WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:06.000 Hear now the word of the true and living God, first Samuel seventeen, verses forty-one to forty-nine. 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:10.640 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, and his shield bearer in front of him. 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:17.519 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:22.399 And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks? 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:25.359 And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:31.760 The Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:43.920 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. 00:00:44.159 --> 00:01:08.319 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, 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. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:15.599 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:21.599 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:25.599 The stone sank into his forehead and he fell on his face to the ground. 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:27.120 This is the word of the Lord. 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:28.480 Please be seated. 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:30.000 Good morning. 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:36.319 When we were standing up there just before Sebastian started reading, uh Zach leaned over to me. 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:37.200 That's Zach. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:38.560 He just left. 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:39.439 That's Zach. 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:43.040 Leaned over to me and he goes, sorry, I killed the mood. 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:49.040 And I thought, well, nothing gets me pumped to read the creed like remembering the Spanish Inquisition. 00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:57.040 But what a wonderful thing to remember. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:11.840 That throughout this sometimes sordid history of Christianity, we arrive at this present Sunday, still gathered together, still to remember such good news. 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:25.360 Some of you half as well as I should like, and others half as I don't remember what the line is. 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:30.560 And you you you people are screwed up. 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:35.759 And you know, same. 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:46.719 And the unique thing about Christianity is we get to say, you know, when it's like, look, don't, don't you not believe in Christianity? 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:58.000 Look at the history of your face, look at who you are, look at uh uh, you know, the people that you know that you socialize with, and you call each other Christians, you call yourselves Christians. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:04.319 Uh and with Christianity, unique among religions, we get to say, yeah. 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:07.039 See, this proves our doctrine. 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:16.240 This proves that that the need that we say that we say Christ meets is more real than we could ever imagine. 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:28.319 It's something that even those of us that desire so deeply to overcome it, it seems that the best we can do is when we become Christians, we just get into the war against it. 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:37.520 And we look forward to the hope that one day the victory that Jesus secured on the cross will manifest in a kingdom that has no end. 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:40.240 And that's what we say to conclude our creed. 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:45.599 So uh yeah, I just thought of that. 00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:50.400 When uh that's called improv preaching, when Zach leaned over and said that to me. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:52.879 And and I found it really encouraging. 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:55.680 I found it really encouraging, so I hope you are too. 00:03:56.159 --> 00:03:57.520 All right, you ready for announcements? 00:03:57.759 --> 00:03:58.800 Best time of the week. 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:07.039 Easter is April 21st uh this year because the moon shifts into Jupiter or something. 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:09.680 I don't know why Easter is when it is, I'm sure there's a reason. 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:12.319 But Easter is on April 21st this year. 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:17.120 Um and on Easter this year, we are doing baptisms. 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:26.639 So if you would like to be baptized, uh if you are a Christian and you haven't been baptized yet, then be baptized. 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:31.120 Uh Jesus says to, which is good enough reason. 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:41.920 Um and it's it's uh a declaration to us of the new life that has taken place in you because of Christ. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:43.519 So be baptized. 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:46.560 Uh you can sign up for that if you go into the app. 00:04:46.720 --> 00:05:00.800 Uh if you don't have the app, go to your app store of choice, type in Redemption Church Denver, and download it, and then go to the calendar on the app and you can tap baptism for Easter 21st, and there's a sign-up form in that calendar event. 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:04.000 So if you would like to be baptized, please sign up there. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:10.160 Uh next, uh, you can still join a redemption group here at Redemption Church Denver. 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:11.519 There are two ways to be involved. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:14.560 We gather and we gather. 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:18.639 And uh small group gatherings take place throughout the week. 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:22.079 Our large group gatherings you're at right now, so good work. 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:27.439 Uh but if you would like to be involved in a small group gathering, uh, you can sign up for that as well in the app. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:32.480 Also, April 7th, uh this this one probably could have been an email. 