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Not On Our Watch!

In this Wednesday evening message, “Not On Our Watch,” Pastor Gary Caudill preaches from 1 Samuel 17:29, where David asked, 1 Samuel 17:29 “And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” The sermon walks through David’s arrival in the Valley of Elah and shows how Israel had grown accustomed to Goliath’s defiance. Rather than seeing only a giant, David saw a cause that demanded faith, courage, and obedience. This message calls believers to reject spiritual delay, refuse comfort with defeat, and recover a holy burden for what matters to God.

Pastor Caudill emphasizes that fear can turn armies into audiences, criticism can rise from those standing on the sidelines, and believers must not despise what God has already placed in their hands. From 1 Samuel 17:16, 1 Samuel 17:11, 1 Samuel 17:28, and 1 Samuel 17:40, the message applies David’s courage to the church today. The sermon also draws from passages such as Judges 2:10, Numbers 13:31, James 1:26, Zechariah 4:10, and Jeremiah 8:20, urging God’s people not to let prayerlessness, compromise, silence, fear, or delayed obedience become normal.

If you are in Harlem, a Georgia town founded in 1870 and remembered as the birthplace of Oliver Hardy, then you are within driving distance of Thomson and we invite you to join us at Washington Heights Baptist Church. Our regular service times are Sunday School 9:30 AM, Sunday Worship 10:30 AM and 6:00 PM, and Wednesday 6:00 PM. Whether you live nearby or listen online, this sermon is a clear reminder that our generation must not stand still while spiritual opportunities pass us by.

Video begins at the sermon start point: 7:56.

Washington Heights Baptist Church

Not On Our Watch

Is There Not a Cause?

A simple follow-along outline from 1 Samuel 17 on refusing spiritual drift, fearful silence, idle criticism, and delayed obedience.

Opening Text and Proposition
1 Samuel 17:29
And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
The Valley of Elah had become a valley of delay. For forty days Goliath spoke, Israel listened, and nobody moved.
David arrived with supplies in his hand, but he also carried a burden in his heart. He saw a cause too important to ignore.
Big Thought: There are some things God’s people must refuse to let become normal. Not on our watch.

1. Let’s Not Get Comfortable With Defeat

1 Samuel 17:16
And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
Context: Goliath’s defiance had become routine. Israel heard him so often that fear settled into the camp.
Anything tolerated long enough can begin to feel normal, even when it should still grieve us.
  • Not prayerlessness becoming normal.
  • Not compromise being excused.
  • Not silence replacing burden.
Application: Never allow repeated exposure to spiritual problems to remove your burden for them.

2. Let’s Not Let Fear Decide Our Response

1 Samuel 17:11
When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
Context: These were soldiers, but fear had stripped movement out of them and turned an army into an audience.
David heard the same giant everyone else heard, but he refused to let fear govern his response.
Application: Fear will always give you reasons to stay still. Faith obeys God anyway.

3. Let’s Not Criticize Courage From the Sidelines

1 Samuel 17:28
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 hast 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.
Context: Before David faced Goliath, he faced Eliab. His brother questioned his motives while refusing to fight the giant himself.
Idle people often become vocal people, and sometimes the loudest criticism comes from those doing the least.
James 1:26
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Application: Be careful speaking against people attempting obedience while remaining uninvolved yourself.

4. Let’s Not Despise What God Put in Our Hand

1 Samuel 17:40
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
Context: David refused Saul’s armor and reached for what God had already trained him to use as a shepherd.
The stone seemed small, but Heaven was on it. The power was in the God behind the obedience.
Zechariah 4:10
For who hath despised the day of small things?
Application: Pick up what God has put near you and obey Him now.

Closing and Application

Jeremiah 8:20
The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
Jeremiah lamented a people who let seasons of opportunity pass while remaining unchanged. That is the warning.
  • Not giants going unchallenged.
  • Not fear ruling the field.
  • Not criticism replacing service.
  • Not small opportunities being despised.
  • Not harvest passing while we stand still.
God give us tender hearts, bridled tongues, willing hands, and courage to move when the moment comes.
Final Charge: Not on our watch.
Read Opening Verse in Full Context
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Questions and Answers

Quick sermon takeaways from Not On Our Watch, a message from 1 Samuel 17 on David, Goliath, spiritual courage, fear, criticism, and obedience.

What is the main message of the sermon Not On Our Watch from 1 Samuel 17?

The main message is that believers must not grow comfortable with spiritual defeat, fear, criticism, or delayed obedience. Pastor Gary Caudill uses David’s response in the Valley of Elah to show that God’s people need a renewed burden for the cause of the Lord. 1 Samuel 17:29 says, “And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?”

What does David and Goliath teach about getting comfortable with defeat?

The sermon teaches that Israel had heard Goliath’s challenge for forty days until defeat began to feel normal. 1 Samuel 17:16 says, “And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.” Pastor Caudill applies this by warning believers not to let prayerlessness, compromise, silence, or spiritual weakness become accepted.

How does fear affect obedience according to 1 Samuel 17?

Fear caused Saul and Israel to stand still when they should have trusted God. 1 Samuel 17:11 says, “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.” The sermon explains that fear gives reasons to stay still, but faith obeys God anyway.

Why did David face criticism before fighting Goliath?

David faced criticism from Eliab before he ever faced Goliath. Eliab questioned David’s motives while he himself was not stepping forward to fight. The sermon warns that people standing still often become critics of those willing to move in obedience. James 1:26 also warns that an unbridled tongue reveals a deeper spiritual problem.

What does it mean not to despise what God put in your hand?

David refused Saul’s armor and used the sling and stones God had already trained him with. 1 Samuel 17:40 says that David “chose him five smooth stones out of the brook.” The sermon teaches that the power was not in the size of the stone, but in the God behind David’s obedience. Believers should not overlook the opportunities, burdens, and tools God has already placed within reach.

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