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welcome back to free grace baptist church visitors with us this morning we do welcome you to our church it's a always a joy to have new faces in the pews if you do have questions for any of us afterwards please feel free to ask well let's begin our worship there are no announcements this morning so please turn in your Bibles with me our call to worship this morning will be a reading of Psalm 122 you turn in your Bibles to Psalm 122 the word of the living and true God a song of a sense of David I was glad when they said to me let us go into the house of the Lord our feet have been standing within your gates Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together where the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord to the testimony of Israel to give thanks to the name of the Lord four Thrones are set there for judgment the thrones of the house of David pray for the Peace of Jerusalem may they prosper who love you peace be within your walls prosperity within your palaces for the sake of my brethren and companions I will now say peace be within you because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good amen well let's stand together and sing if you want to turn in your thinner red Trinity Salters it's the red Trinity salter in front of you will sing Psalm 89 verses 1 to 16 Psalm 89 let's stand and sing together please be seated let's go to our God in prayer let us pray Heavenly Father we do rejoice as your gathered Saints this morning rejoicing in the fact that we can gather together and freedom and liberty to worship our triune God and we pray now Lord that you would help us to hallow your name we would pray that your name would be hallowed not only in this place but around the world we rejoice again in a new day and in the fact that it is your lord's day Sabbath given to us mercifully and loving kindness that we might come into this place on a day of rest to bring worship and praise to the triune God of heaven and earth we do pray that you would help us by your spirit to bring to you a rightful in biblical praise we pray that you would be with us as we approach you in worship that we might set aside thoughts of the past week that we might not let intrude any thoughts of an upcoming week but rather we would be holy now abandoned done to the worship of our great God we rejoice in Jesus Christ our precious Savior we thank you for that blessed and biblical truth that he came in the fullness of the times born of a woman born under the law to redeem those who were under the law that they might receive the adoption as sons we rejoice in that same truth that he came into this world sinners to save and that this is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance and we do pray that all of your Saints gathered here this morning would rejoice in their Christ knowing that they are not saved by works of holiness which they have done but rather according to your mercy and according to your kindness you and your appointed and accepted time made us alive in Christ Jesus by grace we have been saved we know that we are saved solely and alone by the perfect work of our Lord Jesus Christ and we do pray that you would cause us now to sing his praises we thank you that he lived a life of perfect obedience to your law in the stead and in the of all those who believe we thank you that upon Calvary's tree he did not render an atonement of maybe or a sacrifice of perhaps but that he died so as to perfectly secure the salvation of a multitude that no man can number although all those who believe in his name we thank you that he arose and great power and victory on the third day that he ascended to your right hand and that he now ever lives to make intercession for his people we do pray that you would cause us to sing the praises of amazing grace that we might rejoice in our Savior we do thank you for the forgiveness of sins and would ask yet again that you would forgive us knowing that we do have perfect forgiveness in the Lord Jesus Christ we pray that you would wash us again in the blood of the Lamb that we might rejoice and sing the praises of so great a salvation we do pray Lord that you would be with those who do need prayer for physical things disease ailment sickness injury surgery whether recently undergone or upcoming we pray that you would watch over each and every one of your dear people that you would strengthen them in body that you would strengthen them causing them to to be healed from their various afflictions we know that you are the great physician that can bring healing to your people and we do pray that you would bring that all of your suffering Saints that you would bring to them a strength of body and vigor and strength and Lord that in the midst of affliction in the midst of trial in the midst of disease and all of these things that you would in the inner man stir them up too high in precious thoughts of their Savior and that you would cause them to be holy resign done to your will in all things that they might know that the judge of all the earth does right we would pray Lord God that you would be with your persecuted Church we know that there are many in nation's outside of our own that struggle with persecution with whether it comes by the hands of the government whether it comes by the hands of their own people we do pray Lord that you would strengthen them and that you would surround them with your loving care and and protection God we pray that in the midst of anger and violence you would cause them to look with great faith upon the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world that in Christ they may find strength a day by day and courage day by day in the face of such opposition we do pray father for those who do persecute your people we pray that as Saul so many years ago you would make those who are your enemies those who are your people we pray that you would conquer the hearts of those who persecute that you would turn them from the madness of their idolatry and false religion to turn them on to the religion of Jesus Christ our Lord that they might be born again and that they might sing the praises of our Christ and be found among those whom they formerly persecuted and we do pray Lord God yet again that those who remain in opposition those who would seek to continually bring persecution upon your people and remain unrepentant for their transgressions we pray that you would take them out of the way that you would bring temporal judgment upon them that you would rip out their fangs from them and cause them to wither away like a snail so that your people may no longer be under the hands of tyranny and of violent men we do pray as well for the government's that rule over us here in this lower world that you would cause those who love wickedness and hate virtue to be cast down that you would cause them to stumble like drunken menon that you would raise up those who honor your word who honor your law and who seek to render righteousness equity and justice in the land we would ask God that you would cause your people to be continually in prayer for these things that we would have hearts that would seek to pray that righteousness would rule in the land and that your name would be vindicated in all the earth we pray that you would be Lord God with us now as we worship we know that the preacher a pastor Butler when he comes up here to proclaim your word that he cannot lean upon his own human strength but that he needs the aid of a triune God to preach from this pulpit and so please bring that aid to him I might he know supplies from God as he proclaims your word that he might do so with precision that he might proclaim with great courage and confidence and Lord God we pray for us in the pews this morning that you would cause us to have hearts to receive your word we know that God preaches through his ministers those ministers of his and we do pray that we would hear your word to us this morning that your saints would be lifted up strengthened instructed and edified and Lord God that those sinners who came inside these two doors this morning outside of Christ and damning unbelief would leave those same two doors by your grace and for your glory singing the praises of so great a salvation we pray that you would conquer hearts this morning making sinners