INTRO: I read this week that at least 322 unique phobias have been identified. Phobia comes from the Greek word for fear, and refers to a panic that is completely out of proportion to the perceived threat behind it. Extreme cases of a phobia can result in escalated anxiety and a full-fledged panic attacks.
Here are some of the top fear factors:
#9 Brontophobia – this is not the fear of brontosaurs, it is the terror of thunderstorms.
#5 Claustrophobia – is the fear of being trapped in small confined spaces.
#1 Arachnophobia – or the fear of spiders. It is the # 1 fear of people.
Here are some other phobias:
Ecclesiophobia – fear of church.
Homilophobia – fear of sermons.
TS: We all face fear at one time or another. One person writes that fear is the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind.
-Jonathan Falwell: So many Christians never achieve the maximum potential in their lives because they never conquer the thing they fear the most.
This morning we’re going to begin a series on facing your giants.
TITLE: Facing Your Giants – Pt. 1
TEXT: 1 Samuel 17:47
Today we are going to look at possibly the best known Bible story of all time. The downside – don’t tune out because you know the story.
Background – the armies of Israel and the Philistines are gathering for war.
David is at this point still a shepherd boy but the prophet Samuel has anointed him king over Israel.
Saul has been rejected because of his disobedience, but life still goes on. King Saul and his army find themselves about ready to engage in war with the Philistines, a dreaded foe.
* 7 strategies as you meet your giant.
I. Describe your problem. Vv. 4-7
A. A Philistine champion named Goliath was more than 2 feet taller than Shaquille O’Neal. He was over 9 feet tall.
1. His body armor weighed 125 pounds. His spear top weight was 15 pounds (throwing a shot-put).
Thought: Have you ever noticed that the enemy is always well-armed.
2. Goliath lays out a challenge. Vv. 8-11, “Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, ‘Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.’ Then the Philistine said, ‘This day I defy the ranks of Israel. Give me a man and let us fight each other.’”
B. This giant of a problem was not going away. The Bible tells us Goliath came out and challenged the Israelites 80 times.
1. Every morning and every night for 40 days the children of Israel were dismayed and terrified, literally broken and filled with fear.
Q: What Goliath are you facing today? What name is it – debt, disease, depression, danger? Don’t be surprised from your human eye that it looks invincible, it’s a giant, and it intimidates you morning and evening.
-Understand the giants are different for each and every one of us but they still have the same traits.
TS: Turn to second point.
II. Make sure you’re prepared. It’s at this point in the story that we’re introduced to David.
A. He is the youngest of 8 boys. He takes care of the sheep.
-He is instructed to go and take some food to his brothers and see how they are doing.
1. Back then it was the responsibility of the family to feed their own sons who were off to war.
-David travels 18 miles from Bethlehem to the Elah Valley.
2. V. 20 instructs us David left his sheep which were his responsibility in the care of another shepherd.
B. David’s past experiences have prepared him for what he was about to do.
1. As a shepherd he has had to go up against a lion and a bear in order to rescue the sheep.
-Not to mention his spiritual experience with the prophet Samuel who anointed him the new king.
Thought: Did you ever realize what you’re going through today is preparing you for tomorrow.
2. Burn in your memory those encounters with God where he showed up and brought victory.
-Because when you’re in the heat of battle and you’re faltering you can remember back to how God brought deliverance and it’ll renew your hope that he will do it again.
Point: Friends, draw on God’s past faithfulness to help you in today’s battle.
-This morning if you’re in a war I encourage you to take some time and dwell on your past victories in God.
TS: 3rd strategy when encountering a giant.
III. Overcome pressure from others. David arrives on day 40 of the brow beating.
A. He learns the king is offering a great reward to anyone who kills Goliath—the king’s daughter and to not pay taxes as well as great wealth.
1. David hears this giant taunting the Israelites. David gets fired up and asks, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
2. His older brother hears him talking to the men, so he gets upset and tears into David, telling him to go back to those few sheep he has been watching. The older brother is trying to put David in his place.
B. Don’t be surprised when you’re facing a giant that those closest to you are telling you that you can’t do it.
1. Charles Spurgeon suggests that the battle that David had to do with his brother and then King Saul was more trying that actually fighting Goliath.
2. I love the way David handled it. V. 30, “He turned away.” David did not get sidetracked and caught in a fight that would have drained his strength.
IV. Change your perspective.
-Haddon Robinson, “In any situation, what you are determines what you see; what you see determines what you do. Friends, if you see yourself as a victim, that’s how you’ll react; if you see yourself as a victor, that’s how you’ll respond.”
A. This morning how do you see yourself, is your attitude woe is me?
1. Are you like the children of Israel who saw the giant and how big he was or do you see he’s so big I can’t miss him.
2. Friends, I truly believe we would be so much better off if we would learn to see what we can do with Christ rather than what we can’t do.
TS: 5th strategy when facing a giant.
V. Proclaim God’s name – when David went out in battle with Goliath.
A. Goliath saw he was just a boy. V. 43, “He said to David, ‘Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?’”
1. Max Lucado captures the contrast between David and Goliath – the toothpick versus the tornado, the mini-bike attacking the eighteen wheeler, the toy poodle taking on the rottweiller.
2. After Goliath was through taunting him he called down curses on him.
B. I love David’s response. V. 45, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
1. The name used here for God is Jehovah Sabaoth which means the God of power, or the commander of the hosts of heaven.
2. Amos 4:13 describes this name in greater detail, “He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth – the Lord God Almighty (Jehovah Sabaoth).
Thought: It’s interesting David only refers to Goliath twice but David refers to God nine times. So think of it this way this next week, try to think about God four times as much as you think about your problems.
-Focus on God’s faithfulness instead of your fears.
TS: 6th strategy when facing giants.
VI. Be proactive, don’t procrastinate. David took the initiative.
A. He took what he was familiar with into battle – a sling and a staff.
1. He could not wear the king’s armor no matter how good it was.
Point: Friends, you’ve got to go into battle with what you are familiar with. Don’t copy someone else. Far too often Christians copy what others are doing (well it worked for them let me copy it and it’ll work for me).
-Find out what God wants for you.
B. Max Lucado writes: How long has it been since you ran toward your challenge?
1. David ran toward Goliath to bring him down while everyone watched. He struck him with a stone hurled from his sling, then ran up, grabbed Goliath’s sword and cut off his head.
2. Then Israel got excited and charged the Philistines and had a great victory that day.
In Conclusion
The 7th strategy is to profess faith in God.
-Goliath is called a champion in v. 4. The Hebrew word actually means “a man-between” or “middle-man” or a mediator.
-Just as Goliath was a representative for the Philistines, God’s ultimate champion was Jesus, the Son of David who is our mediator.
Point: When Jesus won his great battle on Calvary as our representative we get to join him in his victory.
