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Amen. Okay, 1 Samuel 17. What a chapter of the Bible, eh? And a famous story, obviously, of David and Goliath. And I was saying to Dan earlier, you could preach a tonne of sermons out of this chapter, a tonne of sermons, so many topics there, so many things you could focus in on. Today I want to look at one theme. So for now we're going to look down just from verse 26. Look for verse 26 first, it says here, in verse 26 of 1 Samuel 17. And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him? And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spake unto the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? And with whom has thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thine heart, for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? And that's the title of the sermon this morning. Is there not a cause? Is there not a cause? I'd like to pray before we get going. Father, thank you, Lord, for, well, for the word of God. Thank you for our King James Bible. Thank you for the many messages, the many truths we can get out of it, and specifically the one that we're going to look at today. In 1 Samuel 17, this great story, Lord, this great piece of history and the lessons we can get from it and the one lesson I'm going to really focus on today. Help me to preach it accurately and boldly, Lord, full of your spirit. Help me to just inspire others with this, to motivate others, Lord, everyone here, to just have attentive ears, to not shut their ears or to shut their hearts off, but instead to just to allow your word to change their behaviour, to inspire them onto great things. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. OK. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? So what is it that David's talking about here? What is the cause that he's talking about? We're going to back up a bit, see exactly what's going on here. You've got Saul's Israel and the Philistines facing each other. They've got this valley in between them. So it says they're on kind of either side of the valley. They've got a mountain. Each of them are on. They've got this valley in the middle. They're set in a ray. So they're lined up in formation, right, which would be hard to break down. If you think about some of the formations that you might have seen, you know, through, you know, in history and stuff with with these different sort of spear and shield formation swords, they usually will be quite a tight formation. It's hard to get amongst them. It's hard to get arrows in there. A lot of the time they have like that, I think they call it the tortoise formation with the shields on the top, the shields in front. It's very hard to break down an army in this formation. So they've got a bit of a standoff, basically. It can be a long war of attrition, this sort of thing, when you've got two armies set up in a ray. Verse 4 says, And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. So you've got six cubits, right, with a cubit being the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. So this length here, which is about 18 inches. However, some claim that the cubit they're talking about here is more like 21 inches. Maybe it's someone like Goliath's. I don't know, right. But it's somewhere between 18 and 21 inches. A span is the length from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger. So it's this length here from there to there, which, again, is pretty uniform with most people. It ends up being about nine inches. So this guy is at least, okay, so the lowest amount there is nine feet and nine inches tall, nine foot nine. And for those who prefer the European metric system, for some reason, it's about 297 centimetres. So it's just under three metres tall. Okay, but perhaps, like I said, though, if you went for the upper end of the 21 inches, it would be as tall as ten and a half feet, which is over 320 centimetres. This is a tall guy. Now, in case you're sitting there wondering, you're already thinking, yeah, we've gone into fantasyland here. Well, Robert Wadlow, for example, who's the recent history's sort of tallest recorded man, his height when he died in 1940 at only 22 years old was eight foot 11.1 inches, so 272 centimetres. And that's only recent history, right? That was a tall guy, Robert Wadlow. The Vietnamese Ho Van Trung, well, he was just continuously growing. So his last, whilst alive, recorded height was, I think, around eight foot five. But when he was measured post-mortem, the people that put him in his 10 foot long coffin said he was nine foot and a quarter inches, so 275 centimetres. Pretty big guy, right? And there are plenty more. And just to make it clear, in case you're kind of just trying to picture that and thinking, how does that even work? Well, from the ground here to the top of here is two and a half metres. So we're saying that Goliath was approximately three metres plus. So just to put that in perspective, his head would be, his shoulders would be basically at the ceiling height and his head would be above that. Big guy, right? I don't think David was particularly big. David was a youth, right? But Goliath was a big guy, okay? And just to make it clear, there are loads in recent history. It's not well, there's, now and again, some sort of bizarre giant. There have been a lot, right? And Goliath was also no skinny Robert Wadlow type either. So he wasn't just someone who got really long and gangly and you think, well, he'd probably snap anyway. This is a big, strong guy with it. He said in verse five, and he had on a helmet of brass upon his head and he was armed with a coat of mail and the weight of the coat was 5,000 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 600 shekels of iron and one bearing of shield went before him. So he's got all this heavy armour, that's the point. It's heavy, big, heavy armour and this huge, heavy spear and he is picturing the Antichrist here. You've got six cubits, six pieces of arms and armour mentioned and 600 shekels of iron. So there is a 666 connection as well. Basically, he's a formidable-looking opponent. He's a scary opponent. He pictures, you know, the Antichrist himself. This is a guy to be feared, if you like, right? And it seems he was. It says in verse eight, 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 not I 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 will we be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then shall ye be our servants and serve us. Now you could say, well, it sounds fair enough. Saves a load of lives in battle, a load of time saved trying to break down each other's formations. Well, he then said this in verse 10, the Philistines said, I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight together. Now, however, there is one slight problem. It sounded like, OK, well, what's going to happen here? You know, he's he's put out the offer. Well, verse 