SLAYING YOUR GIANTS IN 2005
1 Sam 17:1-51
Introduction
Last week I talked about having a vision…for without it we perish
And in order for us to go forward as a church…it is important for EACH ONE of us to be ready for what lies ahead
Every time God is about to begin to do things, Satan always mounts a counter attack to try and discourage it
And many times, the things that are facing us seem overwhelming and fear, doubt, unbelief, etc takes away our focus
I believe God wants this church to be on the forefront of winning the lost and increasing the Kingdom in 2005
We all will have giants in our lives this year and that is why I want us to look at “Slaying Your Giants in 2005” this morning.
Read passage 1 Sam 17:1-51 one of the great stories in the bible
Pray
Let’s examine this story closer and learn the following lessons:
1. You Must Confront What’s Threatening You
Whatever it is that threatens you this year in your walk with God, you must confront it
Here is the whole Army of Israel standing face to face with the whole Army of the Philistines
The Philistine Army is standing before Israel waiting for the battle
But, the battle does not take place yet…for their Mighty Warrior…Goliath challenges them
Look at vs 8 – 11
Goliath gave them a challenge for one man to fight him…what was their response?
Vs 11 “…they were terrified and deeply shaken”
The first thing the giant wants to do is to cause you to be terrified and deeply shaken
After 40 days of listening to Goliath’s threats – something happened
The enemy became stronger and God’s people became weaker
The sooner you confront the giant in your life…the less power it will have over you
What you try to avoid or outrun, YOU EMPOWER!
And it doesn’t go away…vs 25 says “he comes out each day to challenge Israel”
David heard this “uncircumcised Philistine” continually defying the Armies of God
David stepped up and said vs 32, “I’ll go fight this Philistine!”
What he was saying is “I will confront what’s threatening me.”
TRANS: In confronting the giant in your life…
2. You Must Recall What You’ve Learned
That’s what David did
David remembered the victory God had given him over the lion and the bear back in his shepherding days
He knew that God was with him and that God had given him the victory
He recalled the victories of his life and that is what you and I must do
God wants for you and me to confront and overcome the giants in our lives
Has God given you victory before in certain areas of your life?
Lam 3:21-23 (NIV) “This I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
We must never forget what the Lord has done when confronting the giants
Hit the replay button!
TRANS: Third, when confronting the giants…
3. Use Weapons You’re Familiar With
Vs 38 says that Saul gave David his armor
Vs 39 David told Saul “I can’t go in these…I am not used to them”
It is amazing how many people are willing to tell you how to fight the battle and even give you their armor…instead of getting in the fight
When David was out in the field tending the sheep…all he had was a staff and a sling-shot
He had defeated and killed anything that confronted him with those weapons
And they were weapons that he obviously used over and over again
And he was very familiar with them…
The biggest thing…they were tried and tested…he knew they worked
Don’t try to confront the giants in your life with weapons you are not familiar with
In order for your weapons to work…they have to be tried and tested…you must be familiar with them
David was confident…because he knew his weapons were successful in the past
And he knew for whom he fought and who would win the battle…not him but the Lord
Look at vs 45-46
TRANS: Lastly, when you confront the giants before you…
4. Use the Enemies Sword Against Him
Look at verse 50-51
“David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath…and used to kill the giant…cutting off his head”
You and I must be willing to fight with the same level of intensity as the giant or enemy that confronts us
We must learn from him, then apply it to his weakness.
And we must never assume that he’s dead when he’s just dazed
If you don’t cut his head off…he’ll return and sneak up on you another day
Go for a permanent solution…not a short-term fix
David knew he had knocked Goliath unconscious but he also knew that if he didn’t kill him…he would return
What were the results of David’s victory of those around him?
First, the Philistine army fled because their champion had been killed
Second, it gave the Israelites great courage to pursue and fight what they were previously afraid of
CONCLUSION
In 2005, we will have giants that will confront us and try to overcome us
We must be willing to
1. Confront what’s threatening us
2. Recall what we’ve learned
3. Use weapon’s we’re familiar with
4. Use the enemies sword against him
How do we make sure we are prepared when the giants come?
Fortify yourself with prayer
Renew your mind with bible reading
Rely upon support from God’s family
Above all…remember…your strength is not in yourself but in God
Rom 8:31 “if God be for us who can be against us”…you can’t lose!
Pray
