Smooth Stones – Week 3

Joke:  Sherlock and Watson go camping After a nice fire, roasting s’mores, and talking for a few hours, they finally crawl into their tent and go to sleep

In the middle of the night, Sherlock shakes Watson awake. “Tell me Watson” he said “What can you deduce by looking at the stars?”

Watson, slightly puzzled, said “Well, I can deduce by the number of them that the universe must be incredibly vast, and contain billions of stars. Likely, all of those stars have planets, and I could deduce that statistically, there must be at least one other planet capable of supporting intelligent life.”

Seeing Sherlock shake his head, Watson continued. “And, I suppose that I could philosophically deduce that, compared to the infinite universe, we are insignificant specks, and are far less important than we believe ourselves to be.”

Sherlock shook his head again. Watson notices that and says oh you think you have a better idea, Sherlock says, “I can tell you with certainty Watson that someone stole our tent.

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Five Smooth Stones

Week 3: All That You Need

So far we have looked a little at the life of the giant David was called upon to fight and David himself.   We know David was chosen by God, even through to most around him at the time felt that he was an unlikely choice.

And honestly he was, but that’s often times how God does things.  He chooses the unlikely, unqualified, the ones nobody would think could be the one so that God will get the glory through it.

We know that with God’s help, he defeats Goliath in battle with only five smooth stones and a sling. There were certain things David did to make his effort successful. And, if we can understand what David did, we will be better equipped to defeat the giants in our life as well.

And that is what I want us to look at today.

Today, we land in the part of the story that mentions these 5 smooth stones that David uses to slay Goliath.  There is an important concept that we must learn and that is this:  God wants to use what you have.

If you are anything like me, and I’m sure some of you are.  It’s tempting to look at other people’s lives whether in person or often times what we see on social media, and wish you had what they had.

It’s enticing to believe that if you had a better paying job, or a different zip code, or a bigger house that you would finally be able to serve God in the ways that both you and He want.

This condition is not a unique one, and something that many of us understand all too well. As we’ll learn today from our passage, this is a human condition that goes back hundreds even thousands of years.

It’s like Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us,

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV): What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

So, if you are one to struggle with the comparison game know that you are not alone.

I love what the Apostle Paul tells us,

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 (NIV): There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.  7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,  and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 (TPT): 4 It is the same Holy Spirit who continues to distribute many different varieties of gifts.  5 The Lord Yahweh is one, and he is the one who apportions to believers different varieties of ministries. 6 The same God distributes different kinds of miracles that accomplish different results through each believer’s gift and ministry as he energizes and activates them. 7 Each believer is given continuous revelation by the Holy Spirit to benefit not just himself but all. 8 For example:

The Spirit gives to one the gift of the word of wisdom. To another, the same Spirit gives the gift of the word of revelation knowledge. 9 And to another, the same Spirit gives the gift of faith.  And to another, the same Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 And to another the power to work miracles. And to another the gift of prophecy.

And to another the gift to discern what the Spirit is speaking.

And to another the gift of speaking different kinds of tongues.

And to another the gift of interpretation of tongues. 11 Remember, it is the same Holy Spirit who distributes, activates, and operates these different gifts as he chooses for each believer.

The Scriptures make it clear that God has given all of His people different gifts. The Holy Spirit helps us see and learn what these gifts are, and how God is trying to use them in our lives, and Not only that, but use them in a way that will impact the world around us so that they can encounter Jesus through us.

How differently this story would have gone if David would have spent his time envying those around him in the Israelite army, or even the physical strength of Goliath.

Instead, David was focused on what he had. In this case, it was 5 smooth stones and a sling.

So let’s dive into our passage together.   Once again we are in 1 Samuel chapter 17 we will begin today in verse 32.

I’m going to read through verse 51 so bear with me and then we will break this all down.

1 Samuel 17:32–51 (NIV): David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” 38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” 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.

There’s a lot going on in this passage. But there are three specific things I want us to highlight today in regard to the call upon David’s life to fight Goliath.

I believe each of these things are crucial in our own lives as we seek to understand the call, the will, and the giftedness that God has given each and everyone here today. And no this each of you have been called, and gifted by God.

Point one is this:  you need to Block out the White Noise

At the beginning of this passage, David declares that he will indeed go and fight Goliath. But as soon as he says this, Saul responds with these words: “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

Sounds a lot like a voice that would hold you back, doesn’t it?

Last week we talked about those who will try to hold us back and look down upon us. There are many in our lives that, regardless of what we do, will try to keep us from where we need to go.

This will often come in the form of doubt.

Similar to what 1 Timothy says, as we referenced last week, Saul seemed to be looking down on David because of his youth. And so what is David supposed to do with all of this?

His brother won’t have it, others simply ignore him, and Saul doesn’t think he has any chance at success.

But to David, this is all just “white noise” in the midst of God’s clear call and command.

According to the Collins dictionary white noise is defined as:  a continuous ‘sh’ sound, caused by many frequencies of equal intensity.

In a spiritual sense, there will be many voices around you begging for airtime in your life. And if you aren’t careful, you can get bogged down and even overwhelmed by them.

That is one reason why it is so important that we “learn to discern” God’s voice from all the others.

We have to learn how to sort through the different voices in our life, with the help of the Holy Spirit. This requires us to ask certain questions of the voices we hear.