saints and all of this that your name might be praised and that Christ might be exalted upon the praises of his people so be with us now we pray and might your name be honored might your praises be sung and might all that we do be done unto the praise of your Most High name and we pray in the name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ amen let's stand and sing our next him is going to be this time in your larger Trinity hymnal will stand and sing hymn number 489 let's stand and sing 489 together Oh Oh please be seated you can turn in your Bibles to the book of 1st John our new testament scripture reading finds us now at first John 3 so you can turn to first John 3 in your new testaments first John 3 beginning in verse 1 once again the word of the living and true God behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God therefore the world does not know us because it did not know him beloved now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be but we know that when he is revealed we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness and sin is lawlessness and you know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him there is no sin whoever abides in him does not sin whoever sins has neither seen him nor known him little children let no one deceive you he who practices righteousness is righteous just as he is righteous he who sins is of the devil for the devil has sinned from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil whoever has been born of God does not sin for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he has been born of God in this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God nor is he who does not love his brother for this is the message that you heard from the beginning that we should love one another not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother and why did he murder him because his works were evil and his brothers righteous do not marvel my brethren if the world hates you we know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren he who does not love his brother abides in death whoever hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him by this we know love because he laid down his life for us and we also ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren but whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him how does the love of God abide in him my little children let us not love in Word or in tongue but in deed and in truth and by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him and if our heart condemns us God is greater than our heart and knows all things beloved if our heart does not condemn us we have confidence toward God and whatever we ask we receive from him because we keep his Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight and this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us commandment now he who keeps his Commandments abides in him and he in him and by this we know that he abides in us by the Spirit whom He has given us amen well a number of things first off it is an amazing beginning to this chapter of John's first epistle notice how he begins the Epistle and many have noted before me that it almost seems as if John is taking pause to Marvel in the transcendent love of God here you see how it transitions and it's almost as if this shouldn't be there necessarily speaking as a man but notice what we heat what we read here first John 31 behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God there are many things that make us smile some of the some of the the most petty things are some of the most smallest insignificant things can cause our mouths to present but you see all of these earthly and passing and fleeting things should be shadowed eternally by what we have here and what should truly make a smile the love of God extended to us in Christ Jesus the Lord John writes behold his pastor butlers has said on many times this is a word that is employed to cause the recipients here to look to set aside all things that might hinder a proper faith-filled gaze and to look intently and with great attention upon what follows we are to gaze with a faith-filled wonder upon the love of god that has been manifested towards us in Christ Jesus such that we can now be called the children of God you see it is only not only but you see that the words of those talk show hosts and those who wear flower headbands standing before tractors in the forest who say we're all children of God such madness needs to be cast into oblivion it is only the children of God who have been extended grace from a divine father through Christ Jesus the Lord if you have not closed with Christ you're not a child of God but rather a child of the devil and the desires of your father the devil you want to do you love your sin you wake up seeking to do it you go to bed glad that you did believe on the Lord Jesus Christ because he died for sinners such as you he died for sinners such as us behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God what glorious words this is where when we're reading our Bibles with our legs crossed sipping our tea we need to put it down for a moment uncross our legs and fall on our faces before God and worship such a one behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God we see here as well a motivation for holiness don't we notice at the end of three a first John 3 in verse 3 and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure that hope being that one day when he is revealed we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is this of course doesn't mean that we will be like christ in his essence and being and we were not going to be transformed somehow in some weird and mystical way exactly as Christ exists but rather we will be glorified will have glorified bodies and we will be sin less in the age to come cleansed from sin cleanse from corruption we will see him as he is and we will be like him and with that hope in Christ in him we are to purify ourselves just as he is pure we are to seek not to commit sin in this lower world that's what follows here whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness and sin is lawlessness what John goes on to write here is not it is not you know the basis to argue that will have some sinless perfectionism in this lower world when he writes things like whoever abides in him does not sin whoever sins has neither seen him nor known him we know that the Bible teaches that there is in the Christian this continual and irreconcilable war the spirit lusting against the flesh the flesh lusting against the spirit these things are contrary to one another we always have this battle What's in view is the opposite to practicing righteousness is practicing sin a continual abiding in the practice of sin and so we are not to be such who wake up in the morning and seek to sin conjuring up how will violate God's law when we arise from our pillows we're not to go to bed rejoicing in the sins that we've committed saying it's been a great day to be law less but rather having the Spirit of Christ having Redemption by such a Christ we are to seek to live in a manner consistent with our profession of faith and then finally notice what we have at the ND the evidence of our abiding with God and verse 24 now he who keeps Commandments abides in him and he and him you see the Christian loves the law of God the law of God sweetly complies with the gospel as Christians we are not anti law but we are pro law we realize that we have not been saved by our doing of it in fact far from it we have violated the law of God each and every day even as Christians regenerated by God we oppose his holy law yet we love it we seek to grow in our Christianity by a cheerful compliance with the law of God we realize that it restrains evil in its civil use the law of God restrains the wickedness of man we realize that it was the law of God that taught us of Christ it brought us to a bleeding save your casting ourselves humbly at his feet knowing that only in him do we have perfect righteousness and salvation from sin and in our lives in this lower world it functions normatively as a guide whereby we see its wisdom we see its holiness we see its perfection and we seek to be like our Christ having been saved by grace to be in obedience to the law of God and then finally by this we know