Knowing Who You Are
To the way this is going to work on the pray for us as we start and then I will read small sections of scripture as we talked through them and hopefully by the time we are done one you will be excited about what we're going to be studying for the next eight weeks and two you will leave here with a profound appreciation for who it is that God has made you and who it is he is making you to be so let's take a moment and pray.
Heavenly father as we come to your word of this morning. We are mindful of the fact that even stories and here that we tell two small children. A profound impact for us as adults because it is your inspired word. And so Lord, I pray as we look at the text this morning you would help us. See you better understand ourselves better. And because of that that we would be able to love you and love others who we be able to help others become passionate worshipers and be gifted servants ourselves because of our time in your word today. We ask these things in Jesus name. Amen.
They have a Bible turn the 1st Samuel 17 you want to be there? Because I'll be taking us to different points and you probably want to follow along. I'm probably going to drive Matt crazy at the AV board cuz we'll have to try to figure out where I'm going when but we'll get through all this together the first part of 1st Samuel 17. Is about Goliath. The first part of this is the story of the whole chapters. It's a story of David and Goliath. So that that the main point we tend to get out of the story is that David's little Delights big David needs to trust God David Quinn's and and that is all true. However, there are much deeper things at stake here that we can see as we look at the text this morning understanding there are lots of different ways to read a text understand it and then why that text in particular situations are application this morning specifically is helping us figure out. Who are we and why is that helpful to the first question I want us to ask ourselves is why is it important that you know who you are? If I ask you right now, who are you you probably have an answer. What I would be shocked by is how many of you probably would Define yourself in one of three categories. You would either Define Yourself by what you do what you have or what people want you to be.
And the reality of it is all those things matter a little bit. But how God designed you and how God made you and how God defines you is the most important thing. And we'll get into that little more later as to why it is that we tend to do all these other ways of defining ourselves. But if you don't know who you really are, if someone asks, you take away your job take away your role doing this that and the other thing take away the stuff you have. Who are you really if you sit there and you go I'm not sure I'd have to think about that awhile. Then this is exactly why we need to look at this text and study in general what it means to be emotionally healthy and our spirituality. If you don't know here's the danger first of all, and we see this in the text the enemy will prey on the weak. When kalayatha comes he taunts the people of Israel and he taunts their God why because he knows if they're trusting themselves. He is a frightening man. And she looks for the ones who he knows are weak. And our enemy will pray on us when we do not have our lives defined by Christ. Secondly, you need to know who you are because you feel things whether you're aware of them or not your emotions. Are there their expressions of Who You Are Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you're sad sometimes situations get to you. You're angry. You're depressed. You're ecstatic. You're all these different feelings. But if you don't understand who you are and you don't understand why those emotions are happening and they can be a total disaster to the people around you as they just come out. But when you understand who you are then all the sudden all those things that you feel you start to make sense of them and they start to come together and you start to realize hey, this is why this sort of thing really gets to me I can work on this or this is what really makes me happy. I should devote more of my life to that because that's who God made me to be. and thirdly you live a degree of truthfulness in your life, whether intentional or not. Here's what I mean by that in your life. Some people know who you truly are an example of this from one of my family members who had a tendency to hide who she really was except for certain people. You would call on the phone and you would say Hi. How are you before you could get that out? The the phone would be picked up with up?
Hey, how are you? Oh, oh, it's you Hi. How are you? I'm good. Thanks. She was on her deathbed until she realized who she was talking to. Because for some people she was her true self and others she was not. It's so often our lives. There is a measure of truthfulness to who we are on people. There are some people who really know who you are good bad ugly. They can walk up. They see your face and they just know what the day you're having and they know why and there are other people who we do not live out our true selves in front of but we hide it. If you don't know who you really are, you won't be able to tell the real you from the fake you. And God desires us to live in Truth and Love and so if we don't truly understand who we are then we get all these other fake versions of us that we put out there. We've got to manage the story and the LIE the keeps growing bigger and bigger around the US that were presenting to other people when in reality if we would just live out who God really has made us we could make tremendous progress in our lives. But again, we get concerned about what we do and what we have and what people think of us and it causes us to want to live something other than our honest selves. So jumping into the text a little bit here. Let's first look at Goliath. The first part of that verses 1 through 11 talk about him verse for it says that he's a huge man six cubits and a span sometimes say 4 cubits and a span. Basically what that stalking about is Summer between 6 1/2 and 9 and 1/2 feet is a big boy. Is a helmet a bronze he's armed with a coat of mail. The weight of his coat is five thousand shekels of bronze. He's got some muscle on him to be able to carry that around. He's got the bronze armor on his legs the javelin of Braun slim between his shoulders. He's got a shaft on his spear like a Weaver's beam. Big old hunk anything heavy hard to move around if you're not a strong person the head of the spirit self weigh 600 shekels of iron.
