1030. David: A Servant Chosen and Equipped

Welcome to The Daily Platform or program feature sermons from travel services to Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, whether it's the general travel service for the whole student body or services for those in the ministerial class or seminary. Everyone at the school is blessed by the preaching of the word each day from the travel platform today on The Daily Platform were continuing a study series from seminary chapel called Old Testament servant today speaker is Dr. David Doran, senior pastor at inner-city Baptist Church in Allen Park, Michigan were so grateful today to have Dr. Dave Doran Zach teaching one of our modules this week, and preach to us. He is among many other things, husband and father, four sons grandfather, president, Detroit Baptist theological seminary and pastor since I believe 19 nine of inner-city Baptist Church in the Detroit area and were so grateful for his ministry. If you were here last week you heard you mentioned buyer speaker Pastor Tom Fuller in appreciation for his emphasis on exposition so grateful he's gonna come now, and addresses from God's word. I am good refocus on David when they were offering up opportunities to address someone I snagged I snagged David right away. Now here's the problem had to cover any kind of a biography of David is would be impossible to to do in the short amount of time that we have so what I actually want to do is zero. Anna and I think perhaps one of the most pivotal passages in understanding why God chose David right the kind of leader that God was looking for.

And the reason I say that is if I just set quickly.

The backdrop and encourage you. Obviously, David and glass, a familiar story.

I don't want to just a like zone out on me because it's a familiar story added that chapter 17 actually sits what I would say is at the pivot point between two different trajectories.

On one hand, is Saul who was the king and is actually on a trajectory downward where you come to him at the end of first Samuel and is absolutely a mess right and David is actually on the other trajectory upward in first Samuel 17 is precisely where they crisscross on the right. The beginning of that was actually back in chapter 13 where God said that he was seeking a man after his own heart. Saul had actually disobeyed God in and offered sacrifice that he wasn't allowed to. And God said that the dynasty is good to be taken away from you. That's in that passage, it's couple chapters later when he actually doesn't kill the Amalekites and a gag that he says not just the dynasties can be taken but your great kingdom is good right and so so Saul is progressively going down word while David begins to rise as a leader in Israel as God's chosen leader because he's a man after God's own heart and so the question before us would be so what is a man after God's own heart and first Samuel 17 actually gives us the answer to that right so the David and Goliath thing is not about is not written for. So how you can prepare to face the Giants in your life right it's not it's not written to to give us techniques for slaying giant. It actually is written to expose for us the kind of heart that God wants in his leaders and the kind of heart that God uses among his people right in and so what I want to do is assume a certain familiarity with the details of the tax on the can read the entire chapter right you and have you ever heard the story of David and Goliath. A few of you have a right so think were good.

I didn't see any factly razor hands a little worried about that right so you're familiar with the details.

What I would like to do is walk through the narrative in a way that I think helps us understand the point of it and he and and as narratives often do they communicate their point of view of the tension and conflict in the story and also fill that in by the characters and so we identify what the conflict is and see what is said about the characters will understand the point of the narrative, and so so that's what were going to do, so I just start with the job that that the challenge of Goliath right in and look if you would verses eight through 11 because here we see the immediate challenge that comes out this this man, this massive man of the Philistines comes in a Mercedes stood and cried on to the armies of Israel, and set of them wire you come out to set your battle in array. Am I not a Philistine in ye servants of Saul choose you a man and let him come down to me if you be able to fight with me and kill me. That will be your servants.

If I prevail against him and kill him then then shall ye be our servants and serve us in the Philistines that I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight together tonight, so the immediate one is this this massive guy right probably like 9 1/2 feet tall. So think of a basketball rim is 6 inches below that ride to see the description of him is he's huge is powerfully strong in and probably would scare the daylights out of any of us if he walked into the room and said who's gonna fight me writes that the immediate issue but actually the deeper issue is what he says in verse 10, I defy the armies of Israel and then look if you would. Verse 26 and 26 he comes out again and and or David's talking and says who's going to take away this reproach from Israel in the middle of verse who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God. In verse 36 he had defied the armies of the living God in 43 is really a key text. The Philistine set them to David and my dog did you come us to me with staves in the Philistine cursed David by his gods the end of verse 45.

I come to the in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied so it is the immediate circumstance looks like this gigantic guy against somebody from Israel, but it actually is a battle of the God Goliath was coming out and cursing Israel by his gods. Another of the same. My gods are better than yours. That's the whole point of the defy the Army of the living God right that army was the Army of God and if he says he can beat them. He can beat God. So the issue wasn't just about who's going to fight the big bad dude. It was about who's God actually is powerful and mighty.

