Private Battles Public Victories | Jentezen Franklin

0:00 Hello, this is Jensen Franklin, and thank you so much for joining us for this week's podcast. Our goal is to provide you with biblically-based teachings that will challenge, inspire, and equip you to live for Jesus. If you haven't already, I'd love for you to go ahead and subscribe today to this podcast so you can get the latest updates from us, and you don't ever have to miss a new message. Let's go right into the service. Record it at Free Chapel. I believe it's going to bless you today. If you have your Bibles, I'd like for you to open them with me to the book of 2 Samuel chapter 11 and verse 1. 2 Samuel chapter 11, and I'll begin reading with verse 1. And I'll give you my title and what I'm going to talk about in just a moment. 2 Samuel chapter 11 says, And it happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel.

1:09 And they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Urabah. They had the capital city besieged. They were experiencing tremendous victories. The last battle that David fought before this episode in his life, it was really amazing. He fought a battle that he defeated 700 chariots of war and 40,000 horsemen. And David was their leader on the front line, fighting, engaged in the battle. But now we see, but this last sentence of verse 1, but David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked onto the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing.

2:09 The woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about this woman. And someone said, is it not Bathsheba, the daughter of Elam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? Then David sent messengers and took her and she came to him and he lay with her. for she was cleansed from her impurity and she returned to her house. One more verse, the last verse of that chapter.

2:48 And when her mourning was over, her weeping was over, David sent, brought her to his house. She became his wife, bore him a son. Watch this. but the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. That's the deal right there. Nobody knew what he had done, but God knew, and it displeased the Lord. it happened in the story of David at the pinnacle of his success at the highest place of his victories. He had built the kingdom. He had built his own palace. He had built his family, his lineage. He had written songs. He had fought giants. He had conquered and conquered and won and won.

3:50 He was thriving. He was super successful. He had everything. He had power and wealth and fame. And he had God. God is the one who gave him all of that. God was the one who supernaturally raised him with his hand of power. God was the one who chose him and anointed him to be king of Israel. from a shepherd boy in a field, fighting a bear and a lion in private. He would go all the way to the pinnacle of success, sitting on a throne, the women writing songs about him. Saul has slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands. His songs were so popular that people were singing them bestsellers.

4:47 He was a mighty warrior. And then you read, and it came to pass when the kings go to battle. It was no longer the rainy season. They had stopped only as they had besieged the capital city of the Ammonites. And all they had to do now is he just had to go and engage in warfare, if he would just engage in warfare, it would be an easy win. Another victory, another, by God's help, amazing accomplishment. But instead, he stayed home. he decided to take it easy. And the Amorites were fighting with the Israelites and the swords are swinging and the arrows are flying and it's hand-to-hand combat and the clashing of the shields and the weapons.

5:51 But someone is missing. Someone was not engaged in the action. He stayed behind. No one warred like David. No one won like David. He was a winner and he kept on winning. But when David took his day off, when he did not show up, when he sent others to engage in the battle and decided not to, he took that day off, but hell didn't take that day off. it was hell's prime time to take a swing at one of God's anointed mighty deliverers and David at that critical moment was not engaged in warfare I've come today to preach that it's hell's prime time to take out people like you who have, by God's help, been raised to a place of success and victory.

6:57 Many of you started little companies, little businesses with nothing much more than a dream. And God has favored you and helped you. And today you sit in an elevated place. There are people here who have held a beautiful marriage together for 10, 20, 30, even 40 years and if you're not careful the greatest victories in our life can null us and dull us to begin to become lax and not engaged in warfare we must stay engaged in warfare I must stay engaged in prayer. I must stay engaged in the word of God. I must stay engaged in humility and always examining myself, listening to my own conversations and how I talk in my spirit. Am I proud or am I humble? Do I have a right spirit? I must engage in warfare through forgiveness constantly. I must engage in warfare through praise, through worship, through attendance, through giving. All of these things are spiritual warfare. It's not a light thing to be unengaged in spiritual warfare. Every time we have clapped our hands and raised our hands and sung out the beautiful songs of praise about the name of Jesus. We're engaging in warfare.

8:37 Many of you chose not to because you just said, that's just not something I'm into. It was never about you, but it is about your family and it is about your future and it does affect your business and it does affect everything about you when you do what the Bible says do. And when you don't. You see, it's possible to be anointed but unengaged. and hell is looking for the anointed ones especially when they're unengaged in spiritual warfare when they're just at ease they're not praying anymore they're not reading the book anymore they're not after god anymore they're not fasting anymore they're not they're not worshiping really anymore with tears in their eyes it can happen to any of us Thank you.

