1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,800 You're listening to the Bridgetown Church Podcast with 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,840 Pastor Casey Kendall, where our vision is Jesus, our mission is 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,760 people, and our cause is love. Thanks for tuning in. 4 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:12,680 Let's dive in. If you have your Bible handy, 5 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:14,720 we're in First Samuel chapter 17. 6 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:20,520 The title of this sermon is Vision for the Valley Part 2, 7 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,520 all right. Vision for the Valley Part 2, 8 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:26,720 all right. We are going through the book of 9 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,400 First Samuel as a church. The whole series is called 10 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,240 Heart. And we really believe what God 11 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:36,280 told Samuel is true, that God does not look at the outward 12 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,640 appearance of man, but the Lord looks at the heart. 13 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,920 And he's focusing on not just Hannah who prayed, not just 14 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,400 Samuel who was given, but he's focusing on three kings. 15 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,680 Throughout the book of First Samuel, the first king we're 16 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:57,280 going to be looking at is a man by the name of Saul, King Saul. 17 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:02,280 The second king leads into a man by the name of King David. 18 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,960 King David is pointing us to the greatest king of all, the king 19 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:10,520 of kings, the Lord of Lords, the name above every other name, 20 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,480 King Jesus. And so as we go through this 21 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:20,040 time in First Samuel 17, we have put on the brakes. 22 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:26,160 We are slowing down our process in this chapter and a lot like 23 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,560 you, I like to run through the valley. 24 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:33,560 I want to get through my valleys in life as quickly as I can. 25 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,600 I want to get through the pain as fast as I can. 26 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,960 I want God to put me, as we like to say, in the microwave in the 27 00:01:40,960 --> 00:01:45,160 valley where it's quick, it's to the point, but God constantly 28 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,720 puts me in the crock pot and it just seems like it's a slow, 29 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:54,280 simmering, flavorful work that God is doing in my heart and 30 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,000 life. And I just want to slow down in 31 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,280 the valley. That was a good spot for an 32 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,480 Amen. I just want to slow down in the 33 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:06,080 valley. And I want you to be reminded 34 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,199 today as we've gathered in this place that what happens in the 35 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:12,320 valley doesn't stay in the valley. 36 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,040 It affects every area of our lives. 37 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,520 Last week we talked about walking through the valley meant 38 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:19,960 for us. We're going to see the place 39 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,400 that we're at and we're going to see the enemy that we face. 40 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:28,480 This week we're only going to look at one thing, and this is 41 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,680 what I want you to remember as we go through the valley. 42 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:38,320 The valley is going to also mean understanding my identity. 43 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:44,520 As I go through the valley, I want to understand my identity. 44 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,880 And as we've gathered in this place, I just want to pray and 45 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,840 ask that God would open our hearts to his word. 46 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,840 So would you join me? Lord, we ask and pray as we've 47 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:58,880 gathered, that you would speak not by might or my power or my 48 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:03,600 coercion, but Lord, by your spirit, that your church would 49 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,360 have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying. 50 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:12,440 And Lord, in this moment that we would walk through the valley 51 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:16,760 with the vision you desire for us to have, and we ask that you 52 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:22,440 would do this in Jesus name. And everybody said, Amen, First 53 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,320 Samuel, chapter 17. If you have your Bible handy, 54 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,960 we're just going to pick up the story in verse 12. 55 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,640 The Bible says now David was the son of the Ephrathite of 56 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:37,520 Bethlehem, Judah, whose name was Jesse and who had eight sons. 57 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:39,960 And the man was old, advanced in years. 58 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:46,000 In the days of Saul, the three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to 59 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,440 follow Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who 60 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,560 went to the battle were Eliab, the first born next to him, 61 00:03:54,560 --> 00:04:01,560 Abinadab, and the third Shema. And David was the youngest, and 62 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:07,880 the three oldest followed Saul. If you would just stop there and 63 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,680 give me your attention for a moment, and if you would look at 64 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:15,920 your neighbor and say neighbor, my neighbor, there is a battle 65 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:21,519 before the battle. There is a battle before the 66 00:04:21,519 --> 00:04:24,320 battle. I'll just say it again. 67 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:28,800 You don't have to repeat it, but there is a battle before the 68 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:33,800 battle. The year was 2014 and the 69 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:42,200 Chicago Bears were predicted to win the NFC North on this 70 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,480 Sunday. Sorry Hector, they were playing 71 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:52,200 the sad and sorrowful Miami Dolphins in that moment. 72 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:56,680 On that day, they were not only predicted to win the NFC North 73 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,880 in their division, but they were predicted to win with a 74 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:03,960 landslide this game on this Sunday. 75 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:09,000 It was on that day that the Chicago Bears, with an abundance 76 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:14,720 of talent and a great prediction, had a humiliating 77 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:19,120 loss to the sad and sorrowful Miami Dolphins. 