t need to use your friends. He can use the very ones trying to take you down to take you up. Your part is to keep your attitude positive as David did.
We know God has placed in our paths divine appointments with people who will push you forward and open doors for us.
God has also placed divine enemies in our paths, which will attempt to stop us, criticize us, talk about us, and crucify us. You have ordained “Goliaths” in your path. If we don’t understand this, we will become discouraged and bitter instead of encouraged and blessed. We will find ourselves doubting and questioning God. “If you were truly God, you wouldn’t allow them to do this to me.” No. The opposition is not meant to stop you. It is meant to establish you. If you handle it correctly – stay positive, stay faithful to God, and see it as an opportunity – it will push you higher, and you will go to a new level.
Many of you recall what happened in 1996. Our church went under attack by our enemies who literally attempted to destroy us.
Finances were failing. People were telling me how our enemies were boasting like Goliath about Life Gate going down. They said they would make certain we did. The truth is it was only a divine “Goliath” strategically created and positioned by God. Like David, something rose up within my wife. Our son, daughter, and I were ready to move back to where we came from. We’d never meet such mean giants. A church offered my son and me positions. However, my wife said, “No crazy people were going to run me out of town or take away what my family has given so much to build.”
I Have Enemies – How to Overcome Evil with Good
She had a new fire, and she transmitted it to us. Every time we’d become discouraged, she’d fire us up again. “You all can leave if you want, but no crazy people are going to run me out of town…” God will allow an enemy in your life to keep you stirred and focused. God will allow haters, evil speakers, liars, mean people, and critics into your life for a reason. One reason is they give you determination. It’s not fun, and we don’t want to experience it, but a holy determination rises, not permitting your enemies the joy of defeating you. It’s a God thing,
Those people who attacked us in ’96 didn’t realize it, but God used them more than he used us or our allies. Those enemies were some of the most instrumental people in the history of our ministry. God used those enemies to bless us. I should thank them. If it hadn’t been for them, we wouldn’t have prayed so hard. If they hadn’t boasted, we might have given up. It was because of their opposition we pressed forward and didn’t quit.
Psalms 23:5 You prepare a table before me IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
We talked about this scripture a few weeks back. Notice the Lord doesn’t prepare our table in private. He does it where our enemies can see us feast. You know the story. My wife felt the Lord spoke to her as to what we should do. We did it, and within twenty minutes in this very room, God moved our hearts. Enough was given to pay off our mortgage, pay all our bills, pave our parking lot, and refurbish our facility. Our burning our mortgage note was on the front page of the newspaper and broadcasted on the radio and on television.
For nearly twenty years now, those people ride by us on Main Street. They must think, “How in the world… We thought we had them.” Now, they are only a trophy we carry around. God will use your enemies to bless you if you Smile Staying Positive When…
Maybe today you are facing a Goliath. It doesn’t need to be a “person” enemy. It can be a health enemy, a financial enemy, a relationship enemy, an occupation problem, or a family situation. It’s a giant. Realize God’s not allowing it to defeat you. He’s allowing it to promote you.
You have enemies, and God will prepare a table for you. Say, “No sickness is going to defeat me, and take what I’ve worked so hard to gain.” “No relationship is going to defeat me.” “No occupation problem is going to put me down, and no family problem is going to take me down. It’s only here to take me up.”
We don’t think about it this way, but God used Judas to push Jesus to his throne.
You know God ordained the betrayal of Jesus. Betraying Jesus wasn’t Judas’ idea. Whose idea was it? It was God’s plan from the foundation of the world.
Acts 1:16 and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT SPOKE LONG AGO through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus
What David said in Psalms about the betrayal of Judas was written over a thousand years before it happened. Judas was created to betray Jesus. At the time, it seemed wrong. The disciples didn’t understand, but had there been no Judas and betrayal, there would have been no crucifixion and cross. Without the cross, there would have been no redemption or resurrection. Without the resurrection, there would be no salvation. Mary was important in the story of redemption. The disciples were important in the story of redemption, but Judas was irreplaceably important.
