Who Is Your Giant? sermon video audio notes. David referenced Goliath twice but referenced God nine times – 9 to 2 or over 4 times more. David’s real giant was God. Who’s your giant? Do you bring the giant living God into your battle scene? If you do, you become the giant. On which do you focus, your giant God or your giant problem? What’s the ratio between them? On what you focus will bring you a giant defeat, or give you a giant victory. David knew, as do we, that there must be a reward if he took out Goliath. What is it?
KING DAVID
By Pastor Delbert Young
Who Is Your Giant? sermon video audio notes
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Who Is Your Giant? sermon video audio notes
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 16:13-14; Luke 11:24-26; Isaiah 54:16-17; 1 Samuel 16:18; 23; 1 Samuel 17:1; 4; 10-11; 1 Samuel 17:26; 1 Samuel 17:25; 28, 32, 37, 40, 45-47, 48-49
DON’T TAKE GOD FOR GRANTED:
This is the first thing I want to talk about today. Saul, the king prior to David, took God for granted. He figured he was “the man.” Firstly, he was king. Secondly, he could do what he wanted. Obviously, he didn’t have to do what God or anyone else said.
1 Samuel 16:13-14 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him {David} in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.
The departing of the Spirit of the Lord from Saul brought on Saul’s insanity. We could get into all sorts of doctrinal discussions about whether the Spirit of the Lord will depart from a person, but why? It’s very evident that is exactly what happened to Saul. You may say, “Delbert, I don’t believe that.” I don’t care what you want to believe. If you are honest, not religious, and into the doctrines of men, you will admit that you have witnessed this happen. I was talking with someone along these lines just last week.
What bothers me is not that people don’t come to church. What bothers me is their not coming to church indicates where they are with the Lord. I must ask, “Is the Spirit of the Lord departing from them? Where is the Spirit in their lives?” I fear what lies ahead for them because I know how it works. Look at the rest of that verse.
…an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
That will mess up some doctrines of men. Now, wait a minute, Delbert. God just does not do that. I know and he didn’t harden Pharaoh’s heart and he didn’t release all the plagues and demons in the Revelation either. Get your head out of the sand of the doctrines of men and read your Bible. You have seen people get away from the Lord and go absolutely insane. Jesus said…
Luke 11:24-26 “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is WORSE THAN THE FIRST.”
We have all witnessed this happen. A person can go through rehab at a “spiritual” facility, get out, and the next day, or a few days later, be in worse condition than ever. It’s how it works when the Spirit of God departs. You don’t know how many times I have witnessed this.
This entire section – several chapters – of David’s life and the remainder of Saul’s life is concerned with this point. Several chapters of a lot of folks’ lives are concerned with this point. The evil spirit from the Lord is mentioned five times in ten verses. All I can tell you is DON’T TAKE GOD FOR GRANTED.Don’t play with God, or the things of God. Obey him when he speaks to you. Don’t rip Samuel’s garment (1Sa 15:27), or God will rip from you.
A proper biblical understanding is that God created Satan to do exactly what he does – HAVOC. I know we don’t understand/believe that but…
Isaiah 54:16-17 See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I WHO HAVE CREATED THE DESTROYER TO WORK HAVOC; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. THIS IS THE HERITAGE OF THE SERVANTS OF THE LORD, and this is their vindication from me, declares the LORD.
God is in control, not Satan. Who’s your giant, God or Satan? God uses Satan and evil spirits for his purposes. Satan’s weapons will not prevail against you if you are a SERVANT OF THE LORD. That was Saul’s problem. It’s the problem of all from whom the Spirit of the Lord departs. They take God for granted. They play with the holy.
God used Saul’s insanity to bring David into the palace. The evil spirit from the Lord tormented Saul badly. He became so irate that his servants convinced Saul to bring David to play the harp for Saul.
1 Samuel 16:18 One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him.”
As we saw last time, God is always working behind the scenes of our lives. David loved music and learned to play in obscurity unknowingly prepared by God to play for the king, but not only King Saul. Over half of the 150 Psalms in the Book of Psalms were written by David. God is moving behind your scenes today arranging your tomorrows. It may seem like an obscure thing you are doing, but God is developing talents and abilities in you today so you can play for the king tomorrow. Learn well in your private, seemingly meaningless, pasture times. What we learn in obscurity moves us into our palace.
I love the description of David in 1 Samuel 16:18. Even as a teen, adults thought highly of David. Without a doubt, he presented himself well. To be sure, he looked nice, and he spoke well. “AND THE LORD IS WITH HIM.” Not many things are more refreshing than to see a young man or young woman with whom it is obvious that the Lord is with. You know God has some great things ahead for them. God is working in those young lives behind the scenes and it makes you smile. What is great is we have several of those young lives here. They are not taking God for granted.
