“Time To Tear Down The Tents or Get Out of Your Tent”
Text: 1 Samuel 17:1a; 2-11; 20-24; 28-29
I. Introduction
This is certainly not a new story. You have read and reread this story since you were young. The overpowered, underdog, teenage boy defeats the highly trained, extremely armed, NBA height, Football girthed giant in the most unlikely manner. We are so familiar with this account that we often overlook this account or take it’s truths for granted.
However, I want us to revisit this story. However, I would like for us to peak into some of the more obscure or less scrutinized aspects of this account because I believe they speak truth to us today.
II. The Account
There was nothing new about what was taking place. The Israelites were fighting the Philistines once again. This was a constant. This was normal. The two sides had drawn lines. Each army was positioned on the side of a hill or mountain with a valley between them. They understood that as long as they controlled the high ground that they could not be defeated. Each morning the armies would get up, leave their tents, collect armor, spears, shields, flags, and they would make their way to the edge of the valley and they would begin their day by shouting across the valley to one another. They would threaten each other and demean each other. The Philistines would also do something that was common. They had a great warrior in their ranks. So as was common in that day they would send that warrior out to challenge their enemy. That warrior would call out for the opposing army to send out their best warrior and rather than everyone fighting the battle could be determined by the outcome of the fight that these two engaged in. However, this is where the story takes a sudden and of course well known change. The warrior that was selected by the Philistines was no ordinary man. He was in fact a giant. Somewhere between 7 foot 7 and 9 foot 9 depending on whom you read after. He was massive. He was vocal. He was fear inducing. For 40 days, every day he would come out cursing, belittling, discounting, and diminishing the Israelites. For 40 days he would march out and challenge the armies of Israel to send someone and every day for 40 days the Israelites would turn and walk back to their tents, take off their armor, lay down their swords, cast aside their shields, and crouch in fear and defeat.
Then a teenager arrives. Naïve? Cocky? David is immediately caught up in what is going on. He hears Goliath’s challenge and begins to ask some questions. It is at this point that David’s oldest brother Eliab, one of the one’s that Samuel passed over in the anointing line, sees and hears David and for the first time in 40 days he actually attacks someone. That someone is David. He accusing David of being proud and even goes as far as to call him naughty and questions his character by making accusations that David has shirked his duties at home. He in essence tries to shut David up and to shut David down. Saul hears what is being said and chimes in. David you are not trained for this. David you don’t have the skills or the abilities to accomplish this. Then he tries to dress him up in his own clothes.
You know the rest of the story. Oversized armor cast aside. 5 stones selected. One stone sufficient. Giant killed. Victory claimed. Enemy routed.
III. Lessons
A. If you listen to the wrong voice long enough you will go back to your tent.
Every day for 40 days they listened to his threats. Every day for 40 days they ducked back into their tents. The voice they listened to sent them to their tents.
Who has your ear? The voice that you listen to will determine what you do or don’t do in life! So my question to you is who are you listening to? What voice taunts you? What voice causes you to duck your head, take off your armor, lay aside your sword, and go back into your tent? What keeps you camped out on the hillside? What besetting sin, fear, or issue keeps you huddled up in defeat?
Some of you have been listening to the wrong voice long enough! That voice of anxiety has shouted into your spirit long enough. That voice of low self esteem has caused you to lose heart and hope long enough. Your past has called you into despair long enough.
After 40 days they believed him. If there is the power of life and death in the tongue then what we listen to must give place to one of those things. Some of you have listened to the voice of defeat, depression, and disbelief so long that you have gone back to your tent and believed what you have heard! Guard your ear! The loudest voice may not always be THE VOICE. Remember He speaks in a still small voice! The other voices will try to drown out His voice in order to drive you back to your tent.
B. You can ignore a giant all you want to but that doesn’t mean it will go away.
I can see the men after they go out to hear the giant rants every morning. They come back and sit in their tents and they begin to think if we stay here long enough this giant will get bored and go away. There isn’t any giant out there. If we just ignore him he will leave us alone. If I can’t see him he can’t see me. Sounds ridiculous, but isn’t that what we do?
We come face to face with a giant in our lives. We begin the process of confronting that giant and discover that this is tough. So rather than dealing with it we march back to our tent and try to ignore it for the rest of our lives. We actually believe that if we ignore it long enough it will go away on its own.
However, I have news for you. The giant won’t go away on its own. It won’t go away voluntarily; it won’t disappear due to time.
Some of you have been ignoring areas of your life because it is too difficult to confront. You would rather sit in your tent and do nothing for the rest of your life rather than confront your giants head on. The giant will come back every day. Ignore it if you wish, but 20 years from now when you try to come of our tent to do something for God the giant will be there waiting on you. Try to put on a smile and act like you have dealt with the issue, the sin, the tendency, but when you step out of the doorway the giant will step back into the valley.