11 says, When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. And isn't this a problem for so many of God's people today, right? The enemy is challenging us. The enemy is taunting us sometimes, shouting their false doctrine, mocking the way of truth, trying to intimidate us with their various fear mongering. And what's the result? Most believers are dismayed, aren't they? Most believers in the world are greatly afraid of even getting involved in the battle in the first place. They don't want to step up and fight. Most believers do not want to step up and fight for the Lord. And I'm not just talking about laymen either. I'm talking I'm talking about leaders to preachers, pastors. Saul was a king. You know, Saul was described as head and shoulders above everyone else. So if anyone was theoretically just by looking at them would have the best chance, it would have been the king. It would have been the guy that was head and shoulders in stature above everyone else. Yet he was dismayed and greatly afraid. It said when Saul and all Israel heard those those words of Philistines, they, that's including Saul, were dismayed and greatly afraid. So it wasn't just Saul, the elders of Israel. So it's not, oh, well, there's a king and then everyone else is just kind of, you know, you know, they're just guys in the army. The elders, all these different leaders, the leaders of the different tribes, the heads of the tribes, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. All these battle-hardened men who have been through wars, battles, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. And I think for what's left in this nation, that's pretty much where we've got to, isn't it? Where are the old-time pastors? Where are they? The battle-hardened pastors have been through the wars, the battles, you know, the battles for doctrine. Where are they now? Where are those that followed on from them? Where are those with decades behind them in the ministry? Where are they? Where are the established churches? The battle-hardened men and women of those churches? Been through the battles, they've persevered, they've soldiered on, where are they? Why aren't they stepping up to the enemy? Why aren't they leading soul-winning crusades? Where are the soul-winning crusades in this nation? Why aren't they preaching against Islam, for example? Where are they? Why aren't they preaching the truth? Why aren't they preaching against the synagogue of Satan, instead of taking the easy option of Zionism? Why aren't they preaching against the sodomy? Where are these people? Why aren't they preaching against all the other filth? Why aren't they preaching against the repent of your sins, damnable heresy? Why aren't they standing up there and preach against it. Why aren't they pounding the streets? Pounding the streets, knocking the doors, just compelling people to come in to God's house, compelling people to get saved. Where are they? Do you know where they are? They're dismayed. They're dismayed and greatly afraid. They're afraid to stand up, they're afraid to speak out, they're afraid to put their neck on the line, they're afraid to just say it how it is. And you know what's needed when that happens? That's when it needs someone fresh to come along. And I'm not just talking about myself, a church of people full of faith. A church of people full of faith rather than full of false doctrine. Some fresh blood, some people with some zeal, some people that just want to go and do something, join the battle, get involved, get there, and that's what David was. David was someone who was just fresh with faith. We said in verse 12, now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah whose name was Jesse. He had eight sons and a man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, the next son unto him Abinadab and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest and the three eldest followed Saul. And David went to return from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. So before this he'd been there to play music for Saul, but he returned from Saul. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening and presented himself 40 days. Now 40 days being common with affliction, for example, Christ fasting in the wilderness for 40 days, being tempted by the devil, Elijah fasting whilst on the run, Moses fasting on Mount Sinai. Verse 17 says, Jesse said unto David his son, take now for thy brethren an Ephrath of this parched corn and his ten loaves and run to the camp to thy brethren. And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand and look how thy brethren fare and take their pledge. So his dad sent him with food for his brothers, for their captain too. And then to also see how they're getting on. So you can imagine, he probably would like to know that his sons are okay, that things are going well for Israel. Verse 19 says, now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah fighting with the Philistines. And David rose up in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the trench as the host was going forth for the fight, excuse me, and shouted for the battle. For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. So he's approaching from the back of the army, you know, is what it seems here from the back of their lines. Verse 22 says, and David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage and ran into the army and came and saluted his brethren. So notice the zeal of David. He's up early in the morning, we just saw, he got up nice and early. He's running into the camp from behind, said in verse 23, and as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath-galath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines and spake according to the same words, and David heard them. So remember that what are the words, it was the offer from verses eight to nine, where he's saying about, you know, I'm going to come, come, come and fight with me. If we win, you know, you'll serve us. If you win, we'll serve you. Followed by verse 10, and the Philistines said, I defy the armies of Israel this day. Give me a man that we may fight together. So that's the words that he said. That's what David heard in verse 24 says, and all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid. They're not just afraid, they're fleeing, they're running because they're sore afraid. And fear is kind of like that, it's contagious, isn't it? And once it starts, it just gets worse and worse and worse. Nowadays, I would say they're so afraid that they choose to embrace something as ridiculous as Zionism. That's just a choice, isn't it, to go with the status quo for so many? It's a choice for those who at least hear the other angle, that hear the other side and could just see just replacement theology all over the word of God. From as early as Genesis, it's pictures and pictures and pictures of it. But they choose Zionism because it's the easy option. They're fleeing to the safety of Zionism. They flee to embrace sodomy and just, oh well, it's just a lifestyle choice. It's just a sin like any other and anything else. They're fleeing to it because it's safer than saying what the Bible says, they should be put to death. It's fleer than saying what the Bible says, these people have been given over to a reprobate mind. They flee to the safety of Calvinism, which basically means we don't really have to go out and get anyone saved. It's easier to say, oh yeah, well probably just God deals with all that. You know, if you're elect, you're elect. Because it's easier than saying, well how do people get saved? Someone has to go and preach them the Gospel and that means me. It's easier to embrace Calvinism. Nowadays they're so afraid that they run the other way from soul winning. They run the other way from church. They run the other way from the King James Bible. That's ultimately what it comes down to, doesn't it? And again, I'm not talking about people that just don't really have a clue, I'm not talking about new believers, I'm not talking about people that are maybe babes in Christ and stuff, but when you're hearing the word of God preached time and time again and you're not doing those things, it's ultimately because you're afraid. That's what it comes down to. Or you're apathetic. Verse 25 says, And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man that is come up? Surely to defy Israel is he come up. And it shall be that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel. So aside from the pictures of Christ there, you know the king enriching him will give him his daughter, I think picturing the bride of Christ, and make his father's house free in Israel, talking about salvation. So aside from that, okay, let's just look at it at face value. I think what they are, they're assuming that this will be done. So either that or Saul reneged on this deal, okay, one of the two. Okay, we don't see him say that. Maybe they're just going, look, this is surely what's going to happen if someone takes on this guy. Maybe that's what they're saying. Because it does, if you remember, if you've read this before, if you've read through 1 Samuel, it takes a while and a bit more battling before Saul's daughter, Mireb, was then offered to David and then given to someone else, okay. And it's a while later, it's after a few more, few more events, and then he eventually marries his daughter, Michael, a while after that. Verse 26 though says this, And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth his Philistine and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? So he's saying, who is this unbeliever to stand against God's people? Who is he to stand against God's people? And you know what, we would do well to say the same. No, we'd do well to say, look, don't fear Keir Starmer, who is this uncircumcised, well, I don't know actually, it's debatable, okay. He might even be a Jew, I don't know, right. Who is this Keir Starmer, this Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? Colossians 2.11, by the way, says, In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of flesh by the circumcision of Christ. He's definitely not circumcised according to the New Testament, in the heart. He's not a believer. But we should be not fearing the Muslims, we should be saying, who are these Philistines? Not, not, oh, you know, we'd better be really careful because the Muslims are going to, I mean, what's going to happen? Who are they? Who are they to stand against the armies of the living God? Don't fear the false prophets. Who are these repent of your sins? Who are these lose your salvation Pentecostals? Who are they to stand against the Lord? Don't fear the slanderers. Who are these people, these online gossipers and slanderers, who are these people? What are they going to do to us really? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after this man had sung, so shall it be done to the man that killeth him. Verse 28 says, and a lie of his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men. And a lie of his anger was kindled against David. And he said, why camest thou down hither? And with whom has thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thine heart, for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. So why is a lie of so angry? Well, previous to this, Samuel had anointed David in front of his brothers as the Lord's chosen one, if you remember in the chapter before, so there is that, that, you know, maybe that's already pricked him, maybe that's already got him a bit vexed. Perhaps there was some sibling envy there, but it's because really he heard when he spake unto the men, said that a lie of his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men and a lie of his anger was kindled against David. So what did he speak unto the men? Well, verse 26, ultimately it's for who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God. And there is nothing like the truth being shined on someone's own failings to anger them. You want to get someone angry, shine the truth, shine the light on their own failings. A lie wasn't stepping up, basically what it came down. A lie wasn't stepping up like he should have done. In fact, when Samuel first met him, he assumed that he was going to be the next king. In 1 Samuel 16, if you want to just go back to chapter and verse 7, it says, But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, but on the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord seeth not as man seeth, for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. So this was, it seems like, probably the biggest of the brothers here, because he's going, this has got to be him, right, because I've anointed Saul previously, look how big Saul was. So this is probably the biggest guy, he's maybe looking like the strongest guy there as well. So what does he do? Because David's going, well, who's this uncircumcised Philistine? So he could have gone, yeah, what am I doing? Why am I with everyone else, greatly afraid, dismayed? Why am I failing in my walk in what I should be doing for the Lord? No, instead I'll just get angry with the person who's basically calling me out, indirectly. Not that he was even trying to call him out, he's called, so I'm just going to get angry with him. And look, we've got, just a quick side note now, we've got to be careful, right, not to just get angry when something, and people get angry with God, people get angry with a pastor, maybe with another man who's preaching the word of God, or just someone who's doing more than they are, someone that's doing the things of God, someone that's maybe going soul-winning more, someone that's maybe clearly reading their Bible more, that's maybe, you know, trying to raise their family better, maybe being a better husband, a better wife, or whatever else. And then often people just get angry