Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #20230101 - The Battle Belongs to the Lord in 2023 - 1 Samuel 17:31-58

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#20230101 - The Battle Belongs to the Lord in 2023 - 1 Samuel 17:31-58 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
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Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
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Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
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through abounding Grace, Media, or to tune into our live stream
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Services. Visit us online at Calvary,
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co.'s Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us
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into our study. Amen.
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Amen. Take your Bibles, open them to
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First. Samuel chapter 17, the Old
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Testament book of 1st, Samuel chapter 17 and I am entitled.
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Our Bible study today. The Battle Belongs to the Lord
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in 2023, and that's the Year we're up against.
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And if we delivered, this in any year, it's true on every day of
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every year. Listen, The Battle Belongs to
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the Lord, just say with me The Battle Belongs to the law.
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It's important that we grasp that even as we're entering in
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with this freshness. And this newness, the battles
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were facing the situations that were in the difficulties that we
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have. The people that might be against
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us, whatever it is, The Battle Belongs to the Lord and it's
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important that we recognize that our perspective matters.
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How we see things, how we process things, what we choose
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to meditate on On what we choose to think about what we choose to
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take in and to receive it matters.
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And it especially matters, when we're facing difficulties or
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trials or as we see in the text today, the Giants in life.
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Now first, Samuel chapter 17 is the age-old true story of David
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and Goliath and it's unfortunate that David and Goliath has been
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relegated to a Sunday school class for children.
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And although I do believe children need to learn about the
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victories of God at a very young age.
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We can't forget that we are still God's kids and we need to
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be reminded to of the victories that are ours by faith when we
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Face the Giants in life. So we're going to approach this
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text in a very applicational way.
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We're going to take the truths here.
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And apply them to our lives. But from a broader perspective,
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understand we're dropping into a time in the history of the
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nation of Israel where the enemies of God.
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The Philistines a people group are coming to destroy the
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nation, they are wanting to as the enemy of our souls wants to
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stop Messiah from coming and they get to a place where they
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have come to say. Okay, we will offer one person
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on either side and it's a A winner-take-all battle.
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And on the one side, the Philistines they offer up their
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giant of a man Goliath. A real man who stood 9 feet plus
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tall some believe, 9 feet, 9 inches.
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And on Israel's side well they have been captivated by a dread
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of fear and no one wants to fight Goliath.
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And David when he comes being sent by his dad with resources
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for his brothers, when he hears of the fear, he comes with such
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great faith and courage that he steps into the Gap.
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And it's from David's life that we learn of courage and faith
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and strength and hope. And it's from David.
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We learn at The Battle Belongs to the Lord no matter how big
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the enemy is. And it's from Goliath that we
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learned that we all have our enemies and we all have things
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Things that are much bigger than we can handle.
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And so Goliath, this Philistine giant is standing there, mocking
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the nation of Israel and ultimately mocking, the god of
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Israel. He represents to us the mocking
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enemy of God David. He represents a couple things to
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us, not only does he represent seeing things with the right
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perspective and Faith, but we also learn from David, he
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becomes a type of Jesus to come. And so what we see and David
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you're going In a greater Way by faith in Jesus Christ.
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Today, we want to be reminded that The Battle Belongs to the
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Lord. He's our Defender.
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He's our rock or as this has been Illustrated all throughout
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the Bible in Nehemiah chapter 4 verse 20.
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It says whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet rally to us
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there because our God will fight for us.
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Some of you today need to accept that truth.
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At the battle is not yours and you will not win in your own
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strength. In your own wisdom, The Battle
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Belongs to the Lord and what has happened to us followers of
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Jesus. What's happened to us?
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Where we think that we're stronger and smarter than God
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and we start to take things into our own hands.
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What has happened? Lord forgive us.
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It's been 40 days of mocking and taunting.
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By the time we get to verse 31 here.
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In 1st Samuel, that's where we're going to drop in 40 days
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of taunting and threats. It was such a heavy time notice.
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Verse 24, with me, it says all the men of Israel when they saw
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the man. This is Goliath fled from him,
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ran away from him, and they were dreadfully afraid, and that's
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the atmosphere fear anxiety, running for your own life.
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These were men that Set to defend the nation.
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These were men that were set to protect the weak.
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These were men that were set, maybe even some military
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military training that they would then stand in the Gap and
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fight for righteousness, fight for justice, but the events in
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their lives, the situation that they're facing has caused them
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to be dreadfully afraid and they run away for their lives.
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With that in mind, notice in verse 31 when the words of David
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spoke, when The Words, which David spoke were heard, they
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reported them to saw. What were those words?
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David came and said I'll go fight them.
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You guys are all afraid. He is we're not going to let
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this mocker. Get away with it.
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When they heard that, they took him to Saul.
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Now Saul is the king, the leader of the nation at this time.
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So they bring him to the king and verse 31.
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And it says in verse 32, the David said to the king to Saul,
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let no man Man's heart fail because of him, your servant
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will go and fight with this Philistine.
