Sunday School, David and Goliath - What Does Your Deliverance Declare About God

Who loves a good underdog story, right? I think I

think most of us do. Right, There's something about those

stories that are just so gratifying. They're they're very they're

very satisfacing. I think most of us do, and I

think that they resonate deeply to our core. One of

my favorite movies, not just the underdog story, but of

all time is The Patriot. And you know me at all,

You know that that is like that is a go

to movie every single fourth of July, me and my wife.

It's it's tradition, it's it's it's cannon. Now we make

sure we are watching The Patriot. We'll go home a

little early if we have to. We will do what

we need to do because we want to watch The Patriot,

which is an incredible story about I'm not really gonna

go through the whole story, but it's a good story.

But even in that, we see this man take a

ragtag group of guys to try and stop the British

Army who pretty much like they rule the world at

that point, and so and they're successful in that. So

it's just it's it's one of those stories that are

really cool. And I think as we look at those

stories and read those stories, they resonate deeply to our core.

Whether it be a small band of soldiers defying the

odds of an impossible army. Maybe it's a struggling sports teams.

You know, I didn't grow up a lot with sports,

but I know that there is a plethora of those

movies about those people who shouldn't win, and then they do.

They go head to head with the undefeated team and

come out on top. Or maybe we have the story

of a rejected girl by others but accepted by the Prince.

Every single one of those stories touch something that I

believe is deeply embedded in each and every one of us,

the story of an unlikely hero conquering a giant obstacle.

And now I believe that the story resonates with us,

not just because we enjoy seeing the world turned upside

down or the table's turn, but because these stories touch

a greater story written from the foundations of the world,

a story that is so much more than a mere

fairy tale or a crazy happenstance, but a story that

was written from the beginning and is still being played

out even to this day. So I believe, as we

look at our story in our text today that the

story of an unlikely shepherd boy who takes on a giant.

That not only are we going to be reminded of

the deeper story that it points to, but we're going

to see what the story is truly meant to show us. So,

if you're taking notes today, today's message is titled David

and Goliath, what does your deliverance declare about God? Today's

your first time. We've actually been going through a series

called Sunday School where we've been looking at some of

the most famous Bible stories throughout the Old Testament. Our

hope in series is that as we read through these stories,

either for the first time or maybe the hundredth time,

that we would see the true meanings of these stories

as we look at them in their full context, and

see what the Lord wants us to know from these stories.

So today we're going to be looking at one of

the most famous stories in all of the Bible, and honestly,

it might be not just one of the most famous

stories in the Bible, but probably just one of the

most famous stories in the entire world. That is about

David and Goliath. Because even if you didn't grow up

in church, everyone for the most part, is familiar with

the story of the young man facing down and ultimately

defeating this defiant giant. But unfortunately, not only is it

one of the most famous stories ever told, but because

it's so widespread, because it's so popular, it's also one

of the most misunderstood and misused story worries in the world.

Many of us have heard powerful messages from this text,

all about defeating the giants in your life. Right, who's

heard that message? Right? Most of us have heard that message.

Maybe you've heard about the story being about God making

you courageous to face your giants. Maybe you've heard more

weird ones, like what does the armor of Saul represent

that David doesn't want to use? Or what do the

five stones that David picks up represent? That's just being

weird right when we start looking at those to prove

a main point. But those things, even though they might

have slivers of truth in them, every single one of

those points are missing what the story is truly about.

And the reason I can say this is because David

tells us the point of this story, and those ain't it.

So David tells us that the reason that Goliath was

to be delivered into his hand was for a twofold purpose.

That is that the world would know that there is

a God in Israel. That's the first one, and the

second one is that he saves not with the sword

and not with the spear, that the battle is the Lord's,

and that he is the great deliverer, which leads me

to our main point for today's text, and this is it.

