Good morning. This morning I have a giant of a task because in the next few moments, I'm going to try in just a few minutes and I claim just try to go through 58 verses of a passage that you know so very well. That makes it an even bigger giant. So without wasting anything at any time, if you're able, you please stand. As we read from 1 Samuel chapter 17, we're going to read verses 1 to 11 and instead of making you stand all that time for the 58 verses, we'll read 41 to 47. Here now the reading of God's Word this morning. Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle and they were gathered at Soko which belongs to Judah and the encamp between Soko and Azika in Aephus Damien and saw in the man of Israel were gathered and encamped in the valley of Ila and drew up in line for battle against the Philistines and the Philistines stood on the mountain on one side and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side with a valley between them. They came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliathogath whose height was six cubits in a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head and he was armed with a coat of male and the weight of the coat was 5,000 shekels of bronze. He had bronze armor on his legs and the javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders and the shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam and his spears had weighed 600 shekels of iron and his shield bearer went before him. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel. Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me if he is able to fight with me and kill me then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him then you shall be our servants and serve us. The Philistines said I defy the ranks of Israel this day give me a man we might fight together. Saul and all Israel heard this words of the Philistine they were dismayed and greatly afraid. The story goes on we're introduced to the young man David and then towards the end as the battle draws near. This is the climax and the Philistine moved forward and came near to David with his shield bearer in front of him and when the Philistine looked and saw David he disdained him for he was about a youth ready and handsome in appearance and the Philistine said to David am I a dog that you come to me with sticks and the Philistine cursed David by his gods Philistine said to David come to me and I will give you a flash to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field and David said to the Philistine you come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand and I will strike you down and cut off your head and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air to the wild beasts of the earth that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with the sword and spear for the battle is the Lord and he will give you into our hand that is the word of the Lord this morning Father I pray for all of us as we hear this word that we may be encouraged Lord will be reminded that you are our God who has warned all of our battles the word we knew us and transform us to be more like you every day we pray this in Christ's name amen please be seated Dungudu is a seasonal river that stands between my village where I grew up on the eastern side of Kenya and the only one hospital the only one school and all the stores and several other churches around that community you can imagine during the rainy seasons a seasonal river gets filled up with water a whole lot raging massive water that makes it impossible for anybody for anyone to dare cross to either get supplies or go to church or go to to the school or whatever it is or it was a joy for me every time it was rainy season because I did not have to go to school
you see how many people stood on the one side of my village and looked upon the river and it's raging waters with with all kinds of stuff that it brought with it that was not the case it never stopped one lovely amazing faithful warrior my mother the story goes this way that with the Bible held up high in one hand and a stick right there to guide us that she doesn't fall and with men especially men looking on the banks of the river watching her and thinking you must be the craziest woman of all and with a song on her lip singing as loud as she could she plunged into the waters and made it to the other side to save one of us who was sick if she had to get medicine or to bring us food because we had nothing because for weeks the river was stopping people from making it to the other side she became legend day now I say this not that you may think of my mother is a courageous woman because that is the least that you can say of my mother if you ever met her she is not courageous she is but she is not that courageous in fact my mother said that she was scared to death plunging into those dangerous waters but she had to do something a child was home dying or we we had no food my father was somewhere out preaching the gospel this was not an act of courage he was an act of faith because my mother was looking at the Lord who saves her she knew I need to do something to save my children but you know what it is not me my own ability my God I know my God will save me from this raging waters this morning think about your life I have no idea what raging waters you are looking and they seem as huge mountains that stand before you and you are scared to death sin temptation attacks of the enemy maybe those are your raging rivers before you maybe they have made you despair it made you feel as if you're you're losing the battle you're drowning in this waters this morning our text is helping us to focus or to stop focusing on how big the raging rivers of our life are or seem to appear and instead to turn to the one who is mighty to the great warrior himself who is able more than able to save us and so I want to make one comment here because we're dealing with a passive that is so familiar to all of us and sometimes when things are so familiar with us we miss the most important parts because we're just focusing on the big story so here it is from one K not K broadwater but K gave Bush she says this quote this is not a story of human courage in the face of insurmountable odds but of human faith that in weakness depends solely on the Lord