Going from "Has God said" to "God has said"

Introduction

Good morning everyone! I hope you all are doing well, and excited to be in the House of God this morning.

So I’m excited to share that with you

Lapel

God has been challenging me with a thought lately (and its a simple thought) about believing the Word of God and taking His promises for what they are.

So I’m excited to share that with you

and its my prayer that we could all leave this place together more confident in the promises of God, yet challenged to really evaluate areas in our lives where maybe those promises aren’t being lived out by faith.

pray

Lilia Story

Start off with story my sister told me a couple years back about Lilia

Funny story, but ties in well with what I’m going to be talking about today

My Sister and her husband Nathaniel are always trying to speak positive, reinforcing things to their children.

one thing they do is tell their girls that they are pretty

1 night Nate gets home and when he sees Lilia he says she looks pretty

Daddy’s girl

Thing to know about Lilia

twirled her hair on one side of her head (hair would fall out)

her hair was tangled and patchy

So Nathaniel is holding Lilia and he brings her up into the kitchen where my sister was working

lighting just right

Sister said “look at her hair”

trying not to be negative

saying how and touching it

Lilia got bashful and had a smirk and replied “I’m pretty”

Confident because here dad said that she was pretty and she believed

My other Niece Hadassah, who is Lilia’s younger sister maybe has a little too much confidence

“yeah I know”

The Point

The point I want to make about this story is this. Her Father had said something about her, and she simply believed it.

She

She didn’t try to reason out why he would say that or question how he could think that.

She didn’t go look in a mirror and find anything she thought was an imperfection and conclude that he was just saying it to say

She didn’t go look in a mirror and find anything she thought was an imperfection and conclude that he was just saying it to say

Does he really mean that?

With the simplicity that children often have, she just believed it

So this is my question: What are some things that your Heavenly Father has said about you? What are the promises that God has made in Scripture concerning you? And do you believe it? What would your life look like if you simply believed what God has said?

My question for you is this: What are some things that your Heavenly Father has said about you? What are the promises that God has made in Scripture concerning you? And do you believe it?

I’m not talking about a mere intellectual assent or understanding

I’m talking about an absolute trust and faith in the Words that God has spoken

Are you absolutely convinced in your heart concerning those things?

When you are it makes a huge difference in the way you live your life, it will reflect in the way you:

Think about yourself and those around you

Interact with the people around you

respond to situations, and trials, and temptations that come about in life

The way you face circumstances that are bigger than you, and problems that are out of your control

It will reflect in every area of your life

Going From “Has God Said,” to “God Has Said”

Notice one is a question and the other is a definitive statement.

Are you convinced of the promises of God, and do you understand the power behind God simply speaking something?

Proverbs says power of life and death is in our words

We’ve all experienced that

Of course the enemy is going to try and create doubt concerning the Word of God because he knows the power behind it.

So what does he do? He tries to get you to question it

The enemy doesn’t have to fully convince you that everything that God has said is completely false

All he has to do is take the period at the end of a statement, and replace it with a question mark

You can see this tactic at the very beginning of Scripture and its one still uses it today.

The first words that are ever recorded out of Satan’s mouth form a question.

Lets take a quick look at

So the very first time the enemy makes his appearance in Scripture he is asking a question

Notice the subtlety of the question though

He asked a question that misquoted what God had actually said.

Not only is he questioning God, he is misquoting what God had said

And it comes across as just an innocent mistake

So the woman corrects him and said....

But the serpent knew what he was doing, within his question was the suggestion that God was unfairly withholding something from her. Hidden in the question is an attack on the character of God.

It becomes clearer as we read the next couple of verses (Read 3:4,5)

At first the serpent asks a question, now he is directly contradicting what God had said.

Basically what he is saying, is that God is lying to them, and that God’s true motives behind his command is to keep them from their true potential which is being their own gods.

