May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." 10 Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other." 11 On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. 20 Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 28 When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." 32 David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." 33 Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." 45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." (1 Samuel 17:8-11,20,28,32-33,45-47)

INTRODUCTION: An easy answer "on paper" is not always an easy answer in everyday life. Is God over everything? Easy answer- "yes." Is God for or against us? Easy answer- "for." But you are full of sin and deserve punishment, how do you know for sure? "Jesus was perfect as my substitute and took away my sin's punishment on the cross." Will he ever leave you? "No." Easy answers. But still we worry and are anxious and often feel like we're all alone. We still trust in man when it is better to take refuge in the Lord. (Ps.118:8)

1. An Elementary Answer

The questions we just asked sounded almost like the confirmation exam questions. One such elementary question would be: "Who is the shepherd-king?" We would all respond with the elementary answer - "it's Jesus, of course." He is a caring shepherd - He laid down his life for the sheep. He is the King who rules in believers hearts and rules all things for the good of the church. (There's one from the confirmation exam.) Anybody have trouble with the question "who is the shepherd-king?" It's an easy one, huh? It's an easy answer on paper, but what about in life experience? Let's look in on a few hours in the life of Israel's greatest human shepherd-king, who needed THE Shepherd-King, to see that the easy answer is ....

2. ...Challenged by Everyday Experiences.

The Philistines had invaded to the center of the Promised Land. Battle lines were drawn only ten miles from the famous city of Bethlehem.(You know why it's famous.) On one side of the Valley was a pagan army with a giant representative. As he walked out into the valley morning and evening for forty days, his breast-piece alone weighed as much as one of you teen-agers and the tip on the end of his spear was the weight of a bowling ball. Not only was he a giant, he hurled big words. They were words that terrified men. They were words that defied the Living God.

David's brother in the army would certainly encourage him in his willingness to face the enemy, right? Well... no. From his brother he received criticism, probably from a competitive spirit. If I can't do it, you can't do it may have been his line of thought. There may have been a bit of envy beneath the insults- "how come he's not afraid?... I am."

How about the leader of the nation? Wouldn't king Saul support young David's determination to face the enemy of God with the strength of God? "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him...(33)" said the king. What a punch in the stomach that was to get that kind of "encouragement" from the top. But coming from one who was now without the Spirit of God, cowardice was all Saul knew.

Take an airplane view of the battlefield for a second. Who's down there? An enemy and its giant. An Israelite army is trembling. David trying to do what's right but being challenged by enemies and "so called" friends. Anybody else? Is Almighty God there? That's easy for us to answer. Sure He is. During challenges like this, it isn't a matter of whether there is an Almighty God over the battlefield, is a matter of whether or not His people trust him - that's difficult.

If you are a child or a confirmand with all the right answers, if you are a veteran believer... we all face the same challenges. Today, tomorrow, the next day and beyond, you will face the enemies bigger and more terrible than Goliath. Satan is giant compared to us and the sin influence inside of our own bodies and in the people around us is not miniature. These intimidate you, confuse you, pressure you. Day and night they'll wear you down saying "wrong" is "right" - sometimes saying it forcefully, but often using a tactic Goliath didn't use - deception. "Just try it"... "just do it"... "it's OK." "You're not at peace with yourself?...this will make you feel better." Do you see how unreliable that kind of talk is coming from Satan and our sin? They're the reason we're not content and at peace in the first place since we've followed them and become guilty before God. Now we're supposed to trust them and follow further down the path that leads away from God's commandments...the path that ends in death??

Those of you who have promised and those of you who are about to promise lifelong faithfulness to God - to stand with Him, to stand up for His truth....you will look for encouragement and support from your family, like David did. And sometimes you'll get it. After all, Christians are characterized by loving one another, right? But sometimes you'll look around and even your brothers and sisters will be so concerned about being competitive and critical...so concerned about themselves, that they will not reinforce you in your Christian fight of faith (sorry about that). Sometimes the people who are the most prominent in our esteem will be no more helpful than the king of Israel in leading you against the unholy enemies. "Don't even bother" Saul told David.

