They Must Be Giants - Part 8: WWDD?

They Must be Giants

Part 8 – WWDD? What Would David Do?

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

INTRODUCTION

1 Samuel 17

We are completing our series entitled “They Must be Giants!”

Most of us are all familiar with the story of David & Goliath.

The battle between the Israelites and the Palestinians this day was a spiritual one.

The devil had brought his people up against the children of the Living God.

Just as we are reminded in Ephesians 6, the battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces, principalities and powers.

Goliath was Satan’s champion this day, and David was God’s.

Fear had enslaved the Israelites. Fear caused them to act irrational, and they were helpless. They forgot who they were, or should I say “to whom they belong.”

Over the past few weeks we’ve talked about how these spiritual battles rage on today in our lives.

Orchestrated by the devil to enslave us, to cause us to fall and fear, and forget who we are, so that we cannot effectively serve our God.

We may be held captive by the giant named Unforgiveness.

Or perhaps, forced into making irrational decisions by a giant named fear.

Our fear, if unresolved will grow into anger as it did with Cain, and that anger will grow into hate.

We loose the battle with our flesh because of fear.

We have low self esteem because the devil’s giant is at our heels.

But if David could defeat Goliath because of the Lord, we too can be victorious in our spiritual battles!

We too can defeat WHATEVER the devil throws at us!

Greater is He that is IN us, then he that is in the world!

Today we ask the question, What Would David Do in our situation?

The scriptures have recorded the life of David for a reason. God wants us to learn from Davids life, and we can gain understanding by doing so.

We are going to look at the life of David up to the point of Goliath and see what made it possible for him to defeat the giant that the devil had thrown at the Israelites.

1.      David’s life as a shepherd

2.      David’s anointing of the Holy Spirit

3.      David’s purpose made known by God to David

4.      David recognized the situation

5.      David trusted in the Lord for victory

In doing this, we  can look at our own humble beginnings. See when we were touched by God, and received His Holy Spirit. Try to discover what God's purpose is for us in our lives, and how we can recognize where we are, how the devil is standing against us, and know that if we trust in the Lord as David did, we too can have victory in Jesus!

I.       DAVID'S LIFE AS A SHEPHERD

1.      At this time in history, Saul was King

2.      When Saul became King, he was given a warning from the Prophet Samuel.

1.      The warning to the nation and Saul the King was not to forget God

2.      It is easy to remember God when things are bad, and so easy when everything is going good in our lives.

3.      Saul made three critical errors that led to his being replaced as King.

1.      Saul was humble in the beginning, but his success which was achieved through God, went to his head and his humility turned to pride.

1.      He later offered sacrifices, which God had specifically instructed that ONLY Priests were to do this duty to God.

2.      This was the first sign of Saul's growing sense of self-importance.

2.      The second critical error Saul had made was his ridiculous order for the army to abstain from food, and his senseless death sentence for Jonathan, which showed the people what a fool they had for a King.

1.      Saul ordered a death sentence on his son because he ate some honey in between battles, and Saul had ordered no one eat before sundown.

2.      His son Jonathan was not there to hear this, so he did not know he wasn't to eat.

3.      When Saul discovered Jonathan ate some honey in between battles, he ordered a death sentence on his son.

3.      The third critical error that Saul had committed, Saul deliberately disobeyed God. Again and again, Saul did things “his way”.

1.      For these reasons, Samuel spoke these words to Saul, “Because you have rejected God, God has rejected you from being King.”

4.      Saul's eventual pride, and self-importance lead to him doing things “his way”, and his incapacity to be a King was rooted in his inability to hear God's word and act on it.

1.      He substituted human calculation for divine leading.

1.      Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

5.      While all of this was taking place, David was a young shepherd over his father's flocks.

1.      Spending time with God in the country, David had built a relationship with the Lord.

2.      Songs and prayer became a way of life to David.

3.      Many times in the field, David had to rely on God's protection and strength in watching over the flocks.

4.      With God’s help, David had defeated wild animals, such as a lion, from attacking his sheep.

5.      David knew God intimately and knew God’s protection.

6.      David had a relationship with God.

7.      This relationship is the foundation of God’s working in David’s life.

II.   DAVID’S ANNOINTING

1.      David was anointed to be king.

1.      This anointing came from God through Samuel.

2.      But it was done in secret because Saul would have killed David had he found out David was God’s replacement for him.

2.      The reason David was anointed at the age of 15 as we see in Samuel  13, was to give David a chance to train himself for the office.

1.      When we read of David we read the following, David was short in stature, of fair complexion, and handsome, of immense physical strength and great personal attractiveness, a man of war, prudent in speech, very brave, musical and religious.

2.      His fame as a musician brought him to the notice of King Saul, who did not at the time know that David had been anointed to be his successor.

3.      David became Saul’s armor bearer.

1.      This brought David into close association with the king and his counselors, so that unknowingly Saul helped train David for his future responsibilities as King.

