[0:00] Good evening and welcome to our service of worship this evening.
[0:26] It's nice to come together, albeit distantly for those that are on the screen and those that are listening on the phone. It's always good to come together and worship God.
[0:38] And we'll start our worship tonight by singing in Psalm 20. Psalm 20, Jehovah hear thee in the day, when trouble he doth send, and let the name of Jacob's God be from all ill defend.
[0:56] Jehovah hear thee in the day, when trouble he doth send, and let the name of Jacob's God thee from all ill defend.
[1:21] O let him help send from above out of his sanctuary.
[1:34] From Zion, his own holy hill, let him give strength to thee.
[1:48] Let him remember all thy gifts, accept thy sacrifice.
[2:03] Grant thee thine heart's wish and fulfill thy thoughts and counsel wise.
[2:16] In thy salvation we will joy. In our God's name we will display our banners.
[2:34] And the Lord thy prayers shall fulfill. Now know, O my God, his King, doth save he from his holy heaven.
[2:57] We'll hear him with the saving strength, by his own right hand given.
[3:10] In chariot some put their confidence, some horses trust upon.
[3:25] But we remember well the name of our Lord God alone.
[3:38] We rise and upright stand when they are bowed down and fall.
[3:52] Deliver, Lord, and let the King us hear when we do call.
[4:05] We'll now come before God in prayer. Let us pray. Lord, Lord, we thank you that as we come before you this evening, that we can come before a God that hears and answers prayer.
[4:24] Heavenly Father, as each one of us bows in our own homes and in our own situation, we can lift our prayers and our petitions up to you.
[4:36] And Heavenly Father, even when we struggle to say the words, you hear our grumblings and our utterings and you are able to understand what it is our need is.
[4:46] And you teach us. And you teach us, Heavenly Father, to come to you. To come to you when we are weak. Come to you when we are weary. Come to you when we are heavy laid.
[4:58] And each one of us, Heavenly Father, in our own situation, in our own circumstance, comes before you at this time and bows in your presence. For you are indeed worthy of all glory, honour and praise.
[5:13] And Heavenly Father, that you stoop to listen to us. We are indeed in awe of you. As we come and as we pour out our petitions before you, we bring before you this night, Heavenly Father, those that are sick, those that need help at this time, Heavenly Father, in their time of need, that your hand of healing would be upon them.
[5:41] And in each and every situation that we come, Heavenly Father, with our sickness and our ill health. And as we pray for healing, we also pray that thy will would be done.
[5:54] Heavenly Father, I pray that we all learnt as little children to come before you and see that you are indeed our Lord and that we can indeed come before you.
[6:07] Heavenly Father, that your will must be done on earth as it is in heaven. And while that may be difficult at different times for each one of us, we do indeed know, Heavenly Father, that you know the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end.
[6:25] And we must come and we must trust in you. Heavenly Father, to whom else can we come? Well, there is so much, Heavenly Father, that we have in our own lives that we can be thankful for.
[6:41] So often we focus on what we do not have. And Heavenly Father, our prayer at this time would be that we would focus on you. That we would focus, Heavenly Father, on all that you have done for us.
[6:54] All that you have blessed us with. All, Heavenly Father, that you have provided. Each and every day your mercies are new to us. For all that we are able to enjoy, Heavenly Father.
[7:08] For all that has been given to us. We can thank nobody else other than you. For you are the giver of every good and perfect gift. And Heavenly Father, at this time, as we pray for those in sickness.
[7:24] We pray for those that are in hospital at this time. We pray, Heavenly Father, for the NHS as they administer to the needs of those that are in their care at this time.
[7:37] Those, Heavenly Father, that are laid low through sickness. Those that may even still be battling this virus. But, Heavenly Father, that you would protect those in positions of care at this time.
[7:51] And that you and Heavenly Father would indeed have the preeminence. And that you would indeed have the upper hand with this virus. For as we have prayed already, Heavenly Father, you are in control.
[8:03] And we thank you that you are. And as we pray, Heavenly Father, for those that are sick and infirm. We also remember those within our community, Heavenly Father, that mourn the loss of loved ones.
[8:17] Those, Heavenly Father, who in these past weeks and months have seen death at their door. Those, Heavenly Father, that come to the anniversary at this time of the loss of loved ones.
