First Defeat The Lion

 

“ You’ll never defeat the giant, unless
you first conquer the lion and the bear.”

Text: 1 Samuel Ch 17:32-51

Intro: Everyone here surely has heard the story of “David and Goliath.” Probably more than once. Its a pretty good book to read to our children, It teaches them that no matter what comes up Gods able to bring them through. It
also teaches us That the God that we serve, the battle belongs to him.

I. Consider David
This young man that came off of the shepherds field , didn’t come off of the field unprepared. While he was there probably not doing what he wanted to do, while he was tending to the flock his brothers were out in the war. He probably had rather been a soldier.
– his brothers were hiding, but David was ready to fight!
And this is probably because of what happened while he was tending the sheep.

1. David had Confidence!
The confidence David had came by what God helped him do while taking care of the sheep.

* the Bible says that there came out a lion and a bear and it
took one of the sheep!
– The enemy is not afraid of the flock

2. The lion
the lion came and took a lamb out of the flock, not away from the flock! Also he took the lamb while the Shepherd was still present!
*The enemy don’t stop at the backdoor of the church!

*The enemy doesn’t stop just because we’re Pentecostals, or because we’re saved or because we’re filled with the Holy Ghost.

-The Bible says in 1st Peter
“That he is as a roaring lion , seeking whom he may devour.”

A. a lion is a Fierce Beast, and a tremendous beast but the
thing that is so fearful about the lion is its roar!

– Well isn’t that just like the Devil? He makes us Fearful
He talks to us and persuades us that we cannot conquer.

so we find that the lion came in the presence of the flock also in the presence of the shepherd.

verse 35 “and I went after him”
I’ve heard people say “ I’ve been running from the devil all day long.”
Well maybe that’s the problem, why don’t you go after him!!

-folks, you’ll never get anywhere running from your problems, nor your situations, nor your burdens, you’ll never conquer anything by running from them, but the best thing to do is run to them and conquer them!

B. Proverbs. 30:30 says that the lion is the strongest
among the Beast. It also tells us that he is destructive.
– the enemy is out to destroy you, he is out to kill you!

Judges 14:8 says he is Strong, and destructive
“ You’ll never be able to stand against the greatest offence until you first conquer these small battles in your life. Because every battle you go through, it prepares you for a bigger and greater one.”

Somebody said preacher I want to live a life for God where there are no problems or sorrows and no troubles, well me too!
I haven’t found that yet! But every battle, every hardship, it makes me look over my shoulder and say the same God That brought me through that Will bring me through this one.
And David was able to say that!!!

But the objective of the enemy is to plant fear in your heart.
“I’m going down”, “I’m not going to make it”
If he can plant a seed to make you think that your not going to make it! But folks I come to tell you tonight That
“greater is he that is in me than he who is in the world!!”

You Gotta conquer your lion!
You Gotta conquer your bear!
Or you’ll never win the battle with the Giant!!

And sooner or later your gonna face a giant, and if you quit every time those lion or bear problems come then you’ll never make it

We can’t turn and run!

* David said “I’m able’. I’m qualified and ready”
To take down the Giant.
– David tells Saul about the lion and bear!

-It was confidence!
And im confident to know that what God said he’ll do
he’s gonna Do!
– There’s no place to stop!
– Just keep on marching!
– keep on praying!
– put your hand in God’s hand
-Gods gonna give you victory, Gods gonna reign triumph upon you.
And you’ll be able to stand against the adversary the devil!

A. Illustration of boxing and Basketball.

I’ve read -where a boxer got knocked down in the 5th and 6th round but got up and ended up winning the match.
-where a basketball team came out of halftime down by 20 points and still came back to win!

– you’ll never face down your giant if first you don’t face down your lion.

But we might as well stand up and say “ If God be for me, who can be against me” amen and stand your ground and fight for God
And Don’t you be a quitter but be a winner for Jesus.

– A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins!

B. Gang fight
1. 5 or 6 guys
2. cops pull up
3. They scatter!
4. That’s what the enemy does when God comes on the
scene
We can do either 1 or 2 things
1. We can be like the children of Israel and hide/ or
2. be like and ostrich

– when an ostrich is fearful, he just runs around in circles.

– but don’t quit running….

we have got to learn that if we stop at every hindrance we come to then well never be nothing for God.

I know who my God is, I know who my redeemer is , and I’m not gonna run just because the devil has roared against me.

*I heard someone say once,
the people out in the world,
they have  so many problems
but they don’t quit the world!
They keep on sinning
they keep on working for the devil!
But as soon as they come to God
and they have problems
they say well bless God
i ain’t gonna take no more of this
if this is how Gods going to treat his people
Grow up!!!!!!

Bible talks about running the race, carrying your cross.
If you run a race it takes strength from you!
If you pick up a beam it pulls strength from you!
* If your gonna live for God, Then you better be ready to give up some of you!!! repeat

Its gonna cost you some time,
its gonna cost you some prayers,
its gonna cost you some dedication,
Its gonna cost you standing in the midst of your “fiery trials”

And let it be known today,
Were not gonna stop!
were not gonna bow, we will not burn!
our God is able to deliver us out.

Closing

Somewhere in your christian walk your gonna meet up with an 9 foot 9 inch Giant and unless Gods brought you through some victories, you’ll never stand before him!

The giant told David that he was gonna feed him to the fowls of the air!

note* finish the David & Goliath story
-tell about knocking our problems down but not completely
getting rid of them!!

Before you can ever be a great warrior for god, you have got to completely kill some things in your life.
1. Flesh
“ the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!”

I believe in the holy Ghost and i believe in complete dedication, and just giving everything up to him, but everyone of us here has some things that we just wont completely give up to God.
And we wonder why we struggle with this or with that.