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Memorial Day - We Will Never Forget (I Samuel 17)
54 Plays2 years ago
Memorial Day - We Will Never Forget (I Samuel 17)
Sunday Message recorded 28 May 2023
by Pastor Victor Morrison
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
Recommended
Transcript
Opening Prayer and Introduction
00:00:06
Speaker
Good morning. Would you take God's word and open it to the Old Testament? We've been in Ephesians and we'll be back there, Lord willing, next Sunday. But this morning,
David and Goliath: A Memorial Day Reflection
00:00:18
Speaker
In honor of Memorial Day, I thought we would look at 1 Samuel 17 at an old story. It's not a fable or anything like that. It's not a made up story, fictional. This is a true story about David and Goliath. And there's a lot of things I think that we can learn from this story from a soldier.
Revolutionary War and Memorial Day Parallels
00:00:40
Speaker
The Revolutionary War was all about freedom.
00:00:44
Speaker
It was for American independence. It lasted from 1775 to 1783. The American patriots had to resist British and German regular troops, native Indians that were allied with the British, and there were a few American militia that were loyal to the British crown. All of this in the midst of 40% who were uncommitted one way or the other.
00:01:13
Speaker
So they assumed that the patriots, the colonists, were leaderless and lazy and that they would be militarily ineffective. But when you mention places like Concord,
00:01:27
Speaker
in Lexington, in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, began to realize that, wait a minute, they were willing to lay down their lives for freedom. That first battle took eight, and then it went up to 90-something, 93. Then it went to 6,800 at the end of the Revolutionary War.
00:01:48
Speaker
1700 died in addition to the 6,800 who perished in battle. 70,000 more died of disease while they were prisoners of war.
00:02:01
Speaker
This is what it costs for us to have freedom today. Freedom for worship, freedom for us to go picnics and have fun with our families and so forth.
Understanding Memorial Day's Significance
00:02:10
Speaker
Memorial Day is a special day when we remember and we honor those men and women who died serving in the US military. You see, there are sacrifices for our freedom.
00:02:23
Speaker
have always motivated me personally, I've always thought, okay, I'm so grateful, so grateful to live in this country with freedom. It also makes me humble when I think about it. It makes me feel loyal. It makes me know what honor's all about.
Overview of David and Goliath
00:02:41
Speaker
So this morning we opened God's word and we learned some lessons about life from a soldier's example.
00:02:49
Speaker
The biblical account of David and Goliath is recorded for us right here in 1st Samuel 17. We're gonna break in and we'll sort of look at it as we go through, beginning in verse 24. But we'll look from verse 24 down toward the end of the chapter. I believe that this one passage of scripture has inspired, it's inspired millions, not only in the United States, but around the world.
00:03:15
Speaker
The historical context was the army of the Philistines were on one side of a valley, the armies of Israel were on the other side, and between was the valley of Elah. Elah was a type of oak tree, type of terebin tree. It's a real place. If you were to Google it, you could find it. It's still there.
Tribute to Christopher Kilpatrick
00:03:37
Speaker
This is a true story.
00:03:40
Speaker
We're speaking about a real soldier when we look at David, but I thought that before we look at David's life, I want to remind you of Christopher's life. You see, in our community, there's a memorial. And on the base of the memorial, here's what is etched on the stone.
00:03:59
Speaker
honoring all veterans and fallen soldiers of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. In memory of Christopher R. Kilpatrick, Eagle Scout, Troop 312, 42nd Corps Support Battalion, Warrior Brigade, U.S. Army.
00:04:18
Speaker
See, Chris Kilpatrick was 18 years of age when he went to defend my freedoms and your freedoms. And now it's been 18 years since he perished in battle. I miss knowing Christopher personally by two years. I didn't arrive here in Columbus until 2007.
00:04:40
Speaker
But what I did was I selected a couple of tributes that were posted in memory of Christopher by those who knew him.
Lessons of Sacrifice and Service
00:04:50
Speaker
It's posted on the fallenheroesmemorial.com website. You'll have to go to Operation Iraqi Freedom and log in Christopher Kilpatrick. And you'll see these two were just two of many.
00:05:05
Speaker
But I want you to listen to what this First Sergeant Connor Lee wrote about Christopher Kilpatrick. Especially pay attention to the last couple of lines. He wrote these words, this Memorial Day weekend, thoughts of Christopher weigh heavily on my mind. I smile as I recall his friendly, magnetic personality. He was truly a friend to everyone he met. I also weep as I recall that fateful night.
00:05:35
Speaker
He used courage and confidence. I wanted to be known that he would have it no other way than to be in that lead gun truck with Sergeant Fikes, who was a big brother to Christopher. These are two of the finest, most honorable human beings I've ever met. I'm honored to have worn the same uniform. See what I'm talking about.
00:06:01
Speaker
That was the words of First Sergeant Connerly from Knoxville, Tennessee. Another meaningful tribute was given by a staff sergeant in Fort Carson, Colorado. He called Christopher Kilpatrick KP.
00:06:17
Speaker
KP, I still compare my soldiers to you. I still hold these newbies to your high standard. Every soldier in my company has heard the name Kilpatrick and knows how well you did your job and how honorably you gave your life for the convoy behind you. It was an honor.
00:06:40
Speaker
To serve with you and a great privilege to know you for the short time you were with us. Rest in peace, KP. You are not forgotten and never will be. You're not forgotten and you never will be. Words stand out to me in those two tributes, words like courage, honorable, high standard, gave your life for the convoy behind you.
00:07:08
Speaker
See, Private Kilpatrick and the other 4,418 soldiers who gave their lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom, they were living by code. They were living by these core values comprised of the following seven things, loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.
00:07:36
Speaker
I look at that list and I thought, that's what I want to be. That's the kind of man I want to be as I follow Christ.
Faith and Courage in David's Story
00:07:42
Speaker
What was the code that David lived by? The code that we're going to see in this passage? What were his core values? More importantly, what are our, all of us? What are our core values? What really motivates your life? What do people think of? What will they write about you someday in the future?
00:08:06
Speaker
Would you stand in honor of God's word? Let me read the first passage we're going to look at. It's in 1 Samuel 17 verses 24 down through verse 26. All the men of Israel, when they saw the man,
00:08:23
Speaker
fled from him and were much afraid. And the men of Israel said, have you seen this man who's come up? Surely he's come up to defy Israel and the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel. And David said to the men who stood by him,
00:08:49
Speaker
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? Let's pray together. Lord, help us remember that you're the living God. I pray that we would stand for your honor.
00:09:13
Speaker
Lord, help us to live honorably as we go through our lives. We have so many great examples.
00:09:20
Speaker
I pray as we look at this passage, they would come alive with applications. So bless us, oh Lord, as we look at and help each one of us to receive something that we could apply whenever we're facing some kind of Goliath, some kind of really giant problem in our lives. Help us to, like that last song said, to find our identity in who we are in Christ.
00:09:47
Speaker
We love you. We listen closely for your voice. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you. You may be seated. Nikki, it is so good to see you. I'm so glad to see Nikki Gonzales. If you remember Nikki Gonzales, would you just let her know you're glad to see her back there?
00:10:07
Speaker
It is so great to see you again. We missed you. And so anyway, thank the Lord that you're here today with us. It makes it really special. I used to joke about Nikki and I maybe would someday wrestle to raise money for our church. But then she said, really? And I said, no, I'm just kidding. I wouldn't take on you. Anyway, she would beat me easy. But I want us to look at this passage and see what happened whenever David
00:10:32
Speaker
This young, he wasn't a soldier yet, but this was the beginning of a career as a soldier. Later he would become a king. But what were those core values? Number one, I believe he refocused the whole situation on who the Lord is. You ever do that? You ever get your eyes off of who God is and you're looking at the situation, the problem, you're looking at a Goliath and suddenly you're beginning to feel like, I don't think I can do this.
00:11:00
Speaker
You see, when you read verses 24 down through verse 26, the thing you realize is the men of Israel were focused on the size of Goliath. You ever do that? You ever focused on the size of your problem? And so when they looked at the size of Goliath and the size of each man in the army, you know what they said? We can't, we can't.
00:11:25
Speaker
But David had a different focus, didn't he? David wasn't focused on the size of Goliath. He was focused on the size of God. He was focused on the greatness of God. So what David's conclusion was, yeah, he's big. Yeah, he's bigger than me.
00:11:42
Speaker
But He is nothing compared to my God. He can, I can't. You see, we need to refocus and remember the greatness of our God and who He is. So I want to encourage you as you go through your life, continue to grow in the knowledge of God. Continue to grow in the knowledge of God. Pray for all of your children, your grandchildren, that they would continue to grow in truly knowing who God is.
