(June 30, 2023) Richard Winter shares encouragement…

Our world continues to  face giant challenges! Yes, these are real giant issues even affecting we Christians – but we will overcome them as we trust our God!

The Bible has a famous story of a giant – Goliath, and a little shepherd boy, David, who trusted God. Goliath was 9 feet (2.74m) tall, a champion wearing heavy armour, who stood shouting and defying the people of God. (1 Samuel 17:1–11). To Israel he seemed to be unbeatable.

As well as physical giants, there are metaphorical ones that can shout at us! In short, a ‘giant’ is a big, seemingly insurmountable problem or issue.

Personal giants
These could include giant challenges in relation to –

• Your health.
• Family.
• Marriage.
• Relationships… or lack of them.
• Job or lack of job.
• Some sin.
• Temptation.
• Addiction.
• Fear.
• Loneliness.
• Discouragement.
• Debt.

No doubt you can add some more giants!

National giants
Doubtlessly your country has national giants that may include –

• Terrorism.
• Racism.
• Gang violence.
• Increasing teenage crime.
• Homelessness.
• Breakdown of marriage, family life and community.

And no doubt you can add some more giants to this list too!

Church giants
What… church giants?
Oh yes! Such as the giant task of –                                

• Evangelising our country.
• Transforming our society.
• Fulfilling the Matthew 28 great commission.
• Loving our neighbours as ourselves.
• Revitalising the church!

Love and care for your church? Then no doubt, you think of some others!

Two possible attitudes when facing any giant
One is to say, ‘It’s so big, there’s nothing I can do.’ The other is to say, ‘It’s so big, I can’t miss!’

How would Jesus want us to fight the giants of our day? First thing is have the right relationship with Him.

After His crucifixion Jesus changed the relationship with His followers from disciples to that of brothers (John 20:17).

Having Jesus as your brother makes all your battles a family affair and allows you to tackle the giants in your life, society and in your church from a unique standpoint.

Two secrets of Christian fruitfulness
1) Pruning by God
Pruning is the cutting away of growth on a tree that will limit the future harvest of fruit. Unfruitful activities such as sin, language and some relationships need to be  pruned away rather quickly because they really do inhibit spiritual growth.

I worked for an orchard for several years when I was in high school and I learned to prune all sort of fruit trees.

Pruning can seem cruel; branches are left jagged and exposed to face the harsh winter. But the purpose of pruning is to give way to newness of life. When spring and summer come, there is an abundance of fruit.

The sharp pruning knife will, in the end, bring fruitfulness and blessing.

Jesus said: ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunesso that it will be even more fruitful’ (John 15:1-2).

2) Closeness to Jesus
You cannot take on the giants by yourself.

Jesus directed ‘Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me’ (v4).

And that ‘When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing’ (v5Mge).

 You will only succeed in tackling the giants if you stay close to Jesus. We can cultivate a growing friendship with Jesus by:

• Spending time with Him.
• Walking with him.
• Praying to Him.
• Listening to Him through His word.
• Following His desires.

Jesus says that if you stay close to him (‘remain in him’) three things will happen in terms of fruitfulness…

First, your prayers will be answered (v7).
Second, God will be glorified (v8).
Third, your joy will be complete and overflowing (v11AMP).

Jesus wants you to be filled with joy and fully alive. There’s no greater joy than to know you are valued, precious and loved by God – and to love others as you are loved.

Massive giants face the church today!
The biggest giant is disunity. Nothing is more of a hindrance to the message of Jesus than division between Christians.

Disunity will only be overcome by love. Jesus said, ‘My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends… This is my command: Love each other’ (v12-13,17).

Jesus warned that we will face the giant of a world that hates us (v18-19). He said, ‘If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also’ (v20). And in John 16:2: ‘Those who kill you will think they are offering a service to God.’

There are parts of the world where this is literally true today. Jesus warned that wherever you are, you should expect opposition, hatred and even persecution!

On our own we would have no answers to people who objectively dislike us, but Jesus says, ‘When the Holy Spirit comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about me. And you also must testify’ (John 15:26-27).

The Holy Spirit enables you to testify about Jesus and to take on these giant challenges, to see our society transformed.

David the shepherd boy
David was extraordinarily gifted – naturally as well as supernaturally (1 Samuel 16:1-17:37).

• Handsome and in good health (16:12).
• Talented musically (v18).
• Gifted speaker (v18).
• Athletic ability (17:1–37; 18:11).
• A leader (18:13).
• Successful (v14,30).
• Famous (v30).

Yet it was for none of these reasons that God used him. God had said to Samuel, ‘The Lord does not look at the things people look at. Human beings look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (16:7).

David was outraged by Goliath’s defiance of the living God (17:26). And as a courageous leader, he told King Saul (v32), ‘Let no one lose heart on account of him (that Philistine’).

What lessons can we learn from the way in which David tackled this giant?

a) Reject rejection
Eliab David’s brother in a note of superiority said to David, ‘What are you doing here! Why aren’t you minding your own business, tending that scrawny flock of sheep? I know what you’re up to. You’ve come down here to see the sights, hoping for a ringside seat at a bloody battle!’ (v28Mge).

Yet David ‘turned away’ from Eliab (v30) and the lesson we learn here is not to be put off if rejected or ill-treated. God is not looking for someone with ability but someone with availability… keep your heart pure by refusing to allow hatred, offense, bitterness, resentment or unforgiveness to stop you.

b) Get involved
David volunteered his services and also said to Saul, ‘… your servant will go and fight him’ (v32).

I am always so moved and impressed by the way in which our congregation is willing to volunteer their services: praying, serving and giving.

c) Trust God
King Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy’ (v33).

Yet David replies, ‘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’ (v37a). He trusts God because he knows that God is with him (see 16:18; 17:37b; 18:14).

d) Be anointed
But ultimately, the reason that David was able to tackle Goliath (and slay this giant!) was that he was anointed by God: Previously Samuel had taken his flask of oil and anointed him and  we read that ‘The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life’ (16:13, Mge).

The only way you will be able to tackle the giants in your life, in society and in the world, is through the anointing of the Holy Spirit!

Fighting giants in our lives can be done if we take copy from King David.

Overcoming giants today
Yes, there are giants in the land, our lives, the church.

Our involvement is now, not some future day. We all need to have David’s attitude and be available!

We all need power for service and you – if you have genuinely repented of sin – only have to ask!

Prayer
Lord, as we face the giants, we need the anointing of your Holy Spirit on us and your presence with us. Give us courage not to run away, not to lose heart and not to give up.

Lord, be gracious to us and bless us. Make your face shine on us. Make your ways known on earth and your salvation among all nations. May all the people praise you.

Lord, thank you for calling me your friend. Help me to love others as you have loved me.

Amen.

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Dr Richard Winter pastors The Connection Church, Huntington Beach, California. Link: OnlinerConnect@gmail.com / Trusting God – Todays Major Challenge
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