God’s Way To Win Your Giant Battles

God’s Way to Win Your Giant Battles

1 Samuel 17:16-51

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - Feb. 3, 2013

BACKGROUND:

*Picture a battle centered on a valley with the enemies camped on each side. Then a giant comes down to challenge the Israelites. His name was Goliath, and he was almost 10 feet tall! His armor weighed over 150 pounds. And just the tip of his spear weighed 15 pounds! That’s as heavy as a bowling ball.

*Look at Goliath’s challenge to God’s people in vs. 8-11:

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.

9. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.’’

10. And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.’’

11. When (King) Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

*The giant made this challenge for 40 days.

*Then there was David. He was not even in the army. Instead, David was at home tending the sheep. But his dad wanted him to check on his 3 older brothers who were in the battle. So, David took some food to them, and happened to hear Goliath make his challenge.

*We see David’s response in vs. 26: “Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, ‘What shall 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 defy the armies of the living God?’”

*Well, David’s brother did not like little brother making the army look bad. And we see what he said to David in vs. 28: “Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, ‘Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.’”

*Nobody thought David had a chance against the giant. But David had an answer of faith in vs. 34-37:

34. . . David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,

35. I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.

36. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.’’

37. Moreover David said, "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’’ And Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you!’’

*In spite of the doubters, David was full of faith, and he was chosen for the battle. Let’s read about David facing the giant in vs. 40-51.

INTRODUCTION:

*All of us will face giants in life. Sometimes they will come from the outside:

-The loss of a loved one.

-The loss of a job.

-Someone deserts us.

-Or we face a problem we can’t seem to solve.

*Other times the giants come from inside:

-Depression, discouragement,

-A dangerous disease.

-A habit we can’t seem to break.

-Overpowering temptation.

*All of us will face giants. -- But with God’s help, we can overcome the giants in our lives! God’s Word shows us the attitudes we need.

1. First: Seek the right attitude toward your people.

*I am talking about our family and friends, our co-workers, classmates and neighbors, the people all around us. One of the main reasons why David won this big battle was because he had the right attitude towards his people.

[1] Notice that he had the right attitude toward his father.

*We can see this in vs. 17&18, where:

17. . . Jesse said to his son David, "Take now for your brothers an ephah (that’s about 5 gallons) of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp.

18. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.’’