Courage in the Face of Fear
Part 9: “The Courage to Fight A Giant”
1 Samuel 17
Intro – as I bring this series on Courage in the Face of Fear to a close, there is one Biblical character and his story that I cannot overlook…that is David and his encounter with Goliath…probably the best known Bible story of all time…known even by people who don’t know much about the Bible…and it’s full of insight into how God gives us courage in the face of fear…
…giant challenge to live a godly life in this ungodly world without getting swept away by all the forces of temptation and evil that rob our souls of love and devotion for God…
…giants everywhere…intimidating, bullying, threatening…and filling us with fear if we let them…
Let’s open our Bibles to this beloved story found in 1 Sam. 17 and take some time to let God’s truth fill our minds and hearts…and let God’s Spirit equip us with courage to face the giants of fear that are shouting at us…
…Prayer…
I The Setting of the Story
-you’ve got two enemy armies lined up against each other on opposite sides of a valley…the Israelites on one side, the Philistines on the other…
-read vv.4-11…and v.16…
-what we have here is an Israelite army paralyzed by fear…40 days of Goliath…
…shouting his threats and intimidation and defiance…morning and evening…even after 40 days of this, v. 24 says “the Israelites all fled from him in great fear…”
-fear can paralyze…and unfortunately it can even paralyze a whole group of people…word spreads…fear grows…
-when Goliath dominates our world, we lose perspective…when all we can see and hear is a Goliath, we live in something called “fearful abstractions” = “what if…what could happen…what may happen… what if this happens…”
…our mind creating all kinds of fearful scenarios leading us to become paralyzed by fear…
-we’ve all been there at one time or another…
The Israelite army, including their leader Saul, were out of touch with reality…their reality was defined by Goliath…they had lost touch with God’s perspective on reality…they let Satan define reality for them through this scary giant…
-even Davids’ brothers were so affected by fear that they couldn’t receive his loving act of brotherly kindness…when David brings some supplies to his brothers and asks what’s going on, they treat him harshly and unkindly…look at v.28…
-fear affects the way we treat other people…we react and often say and do things that are hurtful…makes us act wired, out of character…be aware of how your fear is causing you to hurt those around you…
II The Arrival of David
-so it is into this scene that David arrives…and he arrives with faith, courage, a fresh perspective…he is not affected by the grip of fear that is upon the whole Israelite army…
-David comes to the camp with a God-dominated heart and mind…he was the only one in the camp that day who was in touch with reality…who had God’s perspective…
…he was the only one that day who was spiritually healthy…because he let God define reality for him and not Goliath…
-isn’t it so great that he didn’t let anyone talk him out of going up against Goliath? including himself?…actually a miracle that even Saul allowed this to happen…but God wanted it to happen…it was His plan all along to bring about a great victory for His people Israel…
…if you’re in a fearful group, family, some fearful environment… you’ll have to step back/out for a period of time to regain a proper perspective…to regain God’s perspective…have to connect with people of faith, courage, boldness…to help inspire and encourage you…otherwise you can be swept away by fear or held in its tenacious grip…
-when you go back to God then you can come back into your environment with a fresh perspective…a God-perspective…with a God who is bigger to you than any Goliath giant…
…spend time alone with God in prayer and the word…
-let’s read about David’s perspective in vv. 32-37…
The Secrets to David’s Courage
1. walk with God formed in secret v.34
-faith formed alone with God…shepherd, eg. Psalms…
…abiding, worshipping, God dominating his mind and heart…Ps 23…27…
* What that means practically for us is…
2. history of God-given victories v.37
-opportunites to practise faith through tests and battles…faith growing through a series of small victories…
-finding God’s faithfulness in helping us achieve one small victory…and then two and then many more…
eg our oldest son Nathan is a pastor…spoke here a couple of months ago…speaking is one of the things he loves to do the most…but most people don’t know that he was a severe stutterer in elementary school…started about gr. 3-4
-couldn’t put a whole sentence together…great anguish for all of us…
-his giant was speaking/talking/having a conversation
-Audrey and I prayed for him a great deal…
-took him to speech therapy…very helpful
-Nathan took a series of steps to help overcome this problem and face this giant
• breathing technique, phone practise, list of grocery items…slowly building confidence, making progress…series of small victories and successes…
-then he decided to be baptized at age 10…involved a public testimony…practiced it so many times…learned how to tap while he talked…
-delivered the testimony with confidence and ease…
The best part about this story is that he was miraculously healed of his stuttering at a worship conference at about age 12…God supernaturally delivered him and it has never re-occurred…
-that story speaks about how God helps us put together a series of victories to help us grow in our faith and confidence…when we take increasing steps of faith, then our history of faith grows to the point where we can take on some pretty big challenges with God’s strength and help…
* What that means practically for us is…
eg fear of evangelism…start with subjects that you have in common…then ask questions that probe a bit deeper…listen well and respect what they say…then allow God to make you bold and share what faith in JC is all about…then as directed by the HS ask if this is something they want to do…
3. familiar use of spiritual weapons of warfare vv.38-45
-read vv.38-45…
* the issue of Saul’s armor…all of us who are called by God to do something…people like to help us out, often by offering us what works for them, making us into their mold, imposing on us an image of what we should look like and what we should do… that they think is best for us…
…and while we need to appreciate people’s well-meaning help and support…be open to their ideas and help…we must be authentic to who God has made us to be… …not a copy of someone else…borrowed armor rarely works…because it’s not how God has equipped us…
David went with the weapons he was familiar with…and we need to be familiar with God’s weapons of sp. warfare:
a. prayer and the word of God (sling shot and five smooth stones…) also Eph. 6:17,18
b. the name of the Lord
-also v. 47…
III The Defeat of Goliath
-even tho we all know how this story ends, let’s read it anyway because it’s just so good…
-read vv.48-51…
God Establishes David’s Leadership
-have to remember that one reason God enabled David to have this great victory over Goliath, was that He was establishing David’s future leadership over Israel…and He was removing Saul from leadership…
Saul and David are a study in contrasts: Saul was fearful…which weakened his leadership (actually disqualified him)…led him to disobedience…cf Amalekites…15:28…
David on the other hand, was bold and courageous…which established his leadership and made him the kind of leader God’s people needed for that time in their history…
Christ our Champion
-the whole battle between David and Goliath is a wonderful picture of Christ vs. Satan…
-it’s a picture of how Christ defeated Satan on the cross of Calvary…
-for it was on the cross where Jesus died that Satan was dealt a death blow by Jesus through His death and resurrection
-the power of sin and death was defeated by Christ’s perfect sacrifice of Himself… and like that one smooth stone, Satan was hit and fell facedown to the ground…
-yet while rendered powerless, he is still trying, in the throws of dying desparation, to take as many people as he can with him to hell…but he is ultimately defeated by our Champion, Savior, the Lord JC…
- Goliath never spoke better words when he said in v.8: “Choose a man and have him come down to me…”
-a representative was needed for each side of the conflict…
and in the fight for the eternal souls of all humanity, Satan was evil’s champion and Christ was God’s chosen Champion…
And thanks be to God, you and I get to share in that victory that Christ won the victory over sin, death, hell and Satan!!…by surrendering our lives to Him…
Col. 2:13-15
He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Transition to Communion
-so as we come to the Lord’s supper, may we do so with a heart of praise and thanksgiving for such a wonderful Champion…
…and remember the great price He paid to make deliver us from all the giants that threaten to undo us…He is able to deliver you from any giant you are facing…because He has won the victory…
Prayer…Song…