Preparing to Face the Giants

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City.

This young man, a teenager comes interest to deliver food to his brothers are in the Army's name is David and he hears the voice of this Philistine. And he says why is nobody fighting this man is this person that is defying the armies of the living God from Times Square Church in New York City.

This is a call to the nation with Carter, in first Samuel chapter 17 we find the Philistines gathered their forces against Israel and to make matters worse, giant named Goliath steps forward to mock them mercilessly on today's program. Carter will discuss how we can bear to face giants. Let's join them now to speak on preparing to face your giant preparing to face your giant are your giants. Whatever the situation is in your life because this is the generation we are now living. You see, the purpose of your life is much more than the struggle you're facing right now. The struggle is just something in secret but God's power to deal with that in secret and once he does is going to bring you out into the public, and you're going to become a testimony of who God is and you want to see the purpose that God now has and will have for your life. So, father's return to your word in this season of prayer in the season where is your people.

We are all aware that we are facing giants in our society in our homes and our schools wherever it is God in our minds we are facing giants God Almighty. It is time for you to work because they have made void your law is time for you to take your right hand out of your bosom one more time and show your power again to this generation is time for your mercy of God. Even though we have failed your mercy all God's everlasting you tell us in your word that you've loved us with an everlasting love that you've engraved us on the palm of your hands. Only Jesus Christ but the power and tenderness of those hands removed and are direction one more time walking prison doors, healing, wounded hearts, giving site to blinded eyes giving strength to those that are weak and purpose to those who don't seem to know the way forward. Father, thank you God that you've given us these examples in Scripture take testified to us about who you are and about what you're willing to do through a surrendered heart. God help meet and help those of us that are listening in Jesus name, amen. First Samuel chapter 17 beginning at verse one. Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle and were gathered at Shoko which belongs to Judah, and then camped between Shoko and the Sica and FS then and Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and they encamped in the valley of the law and drew up in battle array against the Philistines now but let me set the scene for the Philistines represent the powers of this world.

The powers of darkness that are always, always have been. After the testimony of God. Since the fall of humankind in the garden of Eden there has been this does work of lawlessness and darkness. The apostle Paul speaks about it in the New Testament. It's been up at work in the world and it's always standing in opposition to Christ to God to his people to to the reality of God to the ways of God to the word of God.

Everything concerning God, the devil is always a Masters forces against it and tried unsuccessfully. My diet to swallow it. Throughout the course of biblical history.

So here we are one more time. This force of darkness is gathered one more time against the people of God not yet understand, under the leadership of the king called Saul, the people of God are now in a weakened condition and the enemy feels I've got the upper hand. Just like in our generation is no debating the fact the church is probably in a weakened condition in our time, especially in America and the enemy feels like the now one more time has the upper hand and rises up every morning to challenge the testimony of God among his people. The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side and Israel stood on the mountain, on the other side with the valley between them and the champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, then Goliath from death's height was six cubits in the span that's 9'9" tall in today's standard so typical ceiling in your in the home would be almost 9 foot tall, had a foot on top of that, you get an idea of how tall this man was it a bronze helmet on his head. He was armed with a coat of mail which is armored or iron may put it that way, and the weight of the code was 5000 seconds a bronze in our terms is 125 pounds in a bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders. The staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam and his iron spear had weighed 600 chuckles.

It means 15 pounds just at the tip of the end of the spear and he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel and said to them, why have you come up to line up for battle of mine on the Philistine and you the servants of Saul choose a man for yourselves and let them come down to me. If he's able to fight with me and kill me. Then we will be your servants but if I prevail against him and kill him. Then you shall be our servants and serve us of the Philistine said identify the armies of Israel, this day.

Give me a man that we might fight together when Saul and all Israel heard the words of the Philistine they were dismayed and greatly afraid. So here it is.

