PREACHED:1-02-05,PM

"CHRISTIANITY IS A LONELY THING."

Text: I Sam. 17.32-40

INTRODUCTION:

I. THINGS I WANT YOU TO SEE IN THE TEXT:

A. This was (pardon the pun) an immense problem.

B. Saul wanted to help, but he couldn't.

C. David and God had to deal with the challenge.

D. He had to go out in godly trust only with weapons

he had proven.

II. WE ARE ALL DAVIDS IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER:

A. Each of us will face great trials and challenges.

B. There will always be folks who want to help us

with the burden. Gal.6.2; I Thess. 5.14;

I Cor. 12.25,26

C. But in a special way, David typifies all of us,

Because in one way of looking at it, each of us

must face life’s challenges for himself/herself!

1. And we must do it with our own weapons

that we have proven!

III. IN OTHER WORDS, CHRISTIANITY MEANS

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!

A. The old adage, "Every tub shall sit on its own

bottom," is not found in scripture, but it is,

nevertheless, quite true.

1. We each must live our own lives, fight

our own battles, face our own trials and

bear our own burdens. Gal.6.4,5

A. Please understand, that this is not intended to discount the fact that God is ever with us,

helping and supporting us, but there is a certain part that we must do for ourselves.

1. II Tim 4:16, 17

C. What are these things we must do for ourselves?

DISCUSSION:

1= We Must Have Our Own Faith!

A. Quite often parents are alarmed because their

children suddenly become unfaithful when they

reach their teens.

1. The roots of this problem lie deep in the

past.

a. Young children are faithful to attend

church because their parents take

them.

b. When our youngsters were young, we never asked them if they wanted to go to church. We simply bathed

them, dressed them, put them in the

car and took them to worship.

2. But the time will come when they must

choose for themselves whether to serve

God.

a. They will then attend because of

their own faith and not that of their

mother and father.

B. The important thing is that they go out well-

prepared.

1. Prov. 22.6; Eph. 6.4

C. But even then, as free spirits, they must decide

for themselves if they are going to follow what

they have been t

1. You can no more have faith for them than

you can be baptized for them:

a. Eph. 6.10-17

2= We Must Obey The Gospel For Ourselves!

A. On Penticost, Peter told the Jews, "Save

yourselves from this crooked generation..."

(Acts 2.40)

1. And v.41 continues,

A. But that was not always the case! In Athens after

Paul preached the scripture tells us, Acts 17:

32-34

B. We must do the best we can in teaching the lost

and grounding the saved, but we cannot live with

a burden of guilt because some depart. They are

responsible for their own souls!! I Cor. 3:9-15

C. You'll not make it to heaven on the basis of your

parents faithfulness and involvement!!

1. Don't be like Peter: Jno.21.18-22

3= We Must Face Our Own Trials!

A. Jesus met His temptations alone.

1. In the wilderness He met Satan alone.

2. After the temptation angels came and

ministered to Him. His agony in the Garden

of Gethsemane was experienced alone.

B. Others can encourage, but only we can face our

own trials whether it be cancer, heart trouble,

death of a mate or child, job loss, alcohol or drug

recovery!!

C. That, again, is why the weapons we have proven

are so important!!

1. One of those weapons is a developed

relationship with God!

1. God will always be there to help

us, but he will never absolve us

from difficulties!!

(1) He fed Elijah. He worked with

Elijah. He manifested his power

at Carmel, but He did not face

Carmel for Elijah!

4= We Must Face The End Of Ourselves!

A. Although God will be with us all the way, we each

still must make the journey for ourselves!

1. On Jesus' cross there hung only one

person!

2. The fact that others have died will not

lesson its meaning when we face death.

B. God will not deliver us from it. Heb. 9.27

1. The only power to sustain us in that hour

is an unfailing trust in God and peace of mind

that comes from knowing we are prepared

for the moment.

C. That includes judgment!!

1. Rom. 14.12; II Cor. 5.l0,11

CONCLUSION:

I. CHRISTIANITY CALLS FOR COURAGE!!

A. The courage to stand alone and blame no one for

my failures!

B. It is the realization that no one can live for me!

B. It is the acceptance that no one will solve my

problems for me. They may offer solutions or

open doors, but I must accept them and walk

thru them.

C. And, tonight, when we sing the invitation

hymn, you must face respond for yourself!