Sermon Cloud

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Blessing a City in Conflict

The Spirit’s Anointing to Defeat Evil in the City 

1Samuel 17:1-58

INTRODUCTION

David and Goliath—just about everyone has heard this story, even people who aren’t Christians or have never read the Bible.

In the context of the book, this chapter is telling the story of David—who is living in the gap between the way life should be and the way it is.  In that gap, David is striving to be a blessing to the nation of Israel. 

We have the same calling from God.  God wants each one of us—no matter who we are—to seek to live to be a blessing to a city—especially in its conflicts.  When you think of a city in conflict, what do you think of?  What do you see as the things that are most wrong in the city?  In your community?  In your family? 

What do you do when you see things that are wrong?  How do you fix what’s wrong?  Can you really make a difference?

We’re all living in this gap between promise and reality, and this story tells us how we can stand up to what is evil in our city.  We’ll see it today in three points:

I.    Goliath Brings Fear

II.   David Brings Faith

III. How this Applies to us

1. Goliath Brings Fear

Battle by representative—This single combat in v8-9—is well attested in the ancient world.  The belief was that this expressed the will of the deities involved.  It was ultimately a battle between the gods.

V1-3—all things look equal, til Goliath emerges.  In v4-10 the narrator tips the scales.  9’6”, 126 pound coat of armor (normally the heaviest armor was 40-60 pounds), a spear so strong and heavy it had a bowling ball on the end of it: a 15 pound head. 

He’s also not just a freak of nature, he’s a seasoned warrior and he knows it.  V8-10 he taunts

What’s the sum total of all of this?  FEAR!

FEAR—is an emotion of hopelessness, despair, terror.  Sometimes it’s uncertainty about the future, other times it’s certainty or even the possibility of an awful future. 

There are over 550 phobias that are prominent enough to be  listed in psychological classifications. How many more things don’t rise to the level of getting their own name? 

What do you fear?  Financial future?  Job future?  Being alone?

What keeps you up at night?  Wakes you up in the middle of night?

Sometimes fears are debilitating, other times fears can simply make us inactive. 

We’re hoping to make an impact this year as a church—the areas that we want to make progress are battle major issues in the city—homelessness, the church’s relationship with the Gay and Lesbian community, loneliness and community, improving the workplace—some of these things are huge tasks and the size of the foe might lead us to simply not try.  Fear can be debilitating.  What are you afraid of?

Fear spreads like wildfire

V24—all Israel fled from Goliath and were much afraid

V11—Saul, Israel king, was dismayed and greatly afraid.

V28—Eliab also, David’s oldest brother. 

David shows up and Eliab—his oldest brother is rude, cruel, and judgmental.  His words make him sound like Goliath.

He’s really projecting his own fear.  This happens to us too.  He has all kinds of feelings which he cannot handle or will not acknowledge:  feelings of anxiety and impotence vis-à-vis Goliath and his shame at his own failings

If it’s not confronted—fear takes hold and soon everyone is under its curse.

Fear enslaves us—it takes over more and more of life.

So what do we do?  How do we combat fear?  We need faith.  This is what David injects into this dismal picture. 

1. David Brings Faith

David’s faith changes everything

Faith Changes what you see

He sees the entire situation differently.  v26, v36-37, v45-47.  This isn’t confidence in himself, but in God.  He doesn’t see 9 ½ feet, he doesn’t see 125 pounds of armor, all he sees is a human being who is defying the living God.  

He’s learned the lesson of 1Sam 16:7—he’s following God’s heart to look not on the outside. 

He sees his past playing out in the present.

—Yahweh delivered me.  Looking back in faith enables him to look forward in faith.

—It is here that memory and logic can be handmaids of faith.  It is so crucial to remember God’s past deliverances.  If you’ve trouble doing so, invest in a diary.

Faith Changes how you think and what you say. 

David’s words inspire faith and hope in others (the opposite effect of Goliath’s words).

David’s speeches are God-centered.  He starts with God.  This is a whole new world view. To this point the narrative has been “godless,” but now David injects the god question into the episode.  Doesn’t have a living God make a difference in all this? 

