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We wrap up this message series on the 10 Commandments today. We look at the 8th, 9th, and 10th Commandments which call us to find our satisfaction in God alone. Deuteronomy 5:6-21.
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Maybe one of the most telling statements David ever made was at the beginning of Psalm 22. He asks God, “why have you abandoned me?” Hundreds of years later Jesus would quote these same words on the cross. Can your relate? Have you had times in your life that you may felt as if God abandoned you? Was there a time when you cried out and called out but it seems as if no one was listening?
It is in these moments we learn from Jesus. In Luke 11 he instructs his disciples how to pray and tells the following story starting in verse 5.
Luke 11:5–8 (NLT) 5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.
Jesus tells us to come to God with shameless persistence. I find Jesus’ choice of words to be very curious. Shamelessness often has a negative connotation. but that is exactly how God wants us to come to him. When I make a request and the answer is “no,” I will often give up and throw in the towel. I am not the type of person who will not take “no” for an answer. But Jesus is telling us here not to take “no” for an answer. He goes on further to say:
Luke 11:9-12 (NLT) 9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not!
When God’s child makes a request, God responds. God is not in the business of giving snakes and scorpions. He gives you what is good for you in the right time and the right place. You have not received a snake from God. You have not received a scorpion from God. It is hard to believe that sometimes. It is by faith we receive that is true. We often think we know what is better than God. But God is the Father and we are his children.
Many times the answer to our prayer is just part of a puzzle. It may feel as if God abandoned you because he is up to a greater work than we can imagine but may not be able to fully see right now. He is putting all the pieces of the puzzle into place. The answer to our prayer is a piece at the very center of the puzzle and before it will fit all the other pieces need to get into place.
So don’t give up hope. Keep praying. Keep listening to him through the Word. God does hear and God is up to something really great.
Today’s readings come from the New Testament. We first hear Jesus teachings on prayer from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:5-15 and 7:7-12. A third reading is from James 1:1-18
What do we learn about prayer in Matthew 6?
We are not to pray for show. Prayer is not about impressing others. Prayer is about our relationship with God. The reward with prayer is to know God and to be known by him.
We also learn the Lord’s Prayer. This is not a prayer Jesus teaches us to pray word for word. It is a template for our prayer so that we know how to pray.
What does it mean to ask for God’s kingdom to come and for his will to be done (6:10)?
It means for heaven to come to earth. It means that God’s authority and dominion would be ushered in. That his will would be done is that what God desires for his creature and creation would become a reality.
What does it mean to ask for daily bread (6:11)? What does Jesus teach us to ask for ourselves 6:12-13)?
To ask for daily bread is to ask for daily provision. That God would give us everything we need to live. He does not teach us to ask for more. “God, just give me enough!”
Jesus teaches us to ask for these things which we need. We need forgiveness. We need God’s guidance in our lives as to how to live. We need his divine protection.
Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given you.” Why then does God sometimes say, “no!” (7:7-8)? What does Matthew 7 say that God will give us?
We don’t have because we don’t ask. God will give us every good gift we need and more. We sometimes do not have because what we ask from God is not good even though we may think it is good.
According to the book of James, how are we to ask God when we are lacking (1:1-7)?
We must ask with faith, believing God will answer. We must ask and not doubt. We ask in humility recognizing God is not obligated to answer our prayer. His only obligation is the obligation he puts on himself because of his grace.
What happens to earthly treasure which we often ask God for (1:9-12)?
It does not last. We leave this earth and our possessions are given to someone else. God wants us to have treasure that we can hold in eternity and not what will be thrown away.
Are there times in your life where you received something good that was not good? Opposite that have you ever received something that you did not think was good, but was good? Who knows better than you what you need?
There have been more than a few times when what I thought I was receiving was a blessing, but it was actually a curse. What we think is good is not always good for us. There are other times I have received that which I did not want to receive, but it turned out to be a great blessing. God know what we really want and need better than we do. The hard thing is to believe that and live in trust.
Happy Reformation Day! Today we celebrate the reformation which was a rediscovery of God’s grace. It is not about what we do for God. It is about what God has done for us.
In this message we look at God’s grace in the Old Testament. It was not about what David accomplished for God. It was about what God did for David. The story is found in 2 Samuel 7:4-16.
Often times we work hard to try to do great things for God, but we end up spinning our wheels. When it comes to our relationship with God it is not about being more accomplished, but more surrendered.
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This week we took a look at one of the most famous stories of all times. It is the story of David and Goliath. There are very few people who have never heard this story. This is a story that has been told over and over numerous times and in numerous ways. I remember having this story read to me at bedtime when I was a kid.
It is the classic underdog story that comes with a powerful message. We find the story recorded in 1 Samuel 17. It is a story of faith and trust. It shows that God is in control even in the most difficult circumstances.
