(32) And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. (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 (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. (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. (40) And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
I. Saul
A. Saul’s story is one that is often portrayed as the “pauper to the prince”. He is glamorized as the first King of Israel. He was no body, he had no “royal blood line” no one to fall back on to validate his worthiness as a King. He now has his name written in the history books as the first King of Israel, a title that should be looked upon as an honor, but in reality it was not.
1. As much as we would like to romanticize his story it is one of tragedy, yes he was the first physical King the nation of Israel had, but they already had a King, and His name was Jehovah. Ps 47:7 For God [is] the King of all the earth… Being appointed King over God does not sound that appealing to me. What could possible qualify you to be a better King over the one that created everything.
2. Up to this point God would use Judges to execute His executive orders. God always had someone that He would use to help govern the people to Himself. There was Moses and Joshua that were instrumental in training the children of Israel to be the children of God.
a. When these men died the people would fall apart and rebel. They would give in to sin and when all hell was breaking out they would turn to God to be rescued. Jud 2:18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge…
3. There were 12 judges over the course 325 years, but that was not enough. Samuel would become Israel’s last judge. In 1 Samuel 8, Samuel is now old and his son’s and not fit to judge because they are corrupt, so the people decide that they want to have a king to judge them.
B. As soon as Samuel heard this his feelings were hurt, but God said, “Give them what they want, they did not reject you; they rejected me.”
a. They wanted to be like everyone else, fit in with all the other nations. They were tired of the theocracy. They wanted a monarchy. They wanted to mimic the nations that were enemies of God, nations like the Philistines, Moabites, Jebusites. "They all have kings and we want one too." They rejected God in order to be popular with men.
b. If we are going to have a move of God in our churches we can’t look like everyone else, we can’t act like everyone else, we got to have a standard in our churches. We are to be a separate people; we are not to emulate the world but to transform it.
1. God would go on to say that the people have forgotten about where they came from and how He took care of them, and how they would rather sin than serve Him. But God being a loving father told Samuel the consequences of having a King in hopes that it would change their minds.
2. Samuel would go back to the people and tell them what God said, how if they choose a man to be their King that he would take the people and their children to be his servants, he would tax them, and take their land; he would become an oppressor to the people so much so that they would beg for God, but he would not hear them.
a. The people did not care they still insisted that we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. God was already doing that and much more but they would rather have a man than God.
D. God chose Saul to be anointed King. The Bible describes him as a choice young man, and a goodly: and [there was] not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward [he was] higher than any of the people.
1. God would direct Saul to Samuel where he would be anointed King and the Bible says, that the moment he was anointed that God gave him another heart: and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied. His transformation was so drastic that the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
II. Getting David to fight his battle
A. Saul and his army should have been able to take on the Philistines and their giant. The people of Israel have always been a people of war. Their ancestors took the promise land from giants. Rather than acting like those found under Joshua’s leadership that took the land they were acting like Moses group of whiners and complainers that compared themselves to “grass hoppers”.
1. They let one giant stand between them and victory. They forgot how God helped them in the past, how He helped them overcome a population of giants that were taking residents on their promise. This was not a family tree they were dealing with but only one branch.
2. This should have been an easy victory for them to win, the same God that drowned Pharaoh and his Army in the Red Sea, the same God that held the sun in place until the battle was won, the same God that said Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; was on their side they had nothing to lose if He did it once He will do it again.
B. The only difference now was Saul has lost his anointing and knew it. He was recklessly leading his people into wars the Lord would not fight.
1. In 1 Samuel 16:14 the Bible tells us “…the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul”, Saul knew he lost his anointing it was not like Samson who was so unaware that he lost his that he tried to “shake himself as before”, Saul knew it and did nothing about it.
2. What happened was not long after he began his reign, Samuel caught Saul in serious act of disobedience. In chp. 13 he was ordered by God to destroy Agag & Amelekites, including all men, women, and beast. But Saul spared King Agag and the best of the herds.
