2 August 2015 - Pastor Lawrence Lim Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online - How to Find Strength When You Are Weak

2 August 2015 - Pastor Lawrence Lim Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online - How to Find Strength When You Are Weak


Sanctification is not the work of man, but the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Focus on receiving God's love, and live life knowing that you are God's beloved.

Don't judge God's love based on whether your prayers are answered or not.

God's love is defined by what He did for us at the cross.

I Samuel 30:1-19 - David lost everything and was all alone at Ziklag - if anyone should be disappointed with God, it should be David. We still live in a fallen world which is ruled by the devil, and men are still ruled by sin if they are not believers. Our suffering is not caused by God. Knowing and admitting that we are weak is the first step to receiving strength, but we must take the next step of looking to Jesus for strength. Your enemies or obstacles may seem to be having the upper hand right now, but it is only temporary. The final outcome of your life is victorious!

"Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all. ” So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor. Then they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they let him drink water. And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick. We made an invasion of the southern area of the Cherethites, in the territory which belongs to Judah, and of the southern area of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.” And David said to him, “Can you take me down to this troop?” So he said, “Swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.” And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all." (I Samuel 30:1-19 NKJV)

I Samuel 30:20 - Not only did David recover everything that he lost, but he became a gainer.

"Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”" (I Samuel 30:20 NKJV)



Don't judge God's love based on whether your prayers are answered or not.God's love is defined by what He did for us at the cross.

Proverbs 6:30-31 - The thief also refers to the devil. This is the Law of Restoration: If the devil has stolen from you as a believer, you will become a gainer. You will get back sevenfold!

"People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house." (Proverbs 6:30-31 NKJV)

I Samuel 15:29 - Strength is not in ourselves for we are mere men. We must not look to ourselves for strength, we must look to Jesus for strength. It's not about us, it's about Jesus.

"And also the Strength of Israel will not lie or relent. For He is not a man that He should relent.”" (I Samuel 15:29 NKJV)

The prerequisite for receiving God's power - He gives power to those who are weak.

In and of ourselves, we are completely weak and useless in every sense.

"People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house." (Proverbs 6:30-31 NKJV) The thief also refers to the devil. This is the Law of Restoration: If the devil has stolen from you as a believer, you will become a gainer. You will get back sevenfold!

I Samuel 21:10-15 - David wrote Psalms 34 during this low time in his life, not while everything was going well in his life.

"Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, “ Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?” Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”" (I Samuel 21:10-15 NKJV)

Psalms 34:1-4 - God is not the One responsible for our pains. He is the One who will turn things around for our good. David could praise the Lord because he had a revelation of how good God is! God hears our every cry.

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears." (Psalms 34:1-4 NKJV)

Hebrews 13:5 - God has promised never to leave us nor forsake us!

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”" (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV)

Psalm 23:4 - The valley represents the low points in our lives. We will always walk THROUGH the low points of our lives - we will not remain in them.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." (Psalms 23:4 NKJV)

Song of Solomon 2:1 - Even in your valley experiences, God is with you in the valley. He is the Lily of the valleys, an abiding fragrance and beautiful amidst our trials.

"I am the rose of Sharon, And the lily of the valleys." (Song of Solomon 2:1 NKJV)

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." (Psalms 23:4 NKJV) The valley represents the low points in our lives. We will always walk THROUGH the low points of our lives - we will not remain in them.

I hope that you have been blessed by reading this post on "2 August 2015 - Pastor Lawrence Lim Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online - How to Find Strength When You Are Weak".

Want to receive Jesus into your life, be saved from your sins and inherit unmerited favor and eternal life as a child of God? Go this link and simply pray the salvation prayer aloud!

Welcome to God's big, happy family! :)

Be blessed and walk in divine favor,

Milton Goh
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2 August 2015 - Pastor Lawrence Lim Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online - How to Find Strength When You Are Weak