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:38.560 If you're a redemption group leader, um we're having a lunch after church to follow up on how redemption groups are going. 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:44.319 So April 7th, if you're a redemption group leader, uh all six of you are like, thanks. 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:46.800 And the rest of you are like, could have been an email. 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:49.279 Um, alright. 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:52.000 Close to 20 plus. 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:53.199 Close to 20. 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:55.680 Close to 20 plus, says Krista says. 00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:58.160 So so yeah, this was to this was appropriate. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:05:59.920 Um all right. 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:01.600 Uh let's pray. 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:15.439 Father, today we're going to look at a story that uh is so familiar, David and Goliath. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:22.160 I pray that you would give us new eyes to see this old story. 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:28.959 Lord, that we might be encouraged by it in ways that we haven't been before. 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:41.040 And that your spirit would come and apply it to our hearts, that by it we might be changed and we might be encouraged as it has encouraged people for thousands of years. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.040 That we might join in that stream by your spirit. 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:47.279 Lord, we lift this up in Jesus' name. 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:48.160 Amen. 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:52.480 So, David and Goliath. 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:59.920 Our only reading of the year where the last phrase is, and the stone went into his forehead and he fell to the ground. 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:05.839 Uh it's an epic story and uh it's a familiar story. 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:14.800 David and Goliath, let's remember, uh this is not a story if Goliath wins. 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:18.720 If Goliath wins, we have nothing to talk about. 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:27.360 You know, if if LeBron James and Dwayne Wade join the Miami Heat and they win back national championships, it's not a story. 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:31.439 When Goliath wins, it's just, yeah, normal. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:33.759 This is the way life is. 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:37.199 This is the paradigm that we expect all things to function in. 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:39.839 There's power and there's weakness. 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:43.040 And power always trumps weakness. 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:45.439 That's the way the world works. 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:54.560 And if David happened to be like nine foot tall and had armor twice as thick as Goliath, we wouldn't talk about this story. 00:07:54.879 --> 00:08:07.839 It matters because David is a kid, not even old enough to be a part of the army, and Goliath is a seasoned veteran, a champion among champions, and David wins. 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:32.559 What this story exposes to us is that this normal way that we view the world, if this story is true, it means that the normal way we view the world in terms of power and weakness, and there's winners and there's losers, and you can bet on them beforehand, and we know what amounts to what. 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:39.600 If this story is true, it means that that normal way of viewing the world, it might not be right. 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:47.919 We may actually be assessing and seeing all of our experiences wrongly. 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:51.840 And so that means there's another way to view the world. 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:54.240 That's what we're gonna look at today. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:57.840 There's another paradigm outside the paradigm of power. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:02.639 And look, we're obsessed with the paradigm of power. 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:09.440 Our culture, uh we we have a more advanced paradigm of power than perhaps any other culture in all of history. 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:15.440 We've we we even gave our paradigm of power an origin story. 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:27.200 We we have uh we, you know, our culture would say we all sit here today as the intelligent organisms that we are because we conquered the weaker ones. 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:32.399 And so power rules and makes decisions through death over history. 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:36.000 And of course, that's the normal workings of the world. 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:42.960 But if this story is true, it means there's another paradigm out there. 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:49.759 That maybe the baseline of existence is not just power. 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:52.240 Maybe it's something else. 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:54.080 C.S. 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:59.759 Lewis says that we overlooked this other baseline of existence. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:08.799 We overlooked it and we overlook it so consistently, not because it's too grim, what this other reality is. 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:12.399 We overlook it because it's too glad. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:20.159 This other paradigm, which we'll see demonstrated in David, this paradigm of faith. 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:24.559 We overlook it because it's too joyful of a possibility. 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:28.240 So let's look and we'll see what that is. 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:33.840 So the story's really familiar, right? 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:42.879 I'd love to just walk through it line by line, but it's actually a really long chapter. 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:46.000 Chapter 17 of 1 Samuel is a pretty long one. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:54.240 So instead of just walking through it line by line, uh, I'm just gonna set the scene and we're going to look at a couple of things as the as our main points for the morning. 