You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
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Amen. Thank you, guys. Let's pray together.
Father, that's our desire this morning, that we would know your power more,
that we would experience more of who you are.
You are almighty.
And you've come to meet with us.
And that doesn't ever leave anyone unchanged.
And so would you prepare our hearts, continue to till the soil there that it might be hard
or they might not be eager to meet with you or to hear from your word.
Would you help us?
Would you speak to us by your spirit?
Would you give us confidence in your power and love?
And would you give us great joy in living for you, we ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Perhaps you're familiar with this famous story.
One nation is aligned on one side.
Another nation lined up on the other side.
And one man stands forth from each side and marches towards the other to battle against each other.
The others stand with bated breath awaiting the outcome as their two champions march toward this decisive showdown.
And within moments it's over.
Dismay for one side is matched by jubilation from the other nation
who has just won a penalty kick shootout to advance in the World Cup.
And some of you thought we were going to talk about David and Goliath today.
In the middle of the World Cup.
Now, I actually do want that picture at the end of a soccer match to be in your mind.
Because this is something we don't have a great image of a lot of times.
You're going to see it countless times in the coming days, that penalty kick shootout.
Because most, we've reached the knockout stage of the World Cup now.
And all these games are going to be 0-0 at the end.
Nobody ever scores.
And then they're going to have to do penalty kicks.
That's just how soccer works every time I watch it.
But that aside, that penalty kick shootout,
it comes down to one player and one goalie against each other
deciding the outcome of after two hours of strenuous work,
the whole match is there, comes down to those two against each other.
Each team sends a representative and stakes its hopes and its future
on the performance of its hero.
That's what a champion, a representative is.
If he wins, the whole team wins.
If he loses, the whole team loses.
And Israel finds itself in 1 Samuel 17,
this encounter of David and Goliath in need of a champion.
After all, here are the two rival countries lined up.
Israel is on one mountain,
and Philistia has lined up on the other.
A valley in between them,
and neither army foolish enough to find itself engaged in an uphill battle,
so they're stuck on these two mountains facing off.
Except that the Philistines have an imposing champion, Goliath.
All nine feet, nine inches of him,
with armor that weighs as much as most young men by itself.
He defies the armies of Israel to send a champion out to fight against him,
winner take all.
Imagine, put yourself in that Israel battle line.
You're one of those soldiers that day,
and you hear him day after day after day coming out.
Goliath challenges you,
somebody come fight me.
And you're trembling with fear.
Not just at the idea of you being the one to have to fight him,
but you're despairing about the future for you and your family.
Staring the reality of death or slavery for the rest of your lives right in the face.
Your theme song as one of those soldiers becomes,
I need a hero.
Just you sing it in Hebrew.
They used different lyrics back then,
but regardless, you're desperate for someone who can face Goliath.
In fact, as Israel stands there on that mountainside around 1050 BC,
they've been singing,
I need a hero for generations.
It's been a long, long time that they've been in this situation.
Ever since mankind's first champion, Adam,
failed as he represented them
in what should have been the faithful pursuit of God's glory
that they were created for,
they've needed a true hero.
Abraham loves God, right?
Maybe he's the one,
but he looks to save his own skin
when the money's on the line.
Moses is a powerful leader,
but he doesn't trust God all the time.
The judges lead them to some helpful victories
as God's people,
but they don't maintain a passion for Yahweh's name very long.
The kings are about to be really unpredictable
as to what direction they're going to lead.
These people are desperate.
They need someone who can stand up against their enemies,
who can lead them in battle to defend the honor of Yahweh
against this pagan who is cursing his name.
Someone who's going to protect them,
God's people lead them in loving God
and living their lives for God.
They're desperate for someone.
Well, in fact, Israel does have a champion, don't they?
You're sitting there in the battle line.
It's not unclear to you who should be taking on Goliath, is it?
After all, just a few years prior to this battle,
the whole country has demanded
that God give them a king like the nations.
Why?
1 Samuel 8,
the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel.
They said,
no, but there shall be a king over us.
Why?
That we also may be like all the nations,
that our king may judge us
and go out before us and fight our battles.
God give us a king to do this.
And God gave them Saul.
Exactly what they asked for,
a king like the nations.
Chapter 9, verse 2 says,
Saul was a handsome young man.
