WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:00.640 Well, welcome. 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:04.160 We are working our way through 1st and 2nd Samuel. 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:07.519 This is sort of one big epic story. 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:10.800 It feels like a great Netflix series waiting to happen. 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:15.439 Eli and Samuel, the rise and fall of King David, David and Goliath today. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:19.440 And what we talked about last week is that God looks at the heart. 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:21.760 He looks past the appearance and he looks at the heart. 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:25.519 In fact, we greeted each other last week in a way I want us to greet each other this week. 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:28.960 Everybody turn to their neighbor and say, You look so good. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:31.199 Just turn to your neighbor, turn to somebody. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:32.479 He looks so good. 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:35.039 Now everybody look back and say, Who cares? 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:35.759 Who cares? 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:37.039 Just say, who cares? 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:38.159 Who cares? 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:39.520 Who cares? 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:42.880 That is 1 Samuel 16 and 17. 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:50.640 That God looks past our appearance, how much we're dressing ourselves up and how well we're doing in life, and he looks at our hearts. 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:58.320 In 1 Samuel 16, Samuel, the prophet, is grieving that King Saul is not going to be the king much longer. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:03.920 But God directs him, Samuel, to go and anoint a new king from Jesse's sons. 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:09.120 Samuel gets there, he looks through all these boys, and here's what happens as these sons gather. 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:11.760 1 Samuel 16, starting verse 6. 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:20.640 When they came, so the boys, all these sons, Samuel looked on Eliab and thought, surely the Lord's anointed is before him. 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:26.879 But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look on his appearance or on his height of his stature, because I have rejected him. 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:29.120 For the Lord sees not as man sees. 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:32.959 Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:37.359 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass for Samuel. 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:40.480 And he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:44.560 Then Jesse made Shema pass by, and he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. 00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:47.760 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:50.959 And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen these. 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:54.159 Then Samuel said, Jesse, are all your sons here? 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:59.040 And he said, There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep. 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:04.719 And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:13.680 And he sent and brought him, and he was ready, and he had beautiful eyes, and was handsome, and the Lord said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:21.280 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. 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:23.520 And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:28.159 Point number one is this is God does not see you as man sees you. 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:37.120 All these boys come strutting in front of Samuel, but the one that the Lord anoints is the forgotten one, the youngest one. 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:39.199 He's doing the lowly job. 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:44.080 That's the one that God sees because God's looking at the heart. 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:48.479 Back in 2017, there's a really sweet movie called Wonder. 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:51.919 And it's about a boy, the story of Augie. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:54.960 And Augie was born with facial differences. 00:02:55.520 --> 00:02:59.599 And so because of that, he was homeschooled and he doesn't go to school until the fifth grade. 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:07.199 And because of his facial differences, when he gets to school, of course he's rejected and bullied because of what he looks like. 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:11.840 But there are a few kids that see past his outer appearance. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:21.039 And there's a scene in the cafeteria where a little girl realizes what's inside of us is more important than what we look like. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:23.599 Let's watch just about a minute and a half clip. 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:25.439 I wonder what happened. 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:26.960 Maybe Jack Dr. 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:30.960 Not Very. 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:02.480 He sees past the exterior. 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:04.000 He sees past our skin. 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:06.240 He sees past our weight, our hair color. 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:07.920 He sees past our resume. 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:11.519 He sees past our disciplines or how disciplined we are. 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:17.920 Now we are drawn to what impresses, what feels strong, what looks and feels put together, right? 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:21.199 When Samuel sees Eliab, he's, well, this is the guy. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:23.519 I mean, look at his, he's so tall and of stature. 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:24.560 I mean, this is the guy. 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:26.160 Look at all these impressive sons. 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:27.439 Surely it's one of these. 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.560 No, no, no, it's the one they forget about. 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:36.079 Because of verse 7, for the Lord sees not as man sees. 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:42.959 Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart, which is incredibly good news if you're aging. 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:43.920 Amen. 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:44.560 Right? 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:46.480 If you get, like if you have a little bit of something here. 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:47.439 I used to have a chin. 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:48.959 The chin is now going away. 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:52.160 It's just sort of like this slant down to my neck. 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:55.199 I have bony shoulders, always have. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:06:01.360 So maybe you're aging, or maybe you just have something about your body that's like, I don't like it. 00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:09.920 Isn't it good news to know that your imperfect failing body is not what God sees, that he actually sees your heart? 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:12.399 And God doesn't even look on your resume. 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:17.199 He doesn't look on your Peter Millar quarter zip, which I love. 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:19.680 They're so soft and I love them. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:21.120 God looks at our hearts. 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:27.519 This is a foundational principle of how God works and relates with us. 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:34.399 Now back in 1990, People magazine began to do the most beautiful people, people cover. 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:35.759 Like every year they do this. 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:37.600 The most beautiful people, people. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:41.680 So on the cover, this uh past year in 2025 was Demi Moore. 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:45.120 Here's a picture of Demi Moore, uh, 62 years old. 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:46.480 I'm sure no work's been done. 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:46.959 None. 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:48.879 There's no work done there. 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:49.839 Uh she is beautiful. 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:51.360 I fell in love with her back at Ghost. 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:54.959 I don't know anybody else that that age, my age, she loved Ghost, right? 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:56.720 Like that's when I fell in love with her. 00:06:56.879 --> 00:06:58.079 So the magazine picked her. 00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:00.959 She's the most beautiful person in the entire world. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:08.240 And the magazine said they picked her because she's finally becoming okay with herself, which is a wonderful, wonderful thing. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:12.079 She said that she brutalized herself with workouts and never feeling beautiful. 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:14.560 Here's what she said about beauty. 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:18.160 On a human level, I find it's authenticity and positivity. 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:21.839 Beauty comes out of comfort with being exactly who you are. 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:23.279 Now, she is beautiful. 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:24.720 She's beautiful at 62. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:26.560 She was beautiful 30 years ago. 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:29.040 The magazine's filled with beautiful people. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:31.120 They are beautiful, which is great. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:32.639 And maybe you're beautiful. 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:33.360 Fantastic. 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:34.560 I love that you're beautiful. 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:36.079 Maybe you take care of yourself. 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:37.199 Maybe you're in shape. 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:38.560 Maybe you have good skin care. 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:39.839 Maybe you get Botox. 00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:40.639 Wonderful. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:41.120 Great. 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:41.839 I don't care. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:42.959 That's fantastic. 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:44.319 Look wonderful. 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:46.160 In fact, be disciplined. 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:47.040 Volunteer. 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:48.000 Come to church. 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:50.480 All these things are wonderful. 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:54.079 But God looks at your heart. 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:56.959 He sees through all of that and he looks at our hearts. 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:01.600 Here's what Jesus says on this topic Matthew 23, 25 through 28. 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:11.199 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:17.680 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:29.439 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:35.279 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:36.399 Right? 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:42.080 Jesus is saying, you can behave and act and put on a show and look righteous and kind. 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:44.320 But God looks at your heart. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:47.279 What's going on on the inside? 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:52.720 Matthew 5, 8, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:57.759 Back in 1 Samuel 16, Saul's unraveling, the king's unraveling. 00:08:58.320 --> 00:08:59.440 He's having a tough time. 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:03.200 He asked for someone to come and play music for him to calm down. 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:06.559 I was like, oh, this is kind of like when I'm so anxious. 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:08.720 I feel like I'm about to have a panic attack. 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:10.000 I'm so worried about something. 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:18.720 And if just Carrie Job can sing worship over me, just put on my AirPods, I'll put on some Carrie Job, the blessing, and just let it just like put it on repeat. 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:20.080 And I was like, calm down. 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:21.679 This is what Saul is doing. 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:24.559 So he's like, I need somebody to play music for me just to calm me down. 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:26.080 Well, guess who's been playing music? 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:27.360 Because he's been out tending sheep. 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:29.919 He's been a little bored, so he's been playing his instruments. 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:30.720 David. 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:32.879 David's been tending sheep and playing music. 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:34.480 So they send for David. 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:37.840 He's been anointed to be king, but he's not king yet. 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:39.840 There's a long waiting period. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:41.200 So they send for him. 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:42.720 1 Samuel 16, 21. 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:44.879 And David came to Saul and entered his service. 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:48.159 Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:53.440 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight. 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:59.679 And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyri and played it with his hand. 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:04.639 So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him. 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:11.120 Point number two, God is quietly at work even when it seems like nothing is happening. 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:15.120 See, David serves before he leads. 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:20.720 Even before he serves Saul, there's these years of him being a shepherd. 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:31.360 And then we can see as the story plays out, all his incredibly ordinary, faithful life creates his future. 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:37.039 Most of our lives are just filled with ordinary, small, faithful living. 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.679 And God uses all of that. 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:44.399 God is faithful in the small as we are faithful in the small. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:52.320 See, many of us are in seasons that we can feel insignificant, we can feel hidden, but with God, nothing is wasted. 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:54.080 None of that is wasted. 