Slide 1
Missions: God calls everyone to spread the gospel in different ways.

Slide 2
Mark 16:15 (New Living Translation)
“And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”

Slide 3
I Samuel 17: 37-40 (New Living Translation)
37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.
“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

I’m Caden Laughlin. I am a junior and I’m home. I’ve been attending Cherry Hills for almost two years. My favorite thing about Cherry Hills would definitely be the community, and I think Cherry Hills does an amazing job of just really connecting people and just finding groups for people to get involved in. When I’m not busy with my obligations, I really enjoy rock climbing or mountain climbing. One thing people don’t know about me and my family is that we are actually professional illusionists and we travel all around the country sharing the gospel through illusions. My favorite food would probably be hamburgers or like a steak. A Bible verse that really stands out to me is Joshua one nine. These strong and courageous, do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord. Your God is with you wherever you go. I love this verse because it has such assurance that no matter where we go or what we’re doing, God is always with us and he’s always there for us. Good morning.

Good morning everyone. My name is Caden, and when I was six years old, I went my very first out of the country missions trip. My family and I, we not my fam, my dad and I, we went to war as Mexico and I was only six years old, but I still remember that trip. Well, I remember driving to edge of Texas with my dad, a vivid memory of crossing the border with our team and helping hammer nails as we built a house for a family in need. It was an amazing experience and I knew at such a young age there was something meaningful and I wanted to go on another mission trip, and a few years later when I was 10 years old, my parents took me along with my two younger brothers and my little sister to Guatemala. Now, I knew there’d be things about this trip that’d be different from the last one.

I was not exactly sure what to expect, but I knew I wanted to do more than just watch. I wanted to be able to actively surf, and that is exactly what our family was able to do. We served in an orphanage. We built stoves for families. We held outreach events in schools and churches. It was amazing to see how the love of Jesus changed and impacted so many different people’s lives. It’s not just people in other countries who need to hear the hope and love of Jesus. We know that each one of us right here in Highlands Ranch, Colorado needs the hope that can only be found in Jesus because all of us live in challenging worlds. You don’t have to look very far to find discouragement. In fact, today I brought along something that can oftentimes be really discouraging. Now, I have to tell you guys, this is like an ancient artifact. I brought it along inside this box, okay, today I brought along a newspaper

<Laugh>.

Now I know a newspaper’s not all that exciting, but the truth is it doesn’t matter where you get your news, whether that’s still actually from a physical newspaper or the TV or social media, the radio, or anywhere else. One thing seems to be consistent is that we continually hear a lot of negative news. Oftentimes, it can feel like the world is falling apart. There are issues that separate us trials that we face and the news as well as our own lives. There are things that tear us down that leave us feeling hopeless and discouraged. The truth is, we’ve not been promised in our lives that we’ll never face to discouragement. There’ll be times of trouble and there’ll be moments of bad news. However, even with all the bad that can happen in the world, there is some good news and the good news is that even with all the hard things that can happen in this world, we know the one who holds the world together. We can know, we can know that God, he is still in control, that he alone can give us hope when life is difficult, that he can restore the brokenness in our lives and that he is the good news we’re sharing with everyone.

Now, of course, what I just did was an illusion and my family and I, we’ve been able to travel all across the United States and around the world, sharing the message of Jesus through illusions. I love doing this with my family and your family might not be called into traveling ministry like what my family does, but you’re still called to spread the good news of Jesus, and if you have your Bibles with you, please open to Mark 1615. This is a place in scripture where Jesus, he’s already risen from the dead and now he’s giving his final instructions to his followers before he ascends to heaven. This is called the Great Commission, and he told them, go into all the worlds and preach the good news to everyone. This is an instruction that’s given to all of us who are followers of Jesus to go and spread the good news of Jesus with others.

I’m so grateful that since that trip when I was 10, my family and I have been able, we have been able to go back to Guatemala several times. In fact, on Tuesday we are headed back down there with a few other families from here at Cherry Hills and through these opportunities to serve not just under the other countries, but also right here in the us, I have learned that even though all of us are called to spread the good news of Jesus, we are not all called to do that in the exact same way. Today I wanna look at a story from the Bible that you’ve likely heard of before. It’s a story of David and Goliath, but rather than focusing on the really famous part of that story, that battle in which David, he defeats Goliath. I wanna back up to a different part of that story.

