Marty Sloan – Living the Dream

Living Like a Giant Series – Giant Killers

5 16 10 HT PM

1 Samuel 16:1- 13 NKJV

Some times in order to live like a giant you need to kill a few along the way.  Tonight I want to conclude our Living Like a Giant Series by showing you the life of one who had to slay more than one giant.  We know him mostly for a massive philistine he slew with a smooth stone – yet this was not his first or last giant.

A few faith-building verses;

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. NKJV

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  NKJV

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12:2

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. NKJV

Tonight lets look at life at one that slew several giants in his lifetime.

Giants to slay:

1 Samuel 16:1

Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”

1 Samuel 16:2

And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’

1 Samuel 16:3

Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”

1 Samuel 16:4

So Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”

1 Samuel 16:5

And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

1 Samuel 16:6

So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’S anointed is before Him!”

1 Samuel 16:7

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For ◙ the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:8

So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”

1 Samuel 16:9

Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”

1 Samuel 16:10

Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.”

1 Samuel 16:11

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”

1 Samuel 16:12

So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”

Do you know whom Samuel just anointed? Look at vs. 13

1 Samuel 16:13

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. NKJV

1. Giant number one – Overlooked

1 Samuel 16 the parade of sons – uniquely one was not there, he was overlooked.  The best place to be when they are looking for a king is doing the work of king not standing in line.  Often in life, those who should be for you, are the first to overlook – Jesus said Himself that a prophet is not without honor except in his own country (Matt 13:57)! Ironic!

Go to 1 Samuel 17 for our second giant.

1 Samuel 17:22

And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.

1 Samuel 17:23

Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them.

1 Samuel 17:24

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.

1 Samuel 17:25

So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”

1 Samuel 17:26

Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

1 Samuel 17:27

And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

1 Samuel 17:28

Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” NKJV

2. Giant number two  - Outcast

1 Samuel 17 shows his brothers complete rejection of him – even when they could not find the solution, they were certain he was not – their rejection was clearly personal..

Staying in 1 Samuel 17 – we pick up our third giant, just a few verses down.

1 Samuel 17:33

And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”

1 Samuel 17:34

But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,

1 Samuel 17:35

I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.

1 Samuel 17:36

Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”

1 Samuel 17:37

Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

3. Giant number three – Outrageous

Talking here about that moment when you share what you believe you can do and all the people around you look at you like your completely crazy – as if you have uncovered some outrageous idea that would never be possible.

You also see here a bit of a generational doubt. Like our fathers of faith cheering us on the previous generations should be the best and biggest fans of the present generations.

The ending of 1 Samuel 17 closes out with the fourth and final giant – a biggie!

1 Samuel 17:40

Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:41

So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.

1 Samuel 17:42

And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking.

1 Samuel 17:43

So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

1 Samuel 17:44

And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

1 Samuel 17:45

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

1 Samuel 17:46

This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

1 Samuel 17:47

Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’S, and He will give you into our hands.”

1 Samuel 17:48

So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:49

Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

4. Giant number four – Obstacles

Talking here of the realities in front of you! Faith is NOT overlooking the reality – its seeing through.  Jesus told His disciples that if they had faith they could speak to the mountain and it would move – He did not say to ignore the mountain – He said speak to it!