"Don't Forget The Sword"
Pastor Albert Almore
“At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.””
1 Kings 3:5
“Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.”
1 Kings 3:6
““Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.”
1 Kings 3:7-8
“Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?””
1 Kings 3:9
“The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—”
1 Kings 3:10-11
“I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!”
1 Kings 3:12
“And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!”
1 Kings 3:13
“Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream...”
1 Kings 3:15
BUT WAS IT…
“Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled. “Please, my Lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house.”
1 Kings 3:16-17
“Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house. “But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it. Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her.”
1 Kings 3:18-20
“And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.” Then the other woman interrupted, “It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine.” “No,” the first woman said, “the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.” And so they argued back and forth before the king.”
1 Kings 3:21-22
“Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other. All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king.”
1 Kings 3:23-24
“Then he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!””
1 Kings 3:25
“Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, “Oh no, my Lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!””
1 Kings 3:26
“Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!””
1 Kings 3:27
“When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for THEY SAW THE WISDOM GOD HAD GIVEN HIM for rendering justice.”
1 Kings 3:28
So much juicy stuff to choose from, but verse 24 claims our attention.
“All right, BRING ME A SWORD.” So A SWORD WAS BROUGHT TO THE KING.”
1 Kings 3:24
I want to preach a message this morning titled,
DON’T FORGET THE SWORD
When Solomon said bring me a sword, it prompted me that this should be our responses as well. Now before you run off and get to cutting folks, I’m not talking about that kind of sword. Ephesians 6:17 says,
“And take the helmet of salvation, and THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD;”
Ephesians 6:17
I say to you today…DON’T FORGET THE SWORD, and here’s why, Hebrews 4:12 says,
For THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL, and SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12
“For THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE AND FULL OF POWER [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 AMP
THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING…
THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE…
Are these two statements true in your life???
I learned a long time ago…
📝 The WORD WORKS when you WORK THE WORD.
In everything that you do…
📝 BEGIN WITH THE WORD.
“IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”
John 1:1-2
In all things, in all decisions, at the start of all relationships, all business transactions, BEGIN WITH THE WORD.
If not, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up like Joshua and the children of Israel when it came to the Gibeonites. Joshua 9:3-4 reads,
“When the people living in Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, THEY DEVISED A SCHEME. They posed as messengers. They took worn-out sacks on their donkeys. Their wineskins were old, split, and patched.”
Joshua 9:3-4
“Their sandals were worn-out and repaired, and their clothes were tattered. All their bread was dried out and crumbling. They came to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal. They told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country. Make a treaty with us right now.””
Joshua 9:5-6
"Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; BUT THEY DID NOT ASK COUNSEL OF THE LORD.”
Joshua 9:14
Where would your life be if you would’ve begun with the Word? How much trouble could you have saved yourself?
“So Joshua made peace with them by making a treaty which allowed them to live. The leaders of the congregation swore to it with an oath.”
Joshua 9:15
How many peace treaties would we have avoided with anxiety, fear, depression? Now I’m spending a lifetime uprooting them. One translation says in verse 14…
“THE MEN BELIEVED THE EVIDENCE THEY WERE SHOWN, but they did not ask the Lord about it.”
Joshua 9:14
How long have you believed the evidence that’s been shown in your life?
Trouble follows me everywhere I go. This is all it’s ever going to be. When you don’t begin with The Word, you’ll believe the evidence of the enemy every time.
📝 TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD.
HOW SERIOUS DOES GOD TAKE HIS WORD???
Let them praise THE NAME OF THE LORD, for HIS NAME ALONE IS EXALTED; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
Psalm 148:13
“I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For YOU HAVE MAGNIFIED YOUR WORD ABOVE ALL YOUR NAME.”
Psalms 138:2
“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, AND MADE ME BOLD WITH STRENGTH IN MY SOUL.”
Psalms 138:3
“But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless AT YOUR WORD I will let down the net.””
Luke 5:5
📝 When it comes to taking God at His Word, it’s a matter of FAITH and TRUST.
📝
Faith steps out on NOTHING.
Trust steps out on HISTORY.
Faith says I don’t know HOW.
Trust says I know HE HAS.
You can take Him at His Word.
📝 SPEAK THE WORD.
“But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; NEVERTHELESS at your word I will let down the net.””
Luke 5:5
📝 How I feel doesn’t have the last say so. HIS WORD has the last say so, so that’s what I choose to say!
I don’t feel good, NEVERTHELESS, by your stripes I’m healed! Things haven’t been going my way lately, NEVERTHELESS, I’m the head and not the tail. NEVERTHELESS, I’m above and not beneath! I feel like I have a lot coming at me right now, NEVERTHELESS, greater is He that is in me, than He that’s in the world. Joshua 1:8
“This Book of the Law SHALL NOT DEPART FROM YOUR MOUTH, but you shall MEDITATE in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have GOOD SUCCESS.”
Joshua 1:8
Since my success is predicated upon my confession and meditation life….
📝 I will not allow my CIRCUMSTANCES, or my EMOTIONS, to cause God’s Word to depart from my mouth.
“THOU SHALT ALSO DECREE A THING, and it shall be established unto thee…
Job 22:28
“DEATH AND LIFE ARE IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE: And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
Proverbs 18:21
Speak the Word! Speak the Word! There’s power in speaking the Word! When Jesus came head up with the devil in the wilderness, how did Jesus defeat him? Jesus brought the sword out!
Matthew 4:4…
“But he answered and said, IT IS WRITTEN, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4
Matthew 4:7…
“Jesus said unto him, IT IS WRITTEN AGAIN, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Matthew 4:7
The Bible says that Jesus said unto Him, it is written AGAIN. AGAIN.
We put the sword down too fast.
Time weakens us. The battle often depletes us.
But I say to you today, keep swinging. Keep swinging the sword of the spirit. Begin with God’s Word AGAIN. Take God at His Word AGAIN. I know the battle has been longer than expected. But speak The Word, speak what is written—AGAIN. After all,
“For THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE AND FULL OF POWER [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12
📝 IS GOD’S WORD LIVING AND ACTIVE IN MY LIFE?
I know life is busy. I know life is on the go. Through it all, DON’T FORGET THE SWORD.
Keep seeking His face. Keep seeking His Word. Keep seeking His voice. DON’T FORGET THE SWORD.
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