A Zero to a Hero
by Dr. Oliver Araiza
Oliver Araiza is a local church evangelist working out of West Union, West Virginia and founder of WVGV Radio.
If there was ever a story in the Bible that illustrates “From a Zero to a Hero,” it’s the story of David and Goliath. “And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent. And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell....” In other words, Saul asked him, “Who is this kid? What family does he belong to? Where did he come from? Whose son is this youth?”
Abner answers him, “To tell the truth, I don’t even know. I have no idea who this kid is.”
“...And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is...” In the Hebrew that means, “Who is this zero, this gangly kid? Where did he come from?” All of a sudden David just comes on the scene, seemingly out of no where. Who in the world is he? This zero became a hero.
“And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand...” Boy, I like that. I’m just a blood and guts kind of a guy. That charges my battery. My wife has often accused me of having an over-active imagination, and she’s probably right. Hollywood cannot create a better movie than what I see in my mind when I read that verse right there. Remember he said, “Who is this stripling? Who is this zero that’s coming with the head of this giant in his hand?” “...And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” (I Samuel 17:54-58)
After Brother West told me the theme of this conference was From a Zero to a Hero, I’ve been talking to Joel, my youngest son, about it all week long. That’s one of my favorite themes I’ve heard of, because I can see it in my mind. Zero to Hero.
The first thing I did was grab my Webster’s 1828 Dictionary and I looked up the word hero. I want you to notice some particular words in the definition. “A hero is a man of distinguished valour. It is a man that is of distinguished intrepid.” Valour is a very important word which means, ‘strength of mind in regard to danger.’ Intrepid, that’s another incredible word, which literally means not trembling or shaking with fear in the presence of danger.
So to be a hero means possessing a quality of character which enables a man to encounter danger with firmness, with personal bravery, courage, intrepid, and prowess. That’s what a hero is. And it’s not necessarily relegated just to a man, but there are women that rise to that status, as well. It is someone who is distinguished, who stands out from the crowd with a certain quality about them that when they are faced with danger, they look it straight in the eye and they don’t blink. They don’t shudder or shake or stammer around. I mean they look it right square in the eyes and go after it. I like it! From a Zero to Hero.
A friend of mine by the name of Bob Yoho is a historian who lives in the Ohio Valley. He’s written a book called Heroes In Our Midst. It’s a tremendous little book with about a dozen stories in it of heroes that he has met, veterans of World War II. As I was reading that book, all of a sudden I recognized a name and it stunned me because I have preached for this particular man. His name is Brother Walter Carney. I preached for Brother Carney about twenty years ago when he pastored an independent Baptist church in Decatur, Ohio. The year after that, he and I preached a youth conference. I went to Hyles-Anderson College with one of his sons who is now a missionary.
As I was reading through that book, Heroes In Our Midst, all of a sudden I saw the name of Walter Carney, and began to read his story. He was a hero. Walter Carney was a man that joined the Air Force and became a gunner on an airplane, a B-17. It was called The Flying Fortress. He flew into the dangerous skies of Austria, Germany, and Italy and was shot down behind enemy lines. The plane went down, and he was a prisoner of war for “10 days and 24 hours.” He tells just a small portion of that story and gave some of the details of what prisoners of war went through when they were captured by the Germans. They interrogated and starved those young soldiers and put them through conditions that would seem almost like going through hell on earth. They would intimidate and interrogate you and ask you for your name and rank. They would get in your face. They would make sure that you knew the gun was loaded and put that gun right straight to your head. He said, “Our government trained us to handle every situation. As a matter of fact, what I faced in those prisoner of war camps was not as hard as what I faced in boot camp. We were trained for these kinds of situations. We were trained for it and we were able to look death square in the face and not shudder.” That’s a hero.
I don’t mean to pop any bubbles, but I’m going to tell you what. I don’t know of an athletic star, a football player, a basketball player, a baseball player that is going to rank to the level of a Walter Carney. Most of them are nothing more than beer drinking, dope smoking, fornicating infidels. I wouldn’t dare hold any of those guys as my heroes. I’m going to look up to the example of somebody that looks death square in the face and is going to give his life and strength and guts for his country and for right and for freedom. That’s what a hero is.
As I was meditating upon this idea From a Zero to a Hero, I began to flip through my Bible. I got on my computer and started doing some word searches. There is no telling how many stories I looked through, and I went to bed that night and was laying there thinking about it, and I just believe the Lord brought David to my mind. If there is ever anybody that captured this principle, it’s David. I want us to look at this story once again here, beginning with verse one.
“Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.” (I Samuel 17:1-2) Notice what is happening in the story here. “And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.” (I Samuel 17:3-4) They say that equals about nine feet, nine inches. That’s three inches shy from a basketball goal -- that’s how tall Goliath was. His head was three inches from touching a basketball goal. That’s one big dude!
I was at Bible college working in the sailor ministry doing this promotion. A friend of mine, his name was Brother Freddy Vernon, was a karate expert. He was a very disciplined man. I saw him take some punches in the stomach that were absolutely incredible. One I saw him take that astounded me. It seemed to me like he was taking it from Goliath. It was a man by the name of Bruce Ward. At one time he was unofficially the strongest man in the NFL. They picked him to hit Freddy in the stomach. I remember Freddy standing there, getting ready to take this punch. I mean Bruce Ward, I saw him hit a softball and he almost knocked it out of sight, so high and so far up in the air. I saw that man double up his fist, and man he came, and put a punch on my friend, Freddy Vernon. I mean that punch picked Freddy up and set him back about eight feet. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Freddy got up and talked normal. I was expecting him to have the wind knocked out of him. But he didn’t do that. It was amazing, so I asked him, “What was it like?”
He said, “Just imagine getting hit in the stomach with a cannonball. That’s what it felt like.”
You could imagine Goliath almost ten feet tall, and he is threatening the armies of the Lord. The Bible says, “And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.” (I Samuel 17:4-7) Just the head of his spear weighed 24 pounds. He was covered from head to toe with armor of brass. His feet, his shins, his thighs, his waist, his chest, his arms, his shoulders, and he had a man that held a big giant shield in front of him. He had a spear and a sword. He went out every day and was challenging the armies of Israel. “Send me out a man to fight,” is what he said.
The Bible goes on to say, “And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.” (I Samuel 17:8) He’s saying here, “I want you to pick your toughest, strongest warrior and send him down to meet me down here in the valley, and let’s just duke it out. Send me a man down here to fight. If he beats me, then we will all be your servants. If I beat him, then all of you are going to be our servants.” That was the challenge.
Look what happens. “And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.” (I Samuel 17:10-11)
Now for the very first time, a zero enters the scene. “Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.” (I Samuel 17:12-14)
David was the youngest. In other words, he was just a zero. When I was thinking about the theme, I looked in my Webster’s Dictionary and opened it up to the word zero. I said, “I want to know what the definition of zero is.”
Do you know what it is? It’s nothing. “I wonder what nothing means?” I looked up the word nothing and do you know what it means? Nothing. Isn’t that the way people look at their little brother, the youngest child in the family? As the nothing? “Oh, he can’t do anything right. Slap him on the head. Trip him. Push him. Kick him.” Why? Because he’s a zero. I don’t know how it was in your family. I could do that, but you better not try it. I could thump them, kick them, trip them, push them, but don’t try it because I’ll hurt you if you try to hurt one of my little brothers.
“But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.” (I Samuel 17:15-16) Forty days in a row this big, old giant came and said, “Send me a man down here to fight. I want somebody to fight. Send him down here. If we beat you, you’ll be our servants. If you beat us, then we’ll serve you.” Sounds pretty confident, doesn’t he? Goliath has the whole army of Israel shaking in their boots and running to hide.
“And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;” (I Samuel 17:17) Jesse’s three oldest boys are with Saul there in the army. They’re soldiers. Jesse says to his youngest boy, David, who is the zero in the story, “David, I want you to go down and take some parched corn (that would be interpreted like cornbread) and these ten cheeses down to your brothers.”
David always took care of details. The Bible says in verse 20, “And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper,...” And when he got to where his brothers were, the Bible says in verse 22, “And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper...” He was diligent about taking care of things and didn’t leave any details undone. Isn’t that a great thing about a young man? He didn’t just forsake the sheep. He made sure that all of his responsibilities were covered. It shows you what kind of a heart that young man had. He was trained. He was just a good young man. He thought things through. But up to this point, he was nothing more than a zero, an unknown character in this whole story.
The Bible goes on to say, “And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.” (I Samuel 17:23) Everybody had been hearing these same words. “Send me a man to fight.” They’ve been hearing these words for forty days, defying the armies of the living God. All of a sudden one tow-headed, little brother comes delivering cornbread and cheese. He hears these words that Goliath is saying. They’ve been listening to him for forty days and getting more scared every time, but when David hears Goliath’s big ugly threats, things begin to change.
“And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.” (I Samuel 17:24-25) In other words, he won’t have to pay any more taxes for the rest of his life.
