Five Smooth Stones (title is link to sermon)
Read 1 Samuel 17
David fought the giant with FAITH! Amen?
We can look at those five smooth stones as that FAITH!
F-A-I-T-H...
Fortitude,
Aggression,
Initiative,
Testimony and
Help from Above...
Five smooth stones in the hands of a young Jewish boy who would one day be king. But for now, and in the eyes of Goliath, he was just a runt. But it was not who David was that made the difference, it was what he was made of...
David showed Fortitude when no one else dared fight the giant!
The Israelites were “dismayed and greatly afraid.” “ And all the men of Israel when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.” 1 Samuel 17:24
Our faith requires that we have the fortitude to face the giants in our lives. Amen?
David displayed Aggression!
David was aggressive in defense of his cause. Amen?
The Israelites were afraid to stand for what they believed in. The giant was defying their very existence as a people. The giant cursed their God!
Believers should not always be passive!
There are some who believe that Christians should be pacifists but there are times when you are called upon to fight. Amen?
However, the battle we are engaged in is spiritual rather than physical…so we fight in a different way.
David took the Initiative!
The battle was at a stand-off, no one was winning.
David asked: Is there not a cause? (Verse 29)
He drew near the giant! (verse 40)
David took the fight to the giant. He took the initiative!
The Israelites pursued the enemy after David’s victory. Sometimes, all it takes is one person! One person to make a stand!
Initiative is usually a step of faith. It means stepping out even though the odds are against you. When one person dares to make a stand, it motivates the others to continue the assault. Amen?
David had a Testimony.
David had killed a lion and a bear before (Verses 34-35).
David testified and gave the glory to God! Verse 37)
A testimony comes from living a life of faith – a life of walking with God.
Anyone can develop a testimony. You may not have one now but if you trust in God today you can have one tomorrow. Amen?
Giants will face you wherever you are but trusting in God will help you to overcome and you will be able to testify!
David had Help.
David recognized that he couldn’t do it alone.
No one can face giants alone.
Giants by nature are physically superior and it would be foolish to go against them on your own strength.
David faced the giant in the name of the Lord!
The name of the Lord is powerful! Amen?
Five smooth stones – very simple weapons used by David to vanquish an opponent who was larger, better equipped and better trained than he was but David had something that made the difference on that day…David had F.A.I.T.H.
David had F.A.I.T.H. that whatever he did, his God was on his side and when the giants came, they had to fall before him.
In order to face your giants, you too can use these five smooth stones: Fortitude, Aggression, Initiative, Testimony and you can’t do it without Help from above.
Have a blessed day!
Comments
Amen