that he abides in us by the Spirit whom He has given us the spirit testifies to our spirit that we are children of God rejoice in that truth this morning as we continue to pray as we continue to sing as we engage in worship in the preaching of the word remember Saints that you are children of God and rejoice in that and seek to live in light of it and those who are not Christians this morning you will find nothing in this lower world that will satisfy you if you seek after earthly and fleeting pleasure you will be cast into the lake of fire reserved for the devil and his angels but if you seek after this Christ and you know him and you believe in him you will be children of God and you will sing his praises eternally let us pray Heavenly Father we would ask that you would go with us now as we continue in worship you'd be with your saying strengthening them in the inner man causing us to rejoice in such a Christ in such a god we do pray that you would come upon the wings of victorious grace and make dead sinners alive in Christ Jesus you would that this would be a day of salvation where you are God make new singers of praise those who prior to coming in these two doors this morning we're at enmity against you seeking to have nothing of this God and nothing of this gospel that you would cause them to leave this place singing along with all your saints hallelujah what a savior and it's in Christ's name that we pray amen let's stand and sing our next team will be 295 be our last him before the preaching let's stand and sing 295 Oh Oh he's be seated please turn with me in your Bibles to First Samuel chapter 17 going to take a few weeks off from our exposition in the Gospel of Matthew we have reached a particular break between chapters 19 and 20 so we'll spend a few weeks in First Samuel 17 to 19 this morning we're going to take up 17 verses 1 to 37 so the first section of this chapter dealing with the preparation for the battle in the valley of elah it's interesting that the author spends the bulk of the time providing the backstory he provides all of the occasion working up to the actual engagement between David and Goliath versus 48 to 51 in chapter 17 is the engagement proper it only takes those few verses for David to deal the death blow to Goliath and send him off to Dagon but the author wants us to learn various lessons along the way so this morning I'll read verses 12 37 and then we'll look at three particulars in First Samuel 17 here now the word of the Living God beginning in chapter 17 at verse 1 now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle and were gathered at soka which belongs to Judah they encamped between sokka and azekah an eephus de même and Saul in the men of Israel were gathered together and they in camp in the valley of ayla and drew up in battle array against the Philistines the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side with the valley between them and the champion went out from the camp of the Philistines named Goliath from GAF whose height was six cubits and a span he had a bronze helmet 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 and he had brought a bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders now the staff of his spear was like a Weaver's beam and his iron spear head weighed six hundred shekels and the shield bearer went before him then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel and said to them why have you come out to line up for battle am I not a Philistine and you the servants of Saul choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me if he is 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 the Philistine said I defy the armies of Israel this day give me a man that we may fight together with salt and all israel heard these words of the Philistine they were dismayed and greatly afraid now David was the son of that effort of Bethlehem Judah whose name was Jesse and who had eight sons and the man was all advanced in years in the days of Saul the three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn next to him abetted AB and the third shema david was the youngest and the three oldest followed Saul but David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at that lamb the Philistine drew near and presented himself 40 days morning and evening then Jesse said to his son David take now for your brother's an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves and run to your brother's at the camp and carry these ten cheese's to the captain of their thousands and see how your brother's fair and bring back news of them thus all and the and they and all the men of Israel were in the valley of ayla fighting with the Philistines so David rose early in the morning left the sheep with a keeper and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him and he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle for Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array army against army and David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper ran to the army and came and greeted his brothers then as he talked with them there was the champion the Philistine of Gath Goliath by name coming up from the armies of the Philistines and he spoke according to the same words so David heard them and all the men of Israel when they saw the man fled from him and were dreadfully afraid so the men of Israel said have you seen this man who has come up surely he has come up to defy Israel and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches will give him his daughter and give his father's father's house exemption from taxes in Israel and David spoke to the men who stood by him saying 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 this manner saying so shall it be done for the man who kills him now all I biz oldest brother heard when he spoke to the man and Elias anger was aroused against David and he said why did you come down here and with whom if you left those few sheep in the wilderness I know your pride and the insolence of your heart for you have come down to see the battle David said what have I done now is there not a cause then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing and these people answered him as the first ones did now when the words which David spoke were heard they reported them to salt 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 Saul said to David you were not able to go against this Philistine to fight with them for you our youth and he a man of war from his youth but David said to Saul your servant used to keep his father's sheep and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock I went out after it and struck it and delivered the lamb from its mouth and when it rose against me I caught it by its beard and struck and killed it your servant is killed both lion and bear and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them seeing he has defied the armies of the Living God moreover David said the Lord delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine and Saul said to David go and the Lord be with you let us pray father we ask now that you would help us as we study Holy Scripture by sending the spirit of the Living God to guide us to teach us to direct us illumine our minds and our hearts and help us to receive with Thanksgiving the word of the living and true God as well father we pray for the forgiveness of sins we know of its darkening influence over our minds and our hearts I pray that you would cleanse us in the blood of the Lamb you would wash your people from their sins so that we may indeed receive with Thanksgiving that implanted word for those outside of Christ we pray that today would be the day of salvation to that end God send the spirit and cause sinners to see themselves before a holy God and cause them to see the glory of David's greater son even Jesus Christ our Lord and we pray in Christ's name Amen well certainly this is a passage that everyone is familiar with and as I said the actual battle itself toward the end of chapter 17 is quite brief but you'll see how the author develops the back story tells us the backdrop he gives us the particular occasion so that we can see what God the Lord is doing it's unfortunate that sometimes persons that profess the name of our Lord Jesus Christ come to the valley of a law and they see in the text their own goliaths