Is There Not a Cause?
I Samuel 17: 17-29
Often this chapter is preached in light of David’s miraculous defeat of the mighty giant, Goliath. That is a wonderful testimony to the presence and power of the God we serve; but today I want to look at the events that led up to David’s confrontation with Goliath. In particular, I’m interested in the question David posed to his brother, Eliab. Is there not a cause?
Church, I would ask you today, Is there not a cause? When the very foundations of our faith are being attacked, when many Baptist churches have “plateaued” or in steady decline, when, according to the latest census data, over 37,000 people in Surry county are un-churched, when our children are daily bombarded to engage in sin, when our nation grows more wicked and further from God, Is there not a cause? David certainly believed there was and he chose to stand for that cause. Let’s consider the events in the life of David that day and ask ourselves: Is there not a cause?
I. The Reality of the Day – There are a couple of significant details about that day that we need to consider.
A. The Presence of the Enemy (1, 16) – Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. [16] And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. We are all aware that the Philistine army had gathered to battle the nation of Israel. But, you need to understand, this wasn’t just an ordinary place of little significance. They were gathered at Ephes- dammim, a place approximately 16 miles southwest of Jerusalem. The enemy had invaded the homeland; they were in the heart of the Promised Land. They had come with one thing in mind, to defeat the army of Israel. Goliath belittled them every day, V.16.
Hey, the enemy isn’t just operating in San Francisco or New York; he is at work right here. You may not realize it, but the homeland has been invaded. We are dealing with the adversary in our own communities. Mt. Airy and Surry County are saturated with the influence of sin.
He wants nothing more than to defeat and destroy every church and home in our county. He would like to shut down Fellowship Baptist church. I firmly believe this is holy ground and we must understand the enemy is present; there is a cause!
B. The Plague of the People (11, 24) – When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. [24] And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. Notice how the army of Israel reacted to the presence of Goliath. They were plagued with fear. This wasn’t a “ragtag” group of men; this was Israel’s finest, led by King Saul, and yet they were plagued with fear. God had given them the land, defeated their enemies, and yet no one had the courage to stand with the Lord. None of the mighty men of valor had the courage to stand.
I believe that most Baptist are plagued with fear as well. We have no desire to stand for the things of God. What we ignore today will be accepted tomorrow (Ephesus- deeds, Pergamos- doctrine). The church needs men and women of God to stand and boldly say, “That’s not going to happen on my watch.”
I had rather have people mad than to compromise the truth and cause my children to suffer the consequences. We have been silent far too long. It is time to firmly stand for the Lord! The enemy has brought the battle to the homeland. We must now be on the defensive, trying to regain the ground we’ve lost. Jesus has already won the war; we just need to stand for Him. Is there not a cause?
II. The Responsibility of David – Jesse had sent David to take some provisions and check on the welfare of his brethren, but he wasn’t satisfied with being a silent observer. He felt a responsibility to act because:
A. His Family was in the Battle (17-18) – And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; [18] And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. David’s brothers were in the camp with Israel. They were in the forefront of the battle. He was compelled to support his brethren.
We all have family and loved ones who are in the battle today. There are homes right now that are facing the possibility of being torn apart; there is a cause! There are saints of God who are battling the enemy and need the support of God’s people. Our children are being seduced by the lure of this world to forsake their faith and join the ranks of the wicked. Pastors and church leaders are being tempted to compromise their stand and conform to the liberal view. We are all in this fight together and we need to rally together and support each other!
B. His Flock was Left Behind (20a) – And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; David was a shepherd; he tended his father’s flock. As he went to care for his brethren, he left the flock with a keeper. I’m sure that David was mindful of those sheep that he had left behind. A good shepherd cares for his flock.
If you forget everything else I say today, remember this, there is a cause for the sheep of God’s pasture. Many of you may not understand, but I feel a great responsibility for the flock that God has entrusted me with.