00:10:54.320 --> 00:11:01.120 We're going to look at uh David's journey to fighting Goliath and then the battle with Goliath itself. 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:08.080 And in that, we're going to see the paradigm of faith and the paradigm of power working it out over and against each other. 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:11.200 We're going to learn how to adopt that paradigm of faith. 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:14.240 So, here's the setup. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:22.639 The Philistines and the Israelites are at opposing ends of the Valley of Elah, each on a mountainside. 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:26.639 And the Philistines put forward their champion. 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:28.399 His name's Goliath of Gath. 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:31.200 Gath is one of the five cities of the Philistines. 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:36.879 And Gath comes forward, stepping out from the Philistines, and he taunts the Israelites. 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:40.159 And when he taunts them, he proposes this challenge. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:49.840 And I think this is actually kind of a step up in warfare for the time, where he says, Look, you fight, you send one person of yours to fight me. 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:56.559 And if I kill your guy, then your whole nation is enslaved to us. 00:11:57.120 --> 00:12:03.519 And if you kill me, if your guy kills me, then our whole nation will be enslaved to you. 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:06.879 We'll settle this like this, with just champions. 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:20.960 And something we often overlook is that that process of the armies lining up and Goliath stepping forward and proposing this challenge, that repeats itself for 40 days. 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:27.039 For 40 days they line up, and Goliath comes out and taunts them. 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:29.919 And so what's happening back with the Israelites? 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:35.840 No one's stepping forward, and stakes are sort of getting higher and higher. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:39.840 The tension is building over the course of these 40 days. 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:44.399 So Saul, who is king at the time, is saying things like, okay, check it out. 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:47.759 If you kill Goliath, then you get a hundred acres of land. 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:51.440 And all the Israelites are like, still don't want to go fight that guy. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:56.320 And then you get to marry my daughter, and you'll be in the royal family. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:59.200 That sounds great, but I'll more likely be dead. 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:06.240 And so they all are just sort of hanging back, terrified of these taunts from Goliath for a week. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:08.320 And then two weeks. 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:10.399 And then three weeks. 00:13:10.559 --> 00:13:13.360 And then whatever 40 is divided by seven. 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:17.679 And they end up in that sort of a space terrified. 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:19.440 Now, here's what's strange. 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:23.120 Goliath, you'll know, his main feature, very tall man. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:30.639 And the leader of the Israelites happens to be known for his height as well. 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:36.799 There's an obvious contender for who should be going out to fight Goliath. 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:38.960 And it's King Saul. 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:41.600 He stood head and shoulders above everyone else. 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:55.360 He was the one who, if there's if there's a physical matchup between Goliath and somebody from the Israelites, we have another physical contender, and it's Saul, and he's the king, the guy that we would follow into battle. 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:59.440 But he stays paralyzed in fear at Goliath. 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:04.799 And so his troops remain as he does, terrified. 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:13.200 David, through a bit that we're skipping, ended up uh playing music in the court of King Saul. 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:24.960 Uh but for this time, while the army is at battle, uh David is on leave, and so he's back with his father in Bethlehem, and he's just doing the normal household chores. 00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:26.720 He's a shepherd again. 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:34.399 And David's older brothers are uh enlisted in Saul's army, and so they're off at battle. 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:50.960 So David's father, Jesse, tells David to take some supplies, basically a care package, bring it to your brothers so that they have food and give it to their commander so that they might become in better standing, and then bring back a token from them and some news from the front lines. 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:52.720 So David does. 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:59.120 He takes his it's a it's like a bunch of cheese, which would be my dream if someone brought me a bunch of cheese. 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:08.480 And uh they uh um yeah, that's news that we is too glad to believe. 00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:38.080 And they uh uh David arrives at the front lines and he drops off the care package, and then he's standing and he's talking amongst people with uh it his brothers, gathering news, and then uh in 1 Samuel 17, verse 23, it says, As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:43.360 Remember, this has been repeating itself for forty days now. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:51.039 And so it's routine, and he comes forward and he speaks these words, but this time there's a difference. 00:15:51.200 --> 00:16:00.000 And the turning point in our story begins with this tiny phrase at the end of verse 23, which says, And David heard him. 00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:05.360 A difference is coming for the nation of Israel. 