How To Slay Your Giants
IN - February of 1980 I was in the Navy living in Saratoga Springs New York. 90 miles away in Lake Placid a group of 12 American amateur hockey players took the ice to face the toughest and best hockey team in the world, Russia’s national team. It was the Olympic games and two weeks prior to this game, the young American team was beat by the mighty Russians 12-2 in Madison Square Garden. But we all know what happened that night. The USA defeated the Russia’s 4-2 in one of the most stunning upsets in all of sports history. Most of us have seen the clip of the end of the game when as the clock winds down, the USA players begin their on ice celebration, and Al Michaels, the announcer who called the game for ABC yells- “Do you believe in miracles?”
YEAH - when an underdog wins in sports – it’s awesome….
• Seabiscuit beating War Admiral
• The Amazing Mets winning the World Series over the Orioles in 69
• Joe Namath and the Jets defeating the Colts in Super bowl 3
• Buster Douglas over Mike Tyson
• Muhammed Ali over George Foreman
(one of the exciting things about College basketballs March Madness are the upsets. Trying to figure out who will be the Cinderella Team that will make it to the sweet 16 and beyond)
AND LISTEN – it’s just not in sports that we root for the underdog… I MEAN – we all rooted for that spunky little fin fish named Nemo… As he makes that daring escape from the fish tank and later rescues a huge net full of fish… AND – who couldn’t help from Cheering when Rocky Balboa beats Apollo Creed (yo Andrean); when they Karate Kid assumed the crane position and kicks the smirks off those pretty blond boys… when the mighty Titans win the championship, when Rudy runs out onto the field at Norte Dame…and when Pete not Tad Hamilton wins the heart of Rosalee…
Underdogs & upsets… ARE BOTH – powerful & inspiring.
AND THIS MORNING – we are going to talk about what is not only the most well know story in the bible… BUT – what has become the classic, the granddaddy of all upsets.
IN FACT – this 3000 year old (one on one) contest is still used to summarize great upsets today… I MEAN - the mere mention of these 2 opponents that faced off in 2 Samuel 17, lets everyone know without a doubt that an undergo has just won a huge upset…
For example - after game one of the years NBA Finals a few years back… The USA Today had the following article…
UNDERDOG 1, GOLIATH 0: The Pistons remind us why everyone loves and underdog
The team that wasn’t supposed to win won Sunday night. This is what America is all about, right? The triumph of the underdog. Already, some fans are dreaming of a scenario that would make the Detroit Pistons seem like Norma Rae, Seabiscuit and that slingshot-wielding dude, David, rolled into one.
My message today is called, “How To Slay Your Giants…”
Prayer…
There are giants in the land… Got any?
NOW – I’m not talking about huge people… BUT RATHER – I’m talking about HUGE: problems, issues, hang ups, hurts, habits and obstacles that stand in the valley and taunt us… intimidate us… frighten us.
QUESTION – what is a giant? A giant is something that stands in your way, it’s something that keeps you from living the life that God has called you to live… A GIANT – is something that keeps you from living a life that is: abundant and full…radical and satisfying.
Maybe your giant is a relationship issue (something in your marriage, your family or with a friend). Maybe your giant is an addiction (alcohol, drugs, food, sex) something that has a death grip on you and is sucking out all that is good.
Maybe your the giant has to do with some problem you’re dealing with, A PROBLEM - with your kids, your parents, your health, the health of a loved one… and you’re not sure how you are going to get through it. Maybe your giant has to do with money, finances and the lack there of. Maybe your giant is fear, loneliness, self doubt, insecurity, lack of confidence or belief in yourself…
OR - maybe your giant is something that you know you need to do… a conversation that you need to have, a person you need to talk to, something you feel you need to do for God… BUT – there is this big uglygiant in the way telling you that you, “can’t do that” – and that you, “will never be that…” or “go there”
GIANTS – paralyzes us, they keep us in the hills, they keep us from living and running free. THEY - keep us from experiencing the mighty hand of God moving in our lives… NOW – I’m pretty confident that most people in this room know exactly what I’m talking about… You know – what’s in your valley… you know what keeps you living in the hills… I MEAN - you’ve heard their taunts more then once. TELLING YOU – that you’re better off where you are. TELLING YOU – to forget about life in the valley, to forget about the dreams, to forget about living the awesome life that God has laid out for you… BECAUSE – for that to happen you’ll have to get past them and they are just too big… They are the Red Coats and you are just a ragtag militia.