00:12:13
Speaker
There's a second thing, though, that I think we can learn from this soldier, and that is we should also release what the critics say.
Releasing Criticism: Lessons from David
00:12:21
Speaker
Would you drop down to verse 28? And these are the words of David.
00:12:27
Speaker
David's older brother, his name is Eliab. Listen to what he says once David gets there. Now David was sent by his father. He was obeying what his father told him to do. I want you to take a lunch and take it to your brothers and check on him. So there he was, simply doing what the father had sent him to do. Now Eliab, his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men and Eliab's anger was kindled against David.
00:12:54
Speaker
And he said, why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you come down to see the battle. And David said, what have I done now? Just like a younger brother, right? What have I done now? Was it not but a word?
00:13:21
Speaker
and he that is David turned away from him toward another and spoke in the same way and the people answered him again as before." You ever have anybody like that? Just kind of picks you apart. It's like critics, the critical comments from this older brother
00:13:41
Speaker
They basically came to one conclusion. David, you are so unreliable. You're so unreliable. You've left those sheep out there in the wilderness. You are such an unreliable son. I know dad's ashamed of you, but what he didn't realize was dad was the one that sent him.
00:14:00
Speaker
And so what did he do in verse 30? It says he just turned away from hearing all of that negativity, those toxic remarks by the older brother. The second lesson is we've simply got to learn how to release, release the criticism that comes our way and not repress it so that it just plays like a tape over and over again in our minds.
00:14:27
Speaker
Of course, David's older brother, Eliab, he wasn't the only critic of David's life. Perhaps there's more than one in your life. Drop down to verse 32 and 33. Someone else had something to say about David.
00:14:43
Speaker
David's willing to go fight Goliath. David said to Saul, let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, you're not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth. And he's been a man of war from his youth.
00:15:08
Speaker
Wow. So at first, his older brother is saying, you're so unreliable, David. Now he stands before the king and he says, I'll go fight him. Don't let anybody be afraid anymore. I'll go and fight him. And he said, you're not unreliable. You're unable. This is too big of an assignment for you, David. You can't do this. So
00:15:32
Speaker
According to his brother, he's unreliable. According to his king, he's unable. But you know what
Triumphs of Faith: David's Past Victories
00:15:38
Speaker
he does? He keeps on releasing the criticism. He doesn't start living it out. He just releases it to the Lord, I believe.
00:15:47
Speaker
So he didn't want to continue to play. You're unreliable. You're unable. He didn't want that to play in his head. So I keep thinking, what's going to happen next over and over again? Well, the criticism doesn't stop. You would expect cutting remarks to be made from an enemy, right? And that's exactly what he hears from Goliath when he goes to face Goliath.
00:16:12
Speaker
You can hear those remarks in verses 42 to 44. And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him. For he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. And the Philistine said to David, am I a dog? Did you come to me with sticks? He just came with a slingshot.
00:16:35
Speaker
And the Philistines cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, come to me and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air, to the beasts of the field. Wow, seemed like nobody's speaking any positive affirmation into David's life. So if you refuse to play the tape,
00:16:58
Speaker
that all these different ones are saying to him that what are you going to play the tape of? That leads us to the third thing. There's a third lesson that this soldier, he teaches us if we pay attention to it closely. The third lesson is play the tape of what God did last time. You faced a big problem.
00:17:19
Speaker
You see, we must remember when the Lord delivered so the works of the Lord play that tape over and over again in your life. It's dangerous and it's unhealthy whenever God's people forget the mighty works of the Lord in the past. If you don't personally remember any in your life, then why don't you go back to the Bible? Read in the Old Testament, read in the New Testament, read what God has done in the past.
00:17:49
Speaker
You know, there's a reason that David had courage to face a bully. You know what the reason was? He remembered the beasts. He was like, wait a minute. Whenever I faced either a lion or a bear,
00:18:04
Speaker
God got me through those two things. Why don't you listen as I read verses 34 down through verse 37. Listen to what it says, but David said to Saul, remember King Saul said, you're unable. He said, 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.
00:18:32
Speaker
And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him, killed him.
00:18:39
Speaker
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." Now listen closely to verse 37. To me, it's the key. David said, the Lord who delivered, past tense, the Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear.
00:19:08
Speaker
will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, go and the Lord be with you. I think he convinced him. Does your testimony of what God has done in the past convince others? Sometime I encourage you to read Psalm 57. Psalm 57 is like a page from the journal.
00:19:33
Speaker
of David. I don't know about you but I keep a journal. I like to write down what God says to me at different times in my life. You know it helps me to remember because sometimes I forget. So what about you? Do you ever forget all that God has already done?
00:19:48
Speaker
Go back, go back if you keep a journal and look or go back to like song 57 and David will tell you one time, David says, I was like, it was like I was in a lion's den and there were all these lions coming at me and he talks about how God gave him victory.
00:20:09
Speaker
See, we learn from the soldier how we can apply these truths. They're still true today. How we can apply these truths in our lives today. What we need to do is to refocus on who the Lord is. What we need to do is we have to release what the critics are saying around us. And what we need to do is we need to remember.
00:20:32
Speaker
Remember when the Lord delivered in the past, but there's a fourth lesson we can learn from this soldier.
Facing Fear with Courage: David's Example
00:20:39
Speaker
Resist whenever fear arises. You see, verse 11, we didn't read that verse. Let me read it to you. Look at verse 11. You have to turn back a little bit, but it says in verse 11, when Saul
00:20:53
Speaker
And all Israel heard these words of the Philistine. They were dismayed and greatly afraid. Can you hear the teeth chattering and the knees knocking? They're saying, I'm not going down there to fight him. And then you go over to verse 24 and you see the same thing. All the men of Israel, when they saw the man fled from him and were much afraid. Does anything ever just really, I mean, it knocks the breath out of you. It's so scary.
00:21:23
Speaker
What is that? What is that Goliath that's taunting you and making you feel so afraid? David resisted the fear that was out there among the majority. The majority was out there and he said, you know what, it doesn't intimidate me because I'm looking at God, because I'm remembering how God helped me in the past. You know, someone said that there's two different ways to spell fear.
00:21:52
Speaker
If you're quick on the note-taking, you could write it down. The first way you could spell fear, F-E-A-R, would be to write it with this acrostic. F-E-A-R, forget everything and run. That's one way you spell fear. It's like, man, I don't know how to handle fear. When I'm afraid, I just get out of there. When I see a snake, I'm out of there. But there's another way you can spell fear, F-E-A-R.
00:22:18
Speaker
face everything and rise. Face everything and rise. I want you to see how David, it just like, even when he was afraid maybe, he just rose up to that situation. Look with me at verse 32.
00:22:37
Speaker
Remember, everybody else is afraid. Nobody's going down there to face Goliath. But verse 32 says, and David said to Saul, let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. Can you see his resolve? Remember that song we sang earlier? I'm resolved.
00:23:02
Speaker
Why don't you say I'm resolved? I don't want the world. I don't want the flesh. I don't want Satan. I don't want anything else. I just want to live for the Lord. Well, that's the kind of resolve that David had even being so young, yet he had an incredible resolve.
00:23:20
Speaker
But also I want you to see something else in verse 48, because it's one thing to kind of think it. Yeah, I'm going to go out there. I'm going to go out there. You can count on me. And it's like, where'd he go? I don't see him around anymore. You see, verse 48 says this, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David,
00:23:44
Speaker
What does David do? David ran quickly, not in the other direction. David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. Run, run in the direction of whatever it is that intimidates you and scares you. Run in the direction. I think it was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a president from the past who said these words, courage is not the absence of fear.
00:24:13
Speaker
but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear. What was it that was so important to David that he's willing to risk his own life for that? I'll tell you what it was. Look with me at the following verses, verse 26 and 46 and 47. We learn a fifth lesson.
Motivations Behind David's Actions
00:24:37
Speaker
You better find the right reason to rise up.
00:24:40
Speaker
The right reason. You rise up for the wrong reason, and you may be in trouble before you know it. But you rise up for the right reason. You see, the king was baffled over the lack of response to his incentives. He said, I know what I'll do. I'll give a lot of gold and silver. I'll give my daughter. I will take away all of their obligations to this country. They won't have to pay taxes. They won't have to serve in the military. Man, I'm going to just give them a free pass.
00:25:10
Speaker
But nobody went. You know why? It's pretty hard to enjoy those things when you're dead, right? So they're like, I ain't going down there. So what if I get a bunch of treasures? But you know, David didn't rise up for the gold and the glory and the girl and all those kinds of things. What did he rise up for?
