And Lord, we pray for your blessing over the preaching and the hearing of your word in the house of the Lord. Amen.
When I was a kid, my mom did not allow me to, to have weapons. What I mean by that is I was not allowed to have toy guns for a while. I wasn't allowed to have, like, swords, axes, the stuff my friends did. And eventually that season passed. But I remember a very particular season where I was not allowed to have weapons because my mom was concerned about my love for warfare. I loved warfare. Imagine me like as a little kid, like 5, 6, 7. Other kids are into, like, trucks and, you know, planes. I'm like, war. Love war. And my mom, growing concerned, was like, let's not feed this. And so no toy guns. But I found a loophole. The loophole was that the Christian bookstore in town, Soldiers, okay, this is a Christian bookstore now, sold a plastic Armor of God playset. And so at the Christian bookstore, my mom could not think of a reason I couldn't have. Was biblical, the shield of faith, the sword of the spirit. And so I got this plastic army set, and I would go to war, man. I would go to war in our house and in the backyard. I would run around. We had kind of a ditch behind our house. I'd be running around, near and around the ditch, this empty lot. And I would go to war against all kinds of enemies. And I just remember my mom perpetually with a concerned look on her face, just like, I don't know if this is good. I need to stop this, but I don't know how.
And I. And I. As I grew up, though, here was the question I began to ask. Is being a Christian about going to war or not? Because at different times, I, as a kid got the impression that being a Christian was mostly about being polite, right? Or being Christian was mostly about being nice to others. And the more I grew, the more I learned and the more confused I became. There was a lot of fighting in the Bible, and it was way bloodier than I expected. And Jesus said to love our enemies. Okay, so you're going, wait, is that. What am I supposed to do here? Or there was spiritual warfare in the Bible, but then we're also supposed to forgive those who persecute us. And so I remember having this question. Is the Christian life a fight? Is it a war? And if it is, what kind of a fight?
Well, that's the question we're going to look at today from this very familiar passage in 1st Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath.
Now, I'm going to take some liberties today as we walk over this story, because most people. And if you haven't heard this story, it's okay. But many folks, especially in a religious community like ours, have heard something about David and Goliath. Maybe. Maybe you've heard something, you know, in passing even, but. But a lot of people know a little bit about it. So I'm not going to read the entire passage at length. Instead, I'm going to sort of be a tour guide pointing things out about the passage again, I want to refresh your memory before we jump in here.
Remember that the nation of Israel has just come together under its first king named Saul. Saul has had high moments and low moments. He's been a brave warrior who's won and a coward who's hidden hid among the baggage. The greatest enemy of Israel at this particular time was the Philistines. Neighboring people who raided Israel, regularly, assaulted them regularly, and now, now they have a mass for a full on war with Israel. And from the Philistine lines, a champion steps forward. This literal giant of a man named Goliath who daily challenges Israel to send someone to him in single combat, even going so far as to say, if anyone on your side can beat me, we will all just give up and go home right here and right now. Meanwhile, David the shepherd has been anointed the future king of Israel, but is not king yet. In fact, he's not even in the army. He's back home watching the sheep and his father sends him to check on his brothers. And David hears this blasphemous, angry monologue from Goliath and is enraged with a kind of a holy rage that God's name and God's people are being defamed. And so he convinces King Saul to let him fight the giant. And as you probably know, in a dramatic moment, David hurls a stone into Goliath's face, brings him down, kills him. The Philistine army is scattered and they win.
6 · Introduces the sermon's four-layer interpretive framework as a method for reading any biblical passage, addressing common misreadings of David and Goliath
Now how are we meant to read a passage like this? Are we supposed to be like David slaying the giants in our lives? Are we supposed to rejoice that there was a David and sort of be like, well, great, I'm glad to know that God always provides someone to come in and help in moments of need. Now, because this passage is so familiar, we're going to do something unique. We're going to walk through it in four layers. Okay? Now, and these four layers can be used as you read any passage in the Bible, because again, I think we're looking at this going, so am I supposed to fight people in my life or am I not supposed to fight people? Am I supposed to wait for a fighter like David? What am I supposed to do? Four questions to ask, four areas to look at, and four sections we'll work through.
