Are You Listening To God Or Goliath?

b Will you show up for yours?

II Shutting Out Demonic Voices

A Goliath had taken advanced courses in Psychological Warfare.

1 He taunted the Army of Israel from across the valley: “Why do you even bother to show up to battle? Why choose to fight a fight that you can’t win?”

a When the army heard these taunts, “they were filled with terror.” (1 Sam. 17.11)

b Have you not heard these same taunts in your spirit?

aa Why even bother you big phony? Why try? What makes you think you can change you big idiot?

bb You’ve failed time and time again . . . just go back home.

2 Goliath’s taunts weren’t just questioning David’s ability . . . but also questioning God’s ability.

a 1 Samuel 17:26 (NASB) 26 Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?"

aa David picked up on what Goliath was throwing down.

bb The giant was calling God out!

b Our giant sounds like this, “You have never been able to lose weight before. You’re always going to be depressed because you’re just like your mom. You’ll never be happy like everybody else because you’ve victimized. You need to keep your habit because of all the stress in your life.”

aa We hear these things and respond like King Saul did before Goliath: paralyzed in fear believing there is no way we can win/overcome.

bb It’s important that we note that the most qualified person on the field to stand up against Goliath was King Saul. (1 Samuel 9:2 (NASB) 2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.)

B We don’t all look like champions and not everybody who looks like champions are.

1 We stand on our accomplishments, past victories, family name, title and wonder why we living in victory.

a Even the prophet Samuel (God’s Superstar Prophet) got caught up in appearances when Jessie’s sons came in bulging men . . . didn’t even notice David.

aa “He couldn’t fit in the King’s armor! Doesn’t look like a champion.

bb On that battle field, Saul looked like the most likely person to kill the giant (definitely not David, boy)

b Saul had the charisma, size, fan club . . . but he was content to simply let the giant keep running his mouth.

aa David wouldn’t tolerate such defiance.

bb Saul was bigger on the outside, but David was the bigger man.

2 This is the picture of lives in many cases.

a We have on the full armor of God, sword of His Word/faith as our shield, Holy Spirit guiding our steps . . .

aa The enemies voice taunt us, assure us that we’re defeated, helpless, failures . . . why try?

bb This is what Saul did.

b Saul heard the voice of the enemy. David heard the voice of God. (Whose voice will you and I choose to hear?)

3 1 Samuel 17:1, 16, 23

1 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; . . .

1 Samuel 17:16 (NASB) 16 The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.