David and the Dwarf, Part 3

Chuck Swindoll draws insight from the classic story of David and Goliath, you have to be beautiful all the answers to be blessed of God.

You don't have to be eloquent and strong and handsome. He magnifies his name when we are weak honors your all he asks of you is that you trust your stand before him in integrity and faith and he'll pick up the pieces possibly the most highly recognized story in the Bible. The showdown between an unlikely Shepherd and a 9 foot Philistine has fascinated readers for generations. In fact, just the names David and Goliath creates a mental picture a boy with a handful of stones up against a man with weapons of war. Well, today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll presents another message in his biographical series on David in this study will be drawing practical lessons from the battle between David and the poor. Let's pick up the study in first Samuel chapter 17 beginning at first he stood that's Goliath and and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said why do you come out to draw up in battle array. Am I not the Philistine, and you servants of Saul choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. Okay okay is coming up here is on Israel territory. David says what's he doing on our side is made you see in 40 days time. If you tolerate a Goliath take over your territory will move in your camp heel. In fact taking your thoughts that normally to be on God and you put them on himself. You can't tolerate a Goliath, you kill the Giants so Saul calls a man look at it verse 31, so when the words of David over told Saul he sent for David said to Saul that no man's heart fail account of him, your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. Saul said to David, you go against this listing to fight with you while he's been a warrior from his youth.

Remember 16 seven God is not impressed with the externals. He looks on the heart man is impressed with the externals. He doesn't see the heart. Saul looked at Dave and said you have the size for it. Just a little tight.

Look at that giant magic about now.

David was blinking and thinking what giant the only giant in my life is God that's over there. Saul doesn't fight on the basis of size and intelligence God is omnipotent and if he's on my side omnipotent can lose. Saul had learned not able to go up against the Philistine and then he describes how in the past God proved himself faithful when he slid this bear.

In this lien and he says in verse 37 the Lord delivered me from the paw of the lion and the Paul. The bear will deliver me from this listing.

David says you know why I can fight that to that giant salt. The God who gave me power over a lion and the bear will give me power over that that giant hey just just let me on intimidated.

He was already to go and salsa. No, David.

We gotta fix up a bat verse 38 it says 38 says that he he put his bronze helmet on his head.

He called him with his armor, David girded his sword over his armor get to see Dave that sort is so big you can't even hold a thing on it and look at what it says and 39 David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk in Davidson's keep I like this since I can't go with these. I haven't tested them.

David took them all a you know what what works for you will not necessarily work for someone else. Stop trying to fit the specific clothing that works for you on someone else. God does not operate like that provides unique principles and techniques for unique people.

That's why you are advice is not necessarily what that other person needs because you know that other person, what works for you works for you because you are like you are, but that other person isn't like you. There's only one you were always trying to put our armor on someone else where they do bad all have a bone to pick with teaching guys how to preach, you know, you preach this way because Blackwood preach that way because of McCartney. Preach this way because great CI Scofield preach this way, art.

You know a dozen others hey your call to preach you took me four years to get graduate school education almost 40 years to get over it. Seminary get it done and get over it. For the Lord's sake and declare the truth as you have been built to declare it. Not like someone else, that's his armor and it works for him. Boy that was a great breakthrough in my life when I suddenly discovered I could be me and God would use it. So David says I've tested these and so David took them off. Here's David Wright stripped down to his Bermuda shorts or Israeli shorts out of the woods got on and got his eyes got his staff and is ready to do battle. Saul is going. You can find like that yes I can man as well handle it souls up there in the tent praying for him. Verse 40 took a stick in his hand, chose for himself. Five smooth stones from the brook gets good right now.

This little guy down there looking for pebbles, you know, the whole army on both sides saying what manner of man is that down there little 90 pound weakling you can't be serious, beautiful thing about this story is that that's how God operates.

He magnifies his name when we are weak. You don't have to be eloquent and strong and handsome. You don't have to be beautiful and brilliant and have all the answers to be blessed of God, he honors your faith. All he asks of you is that you trust him. You stand before him in integrity and faith and he'll pick up the pieces.

David picking up the pebbles and God just waiting for his moment is a great thought. Here's his man. All odds against them. There is not a guy in the Philistine camp that would bit on David and David after picking up the stone starts his move.