Like for example, you could ask questions like,  “Does this voice actually care about me?   Is this a Godly voice?   Does this voice hold wisdom?”   It’s questions like these that help us discern which voices to ultimately listen to and trust.

And know this church if you hear voices that are contrary to Scripture, that causes you to walk in shame, regret, or condemnation.  Those are voices that you need to tune out,

In David’s life and story, it is clear from the next verse that he was able to shake off the words from Saul and others to stay focused on what God was inviting him into.

Look at it. . .

1 Samuel 17:34–36 (NIV): But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.

These words should help give you confidence.  David is so focused on the task at hand, it gives other people confidence, he’s oozing with it.

You see, David’s boldness comes from past experience as a shepherd in the wilderness. He has seen God deliver him time and time again from wild beasts and he has no doubt that God will do it again in this present situation.

So, that brings me to point two. . .

Remember Where You’ve Been

There are so many stories in the Bible of individuals being prepared for what was in their future by their present circumstance and suffering.

Think about Joseph for a moment.  He was falsely imprisoned in a foreign land, and yet ended up in the Egyptian palace. God was clearly on the move throughout Joseph’s story, whether others could see it or not.

In fact, the story of Joseph concludes with powerful words that reveal God’s work in his life and story. . .

Genesis 50:19–20 (NIV): But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

God was with Joseph all along just as God was with David. And the reality is the same for us today. Even in the seasons when you cannot feel it, God is with you. So even today, maybe the first step in learning to understand God’s call upon your life is by looking backwards.

Now hear this church,  not everything is worth looking back on.   And Paul even tells us to forget some things, but when it comes to remembering all that God has done you best not forget.   That should be part of your testimony.

And there is a consistent command in scripture, especially in the Old Testament, to “remember.”

Deuteronomy 8:2–4 (NIV): Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.

Remembering where we have been and how the Lord brought you through is meant to give you strength and confidence in where you are right now.

Seeing God work in and through our past gives us strength and confidence for whatever we face today. And as we stand in that confidence, we can say like David did in verse 37, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

What David held in his hands and heart was the collective memory of all that God had done. Before he ever picked up the stones and the sling, he already carried the memories of deliverance and triumph in his young life.

So, you can see in the story that when Saul tries to weigh David down with new armor and a sword, David would have none of it.

Which brings me to the last point I want to share today.

David had all that He Needed

1 Samuel 17:38–40 (NIV): Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

I love how this text shows David trying to fit into the mold of a proper soldier. He’s fitted with a helmet, armor, and a sword, I can almost see him trying to walk around in them.

But he quickly recognized that this new outfit wasn’t going to work out for him in the battle. He was, just as he arrived, sufficiently prepared to face Goliath. He didn’t need all that extra stuff, in fact, it would have just hindered him.

I remember when I first was called into ministry we had a few of us that my pastor was allowing to preach every now and again to give us some experience and one week the pastor was out of town and the guy he had scheduled to preach that day didn’t show so I was asked to fill in.  This was maybe my second or third time and I got up I don’t remember what I preached but I do know how I started.  Sorry I’m not so and so some testimonies are longer than my messages.  Don’t you all wish that was the case now?  Anyway I got through with my message and that same one that asked me to fill in said to me, don’t ever apologize for who your not, you be you and preach however God wants you to do it.

Truth is church, many of us are trying to fit into someone else’s clothing, story, or situation in order to better live our own. But like David learned, we don’t need all that.

In fact, all that you presently have in your possession is all you need to sufficiently serve God.

That principle reminds me of the time Jesus fed 5,000 people with a few loaves and some fish.

Matthew 14:13–21 (NIV): When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

When the disciples began to worry about how to feed all the people, Jesus simply asked them to gather together what they already had.

Now obviously in the first story Jesus performs a miracle and feeds thousands of people with five loaves of bread and 2 pieces of fish, but what if that’s exactly what God is trying to teach us today through the story of David and Goliath?

What if God is trying to help you see the miraculous things He can do in and through your life when you simply bring him the ordinary, everyday stuff you have to offer?

Like in this one. . .

2 Kings 4:2–6 (NIV): Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”  3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” 5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

David put aside all the extra stuff Saul gave him and grabbed 5 stones and his sling. He added that to the faith he had developed over time serving God and his family in the wilderness and he walked out to battle Goliath.

Through all the white noise, through the doubt, through the fear and straight into victory.

And all he had was all that God had already given him.

It’s powerful to start believing you already have all you need.

There are some of us here today who feel trapped in an endless loop of white noise. There are too many voices, too many options, too many experiences of shame – regret- and defeat for us to confidently move ahead in all God has for us.

If that sounds like you today, then I encourage you to do all you can to shut out the other things and simply focus on God.

Try to have, like David did, a singularly focused mind on the power and majesty of God. Try to become a person after the very heart of God.

Others of you have simply forgotten all God has done in your past to get you to where you are today. If that’s you then please take some time to sit down and write out the miracles God has already worked on your behalf. Your testimony is your superpower. . .don’t ever forget that.

And lastly, all of us need to stop looking at everything everyone else has access to and we need to focus on what God’s given us to work with. You have gifts that are individual and unique to you. . .maybe it’s time to pick them up and head into the victory God has for you.

You already have all you need.

Let’s pray together.

Join us next week as we conclude this series looking at how we need to respond to the victories we have gotten.