“And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (I Samuel 17:26) Do you know what is taking place, young people? You’re seeing someone go through a developmental stage on the way from a zero to a hero. Remember what it said. “Who is this stripling? Who is this little boy? Whose son is he? Who is this zero?” You’re seeing a development.
#1. HEROES SAY WHAT NO ONE ELSE IS WILLING TO SAY.
He looked across that crowd and David said, “Who is this man that keeps coming and defying the armies of the living God? Who does he think he is, to defy and blaspheme against God?” “And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. 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.” (I Samuel 17:27-28) His older brother, Eliab, begins to criticize him and put him down, when all of a sudden David speaks up. Nobody else is saying it. Not a single person, not an army man, not even the king, or the captain of the host is saying it. A little, tow-headed boy comes up and says, “Who is this man that’s defying the armies of the living God?” A hero stands up and says things that nobody else is willing to say.
Young people, there comes a time in your youth group, in your life, and in your Christian walk, where you’re going to have to say things that nobody else is brave enough to say. You’re going have to say, “Turn that music off!” You’re going to have to say, “Quit that gossip and slander and spreading rumors.” You’re going to have to say, “Don’t go there. You’d better quit that. It’s not right.” A hero says what nobody else is willing to say. “Who is this man that’s defying the armies of the living God?”
Then his older brother begins to criticize him. “Who in the world do you think you are? Who did you leave your little sheep with? You’re just a little shepherd boy.”
“And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.” (I Samuel 17:29-30) Look what happens when you say what nobody else is willing to say. “And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.” (I Samuel 17:31) Where in the world are all the grown men? Where are the soldiers? Where are all the men who have gone through boot camp? Where are they? All they see is this gigantic man almost ten feet tall. He has his sword and this shield bearer and a spear with a spearhead weighing 24 pounds. He is covered with armor from head to toe. He’s a mean, hard, tough warrior with a big mouth, defying the armies of God.
Nobody else is willing to go out and fight, but this little zero comes out and says, “Who is this man that’s defying the armies of the living God?” His brother gets on him and David says, “Is there not a cause?” All of a sudden word begins to travel through the camp, among the people. “There is a boy, just a little stripling, a little zero, but you ought to hear what he’s saying!” A hero says things that nobody else says. Do you know what it did? It took him to the very presence of the king.
“And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (I Samuel 17:31-32) Nobody else was willing to say that. Not even his three oldest brothers were able to say that. You see, a hero says things that nobody else is willing to say.
Young people, one of the hardest things that you will face is peer pressure. I’m going to let you in on a secret. Peer pressure doesn’t go away when you get out of your teenage years. There is peer pressure at every phase of life. There is peer pressure that a 44-year-old faces, just like there is peer pressure that a 14-year-old faces. There are just going to come times in your life when you’re going to have to look at your friends and say, “I don’t care what you think, here’s how it’s going to be. That is the line. I’m not going any further. I’m not listening. I’m not watching. I’m not reading. Brother, I’m not going that way. Turn that radio off. Take me home. We’re not going to talk about this. I’m not going to be a part of this. It’s not right.”
Zeros to heroes. Heroes are willing to stand up and say things that nobody else is willing to say.
#2. A HERO SEES WHAT NO ONE ELSE SEES.
Look at verse 29. “And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” Sure there is a cause. The armies of the living God are being defied. God, Himself, is being bad-mouthed. That’s what the cause is. “...Is there not a cause?” Why didn’t anybody else see it? Because when a man develops from a zero to a hero, he sees what nobody else sees. You need to get to the point where you allow God to let you see what nobody else sees. Allow God to let you see how clique-ish your youth group is when visitors come in and nobody sits with them and nobody walks up and introduces themselves and shakes their hand. Why don’t you see what nobody else sees? Why don’t you see the danger and damage of cliques and why don’t you see the criticism? Why don’t you see the complaining, murmuring, griping, mediocrity, and the disrespect for authority? When a man turns from a zero to hero, he sees things that nobody else sees. “...Is there not a cause?”
“And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 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. 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 smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.” (I Samuel 17:32-35) David looked at all those opportunities, all that training. “Running into a bear or a lion while you’re tending sheep -- that doesn’t sound much like an opportunity to me.” That was just all a part of his training as a shepherd, God preparing David for what He wanted him to do.
