Saturday here at FPB was a great day to watch and be part of. It was our SERVE M25 day. It was a day we used to try to fulfill what Jesus said in the last part of Matthew 25. Those involved reached and touched many different places of the lives of people. This was great. Yet let me take a moment to remind you of a few things.
· As we read these verses we are not commanded to fix, heal or change lives. Jesus asks us to simply help their lives. Be a Christian, a child of God helping people through life. We often get frustrated with different people’s lives and yes, they need some big changes but they have to be willing to do the changing through Jesus. Until they turn to God and get a fresh direction for this life they may stay the same. Our job is to lend a hand, visit, give a drink, minister to their lives and most of all pray for them. Don’t miss a blessing in life being frustrated at people.
· According to the last part of Matthew 25 we can’t just go through life and act like people don’t have problems or needs. No, we have to plan to help their needs to the best of our ability. Will we be able to touch every need like we would like or maybe like they would like? No, but we can do our best. Jesus warns us not to just skip over them and act like the needs are not there. Just do the best you can and then pray for God to grow it.
· We also don’t need to regulate such actions to just one day on the calendar. To a day when the church plans to have a day of service. No, this needs to become the actions of our daily life. Be ready to help, visit, cloth, give a drink or food; minister to, pray for, simply help a life along the road of life. SERVE M25 must be more than an event in our life it needs to be a way of living.
Thanks again to all you who helped in the event. Let it become part of a way of life.
Let me take a moment to revisit the message I preached on Sunday. I really believe there are some giants in the lives of people who could live an overcoming life if they dared to slay their giant. There are Giants that come at us like depression, divorce, drugs, alcohol, family problems, job loss, overbearing cares of life, worries, sickness… the list goes on and on of problems of life even strong spirited demons that attempt to and often do keep us scared and without victory. They keep us defeated and living without life. They are giants in our life screaming at us and taking our faith. But just like David conquered Goliath, the giant in his life, we can overcome ours. Read the story in 1 Samuel 17 and follow what David did. If you will you will overcome that giant in your life.
First and at the front of the list is the fact that you have to believe that God is greater than YOUR giant. We often say God can do anything but what we really believe is that He can do anything for anyone else but us. Scripture says we cannot come to God except we believe. First God has to be greater than your giant. We must have faith in the Almighty!
Then like David pick up five stones to kill your giant and decide the day it will happen. David said in verse 46, “This day (Today!) the LORD will deliver you into my hand, (shut you up – Holman) and I will strike you…” Decide this is the day that God will be with me and I will shut-up my giant. Then pick up the stones and over-come your giant. In reading the story you find five things David did, five stones David picked up.
First stone - The Stone of the Past – David remember what the Lord had done
When David saw Goliath it jogged David’s memory. That valley was déjà vu. While everyone else was quivering and scared, while everyone else was running and saying it’s no use, David remembered. I’ve been here before; I dealt with something a lot like this before. I remember there was another problem or two that was about like this and God was really with me. This will be just like other things I have overcome. Read verses 34-37. David remembers God had delivered him before. God has been here before. The Almighty knows what HE is doing, this is not His first time to defeat the enemy. Write your worries in sand. but Chisel your yesterday’s victories in stone.
Second stone - The Stone of Prayer
Hold your hand up. Notice the valley between your thumb and finger. To pass from one to the next you must go through it. Let me remind you of David’s decent. Before going high David went low. Before ascending to the fight, David descended to prepare. Don’t face your giant without first doing the same. Dedicate time to pray. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:18 MSG “Prayer is essential in the ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long.” It was prayer that spawned David’s successes. The Bible tells us he, “Strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” He turned to God in trouble and prayed, “You (God) have been a defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.”Third stone - The Stone of Priority
Let the tallest finger on your hand remind you of your highest priority. God’s reputation!
David jealously guarded it. No one not even a giant named Goliath, was going to defame the name of the Lord. When David decides to take on the giant it wasn’t because he wanted glory. It wasn’t because he was being cocky. No, he heard the Giant defile the name of the Lord. David showed up to lend a hand with some food and heard a giant make fun of the Almighty.
This was the reason David got hot under the collar. I can hear him ask, “Did you hear what he just said? We can’t have that! I’m not going to allow this giant to talk about God like that.”
David killed his giant to say that, “All the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all the assembly shall know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord.” No matter what Mr. Giant is saying the battle belongs to God. David saw Goliath as a chance for God to show off! Allow your struggle to become a canvas that God can paint a master piece on. Allow your giant to be a way God can show case His power and His might. Purpose in your heart that the giant in your life will become a sign that God is a great Creator, the king of all things, the all-powerful God!
Forth stone - The Stone of Passion
David ran at, not away from, but towards his giant! On one side of the battle field, Saul and the scared Israelites gulped. People are giving up and saying it no use. On the other side Goliath and his skull-splitters scoffed and make fun of God. In the middle is a shepherd boy who was running on spindly legs. Who would have taken David? Not the Philistines. Said he was but a child! Not the Hebrews. They said he didn’t have what it took. Not king Saul. Said he was inexperienced. Not David’s brothers. They said he was just showing off. Who would have ever picked David? God did! God said I’m going with the kid from Bethlehem. And since God did and since David knew God did, the skinny runt became a blur of pumping knees and swirling sling. He ran toward the giant.
Fifth stone - The Stone of Persistence
Why did David carry five stones? Could it be because Goliath had four relatives the size of a Tyrannosaurus-rex? For all David knew, they’d come running over the hill to defend their kin. David was ready to empty the chamber if that’s what it took. Imitate him your next giant. Never give up! You serve an Almighty God let Him be an Almighty God in your life every day.
Come on, take your giant on. It’s time you stopped allowing that giant to have space in your life.
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