The point is not to be negative when people betray you. They’re not stopping you; they’re pushing you forward to your throne and resurrection.
I Have Enemies – How to Overcome Evil with Good
It might not have been fair, and it definitely wasn’t pleasurable. It likely was very painful, but if God allowed your enemies to crucify you, he would use it to bring you to your full destiny. Jesus knew Judas would betray him, but he also knew God would use it to bring Jesus glory. God will use your enemies to glorify you.
We fight against everything that doesn’t go our way, and we get upset and usually negative. We talk about people. Sadly we become bitter, but the longer I live, the more I learn nothing happens God doesn’t allow.
People cannot keep you from your destiny. Problems cannot keep you from your destiny. If God allows it, it’s for your good and intended to thrust you toward your destiny. God’s strategically placed Goliaths in your life. He’s stationed a Judas in your life. Without them, you will not reach your throne. Thank God for your friends, but we need to learn to thank God for our enemies also.
The children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt. God sent Moses to Pharaoh saying, “Let my people go!”
Pharaoh didn’t. In fact, we read a very interesting truth.
Exodus 7:3-4 But I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH’S HEART, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites.
God will allow your Pharaoh to get harder on you even though you are crying out for deliverance. God not only has a plan to deliver you but to take you to the next level and bless you.
Exodus 12:35-36 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and ASKED the Egyptians for articles of SILVER AND GOLD AND FOR CLOTHING. The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So, like a victorious army, they plundered the Egyptians!
God’s people did not like the opposition when it was happening, but in the end, God not only delivered them, but he also blessed them and took them to the next level. The opposition was bad, but it took them up, not down. It blessed them, not cursed them.
My friends Kevin and Gailynn Robinson lived in middle Georgia.
The organization employing Kevin had a cutback, and Kevin was cut. He found employment with another organization, which transferred him here. He met me, and his family began attending Life Gate. Through a series of events, he became employed with another corporation, and in 1995, Kevin ended up with a Pharaoh boss who really did Kevin badly. Anyone who has difficulty getting along with Kevin Robinson has a problem, and this guy has a problem.
Kevin called me one day broken. They terminated Kevin, and he wanted to talk to me. After hearing the story and seeing how bitter, hurt, and angry he was, I told him what he needed to do. It wasn’t what he expected. I told Kevin he had to go to his prayer closet, get on his knees, forgive, and bless those people, especially the Pharaoh (Mat 5:43-48). Kevin told me this week that when I said this to him that day, he looked up at me and thought, “You’re crazy. You are speaking some foreign language. How does anyone do this?” But because he respected me, he did it.
He said it took several prayers before he truly meant it, but it worked.
The bitterness left, and Kevin smiled again. In our following conversations I asked Kevin what it was he enjoyed doing. He told me he enjoyed computers. I encouraged him instead of going back into the occupation he was in to prepare and pursue computer work. He did. Not long afterward, he became employed with a company where he could work on computers all day, every day, and has for twenty years since the day with his enemy Pharaoh. Beyond this, Kevin and Gailynn are some of our top givers, meaning they make more money than most of the rest of us.
Pharaoh thought he was pushing Kevin down. Kevin found a way to Smile Staying Positive When… He Had Enemies. Kevin’s Pharaoh only pushed Kevin up to his next level spiritually and financially. His enemy didn’t defeat him; his enemy promoted him.
Enemies I Have
I want you to know God would not allow the opposition and the enemy unless it would work for your good. You may be facing Goliath, but remember, God created him specifically for you. Stay positive, and it will thrust you to the next level. God is preparing a table for you in your enemy’s presence.
The Lord will harden your Pharaoh’s heart, but it’s to deliver you, bless you, and take you up to the next level of your journey to your Promised Land. God knows about your Judas. In fact, God planned him for you. He will hang himself, so don’t worry about revenge. Stay positive. Say, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” It may feel like Friday, and you are hanging on your cross, crucified and dying, but Sunday is coming. God will raise you up into your purpose, full destiny, and throne.
Enemies I Have sermon video audio notes
Enemies I Have sermon video audio notes
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