they see their poor self-image they see the bully down the street they see their emotional distress they see the difficulties in the trials that they have and they take fresh courage from the valley of elah you may do that by way of a sigh by an application but the battle at the valley of ayla is not about you it is about the glory of God most high it is about the glory of your way of Israel and David his servant pursues that relentlessly and so the author gives us that pursuit he demonstrates it for us and he highlights it to us in fact the main part of chapter 17 is versus 45 to 47 we will see that God willing next Sunday morning when we gather here again it is a declaration of the sovereignty of the Almighty pneus of the excellence of the unitary the solitary a glory and majesty of the god of heaven and earth so it is not about your Goliath it is about God's enemy and how his servant removes him from the face of the earth well as we consider vs. 1 2 37 we will not deal with every detail you will be able to get home today and eat your lunch but there are three considerations that we ought to make as we move through the passage in the first place the threat posed by the Philistines in verses 1 to 11 secondly the plan orchestrated by God in verses 12 to 22 and then in the third place the determination manifested by David note with me in the first place the threat posed by the Philistines inverse vs. 1 2 3 in chapter 17 it highlights for us the geographical setting this is important information this gives us an indicator as to what is going on in this particular chapter notice in verse 1 of chapter 17 now the Philistines who were the perennial enemies of the Israelites if you've read the Bible up to this point you'll notice that the Philistines didn't just drop out of heaven onto earth they have been a constant thorn in the flesh of Israel of Israel in the time of the judges and in the 1st Samuel we see these Philistines continued to hear their ugly heads and Israel having to put them down by the power of God most high but notice in chapter 17 yet the Philistines gathered their armies to gather to battle and were gathered at soka which belongs to Judah you see this is an encroachment upon friendly territory the enemies of Israel namely the Philistines are now at a place which belongs to Judah this battle is crucial for the life and the health and the safety of Israelite society the commentator samora says set against this geographical background the goal of this strategically important battle was certainly to secure the valley of ayla the natural point event entry from the Philistine homeland into the hill country of the solid kingdom the battle was thus crucial this is very important stuff that is facing Israel this threat of the Philistines unfortunately Israel is cowering and quivering and hide it praise God that he has his servant David praise God that the son of jesse is available praise God that there is one who will stand up to deal with this taunting giant from GAF notice the appearance of Goliath in verses 4 to 10 a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines named Goliath from Gath now he was 9 feet 9 inches kids that means he was one big fella he was a big boy you ever take a couple of inches depending on the cubit and all of that but we're talking about a 9 foot 9 inch man more than likely though it doesn't give his weight if he was a small ish framed man I know that seems odd a smallish frame man there are men that are slender and men that are medium build and then that are bigger build he'd probably be around the 500 pound range if he was slender so no I don't think that Goliath was slender he's probably up around six or seven hundred pounds and notice his weapons he's wearing a hundred and twenty six pounds of armor this is one big bad dude and this is what the author wants us to appreciate he is carrying a spear now this is a big spear in and of itself but the tip the tip that does business on the end of its enemies is about 15 to 16 pounds this is a formidable enemy the author over and over again wants us to appreciate this so that when victory comms we will praise and celebrate not David the son of Jesse but the god of heaven and earth who took the stone from the sling and guided it into this big headed monstrosity from death and brought him down that day to show in the earth that there is a God in Israel notice as well with reference to this particular man chapter 16 and verse 7 this is something that comes up often I think in the rest of First Samuel 1st 1st Samuel 16 7 at the choice of David notice in verse 7 the Lord said to Samuel do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature because I have refused him for the Lord does not see as man sees for man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart he's describing the outward appearance with this particular man the the armies of Israel see this particular man that they must have forgot this principle because they're quivering and they're cowering and they're hiding and they're shaking in their quaking not so when it comes to David and then notice his words and verses 8 to 10 what does he do he basically blasphemes the God of heaven and earth and in the interest of time and won't go through every jot and tittle but what is he doing hey guys you want to come out and shoot marbles hey guys you want to play Nintendo noise sends it says send out your best Israel because i'm going to mop up the ground with him and if it is the case that he happens to beat us and will become the servants of you but if it is the cases Goliath was most confident would be that we beat you then you will be our servants now this was a taunt this was not a genuine promise or the Covenant a coven ental transaction because what happens David does kill Goliath and the Philistines do not willingly subjugate themselves to Israel it is a time it is trash talking it is essentially saying bring what you've got let's see what you can produce let's see you take on this man from GAF he is taunting he is reproaching he is violating the God of heaven and earth and before we leave the threat posed by the Philistines we must appreciate the response of Israel verse 11 when Saul and all israel heard these words of the Philistine they were dismayed and greatly afraid that's pathetic it's terrible this is the way the church oftentimes responds doesn't she there's a particular threat posed by the enemies of God and what does the Israel of God do today we shake we quake week our we cry we sniffle we have therapy sessions we have group hugs we never ever for the life of us reflect upon the fact that Christ Jesus himself promised to build his church and the gates of Hades itself would not prevail against it Lord Jesus hold your enemies into contempt Israel is quaking and quivering and cowering this is so often the church Oh have you heard of the spread of Islam yes but I've also heard of the reality that Christ must reign till all of his enemies are made his footstool have you seen the atrocities and those Planned Parenthood videos yes they are sickening and horrific but I'm reminded of the reality that Christ must reign till all of his enemies are made his footstool Planned Parenthood and anyone that would butcher a child in its mother's womb Christ will lower that holy foot on the necks of each and every one of his enemies there is no reason there is no cost there is no provocation in the world why the church should be quivering and cowering and shaking and quaking this is simply unacceptable and the author wants us to see this now notice in the second place the plan orchestrated by God verses 12 to 22 this is an interesting aside isn't it we find out this is a crucial about a battle in the valley of a law we find it's over a crucial piece of property that belongs to Judah we find that gas or rather the Philistines have promoted this manner produced this man from Gath that is the formidable enemy now we interrupt this broadcast to take you to another part of God's world to show you the life of David the servant for the shepherd boy it's interesting isn't it why doesn't the author just go right from this to the battle lines and let us watch Goliath fall on his big fat head because he wants us to appreciate God he wants us to marvel at God he wants us to stand and wonderment of God he wants us to revel