Goliath is a huge man. He comes up to God's people in verse 8. Taunts them to come out and fight him. Says if you beat me we be will be your servants. And he defies in verse 10. Israel I defy the ranks of Israel this day give me a man that we may fight together.
His basic plan is I'm a big man. I have a big ego. I can handle anything and I can handle all of you.
The reality about Goliath is he is a big man with a big ego who has no idea who he's up against. he has based his life on his physical size and strength and prowess and when he taunts God's people he has no idea. He is messing with
unfortunately The people of Israel don't seem to have any idea who the God is that Goliath is messing with either. Why because we see in the text?
Saul and all Israel heard the words of the Philistine and they were dismayed and greatly afraid salsa of people his whole Army chickens out. The king himself will not go into battle. They are all afraid. Why are they afraid because they don't understand who is fighting with them Goliath maybe a large man. He is nothing compared to the god whom they serve but they forgotten that And instead they get distracted by everything. They see in front of them. This highlights one of the dangers that we come across.
When we don't know who we are and whose we are we can be easily swayed by the things we see and lose all confidence and courage and Asher is the true. God has called us to be he will carry out the mission. He's called us to
So if we stopped at verse 11, we would see a situation that is a royal mess from the King on down. And it's Ted. It doesn't stop there. Praise the Lord. It does not stop there. It continues on 2 verse 12 now David. And describe to David was where he's from. He's a son of Jesse. He's got seven other brothers. Three of his oldest son's have already gone out to follow this also there. Are you there at the battle?
David is the youngest.
72nd section here. We're going to learn something about David and his past and how that makes him who he is. Raise your hand if you are a first born child. But if you do a chance. Raise your hand if you are the last born child in your family.
There are drastic difference is now if you're an only child your first and last I get that but there are drastic differences often in the way of firstborn responds to things and the way the last-born responds to things and David is the the last in line. He's the youngest of the eight. It shapes who he is. He's seen his brothers get up and go off to fight for saw. He's seen them do a lot of amazing things and probably like many brothers has tried to copy what they have done. David as the youngest is trying to do as much as he possibly can verse 15 says he went back and forth from Saul to feed his father sheet at Bethlehem. So David knows his family origin. He knows where he's from he knows what stage in life. He's at at the youngest of the boys. He knows his skill-set. He's a good shepherd, but he also needs to honor his dad who's getting older by keeping an eye on the three brothers are going back and forth between Saul's camp and home taking care of all the things that need to be taken care of. He understands how his history has made him who he is at that particular point in time. The Jesse says to his son David in verse 17 take for your brothers and beef of this parched grain and these 10 Loaves and carry them quickly to the camp of your brother and take 10 cheeses to the commander of their thousands. See if your brothers are well and bring home some token from them. And so David gets up and takes everything with him. He listens to his dad and he does what he supposed to do. Why? Is David understands his role?
David does not live in such a way that he only has thinking about himself. David is clearly someone who knows what his role is and strives to live in right relationship with others. He wants to make sure his dad is honored and his dad is his made comfortable by knowing the status of his sons who are War he wants to provide for the family business by taking care of the sheep. And it's same time. He cares about his brother some selves and wants to make sure that he's engaged there.
And then he shows up.
He comes to the encampment. As everybody is getting out to go to the battle line. And he meets up with them and wants to know what's going on.
David a good job. It says in verse 22. He left the things in the charge of the keeper the baggage and went to the ranks to greet his brother. So he doesn't just drop what he supposed to do. We make sure stuff is provided for It made sure the Sheep were provided for as well.
And when he gets out there. Goliath had come up and spoke the words. He had spoken earlier and David heard him this time. And he sees all the people running away.