[8:30] How hard it can be. Heavenly Father, again, who else can we come to? For you are indeed our God of refuge and our God of strength.
[8:41] And we come to you this night. And we seek, Heavenly Father, your face. And you teach us, Heavenly Father, that if we seek your face, we will find you.
[8:52] And you will draw near to us. And not only will you draw near to us, you have given us your promise that you will never leave us nor forsake us. So, Heavenly Father, as we come this night.
[9:05] As we seek to look into your word. As we seek to sing your praise. That, Heavenly Father, that we would indeed seek you first.
[9:16] That, Heavenly Father, that as your word is read. That we would be looking for you in it. As your word is spoken, Heavenly Father, and as we break it down.
[9:28] That we would seek to apply it to our own lives. Not thinking how apt it may be for the person on our left and on our right. But, Heavenly Father, what does it say to us this night?
[9:41] What is your word teaching us? How is your word correcting us? How is your word directing us? You have given us your word, Heavenly Father, as the only rule.
[9:53] The only rule to direct us in how we may glorify you and enjoy you forever. So, as we dwell in it tonight, Heavenly Father. May we indeed be directed.
[10:04] And drawn closer to you. Oh, Heavenly Father, we trust all things to you. And we trust this message to you this night.
[10:15] You have given us the promise that your word will not return unto you void. So, Heavenly Father, as it goes out through these means this night. And to the homes of many that we do not know.
[10:28] The situations that we do not know. And, Heavenly Father, that it may be a word that it will indeed pierce the heart. And that, Heavenly Father, according to your season and according to your purpose.
[10:43] That it will indeed bear fruit for you. So, guide us as we continue in your presence this night. May we know your hand of blessing upon us.
[10:54] And, Heavenly Father, in receiving a blessing from you, may we each go out and be a blessing to others. And we ask all this in your Son's precious name.
[11:05] As we ask forgiveness of our many sins. Amen. We are going to read in God's Word. And the reading tonight is taken from 1 Samuel.
[11:19] 1 Samuel, chapter 17, and at verse 20. And we cut into the story here of Saul and the armies of Israel.
[11:34] Who are plotted against the Philistine army. And that well-known story of when David meets Goliath. So, David's been asked by his father, Jesse, to go out and bring provisions to his brothers.
[11:52] Who are out fighting with Saul. And, as I say, we cut into the story at verse 20. So, David got up early in the morning.
[12:04] Left the flock with someone to keep. Loaded up and set out as Jesse had charged him. He arrived at the perimeter of the camp as the army was marching out to its battle formation.
[12:18] Shouting their battle cry. Israel and the Philistines lined up in battle formation facing each other. David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster.
[12:30] And ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were. While he was speaking with them. Suddenly, the champion named Goliath.
[12:41] The Philistine from Gath. Came forward from the Philistine battle line. And shouted his usual words. Which David heard. When all the Israelite men saw Goliath.
[12:54] They retreated from him. Terrified. Previously, an Israelite man had declared. Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel.
[13:07] The king will make the man who kills him very rich. And will give him his daughter. The king will also make the family of that man's father. Exempt from paying taxes in Israel.
[13:18] David spoke to the men who were standing with him. What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine. And removes the disgrace from Israel. Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine.
[13:31] That he should defy the armies of the living God. The troops told him about the offer. Concluding that. Concluding that. Concluding that it was the will.
[13:42] That this is what will be done. For the man who kills him. David's oldest brother, Eliab. Listened as he spoke to the men. And he became angry with him.
[13:53] Why did you come down here? He asked. Who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and your evil heart. You came down to see the battle.
[14:05] What have I done now? protested David. It was just a question. Then he turned from those beside him to others. And asked.
[14:16] The people gave him the same answer as before. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul. So he had David brought to him.
[14:27] David said to Saul. Saul. Don't let anyone be discouraged by him. Your servant will go and fight this Philistine. But Saul replied.
[14:39] You can't go fight this Philistine. You're just a youth. And he's been a warrior since he was young. David answered Saul. Your servant has been tending his father's sheep.
[14:51] Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock. I went after it. Struck it down. And rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me.
[15:03] I grabbed it by its fur. Struck it down. And killed it. Your servant has killed lions and bears. The uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them.