If you have your Bibles, please turn to one Samuel chapter 17 verses 37 through 40. Earlier in this chapter, we read that David, he heard Goliath threatening the Israelites. Nobody else would fight Goliath. So David, he decides that he will and at first Kings Saul, he doesn’t want to let David fight. In verse 33, Saul, he tells David that he’s too young and inexperienced, but David, he insists that he wants to fight. So let’s pick up the story in First Samuel chapter 17, starting in verse 37, this is where David, he’s trying to convince Saul to let him fight Goliath, and David said, the Lord who rescued me from the paw of the line and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. Then Saul said to David, go and the Lord be with you. Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic.

He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened his sword over the tunic and tried walking around because he was not used to them. I cannot go in these. He said to Saul, because I’m not used to them. So he took them off. He took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, and with his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine. If you haven’t read the rest of that story, what happens is David, he goes and he defeats Goliath With that sling and those few rocks, it would’ve been easy for David to look at that armor that was given to him and believe it was likely the best way for him to approach Goliath. This was King Saul’s armor, so it’s likely the best armor that the Israelites had at the time.

It would’ve been an honor to wear. People would be able to see him in the king’s armor. It might’ve been similar to seeing someone drive down the street in a fancy car and everyone turns and like, whoa, who’s driving that car? And you turn, you try to look and see who’s driving it. The temptation might have been similar for David. If he were dressed in the king’s armor, people would turn their heads and say, whoa, look at that guy. He’s wearing the armor of a king. However, David, he realized that the armor, it wasn’t for him. He wasn’t used to it, and so instead of trying to walk into battle with someone else’s armor, he puts down his sword. He takes off the helmet and the armor. Instead, he walks into battle with the things that he’s used to a slingshot and a few rocks, and rather than trying to wear someone else’s armor and be someone he was not, he stayed true to who God had called him to be.

And when I think about missions, I think it’s really easy for some of us to hear that word missionary or hear that word missions and think it has to look one way. Maybe you hear that word missionary and you picture someone living in a small hut on the other side of the world, and you think to yourself, I could never do that. But being a missionary and sharing the love of Jesus with others doesn’t mean that you have to do it exactly the way that someone else does. If God’s calling you to move overseas, that’s a wonderful thing and you should obey that calling. But if that’s not the calling that God’s placed on your life, it would be like walking in someone else’s armor. For some of us sharing the gospel, maybe that looks like praying for other people. Maybe that looks like giving of your money and your resources to provide, to provide for others so they can go and share the gospel.

Or maybe that actually does look like going, going in a different country and being a missionary or even spreading the good news right here in the United States, we are all called, but not all in the same way. Maybe God, he has placed you exactly where you are for a reason at your school, your workplace, your activities you’re involved in, in your neighborhood. You’re not there by accident. Maybe someone needs to hear the good news of Jesus. You might feel unqualified to share the gospel with him. Maybe you tell yourself, I’m too young, I’m too old. I’m not experienced enough. I don’t have what it takes.

All he looked at David and he saw a little shepherd boy who didn’t stand a chance against Goliath, but God had already given David everything that he needed for the battle ahead, and in the same way, God, he’s already given you everything that you need to go and do what he has called you to do. We are all called and we have everything that we need. Life is far shorter than any of us realize. None of us know how many days we’ll have, how many conversations we’ll get, how many opportunities God will place in front of us. That’s why this calling is urgent is we don’t have time to wait until we feel more ready, more confident, more qualified. We often hesitate to share our faith outta fear that will make things awkward or will mess up we’ll, say the wrong thing, David. He wasn’t impressive.

All he did was say yes to God. Yes, I’ll go and I’ll fight Goliath, and God used David in amazing ways exactly as he was. And then same way, God, he will use you wherever you are. All you have to do is say yes to him. The time to share the good news is now. Trust God, use what he’s given you and let him work through you. God, he’s gifted you with everything that you need to go and do what he’s called you to do. So don’t listen to what the world tells you and try to wear someone else’s armor. Be someone you’re not. Keep your focus on God and listen to him because he takes what the world says and he turns it upside down. Let’s pray. Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for this day. Thank you for the Sunday and that it’s student takeover. I pray over everyone in this room, may anything that they’re just struggling with, be with them and may we all just have a great rest of our week, great rest of our Sunday. Thank you for the blessing of this church and that we get to spend fellow and time and fellowship with each other and with you in Jesus name. Amen.