David Zigler 5-11-24 David and Goliath

Again, Revelation 12, 7-10, and it reads, And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. Amen. May the Lord add his blessing to the reading of his word, and we welcome Brother David to the pulpit. Good morning, happy Sabbath. Just bear with me, it's my very first time ever doing anything like this, so I'm a little nervous. But God willing, we shall see it through. So David and Goliath, can you hear me okay, everybody? It's kind of interesting, the scripture reading we just read. It doesn't sound like it has anything to do with David and Goliath, does it? Well, before we open the word, let's pray. Oh, Heavenly Father, blessed are you, Lord, our God, King of the universe. We just want to thank you so much for allowing us to be here this Sabbath morning. The crickets and the birds are singing hymns, and so did we. So we thank you so much for being able to sing and worship you today. Please open our ears and open our eyes so that we may see and hear what you wish to tell us. Lord, let the heart of Christ Jesus be in each and every one of us here today. As we open your word, let us glean from the promises of your word. In Jesus Christ's name I pray, amen. David and Goliath, before I want to go to that scripture that he just read, Luke 24, 27, when you get there, please say amen. I want you to look at this, this verse here, because it's very much the topic we're going to go over. Luke 24, 27. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them and all the scriptures the things concerning himself. You see, in the Old Testament, Jesus was showing us where and there he was. And so when David and Goliath, as we look deeper into the scriptures, we're going to find him there. So the way to start this off properly, to really get the picture of what we're trying to see here, we need to turn to Revelation 12, 7 to 10. I'm going to be speeding very fast through the scriptures. And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels and prevailed not. There was their place found anymore in heaven. And that great dragon was cast out. That old serpent called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. He was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now has come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. In heaven, there was a war which led to Lucifer being cast down, being cast down to earth. And later, Jesus is coming as a man. He's coming down to this earth because he's coming to save mankind. He's coming to redeem mankind. He was and is willing to get into the trenches with us into this world to fight the dragon on our behalf. In other words, he's coming to be what is known as a man after God's own heart. To be a hero, to be our hero. And what is the greatest attribute of a hero? You might say that he's willing to lay down his life for the sake of others. Listen to what the Bible says in John chapter 15. My love has no man in this that a man lay down his life for his friends. Why is Jesus coming down to this earth? He's coming down for one thing only. He's coming down because of his love for us. In other words, it is love that brought him here. It is love that led him to lay aside all the glories of heaven to come down to this earth to save us. Take a look at this verse and ponder just for a moment. Matthew 13, 45 to 46. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls who when he found one pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it. I would like to present this verse as also what Jesus thought we are worth. It is in fact what he was willing to do for us as well. All the glory of heaven, the treasures, Jesus Christ, heavenly flock of angels, the throne move up in the throne room of God in all of its splendor, the heavenly music they sang, giving glory to the father. He left it all to become a man to become a man. Jesus left all of that. Our hero gave up glory to come down to this earth to be our hero. And it was love that motivated him to do it. He didn't do it for himself. I think you can begin to understand John 3, 16, which says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever should believe in him will not perish but have everlasting life. For God said not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Another verse that gives a picture of this scenario is Isaiah 9, 6 to 7. For unto us, the child is born unto us, a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace of the increase of his government and peace. There shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the Lord, of course, will host will perform this. So now something strange happened here. I don't know if you heard it. Talk about Jesus. He's coming to be the prince of peace. This is the one to be born unto us. But may God bless you. But the next verse says he's going to sit upon the throne of David. Why is God pivoting to David here? Why is he using David as a symbol of the work of Jesus? The Bible also does this in the book of Ezekiel chapter 34. It says, therefore, will I save my flock and there and they shall no more be a prey. And I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I'll set up one shepherd over them and he shall feed them. Even my servant David, he shall feed them and he shall be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God and my servant David, a prince among them. I, the Lord, have spoken it. Jesus came down to this earth to be our shepherd. He came down to this earth to face off with the devil, who has also come down to this earth. It seems like I'm really repeating myself, but I've