Fear of the Lord – 6

Fear of the Lord – 6

Subject: How Do We Face This Giant

By Rick Welborne

1 Samuel 17:4-11 (NLT2)
⁴  Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall!
⁵  He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds.
⁶  He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder.
⁷  The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.
⁸  Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me!
⁹  If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!
¹⁰  I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!”
¹¹  When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. 

--We all have to admit that Goliath, a nine-feet tall giant, is a large enemy and that he is the ultimate warrior. Just his coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. This is a foe that Israel had not anticipated.

--Obviously we did not anticipate that we would be where we are today with our country. Many are fearing, even those in the church, and my job tonight is to bring calm in the storm. 

--A great take away from this and pretty much anything we face is that it may be more than we can handle but it is definitely not more than Jesus can handle. Amen!

--How do we face this giant? I believe we can learn much from this story in the Word from David and Goliath.

--People know this story because it has been applied to so many things in our society. If a powerhouse basketball team is playing an extreme underdog…it is a David and Goliath scenario. 

--Today let’s be reminded of what can happen between David and Goliath and how, as believers, we can navigate what looks like tracheas waters. How can we face this giant? 

1. Realize family may not be on your side.

--David has been sent by his father to take food down to the battle lines where his brothers are fighting (supposedly) and to bring back a report.

1 Samuel 17:23-27 (NLT2)
²³  As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.
²⁴  As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright.
²⁵  “Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!”
²⁶  David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”
²⁷  And these men gave David the same reply. They said, “Yes, that is the reward for killing him.” 

--David arrives just in time to see the Israelite army line up on the battlefield with shouts. None of them had any intentions of fighting Goliath but they really got into the whole thing. You can do it!

--I know we are all going through a tough time but let me be honest, this sounds much like the church. Many times we have no intentions of doing anything or fighting in this battle but we like the fanfare.

--David was a young man of faith, not fear, so he inquired what again what would be done for the man who killed Goliath. He would get the king’s daughter and his family free from taxes. Wow!

--Anytime you try to do something great for God, there is a good chance there will be family there to try to stop you in your tracks. When I knew God was calling me, my dad went pyscho on me. Hitting me. 

1 Samuel 17:28 (NLT2)
²⁸  But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!” 

--What have I done now? Not David’s first run-in with his brother. What to do when there is a giant in front of you and you believe God wants you to take it out? Your family opposes you.

--I believe this was a beautiful revelation that God gave to me as I prayed. David could stand against his brother because he knew he was doing the will of his father. 

--He knew his father had sent him. Before we try to slay this giant that is before us we must know that our God, our Father, has sent us and we are being obedient to what He is directing us to do.

--I knew God had called me. I was obeying what He had called me to do, but quitting the paper mill and going to Bible College. I believe my obedience was my dad and mom’s salvation.

--It is almost a guarantee that if you will do anything great for God you will have to overcome your fear of what family thinks and just be obedient. Jesus said:

Matthew 10:36-37 (NKJV)
³⁶  and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'
³⁷  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 

2. Realize leaders may not see what is in you.

--How desperate was Israel for someone to take care of Goliath? How desperate are we for someone to take care of our crisis? Israel was so worried that they sent a young shepherd boy to the king.

1 Samuel 17:31 (NLT2) ³¹ Then David’s question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him.

--Saul had no idea what was in David. The world has no idea what is in the church of the living God. We have the answer and His Name is Jesus.

1 Samuel 17:32-33&37 (NLT2) ³²  “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”
³³  “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”
³⁷  The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!” 

--David has already had to get past family who were discouraging him and doubting him and now the leadership is telling him he can’t beat Goliath. There is no way you can win.

--I love David’s response. Whether it was a bear or a lion, when they came after the sheep something rose up in me. You see he had been spending time, not just watching sheep, but worshiping God and praying.

--I believe David had something supernatural inside of him and I believe this was Holy Spirit. Pastor, this is OT. I know David had Holy Spirit because in Psalms 51 he begs God not to take Holy Spirit from him.

--At times like these the world is looking to the church for hope and for help. We can circle the wagons and just hunker down or we can rise up in prayer and beat the giant.

1 Samuel 17:38-39 (NLT2) ³⁸  Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail.
³⁹  David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. 

--We don’t need Saul’s armor…put on the Lord Jesus Christ! Be who you are! The Church. Put your name where Peter’s Name is.

Matthew 16:18 (NKJV) ¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

3. Goliath wants to take you out but you kill him.

1 Samuel 17:40-44 (NLT2)
⁴⁰  He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.
⁴¹  Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him,
⁴²  sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy.
⁴³  “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods.
⁴⁴  “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. 

--David has already had to overcome the attacks of family, he had to overcome the lack of faith from leadership, and now he is faced with Goliath.

--Goliath says, “Am I a dog?” Yep! But you are not going to roll over and play dead, you are going to roll over and be dead. Not here to play fetch. Church, we are not here to play with the giant facing us.

--The weapon of the enemy is intimidation. David did not win this battle on the battlefield that day, he won it on the hills of Jerusalem. When we care for the Heavenly Father’s sheep, He is with us.

--He prepared for the battle by having a disciplined life of prayer and worship. Turn off the news and turn up the worship and seek God with all your hearts.

--Don’t bury your head in the sand and pretend the enemy is not real but confront him head-on knowing that your God is with you. It’s not the size of your giant, it is the size of your God!

1 Samuel 17:45-47 (NLT2)
⁴⁵  David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
⁴⁶  Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!
⁴⁷  And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

--Our enemy comes against us with fear, sickness, and confusion but we come against him in the Name that is above every name…the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every knee will bow.

--The Lord will conquer you! The Lord will conquer you! The whole world will see that there is a Savior Jesus Christ Who is in heaven praying for the church to triumph! 

2 Chronicles 20:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷  You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."