with that person, don't they? They get angry with them, they get irritated with them instead of just addressing themselves. And that's what Alive does here, it says, it said that he heard when he spoke to the men, Alive's anger was kindled against David. So he turns on David, and then he, with that are the evil samizings. So instead of going, well I'm just angry because he's calling me out, now I'm going to start finding reasons why I'm justified for my anger. So what's he doing? He's mocking, he's calling him prideful, for what? For just relaying an obvious truth. Why is he prideful? He just said the truth. In Deuteronomy 20 verse 1, you have to turn there, but among other places, the Lord said not to fear their enemies. So this is just the truth of the word of God, he said, when thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses and chariots and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them, for the Lord thy God is with thee. Which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. There's a truth that Joshua relayed, for example in Joshua 1.9, have not I commanded thee, be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, they're commands of God, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. So David's just, David is responding how we should do to scripture, but his brother's angry with him for it. It angered a liar, and do you know what our faith, our faith angers those that lack faith. It does, doesn't it? When people that are lacking faith see people with faith, it gets them angry, and they find reasons to be irritated. They call us prideful for having faith in the Gospel, don't they? You think you know it, oh yeah, you think you know, no, we just know what the Gospel says. For believing God's promises. He said I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thine heart, for thou art come down at our might to see the battle. He's saying you just want to see someone fighting him, I think is what he's saying. You're just causing trouble. You're so contentious, David, for believing in God. You're so contentious for not compromising David. But really it was because of what David said in verse 26. For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? Well, what does David say in response in verse 29? And David said, what have I now done? Is there not a cause? He said, what now? Sounds like this sort of thing may have been common from a liar, don't you think? What have I now done? Maybe the older brother was regularly finding fault in what his faith-filled younger brother was saying, right? Because when people get like that with you, it can become chronic as well, can't it? I don't know if you've ever had people like that in your life and stuff, where once they start just, they feel threatened or they feel challenged by whatever it is you do or don't do, then it just becomes chronic. They're just constantly finding trouble, finding problems, little snidey comments, little digs, nasty looks, all this sort of stuff. It just becomes an issue. It's a problem. So maybe he's been dealing with this for a while with a liar. David then said, is there not a cause? He's saying, I think he's saying maybe, is there not a cause? I've said this. Maybe he's saying, is there not a cause that I'm trying to provoke someone to fight him? Maybe that's what he's saying. I'm trying to provoke someone so I can see the battle, because surely we're going to win. Is there not a cause or a motive that urges me to be astounded at this uncircumcised Philistine's nerve? Is there not a cause? Is there not a good reason for someone to get up and go and destroy this giant? He said, is there not a cause? And today, in case you're wondering, I'm asking everyone here, is there not a cause? Is there not a cause? You say, well, we're not staring down a Philistine army, Pastor Tavernor. Our lives aren't on the line. I'm saying that we're in the midst of the Philistine army here. We're encircled by the Philistine army. We're behind enemy lines. We're greatly outnumbered. We're not just facing them with a battle, with our, you know, in a ray, with a valley in between us. We're completely surrounded and vastly outnumbered by the Philistines. And do you know what? It ain't just our lives. There are billions of eternal lives on the line. Billions of eternal lives are on the line and we can make a difference. Keep a finger here and turn to Ephesians 6. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10.3, you're turning to Ephesians 6. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10.3, for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. So it's not a physical battle that we're called to. And thank God because we'd all be finished off pretty quickly. But it is a spiritual battle and we're called to the spiritual battle. Ephesians 6, famous verses, verse 10. Ephesians 6.10 says, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. We need to be strong in this battle. Put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil just to stand. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand the evil day and having done all to stand. So he said that it's not a flesh and blood battle. It's powers. It's spiritual rulers. It's spiritual wickedness. It's a spiritual battle. And to stand, it sounds like we need to put some effort in. He said take unto you the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand and having done all to stand. Just having done all just to stand. But it's worth it because what are we battling for? It's not physical. It's not a battle to stay alive. It's not a battle for a longer life, whatever that means. For more wealth, for more carnal pleasures in life. To just have more of an enjoyable life, it's just such a battle. The battle is for people's souls. That's what the battle's about. That's why after describing the armour of God, which included by the way verse 15, and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, part of the armour of God, part of being able to stand is to have that preparation of the Gospel. He's got a British Gospel. He ended it with this, verse 18, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching there until with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. And for me that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. That's what it's all about, the Gospel. That's what the battle is for, people's souls. That's why we're here. That's why we go out. That's why we're reading our Bibles. All that stuff, the end goal is people's souls. That's what we're doing. Turn to 2 Corinthians 4. That's why Jude said in verse 3 of Jude, Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. It's a battle. It's a war. We need to earnestly fight. Put effort in. Not flee like the men of Israel did. 2 Corinthians 4 says in verse 1, Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, that's all of us by the way, young, old, rich, poor, new believer, mature