West, even Shaw, he told us about the fact that the lord
loves Warriors. And I do too.
I know it's a few years ago, my heroes were always those kind of
men, who are confident tough and gritty old to the kind of people
that I like and so very briefly this evening, I want to study
with you an old Story one, that means so much to you and I, and
from it very quickly glean, some lessons, I hope will help us and
the Book of 1st, Samuel chapter 17 and verse 12, the Bible
begins like this and say, it's now.
David was the son of a son of that.
Here for theit of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse and
he had eight Sons. The man went among men for an
old man of the days of soul and the three eldest sons of Jesse
went and followed salt to the battle and the names of the
three sons that went to battle were a lie of the firstborn and
next unto him, a been a Deb and the third shaima, the three
eldest sons of Jesse as the scripture evidently points out
here, had gone was Saul to fight against the Philistines and
ancient enemy of the children of Israel forty days had now passed
in Jessie, begin. Think now an old man.
Perhaps worried about his children, he began to wonder how
they were how things were going for them.
And so he called the youngest David and he told him to go to
leave the sheep with the keeper and to take with him some
subsidence for his Brethren verse 17.
The scripture says, and Jesse said, to David taken out for thy
Brethren and he fought this parched corn and these 10 Loaves
and run to the camp to thy Brethren and carry these 10
Cheese's under the captain of the thousand.
And look how they fare and take their place.
Jan, so quick is opposed. He makes his way to the Bible
field and begins to hunt up his brothers and look for the m.
And when he finds them, he begins to talk to them and see
how they're doing. Jesse had said some things very
specific, first of all, see how they fare look them over.
Make sure everything is, all right, and take their pledge.
Make sure that if you speak with them you find out that
everything really is, okay. And so that's what he begins to
do. But while he's doing that, the
Bible tells us that he heard just These men have been hearing
for the last 40 days, both morning and evening of
philistine, Down Yonder in the Bible.
As the custom was for the people of that day and age.
Often were they went out to battle, they would find the
Little Valley with a hillside on either side of it and one Army
would get on one side and another Army on the other side
and they would set their armies and array and they would fight a
battle. Well, that's exactly what the
Israelites expected to do until they got there.
The Bible tells us if they're came down a man, Man, by the
name of Goliath. In verse 8, the scripture says
of him and he stood and cried into the armies of Israel and
said unto them. Why are you come out to set your
battle in Array? I'm not, I have Philistine.
And you service to Saul choose you a man for you and let him
come down to me. And if he be able to fight with
me and to kill me, then we be your servants.
But if I Prevail against him and kill him, then shall you be our
servants and serve us? And the Philistine said I defy
the armies of Israel. This day give me.
And that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel, heard
those words, the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly
afraid, it's amazing to me. The Bible tells us what kind of
man, he was. He gives us those old
measurements of qubits and span and when you do the math, he was
over nine feet tall. The Bible tells us that his coat
of mail that he wore in the battle Wade and our current
numbers today around 150 pounds. Now that's a load to pack around
if you don't believe that. That when you get home you go
out to you feed cheddar suppose all y'all have one of those pick
up three bags of fee and you'll find out what 150 pounds is like
the Bible tells us that the tip of is feared weighed so much.
And in our numbers it was about 18 pounds.
Think about that 18 pounds. This was a monster of a man.
Now, the Bible tells us that David looked on watching and
seeing what would happened that day and I supposed like all
children with child like that. Admiration, he looked up to the
older brothers and I suppose David thought.
You just wait. You wait till alive gets down
there. You'll take care of you.
But alive didn't step up. You wait for a minute dad.
When he comes, that's the end of, you know, been a dad, shaima
shama. He's the one.
He'll take care of you. I suppose that David looked up
with childlike. Admiration thinking surely would
have my brother will take care of this.
You know, that's the way a little brothers.
Are I've got two boys separated by 15 years difference.
We one time. Are you eating supper?
And my daughter Caitlin, my oldest daughter overtaken with a
misguided moment of emotion reached over and grabbed groans
hand. She said I love you and Ron said
I love Sam. Well, that's the way little
brothers are and I expect that's what David was doing.
He was waiting. He was looking up, surely, they
will come, but they did, and not only that, as David begins to
talk to the rest of these cowards who had fled back to
their 10, he found out something very amazing as well.
