April 17, 2025 • 25 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're not supposed to be embedded in the trends. You're
supposed to be a trendsetter.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Jonathan Evans reminds us that believers are called to follow
God's wisdom, not the world's ways.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
If some people don't understand your approach, it's because those
people don't.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Share your calling.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. Some battles in
life can't be won with strength. The past of victory
is only found through faith. Today, Pastor Jonathan Evans reveals
how God works through those who depend on Him, not
(00:38):
those who rely on themselves. Let's join him as he begins.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
You've heard the story over and over again throughout your life.
Many of us of the story of David and Goliath.
But I would like to start out by letting you
know that I don't think the story is about David
and Goliath at all. I think the story of David
Goliath is really a story about David and Saul using
(01:05):
Goliath as a prop. Goliath is only a prop to
the story because if you read the rest of First Samuel,
you're gonna see a tension between David and Saul, and
here that tension is inaugurated with Goliath as this prop
because really, what God is going to show in this
(01:26):
story is what he would do with an unknown kid
that he would not do with a well known king. Really,
what God is gonna show is what he can do
with the kid who has faith that he would not
do with the king who operates in fear. Really, he's
(01:48):
displaying what I will do with less when less is
dependent upon me, that I won't do with more when
more is independent from me. You see, He's gonna show
today what he will do with a shepherd.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
That he will not do with a soldier.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
You see, today Saul is signing his resignation and David
is applying for his job.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
He's in an interview.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Process because God has already called David and anointed David
and checked his resume of his heart. But in this
interview process, God wants to see his approach to a giant.
If I'm gonna use you to protect my sheep, I
want to see how you approach the problems in life
different from the king that I've removed the anointing from.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
So I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Build this tension between David and Saul, using Goliath as
a prop for David's promotion. See, many of us think
the giants that we're facing in our life is the story.
The story is not about you and your trial. The
story is not about you and your problem. The story
(03:02):
is not about you and the thing that you're going through.
That's the enemy's trick to make Goliath center stage. Goliath
is not center stage. It's just God calling you to
the interview room and giving you a challenge to face
so that the interview viewer can see how the interviewee.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Faces the challenge.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I want to see what your approach is so that
after I've called you, I can promote you. You see,
your Goliath is only a prop for your future promotion.
First Samuel ten twenty three says, Saul is head and
shoulders taller than every other man in Israel. So you're
talking about a king with stature. You're talking about a
(03:42):
king with size, a king who comes in and his
presence makes you look. And he comes in and he's
talking to David. And this kid is talking to a
king and the kid and the king is telling the
kid how to fight his battles. The king is saying,
let me give you the king's bronze helmet. You should
(04:05):
feel good about that. And he gives David the bronze
helmet that's coming from the king. And then the king says,
let me give you the king's armor, and he takes
his armor and he places.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
It on David. What an honor.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
To be given the king's armor, to be ready for battle.
And David tried to walk in it and couldn't walk
in it. David tested it and it didn't work out
for him. And David had the spiritual temperament of a
king even though he was a kid. And he looked
at Saul and said.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
That's not my armor.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
He basically said, and all of us need to remember this.
I cannot conquer what God has called me to conquer
wearing somebody else's calling. When you understand that, think about
the spiritual temperament of.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
David to not let the size of his.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Giant make him put on a character or conduct that's
not his size. If many of us, as Christians even
had a little bit of David's temperament, that my challenge
will not move me from my Christianity, that I'm not
going to take a step back on what God has
called me to do and be simply because I have challengers,
(05:28):
or simply because my emotions are connected to the challenges
that I have. David is steadfast in this moment to
be a kid in the King's courts and to say
this may be good for you, but it's not good
for me. If our young people can recognize that you're
not supposed to be embedded in the trends, You're supposed
(05:49):
to be a trendsetter. God has not called you to
be like everybody else in common, or you can get
what everybody else does that's common. God has called Jew
one Peter two nine says you are a peculiar person,
a holy nation, a royal priesthood. We don't go out
there like everybody else. We don't go through life like
(06:11):
everybody else. We don't approach marriage like everybody else. We
don't approach parenting like everybody else. We don't go to
school like everybody else. We don't go through loss like
everybody else. We don't do forgiveness like everybody else. We
don't take vengeance like every We ain't like everybody else.