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And Saul said to David, You are not able to go as against this
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Philistine to fight with him. Which by the way, is a truthful
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statement, he's just a young kid, he's probably in his teens
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right now. Goliath is a man of war and a
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large amount of War at that. And so there is some truth to
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this, you know, the truth. Hey man, you're just a kid.
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You can't go fight him and notice he says as he explains.
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He says your buddy Youth and he's a man of war from his
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youth, David said your servant used to keep his father's sheep.
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And when a lion or A bear came and took a lamb out of the
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flock. I went after it and struck it,
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and delivered the lamb from its mouth.
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And when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and
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struck it and killed it. Your servant verse 36 has killed
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both the lion and bear and this uncircumcised Philistine will be
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like one of them seeing. He has defied the armies of the
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Living God. Moreover, David said, the Lord,
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who delivered me from the Paw of The Lion and the Paw of the
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bear. He will deliver.
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Deliver me from the hand of this Philistine and Saul said to
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David go, and the Lord be with you, David stands there with
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great courage and confidence, because he comes with the right
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perspective. He comes in a place.
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Where in his youthfulness, he has a purity of faith in God.
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And in the power of God, not only does he have a purity of
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Faith, but he has the experience of Faith as he looks back to
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being. Trusted with the flock.
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He was a shepherd. He was a Shepherd boy and he was
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responsible for the sheep and he thinks back to the times where
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God delivered him before. And you know, again we're
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reading the Bible and we just kind of put it in some distant
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time. But I mean you got to you got to
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accept what it says here. This kid was protecting sheep
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against lions and bears. That's his testimony.
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I mean that's what he would be sharing if you ever doubted God
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and one of God come through he would think back.
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Oh yeah I remember. Remember grabbing that lion by
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the beard. Like, you know, how close you
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have to be to grab a lion by the beard and kill it and to protect
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the sheep and nobody's going to mess with the sheep.
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And, you know, if David came in you go I know already know what
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he's going to. He's going to tell us about the
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bear. We've heard about the bear a
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thousand times, but the bear to him was the faithfulness of God,
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and the power of God and the strength of God, and the bear
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reminded David that the battle belong to the Lord.
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And it would encourage him, you know what, you guys have stories
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to you have stories, you can share, you may have forgotten
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them. You know, we get into the day by
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day mundaneness of life, and you may have forgotten the
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faithfulness of God, but you know the holy spirit will bring
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things back to your mind. I don't think about this every
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year. But this year for some reason it
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was significant to me. I don't think about it, hardly
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at all quite frankly because God did such a great work in my life
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but I was thinking this year in particular, this new year.
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I woke up one day last week and I was just thinking No, I'm
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going to enter in a New Year. I'm going to enter in another
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new year for the 31st time sober.
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Like I'm going through a new year and I'm not going to be
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partying all night and drunk and getting in trouble and wondering
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who I heard and all the damage that I was done and it reminded
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me of the saving power of God. Like, I don't know where I'm
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going to face this year. I don't know what I've had for
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me, but I remember you got. God says, you know what?
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You don't have a lion or a bear but you have a story yet that
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delivering power that I have done in your life and I guess I
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forget it from time to time but it's pretty significant is I
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hear testimony after testimony after testimony of people that
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are in bondage and I'm just here to remind you that God is ready
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to deliver you and when that victory that you haven't been
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able to win in years what David had a bear and he had a lion.
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So this giant it's just The progressive victory that God is
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going to give him next, you know, because I was, I'm also
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reminded with the lion and the bear that everything you're
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going through right now is preparation for what's up ahead.
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Preparation for what's up ahead. So you're batting a line right
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now and that's it. Man, that's amazing.
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Like, oh my, oh, what can God do bigger than that?
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Then he sends a bear like, oh man.
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All right, all right, what can God do?
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But then he sends a 9-foot Philistine, but he doesn't
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actually send him to you. He sends you to him.
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You know, a lot of times, the enemy of our souls loves to get
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us on our heels. We're very unstable when we're
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on our heels. If you try it one time, you're
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like that, you know, if I brace myself and you come and try to
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push me if I'm like this, it's going to be very hard for you to
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move me, but if I'm on my heels, you can just flick me in the
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forehead. And I'm going to fall over
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because it's a very unstable place.
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And so a lot of times, we're viewing all our battles like
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they're coming at us. They're coming at us and coming
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out ask but there are those times when God says, no, I've
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got a bat. It'll for you and I'm sending
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you right into it and I'm going to be with you every step of the
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way and you're going to need to remember the lion and you're
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going to need to remember the bear because not even that
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9-foot giant is going to be victorious in your life and you
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can stand against him by faith. That's perspective, we want to
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be able to see things by faith. I think that's why Jesus also
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tells us he teaches us that we are to be like children.
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We're not to be childish, but rather were to be childlike.
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Because you know, as we get older we get a little rough
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around the edges, we experienced a few bumps and bruises and you
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know, maybe some of you need to to Really admit this today like
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you become very callous. And hard-hearted.
