Participants: Dr. Leslie Pollard
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000079
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00:11 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth from Oakwood University
00:16 in Huntsville, Alabama. 00:18 How To Meet Your Giant, with Dr. Leslie Pollard. 00:22 Happy Sabbath to everyone. 00:24 Has this been a great week for some people? 00:26 Has this been a challenging week for some people? 00:29 I am so glad that we can now come into His presence 00:32 as we sing, as we worship and receive a word from the Lord. 00:35 Let's stand to our feet as we sing our song. 00:38 Come before his presence... 00:40 Come before His presence with thanksgiving. 00:46 We enter into His courts with all of our praise, 00:50 enter into His courts with praise. 00:55 And be thankful unto Him, 01:00 and be thankful unto Him, 01:04 for He is worthy, worthy of all praise. 01:12 Let's get some more people smiling as we sing. 01:16 Come before His presence with thanksgiving. 01:22 We have entered into His courts with praise. 01:26 Enter into His courts with praise, 01:31 and be thankful unto Him, 01:36 and be thankful unto Him, 01:40 for He is worthy, 01:45 worthy of all praise. 01:52 For the Lord is good and His mercy is everlasting, 02:01 and His truth endureth forever. 02:11 And be thankful unto Him, 02:14 and be thankful unto Him, 02:16 and be thankful unto Him, 02:19 for He is worthy, 02:24 worthy of all praise. 02:31 For the Lord is good 02:34 and His mercy is everlasting, 02:39 and His truth endureth forever. 02:49 And be thankful unto Him, 02:54 and be thankful unto Him, 02:58 for He is worthy, 03:02 worthy of all praise. 03:09 All praise. 03:12 For He is worthy, 03:16 worthy of all praise. 03:23 All praise. 03:26 For He is worthy, 03:31 worthy of all praise. 03:45 Come, let us worship and bow down. 03:48 Let us kneel before our Lord and our Maker. 03:51 For He is our God and we are His people. 03:56 Oakwood, it's time to worship. 04:12 We have a great hope that burns within our heart. 05:38 Let us pray. 05:39 Our Father and our God, 05:42 Lord, once again we have come into Your courts with singing. 05:46 We have come into Your gates with praise. 05:48 We have come to magnify Your holy name. 05:52 For You are worthy of our highest praise. 05:55 Lord, come and tabernacle with us. 05:59 Allow us, Lord, to worship You in the beauty of holiness. 06:03 Allow us to recognize that You are a great God, 06:07 and we are thankful that the battle is the Lord's. 06:11 We are thankful we can battle in the armor that 06:15 You have prepared for us. 06:17 We are thankful that You will be our God 06:20 even when we are in a fiery furnace, 06:23 that You are a God who will forgive us of all our iniquities 06:27 and allow us to go on and walk in the light of Your holy Word. 06:31 Bless us now as we worship You. 06:33 We pray that Your blessing will attend us 06:36 both now and forever more. 06:38 For we ask in Jesus' name and for His sake, amen. 06:44 You may be seated. 06:45 As you are seating, your smiles are on, and we are here 06:48 to welcome you to the Oakwood University Church. 06:51 Come on, somebody say amen. 06:52 It is good to be here. 06:54 And before we get started, are there any first time visitors? 06:57 We want to acknowledge all of our first time visitors. 06:59 We're going to ask that you stand and our greeters will 07:02 make sure that you get a special gift. 07:03 We want to share with each and every one of you. 07:06 And I'm going to ask while those are standing, 07:09 want to make sure our visitors get greeted. 07:11 Those of you who are members or have been here a time or two, 07:13 I'm going to ask that you reach over and shake somebody's hand 07:16 and let them know it is good to be in the house of God. 07:19 I'm going to ask that you stay seated and reach over and 07:22 shake somebody's hand and let them know 07:24 it is good to be in the house of God. 07:27 While you are acknowledging people, I just want to 07:29 let you know, some of you may have looked, and outside 07:32 there are some trucks outside. 07:34 And those are our friends from 3ABN. 07:36 They have been with us since Wednesday, 07:38 the taping here of the Anchors Of Faith series. 07:42 Before Elder Murray comes up and gives us his special greetings, 07:46 I want to highlight that if you have had a wonderful blessing... 07:49 Has anybody been blessed this week? 07:51 Being here, praise God. 07:52 Well, the blessings are going to continue. 07:54 On November 2nd and 3rd... November what? 07:58 November 2nd and 3rd, we are going to have 08:00 the very first Breath Of Life reunion. 08:03 On Friday evening, our very own Elder C.D. Brooks 08:06 will be giving our message at the time Friday evening. 08:09 C.D. Brooks will give our message at the time. 08:11 And on Sabbath, our very own Dr. Carlton Byrd will be sharing 08:15 the message in song with us. 08:18 I'm going to invite Elder Murray to come on up and share with us 08:20 his greetings from 3ABN. 08:23 I also would like to invite you to look at the bulletin 08:27 for the rest of the announcements for today. 08:28 Elder Murray, thank you so much. 08:32 It is difficult to put into words how happy and blessed 08:36 we at 3ABN are to be with you these past several days. 08:41 We hope that we have been just a little bit of a blessing 08:45 to you that you have been to us and to our worldwide audience. 08:48 We truly love Oakwood University. 08:52 Some 22 plus months ago, we made a financial gift 08:56 to this school's communications department. 09:00 And we did so in testament of our abiding love and respect 09:04 for what you do here, and the long and continuing 09:07 partnership that has existed between our two institutions. 09:12 We appreciate Oakwood. 09:15 And we love the time that we spend with you. 09:18 And so on behalf of our founder, Danny Shelton, 09:21 who was scheduled to be here this day. 09:25 But when I spoke with him yesterday, 09:27 he had very little voice. 09:29 And whatever bug is going around has caught him. 09:33 And so he thought it wise to stay home. 09:35 There are other pressing engagements that he had 09:38 and could not be here. 09:39 But he wanted me to say to you that his heart is here 09:43 and he will be here soon. 09:45 And that he loves this institution also. 09:48 Our president, Jim Gilley, who was here a couple of nights ago, 09:51 our vice president, Molly Steenson, 09:54 and the entire staff and our production crew, 09:56 we have been so very, very blessed by your warmth, 09:59 your hospitality, and the good will that you have shown us, 10:03 and the good food that we expect you will show us 10:06 after this program shall have concluded. 10:10 God is so very, very good. 10:12 And we just celebrate these times together. 10:17 I've got just a few minutes and I've got to say a lot of things. 10:20 Dr. Leslie Pollard, Pastor Byrd, Pastor's Miller and Williams, 10:26 Darlene Simmons, Miriam Battles, and a young lady that I've 10:29 talked to many, many times... 10:31 I don't even know her last name. 10:33 Her first name is Stephanie. She works in your office. 10:36 And I want to see her before I go, because we've 10:39 dealt with each other so very, very much over the 10:41 past several weeks in putting this all together. 10:44 And I see Mandy Martin sitting here who brings that bus 10:47 up to 3ABN every year for Camp Meeting. 10:49 And all of those of you who come to our Camp Meeting, 10:52 we are not that far away. 10:53 Just about five hours. 10:55 And if you've got a burden, four hours you can get 10:59 to 3ABN from here. 11:00 We're just three hours on the other side of Nashville. 11:02 And I'm told that there are people who have done it 11:06 in about three and a half hours. 11:08 I don't know how they do that. 11:10 And I would never do that. 11:12 But it has been done. 11:15 I want to just say to you something very, very quick. 