Good evening everyone. Let's
turn in our Bibles to 1st Samuel chapter 17. 1st Samuel chapter
17. I have greetings to give you
from Pastor and Shirley. We're in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Her parents seem to be doing
well for the condition that they're in. As a matter of fact, Shirley
and her mom went shopping today. So that was a good thing from
the nursing home that they were in. And let's continue to pray
for safety as they travel back to us. 1 Samuel chapter 17 is
a story that we all know. I don't intend to go into this
story. We've talked about it once before.
I want to look at the end of the story. But to get there,
we need to remember that we're talking about David, who is a
type of Christ. As a matter of fact, one of the
names for Christ in the book of Isaiah is David, the beloved. David was called of the Lord
and, uh, He was not the one that anyone
would actually choose. He was a young man, ruddy, redness
of face. He was a shepherd boy. He watched his father's sheep. But God doesn't look on the outward
appearance. God looks on the heart. And because
God looks on the heart, God chose David to be the king of Israel. And Samuel came and anointed
David. The spirit of God came upon David
from that point on. And then David was called to
Saul's house because at the time the spirit of God came on David,
an evil spirit from God came on Saul. And Saul's people said,
we need to find somebody who will soothe your evil spirit. Somebody who can play the harp.
Somebody who can sing. And Saul said, search around
and find somebody. Well, they found David. And they
brought David to Saul's house, and when the evil spirit was
working on Saul, David would play his harp, sing his psalms,
and Saul would relax a little. After that, there was a war going
on between Israel and the Philistines, and you know about the war. They
had a champion called Goliath. And they would set the battle
in array. What it means is that on one
side of the hill, they'd all line up, shake their spears and
their shields, and yell at one another. On the other side of
the hill, the other army would do the same, but then would step
out this giant who was over eight feet tall, His spear was like
a weaver's beam, the head of it being approximately eight
pounds of spearhead. He had a shield, he had armor,
he had everything that a warrior would have, and he would call
out and defy the armies of Israel, defy God, and say, send me a
man. If he'd be able to defeat me,
then we Philistines will be Israel's slaves. If I defeat him, then
Israel will be the Philistine's slave. They did this several
times. And all the Israelites, when that
giant stood out in front of everybody, backed up. Even Saul, who was
a head and shoulders taller than every other Israelite, Who would
you think would be the champion, the king, or someone of his? But they were afraid. Jesse sends
David down to the camp. There was that formidable foe,
but then comes the faithful servant. There is that formidable foe
of sin, of unrighteousness, of wickedness, of iniquity, of evil. in every man's life, but there
is a faithful servant, and his name is Jesus Christ. And David
was a faithful servant. Let me show you how faithful
he was. When his daddy told him to go down to his brothers and
take some things to them who were at the battle, three of
his brothers were there, he left the sheep, but he didn't just
leave the sheep. He left them with a keeper. He
was faithful to his sheep. He left them with a keeper. We
have a keeper. We may not like to think of it
in such terms, but our pastor is the one he left to keep his
sheep, to watch over his sheep. He went to his brothers and the
giant stepped out. And David said, who is this guy?
Who is this man who would defy the armies of Israel? Well, they
told him that King Saul said the man that go out there and
defeat him He can have Saul's daughter and he can have riches
and he can have honor in the kingdom. And David looked at
him and said, is there not a cause? Is there not a purpose for what's
going on right now? You know, everything in our lives
is for a purpose, isn't it? Is there not a purpose for these
things that are going on? It looks bad for Israel. This
giant looks looming up there. But is there not a cause? And
then David said, I'll go fight that giant. They brought him
to Saul and Saul said, well, you're just a kid. You're just
a young man. How in the world do you? And
you're a shepherd boy. You're not a warrior. How in the world are you going
to defeat a giant like that? David said, well, a bear and
a lion came into the sheepfold, stole one of the sheep. He said,
I killed the bear and I killed the lion. I took one of them
by the beard and killed him. Saul said, well, okay, we'll
send you in there, but you got to wear my armor. For a little
guy, that was a tough thing to do. He said, I've never tried
this stuff. I've never proved this stuff.
I don't need the armor. All I need is my sling and my
stone. And he went toward that giant.
The Bible says he ran toward that giant with sling and stone. And he cried out, the battle
is the Lord's, no matter what battle there is in our lives.
