The Lord Our Shepherd

[Music playing] [Speaker 1] Oh children of God! Ah, we are not responding. Mr. Favor? Children of God, wonderful children, obedient children, glorious children, beautiful children. Are we beautiful? Beautiful children, we shout hallelujah. Shout hallelujah to the Lord ten times. Let's go. Hallelujah number one. That's how we are doing it. Hallelujah number two. We are not even demonstrating it. Hallelujah number three. Hallelujah number four. Hallelujah number five. Okay, hallelujah number six. Okay, hallelujah number seven. Okay, hallelujah number eight. Okay, hallelujah number nine. Okay, hallelujah number ten. Glory! Children of God, children of God, we shout hallelujah. Shout hallelujah to the Lord five times. Let's go. Hallelujah number one. Okay, hallelujah number two. We are not even demonstrating it. Hallelujah number three with smile, with smile. Hallelujah number four. Hallelujah number five. Oh, victory, victory, halle-hallelujah, halle-hallelujah. Oh, victory, victory, halle-hallelujah. Oh, Jesus conquered the devil. Victory, victory, halle-hallelujah, halle-hallelujah. Oh, victory, victory, halle-hallelujah. Oh, Jesus conquered the devil. Oh, he has given me victory, halle-hallelujah, halle-hallelujah. Oh, Jehovah has given me victory, halle-hallelujah. Jehovah has given me victory, halle-hallelujah. Oh, Jehovah has given me victory, halle-hallelujah. Alaye lo ma yin o, oku ko le yin o, alaye lo ma yin o, oku ko le yin o. [background noise] Alaye lo ma yin Jesu, oku ko le yin o, alaye lo ma yin o, oku ko le yin o. We are going higher this year and beyond. We are going higher, higher, higher, higher. Very great, exceedingly great. Can we just appreciate the name of the Lord? Can we just love on him? Can we just bless him even for this session? Can we just appreciate your name? Olorun to l'agbara o, o subare ma re o, eh, eh, eh, eh. O subare ma re o, eh, Olorun to l'emi wa, o subare ma re o, eh, eh, eh, eh. O subare ma re o, eh. For we are saying faithful are you Lord. Faithful are you Lord. Is he really faithful to you and your family? Oh, faithful are you Lord. Oh, you are so faithful. Oh, for we are saying faithful are you Lord for this new year Lord. Faithful are you Lord. You're faithful, you're faithful. Faithful are you Lord. Oh, you are so faithful. Oh, for we are saying faithful are you Lord. Faithful are you Lord. Faithful are you Lord. You're so faithful. Oh, for we are saying faithful are you Lord. Our Father, we are indeed grateful unto you. Oh Lord, thou art our God. Indeed, we will exalt thee, we will praise your name for you have done wonderful things. Your counsels of old, they are faithfulness and they are truth. Lord, our life has witnessed your faithfulness. Lord, even right now we are seeing your mercy. Your mercy brought us into 2022. Despite the situation of our nation, we are among those that are alive. We bless your name for this great mercy. We bless your name for this great goodness. We thank you for this first day of the year 2022. We receive, oh God, the year with thanksgiving. We say Lord, it is a year that you have made. We will rejoice and be glad in it, in the name of Jesus Christ. Precious Father Almighty God, we thank you that we are here again in your presence. The first Saturday of the year. Lord our God, we pray, as we fellowship together, as we rejoice together, as we celebrate together, Lord we pray, let your spirit work within us in the name of Jesus. As we look into scriptures, particularly Lord our God this very first day of the year, Lord we pray, grant us light and direction. Grant us light and direction for the year. Lord, give us a take-home for the year in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you Eternal Father. Blessed be your holy name. Lord, this first Singles Club of the year, we are praying that God, as we begin as it was you in yesteryears, we are beginning again for the year 2022. For every first Saturday of the month, there will be gathering here ten to twelve. Our brethren who have traveled, our brethren joining us online, Lord we pray that God Almighty, you will go ahead of all of us in the name of Jesus. Lord, you will go ahead of all of us in the name of Jesus. That every gathering, every time we gather every first Saturday of the month of this year, we say Lord, your presence will tabernacle with us in the name of Jesus Christ. It will be a time of refreshing, it will be a time of light, a time of transformation in the name of Jesus. Thank you Eternal Father. Blessed be your holy name, our God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Please, let's have our seats. We want to look at something very, very important this morning and something I trust the Lord should not take so much of our time. But something that has been coming since as the year was rounding up and I was wondering how are we going to journey into 2022? And this matter has been coming over and over and over in my heart like that. So, I want us to look at something in the book of Samuel. I titled our first talk for this year "The Lord Our Shepherd." The Lord Our Shepherd. I just want to draw your attention to a few things in the life of David. A few things in the life of David. I want you to see how it applies to us today so that you can take learning from it and see how the Lord will help us. Now, let's see 2 Samuel 5:1. It is something too that was happening just at the beginning of the year for David. But the year now, I am looking at the beginning of his reign. Something happening at the beginning and I want you to look to take instruction from it. I will read 2 Samuel 5:1. The Bible says, "Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, 'Indeed, we are your bone and your flesh. Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led out and brought us in.'" I want you to note that word. "You were the one who led Israel out and brought us in. And the Lord said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel and be ruler over Israel.'" I just want you to note, put at the back of your mind the background of 2 Samuel 5:2. We are coming back to that. Note that David led them out and brought them in, and they affirmed something, "And the Lord said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel and be ruler over them.'" Therefore, all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. So, you see something was about to start for David. Just as we are starting the year today, something was about to start for David. Something of rejoicing. What was about to start for David? Something new was breaking forth in his life. He is to become the king over Israel. We have been coming from 2021 and now we are entering 2022. He was somewhere and a new thing was breaking forth in his life. He's to become the king over Israel. Something new was happening, a new beginning. And this is 2022, the first Saturday of the year, a new beginning. Something new was happening. David was anointed king over Israel. Now, David was thirty years old when he began to reign. So, that was the beginning of his reign. That is what I want you to see, the similarity. It is the beginning of the year for us, and the beginning of the year like this, as they anointed David king over Israel, what do you think will be going on? Rejoicing. Hallelujah. Just like we are doing today. Isn't it the same thing? Thank God, happy new year, great is the Lord, greatly to be praised. People are rejoicing. And some, in a bid to rejoice, are getting themselves drunk and then poking their life again where they will destroy it. But I'm talking of the fact that children of God are rejoicing. We are seeing the Lord for a new year. So, there was something beginning, something breaking forth for David. He was thirty years old when he began to reign and David reigned, of course, for forty years. Now, the Bible said he reigned in Hebron over Judah seven years and six months and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over Israel. That gave him the forty years that David reigned. Now, the Bible says, "And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites." There was a fight against the Jebusites. I want us to skip that. David was to move the capital to Jerusalem, but that is not where I'm going. Now, verse 12, the Bible says, "So David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people." So, David was established a king over Israel, well established. The Bible said, verse 14, "These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem." Bible was naming the success of David, his wives, his children, his family. All of that was going on like we are thanking God today. Thank God for my daddy, thank God for my mommy, thank God for my family. All of that was going on. We are going somewhere. Now, why all that was going on, don't forget our topic, "The Lord Our Shepherd." David was the one who former times was taking Israel, taking them out and bringing them in. But we want to look at something about the life of David. Now, verse 17, "Now, when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went to search for David and David heard of it and went down to the stronghold." Are you seeing something? Why he was busy rejoicing, why they were thanking God, the Bible says some enemies, some adversaries, the Philistines, what I'm trying to say is that just as the Lord is making projection for our life and he's making plans and purpose to take us somewhere, the same way the Bible says be vigilant, be sober, for what? Your adversary, the devil, also goes about looking for who to devour. Every time I read that scripture, "He goes about," what always comes to my heart is Acts 10:38, "How Jesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him." Devil too goes about doing evil and trying to put people again under oppression. He come kidosho, he come kidoshebi. Are you getting the picture? There was an adversary, the Philistines. They were, "This kingdom, we must bring it down." There were their strategies and plan. And what the Bible tells us, the Bible says in Ephesians 6:11-12, "Put on the whole armor of God that you may stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood." So, I'm not talking of one person in your office, one enemy there, your one brother-in-law's sister, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the fact that as the Lord is marching his church forward, the gate of hell too, they are raising their head to make sure that our life don't march forward. So, as we are starting the new year, as David was brought to become king, as David was anointed and plans were going on to establish David, there was another plan also going somewhere to dethrone him. So, what I'm trying to say is that we should not be ignorant of this fact. That as we step into the new year, as we step into 2022, the gate of hell too are also making their arrangements. Don't forget my description of the devil. It is not what many people call him. Some people call him a foolish person. People call him somebody who is not wise. I tell them they have not read scripture. If you read scripture very well, you know that Satan is a very intelligent person. In fact, be as wise as serpents. Satan is a very intelligent person. In fact, I describe him as opportunistic spirit. Somebody that takes advantage of opportunities. Once you open the opportunity, it takes advantage. That is