Repurposing Your Fear

Good evening! I am excited to be here with you guys tonight.

Bro. Billy told me that the theme of tonight was “Face Your Fears”.

As I thought about what to teach tonight, I was thinking about stories in the Bible that could teach us something about fear.

A few different things came to mind, and then the age old story of David & Goliath hit me. I have got to be honest. When I first thought of this account of Scripture, I thought of it as most people do. I thought about little ole David fighting big ole Goliath, and thought that would be perfect.

Thankfully, as I began to read and study the passage, God allowed me to see this text in a way that I have never seen it before. I hope as we unpack this tonight, that you will be as touched by it as I was.

With that being said, I want to speak to you tonight on this thought: Repurposing Your Fear

Read 1 Samuel 17:1-51

Content

1 Samuel 17:1 NKJV

1 Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.

Philistines were gathered on one mountain - This represents the flesh.

Armies of God are gathered on the opposite mountain - This represents the Spirit.

The valley in between them was the battleground - This represents your mind.

Galatians 5:16–17 NKJV

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

Romans 7:14–24 ESV

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

There is a cosmic battle of good and evil present within each of us every single day. The question is, “Who are you going to be?

Who Are You?

Goliath

The People’s Champ (v. 4)

A Giant: almost 10 ft tall (v. 4)

A Warrior (v. 33)

He defied the armies of Israel (v. 10)

He defied the God of Israel (v. 43)

Has a worldly perspective

David

Shepherd boy who tended his father’s sheep (v. 15)

Youngest of 8 brothers (v. 12; 14)

Errand boy who brought food to his brothers (v. 17-18)

Never had been in a war (v. 38-39)

Came to a place of war, but his purpose was not to battle (v. 17-18)

Fully believed and trusted God (v. 45)

God’s Champion (v. 46)

Has a spiritual perspective

Servants of Saul (v. 8)

Three oldest sons/brothers followed Saul (v. 13-14)

Saul and all of his men were afraid of Goliath (v. 11)

All of the men of Saul saw a dreadful giant and fierce warrior (v. 24)

What was the difference between these men and David? Why did they allow David to fight?

David knew who he was and they didn’t.

Servants of Saul

Standing on the right mountain, with the right people (v. 2)

Allowed Goliath to tell them who they weren’t (v. 8, 11, 19)

David knew who they were and called them such (v. 26, 36, 45)

David

Shepherd boy (v. 15; 34-37)

Child of God (v. 28: his oldest brother)(v. 33: Saul)(v. 42-44: Goliath)

What Are You Fighting For?

Goliath was fighting for his own glory, while David was fighting for the glory of God (v. 46-47)

David was fighting for what was his (v. 1, 12)

Why did they simply not dismiss David? He was only a boy....

These men were so stuck by fear, that they were willing to overlook the overwhelming physical evidence that David had no chance of winning. David’s confidence in God gave them hope!!!

How Are You Fighting Those Battles?

Saul tried to equip David for battle with armor, but David had never worn armor before (v. 39)

David’s weapon was something that God had created, not man (v. 40)

David never mentions his weapons when speaking to Goliath. He says that Goliath has come to the battle with weapons, but he came to the battle with God (v. 45)

It is not “what” you bring with you to the battle. It is “Who” you bring with you that matters most.

David did not have a sword to fulfill what God had spoken, so he cut off Goliath’s head with his own sword (v. 50-51)

The weapons of the wicked will lead to their own destruction.

God will always provide what is needed for His children to succeed, even if He has to take it from your enemy so that you might have it.

Commitment

As we come to a close, I have to ask you this question, “What is the commitment that should be made in response to this message?”

Our commitment moving forward must be that

we will be willing to fight the battles God puts in front of us, regardless of how big the enemy may seem.

It is a battle of Submission.

It is a battle of Relation.

It is a battle of Commission.