got a point here I'm trying to make. I just want to really drive this home for you. So please bear with me. So the Bible says here that. I will set up one shepherd over them, even my servant David. David had been dead for over 400 years at this point. So we know we're not talking about David, right? This isn't David. No, clearly, symbolically. This is Jesus Christ. This is a type of Jesus. That's who it is. That's who we're talking about. Jesus is David in this verse. So why is God using David as a symbol of Jesus who was come, who was to come down to this earth, become a man and save God's people? So when we look at David more closely, we see David was a shepherd, just as Jesus is a shepherd. David is introduced to us as a shepherd who was in charge of his father's flock, but is then sent by his father to go check on his brothers. But the father says, I need you to leave the flock. I need you to go down and check on your brothers. Pause for a moment. I need you to leave your flock. And go check on your brothers. This is what Jesus did when he left, when he went and left heaven, he left his heavenly flock to go check on his brothers and sisters. So let's go down. Let's go to first Samuel, chapter 17, and I want you to notice this. The Bible says now the Philistines gathered, the Philistines gathered together their armies. For battle and were gathered together at Sheko, which belonged to Judah and pitched between Sheko and Azekah and Ephesdamim and Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched by the Valley of Elah and set the battle in array against the Philistines and the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side and there was a valley between them. The Israelites are on one side, Philistines are on another, they're on mountaintops and there's a valley between them. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits in a span, and he had a helmet of brass upon his head and he was armed with a coat of mail and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass and he had greaves of brass upon his legs and a target of brass between his shoulders and the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron and one bearing a shield went before him. In other words, Goliath seemed to be invincible. I mean, I don't know if you ever seen somebody decked out with armor like that, but it's they're pretty invincible. He cannot be defeated. Not only is he a giant. But he's covered in armor head to toe. And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel and said unto them, why are you come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you and let him come down to me. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid they could do nothing. They were paralyzed, but they and David arrives on the scene. And let me tell you that David was motivated by love. Love. Hebrews 14 says it like this. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of him that had the power of death. That is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Mankind was on the battlefield with a giant named Satan. And Satan is saying, I have you all shaking in fear of death and those who know not your dead men walking. I know I was who will challenge me, send somebody, come down and fight me. This is Satan. Yes. Send me a man so that we can fight together. Beloved, there was a man. But in order for there to have been a man, been a man, he had to become a man. He couldn't come in pure divinity. He couldn't come in pure divinity, he had to come as a man. Why? Because the challenge was to man. First, Samuel 17, 20, and David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with the keeper and took and went as Jesse had commanded him, his father. He came to the trench as the host was going forward to the fight and shouted for the battle. He came to the trench. Jesus was not going to stay in heaven while we're fighting in the trenches below. No, he got down in the trenches with us and it was love that motivated him to do it. First, Samuel 17, 28, and Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spake unto them, the men and Eliab's anger was kindled against David and he said, why come us down hither? Just why? Why do you come down? We don't need you. David comes on to his own and his own received him not. And with whom has thou left the few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thine heart. Thy pride and the naughtiness of thine heart for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. They falsely accused David, not believing why he is truly there. John 110, he was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not. He came unto his own and his own received him not. Not only David, not only did David come unto his brothers, but the Bible says in first Samuel 17 and Jesse said unto David, his son, take now thy brethren and Ephah of this parched corn and these 10 loaves and run to the camp to that brethren. So David came with bread. David brought the bread. You know, this is interesting. I should have been using this. Sorry. So bear with me a moment while I just get my get my stuff back in order. So. We know that. From John, the book of John, that Jesus is the word. And he's also the bread. Right. So why is David bringing 10? Maybe they have 10 brothers. That's why he's bringing 10 loaves of bread, but something symbolic is happening here. This is this is really interesting. You know. When Jesus came down, he says he's the bread of life, right. And so one thing we have here, I just want to point to this is that. In the sanctuary, we have the altar of