And David understood this. I see what everybody else is doing.
(06:34):
Everybody else is wearing armor. But I have a different calling,
and some of us need to understand. If some people
don't understand your approach, it's because those people don't.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Share your calling.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
They're not on the same page with what God has
called you to do and be. So this story is
not really about deliath. It's about the perspective that David
brings to him. The Bible says in Romans eight thirty,
if God is for you, then who can be against you?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Jonathan, you stick with your training.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Thanks be to God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
who gives you victory over sin and death.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Stick with your training.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Be steadfast, unmovable, always abound. It will not go in vain.
Stick with your training. That I am a finisher, I
will complete the work that I started in You boys,
stick with your training, and I realize what many of
us need to continue to realize is that I don't
have to put on fear.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I can keep on faith.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I don't have to put on doubt. I can keep
on belief. I don't have to put on hate. I
can keep on peace. I don't have to put on
those things that the enemy wants to try to give
us to get us to.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Change for what we're going through.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
So Saul is just give him something common, but he
doesn't even believe in him with the advice he's given,
and evidently he's not using it himself. You ever had
somebody give you advice that they themselves won't use. See
(08:19):
you thought he was given the king's armor. No, it
was a garage sale because he didn't plan on using it.
Saul's advice was that you pay heavy infantry with heavy infantry. Notice, well,
if he gonna have a bronze helmet, certainly you should.
(08:40):
If Goliath is gonna have shekeled armer, certainly you should.
If Goliath is gonna have a spear with a long blade,
then certainly you should have a sword. The way that
you fight, that's common, David, you gotta understand this.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Look around. The way that you're.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Supposed to fight is you use heavy infantry against heavy infantry.
This is not Saul offering David the armor of God.
This is not the armor of God. This is the
armor of natural thinking.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
That he tells you.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
The way that you're supposed to do it is you're
supposed to combat what's coming at you with the same
tools that it's coming at you with. So if you
want to beat the enemy, David, certainly you should use
his tools.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Y'all missed that.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
If you want to overcome the enemy, shouldn't you use
the enemy's tools to do it. He's trying to get
David to fight with the same tools that Goliath uses
to beat Goliath. With them, the enemy is a champion
with those tools. You can't use cheating and lying and deceit.
(09:54):
You can't use death. He's a champion with those tools.
He said, heavy infantry for heavy infantry. You know what
that means practically. If you ain't gonna talk, I'm not
gonna talk. If you're gonna disrespect me, I'm gonna disrespect you.
If you're gonna come at me this way, I'm gonna
(10:14):
come at you that way. I ain't gonna let nobody
do that to me. You got me messed up? You
see you like that, don't you see? That's your many
of y'all.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Like, yeah, that's that's how I do it.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
What's common to man is to combat the way it
comes at me. I'm going to come at it. And
if David puts on Saul's armor, you would be missing
a dividic kingdom. This was a decision for his destiny
that he would stand tall on it and say, I'm
not going to remove my training.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
I'm gonna remove this trial with my training.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Jonathan will have more for us on how we respond
to our trials when he continues our message in just
a moment. First, though, I wanted to remind you about
The Alternative's current resource offer. For a limited time, we're
making all ten full length messages from Pastor Jonathan Evans
Survivor Audio collection available in their entirety on downloadable MP three's,
(11:20):
as well as on either CD or USB stick. In
these messages, you'll discover that the God we serve fights
our battles alongside us, and although we face moments when
we feel we can't carry on, God continues to equip
and grow our faith in Him as we learn to
release our pain, our discouragement, and our blessings to him.