11:17 I've wrestled with something. 11:18 Since my days here at Oakwood College, 11:20 I've wrested with this idea. 11:21 We have been told from the pen of inspiration that 11:23 in the last days, there are men and women who are going to 11:28 respond to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain 11:31 and come into the church in droves prepared 11:35 to serve the Lord. 11:36 Sadly, some of them, we're told, will replace some of us 11:40 who have been here a long time whose names have 11:42 been on the books but have not had Christ in our hearts. 11:45 I've always wondered, how is that going to happen. 11:47 But I think the Lord has given us a clue. 11:50 There are, we are discovering at 3ABN, large numbers of people 11:55 that we call, closet Seventh-day Adventists. 11:59 These are people who have never been in a 12:03 Seventh-day Adventist Church, but who are thoroughly 12:06 conversant with Adventist doctrines, who are in all 12:10 respects Seventh-day Adventists, though they may even attend 12:14 other churches. 12:16 They are thoroughly familiar with what we believe, 12:18 they adhere to all or most of our doctrines. 12:21 They may or may not support 3ABN financially, 12:25 but they see 3ABN as their pastor and their mentor. 12:31 We have met them all over the world. 12:33 There is out there a reservoir of individuals by the millions 12:39 who are Adventists in heart, but who have never attended 12:42 a Seventh-day Adventist Church. 12:44 We find them all over. 12:45 Last year I was doing a meeting in London. 12:47 We decided to take a train trip over to France. 12:50 Just, you take a train through a tunnel. 12:52 We got off the train, 20 seconds into France, 12:55 we're in the line to get a bus ticket to take 12:58 a day tour around Paris, a fellow jumps the turnstile, 13:01 runs around the front, and says, 13:05 "3ABN, 3ABN." 13:08 So we said, "Well, what church do you go to?" 13:10 He said, "Oh, I'm Catholic. 13:11 But we watch 3ABN every day." 13:18 I was leaving Oakwood College two years ago, after an 13:20 evangelic council, driving back. 13:21 I stopped in a restroom on the highway. 13:24 And there was a fellow standing by the door. 13:26 I smiled at him, he smiled at me. 13:27 I was going to the men's room. 13:29 He comes into the men's room. 13:35 And I'm standing there doing what one does in the men's room, 13:37 and I notice he's standing by the door. 13:40 You know, you see him out of the corner of your eye. 13:43 So I finish, go to wash my hands, and I see him again. 13:46 He kind of gives me a little smile. 13:47 Then I'm getting a little worried. 13:52 And I turn to go and he says, "3ABN, you're 3ABN guy." 13:59 I said, "Praise the Lord, yes I am." 14:03 I said, "Are you a Seventh-day Adventist?" 14:05 He said, "No, I'm Southern Baptist. 14:07 But I watch 3ABN all the time." 14:10 Several Christmas' ago, I went down the street 14:12 to visit a neighbor of mine. 14:14 She's 84 years of age. 14:16 And we don't see her much cause she doesn't come out. 14:18 I knocked on her door, she flings the door open, 14:20 she says, "C.A. Murray. 14:22 I know all about you. I watch 3ABN." 14:26 And so, we know from anecdotal evidence that 14:29 there are large numbers of people out there 14:31 who we call, closet Seventh-day Adventists. 14:34 God, for reasons of His own, is holding them out. 14:38 Some of them are trickling in. 14:40 And I believe when the Holy Spirit comes down in power, 14:44 these people will come in droves. 14:45 They will be prepared to serve the Lord. 14:48 They will be conversant with Adventist doctrines. 14:50 And they will know what it is to be a Seventh-day Adventist 14:53 in head and in heart. 14:55 So I want you to pray for these closet Adventists. 14:57 They are all over the world. 14:59 We could give you story upon story, upon story, upon story 15:01 of men and women who are preparing to meet Jesus, 15:05 though they have yet to ever set foot 15:06 in a Seventh-day Adventist Church. 15:09 So you've got Hope Channel, Loma Linda, Amazing Discoveries, 15:11 Amazing Facts. 15:13 We have 3ABN English, 3ABN Latino, 3ABN International, 15:16 3ABN SonBeam, 3ABN Russia, 3ABN Proclaim. 15:20 And our newest baby, if I can use that term, is 15:22 3ABN Dare To Dream. 15:24 That is our urban network, which is designed 15:27 to meet the needs of the inner city. 15:31 It's designed to address some of those problems that 15:34 happen in the inner city; finance, parenthood, money, 15:39 how to be a true father. 15:40 There is much more of a social aspect because 15:43 those are the kinds of things that are needed in the city. 15:46 You will see out in the lobby or you may have gotten it already, 15:48 a flier which I have here, which is our Dare To Dream flier. 15:52 I want you to support 3ABN Dare To Dream 15:54 because it is making a great impact in the 15:57 urban centers of America. 15:58 We have now a video that talks about Dare To Dream. 16:02 I want to go right to that and then I'll sit down and 16:04 sort of be quiet and come back in just a little bit for prayer. 16:07 But thank you so very, very much for your love, 16:10 for your hospitality, for your warmth, and for your love. 16:12 This is a subject that I could talk about all day 16:15 because I believe God is using 3ABN in a very, very marked 16:18 and special way to help finish the work and usher in the 16:22 second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 16:24 And just now, that Dare To Dream video. 16:28 Right after graduate school, I started working as a 16:31 social worker and I was working in Brooklyn in New York. 16:37 And I saw the plight of those in the inner cities. 16:41 And now since then, it's even gotten worse. 16:44 That was way back in the '70s. 17:34 Sixty percent of African American males that are 17:37 high school dropouts will be in prison by age 30. 17:40 One out of three African American males is either 17:43 in prison or supervised by the judicial system. 17:46 And when it comes to our health and chronic disease; 17:49 diabetes, hypertension, cancer, we are the forerunners 17:53 in many of these areas. 17:59 Over 70% of the births in the African American community 18:03 are out of wedlock. 18:05 The child that was born in slavery time had more of a 18:10 chance to be raised by two parent households 18:13 than a child born today in the African American community. 18:16 That is so frightening, that is so disturbing. 18:20 How did we get here? 18:22 And how do we get out of here? 18:24 What do we do to help those in the inner city 18:27 to throw off their current circumstances 18:31 and to dare to dream of something better? 18:34 Like so many young people in the inner city, 18:37 maybe one of them, they don't have both parents. 18:39 They're not raised with both of their parents. 18:41 And in many cases, it's just the mother often raising 18:44 her child or children. 18:45 In my case, in my sister's case, at 3 months old, 18:48 I was left at a baby sitter. 18:49 My sister was 3 years old. 18:51 And my mom and dad walked away and never came back. 18:53 There are a lot of people in the inner city that are aimless; 18:56 a lot of young people. 18:57 And so what we do is we turn to the thing that we feel 19:00 is going to bring satisfaction. 19:02 And in so many cases, that's where the use of drugs 19:04 becomes an onset, or promiscuity, 19:08 or children being born out of wedlock. 19:09 The more immediate role models are the guys on the corner 19:13 with the big cars and the flashy rings who are 19:16 saying by their lifestyle, "I've got what you want." 19:19 That's the problem. 19:20 The kind of role models that are there that are most immediate, 19:24 that are most accessible, are not the kind of role models 19:26 that parents want their children having. 19:28 Yet they're there. 19:29 Beneath the glitz, there's pain, there is horror, there is drugs, 19:34 there is prison, there is death. 19:36 There's all these kind of things. 