Richmond Community Church

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Sermon Audio: David Saves the City
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 23:1-14
Duration: 23:21
Size: 16.0 MB

The Life of David
David Saves the City
I Samuel 23:1-14

One sign of David’s trust in the Lord is seen in how he sought the Lord’s guidance in different circumstances.

You want to follow the Lord, and so you want to know God’s guidance in your life.

When David sought guidance from the Lord, the Lord directed him (through the ephod) to go to Keilah and also to get out of Keilah.

I. God Guided David Regarding an Attack (I Samuel 23:1-5)
A. The Report (I Samuel 23:1)
The people of Israel recognized that David was more likely to act as a king should act by defending the people against enemy aggressors.

B. The Requests (I Samuel 23:2-4)
Here is where we see the shepherd’s heart of David. He knew that his men were afraid; indeed, they had just told him that they were “afraid here in Judah.”

C. The Result (I Samuel 23:5)
He saved the people of Keilah, which was something that Saul should have done.

II. God Guided David Regarding an Escape (I Samuel 23:7-14)
A. The Report (I Samuel 23:7-8)
B. The Requests (I Samuel 23:9-12)
But, they were likely terrified of what Saul might do to them and their town, having heard that Saul had wiped out the entire town of Nob.

C. The Result (I Samuel 23:13-14)
To be sure, David had one narrow escape after another while on the run from Saul. But, God was sovereignly protecting him.

1. The Word of God (objective standard).
2. The Holy Spirit (subjective witness).
3. Circumstances (divine providence).

David showed us that we should seek God’s guidance in all circumstances.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:40 — 17.6MB)

Sermon Audio: David’s Growing Confidence in the Lord
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 22:1-23
Duration: 25:39
Size: 17.6 MB

The Life of David
David’s Growing Confidence in the Lord
I Samuel 22:1-23

Apparently, these two episodes in David’s life enabled him to realize that in spite of his fear, the Lord was still sovereignly watching over him and protecting him. So, from this point on we see David’s growing confidence in the Lord.

After David learned that King Saul really did intend to have him killed, David fled from him.

I. David’s Preparation (I Samuel 22:1-5)
A. The Place of David’s Preparation (I Samuel 22:1)
We don’t know how long David spent in the cave of Adullam, but it was during this period that David’s confidence in the Lord grew again.

B. The People During David’s Preparation (I Samuel 22:1-4)
David and the four hundred men, along with wives and children, stayed in the stronghold, which is the cave of Adullam.

C. The Prophet During David’s Preparation (I Samuel 22:5)
In the arrival of Gad the prophet to his refuge at Adullam, David must have seen a return of God’s favor for him.

II. David’s Predicament (I Samuel 22:6-23)
A. The Slaughter by Saul (I Samuel 22:6-19)
Then Saul summoned Ahimelech and all the priests at Nob to come and see him, which they did.

Moral failure has consequences, sometimes disastrous consequences.

B. The Sorrow of David (I Samuel 22:20-23)
David’s sin accomplished God’s promise that he would punish the descendants of Eli with their destruction, save for one only.

David was hated by Saul who wanted him and his followers destroyed. Similarly, Jesus is hated by Satan who wants him and his followers destroyed.

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Sermon Audio: David as a Fugitive
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 21:1-15
Duration: 24:37
Size: 16.9 MB

The Life of David
David as a Fugitive
I Samuel 21:1-15

Saul’s son Jonathan warned David that his father indeed wanted to kill David. And so, David became a fugitive from Saul for many years.

King-elect David had been a good soldier for a number of years too.

1. David Visited Ahimelech at Nob (I Samuel 21:1-9)
It is not exactly clear why David went to visit Ahimelech the priest at Nob.

A. David Told a Falsehood (I Samuel 21:1-2)
David claimed to be on a secret mission from King Saul, with his men hidden away nearby. That was a blatant falsehood.

B. David Asked a Favor (I Samuel 21:3-6, I Samuel 21:8-9)
That is, the bread on hand was the bread of the Presence, which was set out each Sabbath and replaced the following week with fresh bread.

Jesus warns us against excessive rules that make the Lord’s Day a burden.

C. David Missed a Foe (I Samuel 21:7)
But rather than correct our error, we do nothing because we have become paralyzed.

2. David Fled to Achish at Gath (I Samuel 21:10-15)
A. David Became Afraid (I Samuel 21:11-12)
Sometimes we make really big mistakes, even sinning in the process.