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:09.039 This time David hears. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:14.639 Now we're about to see these two paradigms work themselves over against each other. 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:17.840 Paradigm of faith and the paradigm of power. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:25.360 And we'll see the paradigm of faith demonstrated in how David ends up fighting Goliath. 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:40.000 The road to Goliath at two occasions, David is confronted by the paradigm of power, which tells him, don't go and fight Goliath for all of these good and legitimate reasons. 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:47.440 And David responds with this paradigm of faith, which overcomes these obstacles. 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:56.480 So let's look at what David says when uh he finally hears Goliath the champion coming out and taunting Israel. 00:16:56.720 --> 00:17:08.799 And David said to the men who stood by him, this is verse 26, what shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:14.960 For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:19.119 Well, David opened his mouth again. 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:25.359 Notice, in his question, he doesn't necessarily volunteer yet. 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:28.319 He doesn't say, like, I'll take care of this guy. 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:29.920 This was this is on me. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:41.359 But for the first time in probably 39 days, someone in Israel's army describes the situation accurately. 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:51.359 For the first time, someone sees through this dynamic of what's happening, and they see more than the spear that's the size of a weaver's beam. 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:53.519 You all have weaver's beams at home. 00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:58.880 They see more than the sword between his shoulder blades. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:09.599 They they see more than the the six foot nine or nine foot tall, depending on your translation, uh Goliath that's undefeated standing in front of them. 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:17.359 What David sees is Israel is the army of the living God. 00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:22.079 And there's a reason you don't challenge Israel. 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:26.079 That's because God is alive. 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:34.640 And he's made promises to this nation unlike any other nation, that he would see to it that they are victorious in their battle. 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:42.720 And so for the first time in 39 days, David sees the factor that really matters. 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:51.839 Not the size of Goliath's spear, not his own shortness, but that Israel is the army of the living God. 00:18:52.559 --> 00:19:01.359 Well, this is uh not well received by his older brother, who has been sitting there for 40 days, probably torn apart and wrestling in himself. 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:02.160 Is it me? 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:08.480 Will one of my other comrades go before me so that this uh Goliath will be taken down? 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:10.400 Are we all going to battle today? 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:18.000 He's been wrestling and tormented, and then David shows up delivering cheese and is like, You guys are just sitting here taking this? 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:26.720 So Eliab uh responds, how you would expect an older brother to respond to a precocious younger brother like David. 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:35.039 He says, Uh now Eliab, his oldest brother, heard when he spoke to the men, and Eliab's anger was kindled against David. 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:37.519 And he said, Why have you come down? 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:41.279 And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:48.480 I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle. 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:53.119 And David said, which is classic, what have I done now? 00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:57.519 Like this was kind of a thing, a standard thing between him and Ilya. 00:19:58.240 --> 00:19:59.200 What have I done now? 00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:00.720 Was it not but a word? 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:08.559 So look, the first attack from this paradigm of power, as we're calling it, comes from David's oldest brother. 00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:14.400 And the way that his brother responds, we I think is really relatable. 00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:16.319 Like, look, this is a normal response. 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:21.519 It's we'd even say, like, yeah, that's probably about right, probably about what David deserved. 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:23.839 You know, here's the thing, David. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:25.839 Easy for you to say, man. 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:29.759 You you get to deliver the cheese, and you know what you do tomorrow? 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:31.680 You go back home to the sheep. 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:33.759 Oh, how dangerous. 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:37.519 The wisdom from your life being on the line as well. 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:40.559 Wow, David, come teach us the rest of your ways. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:52.480 Like, look, you can stand there on the outside looking in, and you can judge that we haven't gone in there yet, but until you're the one who's called to go fight Goliath, I don't want to hear any of this, David. 00:20:54.160 --> 00:20:56.559 And he calls it presumption. 00:20:57.599 --> 00:20:59.839 You know, you're stepping out of rank. 00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:01.680 You're too young for this. 00:21:01.839 --> 00:21:03.119 You're out of your element, Donnie. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:11.279 You're too young for this. 00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:20.880 So it's another way of saying, look, you'll get it when you're older. 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:23.839 And what do we mean when we say that? 