Because it's all purpose, there is a cause, it's all purpose.
Because of that, the battle is always the Lord's battle. Oh,
if you and I could learn that. I haven't yet, have you? Every
time a formidable foe comes up, I think I'm gonna have to find
a way to fight it. God's already fought it. The
Lord Jesus has already fought it. The Spirit of God fights
for us. God stands there for us. The battle's the Lord's. The
sovereignty of God. God's in control. I come to you,
David said to the giant, I come to you in the name of the Lord
of hosts whom you have defied. The weapons of our warfare are
not carnal. The weapons of our warfare are
God himself and his word. The foregone conclusion, the
giant's going to die. Genesis chapter three, the serpent,
the seed shall bruise the serpent's head. And that's exactly what
David did. He slung that stone and hit the
giant where his armor wasn't, right in his forehead. It sunk
into his forehead and the giant fell down. David ran up to the
giant. He had no sword in his hand.
He took the giant's big heavy sword and lopped off his head.
And the Philistines took off running, Israel after them. And
Israel won a great battle that day because of what David's trust
was in the Lord. Now we come to the end of the
chapter. And I find it a strange thing at the end of this chapter. 1 Samuel chapter 17, verse 55. The scripture says, And when
Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto
Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? As if he didn't know him, but
David had played in his courts. with his heart. And Abner said,
as thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. And the king said, inquire
thou whose son this stripling is. And as David returned from
the slaughter of the Philistines, Abner took him and brought him
before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. Victory is won. And Saul said
to him, whose son are you? thou young man. And David answered,
I am the son of thy servant, Jesse, the Bethlehemite. David answered and said, I'm
the servant of thy son, Jesse. Jesse means the possessor. As a matter of fact, part of
the root word in the Hebrew for the word Jesse is I am. I am that I am. Whose son are
you? I am that I am. I'm the son of
Jehovah, a word that the Hebrews use, Yahweh, which simply means
Jehovah. As a matter of fact, it's said
that they wouldn't even write that term, these scribes who
were so much into ceremony, they wouldn't even write that term
for God unless they washed themselves seven times and washed their
pen seven times. It was such a holy name. I'm
the son of thy servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite. That's the
house of bread, the provider, Jehovah Jireh, God will provide. I'm the son of the one who is
the I am. I'm the son of the one who provides
everything. And as I was thinking about that,
I thought about what Saul asked of David, whose son are you? Whose son are you? You see, as the provider, the
Lord provided the perfect salvation. As the provider, he provided
his only begotten son for that salvation. As the provider, he
provided a perfect sacrifice on the cross where Jesus Christ
bore our sins, bore the wrath of God, bled and died, and his
blood covers our sin. Whose son are you? And I might
ask you that question tonight. Whose son are you? As far as
I can see in scripture, there are only two sons. Whose son
are you? Well, you know that question
was asked of the Lord one time? Turn with me to Matthew chapter
22. Matthew chapter 22. David said, I'm the son of thy
service, the son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, the possessor and
the provider. In Matthew chapter 22, let's
see how Jesus answers this question. Our Lord. Matthew chapter 22, beginning
in verse 41. While the Pharisees were gathered
together, Jesus asked them, saying, what think ye of Christ? Whose
son is he? They say unto him, the son of
David. That's who we were just talking
about, wasn't it? I'm the son of David. He saith unto them,
How then doth David in spirit call him Lord? Saying, The Lord
said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine
enemies thy footstool. If David then call him Lord,
How is he his son? Well, we know the answer, don't
we? Jesus Christ is the Lord of all, before all, yesterday,
today, forever, the same. And no man was able to answer
him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him
any more questions. That put their questions to rest. Not in their minds and hearts,
but they couldn't say anything else. What can we say? The Christ
is the son of David. What think ye of Christ? Whose
son is he? Well, he was the one that was
made a little lower than the angels. He's the one who was
crowned with glory and honor and power. He's the Christ, Peter
said, the son of the living God. As a matter of fact, at 12 years
old, he told his mother and stepfather, he said, I must be about my father's
business. His father was God himself. They sought to kill him one time
because they said, thou makest thyself to be God. That's when, well, let's look
at it. John chapter 10, John chapter
10. They may have recognized what
he's saying, but they had an awful thing to do to him because of
it. In John chapter 10 and verse 27, My sheep hear my voice, and
I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My father, which gave them me,
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my father's hand. I and my father are one. Then the Jews took up stones
again to stone him. Jesus answered them, many good
works have I showed you from my father, for which of those
works do you stone me? The Jews answered him saying,
for a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and because
that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. He was the son of God. He was the one foretold. He was
the one who came. And He's the one who provided
our perfect salvation. Whose son is our Lord? The Son
of God. For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son, only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Whose son are you? Whose son
are you? I knew my Father a little bit.
