Ain't Afraid To Fight

AIN’T AFRAID TO FIGHT

1 SAMUEL 17: 4, 8, 11, 32, 36

4. AND A CHAMPION WENT OUT FROM THE CAMP OF THE PHILISTINES; NAMED GOLIATH, FROM GATH, WHOSE HEIGHT WAS 6 CUBITS AND A SPAN

8. THEN HE STOOD AND CRIED OUT TO THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL, AND SAID TO THEM, WHY HAVE YOU COME OUT TO LINE UP FOR BATTLE? AM I NOT A PHILISTINE, AND YOU THE SERVANTS OF SAUL? CHOOSE A MAN FOR YOURSELVES, AND LET HIM COME DOWN TO ME.

11. WHEN SAUL AND ALL ISRAEL HEARD THESE WORDS OF THE PHILISTINE, THEY WERE DISMAYED AND GREATLY AFRAID.

32. THEN DAVID SAID TO SAUL, LET NO MAN’S HEART FAIL HIM BECAUSE OF THIS PHILISTINE

36. YOUR SERVANT HAS KILLED BOTH LION AND BEAR, AND THIS UNCIRCUMSIZED PHILISTINE WILL BE LIKE ONE OF THEM, SEEING HE HAS DEFILED THE ARMIES OF THE LIVING GOD.

FOR THE NEXT LITTLE WHILE WE PETITION YOUR PRAYERS AND YOUR ATTENTION AS WE EXTRACT FROM THE TEXT, THE SUBJECT AIN’T AFRAID TO FIGHT. (PAUSE)

I HAVE DISCOVERED OVER THE YEARS THAT SOMETIMES IN ORDER TO GET STRONGER IN YOUR CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE, A TRANSITION IS REQUIRED, AND IT’S THE TRAUMA, OR THE FIGHT DURING THIS TRANSITION THAT SERVES TO BREAK US AWAY FROM THE OLD THINGS THAT WE’VE BECOME SO ACCUSTOM TO, AND THAT WE’VE GROWN TO DEPEND ON.

IN OUR TEXT TODAY, WE FIND DAVID IN ONE OF THOSE TRANSITIONAL PERIODS. YOU SEE, HE’S ALREADY BEEN CHOSEN AND ANNOINTED BY GOD TO BE THE NEXT KING OF ISRAEL AND THE BIBLE SAYS THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD HAS RESTED UPON HIM IN A WAY THAT IT HAS NEVER RESTED ON HIM BEFORE.

WE ALSO FIND THE PHILISTINES ENGAGED IN WAR WITH ISRAEL.

AND YOU KNOW, I HAVE READ THIS STORY OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT UNTIL I BEGAN TO WORK ON THIS TEXT, I DIDN’T REALIZE, I COULDN’T SEE THAT GOLIATH IS DOING NOTHING MORE THAN PLAYING A MIND GAME WITH THE ARMY OF ISRAEL. AND THAT TELLS ME, THAT MOST OF THE BATTLES WE WILL ENCOUNTER IN THIS LIFE BEGINS WITH A MIND GAME.

GOLIATH IS STANDING ON THE MOUNTAIN SIDE YELLING INSULTS AND THREATS AT THE ARMY OF ISRAEL.

COME ON CLETIS, AIN’T NOTHING BUT A SHORT WALK OVER HERE.

SURELY YOU HAVE A MAN AMONG YOU WHO’S BRAVE ENOUGH TO COME OUT AND FACE ME?

NOW YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS ALSO; GOLIATH, AIN’T HIT NOBODY.

HE HASN’T THROWN HIS SPEAR AT ANYBODY

HE HASN’T SHOT ANYBODY WITH HIS ARROWS

HE’S JUST STANDING ON THE MOUNTAIN SIDE WOOFING AT THEM

AND THEY’RE HUDDLED UP IN THE VALLEY, TERRIFIED, AND DISMAYED AND DOWNHEARTED SIMPLY BY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HE CAN DO.

AND THERE ARE SOME OF YOU SITTING HERE THIS MORNING WITHIN THE SOUND OF MY VOICE AND YOU’RE LOOKING AT YOUR STUFF.

YOU’RE LOOKING AT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES AND YOU’RE TERRIFIED, BY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IT CAN DO.

YOU HAVEN’T LOST YOUR HOUSE YET, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE…

YOU HAVEN’T LOST YOUR HUSBAND OR YOUR WIFE YET, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE…

YOUR CHILDREN AIN’T GONE CRAZY YET, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE

YOU ARE TERRIFIED, BY WHAT STUFF LOOKS LIKE

AND THERE’S SOMETHING ELSE YOU NEED TO SEE. GOLIATH HADN’T REALLY HURT ANYBODY; HE JUST HAD A BAD REPUTATION.

IT’S LIKE, YOUR CREDIT RATING HASN’T HURT YOU YET, ITS JUST GOT A REPUTATION

YOUR BOSS AIN’T FIRED YOU YET, HE’S JUST GOT A REPUTATION

YOUR HUSBAND AIN’T DID NOTHING WRONG YET, HE’S JUST GOT A REPUTATION

YOUR WIFE AIN’T WALKED OUT ON YOU YET, SHE’S JUST GOT A REPUTATION

THE ARMY OF ISRAEL IS SCARED TO DEATH OVER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE GOLIATH CAN DO

AND HERE COMES DAVID ON THE SCENE AND HE SAYS, I’LL FIGHT YOU, BECAUSE I AIN’T AFRAID TO FIGHT

BUT WHY WASN’T DAVID AFRAID WHEN THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL WERE SHAKING IN THEIR BOOTS?

THIS GIANT OF A MAN IS 9 ½ FEET TALL

HE’S GOT ON A BIG OLD HELMET,

BIG OLD SWORDON HIS SIDE,

BIG OLD SPEAR IN HIS HAND, AND A BAD REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNITY, SO WHY ISN’T DAVID AFRAID TO FIGHT?

IT SEEMS TO ME THAT ANYBODY WITH GOOD COMMON SENSE WOULD BE TERRIFIED LIKE THE REST OF THE ARMY, BUT NOT DAVID.

SO I ANALYZED AND EXEGIZED AND EXAMINED THE TEXT FURTHER AND FOUND WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE FIVE REASONS WHY DAVID WASN’T AFRAID.

THE FIRST REASON WAS BECAUSE DAVID WEIGHED THE DIFFICULTIES FROM A DIVINE PROSPECTIVE RATHER THAN A SECULAR PERSPECTIVE. YOU SEE, HERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD TO DISPLAY HIS AWESOME POWER.

HERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD TO SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT.

THE SECOND REASON DAVID WAS NOT AFRAID WAS BECAUSE HE SAW THE ENEMY FOR WHO HE WAS. AND GOD IS SAYING TO YOU THIS MORNING…THE PROBLEM WITH YOU IS YOU DON’T SEE THE ENEMY FOR WHO HE IS.