1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:06,200 Crossing Nation, How you doing? Are you doing good, man? 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,240 It's good to be with you. And if you don't get anything 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:11,560 out of today's message, I just want you to know this. 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:14,840 Our church loves you. I loves you. 5 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,080 I loves you. I'm trying coffee, guys. 6 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,960 I started 2 weeks ago. I'm on the drip and who knows 7 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:24,520 what's going to happen today? OK. 8 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,960 But I do know this. I hate my breath because I don't 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:30,320 even want to talk to me. All right. 10 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,600 That being said, we, I want to welcome all of you joining from 11 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,800 our different locations, those of you watching online and those 12 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:38,400 of you who are part of our inside family. 13 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,880 I'm so glad that you're here today. 14 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,240 We are going to be talking about probably the second most famous 15 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:48,120 story in all of Scripture. You know, there's the story 16 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,360 about Jesus kind of a big deal, but then there's this one and 17 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:53,120 almost everybody. Even if you're not a Christian, 18 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,040 and if you're here today and you're not a Christian, you 19 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,320 probably have heard this story, which is a bit of a challenge as 20 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,400 a communicator, because how do you tell somebody something that 21 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,319 they probably already know? But what you guys are going to 22 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,040 do is you're going to pretend to be really attentive listeners. 23 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:09,480 And I'm going to pretend that you haven't heard this story 24 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:11,560 ever before. And I'm going to walk you 25 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:12,880 through it. And I believe, if you'll stay 26 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,800 with me all the way to the very end, that God will do a 27 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:17,720 transformative work in your life. 28 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,680 And at least one of three areas, the story we're talking about 29 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,200 today is the story of David and Goliath. 30 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:30,080 The scene is set up with the Philistine army on one hillside 31 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,800 and then there's a valley, the valley of Elah. 32 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,760 And then on the other side is the Israelite army. 33 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,800 And in in the middle of this valley is a small Ur valley. 34 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,600 And inside of this small Ur valley, eventually David will 35 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,560 reach down where there's some water running through it and he 36 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,640 will pick up some stones. We were going to be going to 37 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:54,440 Israel in about 6 weeks. When I went to Israel the first 38 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:58,880 time, I was in the valley of Elah and while the guides were 39 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:03,600 talking and people were conversing, I I bent down in 40 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:05,880 that very valley and pretended to tie my shoe. 41 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:11,800 And I picked up a rock and I put it in my pocket. 42 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,480 And then I was like, well, David picked up five smooth stones. 43 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,640 I picked up about 20, put them in different people's bags, got 44 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:22,360 them back to the states. I'm selling them. 45 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:27,040 If you guys want them, $1000 as where we're starting the bid, I 46 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:28,440 have them. I'm just going to say because 47 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,400 you never know when you're going to face your giant. 48 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,080 So there are these two opposing forces gathered on opposite 49 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:41,840 hillsides and a battle is about to take place from the 50 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,800 Philistine camp. There's there's a warrior. 51 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,000 Let's look at them. 17, Chapter 17, verse four. 52 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,720 A champion named Goliath. He was from Gath, came out of 53 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,760 the Philistine camp. The word champion here means man 54 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,360 of the interspaces. Turn to your neighbor, say 55 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:09,320 interspaces. It refers to a man who stood in 56 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:14,440 between 2 armies, a man who was willing to engage in single 57 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:18,120 combat for his army. Now let's take a deeper look 58 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,600 into this champion and what it would have been like to stand 59 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:24,680 against him. First Samuel, chapter 17, verses 60 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,160 4 through 7 give us a deep dive. This is what it has to say. 61 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,600 His height was 6 cubits in a span and you guys are all going 62 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:34,840 Yeah, of course it is. And he had a bronze helmet on 63 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,320 his head and he wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing 64 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:44,160 5000 shekels On his legs he wore bronze Greaves and a bronze 65 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:48,200 javelin was slung on his back. His spear chef was like a 66 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,680 weaver's rod and an iron point weighed 600 shekels, and the 67 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,120 shield bear went ahead of him. And those of you guys, you guys, 68 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,280 you're all going well. We're big, you know, into 69 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,440 ancient weights and measures. We already get the picture. 70 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:05,520 But for the two of you who don't know, let me unpack a little bit 71 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,320 of this. Goliath stood 9 feet tall. 72 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:16,160 In other words, if I was standing on a 24 inch stool, 73 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,000 that's how tall Goliath was. In fact, when I was growing up 74 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,880 for church and they did the school plays or the little 75 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:26,400 church plays, I never they never picked me to be Jesus. 76 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,160 Never. No, they never picked me to be 77 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,200 the Apostle Paul. Guess who I've always been in 78 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,560 every church play. Hey, Clayton, how about you play 79 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,480 Goliath? Yeah, the guy who dies. 80 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,600 OK. His attack weapons were all of 81 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:46,080 bronze or were all of iron and his defense weapons were all of 82 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,400 iron. The bronze helmet would go on 83 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,480 his head and then he had a coat of scale armor. 