Facing Your Giants
I Samuel 17
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/FacingYourGiants.html
We all know this story of David and Goliath…how God used a brave young man full of faith to face a huge hulk of a human for God and His people, Israel. With sling in hand, he chose 5 smooth stones from a brook and yelled charge as he ran into a valley of certain death. God guided his actions and the stone right between the eyes of the giant who fell flat. Then David proved he knew how to get a head!
David is not the only person to come up against a giant. All believers will find themselves face to face with big challenges, and quite often. But on a few rare occasions you find yourself staring into the eyes of a Goliath! Then either fear or faith takes over. Most often it is fear and an expectation that we are about to be squashed!
Notice the Philistines had invaded the Israelite territory, Vs. 1, “which belongeth to Judah.” Goliath stood and defied the army of God, and they are huddled together, frightened, and did not attempt to do anything to eliminate him.
Satan stands before the local church today and defies the living Savior and His church, and the people are, for the most part, huddled down and frightened to do anything about it. People who are indwelt with the Holy Spirit and commissioned by God look on helplessly as their church dwindles and hope slowly fades. Goliath stands waving his spear high in the air challenging someone to defend the name of God, and the church seems indifferent against such a belligerent foe.
Paul says in (Eph 6:12) "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." The enemy is all around us today. We are faced with Goliaths from every angle. We have been given weapons and ammo that will kill any giant that stands before us, thus, we must use what God has given us.
v. 40 David reached down into the brook, picked up five smooth stones and then proceeded to kill the giant. Let’s look at those stones for a few moments. I believe he took 5 because scripture says Goliath had 4 brothers…but let’s spiritualize these stones a bit. Let’s make each represent something that the Bible says David already possessed anyway…
The First Stone could represent:
I. THE SPIRIT OF GOD
The Spirit Of The Lord Came Upon David. (1 Sam 16:13) "Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah."
Without the power of the Spirit we will settle for a substitute. We will accept bodies rather than souls; activity rather than spirituality. Without God’s Spirit, man is helpless in his own strength.
David was empowered by the Spirit of God. (Zec 4:6) “...Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."
The flesh is no match for Goliath.
Christianity has become more occupied with the strategy of the Philistines [flesh] than with the power of God.
We are more occupied with the things of this life than the things of our future life and eternity.
We are more involved with pleasures of the social, athletic, and financial society than with things of God.
Our thoughts seem to be more on the fact that Goliath is out there, rather than how to defeat him. It seems we spend more time studying his armor and trying to duplicate it rather than studying the secret of David’s sling and stone. This battle will not be won by the flesh.
We must be filled with the Spirit of God and trust in it to get the job done. And we must do the little jobs as though they were big jobs and when the big job comes, God will let us do it as though it were a little job. Attempt great things for God, and expect great things FROM God!
David was a sheep herder, but he became a giant killer.
The first stone is the Spirit of God…the second stone could represent:
II. PAST EXPERIENCE Vs. 32-37
This is very important in the success that you want to accomplish.
A. David Had Proven The Power Of God In His Past Life.
Some of you here have wrought great victories in the past, but today you stand on the brink of defeat.
B. David Knew That Victory Could Be Won. He was not fearful of the armor or the size of Goliath. He had faced giant sized enemies before. The bear and the lion.
C. When Jesus Faced Satan On The Cross Of Calvary It Wasn’t The First Time He Had Been Face To Face With The Devil. He had already defeated him before in the wilderness of temptation.
Think back to that great event in your past when you knew God had really worked on your behalf. God can do it again.
D. A lion had taken a lamb from the flock and David slew the lion and retrieved the lamb.
1. The devil is a roaring lion. (1 Pet 5:8) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
2. Jesus defeated Satan on the Cross. Satan is a defeated foe.
The reason David was so sure of victory was that he had gone to the well of Divine strength before and had proven it was sufficient.
The Spirit of God, past experience, and the 3rd stone could be…
III. THE WORD OF GOD Vs. 45-47
A. Where Do You Suppose That David Got This Confidence?
It was on a hillside while caring for the sheep. He was alone with God. The Psalms will bear this truth.
1. (Psa 119:92) "Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction."
2. (Psa 119:97) "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day."
3. (Psa 119:98) "Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me."
B. The Answer To Your Perplexities Are Found In The Word Of God. Psa. 107:17-20.
IV. A VISION OF SOMETHING BIG Vs. 47-48; 51&54
We must not be satisfied with what God has done in the past. We must continue on attempting big things for God.
(Psa 81:10) "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it."
(Jer 33:3) "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."
The only limitation at GBC is how big of a vision we will believe God for. The front of your bulletin says, “He causeth the winds to blow.” It’s time we get on God’s program. He can make things happen!
[video clip from “Facing the Giants”]
If we want God to add to the mercy drops He’s been dropping around us, and if we want showers of blessings, then we need to prepare our fields for rain. For this reason I share with you a big announcement of a big challenge…
The 5 stones could represent the Spirit of God, the Word of God, the remembrance of what God has done in the past, and a vision for the future, but one last stone is missing…
V. A HEART FULL OF FAITH
v. 32 “Let no man’s heart fail…”
You can find plenty of faithless people in this chapter. Saul, who should have been the one to face Goliath, and David’s brothers had no faith either.
But David had faith from the beginning of this giant undertaking. How about you? What about me? Does spiritual heart failure occur when you hear about the dreams for the future, or do you have a heart full of faith? Like the disciple said, “Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief!”
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/FacingYourGiants.html