78 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:24,800 The interview Sportscasters and reporters had gathered together 79 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:30,240 in the locker room and they run into the star wide receiver by 80 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:35,520 the name of Brandon Marshall. They asked Brandon Marshall this 81 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:41,560 question. How did they lose the game in 82 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,600 the midst of them being predicted to win the NFC North, 83 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:49,320 in the midst of them having so much talent on the team? 84 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:57,040 How did you lose this game in which Brandon Marshall replied 85 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,040 to the reporters and he said these words. 86 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:07,040 We lost in the locker room. Once again, he said We lost in 87 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:12,920 the locker room way before the team got into this place with 88 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:17,720 their uniforms on, way before they would step on the grass at 89 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:23,800 Soldier Field, way before a snap or a play would ever be 90 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,080 rehearsed. Brandon Marshall said these 91 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:32,120 words that we lost in the locker room. 92 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:37,080 I don't think this just happens on and in sanctuaries. 93 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,360 I think not only does this happen just in stadiums on a 94 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:46,040 football field, but this happens to every soul that's sitting in 95 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,120 this place, in that seat. Today. 96 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:54,920 We often lose the battle in the locker room. 97 00:06:56,160 --> 00:07:00,960 Oh, maybe it's not just football today, but maybe in the area of 98 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:07,640 your life you are losing in the locker room and you have come 99 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:13,880 into this place defeated even before the battle begins. 100 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:18,280 You've come into this place with a mindset that you're actually 101 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,320 not going to win in your marriage. 102 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:25,480 You come in with a mindset that you will always be like this as 103 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,480 a single. You've come into that final Test 104 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:32,600 as a college student, and you've come in thinking that you're 105 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,760 going to fail the test way before you even take the test. 106 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:39,000 You've entered into that job interview knowing that you're 107 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:40,640 really not going to do that good. 108 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:45,480 And so you've already lost the battle before the battle has 109 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,320 even begun. Some of us have become so 110 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:52,160 defeated that now we're depleted in the battle that's about to 111 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,800 approach us. Some of us have found ourselves 112 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:59,280 so much in a struggle it has sapped our strength. 113 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:04,720 Even before the intensity of the battle, the pain and the problem 114 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:11,320 has altered your perspective. And now, because of your wounds, 115 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,520 you're walking into the valley cynical. 116 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:22,360 And now, because of your hurt, you've come into the valley 117 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:26,240 skeptical. And now that you're cynical and 118 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,400 skeptical, you find yourself walking through a valley and 119 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,440 your victory has become questionable. 120 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:38,400 I ask you, as we've gathered into this place, what is the 121 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:44,280 battle before the battle actually has begun? 122 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:46,640 Because I want us to have the right vision. 123 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:51,400 Because if we can see where God has called us to step in 124 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,760 faithfulness, we will experience the success in where God is 125 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,720 calling us to be. But not only where God's calling 126 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:04,440 us to be, but who He is making us to be in the moment that we 127 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:09,120 we are in. Did you see what you see with 128 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,960 your eyes? It is very important that as you 129 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:18,600 walk through the valley that you believe what is true about God 130 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,880 in your mind. Because not only is vision 131 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:28,320 dealing with sight, but vision is dealing with your mind and 132 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:32,800 your understanding of who God is and who you are and the 133 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:36,880 situation that God has placed you in in this moment. 134 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,680 And you might have found yourself into this place. 135 00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:43,160 And I want you to hear this. I want you to write this down. 136 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:47,400 I want you to remember this for whenever you're walking through 137 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:51,560 the valley and that is this. Whatever, whatever you bring to 138 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:56,360 the battlefield will determine what happens on the battlefield 139 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:59,480 and then it will lead to how you look coming off the 140 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,120 battlefields. Can I say that again? 141 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,920 Come on, Not just the front row. Can I say that again today? 142 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:09,480 But listen, listen, listen to me. 143 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:14,400 What you bring into the battlefield will determine what 144 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:18,840 happens on the battlefield, which will then lead to how you 145 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,880 look coming off the battlefields. 146 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:25,280 That was another good spot for an Amen. 147 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:31,520 I need your help this morning. I need you to push a preacher. 148 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:33,560 All right. Are we in this? 149 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:36,280 Charles Wyndall said these words. 150 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,520 He said these words in regards to vision. 151 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:45,600 He said vision is the ability to see God's presence in my 152 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,400 problems. He says that vision is the 153 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:54,400 ability to see God's power in my pain. 154 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:59,560 He says that vision is to focus on God's plan. 155 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:06,960 In my persistence and in spite of earthly obstacles, I have 156 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:14,200 divine opportunities to grow. This is exactly where you are at 157 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:18,480 this morning in the San Gabriel Valley. 158 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:23,400 But more than that, some of you are in a marital valley. 159 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:27,360 For some of you, you're in the single valley. 160 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,400 For some of us, we're in the emotional valley. 161 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:36,360 For some of us, we are so dry spiritually. 162 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:40,800 We're wondering when God will rain down His power upon us. 163 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:44,920 Some of us are not just dry spiritually, but we become so 164 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:49,080 bitter and so hardened that it feels like we're going to be 165 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:53,240 broken by the Lord. And some of us have found 166 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:58,760 ourselves in this emotional, spiritual valley wondering how 167 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,160 we are going to walk through this in victory. 168 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,640 Listen, you're not alone. You're not alone this morning. 169 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:10,640 This is exactly where David finds himself today. 170 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,000 You remember last week, some of us, we might be walking into a 171 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,280 valley. Some of us, we might be coming 172 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:19,160 out of a valley. Some of us, we might be right 173 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,880 dab in the middle of this valley. 174 00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:25,960 Wherever you're at, this message is for you. 175 00:12:26,680 --> 00:12:30,800 And not just for you to help someone else that is walking 176 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:35,960 through the valley, but for all of us to walk through the valley 177 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:42,400 with victory. And in this victory, it is here 178 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:48,760 that one man would make one decision to go into one valley, 179 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,560 and he would find himself in that one valley facing one 180 00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:56,560 giant, depending upon one Almighty God. 181 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:02,360 And one decision would lead to the victory of generations to 182 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,600 come. These things have been written, 183 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:10,120 the Bible says for our instruction and because David's 184 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,200 victory. I could cry out like David did 185 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:19,360 in first Samuel chapter 17, verse 47, that the battle is the 186 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:22,320 Lord's. Listen, turn your attention to 187 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,240 that verse one more time, because I don't think you heard 188 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:27,680 me today. Then all this assembly shall 189 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:32,520 know that the Lord does not say with sword and spear, for the 190 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:38,800 battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands. 191 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:42,640 When Goliath would come. Oh come on, we can clap in this 192 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:45,960 place. That's a golf clap. 193 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:50,960 We can clap in this place. Today God is celebrating all 194 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,520 that God wants to do in our midst today. 195 00:13:53,680 --> 00:13:57,680 Listen, all that God wants to do and bring to us in this moment, 196 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,320 there is a battle before the battle. 197 00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:05,800 And that is, is that Israel, Saul, Goliath is too big to hit 198 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,640 and David saw him as too big to miss. 199 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:13,920 And it was in this moment that David comes into the scene and 200 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,920 way before he even knew what the battle was all going to be 201 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:23,080 about, he finds himself in this place with the own battle that 202 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:25,920 he is facing. And I want to remind you today 203 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:31,560 of what we said last week, that as you are in this place, Andrew 204 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:35,800 Murray once said, I am here by God's appointment. 205 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:40,560 I am here in His keeping. I am here in His training. 206 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:45,080 I am here for His time. So I will see the place that God 207 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:47,640 has placed me and I'll experience His grace. 208 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,160 I will see the enemy that I'm about to face and see God's 209 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:53,080 power. But I also want you to 210 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:57,760 understand one thing today about where we are at, and that is 211 00:14:57,760 --> 00:14:59,080 this. If you're walking through the 212 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:02,000 valley, I want you to understand. 213 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:06,440 Write this down your identity. I want you to understand your 214 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,800 identity. I want you to understand your 215 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,320 identity. I'll just say it again, just 216 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,360 because they say if you repeat things, you will remember them. 217 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:22,080 I want you to understand your identity. 218 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:23,960 Notice the Bible says in verse 12. 219 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:26,520 Now David was the son of an Ephrathite. 220 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:29,400 We don't hear that word a lot in Glendora. 221 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:32,720 He's an Ephrathite and Ephrathite was a person. 222 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:39,000 It was an old term, an old way to describe the old city of 223 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:44,000 Bethlehem. So notice this, David, his name 224 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,520 means beloved. Isn't that good to know when 225 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,920 you're walking through the valley that you are beloved? 226 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:53,520 Isn't it to know that when you're walking through the 227 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:55,760 valley that God's Love Is All over you? 228 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:00,160 Isn't it good to know that God is so good and so faithful that 229 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,960 His love is still being poured out to you even when we mess up 230 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,600 in the valley? Isn't it good to know, just like 231 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:11,280 David, that we are beloved by the Lord, that He loves you not 232 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:15,040 based upon what you can do for him, but what He will always do 233 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,480 for you? Isn't it good to know that God's 234 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,920 love for you is based upon His character that is holy and true 235 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,280 and righteous? Isn't it good to know, man, I 236 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,160 hope there's some David's in this place that know that, that 237 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:31,360 that this is this is what Jesse called him, but this is also 238 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:33,080 what his heavenly Father called him. 239 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:35,400 He is beloved. When I'm walking through the 240 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:39,640 valley, when I find myself in this place, here is David from 241 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,120 the old city of Bethlehem. And then the Bible says it 242 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,880 repeats it. He's of Ephrathite of Bethlehem, 243 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,200 Judah. The word Bethlehem, if you're 244 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:51,240 taking note, means the House of bread, and the word Judah means 245 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:57,640 the place of praise. I feel like I want to be like an 246 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:59,560 old Southern Baptist preacher right now. 247 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:05,960 David the shepherd is coming out of the House of bread. 248 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:12,160 Reminds me of someone, the bread of life, Jesus. 249 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:20,160 And David is coming into the valley from the place of praise. 250 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:25,839 Isn't that interesting that you could praise God and enter into 251 00:17:25,839 --> 00:17:27,960 the valley even though it's painful? 252 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:33,720 Did you see the identity? Notice his dad's name was Jesse. 253 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:42,600 His dad's name is Jesse. Jesse's name means God's gift. 254 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,240 But notice this David in verse 12. 255 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:54,520 Jesse had eight sons and the man was old, advanced in years in 256 00:17:54,520 --> 00:18:00,480 the days of Saul. David's earthly father is old, 257 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:08,360 fading. His heavenly Father is faithful 258 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,360 and enduring. Come on, I want you to see your 259 00:18:12,360 --> 00:18:15,160 identity. The Bible says that Jesse had 260 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:22,640 eight sons. 8 is the number of new beginnings in the Bible and 261 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:26,080 that is exactly what the Lord is doing in your life and in this 262 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:30,080 moment that Jesse comes. It is in the days of Saul. 263 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:33,280 You remember that Saul was rejected as king because he did 264 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:37,680 not obey the Lord. And the Bible says in verse 13 265 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:42,400 that David had three. Jesse had three oldest sons that 266 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:44,680 had gone to follow in the battle. 267 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:50,200 So here is Jesse, old his oldest three sons go to the valley of 268 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:55,320 Elah and they are on Saul's side and they're ready to fight the 269 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:57,840 Philistines. Remember when we get into this 270 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:02,120 valley that it's not 2 armies that are against each other, 271 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:06,880 it's going to be two men who are against each other, one having 272 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:12,080 the great God, the Almighty God, and the one other man who's 273 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:15,160 serving the false gods of the Philistines. 274 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:19,720 So in this moment Jesse's boys follow after Saul. 275 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:25,680 Now they give us their names. The first name is in the battle 276 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:27,760 was Eliab. He was the first born. 277 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:32,360 He was the one that Samuel looked at at 1st and said that 278 00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:36,400 one has to be the king. And then he went to the second 279 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,920 one in the next son was Abinadab. 280 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:44,840 That must be the king. The third one must have really 281 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:47,040 gotten Samuel going. Shema. 282 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,640 Now listen, if you take note, I want you to hear their names. 283 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:57,080 Eliab's name means God is 1's father. 284 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:03,600 Abinadab's name means that my father is noble. 285 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:11,760 Shema means astonishment. And then the Bible gives us this 286 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:16,280 contrast that David was the youngest. 287 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:20,080 David was. Why did they highlight the 288 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:23,680 youngest? Why did they go to the back end 289 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:29,040 of the story and say that David, possibly he's the last son? 290 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:34,880 Some scholars believe that he's not from the same woman of 291 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:40,400 Jesse's first wife, that there was a bit of disdain in the 292 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:48,160 family towards David, that he wasn't really in the same order 293 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:53,720 as all of his other brothers. It was like in the Bible where 294 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:57,560 John mentions in the resurrection story that he said, 295 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,360 and I got to the tomb first before Peter. 296 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:08,760 David is he's the youngest, he's the runt, he's the smallest, he 297 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:12,360 is the weakest. Everything in Jewish culture 298 00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:19,040 would switch over to the first born son, not the last born son. 299 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,120 But I want to give you David's identity that though the 300 00:21:23,120 --> 00:21:25,840 brothers went out to battle, notice this, that David was the 301 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:28,880 youngest and the three oldest followed Saul. 302 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:32,200 But it even gets worse. It gets worse. 303 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:35,600 So highlight David is the youngest, the run, the weakest, 304 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,560 the smallest. But all the brothers went to go 305 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:44,160 follow Saul and all of Israel said, yeah, and this is David's 306 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:48,720 life. But David occasionally he was 307 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:52,480 playing music for Saul. You remember he was on air one. 308 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,160 His hit song was about to be played all throughout Israel. 309 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:00,640 Saul has slain his thousands, but David his 10s of thousands. 310 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:05,360 His Psalms that he wrote would now be recorded as David would 311 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:09,040 play the harp in The Bible says that as he played the harp that 312 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:13,400 Saul's spirit was soothed because the demonic spirit would 313 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:17,760 oppress him and torment him. And David's playing the music in 314 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:22,080 the background. Men who play music are brave, 315 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:28,040 not weak. Oh, what's where's David? 316 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:31,840 Is David really a manly man? He plays the hop. 317 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,840 We'll see that. The guy who plays music can also 318 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,600 not just sing a song. He could sling his sling. 