He’s hiding something from you

And we know what happens next, both Adam and Even eat of the fruit and here we are today

But when I look at this story, I don’t think that Eve was fully convinced that God was lying to them.

I think she took her eyes off of what “God had said” and was now focused on the “Has God really said? And from there temptation worked its course.

So from the very beginning the enemy wants to plant doubt in your mind concerning the Word of God. He wants to take what God has said and make it “Has God said?”

Because he knows the power behind the Word of God

That it is there to protect us

That it is what defines us

That whatever God says is absolute truth

I want to look at a story many of us know,

Encouraging to me

excellent example of a man who was convinced by the Word of God, when everything seemed stacked against him.

David and Goliath ()

Your school theme this year deals with being image-bearers. And ultimately we are talking about bearing the image of Christ in our actions and conduct. I believe an important part of being an image-bearer is knowing where your identity comes from. When I say identity I’m talking about your value and worth as a person. You have to know where your worth comes from if you are going to be an image-bearer.

Identity

David and Goliath ()

You have incredible worth!!!When you know the worth God has placed on you, you are going to see and treat the people around you with that same worth.Where do you find your worth? (Examples of placing worth)Is it in a relationship?Is it in popularity, and how many friends you have?Is it found in how successful you are in the activities you perform? How well you can play basketball, football, volleyball…etc..Is it found in your academic successes?How many likes you get on Instagram/Facebook. Ask yourself, “Where does my worth come from?”Take a second and think about itThis is super important to think about because so many people find their value in things that are unstable, or that at any moment can be stripped away from them.E.g. Baseball (Ryan)When you find you worth in unstable things, you will never be able to properly fight for other people, because you can’t even stand in your own battle.Having all these things are good and awesome, but they aren’t what give you your ultimate worth!You are going to face things in life that are bigger than you....it’s going to happen, but knowing where our worth is found is going to affect how we respond in those momentsI know there are people in this room that are going through some very real, and tough things.You have to be convinced that what your Creator has said about you is what defines you, and when you are, you may be stretched, but you will never break.I want to talk to you about a man who was convinced by the Word of God...David in the Bible.

David and Goliath ()

Many of us are very familiar with the story of David and Goliath

But I want to point out why what David did that day was so incredible

It is a great example of someone who was living with a “God has said” mentality when everyone else were part of the “Has God said” camp

God had promised to King Saul and Israel that they would have victory over their enemies the Philistines, yet we only see one man act with an assurance of the Word of God

and they had victories

but a giant showed up and its as if the word of God didn’t apply anymore, except one man still believed

What David did that day was incredible

I want all of us to forget about the fact that we know how the story ends, and for the next few moments lets put ourselves in David’s shoes and go through this account like this is the first time we’ve ever heard of it.

And I think the story is an excellent example of a life that is convinced about the Word of God

Because you’ll walk away with a little bit different of a perspective

God had promised to King Saul and Israel that they would have victory over their enemies the Philistines,

To start I just want to paint a picture of the scene that David walked into.

Armies arrayed

17:10,11 - Goliath defies Israel

Saul and all the men were afraid

Dismayed means disheartened, downcast, also interpreted as shattered

There is this atmosphere of fear

Goliath was 6 cubits and a span (9 1/2 feet)

Put that into perspective (wing span)

All his armor he was wearing weighed roughly 125 pounds

Awkwardness

So this is the setting that David walks into

David arrives on the scene, right as the armies are getting ready for battle and Goliath comes out and speaks the same mocking words as before.

David arrives on the scene, right as the armies are getting ready for battle and Goliath comes out and speaks the same mocking words as before.

I love what the Bible says at the end of verse 23. There is just this short sentence that simply says, “And David heard them”

You kind of get this sense that something is about to happen (which it is)

David hears the words of Goliath and is like, “who is this guy?” “uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

And this is where the story takes off

I want to highlight three voices that speak to David leading up to his battle, all of which are words of discouragement

Brother (17:28)

Three Voices

Brother (17:28)

Read vs 28 (he starts mocking David and speaking down to him)

Why are you even here?