One of the primary jobs of a shepherd was to protect the sheep as he was guiding those sheep along those gentle Judean slopes. As a boy he’d take that sling with him all the time, and he got to where he was good at it. He probably spent hours in practice while the sheep were grazing. The Bible says that one day a lion came and grabbed a sheep. He got his sling and killed it. A bear came and grabbed one of the sheep from the flock, and he got that bear by the beard and slew him. David had worked on his skills and improved his abilities with that sling. He had been working at it and training and improving his skills, and he just looked at this as an opportunity to let the Lord use him in a great way.
“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, Go, and the Lord be with thee.” (I Samuel 17:37) It was kind of like saying, “Okay, son, God bless you as you go.” God did bless him. He had been preparing for this. He had been practicing with that sling shot over and over and over again. He already had some experience dealing with this kind of thing with the lion and the bear. A hero will see some things that nobody else sees.
#3. A HERO STANDS WHERE NO ONE ELSE WILL STAND.
The Bible says, “And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 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.” (I Samuel 17:39-40) I appreciate the authoritative diction of the King James. That is just unbelievable. “And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.” (I Samuel 17:41-42)
David is standing where no one else was willing to stand, before this big mean Goliath, a Philistine warrior, almost ten foot tall. He goes out and Goliath looks at him and says, “Good night, what in the world is this? Are you sending me a little boy here? Am I a little dog that you come to beat me with a tiny stick? Are you just kind of slapping me off? Who in the world do you think I am?” Seeing David just made Goliath madder.
“And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.” (I Samuel 17:43-44) Goliath said to David, “Come over here, boy. I’m going to feed your carcass to the birds of the air.”
David didn’t take anything off of him. “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” (I Samuel 17:45) Nobody else was willing to stand in that position. Nobody else saw the cause. Nobody else said, “I’m going to stand up to this enemy. He’s defying my God and I’m going to stand in that place.” David says, “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” (I Samuel 17:46) David takes it right back to Goliath. He says, “Oh, no, you’re not going to feed me to the birds. I’m going to feed you to the birds and the wild beasts are going to eat on your carcass.”
Remember what a hero is? A man of distinguished valor. Remember what valor is? Strength of mind in regard to danger. Remember it’s someone who is intrepid, who looks danger right square in the face and doesn’t flinch, doesn’t stutter, doesn’t shake, doesn’t tremble. He looks it right in the face and takes it, from a zero to a hero. Man, I like that. “And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.” (I Samuel 17:47) He wasn’t taking all the credit. He was just including everyone else. That’s the way a hero does it. He doesn’t try to pump himself up to be anything special, but encourages and includes the whole team.
“And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.” (I Samuel 17:48) Goliath began to run directly toward him, he had angered him so bad. You can imagine, he probably knocked that shield guy aside, pulled out his sword and came running at David. What did this little zero do? He started running right straight to Goliath. Remember what a hero is. A man of distinguished valor, which is strength of mind in regard to danger. It’s someone who is intrepid -- they literally do not tremble or shake when they’re faced with danger.
He begins to run right straight to Goliath. “And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.” (I Samuel 17:49) I like that blood and guts stuff. The Bible says he slang it. I don’t know about this little song, “And round and round and round, and one little stone went up in the air, and the giant came tumbling down.” I don’t know about you, but I just don’t get that out of this story! Maybe that was written by some neo-evangelical. The Bible says that it sunk in his forehead. Do you know what’s behind your forehead? Not blood and guts, but blood and brains.
“So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine,...” (I Samuel 17:50-51) David ran and stood on his old carcass. He pulled out Goliath’s big old long sword, or maybe picked it up off the ground, with both hands. It’s getting good now. Whack! He cut his head off and picked it up by the long hair and those chicken Philistines started splitting in every direction. They took off. Why? Because a boy developed from a zero to a hero.
A hero says things that nobody else is willing to say. “Who is going to allow this man to keep defying the armies of the living God?” A hero sees what nobody else sees. “Is there not a cause?” Young people, there is a cause! A hero stands where nobody wants to stand. He stood before a giant, but he stood with the Lord and he won. A zero to a hero!
Young people, every single one of us, we can be heroes in the very fact that we can say what nobody else is willing to say. You know what I’m talking about. We’ve got a bunch of teenagers here. Probably every single one of us, we’re zeros. We’re nobodys. Every youth group is in need of a zero that’s willing to become a hero. It’s not something that you strive to do. It’s something that just happens when the situation takes place and you rise to the occasion and let God use you. Something is said, something is going on, where you say, “It’s not going to be that way.”
When a teenager realizes, “I’m not my own. I’m bought with a price. I see things differently now. I’m going to live for God.” Our youth group is not a social club. It’s a group where we work together to make our lives glorify God and count for eternity.