00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:57.600 See, there's two histories occurring in all of our lives. 00:10:57.759 --> 00:10:59.200 One is the current events. 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:04.639 Your current events, what happened last week in your life, what will happen this coming week in your life. 00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:06.480 That's the current events of your life. 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:12.320 Now, those current events make up a story that's being formed over time. 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:17.919 That second story, that's the real story, and that's called providence. 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:23.279 Here's how the Heidelberg Catechism defines this idea of the providence of God. 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:48.480 The providence of God is the Almighty, everywhere present, power of God, whereby, as it were, by his hand, he still upholds heaven and earth with all creatures, that's us, and so governs them that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, all things come not by chance, but by his fatherly hand. 00:11:49.039 --> 00:12:01.120 Now that doesn't mean you're gonna have a pain-free life, and it doesn't mean you're gonna have answers for all of your pain, but what it does mean is that God is working out a story over time and he knows you. 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:08.159 He knows your pain, he knows you're small and you're ordinary, and he is writing a story for you. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:13.120 That's the power of providence that God cares for you and he's sovereign. 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:17.840 Now, back in 1 Samuel 17, God's people have some vicious enemies. 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:21.200 These people are the Philistines, they're on one hill. 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:25.600 God's people, the Israelites, are on the other hill, and they're gonna battle. 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:30.000 But first, what happens is this giant from the Philistines comes down into the valley. 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:37.120 The guy's like nine feet tall, bronze helmet, bronze armor, huge javelin. 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:39.519 This guy's a stud warrior. 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:44.320 And he's coming out into the valley because he's being a representative warrior. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:46.480 I'll represent my army. 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:48.799 You send somebody out, we'll fight one-on-one. 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:51.200 Whoever wins, wins for their whole army. 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:54.080 Whoever loses, loses for their whole army. 00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:57.120 1 Samuel 17, 8 through 11. 00:12:58.080 --> 00:13:03.360 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, Why have you come out to draw up for battle? 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:06.240 Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:07.679 Choose a man for yourselves. 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:09.039 Let him come down to me. 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:12.399 If he's able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:17.120 But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us. 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:22.639 And the Philistine said, I defy the ranks of Israel to say, Give me a man that we may fight together. 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:28.559 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:33.919 Now there in the army, there's three brothers of David that are there battling. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:36.240 They're at the camp and they go out to the battle line. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:37.200 They hear this. 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:39.279 And then there's David who's tending the sheep. 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:40.720 He's sort of running back and forth. 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:46.240 He's tending the sheep, he's handling some of that, and he'd run food up to his brothers that are in the battle. 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:50.559 While he's up there running food up to his brothers, David hears this. 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:53.919 He walks out to represent his army. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:56.480 For 40 days, Goliath does this. 00:13:56.960 --> 00:13:59.360 Nobody's brave enough to go out to fight this guy. 00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:01.679 And then David hears him. 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:06.000 And David says this, uh, 1 Samuel 17, 26. 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:12.639 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? 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:18.639 For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? 00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:23.600 And the people answered him in the same way, so shall it be done to the man who kills him. 00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:36.879 Now Eliab, his eldest brother, typical big brother, when he spoke to the men, and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why have you come down? 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:40.399 And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:45.519 I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come town to see the battle. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:48.320 And David said, What have I done now? 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:50.559 Why is it not but a word? 00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:52.960 And he turned away from him toward another. 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:54.080 That's what little brothers do. 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:57.919 Big brother, all these claims, little brothers ignores them and moves on. 00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:02.639 So David turns away, spoke in the same manner, and then the people answered him again as before. 00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:08.000 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for David. 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:12.240 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:15.759 Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:19.279 And Saul says to David, you're just a boy. 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:20.639 Like, what are you gonna do? 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:23.600 But Saul doesn't know something that David knows. 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:25.360 See, David's been tending sheep. 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:28.240 He's just been doing the small ordinary stuff, just been faithful. 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:31.759 And the whole time he's been doing that, he's had to defend these sheep. 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:34.960 So he has fought bear and he has fought lion. 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:37.600 He has killed bear and he has killed lion. 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:39.759 A giant's just not that big of a deal. 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:43.600 He's done it before, and he can do it again. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:46.559 So David is like, yeah, I'll go fight him. 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:49.200 I'll have to take him down like I took down the bear and the lion. 00:15:49.840 --> 00:16:05.039 So David picks up five smooth stones from a stream, puts them in his pouch, walks out into the valley, slings it, hits Goliath right in the forehead, drops the giant, goes, takes the guy's own sword, cuts his head off. 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:08.480 Kind of gruesome, but kind of cool, let's be honest. 00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:12.480 1 Samuel 17, 43. 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:17.519 And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog that you have come to me with sticks? 