the devil. He goes about looking for opportunity to enter, looking for opportunity to take advantage of something. Jesus was hungry, that was when he said turn stone to bread. Do you get the point I'm making? When he could not get Jesus, the Bible says he left him for another opportune time. That is the devil. Takes advantage of opportunity. Go back again to the beginning. It was the same design. He looked for a time when Eve was somewhere, Adam was somewhere. And he knew that it will be difficult to get the two of them together. But if I can get the woman, I can make the woman convince the man. Because the woman will not feel the effect of eating the thing. It is not until the man eats it that they will feel the effect. So, let me begin from here. If I get this one, nothing will happen to her, and then she will go and convince her husband. "See, nothing happened." By the time the man will eat it, both of them's eyes will become open. You can see, that's why the Bible says in that scripture, it says, "Now, the serpent was very crafty." Go and check our fall. The Bible begins with, "The serpent was crafty." That was how that chapter opened, that now there was one person that was very crafty. It tells you that Satan is an opportunistic spirit. So, that as we are starting the year and we are entering our throne and we are rejoicing for that which the Lord have made, let us remember that there are some Philistines. There are some Philistines. The gates of hell are somewhere. There are some Philistines and don't forget all they're looking for is opportunity. They don't have power. Do you know why they don't have power? The Bible established that for us. The Bible says, I like the version, I like it in amplified, Colossians 2:15. It says, "Having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public show of them triumphing over them in the cross." Do you get that? King James says, "having spoiled," it's not clear. What does it mean to disarm somebody? Somebody was coming with ammunition and you did what? You disarm the person. Jesus, over the life of the believers, Satan has been disarmed. He does not have power. Bible says he triumph over them. He spoils them. So, as far as the believer is concerned, Satan does not have power over the believer. But get it, that's why the Bible says put on the whole armor of God that you may stand against what? The wiles. Do you notice it? We are never standing against the devil because he is not our equal. What we are standing against is wiles. Wiles l'oni, ko l'agbara. Once he can get you, it's just like, let me give a good example. He says, "I will make you fishers of men." So, we can describe ourselves, when the Bible says the kingdom of God is like a fish, it's like a net which a man threw into the sea and it catches all kinds of fish. You remember? So, we are like, all of us we are like fishes that God's net has taken into the kingdom. You understand that? Now, what is the best way to kill a shark? If you want to kill a shark, what is the best way to kill the shark that will not give you any stress at all? It will not give you any stress. You don't even need any AK-47, you don't need anything. You can just kill it. In fact, it's not about being bad. What do you need to do? Who can quickly think? What do you need to quickly do? All you need to do is to see how you will trick shark to leave the sea and come on land. Once you can trick him, trick him, trick him, trick him and you can bring him to land, the shark is finished. You don't need to fight again. He can only do that inside water. So, when Satan want to destroy us, all he does, you don't need the way you do chicken when you want to kill them, you throw corn on the floor. You will be putting corn and then the chicken will be following you. Satan will be throwing corn, oya oya, when you take it, he wants to make sure, he knows that the Bible says be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. He does all things to take you outside the Lord. Once you are outside the Lord, you are finished. So, his is to give you wiles to take you outside the Lord. We are talking about "The Lord Our Shepherd." So that what we need for our life is direction. So that we are not tricked outside who? Outside the Lord. Now, when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went to search for David and David heard of it. And so David went to the stronghold. You know what just came to my mind now? Do you remember how Cain killed Abel? Do you remember how Cain killed Abel? What in the context of that story, who can remember what the Bible first say before Cain now killed Abel? Who can remember what the Bible first say under that context? The Bible says, and it came to pass when they were both in the field. Cain could not kill Abel when Mama Eve and Papa Adam was there. He had to look for when they would be away. He had to trick him to the field. Because as long as Baba and Mama are standing, he cannot carry stick and hit his brother. Do you get it? What I'm trying to say is that there are devices of hell to trick men outside the Lord in 2022. There are devices of hell to trick men, and I'm telling you that Satan is not your equal. We are not asked to stand against the devil because devil has been disarmed. Bible says, "having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a public show of them." He made a public show of them. Satan is not your, we are not asked to stand against the devil. What we are standing against is wiles. What are wiles? Another word for wiles? Deception. Another word for wiles? Tricks. Strategies. The common word for wiles, wayo wayo, konni konni, yes, konni konni. Bible says put on the whole armor against