(11:42):
We'd like to send you the complete Survivor audio series
as our thank you gift when you make a donation
toward the Ministry of the Alternative, and if you do
it right away. As an added bonus, will include a
copy of Doctor Tony Evans's daily devotional book called Life
under God. This popular reason source will challenge, encourage, and
inspire you each day to live your life in harmony
(12:05):
with God's will. Visit us today at Tonyevans dot org
or give us a phone call at one eight hundred
eight hundred thirty two twenty two. Make your contribution and
let us send you the Life under God devotional book
as well as the complete Survivor audio series. Again, that's
one eight hundred eight hundred three two two two, or
(12:27):
online at Tonyevans dot org. We'll get back to the
second part of our message with Jonathan Evans right after this.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
I urge you to take this course.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
Doctor Craig Evans, renowned expert on the New Testament, serves
as the special guest lecturer for the Tony Evans Training
Center course on the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Bible.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
That covers very important ground what they are and what
they're not.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
One of the most significant archaeological finds of the twentieth century,
the Dead Sea Scrolls provide unparalleled insights into the accuracy
of the Bible. These ancient manuscripts offer a treasure trove
of historical and spiritual significance.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
They preserve for us the Hebrew Bible and shed light
on the teaching of Jesus and the major contributors to
the New Testament.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
The scrolls open a vivid window into the life and
beliefs of the Jewish people during the time of Jesus.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
You will understand the Bible and Jesus and Christian origins
better than you ever had before.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
Take your first step as an honorary amateur archaeologist. Dive
into the Dead Sea Scrolls with special guest lecturer doctor
Craig Evans. Discover this and other fascinating Biblical studies at
Tony Evans Training dot org. Explore the Kingdom anytime, anywhere.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
A lot of us have a decision to make with
what you're going through and what you're facing on who
you're going to be because you've been called. But God
is watching your approach. And David put on Saul's armor
for a second. He thought about it, and he tried
(13:58):
to walk. And you know what that big man's armor
felt like to a little ready kid.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Heavy. He was no longer nimble.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Now he was confined to the heavy nature of a
common response. It feels right to go heavy infantry for
heavy infantry until you get in there and you realize
you're just making your circumstance heavier. A lot of us
are making our marriages heavier. We're making the job heavier.
(14:39):
We're making the anxiety heavier. We're going deeper in to
the heaviness we feel. Because our approach is common and
not peculiar. That God says, give me the burden. David
had the spiritual temperament to understand to make the decision.
(15:01):
I know how I feel, I know how big the
giant is. I know how everybody else operates. But I've
been trained as a shepherd, and I'm not going to
step outside of my training just because there is a
major trial. Listen to me, the hardest time to be
a Christian is in a crisis.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
But if you.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Stick to your training and your calling, that's when giants
start falling. Think about the spiritual temperament of this kid
that we need to catch to be able to look
and say, I choose shepherd, not soldier. The experience of
(15:45):
God comes through you, allowing Him to work through you.
One Peter three nine says do not return evil for
evil or insult for insult. Instead give a blessing so
that you might inherit a blessing. So if you want
(16:07):
to inherit a blessing, you give a blessing. Even when
you're under insult. You give a blessing, even when you're
experiencing evil. You do the exact opposite of what's common
to man. And when you do the exact opposite of
what's common to man, you get to experience the exact
opposite of what's common to man. You see, many of
(16:28):
us are missing our blessing because we want to be
insult for insult.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
We want to put on the clothes of our enemy and.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Fight it because it makes us feel better, and we're
missing out on what is an inheritance to us. Many
of you are at the crossroads with what you're going
through right now, and you're trying to decide on your approach.
You're trying to decide on if you're going to let
the challenge knock you off kilter, or if you're going
to meet the challenge steady.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
David took a sling. He grabbed five stone. He approached
the Philistine.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
The sling was like a long leather strap, like a whip,
with a cup at the end. They would use this
sling as a way to protect and preserve their sheep
as they were leading the sheep.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
And the same.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Tool he used to keep the sheep in order is
the same tool he used to knock down giants.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
He didn't switch his tools.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
The same tool he used over here was the same
tool he was using over here. And shepherds, once they
saw a lion or a bear coming against their sheep,
they would put a rock in the cup. They would
wield it and throw that rock. And shepherds of old
can throw a rock on a line one hundred yards
(17:52):
and hit their targets. So he was perfect accuracy. He
had already been trained in perfect accuracy.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
And I mean not kind of sort of. He hit
Deliath between.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
The eyes.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Perfect accuracy.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
So he would keep his sheep in order with a sling,
and then he would turn the accuracy he would use
to keep them right as the accuracy he would use to.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Knock down giants.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
So this giant goliath had been fee five four thumbing,
and everybody been running every single day.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
There was nobody in all of Israel who could fight him.
Are you with me?
