Killing Giants In Our Lives

Goal/purpose

This message is one of encouragement for our people to press into God with the difficulties of life. To receive instruction from the Word of God in being able to gain perspective on our problems. To see life from God’s point of view and not be overcome with despair when difficulties and challenges arise. What appears to be an insurmountable mountain, when view from God’s perspective, is actually an opportunity to discover God’s power in our lives!

Introduction:

This morning’s message is titled: Killing the giants in our lives!

We’re going to take the well known story of David and Goliath and apply its principles to our lives.

And isn’t it good to be in the house of God this morning. To feel safe and secure.

So - let’s open our Bibles to 1st Samuel chapter 17.

As we do, we need to be reminded that God’s Word is alive and active.

It has the ability to reveal our innermost thoughts,

to encourage us,

to convict us,

and to set us free.

It allows us to gain perspective on issues in our lives.

I’d love to get along side each one of us this morning and simply ask you:

“How’s it going – what’s troubling you today, what’s on your mind and weighing you down?’

Well, we’re going to learn to deal with those issues, to knock those giants down to size.

Once we learn to view pain and problems from God’s perspective we can learn to overcome them and triumph over them.

The amazing thing is this:

The problem might still remain, but our ability to overcome and cope with it will increase.

 God can turn our scars into stars.

 Our tragedy into triumph.

 Our sorrow into joy.

 Our mourning into dancing.

 He can part those seas that threaten to engulf us.

 He can remove those mountains that stand in our way.

 We can learn to kill the giants in our lives.

Ten years ago I was on several antidepressants, I was suicidal, I was phobic and suffered daily from full blown panic attacks.

If the phone rang, I would literally run and hide in fear.

But God delivered me, and I learnt certain principles in overcoming the problems that this life constantly throws at you.

You see, God’s people have always experienced hard times, experienced opposition and attack from those who would try to block God’s purposes.

Just as it was in the opening verses of 1st Samuel chapter 17

Let’s read verses 1 to 3

The enemies of God, the Philistines, had come to attack God’s people.

Tens of thousands of them gathered for war.

The Israelites responded with an army equally as powerful.

So here we have a real macho display of power.

Two of the greatest armies on earth standing face to face in battle array.

So what do you think they did?

With fifty or sixty thousand warriors standing face to face – they thought to themselves:

Why waste good men in an enormous battle when we could settle it with the death of just one man.

Let’s each choose our strongest and best fighting man and let the two of them slog it out to the death. Whoever wins will be the victor of the war and the loosing side has to surrender peacefully.

Let’s pick up the story from verse 4 (Read to verse 11)

Personally, I think they had a right to be terrified.

Saul would have been especially scared as he was considered the tallest and the best fighting man in all Israel!

We all experience giant problems in our lives from time to time that we are afraid to face.

 Relationship difficulties

 Family issues

 Unemployment or work problems

 Health issues, sickness and death

 Financial issues or material security

Unfortunately we put on a brave face and pretend everything’s okay.

You see, we live in a society, in a church environment even, where we don’t allow people to experience pain.

We don’t allow people to suffer loss or prolonged grief.

But I personally want Te Atatu Baptist Church to be a place where it’s okay to be in pain,

It’s okay to be sick and not have someone try to cast a devil out of you or blame it on some sin in your life!

It’s okay to have a loved on pass away and you never fully recover from it!

May I encourage you though, to join a small group and allow yourself to be loved, to be nurtured and to be cared for.

You see, even these tens of thousands of brave fighting men were putting on masks and pretending that they were okay – when really they weren’t.

Let’s read from verse 17 (read to verse 19)