9:33 and hell is head hunting for God's anointed one, and David, instead of praying, is playing. He's hanging out instead of crying out. He's being entertained instead of interceding, and David fell from the bedroom roof. From being on top of the world, he fell. when you understand that battles are going to happen, whether you're on the battlefield or not, and if you don't fight the battle on the battlefield and be engaged in spiritual warfare, what is that? Ephesians chapter 6, read it. Put on the whole armor of God, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shoes shod with the preparation of the gospel, the shield of faith, the sword of the spirit.

10:33 We are in warfare and we must be engaged in it as Christians. the king does not engage in warfare. I'm preaching this morning that a relaxed approach to spiritual things is dangerous. A relaxed approach to going to church. A relaxed approach to tithing and giving. A relaxed approach to praise and worship. A relaxed approach to personal devotions and reading God's word and witnessing and caring about the lost and having a burden to be like Jesus, live like Jesus, love like Jesus, act like Jesus, talk like Jesus, walk like Jesus. This is what we are called to do more than anything else. And when you're not engaged in that, when Christianity is a side dish instead of the main course.

11:28 The Bible said that he arose, David, as he released the army to go fight, he arose from his bed. The bed speaks of being asleep, relaxed. Israel was at war, but he has his bathrobe on. He's kicked back. he walks onto the rooftop a roof would be like our patio it would be a place to lounge a place to lay around a place to watch I'm sure it was a beautiful veranda I'm sure it was a beautiful cobblestone and probably in the direction of the sun setting so it was a wonderful beautiful place and he's taking rest when he should have been out on the battlefield and he encounters his greatest giant not out there but when he's unengaged.

12:40 It's a giant of opportunity. it's another kind of giant. The one he fought in the valley of Elah was a physical giant, a man that was nine and a half feet tall and massive and powerful and strong. But this was a different giant. This was a giant of opportunity. This was a giant that would mess with his mind. This was a giant that was really in private. It wasn't out in the public like the first giant that he fought Goliath. It was a public battle, but this was a private battle. That's what I'm preaching on. We've got to win the private battle. If you don't win the private battle, you won't have the public victories. And the more you win the private battles, the more God will raise you into public victory.

13:38 But in this case, David, the warrior, saw this woman and he has a giant opportunity. The Bible said, quote, that she was very beautiful to look upon. And from his elevated, successful, extremely thriving, highly blessed place. I'm preaching today to bless people. I'm preaching today to successful people. I'm preaching today to people who had nothing when God found you. And he has raised you. And if I'm your pastor and I love you and I love you enough to tell you what I felt. If you get to that place that you think your money or your power or your own titles. And you believe your own press releases.

14:33 and you get to thinking like I'm all that and then some and I'm so great and this and that and you're not engaged in the spiritual warfare, you are a prime target for the enemy in an hour like this. Just because you've had a successful marriage, just because you've had a great family, just because you've had a successful career does not mean that you can disengage. age. You can be anointed to do a thing just like he anointed the priest. He anointed the prophet. And there were people, there were kings and priests and the kings would be anointed to govern, but the priests would be anointed for the service and the kings would fight. The kings were anointed to fight and bring back the spoils to build the kingdom. We're living in that time and your business, if it's a Christian business, is a target. By Christian, I mean you use resources from that to build the kingdom of God. That separates your business from every other business.

15:41 That's when God said in Malachi 3, I will rebuke the devourer for your sake when you bring in the tithe and the offering. he encounters his greatest giant on that rooftop from an elevated position. When he fought the giant Goliath, he was in a low, humble. He was a nobody. He was a no name. Nobody knew him. Nobody said anything about him. He was almost laughed at. He was mauled by his own brothers. He's in a valley. He had a valley ministry. I remember when this church was a valley ministry. We were just getting going in the path that God had for the season that I would be your pastor. And we were struggling just to get a piece of land and to build a two and a half million dollar sanctuary down the road. It was such a challenge. And every day it was the physical Goliath that I could see. But what I have learned through all of these years that there is another yet unseen giant that waits for successful people, that waits for successful marriages, that waits for people who have achieved some wonderful things, not because they're great, but because God chose them and raised them up.