319 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:47,120 He could gather some stones. And here in this place, notice 320 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:51,560 if you would, the Bible says that David occasionally went and 321 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:55,400 returned from Saul. Listen to his job to feed his 322 00:22:55,400 --> 00:23:00,960 father's sheep in Bethlehem. His brothers are out to battle. 323 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:07,000 They had the varsity Letterman jackets on and David went back 324 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:14,680 to feed the sheep. Shepherds were not very popular. 325 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:20,320 They couldn't even during Jesus time enter into the temple to 326 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,320 worship because they were unclean. 327 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:28,200 David went back to feed his father's sheep. 328 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:32,840 He had a bad job that this was something that he found himself 329 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:38,480 here as he went back to do something that was ordinary. 330 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,920 God will often call you to do what's ordinary for a long time, 331 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:47,440 way before He places something extraordinary in your life. 332 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:51,880 We want quick success. God wants persistent 333 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:55,640 faithfulness. We want to see things grow in an 334 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:59,920 instant, drop it in the water and it just comes into a full 335 00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:03,600 life being. God says what I'm about to 336 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:07,200 produce in you is going to take the patience of your heart for 337 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:11,080 me to fully work. And it is in this moment that 338 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:16,920 David finds himself going back from the palace to feed sheep. 339 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:25,840 Come on, listen to this story. And the Philistine drew near, 340 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,880 and he presented him for 40 days, morning and evening. 341 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:33,960 So here is Goliath, and he comes into the valley of Elah. 342 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:38,560 You could just hear his steps in the valley. 343 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:43,000 You could see the tents shaking you. 344 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:47,200 The dust is rising from the ground in the valley of Elah, 345 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,840 and here comes Goliath into it. But not only the tents are 346 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:56,240 shaking and the dust is rising. The children of Israel, 347 00:24:56,600 --> 00:25:03,680 Israelites hearts are shaking. Give me a man, he says, that 348 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:11,400 will come and fight with me. If I win, you will be our 349 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:17,840 servants if you win. If you win, I will be your 350 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:24,040 servant. Challenging the enemy's lies are 351 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:26,680 always the loudest in the valley. 352 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:31,880 The enemy always seems to be the biggest in the valley. 353 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:36,240 And it is here in this moment that the Bible says that that 354 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:40,000 Goliath presented himself for 40 days. 355 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,360 Now that's very important in Scripture. 356 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:49,640 It's don't miss this fact for 40 days and the reason why this is 357 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:56,680 important throughout all of the Bible we see the number 40 358 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:04,200 constantly being mentioned and it is mentioned here in our 359 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:10,120 story. Noah's flood was for 40 days. 360 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:16,200 Moses fasted for come on church. The Israel was on a journey for 361 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:20,040 40 years. The spies went into the land of 362 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:25,160 Canaan for 40 days. Elijah ate one meal and he was 363 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:28,200 able to have strength for 40 days. 364 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:35,680 Jesus spent in the wilderness. The Bible says that Jesus had 39 365 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:42,320 lashes -1 which would equal 40. Very significant. 366 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:44,560 What does this mean to us? In Scripture? 367 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,760 This is what it means. The number 40 always represents 368 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:56,640 a season of trial and testing. A season of trial and testing. 369 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:01,680 And it all happened in the San Gabriel Valley. 370 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,880 No, no, no, no, I know, I know, it all happened in the Valley of 371 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:07,080 Elah. But the Valley of Elah really 372 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:10,600 doesn't mean anything to us except the dirt. 373 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:13,520 In the name of Elah means the line of blood. 374 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:18,680 The dirt was so red. Don't think of majestic 375 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:22,080 mountains on each side. I remember going there with 376 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:25,440 Pastor Chuck Smith and he walked us out into this valley. 377 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:30,240 It's just rolling hills and off in this you see this flat land 378 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:32,440 together. On one side stood the Children 379 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,240 of Israel. On the other side was the 380 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,080 Philistines. And, and here is Pastor Chuck 381 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:43,360 having the sling that that he's now going around and around. 382 00:27:43,360 --> 00:27:45,280 He said, Can you imagine the scene? 383 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:47,840 But I don't want you to get to that scene yet because there's a 384 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,480 battle before this battle. There's a battle before this 385 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:55,640 this battle even begins. And this is what David does in 386 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,280 the battle The Bible says in verse 17. 387 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:03,040 Then Jesse said to his son David, take now for your 388 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,920 brothers and Effa of his dried grain. 389 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:10,280 He wanted David to bring sourdough mix and, and, and, and 390 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,560 these 10 loaves. He wanted him to have sourdough. 391 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:21,280 He's simply bringing his brothers lunch. 392 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:26,400 That's it. And run to your brothers at the 393 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:29,960 camp. And Carrie, notice this, these 394 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:35,360 10 cheeses to the captain of their thousands and see how your 395 00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:39,520 brothers fare and bring back news to me. 396 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:43,680 Check this out. All David was doing was feeding 397 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:47,000 his father's sheep. And then he hears the father's 398 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,400 word. I want you to bring lunch to the 399 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:51,840 brothers and cheese to the captains. 400 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:54,520 That's all David was going to do. 401 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,480 He wasn't going into the valley to fight the giant. 