84 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:55,240 So think of like an Arctic Bass. And then how all of those scales 85 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:59,560 covered on the back and it weighed 125 pounds. 86 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,400 And he would just put this on and it would protect, completely 87 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,560 protect him. Then he had a spear that was the 88 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,120 size of a Weaver's Rod. And all of you guys, when you're 89 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,240 at Home Depot picking out your wife, a brand new Weaver's Rod, 90 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:15,600 you're going, boy, that's a pretty big Weaver's Rod. 91 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,280 Think about 10 feet long. And then on the end there was a 92 00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:23,800 2 foot long point that weighed an additional £15.00. 93 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:29,400 So this guy was hurling a 25 pound death instrument at his 94 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:32,040 enemies. And add to all of this there was 95 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:36,560 a shield bearer who was going in front of him First Samuel 17. 96 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,160 Eight through 11, Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of 97 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,080 Israel. Why do you come out and line up 98 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,280 for battle? Am I not a Philistine? 99 00:05:45,280 --> 00:05:47,120 And are you not servants of Saul? 100 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:51,040 Choose a man and have him come down to me. 101 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,400 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your 102 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,000 subjects. But if I overcome him and kill 103 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:03,560 him, you will become our subjects and serve us. 104 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,400 Then the Philistines said This day I defy the armies of Israel. 105 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,240 Give me a man, and let us fight each other. 106 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:14,840 On hearing the Philistines words, Saul and all the 107 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:18,160 Israelites were dismayed and terrified. 108 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,640 The people were dismayed and terrified for obvious reasons. 109 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,600 Who is going to fight this giant? 110 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:33,320 And if they fight this giant, will they win? 111 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:36,960 The good news is if we go out and we find someone who can 112 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,280 fight this guy and we win, nobody else has to die. 113 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,520 I like that part. Bad news. 114 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,280 If we find a guy who's willing to fight Goliath and he loses, 115 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,720 good news is only one person has to die, because if we all go off 116 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:54,360 to war, there's a chance that some of us are going to die in 117 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:58,640 the fight. Worst news, if the guy we pick 118 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:04,040 goes out to fight Goliath and he loses, we all become slaves. 119 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:09,920 As the story unfolds, Jesse, David's father, is too old to be 120 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:13,720 out to war. And so he's been sending David 121 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:19,240 back and forth to the war to get reports about how his oldest 122 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:21,520 three sons are doing in the battle. 123 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,200 And then he has David come back, give a report, take care of the 124 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,600 sheep for a while. Then Jesse's going, I got to 125 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:27,840 know what's going on with the war. 126 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,520 And so he sends David, and David has been going back and forth. 127 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,200 So Jesse brings David in and says, David, I want you to go 128 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:36,440 back to the front lines. I want you to take this food 129 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:38,960 that I've gathered together, and I want you to give it to your 130 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:40,720 brothers. And then I've got this pile of 131 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:42,840 cheese that I want you to give to the commanding officer 132 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,680 because, you know, every boss wants a bunch of cheese. 133 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:50,080 And so maybe he'll be like, hey, this cheese is so good, let's 134 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:51,920 keep these guys at the back of the line. 135 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,600 And so he sends David out to bring back a report on how 136 00:07:55,600 --> 00:08:00,520 everybody is holding up. Well, David leaves and he 137 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:04,720 arrives at the war camp just as the Army was getting ready to go 138 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,680 out to their battle lines. And Goliath issued his 139 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:13,480 challenge, and everybody hears this challenge. 140 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:17,160 And every time he issues this challenge, the Israelites would 141 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:23,880 flee from him in great fear. But David has a different 142 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,560 perspective. While everybody else is 143 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:31,800 frustrated and scared and dismayed, he's looking at 144 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:38,280 Goliath and going, who is this guy making such claims about the 145 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:43,960 armies of the living God? Who would dare come against the 146 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:48,760 people of God? And not just any God, a living 147 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:52,880 God. And so he's paying attention to 148 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,360 what everybody's saying. And David learns that Saul is 149 00:08:56,360 --> 00:09:02,160 offering an incredible reward to whoever goes and fights Goliath 150 00:09:02,560 --> 00:09:05,720 and wins. It's a threefold reward. 151 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:08,880 The first one is you will get great wealth. 152 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,720 Pretty nice. The second thing is you get to 153 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:16,240 marry one of his daughters, which if you're tired of being 154 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:20,440 single now you got a girl who you don't have to ask out, she's 155 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,800 just your wife now. And then the third thing is, and 156 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,840 this is where it gets really good, your family is exempt from 157 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:29,520 taxes. This is where all of our 158 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:32,280 campuses in Illinois are like, I understand now one of us is 159 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,280 going to go fight. We have got to deal with this. 160 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,280 You know, those of you who are part of our Iowa campus and our 161 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:40,880 our two Missouri campuses, Like, I don't get that part. 162 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:43,200 I don't understand why the tax thing's such a big deal. 163 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,240 But those of us in Illinois were like, we need a Goliath right 164 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:48,320 now. And I'm already signing up to 165 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:49,560 fight him. I don't care how big he is. 166 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:54,400 Saul is trying to incentivize someone to go out and fight the 167 00:09:54,560 --> 00:09:57,520 Goliath. And so far there have been pay 168 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:02,640 attention to this zero takers, no matter how good the reward 169 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:04,120 is. Nobody is saying, Yep, I'm going 170 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:10,640 to go out and fight this giant. But word eventually reaches Saul 171 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:15,960 that David seems to be having a different feeling about this 172 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:21,240 entire set up, that David might be the guy who's willing to go 173 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:25,640 and fight the giant. So Saul sends for David. 174 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:30,720 This is their interaction, David said to Saul, let no one lose 175 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,640 heart on account of this Philistine. 176 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:37,720 Your servant will go and fight him, Saul replied. 177 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,720 You are not able to go out against this Philistine and 178 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,920 fight him. You are only a young man and he 179 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:47,800 has been a warrior from his youth. 180 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:53,520 David volunteers to go and fight, but Saul's like you know 181 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,000 what? You don't stand a chance and 182 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,040 David doesn't take no for an answer. 183 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:04,200 He starts to walk Saul through his resume, and his resume is 184 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,920 pretty impressive. I'm going to walk through this 185 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:08,600 part slowly. I just want you to feel the 186 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:12,400 imagery that we get here, verses 34 through 36. 187 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:16,760 But David said to Saul, your servant has been keeping his 188 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:22,080 father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and 189 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:27,960 carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it as you 190 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:33,200 do, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. 191 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:40,800 When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair. 192 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:45,680 He fights like a girl struck it and killed it. 193 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:52,080 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear. 194 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,520 Did you see all of this? He's not taking care of his 195 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:59,560 father's sheep. A bunch of sheep out there, lion 196 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,000 or a bear, show up, grab one of the little sheep sees, starts 197 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,960 running off with it. And you know what he doesn't do? 198 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,560 He doesn't go well. You win some, you lose some, he 199 00:12:09,560 --> 00:12:11,680 says. Oh no, not today. 200 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:20,080 He chases down a lion, smacks it, grabs it out of its mouth. 201 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:28,920 No, if the lion or the bear turns on him, grabs it by the 202 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,760 hair, whacks it and kills it. How many of you guys have been 203 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,640 to a zoo? Yeah, Yeah. 204 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:38,360 And from a distance, you know how they set it up where it 205 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:41,760 feels like you're close but you're just not like that's 206 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:45,320 where you go to. Like most zoos, you kind of feel 207 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,600 close to the animals, but you're you're really not. 208 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:51,960 Now, if you want the opposite experience, go to the Peoria Zoo 209 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,640 because that's where we went. We went to the Peoria Zoo and 210 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,840 they have a tiger. And most places have like the 211 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:04,480 the railing and then a big valley and then, you know, the 212 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:06,840 tiger. Not the Peoria Zoo. 213 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:12,320 The Peoria Zoo has like a broken railing and chicken wire. 214 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,280 And I'm assuming there's been some budget cuts because that 215 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:21,520 tiger looked hungry and we were kind of walking along and I was 216 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:27,680 going, you don't stand a chance, 0% chance that if this thing 217 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:30,760 decided it wanted out, that you could stop it. 218 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:34,240 And if it got a hold of you, so I mean, I I knew that it was 219 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,480 like a lower end one. So we took my mother-in-law in 220 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:41,000 case it did get out, you know, shook her hand with some sweet 221 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,280 baby rays on it, said it's so good you're here, wiped in her 222 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:46,040 hair and said you go first. Right. 223 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,840 This is the David is seeing this and he's going, yeah, I've 224 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:54,080 killed lions and bears. And he's not doing this from 225 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,040 afar. He's doing this from up close. 226 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,880 David was built different. I'm guessing he didn't have like 227 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:03,120 cool Instagram filters. I'm guessing he was horrible at 228 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,160 Minecraft. He's like, yeah, I'm not really 229 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,480 good at at those things. I'm I'm more into killing lions 230 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,560 and bears with my bare hands. I mean like it. 231 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:16,800 I always have like an exit strategy in case things go 232 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,000 South, right? Like I sit. 233 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,320 And how many of you guys, when you, me and my wife fight over 234 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,680 this, when you go to a restaurant, how many of you want 235 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,800 to make sure you can see the door in case somebody crazy you 236 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:27,800 want to see it first? Yeah. 237 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,000 The rest of you savages are just sitting there going. 238 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,120 Somebody else is going to save me. 239 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:33,480 But those of us, we're reading our Mexican. 240 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:36,320 We want to see the front door in case someone comes in. 241 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:39,920 And if if you're navigating like a lion or a bear, you got to 242 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:41,800 have a strategy. My strategy? 243 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:43,000 Well, you guys know the strategy. 244 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,280 You always invite a fat friend, right? 245 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,560 Like if you're camping with a bunch of friends and you're 246 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:51,160 hanging around the campfire and you notice that you're the only 247 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,120 fat guy, your trip insurance. These aren't your friends. 248 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,560 If an animal shows up that tries to kill him, you're the 249 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,360 sacrifice. You're the you are going to play 250 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:02,920 the role of Jesus, OK? You always reminded me of Jesus. 251 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,400 You're going to die for our sins because we're out of here. 252 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:07,760 David doesn't allow himself that kind of position. 253 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:12,720 He goes out and he kills a lion and a bear, and then David draws 254 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:17,240 a connection. A connection That's a pretty 255 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:19,520 profound one. Look at verse 36. 256 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:24,480 This uncircumcised Philistine Goliath will be like one of 257 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:28,800 them, the lion or the bear, because he has defied the armies 258 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:33,240 of the living God. The Lord, who rescued me from 259 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,880 the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, will rescue me from 260 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:41,360 the hand of this Philistine Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord 261 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,440 be with you. This is what David says. 262 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:50,240 I've been in difficult situations before, and in those 263 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:54,160 difficult situations, the Lord rescued me. 264 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:59,880 So this issue with Goliath is just another difficult situation 265 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:02,480 that I'm going to find myself in, and it's just another 266 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,440 opportunity for God to deliver me. 267 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:12,000 He's not boasting in his abilities, he's boasting in 268 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,320 God's Now Saul tries to help David prepare for this battle, 269 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:20,480 and he puts his own armor on David and David's like, I can't 270 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,160 walk around and all of this stuff, this doesn't fit me and 271 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:26,440 I'm not used to it. I'm going to go out and I'm 272 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:31,520 going to fight this giant in the same outfit that I protect my 273 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:37,280 father's sheep in verse 40. Then he took his staff in his 274 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:41,000 hand. He chose 5 smooth stones from 275 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,800 the stream. He put them in the pouch of his 276 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,720 shepherd's bag and with his sling in his hand approached the 277 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,520 Philistine. Meanwhile, the Philistine, with 278 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,560 his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to 279 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,320 David. He looked David over and saw 280 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,720 that he was a little more than a boy glowing with health and 281 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,680 handsome. You know, I understand David, 282 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:07,280 and he despised him. OK? 283 00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:10,560 He said to David. Am IA dog, that you will come at 284 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,680 me with sticks. And the Philistine cursed David 285 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:17,040 by his gods. Come here, he said, and I'll 286 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:19,599 give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals. 287 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,760 David said to the Philistine. You come against me with sword 288 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:27,319 and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of 289 00:17:27,319 --> 00:17:31,280 the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel whom you 290 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:35,440 have defied. This day, the Lord will deliver 291 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:39,960 you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your 292 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,440 head. This very day I will give the 293 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,960 carcass of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild 294 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:49,400 animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in 295 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:51,920 Israel. And those gathered here will 296 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:56,040 know that it is not my sword or spear that the Lord saves, for 297 00:17:56,040 --> 00:18:00,920 the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our 298 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:05,600 hands as David steps into the interspaces. 299 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:12,680 Goliath is caught off guard for 40 days and for 40 nights he has 300 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:16,040 stepped out from the ranks of the Philistine army and he has 301 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:19,680 issued this challenge. And for 40 days and for 40 302 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:27,680 nights, no one has accepted. And all of a sudden a small boy 303 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:32,520 emerges to fight him. Who is this that they are 304 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:35,880 sending to fight me? A boy? 305 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:41,120 He's insulted and he has issued these threats, and they're more 306 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:44,120 than idle threats. We're told that he's been a 307 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:49,080 warrior from his youth. How many times has Goliath stood 308 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,880 in this very spot? We know he's undefeated because 309 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,240 if he had been defeated, he wouldn't have been issuing the 310 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,440 challenge. And the warrior that they send 311 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:02,520 is a boy. He would not be standing in 312 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:06,200 front of the Israelite army if he hadn't won every single time. 313 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:09,760 But David's reply is so incredibly strong. 314 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:11,960 This is what David is saying to Goliath. 315 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:16,160 You are coming at me with a sword and a spear and a javelin, 316 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:22,320 but I am coming at you in the name of the Almighty God, and 317 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:26,520 you can't cut him. You can't throw a spear at him, 318 00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:29,680 You can't put a javelin through him. 319 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:35,080 You are fighting against my God, and he is going to put you into 320 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:38,040 my hands. Verse 48. 321 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:42,920 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly 322 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,040 toward the battle line to meet him. 323 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:49,560 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and 324 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:51,440 struck the Philistine on the forehead. 325 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,160 The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down 326 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,400 on the ground. So David triumphed over the 327 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:00,960 Philistine with a sling and a stone. 328 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:05,360 Without a sword in his hand, he struck down the Philistine and 329 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:08,920 killed him. David ran, stood over him. 330 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:11,760 He took hold of the Philistine sword and drew it from the 331 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:14,120 sheath. After he killed him, he cut off 332 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:16,320 his head with. The sword. 333 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:18,360 I got a couple takeaways for you. 334 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:24,000 Take away #1. Sometimes you are going to have 335 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:29,800 to fight a battle that belongs to someone else who should have 336 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:31,600 been fighting Goliath that that day. 337 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:37,840 It wasn't David. There was an obvious choice in 338 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:41,400 Israel as to who should fight Goliath. 339 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:47,040 Why wasn't Saul fighting Goliath? 340 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:53,280 The Bible goes out of its way to tell us some special physical 341 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:57,080 features about Saul. Look what it says, like go all 342 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:01,880 the way back to Chapter 9. Kish had a son named Saul, as 343 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:06,040 handsome as a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and 344 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:11,120 he was a head taller than anyone else. 345 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:18,160 It doesn't just bring this up once, it brings this up again. 346 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:20,440 Look at verse chapter 10, verse 23. 347 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,280 They ran and brought him. This is Saul out. 348 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:28,160 And as he stood among the people, he was a head taller 349 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:34,000 than any of the others. Who was Israel's champion? 350 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:37,680 Who was the one who was bigger than everybody else? 351 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:43,640 It was Saul. If you were picking based on 352 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:47,760 physical features, who would be the champion For Israel it would 353 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:52,280 have been him. But for 40 days and for 40 354 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:57,560 nights, nobody stepped forward, not even Saul. 355 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:03,000 But check this out. Saul wasn't just big, he was 356 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:07,440 accomplished in battle. Look what it says in 1st 14 357 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:11,320 verses 47 through 48. After Saul had assumed rule over 358 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:15,920 Israel, he fought against their enemies inside Moab, the 359 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:19,160 Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zoba, and the Philistines. 360 00:22:19,360 --> 00:22:23,680 Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment on them. 361 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:28,520 He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering 362 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:32,280 Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them. 363 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:36,800 Saul was the obvious choice. He was head and shoulders above 364 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,200 everybody else, and he was accomplished in battle. 365 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,360 But. He didn't have the faith that 366 00:22:42,360 --> 00:22:47,320 God would deliver him if he faced a giant. 367 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:53,440 There are some of you that are going to have to fight a battle 368 00:22:53,960 --> 00:23:00,520 that belongs to somebody else. Right now, all across our 369 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,640 locations, there are some of you who are going to have to fight a 370 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:05,880 battle that somebody else should have fought. 371 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:10,920 You're going to have to step into an area that you never 372 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:13,040 thought you were going to have to face. 373 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,600 For some of you, it's going to be raising grandkids. 374 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:22,320 You didn't see that one coming. For some of you, you're going to 375 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:25,920 have to have tough conversations with managers or leaders in the 376 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:30,240 organization about ethics, and it shouldn't have been on you to 377 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:32,520 do it. Some of you, You're going to end 378 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:36,800 up raising a child by yourself because your spouse walked out. 379 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:42,840 And you're going to find yourself fighting a battle that 380 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:45,440 you never thought you'd have to fight. 381 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:50,520 You're going to find yourself fighting a battle that belonged 382 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:56,280 to somebody else. I just want you to know, if you 383 00:23:56,280 --> 00:24:01,840 find yourself in that spot, God sees you and he's with you, and 384 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:07,040 the battle belongs to the Lord. Take away #2. 385 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:11,760 Faith is a muscle. I'm going to break this down in 386 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:16,440 two parts, so just stay with me. Saul didn't have to let David 387 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:21,480 fight Goliath. David proved that he was ready 388 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,560 to fight Goliath because he had brought receipts. 389 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,520 He had a track record of faithfulness. 390 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,080 He had killed the lion, he had killed the bear, and he believed 391 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,720 that God would protect him in the fight against Goliath. 392 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:38,880 People will sometimes come up to me at church and say that they 393 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:40,440 want to go into full time ministry. 394 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:42,960 And you know what I like to do inside of my head? 395 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:44,680 I don't say this out loud because that would be rude. 396 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:48,920 But in my head I go, where's the lion or the bear? 397 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,640 If you haven't already been faithful in your walk with the 398 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,960 Lord personally, what makes you think that you're ready to 399 00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:00,640 navigate it organizationally? There's people who want to be 400 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:02,800 leaders in the church, and I just kind of want to look 401 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:05,360 around. Look for the bear skin. 402 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:10,960 Look for the lion skin. Some of you, how many of you 403 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:14,240 bought your kid an absolutely brand new car when they turned 404 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,920 16? Like just like, yeah, we're 405 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:20,440 we're idiots. So we kind of we're so rich. 406 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:23,280 We were like, we want to wreck a new vehicle, right. 407 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,360 What do you do? You give your kid, You know, I 408 00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:28,560 don't want to say a car because then someone's going to be like, 409 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:30,960 you hurt my feelings. I saved so long for this car. 410 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,320 But you know, the car that you're like, OK, that'll be his 411 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,200 first car. Like, God bless Honda's, right. 412 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,680 And it's got 300,000 miles. It doesn't even need oil, which 413 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:40,800 is good because she's not going to change it. 414 00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:44,120 And you just give it to him and let it ride, right? 415 00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:48,280 And once they're faithful with the old car, over time you allow 416 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:51,800 them to have a nicer car when they're paying for it. 417 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:56,080 Your kid, your kid wants a cell phone. 418 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:58,920 Well, have you been faithful with your comforter? 419 00:25:59,360 --> 00:26:00,800 And have you learned to make your bed? 420 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:03,880 Are you doing a good job with your iPad? 421 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:06,280 Are you being nice to your mom? Are you getting yourself ready 422 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:08,080 in the morning before I'm going to trust you? 423 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:11,960 The bigger thing You need to be faithful in smaller things. 424 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,360 You have to learn to be faithful and trustworthy in smaller 425 00:26:16,360 --> 00:26:22,520 areas, and when you do that, your faith and your faithfulness 426 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:27,120 grows. Faith is a muscle. 427 00:26:29,360 --> 00:26:33,160 Which leads me to this point. God is the one who did the work. 428 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,480 David's job was to have the faith. 429 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:42,600 You might be wondering, how did David know that God was going to 430 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:45,680 deliver him, That he was going to win against Goliath? 431 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:49,480 It's because of the lion and the bear. 432 00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:56,720 Faith is a muscle because David had turned over the situation 433 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,920 against the lion to God, and he had turned over the situation 434 00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:04,080 against the bear to God. He was used to turning things 435 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:06,600 over to God, and he had built up confidence. 436 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,760 His faith had been strengthened. And so when it came to the 437 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:13,600 Giant, it wasn't about what he was facing, It was about who he 438 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:19,120 was facing it with. His faith in God had grown. 439 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:23,960 Faith is a muscle, and the more you use it, the stronger it 440 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:25,880 becomes. Here's what I mean. 441 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:31,080 The more areas of your life that you turn over to Jesus, the more 442 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:34,480 areas of your life you will want to turn over to Jesus. 443 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:38,280 Because after you see his faithfulness in these areas, 444 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:40,440 you'd be like, well, I want to see his faithfulness in this 445 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:42,960 area and I want to see his faithfulness in this area. 446 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,440 More than likely, one of the reasons why you are struggling 447 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:51,200 in a particular area you keep hitting a lid is because you 448 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:55,240 don't believe that God has the solution for the challenge that 449 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:58,440 you're facing. So you keep bumping up against 450 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:00,680 it. You keep thinking I'm going to 451 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:05,120 try all these other ways because you don't have enough faith that 452 00:28:05,120 --> 00:28:07,000 you haven't developed a track record. 453 00:28:07,120 --> 00:28:09,280 That God took care of me here, God took care of me here. 454 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,080 God took care of me here, God took care of me here. 455 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:14,800 And when you face this, you'll have the faith to believe that 456 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,800 God will take care of you in this situation too. 457 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:23,240 David's courage came from knowing that God was faithful in 458 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:27,480 his past and would be faithful in his present and. 459 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:30,520 This is one of the tough challenges. 460 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:39,960 Because God always chooses to work through people with faith, 461 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,280 it is impossible to please him without it. 462 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:49,360 And God does His mighty works through people of faith. 463 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,360 Let me explain to you. God is the one who freed the 464 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:57,240 people from Pharaoh, but Moses is the one who had to stand and 465 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:00,720 defy the oppressors. God was the one who parted the 466 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:03,520 Red Sea, but Moses had to stand on the banks. 467 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:07,480 God was the one who parted the Jordan River, but the people 468 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:10,880 still had to put their feet out when the waters were waging. 469 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:14,560 God was the one who brought the walls of Jericho down, but the 470 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:16,560 people still had to do The Walking. 471 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:19,880 God was the one who delivered the midnights into the hands of 472 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:22,480 Gideon, but they still had to blow the trumpets and break the 473 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:26,040 jars. God was the one who made Peter 474 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,040 walk on water, but Peter was the one who had to step out of the 475 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:31,480 boat. God was the one who fed the 476 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:34,960 5000, but the boy was the one who had to give up his lunch. 477 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:38,080 Some of us, we want our marriage to get better. 478 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,120 But we want our spouse to be the one who does the repenting. 479 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:45,160 Oh, you're like, I like this sermon. 480 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:48,240 Until then, OK, stay with me. It gets worse. 481 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,680 We want Jesus to change our work environment and reduce the 482 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:56,200 drama, but we want them to do the changing. 483 00:29:57,320 --> 00:30:00,680 We want our families and friends to know about Jesus, but we want 484 00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:02,920 somebody else to do the praying, the inviting, and the 485 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:06,520 discipling. We want a closer walk with 486 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:09,200 Jesus, but we want somebody else to do the praying. 487 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,680 We lack the courage to believe that God will show up and bring 488 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:19,240 about change. We want God to do the work and 489 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,920 everybody else. Instead of believing that God 490 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:28,880 could do the work in us, if you want to see God, move. 491 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:34,920 And if you want to see God do something, it starts with you 492 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:40,680 moving out of the ranks and in front of the giant giant, 493 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:44,080 believing that God will get you through. 494 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:49,880 I don't know why this happened, but a while back I just started 495 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,280 kind of having soundtracks to my sermons. 496 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:58,560 It makes me a complete dork. And late 1 night I was going, I 497 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:03,320 was on my phone and I came across this like 30 second clip. 498 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:08,200 And of worship. And it hit me in such a profound 499 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:12,560 way the next day I searched and searched and searched until I 500 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:16,440 could find it again. I have to issue a disclaimer. 501 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:21,000 This style of worship is not ideal. 