Wanted: Spiritual Giants

WANTED: SPIRITUAL GIANTS

Gal. 2:9

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. In a Florida Army training camp there was a grueling obstacle course all the recruits had to daily complete. On the final stretch of the endurance test they had to grab a rope and swing across a broad deep pond.

2. Under the glaring southern sun, the water looked so inviting to the men that most of them soon developed the habit of making it only half way across and dropping into the refreshing water.

3. That is, until an enterprising lieutenant made the pond the new home for a large alligator!

4. From that day on the recruits left the ground on one side and fell sprawling in the dust on the other, and not even one carelessly dropped into the water!

B. OUR NEED FOR CHALLENGES

1. We tend to want to do things the easy way, but a spiritual truth is, “If you want milk and honey on your bread, you’ll have to go into the land where there are giants!”

2. If you want the real spiritual blessings of God, you’ve got to get out of your comfort zone and tackle some giants.

C. WANTED: SPIRITUAL GIANTS

1. Not only is it beneficial for us to move out in the spiritual with God, God needs spiritual giants to help Him accomplish His purposes.

2. “There was a man sent from God and his name was John.” God always has a man or woman to operate through.

3. In Gal. 2:9, Paul speaks of Peter and John as being “pillars” in the church at Jerusalem.

4. God’s giants are listed in the Hebrews “Hall of Faith.” They did great things for God. But you say, “I couldn’t be one of those!” You can with GOD as your helper!

5. The title of this message is “Wanted: Spiritual Giants.”

I. MISCONCEPTIONS OF A SPIRITUAL GIANT

A. SOMEONE WHO NEVER SINS, IS CARNAL, OR MAKE MISTAKES

1. All of God’s men and women had their ‘moments.’

2. Examples of being human:

a. Sarah laughed at God’s promise.

b. Elijah said, “Take my life Lord.”

c. Peter withdrew from the Gentiles at Antioch.

d. Paul argued with Barnabas.

B. SOMEONE WHO FROM BIRTH IS A SUPERMAN/ WOMAN

1. Not a normal person who had a childhood and grew up like you. But they did!

2. Keith Green has a song with the line, “Prophets don’t grow up from little boys.”

C. SOMEONE WHO WALKS AROUND IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD

D. NO! Spiritual giants are people just like us who:

1. lead ordinary lives;

2. Make mistakes, even sin.

3. But grow up to be people of profound trust in God and obedience to God.

4. So YOU can be a spiritual giant! But how do you get there?

II. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A SPIRITUAL GIANT?

A. SAMSON – HIS NAZARITE VOW

1. Judges 13:3-5, 24-25.

2. His exploits? He killed a lion, tied 200 foxes together by their tails, killed a 1.000 Philistines with a jawbone, carried the gates of Gaza 38 miles.

3. Samson probably didn’t look strong. That’s why the Philistine’s wanted to learn the secret to his strength. Only a ‘giant’ could pick up the gates of a city or defeat 1,000 men.

4. His strength was founded in his Nazarite consecration. When he lost that, he lost his strength.

5. The same may be said of our separation to God. “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.”

6. The vessels of the Temple, when dedicated to God, became sacred. Belshazzar incurred God’s wrath with he handled the improperly.

7. When we surrender to God we become vessels fitted to the Master’s use. We must keep our consecration!

B. PAUL – FULL OF THE SPIRIT

1. Paul was no spiritual pygmy, he was a giant of the Faith. His accomplishments for Christ were phenomenal. Paul not only recognized the presence of the Holy Spirit, he recognized his power.

2. He could say, “When I am weak, then am I strong” 2 Cor. 12:10. God told him, “My strength is made perfect in weakness” (12:9).

3. Paul urged the Ephesian believers to be strong, not in themselves but “in the Lord and in the power of His might” and “Be filled with the Spirit” (6:10; 5:18).

4. We need the Holy Spirit not only as an indwelling guest, but as our divine enabler! Being filled with the Spirit was a requirement to be one of the 7 deacons of Acts 6.

5. The Hebrew of Judges 6:34 “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon” actually says “the Spirit of the Lord clothed Himself with Gideon.”

6. If we want to be spiritual giants, we must be filled with the Spirit!

C. DAVID – FAITH IN GOD