7 · Critiques common misapplications of the passage (evil ex-husband, rebellious teenager, championship game) and establishes that proper interpretation begins with biblical context—the what, when, and where
First, always important, look at David. This passage ends up getting applied to all kinds of things. Okay? I've heard as a pastor, people say, you know what, you got to slay the giants in your life and that giant is your evil ex husband. And right. Or you gotta slay the giants in your life and it is your rebellious teenager. You're slay the Giants. And if you're a high schooler, it's the other mean high schoolers. You got to slay the Giants. And it is your, that, that championship baseball, you know, game that you've got to win and slay the Giants. I've heard people say all kinds of stuff. So is that right? Well, this is where we start by looking at David. This, David, this historical moment is where we start and we ask, what does this passage say? This is looking at the biblical context. So you're looking at the, the what and when and where of the passage. Because if you don't understand the biblical context, you'll never understand what am I supposed to do with this passage?
8 · Introduces the critical interpretive question: identifying the true nature of Goliath in the passage, which will correct popular misreadings and reveal good news
And here's one specific way this helps. Who is the Goliath that's the enemy here? Because if we understand here, this Goliath, then we'll be able to understand what it means for our lives. And when you understand who Goliath really is, it changes everything. It actually means a ton of the teaching you've heard about David. Goliath is totally wrong. But it's also great news when you understand who he is because the, the real enemy is not who you think.
9 · Begins exposition by identifying the first biblical detail: Goliath's status as a giant
Now let's look at this. First of all, Goliath is a giant.
10 · Traces the biblical-theological significance of giants back to Genesis 6, establishing that giants in Scripture represent demonic and evil influence rather than merely physical size
Now in the Bible, giants mean something. This goes back to Genesis 6, 4, because it appears there that there is some. We don't understand all the details, and I'm not going to get into everything here, but there is some strange demonic union between demon and human resulting in a race of giants in Genesis 6. Now you can go down the rabbit trail and look at the Nephilim. Some people are like, yeah, I love that stuff. Okay, we're not going to get into it here, but here is what you should understand. In the Bible, giants represent the demonic and evil influence on the world. Okay? That's what they represent.
11 · Analyzes Goliath's bronze armor through Hebrew wordplay and historical detail, showing how the scaly appearance and the word 'nehashet' evoke serpent imagery from Genesis 3
Second, Goliath has very unique armor. Now describes his armor in detail in a way that if you were an Israelite, you'd go, I see a connection. But we don't see it in 21st century America. So here's the connection. The word for bronze, it says he has bronze armor. Nehashet sounds like the word for snake, Nahash. Right? And the Goliath is covered in mail, in chain mail. Right? Very specific, very unique, and very rare at this, in this Era of ancient Near Eastern warfare. So here's what you have. You have a guy with snake like armor, bronze, scaly armor. And as an Israelite, you'd go, wait a second, I know where we've seen a snake bad guy. In the Bible, it's Genesis 3, where the serpent tempts Adam and Eve and they sin. So in a sense, Goliath is being shown to us as another serpent. So this is. This is important. Okay, next, Keep looking.
12 · Expands Goliath's significance from a single Philistine warrior to a representative of all nations opposed to God—the world's rage against God's purposes
The Philistines are the current bad guy, but they represent all of the. The warring nations around Israel. They represent all the nations that are opposed to God, who want nothing to do with God, in fact, who are actively angry and opposing. This is the world's rage against the purposes of God. And Goliath, note, he specifically mocks the Israelites as God's people in a way you can almost hear the whole world speaking through him to God's people.
13 · Identifies the fourth element: Israel and Saul's passive failure to respond to Goliath's taunts, drawing a parallel to Adam's passive presence when the serpent tempted Eve in Genesis 3
And fourth, the failure of the Israelites is notable. The failure of the Israelites and Saul when David arrives is that they. They hear these taunts and they do nothing. Now, do you remember, if you've been in our series, who the tallest man in Israel is? Anybody remember Saul? He's the tallest guy, right? So a giant walks up. He's like, if one guy can beat me, I'll give up. I'm sure. What does everybody in Israel do? They, like, look over. Fortunately, we have a tall king, you know, And Saul's like, what? You know, he's just doing nothing. Nothing. In fact, all of Israel hears these taunts day after day, and they do nothing. And it echoes Genesis 3, right? Where Adam is next to his wife as the snake is tempting her and speaking these words, and he's just standing there. Remember, it says that she gives some of the fruit to her husband who was with her. He's just like, oh, wow, right again, Saul. Same thing. So hope somebody takes care of this.