in our God now this section verses 12 to 22 have given some people a cause for concern because it's like it's introducing David for the first time but if you've read chapter 16 David's already made an appearance David is the harpist the sweet psalmist of Israel that comes and plays while Saul as in his frenzy when Saul has this distressing spirit from Yahweh he goes a little bit nuts and so what one of the servants says is i think a harpist would do you well and i happen to know a harpist his name is david see the providence of god and the sovereignty of God bringing David and Saul together and so when we come to this section we're scratching our noodle saying wait a minute didn't we already meet David and at the end of chapter 17 it's almost as if Saul doesn't know who David is if you've ever thought that in your Bible reading you're not alone the great translation of the Hebrew Old Testament leaves out a big chunk of chapter 17 probably for this very reason we already know David and at the end it sounds as if Saul doesn't know David but we need to appreciate a couple of things about the flow of the passage in the first place not only was David a worker four Sol's court in chapter 16 but in verse 15 of chapter 17 it says they would go from the court back to Bethlehem he would go back to his father's house in the second place we need to appreciate the reality that the end of chapter 17 Saul is not asking who David is Saul is asking whose son is David's because Saul has made a promise that the victor his father's house will receive tax exempt status the end of chapter 17 does not present us a confusion as if Saul is for the first time meeting David no he knows who he is but he's promised his daughter to the victor and he's promised tax exemption how's that for a great incentive men you get the the daughter of the king and tax exemption in Israel that would be a beautiful prize wouldn't it be glorious Saul knows who David is do you know what I think our author is doing it's kind of like a boxing match you know when the two contenders go to to battle I'm not condoning boxing don't go outs kids and you know punch each other i'm not saying that but there is something similar to that what do we have we have a contest we have a duel if you will in this corner we have hailing from gas 9 foot 9 a 9 foot 9 inches about six seven hundred pounds wielding the javelin with the 15 to 16 pound ironhead Goliath from gas in this corner we have David now we all know David as a national hero but by the time we get here in chapter 17 if it's our first time reading we're but flexed as to the reality that David would be the contender he's not the oldest son he's not from a prestigious house he comes from obscurity as we later learned from Goliath words he's nothing really to look at he's ready one man suggested David had red hair this is the nature of the Liath todd know if you have red hair I'm not putting anyone down saying what this ruddiness looks like it's almost as if this Goliath was taunting David because of his physical appearance hi David we interrupt this story to show you who's in the other corner and we want to tell you how he got to that other corner because once we tell you that we think you'll marvel and stand amazed at the glory and majesty of God notice he is indeed the son of Jesse his brothers we have a lie up we have been a DAB and we have shimma shimma David was the youngest verse 15 explains what David is doing David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem and the Philistine drew near and presented himself 40 days morning and evening he doesn't let us forget this the blathering giant continues to do his thing blah blah blah blah blah the author doesn't want us to forget him we're going to show you what David's about we're going to show you where he hails from and we're going to show you his particular a background and training and all that sort of thing but never forget this is a real-life battle over crucial property belonging to Judah and one of the biggest threats that men have ever seen is scanning there with a big javelin at his ad speaking out taunts to both God and to the armies of the Living God he doesn't want us to forget that either now notice the beauty of the Providence of God verses 17 to 19 it's a simple mission isn't it this is one of the things I think we ought to appreciate as we sort of work our way through this passage sometimes people say you know I can't really do anything for God because I do you know a menial business or a menial job or you know no one of notoriety I don't have any you don't need any what could be more mundane than a father telling his son to take wheels of Gouda to his brothers and to find out how they're doing and to bring back word to their father you talk about mundane you talk about something that isn't exciting you talk about something that isn't thrilling David I want you to go and check on your brothers and I want you to take these loaves and these cheese's so that they can be refreshed for the battle that is to come it's 1st Samuel is truly an amazing book in the way that reveals to us God's providence how was Saul identified as the first king of Israel through lost donkeys I don't know that if I was God i would use lost donkeys to find my king but God does is it an amazing that God sends this distressing spirit from your way to Saul Saul goes into this frenzy and there happens to be a servant there that happens to suggest that Saul get someone that plays music so that it will soothe his his beastly mode and oh by the way I happen to know this man called David and he's really good on the heart you see on stressing this whole idea of happened because we as Christians as believers as those who sing and testify with the psalter that our God is in the heavens he does whatever he pleases we don't think there's happenstance we believe in the sovereignty of God he governs all this creatures and all their actions and he does that for his holy ends to bring glory to his name and to bring peace safety and security to his people God works behind the scenes to bring persons together to accomplish his will so you may be a cheese deliverer a loaf deliverer you may be engaged in the mundane but God may use you because in the midst of your delivery route or in the midst of your interaction or in the midst of your dealing with others you might speak the word of the gospel to someone and who knows what the Lord God may do i love what Spurgeon used to pray before he would go pass out tracts you would pray something to the effect god bless each of these tracts make them like David's one stone to bring down the unbelief of man is that beautiful one track placed in the hands of a man God can use that to bring him to salvation what happened to Oscar Blois we just prayed for him on Sunday night it's been a pastor a long time pastor in Jamaica you know how he came to the Lord some girl handed him a gospel tract at a bus stop many many many many many many years ago and God saved him and used him you see this idea that well I can't do anything unless I'm in full time gospel ministry is simply not accurate it's been a pain to the church I think that's the correct use of the word the opposite of the boot is a bane right a bad thing well you've really got to grow up Junior to be a missionary or a pastor so you can make an impact on the kingdom of God hogwash you're faithful in your calling where you are and God the Lord who takes a shepherd boy from Bethlehem and guides the stone and this Giants add is able to do amazing things see it's all about God it's not about us doesn't Paul underscore this point that God takes gospel treasure what does he do with gospel treasure he puts it in crackpots he puts it in earthenware vessels so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of men God's ordained gospel ministry for this very reason that when sinners actually get converted they don't owe their life solent and everything to the man who brought the message but to the God who use that crackpot to get the message out the Providence of God is amazing in this particular section and notice verse 20 David does what he's told there's a type of person out there that wants to be used by God and I like that the type of person out there that wants to be in service to God I love that I appreciate that but they seem to be