Too many of you have issues that you have refused to deal with. Too many of you have issues that you have tried to ignore in hopes that they would go away. It is time to get out of the tent and go to war. Giants don’t fade they fight. Giants don’t disappear they have to die. What you refuse to kill will kill you! I remind you of Saul’s example. He was instructed to kill all the Amalekites, but he ducked back into his tent and left some alive. He ignored his giant. But many years later on a battlefield an Amalekite killed Saul. Some of you had words from God as a teen about certain issues of your life. You were instructed to cut things out or off and yet you chose to ignore it rather than do the hard work of battling it out. Now as an adult you find yourself facing the same giant. You can’t ignore it any longer. That addiction, that habit, that attitude, that anger, that giant must be dealt with today. Come out of the tent and fight!
C. Others will try to keep you in your tent
David hasn’t been indoctrinated by the giant. He hasn’t allowed that voice to override the voice. He is unwilling to ignore the giant. He wants to do something about it. He begins to voice his concerns when suddenly his oldest brother Eliab takes him to task. He questions David’s heart, motives, and character. Eliab allows his fear to try to squelch David’s faith. Eliab is comfortable in the tent and he wants David to stay in the tent as well.
I came to tell you that others will try to keep you in your tent. If you can make up your mind that you are tired of listening to the wrong voice and you can fight your way out of a habit of ignoring the giant there will be people around you that will try to convince you, guilt you, shame you, accuse you, and question you into staying in your tent!
It was his own family. It was also his leaders. I am telling you that those closest to you will try to put their fear, their faithlessness, and their shortcomings on you. They will try to get you to settle at their level. If how far they have come is good enough for them it should be good enough for you. They will try to get you to stop at their experiences. No need to go any further. They will try to keep you in their boundaries. This is especially true if deep down they feel like they have missed it! Remember Eliab had missed it. He was passed over. If your parents or your friends feel like they missed going for it, experiencing it, risking it they will try to tent you.
They will do this like Eliab and Saul did it to David. They will question who you are and what you can do. They will cause you to think too little of who you are and think too little about what you can accomplish. They will try to fashion you into a tent dweller. If we are comfortable here why shouldn’t you be comfortable here? We have set the lengths and the standards of how far you can go and how much you can see done. You should set down and enjoy the tent. We have worked hard and sacrificed to construct this tent for you. It is safe in the tent. Comfortable in the tent. You were made for a tent.
Don’t be surprised if someone tries to get you to stay in the tent. But don’t buy the lies. You are destined to be more than a tent dweller. Don’t let family or friends convince you that you have to live their life. Don’t sit down with them and grow comfortable. Don’t grow comfortable in their limits and their levels. Be like David and when they question who you are turn them back to the cause which is bigger than me. This cause is too big for my tent. This cause is bigger than what you have experienced. This cause forces me to stretch beyond what or who I am. When they question what you can do remind them of the one who can deliver lions and bears into your hands. He is mighty in and through me. Mighty in spite of me.
You must decide whether you will be comfortable in your tent or will you take territory.
D. You can’t intimidate giants, but you can kill them if you get out of the tent.
Every day they dressed up like soldiers. They carried the weapons of soldiers. They marched like soldiers. They shouted like soldiers. However, in spite of the right look, right tools, and right sound the giant was not intimidated. Did they think that if they would dress up like soldiers every day the giant would tuck tail and run? They would go through their soldier show and then they would go back and sit in their tent.
The truth is that you can’t intimidate giants. Dress up like soldiers all you want, shout like soldiers all you want. Make a show. Make noise if you want but it will make no difference. Cry, snot, speak in tongues, shout, praise, dance all you want. But you won’t intimidate your giant. He has seen all the soldier games before. He has heard all that noise before. He has seen that show.
I am here to tell that you can’t intimidate your giant, but you can kill him if you will get out of the tent.
(Go in tent) Some of you have shouted at your giant from inside your tent for years. You have paraded out in season of strength. You have danced in front of your giant thinking that would run him off. Some of you have prayed in tongues until you are blue in the face. Some of you have shouted at lust long enough. Some of you have shouted at anger long enough. Some of you have shouted at hurts, brokenness, pain, disappointments, and sickness long enough. You will never intimidate your giant.
(Out of tent) It is time to get out of the tent and go to war. That giant may not be intimidated, but he can be killed. It is time to confront head on. It is time to engage and conquer.
How much more training do you need? How many more years of tent life do you require? How many more years of practice will it take? I declare to you that your hands have not been trained to clean out a tent, tidy up a tent! You hands have been trained for war.
It is time to tear down some tents and take some territory. Get out of your comfort zone. Shake off apathy and complacency. Tear the tent down and run on to the battlefield and either kill your giant or die trying!!!
I remind you of the sign that I put up in our youth room right after we moved to Greenville. This should be our battle cry and our fighting orders, “Attempt something so big, that unless God intervenes you will fail.” You can stay in the tent and never experience failure. You can stay in the tent and never taste defeat or pain, but I have news for you the giant will continue to show up. Tear down your tent. Refuse to stay another day. Get out of your mom and dad’s tent. Vacate your best friend’s tent and get out there and kill what has been trying to kill you! The kingdom of God suffers violence and violent take it by force! It won’t be easy but it is necessary! There are some heads that need to roll. There are some victories that need to be won. You have waited for years but tonight is your night. This is your time. You have to get out of your tent and get involved in the fight.
Name your giant and kill your giant!