NOW – we don’t really like being stuck up in the hills… I MEAN - we grow weary from all the fear and doubt… We are tired of seeing our dreams fade and our hope for a better way dim. AND – every now and then we are able to dig down deep and find enough strength to pull ourselves up and head down to the valley… BUT – just as we reach the valley’s edge… OUR – giant (who seems to be getting bigger & bigger all the time) begins his taunting…
YES – for some of you, your giant has been taunting you NOT… for days, weeks or months… BUT – for years (for a lifetime)… AND – you’ve been living in the hills for so long that you are pretty confident…that you like your dreams will die there.
LOOK UP - 3,000 years ago a young man by the name of David… Stepped into the valley and in one incredible moment (that almost makes the miracle on ice look like a defeat I comparison) took out the giant in his life… His story is recorded in 1 Samuel chapter 17; GO – ahead and turn there (if you like).
We’re going to read his story together… It’s a familiar story. A lot of verses. BUT – try to hear it with fresh ears today. BECAUSE – I’m convinced that God had Samuel put this event down on paper so that you and I might DISCOVER HOW we can defeat our giants and run free in the valley as God intended.
In the beautiful valley of Elah, there are 2 armies encamped on two hillsides with a valley between them. The diplomacy was over, the negotiation have failed. AND - these two armies are about to engage in battle. During this time, armies would give a signal and rush each other (Brave Heart). AND - which ever army was left standing would win all the spoils -- land, money, possessions, people, everything. NOW THIS - wasn’t the first battle between these armies (in fact they had been fighting for years). BUT - this time BEFORE the signal to charge was given something unusual occurred… LET’S – pick up our reading at verse 4;
[remember God wrote this words to help you defeat your giant… QUESTION – what is your giant…? Think about it as we read…]
(4-11)
In the next several verses we read how David’s father, Jesse sent him to the battlefield to take supplies to his brothers… that’s how is was done back then.
(16) (20-32)
In the next several verses David talks to King… He tells him he will go and fight Goliath. Saul thinks he is to young and experienced. Then David tells Saul about how while tending his sheep… bears and lions would come to attack the sheep…
(36-51)
To Slay Our Giants - We Must Face Them
NOW – I know what some of you are thinking… “duh, Steve that’s pretty obvious…we have to face our giants…”
BUT LISTEN - for 40 days the entire Israelite army refused to face Goliath. AND NOTICE – he didn’t go away. He got worse. He got bolder. IN FACT – by the time David arrives on the scene Goliath had already challenged them 80 times. UNDERSTAND FOR – 40 straight days, God’s people both began and ended their day in fear and intimidation (ever been there?)
YOU SEE - they kept putting it off, and the more they delayed, the more intimidated they got. And the more intimidated they got, the harder the problem became for them to handle.
AND - it’s the same thing when we battle our giants. We wake up every morning and walk to the battle line. We look across the valley and see them. And it happens day after day, and the more we delay in battling the giant, the more intimidating the problem becomes, and the harder it is to handle later.
BUT - did you notice what David did?
David shows up on day 41 – sees the giant, hears the taunts and says, “alright I’ve heard enough, that dude has got to go.” AND - the next morning, when the Israelites woke up there was no longer any giant to worry about.
BUT UNDERSTAND – it’s not easy to face a giant.. AND – though he made it look easy… It wasn’t easy for David to step into that valley either… YOU SEE – for him to do that, there were a couple of things that he needed to overcome; FIRST…
He needed to overcome his fear…
UNDERSTAND - when facing a giant, when going up against, what looks like an impossible situation…(David’s never fought a giant before) fear is a legitimate emotion to have. LISTEN - I can’t stress that enough, fear is an okay thing to feel…
David was facing someone a lot bigger and a lot stronger than he was. AND – I’m confident that as he grabbed his staff and used it to help get down into the valley… that he was afraid… I MEAN – as he kept going (further & further down into the valley) Goliath keeps getting (bigger and bigger…) AGAIN – there is nothing wrong with being afraid…
BUT - the problem comes, when you let fear keep you from doing what God wants you to do. AND – in 1 Samuel 17, that’s exactly what the army of Israel did… They allowed their fear of Goliath… To stop them from doing what was right!