God's deliverance is meant to make known that he is

God and that he alone saves. That is what we're

gonna see in our text today, that God's deliverance is

meant to make known that he is God and that

he alone saves. So today, as we're walking through this story,

we're actually gonna see kind of like three big thing

in our text that is of a defiant giant, a

dismayed people, and the God who delivers. So if you'd

please turn with me now, we're gonna be looking at

this story. It's found in First Samuel chapter seventeen. If

you do not have a Bible, it's super important here

at the roots that you have a Bible. We are

believers who love our Bibles. It is God's word, and

so we want you to have that. We actually have

some extra Bibles in the back. If you don't have one,

please go grab one for yourself and keep it. So

in the opening verses, we're going to see God's people

going to war with their known enemy, but then everything

going horribly wrong. If you're taking notes right, a defiant giant.

Starting in verse one, it says, now the Philistines gathered

their armies of your battle, and they were gathered at Soca,

which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Soca and Azaka

and fs Damn and Saw. And the men of Israel

were gathered and encamped in the valley of Ella and

drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. And

the Philistines stood on the one or on the mountain

on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain

on the other side, with a valley between them. And

there came out from the camp of the Philistines a

champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits

and a span. So actually, in that beginning we get

a lot of context for what's going on. So we're

gonna break that down really quick. Israel, God's people have

come out to battle with their pagan enemies, the Philistines.

If you were here last week, you would be familiar

with Israel's ongoing conflict with the other nation, as we

saw from the story of Samson. But now here are

the Israelites led not by a judge like Sampson, but

they're led by a king whose name was Saul. Now,

Saul was like Samson, a man who started off strong

before God but then went astray doing what he thought

was best. Saul was described as a head taller than

all the men of Israel. He had the physical appearance

of power, but his moral stature was small, which is

why a couple of chapters before this one we actually

see Saul just blatantly disobey what God tells him to

do because he blatantly disobeyed God's command because he had

rejected God. That God had rejected him as king over Israel,

and that God was going to take the kingdom away

from Saul and give it to another who was better

than him. So here in the text we see Israel,

led by their king, out against their enemies, the Philistines,

each on a hillside opposite of each other. But something

about this battle was going to be very, very different.

Because from out of the Philistines camp steps out a

man who was six cubits in a span. And for

all of you who don't have quick Bible measurements at

the ready or your Bible calculators, that's the equivalent of

nine feet and nine inches nine feet and nine inches,

Meaning Goliath was always the first pick for the Philistines

pick up basketball games. That's what that means. But also

I was talking to Ashley about this and she reminded me,

or she kind of like she gave me an idea,

And so I actually want to show you if you

want some kind of idea for what the difference was.

I actually have a picture should be right here of

David versus Goliath. And actually this difference is still too short.

There's still some inches that Jordan could have there on

my son Calvin. But the text goes on to describe him.

Not only was he very tall, that says he has

a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was

armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of

the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze, and he

had bronze armor on his legs and a javelin of

bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear

was like a weaver's beam, and his spears had weighed

six hundred shekels of iron, and his shield bearer went

before him. He's a big dude. He stood and shouted

to the ranks of Israel. Why have you come out

to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine?

And are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man

for yourselves and let him come down to me. If

he's able to fight with me and kill me, then

we will be your servants. But if I prevail against

him and kill him, then you shall be our servants

and serve us. And the Philistines said, I defy the

ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man that

we may fight together. So this literal giant nine over

nine feet with over one hundred and fifty pounds of

armor and weapons on him, comes out and starts to

taunt and defy Israel. He makes a wager that they

can have a one v one, a sudden death match

to decide the victory between the two armies. This giant

stood up in all his pride and physical prowess and

boasted and defied the armies of God standing before him,

and the result of this, well, surely the people of God,

the people who had God on their side, were courageous

and ready to stand and fight. Right, or surely the king,

who was a head taller than all the people, was

up for the challenge. Right. Wrong. Look at verse eleven.

