Real Life/Real Faith #3

Josh Owens

Clear Springs Baptist Church

Real Life / Real Faith • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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Transcript

God And Goliath

Text: 1 Samuel

Introduction

Once again, we come to a often told Bible account of a young man named David and a giant of a man named Goliath. Many progressive evangelicals will approach this text and read you (the listener) into the text (i.e. you are David and anything that gets in your way is a giant you can slay). In other words, a very weak form of preaching that makes you the hero and God a footnote.

GOD IS THE CETER PIECE OF THE STORY! This story is not at all about you getting power to slay anything that you call a giant in your life, but rather to know how God will bring you through the battles we face as we faithfully live for Him. GOD is the ONLY reason we can face evil opposition, temptation, trials with confidence.

Now, we are not going to begin at the traditional starting point. In order to understand the full impact of living out a REAL FAITH when you face REAL LIFE, we must back up to a previous battle; a battle that preceded the anointing of Davide as king.

Thesis: No matter the size of your REAL LIFE circumstance, always meet that with a STRONG REAL FAITH.

1) A Jeopardizing Faith

King Saul was given specific instructions from God through the prophet Samuel when it came to how to deal with the Amalekites.

Saul was to lay waste of every person and animal.

All were under the wrathful justice of God (they continued in a life of evil rebellion and idolatry)

Jeremiah 10:23 “23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9 “9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: But the Lord directeth his steps.”

King Saul hijacked God’s command.

On the fly, King Saul decided to spare king Agag and certain animals for future sacrifices to God.

HOLD ON.....that seems like a great decision doesn’t it? It seems like Saul zeal and motivation was in the right place, right?

Romans 10:1-2 “1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.”

What we just witnessed was Saul’s short-sited approach.

Did they vanquish the enemy, yes.

However, to win a single battle is one thing. To win a single battle that readies you for the next of which gives God all the glory is another.

What happens is that God strips from Saul is the position of king, His favor and the Strength (God Himself) to win future battles.

Saul just made the entire people of Israel vulnerable to captivity.

God set aside for Himself a future king (David) who would FULLY TRUST God’s plan.

2) A Growing Faith

A. The lion and the bear

Live out a REAL FAITH where ever you are in the present moment.

We are guilty of saying, “If I could only be there in my faith, I would live for God better.”

The most crucial moment for your faith in NOW!

Notice how David lived that out.

His brothers went to battle.

David did not cry and wine to go.

David kept the sheep.

God had planned a lion and bear for David’s faith.

B. Family discouragement

C. Go with confidence in God

Notice the confidence David had in God’s equipment.

To have used Saul armour, sword and shield, would have made God look smaller and less powerful.

Saul could have easily taken some of the credit.

David already knew God provides when using the tools He had already provided him.

Notice the confidence in David’s pace toward the Giant.

This could have not been missed by Israel’s army.

Notice the confidence in David’s speech.

This wasn’t a test of strength, but a test of god’s.

This battle wasn’t a test of David’s marksmanship, but of God’s faithfulness.

Once again, David gave God center stage.

3) A Glorifying Faith

The giant falls to his death.

When the dust settles, there is no question who gets the glory; God.

David follows through by taking Goliath’s sword and cutting his head off with it.

This was a clear message that the words of doubt and insult from the mouth of Goliath were nothing more than lies.

Conclusion

Are you jeopardizing yourself, your family or your church by the lack of faith you have in God in your current circumstances?

Are you seeing the NOW moments as a time of God growing your faith for future REAL LIFE moments?

Are you trusting the tools God has given you to defeat all evil giants in your life?