“PERSPECTIVE”
TEXT: I
Sam. 17:1-58
INTRO: It is
always fascinating how different people can see the same thing and yet have
completely different reactions!
Perspective plays one of the most important roles in
the quality of our life. In fact,
perspective can actually determine the quality of our life ... “what you see is what you
get!”
Have you ever seen a harmless spider under a
microscope? The normally harmless
looking little thing under a microscope can be as frightening as any horror
movie with a huge creature! Under a
microscope the spider can look terrifying!
On your bed sheets in your bed are thousands of tiny
mites that consume your flaked off flesh, you don’t see them so you aren’t
normally bothered by them, but if you could see them, or feel them, sleeping on
those sheets would be a very different
experience!
This goes on in the spiritual realm too. Many times the only
difference between a successful saint and a struggling one is
perspective, what they see or perceive.
PROP. SENT: The
Scripture will teach us that we are to focus on God and not the “Goliaths” in
our lives. What becomes the “big”
thing in our life is the thing that will dominate, so let it be God! Perspective can make the difference
between power or panic, faith or
fear!
I. FACING
PHILISTINES!
17:1-11
A. Stand-off!
17:1-3
1.
a. The
Philistines controlled one mountain,
b. Neither
side made much progress!
c. Sounds like many situations in our lives at times!
2. Ever
been in this situation, you are up against a “giant” problem and you aren’t
losing but you’re not gaining either!?
a. Like a
“no-win” situation.
b. Can’t
seem to find a solution.
c. The
longer the stand-off, the more drained you
become.
d.
Something needs to give!
3. Nothing
was changing because
B. Scared! 17:4-11
1. Like
many “giant” problems,
a. This led
to doing nothing...
b. How
often is this the same way we deal with things in our
lives?
2. There
were options however!! (As there
always are!)
a. They
could submit or fight.
b. It was a
custom of that day for nations to settle their differences by having one
champion from each side fight and the winner take all; this was considered
a more civilized way to decide supremacy instead of both sides causing
massive death of entire armies ... and we think they were barbaric in
antiquity and our weapons of mass destruction today are
civilized!!
3. They could remain frozen with fear or choose to trust God and have one man fight for them.
4. How many
of us are unwilling to trust the “unknown,” to believe God or to choose to trust
the “known”- the fear of loss?
a. They
kept trusting in their own weakness and strength which they knew rather than God
whom they didn’t really know well.
b. God
could bring them success even though it was unknown
how!
c. We would
do well to trust in God rather than ourselves, what we know isn’t always the
best choice for freedom from problems!
ILLUS: An Arab chief tells a story of a spy who was
captured and then sentenced to death by a general in the Persian army. This
general had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between
the firing squad and the big, black door. As the moment for execution drew near,
the spy was brought to the Persian general, who asked the question, “What will
it be: the firing squad or the big, black door?” The spy hesitated for a
long time. It was a difficult decision. He chose the firing squad. Moments later shots rang out confirming
his execution. The general turned to his aide and said, “They always prefer the
known way to the unknown. It is characteristic of people to be afraid of the
undefined. Yet, we gave him a choice.” The aide said, “What lies beyond
the big door?” “Freedom,” replied the general. “I’ve known only a few
brave enough to take it.” --
Don McCullough, “Reasons to Fear Easter,” Preaching Today, Tape No.
116.
5. Their
fears were paralyzing them!
a. Their
perspective determined their choices.
b. This is
still true today!
II. FOUNDATION &
PRIORITIES
A. Shepherd!
17:12-16
1. No one
dared fight Goliath, they all saw the same thing -- A giant so big they can’t
win!
a. Not even
King Saul who stood head and shoulders above the size of the other men of
b. Everyone
saw physical size, no one thought of spiritual
size!
2. God knew
someone however that had a different way of looking at “giant” problems ... a
small shepherd boy that had a “giant” faith!
3. David
had fought other fierce enemies as a shepherd, his life was built on laying it
down for sheep when necessary; a priority of saving sheep was what God was
looking for.
a. Saul
was more interested in saving face,
not faith!
b. The
armies of
c. But
David was more interested in saving others, not himself … and he knew
God.
4. It
wasn’t military qualities God needed; it was spiritual qualities that were
needed!
B. Servant!
17:17-22
1.
David got involved because he was used to serving his
brothers!
a. He not
only cared for sheep, but also his brothers.
b. This
quality of servanthood is what later makes him such a great
king!
c. No task
was too small to do, and none was too big either!
2. A
servant does not decide what he will or won’t do; he does his master’s
bidding.
3. David
would choose to fight because God’s people needed someone to fight for them;
this is the servant’s heart!
C. Soldier! 17:32-37
1. Though
just a shepherd boy, he was also ready to serve the
king!
a. Notice
how he introduced himself to Saul, “...your servant...”
b. No task
was too much or too little, the same little boy that could bring groceries to
his brethren was ready to fight as a solider against a
champion!
2. The
Church could use this attitude today!
a. We
have too many specialists, and not
enough servants and soldiers!
b. We need
those who can see what needs to be done and then goes and does
it!
3. If we see things right, our attitude will be
right!
4. WHILE
a.
Perspective made the difference in what action was
done!
b. Many
times we could win the battle if we just changed how we viewed
things!
ILLUS: Like one man this psychiatrist met once
flying: Whenever I am flying and I
engage people in conversation a confession is almost always forthcoming when
they find out I am a psychiatrist. A few years ago, before all of the modern
security measures were installed at the nation’s airports, a man I was sitting
next to on a coast-to-coast flight told me, “You know, I used to be deathly
afraid of flying. It all started after that man brought a bomb on board
a flight to
5. Our view
of things does often affect our faith!
a.
b. David
saw God’s power!
c. The
results speak for themselves!
