How to Overcome Your Giants - II

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God don't want to hear from you. Would you consider emailing me you can reach me at greg@harvest.org again that's greg@harvest.org and you can also make me one of your friends on Facebook and drop me a comment how to deal with giants will be easy to say difficult to do here, Pastor Greg Laurie says you'd be right.

We have a giant hole in our giant was needed 2000 years ago by Lord. So so we don't have to be the devil in our spring prices already, so I don't find victory.

I find from venturing and in the 60 mathematician Blaise Pascal something called a hydraulic jack lift heavy objects easily. Today, hydraulic cars, trucks, houses nearly anything heavy equipment makes the possible possible today have a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie points out the heavy equipment we have at our disposal in our fight against the devil see our giant sized adversary is no match for all.

We all have giants, so to speak, that we base life, something dark and sinister lurking around the perimeter of your life. How do you deal with giants will you defeat the but how do you defeat a giant cloud USI question that's going to look at in the very familiar story of David and Goliath now the enemies of the Israelites, the Philistines have challenge them to war, and the right of valley called the law on one side are the Philistines. On the other side are the Israelites and the representative of the Philistines was a 9'6" dude named Goliath solid muscle covered in body armor, a massive shield and a sword and helmet and everything else and he wanted a bike so I sent him a good deal with you guys. Let's have a fight in Cinnabar whole armies fighting. How about if you just send your best man to fight me and if I win, then you guys serve us. And if your guy wins the we will serve you well this is going about win-win opportunity for Goliath because he knew it's going to be me. He'll have anyone in their camp that will even face me, much less beat me on the battlefield. So David shows up any little since ago. I haven't who was God's Goliath, no one will find them, they would think and what why why doesn't someone take a guy on see in the mind of David.

This was just another predator who needed to go to David wasn't just musician. He could fight and he fought wild bees to protect his sheep and he was quite efficient with this little sling of his and a stone and so he volunteered to go fight Goliath and that is where the story begins in here is where we discover how to defeat our giants first Samuel 17 I'm in a start in verse 40 and I'm reading from the new living translation. David picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them in the shepherd's bag then armed only with a shepherd step in sling. He started across the fight Goliath. Goliath walked toward David with this shield bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt of the ruddy faced boy. He roared at David Amaya dog to come at me with a stick and he cursed David by the names of his God's Goliath yelled, come over here and I'll give your pledge to the birds and wild animals delegate with David.

David shouts him up like you come to me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied it today.

It says the Lord will conquer you and I will kill you. But I will cut off your head and then I'll give the bodies of your men to the wild birds and animals in the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel, and everyone will know that the Lord does not need weapons to rescue his people. It's his battle not ours. The Lord will give you to us a look at this to Mrs. verse is Goliath move closer to what Jack underlined this.

David quickly ran out to media. David then just hold his ground. He took route. He ran quickly out to meet them. Verse 49, reaching into his shepherd's bag and taken out a stone. He hurled it from his sling and get the Philistines and the poor get this don't sink in and Goliath stumbled and fell face downward on the ground. Then notice that David finishes the job first Samuel 1750 so David triumphed over the posting giant with only a stone in the sling and since he had no sword.

He ran over and pulled Goliath sword from its sheath and David use it to kill the giant and cut off his head and when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they turn and ran. So what do we learn from this. If you're taking notes or's point number one we all have giants in life. We all have giants in life we all face severe hardships in seemingly insurmountable obstacles and temptations.

First Corinthians 1013 reminds us remember the temptations that come of your life are no different from what others experience.

And God is faithful will keep the temptation from becoming so strong you can stand up against it. So when you're tempted to show you a way out to you will not give into it so well of giant and whatever you're going through and I don't know what that is but it's not unique necessarily be you, someone else is facing something similar or someone has faced something similar. We all have giants in life and know this. Every giant is defeasible point number two David knew the battle belong to the Lord.

He knew the battle belong to the Lord. Verse 47 he said to Goliath. It's his battle not ours.

The Lord will give you to us. That's how he could bring a rock to us sword fight because that's exactly what he did. This was a war he said I'm good. Got my sling just found a very nice smooth stone and it's a reminder to us that were in the spiritual battle by this spiritual battle with spiritual weapons and so that is the way we need to come at the challenges that we face in life and were afraid of our giants were afraid of these threats against us, but we need to remember that God is in control and he's more powerful than our adversary. Greater is he that is in you. The Bible reminds us that he that is in the world. Listen, there is no power, the you have to be under. There's no addiction then needs to control your life.