14 · Synthesizes the four elements into the passage's core meaning: David and Goliath is a confrontation between God's purposes and the world, the flesh, and the devil
So, okay, track this with me. What does this mean? It means that this moment is not just between some Philistine and a random person from Israel. This moment is a moment of confrontation between God's people or God's purposes and the world, the flesh and the devil. That's what this means. This moment is a moment where the purposes of God and the people of God are placed in contrast with the world, the flesh, and the devil. That's what this passage means.
15 · Applies the biblical-theological insight to correct listener misidentification of their enemies, redirecting from personal antagonists to the world, the flesh, and the devil
And so if you understand the passage in context, you get to an important insight that your enemies and your Goliaths aren't who you think they are right, you might think, man, it's my evil ex spouse. They're my Goliath. No, man, you got a way bigger Goliath in your life. It's the world, it's the flesh, your own weakness, it's the devil. Right? That is your Goliath. That's who this passage is aimed at.
16 · Transitions from the first layer (biblical context) to the second layer (gospel context), introducing the provocative claim that the listener is not David
So you first look at David. Second. So first, biblical context. Second, the gospel context. Second, you're gonna look at an important truth that I'm gonna say. And then you're gonna have to like, maybe some of you wrestle with this. First point, you'll look at David. Second point, you're not David.
17 · Critiques motivational readings of David and Goliath and introduces the gospel context as the necessary lens for proper application, rejecting the 'you can be the hero' interpretation
Okay? That's the second point. You're not David. Because I've heard so much teaching from this passage where the end result is you can be David, you can be the hero of your story. You've got this, it's just like a, you know, like, I don't know if you do this, but like you've got, when you're trying to set a pr, when you're lifting or working out or something, you have a particular playlist of music that's just like, yeah, here we go, baby. Some people use David and Goliath that way. Where you're like, man, I'm going to read David. I'm going to go. That's not what this passage is meant to do. Primarily, this is where the gospel context is so important because you have to ask, we always have to ask, how does the gospel of Jesus Christ interact with this particular story? And then we'll be able to apply it to ourselves.
18 · Traces the pattern of temporary victory and eventual defeat from David through all of God's people until Jesus, who uniquely defeats the world, the flesh, and the devil through the cross, where apparent weakness becomes triumph and our record of debt is canceled
And the first thing we notice about the passage is this. David is very unique. David is in this passage the paradigmatic warrior. The, the, the representative warrior king who triumphs over God's enemies. So he is the representative of God's people. And he does not succumb to the flesh, meaning he's not passive, he isn't intimidated by the threats, meaning he's not intimidated by the world. And he triumphs over the snake warrior, which is the devil. So David here overcomes the world, the flesh and the devil, comma, for a while. Because here's the challenge. David does more than any of us could ever do, but he still falls. David has this great rise, but he slides later on in his reign into the failure of adultery and, and cover ups and manslaughter. In a sense, he defeats the snake for a moment, but only later finds the snake coiled around his own heart. Right. So you think, well, well, I want to be David. Well, yeah, Even if you could be David, you and I would have the same problem. David does that. You beat the snake for a minute only to find it coiled around you later. And this is the pattern over and over among God's people. It's like, maybe this person will be the snake killer, maybe this person will beat the snake killer. And maybe they win for a while. But the venom of the snake poisons their veins. Until Jesus. Until Jesus. Because notice what happens at the beginning of Jesus ministry. He goes. Notice this. He goes into the wilderness on a field of battle and faces the devil alone. And the devil tempts him with what? With worldly riches? With fleshly appetites? With satanic power. And Jesus triumphs. He defeats the devil single handedly. But then later on, as Jesus is captured and being led to the cross, it appears perhaps that the devil, the world, our flesh, have Jesus on the ropes. He has been marched to a hill called Golgoth. Golgotha. Do you see that? Goliath of Gath Word, Possible connection. We don't know for sure, but the echo is interesting. And then, rejected by the world and clothed in human frailty, Jesus dies. Until, just like David, by surprise, he takes the enemy. You discover that Jesus was not being forced to go there. Jesus went to the place of the skull, like a stone flying straight into the face of the enemy. And he goes into the enemy's head, smashes it and triumphs. Colossians 2 says this about Jesus and you who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by this is what he does on the cross, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. And this he set aside nailing to the cross. And in doing so, it says he disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in him. Meaning Jesus goes to the cross unexpectedly, triumphs single handedly, disarming the world, the flesh and the devil. And he does it through what? Through seeming weakness. He does it through what seems like it cannot work. He does it by offering his life for his people. He cancels our record of debt. And he does it so that every Saul and David and Ricky who fall into sin can in Jesus triumph.
