Im Tae Geun Lee, a pastor to Gwangju, South Korea. Todays sermon is the story of David and Goliath. Since I have not lived a life like David, I dont want to be Goliath, and I thought that Saul, who was anointed as king but lost his God-given mission and pursued his own glory, was not me. However, todays text is given for a reason, so lets take a look at what we should do to go forth in Gods name.
First, we should be good at being shamed and ridiculed.
Todays passage doesnt mention the famous Goliath by name, just the Philistine. When a Philistine comes out with a shield or a man, it means that Goliath is also nervous, and Saul and the Israelite camp spend forty days of shame and ridicule because of Goliath. We may face shame and ridicule in our lives, but its how we face it that matters.
To handle shame and ridicule well, you need to have a sense of self-respect, but if you dont have a sense of inferiority, youll be cowed by the words. Inferiority and pride are two sides of the same coin, so a proud person is bound to have an inferiority complex. Goliath the Philistine also said, 'I looked at David and despised him, because he was young and ruddy, and his hair was beautiful.' This is not a compliment, but a slight. However, David has his own high-stakes tactics to play on Goliaths arrogance, hiding a pre-prepared stone in his pocket and a stick in his hand, as the saying goes. David didnt grow up as the handsome boy Goliath thinks he is, he grew up as a shepherd, protecting his fathers sheep and experiencing all the dogfights that come with the territory. Its the same on the ranch: no matter how cool we proclaim, 'All things are possible to him that believeth, eat if you live, fast if you dont, and go to heaven if you die,' there are times when, depending on whos speaking, 'Youre good enough!' tries to come out of our mouths. The prescription is not with words, but with a mournful heart repenting of my shameful sins and the experience of bearing the cross.
Second, we should lay down our swords and spears.
Goliath the Philistine came out with a sword and a spear, but David came out in the name of the Lord God of hosts. In whose name we go forth is so important. But even when we do the Lords work, we often put our own name forward. As a pastor, Ive been there, too. Like Saul, I started out humbly, but it wasnt long before I realized it wasnt a war for the Lord, it was a war for me, and I unwittingly found myself on the receiving end of multiple judgments as I tried to build my own monument. Why does todays text leave out the famous name of Goliath and repeatedly refer to him as just a Philistine? Because it is the wars waged in my name that hinder me the most from doing the Lords work. The Lord says that His salvation is not in swords and spears, and I have often wondered how burdensome it is to be a pastor and when I can lay down this burden. Its not that I took the office of a pastor lightly, but I thought that being a pastor is not for everyone and that I should be equipped with all the skills, wisdom, knowledge, and so on, and I always felt uncomfortable and exhausted because I was not. However, it took me a long time to realize that this appearance of humility was not much different from Saul, who was trembling in front of Goliath because he had no sword or spear in his hand.
Third, we should have a sharpened hammer.
The moment Davids sling struck Goliath in the forehead, the giant Goliath fell to the ground, just as the great Dagon shrine fell to the ground. In my pastors book, he gave a short interpretation of this passage, and there was one sentence that struck me as short but impactful because we know his life so well: 'David won at once. Not with a sword, but with a falcon. The Bible tells this story over and over again. Goliath was struck down by a sling, but it was his own sword that ended his life. God tells this story over and over again in every sermon he preaches. I have money, I have power, and its my sword that killed me. David knew exactly what he had to do because he wasnt fighting a private war, he was fighting a war that belonged to God, so he didnt take the spoils after the fight, he took Goliaths head.
About three weeks ago, I went down to Jeonju to attend a wedding of a shepherds daughter who lives in Jolla Province, and whenever I visit, I always get asked to preach, and that day was no different, because one of the women deacons was about to go crazy, so I was told that I should bring my husband to the wedding and use it as an opportunity to preach the gospel to him as if I hadnt seen him for a long time at a friends wedding. However, my husbands deacon came late, so the members of the church in Gwangju found a restaurant, arranged for the couple to eat separately, organized a route so that they could come up to the coffee shop immediately after the meal, and helped each other for salvation. As a result, I was informed that they decided to invite the couple to the ranch. And when I heard the senior pastors words to go down to the Gwangju chapel last Wednesday, I remembered those events and looked forward to the salvation history that would take place with the Gwangju members. I believe that we will have to walk the path together, just as Pastor ran for one soul.
It is said that to go forward in the name of God, we should be well shamed and ridiculed, we must lay down our swords and spears, and we must have a sharpened hammer. You may have spent your life cowering before the Goliaths of the world, but I pray that you will be able to take shame and ridicule well and go forth in Gods name as boldly as David and as confidently as the Lord.