3. When Samuel pointed his finger at Saul he tried to rationalize what he had done. When he did admit his sin he tried to justify it by saying he feared the people. When Samuel wouldn't return with Saul he begged him to pardon his sin and seized the edge of his robe and tore it, and Samuel said, "The Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day and given it to a neighbor of thine." Instead of crying out to God, Saul said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.
4. That was Saul’s weakness always wanting to please people, since he was the people’s choice he wanted to stay in their favor instead of the favor of God. The Bible says, Ga 1:10 ¶ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Church I got to ask whose favor do you want. Not once did he repent to God, he repented to man and then asked Samuel to go to church with him so that the people would think that it was still all good with him and God, and on top of that he said when we get to church lets worship your God not his God but Samuels God.
aa. If you are going to get anywhere with God it starts with having a relationship with Him, seek Him first…Come on to me all you that labor…abide in Him and He will abide in you.
bb. All of this could have been avoided had Saul just repented to God and been obedient to Him. Church you can’t go running into battle without the anointing and approval of God. With the anointing you can preach the gospel to the poor; heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and set at liberty them that are bruised, yokes (of bondage) shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
5. Don’t go following and joining yourself to leadership and people that have no anointing on their lives. I am picky about who I take with me to battle I don’t just ask any ol person to pray with me and stand in the gap and make up a hedge. I got to believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.I need to know that your living right I don’t need someone that’s been partying all night, that’s got a rebellious spirit and can’t submit to God and His leadership…no…no you better stay away from me I will do it by myself before I let you help me.
6. You better be careful with who you let be your leader, I love to be modern but I am still old fashion when it comes to the anointing I don’t care if Pastor Primetime got the biggest church in town, has his books featured on Operas reading list, offers valet parking when I pull up to the church, and got a stage that looks like American Idol. If there is no anointing in the house high ho high ho I the doe I go. Being on TV and popular does not make you anointed, you still got to live right and follow Mic 6:8 to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.
7. They can smile all they want and put on a good show but at the end of it all they better be preaching the B-I-B-L-E, not some watered down, self-help, Dr. Phil Kool-aid Gospel. They better understand that they are responsible for every person that comes their way and if they preach anything other than Jesus Christ and Him Crucified that those peoples blood will be on their hands.
C. After Samuel got done playing church with Saul; God told him to go and anoint another king. David would become the newly anointed king and was a man after God’s heart. God would position David in the palace to play music for Saul, because … the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1. When David would play the spirit would depart, which goes to show you that when your anointed whatever you do carries that anointing. Not long after that Saul goes to war and David’s brothers are drafted and David is sent to the battlefield to deliver a care package to his brothers. When he visits his brothers and hears this giant cussing God. He wants to fight; he is brought before the king and tells him how he has killed lions, and bears.
2. Now I got to ask why did Saul even entertain David’s request, here David is a teenage shepherd boy with no military training, he never went to ROTC he is not about to be shipped off to boot camp; so why did Saul let him go fight. Saul had thousands of men more qualified including himself. I believe Saul let David go fight because he knows what the anointing looks like. He can see the anointing over David.
3. There are some church folk that are acting like Saul; always looking for someone with an anointing to fight their battles for them. They will not take the time to seek God for themselves, don’t want to dirty their knees to get a prayer through, don’t want to repent, and submit to God.
a. I understand that we are to bare one anothers burdens; Moses had help keeping his hands up, but he still had to stick them up! When your out enlisting an army to fight your battles for you so you don’t have to do anything you are nothing more than a spiritual bum. Stop being a recruiter and get on the front lines and fight. If you would get our own anointing you could slay your own giants.
D. Saul’s laziness did not stop there he also wanted David to wear his armor. I don’t think he wanted him wearing his armor because he was trying to give David a hand. No…No I believe it was so the people would think it was him, so he could take the credit. God is looking for fighters not fakers.
