Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the significance of living in the 'secret place' of God, as illustrated in Psalms 18. He describes how David, amidst great distress, discovered the power and protection of God when he called upon Him, leading to a profound relationship characterized by victory and security. The sermon encourages believers to seek this intimate communion with God, where they can find refuge, strength, and deliverance from their enemies, both external and internal. Beach highlights that true victory comes not from formulas or steps, but from abiding in Jesus Christ, who is the source of all strength and salvation. Ultimately, he calls the congregation to embrace this secret place as a lifestyle of faith and trust in God.

Psalm 18, this is going to be Sunday morning family reading Bible fellowship. Does everyone have your Bibles? Psalm 18, I want to entitle this scripture reading and possibly some exhortation, living in the secret place. Living in the secret place. Friends, there is a call by God to us this morning. Come, live in the secret place. The scriptures which we are about to read will describe to you the victory, the glory, the majesty, the security, and every other lovely word that you can think of that occurs in the soul of one who is living in the secret place. I do not have a formula this morning for you. I do not have seven steps to victory, but such as I have, give I unto thee. That's Jesus, he is the victory. We're going to read several scriptures, so I just want to encourage you. I'm reading from the King James Version. If you have another version and you get confused, then you can either continue to read your version as you listen to my voice, or you can just close your Bible and listen. But whatever you do, don't get confused. Find a place of comfort so that you can receive from the word. Psalm 18, I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress. Now notice what the Lord is. The Lord is my rock, number one. My fortress, number two. My deliverer, number three. My God, my strength, in whom I will trust. My buckler, that means a shield. And the horn of my salvation and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death come past me and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell can pass me about. The snares of death prevented me or were before me. In my distress, I called upon the Lord. And I cried unto my God. He heard my voice out of his temple and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wrath. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured. Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also and came down and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub and did fly. Yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place. His pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before him, his thick clouds passed. Hail stones and coals of fire. The Lord also thundered in the heavens and the highest gave his voice. Hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows and scattered them and he shot out lightnings and discomfited them. Friends, before we read on, I just want to fill in here. We're reading about a man who is deeply in love with God and the reason why is because he found himself in incredible stress beyond the ability to bear. That's his description. When he mentions the sorrows of death come past me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid, the sorrows of hell come past me about, the snares of death were ever before me. Now this is supposed to be a Psalm of David while he was being pursued by Saul who was seeking to kill him. But in David's journey, he made a wonderful discovery and this is why the Lord who anointed David as a young boy permitted him to be chased by Saul, allowed him to be pursued by his enemy so that David would make this discovery. And may I suggest that this morning, the Lord longs for you, dear friend, to make this discovery and he called us this morning. So we have a man in love with God, describes that he was in adverse circumstances wherein he feared his very life and then he called upon the name of the Lord, his God and all of a sudden we have verses seven through 14. A strange description of events, the smoke, the wind, the sound of God moving and riding upon the winds. Here we have language describing a heavenly vision that David had, a vision, my friends, that each and every one of us can have, a vision of the Lord in his power, in his might, in his majesty enthroned upon the universe, there ready and willing to respond to any soul that cries out to him for help. God revealed himself as a mighty God, a powerful God. That's what this language means. David is describing an experience that he had when he finally entered into the secret place of the most high God where the Lord himself became David's shield and buckler and strength and fortress and mighty tower and pavilion and rest and peace and avenger and listener and comforter and everything else that the soul and mind and body of David needed. Here we find in the word of God an inspired record of a man who came into a knowledge experientially of the secret place of the most high God. And may I say, dear friends, that on your journey, on your pilgrimage as a Christian, the Holy Spirit is intending to and desires to lead you into the very same place that David was when he wrote Psalm 18. Wow, what joy. Verse 14, yea, he sent out his arrows. Uh-oh, when the Lord becomes your abiding place, you discover that he has arrows to fight your enemies with. Now, don't quickly think about people. There's many more enemies that plague the Christian than people, enemies that lurk within your very heart. Doesn't