What a story! Every one likes the story of David and Goliath (except for Philistines).
Kids like it because it's action packed, teacher proof, a sure fire interesting Sunday School less.
(Teachers need to muster all their skills to deal with such a violent, bloody tale. "Do not
attempt to do this at home!")
Adults like it because it takes us back to our childhood and also helps us right now as we are
challenged by various "Goliaths" in our lives, those dark menacing forces that are intimidating
and sometimes deadly.
Preachers like it because with those five smooth stones (v. 40), they can pick any points they
want to make and slip them right into David's shepherd's pouch.
Today I am interested in how the story goes forward with special attention to the armor of
Goliath, the armor of Saul, and David's decision about armor.
SAUL - TALL BUT NOT TALL ENOUGH
The children of Israel had made it clear that they no longer wished to be under the leadership
of judges like Samuel. They wanted to be like other nations, and have a king to "go out before
us and fight our battles." (1 Samuel 8: 20)
At first Saul seemed like a good choice - he has head and shoulders taller than any one else (1
Samuel 9: 2). Excavations in Mycenean Greece show that the rulers were indeed taller than the
other warriors buried near them; there were also more signs of blow inflicted to their bones.
In ancient times kings were expected to lead out in battle.
Saul was tall, but not tall enough to go against Goliath. The Living Bible has Goliath measuring
over nine feet tall! (The Living Bible - Paraphrased [Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House] 1971,
1 Samuel 17: 4-7, p. 241) A more accurate reading is six feet nine inches tall according to
Hopkins' Dr. Kyle McCarter (P. Kyle McCarter, I Samuel- The Anchor Bible [New York:
Doubleday] 1980, p. 291). At height Goliath was big enough to be overpowering in a culture
where a six footer was rare.
Saul was intimidated, helpless, and passive. GOLIATH
Goliath was not. Daily he strutted, a real Mediterranean hot dog, arrogant, insufferable and
apparently unbeatable. The description of his armor is impressive. Did you notice that the head
of his spear weighed 25 pounds. Compare that with the 16 pound shot put used in the
Olympics. Modern muscle men grunt to heave the 16 pound shot, but apparently Goliath hurled
his 25 pound spear easily.
No one seems to have remembered the point God made at the anointing of David, namely that
outward appearance does not matter (1 Samuel 16: 7). Goliath's appearance has every one
stymied....
DAVID
...until David arrives from doing one menial duty (tending the sheep) to doing another one
(toting lunch to his three older brothers). (Did you notice the bit about the cheese for their
commander, a "little" gift to keep him favorably disposed to Jesse's sons? (1 Samuel 17: 18)
David is wonderful. He asks innocently what could be embarrassing questions. He persists.
He is confidant. He already has the same spirit which appears in the Psalms where God is
thanked in advance for a victory not yet one. He volunteers, and in a breathtaking moment
speaks first to the king, not giving Saul a chance to seize the conversational initiative.
David introduces a new person to the conversation....
GOD
God, whose name has not been invoked by any of the Israelites. David perceives God's
presence and calls attention to the Lord. When Saul finally mentions God, he says to David as
he heads out to fight Goliath, "The Lord be with you." (1 Samuel 17: 37) I think he meant it
in the sense of "My God have mercy on your soul - you're as good as dead."
David is confidant because he has had experience with a lion and a bear, has a secret weapon
in his sling and stones, and has the ultimate source of power, a God who will deliver him just
as surely as he delivered his sheep from the jaws of the bear and the lion.
And there is a lesson here for Woodbrook and the way we talk. Woodbrook folk generally show
an appropriate reticence when it comes to "God talk" and throwing around the language of Zion.
We don't go around saying, "Praise the Lord! I found a parking space with the help of God,
and there was time left on the meter! Hallelujah!"
We are right to take seriously Jesus' warning against such loose talk and to let our actions speak.
After all, Jesus said, "Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of
heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."That is all well and good, but we also to take seriously David's example, naming the name of
God when we see him at work, thanking God in advance for the victories that are his will. One
church growth specialists sees this quality as a sign of a church bearing witness in a healthy
way. (Howard Hanchey, Church Growth and the Power of Evangelism: Ideas That Work
[Cambridge, Massachusetts: Cowley Publications] 1990, 247 pp.)
ANOTHER MAN'S ARMOR
Saul has not picked up on the presence of God; he thinks that what David needs is a good suit
of armor, his own. What follows is very instructive. David does not reject the armor, even
though it had to be too big for him. Remember how much taller Saul was than every one else;
remember that David is on the cusp between adolescence and adulthood. Was Saul trying to
make David look foolish, or was he hoping that the ill-fitting armor would bring David to his
senses?
I wonder what David thought as he tried on the armor. Was he as puzzled as a young man is
when he tries on a tux for the first time? Was heflattered by the offer of the king's equipment,
as a young man might be if Cal Ripken said, "Want to field a few grounders with my glove?"
David did not reject the armor out of hand. He gave it a chance, and then said, "I cannot go
with these; for I am not used to them." (v. 39). Had he not put the armor off, he surely would
have been killed, a somber possibility. Our minds race ahead to what might not have been - no
David, no psalms of David, no house of David, no son of David born in his city. But, no, this
was not the plan of God.
And it is at this point in reject another man's armor, ill-fitting armor at that, where David
provides our church a model. God does not expect us to win victories for him with some one
else's armor or tools or methods. God does expect us to go forth with faith in him and with
what fits us.
Whatever the personal challenge, whatever the challenge before a church, remember what David
said to Saul, "`I cannot go with these: for I am not used to them.'And David took him off.
Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the brook, and put them
in his shepherd's bag; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine." (vv. 39-40)
OUR "FIVE SMOOTH STONES"
The big challenge before every church is growth. This is especially true for our church as we
are about the enter a new sanctuary. Call it sharing the faith, multiplying, evangelism,
witnessing or whatever, but it can be a daunting matter. We are building to grow, but what
about all those empty pews? Can we even begin to fill them?
What armor will fit Woodbrook in the challenge of church growth? We hear much of mega
churches and their methods. We should take a look at the armor of these giants, maybe even
try it on for size, but ultimately we should use what is a right fit for us.
There is a place for mega churches; and there is a place for medium sized churches.
There is a place for Nordstrom's, and a place for Talbots.
There is a place for Giant and Metro, and a place for Eddie's and Fresh Fields.
There is a place for a multiplex cinema, and a place for the senator.
There are strategies for the mega church, and strategies for Woodbrook.
In order to have a block of time to survey what has been written on church growth I spent June
11-17, in a time of retreat and study at Squam Lake, New Hampshire. With two cartons of
books and Bill Butler's borrowed lap top computer, I was able to learn a lot and make some
notes to share with our Church Council, Deacons, Evangelism Committee, Sunday School
teachers and others who may be interested.
Let me just mention a few ideas and titles that seemed to be a good fit for Woodbrook
One book had the great title and wonderful philosophy, reaching out without dumbing down.
(Marva J. Dawn, Reaching Out without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for the Turn-of-the-Century Culture [Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdman's Publishing Co.] 1995, 316
pp.)
Another concept/title is "the contagious congregation," idea being not that we are to give each
other diseases, but that our joy and love are to be so contagious that people want to be a part
of our community. (George G. Hunter III, The Contagious Congregation: Frontiers in
Evangelism and Church Growth (forward by Donald McGavran, a leader in the church growth
movement) [Nashville: Abingdon Press] 1981, 160 pp.)
I think you would not find cumbersome the ideas in a book about how to be a "user friendly
church. (George Barna, User Friendly Churches - What Christians Need to Know About the
Churches People Love to Go To [Ventura, California: Regal Books] 1991, 191 pp.)
One of the most comprehensive books is The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren ([Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House] 1995, 399 pp.) It puts forward the sound
notion that it is possible to be "contemporary without compromise," and that church growth is
not the main thing; church health is. If a church is healthy, it will grow.
How to blend traditional, contemporary, evangelical and charismatic worship styles was the
thrust of an intriguing book our Music and Worship Committee may want to study. (Robert E.
Webber, Celebrating Our Faith: Evangelism through Worship [San Francisco: Harper and Row]
1986, 118 pp.)
Another good fit for Woodbrook appears in a book about worship as a "symphony for thesenses." (Welton Gaddy and Don W. Nixon, Worship Resources for Christian Congregations:
A Symphony for the Senses by C. [Macon, Georgia: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Inc.] 1995,
313 pp.)
One author gave ten surprises, debunking widespread myths about church growth. One of his
ten surprises will encourage us especially. The best baptismal ratios were in medium-sized
churches like Woodbrook, not the mega churches. (Thom Rainer, Effective Evangelistic
Churches: Successful Churches Reveal What Works and What Doesn't [Nashville: Broadman
and Holman] 1996, 238 pp.)
The Gospel for the Person Who Has Everything by William H. Willimon ([Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania: Judson Press] 1978, 94 pp.) is clearly a useful book for any church which seeks
to minister to "the up and outs."
"BUT I'M NO EVANGELIST..."
I suspect that even these carefully chosen pieces of armor to fit Woodbrook people may be
daunting. You may be thinking, "Of course I want our church to grow, but I'm no evangelist.
Our second hymn today contained the lines "If you cannot preach like Peter, if you cannot pray
like Paul, you can tell the love of Jesus, and say, `He died for all!'" (A New Hymnal for
Colleges and Schools edited by Jeffery Rowthorn and Russell Schultz-Widmar [New Haven:
Yale University Press] 1992, "There is a Balm in Gilead," African American spiritual No. 491)
If you cannot preach like Peter, or Billy Graham,
if you cannot visit like Bob Schmidt,
if you cannot greet visitors like Rudy Heffler,]
there are still things you do, a "fit" you can find, armor suitable for you.
For one thing, you can simply come every Sunday, something that will not be easy for some as
we go to the new schedule. I sympathize with the difficulties many will face. I hope all will
find a way to be present. People attract people; your presence is an encouragement; your
absence has the reverse effect.
Another thing to do is pray. We began our successful Together We Build program with prayer.
"Together We Grow" will be equally effective if we pray. Maryan Brown suggests we open the
new sanctuary for prayer on the night before our first service, an excellent idea. It is the house
of the Lord, not our house; let us call on his name.
Another thing to do is equally obvious and equally important - be friendly. Not every one can
go up to visitors and engage in conversation as gracefully as Bob Schmidt, Rudy Heffler or
Frank Heintz, but every one can make eye contact and smile.
Then there are church growth tasks with evangelistic implications such as addressing and stuffing
envelopes inviting people to the sanctuary dedication September 21, or keeping bright, neat,seasonal flowers in front of our church signs.Those are "just for openers." In the weeks ahead there will be more. The volunteering spirit
for workers on our building is a good sign of the spirit in the congregation for other tasks,
including church growth.
CONCLUSION
Our responsive reading was the classic New Testament passage on armor from Ephesians 6: 10-20, Paul's strong word about putting on the whole armor of God. As we face our personal daily
Goliaths and as we engage in the challenging task of church growth, may we be clad in godly
armor that fits us well. If we are so clad, we can join with David in thanking God in advance
for the victories he wills for his people.