19 · Declares the challenging side of the gospel: self-centered theology is satanic, and we must be humbled to recognize we cannot defeat the world, the flesh, and the devil on our own
Friends, the good news of this passage, and it is good news, is that you're not David. I. I'm not David, but Jesus is the true and better David. And this is simultaneously really, really challenging and encouraging. It's challenging because any theology that ends up telling you it's all about you, you're the point of everything, you're the hero of your story is. I say this advisedly, that theology is satanic because Satan intends to draw our eyes and hearts anywhere other than to the Lord, right? And so when. When we hear that and we're like, oh, yeah, maybe it is all about me, right? We're just listening to the voice of the servants. And we must be humbled in this passage and realize we're not David. We couldn't defeat the world, the flesh and the devil. We can't even defeat our own, the person in the mirror or the snake coiled around our own hearts.
20 · Declares the encouraging side of the gospel: Jesus is the hero, and in Him we triumph over the flesh, the world, and Satan because His victory on the cross becomes ours
But then this passage lifts us up. Friends, we are not the hero of the story, but we know who is. Jesus is the hero of the great story of all things. And here is the good news. Jesus can be the hero of our story. In Jesus, we can triumph. And our flesh and our failures are not stronger than Jesus. Our world and all its devices and seductions and oppositions is not stronger than Jesus. Satan and all his forces are not stronger than Jesus. And for those of us who are in Christ, when Christ triumphs on the cross, when the stone flies into the face of the enemy and smashes the head of the snake, we triumph. We triumph in him.
21 · Direct pastoral address to those seeking motivation or heroism, redirecting them from self-reliance to Christ as the hero their marriage, family, and career need
So, friend, look, if you are today at church looking for a hero, looking for motivation, maybe even looking for a pep talk of like, okay, I'm coming to church so I can get fired up and get back in, because my marriage really needs a hero and my family really needs a hero, and my career really needs a hero, and I need to get fired up to get back out there. Friends, let me just encourage you. You're not the hero your family needs. You're not the hero your marriage needs, but this man can be. He can be the hero you need in your life. Come to him today, he will cancel your record of failures, and in Christ you will be victorious. And for us as Christians, over this is profoundly good news.
22 · Transitions to the third layer (sanctification context) by introducing the paradox that while we are not David, we should still be more like David
Look at David, friends, and then look at the fact that you're not David or David, the true and greater David, but Jesus is. And then third section, because you might be thinking, okay, good, we're done. We can close the Bible. Nope, you should be. Third point. You should be more like David, because here's the reality.
23 · Corrects passive 'let go and let God' theology by calling Christians to active spiritual warfare, pointing to David's heroism as a pattern anyone in Christ can emulate
I'm sorry, I did set you up a little bit for that. The reality is, I think it's easy to be like, great, I'm so glad Jesus is the Savior my family needs and my life needs. And I can just let go and let God, you know, and it's almost like, just put me on the conveyor belt and take me to heaven. I'm just. I'm ready to go, Lord. No. This is where this passage also calls us to pull our plastic armor out of the closet. So if in the last point, you're like, I guess I don't need this armor, I want you to pull it back out of the closet, Christian, because we're about to go to war. This passage is so clear and so careful, not just to record the allusions to the true and greater David, but to record the heroism of David. And it points it out in a way that any of us can emulate. We're not going to be David. We're not going to save all of Israel, and we're not the true and greater David in Jesus. But there are aspects to which anyone who is being, who is in Christ is going to look more like Christ. Right. Meaning we walk in Christ's footsteps. And so what can we learn here?