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And you don't really trust God, like you do like you used to in
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the beginning. You don't really lay it all in
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line anymore. You know.
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At one point you could say your life was, I'm all in.
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But today, you're not so all in Because life has its way of
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hurting us. And callusing our hearts.
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And so one of the things you can do with a new years is like,
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Lord soften my heart. I want to be able to stand
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before the enemies that just constantly mock me and come
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against me in the difficulties. That seem to even chase me, I
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want to be able to respond to them by faith.
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He had the right perspective. And you know what I've found is
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that when we lose perspective, the most predominant emotion
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that pops up is fear. Faith and fear when we stand by
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faith, fear takes of subordinate role, but when we lose faith, it
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seems like fear, overcomes us. And then we start talking, while
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we will never win and we will and like, the children of Israel
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Iran away, we're out of here, instead of running toward the
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enemy, they ran away. Now, if we were there looking at
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this, we would have to check our perspective to because, you
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know, it's not only as our battle, it's not always our
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battle. So Those were watching someone
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else's sometimes, we're observing and I think if we were
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all there, I mean, we have to admit.
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If we were all there 9 foot giant, that's got all his armor
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and his spear in his Javelin and he's a he is like saw a man,
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he's a proven Warrior like King Saul said and then a little 16
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year old kid that has as we'll see in a moment a stick in a
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rock and we're putting money down, you know, we're taking out
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our phone, don't do this, but you pulling out your bedding
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apps, whatever they are, I don't even know what to call them.
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M is like I all my money's on Goliath all my money's on
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Goliath. No, those are the wrong eyes.
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Your money needs to be on God. He's the one that's going to
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come through, just in case you guys hear this somewhere else.
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I am not advocating, betting it all on Goliath.
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All right. Delete the app right now.
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You have a chance right now. Just delete it.
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Use that money for the glory of God.
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Just in case but you get the point for dropping money down at
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the fight Goliath Goliath, that's the wrong perspective.
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David understood that because it wasn't a battle between Goliath
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and David, it was a battle between Goliath and God the god
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of David. And if you're going to put your
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money down, put a mountain down on God every day of the week.
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He is faithful. We learn, we learn this is an
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impossible situation, right? We've learned throughout the
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Bible that God is able to make a way where there is, no way, you
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can assess it and set it all up. A God is able to give victory in
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seeming defeat as matter, of fact.
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There are times when we've experienced defeat and we think
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All Is Lost, but we forget that God works all things together
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for the good, for those that love him and those are called
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even defeats are used by God. Nothing is wasted.
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Well, you know, Saul sends him in, you know, I don't know.
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In verse 37. Oh, go ahead and go.
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What kind of leader is at? That's a different Bible study
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altogether, but notice in verse 38.
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So, Saul he maybe he's a little embarrassed or, you know afraid
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and what does he do? He puts with David, he puts on
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his arm. For his own armor, it's like
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it's always not going to go to battle.
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He's going to put it on David, he put a bronze helmet on his
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head, clothing with a coat of mail and David, fastened his
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sword to his armor and he tried to walk cause he hadn't tested
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them. But David said to Saul, I can't
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walk with these for I have not tested them so David took them
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off. Now there's a there's a whole
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Bible study in this of being who you are and following God who
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you are, you can't go in serve God with someone else's armor.
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Someone else's gifting. That's a different Bible study
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but I want you to notice here the different perspectives.
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David is ready to go to battle by faith trusting in God.
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But King the leader of the nation wants to send David into
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battle trusting in armor. You know, for some of you it
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takes a lot, it takes a lot. God has been working on you a
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long time to pull away, everything that you're trusting
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in instead of him. And it's situation after
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situation after situation where where he's trying to pull away
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the layers that have been built up over the years where you just
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refuse to trust in him and cast your whole lot into following
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him, someone else's armor doesn't fit and the work of
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Saul's hands doesn't fit this situation.
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David's not going to go in with armor.
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That's not how he's going to win.
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He needs the right perspective and you know you looking at
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this, it's just like the psalmist.
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The psalmist is looking at life around him that we read today
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and Psalm 73 and it's not fair, it's not right.
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Why are they getting away with this?
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They mock you God and on and on he goes until you get to the
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Middle where he says that word and sit until it says until--.
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I went into the sanctuary of God until I was in a position of
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worship until I was in a position of submission until I
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was a position where I put God in the right place.
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Ace then I understood and you want understanding today.
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They only comes by the eyes of faith.
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It won't come any other way, you come to that place of worship,
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and that's where understanding comes.
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Now, notice in verse 40, it says, David then took out took
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off the armor and he took his staff, which is basically a
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stick in his hand. He chose for himself five,
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smooth stones. And if you guys are Bible
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students, some people ask why five smooth stones.
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A possible answer is found in second Samuel chapter 21 Goliath
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has brothers. So perhaps he's thinking of
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taking them out too, but he has five stones and he put them in a
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Shepherds bag in a pouch, which he had.
