I. Introduction
These are the stories we learned as children and perhaps now you are in turn telling the same tales to your children or grandchildren. These stories were told by our teachers or at our bedtime to help us drift off to sleep. These tales taught us morals. However, unknown to many of us they also taught us significant spiritual truths! Let's look at one of these fairytales we know so well and see if we can unwrap a spiritual truth that is in it.
Once upon a time there were three billy goats, who were to go up to the hillside to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was "Gruff."
On the way up was a bridge over a cascading stream they had to cross; and under the bridge lived a great ugly troll, with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker.
So, first of all came the youngest Billy Goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
"Trip, trap, trip, trap! " went the bridge. "Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the troll.
"Oh, it is only I, the tiniest Billy Goat Gruff, and I'm going up to the hillside to make myself fat," said the billy goat, with such a small voice.
"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the troll.
"Oh, no! pray don't take me. I'm too little, that I am," said the billy goat. "Wait a bit till the second Billy Goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger." "Well, be off with you," said the troll.
A little while after came the second Billy Goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
Trip, trap, trip, trap, trip, trap, went the bridge. "Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the troll.
"Oh, it's the second Billy Goat Gruff, and I'm going up to the hillside to make myself fat," said the billy goat, who hadn't such a small voice.
"Now I'm coming to gobble you up," said the troll.
"Oh, no! Don't take me. Wait a little till the big Billy Goat Gruff comes. He's much bigger." "Very well! Be off with you," said the troll.
But just then up came the big Billy Goat Gruff.
Trip, trap, trip, trap, trip, trap! went the bridge, for the billy goat was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under him.
"Who's that tramping over my bridge?" roared the troll
"It's I! The big Billy Goat Gruff," said the billy goat, who had an ugly hoarse voice of his own. "Now I 'm coming to gobble you up," roared the troll.
Well, come along! I've got two spears, And I'll poke your eyeballs out at your ears; I've got besides two curling-stones, And I'll crush you to bits, body and bones.
That was what the big billy goat said. And then he flew at the troll, and poked his eyes out with his horns, and crushed him to bits, body and bones, and tossed him out into the cascade, and after that he went up to the hillside. There the billy goats got so fat they were scarcely able to walk home again. And if the fat hasn't fallen off them, why, they're still fat; and so, snip, snap, snout. This tale is told out.
First the lessons and then the Scriptural backdrop if you will.
Lesson 1: You must learn to recognize when the battle is bigger than you.
The smaller goats realized they weren't equipped to fend off the troll. Some of you are fighting battles you were never intended to fight by yourself. You are taking on too much. You are shouldering too much weight. You have a part to play but your battle isn't a one-person struggle. Yes, I have taught you that you must participate in your miracle. Yes, I have told you that you have a role to play in your deliverance. There is no doubt that God will train your hands for war. All true. But all of that truth must be applied after and only after we have learned to trust in the One who is able. He doesn't train us to war and then throw us to the troll and leave us all by ourselves. He is with us! Too many of us trust more in our ability with His power than we do the One who has the power. Too many of us fail to defeat the enemy not because we haven't been given power, but rather because we trust our use of that power more than we trust the authority behind the power.
Lesson 2: Big battles are necessary in order for us to have a proper perspective of the One coming after us.
How many of us would no longer allow the enemy to stop us, intimidate us, trip us up, defeat us if we would simply remember Who is with us? Notice if you will that the first two billy goats never responded in fear, they just pointed to the one coming after them.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me. Get a proper view of who is with you. Some of us need big battles because if we did not have a big battle, then we would think too little of our God.
Some of you who are facing the biggest battles of your life need to inform the enemy about the goat that is behind you.
Where do you want me to take you in Scripture to see this truth told?
Maybe into Exodus where we find Moses pressed from behind by Pharaoh's pursuing army and fronted by a Sea. Sure defeat. No escape. Nowhere to turn. But Moses steps up and says . . . Exodus 14:13 - “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever."
The GOAT is coming!
Maybe I should take you to Deuteronomy 3 when the Israelites are headed for the Promised Land and a troll by the name of Og, the King of Bashan, hears them crossing his bridge (his land). Scholars believe Og was the last living member of the giants (Rephaim). Scripture says he on an iron bed that was 13½ feet long and 6 feet wide. Og and his entire army shows up to stop the march to the Promise. Og is the king over 60 fortified cities that had high walls, gates, and locking bars. But Moses hears God . . . Deuteronomy 3:2 - The Lord, however, said to me, “Don’t be afraid of him because I have already given him, his whole army, and his land to you.
The GOAT is coming!
Perhaps, I should take you into Joshua 10 when 5 evil kings combine forces against Joshua. Joshua facing an insurmountable army hears from God and in Joshua 10:8 - The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you."
The GOAT is coming!
Maybe I should take you into the New Testament and see John the Baptist operate on this truth. John the Baptist knew that he role and call was to get people's attention, but he also knew there was a battle against sin and the devil that he could not win. However, he knew there was One coming after him who could! So, in Mark 1:7 . . . John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.
The GOAT is coming!
Maybe I need to remind you of what Paul said in Romans 8:31-39 . . . If God is for us, who can be against us? Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? . . . What troll will march out and threaten and challenge us? . . . Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The GOAT is coming!
Some of you just need to look over your shoulder. The GOAT is coming!
Some of you hear the troll roaring like a lion. I want to assure you The GOAT is coming!
Some of you feel like you are being sized up for a satanic snack, but The GOAT is coming!
Some of you feel like you are in a life and death struggle with fear, depression, addiction, sickness but The GOAT is coming!
Lesson 3: You must recognize that when the battle is bigger than you that doesn’t mean the battle is too big for the One coming after you.
The GOAT is coming!
He is coming to provide. He is coming to protect. He is coming to heal. He is coming to set free. He is coming to rescue. He is coming to deliver. He is coming to save. He is coming to fight alongside of you! He is coming to crush our enemy to bits, body and bones! So, keep fighting. When the troll gets loud keep trusting. When the troll is threatening keep believing. When the troll seems too big just remind him . . . The GOAT is coming!