Okay, I won't even interrupted when he read several verses picked up five stones from the book from the brook, put them in the shepherd's bag which he had even in his pouch's sling was in his hand. He approached the Philistine the Philistine came on and approached David with the shield bearer in front of when the Philistine looked and saw David. He disdained him he was but you ready with a handsome appearance in the Philistine said to David, and my dog, you come to me with sticks. Philistine cursed David buys God's listing said to David come to me and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beast of the field. Then David said to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword and a spear and javelin.

I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have Tommy by the way it reminds me the words of John Knox when he stood before Mary, it was said that Mary feared the words of John Locke's more than the entire armies of her land he called her Jezebel and he said I common stand before you and the power of the living God, and she was intimidated by young on intimidated John Knox, you have taunted the God of the armies of Israel. Verse 46 this day or talk about faith this day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands and I will strike you down and remove your head from you.

That's a rather literal rendering of what he planned to do won't last long Goliath be ready take your last breath. Cut your head off so fast you won't know until you sneeze just like that on intimidated and that's important David Stern for this massive creature on intimidated. That's our battle when we face the Giants. They intimidate us. We get tongue tied our thoughts get confused. We forget how to pray. We forget who we represent in standing there with our knees knocking. I wonder what God must think my power is available. There's no one on this earth greater than I you trust me. David's eyes were looking up fixed on God.

Verse 47 that all the assembly may know the Lord is not delivered by sword or by spear got your pencil ready. The battle is the Lord's there is.

That's the secret of David's life.

The battle is the Lord's trying to do your own battle. Try to fight it your way trying to outsmart the enemy outfoxing you can't. But God can. And he saying to you, you do it my way and I'll honor you to do it your way and your you're doomed to fail. The battle is the Lord's by the way David lived by very simple principle. Nothing to prove nothing to lose it and try to impress anybody in the army of Israel and try to impress his brother's try to impress God he just put a stone in the sling and he was on his way maybe would lifted on his way up the hill and there was Goliath a look at this Goliath didn't think as much of David is to put his helmet piece down it was up. Mistake number one. Also that final mistake look at the stone and then it happened, verse 48 love that.

Then it happened, when the Philistine rose and drew near to meet David.

David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.

He put his hand in the bag took from it a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his florid and the stone sank into his forehead so that he fell on his face to the ground just like that. Eyes came out all over the camp of the Philistines that little guy in our champion and he's on his feet and our champion is down and that's not all.

It says, verse 450 that David prevailed over the Philistine with the sling and a stone is that significant.

All I had was a sling and a stone and there's Goliath with almost 200 pound armor and that was all there was to it and David didn't even have his own sword.

So in order to cut his head off to the Borg lives in a bar you sword so that I get to head cut off.

Thanks. Got it right off verse 51 stood over the Philistine took a sword drew from the sheath and killed and cut off his head with.

Into the story and consolidate this so I got operates no big band David usually don't. I just just tolerance to it. Got Giants hey you know what the Philistines didn't wait around to hear any questions says that they ran when the Philistine saw that there champion was dead. They fled that rhymes interesting as the men of Israel and Judah rose and shouted and pursue the Philistine as Israelis come down about backup the other side. The Philistines are taking off the other side, the sons of Israel returned from chasing the felicity and plunder their camps. We don't miss this. 54. David took the Philistines head brought it to Jerusalem and must've been neat, walking along with the head great big head, but notice what he did with the weapons he put his weapons in his tent. Everything that it all. It was like a trophy so I can figure out he drags his big spear into his tent and leads up against the wall and never died.

He went to bed on his sleeping bag he saw that bingo spear and a sword is a reminder of what got it done like a trophy. Everyone a trophy man. You know you guard it like crazy Dragon all over the world.

When the trophies hang onto it.

You want to buy the take away. David brought that weapon in those weapons and set them in the tent.

Who knows what he kept them within throughout his life when he became king baby had a weapon room that it had a trophy case. The battle is the Lord's, where he kept the memories of God's victories. When you keep the memories you Passover victories.

What a shame. God doesn't waste victories and is not a lot of fanfare when you pull something off that only he can do. He says don't you forget that now want to dress you that have the Giants in your life to share with you four principles that live on to this very day. Maybe better write on the back is not every minute turning space at the bottom number one facing giants is an intimidating experience.

Don't kid yourself. We can have a lot of fun with the story of David and Goliath, but I tell you down underneath it must have been humanly speaking, intimidating to look at that brute who even in the eyes of faith was still et al., and David said, my God is greater than he has a second principle doing battle is a lonely experience.

