Duck That Stone- Dr. Adlai Naidoo
Text:
1 Sam 17:1-11
1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
(KJV)
Introduction:
In ancient times...geography played an important role in warfare...because fighting was restricted to ground combat!
In the middle of this confrontation is a valley. In the Scripture mountains are usually referred to.
Here we have the valley referred to in stead.
It is about a mile wide and it runs from Jerusalem to the Mediterranean Sea.
(25) miles west of Jerusalem the Philistines have come to battle the Israelites.
The Philistines on one side of the valley on an upward slope.
The Israelites on the other side.
Between them stood the valley...for war!
The Battle Was To Focus Upon (2) Individuals...
1. The Philistine’s Champion
His gods were Dagon a fish like god! and Baalzebub the fly god!
His military advantage...
v. 4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath.
The war-minded Philistines were a continuous threat to the Israelite farmers.
Around 1200 B.C. iron came into use in the area and the Philistines with the knowledge of smelting...gained a quick advantage with this metal.
Goliath was their champion.
About 9 feet 9 inches tall or 3 to 4 feet taller than the average Jew, his helmet, shin guards, spear, and javelin were manufactured bronze.
His scaled coat weighed approximately 175-200 pounds.
The shaft of his spear was like the beam on a weavers shuttle.
The Historian Josephus stated:
It was so large that he carried it strapped over his shoulder and he carried it like a tree.
The head of the spear weighed 20-25 lbs.
Chuck Swindoll stated:
Goliath reminds me of the cross-eyed discus thrower...he didn’t set any records but he sure kept the crowd awake.
He himself weighed about 550 lbs.
Day-after-day...he paraded along the slopes of the valley elah throwing out threats and belching out...blasphemies across the creek.
The Israelites couldn’t find a champion.
Cowards were a dime a dozen!
The only noise coming from the camp of the Israelites were knocking knees and that in unison!
Goliath was eminently successful with his basic strategy....of fear!
He "sounded like 20 out of tune...tuba’s" for 40 days morning and night!
But the dawn of that 41st day brought the end of a giant.
Individuals # 2
Coming from 10 miles away was the second individual or should I say a boy. He was a handsome...ruddy teenager...the runt of the litter!
Sent by his father to bring some cheese and crackers to his older brothers at war.
He was fresh from the anointing of God.
Fresh from communion with his "shepherd" and feeding in fertile green valleys...
From head-to-toe ... here stood a man of God!
Can you imagine with me the scene he visualized as he came into the camp of Israel.
He could here the clanging of metal armor as Israel would go thru its marching drills.
Acting like a finely tuned army as it marched to its cadence.
But then David could see for the first time the fighting champion of the Philistines. Calling for a man from Israel to come and fight him.
He looked to see a man to respond to the awesome challenge...but none would respond!
The children of Israel had only one bullet ...that being a yester-year experience.
The battle was in the valley and all they could do is shout cadence’s on the hill.
The enemy could see through their bluff and did ask "Why Do You Come And Make Array?"
The enemy is not afraid of our shout our dance in the church our camp-meetings, as long as we don’t go into the valley.
Eliab looked good to Samuel...
Saul was a head and shoulder taller than the rest...
What about future generals Joab and Abner...no one was willing to step forward.
There Is A Lot Of People Serving God On The Mountain Tops ...But God Needs Some Valley Dwellers.
It will require a "living sacrifice" willing to go into some valleys for the Lord...that will make a difference.
The requirements for pre-giant killing.
Learn To Duck The Stones That Will Come Your Way.
The Bible is clear that David went into the brook and gathered (5) stones.
Goliath had (5) at home just like him (Ugly To The Bone)!
So lets look at some of these stones...you may need to duck on your way to giant killing.
I. The Stone Of Elimination:
A David’s father wouldn’t let him go to war with a sword...but allowed him to carry the cheese and crackers.
1. 2. He was too young.
l. Longevity does not make one a better saint.
2. Some have been "babes in Christ" much too long.
2. 3. Even Goliath called him "but a boy."
II. The Stone Of Environment:
1. 1. One of the first stones thrown was by a relative of Davids...ELIAB (his brother). (v. 28)
1. 1. It’s bad enough that we have a hard time being Christians...let alone the school of hard-knocks come from brothers.
2. 2. But David ducked that stone and asked "Is there
not a cause?"
III. The Stone Of Extermination:
v. 30 "others turned from him toward another and spake after the same manner..."
A. A. They were laughing at the vision of David.
Teddy Roosevelt believed:
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take the rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat!
Lowell wrote:
Not failure, but low aim...is a crime.
B. B. Here is a philosophy of life worth pursuing.
The person who succeeds is not the one who holds back...fearing failure, nor the one who never fails, but rather the one who moves on in spite of failure.
C. C. David repeats himself after he ducked the stone of discouragements..."IS THERE NOT A CAUSE?"
IV. The Stone Of Evaluation:
A. A. King Saul looked at him with respect...but did place a value on David "You are but a youth". And Goliath is a trained warrior.
B. B. But David stated...BUT GOD...helped me against a lion...and a bear!
C. C. Have you spent much time thinking of... What God has done for you, and what God will do for you!
V. The Stone Of Expectation:
A. A. Saul wanted him to wear his armor.
1. 1. It was like putting a size 52 onto a 36.
2. 2. But David wanted not to do it mans’ way...but to go as usual.
l. Dressed in shepherds clothing...
2. Armed with a shepherds sling...
3. Coming in the "Name of the Lord, God, of
Israel..."
B. When standing alone in the valley it is a good way to be dressed.
a. Saul’s armor was spectacular.
b. We as a church are wearing someone else’s
armor.
c. We need to gain our own victories.
d. Jimmy comes to town and we send for his transfer and 99.9% of those attending are church goer’s moving from one place to another.
e. What we need today is new growth not merely transfers!
C. One of the greatest stones to duck in the church work is similarities.
D. D. But like David they just don’t fit.
E. E. We can’t make it on someone else’s expectations.
a. a. Expectations can cripple you.
1. 1. Why aren’t you like your brother.
2. 2. Why don’t you dress like so-and-so.
3. 3. I remember the "good-ol’-days!
VI. There’s One Rule To Remember When Battling The Devil:
A. Come in the Name of the Lord.
1. With a well-worn leather sling and smooth-stone
and an unbending confidence in the Almighty God.
2. David came to meet "the uncircumcised" Goliath.
a. Who must have looked like the battleship
MISSOURI with all his noise and bronze.
3. David came with a sling and the might of God.
a. It kept him free from fear,
b. It made him hard of hearing threats,
c. It gave him cool composure amidst chaos,
d. Above all it cleared his vision.
B. B. Conquering giants isn’t accomplished without great skill and discipline.
C. C. Facing our giants may be an intimidating experience.
a. It may be a lonely experience.
b. But trusting God can be a stabilizing experience.
c. Can you hear the threats of giants around you today?
d. Don’t go and get bigger clubs!
e. Follow David’s lead...Come to them in the name of the Lord.
Conclusion:
