David and Goliath
1Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six1 cubits2 and a span. 5He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels3 of bronze. 6And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. 8He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
12Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years.4 13The three oldest sons of Jesse had followed Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul, 15but David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16For forty days the Philistine came forward and took his stand, morning and evening.
17And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah5 of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. 18Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.”
19Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20And David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took the provisions and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry. 21And Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. 23As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.
24All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. 25And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” 26And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.”
28Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29And David said, “What have I done now? Was it not but a word?” 30And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke in the same way, and the people answered him again as before.
31When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
38Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.
41And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.”
48When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath6 and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.
55As soon as Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” 56And the king said, “Inquire whose son the boy is.” 57And as soon as David returned from the striking down of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
Series: Basics 2002
Other messages in: Basics 2002
At this, the third annual Parkside Pastors’ Conference, Alistair Begg had the joy and privilege of introducing the three men who have had a significant influence on his ministry as a pastor and preacher - Derek Prime, Eric Alexander and Dick Lucas.
"[These men] are supremely men of the Word. Their enduring effectiveness for the Lord is grounded on the steady conviction that the Bible is God’s one and only means of making His voice heard in the church and the world today." - Alistair Begg
Derek Prime pastored an independent evangelical church in London and Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he served for 18 years and where Alistair was his assistant. Derek has written extensively and helpfully, and his warm pastoral wisdom and effectiveness as a leader have influenced many pastors throughout the UK and abroad.
Eric Alexander was for many years Minister of St. George’s Tron, a Presbyterian congregation in the city center of Glasgow. He continues to bring Bible expositions to numerous conferences and conventions, where a strong passion for Christ pervades his winsome and powerful preaching.
Dick Lucas is an Anglican evangelical who was rector of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in the city of London for 30 years. There he taught the Bible to large congregations of students on Sunday evenings and businessmen at Tuesday luncheons. In 1986 he founded The Proclamation Trust, which equips and encourages pastors in Word ministry. Alistair maintains Dick’s insistence that "listening" to the Bible is the key to speaking its message and has profoundly changed his preaching.
It is hoped that young men involved in church leadership will find these sessions to be supremely useful as these remarkable men share extensively their lives and ministries.
Other messages in: Basics 2003
As we gathered at Parkside it was to affirm and express our partnership in the gospel and our complete dependence on "The LORD, the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth...who gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak." (Isaiah 40:28-29). In his Word God draws near to us and speaks of his mercy in Christ, it is by this Word that we bring a message of hope to a lost and needy world. As Christians and no less as pastors our life and strength come by the basics of hearing and handling the Word of God.
At a time when alluring success stories and attractive methodologies shout from all sides, we need the basics more than ever - to be reminded that the Word is the way; to make time to hear it afresh; to be challenged by its timeless message and life-changing power; to be renewed in our passion to know Christ and make him known. Be encouraged and exhorted once again to preach the Word from Basics 2003.
Speakers for this conference include: Kirk Cameron, Dr. Dale Ralph Davis, Dr. Bryan Chapell, and Alistair Begg.
Other messages in: Basics 2004
In May of 2004, pastors from across the country and around the world came to Parkside Church to express their partnership in the gospel and to renew their commitment to the basics of prayer and the Word of God - those activities the Apostles themselves found indispensable and which we so easily evade.
You are invited to join with them as they gather with friends and fellow workers to affirm and renew an unyielding commitment which is the very essence of the calling as pastors:
"we will devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word"(Acts 6:4).
Speakers include: Alistair Begg, Sinclair Ferguson, and Dr. Albert Mohler
Other messages in: Basics 2005
Each year in early May, pastors from across the country and around the world come to Parkside to express their partnership in the gospel and to renew their commitment to the basics of prayer and the Word of God - those activities the Apostles themselves found indispensable and which we so easily evade.
We urge you to join us this year as we gather with friends and fellow workers to affirm and renew an unyielding commitment which is the very essence of our calling as pastors: "we will devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word" (Acts 6:4).