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Not one person and all of Israel could do anything
about this giant. But this shepherd boy took the tool
he used for the sheep, and he turned it on
this giant and was able.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
To use the same tool he used for the sheep
against this giant.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
While everybody else who had swords couldn't do nothing for themselves.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
So all of the.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Soldiers were reliant on the coming of a shepherd who
would come with perfect accuracy. And this shepherd would come
with perfect accuracy. Are you still with me and be
able to knock down a giant that no one else
could knock down. I'm going somewhere. That's why I'm repeating
(19:30):
myself so many times. It was because I'm going somewhere.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
You gotta understand that over all time there.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Has been a giant called Satan, Sin and Death, and
he's been fee five four fumbing, and everybody's been running
because nobody could knock him down.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
But enter the son of David.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
The son of David came in and Psalms twenty three says,
the Lord is my I shall not want. So this
shepherd comes on the sea, and the shepherd picks up
a sling of the new Covenant, and that is the
thing that is gonna protect the sheep. Now, one of
his boys, Peter, came up to him and said, I
(20:11):
forbid you, Lord, and Matthew sixteen, don't do it this way.
And Jesus looked at Peter and said, get thee behind me, Satan,
because you have natural eyes, and I'm not gonna change
my clothes.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
I'm a shepherd.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
So he took the sling of a new Covenant, and
he picked up a smooth stone called righteousness, And with
the accuracy that he had for the sheep is the
same accuracy he had for the giant. He wielded the
sling of the new Covenant with the stone of Righteousness in.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
It, and he he hit Satan.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Right between the eyes. But let me tell you, Satan
got brothers. So he took that same sling and picked
up Grace and hit Satan's brother Death right between the eyes.
He took that same sling and picked up forgiveness and
hit Satan's brother Sin right between the eyes. He took
that same sling and picked up mercy and hit Satan's
(21:02):
brother condemnation right between the eyes. He took that same
sling and picked up love and hit Satan's brother guilt
and shame right between the eyes.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
He was a shepherd for the sheep, and he was
a shepherd for the giant.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Either way, he didn't change tools to knock that boy down. Now,
if we are his sheep and he has protected us,
why wouldn't we use.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Those same tools for our giant.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Jesus is saying, I'm not asking you to do anything
that I myself has not already done. I've already come
as a shepherd. I've already won as a shepherd, and
my sheep should follow the shepherd so.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
They can win too.
Speaker 6 (21:39):
That's how you get it done.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
The word of God has us doing it differently. As
I close, I want to let you know it's different
for us. That's why the Bible says a gentle response
turns away wrath. It's different for us. That's why the
Bible tells you to love your enemy. Well that sound
(22:16):
very uncommon. Well, it's just a lot different for us.
That's why the goal of Christianity starts, yes, with loving Jesus,
but the real ones will even love Judas. It's different
for us, And the hardest thing you'll ever do is
(22:39):
remain Christian in a crisis. But that's how you win.
You take the slingshot of the new covenant that you're in.
You take all of those smooth stones, and you live
by those stones. You use them to remember, You use
them to go forward. And when you do that and
stick to your calling, you'll be shocked, as every man
(23:03):
in Israel was shocked. These giants just keep falling.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
The pastor Jonathan Evans with an encouraging word on trusting
God and moving forward in the face of life's challenges.
This message from Jonathan was entitled Soldier or Shepherd and
if you'd like to hear the full length version, including
material we didn't have time to present on the broadcast today,
(23:28):
you can find out more when you visit our website
at Tonyevans dot org. And while you're there, don't miss
your chance to get doctor Tony Evans Life under God
three hundred and sixty five day devotional book, along with
all ten full length messages from Jonathan's recent audio series Survivor.
These resources are our gift to you when you support
(23:49):
this ministry with a financial contribution, helping us continue bringing
God's Word your way each day. Just visit Tonyevans dot
org to make your request. You'll find the details for
this special offer right on the homepage or call one
eight hundred, eight hundred thirty two twenty two. Our resource
team is ready to assist you anytime of the day
(24:11):
or night. That's one eight hundred eight hundred three two
two two. The past can shape us, teach us, and
even strengthen us, but if we're not careful, it can
also hold us back from God's promises. On Monday, Pastor
Jonathan Evans challenges us to make a crucial decision. Will
(24:31):
we stay stuck in our past or will we step
into God's promise for our future. Be sure to join
us for that
You're not supposed to be embedded in the trends. You're
supposed to be a trendsetter.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Jonathan Evans reminds us that believers are called to follow
God's wisdom, not the world's ways.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
If some people don't understand your approach, it's because those
people don't.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Share your calling.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. Some battles in
life can't be won with strength. The past of victory
is only found through faith. Today, Pastor Jonathan Evans reveals
how God works through those who depend on Him, not
(00:38):
those who rely on themselves. Let's join him as he begins.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
You've heard the story over and over again throughout your life.