waiting incessantly for something extraordinary to do I want to be in service will then go be faithful at your job today oh no I've got to go to China and be faithful at a job there you know what if you're not fit for faithfulness in a job in your own neighborhood you're probably not fit for it in a neighborhood in China David did what he was told you see obedience and Providence work hand-in-hand how does God God guide how does God direct how does God move how does he get us to the destination that he has purposed it is through us doing what we were just reminded from first John obey God's law I'm waiting to be used go on be useful I'm waiting to serve go out and serve I've got to read 15 book now you just need to go be faithful David got up he took his loaves he took his cheeses I like to think of wheels of Gouda and he put them in his bag and off he marched to the valley of a lot so that he could find out how his brothers were and bring refreshment to them he arrives at the camp he executes his mission a seemingly ordinary event under God's providence is the words for the occasion for victory now notice in 23 258 well we won't go to all the way to 58 but 23 237 the determine nation manifested by David don't forget Goliath is still blathering on verses 23 and 24 don't forget that 9 foot 9 inch man that's holding the big spear don't forget him we've interrupted this particular segment to show you David and how he got here but we want to remind you once again don't forget that man standing there that is issuing taunts to the armies of the God of Israel so 23-24 we hear more blathering from Goliath now notice David's response first with him and the men of Israel vs. 25 to 27 the men are amusing among themselves I do not believe David heard them say this and then asked the very same thing there muttering amongst themselves have you heard what the king is going to do whoever beats this giant gets the king's daughter and he gets tax exemption again these are great boons great benefits great helps to life in Israel isn't it that'd be wonderful you're probably thinking it depends on what his daughter looked like don't say that in this society this was a good thing now notice David asks a question in verse 26 David spoke to the man who stood by him saying 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 now there's a couple of interesting observations here in the first place this is the first time David speaks in the Bible now certainly David spoke just hadn't been recorded up to this particular point chapter 16 he's called to play the heart before Saul no record of what David said throughout this section Jesse telxon take the lowes take the cheese's go visit your brother no response recorded whatsoever this is the first time in the biblical narrative that David opens his mouth at least that is recorded for us and notice the words evidence the concern of his heart notice that the words evidence the concern of his heart he asks in the first place what shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and then in the second place he says for who is this uncircumcised I don't think I can make it sound derisive enough I don't think I can make it sound more incredulous Saul and the armies are cowering Saul and the armies are fearful soul and the armies are quaking in their boots and David is incredulous David shocked david has blown away david says for who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the Living God what is evident in David's heart theology theology drives his practice who God is how God is known what God does a fax the servant of God who is this man why are we standing here why are we listening to this 9 foot 9 inch man why are we quaking because of the size of his javelin why are we shuddering because of the amount of his armor why are we doing this who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the Living God listen to Ralph Davis he says david has never spoken before in our story now the silence is broken david brings a whole new world view to this point the narrative has been god less much like our own stewing over some insoluble dilemma but now David injects the godly question into the episode doesn't having a living God make a difference in office you ever reflect Don this I want to psychologizing I don't want to say your giant sitting in the corner there's bad self-esteem or your mother didn't hug you and offer there's a bully on the playground they want to psychologizing like David is our concern theological in nature when we see the heart the horrors of of Planned Parenthood we consider the horrors in Canada of the very same sin and crime say God these are your image bearers god this is ultimately about you whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood will be shed why for in the image of God he made man this attack on the womb is an attack on God we are to think theologically we are to think feel centric Lee we are to take every thought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ this is what David does Davis says doesn't have doesn't having a living God make a difference in all this this fellow has mocked the ranks of the living god if god is so identified with Israel do you think he is indifferent towards such slurs on his reputation you expect the Living God to allow an uncircumcised Philistine to trample his name in military and Theological mud Israel thought the Philistine invulnerable for David he was only uncircumcised a living God gives a whole new view of things I can't underscore that enough except to say you should read Davis's commentaries on the former prophets you will be richly blessed verse 27 they answer now notice a lie oven David essentially what we have here is the older brother taking on the younger brother David comes perhaps he's handing the wheel of Gouda and allied says what are you doing here I know your pride I know your insolence and David essentially says what's the matter now one supposes this happened back at jesse's house from time to time what's going on don't I have a right to be here is it not okay for me to see what is happening in this particular instance the NIV renders verse 29 this way now what have I done said David can't I even speak do you notice of fame developing well you haven't yet when we drop down to Saul and then we see it in goliath you'll notice a theme goliaths not the only enemy of David on this day the Wyeth is the enemy if Goliath is the primary target if it was only the enemies of God that we had to contend with that would be one thing well where do we get yammering and whining and sniveling and crying more often than not it's in the church we raise up opposition to this whole idea of homosexual marriage and we have Christians anybody but you shouldn't do that you shouldn't say that you don't want them to think you're unloving you don't want them to think that you're insubordinate to the governing authorities I mean you preach that after all we must obey God rather than men it's unfortunate that the people of God or the professing people of God oftentimes get in the way of those who are trying to take care of business Eliab is a threat not to his physical life but you have no business being here we drop down to the portion with saw what a soul say you have no business being here you don't have experience you're not properly equipped you can't do this one hears them saying to the apostles in the early church you're only 12 men you haven't been to school you've just hung around with the Savior you don't have the oratory you don't have the gift you don't have the finesse you don't have the polish you don't have the wherewithal oh but we have a holy Christ and throned at the right hand of his father and that holy Christ is sent us to go therefore and to make disciples of all the nations to baptize them to teach them and to uh teach them to observe all that he has commanded and he has promised his presence with us you can have 12 men who do not have extraordinary gifts but serve an extraordinary Lord that will go and turn the world upside down Eliab says go home Seoul will say go home the lyeth will say go home and what does God say just pick up the stone put it in your sling and drop that man that's it David obeys David isn't one who judges by the externals david has learned 16-7 God is not a man God does not look on the outward and say oh