17:06 But it's so easy to forget that it is the Lord your God that gives you the power, Deuteronomy 8.18, to get wealth, to establish his covenant in all the earth. And a giant called opportunity from an elevated place. he's no longer young. Everybody knows his name. He's famous. He's living on top of the world. I want to tell you why I'm preaching this, because in my lifetime, I started out with many preachers who I watched God raise up powerful ministries that have touched the planet. And I look around, and many of them were thrown off the roof.

18:13 and I was praying about this. God, what is going on? And the Lord spoke to my heart about the book of Jude chapter one, and I believe it's verse 24. I don't know. I gave it to you this morning. There you go. And this verse went off in me. See, I really believe there's a fear of falling out there. If you've ever been a drug addict and you got off of it, there's always the fear of falling. If you've ever been an alcoholic, the enemy wants to taunt you and haunt you with your past and tell you you can't live it and this could be the day you fall off. If you've ever had a wonderful marriage, the enemy wants to tell you that there's the fear of falling.

19:07 But here's the promise of God. Hallelujah. Now unto him, notice the capital H. It's not me personally. It's him, Jesus Christ. Now unto him, now I want everybody to shout on this part. That's called a prompted response. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling.

19:30 Clap your hands. I said he's able to keep you from falling. I don't say it. I don't say it in a condescending way, but I just want to tell some young people, you don't have to fall off the roof. You don't have to lose your integrity. You don't have to lose your name. You don't have to lose your character. You don't have to lose your virginity. You don't have to lose it. He's able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. And that verse came alive to me. I quote it now unto him who is able to keep me.

20:25 Him. He's my keeper. When I feel like I'm going to lose my mind, he's my keeper. When I'm not thinking right and fighting a private battle, he's my keeper. if I'll just turn to him and call his name he'll say here I come I'm your keeper and I'm able to keep you from falling He's on top of the world. He's king. You see, some giants don't show up until you've done some serious kingdom building.

21:02 Until you're really making an impact on the kingdom of Satan. Until you're taking ground and God's really anointing you and using you. And you think I'm talking about singers and preachers on the platform. But I'm talking about people sitting out there. You've done some serious kingdom building by what God has laid on your heart to do with your life. And you don't understand the beautiful impact that you have for generations, Dad. For generations, Mom. By sticking it out and working through the issues and making that family a home where they know Jesus is Lord. We're not perfect, but Jesus is Lord. Of this house. And Satan would love. For you to finish bad. Satan would love for you to get thrown down. In humiliation.

21:55 And disgrace. But unto him. Who is able. To keep me from falling. Hallelujah. If he said it. He can do it. and he built the kingdom, and he built his own palace, and God didn't have a problem with it. God loved him being blessed, and he walked out on that. patio and overlook the kingdom that he had built. And it was there as he's ruling and he's reigning and he's won and he's greatly successful. There was a success giant in the invisible world that every person who achieves will face sooner or later. And that's what happens to rock stars.

22:52 And that's what happens to football players. and that's what happens to baseball players, and that's what happens to country music stars. That's what happens. They think that, man, when they're down here trying to build that career, build that business, build that thing, build their pathway to success, that that's the battle. But the real battle is when you get there and you're unengaged, you don't need him like you used to need him. You're not as humble as you used to be, and you're not as broken as you used to be. and you don't lean on him like you used to lean on him, and you don't worship like you used to worship. When you didn't have nothing, you were a giver. David is no longer a valley ministries.

23:42 He's high in a high place. Success giants are not afraid to challenge great churches. They're not afraid to challenge great fathers, great mothers. they're not afraid to challenge great leaders successful business people who have trophies who have victories who have amazing achievements after you fasted you know David fasted and prayed after you've worshipped after you served God for many years after you've given and given and given it's after this giant shows up and then the bible said he inquired for the woman that's an interesting verse he saw her he's a married man and he saw her and he inquired there are some ideas I should never look into Okay, let me say it like this.

24:53 There are some ideas you should never look into. Well, wording's everything, isn't it? In other words, he started flirting. In other words, he started liking her stuff. In other words, he started looking at her Instagram and then reaching out with an email. He inquired of her. some imaginations must be cast down according to second corinthians chapter 10 in verse 5 casting down imaginations and every high thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of god bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of christ there's a battle going on for your mind. There's a battle going on for the way that you think when you're in that blessed place.

25:52 and this proven warrior in a moment of weakness inquired of her sent for her commits adultery with her his sin was not that he saw the opportunity his sin was that he gave in to it you're not going to ever be so holy that you don't ever get tempted. It's not a sin to be tempted. It's a sin to give into that, to act on it, to begin to move and do things and violate the Holy Spirit's voice. and from the top of the world in that moment you read the verse but this thing displeased the lord it didn't happen instantly it the judgment didn't come super quick nobody saw that david fell off the roof but god Thank you.