Many of us of the story of David and Goliath.
But I would like to start out by letting you
know that I don't think the story is about David
and Goliath at all. I think the story of David
Goliath is really a story about David and Saul using
(01:05):
Goliath as a prop. Goliath is only a prop to
the story because if you read the rest of First Samuel,
you're gonna see a tension between David and Saul, and
here that tension is inaugurated with Goliath as this prop
because really, what God is going to show in this
(01:26):
story is what he would do with an unknown kid
that he would not do with a well known king. Really,
what God is gonna show is what he can do
with the kid who has faith that he would not
do with the king who operates in fear. Really, he's
(01:48):
displaying what I will do with less when less is
dependent upon me, that I won't do with more when
more is independent from me. You see, He's gonna show
today what he will do with a shepherd.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
That he will not do with a soldier.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
You see, today Saul is signing his resignation and David
is applying for his job.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
He's in an interview.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Process because God has already called David and anointed David
and checked his resume of his heart. But in this
interview process, God wants to see his approach to a giant.
If I'm gonna use you to protect my sheep, I
want to see how you approach the problems in life
different from the king that I've removed the anointing from.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
So I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Build this tension between David and Saul, using Goliath as
a prop for David's promotion. See, many of us think
the giants that we're facing in our life is the story.
The story is not about you and your trial. The
story is not about you and your problem. The story
(03:02):
is not about you and the thing that you're going through.
That's the enemy's trick to make Goliath center stage. Goliath
is not center stage. It's just God calling you to
the interview room and giving you a challenge to face
so that the interview viewer can see how the interviewee.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Faces the challenge.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I want to see what your approach is so that
after I've called you, I can promote you. You see,
your Goliath is only a prop for your future promotion.
First Samuel ten twenty three says, Saul is head and
shoulders taller than every other man in Israel. So you're
talking about a king with stature. You're talking about a
(03:42):
king with size, a king who comes in and his
presence makes you look. And he comes in and he's
talking to David. And this kid is talking to a
king and the kid and the king is telling the
kid how to fight his battles. The king is saying,
let me give you the king's bronze helmet. You should
(04:05):
feel good about that. And he gives David the bronze
helmet that's coming from the king. And then the king says,
let me give you the king's armor, and he takes
his armor and he places.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
It on David. What an honor.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
To be given the king's armor, to be ready for battle.
And David tried to walk in it and couldn't walk
in it. David tested it and it didn't work out
for him. And David had the spiritual temperament of a
king even though he was a kid. And he looked
at Saul and said.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
That's not my armor.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
He basically said, and all of us need to remember this.
I cannot conquer what God has called me to conquer
wearing somebody else's calling. When you understand that, think about
the spiritual temperament of.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
David to not let the size of his.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Giant make him put on a character or conduct that's
not his size. If many of us, as Christians even
had a little bit of David's temperament, that my challenge
will not move me from my Christianity, that I'm not
going to take a step back on what God has
called me to do and be simply because I have challengers,
(05:28):
or simply because my emotions are connected to the challenges
that I have. David is steadfast in this moment to
be a kid in the King's courts and to say
this may be good for you, but it's not good
for me. If our young people can recognize that you're
not supposed to be embedded in the trends, You're supposed
(05:49):
to be a trendsetter. God has not called you to
be like everybody else in common, or you can get
what everybody else does that's common. God has called Jew
one Peter two nine says you are a peculiar person,
a holy nation, a royal priesthood. We don't go out
there like everybody else. We don't go through life like
(06:11):
everybody else. We don't approach marriage like everybody else. We
don't approach parenting like everybody else. We don't go to
school like everybody else. We don't go through loss like
everybody else. We don't do forgiveness like everybody else. We
don't take vengeance like every We ain't like everybody else.
And David understood this. I see what everybody else is doing.