Don't ever expect strength to stand against sin and to obey God to come from inside of you or from inside of anybody else. We do a lot of that. Too much. That's why we're pressured and anxious and stressed out and afraid...because WE just can't see how WE can make it through this next phase of life. It doesn't matter where you are on your liftetime's timeline, we always look ahead, don't we? And our minds can paint some pretty ugly paintings of how the future might be. Those mental images are filled with enemies and obstacles and I'm all alone.

3. Still the Ageless Answer

Look and see what David saw before the future: "45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands." That's exactly what happened when the future arrived.

God had placed his banner of forgiveness over David. He also placed trust into David. He's done the same for us. That's why you know as David did that God will not give His glory to another. He's going to defend his honor. He absolutely and always will be the last One standing. There is no safer place for us to be than penitently positioned on his side of the battle line through the blood of Jesus. Knowing that, we will put up with the temporary anxieties and see through the fears and stand when we feel like curling up...because we're on the side of the Champion. He never loses. David came against Goliath in the name of the Lord Almighty. The battle was the Lord's. For us too, the battle against evil is always the Lord's.

If you think either the enemy or the answer is just facts on paper or stuff to talk about in church, then sin and Satan are messing with your mind. You don't have to be too far from home to be pummeled by these enemies. In fact, not only is sin inside of us, it's being piped right into our homes more blatantly than ever on graphic video visuals and in sensual songs. You can't beat it...children, teens, or adults. Watch the "war report" instead. But you'll have to turn off the TV because the real "war report" isn't on cable. It's echoing from the empty tomb left behind by a living Savior who has crushed the unholy opponents that threaten and intimidate us. The war report blazing before our eyes is in the book of Psalms. David painted the pictures after THE Shepherd-King carried him through this and other "valleys of the shadow of death" again and again and again. Here's one image "I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. O LORD, you brought me up from the grave^: you spared me from going down into the pit. Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (30:1-5) You want to see the real war report in digital wide-screen? You want high-definition graphics? Turn to Revelation. There, in brilliant colors, in scene after scene we view the passage of our lifetimes and of this planet. Already standing there, in the end, alone on the field of battle is Jesus, the Shepherd-King who died and is alive again, forever and ever.

The war is over. The Prophet Micah pinpointed a town on the map right beside the battlefield where David stood. He promised a ruler would be born there. He said that ruler would stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord. That's what He is doing for you today, tomorrow, every day.

• Shepherd: Hebrews says the Shepherd is equipping you with all you need for your battles.
• Shepherd: Peter says the Shepherd will appear in the end to take you home.
• Shepherd: Revelation says He will shepherd his flock at the throne forever.
• And "King?" Well even a shepherd filled with compassion is really only a Good Shepherd if He can get us past the likes of a Goliath or a devil or sin who still think they're boss. Jesus' resurrection from the dead leaves every blustering message of fear, intimidation and deception dead on the battlefield along with the enemies who use such tactics. He stands alone. He is King. Therefore His message of compassion is more than "sweet nothings" whispered in our ears because Jesus alone speaks with all authority in heaven and on earth. Remember that when He's whispering to you: "I am the Good Shepherd"... "I have laid down my life for the Sheep"... "I know my sheep"... "Noone will snatch them out of my hand."

Who is the Shepherd-King...children, confirmands, congregation? In spite of your everyday challenges the Shepherd-King is still the exalted Son of God who lives again for you. Living boldly beneath Him is characterized by believing promises made by the One powerful enough to keep them all. Living boldly beneath Him is characterized by listening to the promises made by the One powerful enough to keep them all. -----The answer to the question for today is easy. Life isn't. Knowing in our minds that the Shepherd-King stands ready is easy. Faithfulness to Him is not. But Jesus will never withdraw the voice of His Word from us. He calls. His sheep listen. They follow Him.

CONCLUSION: And didn't God put David before our eyes as an example of someone who had at least as many challenges and enemies as we do? What did David learn? What does He teach us? Prior to the impossible duel, David told Goliath: "You have weapons and force, but I come against you in the name of God?" What is the "name of God?" Confirmands memorized: "it is everything God has revealed to us about Himself in the Bible." He reveals Himself in the Bible. That's not just and easy answer, folks. You will find that's where the Shepherd-King saves the day. AMEN.