There is no giant that should be overpowering and taunting you because whom the son sets free is free in the and that brings me to point number three attack your giants look in verse 48 is Goliath move closer to attack. David ran quickly out to meet him.

He ran at his giant point number four finish. The giant off verse 51 of first Samuel 17 says he ran over, pulled Goliath sword from its sheath and he killed the giant and that's what you need to do as well. You need to kill your giants and burn your bridges Sistan a mystery. Folks while I'm tempted by boom site. It's really hard your booze in your house. Yes, I do get rid of it. How do I do that to cuff the Port down the drain like you must part out.

Well I I have drugs I was little.*Share get rid of them. That's bad stewardship. Can I sell them know you'll be arrested. Just get rid of him, get rid of these things any we keep these things that are weakness around them were shocked when they come back to get us in a moment of vulnerability and were tempted to go back to that thing again deal with it if it's sexual sin you have deployed barriers around your life so you don't fall into that sin again. Honestly, sometimes it's a complete termination of a relationship. It's very hard if you ever relationship a guy or girl and it turns romantic and then at the turn sexual it's very hard to turn the clock back. Okay, as I want to go do that anymore. Well that's easier said than done. So you're gonna probably have to bring your relationship to a place where you're not in situation of vulnerability like you were in before, but you need to call it what it is.

Sin is sin, we rationalize it when it's a weakness it's a vulnerability. Everybody's doing it doesn't really matter. Sin is still sin.

So another way to kill your dryness to make yourself accountable to someone so see you have the struggles they brought you go to someone you trust and salmon and tell you little some about a personal struggle, and I need you to pray for me and I need you to hold me accountable and I need you to check up on me and asked me how I'm doing and I won't resent it if you do, in fact, I want you to do it so that sounds good, until he does it, or she does it for the first time right Saucedo begin in my business know you need someone to do that you're married, it's like your wife needs a have your passcode.

For instance, my wife can look at anything I'm saying to anybody in the other day she got on my phone and she texted a friend of mine asked me and he asked me a question so she thought she would respond as me and said I can't make it then she little emoji blowing a kiss on like I would never have the kissing the motive I had to actually take some. I did not send that emoji. He said it's too late. It's already out there. You said I'm changing my password not giving what you know you deal with it in the light of day for Greg Moore will have the second half of this message just a moment. It's reassuring when we read letters and emails from listeners who been helped by the ministry of Greg Laurie and a new beginning pastor grain every morning on my way home from dropping my husband at work helped me to my hardest times. I have a little boy with moderate and I lost my mom's cancer unit. My soul has been so heavy every day you help me realize that God is swinging more than anything and he will take care of the rest.

Husband and son. Now let this continue in the car. Thank you for helping millions of people just like us were so grateful to hear how Pastor Greg's teachings have help this young long if you have a story to tell. I hope you will contact us today.

Email Pastor Gray at greg@harvest.org again, that's great@harvest.org. Now, let's continue with Pastor Greg's message called how to overcome your giants after David defeated Goliath look at what happened. First Samuel 1751, when the Philistines saw their champion was dead. They turned and ran, and then the Israelites gave a great shout of triumph. They rushed after the Philistines chasing them. As far as Jeff and the gates of Akron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaw dream as far as God in a crime.

Okay so now let's see what this means to us. We have a giant called the devil and are giant was defeated 2000 years ago at the cross of Christ by the Lord himself but were told over in the book of Colossians 214 Christ on the cross canceled the record that contain the charges against as he took in the destroyed it, nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the evil rulers and authorities and shame them publicly, the Israelites shared in the victory of David. His victory was their victory we share in the life of the greater David, the son of David, the one who was a rooted offspring of David, Jesus Christ, so we don't have to defeat the devil in our strength. Christ is already done that. So I don't fight for victory. I fight from victory.

