Breaking Intimidation

Act or React?
Lesson 12
• Intimidation comes via 3 areas:
– Circumstances: tend to MAGNIFY problem and
SHRINK God

– Thoughts: Mind games are an ancient foe rooted

in unbelief, fear, or forgetfulness

– People: Primary source for most intimidation

• Proverbs 29:25
• The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever
trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
• Snares are traps that enslave you. They are:
– Rejection
– Harm
– Reproach
• Fear of man causes us to avoid these 3 things
and fear the wrong thing.
• “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid
of those who kill the body, and after that have
no more that they can do. But I will show you
whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He
has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I
say to you, fear Him!” Lk.12:4-5
• If you fear men, when God leads you into
difficulty or hardship, you will try to protect
and preserve yourself.
• “In the fear of the LORD there is strong
confidence, and His children will have a place
of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain
of life, to turn one away from the snares of
death.” Pr.14:26-27
• See the contrast in 2 Kings: Saul and David
• First: Saul in 1 Sam.13:13-14
– And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You
have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God,
which He commanded you. For now the LORD would
have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But
now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has
sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the
LORD has commanded him to be commander over His
people, because you have not kept what the LORD
commanded you.”
• In this situation Saul cracked under pressure. A
huge army was arrayed against him, Samuel
delayed in his coming, and his men and people
were scattering from him.
• He panicked and did something foolish.
• “When I saw that the people were scattered
from me, and that you did not come within
the days appointed, and that the Philistines
gathered together at Michmash, then I said,
‘The Philistines will now come down on me at
Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the
LORD.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered
a burnt offering.” 1 Sam.13:11-12
• He REACTED and as usual, it was wrong. He
was told to WAIT but he moved. He was told
to obey God but he obeyed man. He was told
to fear God but he feared the people.
• Saul’s history was one of outright
disobedience or half obedience which is the
same as disobedience.
• 3 strikes and …..
– 1-CH.13 MISHANDLING AT MICHMASH
– 2-CH.14 SAUL’S FOOLISH VOW
– 3-CH.15 SPARE’S KING AGAG
YOU’RE OUT!
• Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the
commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people
and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return
with me, that I may worship the LORD.” But Samuel said to Saul, “I will
not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the
LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” And as Samuel turned
around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. So
Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you
today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. And
also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that
He should relent.” Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now,
please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with
me, that I may worship the LORD your God.” So Samuel turned back after
Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD. 1 Sam.15:24-31
• The man who is “better” than Saul: DAVID
• What made David better was he sought God
• He was a man flawed and who was not
perfect.
• But he proved time and time again that in high
pressure situations he would seek God
• One such situation is found in 1 Sam. 30 in
ZIKLAG
• Now understand the setting here because it is
important:
– David is anointed king in Saul’s place:ch.16
– David is a refugee, on the run from Saul:16-29
– David’s reproach at Ziklag: Ch.30
• The whole camp along with their women and
children are taken captive: 30:1-5
• Then to add insult to injury:
• “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.” 30:6
• So now get this: Saul hates him and he is living
a nomadic life, the Philistines hate him
because he is an enemy to the nation, and
now his own band of mighty men speak of
stoning him over the pillaging of their enemy
• Who would he turn to? There was no one left!
• 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.”vs.6-8
 Psalm 27
• The LORD is my light and my salvation;
• Whom shall I fear?
• The LORD is the strength of my life;
• Of whom shall I be afraid?
• 2 When the wicked came against me
• To eat up my flesh,
• My enemies and foes,
• They stumbled and fell.
• 3 Though an army may encamp against me,
• My heart shall not fear;
• Though war may rise against me,
• In this I will be confident.
• 4 One thing I have desired of the LORD,
• That will I seek:
• That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
• All the days of my life,
• To behold the beauty of the LORD,
• And to inquire in His temple.
• 5 For in the time of trouble
• He shall hide me in His pavilion;
• In the secret place of His tabernacle
• He shall hide me;
• He shall set me high upon a rock
• 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above
my enemies all around me;
• Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in
His tabernacle;
• I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the
LORD.
• 7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
• Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
• 8 When You said, “Seek My face,”
• My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
• 9 Do not hide Your face from me;
• Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
• You have been my help;
• Do not leave me nor forsake me,
• O God of my salvation.
• 10 When my father and my mother forsake me,
• Then the LORD will take care of me.
•
• 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD,
• And lead me in a smooth path, because of my
enemies.
• 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
• For false witnesses have risen against me,
• And such as breathe out violence.
• 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
• That I would see the goodness of the LORD
• In the land of the living.
• 14 Wait on the LORD;
• Be of good courage,
• And He shall strengthen your heart;
• Wait, I say, on the LORD!
• 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. 30:18-19
• David ACTED-- Saul REACTED
• It takes 3 things to ACT in boldness and NOT to
be intimidated:
– 1.POWER
– 2.LOVE
– 3.CLARITY OF THOUGHT
– 2 Tim. 1:7 “For God has not given us the spirit of
fear, but of …..”