STAY FOCUSED, KEEP AN EYE ON THE GOAL
GOD KNOWS HOW TO PREPARE HIS PEOPLE
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
NEVER WHERE THE THE GOAL IS...
WEHS played Barren County in a JV game 10/18 /11.
A Barren County player made an INTERCEPTION about the 10 yard line, he turned to run
90 yards to make a touchdown. He was so excited. His players ran along beside him and
screamed you are going the wrong way. He did not have to run 90 yards? He had only to run
10 yards. They got him turned around, by now WEHS did not know what was going on,
the Barren County player had blockers all around him, HE RAN IT INTO THE END ZONE.
TOUCH DOWN... His touch was the difference in the game, they won. Never forget:
WHERE THE GOAL IS...
TEXT:
2 Chron. 20:15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou
king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this
great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
Ephes. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
I. WE ARE FACING A GREAT BATTLE, THE ODDS ARE AGAINST US...
YOU MUST BE CAREFUL TO NOT LISTEN WHEN THE WORLD TELLS YOU YOU CAN'T
DO IT...
1 Samuel 17:28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger
was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left
those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art
come down that thou mightest see the battle.
A. THERE IS A TERRIBLE ENEMY ACROSS THE VALLEY...
B. The enemy has MOCKED the KING, the people, and THE GOD OF ISRAEL...
C. DAVID was the 8th son, he had 3 brothers that were here for the KING.
David was carrying bread and cheese.
D. Eliab was David's oldest brother, and he was mean to David. ELIAB told David he was a
nothing... DID YOU LEAVE THOSE FEW SHEEP?
E. ELIAB WAS THROWING UP: DID YOU COME TO SEE THE BATTLE?
F. Well, Eliab what battle is going on? You are afraid to STAND UP FOR GOD?
G. EVEN KING SAUL TELLS THE BOY: YOU CAN NOT DO THIS...
1 Samuel 17:33 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.
II. THIS BATTLE YOU ARE IN MAY BE A TIME OF PREPARATION FOR THINGS AHEAD.
KING SAUL AND ELIAB COULD NOT SEE HOW GOD HAD PREPARED THE LITTLE BOY WAS
FOR THE BATTLE. GOD HAD ALREADY TAKEN A LITTLE BOY AND STARTED HIM ON A
JOURNEY TO PREPARE THE BOY FOR THE JOURNEY AND BATTLE AHEAD.
1 Samuel 17:34 And 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:
[35] And 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.
[36] Thy 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.
A. There are several lesson God wants to teach HIS KIDS...
God had to teach this son of Jessie THAT GOD WAS WITH HIM... even in the VALLEY OF THE
SHADOW OF DEATH.
Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall
not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame
kindle upon thee.
B. GOD KNEW HE HAD TO BUILD THE BOY'S CONFIDENCE...
Remember the 12 SPIES? 10 had absolutely no confidence or faith THAT GOD CAN DO THIS....
TWO MEN OF GOD HAD GREAT CONFIDENCE: LET US GO UP NOW...
C. GOD HAD TO TEACH A BOY ABOUT DIVINE DELIVERANCE...
God has to teach those that do His work that HE CAN DELIVER...
Ask the 3 Hebrew boys? Ask Daniel? Ask Paul: DOES GOD DELIVER...
D. GOD WANTED TO TEACH THIS BOY THAT GOD CHOSES WEAK THINGS,
DON'T DESPISE THE LITTLE THINGS, BOY.
God can use a ROD IN MOSES HAND, God can use a JAW BONE in Samson's hand.
F. We must learn as David did... IT IS ALL ABOUT TRUUST AND FAITH...
Ask Abraham, ask Job...
GOD HAD TO TEACH A BOY NOT TO WALK BY EMOTIONS, FEELINGS, SIGHT...
2 Cor. 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
G. DAVID PICKED UP 5 SMOOTH STONES, DID HE PLAN ON MISSING?
NO IN DAVID'S TRAINING HE LEARNED TO BE READY... GOLIATH HAD 4 BROTHERS...
DAVID WAS READY TO DESTROY THE WHOLE FAMILY.