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And his sling was in his hand, by the way, this sling is not
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some toy, slingshot you buy and Walmart somewhere.
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This was a tool of the shepherd and it was you could say it was
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a professional sling where he He would use it with a rock to take
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care of predators, you know, scare away.
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If a sheep was, was wandering off.
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He a Shepherd could be so precise.
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They they swing this around and shoot that stone right in front
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on the nose of that sheep to get them back.
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So it was a tool. This was a tool, David's a tool,
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the rock is a tool, this professional slingshots, a tool,
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his staff is until he's just taking, this is another lesson.
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You just bring to God. What you have?
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That's it just bring what you have.
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It's all going to be used by him anyway.
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So what good is a stick take it? What is I going to do with a few
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rocks? Get them, put them in your
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pocket, put them on your belt, get your sling and be ready for
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the Lord to act and so he does that and notice what he says, it
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says in verse 41. So the Philistine came and began
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Drawing Near to David and The Man Who Bore his shield went
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before him and when the Philistine looked about and saw
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David, Disdain him. That's a strong word in the
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Hebrew Old Testament, written written in the Hebrew language
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is a very strong word. That means to look down on
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someone or to mock them. That's where we get the idea
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that he's mocking. And let me just say this, any
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time you take a step of Faith toward victory in faith, not
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everybody's going to like it. Not everybody's going to be
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encouraging you, including maybe the person that you're dealing
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with, like, you're wanting to resolve something.
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You want to do something, right? It's like big life change.
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I've been going my life one way, and I just know God wants me to
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go in another way. Don't expect everybody to like
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it. And expect a few people to make
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fun of you and mock. You and look down on you and
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make fun of you and your faith. It's really.
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You got a steel yourself to to keep your eyes on God.
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Trusting him, that he's leading you, and guiding you.
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And so it makes sense. He's trying to make fun of them
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notice he says in verse 43, The Philistine is name is Goliath
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says am I a dog that you're going to come to me with sticks
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and the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
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And the Philistine said to David, come to me and I'll give
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your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the
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field. And he's trying to intimidate
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him trying to scare him. And this is here, a commentator
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made a really good statement on this and let me quote
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intimidation that's our major battle when we Face Giants in
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our life. When they intimidate us, we get
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tongue-tied. Our thoughts, get confused.
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We forget how to pray, we focus on the odds against us.
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We forget whom we represent and we stand there with our knees
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knocking and I wonder what God must think.
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He writes when all the while he's promised us, my power is
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available, there's no one on earth, greater than me, you can
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trust me, David lived, a very simple, a very simple principle.
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Nothing to prove nothing to lose.
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He didn't try to impress anybody in the army of Israel.
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He didn't try to impress his brothers.
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He didn't even try to impress God, he ran to meet Goliath.
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And that's where he's at. You can't stop a man or a woman
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living by faith. It's impossible.
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You can't intimidate them. You can't scare them into an in
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action, Faith deals, a death blow that kind of stuff.
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Notice? What?
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David's of answer was go, I tried to scare him and
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intimidate him. Look what David says in verse
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45, David said to the Philistine you come to me with a sword and
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a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of
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the Lord of hosts, the god of the armies of Israel.
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Whom you have defied this day, the Lord will deliver you into
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my hand and I'll Strike you and take your head from you.
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And this day, I'll give you to the carcass, I'll give the
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carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the
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air and to the wild beasts of the earth.
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So that all the Earth may know that there's a God in Israel and
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verse 47 is where we get our title.
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Then all the assembly will know that the Lord does not save with
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sword. And spear for the battle is the
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Lord's and he will give you into our hands.
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And so you got this young man just sir Circling, all these
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things in his mind, all the past victories, all of God's
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faithfulness, the intimidation, not only does Goliath 9 feet 9
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inches because you got to do it in front of him with a shield.
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So it's to coming against him and they was like, I'm having
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none of this. God has sent me on a mission and
23:41
I don't care whose before me. I don't care what comes up.
23:44
I'm going to remain faithful loyal and courageous to God.
23:50
You can intimidate a man or a woman like that.
23:53
Try as you might which reminds me of the New Testament
23:57
equivalent of this. There is a new testament
24:01
equivalent of the power of God. Let me show you just one
24:03
example, would you turn over to Romans chapter 8?
24:06
Romans chapter 8 with me. This is kind of like the
24:09
Pinnacle of the Bible but also if not the Bible, the Pinnacle
24:13
of the book of Romans here in chapter 8 it's such a chapter of
24:18
Victory, the all that's available to you and me by
24:22
faith. Jesus.
24:24
And then, check this out in verse 31.
24:26
This is where David standing, and this hasn't even been
24:29
written yet. This is what David's a living
24:31
on. This is what he's feeding on
24:33
this is what's fueling him in verse 31 of chapter 8.
24:38
He says, What then shall we say to these things if God is for
24:43
us? Who can be against us?
24:46
You just need to hear that today.