1 Samuel 16:23 Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
It says the evil spirit would leave him. How many have come to church with something driving them insane, but when the music and singing began, you felt that thing driving you insane lift from you? I certainly have.
Don’t miss this. David is accepted into the palace and is well-liked and appreciated because an evil spirit from the Lord tormented Saul.
The most famous battle in the Bible was not fought between two armies. It was a one-on-one fight between two people – David and Goliath. Goliath was a Philistine and the Philistines were ancient enemies of the children of God. The Philistines represent those things in the children of God with which we constantly battle from our ancient times. As long as we can remember, we have fought with the Philistines and you, personally, fight with your Goliath one-on-one. Perhaps one or more of your parents and grandparents fought with the same Philistines and an ancestor of your Goliath – addiction, worry, lust, anger, depression, instability, debt, divorce, disease, and on and on go the Philistines.
Who’s your giant? Your Goliath Philistine stands in your face and defies you, defies your children, your God, and everything you know to be right. What is your Goliath and how are you doing with it? All God’s children have Philistines and Goliaths. Don’t act like you don’t. Who’s your giant?
1 Samuel 17:1 Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.
The word Philistines comes from the Hebrew root word Pelesheth meaning migratory. Your Philistines problem will migrate. It will move to your next generation. It will at times leave you alone, but you know it will migrate back. They gathered at Socoh, which comes from the Hebrew word sook meaning to entwine, i.e. shut in, restraint. Socoh is where you are shut in and restrained from being who God created you to be. Socoh is the place your mind camps near Ephes Dammim meaning boundary of blood-drops. It’s where your Goliath wants your bloodline, your lineage, and wants to destroy you. Who’s your giant?
1 Samuel 17:4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall.
The scriptures go into great detail about Goliath and his armor. You could go into great detail about your Goliath too. It’s over nine feet tall. It’s armored from head to toe. It has javelins and spears and swords. Equally important, it’s enormous and ominous and has defeated you many times. Indeed, it has an imposing presence. Obviously, it’s Satan’s champion concerning you. Had it not been for God, it would have destroyed you years ago. Here it stands again and it will come again until it destroys you, or until you cut off its head.
At that time, David traveled back and forth from Saul and home tending sheep (1Sa 17:15). David’s dad, Jesse, wanted to know about his older sons enlisted in Saul’s army. Jesse sent David to check on them.
When David arrived, he found that in the last forty days ominous enormous Goliath walked out twice a day and challenged the people of God.
1 Samuel 17:10-11 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.”
Who’s your giant? Isn’t that what your Goliath says? “I defy you. Also, I defy your beliefs. Furthermore, I defy your spirituality. Moreover, I defy God, and I always defeat you when we battle.” It doesn’t do it once. It does it relentlessly day after day hammering on your heart and life with temptation, worry, pressure, etc. We are usually exactly as Saul and his army – dismayed and terrified. David showed up on the 41st day Goliath spewed his defiance. Let’s see how this worked out.
Goliath defied the children of God for forty days (1Sa 17:16). The number forty represents a time God places for probation. What happens after the time of probation, or on the 41st day is most important. It rained forty days and nights then the flood ended on the 41st day. Moses was in the cloud forty days and nights – then, on the 41st day he brought God’s laws/ways to the people. The twelve spies were in the land for forty days – then the 41st day the people rebelled, which led to the children of Israel wandering in the desert for forty years – then, on the 41st year, they went into the Promised Land. Jesus was tempted by the devil forty days – then stepped into his ministry.
After the resurrection, Jesus appeared forty days to the disciples – then on the 41st day, he ascended. Forty is a testing/observation time of probation to see how we respond and what will happen next.
Goliath’s 41st day of challenge would be the big boy’s last day of a defying life and the first day of David’s heroic life.
Forty represents the time your Goliath has defied you, your family, and God. What will happen on the 41st day? Will you spend the remainder of your days in the wilderness, or will you cut- off your Goliath’s head?
1 Samuel 17:26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of THE LIVING GOD?“
David came on the battle scene talking about the real giant, the living God. Who’s your giant? No one else has mentioned God, not the brothers, not the soldiers, not Saul. David did not take God for granted as did Saul. Though Saul was head and shoulders taller than David, David was the giant man. What makes a person a giant? Is it their physical stature? Or, is it their life and heart? What made David so large in the eyes of God?
