Get Back In the Game

2 Samuel 19:1–8 KJV 1900

And it was told Joab, Behold, the king weepeth and mourneth for Absalom. And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son. And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines; In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the Lord, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now. Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

In : David is in grief.

The victory was turned into mourning – exactly opposite of what God does.

The victory was turned into mourning – exactly opposite of what God does. God specializes in turning your day of morning into a day of victory. Here, victory is turned into defeat and sorry.

God specializes in turning your day of morning into a day of victory.

Did you know that you can experience morning during a time of victory? We can experience depression in a place of provision. We can experience what appears to be failure during a season of success. So much of life is not just the event, but our ability to process the event on the correct level.

David has lost so much (his son) that he can’t celebrate the victory. Although the solders won the battle, their heads were hung in shame and there was no parade. His sorrow is pronounced and he is about to lose what he has left.

Here, victory is turned into defeat and sorry.

David is so upset about what is gone, he is about to step right over and miss it. Because waiting for him is the support of the troops and resources for him to reclaim his throne and get back what is his.

Did you know that you can experience morning during a time of victory? • We can experience depression in a place of provision. • We can experience what appears to be failure during a season of success.

So much of life is not just the event, but our ability to process the event on the correct level.

But his is not ready yet and he is weeping in isolation over the gate. However, Joab (the general) had the guts to go into the chamber and confront David.

David has lost so much (his son) that he can’t celebrate the victory.

We should get in the habit of thanking God for those people that tell us what we do not want to hear. Those are the ones that really love you. Joab give the gift of confrontation. Sometimes the gift of confrontation is better than the gift of comfort.

Although the solders won the battle, their heads were hung in shame and there was no parade.

Joab says that David has humiliated those that love you and support him. Joab says: Why do you keep attaching yourself to stuff that is no good? Why do you keep running back to things that hurt you?

His sorrow is pronounced and he is about to lose what he has left.

You love those that hate you and hate those who love you. Why is this? Stop chasing that which is trying to walk away from you at the expense of what God has given you.

Similar to what David asks Saul: “How long will you morn over what God has rejected?” After some constructive coaching by Joab, the king got up and took his seat in the gateway.

David is so upset about what is gone, he is about to step right over and miss it. Because waiting for him is the support of the troops and resources for him to reclaim his throne and get back what is his.

But his is not ready yet and he is weeping in isolation over the gate.

Today’s message: “Get Back In The Game.”

However, Joab (the general) had the guts to go into the chamber and confront David.

With David, we are seeing the inexpiable relationship between character and confidence. It is impossible to sustain your confidence with a faulty character. Without the deep-seated core of character, it is impossible to sustain a sense of real confidence.

We should get in the habit of thanking God for those people that tell us what we do not want to hear.

David let’s in somethings in that are now overpowering him – and little by little after years of dysfunction. The trouble that David has now is related to how he dealt with the dysfunction. It is never your dysfunction that relates to how God chooses you – it is how you deal with the dysfunction.

When David fought Goliath, he fought from a distance – which is a good strategy. Goliath was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and David was a slinger. This is also the way David lived his life. Recall the story that is not told in vacation bible study: See - David wrote this after his greatest moral failure. See Bathsheba (wife of Uriah). See .

Those are the ones that really love you.

Joab give the gift of confrontation.

- David wrote this after his greatest moral failure. See Bathsheba (wife of Uriah). See .

He was supposed to in battle with his army, but he wasn’t. It is where he wasn’t and what he didn’t do that brought him to a place where he had freedom of capacity to do the things that he was not supposed to do. If he did what he was supposed to do, he would not have done what he did. Because he ended up sleeping with a woman that was taking a bath and then had the husband killed to cover his tracks.

Sometime the gift of confrontation is better than the gift of comfort.

Joab says that David has humiliated those that love you and support him. Joab says: Why do you keep attaching yourself to stuff that is no good? Why do you keep running back to things that hurt you?

Where David messed up was not necessarily his sin (which was wrong), but it was how he responded to his sin buy compounding his sin vs. seeking God’s grace. Any so rather than deal with the dysfunction of his disobedience, he piled several layers of shame on top of his sin – until Nathan the profit called David out.

You love those that hate you and hate those who love you. Why is this?

You can pick your decisions but you can’t pick your consequences.