for deliverance it is the story of the object of faith of the Lord God himself and is awesome rescuing power on behalf of his weak inadequate people so that he may be known by all it is a picture of the ongoing battle between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman initiated in Genesis chapter 3 and the foreshadowing of the ultimate victory of God over his enemies end of quote so as you hear this story don't hear this is some kind of a personal battle for us don't think of don't think of the children's books that present this giant and so I'm going to go fight my bullies and I'm going to go fight the financial strains that plague me this is not about that it is about God first thing we see in verses 1 to 27 like I said we're going to go through all the 58 verses so help me God the first point we're going to see is this that nothing absolutely nothing is too big for God verses 1 to 27 summarized once again we are seeing Israel their face with their perennial enemies the Philistines the battle lines are drawn in the valley of Ela and then here comes this big champion the man the Goliath of God he's taunting the people and saying give me one man that I might fight with him in fact this was a commonly held idea that a battle was a contest between the gods of the nations and so a single combat could actually prove of a God's supremacy just as well as a as full battle what is Goliath doing here he represents the gods of the Philistines he is challenging God himself the God of the people of Israel and then we're told the Israelites saw they respond by fighting the men right they're so afraid they're dismayed afraid of this man why because he is not an ordinary foe this is not just an ordinary man who stands with this armor to fight the people actually his description if you ever think about scripture his description of the armor is the longest description of a military attire in the whole of the Old Testament there is no any other place that an armor has been described in such a massive way standing over nine feet tall a hundred and twenty six pounds of armor with a spear with his head that's about 15 to 16 pounds of iron can you imagine all of that massive weight I don't even weigh that much this man is armored from head to toe but this reminds us of something else doesn't it his stature the way he's so impressive what does it remind you of or reminds us of mr. Israel himself Israel's impressive king who was ahead and showed above everybody and saw here in fact seems like you are the right match you are Israel's giants that needs to go back and fight this man first Samuel chapter eight why was saw chosen one did the people of God demand to have a king so that he may fight their battles so he saw is not coming up and challenging and taking the challenge and fighting the go this this giant then who will fight for them I remember in chapter 16 what we're told that the spirit of God it left saw the spirit of God is now with David that's why saw is not able to fight with this giant it reminds us of the problem we have every time we rely on worldly sources for strength doesn't it if you think you can count on money there's always someone who has got more than you do someone richer you think you're strong you're bigger there's always someone who is bigger than you and stronger than you it might take you down focusing on outward appearance as we saw in chapter 16 which I think is is important for us to understand we cannot understand chapter 17 unless we understand what happened in our learned sermon in chapter 16 of looking up on the outward appearance rather than looking at at the power of God because when you look at outward appearance one thing happens or I should say several things happen it obscures or reality we don't see things as they really are inside was our faith it dwindles our faith it produces a paralyzing fear because that's what the people have got experiencing here they are unable to see beyond their senses beyond what is presented before them all they see is this armor and this massive man that stands before them they're frightened by they're out by the outward appearance what are some of the things that make us feel like the problems that are beyond before us are too big for us to even dare to tackle them because we're not looking at God we're looking at how big our problems are we're looking at how people what what people think of us that's what we see this man is so smart so intelligent or so beautiful and I am just so small my circumstances are so big I cannot do that God is calling me to do this but I'm not going to do because I'm it's too big I cannot go there I'm going to face hostility as I share the gospel I cannot do that how am I going to be able to do that see Goliath is here representing for us a spiritual opposition to God and his people especially as it is manifested by Satan and his demonic forces seeking to terrify and to bring into captivity those who claim or those who bear the name of the Lord you know when I was in seminary it was so funny that most of my friends after asking me where I was from because I had an accent they would ask me okay I want to hear about your stories about the demonic forces in Africa because of course that's the dark continent right that's where that's the only place that the devil is at work so have you seen demons at work and I will say have you looked at your materialistic culture in America have you looked at Hollywood and all the the pornographic movies that are coming out of this well and you think that the devil is only at work in Africa civilization is not godliness so and David in verses 24 to 27 were already in verses 24 and 27 by the way they respond differently so with fear not so with David why because I think David is trying to show us something here that the issues of life that we face every day are essentially theological not mechanical theological what do I mean the way we make decisions what we decide to do with our lives what we decide to pursue with our lives shows where our heart is if we do not follow God's word if we do not follow biblical truths then what are we doing this is what we're doing we're showing the world that the world holds a greater sway of our minds and hearts than God does when we are stopped when we refuse to do that