Scripture Reference: First Samuel 17:3-11 & 45-47
Preached at Mount Zion Baptist Church on September 2, 2018
Delivered by Rev. John Daniel Johnson
(www.mountzionfamily.com)
Are you a giant slayer? Have you ever faced a giant in your life? What was it? How did you kill that giant?
You may be thinking that you have never really had to kill any giants, which may be because you never really recognized the giants in your life. Giants are not those circumstances that happen to us, giants are the things that happen in us; that business that you have wanted to start for years, that mission’s trip you never took, that girl you never asked out in high school. All of these things represent the giant that lives within that ultimately we will have to slay if we wish to reach our full potential and be successful.
The famous story of David and Goliath. By most historians calculations Goliath was a giant of a man, around nine feet tall. To give you an idea, he could have probably dunked a basketball with his mouth. The thing however was not that he was big and strong but that he knew it and used it to intimidate and mock his enemies. The story of David and Goliath is a bit of an unusual one because it was very uncommon that two large armies would have a one on one fight to decide who would control an entire territory. It was common practice for small and insignificant disputes, but in order to decide the future of a nation it was unheard of.
The Philistines and Goliath were so confident that no one could defeat him that they were willing to risk everything. They were sure that Goliath’s intimidation factor would win the fight long before it even begun. They were so 100% sure that no one could defeat Goliath that they were willing to risk the future of their nation on it.
The Israelite army had been mocked and tormented all day by Goliath and his army, they had been called weak and stupid, they were called cowards and losers, and then they had to watch this giant come out and make fun of them. In their minds, they had already lost the battle. Their biggest giant was not the nine foot man standing before them taunting them; it was their own mind and self-doubt.
Enter David, a small, weak, insignificant shepherd boy. When David came to the battle all he knew was that there was some big dummy who was presenting an opportunity of a lifetime to the Israelites, so what does he do? He does what any great leader does, he jumps at the opportunity. His brothers told him that he could not do it, he was just a shepherd boy, but they had been telling him that all of his life so it was nothing new to him, all he knew was that he had recently killed a lion and a bear with his bare hands, and if he could do that he could take down this big fool. David was a giant killer long before he met Goliath, each time his own family would tell him that he was an insignificant nothing, he knew that he was an overcomer no matter what, he knew he could defeat any enemy, even Goliath. And so he did, with a sling and a little stone.
What is your giant? Do you have a dream? Have you had fear and self-doubt stand in the way of you taking steps towards your dream? It’s time to kill those giants. Get out your sling, pick up some stones and start being a giant slayer today, the world needs more of them.
Israel's Reaction at the Giant
1. They focused only on the giant. We don’t’ see them praying. We don’t see them calling upon the LORD God to strike down their godless enemies.
No, they simply focused on their problem.
2. They were frozen by fear.
Illustration— One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off
when he asked in a trembling voice, "Mommy, will you stay with me all night?" Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said
tenderly, "I can't dear. I have to sleep in Daddy's room." A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, "Daddy’s a big
scaredy-cat!"
Illustration— A passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and gently tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. The driver
screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from a large plate window.
For a few moments everything was silent in the cab. Then, the shaking driver said, “Are you OK? I’m so sorry, but you scared the daylights out of
me...” The badly shaken passenger apologized to the driver and said “I didn’t realize that a mere tap on the shoulder would startle someone so
badly.”
The driver replied, “No, no, I’m the one who is sorry, it’s entirely my fault, today is my very first day driving a cab. I’ve been driving a hearse for 25
years...”
3. They completely lost heart. (they simply gave up…their nation, land, and God’s promises.
Truth: At some time in every one of our lives, we will have to face a giant. That giant maybe a sin, possibly a challenge, or it might be just a giant step of faith. Those giants have a way of making us feel just like the Israelites did in passage. They were fearful, they lost faith, and they simply lost hope. No matter what that giant is, it will not just go away just because you won’t face it.
Truth: The bottom line is that the devil sets us up to get us upset, frozen in fear, and powerless. Because he knows that as soon as we get upset and emotional, we stop hearing from God and lose sight of Him.
Truths From a Giant Slayer
1. Giant Slayers are not born being giant slayers. (David was a simply shepherd; the least of his family.) He became one by being an overcomer. Best
way to defeat a giant is to prove it/them wrong. Stay in training to fight you giant.
2. Giant Slayers don't allow their limitation to define them. (David was the last one picked. Saul’s armor didn’t fit. He was not the type of person one
would expect to be a giant slayer.)
3. Giant Slayers don't follow the negativity. (No one believed in him. Goliath mocked him. No doubt his own people/and brothers laughed became
angry at him.)
4. Giant Slayers glean hope from their past victories. (David had saved his flock on at least two occasions from giants. One was a lion and the other a
bear. He had seen what the LORD could do through him.)
5. Giant Slayers believe in the LORD for their courage and strength. (While the eyes of Israel was on the giant, David’s eyes were on the LORD. When
our focus is on Him and we see His size, our giants don’t look so big anymore.)