There was not a man among the people of Israel
more handsome than he.
From his shoulders upward,
he was taller than any of the people.
A head taller.
He's the one
who's the champion, right?
This is the moment you were made for, Saul.
Tall, handsome,
strong to fight Israel's battles.
Your God is being maligned.
Your people are being threatened.
You are their king.
Saul wants no part of it.
Remember how fearful and despairing you were feeling
when Goliath came out?
Unfortunately, Saul too.
1 Samuel 17, verse 11,
When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine,
they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
All of you.
Stuck there.
Fearful, afraid, desperate.
But there's this shepherd boy
who shows up with food for his brothers.
Too young, apparently,
to be a part of the standing army of Israel,
but old enough to be sent on an important mission.
And he hears the cursing
and the mocking of the giant Philistine.
And he responds quite differently
from everyone else, doesn't he?
What is it that he hears?
David says,
Who does this guy think he is?
He's big, but he's messing with God.
Despising God's people.
That's not okay.
Verse 26,
Who is this uncircumcised Philistine
that he should defy the armies of the living God?
David has a zeal for God's honor, doesn't he?
The first thing he hears in Goliath's challenge
is dishonor to the name of Yahweh.
And he won't stand for it.
Saul, on the other hand, won't stand up to it.
Saul's zealous for his own safety.
For his own comfort back in his royal tent.
And this contrast between David and Saul
is largely what this whole section of 1 Samuel is about.
This story in particular,
showing what the heart of a true champion of God's people looks like.
In the previous chapter,
when David is anointed to be the next king of Israel,
God has made clear that man looks at what?
The outward appearance
and picks handsome, tall, imposing Saul as leader.
But God looks where?
At the heart.
When he wants a leader for his people,
God is concerned about the heart.
And David shows us what he's looking for there.
A zeal for God's honor
that mankind was created to have burn within us.
We see that zeal all through this story,
but especially when David is talking to Goliath.
Verse 46.
David says,
This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand
and I will strike you down and cut off your head
and I'll give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day
to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth
that all the earth may know
that there's a God in Israel.
And that all this assembly may know
that the Lord saves,
not with sword and spear.
For the battle is the Lord's
and he will give you into our hand.
You hear what David wants to defend?
It's God's honor, isn't it?
It's not his reputation,
but God's reputation.
Not his personal security,
but the safety of God's people.
David wants everyone in Israel
and the nations to know
how great Yahweh is.
That's what drives David.
Of course, we see as that happens
that he trusts God's promises.
Despite this seeming mismatch,
David is confident in God's provision
that he will protect his people.
He tells Saul in verse 36,
Saul's saying,
I don't know,
is this a good idea?
David has said,
your servant has struck down
both lions and bears,
and this uncircumcised Philistine
shall be like one of them,
for he has defied the armies
of the living God.
He's picked the wrong fight.
Not with David,
but with the living God.
The Lord who delivered me
from the paw of the lion
and the paw of the bear
will deliver me
from the hand of this Philistine.
Saul still tries to put his armor
on David, doesn't he?
Here, you might need this.
But David's trust
is not in his weapons,
but in his God.
That leads to a love
for God's people
and that he's willing
to stand in their place
to represent them,
even in danger.
And finally,
a willingness to sacrifice
for God's glory.
David's zeal
for God's honor
means that he will defend
the name of Yahweh
and seek to see his glory,
even if it costs him his life.
And they tell him
it's going to.
Saul says,
you are not able,
David.
This is not going to end well.
And yet,
David goes.
David's trust
is in the Lord.
He's not concerned
with his own strength.
In fact,
he tells Saul
that God is so great
that no man's heart
should fail
because of Goliath.
Come on, Saul.
Here's another chance
for you, right?
Don't let him
make your heart fail.
Here's some encouragement.
Even then,
it doesn't spur Saul's zeal.
It doesn't build Saul's trust.
It doesn't call Saul
to action
on behalf of God's people.
It will, after all,
be the shepherd boy
with a slingshot
and no armor
who will be sent out
from the sideline
against the mighty
Philistine warrior.
David may not look
like a champion.
Looks pretty weak.
But he has the heart
of a champion
that is zealous
for God.
So,
that sets us up
for the climax
of the story
that we all know
and love.
You know what happens.