19:37 Sadly, it looks good. 19:39 But as the Bible says, "The end thereof are the ways of death." 19:53 We want to maintain the vision of 3ABN, which is 19:56 to give the undiluted three angels message to the world. 20:01 And we know that the people in the inner cities 20:04 are languishing and suffering. 20:06 And we have a message for them. 20:09 We have hope for them. 20:11 And it's Jesus. It's basically Jesus. 20:14 God is love, and that's what we want to teach. 20:17 That God is love. 20:18 And how does that play out in everyday life. 20:21 We want to be able to, again, give practical applications 20:26 to the gospel. 20:27 And that's what Dare To Dream is going to do. 20:29 Hi, my name is Casio Jones, and you're watching Action 4 Life. 20:33 We want to reclaim the media for Christ. 20:35 One of the things that we realize is that television 20:38 plays a very important part in shaping values. 20:43 And so Satan is using television to shape the values of 20:48 those in our inner cities and suburbia, just everywhere. 20:51 If we can go into the homes and share Christ and share tools 20:56 for living, we can really make a difference 20:59 and give hope to the people in the inner cities. 21:02 Veggies best kept secret? 21:04 You telling me that the veggie kingdom or the 21:06 plant kingdom has a secret? 21:17 Sonia Carson had a problem. 21:19 Her sons, Benjamin and Curtis, weren't doing well in school. 21:22 So she decided to take matters into her own hands. 21:25 Limit their television watching and make them read 21:28 two books a week. 21:29 Ben went from being called a dummy to being the 21:31 smartest in his class. 21:33 Ben Carson was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 18, 1951. 21:38 When he was 8 years old, his parents divorced. 21:41 The media is a powerful tool. 21:43 It can be used for good, it can be used for bad. 21:47 Even in so called religious programs, it can be 21:50 used for good and used for bad. 21:52 And that's the reason I got to thinking years ago 21:55 to build a television station to give an undiluted 21:58 three angels messages. 21:59 One that would counteract the counterfeit. 22:21 All week long, we've been talking about using metaphors 22:24 and similes of battlefields and soldiers and being armed. 22:28 So this morning, could we stand as we take our hymnals and 22:30 sing number 614, Sound The Battle Cry. 22:35 Sound the Battle Cry. 22:51 And let's sing with everything you have. 26:11 Amen. 26:13 I look in the Word at Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 14, 26:19 it says, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest 26:24 who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, 26:27 let us hold fast our confession. 26:31 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize 26:34 with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, 26:39 yet without sin." 26:42 Verse 16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne 26:47 of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace 26:52 to help in time of need." 26:54 I don't know about you, but I need God today. 26:57 And I praise God that we don't have to come here 26:59 and leave the same, but we can come knowing that God hears. 27:03 But not only hears, but answers prayer. 27:07 Today on the altar, we have the family, 27:09 the Danilla Stewart family, that's coming and they're 27:11 saying, "Lord, we need you." 27:12 She's bringing her family. 27:14 She had a birthday, I think turned 95 this week. 27:16 Come on, somebody say amen. 27:21 But you may have something going on. 27:23 And you may not necessarily be able to come up today, 27:25 but we believe that there is healing, that there is power 27:31 when we pray. 27:33 As Elder Murray comes up and leads us in our prayer, 27:35 we're going to sing; Don't Be Discouraged, 27:39 Joy Comes in the Morning. 27:45 Know that God is nigh. 27:48 Come on, stand still and look up, 27:54 God is going to show up. 27:56 Don't be... 27:58 Don't be discouraged, 28:04 joy comes in the morning, 28:07 joy comes in the morning. 28:13 Know that God is nigh, 28:16 know that God is nigh. 28:22 Stand still and look up, 28:25 stand still and look up, 28:31 God is going to show up, 28:35 God is going to show up. 28:41 He is standing by, 28:44 He is standing by. 28:50 There's healing for your sorrow, 28:53 there's healing for your sorrow, 28:59 healing for your pain, 29:02 healing for your pain, 29:10 healing for your spirit, 29:12 healing for your spirit, 29:17 there's shelter, 29:20 there's shelter from the rain. 29:26 Lord send the healing, 29:30 Lord send the healing, 29:37 for this we do know, 29:39 for this we know, 29:44 there is a balm in Gilead, 29:54 to heal the soul, to heal the soul. 29:59 Healing for your soul. 30:03 Healing for your soul. 30:10 Healing for your soul. 30:12 Healing for your soul. 30:18 Last time. There's healing for your soul. 30:22 Healing for your soul. 30:31 Along with the Stewart family, we remember 30:33 Brother Albert Johnson who is back in the hospital. 30:37 We lift him up in prayer also, along with the speaker for 30:41 this hour, the president of our university, 30:44 Dr. Leslie Pollard. 30:47 Father God, we stand on our feet 30:53 and bow our head and lift up our hearts to You, 30:58 the Creator of the universe. 31:01 We thank Thee for the occasion that called us out of darkness 31:05 into this marvelous light. 31:08 We thank You, Lord, for the occasion that calls us 31:11 to the house of prayer and praise this morning. 31:14 And we thank You for the occasion that is soon to come 31:19 when we will see You face to blessed face. 31:23 Father, we love You. 31:25 We praise You and we thank You for a list of gifts 31:29 too numerous to list or mention. 31:32 But at the top of that list, we thank You for Jesus; 31:37 the Author and Finisher of our faith. 31:41 We thank You for young and old and for lives dedicated 31:45 to the cause of Christ. 31:46 And we thank You that soon and very soon, 31:50 Jesus will come and put an end to the darkness 31:55 and sin of this old world. 31:58 Help us, Lord God, to do all we can to hasten the coming 32:03 of Christ into this dark world. 32:05 Help us to leave no stone unturned in the salvation 32:09 of the souls of men and women. 32:10 For Christianity has never been, is not now, 32:14 and will never be a spectator sport. 32:18 We need to get involved and live for Jesus, 32:21 and love for Jesus, and speak for Jesus, 32:24 and serve Jesus. 32:27 Bless us this day, Father, as we sit in heavenly places. 32:31 Open up our hearts, open up our minds, 32:34 open up our spirits to receive the Word. 32:37 And then help us, Lord, not to be just hearers of that Word, 32:42 but doers thereof. 32:44 For it is in the doing that we are made like Christ Jesus. 32:47 Oh God, bless us this day so that we may have a blessing. 32:53 And in turn, be a blessing to everyone we meet, 32:57 everyone we touch, everyone we talk to. 33:02 Fill us with Your Spirit. 33:03 And may we leave this place healthy, happy, 33:08 holy, and rejoicing in our salvation. 33:13 We love You, Lord. 33:14 We praise You, Lord. 33:16 And we thank You. In Jesus' name, amen. 33:22 And amen. 33:27 I will be with you... Sing. 33:30 I will be with you, 33:36 I will be with you, 33:40 I will be with you, 33:46 I will be with you, 33:50 I will be with you, 33:58 if you will only trust Me. 34:09 Trust Me, trust Me. 34:15 Next verse says, I'll fight your battles. 34:20 I'll fight your battles. 34:25 Anybody got anything we need God to fight today? 34:28 I'll fight your battles, 34:30 I'll fight your battles, 34:40 I'll fight your battles, 34:48 if you will only trust Me. 34:59 Trust Me, trust Me. 35:08 Amen, let's prepare ourselves for our tithe and our offering. 35:19 World War II had ravaged the cities of Europe. 35:24 Perhaps the saddest sight were the orphans who 35:26 roamed the streets. 