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Title: Facing Giants Text: 1 Sam 17:32-33, 37 Date: 1-07-07.am Introduction: The story of the Israelite army against the Philistines in the valley of Elah 11 miles SW of Jerusalem. David’s brothers are there and their father Jesse sends them lunch by David. David then confronts the giant Goliath of Gath. Questions for the New Year: 1. Will we face Giants in the New Year? Yes We’ve all faced giants last year some of us are hoping and praying we don’t encounter these same giants again. Some of us have overcome them and some have been overwhelmed by them. But we’ve all faced them.
One reason is because we live in the world and the world is marred by the effects of sin.
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (NAS) Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; (TLB) The world will make you suffer. (TEV) Jesus warns us and comforts us at the same time. We will face giants because we live in this world. The other reason is because we are not of the world John 15:19 - 20 19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. (NAS) So we will face giants for two reasons. Some giants will be those common to everyone and some will be because we oppose the things of the world. 2. What will our giants look like? Wouldn’t it be nice if we knew. Maybe/maybe not! The truth is : The giants we face are different for each of us. They may be similar they may look alike and sound alike and may even act alike but they will be different. All the giants will be large. Some will not be as large as others but they will all seem large. Some may call us out, Like Goliath on the battle field we will know they are coming and they will loom over us and challenge us. Others may take us completely by surprise. They will be totally unexpected. We will turn the corner and there they are standing in our path when we least expect them. They will be physical, financial, emotional, spiritual. They will involve home and work and school family and friends 3. Are We be prepared to face them? We would like to say yes, but the truth is we seldom are because we don’t expect them. Like the man who jumped down and saved the other man in the New York subway. Saul and the army of Israel thought they were prepared for battle. They were well trained and aware they were going to fight, but they didn’t expect a giant. They also forgot something very important. They had prepared. They trained in spear and sword and bow they had their weapons and their body armor and they had a battle plan. But, they forgot who was in control of the battle. 1. Expect them - That doesn’t mean you go around wringing your hands or retreat to your cave wondering where and when the giant will come. 2. Remember who is in control - Stay very close to Him. 4. How will you face them? 1. With confidence For me this is by far the hardest. It means we are not to be anxious or worried about what we face. Concerned? Yes. Anxious and worried? No. David knew who was in control and David willingly faced the giant. We have to have confidence in the one who is in control. Ps 55:22 Cast your burden upon the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. (NAS) Ps 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD. (NAS) Matt 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (NAS) 1 Pet 5:7 casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. (NAS) From a past episode of Extreme Home Makeover which was about a father who was dying with cancer and he died before they could build their home. But he left the family with a favorite saying that I think is a proper application of these verses. He said there are many things to think about but nothing to worry about. Matt 6:27 "And which of you by being anxious can add a {single} cubit to his life's span ? (NAS) We begin to have confidence when we remember what God has already done. David remembered his deliverance from the bear and the lion. We might need to remember what God has done in our own lives and remember what He has done in the lives of others like David and Paul and Peter. That’s true for individuals and it’s true for churches. Max Lucado says a good memory makes heros and bad memory makes wimps. 2. With Prayer Phil 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NAS) Col 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with {an attitude of} thanksgiving; (NAS) Paul says the same thing in Eph 6:18. Isa wrote: Isa 26:3-4 He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! Trust in the Lord God always, for in the Lord Jehovah is your everlasting strength. (TLB) When giants come and when the giants appear to be winning the only way we can endure is through prayer and faith in God. And we don’t want to wait on the giants before we get in the habit of being faithful in prayer. Paul adds also that our praying should also include giving thanks for God’s provision, for His great love for His grace for His promises. 3. Changing Our Focus Most of the time when we face giants our focus is on self. We see the giant in relationship to ourselves. Our first thought is usually why me, this can’t be happening I can’t possibly face this giant or defeat this giant I’m too small or too weak or too inadequate. We become like Saul and the Israelite army, weak, unsure, afraid and paralyzed by our fear. We need to focus on God. When we focus on God we see the giant in relationship to God and we become strong and courageous and like the might Goliath fell in the valley our giants will fall as well. That doesn’t mean there won’t be a struggle or that we won’t be bloodied and bruised but it does mean we will be victorious. John 15:18-21 Nothing can touch a believer’s life unless it comes through the permissive will of God. We struggle to understand that fact, especially when things seem to be going down hill at lightening speed. But, God is Sovereign, He has complete control, even when it feels like Satan is running rampant through our lives. Trapped in a Roman prison, Paul knew God could rescue him; after all, He had removed Peter’s chains. (Acts 12:7) But Paul was not simply waiting around for liberation. Even in his chains, he earnestly continued with his kingdom work because he believed God did everything for a reason. Peter said this in 1 Pet 1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, {being} more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (NAS) The Lord has a purpose for whatever He allows into a person’s life. Though we may desperately wish for different circumstances, God allows us to go through a given situation when it will ultimately bring about the most favorable result not necessarily for us physically but for His glory and His kingdom. If we allow Him to finish His work instead of trying to remove ourselves from it or handle it in our own strength and wisdom, we will see a positive outcome. That doesn’t mean we’ll see what we expect. Certainly all Paul endured wasn’t what he expected or what he wanted. That doesn’t mean God causes drunk drivers to kill and maim people or husbands to abuse wives or parents to abuse children or that He causes bad things to happen to good people to prove a point. There are some terrible things that happen in this world and bad things happen because we live in a fallen world. Disease, death, famine disasters cruelty all come about because of sin in the world. Those things are part of the curse sin brought upon the world. But God can and does use those things to bring about His Glory. That’s what Paul writes of in Rom 8. Matt 5:44-45 "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on {the} righteous and {the} unrighteous. (NAS) How we handle the giants of life is what makes the difference. And He gives us grace to bear up under the trails we face. That’s why He told Paul His grace was sufficient when he chose not to take away Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Jesus didn’t pray for the disciples to be taken out of the world so they wouldn’t have to face the trials and hardships ahead of them. In John 17:15-17 HE said : "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil {one.} "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. (NAS) God does still perform miracles, He does heal, He does deliver people from bad situations but not always. God takes care of the giants in His own way in His own time. It’s like the song says sometimes God calms the storm sometime He calms His child. There isn’t a single verse in the Bible that says believers are promised an easy life. In fact as we saw, the Word warns that the opposite is true. (John 16:33) Look at Heb 11. Look at all the praise and miraculous in the first 34 verses then look at the last part of verse 35. The verse begins “Women received {back} their dead by resurrection;” 35 and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 ({men} of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. (NAS) They are in the hall of fame of faith because they chose to live by faith above their circumstances. We can choose to live above our circumstances by realizing that God is sovereign He has a plan and a purpose to use our experiences for His glory. What’s the saying if God brought us to it, He’ll bring us through it. In speaking of his imprisonment Paul said this in Phil 1:19-21 19 For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but {that} with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (NAS) 4. We must also be consistent and persistent Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; (NAS) James 1:6 But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. (NAS) We can march out to face the giant then turn and run in fear. We must always remember the faithfulness of God. The Song says our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. We can face our giants in 2007 by standing on the solid Rock of Jesus Christ. All other ground is sinking sand. |