But even as they start
to fight,
Goliath helps David
make clear
that this is indeed
a battle of champions
but even more,
it's a contest
between gods,
isn't it?
Verse 43,
Am I a dog
that you come to me
with sticks,
he says?
And he cursed David
by his gods.
The Philistines said
to David,
Come to me
and I'll give your flesh
to the birds of the air
and the beasts
of the field.
What he's saying is,
I'm going to expose you
for as utterly weak
and helpless
as you are,
that you're not worth
anybody caring about,
you're going to be killed
and left for the birds.
And your powerless deity
can do nothing
to stop it.
That's what Goliath
says to him.
David responds to it
this way,
verse 45,
You come to me
with a sword
and with a spear
and with a javelin,
but I come to you
in the name
of the Lord of hosts,
the God of the armies
of Israel
whom you have defied.
This day the Lord
will deliver you
into my hand
and I will strike you down
and cut off your head
and I will give
the dead bodies
of the host
of the Philistines
this day
to the birds of the air
and the wild beasts
of the earth
that all the earth
may know
that there is a God
in Israel
and that all this assembly
may know
that the Lord saves
not with sword and spear
for the battle
is the Lord's
and he will give you
into our hand.
You hear what David's
responding to, right?
This is not David
boasting,
Goliath,
I'm about to get you
because I'm faster,
smarter,
stronger than you are.
No.
Don't you love
David's passion in this?
He's almost won
before the battle starts.
You might call it
foolhardiness
or youthful naivete
if his God
wasn't real
and strong.
But David has a faith
in his God
that Saul
and many other
Israelites
seem to lack.
Put yourself
in the battle line
again.
You're watching
and listening now
as they yell
back and forth
to each other.
Maybe David's faith
gives you some faith,
some hope.
Or maybe
you're increasingly
fearful that
there's going to be
an ugly end
soon.
David's
famous statement,
the battle
is the Lord's
makes all the difference,
doesn't it?
Because Yahweh
fights for David,
one smooth stone
and a slingshot
takes down
the great giant
and this battle
of champions
ends as quickly
as it began.
Our kids have been
learning about David
this summer
and our kids
love to sing
and we love to sing
with them about
David and the slingshot
and the giant
and all of this
that happens
but the passage
actually emphasizes
the greatness
of God
more so than
the might of David,
doesn't it?
Look at just the details
as this happens.
Verse 50,
so David prevailed
over the Philistine
with a sling
and a stone
and struck the Philistine
and killed him.
There was no sword
in the hand
of David.
David ran
and stood over
the Philistine
and took his sword
and drew it
out of its sheath
and killed him
and cut off
his head with it.
When the Philistines
saw that their champion
was dead,
they fled.
God is so great
that he uses people
you might not expect
to accomplish
his purposes.
Young shepherd boys,
for example.
Here,
David,
as the representative
of God's people,
conquers their enemy.
Of course,
David is simply
one of the best
in a long,
long list
of imperfect
champions,
isn't he?
Goes all the way
back to Adam.
And David,
we learn,
is very,
very imperfect.
He's an incomplete
foretaste
of the great champion,
Jesus,
who reflects
perfectly
the heart
and the victory
of a champion.
Jesus'
zeal
for God's honor
and pursuit
of his Father's will
is without equal,
right?
He trusts God's promises,
loves God's people,
in fact,
so much
that he actually
willingly sacrifices
his life
in their place.
And in doing so,
even in what appeared
again to be
great weakness,
he achieves
eternal victory
over our
greatest enemies,
sin,
Satan,
and death.
Triumphing over them,
Colossians says,
by his cross.
We stand
desperately
in need
of a champion,
don't we?
Have you ever felt
fearful
in the face
of
death?
Have you felt
too weak
on your own
to battle
against sin
in your life?
Powerless
against the
attacks of Satan
that you can
feel being
waged against you?
Have you ever felt
like you're not
enough on your own?
We all have.
And Jesus
is that champion
that we
desperately need
that David
is merely a picture
of here
in this story.
That's one of the
reasons I've been
encouraging us
to think of ourselves
in this story
as the Israelite
soldiers.
while there are
things we can
learn from David,
Jesus
fills the David
role
in our story
as the hero
and champion,
right?
We are the
followers
of the champion.
