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There was a big problem in the valley of Elah. King Saul and the rest of Israel’s army was terrified. All they could see was the problem.
But a shepherd boy named David saw more than a problem. David saw past the problem and saw PROMISE, POWER, PERSEVERANCE, & PRAISE. In the end David no longer saw the problem, he saw the possibility of promotion.
Promotion comes to those who can see past the problem to find the solution. There was more than a problem in the valley of Elah…

Champion 3 – More than a problem – Redemption Church Plano tx from Redemption Church on Vimeo.

Champion 3 – More than a Problem

Sermon notes by Pastor Chris Fluitt

Redemption Church Plano Tx

Champion Bumper 3
Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano Tx. A special welcome to all our online viewers. God bless you right where you are. My name is Chris Fluitt & I am happy to preach to you today.

Champion

We are the 3^rd week of our Champion Series.

Week 1- Promise trumps Pedigree. What God thought about David was more important than what anyone else thought about David.
Week 2- Servants are Champions. David did not bring a sword to the battlefield… He brought a sandwich. Serving brought him to the scene of his great victory.

Today I want to preach to you about The Problem.
There was a problem standing in the middle of the Valley of Elah.
1 Samuel 17:3 The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall.(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels (approx. 126-167 lbs);(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves (think shin guards), and a bronze javelin was slung on his back.(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels (15 lbs). His shield bearer went ahead of him.(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.”(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.”(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.(NIV)
So what did we learn from our reading?

The Problem

The Problem was giant! He was over 9 feet tall.
The problem was well armed. Goliath was ready for a battle. He had a sword, shield, armor, helmet, shin guards, a spear & javelin.
The problem was strong. His coat of armor weighed approximately 126 pounds. His spear was like a weaver’s beam which leads scholar’s to believe the spears shaft was up to 2 ½ inches in diameter. None of us could put our hands around something so big. He was a monster to be able to carry this equipment and he surely knew how to use it.
The problem was loud. The problem stepped out onto the battlefield and shouted at all of Israel.
Everyone was afraid of the problem. King Saul and the rest of the army is Israel was afraid to face the problem.
There are times in life where all you can see is the problem. Have you ever been a situation where all you can see is the problem, the strength of the problem, the volume of the problem, and the weaponry of the problem?
But a young man named David showed up, and unlike everyone else he saw More than a problem.
If you only see the problem, then you can’t see the solution. The Cleveland Cavaliers faced a 3 games to 1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors in last year’s NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors broke the record for the number of wins in the regular season. The Warriors won 73 games out of an 82 game regular season, and now this unbeatable team was up 3-1 in the Finals.
If you only see the problem, then there is nothing you can do.

You can’t see the strategy.
You can’t see surviving.
You can’t see a future where you overcome and experience success.
You only have negative thoughts.

If all you can see is the problem, then you are on your way to defeat.
Lebron James & Kyrie Irving led Cleveland to a game 7 victory, ending a 52 year championship drought for their city. Everyone thought that was impossible, but that championship team didn’t see it as impossible. They saw more than the problem.
David saw more than a problem. He saw Promise.

Promise

I told you in week 1 that Promise trumps pedigree. When David walked out on that battlefield, he saw more than a problem. He saw & remembered the promise of God.
David saw & remembered how God had sent the prophet Samuel to his town, to his house, and poured the oil on his head. David remembered that he was chosen by God.
David stepped bravely onto the battlefield knowing that he had the promise of God and that his enemy lacked the power of God’s promise.
Have you lost sight of the promise?
Have you forgotten that God has chosen you?
Do you remember what the Lord has done for you in the past, and do you believe that He will lead you on to victory.
Let Goliath have his weapons, because I remember..
Isaiah 54:17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.(NIV)
You need to see more than the problem. You need to see the promise. But there is something else you need to see.
David saw Power.

