Sometimes, the enemy has you fighting against what you’re supposed to be fighting for.
#stevenfurtick #dontlettheenemydistractyou
this is what always happens when God is
trying to do something in your life the
enemy will always present another enemy
that is not the real enemy to keep you
distracted from fighting the one that
you’re called to defeat in David’s case
it was his brother his big brother
his name kind of sounds like Goliath
but it’s not Eliab he was tall for a
minute Samuel thought he was supposed to
be the king cause Saul was tall and he saw
in Samuel saw in Eliab what he had seen
in Saul which is height not heart and God
said don’t look at his height look at
his heart stop judging your situation
externally it’s what’s inside that
counts
it’s what’s inside the counts and Eliab
starts judging David’s motives he’s like
look at this in verse 28 he goes why
have you come down here and with whom
did you leave those few sheep now all of
these things David had taken care of
he’s a very responsible young man but
but really what’s happening here is I
believe the enemy is trying to trigger
David to get him to fight the wrong
person because watch if he stands here
and argues with his brother he will
never even see his enemy this might be
the whole sermon for somebody now just
look straight ahead if you’re married
sometimes you’re fighting against what
you’re supposed to be fighting for and
you have to call a timeout sometimes you
have to you have to sometimes be like
wait a minute you’re not my enemy
wait a minute you’re you’re you’re not
who I’m supposed to be fighting and
if David gets caught up fighting
Eliab he never sees Goliath if he gets
distracted some of us are defeated
simply because we’re distracted now you
know how the story ends but think about
how it could have ended David for the
next two hours defends himself to Eliab
I was the other day checking on some
Instagram post seeing if they were
touching people’s lives you know I would
like to say that I always do it with a
pure heart but sometimes I’ll scroll to
look for people who say mean things to
me and that’s a dysfunction and I’m not
saved all the way yet I am saved I was
saved I’m being saved this is the part that’s
in progress cause sometimes I just like to
imagine the response I could send you
know what the spirit of the Lord told me the
other day first of all it’s 1 out of 300
people who say something negative that’s
number one number two if you would
invest a fraction of the energy into
blessing people that you put into
defending yourself you would be Mother
Teresa
you would be Saint Paul you could change
the world
if you would stop trying to defend
yourself and I’m coming right for you
because some of us trip over an offense
and so we never defeat the real opponent
because we stand and argue with Eliab and
we never even get to Goliath
isn’t that so powerful it could
have had a whole different ending it
could have been a whole lot different
and I bet Aunt Jackie wouldn’t have taught
me that Bible story in Sunday school if
David had stood there and argued with
Eliab now here’s the thing that’s
practical about this some of you are
fighting Eliab today and because
you’re fighting Eliab Goliath continues
to go unchallenged in your life you know
you’re fighting Eliab if you’re
still blaming people David did this move
that I want to learn how to do when I
realize I’m fighting the wrong enemy
when I realize I’m fighting something
outside when I really need to be dealing
with something inside when I realize I’m
trying to control how other people are
versus trying to have self-control the
fruit of the Spirit for myself this a
word today this is a word today it said
that David did something very strategic
and this is like the turning point
of the story
it said in verse 30 that when Eliab was
going back and forth and David David hit
him real quick with an insult just to
let him know I’m not a punk and then
after he said what he had to say watch
what he did David turned and asked
somebody else and watch this when he
turns away from Eliab it positions him
to face Goliath
so whoever it’s for you’ll never even get
to Goliath you will never even get to
the insecurity that is causing the issue
if you keep blaming the people who are
bringing it out for you to look at Eliab
wasn’t the giant Eliab wasn’t the enemy
Eliab was his brother that he was
supposed to fight for so now we’ve
watched David two different alternate
endings if he argues with Eliab then he
misses Goliath if he doesn’t obey his
father in a simple thing then he misses
Goliath it could Graham was so prophetic
he said it could have ended a whole lot
different I was so mad at my mom for
forgiving my dad I didn’t think he
deserved it what would that funeral have
been like if she had listened to me
rather than listening to God if we