What do the
followers
of the champion
do
after he
defeats
their enemy?
Verse 52,
the men
of Israel
and Judah
rose with a
shout.
You know what
this looks like,
right?
Back to the
soccer field.
Here they come,
they rush off
the sidelines,
they are yelling
and shouting,
they douse David
with Gatorade,
they lift him up
onto their shoulders
and carry him
off the field.
I mean,
it was a little
bit different
from that,
but that's the
essence of what's
going on.
They're rejoicing
in him,
they're shouting
in triumph
and relief
and in celebration
of their hero
who has achieved
victory for them.
They realize
the battle is won
before they perform
it all.
They want everyone
to know how great
their champion is,
right?
They're lifting him
up and celebrating
him,
that he's delivered
them in their
great distress,
that he's the one
they're going to
follow.
Is that how you
feel about Jesus?
I mean,
you can leave
out the Gatorade,
but is that how
you feel about Jesus?
Do you act like
someone rescued
by him from
desperate need?
Do you rejoice
in him?
Do you delight
in telling others
about him
and about what
he's done for you?
Keep reading.
They rose with a shout
and pursued the
Philistines as far
as Gath
and the gates
of Ekron,
so the wounded
Philistines fell
on the way
from Sharem
as far as Gath
and Ekron
and the people
of Israel
came back
from chasing
the Philistines
and they plundered
their camp.
This is what I call
living in the victory
of our champion.
Now that David
has defeated
the Philistine champion,
all the Israelite
soldiers
rush forward
and chase
the Philistines
and plunder
their camp.
Victory
is theirs!
They rush
forward
shouting,
rejoicing
in their champion
and the speakers
are now blaring
a different theme song,
no longer
I need a hero
but we are
the champions.
That's what's going,
I think,
as they're rushing
forward
because it's not
merely that they're
celebrating their champion.
They're now living
like champions,
aren't they?
They're acting
like someone
who just won.
See,
they get the privilege
of benefiting
from a victory
achieved
by someone else
on their behalf.
David fought
for them
but now
they get to
act like champions,
defeating their enemies,
plundering their camp.
They are transformed.
They're very different people.
Think about this
for a second.
They start acting
like David.
Just a few minutes ago,
no one in the whole group
would be like David.
David,
their cowardice
now turns into confidence,
doesn't it?
Their fear
turns into joy.
Their inactivity,
embarrassing inactivity
against the enemy
turns into
victorious battling
against the now
defeated enemy.
It's what God
calls us to
as followers
of our champion,
Jesus.
Please hear me clearly.
There is only
one champion,
right?
One true hero.
But in the Bible,
God regularly
calls leaders
to do particularly
what He actually
requires of
all of us.
Followers too.
Those of us
in leadership
ought to be
especially listening
but it's for all of us.
Start by examining
our own hearts.
Are we zealous
for God's honor?
No, I'm actually
asking, really,
what is your passion
in life?
Does your heart
burn
or yawn
when God
is dishonored?
What would your spouse,
your friends,
your kids
say you're
passionate about?
We're all zealous,
passionate for something.
Is it football?
Fashion?
Facebook?
Do you so
trust God's
promises
and love
God's people
that you would be
willing
to sacrifice
anything
to see
His name
glorified?
In other words,
can people
see
your zeal?
I know you say
it's there,
it's in my heart,
I am,
I'm zealous,
I'm passionate
for God,
but it looks
and sounds
like something
when David
wants to make
sure the nations
know there is a
God in Israel,
doesn't it?
Are you committed
to the nations
knowing the
greatness of your
God?
Do you invest
your time,
money,
and energy
to that end?
You don't have
to go to Peru
or somewhere else,
but that's one
place you can.
You know,
we have a great
tendency to do
as Christians
these days.
I think it's
part of our
fearfulness
a part of it
is our
self-protective
love of comfort.
A part of it
is the celebrity
culture that we
live in and are
surrounded by.
What we like to
do is we like
to find
Christian heroes
and delegate
our zeal
for God
to them.
Even pay them
to be zealous
for God
so we can
focus our
passions on
ourselves.
Do you
find that in
your heart
sometimes?
We find an
amazing person
like Billy
Graham.
We delegate
to him
or to
lesser
pastors
the job
of making
sure our
neighbors
are saved
and the
nations hear
the good
news of
Jesus.
