Drown Out the Noise

The Big Game

Today is a day of worship, we are celebrating the 7th year of service for one of my friends who has ministered tirelessly here at Gray Road for the past 7 years. The celebration is awesome, we love the fan fare, we love the celebratory times. Nonetheless ministry and the life of the Christian is never strictly celebration, there will be some losses, there will be some tears, there will be some celebrations. Understand that this life is about service and balance.

Balance becomes difficult when the victory comes out of no where. When you achieve something that no one expected you achieve, let alone achieve a world changing feat like killing Goliath.

Let’s set the stage:

Like Eliab when you step into your greatness some of the closest people to you will tell you, you do not deserve to be there, you have to drown out the noise!

Eliab told his brother, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle”.

People aren’t always going to understand your obedience, just keep doing what your Father asked you do. Service put David in a position of triumph. Jesse told David “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp”

Sometimes The People “Closest” To You Have the Hardest Time Understanding

Eliab hurls two designations at his baby brother.

He refers to him as prideful and insolent of heart.

In other words he is implying that evil hinders him or that he was morally unqualified to be there. Eliab was under the impression that his brother only came to be a spectator.

One could suggest that Eliab might be in his feelings because he was presented but not chosen.

David actually came because he was tasked to do so. But Eliab is truly upset because of the question that David asks. “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel”.

If we are truly going to grow we can’t speak like losers. Everybody was talking about what happens if they lose the Philistines but no one was speaking with the spirit of victory.

When people can’t comprehend your assignment and your confidence, you just have to take action and quit with the back and forth.

David is rebuked by his brother, and instead of going back and forth with his brother:

Assignments can change upon arrival! David understands this.

The New King James Version Chapter 17

What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” 30 Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did.

31 Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. 32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

You have to be okay with the fact that family is not always going to understand your calling. You have to be okay with the fact that close friends will misunderstand you.

The New King James Version Chapter 3

31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”

33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

Nonetheless, check your intention. David went down there for an assignment of service. Sometimes when you leave to serve you come back a hero.

Are your intentions pure?

When my intentions are pure, and I know who sent me I have no reason to fear the assignment or the enemy in the way of triumph.

What Began As Service, Became Kingship

I do not care how talented you are if you are unwilling to serve you ability to motivate people around you will be slim to none. What makes family great is that in a family we are willing to go the extra mile for our loved ones!

“Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp”.

Let’s think about the timing of this directive, lets go back to verse 16, Eliab is the first presented to Samuel to be anointed as King but he is not who God wanted. With that said, lets check the time-line

David anointed as King

“The Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward”.

His first task was in service to his predecessor, 1 Samuel 16:21 states David became his armor bearer. Even though he was next in line, even though he was anointed to be King he had no problem taking care of his pasture duties with his SHEEP.

Potential appointment does not mean I get to forsake the task I’m responsible for right now.

It’s just like basketball, you can’t expect to hit the game winner when you’ve never dribbled a basketball. David did not show up with no resume. Understand just because my service or my resume of protection does not look like your does not mean I can’t carry out a task.

David even was willing to be humble in the midst of Saul even though he knew this position belonged to him. I believe Steph Curry once said in defense of their new rookie James Wiseman "Keep giving him opportunities. Understand they're all learning lessons... you know, I used to get benched for Acie Law. You gotta be able to take those lumps in stride and learn." This is someone who would eventually become a unanimous MVP, sometimes the best thing you can do for your anointing is understand that you have to wait your turn.

The New King James Version Chapter 18

5 So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.

This spirit was not just isolated to the event with Goliath, this attitude was passed down to Solomon 1 Chronicles 28:9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

Service doesn’t mean FAKE HUMBLE either. Just because David was seen as not worthy to be on the battlefield his confidence was not missing! If God has blessed you to do something, have confidence in God and confidence in the fact that HE SENT YOU!

Be Ready, They’re Going to Cheer Because You’ve Done Something No One Else Could Do.

The issue was David’s brothers and Saul saw him for who he was before Samuel anointed him.

David understood the anointment, this is why having courage in the face of Goliath was not foreign to him.

We have to be careful as leaders and as folks when we accomplish great task that we don’t get caught up with tomorrow’s storyline:

My mentor told me when I first began in ministry, don’t get caught up looking at your stats. There is still work to do.

Saul got caught up in the stats, “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands”.

It’s made Saul angry because the phrase “ten thousands” or myriads, virtually countless!

The bible said Saul was afraid of David because God was with David. Sometimes it does not have anything to do with you, folks just mad because God is with you.

But be careful because those same people who cheered for David weren’t in the room when Saul tried to kill him so do not get caught up public opinion. It’s the opinion of the Lord that matters!

Conclusion

This story of David aligns itself with the beauty of Jesus. Even Jesus had to drown out the noise. His closest homies telling him, we’ll die with you. His enemies wanting Him dead. At the end He knew that it was Him and God. Sometimes, life gets to a place where it’s no longer how many scriptures to know but who we know and how well we know God. When it came down to that big moment of crucifixion, Jesus had to go to God and God alone! You might be in a Goliath moment right now and your family doesn’t see what God sees in you, the armor from those who came before might not work for you and God has anointed you to use the slingshot of life to defeat the giant that stands in your way.