the Bible say the heart of man is deceitfully wicked? Who can know it? Well, when you make the Lord your habitation, the arrow of the Lord deals with that strong enemy within and subdues him. Yea, he sent out his arrows and scattered them. He shot out lightnings and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters were seen. Beneath the depths of the ocean, there are literally paths on the surface of the ocean. This scripture suggests that God is so incredibly powerful that he goes into the depths of the oceans, into the deep, and discovers the very bottom thereof. That's what this scripture is suggesting. In other words, God gets to the heart of the matter. The channels of the waters were discovered. Who can know what's on the bottom of the ocean? Can we who sail a ship across the ocean perceive or understand or even begin to know or fathom what is on the bottom of the ocean? But may I say to you that when God's word and God's spirit begin to bring you into that secret place, the very depths of what you are, is discovered, and God brings his healing balm of Gilead into it, and the fragrance of Jesus starts coming forth, the fragrance of Jesus. God, 16, he sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy and from them which hated me, for they were too strong for me. Remember, friends, we're talking about what happens in the secret place of the Most High. They prevented me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place. He delivered me because he delighted in me. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanliness of my hands, hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore, hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanliness of my hands in his eyesight. With the merciful, thou wilt show thyself merciful. With an upright man, thou wilt show thyself upright. With the pure, thou wilt show thyself pure. And with the forward, or the crooked, the conniver, thou wilt show thyself forward, or shrewd, is what that word means, shrewd. For thou wilt save the afflicted people, but wilt bring down high looks. Now, verses number 28 through 50 is the reviving, restoring power that abides in that secret place of the Most High God. And as you enter in, these things begin to happen in a most incredible way. Let's read. Thou wilt light my candle, for the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop, and by my God I have leaped over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord is tried. He is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God, save the Lord, or who is a rock, save our God. It is God that girdeth me with strength and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds feet and setteth me upon my high places. He reacheth my hands to war so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms. What incredible victory. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. Now talk about being an offensive Christian. We're gonna read about an offensive Christian. You know, defense and offense. Defense, we defend ourselves. Offense, we pursue the enemy. May I suggest, and once again, the word of God has to be open to us as we seek the Lord, this incredible chapter. But may I suggest that in the secret place of the Most High God, which of course is abiding in Jesus himself, there is an offensive attack against the enemy through Christ, and look what happens. Verse number 37. I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them. Neither did I turn again till they were consumed. I'm reminded here of what Paul prayed for the Thessalonian Christians, that God may wholly sanctify you through and through. I did not turn again till they were consumed. I have wounded them that they were not able to rise. They are fallen under my feet. For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle. Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies that I might destroy them that hate me. They cried, but there was none to save them, even unto the Lord, but he answered them not. Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I did cast them out as the dirt in the street. Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people. Thou hast made me the head of the heathen. A people whom I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me, and strangers shall submit themselves unto me. The strangers shall fade away and be afraid out of their close places. The Lord liveth and blessed be my rock and let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God that avengeth me and subdueth the people under me. He delivereth me from mine enemies, yea? Thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me. Thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen and sing praises unto thy name. Great deliverance giveth he to his king and showeth mercy to his anointed, to David and to his seed forever and ever. Now I want to invite you to turn to Psalm 91 and we'll read several verses from there. You see, dear friends, as we come together in worship and praise the Almighty, the Holy Spirit is always seeking to accomplish one specific goal, to draw you and me into a communion with the Son of God so that we can abide in the secret place of the Most High God. Now let's read a few verses from Psalm 91 here. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Now listen to this. I will say of the Lord, when will we say of the Lord, when will we abide in Him? Listen, I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers and under His wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid. Friends, fear does not abide in the secret place of the Most High God. Are you looking for freedom from the miserable tyranny of fear? Find it in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, He will deliver you from fear. Thou shalt not be afraid for the tarry by night nor the arrow that flyeth by day. Nor the pestilence that walketh in darkness nor the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side and 10,000 at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eye shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation. There's the secret place of the Most High, making the Lord your habitation, making Him your dwelling place, making Him your home. Down to verse 13, here we see, once again, that offensive Christian. Isn't this incredible? Thou shalt tread upon the lion. Boy, there's victory in Christ. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder. The young lion and the dragon, what's that say? Shalt thou trample under feet. Isn't that just what it said in Psalm 18? You're gonna put your enemies under your feet? Oh, what's the secret to victory? How do we overcome sin? How do we overcome that besetting sin? Hebrews chapter 12. Therefore lay aside every weight and every besetting sin. Oh, so many people will come. Oh, pastor, how can I be free from this? How can I? It's just one word, Jesus. We want something to follow. We want some kind of a scheme. We wanna read a book. We wanna learn some kind of a secret scheme. Friends, there's only one secret scheme and that's the plan of God and the person of Jesus Christ. You don't need nothing save Jesus. And you want not to glory in anything save the cross. It's too simple, isn't it? We've missed it, huh? We've chased the rainbows, looking for the treasure chest, hoping somewhere in that treasure chest we can arise and be a strong, victorious Christian. And in doing so, the lowly lamb of God is outside knocking, saying, only in me can you have what you desire. Only in me can you find that victory. Only in me can you find that might for your soul. Why do you look at the treasure chest? Why are you chasing things? Jesus said, sit down at my feet and I'll teach you. Sit down at my feet, learn of me. What a call, what a call. Let's go to Matthew chapter six. I wanna read three verses and I want you to see that the Father's attention is centered on the secret place. Jesus taught in Matthew chapter six that the Father sees in secret. Now listen to this, Matthew six. Matthew six, verse number four, the latter part. Just the latter part. Thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Now according to the scripture, now I don't want you to look at, I don't want you to necessarily interpret this scripture as the Father seeing you in secret in a natural way, but the Father sees what's done in secret or what's done in that secret place in Christ. Matthew six, six. Same verse, thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. And Matthew six, 18. Thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. The eyes of the Father are steadfast upon that secret place and when Christians enter into the secret place of the Most High God, their labor is rewarded. Why? Because their labor is being brought through and by Christ himself. The Father seeth what's in secret. Colossians chapter three. Now see, when you read these verses, you're gonna get new light. You're gonna see them in a different perspective. Colossians chapter three, beginning in verse one. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, listen now, and your life is hid with Christ in God. There's that secret place again. Listen, you need to take time to discover your new life. Don't walk in your old life. That's been crucified with Christ. Take time to discover your new life. Take time to discover that incredible new life that's been joined to your spirit, that can blossom into a lifestyle of love and joy and peace and longsuffering and patience. Did you know that's your life if you're a Christian? That's your life. Your old life's hid or your old life's been crucified. Your new life now is hid in Christ. There's that secret place. Believers who follow their old life never walk in the secret place. You say, well, I didn't know you could follow your old life and be a Christian. You most certainly can. But the Christians who realize their new life in Christ and begin to take time to get to know their new life in Christ, they end up walking in the secret place of the Most High God. John chapter 15. Two more verses. Two more verses. John chapter 15. You know, the enemy has done everything that he knows how to do to prevent the Christian from entering into this place. Because this is a place where you enter into the victory of Christ. And he can't overcome that victory. When you walk in Christ and it's his life flowing through you, the serpents are put under your feet. The sin is put down. Why? Because you are partaking in the very victory that Christ himself wrought when he was raised from the dead and was seated far above every principality in power. The very victory that Christ possesses now is yours in him. In the secret place of the Most High God. See, the secret of victory in the Christian life is not struggle in the flesh, but it's entering into the rest of Christ. John chapter 15. I am the true vine and my father is the husband of the vine. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Listen to what Jesus says. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except ye abide in the vine. Except it abide in the vine. No one can, no more can ye except ye abide in me. What does that mean? We must learn by being taught by the Holy Spirit that life independent from God and his word is fruitless life, unproductive life. Just like the branch, if it was ripped off the vine and set over here, would that branch continue to grow fruit? What would it do? Wither. What happens to us when we refuse to abide in the vine but go our own way? All of our fruit is leaves, it withers. It's fruitless, that's what Jesus was saying. Ye can do nothing except ye abide in me. You've gotta learn the life that flows through the vine. Now you're part of the vine. See, you've been grafted into the vine. Now Jesus is saying, learn of me. We're so used to our old way of life, it just comes habit, isn't it? It's just so easy to get in ourself and take up and go. But Jesus said, hold on, learn of me. Get acquainted with that new sap that's flowing through you. Did you know you got some new sap in you, Steve? You got new sap. It's from the vine itself. And except ye abide in that sap, your labor will be fruitless. Absolutely fruitless. It might look good, people might praise it, but friends, when the day comes when God will be a fire, it'll burn. Now I want you to go tell some other Christian. Say, my pastor told me I got sap in me. What do you got in you? See what they do. Hey, it'll be a good way to start talking to him about the vine. Say, I got sap flowing through my blood. Say, it's sap from the vine. And Jesus is the vine, his very life. What's this, how do you get into the secret place? You learn of Christ who abides in you through the word of God and through the Holy Spirit revealing. That's how you do it. You can be the most gifted person, the most strongest person, but unless your gift and your strength is in the sap, it's useless to God. Useless to God, he doesn't want it. Oh Lord. Verse five, and then we'll go to one more. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me ye can do nothing. Now I'm not looking for a half abiding. I don't want half my life in Christ and the other half in my hands. I don't know about you, but I'm in pursuit of wholly abiding in the vine so that everything that Brother Phil is is lost in everything that Jesus is. I can't stop short of nothing less. Paul was in pursuit of the same realization that I might know him, that I might gain him. Listen to what Paul said. Not having a righteousness which is of my own, but that I might fully be in him. See, he's in us already, but now we've gotta get in him through the operation of faith and the word. And yielding, there's never a man that will have of God unless he yields himself to the sovereign pull of God's grace. You can't in your own accord choose God. You can't do it. No man can choose God. We've all gone astray. But when grace shines, God imparts the ability to yield. He imparts the ability. It comes from him. So the process of getting in the vine is the Holy Spirit, the sovereign work of God's Spirit, the sovereign work of the word of God, and the yielding heart, the yielding heart. When those three things are being combined, you enter in. And the things you see are glorious. Where should we go? I've got nine more scriptures written down. 20 to one. Well, praise the Lord. Should we stop? It's getting late. How many are familiar with Ephesians chapter six, verse 12? How about the armor of God? How many have read the armor of God? Well, guess what the armor of God is. Now, let me reword that. Guess who the armor of God is. Jesus. You know, Paul says the helmet, the shield, the loins girded with truth. What's he describing? He's describing a man or woman who is dwelling in the secret place of the most high God. That's what he's describing. In other words, the armor of God is upon you when you're in Christ. The armor of God is Christ himself. He is our shield. He is our faith. He is our helmet of salvation. This golden thread goes all through the Bible. God is looking to draw us into the secret place of the most high. I'm gonna give you one more scripture to think about. First John chapter three. Here's one that gets so many people confused, they argue over it. Big, huge theology books have been written about this verse. I mean as thick as six inches. And it's so simple. First John chapter three, beginning with verse five. Let's read it nice and slow. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins. And in him, where? Okay, we're talking about the secret place now. In him is no sin. Whoever abideth in him sinneth not. So simple. In him is no sin. And whoever abideth in him does not practice sin. Why? Because in him your life becomes the life of Christ. Let me ask you a question. Does Christ sin? No. Does he? No. If you are abiding in the life of Christ, you aren't, listen, you're not walking after the deceitful lusts of your own flesh. Sin cannot hold you. So when we become captive to sin, it's because that area of our life has to get in to the abiding place of Christ. That's what the last newsletter was about. Waiting on God, being transformed, getting more and more in him so that we can perfectly abide in him. Well, there's more scriptures, but our time is running out. Do you wanna seek him to abide in him? Do you wanna learn of that secret place? Let me tell you something now. This is a one-to-one thing. It's between you and the Lord. You can't get in by reading a book, or you can't get in by being a student of 72 different teachers on 13 different radio stations. Not that you can't be blessed and not that God can't minister to you. God can. But ultimately, the secret place is reserved for the soul who hears the call of the Savior and quiets himself and turns it into a lifestyle, a lifestyle. Then great things the Lord will give to you. Sister Beach, why don't you come? Let's just join our hearts together and sing a song. What song? Oh, I know, here's a song. How about Abiding in the Vine? How many knows that song? ♪ Abiding in the vine, abiding ♪ Let's sing that song. Everyone can stand.