QUESTION – has that ever happened to you? Has fear ever kept you from doing something that was right?
• Some people don’t stop drinking because they are afraid to face life sober, others people don’t share Christ because they are afraid of rejection.
• Some people refuse to break off a relationship that they know is bad for them because they are afraid of being alone.
• Some refuse to be transparent and confess their sins to another believer because they are afraid of what they may think of them.
• Some people never give back to God their resources because they are afraid
• Others never try the thing that God wants them to do because they are afraid of failure…
AND - still others refuse to give their style of relating with people (anger-intimidation) because they are afraid of losing control…
YES - fear can be very crippling… BUT - it doesn’t have to be! Listen to these words from the Lord to his servant Joshua (A guy who was called to…), "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
NOW – before I move on from here let me say THIS… YOU – can be afraid and still be courageous. UNDERSTAND – courage is not the absence of fear it’s the absence of self. Courage is stepping into the valley and facing your giants even though your still afraid.
To step into the valley, David had overcome his fear… and second;
Had To Overcome Naysayers
A naysayer is someone who systematically obstructs some action others want to take.
YOU SEE - many times once we get past the fear factor the next thing we face is the naysayer factor. AND - David had naysayers coming at this from every side! His brothers even questioned his motives. Look at vs. 28, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave these few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle!"
AND - Checkout what King Saul says to David in vs. 33, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy and he has been a fighting man from his youth." UNDERSTAND - when you decide to take on a giant, there are going to be people who will want to see you fail, people who want to see you fall flat on your face. People who want things to stay as they are… NOW – some of you are shaking your heads, because you know what I’m talking about.
• When you take a stand and say, "I’m done with alcohol." There are drinking buddies who will try to pull you down, because they don’t want to drink alone.
• When you decide to go on that mission trip there are people in your life who may think that’s a waste of time and money!
• When you decide to do something for ‘significant’ for God - there will be people (maybe close friends or family members) who will act out of love and say things like: "You don’t want to take on a project that big, you’re setting yourself up for failure!" or "I just don’t want to see you get hurt" or "maybe you should rethink that." “You’ve tried to break that addiction & overcome that hang up for years… what makes you think you can do it this time…
LISTEN – if you want to step into your valley, slay your giant and live in a btter place… YOU – can’t listen to the nay-sayers! BECAUSE - if you listen to the doubt of those around you.. IT WILL – begin to creep into your life and you to will become a naysayer.
QUESTION - anybody ever put out your fire to take on a giant?
BUT NOTICE – that David didn’t allow that to happen - he ignored both his brothers & the king… AND – focused on what he knew needed to be done.
OKAY – just 2 more quick things about facing your giants…
#3 – as I said earlier… face them now… ON – the very day that David, met his giant he faced him…
The Israelite army never did this… For 40 days morning and night Goliath taunted them… AND – each time their fear of him grew… I think that by the time David met Goliath on day 41… taunt 81… to the Israelite army, Goliath was about 900 feet face your giant now today! They will only get bigger…
#4 – face them in your way…
Did you notice that before David went out to fight Goliath that Saul tried to put his armor on David? It didn’t work out so good (did it?). AND – here’s the lesson…. SURE – you can learn from people… seek advice from people… BUT – in the end it’s still your giant not theirs. AND – you must fight them wearing your own armor…
“What works for one person will not necessarily work for someone else. We’re always trying to put our armor on someone else or put someone else’s armor on ourselves – but that’s not the way to do battle. It was a great breakthrough in my own life when I finally discovered that I could be me and God would use me. I couldn’t operate well, wearing another’s armor. God provides unique techniques for unique people.”