When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine,

they were dismayed and greatly afraid. The king and the

people of Israel were greatly afraid and dismayed in the

face of this giant, this giant problem, this defiant giant

standing before them, stood up to and over the armies

and people of God, and these people shrank in the

giant's shadow. Now, I think it'd be easy to give

them a hard time, But as God's people, we encountered

daily those who set themselves up against God and his people,

defying God and defying Christianity. Those who want to destroy

courage God's people, those who want to cause fear and

make God's people shrink back. When we read the story

many times, I believe that we wish and hope to

imitate David, but I think more often than not we

find ourselves in the same spot as these Israelites are

shrinking back in the face of large opposition to the

mission that God has given to us. We look at

our strength and then we look at the strength of

the world, what we're up against, and it's easy for

us to feel hopeless. But I believe, like we're going

to see in the story, it's because our confidence is

not in what it should be, which leads me to

our next or the next portion of our text. You

can write a dismayed people, a dismayed people. Next in

the story, it actually cuts to David, and we get

this description of who David is and where he comes from,

that he's from Bethlehem, the son of Jesse, one of

eight sons. Now, just like with Saul, actually the chapter

before this one we actually got the official introduction to David,

because after Saul has told the kingdom is going to

be given to another, the prophet Samuel is sent by

God to go anoint the next king. So God sends

him to Jesse's house. We're after looking at the seven

older sons, but God saying he's not it. He's not it,

He's not it. Samuel asks Jesse if he has any

other sons, to which Jesse brings him David, who is

the youngest and was a young shepherd boy. Samuel then

anoints David to be the next king over Israel. Then,

through kind of an interesting story, David winds up working

for King Saul to play him music to bring in peace,

as David was not only a shepherd boy but also

a songwriter, which is if you go to the psalms,

you'll actually notice that many of them were written by

David himself. But let's look here at the text verse twelve.

It says now David was the son of an Ephithite

of Bethlehem in Judah named Jesse, who had eight sons.

In the days of Saul, the man was already old

and advanced in years. The three oldest sons of Jesse

had followed Saul to the battle, and the names of

the three sons who went to battle were Eliab the firstborn,

and next Abinedab, and third Shama. David was the youngest

the three eldest followed Saul, but David went back and

forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem

for forty days. The Philistine came forward and took his

stand morning and evening, some of David's brothers had gone

out to fight with Saul, and David was going back

and forth from Saul to the sheep in Bethlehem. And

during this time the giant continued to stand defiant before Israel.

But then David's father, Jesse, wants him to bring his

brother some food and check on how they're doing it,

says in verse seventeen. Says and Jesse said to his son,

take for your brothers and Ephah of this parched grain

and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the

camp to your brothers. Also, take these ten cheeses to

the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well,

and bring some token from them. So Jesse sends David

on this errand, and David arrives at the battlefield, which

is what we see next in verse nine or at nineteen.

Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel

were in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines.

And David rose early in the morning, left the sheep

with the keeper and took the provisions and went as

Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment

as the host was going out to the battle line

shouting the war cry, and Israel and the Philistines drew

up for battle, army against army, And David left the

things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and

ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers.

As he talked with them, Behold the champion, the Philistine

of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the

ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before,

and David heard him. So David shows up to the

battle scene where the armies were going out to face

each other, and he leaves the stuff with the people

hanging back, and he runs to the army ranks to

greet his brothers. And while he's out there greeting with them,

Goliath shows up in his usual manner, but this time

David is there to hear it. Unfortunately, this didn't change

anything for the entire army, because just like before, Goliath

sent God's people on the run. As we see in

verse twenty four, says, all the men of Israel when

they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid.

Everyone runs away. These people are afraid and fearful and dismayed.

And now this dismayed Israel begins to talk about this

giant problem and what the king will do for the

one who's brave enough to stand up to him. Take

a look at this. In the next verses, verse twenty five,

and the men of Israel said, have you seen this

man who has come up? Surely has come up to

defy Israel. And the King will enrich the man who

kills him with great riches, and will give him his

daughter and make his father's house free in Israel. I mean,

what a deal? Right? Like, that's that's a pretty good deal.

But for as good of a deal as it was,

it didn't make a difference to anyone there except for David.

Everyone else is here this like, you've heard the deal,

You've heard the offer, But it wasn't enough to go

stand up to this giant. Watch clothes because David hears this.

But we really do need to watch this closely, because

David isn't most concerned about what he's going to get

out of it. But there's actually a real problem at hand.

Look at it. In verse twenty six, it says, and

David said to the man who stood by him, what

shall be done? For the man who kills this philistine

and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is

this uncircumcised philistine that he should defy the armies of

the living God? And the people answered him in the

same way, So shall it be done to the man

who kills him? So David asks what the reward is?

But do you see the problem that he has with

the situation that is going on? He says, what's the

reward for the person who's going to remove the shame

from Israel? That Israel being taunted and def is out

here being put to shame. David is saying, who's this

guy think he is that he could defy God's army.

David sees the dismay of the people. He sees the

shame on God's people and the dishonor of God's name

hanging in the balance of this situation here, that God's

people are running like cowards, that God's people are being

taunted and defied and nobody's doing anything about it. David

takes offense at Goliath's defiance of God and his people.

David takes offense at golias defiance of God and his people.

I think It's fair to ask, when was the last

time I was offended by the godless world around me?

Stay in defiance to God? When was the last time

that that bothered me? There's a world out there that

boasts and sets itself up against God. I think far

too often many Christians flee and buckle under the weight

and fear of the world. But I think that using wisdom,

there should be times where we don't put up with that.

Is it possible that what we call being nice to

others who would slander your God is just affront for

your fear. I'm not saying that you need to turn

around and go keyboard warrior on everyone. That's not what

I'm saying. Not on every person who you see dishonoring God.

You wouldn't have no life, right, and then Internet's a

big place. But what I am saying is have we

grown apathetic to our Lord being slandered around us? Do

we feel apathetic about that? Do we care? I think

there's a time, like David, it should strike a nerve

in us and in wisdom and in love correct those

around us. I believe it's far too often we have

the tendency to dismiss it or even other Christians may

try to dismiss us standing up for God by saying, well,

why does God need you to stand up for him?

But as the Famer, famous reformer once wrote, he doesn't

need me to, but doesn't even a dog bark when

his master is attacked. I think that's what we see here.

David is the lord's servant who isn't going to tolerate

his lord being mocked. And we see something actually kind

of interesting here is David's brother gets angry at David.

Look at this verse twenty eight. Now Eliob, his eldest brother,

heard when he spoke to the men, and Eliab's anger

was kindled against David, and he said, why have you

come down? And with whom have you left those few

sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the

evil of your heart, for you have come down to

see the battle. And David said, what have I done? Now?

This is actually kind of such a brother spat if

you look at it, He's like, what did I do? Now?

Was it not but a word? And he turned away

from him toward another and spoke in the same way,

and the people answered him again as before, David is

out here talking courageous and in defense of the honor

of God. But then think about it. David's brother, who

was one of the fearful cowards who ran presumes evil

and tries to put him down. He ran away with

the rest of the army. He didn't stand up. But

here's his younger brother doing it. So what does he

do puts him down, He disqualifies him, he tries to

presume that it's coming from an evil place. Now, I

want to say that I think as Christians we need

to be very, very careful how we are critical of

other believers who stand up for in our own mission

for God. This makes me think of how we can

be tempted to be critical of those who maybe stand

with signs at parades, sports games, abortion clinics. But my

question for you would be twofold. This is the same

question I had to ask myself a long time ago.