By the time I was 10 years old, he was out of the house and gone.
Never knew him from then on. Some of you know your fathers
intimately. When we think about our fathers,
when my son was born, everybody said he's the spitting image
of you, whatever that means. He's the spitting image of you.
And I guess that just means he looks a lot like me, poor little
fella. He's, whose son are you? But
in these few moments, I want us just to bring our minds to
the scripture and realize that we're not talking about earthly
fathers. We're talking about something
else altogether. Whose son are you? Well, number
one, all are sons of Adam. Every one of us are sons of Adam. We were shapen in iniquity, and
in sin did our mothers conceive us. We've all sinned. We're all
dead in trespasses and sins because of Adam. Now I want you to see
that with me. Turn to Romans chapter 5. Romans
chapter 5. All men, all women, Boys and girls, all
are sons of Adam. Romans 5, beginning of verse
12. Wherefore, as by one man, sin entered into the world, and
death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned. For until the law of sin was
in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no law,
nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them
that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression,
who is the figure of him that was to come. but not as the offense,
so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of
one, many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift
by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto
many. And not as it was by one that
sinned, so is the gift, for the judgment was by one to condemnation,
but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man's offense death
reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ. Therefore, As by the offense
of one, judgment came upon all to condemnation, even so by the
righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men under
justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience,
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one, many shall
be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, Grace did
much more abound, that as sin hath reigned unto death, even
so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ our Lord. All are sons of Adam. All men are or were those who
will come, if there be any, were in Adam
in the fall. When Adam fell, we fell. That's what this Paul is telling
us right here. And when Adam fell into sin,
we fell into sin. When Adam offended God, we offended
God. Every person on God's earth or
under the earth were in Adam. Now being in Adam, Being in Adam, there are two
categories that I want to discuss just a little bit. Turn to John
chapter eight, John chapter eight. In Adam, either your father is
the devil or you cry, Abba, father. These were all sons of Adam.
We'll talk in a minute about what makes the difference. But
in John chapter 8, I want you to look at verse 44 first. John
chapter 8 and verse 44. Our Lord is speaking and he says
to these self-righteous Pharisees and publicans, scribes and the
hypocrites, he calls them in Matthew, he says, ye are of your
father, the devil, and the lust of your father, Ye will know
he was a murderer from the beginning and of old not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie,
he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it."
Our Lord talked plainly with religious leaders. There was
no if, and, buts, or maybes when he talked to them. When he talked
to his people, he talked gently. He talked with conviction. But
when he talked with the religious folk, he said it like it was. The religious folk were the ones
carrying the lies. They were the ones blaspheming
God with all their religion and ceremonies and their doctrinal
ideas and so on. So here in John chapter 8, look
at verse 21. Here's what our Lord says. Then
said Jesus again unto them, I go my way and ye shall seek me and
shall die in your sins. Whither I go, ye cannot come. There are those of the sons of
Adam whose father is the devil. Look at verse 37. They had just said to them, we
be Abraham's seed and we're never in bondage to any man. Verse
37, I know that you are Abraham's seed, but you seek to kill me
because my word hath no place in you. Some of the sons of Adam
have as their father, the devil. Look at verse 41. Our Lord said in verse 40, now
you seek to kill me. A man has told you the truth,
which I have heard of God. This did not Abraham. You do
the deeds of your father. Then they say, we were not born
of fornication, for we have one father, even God. And verse 43,
why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot
hear my word. Some of the sons of Adam, have
as their father, the devil. Verse 47, our Lord is speaking. He says, he that is of God, heareth
God's words. Ye therefore hear them not because
you are not of God. And then verse 55, Yet ye have not known him, speaking
of God, but I know him. And if I should say, I know him
not, I should be a liar like unto you, but I know him and
keep his saying. Some of the sons of Adam have
as their father, the devil. But you know, here in John chapter
eight, there is hope for God's people written into this chapter
too. Here enters the gospel. Look at verse 28, John 8. Then said Jesus unto them, when
ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that
I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath
taught me, I speak these things. And verse 12. Then spake Jesus again unto them,
saying, I am the light of the world. He that follows me shall
not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. And then look at verse 30. Then
said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if you continue
in my word, then are you my disciples indeed. The gospel has entered. There are some of the sons of
man, Adam, whose father is the devil. Back in verse Samuel chapter
17, it says, but now David, now David. But now, there's a change. But now, we like to look at those
but nows in the scripture. Because there's a contrast, a
huge contrast that is made. Like in Isaiah 43, 1. But now,
thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and that formed
thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have
called thee by thy name. Thou art mine. But now, There's
a change, there's something that's happened in 1 Peter 2 and verse
10, which in time past were not a people, but are now the people
of God, but now. In Ephesians chapter two, verse
13. But now in Christ Jesus, ye who
sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Something has happened. There's
a change. Something is going on here. And
it's the gospel in Ephesians chapter five, verse eight. For
ye were sometimes darkness, but now Are ye light in the Lord? And that's the good news, isn't
it? Good news. But now, something's going on. Paul, I believe, wrote Hebrews,
and so I'm going to say, Paul, the writer of Hebrews, chapter
9, verse 26 says, But now, once in the end of the world, hath
he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. But now. But now. Job said it
this way, I have heard thee by the hearing of the ear, but now
mine eyes seeth thee. Wherefore, I abhor myself and
repent in dust and ashes. You see, but now, Isaiah said
it again, but now, O Lord, thou art our father. All are sons of Adam. Some of those sons of Adam have
as their father the devil. Whose father? Who is your father? But some have the Father, Abba,
our God, Elohim, Jehovah, whatever name you want to give and whatever
the Bible ascribes to Him, our God has become the Father. of some of Adam's race. Look with me in Romans chapter
8. We're going through several scriptures
here, but I think it's good for us. In Romans chapter 8, beginning with verse 15. Romans chapter 8, verse 15. While you're finding that place,
there is something that's made the difference. Who maketh thee
to differ? How does one become a son of
God and be able to cry out, I have a father? How does that happen?
Well, before the foundation of the world, the Lord chose his
people. Before the foundation of the
world, the Lamb was slain, and in time, in due time, The prophetic
lamb became the actual lamb who died on the cross and bled and
suffered for you and me and put away sins once in the end of
the age. There's no more offering for
sin. He's the only one. And he was the lamb slain before
the foundation of the world and the spirit before the foundation
of the world. was authorized, elected, chosen,
whatever you want to say, but he was authorized to quicken
every one of God's people who were chosen in eternity past.
That's how you become a son of God. That's how the grace of
God comes to a believer. For years, I didn't know that.
For years, I thought that the grace of God came by believing
Jesus Christ. Oh, if you have enough faith,
God will give you grace. Then I found out when God gives you
grace, you got all the faith you need. And he gives us more
grace. He abounds in grace. Who maketh
thee to differ? Look at it here in Romans chapter
eight, verse 15. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit
of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Abba, a holy, endearing
term of father. We love our fathers. We've got
different names for our fathers. And I'm not equating Abba with
this, but just to say one of the sweetest names we call our
fathers is Daddy. One of the sweetest names we
can call our Heavenly Father is Abba. Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness
with our spirit that we are the children of God. But this is
not the only time it's said. Look back in Galatians, just
a few books over here. In Galatians, first, second Corinthians,
then Galatians. Galatians chapter four. Galatians chapter four. Let's begin with verse 4. I like it when I say
something. And I really don't know exactly
if I'm saying it right or not. And then I go to the scripture
and it said right there. There it is. There it is. You
can't get away from it. Verse four. For when the fullness
of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that are under the law, that
we might receive the adoption of sons. Again, that's not the
only place. One more book over, the book
of Ephesians. In Ephesians chapter one, beginning
with verse three. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as
he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy without blame before him, in love having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ who
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the
praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted
in the Beloved. We're adopted. We're adopted. There's only one Son. That's
Jesus Christ. But we're adopted. And we're
made just like Him. I'll show you that here in just
a little bit. But we're made just like Him. But we're adopted.