Is there not a cause? The world needs to see your youth group as a bunch of young people who are sold out to God and want to make a difference, and they’re willing to stand where nobody else stands -- from a zero to a hero.
• • • • • • • •
Abner answers him, “To tell the truth, I don’t even know. I have no idea who this kid is.”
“...And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is...” In the Hebrew that means, “Who is this zero, this gangly kid? Where did he come from?” All of a sudden David just comes on the scene, seemingly out of no where. Who in the world is he? This zero became a hero.
“And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand...” Boy, I like that. I’m just a blood and guts kind of a guy. That charges my battery. My wife has often accused me of having an over-active imagination, and she’s probably right. Hollywood cannot create a better movie than what I see in my mind when I read that verse right there. Remember he said, “Who is this stripling? Who is this zero that’s coming with the head of this giant in his hand?” “...And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” (I Samuel 17:54-58)
After Brother West told me the theme of this conference was From a Zero to a Hero, I’ve been talking to Joel, my youngest son, about it all week long. That’s one of my favorite themes I’ve heard of, because I can see it in my mind. Zero to Hero.
The first thing I did was grab my Webster’s 1828 Dictionary and I looked up the word hero. I want you to notice some particular words in the definition. “A hero is a man of distinguished valour. It is a man that is of distinguished intrepid.” Valour is a very important word which means, ‘strength of mind in regard to danger.’ Intrepid, that’s another incredible word, which literally means not trembling or shaking with fear in the presence of danger.
So to be a hero means possessing a quality of character which enables a man to encounter danger with firmness, with personal bravery, courage, intrepid, and prowess. That’s what a hero is. And it’s not necessarily relegated just to a man, but there are women that rise to that status, as well. It is someone who is distinguished, who stands out from the crowd with a certain quality about them that when they are faced with danger, they look it straight in the eye and they don’t blink. They don’t shudder or shake or stammer around. I mean they look it right square in the eyes and go after it. I like it! From a Zero to Hero.
A friend of mine by the name of Bob Yoho is a historian who lives in the Ohio Valley. He’s written a book called Heroes In Our Midst. It’s a tremendous little book with about a dozen stories in it of heroes that he has met, veterans of World War II. As I was reading that book, all of a sudden I recognized a name and it stunned me because I have preached for this particular man. His name is Brother Walter Carney. I preached for Brother Carney about twenty years ago when he pastored an independent Baptist church in Decatur, Ohio. The year after that, he and I preached a youth conference. I went to Hyles-Anderson College with one of his sons who is now a missionary.
As I was reading through that book, Heroes In Our Midst, all of a sudden I saw the name of Walter Carney, and began to read his story. He was a hero. Walter Carney was a man that joined the Air Force and became a gunner on an airplane, a B-17. It was called The Flying Fortress. He flew into the dangerous skies of Austria, Germany, and Italy and was shot down behind enemy lines. The plane went down, and he was a prisoner of war for “10 days and 24 hours.” He tells just a small portion of that story and gave some of the details of what prisoners of war went through when they were captured by the Germans. They interrogated and starved those young soldiers and put them through conditions that would seem almost like going through hell on earth. They would intimidate and interrogate you and ask you for your name and rank. They would get in your face. They would make sure that you knew the gun was loaded and put that gun right straight to your head. He said, “Our government trained us to handle every situation. As a matter of fact, what I faced in those prisoner of war camps was not as hard as what I faced in boot camp. We were trained for these kinds of situations. We were trained for it and we were able to look death square in the face and not shudder.” That’s a hero.
I don’t mean to pop any bubbles, but I’m going to tell you what. I don’t know of an athletic star, a football player, a basketball player, a baseball player that is going to rank to the level of a Walter Carney. Most of them are nothing more than beer drinking, dope smoking, fornicating infidels. I wouldn’t dare hold any of those guys as my heroes. I’m going to look up to the example of somebody that looks death square in the face and is going to give his life and strength and guts for his country and for right and for freedom. That’s what a hero is.
As I was meditating upon this idea From a Zero to a Hero, I began to flip through my Bible. I got on my computer and started doing some word searches. There is no telling how many stories I looked through, and I went to bed that night and was laying there thinking about it, and I just believe the Lord brought David to my mind. If there is ever anybody that captured this principle, it’s David. I want us to look at this story once again here, beginning with verse one.
“Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.” (I Samuel 17:1-2) Notice what is happening in the story here. “And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.” (I Samuel 17:3-4) They say that equals about nine feet, nine inches. That’s three inches shy from a basketball goal -- that’s how tall Goliath was. His head was three inches from touching a basketball goal. That’s one big dude!