which God has called us especially the difficult things that God calls us to do you know what we're saying we are showing that we think of him our God where we have faith to be weak and distant and indifferent David has a better perspective than everyone else because according to David the giant is not a giant Goliath is not a giant Goliath is just an uncircumcised Philistine verses 26 that's what he says by contrast the God of Israel the God the David believes in the Spirit of God that came upon David was not some idol remember again they gone the God of the Philistines but he is the living God the true and living God and so in David's mind all of the enemies of God including Goliath himself are reduced to some to the same level they are absolutely nothing but dumb beasts that's what he says in verses 36 when he's challenged by Saul are you gonna fight this this man and you're just a tiny little guy and he says you have no idea I take your sheep and every time a lion or bear comes to me I go after it and rescue my sheep Goliath is just like those lions in those bears I will take him down what is David affirming here by speaking of the living God I don't think David is just talking about God being alive the God is not dead you that's true but I think David is affirming and focusing on God's active presence his self-revelation his authority his power his ongoing involvement in his life David understands that God intervenes in all of his life to rescue them to save them and that he ends over their enemies to his people that's David is affirming you know a true test of our faith is seen not in our words but in our actions you hear that a true test of your faith is not seen in the fact that you say oh I believe in God oh I trust him it is seen in the way we act especially in the face of trials and spiritual warfare and so my question this morning to all of us is this do you act as if you know as if you serve a God who is greater than every other power than Satan that you trust in a Savior who is willing and able to save you from all kinds of danger I ask you another question do you believe the sin that mocks us they fear that shoots from our heart or do you profess or do you believe the God who faith you profess this morning what is bigger you know sometimes I think we need to ask ourselves if the dangers that we fear the greatest I really the dangers the threatens because sometimes we fear things that appear to be so big and yet they're not really the things that threatens Goliath might be big but his greatness is only going to help and highlight David's faith in the end for David is not intimidated by this imposing and seemingly invincible warrior because the bigger they are the harder they fall Goliath is not a match for David's true and living God we got to talk about the gospel here we cannot talk about David and not talk about the gospel on every point of discernment we have to because it reminds us that it is only when we are armed with the name of the Lord understanding what Christ has John prayed so well this morning the Christ has won our victories he is he was he died on the cross for us so that he may win the victory for us defeating sin and death so that you and I we can stand up and take the challenge that Satan brings to us and I love how Paul talks about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15 he actually throws back the taunt to the enemy what does he say death is swallowed up in victory oh death where is your victory death where is your sting Satan say death are the enemies that have been defeated by Jesus Christ on the cross nothing is bigger than our God he says second thing verses 28 to 40 we realize is we realize that the problems that we face are not bigger than our God but again nothing is too big for God secondly nothing is too small in God's eyes verses 28 through 40 see David was not part of the battle we're told that his three brothers alive and a binadab and shame are at the battle do you know why David was not in the battle not just because he was taken care of sheep but because he was not of age he was a teenager according to Numbers 1 verse 3 you had to be at least 20 years for you to get into battle David is a teenager but by God's providence he ordained it otherwise and so he is doing this manual work of not just taking care of sheep but he's actually the one who is able to go take provisions to the commander of these brothers unit and to check on his brothers verses 17 and 18 and so David just gets there right on time to hear Goliath taunt the people yet again as he had done for 40 days this man was waiting for a battle for someone for some courageous man to stand up and fight him for 40 days and every time his taunts would end up in humiliation for the people of God because no one dared to stand up the people are devoid of faith you know what Goliath is saying it's as if he had said this do you really trust in this loving God of power and grace if you do then come at me his brother the things David has to do with because he seems to be so small he first of all has to do with his brother who looks down upon him his brother is filled with contempt and he's acting like Goliath in fact Goliath is a form of Goliath in his life with his corn for and belittling the region of David you know what he says when he asks David about the sheep he says whom did you leave with the little sheep with the few sheep that our father trusted he doesn't even think of him as a good shepherd just a few sheep that you were given to take care sometimes even our family or friends standing in our way they test or fade sometimes you know how that can be David is overlooked because he's small he is weak but God is using his weakness because David understands something I might be small might be weak but I know the place to turn to a place that is filled with hope a place of salvation and I truly think that it is because of David being what the least of his family and obviously because of the spirit of God being upon him that David recognizes that he needs a savior that David is able to take his weakness that leads him to strength and then we're told David has to deal with another giant as well in his own life saw himself saw stands before him with his cynicism and his doubt and his skepticism verses 33 and 