35:28 One chilly morning, an American soldier noticed 35:31 a little boy with his nosed pressed against 35:34 the glass window of a bakery. 35:36 Inside, the baker was preparing fresh dough 35:40 for the next batch of doughnuts. 35:42 The little boy salivated, watching the whole process 35:45 with keen interest. 35:47 As the sweet smells came from the bakery, 35:50 the boy let out a hungry groan. 35:53 The soldier's heart was struck with compassion. 35:56 "Would you like some of those?" he asked the boy. 35:59 "Yes sir, I would," replied the startled boy. 36:03 Then the soldier went into the bakery and returned with 36:07 a warm bag of doughnuts. 36:09 Taking the bag in his hand, the boy looked up at the soldier 36:13 in awe and amazement and softly asked, 36:16 "Mister, are you God?" 36:19 We are never more like God than when we give. 36:22 God so loved the world that He gave. 36:26 When we give, we reflect His image. 36:30 As the Deacons come for the tithes and offerings today, 36:33 ask yourself this question, 36:35 "How is my giving reflecting the image of God?" 36:40 Would the Deacons please stand? 36:43 Can we bow our heads for prayer please. 36:46 Dear heavenly Father, thank You for this day. 36:48 Take this tithe and offering and do something amazing with it 36:52 like You always do. 36:53 In Jesus' name I pray, amen. 37:16 John saw the number, 37:24 the number coming up on high. 37:32 Hallelujah. 37:33 John saw the number, 37:35 he saw the holy number. 37:37 John saw the number, 37:40 he saw the number. 37:41 John saw the number that no man could number, 37:46 hallelujah, hallelujah, coming up on high. 37:50 John saw the number, 37:53 he saw the holy number. 37:55 John saw the number, 37:57 he saw the holy number. 37:59 John saw the hundred and forty-four thousand, 38:03 hallelujah, hallelujah, coming up on high. 38:07 John saw the number that no man could number. 38:12 John saw the number. 38:16 John saw the number that no man could number, 38:20 hallelujah, coming up on high. 38:24 Just tell John don't call the roll until I get there. 38:29 Tell John not to call the roll until I get there. 38:33 Tell John don't call the roll until I get there. 38:39 Hallelujah, hallelujah. Coming up on high. 38:42 John saw the number, 38:44 he saw the holy number. 38:46 John saw the number, 38:48 he saw the number. 38:50 Tell John don't call the roll until I get there. 38:59 Coming up, coming up, coming up, 39:02 coming up, 39:09 coming on 39:17 high. 39:39 "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: 39:46 and them who had gotten the victory over the beast, 39:50 and over his image, and over his mark, 39:53 and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, 39:58 having the harps of God. 40:00 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, 40:04 and the song of the Lamb, saying..." 40:17 Great and marvelous are Thy works, 40:29 great and marvelous are Thy works, 40:38 Lord God Almighty, 40:42 Lord God Almighty, 40:47 Lord God Almighty. 41:06 Just and true are all Thy ways, 41:21 just and true are all Thy ways, 41:34 Thou King of saints. 41:48 Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, 41:58 and glorify Thy name. 42:06 For Thou art holy, 42:12 we atone Thee. 42:19 Shall I fear Thee, O Lord, 42:28 and glorify Thy name. 42:36 For Thou, for Thou, 42:42 for Thou art holy. 42:50 For we atone Thee. 42:56 Holy, holy. 43:09 For all nations shall come and worship before You. 43:14 For the judgments are made for us. 43:18 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for judgments are made for us. 43:21 For all nations shall come and worship before You. 43:26 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for judgments are made for us. 43:29 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for judgments are made for us. 43:33 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for judgments are made for us. 43:38 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad. 43:43 Oh be glad. 43:50 Blessing, honor, glory, power, 44:00 now and ever shall be. 44:10 Blessing, honor, glory, power, 44:19 now and ever shall be. 44:42 Amen. 44:50 Amen. 44:57 Amen. 45:02 O hallelujah. 45:08 I'm saved. 45:18 Amen. 45:32 Amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen. 45:36 Amen. 45:46 Amen. 46:17 Can you say amen again? 46:20 Such a beautiful selection and original composition 46:23 by Dr. Wayne Buckner. 46:25 Born out of the Seventh-day Adventist perspective. 46:32 Born out of the Seventh-day Adventist perspective over the 46:35 end time events depicted in Revelation chapter 15, 46:39 where those who get the victory over the mark of the beast 46:41 and the number of his name will stand on the sea of glass. 46:44 Good morning everyone. 46:46 We wish to welcome you to Oakwood University. 46:49 Not only those who are worshiping here in the 46:51 commodious Oakwood University Sanctuary, 46:53 but also those who are worshiping with us 46:56 around the world. 46:57 Welcome to the Oakwood experience. 47:01 You see, when you attend Oakwood University, 47:03 it's more than simply attending a university. 47:07 It is actually participating in an experience. 47:11 An experience that is transformational. 47:14 An experience that is inspirational. 47:17 An experience that is often conversational. 47:20 We want you to know that Oakwood University 47:22 is a wonderful institution. 47:24 And those of our friends who have never been here 47:27 in person, please know that Oakwood welcomes you 47:30 with open arms into our worship services today. 47:34 I was reading just earlier during this week about 47:36 Ellen G. White and some of her very insistent, 47:41 insistent commitments that the church grow and expand 47:45 its ministry outreach and its witness to all peoples. 47:49 March 21, 1891, she preached a daring sermon 47:53 at the General Conference. 47:55 What a title; Our Duty to the Colored People. 48:00 Mrs. Ellen White was very much focused on expanding 48:03 this mission and taking it to every nation, kindred, 48:06 tongue and people. 48:07 She wanted to push it out to every frontier. 48:09 And that's what she worked to do. 48:12 And in doing so, that sermon, that simple sermon, 48:16 triggered an avalanche of missionary activity 48:19 around the world. 48:21 A few years later, she sent some workers down to 48:24 this part of the country. 48:25 And they came upon an old slave plantation; 48:28 360 acres with 65 oak trees. 48:33 And when they wrote her, they said, "Is this the place?" 48:36 And she said, "That's the place." 48:38 "That's the place." 48:39 Who would have thought, who would have thought 48:41 that back in that time when you could still feel the yells, 48:45 the screams, the pleadings, the agonies of an enslaved 48:49 people, many of whom who lost their lives here, 48:52 many of whom who had to look up to the heavens and 48:54 say, "How long?" 48:56 Who would have thought that God had another plan? 48:59 That His plan was to plant on the blood soaked sod of a former 49:03 slave plantation, to plant on that slave plantation 49:07 a center for transformational education. 49:11 And for 116 years, that's what we have been doing 49:15 here at Oakwood University. 49:17 Transformational education for more than a century, 49:21 delivered in the finest Seventh-day Adventist tradition. 49:25 I say Seventh-day Adventist because the purpose of 49:28 education in Seventh-day Adventist theology 49:31 is restoration. 49:33 When my wife and I were just married, we were 49:36 early young newlyweds. 49:37 My mother, who was a great collector of many, many things, 49:40 was driving by one day and she saw something 49:44 sitting by the side of the road. 49:46 Now I was a young pastor 21 years old; my wife, 21. 49:49 We didn't have any big source of wealth. 49:53 And we needed a sofa and a love seat. 49:56 Well you know what my mother did, right? 