26:55 he displeased the Lord because that giant knows that if I take him down, it affects the whole kingdom. If I take him down, there will be people that will backslide in his family because they were so wounded by his or her actions.

27:21 And you have to ask yourself, are you thinking right? because somebody is in a test right now. and the enemy wants to destroy your family, your marriage, your business, your successes. He wants to mock, and he wants it to end in failure. You've seen and done too much. The enemy wants you to have a public fall, and the only way he can manage a public fall if Christ is your Savior is if you don't win the private battles. We need to win private victories again. We need to be engaged in warfare about private victories so that God can give us public blessings that show people his goodness.

28:29 his light even if we're suffering they see Jesus now I'm almost done but just listen you can either in your life at the place where you're at right now continue to please the Lord and in strong or you can become loose and you can become lax and you can displease the Lord and it starts with little things and you stop fighting the private battles and you start excusing yourself from the battle and the warfare and say, let somebody else fight. When you're on top of the world after you've done things that only God could have empowered you to do, I'm preaching this morning to successful people, to established people, to people who've walked with God for years and years and years and years.

29:26 and it's possible that you could be thrown off the roof. You could fall off that roof after God has elevated and blessed and used and anointed. I heard the Lord say we need more private victories and I'll give you more public victories. don't flirt with it, don't inquire for it, don't sin for it. I don't know about you, but I believe it's private victory time. It's time to wake up the warriors that is inside of you. It's time to engage again in the warfare. You don't have to fall. Did you hear me? You don't have to fall. I have no intentions of falling.

30:19 It's just not worth it. I tell you, I'm just going to keep on keeping on in Jesus' name. How about you? Well, shout about it. I said, now, Lord. I said, how in the world can you keep us from falling? He said, the devil hasn't got any new tricks.

30:41 And when Jesus was fasting in the wilderness, Satan took him to a high pinnacle. and said, look. And Jesus said, it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God in him only, and I will not worship you, Satan. Get thee behind me. And he said, because I won that private battle, I can give you public victories because I defeated that temptation. Tell somebody beside you, I refuse to lose. I've come too far. We've come too far.

31:34 We've seen too much. We've done too much. Hallelujah. I'm getting happy. I tell you, the enemy is not going to win in our marriages, in our families, with our children. None of them. In the name of Jesus Christ. Somebody just shout now unto him who is able to keep me from falling. I'm not going to fall off the roof. Listen. God's grace is enough to keep you. I want to say to every man in this room, God's grace is enough to keep you. But you got to engage.

32:27 You got to get up in the morning after hearing a sermon like this. You can't just get up and do your deal. And I'm all for working out. I did six miles yesterday. I can outrun any of you. That's just the truth. I'm just talking. I'm just telling the truth for the most part. I'm not bragging about it, it's just a fact. I've been doing it for 30, 40 years, 40 years. So it's nothing. It's like breathing to me. but before you work out, open up that book. Before you go to work, just open it. Read a chapter. Just read a chapter. You know, the 30, uh, 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs, if you read one chapter a day, you get a download of God's wisdom every day. That's God's wisdom book on everything from family to success, to business, to marriage, everything in that book, 31 chapters. All you got to do is read one chapter a day. And you say, well, what, that's, that's engaging in the battle. You just put on the whole armor of God, just doing that. And then on the right end, you know, just, just, just take a few moments and say the Lord's prayer and just say, now, Lord, I love you. And I praise you and keep my babies today and keep my wife today. And Lord, just bless, just bless us. And God, I'm going to work and I, I need some more business. And I just wish you'd open the windows of heaven and bless my business today, God, and bless the work of my hands. That's it. Boom. You know what you just did? You just engaged. Now here's the point I got to preach. This is the most important part of the sermon. Had David been engaged in warfare, he wouldn't have been in his bedroom at the wrong time in the wrong place with the wrong woman.

34:07 If he had just got out engaged in warfare, he would have never had the opportunity to mess up. That's why we pray, deliver me and lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. When you're praying, you're engaging. I really want to say thank you for joining us this week. If you haven't already, make sure you click on the subscription button and leave us a review. It helps this podcast reach even more people when you comment, when you give us your feedback. For more messages and inspirational materials, download the Jensen Franklin app. Or you can head over to jensenfranklin.org. I want to thank all of you.