The world has put forth the best they have become up against the testimony of God. One more time and I like a bullfrog all this world can do is kind of puff itself up and try to cause the people of God. To think that somehow we're less than we are try to get us to agree. As we heard so many times with the voices that the try to say there's no use is no hope. Don't fight, don't stand up. Don't believe you're ever going to be free. Don't ever think your life is going to amount to anything as of the world puts this this giant what why does the world go to this extreme of producing these big displays of its power while James says it in the New Testament. The apostle James says the devils believe, and tremble.

The devils themselves that are behind these forces. The doctors understand the power of God quite often more than the people of God do is not something and they know the only way they can defeat the testimony of God is to convince the people of God that we are less than God says we are, but somehow the Christ that resides inside of us is powerless or insignificant are fed up with us and all we are so captivated that that even if Christ is innocent were never going to amount to anything or ever accomplish anything for the kingdom of God and so this this giant rises up every day and says you will serve us. You will serve us.

You can't fight against is like a big we are looking at having our spirits look, I have your armor is like the size of our forces. You can't fight against this so just give up and serve us.

Now the Army of Saul. The Scripture tells us was afraid there you can just picture it all these all the soldiers with all of their armor and all their training and their swords in their helmets and their sealants and their spears or whatever they had in all of the battle strategy that they had maybe embraced over the years. Suddenly finding themselves in up in a very very fearful position now that the reason they were filled with fears because they were under the Ministry of a worldly man. Now this man called Saul in verse 24 first Samuel 17 it says in all the men of Israel when they saw the men they fled from him and were dreadfully afraid, so the men of Israel said if you seen this man is come up surely come up to the fire.

Israel now here it is, and it shall be the man who kills him. The King will enrich it with great riches will give him his daughter and give his father's house exemption from taxes and Israel. So all the Ministry of Saul could offer the people of God's wealth, power and status.

In other words their value system was exactly the same as the Philistines were all about wealth, power, status, how big we are, how much power we have much resources we have behind us and it's dangerous to be under the ministry of anybody that that's all they're offering the people of God is think you're going to increase in riches going to be not going to be the tail. You go to be the head. And you're going to have power over other people. It's it's a tragedy because when when the season came where they had to rise up the fight, they found they had no courage where living in the same kind of a day that they were living in back then where but were voices are now being raised every morning. The Scripture says Goliath presented himself every morning for 40 days and voices are being raised every day and what are these voices saying you will serve us. You can't fight against us. We now have the upper hand.

We are bigger, we are more we are my dear, look at the size of that of the. The gathering we have with us. Look at this.

Look at the heaviness of our the weightiness of our weaponry. Look at the defensive armor will you can't fight against us. We are stronger then you are and you see the Army of God and the other side of the valley and all are being offered is wealth, power and status. It's amazing. In other words I'll increase you with great riches. If you fight you will have the king's daughter which means you have access to power and your father's house would be exempt from taxes and Israel, which means you be given a special status among people. That is all the ministry of the flesh can offer the people of God. You see, the reason God's people couldn't find it is because they're fighting on the same ground as their enemies and their fighting largely for the same reasons is that amazing when we forget who we are when we forget the reason we we live. The reason we have our purpose on this earth. What God had to do as he had to bring in a a relatively inexperienced young man in fighting this kind of a battle on this scale. Now he had some victories himself in secret against the lion and the bear. The Scripture tells us, but suddenly this young man comes in and and something rises in his heart is. He's not been is not really been part of this whole Saul ministry at this time is not been under the influence of this this gospel that put it that way.

That has is really just focused on the things of this world and the things of this life, as if this is what God's purpose for his people is on the earth and this young man, a teenager comes interest to deliver food to his brothers are in the Army's name is David and he hears the voice of this Philistine.

And he says why is nobody fighting this man and who is this uncircumcised Philistine others. Who is this person is not set apart for the purposes of God was outside the kingdom of God was defying the armies of God, who is this person that is defying the armies of the living God. All of the reasons outcome why this this other soldiers have no courage.

They could accuse them of pride. They do all kinds of they accuse them of littleness. These are the voices we heard about your too small. You're too proud.

