This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

This is day five together, our last day of the sixth week of Looking Through
First and Second Samuel. We're looking at the last half of chapter five today.
We've been looking all week at how to not only survive but also thrive through a
transition.

First seven principles that we've looked at are number one, realize that the
transition will take time. Number two, recognize the significance of the past.
Number three, seek God's wisdom in the practical steps you're making during the
transition.

Number four, clearly identify yourself as the leader. God's called you to be the
leader, say, "I sense God's calling. " Number five, expect conflict.

Number six, watch out for those who want to take shortcuts. And number seven,
make a covenant with God and his people to seal the transition when that moment
comes. Yesterday we talked together about that moment coming for David when all
the people came and they said, "We now see that you have been our leader for so
long.

God has anointed you as leader. Will you take leadership? " When that happens,
what do you do?

This is one of the most important moments in the transition. This is not the
time to rest. You haven't arrived at your goal.

This is the time to dive in. This is the time that God has given you to make a
difference in the world, to make a difference for his sake. So what do you do
when that moment comes and you are given the right, the mantle, the direction of
leadership?

Here's principle number eight. You go after a great victory for the Lord. When
the people say yes, when the leadership is given, first thing you do is you go
after a great victory for the Lord.

When the transition is sealed, now is the time to begin to move ahead. Now is
the time to look for God's victories. So you think, what is the greatest
victory?

What is the greatest dream that God can accomplish? And you begin to move
towards that dream. For David, it was taking the capital city, Jerusalem.

This victory became so identified with David that the portion of Jerusalem that
he captures here is named the City of David. In chapter five, verse six, David
then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original
inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David
saying, "You'll never get in here.

Even the blind and the lame could keep you out. " For the Jebusites thought they
were safe. But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City
of David.

On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, "I hate those lame and blind
Jebusites. Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the
water tunnel. " Verse nine, so David made the fortress his home and he called it
the City of David.

He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces and working inward. So
when you're giving the opportunity for leadership, you say, what is the greatest
victory that you could dream God would accomplish? What's a great victory that
you could step towards?

When your leadership is recognized, you don't rest on that as a victory. You go
after a victory. You don't think I've arrived because you've gotten the
leadership.

No, you're just beginning because you've gotten the leadership. So what
examples? What am I talking about?

Well, in a church, that would mean you start to think, what new ministry do we
need to be doing? What new missions field needs to be opened up? What new way of
loving each other needs to happen in this church?

What needs to happen in the way that we worship that makes a difference in the
way that we lift our hearts towards God? What is the victory that you need to go
after in that church, in that ministry? In a business, it means that you lead
out in a new initiative, a new market, a new product.

Now, you're not a preacher in that business, but that doesn't mean you can't
depend on God. You should because you're a follower of Jesus. That doesn't mean
you can't give God the credit.

You should because you're a follower of Jesus. You don't give God the credit
like a preacher would. You do it like a business person would.

You talk about God giving you strength and direction and your desire to have
integrity, your desire to be a person who is an example to others. And the
reason that you're doing this isn't just for yourself, but for those that are
around you. You give others the credit when the credit's due, and you give God
all the credit because he's due all the credit in the end.

In a family, you've gotten the victory of finally loving each other, coming
together as a family. So the victory might be going on a vacation together, the
first time you've been able to do that in years, or maybe it's starting a family
night, or maybe it's going on a mission trip together. You take that new moment
of leadership that's been given, and you watch God's victories grow out of that
moment.

Then there is a ninth principle that we learned from David about what to do in
the transition, and it's the most important principle of all. It's in chapter 5,
verses 10 to 12. The ninth principle is you keep your eye on God's power, on
doing it by God's power, and you keep your eye on doing it for others' sake, for
the sake of others.

You do it by God's power and for the sake of others. Verse 10, "David became
more and more powerful, because the Lord God of heaven's armies was with him.
Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and
carpenters and stone masons, and they built David a palace.

And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel, and had
blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. " Who is it for? It's for
the sake of others, for the sake of his people Israel.

If you're in charge of something, but you're working primarily for your own
sake, you are not the leader. You're not the leader. You're the taker.

You're the person who's got a position, but you're using it to take things for
yourself. No, leaders do it for other people's sake. That's what it means to be
a leader.

You are leading other people for their sake. And David here realizes, "I've been
blessed for the sake of God's people Israel. " You get to enjoy God's blessings
when they come.

There's no doubt about that. David enjoyed living in this house that was built
for him. You get to enjoy God's blessings when they come, but never think that
they are just for your sake.

They are not. It's going to be a blessing. We're given this position of
leadership in a family or a company or a church for the sake of others.

Who is it for? It's for the sake of others. Who is it by?

It's by God's power. Because the Lord God of heaven's armies was with him, it
says in verse 10. Heaven's armies, all the angels of heaven, all at God's
command, all of the power at God's command in God's hand.

Who is it for? For others. Who is it by?

By God's strength. It's interesting how over time we tend to drift away from
that. We tend to drift toward doing it by our own power.

We tend to drift toward doing it for our own sake. We drift toward selfishness.
The gravity of our own pride can easily draw us in, but it doesn't have to.

You can stay focused on God's power. You can stay focused on others' needs. How
do you do that?

The only way that I know is in the love of Jesus. Jesus has put his spirit in
us, God's spirit in us, to strengthen us to do this. So through the love of
Jesus for me, first my needs are met through his love in ways that no one else
can meet those needs.

They're expressed through his word, they're expressed through his people, but my
needs are met through his love. But that also strengthens me to love others,
empowers me to love others the way he's meant me to. God gives you leadership
not for your sake, but for the sake of others.

God enables your leadership not by your power, but by his power. Oh, he gives
you certain skills, abilities, but it's by his power. So what's it going to be
for you as a leader?

Whose sake? Whose power? Let's pray together.

Lord, we need you. If we're to live this kind of way, we need you. Left to our
own devices, we drift very quickly toward selfishness.

We tend to focus on ourselves, what we need, what we want, our own power, our
own strength. But Lord, that's not why you put us on this planet. Jesus, that's
not the example you gave us.

So we need you to strengthen us in whatever place you've given us to lead, in
whatever transition we're a part of right now, whether it's in our family, in
our company, in our church, in our school. Lord, let it be for the sake of
others. Let it be by your power.

We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Join us next week as we continue through
Second Samuel. We're going to learn some more lessons from the Ark of the
Covenant, and we're going to learn what to do when God says no.