sacrifice, which Jesus is the lamb of God, you have a laver. He says he's a living fountain, right? You have the table of showbread, the bread of life. You have the seven branches of candlestick, he's the light of the world. And you have the ark of the covenant where he is the law of God personified. This Jesus Christ is the law of God, it's the foundation in which he sits, his government rules on it, but he is, in fact. That's right, he came down with was not only the law of God, it was Jesus Christ himself and Jesus Christ is the law personified. I just want to drive that home that when David brought the bread, when Jesus came down. It wasn't just him. It was his law for us. His law of love. You know, the new a lot of a lot of Christians get misled by this when you have the Old Testament and Jesus brings the New Testament. This is crazy, and I'm just realizing this now, the New Testament, the New Covenant, right, is written on the heart. The Old Covenant is the law of God, the new one is the law of God, but it's written on your heart. A man after God's own heart. That's each and every one of us. And I saw the bread earlier, but I didn't make that connection until just now. God is good. He's the bread of life. Let that sink in for a second. John first and they received him, not bringing the bread. Here we go. John six fifty one. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man needed this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give him is my flesh, which I'll give for the life of the world. Yes, Jesus is the very bread of life. Oh, I lost my spot. Give me a moment, please. I was afraid this might happen. OK. Bear with me. Sorry about that. OK. This thing decided to put all my stuff somewhere else. Bread of life. OK, so first Samuel 1716, it says. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening and presented himself 40 days, 40 days. Do you remember the part where Jesus? Comes down to this earth and he goes into the wilderness for 40 days. Yes, a fasting and then he overcomes Satan's temptation. Jesus is showing us here how to overcome Satan's temptations. And the way he overcame Satan beating back these temptations was through the power of love. He did not overcome because of his divinity. No, he overcame based on a power that you and I have access to. And that is the power of love. Love. He enables us to love one another, to love someone more than ourselves even. OK, let's continue. First Samuel 17. Twenty three. And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines and spake according to the same words. And David heard them in this moment. It is just the whole scenario has changed. David heard those words. Goliath spoke and he's like, what did he just say? What did he say? This is important. David doesn't say, are you talking to me? Because Goliath, he wasn't talking to him. No, this is about God's reputation and his people. The army of Israel. It set his heart on fire for God, for God's people. First Samuel 17. Twenty six. I have it. First Samuel. 17. Twenty six. And David spake to the man that stood by him, saying, what shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine and taketh away their reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? What motivated David? It wasn't that. He was all big and bad and he could hold his own. No. Goliath was challenging God and his people and David's love for God and love for his fellow people led him to do what he did. Love for God and love for your neighbor. Sound familiar? So I'll go fight. David's a shepherd and he's not even at the age to fight. Yet he's not concerned for himself or his reputation. He's concerned for the honor of God and for the honor of his people. In other words, love for his God and his people. First Samuel 17. Thirty one. And when the words were heard, which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, let no man's heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. Let no man's heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight. Yes, the Lord will fight for you and you will hold your peace. David has the mind of a hero. I'd like to tell you a personal story at this time. I used to play football in high school. And when I was a freshman, I was on the JV, but there was I don't know if you're familiar with football at all. But there's a defensive line and there's the offensive line. And the line is like this is where the biggest guys are. OK. And the center is usually the biggest of them all. Well, he happened to be. We'll just call his name is Hey, hey, we'll just call him. Hey, hey, sounds real name. But he was a bully and he was a hazer as well. He was a hazer as well. And I. I dealt with it personally, his hazing and his bullying, along with all of the other freshmen that played football. And it just got to a point where we couldn't deal with it anymore. And I had I had had enough. We have this thing called it's called Geeks and Nerds. And it's while you're playing while you're practicing. And it was raining that day. It was mud everywhere. And we do this thing where it kind of looks like the beginning. I don't know if you saw David and Goliath. There's the group. The whole team splits in two geeks and nerds. And then you have one guy on one side, 40 yards and one guy on the other. They took the coach, blows the whistle, tosses the football. And one guy is supposed to stop the other that doesn't have the ball. The guy that has the ball is supposed to get by him. So it's it's a David and Goliath scenario. It's it's it's a test of might, you might say. And hey, hey, came