We delegate
to Mother
Teresa
or other
lesser
mercy
ministry
leaders
the job
of making
sure the
poor
experience
the love
of God.
And yes
God does
call us
all to
different
places
but he
calls
all of
us
to be
actively
zealous
for his
honor
not just
to share
it with
somebody
else
not just
to pay
someone else
to do
it
but all
of us
to be
driven
by what
drives
David
into battle
against
Goliath
and the
great part
is because
Jesus has
conquered
because his
spirit lives
within each
of us
we really
can live
in his
victory
running
toward
the enemy
joyfully
to plunder
their camp
who's the
enemy that
Jesus has
conquered for
us
we're not
chasing with
swords
the Philistine
army
Jesus has
conquered
sin
and death
and the
devil
this is
where it
gets really
exciting
y'all
we get
to storm
the gates
of hell
knowing that
they are
flattened
already
by our
savior
he's already
knocked them
down
we charge
against them
and nothing
can stand
we get to
turn to our
own hearts
and find
sin there
and begin
to root it
out and battle
against it
knowing that
it's not
stronger than
we are
because
we can turn
to our king
we get to
move into
this world
and plunder
a culture
of death
see the work
of the devil
in our city
and in the name
of the champion
who has gained
us victory
over them
we march in
and no greater
is he who is
in us
than he
who is in
the world
we battle
defeated
foes
on all those
fronts
what if we
were altogether
zealous
for that
for the
victory
of king
Jesus
to be displayed
in Huntsville
and for the
effects of
sin
and Satan
to be driven
back in our
city
and around
the world
y'all our
king promises
that the gates
of hell
will not stand
against his
church
how can we
stand on the
sidelines
wondering if it
will cost too
much
or be worth
all the effort
after the
olympics
there's a
tour of
champions
you may have
watched it
before
gymnastics
or figure
skating
medalists
or whatever
the sport
is
will tour
together
go around
and do a
series of
exhibitions
after the
intense
competition
and pressure
of the
olympics
where everything
was on the
line
they now
relax
and enjoy
the tour
of champions
have you seen
that before
can you imagine
the boldness
and the
freedom
of those
exhibitions
athletes
no longer
performing
before the
watchful eye
of the judges
or the world
but having
already earned
the gold medal
now just
having fun
they might
even try
an amazingly
difficult
routine
it's actually
really fun
to watch
because
the pressure
is off
right
what if
I fall
in front
of the
crowd
the scorn
of the
crowd
couldn't
make any
difference
hey
who are you
laughing at
gold medal
I've already
won
I can't
lose this
you can't
take it
away
do you
know that
kind of
joy
and freedom
in your
life
is your
reputation
in Christ
so secure
that you
can rush
boldly
toward an
enemy
stronghold
that really
might make
you look
foolish
and risk
your reputation
what will
storming the
gates of hell
look like
for you
where God
has placed
you
for us
where God
has placed
us
for us
where God
has sent
us
into the
world
if you
trust
Jesus
the
great
champion
then your
victory
is won
and you're
living in a
tour of
champions
now
go for
it
we were
created
to be
zealous
not for
our own
comfort
but to be
zealous
for the
honor
of God
we were
redeemed
by our
great
champion
who
defeated
all his
and our
enemies
not to
live
self
protectively
but to
live
self
sacrificially
giving all
that we
are
and all
that we
have
to rejoice
in our
champion
and to
live in
his
victory
let's
pray
Jesus
we
confess
to you
that
we
often
like the
narrative
better
where we
get to
be
the
strong
one
where we
have
enough
where we
get the
glory
but we
also
confess
that we
are not
enough
on our
own
that we
can't
manage
that our
zeal
wanes
and we
are grateful
that you
have stood
in our
place
that you
have
defeated
enemies
too strong
for us
so that
they no
longer are
would you
give us
joy and
freedom
would you
give us
hearts
that don't
have to
defend
ourselves
but are
eager
to defend
the name
of our
God
to see
his name
be made
great
to see
his glory
fill the
nations
Father
thanks for
the privilege
of being
a part
of that
work
equip us
stir our
hearts
that our
zeal
would match
the zeal
of the
champion
who has
given
himself
for us
in Jesus
name we
ask
Amen
for more
information
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online
at
southwood.org