You’re Not David - Pastor Raymond Woodward

my subject is you're not David because King Saul has continually rebelled against God's Spirit the Lord has finally removed his anointing and given it to a man after God's own heart and because of this huge spiritual void that's now in Saul's life an evil spirit now troubles the Kings mind and Saul's violent mood swings are becoming so severe that the king of Israel is quickly sinking into depression and paranoia and while their king is preoccupied with his own personal problems one of Israel's ancient arch enemies has been encroaching deep into Israelite territory the Philistines have now actually set up a war camp right in the midst of Judah itself and they are making constant threats against God's people backslidden King Saul he's just as terrified as all of his soldiers are and without any spiritual leadership it appears that Israel's defeat is imminent Israel has a gigantic problem because the Philistines have a gigantic champion named Goliath this isn't the first time the Israelites have faced Giants and to be honest their track record just isn't very good when they were on the verge of conquering their promised land 10 out of the 12 spies concluded that it was impossible to do so precisely because there were giants in the land here's what they said there we saw the Giants the sons of a knack which come of the Giants and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers and so we were in their sight and as a result of that unbelief and doubt and fear God led a whole generation wander in the wilderness for 40 years only after they died off did the Lord finally allow Joshua and Caleb to lead a new generation in to conquer the land when Joshua conquered the and the that's the sons of a knack they relocated all those giants to five city-states in the south one of which was Gath and now a giant named Goliath from Gath descended from that same race of giants that they were so fearful of he's threatening Israel again and once more fear and doubt have completely paralyzed the Israelites but Goliath is not simply a giant it's more than that his armor is described in great detail for a reason not just because it's heavy or large he is armed the Bible says with a coat of mail literally a breastplate of scales so Goliath is a picture of the serpent the snake that defeated Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and when Adam failed there was a promise given that some day Jesus the seed of the woman would one day crush the head of the serpent and we are about to see David who's just a young man at this point but he's the ancestor of Jesus he doesn't know that yet but he is the ancestor of the Messiah and young David is going to defeat Goliath with a head wound just like Jesus will do someday but right now nobody sees that right now every single day Goliath issues the same challenge he will fight whatever champion Israel selects and whoever wins this one-on-one combat will win the victory for their respective nation in the Book of Numbers Israel fear to enter the promised land because of Giants and they spent 40 years in the wilderness now the giant Goliath has taunted them for 40 days and they are once again failing the test because of unbelief now in reality Saul he should be Israel's champion against Goliath after all they chose him to be their king so he could go out before them and fight their battles that's what the deal was but right now Saul is as terrified as his soldiers are so God's about ready to raise up an unlikely champion to win the victory and let me tell you that is always what God does what the enemy thinks he's got the victory over God can cut through all the noise and all the distraction and all the unbelief and raise up a champion that's what he always does those who served in ancient armies they had to provide their own food their rations and so Jesse sends his youngest boy David to the Israelite camp with food for his three oldest brothers who serve in Saul's army that's not a coincidence that David just happens to walk into the camp of the Israelites on the 40th day as the two armies once again face-off and as Goliath once again issues his intimidating challenge Goliath has been taunting the Israelites with the same threatening words for 40 days the only difference on this day is that David heard those words up until now everybody's heard the words and they're scared but on this day a young man with faith in God he heard the same threat and he also overheard the soldiers talking about the reward Saul promised to give whoever would volunteer to be Israel's champion he would be given the king's daughter to marry he would receive great riches and his entire family would be forever exempted from paying taxes to the king but it's not the reward that motivates young David that's not what it is at all it's his indignation to think that an uncircumcised philistine dares to defy God and God's people when David's oldest brother Ely AAB hears about all of his questions he goes on the attack against David he accuses his younger brother of shirking his responsibilities of halt at home and of meddling in a battle it is his and of having a proud and arrogant spirit but none of that's true Ely AB is just trying to divert attention from the fact that he as a soldier is shirking his responsibilities he's the one along with all the rest of Saul's army and the king himself that are fearful afraid terrorized panic-stricken David's older brothers by the way we're really the first Giants that he ever faced in his life because they said all kinds of negative things about him but David refused to believe it so David persists and asking questions and he says things like is there not a cause like what is going on here isn't somebody gonna do anything and finally King Saul hears about it and now we see this strange sight kind of