00:25:29
Speaker
Well, when you see verse 26, you see David said to the men who stood by him, what shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away their approach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? He said, wait a minute, we're serving a living God here. So I think he rose up for the glory of God.
00:25:54
Speaker
You see, God's glory was being defied. God's glory was being dishonored. And David said, you know what? I will not sit here and be silent. So the first reason David could rise up against Goliath was because David valued God's glory more than his own personal comfort. The second motivation for David is in verse 46. In verse 46,
00:26:21
Speaker
He talks about that all the earth may know that there's a God in Israel, that all the earth may know that there's a God in Israel. You see, it's like there was a global message that David was motivated by. And that global message, he says, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
00:26:43
Speaker
I believe it was a gracious message because he says, the Lord will deliver you. The Lord will deliver you. He didn't go out there saying, I know I've got what it takes. I know I'll be able to beat him. He didn't go out there saying that. He said, the Lord will deliver you. Do you know that salvation is whenever we realize, you know what? I can't change my own life. I can't turn over a new leaf and improve myself.
00:27:10
Speaker
I have got to depend on what Christ did for me on the cross. And so I think more than anybody, we have an incredible global message, a gracious message that Christ died on the cross for us, for every tribe, for every tongue, every people, every nation. But then I noticed something else. It's like David felt like, you know what? This is the right thing.
00:27:38
Speaker
This man stands there defying the Almighty God. It was a judicious message. There must be a penalty. You know, as Christians, we don't go and kill anyone, do we? What we do, we talk about someone who laid down his life for us, for our freedom. So once again, a holy God.
00:28:01
Speaker
says, in order for you to be accepted in my family, in order for you to follow me, in order for you to go and be in heaven and eternity with me, we got to deal with the sin problem. And so all of us, the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. You see, God is right. He is just. He is holy whenever he punishes sin.
00:28:31
Speaker
And so the punishment for my sin, the good news, the punishment for your sins too, and for the whole world was placed upon Christ. He died in our place. What an incredible, gracious message, but also a judicious message, one that had to be done. You know, when I think about it, I think, watch out world.
00:28:56
Speaker
whenever God's people are compelled by the glory of God, by the gospel of Christ. But also one other thing I think motivated David. He couldn't just sit there. It's found in the words, not verse 46, that all the earth may know, but verse 47. Look at verse 47, there's a difference. Not that all the earth may know, that all this assembly may know.
00:29:24
Speaker
I think he was also saying, what is wrong with everybody? Get up, rise up. He said, let's live for God. Let's live for His glory. We serve the true and the living God. And so I thought, man, this guy is passionate about the growth of those men that were gathered there that day for that battle. Well, there's one last lesson we can learn from the battlefield.
00:29:52
Speaker
And that would be this, what are we relying upon, ultimately? We're relying upon our slingshot, we're relying upon our swords and our spears, our shields, relying upon our own strength, relying upon our personality. Well, in verses 45, 46, and 47,
00:30:13
Speaker
David discloses what he was relying upon.
Relying on God's Resources, Not Weapons
00:30:16
Speaker
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've defied this day.
00:30:33
Speaker
The Lord will deliver you into my hand and I'll 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.
00:31:04
Speaker
There's something that kept probing my heart about this whole idea of relying upon God's resources. That's what I think the last lesson that we can learn from this soldier is all about, relying upon God's resources. And then it just sort of floated to the top. So I wanna share these three things with you as we wrap this message up. You see, it makes a difference whose name you rely on.
00:31:32
Speaker
You see, David said, I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts. You go chasing after the enemy in the name of Victor Morrison, in the name of First Baptist Church. It's not gonna be the same as you go, you go for the kingdom. You go for the name of Jesus. You go for the gospel of the Lord. You go in his name, that makes all the difference, but also it makes a huge difference which day you rely on him.
00:32:02
Speaker
You see, David had already talked to the king and said, I remember when the lion would charge. I remember when the bear got ahold of one of the sheep. Man, he was like, I felt like God helped me with those. He'll help me again. He's talking past. But did you hear what he said into this goliath that's standing? He said, this day, the Lord will deliver you. This day, twice he says it.
00:32:32
Speaker
I'm glad that God has helped all of us in the past with some great breakthroughs and powerful things that he's done. But I just want you to know, God hasn't changed. He can help you today, this day. This day, the Lord can give us victory.