When is the last time I shared the gospel? Is

my criticism just to cover for my own cowardice. We say,

I don't mind if they do it, but I'd never

do it that way. Here's the deal. Some people do

just do it in a way. They're like, this is bad,

this is honoring, No one. This is very poorly done,

but more often than not, I remember growing up criticizing

and looking down on the people who were doing those things.

And the problem was that I didn't do anything. I

criticized them, but I didn't even open my mouth. I

never once called sin, sin, called out sin. So here

I am criticizing these people, and yet I literally do nothing.

I don't even do anything. Oh that's not how I

would do it. And then I just don't do anything

like they're doing more than than my nothing. All written

in caps. By the way, guys, I was feeling away

as I was writing this, and remembering that David's brother

was fearful and so he hated David's courage and tried

to call it into question. Let us never be like him.

Let us be like David, who shoves it off and

carries on in his conviction. So when Saul gets wind

of what David has been saying, he brings David before him.

We see this in verse thirty one. When the words

that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul,

and he sent for him. And David said to Saul,

let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant

will go and fight with this philistine. And then look

at what Saul says to David. You are not able

to go against this philistine, to fight with him, for

you are but a youth, and he has been a

man of war from his youth. Sod he shows up

going like, hey, I heard you're looking for a guy

to deal with this issue. Don't be afraid. I'm gonna

take care of it. And Saul looks right at him

and goes, you can't do it. You can't do it.

Just like David's brother. Saul takes one look at David

and starts to discredit him. He says, you want to

go fight him your youth, He's been fighting since he

was your age. Brothers and sisters. Don't let people who

are dismayed and fearful discredit or discourage you for doing

what God has called you to do. Mind you, Saul's

a king, the leader of his people, who's a head

taller than everyone else. If there's anyone's job it is

to go stand before the giant, it's his. And now

this young man comes in and he goes like, I

don't think you can do it. Have you seen that guy?

And then look at David's response verse thirty four. But

David said to Saul, your servant used to keep sheep

for his father. And when there came a lion or

a bear and took a lamb from the flock, I

went after him and struck him and delivered it out

of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I

caught him by the beard and struck him and killed him.

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. And

David said, the Lord who delivered me from the paw

of the lion and from the paw of the bear,

will deliver me from the hand of this philistine. And

then watched Saul's response, and Saul said to David, go

and the Lord be with you. David shows how God

has delivered him from his enemies greater than him before.

And on account of this giant's defiance, he believed God

was going to do it again. And look at the

change in response that Saul has to David. He goes

from discrediting him to blessing him. That's a big deal.

That's so big. He shows up and he's like, I

don't think you can do it. And David's like, I've

killed bears and lions. God's gonna do it again. And

he's like, God be with you, brother, like he's like

ready to send him out. And I hope and pray

that we can learn to respond like David to Dassaul

when others who are fearfully try, are fearful try to

discourage us. I pray that we spark hope in their

lives that even if they aren't going to come with us,

that they will send us with a blessing and try

and help equip us for the mission at the very least,

like we see Saul do here, not only with his blessing,

but he literally tries to give David his own armor.

Then Saul closed David with his armor. He put a

helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with

a coat of mail. And David strapped his sword over

his armor, and he tried in vain to go, for

he had not tested them. If you ever saw vegie tails,

there's a scene where he puts it on and you

can't even move. That's what's going on right here. Then

David said yeah, So David put them off. So Saul

tries to give him his own armor, but David isn't

used to this armor, so he declines the offer. Saul

tried to equip David with his own means of warfare,

but they didn't fit David. Now, I could find an

application for that, but I think I'll let the spirit

speak to you on that one. Now we're going to

look at the last portion of our text. If you're

taking notes, you can write the God who delivers Verse

forty Then he to his staff in his hand and

shows five smooth stones from the brook and put them

in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand,

and he approached the Philistine. So David takes up his

weapons of a shepherd and heads off toward the big

bad wolf. And just like those he's instilled fear into,

Goliath tries to discredit and discourage David. Look at it

Verse forty one, and the Philistine moved forward and came

near to David with his shield bearer in front of him.