Church if we don’t get in the fight, what’s going to be left for the children? They are small and helpless; they are depending on us to stand for them. I don’t want those that I look after to have to face the horrors of the enemy. I know that they will have to face adversity and make their own decisions, but I want to protect them from as much of this sinful world as I can! “I’m gonna die on the battle field.”
Consider the changes over the last 10 years. What will our world be like in 10 more? Who’s going to stand for the flock of God? That is what the adversary wants; he wants to prevent them from hearing the truth of God’s Word. Let’s make sure that there is a solid church for them in the future!
C. His Future was in the Balance (8c-9) – choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. Failure was not an option. If they failed to defeat the Philistines, they would all become slaves. We cannot fail; there is too much at stake! This isn’t a game; it is a battle!
Now, I’m not preaching that Satan can steal our salvation. I have been set free in Christ. Jn.8:36 – If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Satan can’t touch my soul, but he can rob my joy. There are many today who once were faithful to the Lord that are no longer serving Him. They were unwilling to stand for God and now live a defeated life.
What is it that you enjoy about Fellowship? What is that you want to remain for your children? Do you want this to be a place where the power of God is felt, where saints are encouraged and sinners are saved?
Churches don’t lose that power over night. It usually comes about gradually through complacence and compromise; and before they realize it, God is no longer there. The future of our churches depends on the stand we take today. Our congregation will be no closer to the Lord, no stronger in its faith, or have no more power with God than the individuals who make it up. You must determine to be that individual. Is there not a cause?
III. The Reaction of David – David had faced the realities of the day and well understood his responsibilities. No doubt, there were others on the battle field that day who knew what needed to be done. David decided to do something about the need his people faced. He chose to get involved. What moved David to get involved?
A. He was Concerned (20a) – And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; David didn’t have a half-hearted attitude about the situation. He rose early in the morning to face the difficulty. He knew there was a task to be fulfilled and he had been called upon to act.
We need those who are genuinely concerned about the battle we face. We need those who will rise early and seek God for help. Many would say they are concerned about the day in which we live, but their actions don’t show much concern. We have grown complacent in our own little world.
How long has it been since you had a real burden? As long as we aren’t in the battle there’s little concern for others. We come and sit on padded pews, with heat and AC, all the while unaware of the trouble our neighbor is facing. We are more concerned about getting home for lunch and the TV than we are about the lost soul who desperately needs to be saved. Are you concerned; is there not a cause? Oh that God would burden our hearts for the needs of the day!
B. He was Committed (20b, 22) – and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. [22] And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. David didn’t hunt a shade tree to sit under as a conscientious objector; he came right to the trenches and ran unto the army. There was a work to do and he wanted to do his part. He wasn’t looking for a way out, but a way in!
Commitment isn’t shown by idle talk, but a willingness to roll up our sleeves and get involved. Commitment is hard to come by these days. Our nominating committees have difficulty filling positions because people don’t want to be committed. Many will say, “I’ll pray about it, but I don’t want to get involved.” Prayer is good, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes we need some legs on our prayers.
I’m glad that someone was committed enough to share the gospel with me, committed to pray when I didn’t care, and committed to preach when I was unaware of my own needs.
Are you committed to making a difference for the cause of Christ? Where would we be if Jesus hadn’t been committed enough to go to Calvary?
C. He was Confident (26, 37) – And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? [37] David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee. The odds were certainly against David. It was evident to see that he couldn’t defeat Goliath. David knew something that we need to learn. The battle wasn’t his; it was God’s.
We are living in dark days, but I am serving One who has never lost a battle, (Egypt, Goliath, Fiery furnace, Paul and Silas). He is in control today; we just need to trust in Him. Ps.34:22 – The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. How big is the God you serve? Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!
I have no doubt there is a cause. It is greater than I’ve ever seen. Countless people are in need of the Lord today. Our fellow Christians need us to stand for them and with them. You might argue that you can’t do much. David was just a youth and God used Him. Little is much when God is in it. Is there not a cause? What will we do for the cause?
