Know That God is the Source of your Strength

-Good morning, saints. Before I get started, I would like to give all honor and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Please pray with me.

-Prayer and Amen

-Before I get started, I want to thank Pastor Graham and Minister Graham for inviting me to share a word from the lord this morning. I do not know of a harder-working ministry team. May God continue to bless you, your ministry, and your family.

-I am also honored that my parents are in attendance this morning. James and Veronica Graham. Can you please stand Thank you for raising me to be obedient to God.

-Last but not least, my beautiful bride Willetta Graham. As God says in his word Proverbs 18:22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD. God is correct on both points. I love you.

-When Pastor Graham asked me to come in and preach on Mens Day and he told me the Theme “A Man After God’s Heart” This theme lines up with where I am currently teaching in Sunday school class. We are in 1stand 2nd Samuel. We know there is a lot going on in 1st and 2nd Samuel but after much prayer and meditation, God has given me 1 Sam 17:32–40 please open your Bibles or your Bible apps to 1 Sam 17:32–40.

-Read the Scripture

1 Sam 17:32–40 (NKJV)

32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 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.”

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock.

35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.

36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”

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!”

38 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail.

39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.

40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

-The title of my sermon today is Know That God is the Source of Your Strength

Illustration

I do not know If Pastor Graham shares with you that I am his cousin, and that we grow up together. We have a couple of things in common same last name, we both answered the call from God to go into ministry, and we also had a praying grandmother. Our Grandmother was one of the most God-loving people we knew. She was about loving God and his people. She had the most giving heart. She taught us how to love unconditionally threw the power of Jesus Christ and trust in the lord.

Today’s scripture I am sure most of you are familiar with. During this time the Israelites are at war with the Philistines, and they are at a stalemate. You have the Israelites on one hill and the Philistines on another. For the previous 40 days, Goliath the Philistine giant has come down off the hill twice a day and cursed the Israelite’s God, and challenged their soldiers to a one of one fight. Nobody is willing to take on Goliath the Philistine giant.

Also during time the Israelite’s have a new King name Saul who up too this point has been a disappoint because Saul lean ed King

32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 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.”

1. Saul rejected David’s bold offer because David was just a youth and because Goliath had been in training as a warrior from his youth

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock.

35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.

36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”

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!”

38 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail.

39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.

40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 1 Sa 17:32–40.

A champion is needed to fight a giant Philistine called Goliath. David volunteers. This should be Saul’s task, as he is a head taller than any of his men—and has one of the few suits of armor! But David goes out to meet Goliath, armed only with faith in the living God—and his shepherd’s sling. This is more than a test of bravery.

It is a brave declaration that the God of Israel is greater than all other gods. As David says:

The whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s (17:46–47).

This is God’s war! The lad with faith takes on the giant of fear. Goliath stands for all the pride and power of paganism. David and his sling are so puny that victory can only be an act of God.

Andrew Knowles, The Bible Guide, 1st Augsburg books ed. (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2001), 138.