1. If anyone should be able to go toe to toe with Goliath it was Saul, the Bible says he was head and shoulders above the rest, not only was he the more physical matched but as the General of the Army it was his duty to step to Goliath. That man did not even have his armor on when he offered it to David; he had it in the corner and was maxing out in his tent while Goliath was terrorizing his army and cussing God out.
a. That’s why some of you are getting attacked like you are, your not wearing your armor you got it in the corner collecting dust. I don’t know where we got the idea that just cause your saved that you still don’t need to fight. The Bible says the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. You can’t be violent when you got your armor sitting in a corner collecting dust. Your advisory the devil…We wrestle not…
2. He was going to send David out in his armor in hopes that his troops would think it was him out there fighting, so he could preserve his image and show the people he accepted Goliath’s challenge. Saul knew David would win because he saw God’s hand on him, and he was going to let him fight so he could claim the win for himself.
3. But we do the same thing. Preacher I need you to pray for me, I need you to fast for me; and we are praying you through at the midnight hour while you are sleeping through the night, while we are pushing the plate back on your behalf your balancing 4 plates through the buffet line. As soon as your miracle comes you act like you did it all. We got too many bumming for their blessing. You need to stop hiring spiritual hitmen and assassins to do your dirty work and take care of your own business.
a. You’ve got to participate in bringing it to pass. There’s an old song that says, “It takes two to make a thing go right”. It’s got to be you and God baby, you can’t ride off your daddy and mommas anointing, and can’t get pastor to fight for you all the time, you got to learn to “work out your own salvation”! If God calls you he will equip you the Bible says He will Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ.
4. You’ve got to work with God in getting the blessing in your hand. Faith only works if you work it. You can’t break no yokes of bondage or face any giants without your own anointing. If you read the Bible you will see that whenever God blesses there is partnership in productivity. God ain’t just going drop stuff in your lap. We want to take the lazy way out; we’ve been listening to some people who say just quote a little scripture, buy a handkerchief, etc. and in seven days you are going to get it. But in that seven days you better be doing your part.
5. I don’t understand why people we will drive across the country to get to Pastor Primetimes Crusade to get their miracle or a word, when all they got to do is drop to their knees and ask God themselves. The Bible says, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: What are you going to do when you can’t find someone to do all the talking for you…looking for you , or be your door man. You got to learn that God has given you the power.
III. You got to wear your own armor
A. David could not fight in Saul’s armor he had to be himself and do it his way and how he felt comfortable. We can’t be like someone else we got to be us.
1. We can’t make people be anyone else but them, we need to accept them for who they are. The Bible says the Lord knew you before you were formed in your mommas womb, if you don’t know who you are don’t ask someone else don’t imitate someone else just ask the Lord to tell you who you are.
2. You are more than a conqueror, you are, a peculiar person that is to show forth His praises. You are a child of God, no weapon that is formed against you will prosper, you have been giving power from on high, to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy.
B. You can’t fight your giants with someone else weapons, you got to use what you got. The things of God come by revelation, not observation and imitation. In Acts 19 the 7 sons of Sceva observed Paul casting out devils. They were observing to find a formula, like many people do today. We observe an anointed servant of God, and we watch how he does it, so we can do it like he does.
1. Our observation brings us into imitation. We then become more concerned with mannerisms, voice inflections, hairdos, suits, and ties than we do with the revelation which brought that individual to a place of prominence.
2. After observing Paul, the Sceva brothers decided to try their hand at it. They soon found someone who was possessed, and they got out their notes and began imitating the works of Paul. The brothers shouted out “In the Name of Jesus who Paul preaches about, come out of him!”
3. The Bible says this demon spoke, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” After the devil said, “Who are you?” the Bible says the demons beat them so severely that they went running home naked and wounded.
4. The point this story makes is don’t copy someone or use something if you don’t have the anointing that comes from a personal/daily relationship with Christ. If you know the Lord and have His Spirit anointing you; you don’t have to call out someone else’s stuff when you got your own.
