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“I will strike you and take your head from you” 1 sam 17:31-47

Serving God isn’t for the faint of heart- if you want to serve God- Got to have right mind

I’ve seen people that say that they want to serve God- but heart and mind is wrong

• To serve God- Think of others
• 32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
• One of the greatest things that is missed in the story of David and Goliath is that the courage and passion that David had wasn’t for himself it was for others
• “Let no man’s heart fail” is much different than “Let me show you how awesome I am”
• many Christian ministers and people who are clearly for themselves and not for others and God
• Phil 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
• David was concerned with Israel and God “he has defied the armies of the living God”
• David wanted to beat Goliath for the Glory of God and Israel- not because he wanted recognition
• Many people want to serve God but it comes from a position of selfishness and self recognition
• Who will see me? What can I get? Can I get on TV or get a webpage? Who will know me?
• Rom 15:1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

• What does it mean to you?
• Firstly- you should want to serve God by serving others- This should be your heart- but if it IS- you should be checking your heart on what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
• 1 Corinthians 10:33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
• Today- it works out- I promise I didn’t plan this- we’re signing up for the Easter outreach. We wont be slaying any Goliaths that day- but the work is worthy. Loving and serving people in our community.
• It doesn’t matter what you do- serve God in any capacity and you should always be thinking of others
• 1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.
• When you serve others with the mindset of doing it for others- God can get the glory and not you.
• You must check your heart- what am I doing? Remember what Christ did for you-
• Matt 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
• Its always a sacrifice to serve others- but it’s a loving thing that we do and it pleases the heart of God.
• Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

To serve God- Don’t get easily discouraged

• 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
• It is easy to become discouraged when people are resistant to your attempts to serve God
• It doesn’t matter what you do- take a step towards serving God and someone will come along and discourage you- it will become difficult and they’ll try to dissuade you
• David had the right heart- he knew that He could beat this Goliath- he wanted to
• But the King looks at him like “Come on now- not you- someone else” can’t see it.
• Psalm 27:1 A Psalm of David. ] The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
• David is not going to allow anyone- not even Saul from discouraging him. He’s killing Goliath.
• 2 Tim 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
• Discouragement can come in many forms- typically and usually through a PERSONS MOUTH

• What does it mean to you?
• Can you move past being easily discouraged? Can you grow some grit and skin?
• Its normal to get discouraged- I get discouraged often I just don’t stay there more than a day
• Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
• What if David would have just gave up right then? “well, you’re right Saul” I’ll go home
• NO WAY- LETS GO GOLIATH- COME AT ME BRO
• NO- Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• This isn’t a Bible verse for kids to put on their instagram and sports equipment
• Paul was speaking about real issues with real life with real problems
• The power of Christ can walk you through any and everything that you could ever walk through
• Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
• Christ can forgive you of any sin, walk you through any problem, comfort you through any situation, restore your heart, mind and soul. He is a great and mighty God!
• When you are discouraged- you must learn to lean on the the power of Christ and his word
• 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

How do we build that level of faith tho?

• To Serve God- Be faithful with what is in front of you
• Read v 34-36
• See- David didn’t wake up one morning and say “I think I’ll go and fight goliath’ He was refined in the small stuff LONG before he came up against Goliath.
• David recounts the victories that he experienced while taking care of the sheep. The animals he was able to kill and destroy, and the sheep he was able to save. The SMALL stuff he did before
• Luke 16:10-12 READ
• God was preparing him for something bigger- something that he didn’t see- he was just faithful to what was put in front of him- he was faithful in a LITTLE so he could be faithful in MUCH
• He was just protecting the sheep. Doing what needed to be done. Not “one day I’ll kill Goliath”
• Many people want to fight Goliath when they never have even cleaned a toilet
• Want to heal the sick and raise the dead and they can’t even raise themselves out of bed on time- The path to Goliath isn’t on the day he shows up- its with the small faithful steps.

• Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.
• What does it mean to you?
• You have to commit to doing whatever it is the that the Lord is putting in front of you
• People often look past what is in front of them because they want something bigger
• Psalm 90:17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.
• God will establish what he is going to establish in your life. Quit looking for goliath. Fight the lions an bears that are in front of you. Do the work of the ministry.
• Proverbs 18:9 He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.
• Its like people who tell me they want to pastor a church and I’m like- who are you leading outside of the church and inside the church? You want to be in charge of much, with never being in charge of little.
• 1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
• You must be faithful to what you have now to hope for help in the future. God is building something in you right now- you may not know it- but he is.
• In the Army- Wrestling all Army champion- I thought I was ready- but I wasn’t prepared
• Spiritually it’s the same- you can’t expect to be out of shape talking about ‘old days’ and expect a win. Be faithful faithful faithful
• Revelation 2:10b Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

To serve God- Trust God  Completely

• 37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
• You cannot serve God or do things for him if you are doing it on your own strength. No way
• Psalm 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.
• David knew this- He strength Came from God- he didn’t seek out to be king- to do big things. He was just a shepherd boy who completely trusted God in everything-
• Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
• What does it mean to you you?
• You must come into the “trusting God in everything camp” to fully serve God and do big things
• Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
• 99% wont do on this one. You have to be fully trusting God. With your relationships, your job, your living situation, your money, your health, your thoughts, all of it.
• Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
• Jeremiah 17:7-8 READ