weren’t even on speaking terms when he
died it could have ended and I only
bring it up because every story in this
room is still being written and
sometimes you think you know how it ends
but what if it’s not over yet what if
it’s not over yet I’ma preach it through
that little facade that you have right
now what if it’s not over yet what if
what if you’ve wasted a lot of time but
what if God really is able to redeem the
years that the locusts have eaten what
if it’s not over yet I’m just posing a
question what if it’s not over yet what
if your best days are not behind you
what if the devil is a liar
what if everything that you have been
through to serve a greater purpose what
if a generational curse was being broken
through your battle
what if God brought you to the Valley of
Elah cuz he’s the God of a turnaround
the God of a second chance the God of a
new beginning and a God of a new
ending Mary and Martha said I know how
this story ends but one thing they
didn’t know is that Jesus doesn’t
provide resurrection he is resurrection
so if he’s on the scene watch this
when David showed up he said I come
against you in the name of the Lord
now one more thing I gotta show you
y’all calm down
it’s a Bible study not a football game
not a basketball game there’s nothing to
be excited about in here it’s not like
the blood of Jesus is enough for you
it’s not like depression is defeated
it’s not like the devil has to back up
when you call on the name of your God
it’s not like worship can push back
darkness it’s not like praise can break
chains
y’all sit-down because now he has to go
through Saul the one that should have
been celebrating him the one that should
have been supporting him
David kills Goliath stop being so boring
when you read the Bible
the Bible’s boring you’re boring read it
better this thing could have had so many
endings it could have ended when David
had a bad attitude toward the ordinary
it could have ended when David was
fighting against who he was supposed to
be fighting for he could have got
offended it could have ended with
ordinary it could have ended with
offence and it could have ended with only
do you know only the spirit of lack and
limitation do you know only what Saul
said to David David was like showing
Saul his resume
he’s like I’m pretty good at beating
stuff that’s bigger than me I beat a
lion one time I beat a bear put me in
coach
Saul said you’re only a boy I wonder
what you’re only in your own mind
remember Saul wasn’t the enemy Saul was
supposed to be a friend you ever have
something inside of you turn on you
you’re only I had it this week I was
thinking that I’m just a preacher
because I was thinking how really
influencing culture is done through
rappers and fashion and others and and I
was thinking about changing a generation
and I felt discouraged about it like I’m
only a preacher but there’s this one
verse that always comes up when I think
that way and God told Jeremiah one time
he said do not say I am only when I was
thinking about that I know this isn’t
exactly what the text means but I was
thinking how God’s name is I am so when
you say I am only and you’re supposed to
take God’s name you mess up the name
that he gave you by diminishing it in
your own sight I am only do not say I am
only do not say I am only I’m only a boy
but David said no no no I’ve never faced
this giant before get ready to shout but
I brought the same God to this valley
that I brought to the last Valley
cause the only reason I’m preaching it
is because you’re standing in front of
something right now you’ve never seen
this before but David said here’s the
common pattern I’ve noticed okay
I dropped the lion I dropped the bear it
only stands to reason that if the lion
didn’t stand a chance if the bear didn’t
stand a chance because they opposed my
father’s business
if this giant opposes the purpose of God
I predict an upset victory over
everything in your life that is bigger
than you that opposes the purpose of God
within you come on he’s the God of a
turnaround so I know somebody shout I
know how this story ends
cuz I know who wrote it
I know who wrote it he is the author and
the perfecter of my faith she looked at
me last weekend on our date night and
and this movie was gonna have a nice
ending but then she remembered that the
writer of this particular movie is
noted for everybody dying in the end and
she looked at me now I want you to get
this when I say it okay
she said it can’t be over I just
remembered who wrote it come on you know
it’s a word for you you know there’s
some things cuz cuz we tell ourselves
these stories but if God wrote it
it’s not over til we win it’s not over
until the light overcomes the darkness
come on Nairobi come on Gaston
come on Ballantyne it’s not over
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