(06:34):
Everybody else is wearing armor. But I have a different calling,
and some of us need to understand. If some people
don't understand your approach, it's because those people don't.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Share your calling.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
They're not on the same page with what God has
called you to do and be. So this story is
not really about deliath. It's about the perspective that David
brings to him. The Bible says in Romans eight thirty,
if God is for you, then who can be against you?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Jonathan, you stick with your training.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Thanks be to God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
who gives you victory over sin and death.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Stick with your training.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Be steadfast, unmovable, always abound. It will not go in vain.
Stick with your training. That I am a finisher, I
will complete the work that I started in You boys,
stick with your training, and I realize what many of
us need to continue to realize is that I don't
have to put on fear.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I can keep on faith.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I don't have to put on doubt. I can keep
on belief. I don't have to put on hate. I
can keep on peace. I don't have to put on
those things that the enemy wants to try to give
us to get us to.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Change for what we're going through.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
So Saul is just give him something common, but he
doesn't even believe in him with the advice he's given,
and evidently he's not using it himself. You ever had
somebody give you advice that they themselves won't use. See
(08:19):
you thought he was given the king's armor. No, it
was a garage sale because he didn't plan on using it.
Saul's advice was that you pay heavy infantry with heavy infantry. Notice, well,
if he gonna have a bronze helmet, certainly you should.
(08:40):
If Goliath is gonna have shekeled armer, certainly you should.
If Goliath is gonna have a spear with a long blade,
then certainly you should have a sword. The way that
you fight, that's common, David, you gotta understand this.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Look around. The way that you're.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Supposed to fight is you use heavy infantry against heavy infantry.
This is not Saul offering David the armor of God.
This is not the armor of God. This is the
armor of natural thinking.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
That he tells you.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
The way that you're supposed to do it is you're
supposed to combat what's coming at you with the same
tools that it's coming at you with. So if you
want to beat the enemy, David, certainly you should use
his tools.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Y'all missed that.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
If you want to overcome the enemy, shouldn't you use
the enemy's tools to do it. He's trying to get
David to fight with the same tools that Goliath uses
to beat Goliath. With them, the enemy is a champion
with those tools. You can't use cheating and lying and deceit.
(09:54):
You can't use death. He's a champion with those tools.
He said, heavy infantry for heavy infantry. You know what
that means practically. If you ain't gonna talk, I'm not
gonna talk. If you're gonna disrespect me, I'm gonna disrespect you.
If you're gonna come at me this way, I'm gonna
(10:14):
come at you that way. I ain't gonna let nobody
do that to me. You got me messed up? You
see you like that, don't you see? That's your many
of y'all.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Like, yeah, that's that's how I do it.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
What's common to man is to combat the way it
comes at me. I'm going to come at it. And
if David puts on Saul's armor, you would be missing
a dividic kingdom. This was a decision for his destiny
that he would stand tall on it and say, I'm
not going to remove my training.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
I'm gonna remove this trial with my training.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Jonathan will have more for us on how we respond
to our trials when he continues our message in just
a moment. First, though, I wanted to remind you about
The Alternative's current resource offer. For a limited time, we're
making all ten full length messages from Pastor Jonathan Evans
Survivor Audio collection available in their entirety on downloadable MP three's,
(11:20):
as well as on either CD or USB stick. In
these messages, you'll discover that the God we serve fights
our battles alongside us, and although we face moments when
we feel we can't carry on, God continues to equip
and grow our faith in Him as we learn to
release our pain, our discouragement, and our blessings to him.
(11:42):
We'd like to send you the complete Survivor audio series
as our thank you gift when you make a donation
toward the Ministry of the Alternative, and if you do
it right away. As an added bonus, will include a
copy of Doctor Tony Evans's daily devotional book called Life
under God. This popular reason source will challenge, encourage, and
inspire you each day to live your life in harmony
(12:05):
with God's will. Visit us today at Tonyevans dot org
or give us a phone call at one eight hundred
eight hundred thirty two twenty two. Make your contribution and
let us send you the Life under God devotional book
as well as the complete Survivor audio series. Again, that's
one eight hundred eight hundred three two two two, or
(12:27):
online at Tonyevans dot org. We'll get back to the
second part of our message with Jonathan Evans right after this.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
I urge you to take this course.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
Doctor Craig Evans, renowned expert on the New Testament, serves
as the special guest lecturer for the Tony Evans Training
Center course on the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Bible.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
That covers very important ground what they are and what
they're not.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
One of the most significant archaeological finds of the twentieth century,
the Dead Sea Scrolls provide unparalleled insights into the accuracy
of the Bible. These ancient manuscripts offer a treasure trove
of historical and spiritual significance.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
They preserve for us the Hebrew Bible and shed light
on the teaching of Jesus and the major contributors to
the New Testament.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
The scrolls open a vivid window into the life and
beliefs of the Jewish people during the time of Jesus.
