What Is Your Goliath?

8/30/2009

What is your Goliath

1 Samuel chapter 17

I want to talk to you this morning about the giants in your life.

Those things that overwhelm you.

Those things that raise their ugly head and continually defeat you.

Those things that you can never seem to get past.

The Bible text this morning is a familiar passage.

I’ve preached from this passage before. It is young David against the Philistine Goliath.

Each time I look at this passage and read it, it will always bring to mind the Goliath’s that I am facing at the time I’m reading it.

Last week I was on vacation and it is always good to get away and spend time with my family. At the end of the week, there was a death in my family and a friend’s son 17 years old had a stroke. Bad things happening can take away from fun that you are having.

Those are the giants:

The things that keep us from enjoying life.

Thing that we cannot see around because they are so big and consuming, we see little else but them.

I don’t know what your Goliath is this morning.

It could be debt, all you see is the financial burden.

It could be illness, you just can’t seem to get past sickness for you or someone you love.

Your giant could be relational, someone in your family, your spouse and your marriage.

Maybe your giant is anger, and after each time you pray that you would get control.

Maybe your giant is commitment, you are not able to give 100 percent to anything, anyone, not even God. It drags you down and beat you up.

Set up the battle with Goliath:

Israel on one side of the valley- Philistines on the other side.

Neither one wants to enter the valley first because they would be the most vulnerable. They are at a stand still.

A Philistine named Goliath- a 9 foot soldier comes to the middle of the valley and makes a challenge to Israel and their God.

Over 9 feet tall, has 125 pounds of body armor, spear that weighs 15 pounds.

This is a giant- This is the terminator on steroids.

He comes with a winner takes all proposal.

1 Samuel 17:8-12 Read

The nation of Israel and King Saul were afraid. They were paralyzed.

V40- For 40 days the Philistine came forward and tormented Israel.

Listen:

Giants never completely go away by themselves. They will not go away until you face them.

Giants gather strength in your mind. The longer you let them spout out their demands.

Israel saw a 9 foot Goliath they could not defeat.

Now here comes David, who they believe to be 17-18 years old, he was too young to be in Sauls army, according to Numbers 1:3 you had to be 20 years old to fight in the army. David, sent by his Dad, to see how the battle is going and to check on his 3 older brothers. First, get’s into a argument with his older brother for being there, and then hears the challenge given by Goliath to Sauls Army.

He cannot understand why noone is standing up to this one man wrecking machine.

Max lucado has a new book out- Facing your Giants.

John Maxwell has one out- Running with the Giants.

Everyone can tell you what to do, but until you do something, it is just talk.

You must take a hard look at your giant.

Picture it in your mind:

Stop being in denial, it will not go away by itself.

Closing the door won’t help Pretending it’s gone won’t help.

Face the giant.

The Nation of Israel looked at Goliath and said we cannot kill him, he is too big

David looked at the big goliath, and said he is so big that I cannot miss getting him.

Israel’s giant is not only Goliath, they had a giant lack of faith.

God is bigger than your problem, I promise you that

Stop looking at how big the problem is and realize how big your God is.

David shows up on the scene, a fresh pair of eyes looking at the problem, hears Goliath spouting off and taunting Israel, defying the god of Israel.

I defy the army of Israel, the God of Israel, lets fight and see who is better.

You win- we serve you. I win- you serve the Philistines.

Who is this un-circumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God.

David saw God being bigger and stronger than the giant that he was facing.

Listen:

There are some things you need to keep in mind if you are going to defeat some problems in your life.

(Walk around and pick up a magazine - as I was saying, go over to the piano, look around, I’m sorry, where was I? Oh yea, if your going to defeat giants- there is something you need to do-)