[15:15] For he has defied the armies of the living God. Then David said. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear.
[15:26] Will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. So I said to David. Go and may the Lord be with you. Then the Lord. Then Saul.
[15:37] Sorry. Had his military clothes put on David. He put a bronze helmet on David's head. And had him put on armor. David strapped his sword on over the military clothes.
[15:48] And tried to walk. But he was not used to them. I can't walk in these. Said David to Saul. I'm not used to them. So David took them off. Instead.
[15:59] He took his staff in his hand. And chose five smooth stones. From the wadi. And put them in his pouch. In his shepherd's bag. Then. With his sling in his hand.
[16:10] He approached the Philistine. The Philistine came closer and closer to David. With the shield bearer. In front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David. He despised him.
[16:22] Because he was just a youth. Healthy and handsome. He said to David. Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks? Then he cursed David by his gods.
[16:33] Come here. The Philistine called to David. And I'll give your flesh to the birds of the sky. And the wild beasts. David said to the Philistine. You come against me with a sword, a spear and javel.
[16:46] But I come against you in the name of the Lord of armies. The God of the ranks of Israel. And you have defied him. Today the Lord will hand you over to me.
[16:57] Today I will strike you down. Remove your head. And give the corpses of the Philistines camp. To the birds of the sky. And the wild creatures of the earth.
[17:08] Then all the world will know. That God. That Israel has a God. And this whole assembly will know. That this is not by sword or by spear. That the Lord saves.
[17:20] For the battle is the Lord's. He will hand you over to us. And the Philistine started forward to attack him. David ran quickly to the battle line. To defeat the Philistine.
[17:31] David put his hand in the bag. Took out a stone. Slung it. And hit the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sunk into his head. And he fell face forward to the ground.
[17:42] David defeated the Philistine with a sling and stone. David overpowered the Philistine. And killed him without having a sword. David ran and stood over him.
[17:53] He grabbed the Philistine's sword. Pulled it from his sheaf. And used it to kill him. Then he cut off his head. When the Philistines saw this. That their hero was dead.
[18:04] They fled. The men of Israel and Judah rallied. Shouting their battle cry. And chased the Philistines to the entrance of the valley. And to the gates of Ekron. Philistine bodies were strewn all along the Sharlam road.
[18:19] In Gath and Ekron. When the Israelites returned from the pursuit of the Philistines. They plundered their camps. David took Goliath's head and brought it to Jerusalem.
[18:31] But he put Goliath's weapons in his own tent. When Saul had seen David coming out to confront the Philistine. He asked Abner the commander of the army. Whose son is that youth Abner?
[18:43] Your majesty as surely as I live. I do not know. Abner replied. The king said. Find out whose son this young man is. When David returned from killing the Philistine.
[18:55] Abner took him. And brought him before Saul. With the Philistines head still in his hand. Saul said to him. Whose son are you young man? The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.
[19:06] David answered. When David had finished speaking with Saul. Jonathan was bound to David in a close relationship. And loved him as much as he loved himself.
[19:17] Saul kept David with him from that day on. And did not let him return to his father's house. Jonathan made a covenant with David. Because he loved him as much as himself.
[19:28] Then Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing. And gave it to David. Along with his military tunic. His sword. His bow. And his belt. David marched out with the army.
[19:39] And was successful in everything Saul sent him to do. Saul put him in command of the fighting men. Which pleased all the people. And Saul's servants as well. Amen.
[19:50] And may God add his blessing to the reading of his holy word. As we pray for God's blessing upon us. As we come. Just to. Look at what this passage says to us tonight.
[20:04] We are all aware that David met Goliath. And many of us heard in Sunday school. And we very often see in our newspapers from time to time.
[20:18] Headlines of David meets Goliath. How the. The underdog. The underdog. Defeats. The dead set favorite. Or how. The bully in the playground is dealt with.
[20:30] By the smallest boy in the class. But that isn't what this story is about. It's not about the. The giant been defeated by the shepherd boy. It's about far more than that.
[20:42] And hopefully. As we go through this. We'll get an understanding of it. And it will help each one of us. To look at our own lives. And how we currently.
[20:54] Walk with God. So David had. Been asked by his father. To go out. To the battlefield. And bring supplies to his brothers. So he got up early in the morning.
[21:07] He left his flock. He didn't just leave them. He left somebody to look after them. And he loaded up. And he went out. With everything. That his father had asked him to do.
[21:18] So as he arrives at the. The battle scene. We have here. The Israelites. March out. To meet the Philistines.
[21:29] And then there's a standoff. And. The understanding is. That. Very often. What would happen. Is a champion. Would come forward.
[21:40] There would be a gauntlet. Thrown down. And a champion. Would be brought forward. From. The other army. And basically. They would sort it out. Without swords. Being drawn.
[21:51] Or without having to go into. A full battle. So Goliath. Steps forward. Story tells us.
[22:02] That he's about nine foot nine. Almost ten feet. In height. An impressive. Looking figure. Wearing armor. That probably wears.
[22:13] Weighs as much. As many people. Listening to the service. Tonight. The enemy. But he comes out. And he has been coming out. For the past 40 days.
[22:24] Challenging. The children. And the armies of Israel. Of Israel. And he would come out. Each and every day. And he would say.
[22:35] I defy. The ranks of Israel. Today. Send me a man. So we can fight. Each other. And when the people. Heard this. They were afraid. And he was even.
[22:46] Confident enough. In his own ability. That he was prepared. To say that. If the Israelite champion. That came forward. Was able to overthrow him.
[22:57] That the Philistine army. Would then. Give themselves up. And then. Go. And be slaves. For the Philistines.
[23:09] However. Conversely. If the. If he won. The Israelites. Would have to drop their arms. And then become. The slaves. Of the. The Philistines. So David's come into the.
[23:24] The camp. He's deposited. The goods. That he had brought. For his brothers. He goes to catch up. With his brothers. And everything seems. Quite cordial. And then the champion.
[23:36] Goliath. Comes out again. And the men see him. And the men flee. And here we then have. David's first. Recorded words.
[23:47] In. Verse 26. David spoke to the men. Who were standing with him. What will be done. For the man. Who kills the Philistine. And removes this disgrace. From Israel. Just who is this. Uncircumcised Philistine.
[23:58] That he should. Defy. The armies. Of the living God. For. For. For. For. For. For. For.
[24:09] For. For. For. For. For. For. For. For forty. For. For forty. Days.
[24:20] Goliath.
[24:45] but here was David, the young man who was too young to go to war because of his age and was only used by his family to look after sheep. Here he came to the front line of the battle and right away as we see his first words recorded there, he speaks almost with a word of condemnation upon the Philistine because he comes as an uncircumcised man and he comes to defy the army of the living God.
[25:20] David brings a sense of purpose with him when he comes but he also re-centers the focus right back to God, right back to where it should have been, not as the Israelite army had, their centre was on the fear of Goliath David comes in and he speaks who is this man, this uncircumcised man, man that's outside the covenant that he should defy the army of the living God.
[25:55] But then what happens? Sadly it's what we very often see, David's brother, his older brother comes and taunts him and isn't happy with what he is hearing his younger brother saying.
[26:15] David's older brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men and he became angry with him. Why did you come down here? He asked. Who did you leave these few sheep with in the wilderness?
[26:27] I know your arrogance and your evil heart. You came down just to see the battle. Eliab, probably provoked in his own heart by what David has said, knows that David is right and not wanting to lose face with those round about him, actually chastises David for what he has done.
[26:54] One commentator states that not only did Eliab chastise his brother and try to put him down, at the same time what he actually did was he actually condoned what Philistine Goliath had been doing in defying the living God.
[27:18] Matthew Henry in the same passage says, the more threatening the church enemies are, the more forbearing her friends should be with one another. One person David thought that he could maybe depend upon as he went out to the battle lines there was his own brother.
[27:38] But the first person to chide him was that very person from his own home and within his own family. And sadly, that can very often be the case.
[27:51] That we don't always support those that seek to do the will of God because it maybe corrects us from what we're doing and we end up challenging.
[28:06] And we end up making more of a mess of things than we had in the first place. But here's David, faced with his big brother. And he turns around and he says, what have I done now?
[28:18] You can just picture the scene as he looks at his big brother. Probably the same thing that he's said so often before. What have I done now? It was just a question.
[28:31] And instead of entering into an argument with his brother, he turns from him. This wasn't the time to have an argument. There might have been other times at home when he was going to stand his ground.
[28:44] But now wasn't the time. There was work to be done. And he turns and he asks again of the men round about him.
[28:56] What is to happen to the man that kills this Philistine? David wasn't shy in asking the question. He obviously asked it time and again. Because soon, word came to Saul.
[29:11] Saul, in hearing that there was somebody within the camp that was inquiring as to what the reward was going to be. And somebody that was talking about somebody about the Philistine defying the living God.
[29:25] Saul asked to see him. So David was brought before Saul. And we very quickly see, well, David had earlier been in the courts of the palace of the king.
[29:45] He was now in such a place that he was standing before the king. And while the king didn't recognize him, he says to him, out of his wisdom, David says, don't let anyone be discouraged by him.
[30:03] Your servant will go and fight this Philistine. David's respect for Saul's position. He doesn't want to anger him.
[30:13] Because he could have just as easily said to him, don't you be afraid of him, O king. I'll go and do it. But he says, don't let anyone be discouraged by him.
[30:25] And he says, don't let anyone be afraid of him. And he says, don't let anyone be afraid of him. And he says, don't let anyone be afraid of him. And he says, don't let anyone be afraid of him. But what happens then? Saul looks at David's outward appearance.
[30:39] You can't go fight this Philistine. You're just a youth. And he's been a warrior since he was young. Samuel, who anointed David as king, was chided by the Lord in chapter 16 and at verse 7.
[31:05] And Samuel was there with the rest of David's brothers brought before him. Samuel saw Eliab coming before him, a strong man, a handsome man, and thought that this was the one that God was going to select as king.
[31:21] But there in 16 and 7, God says to Samuel, don't look at his appearance or at his stature because I have rejected him.
[31:34] Humans do not see what the Lord sees. For humans see what is visible. But the Lord sees the heart. And that's the position that Saul was in at this time.
[31:48] He could only see this young shepherd boy in front of him. Probably wasn't much of a size before him. And was left thinking, how can you go and fight this Philistine?
[32:02] Again, David knowing that Saul had turned from God, very quickly drew on his past experience. And created a picture before Saul that Saul wouldn't just think of him as a small shepherd boy.
[32:20] But he would think and build this picture of a shepherd boy wrestling with the lion, wrestling with the bear that had come to steal his sheep.
[32:33] When David says to him, your servant has been tending his father's sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear come and carry off a lamb, I will go after it, strike it down and rescue the lamb for its mouth.
[32:47] If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its foot, strike it down and kill it. And as the servant killed the lion and the bears, this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.
[33:04] And then David said, the Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. Saul could only look on what he saw in front of him.
[33:21] He didn't know what was in David's past. He didn't even know what was in David's heart. But what we do see is that David was a man who'd had experience.
[33:32] God had taken him through past experiences and David had seen God's faithfulness to him. And because of God's faithfulness in the past, God was going to be with him now as he went forward.
[33:48] I'm sure when David wrestled with the lamb and with the bear that he would have been in the position that he was thinking, why am I going through this?
[33:58] Why does this have to happen to me? But he looked back and he saw that God had been with him. Dale Ralph Davis says, David does not ascribe his escapes to luck or skill or audacity.
[34:16] God delivered me. Looking back in faith enables him to look forward in faith. And then he goes on to say to each and every one of us, it is crucial to remember God's past deliverances.
[34:30] If you have trouble doing so, invest in a diary. God has promised each and every one of us that if we put our trust in him, that he will never leave us and he will never forsake us.
[34:45] So here we have David who through his past experience is able to evidence to Saul that he is equipped and he is ready, not in his own strength, but in the strength that God gives to him.
[35:03] Having heard what David has had to say when he's been tested by Paul, by Saul, sorry, he then goes forward and he goes forward to meet Goliath.
[35:19] But before he goes, Saul tests him that bit further and he says to him, before you go, you can't go in the clothes that you're in yourself, you have to put on military clothes and he gives David his own clothes to put on.
[35:41] But as we said earlier on, Saul was a tall man, taller than most of the men in Israel and David was by no means a match for him in his stature.
[35:53] So when the clothes were put on, it drowned him and David had to put them off. He hadn't tested them. He didn't know how to use them. He didn't need them.
[36:06] His trust was in God, not in the armour that Saul was going to give him. And we can look at that and say, had he gone out in Saul's armour and been triumphant? Saul might have been able to boast that it was in his armour that David was wearing.
[36:24] But David threw off the armour and he went forward in God's strength to face the giant. Nothing was he going to take with him that belonged to anybody else.
[36:36] His trust was fully in God. So he took his staff and picked up his five stones from the brook and went forward. to approach the Philistine.
[36:49] Well, he might have faced a trial with his brother and testing from Saul. But now he was in a position where he was going out. And as soon as the Philistine saw him, he was taunted.
[37:04] The Philistine, having taunted the Israelite army over the past 40 days, stands now, having asked for a man to come out and challenge him and sees David coming closer and closer to him.
[37:21] As David came closer, Philistine got up and saw David and he went forward with his shield bearer. And then, when David comes into sight properly, Goliath recognises that this isn't a man.
[37:39] It's just a youth carrying a rod and some stones. And he says to David, Am I a dog that you come against me with sticks?
[37:52] And then he cursed David by his gods. Obviously, the Philistines had their own gods, many different gods. But David came not in his own strength, but in the strength of the one living God.
[38:07] As David goes out to meet the uncircumcised Goliath after his previous trials and testings, his personal motivation and his personal attributes may have already been tested and tried.
[38:24] But now, David hears his God once again, being thrown into disrepute by this uncircumcised Philistine.
[38:37] How does David respond to him? Despite the picture that the Philistine would have had in front of David being so tall in his armour and having bellowed out at David, David eloquently and boldly speaks back and full of honour to the Lord.
[38:59] he speaks in such a way that nothing was of himself, that all that he had to say was purely of God.
[39:15] David said to the Philistine, you come against me with a sword and a spear and a javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of the armies, the God of the ranks of Israel, you have defied him.
[39:30] Today the Lord will hand you over to me. Today I'll strike you down, remove your head and give the corpses of the Philistines in the camp to the birds of the sky and wild creatures of the earth.
[39:45] Then all the world will know that Israel has a God and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves for the battle is the Lord's.
[39:58] He will hand you over to us. Everything that David had to say in response to the taunting of Goliath was to honour God.
[40:12] Every single sentence was laced with God in it to show Goliath that despite the fact that he may come with sword and spear with javelin dressed in his armour bringing down curses from his own God.
[40:30] David was there in the strength of the one true God in whose belief he was going to be handed over to David at that time. As John MacArthur says, David knew the Lord would not be mocked so he had confidence in the face of the battle.
[40:50] Courage comes from an unwavering trust that God is in control of our lives. We may fight but the battle belongs to the Lord. We can pause and we can think what battles and struggles are each one of us facing today as we sit in our own homes and in our own situations.
[41:14] The battles that we may have may be with health, may be relationships, may be with our careers, have we fully handed them over to God.
[41:27] Now I know it's easy to say standing here about handing it over to God but that's the reality of it. We have to trust God in each and every situation.
[41:39] In Romans 8, 28 it says, we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.
[41:52] Now that doesn't mean that everything will be good but it does mean that all things work out according to God's purpose for our lives. as we prayed earlier on we referred to the Lord's prayer something that each one of us learnt as a child and if we didn't learn it as a child we maybe recited it in school or heard it prayed in school and that line within it your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[42:26] That recognition that each and every situation that we face that while we may pray for our own will to be done and for our own answer that we would want what we need to recognise is that we need to hand everything over to God and for God's will to be done.