49:58 She saw the sofa and the love seat and she said, 50:00 "That's the sofa." 50:01 She brings the thing to us and she says, "Well Les, Prudence, 50:05 I've got something for you." 50:06 She ships it to us. I can't believe it. 50:09 And the thing is rusty and it looks bad. 50:12 And I say, "Mama," I say, "why you send us this 50:14 ugly old couch and sofa?" 50:16 She said, "Boy, you can't look at it for what it is. 50:19 You've got to look at it for what it can be." 50:24 We sent that thing to a furniture restorer. 50:28 And that furniture restorer, when they finished stripping 50:31 that old wood and restaining it, and pulling out broken springs 50:36 and putting in new ones, and putting new support boards 50:39 underneath those springs, and then putting a new cover, 50:42 when we got that thing, it was beautiful when it came back. 50:45 Let me tell you something. 50:47 Seventh-day Adventist education works in the same tradition. 50:50 We are in the restoration business. 50:54 That's what our Sabbath School lesson said yesterday. 50:56 It said that the purpose of education is to restore 51:00 in us the image of God. 51:01 And that's the business that we are in. 51:04 The life restoration business. 51:07 And for 116 years, Oakwood University 51:10 has been doing just that. 51:12 So 3ABN family, welcome to this place, this center, 51:16 for restoration and for transformation. 51:18 We welcome you. 51:20 Now today, we are here to preach the Word. 51:22 This theme, The Battle Is The Lord's, 51:24 has been a wonderful experience for our community. 51:28 Every one of our speakers, all of the music that 51:30 has been coordinated by Dr. Jason Ferdinand 51:33 and the music department of Oakwood University, 51:35 has simply been wonderful. 51:36 And we hope that you have seen the richness of the tapestry 51:40 that we call Oakwood University. 51:42 We hope you've seen that. 51:44 You get to see us do everything. 51:46 We do anthems, we do hymns, we gospel. 51:49 We do it all. 51:51 You've had a chance to experience that. 51:53 And our insistence is not that you simply do one genre, 51:56 but whatever genre of music you do, 51:58 you do it at the highest level. 52:00 And that's what we try to do here at Oakwood University. 52:04 You have witnessed us now in preaching and worship. 52:06 And it has been a wonderfully liberating experience. 52:09 Has it not? 52:10 It certainly has, it certainly has. 52:12 And let me just for a moment interpret a few of the cues. 52:16 Because I mentioned to Pastor Murray that I would 52:18 do just a little bit of this. 52:19 First of all, worship in our community is never 52:22 simply a monologue. 52:23 It's always a dialogue. 52:26 What that means is, that there is a conversation that goes on 52:30 between the worship leaders and the worshipers themselves. 52:33 But we even go beyond that. 52:35 Sometimes we say it's a trialogue because 52:36 there's God in the triangle, God at the top. 52:39 And then of course, the worshiper on one 52:42 point of the triangle. 52:44 On that third point of the triangle, that's the 52:47 worship facilitator. 52:49 And those three are in constant communion with each other. 52:52 And that area in the middle that is so electric? 52:56 That's what we call, having church. 53:00 When you see us stand during a worship service, 53:04 we are not being disrespectful. 53:05 Worship in our tradition is participatory. 53:08 And the reason we, some of us, 53:10 some of us stand is because... 53:12 You know something? 53:13 When we hear the preacher preaching about the 53:15 three Hebrew boys, what we are saying is, 53:18 we totally identify with that story. 53:20 And if we could, we would step into that story. 53:25 These are the things, the uniqueness of our community, 53:28 that God has given to us, and they bless us. 53:31 And they bless the world and we carry the everlasting 53:34 gospel around the world. 53:36 Now I've just got a few minutes here to preach the Word today. 53:39 And I've been assigned a topic; How To Meet Your Giant. 53:44 The battle is the Lord's. 53:46 Listen to the words of Scripture now. 53:48 And I'm reading today from the King James Version 53:51 of the Bible. 53:52 But would you pray with me first, please, as we open 53:54 our Word today? 53:56 Dear God, bless us as we listen to Your Word. 53:59 In Jesus' name, amen. 54:02 Many life lessons will be imbedded in this chapter. 54:05 And we hope to excavate them and make them useful and 54:08 meaningful for all of us. 54:09 Here we go. 54:11 1 Samuel chapter 17, verses 41 through 48. 54:16 "And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; 54:21 and the man that bare the shield went before him. 54:29 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, 54:31 he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, 54:34 and of a fair countenance. 54:36 And the Philistine said unto David, 'Am I a dog, that thou 54:41 comest to me with staves?'" 54:43 That is, with sticks. 54:44 "And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 54:46 And the Philistine said to David, 'Come to me, 54:49 and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and 54:52 to the beasts of the field.' 54:55 Then said David to the Philistine, 'Thou comest 54:57 to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: 55:01 but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, 55:05 the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 55:11 This day...'" 55:12 What day, everyone? 55:14 "This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; 55:17 and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; 55:20 and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines 55:24 this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts 55:28 of the earth; that all the earth may know that 55:31 there is a God in Israel. 55:36 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with 55:41 sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and He will 55:47 give you into our hands." 55:49 And verse 48, "And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, 55:53 and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, 55:58 and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine." 56:05 Two words since September 11, 2001 have emblazoned 56:11 themselves on American consciousness. 56:15 Two simple words that before September 11, 2001, 56:21 before September 11, we had heard them but they had 56:26 never quite landed within our collective American spirit. 56:33 Although we knew that they were there. 56:34 These two words have forever now shaped the way 56:38 America thinks about itself in relationship to the 56:42 rest of the world. 56:45 These two words have created whole new industries. 56:47 They've created a whole new line of federal employment. 56:51 These two words have shaped the way political 56:54 campaigns are conducted. 56:56 We are preparing now for a debate on foreign policy. 56:59 And these two words will certainly be uttered 57:02 by every candidate. 57:03 Yes, they will be worn across candidate's chests as easily 57:08 as they wear their American flag as a lapel pin. 57:11 These two words make all the difference in understanding 57:15 how America thinks about itself as it goes forward 57:19 into the modern world. 57:21 Two words; national security. 57:29 It has become an issue since September 11, 2001. 57:34 I shall never forget, after those diabolical attacks. 57:38 I shall never forget looking at TIME magazine, a December issue, 57:42 where a little Arab boy about 6 years old was shown, 57:46 was shown with his face covered holding an AK47 57:51 on the cover of TIME magazine. 57:54 And I'll never forget, in white letters the caption that 57:57 asked the haunting question, "Why do they hate us so?" 58:07 National security. 58:09 It is an issue today, but it was also an issue then. 58:14 For 3000 years ago, we are now entering into a story in which 58:19 national security issues are being brought to bear 58:23 in this story. 