- Charles Swindoll
THINK ABOUT THAT… different armor for different people… FOR;
• Moses it was a staff…
• Gideon a clay jar & torch
• David a sling…
• Esther – prayer & fasting
• Jesus – a cross
NEXT…
To Slay Our Giants - We Must Recognize Who They Are Really Attacking…
LISTEN – David knew who it was that Goliath was really attacking… CHECKOUT – what David says in verses (26, 47)
“Who does this uncircumcised Philistine think he is? Does he think he can speak against the armies of the living God?”
“…the Lord does not need swords or spears to save people. The battle belongs to him, and he will hand you over to us.”
QUESTION – who was Goliath really attacking? He was attacking the living God, He was attacking the Lord…
UNDERSTAND – if your giant is keeping you from being who God wants you to be, if it’s keeping you from living the life that God created you to live, if it’s keeping you from running free and being all that God (your father) longs for you to be… THEN – ultimately, it is God’s will and God’s plan that they are attacking. Your giant is attacking God… [get it?]
John Eldredge in his book, Waking The Dead, writes:
“The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you can be a fears it…”
[Tim…] - It is God’s desire that you and I RUN FREE in the valley… He did not create us to live in the hills of fear, doubt and intimidation.
THEREFORE – like David we need to look at our giant and say…
“Hey who do you think you’re talking to. Do you really think that you can get away with speaking against the Lord’s plan and the Lord’s child… IF – I were you I would start running because – almighty God is fixing to put the hurt on you… you’re going down ‘ugly dude’ and I get to help…The battle belongs to the Lord… and he will hand you over to me TODAY!”
Next…
To Slay Our Giants - We Must Visualize The
Rewards Of Victory…
NOW - there’s an interesting couple of verses in our text (verses 25 & 26). AND – to be honest I’ve never heard these verses mentioned in a sermon or a lesson… YOU EE - we kind of ignore these verses… AND - I think it’s because as Christians we want to spiritualize everything - and we know that David took on Goliath because of his faith in God…. And at least in our minds it kind of taints things if there was an additional reason for going into the valley….
David asked - “hey, what does the guy get who kills the giant?” ANSWER - he gets a boat load of cash, he gets the princess. but better than that, he’s exempted from taxes for the rest of his life.
UNDERSTAND - David went down armed with faith, but he also went down thinking about a reward. "Man, I’m going to get some money, I’m going to get the princess, I’ll be the Kings son-in-law, and not only that -- no taxes."
To slay our giants we must visualize the rewards of victory…
QUESTION - what would your life look like if your giant wasn’t there? If it wasn’t standing in your way? If it was no longer there? I MEAN - can you picture what would happen in your life, what your relationships might look like, who you would become, where you would go, what you would do, how you would feel…IF - the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night wasn’t this giant rumbling in your landscape?
Listen - you need to visualize the reward…. Visualize your life free from giants… IMAGINE – what your life would look like…if they were gone.
NEXT….
To Slay Our Giants - We Need A Big God…
37The LORD who saved me from the claws of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine!"
45David shouted in reply, "You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD Almighty--the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47And everyone will know that the LORD does not need weapons to rescue his people. It is his battle, not ours. The LORD will give you to us!" 48As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him.
UNDERSTAND - David’s faith was in God, it wasn’t in the armor, it wasn’t in the army, it wasn’t in his own ability. YOU SEE - David headed down the hillside with the confidence that God was going with him. LISTEN – to David what really mattered was not the size of his giant (and he was huge!) but the size of his God.
I don’t know what giants you are facing in your life – BUT – I do know that you will never step into the valley and face them if your God is too small… (you’ll be just like the Israelites army, hiding in the hills)
QUESTION – if we need a big God to slay our giants… how do we make our God bigger? YEAH – we all know that God is big… BUT – how do we translate that knowledge into real life… I think that David can help us here…
Why was David’s God so big? BECAUSE…
He Remembered Past Victories…
SO OFTEN – when facing our own giants, we forget what we ought to remember and we remember what we ought to forget. We remember our defeats and we forget our victories. I MEAN - most of us can recite the failures of our lives in vivid detail… BUT we are hard-pressed to name the victories that God has pulled off in our past… NOT SO – with David. When the King is flipping out telling David that Goliath would kill him… asking David – ‘son what makes you think that you can do this…”
“You want to know why - I’ll tell you why I can do this… BECAUSE - the same God who gave me power over a lion and a bear will give me power over Goliath… SO – just let me at him…” HEY - have you ever pictured David chasing down lions and bears, catching them by their jaws and clubbing them to death. YOU SEE - David knew that if God showed up in his past – then he would show up in his present…
[TIM] - Victories are significant. Remember them! CHECKOUT – 1 Samuel 17:54;
David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.
