Mountaintops And Valleys
I Samuel 17
Introduction
I remember talking to someone a few years ago and they ask me this question.
“Why does God allow bad things to happen to people?”
Why are people unhappy in a miserable marriage was the issue at stake. This individual went on to mention other situations such as a child’s serious illness, a person’s lingering death, or an innocent person suffering because of someone else’s sins. I could go on and on.
Why? What is the answer? – My answer in a nutshell was “Valleys and Mountaintops.”
A. Life Consists Of Mountaintop Experiences. – Times when everything seems good and pleasant – Times of peace and happiness.
B. Life Also Consists Of Valleys – Times when things aren’t going so good – Maybe tragedy hits us – Maybe financial problems – Personal problems – Problems that seem insurmountable.
C. The Mountaintop Experiences Are Great. These are the things we tend to look forward to. – BUT It’s the Valleys that are perhaps the most important to our lives.
LET’S LOOK AT THE VALLEYS.
1. What do the Valleys do?
a. Valleys make the mountaintop experiences sweeter.
b. It’s the valleys we go through that make us grow.
c. It’s the trials and tests and adversities that mature and teach us.
2. Where are the Valleys?
a. Between the mountaintops.
b. Just over the next mountain.
3. Who goes through the Valleys?
a. Christians do.
b. Non-Christians do.
c. A nation or a church.
I Samuel 17:1-49
I want us to notice several things about our text for this morning.
I. In The Valleys Are Giants – Vs. 4-7
1. The giant of fear – Vs. 11, 24
2. The giant of unbelief – Vs. 25 They didn’t believe God could defeat Goliath.
II. In The Valleys Are Challenges – Vs. 8-10
1. Someone has said, “We don’t have problems, we have opportunities.”
2. Here in the challenge of Goliath we have an opportunity for God to work. Vs. 11-26
III. In The Valleys We Can See The Power Of God – Vs. 27-49
1. God could have used one of the mighty warriors in Saul’s army – but He didn’t. – WHY?
2. God isn’t looking for someone who can do the job. God is looking for someone who will have to rely upon Him to do the job.
IV. In The Valleys Our Faith Is Increased.
1. The Conquest of Faith – Vs. 36
2. The Enthusiasm of Faith – Vs. 37
3. The Equipment of Faith – Vs. 40
4. The Contrast of Faith – Vs. 45
5. The Victory of Faith – Vs. 49
V. In The Valleys Is Discouragement
Discouragement – It can come from several places.
1. It can come from our Brothers. Vs. 28
2. It can come from the Unbeliever. – Vs. 33
3. It can come from Satan and the World. – Vs. 43
Conclusion
But do you know what the greatest thing that we find in the valley is – GOD.
Rom 8:28-9:1
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