24:48
Now, of course, there's a few of you go.
24:49
Well, God's Force, there's a lot of people against us.
24:52
That's not what he's saying here.
24:54
He's not saying of God's for you.
24:56
You never have any problems. Never have any difficulties.
24:58
That's not what he's saying. What he's saying is this, if God
25:02
is for us, then who can be against us successfully,
25:07
because, of course, Jesus taught us that if the world hated him
25:11
that you will face hatred following him, the closer you
25:15
are to him. It seems, the more difficulties
25:17
you're going to face But the Declaration is, what do we need
25:23
to say about all these great things that he just wrote about
25:25
in chapter 8. If God is for us, then who can
25:28
be against us and you can even personalize as you can save, God
25:30
is for me, then who can really be against me.
25:34
No matter how tall they are, how loud, they are, how long it's
25:37
been, whatever, whatever it is. It's so it's very important
25:42
today every day, but especially as we enter into a new year,
25:48
it's very important that you understand that God is for you,
25:52
not against you by faith in Jesus, because it's so easy.
25:57
I was sharing recently with someone.
26:00
Difficulties that I've been facing for many years now, but
26:05
as I'm sharing them, I'm sharing this one and I'm sharing this
26:08
one, I'm sharing this one. It's like layer upon layer upon
26:12
layer. I'm like, oh my God, this is
26:14
serious stuff. I don't think I've thought of
26:16
them all in one sitting in a long time.
26:19
Just boom, boom and then boom boom.
26:22
And he's like okay about number for your like how much can a guy
26:24
take well then there's four more.
26:26
Boom boom, boom. And then I'm reminded of this
26:29
text where if God is for me, who could be against me, I mean if
26:33
I'm walking by faith in Christ, then whatever he's a lot of my
26:36
life. It's for his glory, it's for my
26:39
good but it's for his glory and I think at this time in a Bible
26:43
study like this because it's so powerful.
26:45
But also so simple some of you may hear me and think well you
26:49
know and why are you minimizing what I'm going to do.
26:51
You think it's no big deal? I just get a rock and hit.
26:53
Look, I'm not look. I'm not minimizing what you're
26:58
going through. And I don't even know the extent
27:02
of what you're going through. I think in my life, I don't even
27:04
know the extent of what I'm going through.
27:06
But I'll tell you this, if God be for us, who can be against
27:11
us? You can trust him.
27:14
You can trust him with that, wayward child.
27:16
You can trust him with that, that person that's come against
27:20
you at work. You can trust him with that
27:23
financers or falling out. You could trust him with your
27:25
singleness, you can trust him with your marriage.
27:28
Even if you have divorce papers, At the court, God can still
27:33
work. You can trust him.
27:37
He can change Hearts, he can turn things around in an
27:41
instant. It's like until I got in the
27:44
sanctuary that I, then I remember God is so faithful.
27:48
He's so reliable. Because it's easy to live life.
27:53
With all these layers Like Woe Is Me.
27:55
God is against me. Going on another thing.
28:00
Another year, another problem. I don't want another year on
28:02
another problem or problems. I'm done with problems.
28:04
I'm done with giants. I'm done with difficulties.
28:07
Well, so am I, they're part of life.
28:10
I was listening to a Bible study on the way in last night for
28:13
service friend of my pastor and Florida just pulled out the app,
28:17
picked, a random study and one of the things he said, was so
28:19
good. He was talking about our culture
28:23
and how easy it is to walk away from the Simplicity of faith and
28:28
just play the victim card. And he began to talk about how
28:32
even Believers. You know, there, just take that
28:33
position of being the victim being the victim and he
28:36
elaborated on a little bit but he really emphasized that and it
28:40
ministered to my heart because I was thinking of what, we're,
28:43
what we're studying today and I was thinking of this and it just
28:46
gave me a new statement to think.
28:48
If, if you choose to play the victim, you won't experience the
28:53
victory. They don't go together.
28:57
If you desire to let all these things woe is me.
29:00
Look at everything is against me and that is a familiar feeling.
29:05
You could feel that way, but if you choose to play the victim of
29:09
all that's happened to you, in all the difficulties, you'll
29:11
never experience the victory. That yours by faith, Victory
29:16
takes care of, there's only really truly biblically
29:20
biblically one way out. And that's by faith, trusting in
29:25
the Lord. I find that David here of all
29:29
that he's faced and all the difficulty he walks in, he's
29:32
just going to go right at it. He isn't live.
29:34
Oh, look at me and what a difficult he's like.
29:36
Look at everybody running away, someone's got to stand up.
29:40
And that's the kind of strength God wants to give you.
29:43
You're going to stumble, you're going to fall, you're going to
29:46
have issues. That's Life, Christian Sin
29:49
unbeliever Sin, we all stumble and fall, you know?
29:52
And I think we have a different perspective sometimes.
29:54
We just like all, you know, I'm such a failure.
29:56
No, no, there's no shame in wanting to do.