24 · Establishes David's motive from verses 45-46: not personal advancement but God's glory and honor, which should fire us up more than we currently are
Well, notice what we can learn first is the motive of David. This passage basically says, sometimes we need to get more fired up than we are. That's right. Amen. David doesn't just see, you know, and I've heard people say this about David. David does not just see a risky opportunity to rise from poverty like, well, maybe. I mean, my life's going nowhere. Might as well take a shot at this guy. No, that's not what's happening. This is where we look at David's, David's very particular motivation. Look at verses 45 to 46 that we'd read earlier. 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 look at the very end of that sentence so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. David is not motivated by personal wealth. He's not motivated by notoriety. He is motivated by the authority, honor of the Lord. What fires him up and gets him to take that battlefield is that God's glory, God's character is being demeaned and, and God's people are being demeaned. The. The ones whom God's purposes are bound up in. So the goal of, of David is not that he'd win the victory, and it's not even just that Israel would be okay and win a battle. It is that the glory and fame of God would ring out into the world. And, friends, we can learn from that as we will talk about in a second.
25 · Corrects popular portrayals of David as a weak, unprepared child by demonstrating his tactical planning: refusing unfamiliar armor, leveraging prior experience with predators, and executing a ranged attack strategy
Second, notice not just the motive of David. Notice the plan of David. Notice David's plan here. I have seen this passage portrayed that David is some silly kid going out on a wing and a prayer, right? For example, sometimes it's portrayed that David is. He's just so small and scrawny, he can't wear Saul's armor. And it's too big for him. He's just a little dweeb. I remember seeing some animated version of this. At some point. He's like, this little guy. He's just, like, skiddy. And he puts the arbor out. He's like, well, it's too big for me. And he takes it off. No, no, no. That is not it at all. David is a warrior. And David has a plan. In fact, he makes a tactical call. In verse 39, he says he will not wear Saul's armor because he hasn't killed, tested it. Okay? I mean, this would be like if. If you are in law enforcement or the military and you've got a service weapon that you trust with your life and you know every inch of it. And right before a big battle, somebody's like, why don't you use this one instead? What's that one? I've never shot it before in my life. You're like, well, just use it. Like, nope, not doing that. Right? That's what David is doing. He's making a strategic call here. It's not his gear. He doesn't trust it. And notice this. David says to Saul he has fought larger and more powerful enemies before. So when he goes to convince Saul, hey, let me take this guy on. Saul's like, who are you? And David basically says, look, I have fought large predators like mountain lions and bears, so I know how to fight opponents with superior strength and size advantages. Basically, he goes, I do this. This is what I do. He's a little bigger, but I fight things with strength and size advantages, and I've learned how to do it. And he goes in. Notice this. He goes in with a plan. Verse 48 says he ran quickly, so almost like they're yelling at each other. And Goliath thinks there's gonna be some more banter. And before Goliath can react, David bolts fast into the battlefield. And notice this. I think this is actually tactically brilliant. He goes ranged attack against Goliath instead of close quarters, right? Because look, this dude's huge. And so if he goes close quarters, there's no way. So he goes, you know what I can do? If I can, I can hit him with a ranged attack. Then when he's got down close the distance, I. This is possible. Now, is David's plan possible? Yep. Is it risky? Oh, yes. Is this a sure thing? No way. Is this probably not going to work. Yeah, I mean, it's. A lot of things have to go, right? But he has a plan. He's going in with a plan. It's gutsy, it's a little cool, crazy, but he's going.
26 · Identifies David's third characteristic: dependence on the Lord despite having a plan
Third thing we learn about David, his dependence. So he's got a plan, but his dependence is still on the Lord. His dependence is not on his plan. Look at verse 45. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand. Who's he trusting? Not his skill, but the lord in verse 47. For the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand. Look, he leans on the Lord. He's leaning on the God who sent the plagues, the God who defeated the armies of Egypt, the God who led his army to. To slay the giants in the promised land. By the sword of Joshua. David is saying, I love this blend, okay?
27 · Synthesizes David's three characteristics into a pattern all believers can follow: get fired up by the right things, make a plan, and trust the Lord
David is fired up by the right thing. He comes up with a plan, and then he leans on the Lord. Right? Friends, that is something all of us could grow in, isn't it? Aren't there areas of our life we probably should be a little more fired up by evil and injustice and wrong? Are there not areas of our lives where it's like, man, I just. We keep going. I hope God comes up with something there. When the Lord is like, why don't you make a plan? Right? There's a lot of proverbs about planning. So you come up with a plan. Brother, sister, let's. Let's go. And then third, don't trust your abilities. Trust the Lord, right? That's the blend here. We should all be more like David.