00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:20.000 And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:23.919 The Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give you flesh to the birds. 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:26.320 This is a lot of trash talking right before the fight. 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:37.519 Then David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword and with a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you defied. 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:43.519 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. 00:16:43.679 --> 00:17:00.639 And I will give the dead bodies of the hosts of the Philistines to say to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, and all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 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. 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:06.480 So sure enough, David walks out there, drops him, cuts off his head, wins the battle. 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:16.559 In the 1500s, there was an artist, Tatian, who painted a painting of this scene, David and Goliath. 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:18.000 Here's a picture of the painting. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:23.440 This painting hangs, it's on the ceiling of the sacristy of a church in Venice, Italy. 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:28.000 So sacristy is where the church prepares the communion. 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:36.400 So they're there preparing the feast for God's people that symbolizes how enough, more than enough, Jesus is for us. 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:40.079 And whoever's preparing that can always look up and see this painting. 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:44.960 It's incredibly similar to our church, right out of that front hallway there by that kitchen sink. 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:46.160 Very similar setting. 00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:47.839 Very similar. 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:54.720 If you look at this painting, your eye is naturally drawn to the sky. 00:17:55.519 --> 00:17:59.839 All this event and action and energy is below. 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:04.720 But the artist wants your eye to go to the sky. 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:06.799 The break in the clouds. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:11.039 Because it's highlighting the victory was through the divine. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:13.839 Which was David's point. 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:15.920 God's with me. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:17.039 I'm not alone. 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:19.200 I have outside help. 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:24.720 And David doesn't just fight for himself, he fights for his people. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:28.559 And when he wins, they win. 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:33.599 The victory that he wins is imputed to his people. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:39.599 This is how this story is a beautiful image of the doctrine of imputation for us. 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:52.480 Just as Jesus goes to the cross and dies for our sin, all of our guilt put upon him, all of his righteousness given to us, so we are secure as God's beloved because of Jesus. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:54.400 That's imputation. 00:18:54.720 --> 00:19:00.240 Just as David's victory is given to the soldiers, Jesus' victory is given to us. 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:03.279 The story tells us our story in this way. 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:05.599 Number one, there are giants everywhere. 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:08.640 We are more helpless than we want to admit. 00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:10.799 And number two, we need help. 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:14.160 We are not David, but we need a David. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:18.400 And this is how David points us to Jesus. 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:22.559 Point number three, we live from victory, not for victory. 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:29.519 We live, fight, live our lives from a point of a victory already given to us. 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:30.559 It's already, it's over. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:31.519 That's over. 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:34.880 Romans 6, 17 through 19. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:49.680 For if by the trespass of one man death reign through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ? 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:59.039 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. 00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:09.359 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:23.599 And this is about whether we're going to use our lives attempting to earn justification, earn forgiveness, earn being loved by God, or we're going to receive it through the one man Jesus. 00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:29.119 Are we trying to deliver ourselves, or are we resting in Jesus to deliver us? 00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:32.960 Are we living to try to earn a beloved identity? 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:35.519 Or are we receiving that? 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:36.960 That we already have it. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:39.359 We already have it through Jesus. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:42.079 See, all the soldiers went home victors. 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:43.839 None of them even fought. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:49.440 But they get to go on with their lives, and their lives are forever affected by David's victory. 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:51.200 Just like our lives. 00:20:51.440 --> 00:21:03.920 This victory that we have for forgiveness, righteousness, a relationship with God that's secure being God's beloved, that's a victory that's given to us, and we get to move on with our lives. 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:13.599 Not to fight for being loved or forgiven, but to fight and live from a position that we are already loved, already forgiven. 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:15.759 Here's the gospel promise we'll close with. 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:16.400 Here it is. 00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:19.119 We don't fight to earn God's favor. 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:21.759 We fight from God's favor. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:24.400 We don't strive for victory. 00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:26.960 We live from Christ's victory. 00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:28.400 Let's pray together. 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:37.119 Heavenly Father, thank you that we don't have to be David and constantly take down the giants of our hearts and minds and lives. 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:39.920 Thank you that you are with us and you know us. 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:57.519 And when it comes to these giants of guilt, shame, separation, condemnation, discontentment, unworthiness, these issues in our hearts that you see past our skin and our resumes, you see our hearts, and these giants you take care of for us. 00:21:58.160 --> 00:22:06.799 Help us to receive all the more, trust all the more that we are already loved, forgiven, righteous, worthy, secure in Jesus alone. 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:11.759 May we live our lives from the victory already given to us. 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:14.079 Would you set us free in this way? 00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:15.680 Free to live and free to love. 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:17.200 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:18.079 Amen.