C. The church today needs to rid itself of the spirit of Saul and a grasshopper mentality. 400 years before David fought Goliath; the COI after spying out the land, realized there were giants on their promise so they said they were as grasshoppers to them. They never spoke to a giant, the giants didn’t put that term on them, they did, but why? Why a grasshopper, there are much smaller insects they could have used to compare themselves too. They could have said they were like ants or flies but instead they said grasshoppers. I don’t believe this was a size issue but an attitude issue they were having. They didn’t call themselves locust, which are aggressive and work together, they called themselves grasshoppers the timid solitary cousin to the locust, which is known for its distinct green color which it uses to blend in with its surrenders and hide itself from its enemies. That is a prophetic word to the church at large because we are just trying to blend in and stay to ourselves until Jesus comes.
1. Here in America there are over 314 million people that live in the United States. It is projected that every 8 seconds a baby is born and every 12 seconds a person dies. 83% of Americans call themselves Christian, 25% are Homosexuals, over 50% of Americans are classified as having some form of substance abuse problem including alcohol, illegal and prescription drug use; which by the way we have the highest rate of illegal drug use in the world, there is also an estimated 50% that have some form of mental disorder including depression and anxiety problems, Anywhere from 50 to 70% of Americans have viewed or are addicted to pornography, 89% of the worlds Porn is produced here in the US; we are classified as the largest consumers of all forms of graphic and explicit pornography including that of children, It is reported that we have more reported cases of rape, murders, and total crimes in the world.
2. If 83% of Americans are Christian these numbers are not adding up. Either these numbers are wrong, or we have a nation of people that do not understand what it means to be a Christian or they do not understand that If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
3. These numbers tell me that we as the Church has allowed these things to overcome us and a nation on our clock. Somewhere along the way the Church has taken off its armor and let all hell break loose. The Bible says, Mt 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. It looks to me that we have lost the keys.
4. We stood on the side lines and hid ourselves from the enemy when prayer was taken out of school, while evolution is taught in our classrooms, while women walk in and out of abortion clinics, while homosexuals are given more rights than Christians. We live in a time when they call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
5. The Children of Israel got lazy they wanted everything without having to walk and exercise faith. They complained, got upset with their leadership, and forgot about what God had done from them. They wanted God to do it all for them so they wouldn’t have to do a thing, they saw their promise the one described as a “land of milk and honey” a land of abundance as work and decided that it wasn’t worth it. Somewhere along the way church has decided that God’s promises were not worth the fight that souls were not worth fighting for.
E. Others may give up and hide from their responsibilities as children of God but we will be a house that follows the words of Joshua, “as for me and my house we shall serve the Lord”, he was raising a banner for the Lord over his house that proclaimed this is God’s property. Whenever a new land was discovered or conquered the first thing that was done was to plant a flag that sent out the gesture that this territory is under the dominion and authority of new ownership.
1. It’s time to pull down the flags that the enemy has planted on you, on your house, on your city, on your nation and raise up the banner of our Lord Jesus Christ so that all know it all belongs to the dominion and authority of the Most High. In these last days we will be faith fighters not faith fakers. We will be the church that others say they saw the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, the bound freed.
2. We are not going to be a grasshopper church that just blends in with the rest of the world, we are not a church of fakers that pretend to have something they don’t have. We will be like David and declare these fighting words, 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, for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.
C. You need to pick up your sling and stone and fight; tell your giant to stop cussing God and step up and fight. You got to fight with what you got and are familiar with.
1. I am talking to people that have been battered by the enemy and feel that they got no fight left in them. Folk that have given up and live with the taunting of the enemy, that feel so weak that they have resulted to letting others fight for them, that are like Saul and have laid down their armor, that have stopped using the anointing.
2. I have come to encourage you today to shake yourself and know that God has chosen you and equipped you for battle. You may feel that your mustard seed faith is not enough to stand up to your giant, but if you will work that faith it will produce great faith.
a. The Bible says that …God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. It’s time for you to take that measure and dish it out; little is much when God is in it! 1Sa 17:1 Now the Philistines (a type of Satan) gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh (defense), which [belongeth] to Judah (praise), What that verse is saying is that Satan will try to position himself in your place of defense which is your praise