And they saved him the people that are running away. Have you haven't seen this guy?
The king will enrich the man who kills him and give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel. So David starts to ask around to all of you know this what should be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach of Israel. Who is this guy? The he should defy the armies of the Living God.
David does not see the same thing that everyone around him sees. He looks at the situation. He hears the big guy come forward and make his claim against God. Everybody else sees the big guy and wants to run away despite the rewards that are promised for the person. Who does this David instead says, who's this guy think he is Let me know who God is somebody's got to do this because Israel is God's people in somebody needs to take away the reproach of Israel. He views the situation differently. He does not allow the situation to determine who he is, but it does clarify what he can do in the situation. She goes round and starts asking about this and his oldest brother hears it and he gets angry at David you say why would he get angry just cuz David was asking some questions.
He wants to know who you leave the ship with. See his brother is looking at the situation going. Hey, I was sent here. I'm the oldest I'm supposed to take care of this. I'm scared to death. You're supposed to be home with sheep. Why are you coming around making it seem like I'm wrong in this situation. His oldest brother has lost courage. I swear David has gained new courage when he's heard. What is happening?
The David David says to him. What what am I done? I mean the word I'm just talking.
He turns away from him and spoke to some other people in the same way and keeps getting the same answer. He keeps trying to basically fine. Is there anyone else here? Who knows what's going to happen and understand things the same way I do and it's willing to stand up and take the charge of the situation and defeat this guy.
And his word finally get to Saul who sends for him.
And that's when David has a revelation. First 32 let no man's heart fail because of him being Goliath your servant will go and fight with this philistine.
amazing David sees the situation sees that no one else is stepping up to the plate and takes that as a sign from God that this must be my job to do. If no one else sees it but me and God has called me to do this. I will do it.
And so David makes this claim to Saul the key will go and fight Goliath and saw. If you know much about Saul he was the first king and he tended to have some pretty big issues in life is sort of an example of what it means to be emotionally unhealthy and his spirituality. As you would expect Saul does not see things the way David was his response verse 33, you are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him. You're just a kid. He's a man of war from his youth. He's been fighting since he was your age. You can't do this because saw like everyone else in his army has forgotten who he is. He is God's anointed king.
And he assumes wrongly that someone who is Young and inexperienced at War cannot effectively win the battle that God has laid out.
Have you ever been in a situation like that where you are? So convinced that things can't be done.
Then you failed to see the possibility that it could be done a different way.
Only afterwards do we often look back and go. Oh my word I never
David does not respond to the king. The way you would think he would. Young man standing before the king of Israel getting told no, you can't do this. Most of us would expect David at that point to tuck his head. Sorry, sir and walk away. He does not. He looks the king in face and says to him.
First 30 for your servant used to keep sheep for his father when there came a lion or a bear and took a lamb from the flock. I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he rose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him your servant has killed lions and bears and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them why for he has defied the armies of the Living God.
I don't know about you, but if I were to encounter a lion or a bear. And I was a shepherd and it took one of the sheep. I would probably be like, thank you for eating the sheep and not me. Hope you're full now. My first response is not I'm going to go get that thing and I'm going to get the sheet before he eats it and if he comes after me for trying to get the Sheep back, I'm going to grab him by the hair under his chin and take on a lion or a bear face to face. Do you understand why David's past so affected his present. He understood who God had made him by the Situation's God had already brought into his life to prepare him for this day. All the experiences the scary ones the good ones the bad ones the easy ones the hard ones. Everything God has brought into your life is part of how he is shaping you to be who you are today. The question is are you letting him shape you in good ways or you letting past experience? Keep you hidden from what you truly are called to do.
David did not encounter a lion or a bear coming after sheep and have the response be man. I need to pick up carpentry. Instead he looked at that example and said if I can do this. I'm take on a bear. This one's an uncircumcised Philistine guy. I can take him on pretty easily. He's a lot slower has a lot fewer teeth than a bear.
And I have to why.
He's defy the armies of the Living God. His calling in the present. is designed
two free God's people and it is designed.
to glorify God himself if you are life is about those two things bringing glory to God and helping others.
You probably understand what your life is for.
