David and Goliath

Intro

Passage you may know. One of the popular passages of the Bible. Familiarity of this passage could keep us from interpreting it correctly. Typically explained: you are David and through God’s strength, you can overcome your giants. Actual: YOU ARE NOT DAVID. Jesus is David. We are Israel who runs in fear away from the giant unable to defeat him.

Samuel has anointed David, but he is still a shepherd. War with the Philistines. Several of David’s brothers are fighting. Goliath shows up and they run in fear.

Need - Fear may be our response to impossible situations. We may fail to see situations in light of God’s grand plan. So, we either stand in fear or cower and run away because it’s too much for us. This passage shows us:

Main Idea: God is bigger than whatever is in front of you

Imagine seeing a man who was likely nine feet tall. Verses 3-10. There could not have been a more adequate soldier to fight. Massive in size. Equipped from head to toe. He stands taunting Israel and God.

Truth #1: Fear is not God’s way (1-30)

Exp. Both Saul and the army were afraid. Verse 11. They would not touch Saul. Verse 16. 40 days of letting him taunt them. Doing nothing. God is not concerned with the taunts of a giant, but he is concerned with the fear of his people. David even asks about this. Verse 26. David’s focus is on God.

Arg. God has always been concerned with Israel’s fear. Joshua and the spies. Fear is a sign that there’s a lack of trust. Sudden fears are different. Prolonged fears is what is being addressed.

Ill. Rex from Toy Story. Lives in fear. Characterizes him. He’s nearly predictable. Same for us. When we live this way, it’s predictable.

We live in fear maybe because:

We don’t know God

We don’t believe God

We don’t remember God

Christ - Moses told the people to remember Egypt. All the time, tell your kids. Ours is Christ. Who did not shrink in fear from his task. He went to the cross and endured. Agony. Pain. Torment. Death.

App. What do we do with fear:

Look up. Like the prodigal son.

Look back. Remember our Egypt.

Look forward. There’s a day with no more giants. No more fears.

Truth #2: God equips those he calls (31-58)

Exp. Already discussed David sent the Holy Spirit. He gets to the battlefield. Saw nobody was fighting him, and he decided he would fight. Verses 31-33. Saul reminded him he was youthful and Goliath was a man of war. David used his past experience. Verses 34-36. Lions and bears tried but I beat them. Goliath is nothing more than an animal. Verse 37. The God whom Goliath mocked is the God who will deliver David. Saul then tries to clothe David. Verses 38-39. God does not use typical methods to win his battles. Saul thought he could get David ready.

Ill. It would be like me putting on pads to go play in the NFL. I could not prepare myself at all. The pads would not help. That’s how much Saul’s armor wouldn’t help.

Exp. David then grabs things needing to fight off a bear or a lion. Verse 40. Then we have biblical trash talk. Verses 43-44. Then, David again shows that the victory will not come in an expected way. Verse 45-46. Not with sword and spear. You have defied God. I will win. Cut your head off. With what, David? Why? Verse 47. God gets glory. Goliath said the winner would get the glory. God equips us for his glory. Your gifts are for his glory. Your family for his glory. Job for his glory. Relationships for his glory. Trials for his glory. He has equipped you. He had equipped David. David defeats Goliath. Verses 48-51. David killed him like he would kill a bear or lion. His time in the fields was not wasted. Your past is not wasted.

James 1:2–4

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Arg. Your life is full of moments that prepare you for what’s next. Something is being produced in us all the time. Grow stronger or cower?

Christ - How is it these things are being produced? Because all that Jesus said would happen, happened. He went to the cross like he said. He rose from the dead like he said. But this is why we are not the David of the story. Jesus overcame the greatest giant we could have ever faced: sin and death. Victory was obtained through Jesus winning. Since he did, he’ll take care of the smaller things.

The family issues

Job situation

Health concerns

App. You have the Holy Spirit. Live as an equipped child of God. Normally, we live as fearful followers. How?

Get into Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Creating a consistency of engaging God’s Word will prove fruitful.

Get out of your head. Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Get ready. God wants to use you. Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Will you live equipped? Or will you leave fearful. Church, let’s live equipped.