[42:51] One of the problems before we come to the real battle between David and Goliath although as we read here it wasn't much of a battle up until now throughout this situation that we're faced with here since Saul had turned away from God we fully recognise that the focus of not just Saul but because he was leading the army because he wasn't able to stand and be the man that he needed to be the whole focus of the children of Israel and the army of Israel here was wrong Saul was afraid he did not fulfil his duty as king because he was always looking at outward appearances and focused on his own power he failed in his courage because he failed in his focus and we can contrast him directly with
[43:51] David who's faced with the giant there in front of him Saul had only seen him from the other side of the valley he'd only heard him bellow from the other side but David was now right in front of him the giant was looming large above him and where is David's focus David's focus is on God Saul's focus was on his own ability and what he could and couldn't do in and of himself but David as we saw right at the beginning as he faced the trial from his brother Eliab he'd come into the battle lines and he had set a refocus back to God so David's answered Goliath and he's told him whose battle this is and the Philistine still comes towards him ready to attack
[44:51] David David didn't shy away as we read David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine David put his hand in his bag took out a stone and slung it and he hit the Philistine on his forehead the stone sank into the forehead and he fell face down to the ground sounds almost impossible that somebody putting a stone in a sling would be able to kill a man like that according to history those that were proficient with the sling and the stone could actually make the stone travel between 100 and 150 miles an hour so the impact with David being so proficient with the sling and the stone was to see Goliath floored at the first punch the one that had come out to defy God the one who had come out and railed his own gods down on David was now lying motionless and David runs forward and takes the triumph at this time takes the sword out of the sheath kills the Philistine and then takes off his head and then what happens the reactions of one man the Israelite army all of a sudden they come and they get their strength back and after seeing what happens they shake off their fear they run forward and they chase after the
[46:41] Philistines because of David's obedience to them John MacArthur says David's obedience bred courage in those around him as we pause and we reflect on that and what does that teach us are we being courageous for God or are we shying away are we preventing others from going forward for God because of our own weakness who is it that we're leading and who is it that we're guiding and that because of our weakness in our call and our answer to God that we're actually allowing them to shy away from the promises that God has for them David was obedient and in David's obedience the rest of the Islamic army were able to go forward and win the battle for the Lord that day David went out with them they came back and they took the plunder from the
[47:54] Philistines camp and David was brought before Saul and again he had to give account of himself as to who he was what his family line was because not only was David going to be rewarded that the family were going to be rewarded there was going to be no taxes for the family so Saul wanted to know who the family were going to be and then just as we read at the end of the passage that we read in at the beginning of chapter 18 David was taken he was taken by Saul into his household Saul kept David with him from that day on and did not let him return to his father's house and then we see a very strange thing happen something that was very unusual for the Middle
[48:58] East for the son of the king he removed his own robe and he gave it to David he gave it to David the shepherd boy we do read that Jonathan had been joined together by David his heart was moved towards David because of David's courage but also because David was like minded with Jonathan Jonathan had previously been tested before as a man of God when he had gone out in the face of difficulty to face the Philistines and had been successful and here although he was not brave enough to go forward at this time he was joined in heart by David and he loved him as if he was himself so he took off his robe and he gave it to David so when David had been taken by Saul he was then dressed in the robes of the crown prince
[50:01] Jonathan being the eldest of the sons of Saul would have been the next in line to the throne but here he takes off his robe and he gives it to David it's unclear at this stage whether Jonathan was aware of the anointing that had come upon David but whatever the situation he gave him his robe so that David was no longer standing in the clothes of a shepherd boy but he was taken and he was now dressed as the son of the king as it were adopted into the family he'd already been taken by Saul and he wasn't allowed to go back to his own family but now Jonathan had dressed him in his own robe Matthew Henry on this says David is seen in Jonathan's clothes that all may take notice he is a Jonathan's second self our
[51:03] Lord Jesus has thus shown his love to us that he stripped himself to clothe us emptied himself to enrich us nay he did more than Jonathan he clothed himself with our rags whereas Jonathan did not put on David's so what we see here points us directly to Jesus well Jonathan took off his robe and he covered David so that David no longer appeared as a shepherd he appeared as a prince if we come to Jesus we no longer stand in our own strength we no longer stand as sinners but we stand and are seen in the righteousness that comes from Christ so while we can look at this chapter and as we have maybe looked at it in times past and seen that it's a nice story to read about the young boy David beating the Philistine champion
