FACING GIANTS IN LIFE & WORK
50 Days of Transformation – Part 7 (Your Career)
Malcolm Gladwell & Rick Warren
March 8-9, 2014
Your ability to dream is one of the greatest gifts God has given to you.
Your ability to imagine, create, perceive and dream of the future is an amazing ability.
You are most like your Creator when you are creative!
Every great achievement in life began as a dream.
Everything starts with an idea which morphs into a vision, dream and plans.
Nothing happens til somebody starts dreaming.
You gotta have a dream for your life!
If you don't have a dream, you just drifting...
You're not really fully alive & living, you are just existing, you are letting life happen to you.
Everybody needs a dream for their life.
Help others figure out God's dream for their lives and then encourage them to pursue that dream.
Napolean said, "Imagination rules the world."
Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge!"
For every 10 people who dream, only one person will actually pursue it.
The others get stuck, procrastinate, get discouraged, give up, because of problems that seem to be in the pathway of that dream. They appear like giants.
1 SAMUEL 17:1-52
“Now the Philistines had gathered their forces for war. . . They occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. A champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was a giant of a man, over nine feet tall, wearing a huge bronze helmet, and a coat of bronze armor that weighed over 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leggings, and slung a huge bronze javelin over his back. The iron spearhead alone weighed 15 pounds, and a solider with a large shield always walked in front of Goliath.”1 Samuel 17:1-7
I. LESSONS FROM DAVID FACING GOLIATH
This war was centered in Palestine 3,000 years ago in the heart of the Biblical
world. The geographic location is very strategic. The most historic cities are in the mt. areas:
Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron
Coastal Plain - Televiv
Valleys - Sheffela is the most beautiful areas of Israel full of vineyards, forests.
This meeting of war is in the valley. The Philistines send out their giant, Goliath to end the grid lock of war. King Saul has no courageous soldiers who will volunteer to fight. Young David declines King Saul's armor. He tells the giant, "I come to you in the name of the Lord!"
Armies consisted of:
Chariots - Horse carriages
Infantry -Foot soldiers, armor,
Artillery - Bows, arrows, slings of rocks
Typical rotation is 6-7 times per second. Rock will travel 35 meters per second.
The rock will travel at 35 meters per second, if Goliath is 100 ft. away from David, it will arrive at his head in less than one second. The rock David used was probably barium sulfate, it would have stopping power of a 45 caliber hand gun. Experienced slingers can hit birds in flight.
Goliath is heavy infantry. Slingers were used to devastate infantry.
Goliath said, "Come to me" expecting hand to hand combat.
David changes the rules, and brings a sling to a sword fight.... he has superior technology and the Lord in his heart. He has a greater advantage.
We misunderstand Goliath. He is not the indomitable warrior as reputed. He is led to the valley of Ela by the hand. He moves slowly. He keeps saying, "Come to me that I might ... (threatening)"
Endocrinologists focused on the medical condition of Goliath - he has acromeglia. He probably has a tumor on his pituitary gland to cause tremendous growth - when the average man was 5 feet tall.
The tumor grows so large it commonly puts pressure on the optic nerve and causes vision problems. He probably can't see well, moves slowly to prevent falling, that is why he tells David to come to him.
What the Israelites saw was an intimidating giant. But the source of his strength was actually weaknesses. Don't judge a book by it's cover. Don't look on outward appearances to judge strengths. What really matters is what is inside. Giants are not what they always appear to be.
You may have to face giants in your life.
Giants in your mind to cause fears and prevent you from going for your dreams
Giants in your health, finances, relationships, etc.
David had to face giants and overcome them.
Giants are dream busters.
Giants prevent you from going after what you want to do in your life.
God instructed Samuel to find the next king of Israel and anoint him. He goes to Bethlehem and meets Jesse's 8 sons. Samuel choose the last and least of Jesse's sons, David. The least became the greatest - Greatest King of Israel. The next day, nothing happened.
II. OTHER ‘GIANTS’ DAVID HAD TO FACE
1. DELAY:
No dream is fulfilled instantly. There is a waiting period.
“Now David was the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons. . . His three older brothers enlisted in Saul’s army. . . but David was held back to care for the sheep in Bethlehem.”
Somebody will hold you back. Sometimes the people who hold you
back are those who love you the most. In this case it was David's own Dad, Jesse.
vs.12-1
2. DISCOURAGEMENT: When everybody around you doesn't believe it can happen, because they are scared and doubtful, feel hopeless and paralyzed and gives up. Negativity spins out of control and contaminates everyone else. They are listening to the wrong voice. Conventional wisdom is often wrong, Sometimes solutions come from an outsider.