comical this young man is in the Kings tent on the front of the battlefield and he's trying to comfort the king of Israel this young boy don't lose heart King don't be afraid King Saul I'll go fight the giant for you it's ridiculous but see Saul's only able to see things from a human perspective so he tries to discourage David you're too young to even serve in the army Goliath has been a soldier for many years see David has something that Saul doesn't have David has a track record of a bunch of smaller victories in God over the years so he's confident that God can help him he defeated a lion all by himself with the help of God he defeated a bear all by himself with the help of God he protected the Sheep all by himself with the help of God so you need to stop listening to what the devil is taunting you with and threatening you with and you just need to remember I won that victory in prayer it might have been small but let me tell you something if I want a small victory my God can save by many or by few I can win a big victory if I can see a little provision I can see a great provision if I can see a little miracle I can see a great miracle it's amazing with God on his side here's what David knows it's not a fair fight victory is inevitable Saul believes that power is found in Armour and weapons and that's why he is scared out of his mind but David knows I can't use Saul's armor because it doesn't fit me and I can't fight the our enemy like Saul because I would have lost I've never used armor I've never used a sword or a shield or a spear those things would pose a greater danger to David than Goliath would but David from all those years spent out in the field worshipping and singing and writing Psalms and playing his harp and protecting sheep and fighting animals off David was deadly with a slingshot and David knew he was deadly with that little thing so he wasn't afraid of the big battle every wild animal that attacked David's flock was a test sent from God David could have sacrificed the Sheep for his own safety but he passed the test by risking his life for the flock and in the process David cultivated abilities that would change his destiny and change Israel's history and it looks like David's got an obvious disadvantage he wasn't even in the army surely it would take a trained soldier to face down a brutal fighting machine a tank like Goliath David didn't even know how to wield a sword to throw a spear because all he'd been doing his tending sheep and worshipping his God that's all but that perceived disadvantage actually gave David a great advantage over Goliath Israelite soldiers were trained the same way that Philistine soldiers were trained hand-to-hand combat up close but nobody was going to defeat Goliath that way because he was a hunk of a man so especially David couldn't because he was just a boy he couldn't match kalaiy a size or strength or skill you can't fight a giant on the Giants terms you have to change the rules of engagement and fight the giant on God's terms the worst way to fight a giant is up close with a sword you're going to get slaughtered but the best way to fight a giant something small that you know from years of experience from about 20 or 30 paces back you take that slingshot that's been a honed in the presence of God doing God's work and worshiping God all the while and you take that and you don't ever come near the giant the giant gets defeated from far away where he can't touch you so it seems like David is totally unprepared but actually he's perfectly prepared and while it seems like he had wasted his time herding sheep protecting his flock and worshiping God and writing his little songs out in the valley it's critical to note the battle with Goliath was not won in the Valley of Elah that's where the battle was fought that's not where the battle was won the battle was won years before when David built his relationship with his God so the battle was won before David ever walked on a battlefield that's how we win years before David had written these words the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me to lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters and he restores my soul he leads me you see that he leads me he leads me he leads me David had a relationship with God and then he says this yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death facing a giant on a battlefield I will fear no evil because when I'm in the middle of the worst battle of my life thou art with me thy rod and thy staff comfort me you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you anoint my head with oil and my cup runs over so Goliath you get a whole big army but I've got two of God's bodyguards surely goodness and mercy they're following me right out into the middle of the battlefield all the days of my life and I will dwell in house on the Lord forever and there's nothing you are the devil or anybody else can do about that oh my goodness ha ha when Goliath sees this kid approaching him he laughs disdainfully he has no idea who he's actually dealing with this is not a battle between a massive giant and a little boy this is a battle between a little teeny giant and a great big god only David had the proper perspective on Israel's enemy and that's why he won several times at first Samuel 17 you can read it when you go home we are told that Goliath has defied the God of Israel several times and David is passionate about the name of the Lord Goliath over and over again every day for 40 days he has committed blasphemy against the name of the Lord and blasphemy is a capital offense in ancient Israel demanding death by stoning and so stoning is precisely what David sets out to do on that day David said to the Philistine you come to me with all your weapons with a sword and with a spear and with the shield but I come to you not with my little