Misc. - "Private Obedience Leads to Public Victory" - 1 Samuel 17:31-37

“Private Obedience Leads to Public Victory”

1 Samuel 17:31-38.

November 12 - “Wellcome Home” Revelation 3 - Let Christ into this room.

We finished 2019 with a challenge to focus on the things that matter as we move into 2020.

The Word Lasts

Then in 2020 we started a series called “Fully Alive” where we had 3 challenges:

1. I will bring my friends and go to Jesus for healing. (Mark 2 - the roof was opened up.)

2. I will do whatever it takes to bring people to Jesus (Mark 10 - Jesus stood still)

3.

“God’s light shines the brightest when things seem the darkest.”

We started this year with a challenge to remember that we are victorious!! We have won the victory because Jesus won the victory!!

Last night and this morning I began to reflect on this year.

Things seem daunting.

Things seem dark.

Things seem like a disaster.

But then it was like the sweet Holy Spirit of God began to remind me last night and all through today that God is not finished with this youth group. God is not finished with you. God is not finished in you!

Philippians 1:6 KJV 1900

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

2 Peter 3:9 KJV 1900

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Matthew 28:19–20 KJV 1900

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

God is not done! He is still in control!

Luke 15:10 KJV 1900

Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

There is still rejoicing in heaven over lost souls that get saved!!

Tonight we are going to look at a passage of Scripture that you are probably familiar with. It’s the passage that we find David killing Goliath. But I want us to focus on what happened before the battle!

Look with me at 1 Samuel 17:31-37

David was SURE that he would beat Goliath. Positive.

Question: How could David be so sure that he would win? And how can we as Christian be sure about our victory in Jesus?

Notice 4 things with me tonight:

1. David’s Public Confidence

David was an Israelite. Israel had a king named Saul that was not completely obedient to God, had he been, he would have claimed Deuteronomy 20 and led his army to victory. He wasn’t a godly man.

In fact, when people are following people out of fellowship with God (lost people) they will live a life of defeat.

1 Samuel 17:24 KJV 1900

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

Who was this Philistine?

Goliath was 9’ 9” tall and had armor that weighed about 150 pounds!

Negative people...

Naturally everyone was terrified!

But David showed confidence in verses 24-29 that eventually led him to kill Goliath! But what was did David do to display confidence?

a) Recognized the Biblical Command

Deuteronomy 20:1–4 KJV 1900

When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

The command was to not be afraid!

Why? Because the Lord was going to go with you and fight for you.

Zoom out!

When we zoom out, to see the whole picture and not just focus on one small part, we can then be able to respond in the right way.

b) Responded to the Biblical Command

Responding the right way to a Biblical command is to obey it!

What David was doing was different because he realized, “Yes, Goliath is one big ugly rascal, but my God is bigger!”

Yes COVID presents problems, but the sin problem is bigger!

Yes my fear of rejection is big, but someone possibly accepting the gospel is bigger!

Yes my flesh is strong, but His Spirit is greater!

Yes my weaknesses are real, but His power is made perfect in my weakness!!!

David was able to display public confidence by recognizing and responding to a Biblical command. Look at what else David did, and see how we can be people that live in confidence that we will win:

2. David’s Preparation for Victory

Now it’s important to note that even when David and you are charged up and ready to move forward in victory, there will be people there to discourage you… and sometimes the enemy will even use people on your own side.

Now, I think it’s easy to imagine if David was going to go up against a huge giant, it would make sense to see a scene from Rocky where he was training in the desert of Israel and gets all ready to go.

But that’s not the preparation I’m talking about.

God is preparing each of us right now for what He has planned to do through us in the future.

How was God preparing David?

a) Private Obedience

1 Samuel 17:34 KJV 1900

And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

His father told him to take care of the sheep.

He was still obeying even AFTER he was anointed to be the next king of Israel.

If that was me, I would look at Ronny and been like, “Uhh did you not hear Samuel?? I’m the next King! Go fetch me some oreos!”

Of course that would have been my last words on earth.

Here’s the point:

David was humble.

David was respectful to his parents. -

Why is respecting parents and being obedient to them so important? If you don’t obey… that shows a character issue and a heart issue. If you can’t obey your parents, how could you ever be obedient to your heavenly Father?

David was obedient when no body else was around.

How is your obedience to your Father?

Have you been in the Word?

How is your prayer life?

How is your spiritual walk?

b) Private Victories

1 Samuel 17:34–36 KJV 1900

And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

We have a lot of really cool kids with cool interests in this youth group.

I love hearing about your weeks, how the games you played in went, and just catching up with y’all.

I’ve even heard some really cool stories of things that y’al have been through...

but never once have i heard a student in Grow Group tell me about their weekend of bear and lion killing.

Homie killed a lion and a bear with his man hands!

David tells Saul of the times he killed the bear and lion that came after his dad’s sheep.

Had David been disobedient to his father, he would have not been in a place to experience victory.

Everyone wants to win, but not everyone wants to put in the work.

Have you experienced personal, private victories?

In your quiet times?

Overcoming a sin temptation?

seeing a prayer answered?

I told you that God isn’t done with this youth group. He isn’t done with you.

c) David’s Powerful Source

David was able to tell Saul, “The God that delivered me from the mouth of the lion and bear, can use me to kill Goliath!”

David realized his help was from the Lord God Almighty!!

we have a powerful source in our God!

He will be the One that saves

He will be the One that moves

He will be the One that calls you, uses you, and delivers all of us!

Listen to what Saul says:

1 Samuel 17:37 KJV 1900

David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

It’s time for us to “go...” and win!

Closing:

We all know how this story ends. David kills Goliath!

But we also know how our story ends… we get to be with Jesus!

we don’t know how much time we have left,

So in the mean time, remember that God is at work!

He is going to use this ministry to save people

He is going to do a work in and through us.

Here’s how I want to close:

Are you willing to take that step and go into battle with me?

Seeing people saved?

Seeing God move in this youth group?

Are you living in victory right now?

How is your private life?