34 saw is not at all impressed with this young sheep keeping sheep smelling unprepared lad how are you going to fight this massive man he's declaring him unqualified you are just a boy but what is all doing he's looking at Saul and he's perceiving him without factoring in the equation of God he doesn't see God that he just sees a little boy it's what we do external advantages I won't dominate our evaluation of others isn't it what we see but David is spirit field and that he sees differently than everybody else his response is outrageous you know what David responds to Saul it is outrageous to say the least you know what he says he tells him Saul look here king don't be afraid nobody should be afraid because I you're servant I'm going to go fight this guy for you what you think I'm standing here as a big king with all my armor and everything else and you're telling me you got nothing you're not prepared no no instruments no weapons you're going to go fight this giant what does that remind you he's in that one reminded when you think about Jesus Christ and what he says in scripture do you ever wonder every time you read scripture and Jesus says do not be afraid and you're thinking about your sin and you're thinking about death we all have to face death into our life and temptation India Jesus is saying to us do not be afraid but it is filled with so much hope isn't it because when he says that he just doesn't say well don't be afraid everything is going to be okay he says no I will fight for you do not fear I will fight without courageous message to say the least and so David responds to Saul he tells him I'm going to fight we don't meet don't look at me and just think I I cannot do it but I can't but he also tells Saul something else you think of a shepherd you are undervert valuing my preparedness for being a shepherd that's what you're doing because you missed the point verses 34 and 36 you're missing the point because from this I David have learned not to trust on my own ability because that would be arrogance but I have learned to trust on the Lord who delivers me verses 36 it is God who has won the victory over the lions and the bears he is the one who is going to fight for me and I believe that he's going to fight for me and he will win does the world respect or see the credentials that David has here absolutely not they are disdain they're considered insignificant in man's eyes but not in God's eyes I love what Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians verses 125 to 29 what does he say that God chooses the foolish things of to shame the the ones who claim to be wise that he chooses weakness to shame the strong David doesn't have to have the right equipment the right weapons because what matters is not whether you have the right equipment or the right weapon what matters is not even whether you have the right grit no but if you know the true God if you know the true and living God in fact your inadequacy is what might qualify you for battle for serving God as Ralph Davis notes he says that if for his strengths shines most brightly behind the foreground of his weakness David is not as cry be his escape to luck or skill but to God who saves him David is a man of faith do you know Saul even tries to give him his his armor and puts it on him and David so politely says well I haven't tested this equipment so I'm all right you know I because David knows something else you know as my God will fight for me and a sling and a smooth stone from the brook will just do fine because it's not what's accomplishing the battle it is God what is David doing he's looking back in faith and seeing what God has done in the past and God gives him hope to move forward in faith what is David saying David is saying circumstances do not matter when he comes to God he is the same whether God is standing before a bear or a lion whether before a galaeth or whatever it is he does not change he will save me he's the God of the unexpected isn't he because nothing is too small in his eyes David is such a tiny little man but what do you know what God tells us and reminds us that he will break the bowels of the mighty that he brings down the sword proud and shatters his enemies that he accomplishes his his purposes by means of what is it by means of sword military power is that how Jesus accomplished our victory on the cross is that how he did it with military and army and all of that know he says I accomplish all of this through the shameful death of my son Jesus Christ by the weakness of the proclamation of Christ crucified because you know what church the problems of our world the problems in our own lives have their ultimate solution in the execution of an innocent man and the preaching of the news about him to the nations not in politics sorry to say
because power politics well cleverness will not save us will not give us a solution to our problems only trusting in the one who saves will save us finally making our way here through the whole 58 verses almost done verses 41 to 58 David is not fighting a personal battle he's fighting for God so the first thing nothing is too big for God nothing is too small in God's eyes and nothing will take away God's glory as the battle reaches its climax it's actually interesting that this we've been given all those details and finally the battle has reached its climax and it actually ends before it starts in fact the way the narrator summarizes the way David defeats saw is just by saying after the stone at left David's hands or sling if you will he prevailed against Goliath that's it battle done because Goliath was waiting for close combat he was waiting for David to come at him but David was smarter he knew he wasn't going to go to that guy with all his arms so he swung a sling and it's not here you know I used to use sling shots in the village to kill monkeys and chase birds from the and if you're really well trained on how to use that thing you can fly that thing better than the base the best baseball picture 100 to 120 maybe 50 miles an hour it can kill anything that's how David gets Goliath because the bigger they are thanks Matt at least I use something that you knew what are we learning from this versus that it is not enough to be ready for battle but we must fight for the right reasons if