"Each day Goliath would stand and shout at the ranks of Israel’s army, ‘Why do you come out here and line up for battle?. . . Choose one man to fight me. If he’s able to kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I kill him, you’ll become our subjects and serve us.’ Day after day Goliath taunted them saying ‘This day I defy the ranks of Israel!’ When Saul and the Israelites heard this, everyone was deeply shaken and paralyzed with fear.”vs. 8-11
God has a plan for your life, and so do other people. Sometimes that happens in your life and it becomes a giant problem in your life.
“For forty days, twice a day, morning and evening, the Philistine giant loudly berated the Israelite army.” Who are you listening to that is negative? Who says it is doom and gloom.? Negativity rubs off on you. Don't hang out negative toxic people. vs. 16
“As David talked with his brothers on the front line, he saw Goliath start shouting his usual threats to Israel’s army. When the army heard Goliath, they all ran away in terror.”vs. 23-24
3. DISAPPROVAL:
Critics, naysayers, antagonists will question your motives.
If you worry about the disapproval of others you will never fulfill your dream of
what God wants you to be and do. Others will want you to do it "their way!"
David's own brother gives him a hard time: Sibling rivalry
“David asked, ‘What’s the reward for killing this Philistine and ending this disgraceful abuse?’. . . When David’s older brother heard this he burned with anger at David and said ‘Why are YOU even here anyway? Why aren’t you taking care of your scrawny little flock of sheep? You cocky little brat. I know how conceited you are!’ ‘Now what have I done?’ said David. ‘Can’t I even ask a question?’
vs. 26-29
Sometimes family doesn't want you to succeed, because of jealousy, envy. None of Jesus' siblings believed He was God's son until after the resurrection. James, his brother, wrote the book of James and became the head of the church in Jerusalem. He humbly writes of himself, "the servant of Jesus". Let the size of your God determine the size of your goal. Big GOD, Dream BIG!
People misjudge and malign you when you are confident in what God can do through you.
The reward for slaying the giant was: Wealth, Marry the King's daugther, Tax exemption for life!
4. DOUBT: When others doubt your abilities, move against your doubt, trust God.
.
“‘Don’t worry about a thing,’ David told the King, ‘I'll fight this Philistine!’ ‘Don't be ridiculous!’ Saul replied. ‘There’s no way YOU can go against this Philistine! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a professional warrior all his life!’” vs. 32-33
HOW TO DEFEAT GIANTS THAT KEEP YOU FROM YOUR BEST
1.
Remember how God has helped me in the past. That gives me confidence when I recall
His faithfulness to me in little things - surely he will help me in the big things.
“In protecting my sheep, I’ve killed both a lion and a bear. . . The Lord who delivered me from the teeth of that lion, and the claws of that bear, He will surely now deliver me from this Philistine too!”vs. 36-37
2.
Use the tools God has provided to me now. Don't wait to get started.
Do the best I can with what I have for Jesus Christ today. Don't wait for perfect
conditions or rely on others to do it their way. Do it the way God wired and wants you to do it.
You are not a clone or copy cat. You are unique.
David rejected the King's (man's might) provisions, he relied upon what God provided to him: “Then Saul dressed David in his own armor... But David said, ‘I cannot go out in these, because I’m not used to them.’ So he took them off . . . Instead he chose 5 smooth stones for his sling.”vs. 38-40
3.
Ignore the dream busters.
Nobody encouraged David. He was alone with God: “ . . . When others were speaking against him, David encouraged himself in the Lord.”1 Samuel 30:6
4.
Expect God to help me for His glory.
“David shouted to Goliath ‘You come at me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord Almighty!...Today the Lord will conquer you. . . and the whole world will know that there is a God! And everyone will know that the Lord doesn’t need weapons to rescue his people. It is his battle, not ours. The Lord will give you to us!’”vs. 45-47
There is almost nothing God won't do for a person who has this kind of faith.
The reason you are tired is because you are trying to fight the battle instead of relying upon God.
God doesn't respond to griping, complaining, whining, worrying about your situation.
God responds to faith.
Positive thinking is better than negative thinking. However positive thinking will never solve problems. We need God to help us. We need faith in Him.
Dear God,
I want to have your dreams for my life.
Be who You want me to be.
Accomplish my purpose for my life.
When I am afraid by doubts, discouragement, disapprovals, delays, help me to remember how You have helped me in the past and You will do it again as I trust You.
Help me not to wait, but to do what I can now with what I have.
Teach me how to encourage myself in You.
I expect Your help.
The battle is Yours.
Accomplish your glory in me.
Bring honor to Yourself.
Work in my life.
In Jesus, our Lord's name.
Amen!