Stop chasing that which is trying to walk away from you at the expense of what God has given you.

Yes, David did receive grace but it left a residue. David’s sin would play out in his family line where his son raped his half-sister Tamar. And you thought that your family is dysfunctional? David dealt with his dysfunction from a distance.

In , Absalom and this troops are chasing David until his long adorable hair gets caught on a tree and is thrown from his horse. Be careful what you wish for. The thing that makes you great outwardly makes you vulnerable inwardly. Absalom gets caught up by the thing that made him so attractive. Absalom is then killed by David’s men. Now David is grieving.

Similar to what David asks Saul: “How long will you morn over what God has rejected?”

After some constructive coaching by Joab, the king got up and took his seat in the gateway.

There are times when the challenge of responsibility will want to make you want to walk away from something that you love. And people will judge you in that moment and think that you are walking away – because your lazy – but you are not lazy – you are thinking about walking away because you do not think that you have what it takes – and this is the danger of disengagement.

It is when you find yourself in a state of shame or fear or trauma or exhaustion and your walk away from what God gave you – because you do not know how to manage it. It is the danger of disengagement. There is danger in showing up in body and not in mind. Sorting like coming to church vs. being in church.

Today’s message: “Get Back In The Game.”

With David, we are seeing the inexpiable relationship between character and confidence. It is impossible to sustain your confidence with a faulty character. Without the deep-seated core of character, it is impossible to sustain a sense of real confidence.

I have learned that there is a big difference between coming home and being home. There is a big difference between having a child and being a mom. And sometimes, the temptation is not exactly to run away - but to disengage.

It is impossible to sustain your confidence with a faulty character.

I don’t disengage because I do not care, I am disengaged because I am afraid that I do not have what it takes. With David, the death of Absalom represented his own failure. David says this: If only I had died instead of you – it is my fault. Now David is shaken and is disengaged – not defeated David has the victory but he is not acting like it. David has lost his sense of passion because he has moved from his position. In ancient times, the cities were well guarded.

Around the city were two gates. The outer gate is what everyone sees. We all have one of these – it is our personality that we project onto the world – so people do not judge us – so that we appear successful. Then there is the inner gate – the second line of defense. We have one of those too. It is our actions. The action happens between the gates. In our case between our ears.

Without the deep-seated core of character, it is impossible to sustain a sense of real confidence.

David is in isolation above the gate – like how some of us live our lives – watching events unfold but not taking responsibility for outcomes – where we live on-line in an ecosystems of pretention and narcissism – and opinions and do not really make a commitment to make a difference in the world – where we engage in things that are complacent to our ego but never confront the issues that sabotage our souls.

David let’s in somethings in that are now overpowering him – and little by little after years of dysfunction. The trouble that David has now is related to how he dealt with the dysfunction. It is never your dysfunction that relates to how God chooses you – it is how you deal with the dysfunction.