Others only talked about Goliath. David’s focus was on the living God, not Goliath. David focused on what others did not and refused to focus on what others did. Oh, he saw the large man named Goliath but saw his giant living God more. Who’s your giant? David referenced Goliath twice but referenced God nine times – 9 to 2 or over 4 times more. Who’s your giant?
Do you bring the giant living God into your battle scene? If you do, you become the giant. On which do you focus, your giant God or your giant problem? What’s the ratio between them? On what you focus will bring you a giant defeat, or give you a giant victory.
David knew, as do we, there must be a reward if he took out Goliath. What is it?
1 Samuel 17:25 …The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father’s family from taxes in Israel.
There are always rewards when we take out Goliath. Your financial aspects improve. Goliath is usually a financial burden. If married, your marriage improves, or if not, you will find a special marriage partner. Goliath always messes with a marriage or messes with getting the correct spouse. Plus, we are exempt from that ominous Goliath taxing our lives. Goliath wears you out and will also tax your family.
1 Samuel 17:28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
You remember Eliab, the oldest brother of David. Remember, Samuel said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands before the Lord,” but God said he rejected Eliab. He had a bad heart, yet Eliab says that it’s David who has a wicked heart. People with wicked hearts always put down people with a heart for God. It’s how they measure up.
I want to make mention of this and then get on to Goliath. There is a real Goliath to each of our lives. However, if we are not cautious, we can lose sight of the real battle and end up battling with brothers and sisters in Christ. David didn’t spend time battling with his brother Eliab. He chose his battle well. Eliab was not David’s problem. David’s Goliath was his problem.
1 Samuel 17:32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
How many lose heart because of their Philistines and their Goliaths? They will get to you and destroy you if possible.
I want to make some comments concerning the following events. (1) Saul and others thought David did not have a chance against Goliath. In the natural, they were correct, but not correct in the spiritual. In the natural, you have no chance against Satan. You are a tiny speck compared to Satan. You don’t have a chance with your Goliath without God. Goliath will defeat you every time. However, WITH GOD, YOU BECOME THE GIANT. With God, you will cut off Goliath’s head. (2) Saul tried to get David to wear his armor to fight Goliath. David even tried to wear it, but quickly found Saul’s armor would not work for him. David said…
1 Samuel 17:37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”
God trained David to use specific weapons while David did what David did in life. He said a lion and a bear came against him and I took them out using what I knew how to use. It will be the same with Goliath. David had past victories in life – the lion and bear. Through past victories, God teaches and gives you the confidence to defeat Goliath. Past victories hold the key to future triumphs. By using the weapons God trained David to use, David became the giant.
God has given and trained you in your past with specific weapons while doing what you do in life. Within those weapons lies the secret for you destroying your Goliath. It’s not how anyone else does it. It’s how you will do it. For example, my temperament is very forceful and determined. When I want to overcome anything, I apply that forcefulness and determination combined with God. When I do, I am tough to defeat. It’s then I become a giant. Your weapons might be through counsel, or prayer, or accountability, or reason. How do you win? What makes you a giant?
The bottom line is this: Who is the real giant? Is the giant Goliath? Or, is the giant a combination of God and you? David saw God as the giant. WHO’S YOUR GIANT?
1 Samuel 17:40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
You’ve got to love the story. The giant and the dwarf… I don’t mean Goliath the giant and David the dwarf. Goliath is the dwarf. David is the giant. Your Goliath is a dwarf compared to you and the living God. Who’s your giant?
The rhetoric between David and Goliath lasted way longer than the actual fight. Still, I can’t help but read one of my all-time favorite passages in the Bible.
1 Samuel 17:45-47 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
You have to love it. Don’t miss the “teamwork” of God and David. That’s the real giant. Who’s your giant? David spoke exactly what he would do and then put works with it. I hear a lot of “positive confessions.” I hear a lot of people talk about victory in life, but not many put works with it. You must load your sling AND fire your stone. Who’s your giant?
1 Samuel 17:48-49 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
When was the last time you ran to battle your Goliath? Who’s your giant? We usually hide behind a pill, a bottle, a desk, a computer, or a forbidden relationship. When these things wear off or end, Goliath is still there, still laughing, still defying you.
Like a 30/30 rifle bullet, the stone sank into Goliath’s head, and down went Goliath. Who’s the giant now? David didn’t stop there. He ran to the fallen Goliath, yanked Goliath’s sword from its sheath, and like using an ax to split a fire log, David separated Goliath’s head from his body. David made certain that Goliath would never bother him, his family, or his people again. Don’t only stop with defeating your Goliath. Destroy it. Make certain it does not bother you, your children, or your people ever again. Who’s your giant?
Who Is Your Giant? sermon video audio notes
Who Is Your Giant? sermon video audio notes
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