Few sheep

He thinks David is just showing off and speaking like a big man that can’t really back it up

Eliab is angry with his youngest brother because he presumes to enter their military world, and implies that he may supersede them.

Eliab is angry with his youngest brother because he presumes to enter their military world, and implies that he may supersede them.

Baldwin, J. G. (1988). 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 8, p. 136). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

In a sense you can understand why Eliab is annoyed, but as his brother, someone who should of been there to encourage.

It got reported to Saul that there was a man who might challenge the giant

David volunteers to fight this giant

Saul (17:33)

Saul (17:33)

Read vs 33.

Saul who was Davids king and leader was telling him “You can’t do this”

Too young

Too inexperienced

This man of all people should of been there to inspire David and pump him up.

Goliath (vs 42, 43) Read

Goliath (vs 42, 43) Read

Goliath is like “Are you serious? This is your challenger?”

ReadGoliath is like “Are you serious? This is your challenger?”Starts taunting David with his stickThen he starts cursing David by his godsRead vs. 44 - Taunting time is over, now he gets seriousHow does David go forwardIf its me, I’m like “maybe this was bad idea”David doesn’t have inspiring Hillsong music playing in the background…there is absolutely no outside stimulation, or inspiration, or emotion to lend itself to DavidIt’s all heart and all faith in this momentDavid’s Response (vs 45, 46)Comes in the Name of the LordThe God of Israel’s armyRequoting God’s promise of deliveranceStrike down (nothing will stand in the way of God’s word)

Starts taunting David with his stick

Then he starts cursing David by his gods

Read vs. 44 -

Taunting time is over, now he gets serious

How does David go forward?

If its me, I’m like “maybe this was bad idea”

There is absolutely no outside stimulation, or inspiration, or emotion to lend itself to David

Brother talked down to him, his leadership didn’t believe in him, now the Giant is standing before him arrogantly telling of how David is going to die

David doesn’t have inspiring Hillsong music playing in the background…

Going forward it’s all heart and all faith in this moment

It was all “Do I believe what God has said, or not?”

David’s Response (vs 45, 46)

Comes in the Name of the Lord

The God of the armies of Israel

Identifying himself with God’s chosen people

The Lord will deliver you into my had

Requoting God’s promise of deliverance

God said this, and I believe it

I will strike you down

The principal of the story is this: David knew who he was as a chosen people by God, and he believed the promises of God towards him.

Nothing is going to stand in the way of what God has said.

I don’t care how big you are

I don’t care how much armor you have

I don’t care if everyone else around me is standing by in fear

God’s promise will stand

You know the rest of the story from here:

A whole army marched and pursued in victory because one man dared to take God at His Word!

Application

Do you feel that same kind of weight of the Word of God in your life?

We aren’t going to go around fighting physical giants in our lives like David did, but the principle is still the same!

What things are challenging the promises of God in your life?

What things are challenging what God has spoken over you?

What things are challenging the Word of God?

I’m leaving the application of this message really broad, but it all has to do with believing in faith in what God has spoken. Taking Him at His Word!

Stand with me

Applications: What promises do you have trouble believing?

Trouble believing God loves you

Question whether God’s going to bring good out of your hard situations

Newly saved

Trouble believing God has given you freedom from sin, shame, guilt, condemnation

Maybe you struggle to believe you are worth anything to anyone including God

Maybe you question whether forgiveness and reconciliation in your broken families and friendships is possible

Whether God can heal your own brokenness

Believing that you can be of any use in ministry

That God has the power to change the stone cold hearts of the ones we are praying for

That God will baptize you in His Holy Spirit

Whether our prayers are really being heard

Whether the Holy Spirit will really lead a seeking heart

You know the things that want to challenge the Word of God in your life!!!

Altar Call

You may not face physical giants, but you will face things in life that will challenge you as an individual, and that will try and define you as a person.