believer, whoever, you're saved, we have this ministry. As we have received mercy, we faint not. We don't give up on the job. We don't faint when we see a spiritual giant in the way. He said, But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. Why is it so important? Verse 3, But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. I mean, how clear is that verse? If our gospel be hid, if we don't preach the gospel, it is hid to them that are lost. The unsaved won't hear it. In whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, shall shine unto them. We're not Calvinists here. People are, it's not, God's not just supporting you going, I'll get that one, save that one. Forget all that lot. They can all go to hell. That one will go. We don't believe that nonsense. That's nonsense. It's whosoever will. Free will throughout the Bible, free will. If our gospel is hid, it's hid to the unsaved. If we don't preach the gospel, more people are going to go to hell. Their minds have been blinded in various ways. I mean, various ways. From all the different false religions, false different works, salvations, to the, you know, to the different ways of convincing people God's not real, to just the ways of distracting them, making them just seek after the worldly stuff. The only way of giving them sight is through the light of the glorious gospel. It's the only way. It's the light of the glorious gospel. Turn to Romans 10. What am I saying? I'm saying, is there not a cause? Is there not a cause? I'm saying that if you're finding a reason already to shut your ears, to blame the messenger, to say, well, who are you leaving those few sheep with? Those new believers in the wilderness, isn't that what they try and say? Who are you leaving them with? Oh, so you've just left them as a sheep without a shepherd? Isn't that what they try and say to us? Because we've gone somewhere receptive and got a ton of people saved, well, who have you left them with? Do you know what? We've left them not on their way to hell. How about that? Before you say that we're just prideful about soul winning, oh, they're just prideful about soul winning. That it's just to make up for the naughtiness of our hearts, isn't it? Oh, it's just to make up for the fact that we're all so carnal that we go and, like, do a bit of tick box soul winning. That we're just out to cause contention. You're just out causing trouble, daring to preach the truth. We should just not say anything and hope that they turn up and then we'll preach them the Gospel when they come into the house of God. Do you know what I'm saying? I'm saying, what have I now done? What have I now done? We're all saying, what have we now done? Isn't that what a church should be doing? Going out and preaching the Gospel. Shouldn't we be encouraging others to preach the Gospel? When you come into the house of God, shouldn't you be getting exhorted to preach the Gospel? Romans 10 says in verse 13, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's so easy. So it's such a great message to relate to people, isn't it? To be able to say to someone, I could show you how easy it is to go to heaven. It's so easy. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. But, verse 14, how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? So how do they call on the name of the Lord? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? They need it preached. That's every single one of us. And how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. Is there not a cause? Is there not a cause to be preaching this sort of message regularly, to be encouraging people in this, in God's house regularly to just get out there and show people the Gospel? It's good things. It's not bad things. It's good things. How shall they preach except they be sent? Is there not a cause? David said in verse 29, what have I now done? Is there not a cause? Is there not a cause to learn how to win souls? For those of you that maybe haven't before, for those out there, you know, for those our church members watching online that maybe haven't learned how to win a soul, is there not a cause for the kids here that haven't learned yet how to win souls? Is there not a cause? There's a cause, isn't there? Is there not a cause to learn how to win souls? To turn up for a soul-winning time and just listen, and just keep your mouth shut and listen? I mean, it's quite, it's being a silent partner at the beginning is pretty easy. We don't even expect you to deal with distractions. Just listen. To listen to an eight-hour series on how to win souls. Oh, we've got to, we have to boil it down into like a ten-minute short. No, we're not. Is there not a cause? Is there not a cause to make an effort? Is there not a cause to turn up on a soul-winning time? Is there not a cause for all of us here to keep working on how to win souls? Is there not a cause for us to keep assessing? Is there not a cause for us to think, I could have done that differently? I could do this differently. I need to improve more. Is there not a cause? Is there not a cause to not stop trying to win souls? Is there not a cause to just keep going, keep going, keep going? Is there not a cause? But you know what? It's not, it's not just the soul-winning itself. Romans 10, 15 said, and how shall they preach except they be sent? They need somewhere to be sent from. So is there not a cause to be a part of a soul-winning church? Is there not a cause? Because without the people here there's no church. Is there not a cause to pray for this church? I hope everyone here is praying for this church. Is there not a cause to keep this church harmonious? To let things go? To let it start? To try and be kind to each other? To try and be nice to each other? To not try and find contention? Is there not a cause to get up early on a Sunday and get to church? There's a cause, isn't there? Because the cause is people are getting sent out and people go and get saved. Is there not a cause to make the journey to church? And I don't say, look, I'm not saying it lightly, I understand, okay? It can be hard for people, however, is there not a cause? Is there not a cause? Is there not a cause to consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works? Is there not a cause? Because when you come to church that's what you're doing, you're provoking others. You might literally just come in here, sit down in a service and go back out and you don't know how many people you might have just encouraged. That's a part of that encouragement, a part of the difference between looking out on, there are churches out there that believe the Gospel where there's maybe 10 people in there, or you look out on a church like this and on a good morning maybe 60 plus. There's a difference and it encourages people to want to keep, and it gives people a bit of zeal, a bit of excitement. Is there not a cause to try and make all the services? If possible, again, I