2.      Samuel anointed David as God instructed, and David received the Holy Spirit, and all that comes with Him.

III.       DAVID’S PURPOSE MADE KNOWN TO HIM BY GOD

1.      David knew what God had called him to do.

1.      When we know who we are in the Lord, we become determined.

2.      We gain strength.

3.      We have a right self-image.

4.      We obtain our self esteem from the right source, the Lord!

5.      And nothing can remove that self esteem when it comes from the right source.

2.      If we get our self esteem from our friends, then what happens?

1.      You will do whatever it takes to keep their approval.

2.      You have just set yourselves up for peer pressure.

3.      If we get our self esteem from how much we have, what happens?

1.      You have just set yourselves up to be materialistic.

4.      If you get your self esteem from money, what happens?

1.      You end up doing whatever it takes to get more.

2.      Jesus told the rich ruler in Luke 18:18 when asked “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

1.      They key to this verse is not to sell all you own or you cannot have eternal life, the key is the word “I”.

2.      The rich ruler asked Jesus specifically about his own life and path for eternal life.  Jesus knowing the man was a lover of his riches, told him that he must sell everything if he was to follow Christ.

3.      The rich ruler got his self-esteem from his wealth.  Therefore it stood between him and a relationship with God.

4.      We set ourselves up for sin whenever we get our self esteem from any source other than the Lord.

5.      Where did King Saul get his self-esteem? 

1.      The scriptures tell us, from the people.

2.      He failed God because we wanted to please the people instead of God.

6.      When our self-esteem comes from the Lord, then it doesn’t matter what our friends say, we do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

1.      We won’t care what they think.

2.      We won’t become a lover of money because all that matters to us is what the Lord wants, because that’s where our self esteem comes from.

7.      Who I am in the Lord.

1.      All I have, or will ever have, comes only from the hand of God.

2.      Therefore, how can I get my self-esteem from something other than the God, who can give and take away?

3.      I rather get my self-esteem from the one who gives and takes away.

4.      David knew who he was in the Lord, and he knew the plans the Lord had for him.

IV.DAVID RECOGNIZED THE BATTLE FOR WHAT IS WAS

1.      The Israelites did not see the battle for what it was, spiritual.

1.      Saul did not see the battle for what it was because he had lost the favor of God because of his disobedience and pride, and even when the Lord was speaking to Saul, he didn’t listen.

2.      But David, a man who had a relationship with God, and was anointed with the Holy Spirit of God, and KNEW who he was in the Lord, saw the battle for what it was.

3.      He knew the battle was spiritual, and that it wasn’t the Palestinians against the Israelites, but the Palestinians against God!

1.      He recognized the battle as we are told to do in Ephesians 6.

4.      David had no fear because he knew the Lord was with him!

1.      Saul had nothing but fear because the Lord had rejected him.

V.    DAVID TRUSTED THE LORD FOR VICTORY

1.      The battle was the Lord’s. David’s offer to take on Goliath with only a spear and a sling was unheard of bravery and amazing trust in God.

2.      I watched a documentary the other night on the battle of David and Goliath, and although there were a few discrepancies with the scripture, there were some interesting scientific facts.

1.      Such as the fact that a ballistics expert showed that a rock from a sling has the velocity between 80 and 90 miles per hour, which is about 117 – 132 Feet Per Second

2.      I would not want to get hit with a rock in the forehead going that fast!

3.      So we look at David facing Goliath and being victorious, and we look at the Giants in our lives and we ask, how can we be victorious?

1.      How was David victorious, and how do we accomplish this?

2.      It does not matter what the Giant is in your life, they are all defeated in the same manner!

CONCLUSION

Just as David, we need a relationship with God.  Not when the giant comes, but BEFORE!

†        Do you belong to the Lord?

†        Have you confessed your sin and asked for His forgiveness?

†        Have you repented of that sin?

†        Do you read His word and pray to Him?

†        Do you listen to His Holy Spirit?

†        You must have a relationship with God.

Just as David, we need to have the Holy Spirit.

†        The Holy Spirit comes when invited.

†        You cannot take hold of the Spirit, it’s like wind or water.

†        You must continually be filled.

Just as David, we need to know who we are.

†        Where do you get your self esteem?

†        Have you asked God to reveal His plan for you?

†        Do you know what gifts He has given you?

†        Are you working towards your calling?

Just as David, we need to recognize the battle is the Lord's.

†        The battle is Spiritual.

†        The Giant you face is not facing you, but the Lord.

†        All things are possible through Christ Jesus who strengthens us!

The Lord can, and will, defeat whatever is coming against you in your life.

Unforgiveness, anger, fear, hate, lust, adultery, fornication, whatever sin or unrighteous behavior, or temptation arises against you, remember this is a spiritual matter to cause you to live in unrighteousness, to live in sin, and thus cut you off from relationship with the Lord!

Come forward for prayer!