Defending our Turf

Acts 11:24; Acts 11:18-26

Introduction: Going old school today. Sunday School old school.

I.            Someone / something always attempt to interrupt or keep you from your blessings / promises. – 1 Samuel 17:1-2

·         ‘…

gathered forces for war and assembled

,’

·          ‘

pitched camp

’… ‘

·         Sent their best / fiercest…Goliath, a champion.

Question: What is it that God has given us or promised us that is under assault?

·         Health

·         Provision

·         Family

·         Spirituality

·         Joy

·         Peace

Transition:

II.         Whom is in control or whom serves whom is what is always at stake! – 1 Sam. 17:8b-9

Illustration

: Financial provisions. ‘You cannot serve God and mammon.’

‘If you sow to the flesh, of the flesh you shall reap corruption, or to the spirit, the spirit.’

‘I defy’ = literally means to strip and make bare.

Application

: Among the Hindus, it was common, before the commencement of an engagement, to challenge the enemy by throwing out some terms of abuse. We also find this in Homer: his heroes scold each other heartily before they begin to fight.

Goliath is ‘trash talking’!

1 Samuel 17:11,

‘On hearing this, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified’.

Question

: So, what should I do when threatened?

The trash talking went on for 40 days!

Transition

: Narrative now moves on in verse 17, dad is worried about his oldest boys who were out to war so he send the only one left to take supplies and bring back a report.

But what happens is the unexpected!

What happens next?

1 Samuel 17:25-27

Question

: are any of us curious what is at stake in our lives? Don’t you want to know what might be missing?

Do many knowing a thief is coming to steal his home would not take measures to protect right?

Matthew 24:43 ‘But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into’.

Transition

: The second thing that happens with David is that he considers/recognizes rewards/advantages.

Transition

:

Transition

:

Transition

:

Transition

: You know the rest, David goes to war and not only defeats but destroys Goliath!

Conclusion

: Here is the key to conclude: 17:45,

‘

45 

David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the 

Lord

Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

 

46 

This day the 

Lord

 will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

 

47 

All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the 

Lord

 saves; for the battle is the 

Lord

’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

48 

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.

 

49 

Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

50 

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

51 

David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.

When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran’.

Transition: lastly,

Conclusion cont.

: What  are you and I contending with? Have we lost the upper-hand? Have we forgotten who fights for us? Have we stopped going to work.