28 · Illustrates the three-part pattern with a high school student scenario: being fired up by honoring God rather than avoiding mockery, making a plan, and praying before school
And so this passage encourages us, right? Think of a high school student who goes to school and they're afraid of being mocked and they're afraid of what people are going to say about them. And look, this passage is so helpful. One, what fires you up should not be, I hope I don't get bullied, or I hope nobody makes fun of me. What should fire you up is going like, man, I hope I honor God today, Right? Second is like, you need a plan to Honor the Lord. And third, you need to trust him and pray before you walk into school, right? See why this is helpful?
29 · Illustrates the three-part pattern with a single mother scenario: being fired up about pointing her kids to Jesus, making a practical plan for finances with help, and leaning on the Lord
Think of a woman who maybe her husband has just left her terribly as a single mom. And it's like, but what do I do in this moment? Well, in this moment, right, what do you do? You get fired up about the task in front of you, which is pointing your kids to Jesus in a vulnerable moment. These kids need you. They need Jesus, and they need you to bring them to Jesus. Second, you do need a plan. You need others to help. You need to figure out your finances, right? You can't just go, I hope God provides. It's like, man, let's get some help. Let's make a plan. And then third, you got to lean independence on the Lord, right? Like, do you see, do you see the pattern?
30 · Summarizes the sanctification application in four imperatives: get fired up by the right things, stop worrying about the wrong things, make a plan, trust the Lord
Like, this is what you're doing. Get fired up by the right things. Stop worrying about the wrong things. Make a plan and then trust the Lord. That is what this passage calls us to do.
31 · Transitions to the fourth layer (personal application context) by introducing the 'right here, right now' Monday morning application that moves beyond general principles to immediate action
Last section. Now look at David. You're not David. You should be more like David. And last one, you can be more like David. Today. Today. Because here's, here's the challenge. Sometimes I think we. This is what I call the right here, right now context of the Bible. We've looked at the biblical context, we've looked at the, at the gospel context. We've looked at the sanctification context. And this is the. My Ricky context. The right here, right now, Monday morning context. Okay?
32 · Establishes the progression from 'interesting' (biblical context) to 'encouraging' (gospel context) to 'convicting' (sanctification context) to 'changes my day today' (personal application)
Because here is the challenge. You never wanna read the Bible or a story like David and Goliath and go, well, that's interesting, right? No, you wait. If you get to. That's interesting. Do not stop that there. Okay, you wanna go, okay, but what am I supposed to do now? So the progression of the text is. That's interesting. Meaning the biblical context. That's encouraging. Meaning the gospel context. That's convicting. Usually that's the sanctification context. And then that changes my day today. Today, right now.
33 · Asserts that the passage is not merely historical but designed to accomplish something in the hearts of God's people, introducing two examples of how it functioned in different eras
Remember that this, this is so helpful to remember. This passage is not just a history lesson for God's people, okay? This is meant to do something in their hearts. I'm going to give you two examples, okay?
34 · Illustrates how exiled/post-exilic Israelites rebuilding the temple would have applied the passage: remember the Lord is the hero, get fired up about rebuilding, make a plan, pick up the next brick
Think of the moment where the. Is the Israel has gone into exile. It's very likely first and Second Samuel was. Was edited or compiled and sort of a new edition of it came out during the exile and post. Exile for Israel. They'd gone into exile in Babylon. They're coming back to their Homeland, maybe. Think of somebody who's. Who's in the middle of rebuilding the temple or rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. What would this passage mean to them? Well, this passage would remind those Israelites, friends, remember, you're not the hero of the story. The Lord is. But also, friends, remember to get fired up, you should be excited to rebuild the temple. You should be earnestly desiring to rebuild the temple. You should make a plan. Plan for rebuilding the temple and the wall. And then you should pick up the next brick. You see that? That's what this passage is saying, Israel, pick up the next brick.