402 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:05,240 He wasn't approaching the valley of Elah going all right, 403 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:08,920 Goliath, it's going to be there. And he's working himself up in a 404 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:12,480 frenzy. All he had was lunch. 405 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,920 That's it. But he was faithful with the 406 00:29:18,920 --> 00:29:22,800 sheep, He was faithful with his Father's word. 407 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:26,600 He was faithful with the bread, and he's faithful with the 408 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,280 cheese. Oh come on, Give me something 409 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,120 bigger. Pastor Casey, give me something 410 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:33,760 bigger. What was David about to do? 411 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:37,960 He took the bread and the grain and the cheese. 412 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,960 No, no, no, no, no. How did David become so great? 413 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:44,960 He took the sheep and fed them. He took the bread and brought 414 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:47,200 them. He took the cheese and delivered 415 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,520 them. You want to be great for God's 416 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:52,280 Kingdom. Wake up on Monday on time and 417 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:56,000 get to work on time. You want to be great in God's 418 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,760 Kingdom? Respond when people respond to 419 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,880 you through text. You want to be great in God's 420 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:04,640 Kingdom? Serve the coffee at your coffee 421 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:08,680 shop with grace and power. You want to be great in God's 422 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,240 Kingdom. Be the electrician that God has 423 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:14,320 called you to be because you're wiring this for Jesus. 424 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:16,560 You want to be great in God's Kingdom? 425 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:19,800 Wipe your baby's butt with grace. 426 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:22,920 You want to be great in God's Kingdom? 427 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,800 Open the door for somebody. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, Pastor 428 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:28,720 Casey, I want something significant. 429 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:32,240 This is not significant enough for me. 430 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:38,360 But God often calls us to insignificant places to form 431 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:43,440 something significant within us. They did not call David and say 432 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:48,040 David, Jesse, what's David's cell phone number? 433 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:50,800 We got to call him. We need him in the battle. 434 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,680 They weren't calling him. His father sent him. 435 00:30:56,160 --> 00:31:01,800 David was not the first pick. Do do do we see his identity 436 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:06,200 though? His obscurity did not determine 437 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:09,880 his identity. Do you see that? 438 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:13,480 I I think for me, a lot of times it's OK. 439 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:15,360 Let's get the word out. Let's be known. 440 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,600 But no, no, no, no. How about living in mystery 441 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:22,560 without anxiety? How about living without being 442 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:27,840 known in obscurity and still being content to say God you 443 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:31,640 were at work in this place. How about coming to a place in 444 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:35,920 my life where I'm willing to deliver the epha of grain, the 445 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:41,160 bread and the cheese? I'm sure this was non dairy be 446 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:46,120 because people at that end gluten free I'm sure, but David 447 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:48,560 brought it. Still, you ever hear those 448 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:52,440 orders? I'd like my bread gluten free, 449 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:57,200 air free, dairy free, and sometimes servers get upset. 450 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:01,480 We have to do that all the time in our family. 451 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:06,680 And you give someone an order and it's simply taken with an 452 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:16,000 attitude. What do you mean David does not 453 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:23,040 give his dad an attitude? Isn't good Really Father Jesse, 454 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:27,560 is this a joke to who I am? No, no, no. 455 00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:31,280 You want to know why? Because David already knew he 456 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:33,880 was beloved. So he didn't fight to be loved. 457 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,280 He followed because he was loved. 458 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:39,600 Did you see that in the text? No, no, no. 459 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:40,880 OK, let me go a little bit further. 460 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:44,480 Then he says take this to your brothers and he says run to your 461 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:47,760 brothers at the camp. Notice David took what he should 462 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:50,720 have and he did how he should have done it. 463 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:55,240 His dad said run, David ran, and as David ran, the Bible says 464 00:32:55,240 --> 00:33:01,920 here in verse 19 that Saul, now Saul and they and all the men of 465 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,160 Israel were in the valley of Elah fighting with the 466 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:09,720 Philistines. David has no idea about what is 467 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:14,040 going to happen. I love what Chuck Swindoll 468 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:18,160 writes in regards to this section of Scripture. 469 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:21,880 He says. I am trying to imagine what it 470 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:25,480 must have been, what must have been going through David's mind 471 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:29,520 as he came over the top of the last rise and he saw that the 472 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:34,240 army spread out below him. I wonder if he stood and stared 473 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:37,720 with his mouth open as he sized up the scene. 474 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,640 I wonder what went through his mind. 475 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:45,920 It must have been exciting and frightening all at the same time 476 00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:51,240 for this young man who had spent years out on the lonely hillside 477 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:56,080 with only the sheep and the other shepherds for company. 478 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,560 Then as he gets to the edge of the Israelite camp, he sees the 479 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:03,200 troops heading out for battle and he hears the war cry. 480 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:06,440 You can tell he's excited. He wants to watch. 481 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:08,360 He wants to see what's going to happen. 482 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:12,199 And he could would picture the moment he writes. 