There have been somewhat of an incentive for these children of
Israel as a matter of fact, in verse 24, Scripture says and all
the men of Israel when they saw the man fled from him and were
sore. Afraid.
And the men of Israel said, have you seen this man?
That has come up. Sure did it.
If I Israel has he come up and it shall be that the man who
killed the man, the king will enrich him with great riches and
will give his daughter and make his father's house, free, and
Israel, David was amazed the Bible says, in verse 26 and
David speak to the men that stood by him saying, what should
be done to the man that killed this Philistine and takes away.
The reproach from Israel for who is this uncircumcised
philistine? Steam that he should defy the
armies of the Living God and the people answered him after the
same manner saying, so shall it be done for him, that killeth
him. And so, David begins to speak to
every man around him and I suppose he's looking for a man
who would step out there and take the life as he turns 21.
Now, what will be done. Well, the Kings going to enrich
him and make his father's house free, and give his daughter to
wife yet. That man would not go out to the
next man. Now, what's going to happen to
the man that killed was this uncircumcised Philistine.
Well, Come on Reggie Hammond. Give his daughter to wife and
make this house free. It is related vein, David
searches for a man who would kill the Philistine.
None would go finally alive but his embarrassment who had been
standing there watching all of this.
He came to David, I suppose he snatched him up by his arm,
begin to drag him off and began, to chew him out.
In verse 28, the scripture says, and Allied the eldest brother
when he heard heard, when he spake unto them and lives.
Anger was kindled against Dave. And he said, why can't his now
down? Hither and we're them has.
Now left those few sheep on the Wilderness.
I Do by Pride of the notice of thine heart with our come down,
the town might have see, the Bible, I suppose.
David was used to this, he'd been chewed out by other older
brothers. Now that's where it works to,
with older and younger brothers. You know, sometimes the older
brother gets a little big for his britches and he kind of
steps into that parental role. David knew what it was like to
be chewed out and you remember what he said when he looked up
and alive. He said, what about now bond is
there not a Cause Said David's in Wonder stand at the
something. These other man did not.
There was a reason that Goliath had to die.
There was a reason that this Philistine had to be destroyed
and that was the fact that there was a reproach on Israel, these
were not coming every day men, these Ruiz relax.
These were not Gentiles. These were Israelites, they
serve the almighty God Of Heaven.
Their God was not like the Pagan Idols of the Philistines or any
other land know, their God. Punished his enemies with every
Manner of pestilence. You can imagine it was their God
who led them out of the land of Egypt and parted the Red Sea
before them. It was their God who fed them in
the wilderness with man, I'm with dub.
It was their God who parted the Waters of the Jordan when they
crossed over into this land of promise and it was their God who
had marched before them has. Granted them Victory after
Victory. And now in David's horror, it
was their God who was being disrespected.
And now, these cowards stood, By mouthy Philistine standing down
there in the battlefield intimidating, every one of them.
And here's what David understood.
This is a reproach and it has something has to be done.
They would not go. Well, he stirs such a stink, the
Bible tells us that finally, the king hears about.
Now, Saul knew David David had already been before Saul and it
played his heart before him and soothe his troubled mind.
And the Bible tells us this and when the words were heard, which
day, It's fake they were Hearst them before Saul and he sent for
him and David said to Saul at no man's heart fail because of him
that I serve him going fight this Philistine and Saul said to
David are not able to go against this Philistine to file with him
for our buddy Youth and he a man of war from as use and David
said, unto Saul died serving kept his father.
She and there came a lion and a bear and took out took a lamb
out of the flock and I went after him and smote him and
delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I
called him by his beard and smote him and slew him.
And I served in Slough, both The Lion and the bear and this
uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them.
Seeing it defied, the armies of the Living.
God David said, moreover, the Lord that delivered me out of
the Paul the line and out of all the bear.
He will deliver me out of the hand of this philistine.
It's all said unto David go and the Lord be with thee.
Yes David understood. He understood that God just as
God had blessed him and cared for him.
He knew that God would continue to do that.
He had an abiding confidence and Abiding Faith.
In God. The Bible tells us that Saul
began to persuade him. Listen you're going to go and
fight at least take my armor if you ever thought about this?
David's a young man show He said last night, he was a teenager
saw a grown man. The Bible tells us it is
coronation was Head and Shoulders above everyone else.
