“OVERCOMERS”
I SAMUEL 17: 41-51
JANUARY 14, 2001
INTRODUCTION: What was your New Years Resolution? Congregational response: New Years Resolutions are really about overcoming Life struggles/Life Obstacles. Church Struggles are just the same. They are opportunities to overcome.
TRANSITION THOUGHT: Just like in the life of David, obstacles will come our way, but how will we overcome our obstacles and struggles, the giants of our lives?
THESIS SENTENCE: God gives the ability to overcome all obstacles.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES MEANS…
I. STANDING ALONE (VV. 26-37& 43)
A. The Champion: Goliath of Gath, a Philistine.
1. Goliath stood alone. He was not intimidated by another army. His confidence was in his ability to fight.
2. It did not hurt that the text says he was nine feet tall and that his armor that weighed 125lbs. It adds that the head of his spear weighed 15lbs.
3. It would be easy to stand alone if you were “ALL THAT.”
4. To prove that he was all that, he taunted the Israelite army for 40 days, begging them to send someone down to fight him!
B. The challenger: David the son of Jesse, the youngest son.
1. David was a boy! He was a shepherd, not a soldier.
2. David was actually the food and news bearer of the father, Jesse.
3. David assesses all that was going on [vv. 23 – 27 (especially note verse 26)] 4. David volunteers for battle.
C. THE OBSTACLES!
1. Goliath
2. David (his youth and seemingly inexperience)
3. The NAY SAYERS!
a. His brother, Eliab, the eldest. (vv. 28)
b. The King (vv. 33)
c. Goliath (vv. 41-44)
BLT: When the King of Israel and all his Army would not stand up to the Giant, David Stood alone.
D. Standing alone is never easy. It calls us to rise above the status quo and with confidence venture out where others fear to go.
ILLUSTRATION:
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES MEANS…
II. WEARING WHAT FITS (VV. 38-40)
A. You need armor to fight a giant?
1. Saul look at this defenseless little boy and thought to himself, “He is gonna get killed. What will his father say? What will his brothers think? What will the army think of a King who sends out a child to fight a giant?”
2. Saul’s response to his delima was simple, “I must protect him with all I have to cover myself. Maybe the giant won’t be able to kill him through all that armor.” 3. Saul’s armor didn’t quite fit.
B. David wouldn’t ware what didn’t fit him.
1. He tried it on for size and it was not comfortable.
2. David went with what he knew and with what was comfortable to him. 3. David did not try to be something he was not! He was not a soldier! He was a shepherd.
4. He didn’t need armor to fight bears and lions (vv. 34-36).
BLT: When we try to be who we are not, we stiffle the very plan of God. We slow down what God wants to do weigh ourselves down with things that don’t fit us. What are you wearing in your life that doesn’t fit you? How might you be hindering your ability to fight by over taxing yourself with things that just aren’t you? D. Wearing what fits will require us to be honest with ourselves and confident with who we are.
1. We must know what fits.
2. We must know what doesn’t fit, even if we have to try it on!
ILLUSTRATION:
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES MEANS…
III. FACTORING OUT FEAR (VV. 41-44)
A. Goliath saw David for who he was.
1. Goliath saw David as a boy, and a cute one at that.
a. Pink Cheeked in the Hebrew.
b. Handsome, probably cute as children can be.
2. Goliath despised the fact that a boy would come to fight in a man’s battle. B. The King was afraid! (vv. 11)
1. “On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul… dismayed and terrified.
2. Saul was a head and shoulders tall than all the Israelites around him. He was a great warrior and now King. He had been anointed by God through Samuel to rule Israel. Why was he afraid?
C. The entire Army of Israel was afraid.
1. “On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
2. Had they not seen God deliver them from the hands of many foes? Had God not fought with them?
3. Why Were they dismayed and Terrified?
D. David had a different perspective.
1. David did not see himself as Goliath saw him.
2. David did not see Goliath as Saul and the Army saw him.
3. The King and Army saw Goliath as to big to Hit. David saw Goliath as to big to miss!
4. All of Israel was intimidated by this bully, but David refused to let fear control him. VERSE 48 SAYS, “AS THE PHILISTINE MOVED CLOSER TO ATTACK HIM, DAVID RAN QUICKLY TOWARD THE BATTLE LINE TO MEET HIM.”
BLT: Often in life, the struggle get so overwhelming that we loose site of the real issue and become controlled by our own fears. Fear cripples. Fear steals potential. Fear succombed to is Satan greatest weapon against us.
E. What are you afraid of?
1. While I was in Seminary, a group of stressed out students verbally attacked a professor because of the severity of his grading. His response was, “What’s the worst thing that could happen if you failed my class?
2. Think of what friegthens you the most and ask yourself, what is the worst case scenario. Things are seldom as bad as we make them out to be!
ILLUSTRATION:
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES MEANS
IV. WINNING BECAUSE OF THE LORD (VV. 45-53)
A. David didn’t defeat Goliath!
1. Did the text lie? Was David killed? NOPE!
2. David reminded Goliath that he came against him with the usual weapons of war fare. David reminded Goliath that he came against a boy/man.
B. The LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel defeated Goliath.
1. David had assured Saul that He would be fine in battle, the very God of Israel would take care of this encounter.
2. VERSES 36 & 37 STATE DAVID’S CASE, “Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me form the hand of this Philistine.”
3. Now David shares his secret with Goliath, “…I come against you in the name of the LORD almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will had you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’S and he will give all of you into our hands.”(vv. 45b-47)
C. David knew that this battle was not about him and Goliath, it was about the honor of God and His roll over His chosen people.
BLT: THE REAL OBSTICLES IN LIFE REALLY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH US. REMEMBER JOB? THE REAL ISSUE IS HOW WILL WE RESPOND AND WHAT WILL WE ALLOW GOD TO DO. GOD WANTS US TO TRUST IN HIM! HE WANTS US TO HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT HE CAN SEE US THROUGH. DO YOU REMEMBER THE DISCIPLE OUT IN THE STORM AND THEY ASKED JESUS, “DO YOU NOT CARE IF WE PARISH?” JESUS RESPONSE WAS TO FAITH AND THEN HE CALMED THE STORM!
ILLUSTRATION:
CONCLUSION: WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES IN YOUR LIFE: PEER PREASURE, ALCOHOL OR DRUG ABUSE, IMMORALITY – PREMARITAL SEX OR ADULTRY, GOSSIP AND GRUDGES, FINANCES, JOB LOSS, MARITAL UNFAITHFULNESS, SICKNESS, CHILDREN.
God knows and God cares.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM DAVID AND HIS ENCOUNTER WITH GOLIATH?
THERE ARE ALWAYS GIANTS
GIANTS DON’T JUST GO AWAY: Forty days he taunted Israel
GIANTS MUST BE FACED
FEAR CAN PARALIZE IF NOT FACED: All of Israel refused to fight, but stayed on the bank.
YOU NEVER GET ANYWHERE UNTIL YOUR FAITH CARRIES YOU TO BATTLE
THE BATTLE IS THE LORD AND HE WILL BRING VICTORY
ALL THE WORLD WILL KNOW WHEN YOU LET GOD WIN THROUGH YOU: “and the whole earth will know that there is a God in Israel (vv. 46)”
WILL YOU FACE YOUR GIANT TODAY? HE IS NOT GOING AWAY AND GOD WANTS TO GIVE YOU THE VICTORY! WILL YOU TAKE IT IN THE NAME OF THE LORD AND BE AN OVERCOMER?