The first one facing giants is an intimidating experience doing battle is a lonely experience. No one else can fight for you. Your Goliath is your Goliath for someone else to worry about that, but to you. It's a Goliath. Somebody say you shouldn't worry about that is a lot of good doesn't it. Wonderful counsel say friend I want to tell you about what's bothering me and you tell a mistake, you shouldn't feel like that punch out their lights because to you as a Goliath. Hey, let's learn something very important.

What is a Goliath to a person is a Goliath. Whether it is to you or not is immaterial. A giant is a giant scene from that person's eyes and it's lonely to face the giant nobody else can do battle for you.

Not even a counselor, not even a pastor, not even a friend lonely designed to be that way men grow up on the battlefield.

They grow up and start shooting back in is how you grow third. Trusting God is a stabilizing experience. David got the sling and got that stone in it and didn't miss the mark I'm interesting.

I'm interested to discover that he didn't have the jitters when he went into battle.

He was experienced stabilized trusting God is a stabilizing experience when you have spent time on your knees before the giant hand in you face the giant is remarkable how stable you can be.

But if you try to go in the flesh, you cannot get it done.

Hands down, you lose for winning victories is a memorable experience but finally wound up was the real truth of the matter and that is Goliath was the dwarf and David was really the giant really know what God is saying to each one here tonight are probably saying one thing the one person something altogether different to someone else but I have a feeling there's not a person here that isn't facing some kind of intimidating worry or giant may relate to your job they relate to your roommate may relate to your school or school work. Maybe a person perhaps a meet your own partner in life. Perhaps it is some fear that is lurking around the corner just sucking your energy and draining your faith in God saying to you, you come back to the Valley and all I ask of you is five smooth stones and a sling of faith. I'll take over.

You have to wear somebody else's armor and you'll have to do it like somebody else says it you just trust me and I'll strip you down to nothing but faith and I'll do a victory where I get the glory you trust me, it's about in prayer, quiet for a moment been a busy day for me and for all of you don't really know what to is across the valley on Monday or Tuesday. It is not a mile across there. It might be a week might be a month two months, maybe you can get a handle on what the giant is it's there sorta haunting you. That alone is a giant is uncertain about exactly what that is that's gnawing away, but tonight you've heard that God is able he would never mock us, giving us the story of David as if to say now that can ever happen to you know it's given for us to apply want you to turn over in your mind that that giant worry. I want you to look at that in comparison to the Lord God himself.

And tonight I want you to say by faith.

The battle is yours Lord is your battle. I lean on you tonight.

I give you all my weapons almost skills and I stand before you, trusting you. Perhaps it is out of love for us. Father more than anything else that causes you to bring us to an end of our own strength.

Perhaps you see in us the need to trust you and your love is so great you will not let us live another day without turning over our arms to you, our fears or worries. Even our confusion, we willingly give you our our care.

Knowing that you care for us and we ask that nothing become more significant to us than you are. Father become our everything in the Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday of this week on into the balance of we lean lean on Jesus name for the past few programs. Chuck Swindoll has described the celebrated battle between David and Goliath.

It's recorded in first Samuel chapter 17 and inside for living it's our prayer. The Chuck's depiction of the showdown has given you courage to trust God and to lean on him will hear a closing comment from Chuck in just a moment.

So please keep listening. To learn more about this ministry.

Be sure to visit us online@insideworld.org right now, I'm pleased to remind you that Chuck wrote a biography that parallels this teaching series on David. It's available right now by giving us a call or visiting our online store. If you happen to live near Frisco, Texas. You can also stop by our book shop on the corner of Parkwood and Lebanon. The biography includes 24 chapters that feature the kind of teaching you enjoyed today and it's nearly 300 pages in length to purchase Chuck's biography on David call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/offer that inside for living were pleased to receive notes, letters and phone calls from friends who tell us how this program has been helpful. You might be encouraged to hear this one that came from a schoolteacher in West Virginia. She said although I was raised in the church by godly parents that have been saved since I was seven and still attend church there been many times I've fallen so short of God's best. However, through inside for living my relationship with Christ has grown by leaps and bounds while we love hearing your stories and let me add, thank you for supporting inside for living as well.

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Your donation will help us reach more people with insight from the today's the day I'm coming in. Here's how to respond to Chuck Swindoll if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or you can give online@insight.org/Goliath was defamed by Bill Meyer join us. When Chuck Swindoll describes the aftermath of the giant killing Thursday on insight for living. The preceding message David and the door was copyrighted in 1977, 1988, 1987 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll.

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