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:29.279 We mean you'll get it when you actually have some skin in the game. 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:31.519 That's the difference, right? 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:39.440 Like, look, we uh Megan and I, since we've had JT, we ski different. 00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:43.039 It's like, uh, maybe not. 00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:49.920 And so we make all sorts of decisions differently. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:59.759 I'm far uh I think you you sort of go through this phase where it's like, you know, now that we've got this this other skin in the game. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.680 And we're sort of established in this new place in our life. 00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:11.039 Like, you know, I'm not gonna say what needs to be said because I gotta kind of politic and protect myself through this. 00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:22.960 And look, you you young, naive idealist, you may look down on that, but look, you don't have any skin in the game. 00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:25.119 You've got nothing to lose. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:28.240 What do we mean when we say that? 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:36.400 We mean, look, there's actually a deeper reality to the world than that paradigm of faith. 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:46.720 And I know what it actually takes to fight something like Goliath, because I know how battles really get won, and they get won by the person who is strongest. 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:49.200 And that's the way the world works out here. 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:53.119 So we sell ourselves out. 00:22:55.440 --> 00:22:57.839 And we say, you know that paradigm of faith? 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:00.960 It only really matters when you don't have anything at stake. 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:03.759 But until then, that's not the real world. 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:09.599 But David would not lose his naivety so quickly. 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:20.880 Word goes around that there may be someone here who will go up against Goliath. 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:38.000 And the word's not going around like, hey, the kid delivering the cheese is uh uh, you know, uh kind of got a big head, uh, which shows that this army has gotten pretty desperate at this point. 00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:44.480 They're taking all applicants for who will go see Goliath. 00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:54.880 And uh so David finds himself speaking to King Saul as his name kind of made it through the ranks, probably despite Iliab's best efforts. 00:23:55.119 --> 00:23:57.599 And this is what David says to Saul. 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:06.400 In uh verse chapter 17, verse 32 through 33, it says, And David said to Saul, let no man's heart fail because of him. 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:10.079 Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:22.319 And Saul said to David, uh in a gentler way than Eliab, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth. 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:29.039 And Goliath has been a man of war from his youth. 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:33.039 To which David said, Well, if I want to be like that, I better start today. 00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:34.559 He didn't say that. 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:43.519 So again, we see him come across this paradigm of just look, this normal good reasoning. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:47.119 Look at the power of Goliath. 00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:51.200 And we know what wins wars. 00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:54.559 You've got to be the more powerful one. 00:24:54.640 --> 00:25:00.640 There's one dominant rule in all of history: power trumps weakness. 00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:03.039 We know that works. 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:13.440 We'd have to undo all that we think of our physics to think that we'll send David and that he's got a shot against something like Goliath. 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:15.839 But David has his reasons. 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:21.119 And his reasons are where he describes his paradigm of faith. 00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:23.599 What his paradigm of faith really looks like. 00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:27.039 And so here's how David lays out his reasons. 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:32.240 He talks a lot about him killing lions and bears, so I cut out the first part of it. 00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:35.200 So just think a lot of talking about killing lions and bears. 00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:39.759 And then he concludes with: Your servant has struck down both lions and bears. 00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:44.319 And this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them. 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:48.880 For he has defied the armies of the living God. 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:51.839 Why will he be victorious over Goliath? 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:56.480 Because Goliath is the one who has defied the armies of the living God. 00:25:56.799 --> 00:25:58.400 And God is alive. 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:01.839 You don't defy him to his face. 00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:10.079 He hasn't just set up the power structures of the world and then walked away for us to learn them and live in them. 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:15.599 He is alive, still guiding his creation. 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:18.960 So that means we need to live according to that. 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:21.200 He continues on. 00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:32.720 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. 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:43.839 You know, to Saul's credit, he hears this, and I think for a moment, maybe of desperation, but at least for this moment, he really shifts. 00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:53.039 And he somehow sees this fresh paradigm from David of, you know what? 00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:57.759 We haven't been considering that we are the Lord's army. 