29:59
What's right and still falling on your face.
30:02
No, you take your failures to the Lord and you let him teach
30:06
you through difficulty through trial.
30:11
You know, when we stumble and fall, we need to remember God is
30:14
not just waiting for a moment for you to fail, so you can
30:17
pounce you and Crush you and destroy you, you know, kind of
30:21
kind of, you know, live like God is kind of a Santa Claus figure,
30:26
you know, he's making a list and he's checking it twice.
30:31
It's going to find out in the room.
30:32
You guys are all naughty and not nice.
30:34
You know, whatever. Like so dumb.
30:38
So dumb I don't know why. Stop it like the reality is as
30:42
God loves you. Send his son, Jesus Christ to
30:45
die for you. Whether you're naughty or nice,
30:48
whatever. Live your life for him.
30:51
Turn your life back toward him. Face.
30:54
The giant head on. Don't play the victim.
30:57
Walk in the victory. That's yours by faith.
31:00
God is not against you. God always the Bible says again
31:05
the New Testament 2nd Corinthians chapter 2.
31:07
God always leads us in Victory. In Christ, always, he's here to
31:12
strengthen us and help us. So what happens with David
31:16
notice? He says verse 48.
31:19
So it was when the Philistine arose and came and Junior to
31:22
meet David that David hastened and ran toward the Army to meet
31:27
the philistine. He didn't run away, he ran
31:30
toward notice. David put his hand in his bag,
31:34
took out a stone and he slung it struck the Philistine in his
31:38
forehead so that the stone sank into his forehead.
31:41
And he fell on his face to the Earth.
31:42
So David prevailed against the Philistine with a sling and a
31:46
stone marked. Those words when you fight God's
31:50
battles, God's way you will prevail, that's what happened
31:55
with David. So David prevailed you want
31:58
proof. Healing Faith, then trust in the
32:00
Lord, with all your heart and lean not on your own
32:03
understanding, acknowledge Him in all your ways, and he will
32:05
direct your paths, the victory is yours by faith, so he
32:09
prevails struck, the Philistine Killed him.
32:12
There's no sword in his hand. So David ran and stood over the
32:15
Philistine. Took his sword.
32:17
Drew it out and killed him. Cut off his head with it.
32:21
Now again we read the Bible like is like this is this guy I'll
32:26
take the lion and the bear but I want the guy's head and that's
32:30
what he does. And the Philistines saw their
32:32
Champion was dead and they fled. Now again we the timing of this,
32:39
we don't know exactly how much time passes but for the sake of
32:42
Our Moment here it's only been half hour.
32:47
It's only been 24, you know 24 25 verses remember back in verse
32:52
24 Goliath intimidated, the nation they were Dreadful.
32:56
A afraid, and they ran away. And now within 25 verses within
33:00
a few moments within a half a day, maybe, who knows just this,
33:04
this middle young man of Faith. Now, what's happening with the
33:07
Philistines? They're running away, and let me
33:10
just remind you things can change very quickly, not just
33:14
for the bad but also for the good things, can change very,
33:17
very rapidly. And the mechanism that often
33:21
changed comes is through a woman or a man of faith.
33:26
You want to surround you with people.
33:27
You want to surround yourself with people that believe God and
33:30
let me just say you want a few people in your life that
33:32
believe. God more than you do.
33:35
So, they encourage you and they strengthen you and they just
33:38
always have something to say. Oh, woe is me and then your
33:41
friend comes Woe Is You. And they will.
33:46
Sorry. Sorry about that.
33:48
It reminded me an episode with Marie and I years ago close to
33:53
after our son passed away, she invited a woman out to do a
33:58
woman's tea around Christmas time.
34:00
And this woman Margaret, Ashmore came out.
34:02
Wonderful woman of God. I was there because we as men
34:05
were serving the ladies at night.
34:06
So I was there at the table and she wanted to get to know us and
34:09
we didn't never met her before and, and we're giving her a
34:12
little bit of Our Testimony, what's been happening in our
34:14
life. Laughs and kind of the sorrow
34:16
and stuff we were going through and and we kept using a phrase
34:20
that Marie. And I had used so many times
34:22
that I guess we didn't realize we were using it, so God sent
34:25
someone all the way from. Texas flew all the way out here
34:28
to sit at the table. We were right in this area right
34:30
here. I remember it.
34:31
Like it was yesterday and she's looking at us.
34:33
You let us talk, let us talk, let us talk and then we stopped
34:36
talking. She said, you know, I think
34:38
you're you guys don't realize you're using a phrase.
34:42
Well then, what is it? It's just, we were saying this,
34:44
we're saying With the situation we'd give the difficulty and
34:46
then we'd say well we just have to believe God's going to do
34:49
something, then we give the difficulty.
34:51
We just have to believe. We just have to believe.
34:54
She says, you keep saying you just have to and those are not
34:58
words of Faith. You just have to.