get it, not for everyone, there can be a reason why it's not possible. Is there not a cause to try and make it possible, to make all three services? You say, why? Well, aside from the command not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, aside from the fact that it's a command not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of some is, aside from that, because part of church, do you know what it is? It's to get sin out of your lives. That's part of what church is here for, to get your priorities straight. When you put church first, you're like, no, you know what, midweek, Wednesday evening, I'm going to be in church. Do you know what I'm going to do on a Sunday evening? I'm going to be in church. Oh, but won't that make your week busier? Or won't you have to change things with work or social life or find some... So? Puts God first. You keep God at the centre of your lives. You keep God at the centre of your week. A lot of people, and I know that a lot of people say the same, when they come on a midweek, they're like, without that midweek, it's a long time without the things of God. It's a long time without hearing... You go, oh, well, it's all right, they're in the Bible. It's different though, isn't it? It's different when you're coming into church, you're in God's house, you're with God's people. And let me tell you what those that are in church most are also doing most. Soul winning? Yeah? It's a reality. Do you know that the three to thrivers are also the people that are soul winning most, at most marathons, that are soul winning the most, that are Bible reading the most? They're also reading their Bibles in between. It's not rocket science. It's so clear. It's clear when you... It's just clear, right? Whether you're here or whether you're me, whether you're someone else, that's just the way it is, right? Why? Because they're laying aside every weight in the sin which just so easily beset us. That's part of coming into the house of God regularly to get your life right, to get things out of your life, the stuff which drags you down, that stops you serving God, that stops you ultimately getting out and getting people saved. Is there not a cause to lay aside the sin? Is there not a cause to lay aside the sin? Is there not a cause to do everything you can to lay aside that sin which does so easily beset us? The weight that stops you running the race, the weight that stops you running towards the army to get involved in the fight and stops you running towards the giant because you can't run towards the giant when you've got a load of weight dragging you down. Turn to Luke 16. Is there not a cause? Luke 16. Is there not a cause to lay aside fornication? Is there not a cause? You go, oh, well, yeah, but everyone does it. And? Oh, yeah, but, you know, it's a bit of a temptation. Is there not a cause? Is there not a cause to lay that aside and be able to be in the house of God with your back straight, with a straight stare in your eyes and not look like you've got guilty written all over your face? Is there not a cause for that? Is there not a cause to lay aside covetousness? Let's go, yeah, yeah, I do have an issue with that. I need to get that out of my life. I need to get that out of my life and be able to come to the house of God and focus on the things of God and not, in my mind, be calculating how I can make more money, get more stuff. Is there not a cause to lay aside idolatry? Get the idols out of your life. They're going to wreck your life. And focus on the Lord himself. Focus on the word of God. Is there not a cause to lay aside the booze? Is there not a cause? Or is that too important? Is the alcohol too important for you? Is there not a cause to lay aside the booze, lay aside the drugs, lay aside that stuff and be able to come to the house of God with a clean conscience knowing that you're not in church disqualifying sin? Luke 16 is the story of the rich man Lazarus. Lazarus the beggar dies, as does the rich man. It says in verse 23, and in hell, talk about the rich man. He lift up his eyes being in torments and see if Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame. And Abraham said son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receiveth thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted and thou art tormented. And beside all this between us and you there is a great goal fixed, that they which were passed from hence you cannot, neither can they pass to us that were comforted. You know you can't go from one to the other. Once you're in hell you're in hell. Once you're in heaven you're in heaven. Once those people those people that walk past here while we're preaching, those people that are out there that we don't get to reach, those people whose doors we don't get to, those people around this nation that we can't get to because we don't have enough people, when they die they're in hell for eternity. Unless you don't believe the word of God. Then he said, I pray thee therefore father that I would have ascended him to my father's house, for I have five brethren that you may testify unto them. Let's say also come into this place of torment. How many people in hell are desperate for someone to go and testify to their loved ones? How many people in hell are desperate? Please just send someone to my loved ones. Someone please. How desperate are we for our loved ones to be persuaded? So many of us here are desperate. Maybe if someone else went to them, maybe someone might knock the door and actually believes the gospel and they're not going to be hearing it from someone who's not with honor in front of them because they know who you were when you were young, they just don't have that respect, they don't want to hear it from their family, from their friends. How many people are desperate for that? And do you know what? It's not just our loved ones, there are a lot of loved ones out there. There's a lot of people's loved ones out there. I'm saying is there not a cause? Is there not a cause? Is there not a cause to lay aside that carnal pleasure that stops you serving the Lord? That ease of life, that whatever it is that gets in the way of you serving the Lord, is there not a cause to lay aside that laziness that stops you running to the battle? Is there not a cause? We're talking about millions of souls, real people, real people. This isn't make-believe. This isn't we don't just go through the motions here and just go, oh yeah, well, you know, it's kind of, you never know, it might be true, give it a crack. Preach the gospel because there's a small possibility it might actually be real. I believe with all my heart and I think pretty much everyone else here does as well. So if we believe the truth, we know that people dying in unbelief are burning in hell forever, is that not a cause? Or don't you believe the gospel? Is there not a cause to meditate on his word day and night? Is there not a