They're out of your league. This battle is too big for you. You can't fight this go back to your few sheep in the wilderness stop boasting about yourself. You don't have the courage to fight this the situation, but David kept speaking these words. This is something rising in the heart of men and women of God. Even if you're small your insignificant maybe are not of any major ministry admit you got battles going on in your own life. There's something rising in you that says it's not right, but this is happening in our generation is not right that evils getting the upper hand. It's not like the good is being called evil and evil is being called good and immorality is on three and that our children are falling prey and victims to ungodliness and immorality, even in our schools. It's not right that these things should be happening is not right that our homes and families should be under siege, as if somehow husband and wife and children is somehow deficient thing in society is not right and I'm tired of these voices and I'm tired of the tonsil and tired of their threats. Yes, it might not be the biggest person in the kingdom of God, but by the living Christ within me. I will stand by the living Christ within me.

I will allow God to use my like to make a difference. I will allow my voice to account for things that are eternal and the strength whatever it is that I have.

I will allowed to be used for God's kingdom and for his glory because I'm not going to allow these armies to taunt the armies of the living God and the integrity of our God in a longer I'm going to stand up and I'm going to fight back.

David P these words until finally they came into the years of King Saul and's David stood before Saul consulted the David you can fight this chart, you're just a boy and he's been at is been trained as a soldier from his shoes and look at look at your size in comparison to his size and your skill level in comparison to his but David said to Saul notices you see King II had some secret battles that I fought in the wilderness when nobody saw me, but God I was given the charge of some see but one day aligned to men and tried to take one out of the flock in the spirit of God came upon me and arose up and with the strength of God in me. I grab that line by the main and I took its life and the same thing happen with the bear and he said to Saul, your servant is kill both the lion and the bear in this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. So here's the difference David comes into the camp and instead of his own. He's concerned about the wealth of God's people is concerned about the people hiding in caves and rocks all around fearful of the Philistines is concerned about them rediscovering the incredible resources of God that are available to those who are engaged in his purposes on the earth. David yes is preaching well but it's a different love is not for himself, is for God's people living for the benefit of others.

It's allowing his like to be used, for the sake of others coming out of this place of weakness and spiritual poverty and into the strength that God has the honor the God will be given through his people is concerned about the status of God's army. God's army of people. The voice of God, the Army of God, the church of God in our generation is been rendered in a sense, powerless against these voices that are becoming dominant in society of our time and in his time, and lastly David is concerned about the power of God being made known the glory of God the reputation of God, and I don't know about you but I share those concerns. I live to see you raised up in the power of God. I live to see the church of Jesus Christ becoming a force to be reckoned with in our society again with the presence of God is in the house, no fancy. This is needed anymore.

The presence of God is enough people come in the begin to break God begins to answer prayer and lives are literally transformed in a moment of time. I'm concerned that we need to see the power of God begin in our generation concerned about the reputation of God himself. I'm concerned about his reputation.

I'm concerned about his name on concerned about his glory on concerned about his work on the earth.

It concerns me when darkness begins to believe that there is that it's voices louder than the voice that created the universe on concerned for the honor of God, and I don't know about you but I'm offering my life as a living sacrifice for his purposes, which my Bible tells me are just my reasonable service.

I want to do what David did. I want to go down into that valley with the weaponry that God's gifts to me.

Now Saul tried to put his arm around David and Saul had an armor, and I suppose first season. It seemed to be doing the job but on another moment and arose with us. The armor of Saul was now deficient. It was not going to meet the need of the day.

Saul's armor speaks of strategy speaks of the things that we've done maybe for the last two decades. Even in America that have caused it to look like. The church is growing and in some degree.

Maybe it it even that Saul's armor had victories that mix in the but there was something in there is an evil that grows up, and Saul's armor was insufficient to meet the need. Saul tried to put it on, David. It's like you and I sing what we gotta come up with some fancier worship we got come up with some some other new technique or strategy know we need the power of God again in God's house.

We need the presence of God. Again we prayer again in the house of God. We need miracles again in the house of God. We need testimonies of God's deliverance in the house of God.

