Heb. 11:32-34 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David... who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
Deut. 20:1 When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Deut. 20:2-4 And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.
1 Sam. 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
The real giant isn t Goliath; it s Israel s unbelief.
1Sam. 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah..
I. Conquering Heroes display a zeal for God s glory.
1Sam. 17:26 And David said to the men who stood by him, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
Acts 17:16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.
1 Sam. 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
II. Conquering Heroes display faith in God s providential preparation.
Providence God s activity in guiding and directing the course of events to fulfill his purposes.
1Sam. 17:34-35 But David said to Saul, Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.
1Sam. 17:36-37 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God. And David said, The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.
And David said, The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.
III. Conquering Heroes display trust in God s sovereign power.
1Sam. 17:45-46 Then David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
1Sam. 17:47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD s, and he will give you into our hand.
1Sam. 17:47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD s, and he will give you into our hand.
Ultimately the story of David and Goliath isn t about how but whom.
David points to a greater conquering hero, the Lord Jesus Christ.
1Cor. 15:55-57 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Sam. 17:52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron.
Conquering heroes follow in procession of Christ the conquering King.
2Cor. 2:14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
Rom. 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Rom. 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Next Steps: 1. Look to Christ the conquering King.
Heb. 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Next Steps: 2. Be courageous!