I can use him because he's nine feet tall I can use him because he has a big javelin I can use him because he's got this training no I use who I purpose to use is what yahweh says to us now notice we're coming to a conclusion don't fret I just read a little quote by John Newton over long sermons cause people to stop thinking about the sermon and to think about the pudding that's burning at home now I'd like to think that's not the case but I'm convinced of what we learned this morning as we studied the confession but notice the appearance before salt verses 31 237 he meets with Saul Saul fetches him David or the willingness of David notice in verse 32 let no man's heart fail because of him your servant will go and fight with this Philistine jalota lab says go home David is not deterred David is not going away David sees an enemy that needs to be killed David sees a threat to the church and David wants to take care of bidness he wants to render the death blow not your heart failed Saul the end of this day will see victory in Israel now notice Saul's response verse 33 you are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him for your youth and he a man of war from his youth now I love this the response of David in verses 34 to 37 the first place he does have experience it's also as you have no experience for this particular task and david says well i do have experience it's just not with giants from Gath but ferocious mammals that want to destroy my sheep you see God has his ways of preparing man doesn't he and look at how David describes this David said to Saul your servant used to keep his father's sheep and when a lion or a bear came and took took a lamb out of the flock I went out after it and struck it and delivered the lamb from its mouth and when it arose against me I caught it by its beard and struck and killed it I think there's several interesting things about this statement I suspect that if I was a shepherd and I saw a bear or a lion with one of my lands in its mouth on its way out I'd probably right off the lamb I would probably figure that the bear what David ran after it David chased the bear and lion down and david says when the bear or lion had the land in its mouth wouldn't this be the high point of the bear or lions ferocity I mean when a dog is running for a piece of meat that falls off the table if you can intercept it that's a good thing once it seizes upon that meat it becomes exponentially more difficult to extract that food from the mouths of the dog and my dog's is big you got a bear or a lion that's got the blood of the lamb dripping down its throat it's eating it's feasting he's not going to let that go david says I ripped open its mouth and I took the lamb out Nathan 8 to be matched with David's one of those manly men as I was thinking about this passage this morning who in this place wants to be in a liab who in this place wants to be a Saul who in this place wants to be part of the armies of Israel how we want to be David David's cool David strong David's the real deal notice what David goes on to say verse 36 your servant has killed both lion and bear and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them seeing he has defied the armies of the Living God moreover David said this is beautiful David doesn't say oh I lift weights and I eat protein and I'm strong and I'm able and I've studied bears and I've studied lions and I know how to open their throats no David's a theologian in the first place david says more over the Lord Yahweh who delivered me from the paw of the lion it from the paw of the bear he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine I have no fear I'm not concerned I don't care how tall is the past faithfulness of your way provides the present foundation for faith brethren is that the way you live we get to a particular crisis and we fall apart about his past faithfulness what about the fact that you killed a lion or a bear you've entered into the ranks David and Sampson you don't think he's going to give you victory over this big man from death you see the principle we operate as practical atheists we come to the crisis and we fall apart not so David I just know that I chased these animals and I ripped their faces open and i took my lambs back and i know that y'all way who delivered me from those beasts will deliver me from that beast it's beautiful stuff truly glorious wondrous amazing the source of his strength was not in his grit the source of his strength was not in his determination i realize i called the point that but this is a god wrought determination this is a by grace through faith determination this is God having prepared his servant to live in a manner that is consistent with who god yes well in conclusion just a couple of lessons and then we'll go in the first place and i'm sure i made this sufficiently clear throughout the fear of israel and the faith of David versus 11 and 24 indicate for us the fear of Israel vs. 26 32 36 to 37 45 to 47 indicates for us the faith of David now I was thinking about this in the last week as well I reckon there's a fine line between encouragement and nagging there's a fine line between encouragement and nagging i oftentimes try to encourage people to use the means of grace because you see when we look at this passage and it Wells up in us to be a david i will submit to you that you will not go battle Goliath in the valley of a law until you imitate the sweet psalmist of Israel who said I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my god then dwell in the hence of wickedness I seek to encourage some of you may take it as nagging if we want the faith of a David we have to feed the faith like David it's interesting the body responds amazingly to exercise doesn't it you lift heavy things and you put them back down and you repeat that over and over again and then you go home and you feed your face with protein what eventually happens you develop muscles you see these young men they want to get big muscles that's good man lift heavy things put them down again do it many many times and then he the soul responds like that too you see pastors know that just like the trainer knows that if you pick heavy things up and put heavy things down and repeat that over and over and then feed your face with protein you will build muscle the trainer knows that so the trainer encourages the trainee might take it as nagging pastors know that the soul operates in the same manner you feed it with scripture you feed it with prayer you feed it with church attendance and guess what you grow you will never march on to the valley of a lot you will never take a sling and drop the lyeth until you get your act together it's just that simple and here's where I'm probably in the nagging mode again you may think Oh Butler just wants the church filled no Butler wants you to be healthy and happy in Jesus if that doesn't happen here and you can't stand behind the ministry fully and find a church where it can happen I will dissuade you if it's heretical but if it's have angelical the gospel is praised and you can find flourishing for your soul than by all means flourish there has to come a point in our Christian life where we realize this very basic and simple fact we've got the religion we want we've got the religion we want I want to go into battle and fight with Goliath but you don't get out of bed and show up at church you've got the religion you want get up show up be faithful in the little things and you will be faithful in the big things I think it's not rocket science one of the things I've been encouraged about with reference to the internship is that Mike has bought the not bought but he is he is pursued or he's understood what we try to do is reform bout this he came from a broader evangelical community where the Lord's Day was not taught the Lord's Day is not an attempt to ruin your day the Lord's Day is an attempt to sanctify his day whose church is out there that kowtow to persons they can't get out of bed early so they'll start an evening service how about this for zany wacky idea get out of bed early and most church services don't start till 10 or 11 we have the religion that we want by and large Oh faster I want to kill this particular sin then stop looking at porn oh but it's so hard I need therapy I need treatment no you need to stop looking at that