483 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:16,600 David is standing there talking to his three brothers when all 484 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:20,719 of a sudden he hears this loud cry from across the ravine. 485 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:24,320 And suddenly everyone around him is rushing to the rear and 486 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:30,040 climbing into their tents. And here is David in this scene, 487 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:34,880 and he just does what his father tells him to do. 488 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:39,960 I think we make things more complex because we're unwilling 489 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:44,159 to be obedient. David moves into this place. 490 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:47,600 The Bible says, as David rose early in the morning, notice 491 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,880 what he does. He left the sheep with a keeper. 492 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:53,480 He's faithful with the sheep. He hands them off. 493 00:34:53,639 --> 00:34:56,840 And then notice this. And he took the things, and he 494 00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:00,360 went as Jesse had commanded him, and he came to the camp as the 495 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:04,160 army was going out to the fight and shouting for battle for 496 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:06,320 Israel. And the Philistines had drawn up 497 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:09,360 in battle Loray, army against army. 498 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:12,840 Now notice this. And David left his supplies in 499 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:17,720 the hand of a supply keeper. He left the sheep with a keeper. 500 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:22,440 He kept his father's word and all of the bread, the grain and 501 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:25,760 the cheese that we would might deem is non significant. 502 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:28,120 He left it into the hands of the supply keeper. 503 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:38,280 I believe the greatest attack of the enemy in the valley is over 504 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:44,560 your identity because when we get in the valley, we begin to 505 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:49,480 question who God is and who God is making us to be. 506 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:54,360 I think when we get into the valley, what often times happens 507 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:59,760 is we could find ourselves in this specific place where I want 508 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:04,680 you to hear this today, that David did what he did because 509 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:08,040 David knew who he was and whose he was. 510 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:14,400 Can I just say that again, David did what he did because he knew 511 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:19,480 who he was and whose he was. This is important for us to 512 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:23,200 realize because your identity is going to be attacked in the 513 00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:25,440 Valley. You're going to be wondering 514 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:29,920 when you're at home, who am I wondering at school, who am I 515 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:35,240 wondering at the job, who am I driving in the car, who am I? 516 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,760 And, and I think this is often times what happens in our lives. 517 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:42,440 I, I, in the early years of the church plant, we had to buy a 518 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:44,720 bunch of gear to launch the church. 519 00:36:44,720 --> 00:36:49,000 We had to buy our whole sound system, computers, speakers, 520 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:53,520 subwoofers, mics, mic chords. And I didn't realize all that it 521 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:57,600 would take to facilitate these types of things. 522 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:03,080 And so I put it on the credit card and it amounted to $7000. 523 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:08,200 And so at that time, I decided that I would live out Dave 524 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:15,280 Ramsey financial piece. You pay your credit card off 525 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:19,040 that month. Why'd it get really quiet? 526 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:22,200 Pay your credit card off that month. 527 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:27,120 That's exactly what I did. I put the Wells Fargo visa name 528 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:29,560 and where the person should be receiving the check. 529 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:33,080 I put it in the envelope, slapped a stamp on it, put it in 530 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:41,440 the blue mailbox on San Gabriel Blvd. in Azusa. 531 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:49,840 Next week I get a letter saying that I'm late on my bill, so I 532 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:52,040 call. I said I sent the check already. 533 00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:56,120 It was already mailed. So another letter comes. 534 00:37:56,120 --> 00:37:58,600 You're late again, you're late again, you're late again. 535 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:03,600 It took three to six months to work this out. 536 00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:10,800 Someone got into that mailbox. They grabbed, amongst other 537 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,240 things, a lot of envelopes, mine being one of them. 538 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:20,640 They opened my envelope. They erased what I had inked 539 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:24,200 into the name of the person who should have been receiving the 540 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:29,280 check to pay off my debt. They erased it and they put 541 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:38,400 their name in that place. That is what we call identity 542 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:44,920 theft. American adults have lost $47 543 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:47,280 billion because of identity theft. 544 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:54,840 And this is what happens. The enemy erases what God is 545 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:58,120 working to establish. Do you hear that? 546 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:03,760 The enemy is erasing what God is sinking to establish. 547 00:39:03,760 --> 00:39:07,720 God has spoken things into your life through His Word, but I 548 00:39:07,720 --> 00:39:09,240 don't feel that way. Pastor Casey. 549 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:11,640 He has spoken these things into your life. 550 00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:15,080 It is the power of the word. And I think some of us, we might 551 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:18,200 not have lost our money, but but for some of us, we've lost our 552 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:21,160 peace. For some of us, we lost our 553 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:23,520 strength. For some of us, we begin to 554 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:28,880 question all because the enemy wants to erase what God has 555 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:33,600 established in my life. And here's what I want to submit 556 00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:37,760 to you today, that this is the battle before the battle. 