slingshot and a rock I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts the god of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied now I want you to notice this in 1st Samuel 17 three different times the Bible says these words about Goliath there went on a champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath behold there came up the champion the Philistine of Gath goliath by name out of the armies of israel and when the philistines saw their champion was dead they fled three times the word translated champion in that chapter literally means man of the between because goliath stands between the philistines and israel but a decisive victory is won that day because David becomes Israel's champion the man of the between their representative the man who dares to stand between them and their enemy now I came with a different kind of message today so far we're good so far we're normal so far this is exactly what you expected but that's not what I came to tell you today it's a wonderful thing to be able to read this Bible the scriptures and draw strength and instruction and inspiration and encouragement from the lives of God's people after all the bible does give us permission to do that 1st corinthians chapter 10 paul said now all these things happen to them for our in samples our examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come so we have permission that's why there are so many christian books about defeating the giants in your life they're everywhere we've got a glut of them and all of these books without exception they all feature you as david and your problem as goliath and of course in every one of these books you are always victorious in the end and christian consumers buy them and christian readers read them and pastors use them all the time to even develop sermon series and everybody lives happily ever after because that's the way it always should be there are all kinds of them I did a quick Amazon search this morning courage to face a giant facing the giants facing your giant facing Goliath taking on Goliath this is how I fight my battles 12 ways to win against your giant giant killers overcoming the Giants that robbed you of your best life raising giant killers releasing your child's destiny slaying the Giants in your life and Goliath must fall there's all kinds of them and in every one of those books your David and your problems Goliath and you always win thank God but if we're honest we'd have to admit that it's not always quite that simple in life Giants tend to be fierce foes and we tend to be fickle heroes who sometimes fail we forget Paul's statement in first Corinthians 10 11 which I just read we forget that it's preceded by a long list of Israel's failures and then it's followed by this statement all these things happen to them for our examples and then it says wherefore let him that thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall you could lose that battle with that giant you see there's a type of Bible reading and Bible teaching and Bible preaching today where I'm always the hero I'm always innocent Abel never hateful Cain I'm always loyal Abraham never greedy lot I'm always faithful Joseph I'm never his conniving brothers I'm always brave Moses never the rebels worshipping around a golden calf just a few weeks after God delivered me from Egypt oh that would never be me I'm always the three Hebrew boys who won't bow never the multitude of Jewish boys who caved in to the pressure and went the way of the crowd never not me I'm always the disciple who follows never the Pharisee who judges I'm always brave Peter on the day of Pentecost never the coward who denied Jesus three times because he was afraid I'm always fearless David defeating the giant I'm never back slidden King Saul cowering in his tent and I'm certainly never the Israelite army shaking in their boots on the hillside while Goliath roars out his threats could we just be honest this morning you're not always the hero you're not always David sometimes you're the rebel the coward the Pharisee the bad guy the victim the loser the sinner the failure if you can't bring yourself to admit that you're missing half the message of the Bible maybe the most important half because until you realize you're a sinner and a failure and sometimes a loser you can't get God who is the holy and the righteous and always the victor anything else is a misreading of the Bible that makes man the champion and God just kind of a service that we use and that is the original lie from the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve you shall be as God's that's what got us into this mess in the first place pastor Raymond I thought it said in the Bible we are more than conquerors oh yeah that's in there romans 8 verse 7 glad you brought that up in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us on your own you're not more than a conqueror on your own you're not a great hero on your own you're not a great victor but through him you are more than a conqueror and this is life and this is real and for all of you that are watching online today I have something to tell you that's very important the reason your can-do attitude and your self-help books and your man-made principles and your work duck Kurds the reason those things aren't working is because they're not supposed to you're not David you've tried to kill your giant but he keeps getting back up and throwing that spear and wielding that sword and pushing you back threatening your life and striking fear in your heart do you know why because you're not David you've been faithful and obedient and prayerful and hopeful but you still have that sickness and you still have that fear and you still have that circumstance and you still have that issue in your family the Giant is still roaring it doesn't seem to be working the battle is