Facing Your Giants

vcfss 10/27-28/2007

VCF New Haven 12/2/07

1Samuel 17:1-58

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I. Introduction:

a. Common human experience

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i. To live is to face problems

ii. Children

1. Jaxen problems are hunger and safety

2. She touched me

3. He took my toy

iii. Teens

1. Hurtful words from peers

2. Boy girl problems

iv. Young adults

1. Career choices

2. College debt

3. Marriage

4. Friendships

v. Marriage

1. Giving up selfishness

2. Adjustments to living together

3. Finances

vi. New parents

1. Learning to care for a helpless baby

2. Juggling time spent together

3. The baby sucks up all my time

4. Always tired

vii. Parents

1. Raising children

2. Living with teens

3. Guiding teenagers into adulthood.

4. How much of your opinion is enough and how much is too much.

b. Add to that

i. Sickness and health problems that can come at any age

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1. The Dr. bills are draining your resources

2. The Dr. are running out of options

3. You have read everything you can find on the problem

ii. Financial problems

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1. Inadequate insurance

2. Home foreclosures

3. Bills mounting

4. Living on credit

iii. Loss of a job

iv. Death

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v. Bigotry

vi. Intolerance

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vii. Discrimination

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viii. Relationship breakdowns

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1. Separation

2. Divorce

3. We have so much invested in relationships so when they breakdown the pain can be intense

4. We have given away a part of who we are and it feels like the other person doesn’t care about our feelings

ix. Betrayal

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x. Disrespect

xi. Addiction

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xii. Poor self image

II. Goliath, A real physical giant

a. The people of Israel are engaged in a battle with their enemy the Philistines

i. The stakes are high

ii. Instead of sending the two armies against each other the Philistines send their best warrior to engage with one of the Israelite warriors. The losing man’s nation will become slaves of the winner.

iii. Can you imagine sending our best up against Iran’s best? The winner’s army would then occupy the loser’s country

b. Are the giants in your life all consuming?

i. The giant is in your thoughts all the time

ii. It is sapping your energy

iii. Do you stare at it in defeat?

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1 Sa 17:4-10

A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.

8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us."

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10 Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other."

TNIV

c. The difficulties we face in life seem like Goliath.

i. They taunt us

ii. They defy everything that we are

iii. That sickness mocks you, it mocks the Doctors

d. The result

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1 Sa 17:11

When Saul and his troops heard the Philistine's challenge, they were terrified and lost all hope.

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e. What were Saul and his army focused on?

i. They were looking at Goliath

ii. He’s four feet taller than anyone of them

iii. Saul was head and shoulders above his men

iv. A warrior trained for battle since he was a boy

v. His body was covered with armor

1. The scripture describes his armor in detail

2. The writer is pointing out how impossible it will be to kill the giant

vi. He had a loud, threatening voice.

f. If you focus on the giant in your life you to will be paralyzed by fear and hopelessness.

i. Comparison is a dangerous practice

ii. It can make you feel less than or more than

iii. Comparison will never bring contentment

g. Someone has said that hopelessness is the most painful and most damaging emotion we can have

III. David arrives on the scene

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a. David was the youngest of eight boys born to Jesse of Bethlehem

i. The three oldest boys had gone off to war and Jesse would send David to visit them and bring them food.

ii. The battlefield was about 15 miles from Bethlehem

b. Jesse sends David to check up on his 3 sons

1 Sa 17:20

Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.

TNIV

c. The Israeli army has done this for 40 days.

i. They stood listening to Goliath taunt and humiliate them for 40 days.

ii. Each morning they would muster up their courage and give the war cry.

d. Have you ever been on a losing team?

i. Before every game the coach pumps you up

ii. The team slaps each other on the butt and says, “Let’s get ‘em.”

iii. Half time the same thing

iv. The reality is you aren’t good enough.

v. Saul’s army didn’t have anyone big enough, skilled enough, brave enough to fight Goliath

e. David runs up to the battle line to talk to his brothers

1 Sa 17:23-24

As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.

TNIV

i. I mean, this is sad

ii. 40 days of this

f. David hears the giants shout of defiance

i. He sees the army shrink back in fear

ii. He hears them talking about the reward that Saul has offered to the man that defeats Goliath

1. Great wealth

2. Daughter in marriage

3. Family exempt from taxes

1 Sa 17:26

David asked those standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel?

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Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

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iii. David offers to fight the giant

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1. Saul was trying to motivate his soldiers with a reward.

2. David’s decision to fight Goliath was not to receive the reward offered by Saul but to honor God and remove the disgrace from Israel

iv. Do you have a history of God’s faithfulness and deliverance?

1. Recall that history to remind yourself of God’s faithfulness

2. Recall it to remind others that God is powerful

1 Sa 17:36-37

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

37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine."

TNIV

v. We now find out that David isn’t some brash kid confident in his own abilities

1. His confidence is in God.

2.

IV. David strikes the giant

a. David approaches Goliath

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i. Goliath is insulted

ii. When you approach your giant in faith it laughs at you.

iii. Cancer looks at you and laughs

iv. Heart disease looks at you and laughs

v. Faith won’t cure you

b. David’s statement of faith

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1 Sa 17:45-47

45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

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47 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, and he will give all of you into our hands."

TNIV

c. Goliath represents arrogance and trust in human ability. The giants in our life represent situations that we can’t solve in our own abilities.

d. The story is set up to make God the hero. We tend to pump David up but it was his faith and trust in God that won the victory.

e. David comes armed with a sling shot and 5 smooth stones

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1 Sa 17:48-49

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

TNIV

i. David runs forward and using the giant’s own sword, cuts off his head, killing him.

ii. It’s over just like that.

1. 40 days of defiance

2. 40 days of shame

3. 40 days of fear

4. 40 days of hopelessness

V. So what?

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a. Contrast David and Saul

i. Saul put his trust in military and armor David did put his trust in God.

ii. Saul had lost his moral and spiritual integrity; David had total confidence in God

iii. Saul was led by his natural abilities, David was led by the Spirit he was obedient to the will of God

b. One thing to remember about the story, they were engaged in a war

i. We to are engaged in a battle

ii. Our king Jesus came 2000 years ago to defeat our enemy

iii. We are the army of God, our enemies taunt us

1. Poverty

2. Sickness and disease

3. Pride

4. Addiction

5. War

6. Hate

iv. Like David we have total confidence in our God for victory

c. Take the stone and hold it in your hand

i. It is a symbol of God’s victory in your life.

ii. Like David our faith is rooted in God

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iii. The bigger the problem the clearer it is that we cannot win this battle without God

d. Ed Dembek’s word on Sunday.

i. The real giant in the story is not Goliath but David

ii. This battle was a mismatch from the very beginning and the real giant is portrayed by David

iii. The real giants in the land are those are those that have the living God and his presence in their hearts.

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