And so he's before date before saw here and he's trying not to let others determine who he is. Your young you can't do this. Yes. I can I have this experience.
The Lord can deliver me from a lion and a bear. He can deliver me from a Philistine. And saw in verse 37 kind of agrees. Yeah, I have to admit someone came to me and said hey, I think I can handle this fight. I've beaten lions and bears before I can deal with a 7-foot dude. I be like, yep. Yep. You probably can. You're a bigger man than I am go for it. And that's what's all this. He lets him go but here's the thing. Saul still doesn't get how this is going to go down. He still is trying to shape David into something that David is not. And so he says to him though the Lord be with you and then he puts his armor on David. His helmet is coat of mail. His sword gets trapped on an David is like overwhelmed by all this stuff. Why does when you're a Shepherd you don't wear full armor when you're out protecting the sheep and seems like I have no idea how to work in this outfit. This is not who I'm designed to be. David knows how he supposed to function If you let other people determine how you go about what you do? Instead of letting God's design for you determine. How you go about what you do you will present a false self and most likely a failed self. In the situations you find yourself in if you find yourself not succeeding in the things that God has called you to do stop and ask is the word of God. Defining how I'm going about the situation or am I letting someone else tell me who I am.
This gets back to what I was talking about earlier.
When most people are asked who they are there answer is I'm a whatever and they fill in their job. They fill in relationships that I'm a mom. I'm a dad and my brother. I'm a sister. I'm something based on what I do.
The problem with that is the moment. You can't do that anymore. You lose your sense of purpose. If you have a job and your job to finds you and your job goes away. Who are you? Are you lost are you in depression because you can't do that anymore.
If you're a parent and your child dies, who are you? Set relationship. The only thing that defines you or is there something even more solid than that relationship undergirding Who You Are.
Others will Define themselves by what they have. We see this in those that have a lot and in those that have a little there are many people who have a lot of stuff who are defined by their stuff. There are entire groups of marketing agencies who break people down into the type of person they are because of how they handle stuff. Are you in early adopter or we can try to mark it to you this way or are you someone who is defined by things that are really Dependable will try to mark it to you this way. Are you someone that just wants something that isn't that expensive but will mark it to you this way. They know how often we are not defined by God, but by our stuff and they use that to get you to buy stuff.
You are not what you have. You are not what you have if God took every single item away from you and left you with nothing. You are still you. All of that stuff is just extra it's extra in that. It's outside of you and can be used by you for great purposes, but it is not defining you. Stuff comes and goes God is forever. or the third choice Popularity I'm defined by people who people want me to be.
Now this one may be the most Insidious of all because it's seems in our culture like the stuff Factor would be the biggest and we often Define ourselves by our jobs. But how often do you change what you're going to do merely because of what someone else will think of you because of it?
think for a second
he went to go get something. Maybe your work you go to the vending machine to get something. We think so and so that they're doing the whatever plan right now. If I come back with this at my desk, they'll think maybe I should get something else instead.
Oh, my my house is fine right now. But so and so is coming over next week. So I need to fix that and clean that and do that other thing because if it if they come into my house, and it's not all just so What will they think of me? As a parent we struggle with this all the time when we're out with kids and they do something in public. And we go. Oh my goodness. What will people think of us now? Sometimes you do amazingly good things in public a real I go. I'm so happy people will think we're running for parents. Both of them are equally as toxic because we're letting other people define whether or not we're good or bad depending on what others do.
David refused to buy into any of those camps. So you put them off he takes his staff verse 40 and five smooth stones from a brook and puts them in his Shepherd's pouch and his sling is in his hand. David is solid enough and who he is. I am the Conquering Shepherd boy. The she can say to the king I can do this and I don't need you to tell me how to do it. God's already given me what I need.
and then he goes the Goliath
Goliath is not happy with him.
Cuz he's Young.
He's kind of a says ready and handsome and appearance. You just as cute little kid.
In the Philistine cursed David by the gods of his own. And says to him come to me, I will give your flesh the birds of the air in the beasts of the field. So basically looks at him and says you got nothing. Come here. I'll kill you this give me easy fight. Never underestimate God's people. David says to him you come at me with a sword and a spear and a javelin. I came at you with the staff and five Stones. I know it doesn't say that. I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts the god of the armies of Israel who you have defied this day the Lord will deliver you into my hand. Again, knowing how he was equipped. He still did not even then focus on his equipping to accomplish what needed to be done. His full confidence was in the fact that the Lord would prevail. When we trust God to define the situation and the outcome and who we are we no longer have to rely solely on our own strength, but can trust at the Battle truly is the Lord's.