I was at Bible college working in the sailor ministry doing this promotion. A friend of mine, his name was Brother Freddy Vernon, was a karate expert. He was a very disciplined man. I saw him take some punches in the stomach that were absolutely incredible. One I saw him take that astounded me. It seemed to me like he was taking it from Goliath. It was a man by the name of Bruce Ward. At one time he was unofficially the strongest man in the NFL. They picked him to hit Freddy in the stomach. I remember Freddy standing there, getting ready to take this punch. I mean Bruce Ward, I saw him hit a softball and he almost knocked it out of sight, so high and so far up in the air. I saw that man double up his fist, and man he came, and put a punch on my friend, Freddy Vernon. I mean that punch picked Freddy up and set him back about eight feet. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Freddy got up and talked normal. I was expecting him to have the wind knocked out of him. But he didn’t do that. It was amazing, so I asked him, “What was it like?”
He said, “Just imagine getting hit in the stomach with a cannonball. That’s what it felt like.”
You could imagine Goliath almost ten feet tall, and he is threatening the armies of the Lord. The Bible says, “And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.” (I Samuel 17:4-7) Just the head of his spear weighed 24 pounds. He was covered from head to toe with armor of brass. His feet, his shins, his thighs, his waist, his chest, his arms, his shoulders, and he had a man that held a big giant shield in front of him. He had a spear and a sword. He went out every day and was challenging the armies of Israel. “Send me out a man to fight,” is what he said.
The Bible goes on to say, “And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.” (I Samuel 17:8) He’s saying here, “I want you to pick your toughest, strongest warrior and send him down to meet me down here in the valley, and let’s just duke it out. Send me a man down here to fight. If he beats me, then we will all be your servants. If I beat him, then all of you are going to be our servants.” That was the challenge.
Look what happens. “And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.” (I Samuel 17:10-11)
Now for the very first time, a zero enters the scene. “Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.” (I Samuel 17:12-14)
David was the youngest. In other words, he was just a zero. When I was thinking about the theme, I looked in my Webster’s Dictionary and opened it up to the word zero. I said, “I want to know what the definition of zero is.”
Do you know what it is? It’s nothing. “I wonder what nothing means?” I looked up the word nothing and do you know what it means? Nothing. Isn’t that the way people look at their little brother, the youngest child in the family? As the nothing? “Oh, he can’t do anything right. Slap him on the head. Trip him. Push him. Kick him.” Why? Because he’s a zero. I don’t know how it was in your family. I could do that, but you better not try it. I could thump them, kick them, trip them, push them, but don’t try it because I’ll hurt you if you try to hurt one of my little brothers.
“But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.” (I Samuel 17:15-16) Forty days in a row this big, old giant came and said, “Send me a man down here to fight. I want somebody to fight. Send him down here. If we beat you, you’ll be our servants. If you beat us, then we’ll serve you.” Sounds pretty confident, doesn’t he? Goliath has the whole army of Israel shaking in their boots and running to hide.
“And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;” (I Samuel 17:17) Jesse’s three oldest boys are with Saul there in the army. They’re soldiers. Jesse says to his youngest boy, David, who is the zero in the story, “David, I want you to go down and take some parched corn (that would be interpreted like cornbread) and these ten cheeses down to your brothers.”
David always took care of details. The Bible says in verse 20, “And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper,...” And when he got to where his brothers were, the Bible says in verse 22, “And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper...” He was diligent about taking care of things and didn’t leave any details undone. Isn’t that a great thing about a young man? He didn’t just forsake the sheep. He made sure that all of his responsibilities were covered. It shows you what kind of a heart that young man had. He was trained. He was just a good young man. He thought things through. But up to this point, he was nothing more than a zero, an unknown character in this whole story.
The Bible goes on to say, “And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.” (I Samuel 17:23) Everybody had been hearing these same words. “Send me a man to fight.” They’ve been hearing these words for forty days, defying the armies of the living God. All of a sudden one tow-headed, little brother comes delivering cornbread and cheese. He hears these words that Goliath is saying. They’ve been listening to him for forty days and getting more scared every time, but when David hears Goliath’s big ugly threats, things begin to change.
“And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.” (I Samuel 17:24-25) In other words, he won’t have to pay any more taxes for the rest of his life.
“And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (I Samuel 17:26) Do you know what is taking place, young people? You’re seeing someone go through a developmental stage on the way from a zero to a hero. Remember what it said. “Who is this stripling? Who is this little boy? Whose son is he? Who is this zero?” You’re seeing a development.