35:01
Why aren't you trusting him? Well, we know we have to but why
35:04
aren't you trusting him and we're like, can you go back to
35:06
Texas? We know we did not, we don't
35:08
know. No, because you need someone in
35:09
your life just going to look in the I go.
35:11
Do you hear yourself? We mean, you just have to don't
35:15
start. Don't just have to trust him.
35:19
Cast that to him and it was revolutionary.
35:22
It was a turning point in our life.
35:23
We're not. We don't just have to do
35:24
anything. We can trust him in this
35:27
situation, we can and we will and I'm sure you have a sum of
35:33
unique people in your life. They're going to tell you the
35:35
truth. They're going to look you in the
35:37
eye and share the truth with you.
35:40
The victory comes David prevails with the stone and a sling.
35:47
And he cuts his head off verse 52 when the men of Israel and
35:50
Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines, as far
35:54
as the entrance of the valley into the gates of ekron, the
35:57
Wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shah Rahim
36:00
even as far as gas and ekron, the children of Israel returned
36:04
from chasing the Philistines and they plundered the tents things
36:07
turned around very, very quickly.
36:11
A couple more things before we leave.
36:12
And for we have a few songs that Pastor Ian's chose nice.
36:15
Yeah, it's so beautiful. How we're going to end today but
36:19
Many times we have to realize that God doesn't use ordinary
36:24
means to solve our problems. He uses Supernatural means to
36:29
solve our problems. Well, the ingredients might be
36:32
normal or rock a stick a person, but Victory comes in
36:37
Supernatural ways. Oftentimes Supernatural ways
36:42
that lived out in the natural which is why we take so much
36:45
credit for the work of God in our lives as if we did it.
36:49
Well you know I read the Bible so imma so much better person.
36:51
You're a better person because God is making you a better
36:54
person. And yeah it's good to read the
36:57
Because God's going to strengthen you and it's going to
36:59
be beautiful but it's the work of God in your life.
37:02
It's not what you have to offer. You just give yourself and you
37:05
won't measure all the little things you do because you've
37:07
given yourself. You see, we have to remember
37:13
that God is at work because here's the default.
37:17
So often when I face a problem, when maybe you as well, when I
37:21
faced a huge situation, I'm always looking at natural ways
37:25
to solve it. He's like God's done it before.
37:29
Like, if it's a financial issue, I'll get my calculator out.
37:33
And I'll look at this, this and this and what about this over
37:35
here and this this is and then maybe I'll come up with a, with
37:37
a solution and a plan or like, oh, I feel so much better except
37:42
that there are times when I also get the calculator out and the
37:44
numbers don't add up. It's like, okay, which is what's
37:47
wrong with my calculator. I got an iPhone on an Android.
37:49
What's wrong with this thing man?
37:51
Suppose, so what's acting like an Android right now?
37:54
It's like, it's not Measuring Up.
37:58
And we start to trust our own wisdom, like we got it all
38:01
figured out and you know what happens?
38:04
What happens. God doesn't use conventional
38:05
ways, he uses Supernatural ways. He doesn't say by sword or
38:09
spear. I'm looking for human ways and I
38:13
get discouraged and I'll even despair because I can't figure
38:17
it out and so much of it's outside of my control.
38:21
Anyway, that I don't have any control over that as have to
38:25
trust in the Lord. Again, I was thinking of
38:28
episodes in my own life to share with you to illustrate these
38:31
things because I'm telling you, I have used things in my life.
38:38
That have caused Great problems, you know, because the devil is
38:41
always trying to get us in the flesh.
38:42
You know that? So we just take this all on
38:44
flesh to flesh, just take things into your own hands, you know,
38:48
with your words. So you yell at someone or you
38:50
say something or maybe your letter, you're going to write
38:53
that letter. That'll take care of it, or send
38:56
that email. That always works.
38:59
Or how about on I-25. I'll get back at you.
39:02
Oh yeah, that helped a whole situation, didn't it?
39:05
Honking and everybody scaring the lady next to you may agree.
39:08
The guy in front of you that really worked and I remember a
39:11
time where difficult difficult situation still with us to this
39:16
day. But in the early stages I got a
39:18
really nasty mean email. I mean pages long and I took
39:24
that email and I wrote back a response for every single point
39:28
and I edited it and I put scriptures in it and it was just
39:32
exactly what I wanted. I say I was in my office at
39:35
home, I sent it to Marie, she was in the kitchen and I said,
39:38
Honey. Look at this and edit it and
39:40
I'll send it as soon as you're done.
39:42
And I hear from the kitchen, don't send it.
39:48
And so, you know what I did? Click.
39:53
I sent it. And let me just tell you it made
39:58
things worse, not better. Even to this day.
40:05
It would have been better. If I would have remembered that
40:09
God doesn't save by sword or spear or keyboard and
40:15
beautifully written emails. Because not everybody thinks
40:19
what you have to say or what you're writing the same way you
40:23
think about it. And wouldn't it be better if you
40:26
just stay quiet and trusted in the Lord?
40:30
You see God uses Supernatural ways to deliver.