We young men and women are willing to go to the ends of the earth, for the cause of Christ again in the house of God. We people are more concerned about others than they are about themselves more concerned that others would live in poverty, find the treasure of Christ than they finding their own treasure more concerned about the honor of God than their own honor.

David was willing to be a fool for the sake of God's honor, but going down with weaponry look like total foolishness. The things of the spirit.

The Bible says are foolishness to the natural man. God let this young men away from Saul's armor down into a Brook Internet Brentwood five smooth stones that have been fastened by the water of God over over centuries.

No doubt it been fastened. This the water running over preparing them for this moment. The five stones always have spoken about the fivefold ministry of the church of Jesus Christ, the apostle, the prophet, the pastor, the Vandals, the teacher those that are raised up for the edifying of the body to strengthen the church of Jesus Christ. We don't need any more than God has provided for his church to become the voice and the power, the effective testimony that we need to be again in our generation and with nothing more than a heart trusted in God with five smooth stones in his pouch of the sling in his hand. This young shepherd boy went down into the valley.

See, it's in our weakness that God's strength is made perfect. It's in our nothing that it that his glory comes to the surface again.

It's in our trust in him that the battle begins to be one and the devils know this and tremble. That's why you and I have got to get out from under the voices voices like under Maria the try to tell you it's no use. See all the devil has against you as an argument and if he convinces you into buying into that argument you can render you powerless to be on your side of the valley with all your spiritual knowledge, just trembling in fear under the dominion of his voice. David runs into the valley with the weaponry that God has provided to him and I love I love I love the fact that as he goes down in faith. The face this giant the spirit of God comes upon him, do you.

This is all going to win in this generation.

This is how were going to see darkness have to give way to light, not by any works that we can come up with in our own strength, but by the Spirit of God moving through us one more time by men and women, young and old moving in unison with the Holy Spirit of Almighty God for the right reason.

Remember I said it for the wealth of others for the status of God's church and for the power and glory of God to be made known in our generation again. As David comes down into the valley. The Philistine marks them as he's been mocking the people of God. The whole time my dog that you come to chase me with a stick. Come to me says not give you first to the birds of the year, the beasts of the field. You can't fight against me.

In other words, what an insult it is that you even think that in such weakness. You could defeat me, but then the spirit of God comes upon David and David said to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword and a spear and a job. Another would you come to be with all the weaponry that this world and its rebellion against God can produce but I come to you in the name of the Lord God of hosts, the Lord God of the armies of heaven.

In other words, the Lord God of all power. The Lord God of Old Dominion, the Lord God before whom every knee is going to bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied this day only speaking prophetically now. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand. 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 year and the wild beasts of the earth and all the earth may know there's a God in Israel over to think I'm not just going to defeat you the statehouse, the spirit of God now speaking to this young boy.

I'm not just going to defeat you. I'm going to defeat the whole army of the Philistines, and you can become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field for the simple reason that all the small the world will know all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel. It's time again for this world to know that there is a God who sits upon the throne. All power Old Dominion all authority, every name that is ever been named is going to bow before him and confess him as Lord. It was before all things, all things were created by him and he will be here when everything of this world is dissolved and remade again by the hand of Almighty God, all the assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear for the battle is the Lords and he will give you into our hands. God does not fight this this battle the way you do. Those of the world and every demonic power but he will give you into our hands and so the encouragement I want to give to you is if you let the Holy Spirit come upon you this day you could rise up in your giants will be given into your hand those voices that greet you every morning for 40 days. The pornography that says the images we have planted in your mind, you will serve us for the rest of your days drugs. The mess with anything that says we have to you are addicted to us.

You will never escape us the depressive thoughts come into your mind every morning and says to you, you will never escape the boundaries that we are placing around you as you will serve us on telling if you will let the spirit of God come upon you they will serve you the message today has been brought to you by Carter Conlon from Times Square church.

For more information log onto TSC.NYC TSC.NYC plan to be with us next week for a call to the nation with Carter,