B. David Feigned Insanity (I Samuel 21:13-15)
Here is the lesson: Any believer can fall, and can fall far and fast.

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Sermon Audio: Jonathan’s Warning
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 20:1-42
Duration: 22:02
Size: 15.1 MB

The Life of David
Jonathan’s Warning
I Samuel 20:1-42

Jonathan devised a plan to find out whether this was true and, if true, to warn David about it.

The article concludes with the following advice: “No matter what social network you’re on, you can buy your way to popularity.”

I. The Cause of David’s Fears (I Samuel 20:1-23)
A. The Problem (I Samuel 20:1–11)
The problem was that David was convinced that Saul was trying kill him.

B. The Promise (I Samuel 20:12-17)
But now, Jonathan knew that David would replace his father Saul as king over Israel.

C. The Plan (I Samuel 20:18-23)
If he told the boy that the arrows were beyond him, then David would know that Saul was still determined to kill him, and that he should flee.

II. The Confirmation of David’s Fears (I Samuel 20:24-42)
A. David’s Absence (I Samuel 20:24-29)
Jonathan told his father that David was in Bethlehem. This was not true, and it really was unnecessary to lie. But he did.

B. Saul’s Anger (I Samuel 20:30-34)
C. Jonathan’s Arrows (I Samuel 20:35-42)
In fact, Jonathan and David only met one more time years later before Jonathan’s untimely death.

Jonathan chose covenant loyalty to David, the God-anointed future king of Israel, over loyalty to his father, Saul.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:38 — 15.5MB)

Sermon Audio: David and God’s Protection
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 19:1-24
Duration: 22:38
Size: 15.5 MB

The Life of David
David and God’s Protection
I Samuel 19:1-24

God, in his marvelous providence, protected David from Saul’s numerous attempts to kill him.

If we have been a Christian for any length of time, we know that being a Christian does not mean a trouble-free life.

I. David Was Saved from Saul by Jonathan (I Samuel 19:1-7)
By going to Saul and speaking to him on David’s behalf, Jonathan was doing something very risky.

II. David Was Saved from Saul by Elusion (I Samuel 19:8-10)
Since the Lord is not the author of evil, he simply permitted the harmful spirit to afflict Saul.

III. David Was Saved from Saul by Michal (I Samuel 19:11-17)
Maybe she knew what the watching messengers meant because she had grown up in Saul’s house.

IV. David Was Saved from Saul by the Spirit of God (I Samuel 19:18-24)
David went to Samuel because he knew that Samuel was a man of God.

Normally, in the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came upon various individuals to equip them with power to perform or speak God’s will.

The point of biblical stories like Joseph and Job and Esther and Ruth is to help us feel in our bones (not just know in our heads) that God is for us in all these strange turns.

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Sermon Audio: David and Saul’s Jealousy
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 18:6-30
Duration: 22:54
Size: 15.7 MB

The Life of David
David and Saul’s Jealousy
I Samuel 18:6-30

But, it wasn’t long before Saul became extremely jealous of David.

The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines jealousy as being “envious of someone else’s possessions, achievements, or advantages.”

I. Saul’s Jealousy (I Samuel 18:6-11)
Saul was envious of David’s achievements as expressed by the women who came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, and lauding David’s achievements over Saul’s.

II. David’s Ascendancy (I Samuel 18:12-16)
There are six references in this chapter to love, with David as the object of that love.

III. Saul’s Schemes (I Samuel 18:17-27)
Saul thought that if the Philistines killed David, his hands would be clean of David’s blood.

But Saul did not reckon that the Lord was with David.

IV. David’s Success (I Samuel 18:28-30)
We should see that David was successful because the Lord was with him.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:43 — 14.9MB)

Sermon Audio: David and Jonathan’s Friendship
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 18:1-5
Duration: 21:43
Size: 14.9 MB

The Life of David
David and Jonathan’s Friendship
I Samuel 18:1-5

In other words, how many of your online friends would help if you were in trouble?

I. Love Is Expressed in Attitudes
A. Love Is Strong
Some time prior to the battle between Goliath and David, Jonathan and his armor-bearer went to a Philistine garrison and killed twenty Philistine
soldiers.