He was a big man himself kind of makes me wonder, why this big
man didn't March down there to face their big man.
We start to see something of the crumbling character of Saul, and
so he tells him take my armor so they begin to put the armor on
David and they begin to lace it up and take that to build the
lake sale and reduce it down to a schmedium.
I'm sure. And by the time they get it all
cinched up, I'm sure. David looked like a terrapin
huerto sack and he said, I can't take this, I'm not prove this
armor, I can't have this and so off, he goes, the Bible tells us
he began to make his way down that Hillside.
And as he went along that Hillside, he began together some
Stones. You know what he took with you?
Do you remember what he took with him?
He had to Shepherds bag carried his possibles in there.
You know, he had his staff in one.
Hand and his sling that slang is amazing thing.
Now the, when I was a little boy my dad made me one of them.
That's not like you, we think about a slingshot piece of
leather whole about. So so wide with a string or a
piece of leather tied on one side and on the other side and
the way we did is you tie one piece of string around your
wrist and you'd hold the other piece of string and you'd put a
rock in there or whatever's handy and you take that and you
Wind that up and you would send it.
Oh, Mase it's Force. You kids are out of school.
That's an amazing arts and crafts project for you this
summer. Now, I never was as good as
David, I got to where I could hit paint cans and Stray Cats.
Although me and my neighbor, we did manage to hit a power
transformer on a power pole and knocked out electricity, 27 of
the neighbors down the road from us and mama was so proud, but
David was a master David knew what he was doing.
The Bible tells us what he made his way down there.
And finally met fit Goliath, they God begins to insult him.
The scripture says And the Philistine, Senator David?
Am I a dog without coming to me with staves and the Philistine
cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David
come to me and I will give thy flesh and the fowls of the air
and the beasts of the field. I love David.
Listen to what David said. Now comes to me with a sword
with the spirit, with The Shield.
But I come to the end of the name, of the Lord of hosts, the
god of the armies of Israel. Whom thou Hast defied this day,
will the Lord deliver the into my hand?
And I will smite thee and take the head from thee and I will
give the carcasses of Host of the Philistines.
This they do the fowls of the air out of the wild beasts of
the earth that all the Earth. May know that there is a God in
Israel. And that all this will simply
may know that the Lord saves with not with sword.
And spear for the battle is the Lord's and he will give it into
your hands in my mind's eye. I can see David as he begins to
head toward Goliath. First two steps are measured,
but then his strides begin to grow until ultimately David is
racing toward him at full strength.
The scripture tells us, he takes one of those smooth stones, and
puts it in that swing. And as he begins to make ready,
too. Fire his shot.
I suppose had to the sudden stop David took the momentum.
He had built up. It began the soles of his feet
and travel through his body until awesomely the shot was
fired. The Bible tells us that it found
its Mark in Goliath's forehead and pointedly says it's sucking
and Goliath fell before him dead.
There was no sword and David saying.
And so David ran to him, the scripture tells us they took
Goliath's sword. The cut Goliath's head off.
And in my wild imagination, I can only imagine what it must
have been like, when David reached down and grabbed those
nappy oily, curls of that, Philistine and hoist his his
head before the Israelites. And they begin to understand our
God. Save is not with sword and
spear. The Bible tells us the
Philistines were put to flight very quickly.
I want to notice with you a couple of lessons here, that I
think that you and I should glean from this and that we We
should check a with first of all, David points out.
The fact that there is a cause must be defended, there is a
cause today, there always has been Israel.
Here was being humiliated, her lands were being threatened and
the Army was too afraid to do anything about it.
David asked the most appropriate question when he said, is there
not a cause. And so I say today Brethren, he
is there not a cause in which you and I are engaged.
Is there not a cause it's worth our work, our effort and our
defense, the Bible teaches. Us in Romans chapter 1 and verse
16. The Apostle said, for I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and
also to the Greek. Yes.
Today, that is a Cause worth defending.
The Apostle. Defined it in First Corinthians,
15 verses 1 through 4 as being the very fact of the life, the
death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
And that's a story. The world needs to hear.
That's a Cause worth defending today.
And more critics today, assail the story of Christ and the
scripture itself, and that's the cause we please.
It's the one that makes the difference for a man.
Literally the difference between Heaven or Hell?
