Untitled Sermon

Before we start, I am curious - Who liked the outcome of the superbowl?

Underdog - The rest of you wanted the underdog.

Like today’s story because of that.

Today we continue with studying the Life of David … so far

Saul rejected as king because of his disobedience.

See God make a counter cultural hiring choice in anointing David as the king to eventually succeed David.

Everybody else wanted to recruit the most outwardly appealing candidate God had different hiring criteria, the heart. the inside.

Last week we saw the humility and devotion of David, not king yet, but going and serving Saul who need comfort because of an evil spirit.

Today is all about David’s ‘Rise to Power’ - a familiar story to many.

As we jump into it, I want piggyback on what David and Matt remind us about weekly!

Let this be a great time of fellowship and learning

But above all, use it to help you - find, trust and follow Jesus.

Being a man of God begins with inviting God into your life; as Savior and Lord.

28 people baptized this week across our campuses. Who here? (DACE)

34 for the year and we’re 46 days in.

If you haven’t taken that step of obedience you can do it tonight, we got everything you need.

Salvation is not the end of God’s work, it is the beginning of Him transforming you into a man who looks like Jesus.

Don’t let the study of David be just about learning information.

Ask God to change you because of this study.

So that you and I can love Him and others with the love of Christ - impacting your wife, family, friends, girlfriend, boss and others … causing them to lean in and find trust and follow Jesus.

Familiar Story. Give you 4 questions to help you approach Scripture with transformation in mind.

What do I learn about GOD?

What do I learn about PEOPLE?

How will I APPLY this passage in MY LIFE?

Who do you know that needs to HEAR this passage?

The Scene - The Scene

Picture two hills with a valley in between

Philistines (enemy) on one side and Israel on the other.

Facing the Israelites from across the valley is Goliath standing 9’ 9” ( now I know I am pretty tall :-), wearing bronze helmet, metal coat weighing 125 pounds, metal shin guards, a spear weighing 15 points

This guy is a fierce fighter.

8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 10 Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” 11 On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

Constant - 40 days every evening and morning, annoying and taunting Israel.

Response - Terrified, Discouraged, Shattered, v24 run away, day in day out!

Reaction Seems Wrong - these are God’s people, He has saved them before, He has done miracles in front of their eyes. There should be no question who will win … i.e. all powerful God, leader of the army of Israel. Why would they react this way?!

US - I think we can relate more than we want to admit. Think about big …

Career challenges - job insecurities, unattainable goals, peer competition.

Personal struggles - stronghold life (drugs, alcohol, porn, anger, jealousy)

Relationship issues - strained friendship, broken marriage

Major decision, ethical decisions

You and I face Goliath’s in life.

Maybe you're facing one right now! How are you responding?

Running? Like the Israelites. Who saw the opposition, looked around and bolted?

Transition: Let’s keep looking at this story of David because he runs as well but in a different direction.

He’s back at the house tending sheep and his dad hands him a charcuterie board (cheeses) and instructs David to take it to his brothers and see how they are doing.

1 Samuel 17:20–24 (NIV)

20 Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.

21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other.

22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were.

23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it.

24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.

What do we learn about GOD? -

His timing and power are perfect!.

It isn’t a coincidence that David approaches the camp and they are out at battle position instead of where they fled to.

It isn’t by chance that while David was there talking to his brothers … Goliath comes out and says what he says about God’s people.

God cares about His people.

He sees what we cannot.

He has the power to control what we don’t.

What do we learn about OTHERS? - there is a difference between David / Israelites.

The Iraelites ran away from the battle lines, David ran to the battle line.

I don’t know what your battle is but who do you relate to? David or the Israelites? (more like the Israelites and less of David)

What accounts for the difference in their responses?

What is it about David that allows him to stand there?

Why would he stand there; what is his purpose or motive?

Transition: David’s brothers actually question David’s motives. King Saul saw nobody stepping up in being willing to kill Goliath so he bribes them with a deal. David inquires about Saul’s offer and his brothers are ANGRY. They assume he is jealous of them getting what Saul was offering.

1 Samuel 17:29–40 (NIV)

“Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.” (I love this scene)

Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

(Goliath sees this little boy, makes fun of him, threatens him)

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

That is exactly what David went on to do. Kill Goliath with zero equipment other than a slingshot and 5 stones.

There is so much here we could discuss but we don’t have time to develop. Like David’s motivation,

He didn’t do it for Saul’s reward.

He WAS NOT trying to make his name famous.

David’s motivation was rooted in God.

Represent God Well.

Make God’s name great.

A desire that others would KNOW HIS GOD.

These are just as critical in today’s culture that is stepping up and defying God daily.

Here is the thing I want us to see in David.

DAVID FOUND HIS STRENGTH IN THE LORD

Anyone in the Israelite army could have done what David did.

Each of them would have said they had faith in God.

But only David placed his faith in the right person, God. His God was big.

The others placed their faith in themselves. Their circumstance was big and their God was small.

David had experienced God’s faithfulness and God’s power to do what he couldn’t …. Why is that? The Lord Almighty was with him and for him.

DAVID FOUND HIS STRENGTH IN THE LORD

We see this truth played out here and David shares this years later, where he wrote in Psalm 18:32 (NIV)

32 It is God who arms me with strength

and keeps my way secure.

(Look at them) Where does your strength come from?

Life is difficult. You know that! There are so many situations that you and I face. Circumstances that are beyond your strength and ability.

Whatever the circumstance, be it an opportunity or difficulty, in your job, marriage, family, your friendships … View the situation through the lens of God and His power. WITH HIM, YOU WILL FIND STRENGTH.

For some of you, you have a relationship with Jesus, and because of that, like David, God is with you and his strength can be yours.

You’re doing the right thing being right here!

With other guys, sharing your life and asking God to transform you.

Encourage you to get vulnerable with one another, share your giants with them, ask them for help.

FIND YOUR STRENGTH IN CHRIST

Some of you have never placed your faith in Jesus for Salvation and forgiveness of your sins.

You don’t know what it is like to have a leader other than yourself.

That can change tonight. God can be with you. BAPTISM.

Transition: The best gift you and I, as men of God, can give to ourselves and to those around us is modeling that we are weak and made strong because of God with us!

Prayer:

God main character (not to lose sight),

All powerful God, there is no match to your unlimited power,

Act with courageous faith because you are with us.