The Valley Of Breakout Series

Introduction

In 1958, America began its spaceflight program. And it was John Glenn who became the first American to orbit the earth on February 20, 1962. And then as spaceflights continued, we made some advancement as to what we can do in space, and it was Ed White who became the first American to venture out of the spacecraft on a space walk on June 3, 1965. We continued to make progress and on March 16, 1966, Gemini 8 completed the first space docking maneuver. But the breakout moment occurred on July 20th, 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to set foot on the moon during their Apollo 11 flight. It was indeed our space programs finest moment; it was indeed their breakout moment.

In our Christian lives, I am afraid that we want to be like everyone else. We don’t want to be seen as different; we want to fit in with everybody else; we don’t want to be seen as a Christian fanatic. But I am here today to tell you that God wants you to breakout from the pack. He wants you to experience that breakout moment in your Christian life- where you move ahead with Him by leaps and bounds even if means leaving your comfort zone behind.

My question to you is this: Have you experienced one of those breakout moments in your Christian life? Have you prayed God send me a breakout moment in my Christian life? Today, we are going to venture into the Valley of Elah to look at a young man named David who had a breakout moment and see what we can discover about those breakout moments.

So, turn with me in your Bibles or look on our bulletin as we read from various places in 1 Samuel 17.

Scripture

1 Samuel 17:3-11 (NKJV)

3 The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

4 And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.

6 And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.

7 Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.

8 Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, "Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.

9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall 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 these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

1 Samuel 17:20-26 (NKJV)

20 So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle.

21 For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.

22 And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.

23 Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So, David heard them.

24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.

25 So the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely, he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father's house exemption from taxes in Israel."

26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"