his wiles. Why? Because once he can trick you outside the Lord, you are finished. It is to take you outside the Lord. Because you are strong where? In the Lord. Are you getting it? So, when you put shark inside the sea and you want to kill shark, you must be ready to fight. So, he knows that he can't defeat us inside the water. As long as we stay in the Lord, we are too much for him. We are too smart for him. We are too quick for him. We are too brilliant for him. We are too sharp for him. We are too intelligent for him. So, what he must do is to do what? Can I trick these people outside the Lord? So, as we start the year and we are entering our throne and we are rejoicing for that which the Lord have made, let us remember that there are some Philistines. There are some Philistines. The gates of hell are somewhere. There are some Philistines and don't forget all they're looking for is opportunity. They don't have power. It's about how they are deploying. How they are deploying them. One important thing is the Lord is our what? Our Shepherd. I can guarantee you that by December 31, 2022, you can still be a victor if you understand that we have the Lord. He has assured us that what? "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail." I can guarantee you that. All we need to do is to be sure that we don't journey outside the Lord. We don't journey outside the Lord. All our journeys, they remain where? Where? In the Lord. All our journeys in the Lord. All our decisions in the Lord. All our choices where? In the Lord. All our going forth where? In the Lord. All our outings where? In the Lord. Every project we want to embark upon where? In the Lord. Every business we want to do where? In the Lord. Every academic venture where? In the Lord. You understand me? Every career path where? In the Lord. That is all we need. The Lord our what? Our Shepherd. The Lord our Shepherd. It is in him that we are complete. It doesn't matter how the enemy will try it against us. I pray, I pray, I pray, I pray, we will not journey away from the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ. So, you notice that after they have journeyed that journey, what did Cain tell Abel? Abel, the business, the business. Abel, today you will die. That is the business. You can see how he got him. You can see how he got him. It was after Eve experienced the consequence of eating that fruit that she said what? When they said, "Why did you eat it?" what was her response? What was Eve's response? She said, "The serpent deceived me." But I want to ask you, in their love, their romance. When they were romancing themselves, "Hello, Sister Eve, God said you should not eat this fruit? God said we should not eat it, we should not even touch it or we'll die." Ah-ah. You will not die. You don't understand. It's a time of stepping higher to higher civilization. It's a time of open eye. It's a time of new revelation to move at a frequency above God. It's a time to step at a frequency that even angels cannot stop you. Your eyes will be open. You know one thing? This one that you are just ordinary human being, you will become like God. Ah. Oh, ah, what did you say we will eat to become like that? You taste it and you will see. Are you understanding it? Eve thought Satan was an addition to her life. But it was after she ate it that she realized that thing was not to start her life. It was to finish her life. May that which will finish you not be attractive to you in the name of Jesus. May that which will cut you short not become an attraction to you as we march into 2022, in the name of Jesus Christ. The Lord our what? Our Shepherd. The Lord our Shepherd. It is in him that we are complete. It doesn't matter how the enemy will try it against us. I pray, I pray, I pray, I pray, we will not journey away from the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ. So, I'm describing the Philistines to you so I'm not talking of one, I'm not talking of going to see your neighbor as your enemy, going to see your brother, no, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the plans of the host of hell against the church of God. Jesus said, "However, I will build my church and what? The gates of hell will not prevail." I can guarantee you that by December 31, 2022, you can still be a victor if you understand that we have the Lord. He has assured us that what? "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail." All we need to do is to be sure that we don't journey outside the Lord. We don't journey outside the Lord. All our journeys, they remain where? Where? In the Lord. All our journeys in the Lord. All our decisions in the Lord. All our choices where? In the Lord. All our going forth where? In the Lord. All our outings where? In the Lord. Every project we want to embark upon where? In the Lord. Every business we want to do where? In the Lord. Every academic venture where? In the Lord. You understand me? Every career path where? In the Lord. That is all we need. The Lord our what? Our Shepherd. The Lord our Shepherd. It is in him that we are complete. It doesn't matter how the enemy will try it against us. I pray, I pray, I pray, I pray, we will not journey away from the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ. So, I'm talking about these Philistines. They know that you have just been anointed, you have entered a new year. Can we quickly strategize for them? Can we quickly strategize for them? Can we bring them into excessive, excessive rejoicing? Can we do something to make this thing excess for them? Can we get it out of hand for them? What can we do to make sure they get out of the Lord? That is the strategy I'm talking about. There are