HOW TO HANDLE A TIGHT PLACE

 

1 Samuel 23:19-29

 

¹⁹ Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? ²⁰ Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.” ²¹ And Saul said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have compassion on me. ²² Please go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there. For I am told he is very crafty. ²³ See therefore and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the clans of Judah.” ²⁴ So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. ²⁵ When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon. ²⁶ Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them. ²⁷ But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!” ²⁸ Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape. ²⁹ Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at EnGedi.

 

Psalm 16:1-11

Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. ² O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” ³ As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” ⁴Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take up their names on my lips. ⁵ O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. ⁶ The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. ⁷I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. ⁸ I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. ¹⁰ For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. ¹¹ You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

 

1. Pray to the Keeper

Preserve - keep, watch over, guard

 

Psalm 17:8

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, 9 From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me.

  

2. Express Passion

Preserve me - “O God”

Psalm 17:7

Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand

 

3. Declare your Trust

Psalm 16:1

For in You I put my trust. 

 

​You are my hiding place, I will compass you about with songs of deliverance

4. Cash in on Covenant

Psalm 16:2-5

O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” ⁴ Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take up their names on my lips. ⁵O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.

​

5. Rehearse What He Has Done

Psalm 16:6

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.

 

6. Praise Him for What He is Doing

Psalm 16:7-8

I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons ⁸ I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

 

7. Express your Confidence

Psalm 16:11

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS

Psalm 137:1-4

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept,when we remembered Zion. ² We hanged our harps Upon the willows in the midst thereof. ³ For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; And they that wasted us required of usmirth, Saying, Sing us oneof the songs of Zion. ⁴How shall we sing the Lord’s song In a strange land?

Jeremiah 29:9-4

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and dwell in them;plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord.

1.    Realize God is in it Somewhere/Somehow

Jer. 29:4

Whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:

2.    Don’t weep over what used to be

Psalm 137:1

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept,when we remembered Zion.

3.    Settle Down

Jer 29:5

Build houses and dwell in them

4.    Think Futuristically

Jer 29:5

Plant Gardens and eat the fruit.

Eccl 11:1

Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days. ² Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth

5.    Prioritize Relationships

Jer. 29:6

Take wives and beget sons and daughters 

6.    Plan for Increase

Jer. 29:6

And take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished.

7.    Seek Peace

Jer. 29:7

And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.

  

8.    Don’t Be Deceived

Jer. 29:8-9

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed ⁹ For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord.

9.    Don’t Hang up your Harp

Psalm 137:1

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song And they that wasted us required of us mirth, Saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

10.  Others Expect You to Act Like You’re a Citizen of Zion

Psalm 137:3

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; And they that wasted us required of usmirth, Saying, Sing us oneof the songs of Zion.

11.  Remember There is a Time Limit

Jer. 29:10-11

For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. ¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

MY COAT IS ON THE INSIDE

GEN 39:7-8; 18-36

³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. ⁴ But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

⁵ Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. ⁶ So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: ⁷ There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”

⁸ And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.,, ¹⁸ Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. ¹⁹ Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! ²⁰ Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”

²¹ But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” ²² And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

²³ So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. ²⁴ Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.

²⁵ And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. ²⁶ So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? ²⁷ Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. ²⁸ Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

²⁹ Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. ³⁰ And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?”

³¹ So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. ³² Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?”

³³ And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” ³⁴ Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵ And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him.

³⁶ Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

INTRO:  EXTERNALS AND INTERNALS

1.     Favor is God Generated

2.     Favor is evident

3.     It’s Unearned 

4.     Favor is for Purpose

5.     Favor promotes you without qualification

Gen 39:1-4

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. ² The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. ³ And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. ⁴ So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.

6.     Favor causes others around you to be blessed

Gen 39:5

So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field.

7.     Favor causes you to succeed wherever you find yourself

Gen 40:21-23

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. ²² And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. ²³ The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

8.     Favor opened doors in the fullness of time

Gen 41:37-41

So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. ³⁸ And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” ³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. ⁴⁰ You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” ⁴¹ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

9.     Favor is personal not symbolic

Gen 37:3-4

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. ⁴ But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

10.  Favor shifts in crisis

11.  Favor requires Movement

Gen 40:23 – 41:1

Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream

12.  Favor has a backlash

Gen 37:4

But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

13.  Favor doesn’t mean you should check wisdom

            Gen 37:7-8

There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” ⁸ And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

14.  You have to protect your favor

Gen 39:7-12

And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” ⁸ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. ⁹ There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” ¹⁰ So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. ¹¹ But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, ¹² that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.

15.  Favor demands faithfulness and follow through

Gen 39:21-23

²² And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. ²³ The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

16.  Favor demands meekness - Power under Control

Joseph fed Ishmaelites

Joseph fed Potiphar’s house and wife

Joseph fed and cared for His brothers

ALLEY OOP

(Part II)

How the Holy Spirit Sets us Up to Win Every Time

John 14:25-26

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. ²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Parakletos (gk)- Helper, Protector, intercessor, advocate

Advocate – A good lawyer sets you up to win a case… Fights for you…coaches you…Trusts and believes in you.

I.                   HOW HOLY SPIRIT RELATES TO YOU

1.     He’s in us

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

2.     He comes on us

Acts 1:8

⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

3.     He surrounds us

Psalm 32:7

⁷ You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 125:1-3

¹ Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. ² As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. ³ For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.

4.     He goes before us

Deuteronomy 31:8

⁸ And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

5.     He guides us

Psalm 32:8

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye.

II.                HE IS SETTING UP A WIN FOR US

1.     David

1 Samuel 17:20-26

²⁰ So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. ²¹ For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army. ²² And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. ²³ Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. ²⁴ And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. ²⁵ So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.” ²⁶ Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

2.     Daniel

Daniel 2:1-6

Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. ² Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. ³ And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”… ⁵ The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. ⁶ However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and a great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.”

Daniel 2:27-30

²⁷ Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. ²⁸ But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head upon your bed were these: ²⁹ As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. ³⁰ But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

III.             HOW TO SET UP FOR AN ALLEY OOP

1.     Practice the Fundamentals

.James 1:2-8

² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let, not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

5 Seasons of King David: Bethelem, Gibeah, Adullam, Hebron, Zion

2.     Stay in Shape

Galatians 6:9

⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Hebrews 12:15

¹⁵ looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.

3.     Position Yourself (Faith)

Mark 11:22-24

²² So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

4.     Get along with other Teammates (Unity)

Acts 2:1-4

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Answer Key: Us; Surrounds, guides, fundamentals, yourself