#1. HEROES SAY WHAT NO ONE ELSE IS WILLING TO SAY.
He looked across that crowd and David said, “Who is this man that keeps coming and defying the armies of the living God? Who does he think he is, to defy and blaspheme against God?” “And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. 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.” (I Samuel 17:27-28) His older brother, Eliab, begins to criticize him and put him down, when all of a sudden David speaks up. Nobody else is saying it. Not a single person, not an army man, not even the king, or the captain of the host is saying it. A little, tow-headed boy comes up and says, “Who is this man that’s defying the armies of the living God?” A hero stands up and says things that nobody else is willing to say.
Young people, there comes a time in your youth group, in your life, and in your Christian walk, where you’re going to have to say things that nobody else is brave enough to say. You’re going have to say, “Turn that music off!” You’re going to have to say, “Quit that gossip and slander and spreading rumors.” You’re going to have to say, “Don’t go there. You’d better quit that. It’s not right.” A hero says what nobody else is willing to say. “Who is this man that’s defying the armies of the living God?”
Then his older brother begins to criticize him. “Who in the world do you think you are? Who did you leave your little sheep with? You’re just a little shepherd boy.”
“And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.” (I Samuel 17:29-30) Look what happens when you say what nobody else is willing to say. “And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.” (I Samuel 17:31) Where in the world are all the grown men? Where are the soldiers? Where are all the men who have gone through boot camp? Where are they? All they see is this gigantic man almost ten feet tall. He has his sword and this shield bearer and a spear with a spearhead weighing 24 pounds. He is covered with armor from head to toe. He’s a mean, hard, tough warrior with a big mouth, defying the armies of God.
Nobody else is willing to go out and fight, but this little zero comes out and says, “Who is this man that’s defying the armies of the living God?” His brother gets on him and David says, “Is there not a cause?” All of a sudden word begins to travel through the camp, among the people. “There is a boy, just a little stripling, a little zero, but you ought to hear what he’s saying!” A hero says things that nobody else says. Do you know what it did? It took him to the very presence of the king.
“And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (I Samuel 17:31-32) Nobody else was willing to say that. Not even his three oldest brothers were able to say that. You see, a hero says things that nobody else is willing to say.
Young people, one of the hardest things that you will face is peer pressure. I’m going to let you in on a secret. Peer pressure doesn’t go away when you get out of your teenage years. There is peer pressure at every phase of life. There is peer pressure that a 44-year-old faces, just like there is peer pressure that a 14-year-old faces. There are just going to come times in your life when you’re going to have to look at your friends and say, “I don’t care what you think, here’s how it’s going to be. That is the line. I’m not going any further. I’m not listening. I’m not watching. I’m not reading. Brother, I’m not going that way. Turn that radio off. Take me home. We’re not going to talk about this. I’m not going to be a part of this. It’s not right.”
Zeros to heroes. Heroes are willing to stand up and say things that nobody else is willing to say.
#2. A HERO SEES WHAT NO ONE ELSE SEES.
Look at verse 29. “And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?” Sure there is a cause. The armies of the living God are being defied. God, Himself, is being bad-mouthed. That’s what the cause is. “...Is there not a cause?” Why didn’t anybody else see it? Because when a man develops from a zero to a hero, he sees what nobody else sees. You need to get to the point where you allow God to let you see what nobody else sees. Allow God to let you see how clique-ish your youth group is when visitors come in and nobody sits with them and nobody walks up and introduces themselves and shakes their hand. Why don’t you see what nobody else sees? Why don’t you see the danger and damage of cliques and why don’t you see the criticism? Why don’t you see the complaining, murmuring, griping, mediocrity, and the disrespect for authority? When a man turns from a zero to hero, he sees things that nobody else sees. “...Is there not a cause?”
“And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 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. 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 smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.” (I Samuel 17:32-35) David looked at all those opportunities, all that training. “Running into a bear or a lion while you’re tending sheep -- that doesn’t sound much like an opportunity to me.” That was just all a part of his training as a shepherd, God preparing David for what He wanted him to do.
One of the primary jobs of a shepherd was to protect the sheep as he was guiding those sheep along those gentle Judean slopes. As a boy he’d take that sling with him all the time, and he got to where he was good at it. He probably spent hours in practice while the sheep were grazing. The Bible says that one day a lion came and grabbed a sheep. He got his sling and killed it. A bear came and grabbed one of the sheep from the flock, and he got that bear by the beard and slew him. David had worked on his skills and improved his abilities with that sling. He had been working at it and training and improving his skills, and he just looked at this as an opportunity to let the Lord use him in a great way.