Now this is pretty funny, actually, like watch this. It says,

and when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him,

for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance.

And the Philistine said to David, am I a dog

that you have come out to me with sticks? And

the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said

to David, come to me, and I will give your

flesh to the birds of the air and to the

beasts of the field. So he taunts David and tries

to cause him fear, much like the world tries to

do to believers today. But then we see David's response,

and this is awesome. It is so awesome verse forty five.

Then David said to the Philistine, 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. It is so hardcore that response.

And then he goes on. He says, 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 hosts of the

Philistines to this day to the birds of the air

and to the wild beasts of the earth, and 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 the sword and spear, for

the battle of the Lord's and he will give you

into our hand. Now, something so incredible about the story

you think about. Goliath said, I'm gonna kill you, and

I'm gonna give your body to the birds. And David said,

I'm gonna kill you and give your entire army to

the birds. Like that is smack talk, and it's hard cored.

David tells Goliath that the Lord, the God of the

armies he's defied, mocked, and taunted, was going to deliver

him into his hand, so that the earth would know

that there truly is a God in Israel, and that

he saves, not what the orders means that you might think,

not with the weapons of the world. By the power

of his name, David comes to fight Gliath, not with

the weapons of the world, but he comes in the

name of the Lord, the same Lord whom this giant

defied and mocked by mocking his people. David now says,

God is here to shut you up. Not only that,

but to make an example of him, so that the

whole world knows that God did this and that God

is the one who saves. I mean, if you really

think about it, for literally all time now this story

is enshrined in God's word. Everyone gets to read about

this giant's pride and the downfall by the hands of

a lowly shepherd boy. David said, God is going to

make such an example out of you that the whole

world will never forget you and your big mistake. And

I think this is actually where people have historically missed

this story. So often we hear the story is about

David being courageous. Is he courageous? Yeah, it's not what

it's about. Maybe we think David fighting and slaying giants

and so on, and how does this applied to you?

And what's your giant? Let's beat that thing. We're missing

it because David says, this is the thing that people

are gonna remember, so that they know something. As soon

as you make it about a different giant or something else,

we're missing what David is telling us. The point is

because if you actually listen to David, David says that

the story is meant to point us to God. At

the example, he is about to make out of Goliath

is meant to make us know God. So we come

away from this story thinking only about David, or worse ourselves,

we've missed what David says. The point even is David

is saying here that God's deliverance is meant to make

known that he is God and that he alone saves.

That's the point of this story. The end of the

matter is this Goliath, the giant is about to be

delivered into the hands of this young shepherd boy. Not

so that people think that David is awesome, not so

I can figure out how to be awesome like David,

but so that people would know that God is awesome.

God's incredible, and God is the point of the story,

which just a little, just a little, that's most of

the Bible, Like, that's the most of the Bible's about,

just in case you didn't know that that He exists,

that God exists, that he works salvation in incredible waves.