Power

1 Samuel 17:45 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.(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:47 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.”(NIV)
Stop watching what the Devil can bench press. Stop watching what Goliath can lift. Their power does not even compare to your God’s power.
David said “I come against you in the name of the Lord!”
The enemy has no weapon that is more powerful than the name of Jesus. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow.
Do you only see the problem or do you see the POWER of Your God?
There is no disease that He can’t heal right now.
There is no marriage He can’t mend right now.
There is no Giant that he can’t deliver into your hand right now.
You need to learn to face the problem with POWER & PRAISE, but there is something else you need to see.

Perseverance

Do you know what perseverance means? In a world where we want everything to come easily we need to learn perseverance and patience. Perseverance is steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Perseverance is not giving up when things are difficult.
David saw promise & power, but he also saw that he could persevere.
You must see a future past the problem.
You must believe that you can face the giant and win.
Perseverance is faith in action.
Persevering says…

I didn’t get the last job, but I have a faith an even better job is coming, as you fill out the next application.
I am not out debt… YET! But I will be out of debt. I won’t quit.
I know we are having marriage problems and that there is stress, but you better believe that I am not throwing in the towel. I see a future past this problem.
I have failed again and again and again, but I am so close to a breakthrough. I will not grow weary in well doing for in due season I will reap if I faint not!

Perseverance says I will not die but live to proclaim what the Lord has done.
King Saul couldn’t see past the problem. Check out what the king tells David.
1 Samuel 17:33 …”You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.”(NIV)
Be careful when people are trying to “help” you by pointing out the obvious problem. Saul said “YOU ARE NOT ABLE…”
But David says “Listen here King, this is not the first problem I have faced, This is not the first time I have persevered!”
1 Samuel 17:34 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,(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:35 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.(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:36 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.(NIV)
1 Samuel 17:37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”(NIV)
David remembered how God had delivered him from the paw of a lion and the paw of a bear. There was a future past the lion. There was a future past the bear. There is a future past this giant!
Do you remember how God made a way for you in the past?
Quit walking up to a problem like it is something you have never seen before.
Psalm 118:5-8 God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me?
God’s my strong champion; I flick off my enemies like flies. (message)

Can you see the promise? The Power? The perseverance?
Then there is one more thing for you.

Praise

David marched onto the field and praised the name of His God. David looked the 9 foot giant in the eye and declared GOD WAS GREATER!
You can face your giants and praise the Lord right in front of them.
This is the best part, because at the moment you praise it is no longer about you or your problem – it is all about your God! Praise makes it all about God!
We have the tendency to magnify our problem. All king Saul could see was the problem. The problem was too big and too strong to defeat king Saul thought.
1 Samuel 17:45 (NIV2011) 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.
David did not magnify the Giant, his weapons, or his strength or experience. David magnified the name of the Lord!
Psalm 34:3 (KJV) O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
You have more than a problem! You have a God bigger than any problem.
Magnify your God! Not your problem!
musician
While all of Israel was terrified of their problem, David saw something more. David went and gathered 5 smooth stones.
David saw Promise, Power, Perseverance, Praise. But that is only 4.

You see I believe that David saw so far past his problem, that it was no longer a problem.
When you realize you have God’s promise & power, and you can persevere and praise, your problem becomes something else.

Possibility for Promotion

What if that giant problem is a possibility for promotion?
Problem solvers get the job. Problem solvers get the pay raise and promotion.
Do not be afraid of the problem. Go solve your problem.
There is a crown on the other side of that giant.

redemption-Church.com
Redemption Church is a nondenominational Church in Plano Texas. Our mission is to declare the good news and see others become followers of Jesus Christ. Our vision is to be a 1st Century Church connecting to a 21st Century world. To bring the community, the power, passion & dedication of that 1st century church to the fast paced, technologically advanced, and complex world of the 21st century.
We currently meet on Sunday afternoons at 3pm at the Corner of Parker Rd & Alma in Plano Tx. We would love to greet you in person.
Our lead pastor is Chris Fluitt.