The trouble that David has now is related to how he dealt with the dysfunction. • It is never your dysfunction that relates to how God chooses you – it is how you deal with the dysfunction. • When David fought Goliath, he fought from a distance – which is a good strategy. • Goliath was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and David was a slinger. • This is also the way David lived his life. • Recall the story that is not told in vacation bible study: See - David wrote this after his greatest moral failure. See Bathsheba (wife of Uriah). See . He was supposed to in battle with his army, but he wasn’t. It is where he wasn’t and what he didn’t do that brought him to a place where he had freedom of capacity to do the things that he was not supposed to do. • If he did what he was supposed to do, he would not have done what he did. • Because he ended up sleeping with a woman that was taking a bath and then had the husband killed to cover his tracks. • Where David messed up was not necessarily his sin (which was wrong), but it was how he responded to his sin buy compounding his sin vs. seeking God’s grace. • Any so rather than deal with the dysfunction of his disobedience, he piled several layers of shame on top of his sin – until Nathan the profit called David out. • You can pick your decisions but you can’t pick your consequences – good advice for anyone below the age of 18. • Yes, David did receive grace but it left a residue. • David’s sin would play out in his family line where his son raped his half-sister Tamar. And you thought that your family is dysfunctional? You could write a family book compared to David. Do you feel that you just left church and went to a 1992 Jerry Springer show? • David dealt with his dysfunction from a distance – only Page 6 of 7 • In , Absalom and this troops are chasing David until his long adorable hair gets caught on a tree and is thrown from his horse. • Be careful what you wish for. The thing that makes you great outwardly makes you vulnerable inwardly. • Absalom gets caught up by the thing that made him so attractive. • Absalom is then killed by David’s men • Now David is grieving. • There are times when the challenge of responsibility will want to make you want to walk away from something that you love. And people will judge you in that moment and think that you are walking away – because your lazy – but you are not lazy – you are thinking about walking away because you do not think that you have what it takes – and this is the danger of disengagement. • It is when you find yourself in a state of shame or fear or trauma or exhaustion and your walk away from what God gave you – because you do not know how to manage it. • It is the danger of disengagement. • There is danger in showing up in body and not in mind. Sorting like coming to church vs. being in church. • I have learned that there is a big difference between coming home and being home. • There is a big difference between having a child and being a mom. • And sometimes, the temptation is not exactly to run away - but to disengage. • I don’t disengage because I do not care, I am disengaged because I am afraid that I do not have what it takes. • With David, the death of Absalom represented his own failure. • David says this: If only I had died instead of you – it is my fault. • Now David is shaken and is disengaged – not defeated • David has the victory but he is not acting like it. • David has lost his sense of passion because he has moved from his position. • In ancient times, the cities were well guarded. Around the city were two gates. • The outer gate is what everyone sees. We all have one of these – it is our personality that we project onto the world – so people do not judge us – so that we appear successful. • Then there is the inner gate – the second line of defense. We have one of those too. It is our actions. • The action happens between the gates. In our case between our ears. • David is in isolation above the gate – like how some of us live our lives – watching events unfold but not taking responsibility for outcomes – where we live on-line in an ecosystems of pretention and narcissism – and opinions and do not really make a commitment to make a difference in the world – where we engage in things that are complacent to our ego but never confront the issues that sabotage our souls. • The action happens between the gates – where transactions would be made – where judges would sit – where negotiations would happen – where the conscience of the nation was developed - not outside the gates. • Amos would prophesied just inside of the gates. This is where all of the buying and selling was done. • When Ruth was proclaimed by Boaz, he completed the deal in the presence of 10 witnesses – in the gate. • When Abraham purchased a burial site for Sarah, he completed the transaction in front of witnesses in the gate. • After all that David lost and after all of the tears, all of the mistakes that he had made, David did something so simple. He re-took his seat between the gates. • David says: My heart is broken, I am devastated as to what happened, I am uncertain about the future, I am a long way from home, I made some mistakes, I wish I could change some things but it can’t, but I back. Page 7 of 7 • Here is the messages that we have gathered today to hear: I see you getting up from the failure and the shame and regret that has kept you paralyzed, and taking your stand in the gate of praise and entering his gates with thanksgiving. • Say this: I am back. • Let the devil know I am back. Let condemnation know I am back. Let my past know I am back. • I am not perfect, but I am back. • I do not have it planned out yet, but I am back. • I do not know what tomorrow will bring but I am back. • I am back in it. • I am not going to stand over my life blaming other people for the next 20 years. • And when the enemy comes with their accusations and his excuses, look him square in the eye – even before the new year gets started – this seat is taken within the gates is taken – and there is no room for you - and I am back – because I am seated with Christ in heavenly places. • I am back in position. • I am back in purpose • Get back in the gate. • You cannot change what you tolerate. • Get back in the gate. • You cannot change what you do not face. • You can’t change by complaining. You can’t change it by “If only . . . “ • But now, if you take your seat, God has prepared a place for you – in the presence of your enemies – where he might not rid of your problems – but will give you the gift of his presence. • I am back. And I am broken. And I am better because I was broken. • We learned how to fight the battle between the gates. • We are going to get our gates back. • We have been flooded with too many images and points of view that do not promote peace in our lives. We practice the habits of worry and living in the state of anxiety. • A place of power is when you take your seat in the gates. This is the place of responsibility and owning your story. This is the place of dealing with your dysfunction – and not from a distance. • David got up. Took his seat in the gate. He showed up. Things are still unresolved but he is showing up. When David took his seat between the gates, his soldiers were ready to see him. Your spiritual weapons are waiting for you to take your place between the gates.