35 · Illustrates how the early church under Roman persecution would have applied the passage: recognizing the real enemy (world, flesh, devil), trusting Christ's victory, getting fired up about evangelism and discipleship, making practical plans for meeting spaces and widows' care, and depending on the Lord
Or think about the early church, right? Think about those early underground churches that are facing threats of Roman persecution. Think about how that would. This passage would land on them. It would remind them, okay, our enemy is not really Rome. Our enemy is way bigger than Rome. Our enemy is the world, the flesh, and the devil. And we trust that our Savior has gone to battle on our behalf and has beaten them. And so our future is secure. None of us are afraid of dying. And yet we gotta figure this week out. So what do we do? Well, we should get most fired up about the things that matter most. We should keep telling people about Jesus. No matter what Rome says, we should instruct our kids to that in case we get taken, they'll keep following Jesus after us. We should come up with a plan, right? We do need somewhere to meet on Sunday and we just. Our last one got busted. So somebody's gonna have to come up with a plan for that, right? And there's all these Greek speaking widows and they got cut off from support. And so somebody needs to make a plan to help them, right? And somebody should come up with a plan to disciple some of the young people in our congregation, right? You need a plan. And then you say, lord, help. Lord, help. We. We need you just to make it to another Sunday. We need you. We depend on you.
36 · Draws the two historical examples together to show how the passage is meant to function, then pivots to the immediate application question for the congregation
Do you see how the passage is meant to function for God's people? So today, friends, how might this passage call you to get up and function now?
37 · Personal story of the pastor's overwhelming week (multiple deadlines, parenting issue, draining meeting, finance discussion, health plan) leading to fantasizing about hospital escape—a vulnerability marker indicating spiritual need
I wanted to share just sort of. I've been like, kind of going, like, here's what the Bible says. I want to just open up my life a little bit. Because as I looked at this passage, this particular we week, my week was wild. I had several projects that because of a series of circumstances were all due, nor like originally on separate weeks that all were due the same week, which was not ideal. We had a parenting issue that we had to work on with my wife and I together. We had a. I had a draining meeting that I knew was coming up with a particular person. Jen and I had to get together on a finance issue. If anybody's trying to pick a health plan for next year, we're in that boat. And so we're trying to figure that out. And we're not always great at talking about money. And here's the thought I had, and Jen knows this about me. Whenever I have this thought, I really need to spend some time with the Lord. As I'm driving home, I think, you know what? It would be nice to be in the hospital for a couple days. Like, you know what I mean? I mean, obviously being in the hospital is not comfortable, but everybody leaves you alone for a while. Like, the deadlines all move, you know, I mean, I could just. So I'm kind of looking around. Is there anything. Do I have anything? Do I have a chest pain? Do I have a. Am I head okay? You know, and realizing, yeah, when I start thinking longingly about a hospital bed and thinking like, yeah, the blankets aren't great, right, but you get peace and quiet. Well, when it's not beeping, you know, the monitors and stuff, like, that's what I started to think.
38 · Applies the passage to his own week: identifying the real enemy (world, flesh, devil), preparing for war rather than being surprised, remembering he's not the hero but Jesus is, and recognizing sanctification progress from age 29 to 39
And. And here's what I realized. This passage is so helpful for me, right, because you. You maybe are in the middle of a week like that. This passage says, okay, Ricky, remember. Remember who your real enemy is. It's not the deadline. It's not that difficult person you're going to meet with the de. The real enemy is that the world, the flesh and the devil, right? You're going to want to be passive when you shouldn't be. The enemy wants your kids, and so you got a parent the devil hates. Good church meetings that help the church be productive. So you're going to be opposed this week. You got to. You got to go in. Not going like, man, I'm so surprised. It's like David wandering out onto the battlefield and be like, who is this guy? Like, no, bro, you're going to war. Make sure you've got your sling. Oh, I forgot that, you know, like, that's the way I enter my week. Sometimes I need to be ready to go to war, and then I need to remember I'm not David. Man, that was so encouraging to me this. This week in the middle of it, to realize I'm not the hero all these things need. I'm not. Like, my son needs me as a dad, but ultimately he needs Jesus. And my goal as a dad is to bring him to Jesus who will do what I can't, right? Like, my. My goal is to point people to Jesus. Like, that's the hero I need. That's the people, the hero that the people around me need. And so then remember. I needed to remember who I was becoming in Christ. And this was encouraging, guys. I. I feel like the Lord just reminded me, hey, Ricky, at 39, you are more like David than you were at 29. And that's good, right? The Christian life. Sometimes it's helpful to actually look back and go, you have grown, brother. You have grown, sister. The Lord is making you a little more like David every year, every month that you lean into this, and so have confidence that you're going to become that person. So go to work, put the plastic armor on. Take the armor of God and go onto the battlefield.
39 · Signals the sermon's final movement toward conclusion with a cautionary note
All right, I want to end with this because I want to. I want to give you one last caution here.