computer oh I need no you need to just stop what happened to that have we become a generation of such Nancy boys that we need to be coddled from cradle to grave or do we take some personal responsibility and do we say God has delivered me in the past and he will deliver me now think about this today go home today after you eat your pudding or whatever it is you eat you pray to God you get alone in secret you ask yourself the question do I have the religion I want if not then make some changes pull your Bible out or off the shelf show up for the Lord's Supper the householder feed you and you neglect the meal you rejected you don't come assistant Butler wanting to pack the house well the house is packed or not we're still going to do what we've always done is this house hasn't ever been packed but it's been a whole lot less packed than it is now we still did what we were supposed to do whether you're here or not it's about your soul it's about health but growth in the Grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ consider the fact that you'll make time to do things you want to do be persons that can't sit for an hour and a half to hear a sermon not that it's going to be an hour and a half but to hear a little service can do three in a hockey match can do three and any sort of worldly entertainment can sit incessantly on the internet but we're going to grumble because the pastor went over by a minute my puddings burning feels like the days of Joel the prophets sound the alarm in Zion there's some problems man we've got the religion I suspect that we want if we want to be holy we want to be godly if we want to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus we're going to pick heavy things up we're going to put him down we're going to repeat and we're going to feed our faces with protein we're going to take the Bible seriously we're going to read it we're going to be where it's preached as we know that like the Puritans said it's as if preaching breaks open the husk of the corn so that we get those kernels out whereas the second helvetic confession of faith testifies that the free of the word of God is the word of God I'm not talking Benny Hinn or joel osteen but a man who was faithfully expounding the word of a living God that is in that confession testify done to as the Word of God don't dare to be a David in the valley of a lot if you're not going to read the Bible your kid don't say oh I want to do great things for God and not do what you're supposed to be doing consistently and faithfully and routinely in the second place I hope we've developed it but we ought to marvel at God's providence delivering cheeses and seeking information was the task the smashing of the lion's head was the goal God gets to the goal in ways we would have never conceived our God is thrilling she loved the biblical narrative you ought to develop a love for the reading of the Bible it is beautifully written it is beautifully told the narratives all have a purpose for being where they're at we ought to stand amazed that the goodness and the graciousness of our God in the third place we only got two more ponies not burned the source of David strength I must quote Davis again here again Dale Ralph Davis he says with reference to David's testimony when he says moreover Yahweh who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine Dale Ralph Davis says there is the interpretation of David's experience he does not ascribe his escapes to luck or skill or audacity Yahweh delivered me looking back in faith enables him to look forward in faith he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine what Yahweh has done in the wilderness of Judah he will do in the valley of a lot this is in straw if for the people of God faith is sustained in the present and for the present sorry faith is sustained in the present and for the present as it remembers Yahweh's provision in the past another good argument for the supper why should i come to the lord's supper because the recollection the remembrance of that past event at calvary provides the stuff for our present pursuit of christ it's beautiful the householder feeds us bread and wine to refresh our weary Souls not to get us to hurt us not to ruin our day got the wrong approach to the means of grace brethren he says the rich history of God's past goodness nurtures faith in its current molema you must keep verse 37 he will deliver me before you if you don't you will misconstrue verses 34 to 36 David will be delivered not because he has true grit but because he knows the true God circumstances may vary but Yahweh is the same whether among the Sheep or in front of the Philistines it's beautiful and our final observation is to note the similarities between David and his greater son David comes from obscurity doesn't he he's a Bethlehem ID he is an Ephraim I'd he is from the son of Jesse there's no notoriety there when we get to go I a statement concerning David we learned there is no physical appearance to him nothing we should be awestruck tovar nothing we would compose music about we notice as well what David does is he achieves total victory and he doesn't through the power of God not according to the conventional means of man Saul says take my arm take my shield take my stuff David tries it on it doesn't fit I got the picture of you know a father whose song puts on his suit the father might have a few more years and a few more pounds on and the suit sort of hanging off the Sun and the Sun says dad I I can't go to that place tonight because I look foolish well david says I can't wear that armor I haven't tried it I haven't proven it I haven't tested it he gains victory total victory through an unconventional means now look at David's greater son born from obscurity it's a Nazarene can anything good come from Galilee this was what was reported about him he has no physical appearance or coal meanness that we should desire him Isaiah 53 to isn't that what the Prophet says there's nothing about him that makes us you know seek after him it's not walking around with a halo over his head he's not walking around like you know buffed a man with glistening abs and the whole spiel there's nothing in him that makes us seek after him physically but what does Christ do he achieves total victory and he does it according to the power of God and not the conventional needs because you see Jews seek after signs and Greeks seek after wisdom but Paul says we preach Christ crucified we preach a dead crucified but risen Savior and all those who by the grace of God believe in EM they will be saved isn't it beautiful believe on the Lord Jesus Christ leave your sin come to the one alone in whom there is righteousness that's what we learn from this passage if David the first was able to achieve total victory through this unconventional means David the second the greater than David is able to achieve total victory through an who would have thought that it would be through the blood of his cross that he would make peace it just seems so oxymoronic doesn't it Colossians 120 having made peace through the blood of his cross that's God's means believe on the Lord Jesus Christ if you're a sinner here this morning you may not like to be called that and they call me sinners there we're all sinners every single one of us all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God somebody calls me sinner I am NOT able to dispute with that cannot debate with them whatsoever there's a difference between a redeemed center and one who's not redeemed if you are not in Christ believe and be saved well let us pray father we thank you for the Word of God and we thank you for this backdrop to the battle that will occur the valley of a lot we thank you for David's greater son we thank you for total victory through an unconventional means the means that you had purpose before the world began we praise You Father Son and spirit for so great a salvation God for those who are believers help us to pursue those things which are pleasing in your sight and help us Lord God to learn from a man like David to use those means that you have provided to say with David I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my god then dwell in the tents of wickedness go with us now we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen close with a brief time of meditation you