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:06.160 When David told Eliab, Eliab treated David as though he called them all cowards. 00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:08.720 That's not what David said. 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:13.839 He said, You are the army of the living God. 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:17.680 That's what was so offensive to them. 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:24.240 They were offended because they were reminded of who they were really called to be. 00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:30.880 And then they look at their actions and it looks nothing like the armies of the living God. 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:38.400 Now Saul hears this and he makes a shift. 00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:45.759 Says, you know, there is another factor here, and we haven't been living as though that other factor has been true. 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:52.960 You know, it's it could be simple because he talks about the lions and bears for a long time. 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:57.839 And it could be simple to say, here's why David thinks he can kill Goliath. 00:27:58.160 --> 00:28:04.720 It's because he actually has had this other battle experience. 00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:09.039 It's just been with lions and bears, and those are really formidable opponents. 00:28:09.279 --> 00:28:16.480 And so although we can't see it on paper, he really does have the resume in these other ways with the lions and the bears. 00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:19.599 But that's not the bottom of David's reasoning. 00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:28.640 The bottom of David's reasoning is God delivered me from those lions and those bears. 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:35.200 I've tasted and experienced the faithfulness of the Lord. 00:28:35.440 --> 00:28:39.519 When I experienced it, I didn't think now I've worn it out. 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:46.000 I thought now I've come in contact with the unchanging God. 00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:52.000 And if he was faithful to me then, he will be faithful to me now. 00:28:52.640 --> 00:28:59.519 Just in the same way that he delivered and protected me from the lion and the bear, he will do the same against Goliath. 00:28:59.839 --> 00:29:02.720 And so Saul's mind changes. 00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:12.079 So now that he's made his way to Goliath, I think it's easy to consider that we've arrived at the moral of our story. 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:17.200 You know, we do don't operate in this paradigm of power, operate in the paradigm of faith. 00:29:17.279 --> 00:29:18.720 And what does faith look like? 00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:22.319 Faith looks like optimism against all odds. 00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:26.480 Oh, look at Goliath, he's this terrifying thing, but I'm not afraid of anything. 00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:30.079 I'm David, and I know that the living God is behind me no matter what. 00:29:30.319 --> 00:29:57.279 And so it looks like leap in the net will appear type of faith, this detached, cliche-ridden type of faith that doesn't inform the means that God will use to rescue, but instead just imagines this sort of uh like machine-like entering of our world that magically enacts some rescue. 00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:00.720 That's not what David is talking about. 00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:03.680 And we see that David's faith is different than that. 00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:05.440 It's not a detached faith. 00:30:05.599 --> 00:30:11.839 It's not a faith that says, look, he God said it, and it may not look like it's lining up in any way right now. 00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:13.839 I'm just gonna jump, and so here we go. 00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:15.839 I'm as good as anybody. 00:30:16.160 --> 00:30:17.599 That's not what we see. 00:30:17.920 --> 00:30:23.599 David's paradigm of faith is extremely grounded. 00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:32.400 And we're calling it a paradigm of faith because it's the way that he sees the whole world. 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:37.359 It's what colors his assessment of the whole situation. 00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:43.599 It doesn't neglect the factor of God being alive. 00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:55.680 So we see the nuance of the paradigm of David's faith, the practicality of it demonstrated in the battle itself. 00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:58.400 So here's the setup. 00:30:58.960 --> 00:31:07.279 Saul offers David his own armor, and David tries it on, and he's like, ah, it feels like I'm wearing my dad's armor. 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:08.400 This isn't gonna work. 00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:12.720 And so he takes it off, uh, and he's like, okay, that feels better. 00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:26.720 I feel nice and light, and he goes and he gets five stones, and then uh he walks out to meet Goliath, and Goliath comes out, reiterates the same sort of speech, although he's really condescending to David. 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:31.680 Because he looks at David and he says, What am I, a dog that you've come out to me with sticks? 00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:35.920 Like you think you send out this little kid to fight me, Goliath? 00:31:36.319 --> 00:31:39.920 What paradigm is Goliath operating in? 00:31:41.680 --> 00:31:43.599 It's the paradigm of power. 00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:46.480 It works both ways. 00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:50.559 It paralyzes you in fear and it drives you forward in arrogance. 00:31:51.599 --> 00:31:56.400 In both cases, you're not assessing the situation accurately. 00:31:57.519 --> 00:32:07.680 There are factors that you're consciously ignoring because you're not considering what if a more fundamental reality here is that God is alive? 00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:12.799 If Goliath had considered that, he never would have opened his mouth. 00:32:13.119 --> 00:32:18.000 Now David walks out, and I'm going to read the whole thing because this is really cool. 00:32:19.440 --> 00:32:21.119 He calls a shot. 00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:30.240 David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin. 00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:38.400 But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:44.160 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. 