The Down Side Of Super Sized

1. Introduction

a. In today’s world we are constantly forced to face the issue of size.

(1) A marketing ploy of McDonald’s in the past was “Would you like to super size that,” where for just a few cents more you could get an extra large serving of French fries and an “ocean-sized” beverage.

(2) In reality TV we are confronted with The Biggest Loser, where individuals are struggling to lose a large amount of weight.

b. Self-help books tell us that there are no problems too big or too small to overcome. More importantly, they tell us we have the ability to win; we possess the power to succeed, to overcome, with no outside help.

c. That is not always the case. It is always easier when you have someone to lean on, someone to confide in, someone to call when you falter.

d. What we will discover this morning is that bigger is not always better, except, of course, where God is concerned.

2. David’s Goliath vs. Our Goliath

a. Read 1 Samuel 17: 1-54

b. We frequently use this story metaphorically. Any time we are facing a problem bigger than us, we are “facing our Goliath.”

c. David’s Goliath was tangible – a 9-foot-tall man with super-human strength, carrying an appropriately sized spear and shield.

(1) Our Goliaths don’t carry swords or shields, they carry weapons of unemployment, obesity, alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual abuse, etc.

(2) Our Goliath’s don’t prance and parade about the hills of Elah, they are up close and personal – the office, the bedroom, the classroom, even sometimes the church. He brings:

• Bills we can’t pay

• Grades or scores we can’t make

• People we can’t please

• Drink we can’t resist

• Pornography we can’t refuse

• A job or past we can’t escape

• A future we can’t face

d. We know our Goliath – we see or have seen his or her face, we know his or her voice. But is Goliath all we see or hear?

e. We can be like David and see and hear more.

(1) Re-read v. 26—David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

(2) David shows up not talking smack or trash, but talking God. Everybody else, Saul and his soldiers, have completely ignored God.

(3) When David confronts his Goliath, he continues in the same vein.

(4) Re-read vv. 45-47—David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but 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 hand 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.”

3. God-focus vs. Giant-focus

a. David sees what others don’t and refuses to see what others do.

(1) He focuses on God.

(a) It’s not that he doesn’t see the problem—his inability to not eat the whole German Chocolate Cake, his inability to not berate his child one more time, his inability to not secretly visit the porn site just one more time.

(b) He just sees God more than he sees the problem.

(1) He sees God in all his glory, in all the resources behind Him.

(2) Because he does, David rushes to the problem, not away from it.

b. You say, but I’m not David, nor am I like him. I say, “aren’t you?”

c. Despite his shortcomings, David was a man after God’s heart.

(1) He fell as often as he stood, stumbled as often as he conquered.

(2) He stared down Goliath, yet ogled at and lusted after Bathsheba.

(3) He could lead armies, but couldn’t manage his family.

(4) He raged, he wept, he was bloodthirsty.

(5) He had eight wives.

(6) Through it all, though, he had one God.

4. Never Alone

a. Our giants —Ultimately we have to face them or they will subdue and overcome us.

b. We don’t, however, have to face them alone. We must focus first and foremost on God. It worked for David, it will work for us.

c. Looking back at our passage, let’s see where David’s focus was.

(1) First, how much did he dwell on Goliath? Only two times is Goliath mentioned, and then not by name.