Philistines. There are Philistines. Look at what the Bible says. They went up to search for David. That's why he said, "Be vigilant. Be sober." Somebody is searching for you. Do you understand my Philistines now when I'm talking about Philistines? What I mean by Philistines now? They are Philistines and I believe you understand my Philistines now when I'm talking about Philistines. You know what I mean by Philistines now? There are Philistines. There are Cains that are searching for you. They have no other thing to do. Go and check the matter in Job. God asked him, "Hello, how are you, Satan?" "I'm coming from where? From going to and fro the earth." Do you hear the description there? "And from walking up and down in it." No other place where he's coming from. That's where he's coming from. Where are you coming from? From going to and fro. He's always searching. Searching. And I'm telling you there is a search. There is a search. We must understand that as we march through the year. We must understand that. But the Lord is coming to tell us this morning, the Lord is announcing to us, "I am your Shepherd." A dog that has no owner, what will it do? It will always go to the hunter. But he who is supposed to be owned, what he needs to do? He must always listen to the shepherd. But what the shepherd wants to blow is not peep peep, peep peep. The Lord wants to blow, it's a thunderous one. Peep peep peep, all of you should be careful. Yes. The Lord is announcing I am your Shepherd. So, let's see how it went for David. Let's see how it went for David. As we try to move on a little. He said they went in search for David. David heard of it and went to the stronghold. The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the valley of where? Of Rephaim. Are you seeing something? Are they not strategizing? Are they not strategizing? Somebody was asking me that why is it that demons are omnipresent? I said no. I said if they are omnipresent, they will not be walking to and fro. Even their master walks to and fro, so he's not omnipresent. But they're so organized that you think that they're everywhere. They're not omnipresent. Only God is omnipresent. You will never see God saying I go to and fro. You know what the Bible says about God? 2 Chronicles 16:9. What the Bible says? It says, "The eyes of the Lord does what? Run to and fro the earth." Do you get that at all? Check it now, 2 Chronicles 16:9. What will you find there? What does that tell you about God? God does not stay in one place. What does he mean? What goes up and down the earth for God? What goes up and down the earth for God? "The eyes of the Lord goes to and fro the earth." So God is not in one place. Everything he's seeing at once. He's omnipresent. His eye is going. Hallelujah. Our God is everywhere. He is ever present. Satan is not everywhere. That's what I'm showing you in this place. The enemy, what did they do? You know the meaning of deploy? What does it mean to deploy? Who knows another who knows the meaning for deploy when you say you deploy? To send. He sends them. Okay, demon for fornication, demon for lie, demon for immorality. Are you understanding me? Demon for the love of money. You know the love of money is the root of all evil. Different deployments, different ones. Go and work. Because we are made to understand that when you see disobedience against God, who is at work? Bible says there are spirits at work where? In the children of disobedience. So, there are different deployments, different ones. What they deploy, what they deploy, different ones. Oya take charge here, take charge there, take charge here, take charge on this campus, take charge on that campus, take charge here, take charge there and there. With different things to, what I'm trying to say, please understand, that there is an adversary and the adversary is also doing what? Is deploying. But look at the wonderful thing. Look at the wonderful thing. Oh, what do you see in verse 19? What do you see in verse 19? So, David did what? Oh, may the Lord be your shepherd. May the Lord be your shepherd. May the Lord be your shepherd. May you not go without asking for a direction. May you not move without asking for his leading. May you not go without making inquiry from him in the name of Jesus Christ. Are you seeing men who understand this thing? What did he do? They inquired of the Lord. Those things you want to do this year, from whom are you taking your bearing? Who is telling you what to do? From whom are you taking your bearing? Are you seeing David? I'm trying to show you Psalm 23 in the reality of David's life. Isn't it David that wrote Psalm 23? Is it not David? He said, "The Lord is my shepherd." May that become your testimony in 2022 and beyond. Are you seeing David? Please, when David made that statement in Psalm 23, was David just saying something that is religious? Was it not his life? Are you seeing it here? Was David just a speaker of the word or a preacher of the word or a singer of Psalm? No. He's a doer. He's telling you his life. He says, "So, David inquired of the Lord." The Lord had always been his shepherd. So, listen, listen, listen, listen. That testimony that was in chapter 5 verse 2, when the Israelites came to David and they said, "You have always led us out and do what?" Look at that verse 2 again. "You have been the one that led out Israel." Isn't it? "And do what? Brought us in." For you have been what? You have been the shepherd of the people. So, I want to ask you, which type of shepherd was David? From what you are seeing now. From what you are seeing in verse 19, which type of shepherd was David? David was a shepherd to the people. He takes them in, he takes