Is There Not A Cause? Series

BIG IDEA: Giants are stalking the land but the church seems to be burying its head in the sand. We must get up and fight because there is a cause.

Introduction: David was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse. Three of his brothers served in Saul’s army. There names were Eliab who was the firstborn, Abinadab and Shammah. They were the three oldest of Jesse’s son. Every now and again, David would leave his father’s sheep, which he tended and go to visit with his brothers in the military camps.

One day David’s father Jesse called his young son and dispatched him on a very important errand. David was instructed to take for his brothers, some food – an epah of dried grain and ten loaves of bread. He was also instructed to take ten cheeses to the captains of Saul’s army in return for information on how his brothers were faring. Jesse wanted to know exactly how his boys were doing! (This probably explains his oldest brother’s disdain when David started asking questions about Goliath).

Goliath was a champion of the Philistines who rose up at a time when the armies of Saul were arrayed against the armies of the Philistines to do battle. He was a huge Philistine - 9 feet 9 inches tall and he wore tremendous armor. The weight of his coat of mail alone was 5,000 shekels of bronze which works out to roughly 125 pounds if you use a common shekel. His iron spearhead was about 15 pounds in weight. In addition to that Goliath wore a bronze helmet on his head, bronze armor on his legs and carried a bronze javelin on his back. He also carried a spear, a sword and a shield bearer carried his shield.

Goliath the champion of the Philistines struck fear in the hearts of the children of Israel. Both armies were gathered at a place called Sochoh, a place that belonged to Judah. In other words the children of Israel were on their home turf. Every day for forty days, morning and evening he would stand up and defy the armies of Israel. He would challenge them to send out a champion to fight with him. He said to them, “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.” (17:10) Saul and his army knew that they did not have a man to match Goliath’s size and strength so they were “dismayed and greatly afraid.”

Now there had gone out from Saul a decree that if any man accepted the challenge and killed Goliath he would become a rich man in addition to having the king’s daughter as his wife and father’s house would be exempt from paying taxes- quite a prize for anyone brave enough to take up the Philistine’s challenge. Unfortunately no one was willing to do so.

On the day the David arrived at the camp, the children of Israel were getting ready to fight with the Philistine army. David handed over the food that he had brought, to the supply keeper and then ran over to greet his brothers. As he stood talking to them, Goliath showed up and repeated his defiant words but this time “David heard them.” David was incensed. “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” He exclaimed.

Eliab, David’s oldest brother heard David’s remarks and he got angry. “Why did you come down here?” He said. “And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?” Eliab berated his little brother. “I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” David’s response was a little curt: “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”

Is there not a cause…that is my topic today! There is no doubt there are giants stalking the land. Just like Goliath, they are waving their arms and defying the God that we serve. The problem is, not many are doing anything about it. It seems as if we are too scared because we are facing formidable odds. I would like to ask the same question that David asked his brothers on that day…are there not a cause?

Is there not a cause to stand up and fight the giants that are attacking our families? Is there not a cause to stand up for yourselves? For your children? Is there not a cause?

In the church today I see three problems. We call ourselves Christians; we say that we serve a great and powerful God but many of us really live lives of defeat and inconsequence because we are afraid of the giants that we see before us. The problems that I see in the church today are: Anemia, Lethargy and Apathy.