text: 1 Samuel 17
Super Bowl Sunday, plenty of hype surrounding S.S. esp. since they moved it to 2 week waiting period.
Since the Nielson Ratings of the early 70's (polling the most watched Tv shows and events)
The Super Bowl is in the top 10 of the most watched TV shows or events 4 times!
- it’s HUGE - usually the most watched event of the year.
It is an epic battle between the 2 best football has to offer.
Today I want to talk about a few epic battles, the Seatle Seahwks v. the Pittsburgh Steelers, The Israelites vs. the Philistines, and you and me vs. the daily grind.
So often we live our lives in this very comfortable zone, where most things are pretty predictable, and somewhat
ho-hum. Which is not bad in itself, It's relaxing actually.
The only problem that comes from this is we may tend to get STUCK
and not move forward in life and what God has specifically designed for us individually. This happens in a # of areas of our lives but one in particular, our spiritual life.
This is an area where we can really find ourselves not
advancing, not genuinely chasing after God
(football field analogy - between the 20’s)
We may need to move out of our Comfort Zone and into the End Zone!
Another epic battle we can learn from can be found in
1 Samuel 17 - give background
I. Causes for Living in the Comfort Zone
1. Lack of Hunger (v.16)
They just sat there, none of them eager - if we sit in our comfort zone for a while even realizing that something needs to be done, if we stay, not do something about it - eventually we’ll let it be.
And we find ourselves stuck.
Where would you say you’re lacking?
2. Unwillingness to Pay the Price (v.16)
(slide - running out to avoid hit and extra yrds)
We may know what needs to happen or that something must be done, we may even want to do it, but in our comfort zone we’re unwilling to pay the price - to step out of that
predictability. Or we know and want to but were so
comfortable that it would would create some initial
uneasiness, some temporary difficulty in life - dont wanna pay the price
We just do not like to change. As a matter of fact, the only time we really like change is when it’s our idea.
more on that later
3. Lack of Confidence (v. 24; 45-47) read 20-24
Fear is a HUGE factor in getting stuck in our comfort zone.
It holds us back from ever trying or
We may have attempted some thing before and failed miserably, fell flat on our face. Or maybe it wasn’t that severe - maybe we didn’t accomplish what we set out to, it didn’t turn out the way we planned. So now we lack the confidence to try again or to try something new.
v. 45-47 - it is the LORD! We must understand that - our strength, our confidence is not in us, it is in GOD - never
forget that!
4. They are Struggling with Personal Issues (v.25-28)
David’s brother was jealous - He had already seen David be anointed as the next King of Israel (which Dave was the youngest and traditionally that is NOT who should be in line for the throne) - Eliab got some deeper issues
If that is the case for us, we will get stuck, never moving into the end zone.
5. They Put Their Personal Agenda above the Team
(slide - pic says it all) Those who are selfish, self-centered and even talented will always be considered losers - b/c it’s all about them - What’s the value of a team player - there are a # (T.E.A.M. - Together Everyone Achieves More)
6. They Have a Negative Attitude (v. 33)
Talk about a Bad attitude - you cant do - talk about someone stuck in their comfort zone. (T.O. - all the talent in the world,
people don’t want to be around him b/c of such a neg. att. - vid.) A neg. att. will hold us back
Chuck Swindoll - ‘Attitude’
Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitude toward life. The longer I live the more convinced
I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.
I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes
or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position.
Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right; there’s no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.
7. They are Unwilling to Change (v. 38-39)
Often times for us to move forward, some things need to change don’t they? (slide - old photos)We get caught up in our comfort zone and we say, and maybe not aloud, but we think it, or it’s just in the way we present ourselves - “This is how I’ve always done it - it’s worked for me in the past, it’ll work now” buzzer - WRONG! You see, the times, they be a changin’ What has worked in the past does not mean it will work now - most likely it won’t. So we need to be willing to move out of our comfort zone and that usually means CHANGE.
II. How Do You Develop an End Zone Mind-Set?
Shaun Alexander was the MVP of the NFL. He led the NFL in rushing yards with 1880 (that’s alot) He’s a stud, but you know what’s really valuable about Shaun Alexander - He gets in the End Zone - He scores touchdowns! More than anyone else this year - not only that, he broke the single season record for the most rushing touchdowns in a season 28. Shaun Alexander gets in the End Zone - How do we?
1. Have a Game Plan
In order to Win - to get out of the comfort zone and into the End Zone - we must PLAN (v. 38-40)
David was prepared, he gathered what was needed to win
To prosper we must prepare - develop a game plan - we need to gather what we will need in order to win.
2. Continually Communicate
Throughout the story of this epic battle we see David continually communicating with different individuals, his Father, his brothers and other soldiers, with King Saul, and Goliath.
For us to be successful in life, to move out of our CZ and into the EZ we must continually communicate what is important to us. (talked about this in “Desp. Comm.” - say it often, say it clearly, say it every way you can - good listener)
3. Be Willing to Take a Risk (v. 48)
We need to be risk takers - how was David a risk taker - he took on a task much bigger that he was - why? He believed God would deliver! For David and for us to be a risk taker is to Live by Faith. What is Faith? one word: Obedience
Simply doing what God has said to do - it’s that simple.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
4. Score and Then Celebrate (v. 49-51)
David scored and celebrated - (Napolean Dynamite dance vid)
When we plan and prepare, cont. comm. what is important, and live by Faith - we will score - we will get into the end zone - that is God’s plan - His word says in Jer. 29:11, ‘plans for us to prosper’ in John 10:10 Jesus said, ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’
We’re to celebrate life - it’s a Party Theology (last week)
It is not God’s will that we get stuck in our CZ, but to Score - get into the end zone
Be a WINNER - Go for the END-ZONE!
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