Sermon Central
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Run To The Battle Line!
Contributed by Brian B on Nov 4, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: Preach this one with GUSTO! What is the proper response when faced with a battle? Run To The Battle line with Faith & Run to the Battle line with Action..
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Run To The Battle line
1 Samuel 17:1-51
Please take a moment to place your vote. If you have an idea for an improvement, I am very teachable. My e-Mail is pastorbrian@greenrivernazarene.com
Introduction … we are all in a battle!
All throughout God’s word we see evidence that God knows we are in a battle. His Word gives us guidance to help us fair well as we fight!
The book of Ephesians tells us to Eph 6:11-13 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
This verse tells us to put on the full armor of God!
Armor is something that you wear when you go into battle!
How many of you know that you don’t put on armor to go to the swimming pool… Armor is something that you wear when you go into Battle!
This verse also tells us who the battle is with! (Paul makes it clear that Christian warfare is not against human forces! If it were, then human strength would be sufficient to win the battle. Powers, rulers, authorities, all of these are various ranks among the hosts of satan. He is the ememy! The verse closes by using the phrase heavenly realms. This is a realm of spiritual conflict!
At the end of his life, the apostle Paul tells us that he has “Fought the good fight!” He knew that we are in a battle too!
SO WHAT IS THE PROPER RESPONSE TO THE BATTLE THAT WE ARE NOW IN?
I would like for us to look back to an old familiar story for some insite as to how a man after God’s own heart responded when the enemy defied both God and His people!
Turn to 1 Samuel 17:1-51
You remember the story of David and Goliath. The philistines were at odds with the Israelite army at the valley of socoh in Judah. The philistines occupied one hill and the Israelite army the other with a valley between them.
A champion named Goliath came out and began to defy the Israelites and their God. Goliath was a giant! He was over 9 feet tall! Think about that, nine feet tall! Most of the ceilings in your homes are 8 feet tall. This man was a foot taller than that!
The bible tells us that he wore a bronze helmet and a coat of scale armor! He also carried a bronze spear that had a point on it that was so heavy that it was worth mentioning it’s tremendous weight! Goliath would come out in the valley between the two armies and shout at God’s people!
He taunted them saying, “this day I defy the ranks of Israel, give me a man and let us fight each other!”
Day after day this giant would make his challenge and day after day no one would stand up for God’s people… that is until one young shepherd boy heard this Philistine and decided to take action!
You know how the story goes… David hears the challenge… David agrees to go and fight the giant… David selects 5 smooth stones and puts them in his pouch and goes to meet the Giant! As we read on, the Bible records in verse 48 that David Ran to the Battle line!
He ran to the battle line isn’t that amazing? How was a young shepherd boy with no armor and only a slingshot able to run to the battle line and meet a fully armed and shielded 9 foot tall Giant ?
The title of this message is “run to the battle line!” My prayer is that when you face the enemy we will be challenged to run to the battle line! I pray that as you go through the battle of this life, you will have the courage and the boldness to run to the battle line!
This morning it would be good for us to see some ways that we can do that. David ran to the battle line several ways that day let’s look a little bit closer shall we?
THE FIRST WAY THAT DAVID RAN TO THE BATTLE LINE WAS THROUGH HIS FAITH!
The deck was stacked against him! walking by sight, things didn’t look good. He was a boy his foe was a man. He was small of stature and yet he faced a giant. His weapons were crude and his enemy was fully armed.