It seems to me that Jonathan’s love for David was strong because Jonathan saw in David what he himself had: a love for God and for the people of God.

B. Love Is Selfless
And because he trusted fully in the Lord, he was freed from the trappings of self and selfishness.

II. Love Is Expressed in Actions
A. Love Is Covenantal
A covenantal love between friends is committed, dedicated, and loyal.

B. Love Is Giving
The robe that Jonathan gave to David was not just any robe. It was his royal robe.

Jonathan quickly understood, as no-one else at the time did, that God had anointed David to be the next king over Israel.

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Sermon Audio: David and Goliath (Part 3)
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 17:41-58
Duration: 21:52
Size: 15.0 MB

The Life of David
David and Goliath (Part 3)
I Samuel 17:41-58

So, with the Philistine armies on one hill and the Israelite armies on the other hill, David went with staff in hand to the brook and chose five smooth stones.

Everyone who looked at the upcoming battle between Goliath and David would have said that it was a terrible mismatch.

I. The Boasting of Goliath (17:41-44)
This really was the true confrontation: the gods of the Philistines versus the God of Israel, the false gods versus the true and living God, Jehovah.

II. The Response of David (17:45-47)
But David rebuked Goliath for blaspheming the true and living God.

III. The Victory of David (17:48-54)
Sometimes worldly weapons seem stronger and more powerful than God’s weapons, but that is not the case.

IV. The Inquiry of Saul (17:55-58)
But actually, Saul was not wanting to know who David was; he wanted to know who David’s family was.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
In other words, “Blessed is God’s savior who comes in the name of the Lord to defeat our enemy.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:26 — 17.5MB)

Sermon Audio: David and Goliath (Part 2)
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 17:31-40
Duration: 25:26
Size: 17.4 MB

The Life of David
David and Goliath (Part 2)
I Samuel 17:31-40

But, instead of the two armies slugging it out, the Philistines put forward a champion named Goliath of Gath, who was nine feet nine inches tall.

I hope that’s how you feel about your relationship with God, that you want to give him your best.

I. David’s Readiness for the Battle (I Samuel 17:31-33)
He was astonished that an uncircumcised Philistine should defy the armies of the living God.

David was like his greater Son, Jesus, whom the Lord later sent to be the savior of sinners.

II. David’s Reasons for the Battle (I Samuel 17:34-37)
The ultimate aim and object of our salvation is that we may glorify God… The essence of salvation is to bring us into the state in which we do glorify God.

III. David’s Resources for the Battle (I Samuel 17:37-40)
So, I am a bit baffled why he thought that his armor would even fit anyone, let alone young David.

David went into battle against Goliath with the following resources, “He went to the conflict with a blazing concern for the honor of God, with confidence in the certainty of his promises and with the power of the Spirit of God.”

However, David points us to his greater Son, Jesus. Jesus willingly went to battle against Satan on behalf of his people.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:45 — 16.3MB)

Sermon Audio: David and Goliath (Part 1)
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: I Samuel 17:1-30
Duration: 23:45
Size: 16.3 MB

The Life of David
David and Goliath (Part 1)
I Samuel 17:1-30

Then, perhaps sensing that Saul was not the man he once was, the Philistines once again gathered for battle against Israel. This is the context for the battle between David and Goliath.

The triumph of good over evil is the quintessential theme of great stories. Whether it is found in children’s stories or in real life events, we love to listen to stories of the good guy beating the bad guy.

Everything in the Old Testament somehow points us to the coming Jesus, whereas everything in the New Testament somehow points us to the life and ministry of Jesus.

I. The Setting for the Battle (I Samuel 17:1-3)
This battle would serve as a watershed for Saul’s reign, being the first battle, he would face after being rejected by the Lord and abandoned by the Holy Spirit.

II. The Superman in the Battle (I Samuel 17:4-11)
Because of the geographical location with the two armies on each side of a mountain with the valley between them, everyone had a clear view of Goliath.

The entrance of Goliath onto the battlefield was designed in part to show us that Saul was no longer the Lord’s chosen leader.

III. The Savior in the Battle (I Samuel 17:12-30)
Behind Goliath was the same devil who wages spiritual warfare today. The issue is always the same: “Do you really trust in a loving God of power and grace?”

The Lord sent David to show the fearful people of God that the Lord is indeed the living God, and that he provides a savior for his people.