When David fought Goliath, he fought from a distance – which is a good strategy. • Goliath was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and David was a slinger. • This is also the way David lived his life. • Recall the story that is not told in vacation bible study: See - David wrote this after his greatest moral failure. See Bathsheba (wife of Uriah). See . He was supposed to in battle with his army, but he wasn’t. It is where he wasn’t and what he didn’t do that brought him to a place where he had freedom of capacity to do the things that he was not supposed to do. • If he did what he was supposed to do, he would not have done what he did. • Because he ended up sleeping with a woman that was taking a bath and then had the husband killed to cover his tracks. • Where David messed up was not necessarily his sin (which was wrong), but it was how he responded to his sin buy compounding his sin vs. seeking God’s grace. • Any so rather than deal with the dysfunction of his disobedience, he piled several layers of shame on top of his sin – until Nathan the profit called David out. • You can pick your decisions but you can’t pick your consequences – good advice for anyone below the age of 18. • Yes, David did receive grace but it left a residue. • David’s sin would play out in his family line where his son raped his half-sister Tamar. And you thought that your family is dysfunctional? You could write a family book compared to David. Do you feel that you just left church and went to a 1992 Jerry Springer show? • David dealt with his dysfunction from a distance – only Page 6 of 7 • In , Absalom and this troops are chasing David until his long adorable hair gets caught on a tree and is thrown from his horse. • Be careful what you wish for. The thing that makes you great outwardly makes you vulnerable inwardly. • Absalom gets caught up by the thing that made him so attractive. • Absalom is then killed by David’s men • Now David is grieving. • There are times when the challenge of responsibility will want to make you want to walk away from something that you love. And people will judge you in that moment and think that you are walking away – because your lazy – but you are not lazy – you are thinking about walking away because you do not think that you have what it takes – and this is the danger of disengagement. • It is when you find yourself in a state of shame or fear or trauma or exhaustion and your walk away from what God gave you – because you do not know how to manage it. • It is the danger of disengagement. • There is danger in showing up in body and not in mind. Sorting like coming to church vs. being in church. • I have learned that there is a big difference between coming home and being home. • There is a big difference between having a child and being a mom. • And sometimes, the temptation is not exactly to run away - but to disengage. • I don’t disengage because I do not care, I am disengaged because I am afraid that I do not have what it takes. • With David, the death of Absalom represented his own failure. • David says this: If only I had died instead of you – it is my fault. • Now David is shaken and is disengaged – not defeated • David has the victory but he is not acting like it. • David has lost his sense of passion because he has moved from his position. • In ancient times, the cities were well guarded. Around the city were two gates. • The outer gate is what everyone sees. We all have one of these – it is our personality that we project onto the world – so people do not judge us – so that we appear successful. • Then there is the inner gate – the second line of defense. We have one of those too. It is our actions. • The action happens between the gates. In our case between our ears. • David is in isolation above the gate – like how some of us live our lives – watching events unfold but not taking responsibility for outcomes – where we live on-line in an ecosystems of pretention and narcissism – and opinions and do not really make a commitment to make a difference in the world – where we engage in things that are complacent to our ego but never confront the issues that sabotage our souls. • The action happens between the gates – where transactions would be made – where judges would sit – where negotiations would happen – where the conscience of the nation was developed - not outside the gates. • Amos would prophesied just inside of the gates. This is where all of the buying and selling was done. • When Ruth was proclaimed by Boaz, he completed the deal in the presence of 10 witnesses – in the gate. • When Abraham purchased a burial site for Sarah, he completed the transaction in front of witnesses in the gate. • After all that David lost and after all of the tears, all of the mistakes that he had made, David did something so simple. He re-took his seat between the gates. • David says: My heart is broken, I am devastated as to what happened, I am uncertain about the future, I am a long way from home, I made some mistakes, I wish I could change some things but it can’t, but I back. Page 7 of 7 • Here is the messages that we have gathered today to hear: I see you getting up from the failure and the shame and regret that has kept you paralyzed, and taking your stand in the gate of praise and entering his gates with thanksgiving. • Say this: I am back. • Let the devil know I am back. Let condemnation know I am back. Let my past know I am back. • I am not perfect, but I am back. • I do not have it planned out yet, but I am back. • I do not know what tomorrow will bring but I am back. • I am back in it. • I am not going to stand over my life blaming other people for the next 20 years. • And when the enemy comes with their accusations and his excuses, look him square in the eye – even before the new year gets started – this seat is taken within the gates is taken – and there is no room for you - and I am back – because I am seated with Christ in heavenly places. • I am back in position. • I am back in purpose • Get back in the gate. • You cannot change what you tolerate. • Get back in the gate. • You cannot change what you do not face. • You can’t change by complaining. You can’t change it by “If only . . . “ • But now, if you take your seat, God has prepared a place for you – in the presence of your enemies – where he might not rid of your problems – but will give you the gift of his presence. • I am back. And I am broken. And I am better because I was broken. • We learned how to fight the battle between the gates. • We are going to get our gates back. • We have been flooded with too many images and points of view that do not promote peace in our lives. We practice the habits of worry and living in the state of anxiety. • A place of power is when you take your seat in the gates. This is the place of responsibility and owning your story. This is the place of dealing with your dysfunction – and not from a distance. • David got up. Took his seat in the gate. He showed up. Things are still unresolved but he is showing up. When David took his seat between the gates, his soldiers were ready to see him. Your spiritual weapons are waiting for you to take your place between the gates.