“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, Go, and the Lord be with thee.” (I Samuel 17:37) It was kind of like saying, “Okay, son, God bless you as you go.” God did bless him. He had been preparing for this. He had been practicing with that sling shot over and over and over again. He already had some experience dealing with this kind of thing with the lion and the bear. A hero will see some things that nobody else sees.
#3. A HERO STANDS WHERE NO ONE ELSE WILL STAND.
The Bible says, “And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 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.” (I Samuel 17:39-40) I appreciate the authoritative diction of the King James. That is just unbelievable. “And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.” (I Samuel 17:41-42)
David is standing where no one else was willing to stand, before this big mean Goliath, a Philistine warrior, almost ten foot tall. He goes out and Goliath looks at him and says, “Good night, what in the world is this? Are you sending me a little boy here? Am I a little dog that you come to beat me with a tiny stick? Are you just kind of slapping me off? Who in the world do you think I am?” Seeing David just made Goliath madder.
“And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.” (I Samuel 17:43-44) Goliath said to David, “Come over here, boy. I’m going to feed your carcass to the birds of the air.”
David didn’t take anything off of him. “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” (I Samuel 17:45) Nobody else was willing to stand in that position. Nobody else saw the cause. Nobody else said, “I’m going to stand up to this enemy. He’s defying my God and I’m going to stand in that place.” David says, “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” (I Samuel 17:46) David takes it right back to Goliath. He says, “Oh, no, you’re not going to feed me to the birds. I’m going to feed you to the birds and the wild beasts are going to eat on your carcass.”
Remember what a hero is? A man of distinguished valor. Remember what valor is? Strength of mind in regard to danger. Remember it’s someone who is intrepid, who looks danger right square in the face and doesn’t flinch, doesn’t stutter, doesn’t shake, doesn’t tremble. He looks it right in the face and takes it, from a zero to a hero. Man, I like that. “And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.” (I Samuel 17:47) He wasn’t taking all the credit. He was just including everyone else. That’s the way a hero does it. He doesn’t try to pump himself up to be anything special, but encourages and includes the whole team.
“And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.” (I Samuel 17:48) Goliath began to run directly toward him, he had angered him so bad. You can imagine, he probably knocked that shield guy aside, pulled out his sword and came running at David. What did this little zero do? He started running right straight to Goliath. Remember what a hero is. A man of distinguished valor, which is strength of mind in regard to danger. It’s someone who is intrepid -- they literally do not tremble or shake when they’re faced with danger.
He begins to run right straight to Goliath. “And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.” (I Samuel 17:49) I like that blood and guts stuff. The Bible says he slang it. I don’t know about this little song, “And round and round and round, and one little stone went up in the air, and the giant came tumbling down.” I don’t know about you, but I just don’t get that out of this story! Maybe that was written by some neo-evangelical. The Bible says that it sunk in his forehead. Do you know what’s behind your forehead? Not blood and guts, but blood and brains.
“So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine,...” (I Samuel 17:50-51) David ran and stood on his old carcass. He pulled out Goliath’s big old long sword, or maybe picked it up off the ground, with both hands. It’s getting good now. Whack! He cut his head off and picked it up by the long hair and those chicken Philistines started splitting in every direction. They took off. Why? Because a boy developed from a zero to a hero.
A hero says things that nobody else is willing to say. “Who is going to allow this man to keep defying the armies of the living God?” A hero sees what nobody else sees. “Is there not a cause?” Young people, there is a cause! A hero stands where nobody wants to stand. He stood before a giant, but he stood with the Lord and he won. A zero to a hero!
Young people, every single one of us, we can be heroes in the very fact that we can say what nobody else is willing to say. You know what I’m talking about. We’ve got a bunch of teenagers here. Probably every single one of us, we’re zeros. We’re nobodys. Every youth group is in need of a zero that’s willing to become a hero. It’s not something that you strive to do. It’s something that just happens when the situation takes place and you rise to the occasion and let God use you. Something is said, something is going on, where you say, “It’s not going to be that way.”
When a teenager realizes, “I’m not my own. I’m bought with a price. I see things differently now. I’m going to live for God.” Our youth group is not a social club. It’s a group where we work together to make our lives glorify God and count for eternity.
Is there not a cause? The world needs to see your youth group as a bunch of young people who are sold out to God and want to make a difference, and they’re willing to stand where nobody else stands -- from a zero to a hero.
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