Do you think God doesn’t care about your life?  Do you think God won’t be involved in this if we confront evil in the our city?  Do you think he’ll stand by and keep us from growing his kingdom? 

The tragedy is that were someone to hear our thoughts and words in our dangers and troubles they would never guess that we have a living God.

V31—David’s words inspired the soldiers to bring David before Saul.  David’s words in v34-37 inspired Saul with hope that God would give him victory.  This is how our faith works.

Faith Changes how you see yourself

David didn’t become a soldier to fight Goliath, he used his skills and talents as a shepherd. He fights with the tools of a shepherd—sling and stone.  Goliath is simply a wild animal threatening Israel, the flock of God.  David

How do you see yourself?  As just one person?  As just a mom?  Just one employee?  You need to realize that if you believe in Jesus today—you are connected to the living God.  And when you enter into a conflict—you are the one bringing Jesus in!

Faith shows your heart

David is driven by a passion for the honor of God.

David is showing that he is qualified to be the new king.  His passion for God’s glory is on display and it’s highlighted that Yahweh is supporting David.

“Yahweh’s reputation is at stake; that matters to me; that matters enough to risk my life for it.”  —Can we say that?   Is that our vision, our point of view?  What situations are there in our own day, in our own various worlds, where we can clearly see God’s honor is at stake:  Can we say that that matters to us more than our advantage or reputation or security?

For all the buildup, the battle is short lived.  This shows the issue in the narrative is Faith, and God’s power to overcome our weaknesses.

David does the work of the king before he is enthroned.  God often has people prove competent before they take on new responsibilities.  David’s victory is imputed to the people of Israel:  v52-53.

1. How this Applies to Us

Preachers argue about this text in preaching discussions.  In this text is David a picture of you, or of Jesus?  Who does David point to?  A lesson in interpreting OT texts.

The answer is both:  David is a man (like us), anointed by the Holy Spirit (like us), and called by God to stand for him and confront evil (like us).  The second point of our sermon shows how David is a model for us.

But David is also anointed by the Spirit to be the king of Israel (like Jesus), he is called to represent the entire nation (like Jesus), and to do battle with the representative of evil on earth (like Jesus).

Applying David as Jesus: 

Yes, there are things God calls us to do.  By God’s Spirit we can make a difference and have impact.  But there are some things we just can’t do.  We can confront things that are wrong with ourselves, our communities, our city and seek restoration and healing, but we cannot defeat the evil that underlies them.  We cannot defeat the evil that produces the problems that we see.

This is where we see how David points to Jesus.  David was anointed to represent all of God’s people.  This battle between David and Goliath points to the ultimate “battle by representative” between Jesus and Satan.  Jesus did battle with Satan and on the cross they had their final battle. 

David trusted that God would give him the victory, Jesus trusted that God would be victorious, but that to be victorious, Jesus would have to be defeated.  To defeat evil, Jesus had to take on, not just the power of evil, but Jesus had to take on its penalty, so that the world could be free!  So that you and I could be forgiven.  He took our punishment in his death, and we are given new life—a new start with new power in his resurrection.

There is no better picture than this in Scripture of what it means that Jesus is the Christ—the Messiah.  Have you wondered why Jesus is called “Christ”?  It means anointed by the Holy Spirit, and the function of the Christ is to represent his people.  What happens to the Christ happens to us.  If he loses, we lose, if he wins, we win.  And Jesus won in the resurrection, so we share his victory. 

Now, we are empowered by Jesus’ victory, so we are like the army of the Philistines (v52-53)—we go out and eradicate evil with the mercy and grace of the gospel wherever we find it.

We go out, not with sling and stone, but with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. This is the fruit that the Spirit produces in us, and these are the weapons that we fight with because these show the power and the presence of the living God.  .

Is Jesus your Christ?  Is he your representative?  Confess your sins, put your faith in his death and resurrection, and you’ll experience his victory in your life, and his power through you to bring his healing to our city.