out on the field and I don't know what was what was in me. He had he had said some things and he had done some things to the freshman that day. And my heart was set on fire. I was on fire and I just told myself that something's going to happen. I don't know what's going to happen, but it's going to end today. And so I stepped out in this gauntlet. I weighed one hundred and thirty pounds freshman year. He was three hundred and fifty tall, tall boy. Farmer, he was a big boy. I had no business being out on that field with him. In fact, the fullback, he was very big guy as well. He comes out, he's like, David, David, David, come on. No, no, no. You're going to die. I'm like, get back. I don't care. Whatever happens, it ends today. And I just I didn't care what was going to happen to me. I just knew that I had enough of what he was doing to my friends. So I bared down. It's raining. You can hear the rain falling on my helmet. It's like time slows down and I just start running. Soon as the whistle is blown and he just bears down, he's like a train. We clash. I go up. He goes down. I jump in the air. I'm like, yeah. And all the freshmen run up to me and they're shouting. Yeah, yeah. It's like they're shouting for victory. And I look back and and hey, he's his arms hurt. And the coach was mad because I just injured his varsity starting center. And I'm just this little stick and bones freshman. But things changed that day. It changed. He never bullied anybody ever again. And he treated me with respect. It changed. It pivoted. You know, that year we were undefeated state champions. 11 and 0. I still have the plaque and. It was all because I was motivated for the love of my friends. Not to place me in a position of Christ or David, but that we all have our David and Goliath scenarios. OK. And it doesn't necessarily mean life or death. It doesn't mean a 350 pound. Hey, hey. You know, this is this is the everyday thing. David and Goliath is meant for the over and coming. Motivated not by self, but by somebody else. And so you can take that into your daily life. You can help people. You can take the clothes off your back for the naked. Feed the sick. Visit the ones in prison. The things that Jesus is telling us to do are all self-sacrificing love. And Jesus Christ on the cross is a symbol of self-sacrificing love. A man after God's own heart. What Jesus is trying to show us here is not only is he David symbolically, but the lifestyle of David in this essence, in this format. In this moment, we can have moment to moment. My own David and Goliath scenario, if you will. We each will have one. So in Acts 32. Oh, Acts 13, 22. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king. To whom also he gave testimony and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart. I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart. And which shall fulfill my own will of this man's seed. God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel a savior, Jesus. He's speaking of Jesus here. David was a man after God's own heart because. David had a heart that cared more about others. And himself, just like Jesus. David was willing to sacrifice himself for someone else. Self-sacrificing love is not always life or death. So I just said this, but ponder this a moment. You can have the heart that is self-sacrificing. You can have the heart that is self-sacrificing. You can be a hero. In fact, that's what God is calling us to be. To do just that. To provide the needs of others above our own. This is a story also for us to overcome the glass in our lives. We need only realize that Jesus Christ, he already did it at the cross. It's done. It's done. Been done. He was willing to lay down his life so that someone else might live. So Jesus comes down as one of us, but he overcame what we couldn't do ourselves. Paralyzed to sin with the armor, which is faulty. Defiled, sin ridden. Our armor, our garments are as filthy rags. First Samuel 1738. And Saul armed David with his armor. And he put on a helmet of brass upon his head and also armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armor. And he has stayed to go, for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these, for I have not proved them. David put them off of him. And he took his staff in his hand and chose him five smooths of stone out of the brook. And put them in a shepherd's bag, which he had, even in a script. And his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David. And the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him. For he was but a youth and ruddy and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, come to me and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield. But I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand and I will smite thee and smite and I will take thine head from thee. And I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day under the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth. And I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day under the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth. And I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day under the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth. That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. I hear it like this. You come to me with a shield and a sword, but I come to you in the name of the Lord. No fear. David is not afraid. He's got no fear in this moment. There's a valley between them. He's on one mountain and Goliath on the other. For this fight to occur, they both had to go down. I shouldn't do that. They both had to go down. Satan came down to this earth. Jesus came down to this earth and they faced off. First Samuel 17, 48 to 49. And it came to pass when a Philistine arose and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag and took a stone and he slain it and smoked the Philistine in his forehead that the stone sunk into his forehead and he fell upon his face to the earth. That's a hero. You know how much bigger Goliath was than David? And David just running like like he's the giant. First Samuel 17, 50 to 51. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling, with a stone and smoked the Philistine and slew him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore, David ran and stood upon the Philistine. He took his sword. He drew it out of the sheath. And cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistine saw their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines until they'll come to the valley and the gates of Ekron. And the wound of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shurim, even on the gas and onto Ekron. Now, listen, they celebrated the victory of David. It was his victory. But his victory was their victory. David's victory was their victory. Their celebration was not that they went out and defeated Goliath. They were shaking in their boots, paralyzed with fear. One man, send you a man. Why does everyone have to prove themselves? Let's just choose two representatives. Let's look again at First Samuel 17, eight to nine. And he stood and cried under the armies of Israel and said, under them, why are you come? Why are you? Why are you come out to set your battle in a ray? Am I not a Philistine and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me and to kill me, then I then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you should be our servants and serve us. Jesus came as our representative of man so that we would not have to do the fight. But his victory will be attributed to you. I want to read a statement to you. It's from Gospel pages 104. And it reads like this. The thought that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, not because of any merit on our part. But as a free gift from God is a precious thought. The enemy of God and man is not willing that this truth should be clearly presented. For he knows that if the people receive it fully, his power will be broken. If he can control mind so that doubt and unbelief and darkness shall compose the experience of those who claim to be the children of God. He can overcome them with temptation. If we don't understand that fully. We don't understand what fully. The imputed righteousness of Christ to us. Not because of how we fought. Because of how he fought. Satan's power would be broken. But if he can't do that. If he can't overcome with temptation. If you can understand this, Christ won on our behalf. First Corinthians 15 22. For as an Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. And Romans 5 19. For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners. So by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. If I accept Christ as my representative, then in him Christ's victory belongs to me. The Israelites shout and go running after the enemy and they defeat them. Why? The battle had already been won. When David defeated Goliath, they had no reason to be running after them. David fought. They were too afraid. They were full of fear. And yet they all partake in the victory. How merciful is our God? So by the obedience of one, not two, not 144,000, not a great multitude. So by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Now, we still don't fully understand this. This will change the Christian walk from this day forward. We're going to read Hebrews 2 14 again. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. How did Jesus ultimately gain the victory? Through death at the cross. In other words, it was at the cross that Jesus defeated Satan and sin. So his victory is our victory. But we don't fully understand this. Why? Because we're still fighting as if we have not gotten the victory. The greatest miracle that occurred at the cross is that before we were born, Jesus defeated our sin. He defeated sin at the cross. Romans 8, 1 to 2. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walked not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. This is something real. It is not just theological. In other words, if I have truly accepted Christ as my representative, then I am free from sin and death. Romans 8, 3 and 4. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. The law couldn't do something. It was weak through the flesh. So Jesus condemned sin in the flesh. The flesh is me. I'm trying to be saved, but I find something in me that when I want to do good, I end up not doing good. So that's the flesh. But Jesus comes with the spirit, separating us from ourselves. The spirit understands that it is saved and it yearns for the saving of others. Does it not? So stop focusing on yourself. Myself. If you ask somebody why they come to church, and they're being honest, typically, and it's hard to be honest these days, the answer will be that they are trying to be saved. I need to be saved. I'm trying to get into heaven. It is so hard to get away from self, yes? But it's so simple. In Romans 8, 5 to 6. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. My carnal mind, enmity with God. God's spirit in my mind, in my heart, is life and peace. Self must truly die. When you're not concerned for being saved anymore, because you know in your heart you are saved, then there's only one thing left to do. It is to love others. To care enough to be a conduit for God, so that you can save others. So that He can save others. The way Jesus defeated Satan at the cross was through the power of love. The way David defeated Goliath in the valley against all odds was through the power of love. The way I was able to defeat my Goliath scenario, hey, hey, in that battle, was I was motivated by love. And I'm not comparing myself to them, but that's our Goliath scenarios. The way we overcome is through the motivation, the power of love. Listen, let Jesus in the fight. He wins. We can only accept by faith that Jesus won the battle for us. And therefore, we walk with Christ hand in hand. Through Him we are saved. Philippians 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Yes? His righteousness flows through us because of what He did. But we don't get that. If we don't get that, guess what? We're still fighting. Or if we forget that, we're back in the battle again. Believe it. Accept it. Embrace it. Jesus won the battle already for us who believe in Him. For us who believe in Him. So from this day forward, Jesus defeated whatever sin you're going through at the cross. Because if you truly believe that, you're going to act like it. You act out what you believe. If you really believe that Jesus condemned sin in the flesh, you can claim today that Jesus has given you the victory over sin. That so easily besets you. He came to defeat sin on our behalf. Jesus gives us the key to victory. Philippians 2.1-3 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy that you be like-minded and have the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in loneliness of mind, let each esteem each other better than themselves. In other words, not to be focused on self. Be focused on others. Be of one mind. Philippians 2.4-6 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He's saying, you want a mind after God's own heart? Here it is. Don't think about yourself. Think about others. Heroes are willing to leave themselves out of the picture completely and help others. Jesus showed us this at the cross. Matthew 27.42 He saved others, himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross. And we will believe him. Jesus came down and died, but not for himself. A hero does not consider himself when seeking to save others. Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. A hero does not seek to save himself, but others. And the reality is, we cannot save ourselves anyways. Jesus does this. So don't try to deliver yourself. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 12.11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. They loved not their lives unto death. They overcame Satan by their understanding of what happened when the Lamb spilled his blood. They overcame by what Christ did at the cross. Don't die for yourself. When you die to self, it should not be on behalf of yourself. Or your daughter. Do it on behalf of your son or your daughter. Or your spouse. Or that co-worker that needs to see the example of a Christian. Now your motivation to live right is not so that you can be saved, it is because God is willing, calling you to be a hero. To set aside your worldly desires for the good of others. A saved person doesn't fight to be saved. So if Jesus saved your life at the cross, being saved is no longer your concern. Your concern is, my concern is, now to be used as a conduit by Christ so that we can save others. Not to prove that I'm saved, but because my example is going to save somebody's life. It saved mine. Help me, Lord, to be a hero. The awesome thing about heroes is that they're not looking for glory. Honor for God and love for my neighbor. Moment by moment, you can be a hero. A man, a woman after God's own heart. How lovely a thought. It is the reality to God's children. Closing text. Romans 13.8. Owe no man anything but to love one another. For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Learn how to love. Self-sacrificing love. You can't save yourself. In this realization, you will shout for victory and help on the behalf of others. God has now recruited you to help others. Lay down your life for others. Go and be a hero. I'm going to make an appeal. And it is this. Lord, help me to be a hero. Help me to get into the hero mentality and realize that every time I overcome, I'm helping others. Help me to realize that your victory on the cross breaks the power of the enemy over my life. If that's your desire, say it in your mind. Lift a hand in the air if you like. And we're going to pray right now. So, if you can and are willing and able, maybe get on your knees and let's have a prayer. Oh, Heavenly Father, Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe. We thank you so much for your word and the wisdom that you bestow upon us. And today we've learned an important lesson. Self-sacrificing love. What you did on the cross. What David did to Goliath. What we can do every day in our lives for our friends. You're calling us to do it. We may not fully understand this still, but please, Lord, increase our belief, increase our faith in you and what you did. Because if you have said, if we believe 100% in this, in your Son, Jesus Christ, we break the power of temptation in our lives. Help us to go out and be a hero today, Lord. Help us to have the hero mentality to help those in need. This is our calling. Thank you so much for revealing this to us. In Jesus Christ's wonderful, powerful, holy name, we say amen.