Speaker 4 (13:15):
You will understand the Bible and Jesus and Christian origins
better than you ever had before.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
Take your first step as an honorary amateur archaeologist. Dive
into the Dead Sea Scrolls with special guest lecturer doctor
Craig Evans. Discover this and other fascinating Biblical studies at
Tony Evans Training dot org. Explore the Kingdom anytime, anywhere.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
A lot of us have a decision to make with
what you're going through and what you're facing on who
you're going to be because you've been called. But God
is watching your approach. And David put on Saul's armor
for a second. He thought about it, and he tried
(13:58):
to walk. And you know what that big man's armor
felt like to a little ready kid.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Heavy. He was no longer nimble.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Now he was confined to the heavy nature of a
common response. It feels right to go heavy infantry for
heavy infantry until you get in there and you realize
you're just making your circumstance heavier. A lot of us
are making our marriages heavier. We're making the job heavier.
(14:39):
We're making the anxiety heavier. We're going deeper in to
the heaviness we feel. Because our approach is common and
not peculiar. That God says, give me the burden. David
had the spiritual temperament to understand to make the decision.
(15:01):
I know how I feel, I know how big the
giant is. I know how everybody else operates. But I've
been trained as a shepherd, and I'm not going to
step outside of my training just because there is a
major trial. Listen to me, the hardest time to be
a Christian is in a crisis.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
But if you.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Stick to your training and your calling, that's when giants
start falling. Think about the spiritual temperament of this kid
that we need to catch to be able to look
and say, I choose shepherd, not soldier. The experience of
(15:45):
God comes through you, allowing Him to work through you.
One Peter three nine says do not return evil for
evil or insult for insult. Instead give a blessing so
that you might inherit a blessing. So if you want
(16:07):
to inherit a blessing, you give a blessing. Even when
you're under insult. You give a blessing, even when you're
experiencing evil. You do the exact opposite of what's common
to man. And when you do the exact opposite of
what's common to man, you get to experience the exact
opposite of what's common to man. You see, many of
(16:28):
us are missing our blessing because we want to be
insult for insult.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
We want to put on the clothes of our enemy and.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Fight it because it makes us feel better, and we're
missing out on what is an inheritance to us. Many
of you are at the crossroads with what you're going
through right now, and you're trying to decide on your approach.
You're trying to decide on if you're going to let
the challenge knock you off kilter, or if you're going
to meet the challenge steady.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
David took a sling. He grabbed five stone. He approached
the Philistine.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
The sling was like a long leather strap, like a whip,
with a cup at the end. They would use this
sling as a way to protect and preserve their sheep
as they were leading the sheep.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
And the same.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Tool he used to keep the sheep in order is
the same tool he used to knock down giants.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
He didn't switch his tools.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
The same tool he used over here was the same
tool he was using over here. And shepherds, once they
saw a lion or a bear coming against their sheep,
they would put a rock in the cup. They would
wield it and throw that rock. And shepherds of old
can throw a rock on a line one hundred yards
(17:52):
and hit their targets. So he was perfect accuracy. He
had already been trained in perfect accuracy.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
And I mean not kind of sort of. He hit
Deliath between.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
The eyes.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Perfect accuracy.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
So he would keep his sheep in order with a sling,
and then he would turn the accuracy he would use
to keep them right as the accuracy he would use to.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Knock down giants.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
So this giant goliath had been fee five four thumbing,
and everybody been running every single day.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
There was nobody in all of Israel who could fight him.
Are you with me?
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Not one person and all of Israel could do anything
about this giant. But this shepherd boy took the tool
he used for the sheep, and he turned it on
this giant and was able.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
To use the same tool he used for the sheep
against this giant.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
While everybody else who had swords couldn't do nothing for themselves.