[52:11] Goliath we have to look deeper into the chapter and recognise that there was more to this than first meets the eye this story reminds us that we must always each and every day be faithful and truthful to God that in all our goings out and our comings in that we have to recognise that we have one God and that we must seek to serve him each and every day that we must seek to honour him in all that we do the only thing that could save the Israelites at that time was David coming into the camp because he was a man of God because he was able to bring a refocus on not the size of the giant but on the one that could actually defeat the giant not looking at the problem but looking at the one that could take them through the problem there are many different problems many different battles in life today we spoke already about health battles relationship battles career battles that we know on our screens on our television on the news in our newspapers that each and every day there are different battles to be fought different causes that people want to get behind focusing so often on our own problems can cause problems for others so my prayer for each and every one of us including myself is that we don't focus on what our problem is that we don't bury our heads in the problem itself but we lift our heads up and look to the one that can solve our problems maybe not giving us the answer that we always want ourselves but acknowledging that his will will be done we can think of many verses in the
[54:29] New Testament where Jesus spoke to us where he told us to come to him if we were weary if we were burdened if we were heavy laden and that he would give us rest and each and every one of us needs to do that but also in terms of effecting bigger change we turn to the verses in 2nd chronicles 7 and 14 where it says if my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land David went out and he fought Goliath he fought Goliath in the strength of God and defeating Goliath having that triumph over him he was taken into the palace of the king he was dressed in the robes of the son of the king but we have many battles in our life if we hand our lives over to God if we truly seek him and if we are prepared to humble ourselves each and every one of us no matter what our situation no matter what our circumstance each and every one of us has an opportunity to come close to God to be accepted into God's family and on that day when
[56:05] Jesus returns to be clothed in his righteousness a righteousness that we don't deserve but a righteousness that has been paid for us at the cross at Calvary it says elsewhere if God and his grace do not rule us sin and Satan will have possession of us it's a quote from Matthew Henry if God and his grace do not rule us sin and Satan will have possession of us are you prepared at this time to give your life over to Christ to accept that free grace that is available for you are you going to continue in the possession of Satan so that life will not be easy and you will have so much difficulty to face I'm not saying that if you give your life to Christ that life will be easy but you will have one that you can trust in one that has given you that promise that he will never leave you that he will never forsake you no matter what battles you face don't look to those round about you don't trust in people that you come into contact with everybody will fail you we saw here that
[57:31] David was failed by his brother we saw that the king failed the people but the one person that was true throughout it was God's promise that he would never leave he would never forsake and as he was with David in times past when he went through trouble he was with him when he faced the giant and that same God is available and calling out to each and every one this day to come to him that he will care for us no matter what trials and tribulations we go through he will never leave us he will never forsake us amen dear heavenly father as we come before you at the close of this our look at your word we would pray heavenly father that each one of us whatever situation we face heavenly father that we would search our hearts we would see our need of you we would hand ourselves over to heavenly father that we would indeed seek to claim the prize that can only come through your son
[58:47] Jesus and that heavenly father that we would know that amazing grace that heavenly father that we would no longer continue in sin and heavenly father that we would receive that good gift from you and that heavenly father on that day when you come again that we would indeed receive that prize to be robed in your righteousness and heavenly father robes that we do not deserve because of our sin but because of your grace and because of your mercy you ask us to come unto you oh heavenly father our prayer would be that we would not leave it until it is too that we would come now and that heavenly father that we would come and know you as lord and as saviour amen as we come to the end of our service we're going to sing the hymn king of king's majesty god of heaven living in me gentle saviour closest friend strong deliverer beginning and end all within me falls at your throne your majesty
[60:05] I can but bow I lay my all before you now in royal robes I don't deserve Lord so he King of kings, majesty, God of heaven living in me.
[61:06] Gentle saviour, closest friend, Strong believer, beginning and end.
[61:19] All within me falls at your throne, Your majesty I can but bow.
[61:33] I lay my own before you now, In royal robes I don't deserve.
[61:48] I live to serve Your majesty. Earth and heaven worship You.
[62:03] Love eternal, faithful and true, Who brought the nations ransomed souls, Brought the sinner into the moon.
[62:23] All within me cries out in praise, Your majesty I can but bow.
[62:36] I lay my own before you now, In royal robes I don't deserve.
[62:49] I live to serve Your majesty. Your majesty. Your majesty. Your majesty. Your majesty.
[63:01] I have but bow. I live to serve Your majesty. I live to serve Your majesty.
[63:17] I live to serve Your majesty. My majesty. My majesty. My majesty. My majesty.
[63:31] Your majesty. My majesty. My majesty. My majesty. Oye, Oye, Oye.
[64:08] before you now in royal roles I don't deserve I live to serve your majesty and now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to God our saviour who is alone wise be glory and majesty dominion and power both now and evermore Amen