1 sam 17:38-58- End of story with fight of David and Goliath. With God- you can win
Battles come when you least expect it- job, finances, health, family, work, spiritual
But if you’re going to win these battles- you have to operate on some spiritual principles
- If you want to win the battle- Do not go into battle with someone elses armor
- Read v 38-39
- Saul does David a solid here and tries to help him out with his armor- wants him to win
- Gives him his armor- David can’t make it work- never used the armor before- has to take off.
- David is battle tested for the Lord- knows what it takes- you got to be ready on your own
- Psalm 26:2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart. (Make me ready)
- Interesting that Saul wants to help David by giving him his armor- and not actually stepping in
- David can’t use Sauls armor for this fight- He has to depend on God and HIS experience to win
- David is a strong man of faith- He trusts in God- he is willing to fight- but he is someone who trusts God- he is going into this fight on the back of his personal relationship with the creator
- Psalm 144:1 Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle 2 My loving kindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me.
- Remember- he was trained by Fighting the bears and the lions from the sheep. He didn’t have this armor last time he fought- he aint gonna need it this time
- What David understands- you can’t go into battle with someone elses armor and defense you need your own- you must know and trust God on your own if you are entering into battle
- What does it mean to you
- you can’t go into battle on someone elses armor – you can’t ride on someone else’s faith
- When push comes to shove- you can’t rest on ‘someone else will pray for me’ you got to fight your own- your parents faith, your spouse, your pastor, your friend will not be enough
- You- like David- trying to put on someone else’s Armor will find yourself unable to do so
- You better grow in your relationship with God on your own terms- you can’t expect to go into battle and win if you’re not training yourself in righteousness building some spiritual muscle
- Galatians 6:4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
- You got to look at yourself and constantly upgrading your approach- what else can I learn?
- Acts 19:11-16 15 “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
- Its not about earning your salvation- you’re saved- but you need to grow in your OWN faith
- 1 Timothy 4:7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
- Prayer life- Word life- Fellowship life-
- Ps Ong- Daughter dying- in St Louis- he is supposed to go to Ghana- he trusted that God will save- she was fine- he had his own armor- he’s a battle tested soldier- he’s got his own armor
- Are you setting your own life up to win? How to do that?
- If you want to win the battle You have to Arm Yourself
- Read v 40-44
- Davids Choice to fight the Goliath was 5 stones- lots of speculation on why he did this
- Some people think that this shows he lacked faith- but God didn’t promise one stone would do
- I think that 2 sam 21-15-22 is a more likely answer that Goliath had 4 brothers whom David eventually takes out as well
- But he was PREPARED- he didn’t go into this battle just on Faith alone- he was going to be used by God- he wasn’t going to just stand back and watch God move- he was going to be USED by him- and needed to arm himself for what it was that he was going to be involved in-
- Sometimes God fights your battles- and sometimes he gives you the strength for the battle
- Psalm 18:39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
- Yes- God can and will deliver us- but often times- like this story- God works in Concert
- 1 Samuel 17:37 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.”
- God is delivering David and the Israelites from the Philistines and the method he uses is David and his Slingshot- David couldn’t have done it on his own- one stone shouldn’t be enough- but with GOD it is- but you GOT TO PUT THE STONE IN THE SLINGSHOT
- What does it mean to you?
- You have to move past this fatalistic idea that its God’s job to do everything and you do nothing
- You got dressed this morning. You ate some food. You drove. You bathed. You are involved
- The Christian faith is a Faith of ACTION- We must preach, serve, love, do deeds.
- 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
- Proverbs 24:27 Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.
- Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—
- Here’s the deal- you’re going to go through Battles in this life? What are you arming yourself with? Negativity, unforgiveness, hate, doubt, frustration, anger, lust, addiction, the world
- Number one– I’m arming myself with the Word of God- I’m going to know what it says
- Number two- I’m arming myself with the spirit of the Living God inside of me- spirit filled
- Number three- I’m arming myself with an Army- surrounded by a cloud of witnesses
- Number four– I’m arming myself with worship- I’m going to constantly be worshipping God
- Number five- I’m arming myself with a healthy soul and body not filled with sin
- What are you arming yourself with? What are you putting in your mind, spirit, body?
- Who are your Army? Who are you leaning on as you prepare for battle?
- If you want to win the battle you have to Believe God
- Read v 45-47
- What David does in this part of the story is to call on God- believe in his power and challenge Goliath that God will help him be victorious over him.
- 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand,
- what David knew and the way he lived was- I’m not doing this on my own- I’m believing God
- He knew that without God- he had no chance of Being victorious over Goliath- he had to fight
- These stories in the Bible aren’t here for you to learn to trust yourself- its for you to trust God
- Psa 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.
- David knew- this is the fight of my life Israel is going to become a slave of the philistines if I don’t win this fight- the only way I can get through this is with God on my side
- What does it mean to you?
- Who are you trusting as you go into the battles of your life? Yourself or God? TRUST GOD
- I’m not sure if you noticed- but life is hard- there’s a ton of Goliaths that are going to come up
- Relationships, sickness, jobs, family, sin, temptation, death, traffic. Are you fighting alone?
- Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Jeremiah 17:7-8 READ AND WILL NOT FEAR WHEN THE HEAT COMES
- Trusting God is the only way to live- I’m prepared to say “I trusted God” pastoring, tithing etc
- Why don’t people trust God? Afraid of losing. Worried about the outcome. Fear of failure.
- It comes from a lack of knowledge of the word of God and a life of fully trusting God
- What are you doing in your life that causes you to trust in God? Where are you serving, giving, living? Going flying with Kasey for the first time- he’s the expert- he knows what he’s doing
Fight to win
- Read v 48-51
- Not only did David hit the Goliath in the head- he stood over him and cut his head off
- Man I love this story. Because David takes it all the way- utter Destruction of Goliath
- God doesn’t love violence– but in this case- the bloody destruction of Goliath was the answer
- Violence is unjust aggression or bloodshed. This wasn’t violent. This was annihilation. Ordained
- David wasn’t leaving anything to chance. This Goliath was going down and not coming back
- Ecclesiastes 3:8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
- This was the time for war- the time to win over the philistines- to be the victor- no relent
- Psalm 139: 19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. 20 For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. 21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
- What does it mean to you?
- If you’re going to get into a spiritual battle you better fight to win
- 1 Corinthians 9:24-26 READ
- This Christian life aint no joke. I wish I could tell you the sin that is rampant within the church
- And if people would get SERIOUS about Godliness- fight to WIN- take it SERIOUSLY
- There are some people that are in this room that are on the edge of destruction
- You may end up destroying your life- but it will not be because I didn’t tell you
- Yes- God loves you- but if you do not get the sin out of your life- all of it- it will destroy you
- Get relentless! Destroy Goliath! Don’t just hit him with a stone- CUT HIS HEAD OFF-
- High school- Prosser- beat us 69-0 we went back next year- 72-0 We aint fighting Prosser
- Make sure it never comes back. Make sure he never comes at you again. WIN at ALL COSTS
- 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from every form of evil.