58:25 Now I know that in the story that I've read this morning, 58:27 many of us think about this story as a heart warming 58:30 bedtime tale. 58:32 But that is not the appropriate reading of the text today. 58:35 If you would really plunge into this story, 58:38 you would have to recognize that as you enter 1 Samuel 17, 58:43 that there are three life altering, nation threatening 58:49 issues that are brought to bear in this story. 58:53 The first is the issue of national security. 58:59 What do we mean by that? 59:00 When you open 1 Samuel chapter 17, you cannot 59:04 help but notice that in the very first verses of the text 59:09 the Philistines gathered together at Shochoh, 59:12 which is in Judah. 59:14 Now we are not geographically sensitive. 59:19 But the first readers of this text would have asked 59:21 themselves a question, "What are the Philistines, 59:25 who are a coastal people, what are they doing in Judah?" 59:30 For as a coastal people, they should have been out 59:33 along the coast. 59:35 But what the Bible is trying to tell us is that the 59:38 national security of Israel has already been threatened, 59:42 because the Philistine insurgency has already begun. 59:46 They have left their homeland estates, and now the Philistines 59:51 are dominating Israel's open home court. 59:58 Here is the second issue in this text. 01:00:03 The second issue turns around the issue of national identity. 01:00:08 Israel is a young monarchy. 01:00:12 You remember, Israel wanted to be like the other nations. 01:00:14 Did it not? 01:00:16 Israel said to God one day, God who designed, pastor, that 01:00:20 Israel would be a theocracy, they said, "Oh no. 01:00:23 We want to me a monarchy. Give us a king." 01:00:29 And these groups, this group of people, 01:00:33 who decided that God's ways were not superior to other ways, 01:00:38 they decided that they wanted to be just like the other nations. 01:00:42 So God gave them a king so that they could be 01:00:45 just like the other nations. 01:00:47 But when they ran into problems, their default position would be 01:00:51 back to wanting God to come and to deliver them. 01:00:56 And so in this story there is an element of identity confusion. 01:01:04 Here's the third issue. 01:01:06 The first issue; national security. 01:01:08 The second issue; national identity. 01:01:10 The third issue; national leadership. 01:01:15 Because the story has an inherent conflict in it. 01:01:19 The question, "Who is the king?" 01:01:25 Now you say, "Why?" 01:01:27 Why? 01:01:28 Why would they even have a question about that? 01:01:30 Well, you will remember the Amalekite mission 01:01:34 that was entrusted to Saul in chapter 15. 01:01:39 He was to go into the Amalekite territory and to execute 01:01:43 a purgative judgment against the Amalekites. 01:01:48 I say purgative. 01:01:50 Here's why. I'm teaching now. 01:01:52 There are four kinds of judgments in the Bible. 01:01:54 The first is an investigative judgment. 01:01:58 Investigative meaning that God comes down 01:02:01 in the Garden of Eden. 01:02:02 He ropes off the Garden of Eden with yellow tape, 01:02:05 and He does an investigation before He pronounces sentence 01:02:09 upon Adam and Eve. 01:02:12 Investigation. 01:02:15 The second is a vindicative judgment. 01:02:20 In Daniel chapter 7 when the little horn says, 01:02:23 "We are the people of God," and persecutes the saints 01:02:26 for the people of God, Daniel chapter 7 verse 21 01:02:29 says judgment was found to be in favor of the saints. 01:02:34 God's people were vindicated. 01:02:37 The third kind of judgment in the Bible; 01:02:40 retributive judgment. 01:02:43 Remember the book of Revelation, God comes down and He says, 01:02:46 "I will repay Babylon for the way she has treated Our people." 01:02:51 Retribution. Retributive judgment. 01:02:54 The fourth kind of judgment in the Bible 01:02:56 is annihilative judgment. 01:02:59 That one day, that is the final judgment where God ends it all. 01:03:06 And so the question now, a purgative judgment was to 01:03:11 take place among the Amalekites. 01:03:13 Saul failed to execute the mission. 01:03:20 One day at that scene, Samuel, the old weathered prophet. 01:03:28 You remember Samuel. 01:03:30 When he started off and we first met him, 01:03:32 he was not yet even in his mother's womb. 01:03:37 There was Sister Hannah praying, babbling like many mothers have 01:03:41 done, interceding and pleading and begging God, 01:03:45 asking God to remove what she thought was her 01:03:48 curse of childlessness. 01:03:51 God gives her a little boy. 01:03:53 And this little boy is a wonderful, 01:03:55 he's a little prodigy prophet. 01:03:57 You know, he's dressed in little temple garb 01:03:59 and little temple uniforms. 01:04:01 And I imagine that as he did his little ministry, 01:04:04 people would look around and they would say, 01:04:06 "Oh my goodness, there's little Samuel. 01:04:08 Isn't he adorable." 01:04:11 They would pull out their iPhones and pop pictures of him. 01:04:13 Because people just had to say... 01:04:15 They'd post it on YouTube and Facebook and Instagram. 01:04:22 And they would do all of this because 01:04:25 this was cute little Samuel. 01:04:26 Guess what? 01:04:28 Cute little prodigy prophets grow up now to be 01:04:32 fearless men of God. 01:04:34 And so now, the little prodigy has become a weathered old man. 01:04:38 And as he walks up to the battle scene, the forlorned 01:04:42 dispirited king runs up to him, grabs him, and says, 01:04:46 "I have performed the commandment of the Lord." 01:04:52 And Samuel says, "If you have, why do I hear the 01:04:58 bleating of sheep?" 01:05:02 Now Samuel turns to leave him. 01:05:06 And Saul lunges at him with such desperate force 01:05:10 that he rips his mantle. 01:05:13 And in that tearing of his garment, the old man of God 01:05:19 sees a prophetic symbol. 01:05:20 He says to Saul, "As you have ripped my garment, 01:05:25 so God has ripped the kingdom from you, 01:05:30 and given it to someone who is worthy." 01:05:37 Step into chapter 16. 01:05:41 Now you see that same old man standing in Jesse's living room. 01:05:45 And he says, "How many son's do you have? 01:05:48 Bring them before me." 01:05:50 Here comes the sons; Eliab, Shammah, Abinadab. 01:05:55 Here come the sons. 01:05:56 And now he looks at them. 01:05:58 And the first one he sees is Eliab, and he says, 01:06:01 "This must be the one, because he walks like a king, 01:06:04 he talks like a king, he looks like a king. 01:06:06 He has kingly bearing, he's ramrod straight. 01:06:11 And he has a stern mien." 01:06:19 "That must be the one." 01:06:21 And even the prophet is not above correction. 01:06:25 God says, "Do not look on his appearance. 01:06:28 For I do not see as man sees." 01:06:31 Man looks on the outward appearance, 01:06:34 but God looks on the heart. 01:06:37 Let me tell you something. 01:06:39 We live in a society today that is all caught up in container 01:06:43 and very little concern is expressed about content. 01:06:50 And so, there he sees him. 01:06:53 And now he says, "You must have one more son." 01:06:55 Everybody remains standing, remains standing, 01:06:59 until we get him. 01:07:00 He goes and in walks little David. 01:07:03 He smells like sheep. 01:07:09 God says, "That's him." 01:07:11 He takes out the horn of oil and and pours it on David's head, 01:07:15 in chapter 16. 01:07:17 Now you are left with a question. 01:07:21 Who is the real king? 01:07:24 Is it the sitting king or is it the anointed king? 01:07:30 Now God decides he going to answer the question. 01:07:34 Because the answer to the question is born of crisis. 01:07:38 God often sends crisis into His community in order to 01:07:42 expose the community's underbelly. 01:07:46 And in that exposure, God is asking for us now 01:07:50 to take care of those things that need to be taken care of. 01:07:53 Israel's decisive moment appears like a nightmare on Elm street. 01:08:01 He's 12 feet tall. 01:08:05 Anatomists estimate he must have weighted somewhere 01:08:08 around, somewhere around, between 900 to 1200 pounds. 