Proverbs Ch. 3; I Samuel 16: Proverbs Ch. 4; I Samuel 16: Proverbs Ch. 5; I Samuel 17: Proverbs Ch. 6; I Samuel 17: 16-29

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Sydney Small
6 years ago
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1 Sermon Outline March 10, 2013 Pt. 9 You Can Overcome the Limitations Others Put on You Based on John Maxwell s book, Running with the Giants Reading for Worship Guide I Samuel 16: 6-13 Sunday 3/ 3 Proverbs Ch. 3; I Samuel 16: 1-13 Monday 3/ 4 Tuesday 3/ 5 Wednesday 3/ 6 Thursday 3/ 7 Friday 3/ 8 Saturday 3/ 9 Proverbs Ch. 4; I Samuel 16: Proverbs Ch. 5; I Samuel 17: 1-15 Proverbs Ch. 6; I Samuel 17: Proverbs Ch. 7; I Samuel 17: Proverbs Ch. 8; I Samuel 17: Proverbs Ch. 9 DAVID We can receive this message on different levels: 1. As someone who has had limitations placed on them in the past. 2. As someone who has limitations being placed on them presently. 3. Or, as someone who has or is placing limitations on someone else. 1

2 We often look at the lives of persons who have accomplished great things in life and rarely consider the limitations that were placed on them by others. Ida B. Wells-Barnett, the African-American journalist, newspaper editor, suffragist, and civil rights leader was born a slave in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Thomas Edison was called addled, which means rotten egg by his school teacher and received only three months of formal education. Albert Einstein failed the entrance exam for the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School and was told he should apply for other schools. Michael Jordan failed to make his high school basketball team his first time trying out for the team. Mrs. Hazel O Leary, former Secretary of Energy for the United States of America came from divorced parents, experienced divorce in her own marriage, and then the death of her second husband. The statistics say she shouldn t have made it. President Barack Obama struggled as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage. He wrote and talked about using marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years to, push questions of who I was out of my mind. Like David of the Bible, the greatest obstacles for these great men and women were created by the people who tried to put limitations on them. But each of them would join with David and tell you: You Can Overcome the Limitations Others Put on You! 1. You Can Overcome Parental Limitations! 2

3 a. I Samuel 16: 8-11 Are these all the sons you have. i. David s father Jesse did not include David as he presented his sons before the Prophet Samuel for consideration of being anointed king of Israel. ii. Are you someone who feels the pain of having a parent not believe in you? It is more difficult to see the king or queen in a kid than it is to see the oak tree in an acorn. b. I Samuel 16: 7 The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. i. God wanted David, the one with heart. Isn t it reassuring to know that God values us for who we truly are, even if our family doesn t? ii. Don t worry that you were left out by parents. God selected you! 2. You Can Overcome Relational Limitations! a. I Samuel 17: 28 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. b. David s brothers abused him. 3

4 i. Pecking order is dangerous. It requires one to remain subordinate to someone whose limitations are now imposed on us. 1. Their fear of others (Goliath v.24) 2. Their attitude of lack (few sheep v.28) 3. Their poor character (wicked heart v.28) ii. His brothers saw him as nothing more than an errand boy, but he was really a man with a mission God had established before he was placed in his mother s womb. 3. You Can Overcome Others Limitation on Your Leadership! a. I Samuel 17: The Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on h his head I cannot go in these because I am not used to them. So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream and with his sling approached the Philistine. i. Saul doubted David s ability to handle the task of defeating the giant. ii. Saul s desire to have David wear his armor was an attempt to get the leader to use what worked for another leader in a different situation. David s choice to remove the armor, take his staff, choose stones and his sling reflect a leader using 4

5 what God has instilled in and entrusted to the leader for the current test being faced. 4. You Can Overcome Others Limitation on Your Skills! a. I Samuel 17: Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks? Come here I ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals! b. Goliath despised David and believed that he wasn t even worthy of a proper burial. c. He didn t believe David had what it takes to get the job done and didn t take David seriously. d. You can easily determine the caliber of a person by the amount of opposition it takes to discourage them. e. David was able to go beyond: i. His family (relational limitations) ii. The King Sauls (leadership limitations) The Goliaths (skill limitations) f. I Samuel 17: David killed Goliath and the army of Israel routed the Philistines. i. When you throw off limitations others place on you, others throw off limitations that have been placed on them. ii. Our personal victory turns into victory of countless others. 5

6 5. David s Words of Encouragement a. Limitations don t limit us unless we let them. i. Others may think we have no potential. ii. In reality, we have the greatest potential of all; Godpotential. We are anointed by God. When we know Christ as Savior, the Spirit of the Lord comes upon us in power. iv. God strengthens us to rise above limitations that life and others would try to place on us. He can do that for you! b. Don t try to be someone else when others impose limitations on you! i. God doesn t want an imitation someone else! ii. God wants YOU! God will never hold you accountable for gifts you don t have or responsibilities He hasn t given you. iv. He wants you to be yourself. c. When you rise above your limitations, you can help others do the same! i. We face our Goliaths thinking only of defeating them. ii. We don t realize our victories become others victories. 6

7 People follow the example of a leader. iv. The moment we accomplish more than anyone thought was possible so will others. PRAYER OF AFFIRMATION Lord God, Help me to see myself as You see me, not as others do, To focus on what can be accomplished with You, And not what can t be accomplished without You, And rise above the limitations placed on me by others, So that I might help others rise above their limitations. AMEN 7

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FACING GIANTS IN LIFE &WORK. 50 Days of Transformation ~ Part 7 (Outline Saddleback) FACING GIANTS IN LIFE &WORK 50 Days of Transformation ~ Part 7 (Outline Saddleback) Imagination rules the world. Napoleon Imagination is more important than knowledge. Einstein Now the Philistines had