6. Notice
David’s words to the king: “Let no one lose
heart on account of this Philistine...”
why? Because God was in
control, not him!
a. David
was prepared to be a soldier, because that was what was
needed.
b. His
faith allowed him to do whatever was needed at the moment it was
needed.
c. He had
killed the bear and the lion before, so God can help him kill this beast
too!
7. It is
important that we remember past victories over smaller things and apply the same
faith to the bigger things that come later!
III. FEAR’S POWER
1. Fear
controlled
a. They
weren’t losing ground.
b. But they
weren’t gaining any either.
c. This is
often how fear works in our lives too; fear keeps us sharp so we don’t lose
ground, but it also keeps us paralyzed so we don’t make
progress!
2. How many
Christians live this way?
a. They
have issues in their lives they need to deal with, but fear of
failure keeps them from dealing with them, their fear keeps them
somewhat alert so that they don’t get worse, but also paralyzes them so
they don’t get better!
b. The
longer
3. Fear has
a way over time in demoralizing our lives, this robs us of hope
and faith.
a. This had an effect on everyone in the camp!
b. Here was
the mighty army of God decked out with all its armor, demoralized with fear
simply because all they saw was a “giant” problem they couldn’t beat in their
own strength!
4. Too many
Christians live this way all the time too!
B. Sarcastic!
1.
Ironically, when David comes along and asks them why no one goes after
Goliath his own brothers snap at him!
a. Just
have faith when those around you don’t and see how you are
treated!
b. David’s
faith made them all uncomfortable because it highlighted their inaction with the
problem and their failure!
2. Not only
was there a “giant” problem facing
3. David
wisely doesn’t fight his brethren and chew them out, instead he puts his energy
into facing the real enemy!
a. If David
can’t change them, he will change the
circumstances!
b. We need
to be careful not to be sidetracked from the real battle and fight only little
ones or one another.
IV. FAITH’S PERSPECTIVE
1. “I will go”
was David’s response to their sarcasm; when you can’t make others do
the right thing you can choose to do the right thing
yourself!
2. David’s
confidence is based on 2 things:
a. God’s
character and covenant call on
b. David’s
experience in the past in overcoming enemies!
3. These
are qualities built up over time through experience, based on faith and not
fear!
4. David
was not arrogant, he was simply confident in what God
wanted!
a. And this
was enough to have faith.
b. And this
was enough to have a different way of looking at the
problem!
ILLUS: A bounty was set
on coyotes so two boys figured they might be able to make some quick cash. They set out in the woods and camped
that night hoping to hunt down some coyotes the next day. During the night they were awakened by a
strange sense that they were being watched. As they both slowly sat up they realized
they were surrounded by a huge pack of hungry looking coyotes. The first boy simply whimpered, “Oh
No! Look at this!” His buddy however had a different
perspective, he optimistically said, “Hey Bill, we’re rich!” – Source
Unknown
B. Stability!
17:38-44
1. Saul
tries to outfit David in his own over-sized armor, but someone else’s strength
is not David’s!
2. David
couldn’t rely on Saul’s strengths and experiences, as he says to Saul, “I am not used to
them.”
a. It is
not that there was anything wrong with armor, but it wasn’t David
armor!
b. We must
learn to trust God using us for who we are and not try to be someone
else!
c. God is
the one thing they both could have trusted in and won, but Saul was caught up in
fear.
C. Source
1. Goliath
came against David with man’s stuff (sword and javelin) ... but David was coming
against him “in the name of the Lord.”
2. This
really is the bottom line when we face problems in
life.
3. Notice
that David’s lengthy boast did not include boasting on himself, but on
God!
a. David
knew God’s plan and God’s Word so he could be confident here of the
outcome!
b. God’s
Word never fails, in this we can boast and have great
confidence!
c. You can
bet your life on God’s character and His Word!
4. Imagine
what the other Israelites were thinking when this little shepherd boy was
gathering up 5 smooth stones to fight a giant!
a. David’s confidence was so great he gathers 5
stones!
b. How
does this show confidence?
Goliath had 4 other giant brothers according to the Bible (II Sam.
D. Success! 17:48-58
1. With God one stone per giant is enough!
a. David
RUNS TOWARD his enemy, not away from him!
b. We could
learn an important lesson here about faith!
c. Between
God’s promise of help and David’s use of the best weapons he knew there could be
no chance of failure!
2. David
simply has a huge target, it made victory actually
easier!!!
a. What
b.
Perspective can make all the difference in the world the way it impacts
our faith and fears.
3. Once
Goliath was dead the rest of the Philistines turn and run away in fear, if
Goliath’s other 4 giant brothers were there they decided they didn’t want David
to use his other 4 stones on them, they all run away in
fear!
a. Faith by
one man conquered the fear in many, and brought victory! In this way David was like Christ
here!
b. Now
c.
4. Israel
is able to return and plunder the wealth of the enemy’s camp, all because one
shepherd saw things differently!
a. David
takes Goliath’s head and puts it on a post at the city of Jerusalem, which at
this time is a Jebusite city!
b. This act
of faith precedes David taking
c. It is
interesting to note that later in time David and his men did kill Goliath’s 4
other brothers, thus finishing the job that started here. (See II
Sam. 21:19-22)
5. How do
you see your problems as you face the future?
a. Do you
see problems so big you can’t win, or so big God can’t lose in getting glory
when we choose to do the right thing!?
b. Are you
living each day paralyzed in fear, or empowered with
faith?
CONCLUSION: Are you facing “giant” problems in your life? How do you see these problems? If you look at them with only your own
strength you will be afraid, but with faith they can all be conquered! Many times it is how we see them that
will determine how we respond to
them!