them out and brings them in. How? How? How is that done? Bible says David inquired of the Lord. Is that not? So, how was David shepherding the people? You get the point. What I'm trying to make you see. Please listen to the statement I want to make. Until your life is dependent, note what I said, until your life is dependent, you can never become dependable. Until your life is dependent, you are dependent on the Lord. David's life was a dependent life. That was what made him a what? A dependable leader. Until your life is dependent, you cannot become dependable. If you depend on God, you can depend on him. Are you understanding me? If you follow men who don't follow God, you will be lost. Watch that in 2022. I'm still coming to that. The second thing about David. Watch who are your company. Watch who are your friends. Watch who you are working with. Watch who are calling your leader, who you are calling your mentor, who you are calling your friend, who you are calling that. David was leading them, he was taking them out, he was bringing them in, but that was not because they call him their shepherd, but David himself is a sheep. Is that not true? Is that not true? So, real shepherding happens in our life when we are what? A sheep in the fold of who? Of the Lord. So, your life must be dependent for you to become dependable. I'm saying that declare 2022 that I want to become a dependent life. When I say dependent life, understand the direction in which I am speaking. I'm talking a life of a life that is dependent on God. The Lord our what? Our Shepherd. The Lord our Shepherd. The Lord our Shepherd. That our shepherd, what am I now saying? Must become your shepherd. You must be able to personalize that experience. As we march through 2022, you must personalize that experience. You must come to where you can say, "The Lord my what? My shepherd." And not because you are singing it in a song. "O Lord my shepherd, my shepherd, my shepherd." That's not the one I'm talking about. Then you now put some bar, "O Lord my shepherd." No, no, no. It is not wrong to sing, oh. I'm not against the singing ministry. I'm not against singing ministry. I'm only trying to say that beyond preaching, beyond singing, beyond reading, be a what? A doer. That's what I'm trying to say. You can be anyone. Beyond dramatizing, you can even add drama out of it. Make sure you are a doer. The Bible says, "So David inquired of the Lord." What did he ask? Look at what he asked. "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?" Did the Lord give answer? Please check your Bible. Did the Lord give answer? What was the Lord's answer? The Lord said to David, "Go. I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand." Has the Lord not declared the end from the beginning? That is the correct way to live. Hear your end from your beginning. The Lord declared the end of the fight from the beginning. "Go, I will deliver them into your hand." So, what happened? Verse 20, "So David went." And of course, and David defeated the Philistines. The Lord has broken my enemies before me like the breakthrough of waters. Our breakthrough will be breakthroughs of victory in the name of Jesus Christ. Our breakthrough will be breakthroughs of lifting, of winning in the name of Jesus Christ. "Therefore, he called the place Baal Perazim." And they left their images there and David and his men carried them away. Are you seeing something? Is it not a total victory? How did this victory, how did it come? Because the Lord was what? Our shepherd. Are you seeing it? The Lord our shepherd. Look at what happened again. "The Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves." Are you seeing the devil? It doesn't finish. Even if you have won once, will the devil stop coming again? They will rearrange themselves. When he could not get Jesus at the temptation, who can remind me where he showed up again? When he could not get Jesus through the temptation, where did the devil show up again? Where did he show up again? Where did he show up again? He showed up in Peter. When he was saying, "Jesus, no, you will not die, you will not die, you will not die." It was Peter who was talking. That's why even when you move with, even in the midst of your associate, you must be discerning. I'm telling that is very true. Even in the midst of your fellow brethren, you must be discerning. I remember, I remember years back before I gained admission into the university. That's why I said years back. Myself and my younger brother, we were in the kitchen. Not this kind of your own modern kitchen, oh. You know the kind of kitchen we have that day at the back of the house with firewood, with stone here and there. Uh-huh. We were in the kitchen. We were trying to put wood together, arrange them around the stove. As we are arranging it, arranging it, arranging it, my brother had gained admission and I had not gained admission, my younger brother. And he just said, "Ah, look at it, oh." So, one of a, somebody came around and spoke about, the person talked about somebody who had a first class somewhere, University of Ibadan, and then the person did well, had excellent result, was told not to do a masters, went for his PhD. So, we were just talking, just talking that place. My brother just said, "Ah, do you know that I'm just thinking something, oh. Something just, something just going through my mind. Do you know that if you go for sociology, I just see you that you will just clear the field, come out with excellent result and then that just move on." We were just talking, we were talking about different courses. Do you know that as I walk out of that, we were together, oh, as we were doing the