New Covenant School

Introduction

Introduction

Your school theme this year deals with being image-bearers. And ultimately we are talking about bearing the image of Christ in our actions and conduct. I believe an important part of being an image-bearer is knowing where your identity comes from. When I say identity I’m talking about your value and worth as a person. You have to know where your worth comes from if you are going to be an image-bearer.

Identity

You have incredible worth!!!

When you know the worth God has placed on you, you are going to see and treat the people around you with that same worth.

Where do you find your worth? (Examples of placing worth)

Is it in a relationship?

Is it in popularity, and how many friends you have?

Is it found in how successful you are in the activities you perform? How well you can play basketball, football, volleyball…etc..

Is it found in your academic successes?

How many likes you get on Instagram/Facebook.

Ask yourself, “Where does my worth come from?”

Take a second and think about it

I

This is super important to think about because so many people find their value in things that are unstable, or that at any moment can be stripped away from them.

E.g. Baseball (Ryan)

When you find you worth in unstable things, you will never be able to properly fight for other people, because you can’t even stand in your own battle.

Having all these things are good and awesome, but they aren’t what give you your ultimate worth!

You are going to face things in life that are bigger than you....it’s going to happen, but knowing where our worth is found is going to affect how we respond in those moments

I want to give you an example of this by looking at the life of David in the Bible.

You are going to face things in life that are bigger than you....it’s going to happen, but knowing where our worth is found is going to affect how we respond in those moments

I know there are people in this room that are going through some very real, and tough things.

We live a society where social media makes life look like its the most blissful experience possible!

I know there are people in this room that are going through some very real, and tough things.

You have to be convinced that what your Creator has said about you is what defines you, and when you are, you may be stretched, but you will never break.

I want to talk to you about a man who was convinced by the Word of God...David in the Bible.

David and Goliath (1 Sam. 17)

How many of you know the story of David and Goliath?

We know the outcome, we know that he has an incredible victory over a giant named Goliath, but have you ever stopped to really put yourself in the shoes of David?

When you do, it makes his feat of killing Goliath even more incredible.

The Israelites were the chosen people of God and God had made promises to them.

Let me paint a picture of the scene that David walked into.

Armies arrayed

17:10,11 - Goliath defies Israel

There is this atmosphere of fear

Goliath was up to 9 1/2 feet tall

All his armor he was wearing weighed roughly 125 pounds

Like Awkwardness

David’s not walking on to the scene with a radio

David arrives on the scene, and he hears the mocking of Goliath right, and he’s like “who is this dude” that he defies the armies of the living God like this?

Brother (17:28)

Brother (17:28)

David gets to where the battle and he hears the mocking of Goliath right, and he’s like “who is this dude” that he defies the armies of the living God like this?

Read vs 28 (he starts mocking David and speaking down to him)

Few sheep

He thinks David is just showing off and speaking like a big man that can’t really back it up

This is his brother, someone who should of been there to encourage him and speak life into him.

It got reported to Saul that there was a man who might challenge the giant

David volunteers to fight this giant

Saul (17:33)

It got reported to Saul that there was a man who might challenge the giant

David volunteers to fight this giant

Read vs 33.

Saul who was Davids king and leader was telling him “You can’t do this”

Too young

Too inexperienced

This man of all people should of been there to inspire David and pump him up. Tell him God is with him!

Goliath (vs 42, 43) Read

Goliath is like “Are you serious? This is your challenger?”

Starts taunting David with his stick

Then he starts cursing David by his gods

Read vs. 44 - Taunting time is over, now he gets serious

How does David go forward

If its me, I’m like “maybe this was bad idea”

David doesn’t have inspiring Hillsong music playing in the background…there is absolutely no outside stimulation, or inspiration, or emotion to lend itself to David

It’s all heart and all faith in this moment

It’s either Has God said?, or God has said!

David’s Response (vs 45, 46)

Comes in the Name of the Lord

The God of Israel’s army

Requoting God’s promise of deliverance

Strike down (nothing will stand in the way of God’s word)

Application

The principal of the story is this: David knew who he was as a chosen people by God, and he believed the promises of God towards him.

You may not face physical giants, but you will face things in life that will challenge you as an individual, and that will try and define you as a person.

When that happens you have to know where your identity is found, where your worth and value comes from, and what God has said about you!

It has to go from knowing up in the head to believing in the heart

You may be wondering, “well how do I do that?”

faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God

The most effective image-bearers will be well acquainted with the image of the one they are trying to bear....and you get all that hear.