Speakers include: Alistair Begg, Derek Prime and Iain Murray
Other messages in: Basics 2006
No concern is more vital to the church than the gospel itself, the life-changing message of Christ that inspires worship, equips for service, enables fellowship, and compels outreach. "You will be my witnesses," said Jesus..."Go and make disciples of all peoples." While owing its very existence to the gospel, the church can be easily distracted from this fundamental calling.
In keeping with this year's theme, Evangelism In and Through the Local Church, conference addresses, question-answer sessions, and Bible expositions emphasized that the gospel is less than a project or program and more the very heartbeat of a living church. The speakers expressed that the gospel is not for unbelievers alone, but meant to engage the hearts and minds of believers as well.
John Dickson is an evangelist and best-selling author from Sydney, Australia. He has a knack for getting into people's shoes and taking an honest look at the questions and dilemmas they face. His evangelistic books like If I Were God I'd End All the Pain are models of empathy, clarity, and brevity, and relate to unbelievers exceptionally well. johndickson.org
Vaughan Roberts is Rector of St. Ebbe's Church in Oxford, England. Vaughan has a passion for teaching and training others to share Christ. His writings, such as True Worship and God's Big Picture are concise, compelling assessments of what the Bible teaches. His church is known for its evangelistic efforts among university students. stebbes.org.uk
Alistair Begg is Senior Pastor of Parkside Church and our conference host. His ministry of Bible teaching is heard daily on Truth For Life, which is broadcast by more than 1,000 radio stations. He has written several books, including Pathway to Freedom. truthforlife.org
Other messages in: Basics 2007
Of all the responsibilities of ministry none is more important than the continuing labor in God’s Word. That’s why our yearly pastors’ conference always places such strong emphasis on the Scriptures. We really believe that the Word is the way. Considering how many ministry models are now put forward, it is important to bear in mind what Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."
Basic 2007 focuses on the weighty responsibility, spiritual energy, exacting demands and increasing joy of ministry shaped by ironclad commitment to careful study and clear communication of the Bible. "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and teaching." Taking seriously this charge from the Apostle Paul, Basics 2007 is intended to stir our hearts and renew our minds, that we may proclaim Christ with greater conviction and clarity.
Other messages in: Basics 2008
The Gospel in the heart and mind of the pastor was the focus of Basics 2008, as pastors, evangelists, and Christian workers gathered, not only as servants of the Gospel, but as believers in the Gospel – that life-changing message of repentance, forgiveness and eternal life that is the main theme of the Bible, the heartbeat of the Christian and the lifeblood of the church.
It is our conviction that the power and joy of the Gospel message will keep us going in effective service for our Savior. We warmly invite you to join us for Basics 2008 that we may gladly learn better to believe what we preach.
Other messages in: Basics 2009
As we gather for the 10th year, both pastors and lay leaders come together to have their minds stirred, their wills urged toward obedience, and their affections renewed toward God’s Word. Dr. John Lennox, John Piper and Alistair Begg will consider our primary responsibility of preaching in light of these topics.
Other messages in: Basics 2010
As we gather for the eleventh year, we’ve chosen to return to the basics of our daily ministry. We desire to have our minds engaged and souls stirred as we consider God’s call upon our lives as ministers of the Gospel. In his book, The Priority of Preaching, Christopher Ash reminds us that, “…to be a preacher is one of the most deeply humbling experiences in the world. Preaching drives us to our knees, puts gigantic butterflies in our stomachs, and makes us cry out, ‘Who is sufficient for these things?’”. We pray that through these messages, we may be renewed in our desire to preach God’s Word and in our trust on Him.
Other messages in: Basics 2011
Each year, our return to the basics provides us with the opportunity and privilege to gather together as partners in the Gospel and to renew our passion for preaching God’s Word. This year, we are glad to put our focus on one of the core tenets of our pastoral ministry – doing the work of an evangelist. As Charles Spurgeon reminds us, “Cling to the great truth of electing love and divine sovereignty, but let not these bind you in fetters when, in the power of the Holy Spirit, you become fishers of men.” We pray that our hearts, minds, and souls will be refreshed and fortified by the teaching and fellowship found at this year’s Conference.
