Heroes Of The Bible: David Series

Heroes of the Bible: David

Scott Bayles, pastor

Blooming Grove Christian Church: 8/22/2021

NOTE: This sermon was adapted from my book, Holy Heroes of the Bible. If it's a blessing to you, please consider buying the book which includes chapters/sermons on 17 additional Bible heroes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SBNJTSZ

Have you ever left the theater after watching a superhero movie feeling like you wanted to be a better person? If so, you’re not alone. According to an article on Scientific American’s website, research finds that superheroes may be more than just entertaining—they can also influence people to do good deeds.

Daryl Van Tongeren, an associate professor of psychology at Hope College in Michigan, wanted to see if superheroes could inspire people to be more altruistic or act heroically. So, his team of researchers asked participants to wait a room with either a poster of a bicycle or a poster of Superman. Participants were given a fake task to complete in the room and then paid for their time, but the real test happened on the way out. As they left, a research assistant asked each participant if they’d be willing to volunteer to help with another project with no pay. The participants who were in the room with the Superman poster were “significantly more likely” to volunteer than the other participants. So, researchers concluded that just seeing the image of a superhero for a few moments inspired people to act more heroically.

Now, you probably don’t carry around a picture of Superman in your wallet, but I hope that you carry God’s word in your heart. For the past several weeks we’ve been studying the stories of the greatest heroes of the Bible, and I believe that their stories of heroism, much like that poster of Superman, can inspire us to act more heroically. So far, we’ve been inspired by the heroics of Noah—the hero who built an ark, Abraham—the hero whose faith founded a nation, Jacob—the hero who wrestled God, Moses—the hero who led a nation out of slavery, Samson—the anti-hero with super-strength, and Ruth—the heroine whose loyalty and labor led to love and the linage of Jesus. Today, we’re going to explore the story of one of the most well-known heroes of the Bible—David.

NEXT SLIDE: David

Much is written in our Bibles about David. His adventures are chronicled in great detail. In fact, more has been written about David than any other person in the Bible other than Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament there are sixty-six chapters written about David and in the New Testament there are fifty-nine references to this holy hero. We can read about David’s life in 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 1 Chronicles, but we can also glean insight into what he thought and felt by reading the many psalms he wrote.

Everyone knows the story of David and Goliath (and we’ll get to that soon), but there’s much more to David’s life than just slaying giants. David was a shepherd, a soldier, a king, a musician, a poet, a sinner, and a saint. Of course, the word that might best describe David is hero. King Saul once blessed David, saying, “Blessings on you, my son David. You will do many heroic deeds, and you will surely succeed.” (1 Samuel 26:25 NLT). Saul’s words proved prophetic as David went on to become one the greatest heroes in Hebrew history. The people of Israel literally sang songs about his heroic adventures.

So, what made David a hero and what can we learn from his story? I’d like to spotlight three aspects of David’s character that together reveal the heart of a hero. First, David had a warrior heart.

• A WARRIOR HEART

You know the unforgettable tale of David and Goliath. Israel’s greatest enemies, the Philistines, were itching for a fight. The two armies camped across from each other on opposite sides of the battlefield. “Then,” the Bible says, “Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall! He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder” (1 Samuel 17:4-6 NLT).

Goliath challenged Israel’s army to send one solider to face him in a winner-takes-all battle. But the Israelites wanted nothing to do with the fearsome giant. He was a mighty warrior and trained killer, covered head-to-toe in bronze armor that made him look like an ancient Iron Man! One glance at Goliath had Israel’s entire army shaking in their boots.

Then along came a puny shepherd boy named David. When he heard Goliath’s taunts against Israel and God, David volunteered to fight the giant. From all appearances, the odds were in Goliath’s favor. Yet, David had unfaltering faith in the Lord of Heaven’s armies and a warrior’s heart. David ran toward Goliath, twirled his slingshot, and let a stone fly. The rock smacked Goliath right between the eyes, sending the armored giant crashing to the ground! Against all odds, David won the battle and saved Israel to the glory of God! Then he used Goliath’s own sword to lop off his head. You might say David new how to get ahead of his enemies.