fire. Immediately he said that and I just turn, the Lord just, that was the first time God spoke to me about sociology. He said, "Son, it is not him that is speaking, but it is me speaking through him. That is my direction for your life." Do you know that later, years later, when I left accounting for sociology, this my same brother came against me and said, "What happened to you? You are doing accounting, what is in sociology?" He did not even know that when he was speaking then, he did not even know that that was where God spoke to me. I'm talking of being able to discern God. The Lord our what? Our shepherd. He came back again in Peter and what did Jesus say? "Get thee behind me, Satan." So, the enemy they came back again in the story of David, they came back again. They put themselves together. They came back again. When they came back again, what happened? Verse 22, chapter 5 verse 22. What happened? "Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the valley of Rephaim." Therefore, David did what again? Are you seeing David? The first time, what did he do? He inquired of the Lord. The second time, what did he do again? He inquired of the Lord. He did not go in the face of the first instruction. He didn't go in the strength of the first instruction. He inquired of the Lord again. He said, he inquired of the Lord. And this time, what did the Lord tell him? What did the Lord tell him? Please check your Bible. "You shall not go up." That first time, what did the Lord say? "Go up against them." Are you seeing that there are different strategies for different battles? Different styles for different battles. "Do not go up this time. This time, what do you do? Circle around them from behind and come upon them in front of where? In front of the mulberry trees." Are you seeing that? And look at what the Lord told him further. What the Lord said further? "And it shall be when you hear the sound of marching in the top of the mulberry tree, what you do? Then you shall advance quickly, for then the Lord shall go out before you to strike down the camp of the Philistines." Are you seeing something? Are you seeing another strategy to the battle? What am I trying to make you see? What gave David victory? What gave him victory? The Lord our shepherd. The Lord our shepherd. That's what David won. That's how David won. And I will quickly make you see something very close to that in chapter 7. Chapter 7. Look at the same 2 Samuel chapter 7. Chapter 7, are you there? 2 Samuel chapter 7, it says, I read some verse 1. "Now, it came to pass when the king," that was David, "was dwelling in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies round about." Are you seeing something? How did he get that rest? How did he get that rest? By the Lord being his shepherd. Now, he had gotten rest from all his enemies round about. "Then the king said to Nathan the prophet, 'See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside a tent curtain.' Then Nathan said to the king, 'Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.'" But look at what happened. That's why I'm telling you, check the circle that you belong to. What did I say? Check the circle that you belong to. Check the circle that you belong to, 2022. Check the circle that you belong to. It says, "It then, Nathan said, 'Go,' isn't it? 'Do all that is in your heart,' isn't it?" But verse 4, "But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 'Go and tell David my servant, thus says the Lord, "Would you build a house for me to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt even unto this day, but have moved about in a tent and in tabernacles. Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from tribes of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, 'Why have you not built me a house?'" Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep to be a ruler over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut down all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name like the name of the great men of the earth. Moreover, I have appointed a place for my people Israel and have planted them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more, nor shall the sons of the wicked oppress them any more, since the time I commanded judges over my people, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also, the Lord tells you that he will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled, you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you who will come from your body, then I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever."'" What do you see in this place? What was in David's mind? What did David want to do? He wanted to build a house for God. Isn't it? That was what he wanted to do. And at first, what did Nathan tell him? He said, "Go and do so." But that night, the Lord came to Nathan. "Go and tell David, no, you will not be the one to build that house. Who is going to build it? Your son that will come after you." So, Solomon is the one who's coming to build it, not David. Do you see something? David had a good intention, but it was not the Lord's project for him. So, it's not about good intention, it's about the Lord our shepherd. Are you getting me? It's not about good intention. But what helped David? What actually helped David? The circle to which he belongs. Who are your friends? Who are your friends? Yes, yes, no, that was what Nathan first said. Yes, that's a good one, that's a good one, build it, build it, build it. But Nathan was a man of the spirit. That night God came to him, go to David. Go and tell him, no, don't build it. Solomon who will build it. Don't build it. Don't build anything. Are you seeing