00:32:49
Speaker
It also makes a difference whose battle, whose battle you're relying on. Is this your battle or is this God's battle? He says, for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand. Man alive. That's why we read these words in verses 49 and 50. Did it work? Was it effective?
00:33:14
Speaker
David put his hand in his bag. He took out a stone and he slung it and he struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead and he fell on his face to the ground. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and struck the Philistine and killed him. And there was no sword in the hand of David because David didn't do it.
00:33:44
Speaker
You see, this strategy works. The Lord can prevail. The Lord can help you to prevail over whatever kind of giant standard.
Trusting God Through Challenges
00:33:52
Speaker
What is the giant? Is it physically something in your health? Is that what's intimidating you? Is it relationally? Is it something with your job, occupationally? Is it something spiritually?
00:34:06
Speaker
Is it something financially, something nationally, something morally? What is it that's standing there defying God and defying you as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ? I know it's intimidating when you look at people that are huge and tall and you see the big problems and so forth.
00:34:26
Speaker
There was a man named Robert Wadlow. He was 8 foot 11 inches. He died in 1940 at the age of 22, but can you imagine? If a guy walked in here 8 foot 11, I guarantee every head in here would be looking at him.
00:34:42
Speaker
But then now he passed away in 1940, but there's still a man named Sultan Khosun. He's a farmer in Turkey. He's eight foot three inches. And there's a couple of pictures to demonstrate. Can you imagine seeing that guy? You know, that's amazing. But you know what the promise to everyone in Christ? Everyone, listen to me again. Everyone in Christ.
00:35:09
Speaker
everyone in Christ. We've been going through Ephesians, everyone in Christ, everyone following Christ, everyone trusting Christ, everyone obeying Christ, everyone surrendering to Christ.
00:35:22
Speaker
You know what the promise is? It's off the charts, 2 Corinthians 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, the knowledge of Him everywhere.
00:35:41
Speaker
So when you go to work, maybe you don't work tomorrow, but on Tuesday, when you go to school, when you start college in the fall, in your neighborhood, when you're with your relatives, I just want you to know that everywhere you go, there can be a fragrance. It's just like David. He said, I just want people to know that you're alive. People will know that God's alive when they see us walking in personal victory. No wonder Paul wrote in Romans 8, 37, no,
00:36:10
Speaker
In all these things, he had listed a whole string of circumstances that are pretty tough, but he said, no, in all these things, we're more than conquerors through him who loved us. More than conquerors. Sounds like to me, God can help you with whatever kind of giant it is that's intimidating you.
00:36:31
Speaker
Would you trust
Final Call to Faith in Christ
00:36:32
Speaker
Christ today? It begins with that step. It begins with us saying, Lord, I admit that I've sinned. I admit that I've broken your law. I admit that I've been rebelling against you. I know I feel unworthy, but I come to you humbly asking for your forgiveness, asking for you to guide me, asking for you to lead me, asking for you to strengthen me and help me.
00:36:57
Speaker
Lord, please deliver me just like you delivered David that day on that battlefield. Let's all stand together. We want to give you an opportunity to trust Christ. Maybe you would say, you know what? I need.
00:37:10
Speaker
I need to personally join the Lord Jesus Christ team. I need to turn from sin and believe that Jesus died on the cross as the substitute for all my sins. And I need to put my faith and trust in what he did. This is the Lord's battle, not your battle.
00:37:30
Speaker
So when we sing this song, I'll be standing down here if you need to pray, or maybe it's say, I just need to pray. I don't have to go to you. I can talk to the Lord directly. Yes, you can. That's why Jesus died so that we can have a direct relation, direct channel to God. So let's pray as we get ready to have this invitation song and we'll invite anybody that would like to trust Christ to please come. Lord, thank you for this time to remember
00:37:59
Speaker
that Jesus died for our spiritual freedoms. Lord, you died to give us spiritual victory. Thank you so much. Lord, even from the Old Testament, we see these principles that they transfer so easily in Christ. Lord, you said that we're more than conquerors through you. You said that we are always led forth in a triumphal procession in Christ, that we would be a fragrance of Jesus.
00:38:28
Speaker
to all those that we're around. So Lord, just like David, I rise up today for three reasons, for your glory, for your gospel, and for the growth of the men and women, boys and girls that are around me. So bless us, oh Lord, as we respond the way you want us to respond. In Jesus' name, amen.
00:38:55
Speaker
This is a ministry of First Baptist Church, located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.