40 · Cautions that spiritual victory may not look like worldly victory, just as Christ's victory looked nothing like what Israel expected
Let's remember, when it comes to the story of David and Goliath, victory does not always look the way you think it might look. Just like the victory of Christ looked nothing like the victory over the Romans that the Israelites were thinking it would be. Sometimes the victories in your life will look nothing like what the world thinks a victory is.
41 · Introduces a contemporary example of a lapsed-faith author writing on David and Goliath who discovered the passage is about unexpected power in weakness and interviewed the Dirksen family
Recently, I was reading a piece from a New York Times bestselling author who had admitted he had drifted from his faith that he had grown up with. And yet he was writing a book on David and Goliath, using it as a theme for a collection of stories. And he was, as he read it, he was gripped by. By the fact that 1st Samuel 17 was not actually about physical power as much as it was about spiritual power. It was about power in unexpected weakness. I mean, unexpected power in weakness, rather. And in the course of his research, he spoke to the Dirksen family.
42 · Identifies the Dirksen family's tragedy (daughter abducted and mutilated) and transitions to quoting Gladwell's account
Now, the Dirksen family had a daughter who was abducted and mutilated by a criminal. This is. I'm going to pick up Gladwell here.
43 · Sets up the reporter's question to the Dirksens about their feelings toward their daughter's murderer
How do you feel about whoever did this to Candace? A reporter asks the Dirksons. This is what she says.
44 · Quotes Mrs
We would like to know who the person or persons are so we could share, hopefully, a love that seems to be missing in these people's lives. He writes this. I have always believed in God. I have grasped the logic of Christian faith. What I have had a hard time seeing is God's power. I put that sentence in the past tense because something happened to me when I sat with Wilma Dirksen's garden. Sat in Wilma Dirksen's garden. It was one thing to read in a history book about people empowered by their faith, but it is quite another to meet an otherwise very ordinary person in the backyard of a very ordinary house who has managed to do something utterly extraordinary. Their daughter was murdered. And the first thing the Dirksons did was to stand up and at the press conference and talk about the path to forgiveness. Now look, the author then goes on to share that this example of David and Goliath coupled with the Dirksen's example, brought them back into a. A more vital relationship with the Lord. Because, and here's why I think as the author was looking at this family, they saw a giant being slain by weapons beyond this world. They saw a victory, much like David and much like Jesus. And because I think they saw the power and example of Christ.
45 · Final application calling the listener to embrace unexpected victory, put on spiritual armor, follow Christ's example, and go to war
And so, brother or sister, your fight and your victory may not look the way that you are expecting. It may look like the surprising victory of Jesus. But friend, embrace it. Put your armor on. Follow the example of Christ. Take up your sling and go to war.
46 · Transitions to closing prayer, calling the congregation to stand
In the name of Jesus Christ, would you stand and let's pray?
47 · Closing prayer interceding for the weak and overwhelmed (that they would find their hero in Jesus), for those seeking encouragement without surrender (that they would see their need for resurrection not supplement), and for all to follow Christ's example courageously tomorrow morning
Lord, I feel a particular burden to pray for those who feel themselves weak today, that as they look at the circumstances in their life, they feel weak, they. They feel powerless, they feel overwhelmed. And Lord, I just pray over them the example and the victory of Jesus Christ. Lord, they do not have to be the hero of their life because their life has a hero in the person of Jesus Christ. The thing that they look for and long for is not going to be found in themselves. It's going to be found in Jesus. And so, so, Lord, I pray that you'd comfort them with the victory of Jesus, comfort them knowing that you've triumphed overall and will triumph in their lives and they will triumph with you eternally. So I pray you'd build strength back into them. And Lord, I also pray for anyone who has come today perhaps looking for an encouragement, but not necessarily looking to hand over the key of their life to someone else, looking for a supplement, not looking for a resurrection. And Lord, I pray that you would help them see that they need some. They need a far greater savior than they expected. They don't need a savior that's just going to come on and give them some advice or help them occasionally. They need someone who's going to bring them back to life and win the victory they never could. So I pray that you would draw them to Jesus Christ today. And I pray for all of us, Lord, that this example, the example of Christ, the example of David. David would matter to us today that tomorrow morning, whatever you send us out into, we would be sent with faith, following the example of Christ, seeking to be courageous and grow in Christ likeness. Amen.