The difference between saved being saved and being lost
forever? Thus the scripture says in 2nd,
Corinthians 4 and verse 3. But if our gospel be hid, it is
hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world has
blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of
the Glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should
shine. Unto them?
Yes, are closed. Today is work defending.
Our calls today is worth declaring.
But secondly, to we defend the church.
The church today is worth defense.
This glorious Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.
The Bible teaches us in Acts chapter 2 and verse 47 praising,
God, and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to
the church daily. Such as should be saved
yesterday. My friends.
The church is the cause we plead.
She's worth working for she's worth laboring.
For their critics today. Both inside the kingdom and
outside the kingdom, who wants to look down on the church.
And you want to downplay the church and the importance of the
church she's worth defending today.
Now, I realize today, it's only a grammatical thing, but it
absolutely gets under my hide. When I see somebody spell out
the Church of Christ and they put a little see on Church.
As if 2D emphasized, the importance of the church,
listen, friends. That's the Kingdom of Heaven on
Earth. And if men are going to be saved
today, they're going to be members of that Kingdom.
And we need. Not be valued.
No, I understand the principle, you know, we want to emphasize
Christ in the name Church of Christ.
Well that's good and that's important.
Man, won't be safe without the church.
You can't be saved with Christ and without the church, it
doesn't work that way. Now, I understand it's a
grammatical issue, but there's an underlying theme in there to
my friends and don't be fooled by Wiley.
Folks who simply want to say tell you that it's merely a
matter of advertising. Yes.
The Kingdom of Heaven is a Cause worth fighting for, but
secondly, I want you to notice today that David had Faith, you
know what drove him. Down in that Valley, faith,
faith. He believed in God and you
believe in God protecting power. I've often thought about David,
you know, we don't have very many bear at home.
You don't have very many mountain lions either, at least
not these kind. And so I've been reduced to
hunting wild hog every once in a while.
You'll catch an old wild Sal 200, 250 pounds, or so, who
don't understand that. This is really just a I'm just
going to catch you and tie you up and catch you my dogs and
we're going to turn you loose and go on our merry way.
She don't understand that. And so, when I get ahold of her,
she's trying to eat me alive. And almost every time I think, I
hope David didn't feel this way. But I'm scared to death.
The only thing that really keeps me from turning loose is number
one, the abiding fear of being mauled.
Number two having to tell my wife meet me at the emergency
room, I've done something stupid.
Well isn't that a way for David? David had faith and David said,
just as God delivered me from The Lion and from the bear, he
will deliver me from this Philistine.
Let me ask you today. Where is your faith?
Glad you David's Faith. Led him to a valley of victory
of valley of Victory. Where's your faith?
LED you do, you have faith enough today to live the truth?
You have faith enough to live the truth in front of friends
and in front of critics I've got to hurry on very quickly.
You know, we've been talking to these young men.
They did an amazing job this morning I think I didn't see a
dud and a bunch. They really did good and you
know here and like all the young people's meetings that you will
go to peep they're going to pet and Ponte.
You have good. You did you mama's going to
flutter around you? And your daddy's going to March
around with pride and all the Brethren.
Going to tell you the greatest thing since sliced bread and you
all did very well. But it's one thing to preach the
truth where the fans are. And it's another thing to preach
the truth with the critics alter its own, don't you understand
today? It's going to take some Faith.
Some confidence of what you're preaching is the truth of God's
Divine will and I pray, you'll do that very thing.
Just as I do for all our preachers you have faith in
after enough today. To confront are and false
teaching yes, false teachers still are among us today just as
they were in the first century. And you know what?
It's going to take to confront them.
Faith confidence in God's word. That is true, right?
And unchanging, it's going to take Faith, he have faith enough
today to preach the truth and to live the truth in your everyday
life. You're going to have friends and
neighbors. You're going to have workmates
today, who don't agree with what you do, what you stand for, how
you live, What You Preach, what you practice and you, you are,
they just don't like it. You know what?
It's going to take to live it out before them.
And to change their mind, it's going to take Faith.
You're going to have to be convinced that what you're doing
is absolutely right. So I ask you again today.
Where is your faith? LED you as your faith?
That you today to be the best Christian that you can be.
Here's what the Lord said in Revelation 2 and verse 10.
He ran out of those things, which Thou shalt suffer behold.
The devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be
tried. And ye shall have tribulation
ten days, be thou faithful unto death.
And I'll give you a Crown of Life.
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