So there it is. Let's review and close number one. Everyone has giant. There are no exceptions. It's just a matter of what where or who your giant is number two. The battle belongs to the Lord, I need to rest in the finished work of Christ is done. It's a spiritual battle that needs to be fought with spiritual weapons. Point number three. Attack your giant bring your giant your addiction your issue. Your problem your whatever that is bothering you into the light of day call on God and pray for his power and attack kits. Don't put it off a week or a month or year deal with that right now and fourthly, finish your giant off cut off its head. Burn your bridges break with the past. Draw the lines. Make yourself accountable to others and stay away from people or situations where you would be unnecessarily tempted. Sometimes you have to take greater measures. Kathy and I were staying in a hotel recently in and they gave me a big glass jar full of those little pretzels with peanut butter in them. I find those addictive right and so I had 10 so good because her little salty little sweet that I had another and I had another and I've taken maybe a court of Marty going to see them one walk away come back have another walk away. Just think a handful and noted they come back to leave another one and I realize I don't stop I'm going to eat all of them. I just know it. So I went over this bad thing went over the toilet portable flush that temptation God temptation God is a great theologian Clint Eastwood once said a man's got to know his limitations.

So that was my vulnerability. So Kathy comes in the kitchen.

She said where did all the pretzels go you ate all of them. I said no.

I flush them down the toilet. I don't think she believed me, but it's true. Sometimes you have to take radical measures. You do the story that guy who got his arm caught in a rock and no one was coming to rescue him, and he knew he would die. 22 God is pocketknife and cut off his arm and it took a long time but you know what he lived to tell the story better to have one are missing and still be alive and to have your army be dead and that really is this idea that Jesus gave when he says you know what if your right eye causes you to lust, pluck it out for its better to get rid of that I've been to Paris with both the base of your right arm causes you to sin, cut it off your thing and is not a literal scripture should we do that literally no, because if I clicked on my right. I could still lust of my left eye. So I cut up my right arm. I could still sing with my left arm right so would Jesus is obviously doing is using a radical analogy cut off cleaning take whatever measure is necessary so that's my point.

Sometime some people up to date. More extraordinary measures than other people do.

I know some people if they going to a hotel room and there's a little miniature bottles of liquor they have to get it all removed from the room because they're vulnerable. Now I'm not saying this to both when I go to hotel room. I don't have to do that. It doesn't just mean it doesn't interest me that's not my weakness to see my weakness might be something else. So I have to deal with what I'm dealing with and take the measures that I need to take the Bible says follow peace and hope and love with those a call on the Lord out of a pure heart within it says Lee, youthful lust, so stay away from the things that drag you down and run toward the things that build you up and hang around people who are like-minded.

Let me close with this.

I know I said it was closing 15 minutes ago on the night rented on that night I was not. You heard the pretzel story and you like that that that's all you remembers the pretzels story are follow the devil was defeated at the cross and the devil would like you to think that you're his.

He would like you to think he can do whatever he wants in your life and maybe in the sentence.

True if you're not a Christian is a non-Christian is just a sitting duck. It's like they have a target painted on them but the believer were protected because Christ died for us.

He lives in us so if you said, I would be a better person.

I would overcome this addiction. I want to be kinder.

I want to be more loving.

I want to change and he only builds to the Bible and all start reading the Bible and I go to church a little bit and you know and learn a few Christian sayings like hallelujah praise God it's all going to burn whatever I don't know but that's not would be the Christian is that's maybe improving her life a little bit but being a Christian is just think I'm a sinner and I need a Savior. I need help and I needed now I need God. That's why the Bible calls are being saved, which is the perfect picture say you're like a drowning person, a person that cannot save themselves in your drowning in sin with Christ can save you music. But how does that happen. It's when you admit your sin and call out to him. The Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved and Jesus said for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have ever lasting life. We believe in him tonight. Do you believe in him now wherever you are if you want Jesus to come in your life and forgive you of your sin and help you defeat your giants. It can happen right here right now he stands at the door of your life, and he knocks he says if you hear his voice and open the door he will come. Would you like him to come in in a moment will get a pray and I'm going to extend an invitation for you to have Christ come and take residence in your heart that opportunity for you to be forgiven of all of your sin away for you to have a fresh start in life. He's just a prayer away.

This is not some long complex process you go through it just will you reach out to him and say Lord I need you tonight come in to my life and he will so in a bar heads are a prayer if you're not sure of Jesus is living inside of you and you want him to. If you want to go to heaven when you die, respond to this invitation as we pray father speak to any person here any person listening or watching wherever they might be, who does not yet know you help them to come to you. Help them believe in you. Help them be forgiven by you. In Jesus name I Greg Laurie important prayer if you'd like to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord.