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We kick off week 2 of the King David Message Series today. In today’s reading we will be looking at one of the most famous stories ever told. It is the story of David and Goliath found in 1 Samuel 17. The listing of readings, questions for each day, and anything else related to this message series can be found on this blog by clicking on the David picture to the right.
What made Goliath to be so intimidating (17:4-7)?
We read Goliath was over 9ft tall. That is really tall. His armor was more than 125lbs. So not only was he tall, but he was covered from head to toe with body armor. You might as well have been going up against a tank. He carried a spear. The tip of the spear was 15lbs, heavier than most bowling balls. He even had an armed guard called an armor bearer that marched before him. So to get to Goliath, you had to get past his armor bearer first. This was the most imposing figure you would ever meet.
What was the Israelite response to the giant’s challenge (17:8-11)? Who should have rightfully fought Goliath (see 1 Samuel 9:1-2)?
The Israelites did not want anything to do with Goliath. The text says when they heard Goliath they were terrified and deeply shaken. No one had the courage and they were left demoralized.
It should have rightfully been Saul who should have fought Goliath. We go back to the story of when he was chosen to be king. He was head and shoulders above anyone else in the land. He may not have been taller than Goliath, but he was the tallest among the Israelites. We also read last week how Saul and Jonathan were the only ones in the Israelite army who had weapons. Saul had everything he needed to fight Goliath. He should have been the person to step forward. Samuel had given him the charge to deliver the Israelites out from under the hand of the Philistines.
Goliath kept coming back for 40 days (17:16) to challenge the Israelites. What are the giants that keep coming back in your life that will not go away?
I find one of the most interesting things in this text is how Goliath kept coming back. He did not give up. Day after day for 40 days he taunted the Israelite army. The giants we face will keep coming back. They do not go away. Sometimes they will leave for a short time, but they will come back a different time and in a different way. We cannot run from the giants in our life. Another name for these giants are the 500 lbs gorillas in the room. Avoiding them will not make them go away.
The giants we face are things like temptation, money, death, and health. These are big things that cause us to worry and to fear.
What was the only way Goliath would go away?
The only way Goliath was going to go away was to face him and to take him on. They were not going to be able to run away from him. The only way to get rid of him was to defeat him. The warrior who faced Goliath might die in the fight. But not standing up to the giant was no answer either.
It is the same way with the giants in our lives. We can’t run from them. With help from God we need to deal with them and take them head on. As we learned last week, faith is more than wishful thinking. Faith is the ability to take action even in the midst of our doubt. You may not think you can defeat your giant and you are right. But when you step in faith and express your confidence in God, watch God come through.
Why do you think Eliab (David’s brother) was so critical of David (17:28)?
It is very possible Eliab is still holding resentment against David because David had been chosen by Samuel to be the next king. Eliab might have been jealous of David and by casting words of spite in David’s direction, he hoped to make himself feel better. But bitterness is never going to bring release. It is only by offering forgiveness and finding our joy and satisfaction in the Lord we will discover healing.
Why did David have such confidence to fight Goliath (17:34-37, 45)? Why is David ultimately the one “most qualified” to fight Goliath?
David’s confidence came from his past experience in the fields. He remembered how God delivered him from a lion and a bear. God had spared David’s life before and this gave David the confidence now that God was on his side.
David was the most qualified to fight Goliath but not because David was a mighty warrior. It was not because David was trained to fight. David was the most qualified simply because he listened and followed God. He was the man after God’s own heart. God does not seek out the most qualified according to earthly standards. He looks for the most qualified according to heavenly standards.
How is Saul’s trying to help David, by giving him his armor, actually hurting David (17:38-39)?
Saul is trying to make David into something he was not. Each of us is gifted in our own unique way by God. By trying to put on Saul’s armor, David was attempting to become someone he was not. God gave David the ability to use the sling and that was what David needed to use. Be true to yourself and who God made you to be. Don’t try to be someone you are not.
What was Goliath’s greatest weapon against the Lord’s anointed (17:41-44)? How did David counteract this (17:45-47)?
Goliath’s greatest weapon was not his sword or his spear. It was intimidation. More than anything else, Goliath sought to defeat his enemy by destroying his will and his spirit to fight.
David counteracted Goliath’s intimidation by expressing his faith out loud in the true and living God. David spoke words of faith. These words of faith were not just something he kept to himself. They were for the benefit of all who would hear. He wanted everyone to know the God in whom he put his trust.
Why do you think it is significant David “ran” to meet the giant in 17:48?
David did not wait for the Giant to come to him. He ran towards the Giant. Don’t wait for troubles to come your way. There is so much injustice in this world. Advance against it. Advance against the gates of hell. Don’t let them come to you, otherwise it will be too late.