Speaker 3 (19:07):
So all of the.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Soldiers were reliant on the coming of a shepherd who
would come with perfect accuracy. And this shepherd would come
with perfect accuracy. Are you still with me and be
able to knock down a giant that no one else
could knock down. I'm going somewhere. That's why I'm repeating
(19:30):
myself so many times. It was because I'm going somewhere.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
You gotta understand that over all time there.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Has been a giant called Satan, Sin and Death, and
he's been fee five four fumbing, and everybody's been running
because nobody could knock him down.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
But enter the son of David.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
The son of David came in and Psalms twenty three says,
the Lord is my I shall not want. So this
shepherd comes on the sea, and the shepherd picks up
a sling of the new Covenant, and that is the
thing that is gonna protect the sheep. Now, one of
his boys, Peter, came up to him and said, I
(20:11):
forbid you, Lord, and Matthew sixteen, don't do it this way.
And Jesus looked at Peter and said, get thee behind me, Satan,
because you have natural eyes, and I'm not gonna change
my clothes.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
I'm a shepherd.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
So he took the sling of a new Covenant, and
he picked up a smooth stone called righteousness, And with
the accuracy that he had for the sheep is the
same accuracy he had for the giant. He wielded the
sling of the new Covenant with the stone of Righteousness in.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
It, and he he hit Satan.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Right between the eyes. But let me tell you, Satan
got brothers. So he took that same sling and picked
up Grace and hit Satan's brother Death right between the eyes.
He took that same sling and picked up forgiveness and
hit Satan's brother Sin right between the eyes. He took
that same sling and picked up mercy and hit Satan's
(21:02):
brother condemnation right between the eyes. He took that same
sling and picked up love and hit Satan's brother guilt
and shame right between the eyes.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
He was a shepherd for the sheep, and he was
a shepherd for the giant.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Either way, he didn't change tools to knock that boy down. Now,
if we are his sheep and he has protected us,
why wouldn't we use.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Those same tools for our giant.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Jesus is saying, I'm not asking you to do anything
that I myself has not already done. I've already come
as a shepherd. I've already won as a shepherd, and
my sheep should follow the shepherd so.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
They can win too.
Speaker 6 (21:39):
That's how you get it done.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
The word of God has us doing it differently. As
I close, I want to let you know it's different
for us. That's why the Bible says a gentle response
turns away wrath. It's different for us. That's why the
Bible tells you to love your enemy. Well that sound
(22:16):
very uncommon. Well, it's just a lot different for us.
That's why the goal of Christianity starts, yes, with loving Jesus,
but the real ones will even love Judas. It's different
for us, And the hardest thing you'll ever do is
(22:39):
remain Christian in a crisis. But that's how you win.
You take the slingshot of the new covenant that you're in.
You take all of those smooth stones, and you live
by those stones. You use them to remember, You use
them to go forward. And when you do that and
stick to your calling, you'll be shocked, as every man
(23:03):
in Israel was shocked. These giants just keep falling.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
The pastor Jonathan Evans with an encouraging word on trusting
God and moving forward in the face of life's challenges.
This message from Jonathan was entitled Soldier or Shepherd and
if you'd like to hear the full length version, including
material we didn't have time to present on the broadcast today,
(23:28):
you can find out more when you visit our website
at Tonyevans dot org. And while you're there, don't miss
your chance to get doctor Tony Evans Life under God
three hundred and sixty five day devotional book, along with
all ten full length messages from Jonathan's recent audio series Survivor.
These resources are our gift to you when you support
(23:49):
this ministry with a financial contribution, helping us continue bringing
God's Word your way each day. Just visit Tonyevans dot
org to make your request. You'll find the details for
this special offer right on the homepage or call one
eight hundred, eight hundred thirty two twenty two. Our resource
team is ready to assist you anytime of the day
(24:11):
or night. That's one eight hundred eight hundred three two
two two. The past can shape us, teach us, and
even strengthen us, but if we're not careful, it can
also hold us back from God's promises. On Monday, Pastor
Jonathan Evans challenges us to make a crucial decision. Will
(24:31):
we stay stuck in our past or will we step
into God's promise for our future. Be sure to join
us for that
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