something? Who are your friends in 2022? What circle do you belong? What circle do you belong to? Are you in the circle of those who cannot also hear God? Are you in the circle of people that are spiritual? Just imagine if all his friends were those who could not see nor perceive God. What will David do? He would have gone ahead to do what? To build that house. So, what am I trying to tell you, young man, young woman? One way the Lord is your shepherd, but also remember, one good thing the Lord must also do for you, you must also pray this year, is that God, bring around me destiny helpers. Be careful who are your friends, which circle do you belong to. I always tell people, be intentional about your friends. I don't like this person, this person, ah, he's my good roommate, oh, he's nice, that's not, be intentional about who are your friends. Because I'm telling you, one good thing about having correct people around your life is that their life become a support for your life. David almost missed it at this point. Are you seeing it? But there was a friend. There was a destiny helper. There was a destiny helper. There was a destiny helper. I want you to pray as we close today. I want you to talk to God very briefly. The Lord our shepherd. 2022, our theme, we'll be taking this theme, we'll be bringing it up as we go through our Singles Club for the year, in different dimensions God will be leading us. But the matter is the Lord our shepherd. For us as a ministry, that's what we'll be, it'll be coming our banner for the year, the Lord our shepherd. It doesn't matter what the Philistines are planning, it doesn't matter who they are deploying, it doesn't matter what they are deploying and how they are deploying them. One important thing is the Lord is our what? Our shepherd. Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will do what? We will fear no evil. We don't have fear. David said, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I what? Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Even when my enemy, even the wicked, when they rise to eat my flesh, what will happen to them? They will stumble and they will fall. Even if a host encamp against me, in this I will be confident." I want you to pray. Talk to the Lord very briefly, talk to the Lord very quickly, be intentional, be intentional, be intentional in your prayer. The Lord our shepherd. Oh Lord God, shepherd of my soul, I give you full control. Shepherd of my soul, I give you full control. Lord God Almighty, my actual enemy is not the devil. The real powerful thing I must defeat is myself. How to be an individual that will be at the beck and call of God. That is what you need to pray about. You must resolve in your heart. Don't worry about what the devil is doing. Don't worry, as long as the Lord is your shepherd. Satan did this, they did this, Nigeria is doing this, this will happen. Don't let all those news, social media news get you frightened. What is important about 2022 is that is the Lord your shepherd? That is what is important. Commit yourself to the Lord. Shepherd of my soul, I give you full control. Wherever you lead, I will follow. I have made that choice, I'm making a choice to listen for your word. Shepherd of my soul be my guide. Be it in the quiet parts, beside the gentle sea, shepherd of my soul be my guide. May I face the mighty mountain, shepherd of my soul be my guide. That is what is important. Commit yourself to the Lord. That Lord, I want to live a dependent life in 2022. I want to live a life that is dependent, a life that is dependent, a dependent life, a dependent life, a dependent life, a life that is dependent. Oh, thank you Father. Blessed be your holy name. Blessed be your holy name. Blessed be your holy name. Blessed be your holy name. Blessed be your holy name our God. Blessed be your holy name our Father. Blessed be your holy name our Father. Can we take this song together? Have thine own way Lord. Have thine own way. Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still. Lord, this our confession this afternoon. This our confession. This our confession. This our confession Lord. Lord God Almighty, have your own way in our life. Help us to be yielded and still. Help us Lord that we may be yielded and still, yielded and still to the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ. Yielded and still, yielded and still in the name of Jesus. Lord, we pray into 2022. Lord, be our shepherd in the name of Jesus. We go forth into 2022 as champions. We go forth into 2022 as winners. We go forth into 2022 victorious in the name of Jesus Christ. We will not journey away from the Lord. We will not be sidetracked from the Lord. Rather we will remain in you oh Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you Eternal Father. Oh, blessed be your holy name our God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's share the grace together. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen. This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development and mission hit. Our regular activities are: Discipleship class every Monday, 5:00 PM; Adolescents and Singles Club every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Marriage Forum second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Family life seminars; Regular school out-reaches and every day counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location, Life Camp by the First Bridge, Ilarre community, opposite Beverage Filling Station along Ilesha road, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: Familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are: 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all. Transformed.