• Scriptural faith is in the heart, but hope is in the mind.

1 Thessalonians 5:8— “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”

• The helmet is “the hope of salvation.”

 

Today we are talking about the hope that is given to us when we feel like we are facing more than we can handle and we are the underdog.

 

READ 1 Samuel 17:20-21 “So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.”

 

POINT #1 – WE ARE RARELY PREPARED FOR THE FIGHT

 

READ 1 Samuel 17:23-26;32-37

23-26 “Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.”

“So, the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”

“Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “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?”

The Critics

1 Samuel 17:28-30 “Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”

Kingdom Principle: He turned from the critics

1 Samuel 17:31-33 “Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

POINT #2 – IF GOD IS FOR US, NOTHING CAN STAND AGAINST US

1 Samuel 17:34-36 “But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”

• David’s confidence comes from God’s faithfulness, and it is the drive he needs to overcome.

1 Samuel 17:37 “Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”

1 Samuel 17:38-39 “So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.”

READ 1 Samuel 17:40-47

“Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.”

“And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, 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 and take your head from you.”

“And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

POINT #3 – THIS IS HOW WE FIGHT OUR BATTLES

• Maybe you don’t feel equipped to overcome the things that you are facing.
• Maybe you know that your trial is too much for you.
• For David, this is a spiritual battle, and it takes God’s involvement to experience a victory.

1 Samuel 17:48-51

“So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.”

Paul speaks to this in Ephesians 6:12.

READ Ephesians 6:12-13 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

READ 1 Samuel 17:52a

“Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines…”

Suddenly, the once frightened Israelite army is emboldened by a little boy and his sling. Because of David’s bravery and trust in God, they are all given hope that they too can be a part of the triumph of God.

POINT #4 – HOPE IS CONTAGIOUS

Ancient church father Thomas Aquinas said it this way, “Faith has to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are not at hand.”

Think: My God is more powerful than any force in the universe. Together we can do amazing things.

Feel: If God is with me, there is nothing I cannot overcome.

Do: Choose faith over fear.

How do we spread hope? By sharing the good news of the Gospel. We can be born again into a living hope through faith and belief in the death and burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” NIV

• Hope is the direct outcome of the new birth
• It is the direct outcome of being born again by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ
• It is specific faith in His death, burial and resurrection.