“Freedom Through Strength"
I Samuel 16:11:13, 17:33-39
Intro
I am excited about two words this morning. That first word is Jesus!!
The second word is….Freedom, Freedom, Freedom (say out loud as you read this)
HISTORY
- Today is a day to celebrate Freedom in the United States, liberated! Back in the late 1700’s 13 colonies were under British rule and wanted what they saw as a better way of life. They wanted independence and the key to it was Freedom. They wanted to stand alone and unified.
Declaration (July 1776)
“ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
Preamble (Sept 1787)
“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. “
Freedom means there is a better way of life.
Freedom let’s you know there is more.
Freedom let’s you place your enemy behind you because Freedom is a forward action.
To have independence though, you must fight for it.
WAR
There is WAR because someone is suppressed and needs to be set free. Someone or a group of people know that what is happening to them should not be. Why are we suffering at the hands of this dictator, this tyrant? The children of Israel were slaves in the mud with straw to build pharaohs kingdom before the time of their Exodus. Four hundred years they suffered at the hands of their overseers until the coming of Moses.
However, because we have a God that gives an anointing of strength, we can stand strong against our enemy.
Let’s remember that before the Declaration of Independence was signed for Freedom, we were free years before through Jesus our savior God. Because of men wanting more & more freedom, WAR came about.
Do you remember the term, “rules are made to be broken”. When you’re breaking the rules, are warring with someone.
World War I&II (Diary of Anne Frank) - she longed for freedom, but couldn’t have it because of the German rule.
Civil War (Blue & Grey)
Vietnam War
Gulf War I&II
Afghanistan War
Iraq War
All wars are fought for some degree of freedom, but fighting means you have courage to stand.
The wars we fight today,
You cannot pay your bills time because your finances are being attacked. Every pay period your only paying bills and not able to get ahead.
Spiritual composure is now off balanced because you’re fighting all sorts of temptation.
Self-induced war because you are going crazy in your mind and can’t handle the situations in front of you, so now you’re having thoughts of suicide.
Physical war (battling weight gain/loss),
Homicide, Suicide, Genocide…all have to do with freedom.
Famine is war.
Freedom - the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint:
When your freedom is threatened, you will do one of two things. You will cower and hide or you will stand and fight.
Our scripture today deals with Strength in order to gain Freedom & Peace.
Scripture:
I Samuel 16:11:13
“And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.”
“And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.”
“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.”
I Samuel 17:33-39
“And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
38And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
39And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
Here is the story of a young man that has been anointed before a WAR is about to erupt between Israel and the Philistines. Israel’s army is lead by Saul whom David now serves. The Philistines have a champion and are looking the wipe out Saul’s army to make the living their servants.
But once Saul’s army see how big Goliath is, they turn and run in fear. Saying, “Have you seen this Goliath?” He’s almost 10 feet tall. That’s like me standing against a wrestler from WWF.
No one wanted to stand and face their giant amongst grown men. However a young boy, with no formal battle training or battle experience steps to the plate. When David first approached Saul to let him fight, Saul said, "Why would I let you fight when this giant has been fighting since he was your age."
Saul didn’t understand that the content of David’s spirit was more than enough, so he had to be convinced. See, we have a natural tendency to judge the outward appearance, but spiritually we have an anointing others may not see until we prove it to them and ourselves.
David spoke of when he was tending to his fathers sheep, how a lion and bear would eat the sheep. David went after both and killed them. Now it wasn’t just that he went and killed the lion & bear, but it was that he went against his giants with the strength of God, anointed and claimed victory. So this giant is nothing to him but a drop in the bucket.
HOW TO FACE YOUR GIANT
Here is David about to stand in front of his giant. But get this in verse 38 & 39…
And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
When David comes to face Goliath, he is dismissed because of how he looks. Why is this pretty boy coming to fight a man’s war?
David said to Goliath in verse 45 & 47
“ Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands.
See, when God is sending you into WAR he will send you with something that you have trained with. At times you won’t need an army standing behind you, you just need you and the spirit God has anointed to strike down the enemy.
All the battles that you have been through up to that point have been a preamble to the WAR, getting you ready for the fight of your life.
CLOSING
Here is your Declaration of Independence.
John 8:36
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
With God’s John Hancock