40:35
There may be an occasion where you send a note or you have to
40:37
have hard words, that's not the point.
40:40
The point is is that you can't take things into your own hands.
40:43
The devil wants to get you out of the territory of Faith so
40:47
that you take things into your own hands and he's just going to
40:49
wipe you out, man, you're toast. It's over.
40:53
It's better to stay in the spirit, right?
40:56
The Bible says, is much second Corinthians chapter 10, the
41:00
weapons of our Warfare are not human or in the Old King, James
41:05
new King, James not carnal. But they're Mighty in God,
41:09
casting down, arguments the weapons of God, cast down other
41:12
people's arguments and accusations, you can trust him.
41:16
Yeah. But Ed, you don't know what
41:17
they're saying at work. I don't but just trust the Lord
41:21
Just trust him and you stay focused on what God's doing.
41:25
So I love this. I don't care how impossible, how
41:28
big the giant is just, like David.
41:31
He prevails apostrophe in, and the team are going to come up.
41:33
As we end today. I don't want you to leave.
41:35
I want you to just take a deep breath.
41:37
I got a couple things to share with you and then we have a few
41:40
songs at the Holy Spirit, want house for us.
41:42
And really cool way to end our service in this first one in the
41:45
new year as well. But I have two things I want to
41:47
share with you if I had to sum up and I only had like if I had
41:50
to do this in An elevator ride if I had to do an elevator talk.
41:53
This is what I tell you from this text number one.
41:57
Get your eyes off the problem. Or off the giant it will never
42:02
lead you. Like you just staring at
42:04
Goliath, I don't know if you've noticed this with the more
42:06
attention you give the more attention you do you want me to
42:15
keep reading? Absolutely, not gosh.
42:21
When I ask her things, she doesn't tell me.
42:23
I don't want anything to do with her.
42:25
She's trying to take my stage with the okay.
42:30
Okay. Number one.
42:31
You're ready right? They're going to it's going to
42:33
start singing for you next watch.
42:36
Hey Siri. Sing a song in replacement of
42:39
Ian. All right.
42:48
Number one man, I'm starting to sweat on that one.
42:53
Get your eyes off the giant. How did you?
42:55
I mean, you found that the more attention you give to your
42:58
problems, the bigger they get The more blinding they are
43:03
something so small, like your finger can block all of your
43:06
eyesight, the closer, it is to your eye and it's really
43:09
important that you learn to surrender your difficulty or
43:12
problem that people to the Lord daily Moment by moment.
43:16
That's what Jesus meant. When he said abide in me, get
43:19
your eyes off your problems. Don't stop giving it so much
43:22
attention or as we said earlier species, super careful that you
43:25
don't become the victim in the story.
43:28
You're not the hero of your story, you know?
43:30
That Jesus Christ is our hero, he alone is faithful and when
43:36
you get through this and when you process it, you know, when
43:39
you get through the Lord is going to show you his
43:41
faithfulness and you're going to give him the glory for great
43:44
things, he has done. And number two, Not only do I am
43:48
I asking you to get your eyes off the Giants, you're facing.
43:51
But secondly, I want you to remember this.
43:54
God is for you and not against you.
43:56
That is your heritage as a follower of Jesus.
44:00
First, John 4:4 you are of God little children and have
44:03
overcome them because he who is in, you is greater than he was
44:07
in the world Jew. 1:24 now to him, who is able to keep you
44:11
from stumbling to present, you faultless before the presence of
44:15
his glory with exceeding Joy Ephesians chapter 1 verse 19.
44:19
What is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who
44:23
believe according to the working of his mighty power.
44:26
He who is in, you is greater exceeding Joy, exceeding
44:32
greatness of his power. The strength of God, the power
44:35
of God, the abilities of God are all yours by faith.
44:38
And when God has for, you know, giant can stand, no problem can
44:42
continue. There is nothing too big for
44:45
God. The Battle Belongs to the Lord
44:47
say it again with me real loud. Ready.
44:49
The Battle Belongs to the Lord. Let's stand together.
44:53
We're going to sing these songs as Pastor.
44:55
Ian leads us, if Was David will get your eyes on the Lord.
44:59
You can go out in the name of God today, and the Giants Must
45:02
Fall. You have to know that there is a
45:04
victory for every fall in your life.
45:06
And may God grant you. That Victory today as you leave
45:09
here in Jesus name. Amen.
45:13
We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible.
45:15
Study delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
45:19
prayer. Call us at 877 30 Grace, that's
45:24
877, 30. Oh, 4723 to listen to this
45:29
message in its entirety or to join us for our lives dream
45:33
Services. Visit us online at Calvary.
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Co dot church or download our free Calvary Church app be
45:40
blessed as you worship Jesus this week.
45:26
Oh, 4723 to listen to this message in its entirety or to
45:31
join us for our lives dream Services.
45:33
Visit us online at Calvary. Co dot church or download our
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free Calvary Church app be blessed as you worship Jesus
45:42
this week.