III. GOD PREPARED HIS BOY TO BECOME A MAN... THE BOY MAKES A DECLARATION OF
FAITH: GOD WILL... GOD WILL DELIVER ME...
IT MAY LOOK LIKE YOU FACE AN IMPOSSIBLE BATTLE, BUT THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS.
GOD TAUGHT HIS BOY TO LEAN TO THE SPIRIT AND NOT TO THE FLESH...
A. IF THE LORD IS WITH ME...
B. WHILE GOLIATH LOOKS LIKE A PHYSICAL BATTLE, THE BATTLE IS IN THE SPIRIT WORLD
1 Samuel 17:37 David 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.
IV. OK, GO BUT WEAR THE KINGS ARMOR? THIS BATTLE CAN NOT BE FOUGHT AND WON
IN THE FLESH, THE BOY HAD LEARNED TO TRUST GOD... NOT THE FLESH...
A. IT IS EASY TO TRY AND MAKE GOD'S WORK LIKE A 3 RING CIRCUS...
REMEMBER, GOD SAID TO MOSES: SPEAK TO THE ROCK....
Moses HITS THE ROCK IN GREAT ANGER...
Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the
Lord our God.
1 Cor. 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
B. DO YOU KNOW WHAT GOD THOUGHT OF MOSES HITTING THE ROCK?
WHAT WAS THE PRICE TAG?
1 Samuel 17:38 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.
[39] 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.
C. How many parents take their ROLE to the FLESH?
How many of us tend to take are PROBLEMS IN THE FLESH?
V. WHAT DAVID LEARNED AS A YOUTH, APPLIED AS A MAN: SHALL I GO UP?
NOW WHAT DO I DO? I HAVE TASTED MANY VICTORIES, WE MUST KEEP SEEKING...
A. DAVID JUST HAD A SIGNAL VICTORY...
THERE WAS AGREAT ARMY OF THE PHILISTINES COMING AGAINST DAVID, BUT DAVID HAD
LEARNED A GREATER SECRET, BY THE HELP OF GOD...
B. This is David going to his SECOND BATTLE, he was walking off a SIGNAL VICTORY,
yet he still SOUGHT GOD ABOUT THIS BATTLE
2 Samuel 5:23 And when David enquired of the Lord, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass
behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
1 Chron. 14:10 And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou
deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand.
C. David learned TAKE NO STEP WITHOUT GOD'S DIRECTION...
D. God went before his children as a CLOUD IN THE DAY, PILLAR OF FIRE BY NIGHT...
VI. BY THE WAY, WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A SWORD? THANK GOD FOR GIVING!
DAVID HAD GIVEN GOLIATH'S SWORD A AN OFFERING AND A TOKEN... BECAUSE
DAVID GAVE, WHEN HE WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD, THERE WAS A SWORD.
A. DOEG THE EDOMITE WOULD KILL 85 OF THE 86 PRIEST...
1 Samuel 21:9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley
of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is
no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
B. GOD MADE A WAY FOR DAVID.
1 Samuel 22:10 And he enquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the
sword of Goliath the Philistine.
VII. GOD DEMANDS OF HIS PEOPLE TO GET GET READY AND STAY READY.
REMEMBER THE STORY OF SETTING YOUR FACE TO THE WALL?
2 Kings 20:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz
came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die,
and not live.
A. I heard a story about the great preacher: D. L. Moody. There were several hundred passenger
about a boat on LAKE MICHIGAN. A huge storm came in suddenly and was tossing the ferry
boat around. Every one was in a great panic. But Moody was so calm? A person asked
Moody how he could be so calm in the storm. Moody replied: I have two sisters, one is in Chicago,
the other is in heaven. I shall see one of them today!
Amos 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee,
prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.
B. Paul said: I AM READY...
2 Tim. 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
C. BE READY, ALWAYS READY TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT...
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to
every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
CONCLUSION: We must set our face to the wall. We must keep the goal before us. We must
submit to God's plan and purpose and ALLOW GOD TO BUILD US HIS PEOPLE FOR THE
BATTLES THAT ARE AHEAD. God will never leave you, PRESS ON... OVERCOME.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Pass it on?
