Fight The Giant
Sermon Notes
And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand and you shall drive them out before you.
- Exodus 23:31
The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.
- 1 Samuel 17:3
8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.
9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.”
10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.”
11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
- 1 Samuel 17:8-11
Go to the Fight
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?”
- 1 Samuel 17:26
4 Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds; those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops.
5 You don’t know where the wind will blow, and you don’t know how a baby grows inside the mother. In the same way, you don’t know what God is doing, or how he created everything.
- Ecclesiastes 11:4-6
Ignore the Haters
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 wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
- 1 Samuel 17:28,33
41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.
42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.
43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”
- 1 Samuel 17:41-44
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
- I Corinthians 2:14
1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
- Psalm 1:1-2
Avoid Worldly Armor
38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.
39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off.
- 1 Samuel 17:38-39
Never Underestimate the Name of God
45 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.
46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.
- 1 Samuel 17:45-46
Take on the Challenge
48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
49 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.
- 1 Samuel 17:48-49
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands,
7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
- 2 Timothy 1:6-7
Table Group Resources
Mixer
Who picks the music in your car?
‘Neighborly’ - Daily Devotional
To get the Daily Devotionals delivered to you every morning, text ‘dailydevotional’ to 97000.
In Pastor Ken’s 9/20 entry, Get Thee Out!, he shares when he and Pam moved out of Goshen, IN in response to God’s call. He said, “God had a plan that we could not begin to grasp when we left...” How have you moved from being fearful and doubtful at surrendering outcomes to God, to believing God has been faithful and good to you and you have decided to say yes to God’s next call?
In Pastor Harry’s 9/24 entry, Unbalanced, he shares the story of Louis. Can you identify with Louis’ blunder? When was a time when someone put their arm around you and laughed with you instead of condemn you? Why do you think the congregation gave him a standing ovation?
Sermon Questions
Scriptures: 1 Samuel ; Ecclesiastes 11:4-6; Exodus 23:31; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Psalm 1:1-2
What did you find interesting about the account of David and Goliath? What did you learn about the two armies, the valley in between, and the people?
When is a time that you started out with big aspirations, but the dream seems defeated and impossible now? What happened? How did the giant win?
What are the 5 Characteristics of a Giant Killer? Are you lacking in any of these areas?
● G = Go to the fight. How does Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 help you to understand David’s trust in God? What is holding you back from facing your giant?
● I = Ignore the haters. Who are the internal and external “haters” in your life and why are they a hindrance to the battle that God wants you to fight? What are some things that you can change to minimize the effect of the haters? Read Psalm 1:1-2.
● A = Avoid worldly armor. Why did David discard Saul’s armor? What are you suiting up with that hasn’t been tested or proven?
● N = Never underestimate the name of God. How would you describe the Living God? How might your current giant look if you stacked him up against the famous name of God?
● T = Take on the challenge. How did this message help you to start running quicker toward your giants, vs away from them?
Josh said that in the valley in between, something needs to die in order for something else to live. What is the battle that God wants you to fight today? (addiction, damaged relationships, unforgiveness, etc.) What step out will you take?
Go Deeper - with Goodbook
Dr. Mark Strauss & Pastor Ken Ingold
Sermon on the Mount | Session 3 | Antithesis (Matthew 5:21-37)
Why is anger and name-calling the same as Murder in the eyes of Jesus?
How do we keep from sinning when exhibiting righteous anger?
How is lust the same as committing the physical act of adultery? What about pornography...is that adultery?
Why did the pharisees concern themselves with the grounds for divorce and Jesus with the covenant of marriage?
What does Jesus’ teaching on oaths teach us about integrity?
If you would like to join the Tuesday Night online Q & A sessions: ken@thechurchrb.org
Serve
Mark your calendars! Serve Day is coming up on November 20th! More info to come!
Pray
LORD, I want to be more like David. My giant looks menacing and taunts me, but I am going to step out with Your Famous Name this week. I know that I face a spiritual battle that looks like it is worldy. I know that worldly armor is ineffective, so help me to put on Your armor, tested and proven. I ask You to go before me and show me the way. Pour into me Your courage and discernment. In Jesus’ name. Amen.