Who's the God that can win and God is jealous for his own glory.

We know that right what Goliath is doing is taunting God and saying my gods are greater in the God of Israel, and God is jealous for the glory and his people should have been to. And that leads us to the second thing was to see the cowards of Israel if I could just put it that way I live verse 11. Description of the Army Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine they were dismayed and greatly afraid that that is repeated again in verse 24. Right. It says and when and all the men of Israel when they saw the man fled from him and were sore afraid. And then verse 32 it says David said let no man's heart fail, so that's what we mean by they were dismayed and afraid their heart was failing at the Israel's Israelite army encounters this man in this test of whose God is greater and they are filled with fear and dismayed right they they withdraw from the field of battle instead of engagement but look at Saul Saul's mention in verse 11.

In verse 33. Look at Saul's response, and Saul said to David, thou are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him regarding our putty youth and him man-of-war from his youth. So Saul also was filled with fear and dismay and evidence. The lack of faith, you're not able to do this, you keep David. You can't do this right and and so while there fear might be natural. Like I said in 9 1/2 foot guy walk through the door and challenge you to fight it might provoke some fear in you that is not an unmet and unnatural response. It was actually rooted, though in unbelief right in this. The part that usually in this and that often and look at this passage is somehow gets disconnected from the ground.

Biblically, in which it stands like as if you were to go and not encourage you to do it when I get take on this morning because of time, but if you're go back and read France's Deuteronomy chapter 9 verses one through three in Deuteronomy chapter 20 verses one through four, you would find that God actually told Israel that they would defeat larger armies and men just like Goliath writes a God had promised to them that they would win in these kinds of fights.

So when they withdrew in fear. It wasn't just a natural fear is actually also the fear that was rooted in unbelief. They didn't trust God about. In fact, in Joshua chapter 11 verses 21 and 22 Goliath is exactly the kind of warrior that God was speaking about because they had already encountered giants and they had beaten them in the land of Israel and driven them up to gas right so the very kind of person that Goliath is God had actually already enabled Israel to defeat and had told them that he would enable them to so so it was an act of faithlessness on their part.

They had they had clear revelation from God that promise them victory and they were not believing the promises of God about that's that's crucial and and now think of Saul himself right.

Think of it. On one hand, what's the description of Saul memories described physically, he's a head taller than everyone else in the land so if there is a giant to be fought, who do you think should be the guy stepping up to fight him right. Just on a human plane you go Saul, this is your guy right you get him but also Saul had been told in chapter 9 he will deliver my people from the Philistines that God had said Saul you will deliver my people from the Philistines, and here's here's a Philistine say will be here for God's him the light that would fulfill the promise and Saul's full of fear and dismayed and lacking in faith right he is prepared by his response to lactic God's glory be trampled coming Goliath comes out day after day after day and says my gods are better than your God. We can be your God and instead of stepping up to guard the glory and name of his God. Saul shrinks back because Saul was about himself back in chapter 14 people from scatter chapter 13 the start of scatter and as sample shows up because of the people were offering. They really chapter 50 you know, I will obey the voice of the Lord, what means this bleating of the sheep in my ears. Well the people line to keep back the Saul was always worried about himself and his standing in his acceptance with the people over his responsibility of obedience to God right does he get a sacrifice, he should do.

He didn't obey God's command to wipe out the Amalekites right she is here as well.

Being in his standing with other people Trumping God in his glory and his will and along comes this little guy David and you and his responses.

How does this guy get away with this right he's defying the armies of God. He's nothing. What is this Philistine right and so the courage of David that shows up here is the fact that his heart is lined up where it should be, and ought to be looking verses 45 to 47 because here's the foundation of it by the foundation of David's courage and David said to the Philistine alchemist to me with a sword and a spear and a shield. I come to be in the name of the Lord God of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied this day will the Lord deliver thee in the mine hand, and I will smite the and take on head from the and I will give the carcasses of the host.

The Philistines this day, under the falls of beer to the wild beasts of the earth. Notice that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel case, a stop right there.

Why is David going to do this. Saul Derek knows that the God in Israel is God right so it's good to be a testimony to all of you pagans out there when I beat this guy because if the battles the Lords urine all know that our God is the true God. But it's not actually just all the people out there look at the next verse, verse 47 and all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear for the battle is Lord and he will give you into our hand so David is also saying everybody here right now. No God I don't have to put on Saul's armor.

I don't have to be a mighty warrior you battles the Lord not let himself be by and I'm going to trust him and he's going to accomplish this victory at that's the foundation of it in the battle is the Lords who is this Philistine compared to the Lord. That's the way he sought right even see a massive man that was more powerful than him. He saw a man who was nothing compared to God right.