you hear that it's not just about fighting and being ready for battle we must fight for the right reasons why is David fighting maybe tells us here that he's fighting an adulterous pagan defiance towards the one and true God he is concerned about God's glory on honor he's asking the question how could this Philistine defy God's glory how could this Philistine challenge the people's faith in God how can he do so and how do we know that this is what David is concerned about there's a user one verb throughout in verses 10 25 26 36 45 over and over we see this verb that says defy defy which means to mark or to derive Goliath is not just a big goon from Philistia he's blubbering his dishonoring God and that matters to David see the battle is not about David the battle is not about Israel but about God's glory you know David says that is war worthy to me for me to fight than the riches then a royal marriage which is what is promised whoever comes to fight Goliath all the riches not not paying any taxes before before the country because we are not fighting for ourselves for on glory to gain our own reputation but we're fighting to display the glory of his grace I love what Paul says in first in in Ephesians chapter one verses 5 he tells us the reason why we are saved the reason why God has saved us it is this that we may glorify God and as Martin Lloyd Jones captures is so well he says that the ultimate aim and object of us salvation is that we may glorify God that we may bring that he may bring to us in the state in which we glorify God what is the chief end of man we know the answer David's words here are theologically loaded verses 45 to 47 I wish we had all the time to go through every one of those lines and talk about what David declares but I will summarize it because this is what David wants us to know he wants us that the Lord saved not with a sword but all with a spear that the battle belongs to him that the battle belongs to the Lord that we don't need to rely on our own weaponry as the people of God are doing relying and asking for king taking the ark of the covenant to the battle thinking that they will save them but he wants us to know and remember that they must rely on the ones savior that they have he wants the church you and I to know this morning that God wants us to be victorious God wants us to succeed but how do we do that through military power through all kinds of things know through humility through holiness because it those are the only things that will glorify God bring glory to God David wants us to hear him say this God's reputation is at stake and that matters to me does that matter to you David doesn't want us to see his bravery or his courage or his cleverness are they they are definitely they are there but that's not what it what he wants us to see because that will be stealing the glory from God David wants us to stand up against sin and ungodliness because that is what brings glory to me and like I said we must talk about the gospel because the story is actually pointing us to the day when God sent his own son Jesus Christ to fight our battle that we couldn't save ourselves from that Jesus comes and defeats the enemy so that we may be enabled to fight the battles that we face every day of our life trusting that God is going to save us from all the things that are laid against us against the people of God against those who claim and those who want to achieve the purposes that God has called us for and that Jesus is our champion that he is our savior that he is the one who fights the foes that we face in life because you know we're facing greater bigger more difficult foes than what Israel faced Goliath was just one man we're facing death and sin and temptation and all of those things but we must remember that the enemy has been defeated already by by Christ following the cross his death and resurrection we also must remember that he still continues to intimidate us that he is right there so don't say that we are a civilized nation then there's no demons that the devil is not at work he is truly at work is a wounded warrior and that needs to remind us that we shouldn't be surprised when we face opposition in fact you should be surprised when you don't face opposition but you know what weapons we try to use in our daily lives we're trying to fight this battle we use the wrong weapons that's how we fail political solutions money hollywood they have never advanced the kingdom of God and they never will God has given us his word fission six ten and following the whole armor of God and the chief end of them is his word don't forget prayer don't forget prayer and like I said this is not a victory about personal victory this is not about fighting our own goliath the victory that's given to us would be long to Christ through his obedient life toning death in victorious resurrection so who needs to hear this this morning I do so here's three questions for us to think about how are we going to deepen our trust in God so that we may fully depend on him to save us where do you need this morning to submit your life to God and his will for you to save and where do you feel as if the flesh has won your temptation the sin the devil has won some battles in your life and you feel frustrated this may feel like you're drowning in that river the schemes that the devil has for you seem to be too big but you just can't plan your way to the water there's a great victory for you in Christ Jesus that's why you need to deepen your trust that's why you need to submit to him that's why you need to see those problems are small because you are more than conquerors to Christ who's loved you more than you could ever imagine you can now fight because you have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in you and you can be victorious because the same power that was in in in David is the same power that is it working you and you can save this with David you come to me with the sword and the spear with the javelin but I I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts the God of the armies of Israel because you know what church we can march on but we are a giant killer father we thank you for your word this morning you enable us to go now in victory through Christ Jesus who's loved us we pray this in Christ's name amen