The action happens between the gates – where transactions would be made – where judges would sit – where negotiations would happen – where the conscience of the nation was developed - not outside the gates.

This is the place of power and clarity.

Amos would prophesied just inside of the gates. This is where all of the buying and selling was done. When Ruth was proclaimed by Boaz, he completed the deal in the presence of 10 witnesses – in the gate. When Abraham purchased a burial site for Sarah, he completed the transaction in front of witnesses in the gate.

After all that David lost and after all of the tears, all of the mistakes that he had made, David did something so simple. He re-took his seat between the gates. David says: My heart is broken, I am devastated as to what happened, I am uncertain about the future, I am a long way from home, I made some mistakes, I wish I could change some things but it can’t, but I’m back.

The gates of change and there are four of them: (Key point: This gate only opens from the inside). So Show up - Get back to where you belong - not out of place. Your attitude. Be present.

Isaiah 28:5–8 KJV 1900

In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, And for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people, And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, And for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, They are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, So that there is no place clean.

Here is the messages that we have gathered today to hear: I see you getting up from the failure and the shame and regret that has kept you paralyzed, and taking your stand back in the game of praise and entering his gates with thanksgiving.

Get back in the game. Turn back the battle by getting back in the game, It has to happen by you taking your place in the game. And the gates of hell will not prevail.

Say this: I am back. Let the devil know I am back. Let condemnation know I am back. Let my past know I am back. I am not perfect, but I am back. I do not have it planned out yet, but I am back. I do not know what tomorrow will bring but I am back. I am back in it. I am not going to stand over my life blaming other people for the next 20 years.

And when the enemy comes with their accusations and his excuses, look him square in the eye – even before the new year gets started – this seat is taken – and there is no room for you - and I am back – because I am seated with Christ in heavenly places. I am back in position. I am back in purpose. Get back in the game. You cannot change what you tolerate. Get back in the game. You cannot change what you do not face. You can’t change by complaining. You can’t change it by “If only . . . “ But now, if you take your seat, God has prepared a place for you – in the presence of your enemies – where he might not rid of your problems – but will give you the gift of his presence.

Get back in the game. Turn back the battle by getting back in the game, It has to happen by you taking your place in the game. And the gates of hell will not prevail.

I am back. And I am broken. And I am better because I was broken. We learned how to fight the battle between the gates. We are going to get our gates back. We have been flooded with too many images and points of view that do not promote peace in our lives. We practice the habits of worry and living in the state of anxiety.

A place of power is when you get back in the game. This is the place of responsibility and owning your story. This is the place of dealing with your dysfunction – and not from a distance. David got up. Took his seat in the gate. He showed up. Things are still unresolved but he is showing up. When David took his seat between the gates, his soldiers were ready to see him. Your spiritual weapons are waiting for you to take your place between the gates. This is the place of power and clarity.

So Show up - Get back to where you belong - not out of place. Your attitude. Be present.

Get back in the game. Turn back the battle by getting back in the game, It has to happen by you taking your place in the game. And the gates of hell will not prevail.