Insignificant Implements in His Hand

When the Philistine host was roaring against the people of God and making their knees weak with fear because the enemies of God had a champion named Goliath who was making mincemeat out of all his Jewish contenders. When this Goliath of a man strutted out into the field of battle, no man of Israel wanted to challenge him because of the unbelief and fear of the people of God. The devil roared through this oversized giant and mocked the unbelieving Jews.

But God had a shepherd boy in the background that he knew could get the job done. And it was this little insignificant shepherd boy, David, that a giant fell and the enemy was routed. God seems pleased, friends, to use insignificant implements in his hand to advance his kingdom work.

It is often the nobodies of the world who end up filling up the pages of Hebrews chapter 11 in that fantastic hall of faith because it's the insignificant nobodies that can become an important somebody to the God of all creation. God exercises great care in developing a George Whitefield to shake two continents in revival for him. You don't have to be an important somebody within your denomination, friend, to be used to God.

I was invited to a big pastor study because I wrote a biography of one of his heroes, J. Sidlow Baxter. And when I met this big pastor who has one of the biggest churches within his denomination, he looked at me with great suspicion. When he learned I was a member of his denomination, he asked me over and over if I really wrote that book.

And he looked at me as if he had doubts I was telling him the truth. Why did this man keep me at shoulder length and view me with suspicion? Because I'm a nobody in my denomination. And if I was a somebody, then surely he would have heard of me because he knows everybody within that denomination who's worth knowing.

But he never heard of me because I am nobody. So I didn't get the right hand of fellowship that somebody with a denominational reputation would have received. This pastor had no interest in developing a friendship with me because in his eyes, I wasn't worth getting to know because my reputation did not precede me.

I've never been much for the good old boy club that slaps each other on the back in an effort to climb the denominational ladder. I'd rather die a nobody, friends, as long as God thinks I'm a somebody to him. That's all that matters.

I care less what others think of me. Most folks don't like me anyhow. That's okay with me because I've never desired to climb the ranks within my denomination.

I'm more useful to God outside of it. Bishop Lavington of London hated George Whitefield with a passion, and all Whitefield stood for, which was the true gospel and vital Christianity. When asked by a minister in the Church of England on how to get rid of Whitefield, who was an ordained priest in the Church of England, Lavington replied, make him a bishop and you won't be troubled by him again.

I'm afraid, friends, I'd make a poor bishop because my preaching would still upset the good deacons. The title of my message this evening is Insignificant Implements in His Hand, and my text can be found in 1 Samuel chapter 17. You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends.

We know the story of David and Goliath, but I want to focus our attention on the following passage, beginning in verse 33 of chapter 17. Listen to God's word. And Saul said to David, thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

I will pause here, friends. Saul is looking at David through the eyes of man, and Saul was terrified of that giant Goliath. Listen to me, young preacher boys, don't you ever be intimidated by your Goliaths in the form of the opinion of man.

You go preach the truth with confidence and conviction, and don't worry about being a man pleaser. You preach only to please the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's continue with our text.

And David said unto Saul, thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him, and smite him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he rose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said, moreover, the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, hey, anybody that can hand wrestle a lion and a bear, and when can tackle this big redneck Goliath, go and the Lord be with thee.

That's the southern translation of the King James. Oh, well, we know the end of the story. God gets the job done through an insignificant implement in his hand.

Why? So he alone can get the glory. Why do we have such unbelief in our hearts today, friends? Why? There are giants out there, yes, and they mock the church of God, and all we do is tremble before them. But we should rise as a church militant and take the field by faith and slay those Goliaths of opposition for God and his kingdom.

God is looking for a nobody right now that he can develop into an important somebody for him. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Oh, the long list of insignificant nobodies that God has used, a man like Evan Roberts, Duncan Campbell, D.L. Moody, David Brainerd.

Listen, friends, these are the insignificant nobodies that we need today, a man like these, the apostle Paul, Luther, Wesley, Whitfield, Knox, Edwards, Finney, Spurgeon, Moody, each shared a common denominator, a fire in their belly. They were so eaten up with the gospel and thirsty for Christ and filled with the Holy Ghost, they could not stand idly by while others perished. They saw nothing but eternity, worshipped the Holy God and served the risen Christ, living not for earth nor its gains, but living only for heaven and its rewards.

When they preached, they linked the devil with sin and the cross with salvation. They preached hell and its fire and Christ and him crucified. Not one of them feared king, queen, or pope, and not one of them sought the compliments of men.

Let's pray.