BACK TO THE BACICS

1 Samuel 17:37-40, 50

NKJV

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 [c]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.[1]

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.

Subject: “Back to the Basics”

Proposition: Return to and Choose God’s principles and ways of fighting to win life’s battles.

Intro

Intro/Backstory

· Israel is in battle with the Philistines

· Goliath a warrior of the philistines stood and tried to fight for 40 days

· Israel was afraid of the giant called Goliath cause of his stature.

· David being obedient heard the giant’s words while he was visiting his brothers

· We live in a time that Christians are afraid to stand up for what is right.

o We have Christians who feel unequip to defend the kingdom of God and remain on the sidelines while the giants of the world taunt and challenge us.

o We are fearful of being cancelled and being ridiculed

o We are looking at the giants of politics, poverty, religion and sickness and many other things that plague our society and thinking to ourselves we don’t have what it takes to defeat these giants.

o So we remain stagnant and idle while the giants stand tall on the war grounds.

· David answers a burden of fear for the army of Israel. David says

· David goes before king Saul and speaks with Saul.

o David tells Saul that he will fight the Philistine v32

o Saul tells David he can’t fight the Philistine Saul doesn’t think that David in his young age can win the battle. v33

· David made 3 critical basic choices before going into battle.

David’s 3 Critical Choices:

1. Remembered v37- 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.”

- Anchor:

o Delivered in the Greek- saved, delivered, be spared, i.e., pertaining to being safe from danger, and so be in a more favorable circumstance[2]

o David gives two accounts of great danger, being saved from the paw of both lion and bear.

o David had been through some difficult situations in life and he realized it would only be God that could bring him out.

o The only way that you will win the battles of life is if you know who Jesus is.

Explain/Illustration: “Insurance Illustration

- Me and my wife just bought a truck and started a trucking company. We don’t drive the truck we had to hire someone to drive the truck. In order for us to hire someone our insurance company has to approve them based on their driving record and what is known as a DAC. The DAC report will show not just the driving history but the drivers truck and work history. They want you to have 2 years experience and a clean record for the most part. So when we want to hire someone we have to send in a drivers driving record.

- Some of us are fighting battles of life alone cause we don’t remember all the things God has brought us through. Every now and then you need to go and check the DAC report…

o He saved you

o Should have died there but he kept you

o Should have went crazy there but he kept you sane

o You fell but he picked you up

- Remembrance produces faith- What you remember about something you will believe about something.

!!!! Chair illustration !!!

- What you remember about a chair produces what you believe a chair will do for you when it’s time to trust it.

- What you remember about God will produce what you believe he will do for you when it’s time to trust him.

Application:

-

- Understand the valuable power of remembering

- Take time daily to recall the many ways God has delivered you.

- Choose to live confidently in all you do. Knowing that God will continue to cover you.

- Remember his Will and his Ways!

o Don’t just remember his ways

o Remember his will.

- God’s track record- The same God who brought you this far today will deliver you for what is to come.

- David knew that God would give him the victory in the battle.

- You must have a relationship

- David had FAITH in God

BACK TO THE BASICS

2. Remove worldly ways v38- “38 So Saul clothed David with his [c]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.

o Coat of Mail= Body Armor

o Tested in this text means attempt to learn the true nature of something.

o David took off Saul’s armor not only cause it didn’t fit but he wasn’t used to it. It was too Complicated!

o Saul was trying to help David but it was just too complicated.

- Saul gave David a blessing then tried to help his own way.

- V37 “And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” 38 So Saul clothed David with his armor

A. There are people in your life right now trying to help you win and give you advice that are too complicated!

B. Social media is the source of so many people’s theology and philosophy. But it really ain’t that complicated!

C. Everyone is an expert on social media.

D. They are telling you what they would do and what you need to do. But everything doesn’t have to be complicated!

o Stop trying to create a master plan and choose the master’s plan!

o Remove the world’s armor!!

- David Took off- Removed Sauls armor

o Don’t fight the battles in life with the worlds weapons.

o It wasn’t that the armor was bad it just wasn’t for David to use.

Illustration:

Application:

o Removing worlds armor:

§ Bad friends

§ Anger

§ Negative thoughts

§ Fighting Fire with fire

§ Make better decisions

§ Disobedience

§ Doing what you want to do

§ Rebelliousness

BACK TO THE BASICS

3. Retreive God’s Weapons v40 -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.

o David chose a Rock and a sling to defeat the giant

o He had to depend on God and what God had given him to defeat the giant.

o Those were not weapons of war or made by humans

o They were shaped by God.

- Use God’s principles to fight your battles

o Godly weapons: The Word of God, Love, Obedience, good choices, prayer, accountability, forgiveness, doing what you don’t feel like doing, the word of God etc.

a. David used what God created in him (Skill of a Shepherd) to fight Goliath. DO YOU!!! BE WHO GOD CREATED YOU TO BE!!

Application:

- Use the gifts and talents God gave you to impact the kingdom of God

- Don’t compare yourself to others. Be comfortable in who God created you to be.

-

4. Release God’s Weapon by Faith v49-50-

o Release God’s weapons by taking a shot.

o Release his weapons by trusting him.

o Everyone is not a David. Some of us need friends or people like David that are not scared of the giants we face. People who will help you get through and fire a rock at the enemy.

Illustration: Police shooting when I was a rooking and my FTO told me I didn’t need to shoot cause there were enough officers around.

When you let God fight the battle all you have to do is show up!! Have faith and let God do the rest.

Application:

- Whatever battles you are facing in life take a shot at it.

- Whatever Giants stand in your way sling your rock!

- The means forgiving the giant of hurt

- Loving the unloveable

- Taking the next step in an area that you are uncomfortable in.

- Trust God and take a shot.

Conclusion:

David chose to go to battle against goliath and it was his decisions to believe in God and remove Saul’s armor and fight with what God had equipped him with.

[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Sa 17:40). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. [2]Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament)(electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.