Pastor Greg will help you with that. Just a moment before we wrap up today here on a new beginning. If you were able to hear the whole presentation today from Pastor Greg you can go online for replay. Just go to harvest.org and look for the title how to overcome your giants. What were so glad to Have Pastor Greg Dr., Kathy joining us on the program, along with authors Jan Catherine Wolf I Kathy, let me ask you what what is it that caught your attention in the Walsh brand-new book that were making available right now called suffer strong. I love that the fact that it says selling the subtitle is how to survive anything by redefining everything and I think of this book really is a survival guide and it's a training manual not only for those who are currently suffering but for those who will certainly as we all well in this life suffer at some point and it would be good for us to learn ahead of time and maybe we want to experience it like you did.

But we can certainly read and learn in. I think it's so important for us as believers making others be great, but to give to someone who is suffering. Actually, it would be great. But for you to read right now before you suffer. It's not. It's when and when that happens you want to have in place in your life support systems and that the correct thinking, which I think is really important in this book is how you take control of your thought life and and get these things in your head, at least conceptually so that when hairpins are going okay.

I think this is what's going on in this and you don't have the tools ready. So thank you for writing this book and thank you for speaking for all of those out there who have suffered and have come through the other side and have a story to tell. And we can sit and learning community that we have within our small groups and within our churches hopefully is a diverse enough community that will include Dez who has gone to suffering or who are suffering we don't want to just let this happy perfect Instagram life is that's not real life, we really need those face-to-face connections and you guys have written so beautifully and transparently abiding. Thank you for that. Thank you Kathy so you've just been listening to Kathy Lori sure her thoughts about this great new book by our guests called suffer strong. Their names are Catherine Nga Wolf and they've come through a time of great difficulty with some would say Catherine is wheelchair-bound, but Catherine says she's wheelchair free. How can she say such a thing. Well, she talks about it in this book that is subtitled how to survive anything by redefining everything.

It really is an inspiring book and you find it to be lifesaving insight when the crises of life bring you to the end of your rope you may be going through a season like that right now. Or maybe a season like that might be right around the corner, now is the time to prepare within sight this both biblical and tested right in the crucible.

Real life will be glad to send you suffer strong to thank you for your donation to help keep this listener supported study coming your way. We really need your help right now and it's appreciated more than you know. Writer set a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org pressure Greg imagine how someone can become a Christian. With just a simple prayer yeah maybe somebody would like to do that right now. Could you help them with that. Sure, I'd love to a simple prayers right unstuck. I would like to just pray a prayer and I would ask you to pray it after me. You might even print out loud, pray these words learn Jesus.

I know that I am a sinner but I also know that you are the Savior because you dined on the cross for my sin and he rose again from the dead. Jesus come in the my life and forgive me of every sin I've ever committed.

I choose to follow you from this moment forward.

Thank you for hearing this prayer. Thank you for answering this prayer Lord, and I pray all of this in Jesus name, amen. If you just pray that prayer and meant to award to the know on the authority of Scripture God Almighty has heard your prayer, and he will answer this prayer.

You are now a newly minted child of God.

So congratulations, you've made the right decision and welcome to the family of God. I want to send you a special gift because of that prayer. You've just pray it's called the new believers growth packet and then it is a copy of the New Testament in a very understandable translation called the new living translation.

It also is filled with hundreds of notes that I wrote that will encourage you in this commitment you made to follow Christ and there's some other outstanding materials in this little packet. I'll send you as well so order your copy today and let me be the first to see the you congratulations and welcome to the family of God and to get that new believers growth packages get in touch and will be glad to send it right out. You can write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click the words know God everybody Greg Laurie here. I wanted tell you about a great way to hear God's word and worship with fellow believers, not only around the nation and around the world.

It's called Harvest at Home.

Millions are turning in from all over the planet and tens of thousands of make decisions for Jesus Christ. When I joined just go to our website harvest.org we have our weekend services there. Of course, but we also have great industry.

There every single day. Sometimes it's visiting the message from a harvest Crusade another time. It's a Q&A session were doing. Maybe it's something my wife is doing for the ladies, we even feature Christian films researchers lost boy's life story.

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So join us for Harvest at Home each week, harvest.org Pastor Greg continues his look at the great heroes of the Bible. It's a fascinating message called the teenager who changed the world. Think you know who it is. Find out next time, new beginning and