The battle is the Lords out there is this sort of sectioning here that I think that's where sometimes forget how to beat the Giants in your life when 34, 37, when Saul says take my armor know this right. I was shepherding and encountered why there God delivered them into my hand. So this Philistine will be no different than their and so I think sometimes you get the little homiletical jewels about you take care of your responsibilities all the stuff you berated the giant in the end, and I don't want to.

I don't want to deny it entirely. What I would say though is that what you probably have it is a little bit of deeper sense of David now since his anointing right because this is all opposed his anointing right that that God's hand is actually awning and he has been chosen to be the ruler. He has responsibility before God and he's going to trust God right he's he's going to be the shepherd of Israel and he's not to betray his responsibilities at all. He's going to trust God to do the thing you supposed to do, and allow God to work. He trusted God to each challenge. On the way. So he was ready. In this particular case, and I think that the contrast with Saul who seems to be retreating at each challenge and David is actually stepping forward at each challenge right then.

Then ultimately the motivation is the glory of God is more concerned about God's glory and his own safety. And here's what I'd say bring it back to where I started. I think I will just say for myself right night I got back in Christ is that your boy went to Christian school came down her college when seminary and when seminary when seminary right so ill piled them all up and and I honestly think for a lot of that that man after God's own heart is like a cliché. You hear, but not necessarily explained what is what is that mean was at me and I think this text helps us understand something about it, and in here's the way I would say right and in my not you might have to wrestle through him saying, but what here's what I would say there is nothing closer to the heart of God than his own glory right God. God made everything for his glory. God is doing all things for his glory because that is right he's all glorious and actually that is the best thing for his creation right if God begins to make us more important than him than the whole things in trouble right. God is the center his glory is the highest, most important, good. There is, it is actually at his heart to guard his glory and advances glory, declare his glory preserve his glory. His glory is it and David is a man after that. And that's what the story shows he is prepared to die in the defense of God's glory doesn't think he will.

I think like me check share I can Abednego remember there you know where I can hesitate to answer. You are God's able to deliver but if not, when I get about him anyway because God matters more to us than we matter to us and David is saying listen. This guy has chosen to take on God, God will take on this life, but wire is not so gotta step up in their premium is because the step up to in their reason that this should happen because David's heartburn with a love for and commitment to God's glory and God's action of his glory. David said I'll step up. That's the kind of person that God is looking for. That's the kind of person that God uses. That's the kind of people he wants us to be.

We love his glory so much that we want to see it proclaim to the ends of the earth were willing to be zealous in the defense of his glory were willing to lay ourselves down for the sake of the glory. That's the kind of person God wants his people to be led by wants his people to be do you love God and his glory so much that you're willing to step out in trust that he will do what he said he will do like Abraham, be strong in faith, giving glory to God because there's places around this globe and unless somebody's going to say they need to hear about Jesus and I'm a step out there, even if it might cost me my life right the glory of God in the face of Christ will be proclaim there, I said it's God's glory in the face of Christ that drives us to go into those places and say there's a Redeemer me tell you about right. If if your personal well-being matters more to you than the glory of God when it gets tough serving Christ in the local church are going to bail when it gets tough in a marriage and a bail when it gets tough. If you're more wired for your self than God's glory. You'll bail you will be feared, where it filled with fear and dismay and withdraw from the fight.

Rather than say this battle is the Lords I'm good to be true to him and trust him to carry out his promises on my behalf right.

That's what God wants us to be. That's what God wants us to do and I God's grace.

He can give us the strength could here's a little boy, young man who who just believed to God loves God and that's the call for us was pretty good.

Lord, please help us get to guard our hearts against the kind of self-love that would cause us to back down from the challenges to your glory. Help us to love you and and love, your honor, that were ready to stand up for it to to not allow the enemy to to defy your glory will pray for all of us in in this room this morning that we might have a heart like David's, that is after your heart. And we know that we cannot love you like we ought to. Until we come to appreciate your love for us and so Lord, please help us to realize that in and not assume that we have come to understand the love that you have for us through your son is the foundation of us.

Loving you the way that we ought, and may we grow in that love that we long to honor you and protect and promote your honor as well ask it in Jesus name, amen. You been listening to a sermon preached in seminary chapel at Bob Jones University by Dr. David Doran, senior pastor and inner-city Baptist Church in Allen Park, Michigan.

I'm Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University and I invite you to join us at our beautiful campus in Greenville, South Carolina to see how you can be prepared academically and spiritually to serve the Lord through one of our more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs. For more information about Bob Jones University, visit www.btu.edu or call 800-252-6363.

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