The Story Is Not The Giant
Intro.: What a fantastic story we have when we see David and his confrontation with the Giant of Gath. Goliath was an enormous man, scary at the least, truly frightening when you think of the fact you are in a life and death situation. David was but a runt if you would, small, not noteworthy, yet he was usable for God.
We see David was able to withstand him. We spend so much time thinking of the awesome story of David, we forget the story of the stones.
We may not be a David. We may not use the sling to take down a Goliath. We may not be well know. BUT we can be a stone God can use!
1 Sam. 17:40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.
Before I get into the message, I want to examine this text and see what can we see here?
David had his staff in his hand - God wants to rescue you
David chose five smooth (ready, usable, and excellent) stones
David placed them in a shepherd's bag - shepherds were low in their society, remember Joseph did not want the Pharaoh to know his family were shepherds - BUT God can use us if we are willing to do what ever He wants us for
David's sling was ready for the stones (God is ready for us to be used)
David drew near the enemy - we must be willing to fight against Satan.
What does it take for God to get us ready to use us? He must wear off the…
Reputation of self - many get to believing that they are special
David asked the question in 1 Sam. 17:9… Is there not a cause?…
Yet today, people, in their own mind, is not a cause as great as theirs, we see…
Self-importance
Self-dependence
Similarity to others (nothing new needed - as good as anyone else)
Many are not quite willing to start, we see He needs to wear off a…
Reluctance to start - so much prevents us from letting God pick us up
The men of Israel were reluctant to fight the giant. Maybe rightfully so! For 40 days they had stood and listened to this man and had not moved.
1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.
Joshua 24:15 … but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Satisfaction - everything is just fine the way it is
Skepticism - God, Holy Spirit, the Son, and ourselves
God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 1 Cor. 1:27
Stubbornness - rebel against God
Many just don't want God to get them ready, in this we see He needs to remove a…
Refusal to serve
Spurn the idea of giving up world's goods - sacrifice not in vocabulary
15
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.Straggle behind others on purpose
Struggle with the idea of God controlling their life through the Holy Spirit
So how does God get us "smoothed" out?
Pry us from the mountain (the world)[the stone broke off from a bigger rock]
Handy - easy to just stay where we are
Harmful influence and ideas
Helpless - not able to save
Put us in the waters [the local church]
Where we can learn of Him
Where we can experience good examples
Where we won't get covered with mud and silt
Polish us with His Word and Spirit - if we will listen
Polishes us for holy living and attitudes
Polishes our hearts for sensitivity to His voice
Polishes us for active service
Place us in the brook for godly use
Use us to help His local works
Use us to help reach lost souls
Use us to help defeat the enemy
So what do we do?
We sacrifice self! - With all our desires - i.e. we put God first - we want what God wants
We start! - Start where God wants us to be and doing what He wants us to do
We serve Him! - We become the best soldier He can have.
We let God smooth away all the things we do not need.
Will you come today and ask God to help you ?
Will you come today and ask God to help you and save you?
Will you come today and ask God to help you serve Him better ?
Will you come today and ask God to help smooth the things off you that you do not need?
O God Smooth me out!!!!!
Gary Marcum - East 38th Street Free Will Baptist -070801am