still waging your strength is failing and your joy is fading you know why it's fairly simple you're not David the many sermons have been preached from David's story and all of these books and they've all encouraged us to be David and battle the Giants that plagued our lives in all of these sermons in all of these books we are David fighting against insurmountable odds and always winning with the help of the Lord please hear me the real message of 1st Samuel 17 is not that you or you were called to be like David the real message of 1st Samuel 17 is that we have a David we stand on that hillside with all of humanity scared to death easily panicked scarred and bruised and injured and wounded by everything that the snake has done everything that the Giant has done and we are terrified of all of his threats and then we look down in the valley from our hillside of fear our hillside of failure and we look down in the valley and we see Jesus all alone facing the might of the entire Roman Empire the entire Sanhedrin of Israel standing alone taken to Calvary and he looks so small and so weak and so frail and like such a victim as he hangs on that cruel cross he has no weapons to fight with except himself and the name that he carries because that wasn't just a prophet on the cross that wasn't just a teacher or by on the cross that was God manifest in flesh on the cross and the snake laughs with a sinister glee because he thinks he's already won but he has no idea in the valley called ela a boy named David stood all alone between Israel and their enemy what is at stake is not just David's life it's all of their lives the outcome of his battle will be the outcome of their battle they don't fight they're not brave they're too scared to fight they're too weak to fight all they can do is hope that maybe just maybe that little boy down in the valley looking at that Hulk of a man that great big giant that gigantic obstacle all they can do is hope that somehow against all rules of logic David will somehow pull a rabbit out of the Hat and pull victory out of certain defeat their future literally rests on David's shoulders as he walks out a little young man a little boy to face Goliath I got one better than that on the hill called Golgotha Jesus stands between us and our eternal enemy what is at stake is not just his life it is all of our lives the outcome of his battle will be the outcome of our battle he is our champion he is the man of the between he is the man that stands between heaven and hell between the devil and humanity and he does it on the cross he literally hangs on the cross between us and our judgment and our eternity literally rests on his shoulders as he faces the devil and hell and the might of an entire peg the Empire no wonder Paul said this in Romans for when we were yet without strength you weren't the strong one you weren't the courageous one you weren't the victorious one when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly that was you that was me when the Philistines see that sling whirl around and they see that stone fly through the air and then they see that giant fall and then they see David walk up this young man he doesn't even have his own sword only the Philistines have source he takes Goliath own sword and he cuts off his head and when they see that they flee you know why because they're champions defeat means they are defeated and when Israel realizes what has just happened that they're champions victory means their victory they surge forward with a shout and they pursue the enemy and they push the Philistines totally outside Israel's territory once and for all and take the spoil from their tents David's victory brought them victory let me tell you something Jesus victory is what brings you victory you don't have to be strong you don't have to be great you don't have to be awesome you don't have to always get it right Jesus victory is your victory Jesus conquered death hell and the grave but he also conquered sin and sickness and evil and so his victory becomes your victory Romans chapter 16 Paul closes his great epistle with these words and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly what are you talking about Paul I'm saying that because Jesus won a victory I can win a victory because Jesus conquered the devil I can conquer the devil because Jesus shed his blood that blood can give me healing because Jesus shed blood that blood didn't give me deliverance because Jesus shed his blood that blood can take my sin away Jesus won the victory I didn't I'm not David he's David oh I wish you'd worship the Lord at home join us and just thank God he is the great victor oh thank you Jesus thank you Jesus music come on back would you just take a load off your mind and stop trying to discover the champion in you and instead discover the champion who is for you that's what you need to do you're not David but Jesus became your David Hebrews chapter 2 for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood this is our realm this is where we live were just flesh and blood he also himself likewise he didn't have to but he wanted to he took part of the same he robed himself in flesh that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death who'd have thought that a little boy walking out onto a battlefield could have conquered that giant and who'd have thought that one man dying on a cross could result in millions being ready for heaven but that's exactly what happened he destroyed the power of death that is the devil but here's the here's the greatest part as far as the rest of us are concerned and that's theology here's the practical that's theological here's real life he didn't just destroy the power of death in the devil theologically speaking he delivered those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage the message of the Bible is not that