TEXT: 1 Samuel 17:28-39 GOTHIATH MUST FALL 6 Is there Not a Cause INTRO: Good morning and welcome to restoration life church. As a church we have been on an amazing journey through the famous battle of David and Goliath. For those of you who are new to restoration life church, the giant the bible calls Goliath represents an obstacle that defiantly stands in the way of you entering into God s purpose and od s best for your life. In our this series we have seen how our Goliaths are Trespassing on our territories, Striking fear in us Keep us from fighting Taunt us day and night That he champions our enemy s cause The Goliath we tolerate today will still be there tomorrow But we have also learned We must face our fears with radical faith in Jesus That his taunts are empty lies that hold no weigh That the Giant in front of You, is never bigger than the God who lives inside of you That we need to see our Goliaths through Gods eyes, a new perspective. That we are a covenant people that Have a covenant promise from God and as a symbol of that promise he gave us communion through Jesus Christ. That we are a people of Covenant, How can we ever be defeated! Our Anchor thought: Walking in victory tomorrow is positioned by the decisions we make today. Text: 1 Samuel 17:28-39 28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and 1
Eliab's anger was aroused against David, and he said, "Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle." 29 And David said, "What have I done now? Is there not a cause?" 30 Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did. NKJV I. Is There Not a Cause? 1. When David arrived at the battle, he could not believe Israel stood still in the face of Goliath s taunts! After also hearing about King Saul s great offer of rewards, he was confounded by their fearfulness. Eliab, his oldest brother, ridiculed his status and accused him of laziness, pride, and conceit. David asked what he has done to deserve such treatment, and he declared that Goliath deserves to die. David loved Israel s God and all that pertained to him and would not put up with this Philistine dog. 2. My Question is how much do you love Jesus Christ, and how much does your love of Him drive your life? Life Application: We have been called into a conflict and form of worship far superior to Goliath and the Old Testament. We have a been given a passion for Jesus and a love for his lost creation. Church is there not a cause? There are families that are being ripped apart by sin, is there not a cause? There children committing suicide and being raped every day, is there not a cause? Child trafficking and racial hatred is alive and well here in the united states, is there not a cause? 2
Teenagers and young adults are confused about their sexuality, and what they believe in, is there not a cause? There are people dying and going to hell, is there not a cause? 3. DAVID WAS AWAKENED TO THE CAUSE By the adversary of God s people & by the apathy of God s army. He basically said If no one else will I will! Life Application: God is looking for a people that will spiritually wake up and see what is actually happening and say if no one else is gonna stand up to this un-circumcised no covenant having philistine I will! Oh God wake is up to the cause of Christ in our generation and our city here and now! II. There Is a Cause 1. This was not a contest between two armies. a. This was not a showdown between a nine foot hero and King Saul. David knew that this was about the honor of God held up for ridicule. For this reason, he asked a profound question, a question that made him brush aside the insult of his brother Eliab, a question that struck at the heart of the matter: Is there not a cause? 2. Suddenly, the whole picture is brought into perspective. a. If there is not a cause, then all of this ispointless. If there is not a cause, why are thousands of soldiers lingering around in their trenches, polishing their swords and grooming their horses? If there is not a cause, why the pomp and ceremony of the coronation of King Saul? If there is not a cause, why the tabernacle and the priests, the prophets and the patriarchs, the tables of stone and the brazen altar? 3
If there is not a cause, why not just surrender everything to the Philistines? 3. Because there was a cause! a. There is a God in Heaven. This God in Heaven is the Lord OUR GOD. Isaiah 44:6-8 6 This is what the Lord says Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven's Armies: "I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. 7 Who is like me? Let him step forward and prove to you his power. Let him do as I have done since ancient times when I established a people and explained its future. 8 Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock not one!" There was a cause that swallowed up David. Life wasn t about only about him. The great meaning of life to them at the time was that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was to reign supreme and his glory was to fill all the earth. David understood that he had to lose himself in the cause if the cause was to triumph. He knew that out there somewhere was a call, a meaning, a supreme reality of life itself that dwarfed his own life. b. When he went out to meet Goliath, David understood that he wasn t confronting the giant, but the cause was put on display for the world to see. David was the representative of a much larger cause. It was the cause that had to win, whether or not David ever did. David was absolutely confident, however, that what he was about to do would resonate within the heart and soul of Israel s fighting forces. Even if he didn t win, Israel would be spurred on to victory. The cause overshadowed the lone figure of a shepherd boy that day. 4
Life application: God is still looking for someone who sees something bigger than themselves to which they can give their all to. He is looking for a man, a woman, a boy or a girl who will say I want to attach my life to something bigger than myself. I want to lose myself in a cause so great that my life won t matter as long as the cause succeeds. Paul wrote: Philippians 1:20 20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. IS THERE NOT A CAUSE! Billy Graham said, Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened. How true is this in the battles we fight? Life Application: Sometimes someone needs to take that first step so others will follow. Restoration Life Church, are you willing to face your families Goliaths? Are you ready to face your fears, will you stand and fight? My Point and you can quote me on this God is looking for a people that have a covenant anointing on their lives that are willing to face every fear they have ever had and step out into the impossible because that is where they will find God! IS there Not a Cause! Yes there is! In Closing: An archaeologist digging in the Negev Desert in Israel came upon a casket containing a mummy. After examining it, he called the curator of a prestigious natural-history museum. I've just discovered the 3,000 year old mummy of a man who died of heart failure!" the excited scientist exclaimed. To which the curator replied, "Bring him 5
in. We'll check it out." A week later, the amazed curator called the archaeologist. "You were right about the mummy's age and cause of death, but how in the world did you know?" "Easy, there was a piece of paper in his hand that said, '10,000 shekels on Goliath'." 1 Samuel 17:28 But when David's oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. "What are you doing around here anyway?" he demanded. "What about those few sheep you're supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!" III> Your family won t always be with you on what God wants to do thru you. 1. Did David know something the other men of Israel didn t know? a. No, he didn t. They also knew God was great and mighty and powerful. They knew he was the Lord of Hosts. It wasn t a matter of knowledge. I think any one of them could have killed Goliath if they d been willing to take that first step in the name of the Lord. The difference between David and the other soldiers was not that David had faith and they had doubts. Or that they had doubts and he had none. The difference is this: David acted on his belief and ignored his doubts while they acted on their doubts and ignored their belief. b. Faith is not waiting for 100% assurance. Faith is not waiting until all your doubts are gone. If you wait for that, you ll wait forever. Faith is seeing the giant, understanding the odds, believing that God wants him dead, and then taking that first step. If you can do that, the rest is easy. c. So apply this truth to your own life. What giants stand in your way today? 6
Name them. Write them down. Think about how the giants of circumstance and opposition have combined to keep you enslaved to fear and sometimes have driven you almost to the brink of despair. How much longer will you hide in fear? When are you going to step into the valley and face the giant. GOLIATH MUST FALL d. Faith isn t talking about the giant, analyzing the giant, or praying about the giant. Big talk will never kill Goliath. Faith is taking that first step with your knees knocking, hands shaking with fear and trembling going into the valley in the name of the Lord of Hosts. You take that first step not because you think you can do it but because you know you can t. Therefore, you know that if the giant is defeated, it s because God has done it through you. Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NIV The reason this story is in the Bible is because there are still giants in the land and God is looking for some David s. Will our church be a David? Goliath is here. It s time to take those first steps. IS there Not a Cause? 7