01:08:15 He's dressed in a brass coat of mail 01:08:19 that covers his entire body. 01:08:21 There's a huge brass helmet on his head. 01:08:24 He has chin covers of brass and he has thigh covers of brass. 01:08:28 Before him walks a shield bearer who carries 01:08:32 a rectangular body shield. 01:08:34 The thing is too big even for the shield bearer to be evident. 01:08:43 He's like a nightmare on Elm street. 01:08:46 And when he introduces himself, every pore 01:08:50 oozes carnal self-confidence. 01:08:54 "Am I not..." 01:08:56 Now your Bible's say, "a Philistine." 01:08:59 "Am I not a Philistine." 01:09:01 That's in verse 8. 01:09:03 But in the Hebrew, "Am I not the Philistine." 01:09:09 He's the first leader to appear in the story. 01:09:13 He's got a track record of success. 01:09:16 He's high tech. 01:09:17 He's the ancient equivalent of a Robo Cop. 01:09:21 He's an amazing figure. 01:09:23 Look at him. 01:09:25 He's got all of this armament, all of this latest technology. 01:09:28 And then the Bible writer leaves us a simple detail. 01:09:33 That detail that exposes that this is no 01:09:37 backwoods country local yokel. 01:09:42 In fact, this man is a state of the art, man mountain, 01:09:48 of fighting technology. 01:09:50 For your Bible says that the thing that's strapped 01:09:53 between his shoulders that looks like a flagpole 01:09:58 is a spear that has on its head a 15 pound iron tip. 01:10:07 Why iron? 01:10:10 Because Israel was still in the bronze age. 01:10:18 But the Philistines had already entered into the iron age. 01:10:25 So look at the issues in the story. 01:10:27 We've got high tech versus low tech. 01:10:33 And it's all heading toward a showdown. 01:10:37 Every day for 40 days, this man mountain of fighting technology 01:10:43 strides out onto the field of battle. 01:10:46 Every single day, every day, for 40 days. 01:10:51 And every day for 40 days, the people of God, 01:10:53 they march out onto battle, onto the field. 01:10:56 In precise military formation, they take up their 01:11:00 lifeless formations. 01:11:01 And then as soon as Goliath begins to march out, 01:11:05 they begin to hear the bellowing of Goliath. 01:11:09 And this very bellow sends shutters of naked fear 01:11:14 up and down their spines. 01:11:16 And they begin to flee. 01:11:20 Every day for 40 days. 01:11:23 Every day for 40 days. 01:11:27 Every day for 40 days. 01:11:31 Now I don't know if you realize it, but there is something 01:11:34 about God's love for certain numbers. 01:11:39 I mean, it's clear God loves the number seven. 01:11:41 Does He not? 01:11:42 It's clear. 01:11:44 He loves the number seven. 01:11:45 The Sabbath, marching around Jericho seven times, 01:11:48 the seven trumpets of Revelation, 01:11:50 the seven churches of Revelation, 01:11:52 the seven last plagues of Revelation. 01:11:53 God loves the number seven. 01:11:55 Here's another number that God loves; forty. 01:11:59 Forty days, Jesus is in the wilderness. 01:12:01 Nineveh is preached to forty days. 01:12:05 Moses leads the children of Israel around the 01:12:07 wilderness for forty years. 01:12:09 There's something about forty. 01:12:11 Because on the other side of forty, there is 01:12:13 always a breakthrough. 01:12:17 Here it comes now, here it comes now, here it comes. 01:12:20 Day 41 has dawned. 01:12:23 God's people now march out onto the field of battle. 01:12:28 They take up their military formation. 01:12:32 Goliath swaggers onto the field of battle, 01:12:35 full of self-confidence. 01:12:37 And he puts forward his proposition, 01:12:39 "Israel, send me a man." 01:12:49 And for the past 40 days, the people of God 01:12:52 have scattered when they have heard the roaring of Goliath. 01:12:57 Ah, but day 41 has dawned. 01:13:00 And now, here comes the cry, "Send me a man." 01:13:05 And as Israel takes up its position, out from behind 01:13:10 the Israelite lines, out squirts little David. 01:13:17 Goliath looks at him, he looks at the people of God, 01:13:22 he looks at the Philistines, and he says, 01:13:25 "Am I," the text, "a dog that you send a boy 01:13:32 to do a man's job?" 01:13:36 Now right here... 01:13:38 right here... 01:13:39 right here I want to stop and say that if you keep on living, 01:13:47 one day you are going to face a watershed moment in your life 01:13:54 when you've got to make a decision, "Will I trust God 01:13:59 or will I leave God?" 01:14:04 Now, here is the issue. 01:14:12 Goliath represents any set of circumstances 01:14:19 in which we are out manned, out gunned, out resourced, 01:14:28 out leveraged. 01:14:30 Goliath represents that set of circumstances, that life moment, 01:14:35 when we will have to make a decision. 01:14:37 For some, that Goliath is in the form of a physician's diagnoses. 01:14:43 "I'm not sure that we can cure what you have." 01:14:47 For others, it might be the exodus of a spouse who says, 01:14:51 "I don't want to be in this marriage anymore." 01:14:54 For another, it might be finding that the HIV text is positive. 01:15:01 But in every circumstance, you are going to have a moment 01:15:05 when you have got to make a decision, 01:15:08 "What now am I going to do with my faith in God?" 01:15:14 David makes a decision. 01:15:17 He says, "I'll fight the giant." 01:15:20 And when you listen to what happens in David's life, 01:15:23 from that point forward you find that in his narrative... 01:15:28 Because this is one of the few stories in the Bible 01:15:31 where the combatants talk more than they actually fight. 01:15:37 Yes it is. 01:15:40 It's like a Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston fight back in the 60's. 01:15:45 Some of you remember the history of boxing. 01:15:48 The second fight, it was a lot of talk. 01:15:50 Because Ali had become champion and everybody was waiting for 01:15:53 Liston to come back and take his revenge. 01:15:55 Well guess what happens? 01:15:56 In 1965, a long time ago, 1965, they now get into the ring 01:16:02 and Ali begins circling and dancing. 01:16:04 Now there had been a lot of talk up to the fight. 01:16:07 Ah, but he had noticed something about Liston. 01:16:09 Liston would jab and drop it. 01:16:12 Now, in boxing... 01:16:13 I'm not a boxing fan. 01:16:15 I don't know much about boxing. 01:16:16 I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. 01:16:18 But this is what they say, this is what they say. 01:16:19 They say that in boxing when you jab, you should pull it back 01:16:23 to cover your jaw. 01:16:24 He noticed something in studying the fight films. 01:16:27 Every time Liston would jab, if he missed he'd drop his jab 01:16:30 and pull it back. 01:16:32 Now they get to about a minute left in the 01:16:34 first round of the fight. 01:16:36 Liston jabs, Muhammad Ali steps left and comes over the jab. 01:16:40 And the fight is over in the first round. 01:16:44 Lots of talk, but a quick fight. 01:16:48 In David and Goliath's story, there's lots of talk, 01:16:51 but a quick fight. 01:16:53 But what makes the fight quick are the keys 01:16:56 that the young man reveals. 01:16:58 He tells you how to meet your giant. 01:17:04 Here's the first key. 01:17:07 The king decides, upon hearing that this insolent young man 01:17:11 wants to now fight the giant, the king decides that he 01:17:14 wants to help him. 01:17:15 So he summons him. 01:17:17 He comes into the kings chamber and the king says to him, 01:17:20 "David, you are not able to fight this giant. 01:17:24 Because he has been a fighting man from his young." 01:17:29 Now, aren't you glad that David didn't accept the king's help? 01:17:34 You know, some of us are too eager to let everybody help us. 01:17:37 But can I just share something with you? 01:17:39 All help is not created equally. 01:17:44 David rejects his help. 01:17:45 And now David begins telling him a story. 