QUESTION – where do you keep your memories? Do you quickly pass over your victories and forget them? BREAK – that habit! UNDERSTAND – God doesn’t want you to waste HIS victories. AND WHEN – he pulls off something that only He can do, He says to us, “Now don’t you forget that.”
IN – the OT many times God’s people would stack up a huge pile of stones as a reminder of God winning victories on their behalf. I THINK – that’s why David took Goliath’s weapons and stored them in his tent after the battle to remember…
What about you? Has God ever showed up in your life and delivered you from something, that was about to take you under?
• A tough past?
• An addiction?
• A health or financial hardship?
• The death of a loved one?
• The divorce of your parents?
UNDERSTAND YOU – need to set up some of your own stones of remembrance
IF – you want a big God you need to remember you past victories… AND – not only that you need to remember the past victories of others… The Scriptures are full of those victories…and so are the lives of many believers… AND HEY – if God was there for (Moses, Joshua & Gideon) THEN – He’ll be there for me…
The 2nd reason David’s God was so big was because;
David Knew God’s Character…
YOU SEE - David knew that God could be trusted… he knew that God would always protect & always deliver his people… WHY – because He knew who God was, He was a man who was after the heart of God… AND – because David, pursued God, hung out with Him… Here is what He knew about God;
Our LORD and our God, you are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector. You are the rock where I am safe. You are my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter. You rescue me and keep me from being hurt. I praise you, our LORD! I prayed to you, and you rescued me from my enemies.
- 2 Samuel 22:2-4
He remembered past victories
He knew God’s character
AND – 3rd David…
Understood How God Works…
QUESTION – did God want to see Goliath taken out? You bet he did… Could God have taken Goliath out on His own? No doubt about it. BUT UNDERSTAND – that is not how God works. HEY – what would you think of the story of David and Goliath if it went down this way…?
David arrives on the scene, hears the taunts of Goliath…
And says to God – ‘God do you hear what this guy is saying”
God; “Yes I know and I’m fixing to take him out…”
David; “Lord can I help you…”
God; “No David – he’s too big… you just stay up here and since it’s looks like you brought some food – eat some lunch and take a nap and I’ll let you know when the giant is dead..”
David; “No God I insist. Let me help you shouldn’t do this alone.”
God; “David I appreciate the offer but it’s just too dangerous. I’ll have to go it alone… I’ll be back when I’m done – I would never think of putting you through something like this
AND – God slays Goliath and climbs the mountain and wakes David up from his nap…
SO – what do you think? Does that story inspire you to greatness or what?
UNDERSTAND - when God wants to slay giants, He uses people. WHEN – God wanted his people delivered from Egypt, he needed a Moses. When – he wanted the walls of Jericho to fall he needed a Joshua. When He needed His people saved from genocide He needed an Esther…When He wanted the church launched he needed a Peter. When God needed the Gospel preached to the nations he needed a Paul.
God has always works in partnership with His people. AND – he will never do for you the things that you can do for ourselves. God will always go with you But he will not go for you… YES – God would help David slay Goliath BUT – he would first have to step into the valley… UNDERSTAND – God will do what only he can do… (kill a 9 ft giant with a stone) IF – you do what only you can do…step into the valley
WHEN - David stepped into the valley…
• God moved in a supernatural way in his life….
• The giant fell
• Nations trembled
• And God’s people left the hills and went down into the valley where they were supposed to be all along…
To slay our giants we must…
• Face them
• Recognize who they are really attacking
• Visualize our lives without them
• Have a great-big God