502 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:24,880 There's things about the the worship that I'm not necessarily 503 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:28,800 OK with theologically. But there was something about 504 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:33,000 the way that they were singing it that moved me in a profound 505 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:36,800 way. I don't understand these 506 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:39,000 artists. Their songs are like 50 minute 507 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,400 songs. So, like, imagine if they were 508 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:43,800 leading worship at our church. Guys, we're just going to have 509 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:44,880 three songs. Then we're going to get right 510 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,000 into the sermon. You're like, Oh my goodness, you 511 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:48,880 better order some food. And because we're going to be 512 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:51,680 here a while, like 3 hours later, everybody's asleep, then 513 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:53,120 I get up. Well, that's about what it is, 514 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:59,960 OK. But I was in a season where it 515 00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:03,160 just kind of felt like there were a bunch of challenges. 516 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:06,560 Giants if you will. And the way that they were 517 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:10,400 singing this one part of the song impacted me in a profound 518 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:12,960 way. And I would say for the last 6 519 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:17,960 to 8 months, this song, this 50 minute song, and I'm not going 520 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:21,720 to play the whole thing for you, has been the soundtrack of the 521 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:24,640 sermons that I've preached and I want to share it with you. 522 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:26,880 Watch this video. If I ever needed you, I. 523 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:39,760 Need you now if I ever wanted you. 524 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:45,880 I want you. That's no better time. 525 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:53,600 I If I ever needed you, I need you now. 526 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:59,720 There's no better time. If I ever needed you. 527 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:12,640 I need you if I ever wanted you. Oh, I want you now. 528 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:27,440 If I ever needed you, I need you. 529 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:33,960 If I ever needed you, I I need you now. 530 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:50,600 If I ever knew dead. I need you now. 531 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:55,760 If I ever need night, I need you. 532 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:00,520 Now I want to play it again too, and I just want to kind of want 533 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:06,160 to take you through what I think about when I think about you in 534 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:08,400 this song. There's some of you. 535 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:10,199 You haven't felt God in a really long time. 536 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:14,239 You haven't seen him, you haven't experienced him, and 537 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:16,080 you're kind of wondering where he is. 538 00:34:16,639 --> 00:34:20,760 But you won't experience God when you're standing among the 539 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:23,000 ranks, because you don't need him when you're hiding. 540 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:27,040 But when you decide to take a step out and say this giant in 541 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:32,520 my life needs addressed, needs dealt with, if you were to pick 542 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:39,239 a prayer, it would be this one. If I ever needed you, I need you 543 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:43,520 right now. God, my parenting is falling 544 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:46,679 apart, and no matter what I try, it's not working. 545 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,600 I don't know what to do. I don't know how to get through. 546 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:55,840 If I ever needed you, I need you right now. 547 00:34:57,440 --> 00:34:59,560 My marriage. My spiritual walk. 548 00:34:59,720 --> 00:35:03,320 My finances. God, this giant is too big. 549 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:06,440 And I don't know what to do and I don't know how to proceed. 550 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:08,720 I don't know what I'm supposed to do. 551 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:12,040 God, I need you. And I know I'm going to need you 552 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:13,520 next month. And I know I'm going to need you 553 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:15,160 next week. And I know I'm going to need you 554 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:17,200 tomorrow. But God, I'm not so much worried 555 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:20,040 about an hour from now. I'm worried about right now. 556 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:23,280 My addiction doesn't need you tomorrow. 557 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:27,640 It needs you now. If I ever needed you, I need. 558 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:35,600 I need you now. And you are going to have to 559 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:41,440 take a step, a step of faith to believe that God will meet you 560 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:44,240 in the battle. Now, I don't want to make every 561 00:35:44,240 --> 00:35:47,480 single thing that you're facing out to be a Goliath, and I don't 562 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:50,560 want you all walking out of here thinking that you are warriors. 563 00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:54,560 But the bottom line is, is every single day you are going to face 564 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:57,320 a challenge, and you have two choices. 565 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:03,720 To stay in the ranks or to believe that God we'll see you 566 00:36:03,720 --> 00:36:07,920 through. And there are people who need 567 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:13,000 you to take down the giants and the challenges and the fears and 568 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,160 the worries and the anxieties and the uncomfortablest nature 569 00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:20,040 of sharing your faith. But you also need to know this 570 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:25,280 4th take away Goliath was not the biggest giant that God 571 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:30,120 defeated. There has always been a giant A3 572 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:36,520 headed dragon, if you will. Satan sin and death, and Satan 573 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:40,360 tries to steal and kill and destroy all that God has for his 574 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,560 people. Sin brings pain and envy and 575 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:47,520 strife and evil into every relationship and every 576 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:51,320 experience, and the inevitable result is death. 577 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:55,080 Oh, it's a physical death, and it's a spiritual death, but it's 578 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:58,560 also an emotional death, a relational death. 579 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:05,320 But the good news of the gospel is that we too have a champion. 580 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:11,240 A man of the interspaces, he is 100% human, and so he 581 00:37:11,240 --> 00:37:13,280 understands the human experience. 582 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:18,240 But he's 100% God, who has power over life and death. 583 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:22,000 He comes from miraculous beginnings, Born of a virgin, 584 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:25,960 his birth heralded by angels, visited by wise men from a 585 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:28,400 distant country. Grew up in Nazareth. 586 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:32,160 Ministered along the Sea of Galilee, the confounder of 587 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:34,880 religious elites. He's a friend of sinners. 