you can be so great and have such an awesome life and be victorious over everything all by your little ol self and you're the hero and every story and the bride at every wedding congratulations you're you that is not the message of the Bible the message of the Bible is that we were sinners and we do struggle and we have fallen and we do fear I'm not David you're not David but I have a David you know a David he can free you from any bondage that is in your life right now and I address every person that is watching this moment and I address every person that will watch this in the next few weeks Jesus conquered the devil so you could conquer the devil it's not your victory it's you standing in his victory 1st Corinthians chapter 1 Paul said the preaching of the cross including this preaching this morning the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish it's foolishness the world thinks they've got so much else on the agenda and on the table right now and they're concerned about so many things I'm not saying those things are not important I'm saying the most important thing you will come across this week is not in the media it's in the Word of God the preaching of the Cross I know to the world it's just foolishness but see unto us that are on the other side of this equation we've already come through the door marked Calvary and we know this Jesus to us which are saved this thing that's so foolish to the world it is the power of God just a word for you you've tried everything everything you know it your friends know what your family knows it you've tried everything you've dabbled in so many things after trying everything else try the cross try Jesus he never fails he never loses a battle even when it looks like he and his church are outnumbered he never loses a battle so try Jesus the last chapter of the last book in your Bible I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches I am the root and the offspring of David oh yeah I'm one of his descendants but I was actually here before him on the root and the offspring of David and I am the bright and the morning star and because I am and because I won and because there's no giant no devil no demon from hell that is greater than me because of that the spirit and the bride say come but there has to be a response in your heart let him that heareth say come I want to get to Jesus and let him that is athirst come oh you know you're thirsty you've tried so many things you know you're thirsty you know that what you're partaking of right now doesn't meet your needs it doesn't give you fulfillment it doesn't give you joy you know so before you try something else that's gonna fail you try this Jesus who never fails whosoever will let him take the water of life freely I hope you're not offended but you're not David but I have good news for you regardless because my Jesus became your David and he won the battle for you everybody here in the building would you lift your hands and begin to pray everybody at home would you join us you just need to kind of get out of your comfort zone at home and maybe just lift your hands sitting on your couch maybe just lift your voice sitting at your kitchen table and just worship Jesus because here's what I know you may not be able to beat that diagnosis but Jesus already paid the price for you to beat that diagnosis you might not be able to win that battle over addiction but Jesus already defeated the enemy that brought that addiction into your life so you don't have to be David take a load of pressure off yourself you don't have to be always good you don't have to be always great you don't have to be always strong you're not David but he's David and he can win the battle for you and his victory can become your victory today oh my goodness most that they're here if you just reach over to somebody else that's in your bubble and if you begin to pray those of you at home same thing reach over to somebody you're already there just reach over and let's pray together Lord God I speak a delivering word over your people there is so much fear there is so much sickness there is so much bondage there is so much addiction there is so much panic there is so much opposition there are so many attacks the enemy is fierce the enemy has come down to earth with great wrath he knows his time is short but in the middle of an unprecedented attack from hell we have an unprecedented champion in the name of Jesus and so Lord God praying right now you would move in every home right now you would deliver every life right now you would heal the sickness that the doctors say there's no cure for right now you would raise up the person who's been so depressed and so defeated for so long they can't imagine anything different than eternal sadness but you came to give them the joy of the Lord which is their strength right now Jesus I pray you would do it in your mighty name your all-powerful name God step out on the battlefield where we can't win and win the victory step out on the battlefield where we can't prevail and Jesus let your name prevail don't give God praise in this building give God praise in this building [Music] Jesus get Jesus thank you Jesus I give you praise I give you praise I give you praise thank you God shorten up by back yet rabbi hiyya just for one more moment just lift up your hands and just give God praise thank you Jesus sing that team must come down every strong host

Channel: Capital Community Church

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Keywords: capital, community, church, fredericton, nb, new, brunswick, canada, upc, upci, united, pentecostal, international, apostolic, christian, preaching, sermons, sermon, raymond, woodward, jack, leaman, matthew, bible, study, biblical teaching

Id: nD3x8yk_edQ

Length: 37min 51sec (2271 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 07 2020