Other messages in: Basics 2012
The Basics 2012 Pastor’s Conference at Parkside Church was marked by a clear call for pastors to devote themselves to prayer and ministry of the Word. Teaching from Acts 6, pastors were encouraged to revisit the apostles’ theological decision to preach the Gospel, leaving the task of feeding widows to competent men in the church. While many today find themselves consumed by the latest fad or new idea, Alistair Begg affirmed that preaching and prayer are the primary duties of the pastor.
Mark Dever and Voddie Baucham joined Alistair Begg for the Basics 2012 Conference on May 14-16, 2012 at Parkside Church in Chagrin Falls, OH.
Other messages in: Basics 2013
Basics is our annual conference for pastors and Christian workers. Each year, pastors, church leaders, and seminarians are invited to join Alistair Begg and a number of guest speakers for 3 days as we reflect together on the challenges, responsibilities, and privileges that face the modern church. Basics is for men: pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and Christian workers or those training for such roles.
Other messages in: Basics 2014
Basics is our annual conference for pastors and Christian workers. Each year, pastors, church leaders, and seminarians are invited to join Alistair Begg and a number of guest speakers for 3 days as we reflect together on the challenges, responsibilities, and privileges that face the modern church. Basics is for men: pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and Christian workers or those training for such roles.
Speakers: Alistair Begg, Christopher Ash, Gary Millar, Daniel Henderson
Other messages in: Basics 2015
Trusting the Word of God to do the Work of God was the emphasis of the 16th annual Basics Conference for pastors and church leaders. In an increasingly secularized culture where the adherent base of the Church is declining, biblical preaching is, more than ever, a vital and primary means of evangelism. By teaching where the Bible challenges contemporary culture and how societal influences shape our beliefs, preachers can help their congregations distinguish between pop culture and truth. At the 2015 Basics Conference, Tim Keller and David Robertson joined Alistair Begg with the purpose of encouraging pastors to preach the Word boldly as men who will give an account.
Tim Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and the author of over 10 books. He is also one of the founders of The Gospel Coalition.
David Robertson is minister of St. Peter’s Free Church in Dundee, Scotland and author of Magnificent Obsession, The Dawkins Letters, Quench and Awakening.
Alistair Begg is the senior pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio and the Bible teacher on the program Truth For Life.
Other messages in: Basics 2016
Burdens. Criticism. Anxiety. The Apostle Paul describes facing all of these as a result of his commitment to proclaiming the Gospel. Yet, through it all, he was able to testify that he did not lose heart and likewise commends those who "have the same spirit of faith" to do the same by looking to things that are unseen and eternal (2 Cor. 4).
Drawing from Paul's model of praying, preaching, and perseverance, Alistair Begg, along with guests Josh Moody, Senior Pastor at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, D.A. Carson from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and Jonathan Holmes from Parkside Church, look to Paul's example of ministry as a model for encouragement during the 2016 Basics Conference.
Other messages in: Basics 2017
“I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder...” -2 Peter 1:1 (ESV)
For 17 years, the Basics Conference has provided men in ministry the opportunity and privilege to gather together as partners in the Gospel. We desire to be used by God to refresh and encourage pastors, whether they serve on a team or in a difficult and lonely place. At Basics 2017, we again focus on the teaching of the Bible and opportunities for fellowship that our hearts, minds, and souls might be renewed and fortified.
Alistair Begg, along with guests Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, and Sinclair Ferguson Professor at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, TX and assistant minister at St. Peter’s Free Church in Scotland remind pastors (and those involved in other areas of ministry) of His truth, that they might be stirred up and encouraged to keep ministering.
Other messages in: Basics 2018
“We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” — 2 Corinthians 4:7 (ESV)
For eighteen years, the Basics Conference has provided men in ministry the opportunity and privilege to gather together as partners in the Gospel. We desire to be used by God to refresh and encourage pastors, whether they serve on a team or in a difficult and lonely place. At Basics 2018, we again focus on the teaching of the Bible and opportunities for fellowship so that our hearts, minds, and souls might be renewed and fortified.
Alistair Begg, along with guests Christopher Ash, Writer-in-Residence at Tyndale House and Ministry Trainer at St. Andrew the Great in Cambridge, England, and Tim Savage, pastor, author, and international speaker, remind pastors and ministry leaders of His truth that they might be stirred up and encouraged to keep ministering.