588 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:39,160 He's a water walking, miracle working, demon casting, cross 589 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:43,840 caring, resurrecting, king. And he hung in the inner spaces. 590 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:49,600 For you and for me to make a way, when there was no way, to 591 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,640 bring about freedom to you and to me. 592 00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:58,000 However, to experience it, to receive it, and to pass it on 593 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:03,520 requires you to take the step of faith to receive it and share 594 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:06,440 it. And I hope you'll do just that. 595 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:08,120 We're moving to a time of decision. 596 00:38:14,040 --> 00:38:17,720 One of the things I love about this church is that every single 597 00:38:17,720 --> 00:38:21,040 week there is somebody who chooses to start an intimate, 598 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:23,040 personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 599 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:26,800 And sometimes we know who it is, and sometimes we have no clue 600 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:31,200 who it is. But right now, here at our 48th 601 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:33,560 St. location, and to those of you who are watching online, 602 00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:37,160 there is somebody who has never said yes to Jesus. 603 00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:41,720 And if I could put this sermon in your spiritual context. 604 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:47,440 Here's what you need to know. You can't earn your salvation. 605 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:52,800 You can't stack up against the giant that faces you. 606 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:56,640 You don't stand a chance against Satan. 607 00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:59,880 You don't stand a chance against sin, and you don't stand a 608 00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:05,600 chance against death. You've already messed it up. 609 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:09,360 You've already disqualified yourself from the fight. 610 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:23,000 But Jesus was our warrior who stood in the interspace on your 611 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:26,960 behalf. See, the only way that you are 612 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:32,480 getting to heaven is if you are righteous and you're not. 613 00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:38,440 But when Jesus died on the cross for your sins, he took our sin 614 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:42,280 on himself and he gave us his righteousness. 615 00:39:42,640 --> 00:39:47,960 That's why the Bible screams by his stripes, we are healed. 616 00:39:49,240 --> 00:39:52,200 And if you're here today, or watching online and you've never 617 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,360 started an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, 618 00:39:55,720 --> 00:39:59,600 you need to be saved. You need salvation. 619 00:39:59,960 --> 00:40:03,760 And salvation, the Bible tells us, Jesus tells us, is only 620 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:07,520 found in him that if you want to be in heaven, if you want to be 621 00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:10,280 with the Father, there was only one way to the Father. 622 00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:15,000 Jesus is the way and the truth and the life, and no one comes 623 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,640 to the Father except through him. 624 00:40:18,440 --> 00:40:21,800 You might You might have a really good metabolism. 625 00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:24,120 It's not going to do. You any good? 626 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:26,760 You might give to a lot of charities. 627 00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:28,560 Not going to do you a bit of good. 628 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:31,400 You might be extra nice to your dog. 629 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:35,760 You might even have a cat. And none of those good works 630 00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:38,280 matter. You could have been faithful to 631 00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:41,600 your wife your whole life. You could have, you know, been a 632 00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:44,640 really good employee. You could have prayed 10 times a 633 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:48,640 day before you even got to work outside of a relationship with 634 00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:51,200 Jesus Christ. Where you receive His work on 635 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:54,880 the cross in your life, there is a 0% chance that you enter into 636 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:58,800 the glories of heaven. Jesus stepped in and fought the 637 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:04,200 battle that we could never win. All you have to do is say I'm 638 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:09,000 ready to receive it and accept it, be changed by it, and live 639 00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:13,000 differently because of it. And if you're here today and you 640 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,000 have questions about what happens after you die and you're 641 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:18,600 not sure where you stand. There's somebody right over 642 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:20,760 there by the Baptistery in just a second, who'd love a chance to 643 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:23,600 talk to you about that. To the rest of you in the room, 644 00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:26,360 you're wanting to see a move of God. 645 00:41:27,240 --> 00:41:29,760 You're wanting to see him do something in your life. 646 00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:33,320 You've been bumping up against the same challenge, the same 647 00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:37,040 addiction, the same sin, the same situation. 648 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:40,560 You've got a proverbial Goliath in front of you. 649 00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:49,800 It is not going away. And it might not even be yours 650 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:55,240 to fight, but it is in your. Way so I'm going to. 651 00:41:55,240 --> 00:41:58,000 Encourage you to do whatever it is. 652 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:02,880 Would you spend some time on the steps praying that God would use 653 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:06,760 you to address it? Would you spend some time on 654 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:09,720 your knees saying, God, I can't fight this on my own. 655 00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:11,640 You are going to have to fight this battle. 656 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:15,840 You are going to have to deliver the victory and hear me. 657 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:19,600 There are people all around you that need people who've been 658 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:22,960 transformed by that kind of faith to point them to Jesus, 659 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:28,000 and he wants to use you. We pray those kind of prayers. 660 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:31,440 Would you stand with me, God? I'm asking you to do a work 661 00:42:31,440 --> 00:42:36,880 today, a work that only you can do in ways that only you can do 662 00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:39,520 it. God, You know, the full extent 663 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:42,520 of the pain and the heartache and the sorrow and the fear and 664 00:42:42,520 --> 00:42:44,680 the anxiety that people are facing. 665 00:42:45,640 --> 00:42:48,680 God, you know, for every single person in this room at all of 666 00:42:48,680 --> 00:42:52,640 our locations, exactly what they're going through and 667 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:57,800 exactly what they need God give. Us the humility to receive your 668 00:42:57,800 --> 00:43:01,880 guidance, your counsel to recognize that we can't do this 669 00:43:01,880 --> 00:43:04,320 on our own. But God give us the courage to 670 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:07,000 step out and believe that you will be faithful. 671 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:09,040 And you name my praying. Amen.