Because look at what happens next. When the Philistine arose

and came and drew near to meet David. David ran

quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine, and

David put his hand in the bag and took out

a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on

his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead and he

fell on his face to the ground. So David prevailed

over the Philistine with a sling and with a sword,

and struck the Philistine and killed him. And look at

this little note there there was no sword in the

hand of David. The author of this story is trying

to make it so clear that it was not by

the ordinary means that David struck down this giant. Then

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. So

David kills the giant. He knocks him down with the stone,

runs over and cuts off the giant's head with the

giant's sword. It's just so cool. It's not about David,

but that is pretty cool. That is pretty cool. He

kills the giant with the giant's own sword. At this

victory over this giant, the enemies of God's people now flee,

and the Israelites pursue striking them down and plundering their camp,

thus having deliverance and victory over their enemies. Not because

of David, but because of God. The battle was God's

all along, and he merely worked it by the hands

of this lowly shepherd boy. I need the band to

come up. Please. But like we said from the beginning,

this underdog story resonates so deeply with us, not because

we just really like these kinds of stories, but because

they point to the ultimate story, the story written from

the foundation of the world. That Jesus Christ, our great shepherd,

our god anointed king, would strike down our greatest enemy,

the greatest giant we will ever face. That is the

wrath do our sin. The giant we face is the

sin that brings upon us shame and fear of the

judgment to come for our unholy, wicked lives. But Jesus

brought deliverance to us, not by the sword, not by

the spear, but by the unlikely and humble means of

laying his life down in our place, that he would

take our punishment and give us his righteousness, that for

all who would call on his name, that they would

be saved. And now it is by this great deliverance

that God the Father has worked through Christ the Son,

that we can be saved from our sin, have our

shame and reproach, just like Israel removed from us. That

because of the resurrection, where Christ showed that he had

and has conquered death. That because of that victory, we

know that Christ is the Lord, and that Christ is

the one and only person who saves. That the deliverance

brought by Christ through his death and resurrection is meant

to make the world know that He is the God

of Israel and that he is the only one that saves. So,

if you have not put your faith in Jesus, my

please that you would look to Christ, who has already

won the war on death, who can set you free

from your fear of judgment do your sin, Who can

set you free and removes the shame brought about by

your sin. That knowing this, you would come to Him,

leaning on him his strength, and be delivered, putting your

faith in him. If you've put your faith in Jesus,

then my application for you is that you would be bold,

not because of David, but because of God, that you

would look at the greatest victory in your life that

God did by saving your soul, and that you would

realize that that victory in your life was meant to

be a testimony to the world that Jesus is God

and that he saves sinners. There's so many other benefits

of following Jesus. There's just when you follow his word

and you find the truth that lies within and you

go like, wow, he really also just touches on every

area of my life, and you see those areas seem

to get better, and we'll start to go like, look

at the victories that I'm having in my life. Those

things are not bad, and I think those things can

be used as a testimony to God's goodness, to God

working in your life. But the one we can never forget,

and it should be the basis of our testimony of

our God and who he is and what he does

is our salvation from our sins. That Jesus raised from

the dead, That that was the greatest victory that tells

us that he is God and that he is the

one that saves. So this is the question I would

pose to you and myself. Does your life in Christ

make God unmistakably known to those around you? Does your

life in Christ make God unmistakably known to those around you.

If that's the case, then praise God. That's amazing. If not,

then here is my encouragement to you live so that

your salvation makes God unmistakably known to those around you.

That is how you should live your life in such

a way that when you go away, people go like,

there's a God and he saves people. Our weapons are

not with the sword or the spear, but we come

in and bearing the name of the Lord. And so

if God's deliverance is meant to make known that he

is God and that he alone saves, then the deliverance

that God has worked in your life should echo the same,

should it not. David and Goliath is an incredible story

that we can so quickly misunderstand. But when I think,

I think that when we see the main point of

the story that God's deliverance is meant to make known

that he is God and that he alone saves, that

not only gives us the encouragement by remembering what God

has done in our life, but it shows us how

we're going to tackle everything that does come our way

our life. Our salvation is meant to point to and

glorify God first, and foremost, our salvation is about God. First,

do we benefit? Did the Israelites benefit from having the

giant slaved for them? But who is it about? Who

is it for? It's for God and his glory first.

So as we look at the story, I pray that

you have been reminded and encouraged who it's all about.

That we would understand that your salvation is made to

make Him known. Your salvation is made to make Him known.

So I pray that as we see the courage of

David in our God, who delivers it reminds us of

the ultimate victory brought about by Christ over our sin,

that our lives would become all about him. That God's

deliverance would make him and his salvation known to everyone

around us, and that God would use us to work

great victories for His kingdom here on earth, not by

the sword, but by the spreading of the Gospel and

the name of Jesus Christ. Amen, Would you please stand

to your feet