557 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:41,120 That you have to believe what God has said about you way 558 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:45,760 before you get into the battle. You have to take hold of what 559 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:50,760 God has claimed on and over your life before you walk into the 560 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:53,400 valley. You have to come to a spot. 561 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:56,440 And I have to come to a spot because I believe we have lost 562 00:39:56,440 --> 00:39:59,560 marriages, we have lost friendships, we have lost 563 00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:03,480 siblings and children. We have lost the future, our 564 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:09,040 health, simply because we allow the enemy to erase what God had 565 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:13,560 already inked over our lives. Can, can I, can I encourage you 566 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:15,880 to do some things? I want you to read. 567 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:17,720 I want to read to your your identity. 568 00:40:17,720 --> 00:40:20,480 I've done this before, but I just want to remind you of this. 569 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:23,800 I am strong and mighty. I have the same power that 570 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:26,680 raised Christ from the dead dwelling inside of me. 571 00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:30,680 I'm a weapon of righteousness in a World of Darkness. 572 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:33,760 I am not my past. I am not what I did. 573 00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:36,840 I am who God says I am. He says I am forgiven. 574 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,840 He says I am redeemed. He says I am free. 575 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:42,680 I am not a hostage to unhealthy thoughts. 576 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,840 The weapons I fight with are not the weapons of this world. 577 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:50,080 I have divine power to demolish strongholds. 578 00:40:50,240 --> 00:40:52,520 I have the mind of Christ directing my thoughts. 579 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:54,960 I have the word of God guiding my steps. 580 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:58,600 I demolish every pretension that sets itself up against the 581 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:01,640 knowledge of God. I take every thought adaptive to 582 00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:05,400 the obedience of Christ Jesus. My God has not given me a spirit 583 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:08,960 of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and a sound mind. 584 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:12,800 The Lord is my hepper helper. I will not be afraid. 585 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:16,000 I am not a slave to my habits. I'm not a prisoner to any 586 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:18,600 addiction. I've been rescued from the power 587 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:21,680 of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of God's light. 588 00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:26,440 I am empowered, I am chosen, I am called, I am a masterpiece of 589 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:30,760 God, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared 590 00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:32,760 before hand in advance for me to do. 591 00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:36,480 My God will bless me abundantly so that in all things, at all 592 00:41:36,480 --> 00:41:39,720 times, I have all that I need. I will abound in every good 593 00:41:39,720 --> 00:41:41,640 work. My God is for me. 594 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:44,800 My God is with me. No weapon formed against me will 595 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:47,320 prosper. Nothing can separate me from 596 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:50,280 God's love. Not death, not demons, not the 597 00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:54,360 present nor the past, nor power on earth will ever separate me 598 00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:57,000 from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord. 599 00:41:57,240 --> 00:42:00,200 I am not what I have or what I buy. 600 00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:04,480 My identity has been purchased by Jesus Christ and Christ 601 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:07,520 alone. By God's power, I can change. 602 00:42:07,720 --> 00:42:11,520 I cast my cares on God because He cares for me. 603 00:42:11,720 --> 00:42:15,800 My life belongs to God. Daily I seek Him and daily He 604 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:18,840 directs my steps. I know His voice and He leads me 605 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:22,640 to His perfect will. My confidence is in Christ and 606 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:26,200 Christ Jesus alone. Because the Spirit lives within 607 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:28,920 me. I can do everything He calls me 608 00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:35,440 to do, and that is facing any giant. 609 00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:40,480 This is the battle before the battle ever begins. 610 00:42:41,600 --> 00:42:47,080 Because if I know who he is, I know who he will call me to be. 611 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:53,040 And if he is always good, always. 612 00:42:55,760 --> 00:43:01,480 What He says is always true. I don't think we question 613 00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:03,440 sometimes if what God says is true. 614 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:06,520 We take it a little, Let's go deeper in the root. 615 00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:11,440 We question if God is really good, and because He's not good, 616 00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:15,680 then God's not really true. So what did this mean for David? 617 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:20,600 This is what it meant for David. Then he talked with them. 618 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:25,400 There was the champion, the Philistines of Gath, Goliath by 619 00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:28,640 name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines, and he spoke 620 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:30,960 according to the same words. And so David heard them. 621 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:34,520 David heard the words of Goliath and noticed this. 622 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:37,960 All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and 623 00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:42,160 were dreadfully afraid. Do you see the contrast? 624 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:48,320 People ran from where God called them to stand. 625 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:53,600 Worship team, if you could just make your way up here. 626 00:43:55,280 --> 00:44:00,640 They ran from where God had called them to stand. 627 00:44:04,560 --> 00:44:09,080 I was reading a devotion by Chuck Swindoll and he said these 628 00:44:09,080 --> 00:44:18,930 words in the last paragraph, he says. 629 00:44:18,930 --> 00:44:24,610 I'm not advocating either side of a story, but I'm just amazed 630 00:44:24,610 --> 00:44:33,000 at the unbelievably rapid rise of men and women who escape as 631 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:39,800 their favorite method of coping. There is not an achievement 632 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:43,960 worth remembering that isn't stained with the blood of 633 00:44:43,960 --> 00:44:48,760 diligence and checkered with the scars of disappointment. 634 00:44:50,360 --> 00:44:55,800 To quit may feel good now, but it's a bummer when life's bills 635 00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:59,000 come due. And he ends with this quote by 636 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:06,480 Churchill, who said wars are not won by evacuations, and what 637 00:45:06,480 --> 00:45:10,480 you're fighting right now is not won by simply an evacuation of 638 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:14,080 it. Stand in the trench that God has 639 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:18,480 called you to stand in and see all that God has called you to 640 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:22,640 do in this moment. We hope you enjoyed this message 641 00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:25,720 and we'd love for you to join us in person every Sunday at 10:30 642 00:45:25,840 --> 00:45:27,440 AM. For more information and 643 00:45:27,440 --> 00:45:29,640 updates, visit wearebridgetown.com. 644 00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:31,920 Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next week.