When I talk to people, and I'm sure you do too, about the sovereign
grace of God, they get so upset. And it's because we take us out
of the equation. It's God himself. It's his choice. It's what God wants to do. It's
his good pleasure. And he's the one who chooses. I have some people who come by
the shop and they always say, well, Joshua said, choose you
this day whom you will serve. I said, will you read the rest
of that verse? Will you serve the gods on this
side of Jordan or will you serve the gods on that side of Jordan?
You just choose. As for me and my house, we'll
serve the Lord. That's the only thing they could choose. How'd
I get there? Adoption of sons. We're adopted. go to an orphanage. Here's a
man and a woman. Maybe they are childless, cannot
have a child. Maybe they have some children
and want more. But they may go to an orphanage. And they go in the orphanage.
And if we go by the religious leaders of our day, they have
to go in there and love every one of them. That wouldn't make
sense. Or they would have to stand there and wait for one
of them to choose them. or all of them. And that wouldn't
make sense. What do they do? They go in there
and they look over these children, and whether it's love at first
sight or whatever, but they look at a child and say, that's the
one. No one blames those parents for
choosing one or two children out of that orphanage, do they?
But oh, how they blame God! Who art thou that replyest against
God? What are you going to say to
Him? He made the choice back in eternity, not because of any
good or bad that was in the person, just simply because He made the
choice. In actuality, they were all bad.
They all deserve to die. They all deserve hell. But He
made a choice. And because He made the choice,
and because our Lord Jesus died upon the cross and shed His blood
for those people, and because the Spirit of God, our sins have
been taken care of now, and because the Spirit of God comes to God's
people, to those that He chose, and quickens them, makes them
alive, then they can turn around and say, I believe. He's my God. And we can rejoice that He chose
us. For it became Him, for whom are
all things, by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory,
to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Turn with me to one last passage
tonight. First John. Whose son are you? All are sons
of Adam. Some of the sons of Adam have
as their father the devil. Some of the sons of Adam have
as their father God, Abba, Father. 1 John chapter 3, beginning in
verse 1. Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. Therefore, the world knoweth
us not, because it knew him not. Below, now are we the sons of
God. Not gonna wait until the end
of our life and then hopefully we'll have time enough, and this
is the way some people think. I've talked to them. Hopefully
we'll have time enough to make a change before I die. It'll
never happen. Not how it works. Well, what
about the thief on the cross? Jesus was dying there right between
these two thieves. Both of them were making railing
accusations and cursing him and saying, get us off this cross
if you be the son of God. And then all of a sudden God
revealed something to one of them. And he said, Lord, remember
me when thou comest into thy kingdom. He recognized the one
hanging on that cross, suffering, bleeding, bruised, dying. He recognized there is God Almighty. He's Lord. And if I'm ever, if
I'm ever, it'll have to be by His grace. Remember me. And the Lord said, This day,
thou shalt be with me in paradise. Now are we the sons of God. And it does not appear what we
shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be
like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that
hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he appears.
Now, when God reveals himself to you right then and there,
now you're a son of God. But you've been a son of God
for all eternity. God chose you. But it didn't
become effectual till he revealed by his grace that you're one
of his. Gave you faith. gave you grace,
gave you everything you need to step into glory with him. We'll see him as he is and be
like him. Let's pray. Whose son are you? Father, Abba, Father, sweet,
holy, loving Father, why you would use me, I suppose it'll
take eternity for me to understand, for I am a sinner. And tonight,
I've spoken to sinners. I've read your word. gave some
of my thoughts, and Lord, if any of those thoughts are not
usable, cast them out of our minds. But the word of God, drive
into our hearts. You've written them there. You've
written your law, your word. Oh, may we hear you. And may
we answer the question tonight. whose son am I, an old father. May we again plead for mercy,
for your salvation, now the accepted time, now the day of salvation.
And may we always remember that now, those to whom you've revealed
yourself, given grace and life and faith, now are we the sons
of God. Our pastor and Shirley will be
traveling home this weekend. I pray, Father, that you'll give
them mercies in their travels. Bring them home to us safely,
if it be your will. And throughout the rest of this
week, May we recognize we whom you've chosen, given life to. May we recognize that our Abba
Father will not forsake us, will not leave us, will always be
there for us. No matter the foe, the victory
is there in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Good night, folks. Lord bless you.