00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:47.200 He even tells him how he's going to do it. 00:32:48.160 --> 00:33:10.319 I will give the dead bodies of the hosts 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, 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. 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:21.519 We can tell that David's faith is not this detached type of faith. 00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:27.279 And we can tell because David knows his strategy. 00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:33.279 David knows I'm not gonna come against you with a sword and a spear. 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:38.240 I'm gonna, here's how it's gonna go down. 00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:40.000 I'm gonna strike you down. 00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:46.640 How he's gonna do that is with a sling and a rock, and then I'm gonna cut your head off. 00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:49.119 That's how you're gonna die. 00:33:49.839 --> 00:34:00.000 And because of that, everyone's gonna know that the Lord doesn't save by sword and spear, the Lord saves on his own means, by his own terms. 00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:02.400 That's how God saves. 00:34:04.000 --> 00:34:06.480 So here's how it goes. 00:34:06.799 --> 00:34:15.760 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle, toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:21.760 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:26.320 The stone sank into his forehead and he fell on his face to the ground. 00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:28.480 Done. 00:34:29.199 --> 00:34:34.400 This he made quick work of the battle with the Philistine. 00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:47.599 And he moves forward and uh he takes Goliath's own sword, which would have looked kind of like a sickle, and he chops off Goliath's own head, like the statue, and he's holding up the head. 00:34:50.800 --> 00:35:07.039 So the thoughtful listener and the Malcolm Gladwell readers among you are thinking to yourself, isn't this really just another paradigm of power? 00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:15.920 Like this is just the paradigm of the power of the technology of the sling over the technology of the sword. 00:35:17.119 --> 00:35:23.199 This is power demonstrated in lightness and agility rather than blunt force. 00:35:24.639 --> 00:35:27.039 Have we really learned anything? 00:35:27.599 --> 00:35:30.800 Have we really seen a paradigm of faith? 00:35:35.280 --> 00:35:36.960 Here's why we have. 00:35:38.800 --> 00:35:45.280 We expect a paradigm of faith to be completely detached from the means that God will use. 00:35:46.639 --> 00:35:54.079 We expect it to look nothing like the world that we live in, to be something that comes in totally out of left field, even indescribable. 00:35:56.480 --> 00:36:07.360 Instead, the paradigm of faith causes us to see the means that God would use in the world, not overlook the best ones. 00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:11.519 Here's what the paradigm of faith sounds like to David. 00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:17.440 I didn't ask to deliver the cheese. 00:36:18.719 --> 00:36:20.000 But here I am. 00:36:20.639 --> 00:36:28.079 And while I'm here, I see this Philistine denying the armies of the living God. 00:36:28.639 --> 00:36:30.480 I can't unhear that now. 00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:31.920 I've seen it. 00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:33.760 It's a part of my story. 00:36:34.559 --> 00:36:38.880 And he seems kind of like a a staggering oaf. 00:36:41.760 --> 00:36:44.159 That's like an old English writer would describe him. 00:36:44.480 --> 00:36:51.440 And he uh seems like it and he seems like a good way to take this guy down would probably be a sling. 00:36:51.760 --> 00:36:55.519 And look, I didn't ask to be a shepherd. 00:36:56.239 --> 00:37:04.320 I didn't ask for all that time alone in the woods to just be playing with my sling, but I've got it. 00:37:07.920 --> 00:37:16.559 So maybe God has put me here for exactly such a time as this. 00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:39.760 And maybe as inconsistent as it might seem from the outside looking in, as strange as it may be to my friends, as many obstacles as there will be in my path towards this faithfulness, perhaps exactly what God has called me to is that thing which he has perfectly equipped me for. 00:37:43.119 --> 00:37:54.800 And so David rests his faith on this idea that he is just a sling in God's hand. 00:37:58.000 --> 00:37:59.519 God never misses. 00:38:01.360 --> 00:38:05.119 And so I'm gonna follow God down this path. 00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:11.840 Here's why I think many of us wouldn't do what David did. 00:38:12.719 --> 00:38:22.159 Because when we think paradigm of faith, we think, oh, I've got to step into something that just seems totally ridiculous and outlandish for me. 00:38:22.960 --> 00:38:33.360 We don't think, maybe I need to step into this thing right in front of me that God has really equipped me for. 00:38:34.000 --> 00:38:36.079 As strange as it may seem. 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:44.639 So there's this practical paradigm of faith that David walks in. 00:38:48.480 --> 00:38:56.800 1 Samuel 17, 50 to 51 says, So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. 00:38:56.960 --> 00:38:58.880 There was no sword in the hand of David. 00:38:59.119 --> 00:39:04.880 Then David ran, stood over the Philistine, took his sword, drew it out of its sheath, killed him, cut off his head with it. 00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:09.119 And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 00:39:09.280 --> 00:39:10.079 And you know what? 00:39:10.239 --> 00:39:16.719 The Israelites picked up on the fleeing, and they all joined in, and they chased off the Philistines, and they raided their camp. 00:39:20.159 --> 00:39:24.800 In this story, we see a picture of a deeper reality. 00:39:25.360 --> 00:39:29.760 This paradigm of faith, that there maybe there is more to this world than our assessments of power. 00:39:33.920 --> 00:39:38.800 For that to become practical, you've got to consider all these ways in which you make those assessments of power. 00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:42.559 You know, in their normal ways. 00:39:42.719 --> 00:39:49.920 It's like, look, I'll finally be able to affect the change that I want once I get into that next position in my company. 00:39:51.360 --> 00:39:55.599 Because it's only then that God will actually be able to use me. 00:39:57.199 --> 00:40:01.679