Winning The Battle From The Beginning

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN

SERMON TITLE: WINNING FROM THE BEGINNING

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. he that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18

1 SAMUEL17:2-11 “AND SAUL AND THE MEN OF ISRAEL WERE GATHERED TOGETHER, AND PITCHED BY THE VALLEY OF ELAH, AND SET THE BATTLE IN ARRAY AGAINST THE PHILISTINES. AND THE PHILISTINES STOOD ON A MOUNTAIN ON THE ONE SIDE; AND ISRAEL STOOD ON A MOUNTAIN ON THE OTHER SIDE: AND THERE WAS A VALLEY BETWEEN THEM. AND THERE WENT OUT A CHAMPION OUT OF THE CAMP OF THE PHILISTINES, NAMED GOLIATH, OF GATH, WHOSE HEIGHT WAS SIX CUBITS AND A SPAN. AND HE HAD AN HELMET OF BRASS UPON HIS HEAD, AND HE WAS ARMED WITH A COAT OF MAIL; AND THE WEIGHT OF THE COAT WAS FIVE THOUSANDS SHEKELS OF BRASS. AND HE HAD GREAVES OF BRASS UPON HIS LEGS, AND A TARGET OF BRAS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS. AND THE STAFF OF HIS SPEAR WAS LIKE A WEAVERS BEAM; AND HIS SPEARS HEAD WEIGHED SIX HUNDRED SHEKELS OF IRON: AND ONE BEARING A SHIELD WENT BEFORE HIM. AND HE STOOD AND CRIED UNTO THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL, AND SAID UNTO THEM, WHY ARE YE COME OUT TO SET YOUR BATTLE IN ARRAY? AM NOT I A PHILISTINE, AND YE SERVANTS TO SOUL? CHOOSE YOU A MAN FOR YOU, AND LET HIM COME DOWN TO ME. IF HE BE ABLE TO FIGHT WITH ME, AND TO KILL ME, THEN WILL WE BE YOUR SERVANTS: BUT IF I PREVAIL AGAINST HIM, AND KILL HIM, THEN SHALL YE BE OUR SERVANTS, AND SERVE US. AND THE PHILISTINE SAID, I DEFY THE ARMIES OF ISRAEL THIS DAY; GIVE ME A MAN, THAT WE MAY FIGHT TOGETHER. WHEN SAUL AND ALL ISRAEL HEARD THOSE WORDS OF THE PHILISTINE, THEY WERE DISMAYED, AND GREATLY AFRAID.”

NOW I WANT TO BACK UP TO VERSE 3 AND RE-READ WHAT IT SAYS. “AND THE PHILISTINES STOOD ON A MOUNTAIN ON THE ONE SIDE, AND ISRAEL STOOD ON A MOUNTAIN ON THE OTHER SIDE: AND THERE WAS A VALLEY BETWEEN THEM.”

NOW THAT’S A PICTURE OF THE CHURCH BEING IN ONE PLACE AND THE WORLD BEING IN ANOTHER PLACE. THE CHURCH IS NOT SUPPOSED TO MIX AND MINGLE WITH THE WORLD AND BE LIKE THE WORLD. ACCORDING TO WHAT PAUL SAID IN GODS WORD IT SAYS: COME OUT YE AMONG THE WORLD AND BE YE SEPARATE, SAITH THE LORD.

WE’RE LIVING IN A WORLD TODAY WHERE YOU CAN’T HARDLY TELL CHRISTIANS FROM THE LOST ANYMORE BY LOOKING AT THEIR LIVES. SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THEM ARE LIVING JUST LIKE THE WORLD.

IN VERSE 4 THEY SENT OUT THEIR CHAMPION GOLIATH. SEEMS LIKE WHEN THE DEVIL WANTS TO SEND SOMETHING OUT TO TRY AND GET TO GODS PEOPLE, HE PICKS HIS BEST, AND HIS BIGGEST. THAT’S WHAT THE DEVIL IS ALL ABOUT....PICKING A BATTLE WITH SOME CHRISTIAN TO TRY AND GET THEIR MIND AND THEIR HEART OFF OF GOD. IF OUR MINDS AND OUR HEARTS ARE NOT ON GOD CONTINUOUSLY THEN OUR HEARTS AND MIND WILL BE SOMEWHERE DOING SOMETHING THAT ISN’T THE WILL OF GOD. THAT’S WHAT SATAN WANTS TODAY.

IN VERSE 10 THE PHILISTINE SAID TO GIVE HIM A MAN SO THAT HE MIGHT FIGHT WITH HIM. BOY HE WANTED SOMEBODY TO COME DOWN AND FIGHT WITH HIM.

IN THE SAME CHAPTER IN VERSE 32 DAVID SAID TO SAUL... “LET NO MANS HEART FAIL BECAUSE OF HIM; THY SERVANT WILL GO AND FIGHT WITH THIS PHILISTINE.”

THE GIANT WANTED A MAN AND HE GOT A YOUTH.. IN VERSE 33 SAUL SAID TO DAVID... “THOU ART NOT ABLE TO GO AGAINST THIS PHILISTINE TO FIGHT WITH HIM: FOR THOU ART BUT A YOUTH, AND HE A MAN OF WAR FROM HIS YOUTH.”

I WANT TO PREACH ON WINNING FROM THE BEGINNING.

YA’LL REMEMBER THE CHAPTER PRIOR TO THIS, CHAPTER 16, GOD TOLD SAMUEL HE WAS GOING TO APPOINT A KING OVER ISRAEL. HE WENT TO A MANS HOUSE BY THE NAME OF JESSE WHO HAD I BELIEVE NINE SONS. BUT MY POINT IS THEY TRIED TO GET ALL OF JESSE’S SON BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL BIG AND BOLD. SAMUEL THOUGHT GOD WOULD PICK ONE OF THEM. SEE THE DEVIL ALWAYS SENDS HIS BEST BUT GOD ALWAYS SENDS HIS BEST TOO. THEY WENT THROUGH ALL THE SONS AND SAMUEL SAID THERE WAS BUT ONE MORE AND HE WAS BUT A LAMB AND HIS NAME IS DAVID AND HE’S THE KEEPER OF THE SHEEP AND GOD SAID THAT IS THE ONE I AM GOING TO ANOINT FOR A KING. THAT OUGHT TO LET YOU AND I KNOW TONIGHT THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO HAVE SOME GREAT BIG NAME OR DO SOME GREAT BIG THING IN ORDER FOR GOD TO USE US. ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD HE TAKES THE WEAK THINGS OF THE WORLD, THE THINGS THAT ARE DESPISED OR REJECTED, THINGS AND THE PEOPLE THAT NOBODY ELSE WANTS OR LOVES....THAT’S THE ONE’S GOD LOVES TO SAVE AND TO USE. THAT’S SUCH A CASE WITH DAVID. HE WAS JUST A YOUTH. HE WAS WINNING THE BATTLE FROM THE BEGINNING. IF YOU’VE BEEN SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD; IT DON’T MATTER WHAT YOU’RE GOING UP AGAINST OR WHO YOU’RE GOING UP AGAINST. THE LITTLE BATTLES WE FIGHT ON THE WAY DON’T EVEN COMPARE TO WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR US IN ETERNITY. WE GO THROUGH A LOT OF THINGS. BUT YOU’RE NOT GOING THROUGH THEM BY YOURSELF. BE NOT AFRAID OR DISMAYED...IF YOU’RE SAVED, YOU’RE ALREADY WINNING FROM THE BEGINNING. WE’RE NOT ON THE LOSING SIDE, WE’RE ON THE WINNING SIDE.