01:17:47 He says, "Look king, you know, one night I was out and I was 01:17:51 laying down and I was keeping my father's sheep." 01:17:52 He said, "And what I heard was a lion roaring in the darkness. 01:17:56 I looked through the murky darkness, 01:17:58 I grabbed the lion by its beard, and I killed it. 01:18:01 And on another night, there was a bear who had grabbed 01:18:03 one of my father's sheep. 01:18:05 And I beat the bear." 01:18:06 And in the Hebrew, "I knocked it down. 01:18:10 And I delivered the lamb. 01:18:11 And, oh king, if God could deliver me from the lion 01:18:16 and the bear, surely He can deliver me from this 01:18:19 uncircumcised Philistine." 01:18:24 Watch this now. Watch this. 01:18:26 That's the first key. 01:18:28 That's the first key on how to meet your giant. 01:18:32 You can't listen to what the naysayers say. 01:18:36 But when you get to that moment when you have to make 01:18:39 a cosmic choice, the first move David shows us is 01:18:43 that you've got to download your spiritual resumé. 01:18:50 You see, your spiritual resumé gives you a portable past. 01:18:56 Whenever you meet those circumstances like David, 01:18:59 you've got to look back at what God has done for you. 01:19:02 Some of us don't know how to meet our giants 01:19:05 because our past is not portable. 01:19:13 We get in the moment and panic. 01:19:16 Ah, but Ellen G. White says, "We have nothing to fear 01:19:19 for the future except we forget how God has led us in the past." 01:19:28 David says, "A lion and a bear; 01:19:32 if He delivered me from the paw of those, 01:19:35 He'll deliver me from the paw of the Philistine." 01:19:42 Second key. 01:19:46 Well Saul says, "Let me help you some more." 01:19:49 Saul summons his attendant. 01:19:51 And the attendant brings out now the most beautiful armor 01:19:54 you've ever seen. 01:19:56 It is custom fitted for Saul. 01:20:00 It's huge. 01:20:02 I can see David dangling around, dangling around, 01:20:06 in Saul's oversized armor. 01:20:09 And notice what your Bible says. 01:20:11 Your Bible says in verse 39 that David took them off 01:20:18 and tells Saul, "I cannot use these, 01:20:21 for I have not tried them." 01:20:24 That's the second key on how to meet your giant. 01:20:27 The second key, second key. 01:20:29 The first; download your spiritual resumé. 01:20:32 The second key is to upload your God given identity. 01:20:40 Because David is a shepherd. 01:20:46 He's not a military man. 01:20:49 Ellen White says that if he had accepted Saul's armor, 01:20:52 people would have said, "The only reason he won that battle 01:20:55 was because of the technology he was using." 01:21:00 Oh, watch this now. Watch this now. 01:21:02 I believe in technology. 01:21:04 Technology is a wonderful tool. 01:21:08 But it's a horrible master. 01:21:16 David now decides, "I'm going to go low tech 01:21:19 so that God will get all the glory." 01:21:22 He says, "King, I don't need that." 01:21:24 He says, "But you know something? 01:21:25 I've got five little friends 01:21:29 down at the Brook Cherith. 01:21:30 And I picked up my five little friends." 01:21:32 He says, "And now, king, I'm going to go low tech." 01:21:36 Day 41 has dawned. 01:21:39 The morning sun begins to rise above the eastern sky. 01:21:45 We watch as shafts of yellow sunlight begin to pierce 01:21:50 through the heavy morning mist. 01:21:53 Morning clouds pass over and shadow bridgeless rivers 01:21:59 as now the mighty man walks out onto the field of battle 01:22:03 once again. 01:22:05 Look at him. 01:22:06 He's a scintillating gladiator. 01:22:10 And he walks out onto the field of battle. 01:22:12 He issues his single combat proposition, "Send me a man." 01:22:18 David steps from behind Israelite lines. 01:22:21 Now David, now David, now David... 01:22:25 Now David has to use all of the practice 01:22:29 that he has ever mustered. 01:22:31 Because as he begins to speak to the giant, 01:22:34 the giant begins to curse him by every god the giant knows. 01:22:42 "David, come to me, you little blankety blank. 01:22:49 I'm all blanked up, blank out of..." 01:22:55 Watch this now, watch this now. 01:22:57 David says, "You come to me and I come." 01:23:02 Notice now, this battle is not between two men. 01:23:05 When Goliath invokes his gods, we are now into a 01:23:09 cosmic conflict. 01:23:11 It's not just a fight between two isolated human beings. 01:23:15 But it's a God fight now. 01:23:17 The God of the Hebrews versus the god of the Philistines. 01:23:21 And the God of the Hebrews, He's no domesticated 01:23:24 territorial deity. 01:23:27 But He is King of the cosmos. 01:23:30 And He doesn't need high tech. 01:23:32 He just needs dedicated servants who will go out 01:23:36 and do His will. 01:23:38 Now Goliath is infuriated. 01:23:41 He begins to bear down and to run at little David. 01:23:44 But your Bible says in verse 48 that David begins to run 01:23:48 to meet the giant. 01:23:51 He says to him, "You come against me with a 01:23:53 sword and a spear. 01:23:55 But I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts." 01:23:59 There's the third key. 01:24:01 The first key; download your spiritual resumé. 01:24:04 Upload your God given identity. 01:24:06 And the third key David shows us; you've got to plug in 01:24:10 to the power of the Name. 01:24:13 Because that Name is above every other name. 01:24:15 Somebody said that at the name of Jesus, every knee 01:24:18 is going to bow and every tongue is going to confess. 01:24:21 Somebody said there's no other Name given among men 01:24:24 whereby we must be saved. 01:24:27 Now, it's giant meeting time. 01:24:30 He begins bearing down on little David. 01:24:32 And guess what David does? 01:24:34 David begins to whip that sling in the air. 01:24:38 And you hear the helicopter whirl 01:24:41 of that sling as he releases it. 01:24:43 And that stone swishes through the air. 01:24:47 It bites into the forehead of Goliath. 01:24:50 And like a huge Oak tree, his whole body begins to quiver 01:24:55 and tremble as he now falls face down on the ground. 01:25:03 Is this the man that made the nations tremble? 01:25:08 Slain by a little shepherd boy. 01:25:14 Don't be afraid to face your giant. 01:25:17 Download your spiritual resumé. 01:25:19 Upload your God given identity. 01:25:22 Plug into the power of the Name. 01:25:24 Notice what David begins to do. 01:25:27 David now, as Goliath has fallen, that whole body 01:25:33 lies on the ground and it's pulsating as if it has been 01:25:37 invaded by a hive of alien impulses. 01:25:44 But watch this now. 01:25:46 Little shepherd's feet mount that heaving torso. 01:25:51 Little shepherd's hands unsheathe Goliath's sword. 01:25:56 And with a pop... 01:25:59 I'm trying to keep this sermon rated PG. 01:26:05 With a pop, he decapitates the giant. 01:26:17 Can I talk about another boy from Bethlehem? 01:26:22 Who, like David, was despised by His family. 01:26:26 Who, like David, was persecuted by a wicked king. 01:26:30 Can I talk about another little boy from Bethlehem? 01:26:33 Who, 2000 years later, would stand out on the plain in the 01:26:38 wilderness and face a mighty giant. 01:26:41 There's another little boy from Bethlehem whom we love. 01:26:45 And today, millions of people worship Him around the world. 01:26:49 Because He stood when no one else could stand. 01:26:53 Everyone here and everyone in our listening audience, 01:26:56 you will face mighty giants. 01:26:58 But please note that if God be for you, 01:27:02 who can be against you? 01:27:04 May you be blessed as you go forward into your future, 01:27:07 and as you face the challenges, some seen and others unseen, 01:27:12 and you plot a course and you keep your faith 01:27:15 riveted in the God who has loved you, who has delivered you 01:27:20 in your past, who sustains you in the present, 01:27:22 and who will bless you in the future. 01:27:25 In Jesus' name, let us all together say amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17