cause? He said in Psalm 1 and verse 3 that the man that does that should be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit and his season and his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Is there not a cause to get up 30 minutes earlier to read the Bible? Is there not a cause? If that means that whatever you do shall prosper, that you'll bring forth fruit in your season, that you'll get people saved, is that not a cause to get up and read your Bible? Is that not a cause to put down the phone and just switch off YouTube or TikTok or whatever it is, get out of that rabbit hole and read the word of God? Is it not a cause to switch off the device, whatever it is? Is it not a cause? Millions of souls. So many people are like, oh they just seem like such a nice person, they're such a lovely person, but they're a believer that doesn't give a damn about millions of people going to hell. That's Christianity across the board in this nation and the world. Pretty much, isn't it? Whilst convincing everyone how lovely they are because they don't get in arguments. How lovely they are because they smile. With the old face smile. How lovely they are because they're polite and charming, but they can't even open their mouths to declare the Gospel to someone who's about to burn in hell when they die. Turn to 2 Chronicles 7. 2 Chronicles 7. Maybe heaven and hell still seems too far away to motivate you. So maybe I'm preaching about heaven and hell and it's still just kind of, it's over there. That's like future stuff. That's not the here and now, right? It's not motivating me, Pastor Taberna. Well like those Philistines facing down the armies of the living God, right now in this nation we've got Muslim Philistines facing down the armies of the living God, don't we? We've basically got hordes and hordes of Pakistani Muslims facing down God's people in this nation now. For real. This isn't make believe, this isn't oh well you've been going down those YouTube rabbit holes, you know, where you see one of those videos then suddenly it's like every video is about the numbers of them and everything else and them coming in on boats. Yeah, but they are. We see it here. You know what we see here? We see the boldness of them increasing and increasing and increasing. They're multiplying by the day and so is the boldness. That really is true. To where many are standing there mocking the Lord now. They stand there, they mock the Lord. I've had them say things to me like so. Why are all the churches shutting? One of them said that to you the other day, didn't he, brother? Oh so, why are all the churches turning into mosques? You think they would have said that 20 years ago, 30 years ago? They're getting bolder. Defying the armies of spiritual Israel, disdaining God's people. That's what we've got out there. We've got a load of people worshipping a paedophile, disdaining God's people. How dare they disdain us? Does that not bother you? And if it doesn't bother you, if you're like, well whatever, I'm not going to be here, I don't care. I'll probably die and have long. Hopefully we'll just make it through the next few decades and then whatever happens to this nation, who cares, right? Well maybe it's a rising cost on top of that. Maybe it's a rising illness. I mean, it's like everyone's sick here now, aren't they? You're lucky to go through a month without getting sick. Pestilence everywhere, isn't it? Maybe it's a rising poverty. People are just getting poorer and poorer. Hasn't everything gone up in April now? Everything's gone up. You name it, they've shoved it up. Well in 2 Chronicles 7, the Lord said in verse 13, if I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, I read Pakistani Muslims into that, or if I send pestilence among my people, sickness, illness. He said, if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Is there not a cause to humble yourself then? That's a good cause, isn't it? Is there not a cause to humble yourself? Is there not a cause to pray, to seek his face, to basically seek the will of God, to try and live for God, to do what God wants us to do, to turn from your wicked ways? And then one of those wicked ways would be being completely apathetic to people's souls. Completely apathetic to the commands of God to go ye into all the world of preaching, gospel and every creature. We are apathetic to the command that we be given a ministry of reconciliation. He said, if you turn from all of that, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. You want this land healed? We need to serve God, don't we? We need to get right with God. Turn to Matthew 7. Matthew chapter 7. Is there not a cause for that? We've got people burning in hell if we don't get out there and preach them the gospel. You go, oh well, what difference can I make? You can make a big difference. If one of those people that you get saved goes on to then get other people saved, then they go, someone that he gets saved goes on to get, you know what, now we're starting to see exponential growth. But even without that, every soul is a soul. Or do you not believe the gospel saves? What got you saved? I don't know about you, but I got saved by the gospel. So the gospel saves. So surely we want to show other people the gospel. Turn to Matthew 7. You turn to Matthew 7. Is there not a cause to have a godly home, to have a godly marriage, to have godly kids, because it all has a knock-on effect, to raise the next army of soul winners? Isn't it worth persevering? Isn't it worth persevering in our marriages? Persevering in our home lives? Persevering with our family? Persevering in our child rearing? Persevering in all those things, because what's the result, ultimately, the knock-on effect? People getting saved. But aside from that, just have a successful home. Don't you want a successful home? I want a successful home. Matthew 7.24 says, Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, Matthew 7.24, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. So you do what God wants you to do. You're basically building your house upon a rock. Ultimately, the rock being the Lord Jesus Christ. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. So you want your house. Look, the rain is going to come, okay? The rain's going to descend. The floods are going to come. The wind is going to blow. You're going to have trouble in life, right? And it comes from different angles. But do you know what will stop your house falling, is if you build it upon the rock. And everyone that hears these sayings of mine, they doeth them not. It shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. You know, it's easy to build your house on sand. Much easier. Not much digging. Not much laying of concrete. Not much levelling out concrete. Not much all that hard graph that goes with it, burying it in, tamping it down. You don't have to do any of that. Just build it on the sand. Piece of cake. Easy life. However, and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house, and it fell, and great was the fool of it. Is there not a cause? Is there not a cause to have a godly home? Is there not a cause to try and do it God's way, however much work it might be in the first place? Because when that house falls, it's a hell of a lot more work, if possible at all, to rebuild it. If at all possible, to rebuild that house now. Where now, you're like, okay, it's fallen, we're going to have to put that sub-base in, aren't we? We're going to have to redo this whole thing again. Are you even going to be able? Is there not a cause? Well, back in 1 Samuel 17, said in verse 26, and David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth his Philistine and taketh away the approach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that ye should defy the armies of the living God? And the people asked him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. And a lie of his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men, and a lie of his anger was kindled against David, and he said, And listen, you're going to get people angry with you, right? Angry with you. I'll have people angry with me for preaching this sort of sermon. There'll be people angry with you for just trying to do this. There'll be people angry with you because you might respond to this and be like, Yeah, I need to get on more. That's just going to happen, right? He said, Why camest thou down hither? And with whom has thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? They're going to mock you. I know thy pride. They're going to call you prideful and the naughtiness of thine heart. They're going to call you wicked. For thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. They're going to call you contentious. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? Is there not a cause? And we're going to get attitude right now. We want to be like David. You say, Is there not a cause? Who cares? Who cares if your older brother wants to mock you? Who cares if people want to scorn you? Who cares if the other Baptists want to criticize us? Who cares? Who cares? What have I now done? What is it now? What do you want to criticize us for now? Is there not a cause? Is there not a cause? And if you get that right, well, you're going to end up like David with the Lord on your side. And then when the Lord is on your side, anything is possible. Look at verse 45. Then said David to the Philistine, in verse 45, 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 take thine head from thee. And I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto 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. Don't want all the earth to know that there is a God in Israel. Want all the earth to know the Lord. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. And it came to pass when the Philistine of Rosa came in during the night to meet David, and that David hasted and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Now we want to do the same. Let's run toward the battle. There's a battle out there, right? We've got a battle in this nation, and it doesn't seem like anyone else is really getting involved. So we've got a big battle in this nation. We can either run toward it, or we can get dismayed and greatly afraid and run the other way. But he ran toward the army to meet the Philistine, and David put his hand in his bag and took thence the stone and slang it and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead and he fell upon his face of the earth. You know the only way we're going to win this battle is with the rock himself, with the Lord Jesus Christ. So David prevailed over the Philistine with the sling and with the stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran. See, he's carrying on running. See, like the zeal here, the energy of David. It's not, oh, well, he kind of sauntered across. I'm going to have to carry on now. No, he ran. He ran and stood upon the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of the sheath thereof and slew him and cut off his head therewith. When the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. And when we slay those giants in our lives, and there are different giants in our lives that we all deal with, so many of the smaller problems will flee too. When you deal with the giant, the smaller issues just seem easy, right? The smaller problems, the smaller challenges, the smaller tests, but sometimes we've got to face a giant, right? Sometimes we've got to face, maybe it's a giant, maybe it's a real fear of yours. Maybe going out and getting involved in soul winning is a real fear of yours. Maybe getting a sin out of your life is a real sin of yours. Maybe trying to do things God's way is a real sin of yours, sorry, is a real fear of yours, a real giant in your life. But once you defeat it, things just get easier. But to step up in the first place, we need to accept that there is a cause. There's a cause. It's a big cause, right? We've seen that there's a cause when it comes to people's souls. There's a cause when it comes to this nation. There's a cause when it comes to our own homes, our own lives. And I didn't add, and for sake of time, we're not going to go into it, but there's even a cause of rewards waiting for you to be earned. There's a lot of causes to serve God, right? There's a lot of causes to do what God wants you to do. Or you can just go, yeah, yeah. He just wanted to have a bit of a shout, got a bit excited, and let's just move on. But it's up to you, ultimately. David said, though, what have I now done? Is there not a cause? And that was this morning's sermon, is there not a cause? I hope that's encouraged you and hopefully inspired you to want to want to get right with God, want to serve him, want to do these things. And on that, we're going to finish in a word of prayer. Father, thank you for the great examples in scripture. Men like David, who was but a youth, Lord, and who can be such and is such an example to so many of us here, Lord, of zeal, of faith, of courage. And why? Because he was filled with your spirit, Lord, and help us to all want to be the same. Help us to all want to, you know, be what you want us to be, Lord. Spirit-filled men, women, children of God here that are just willing to run into the battle and not run the other way. Help us to be inspired by the fact that there's a big cause. We have a big cause in this nation. We have a big cause, well, there's a cause around the world, Lord, to reach the lost. We know that, you know, the odds are stacked against us. We know that we're facing spiritual giants here and elsewhere, but we know that all things are possible through you that strengtheneth us. Help us to just get right, Lord. Help us to get out this afternoon and win some souls, Lord, and to return for this evening's service in Jesus' name, for all of this. Amen.