He continues. I'll strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the armies of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the Beast or the birth of the year in the wild beasts of the earth that all may know if there's a God in Israel. That all of this assembly may know the Lord saves not with sword and spear for the battle is the Lord's he will give you into our hands.
Blythe says to him here's how it's going to end Birds animals on you. David says no, it's actually can be the other way around. Pretty bold statement as you're standing there young kid in front of this huge Warrior. But his confidence is fully in the Lord. We all know the outcome already takes a stone out puts it in his sling Nails Goliath in the middle of the forehead and he falls down on the ground. He prevails over and with a sling in the stone and then David comes over. takes Goliath's sword cuts off his had everybody from the Philistine side runs away and all of a sudden now Israel and Judah is invigorated. Oh, yeah, I guess God is going to pull this one off for us and they get up and go chase them.
David takes the head of Goliath brings it to Jerusalem. The armor that had been given to him. He still didn't put it on he put it in his tent.
So now here's again about this and says to his commander and verse 55 whose son is this and then Army Commander doesn't know it's not amazing. You just sent some guy out to defeat the enemy knowing that if he loses you all become Servants of the Philistines and the commander of the army doesn't even know who this kid is. Because it doesn't matter. If you are well-known if you are well-liked if everybody thinks you can do it. It doesn't matter as much as whether or not God says this will happen. When God determines the outcome, it does not matter who else knows. You want to fight the tendency to let people to find you and let popularity be what ultimately matters to you. love obscurity embrace the idea that not everyone needs to know what you've done. God knows that's sufficient.
He finds out who he is.
He does not even brag about himself his answer in the end of verse 58. I'm the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehem.
Since you want to know who I am. Talk to my dad.
He is not in it for his own recognition. He is in it for the Lord's Glory. Now where does all this lead us to in light of what we're going to be studying? And what do you take away from this today? First off the thing to keep in mind is that knowing yourself is an important part of being able to glorify God if you want to grow as our mission statement says we do as a passionate worshipper of God, you're not just somebody's casually connected to God and church with who I put in my time. You really want to be engaged in worship of God understanding who you are as foundational to that because God has designed you to worship Him and very unique ways. I don't just mean he's designed you to sing soprano or tenor Alto on Sunday morning here. I don't mean he's designed you to sit in that particular chair that you always sit in that has become conform to the shape of you now. I am talking about all of life as worship. God has designed you very specifically to worship Him in unique ways and you will not know fully what those are until you understand who you are.
Once you understand that all the other aspects of Life start to make sense a christ-centered heart that is aware of what is going on can make sense of all the craziness around you. And I venture to say many of you know of a good deal of craziness that goes on around you. The study that will be in for the next eight weeks will help us through this journey. I'm getting us from wherever you're at now to a place that is more in line with God's heart for you.
You may think that this prayer point is very simple. Pray for your role in emotion and healthy spirituality over the next eight weeks. Pray that God would figure out for you which group you're to get connected with and connect you with them figure out he already knows. You figure out what he's got planned. Can I get connected and pour yourself into a grow from this in fantastic ways so that you are freed up to serve God. In ways you could only dream of now.
Ways that you can worship God that you never thought possible? And then pray for the people around you cuz they needed to. Say I got this together will the people around you down and sadly neither to you, but maybe you don't realize it yet. Or maybe you're sitting there going man. I really need this. So to the people around you. Pray for you, and then pray for them that God would meet them where they're at. It's probably not the same place you are but then you would teach them profound things from there. I'm going to be up front here Pastor Donald be up here as well. If there's something specific you'd like us to pray for for you. Please feel free to come up we can pray briefly now. If not, you can feel free to call in during the week. We would love to get together with you then if you call in and ask for me at the beginning of the week, I'm actually going to be traveling the password on Pastor Bill will be here and so they would be more than glad to get together with you. So let's go to the Lord in prayer in a little bit. I will close the song.