SERMON IN A STORY 39 Warriors

One of the most powerful stories I’ve ever heard is about a Scottish missionary who returned home after years of ministry in Africa. He went back to his sending church in Scotland to share what God had been doing and to ask for more workers to join the mission.

It was winter—cold, wet, and dreary.

The turnout that day was small, mostly elderly folks. He was a bit disheartened. They were faithful, yes, but not exactly fit for the mission field. Still, he preached his heart out.

He ended with a simple but weighty question:
“Who will go? Who will go? Who will go?”

He didn’t know that up in the choir loft, helping the organist, was a little boy. When he heard the call, something stirred in him. He stood up and shouted:
“I will go! I will go! I will go!”

That boy’s name? David Livingstone.

The missionary encouraged him, saying, “If God’s calling you to Africa, become a doctor. Serve as a medical missionary.” David did just that.

Years later, deep in Africa, Livingstone’s team faced grave danger. A tribal chief sent a message: they would be attacked that night—killed, all of them.

We know this moment in detail because Livingstone kept diaries. That night, he wrote a desperate prayer:
“Lord, we’ve labored so faithfully. Please, please protect us. Please help us.” They waited. Nothing happened.

A couple years later, the very chief who had threatened him became a follower of Christ—and the entire village followed.

Later, David asked, “Why didn’t you kill us that night?” The chief replied, “We came. But as we approached the camp, we saw 39 giant warriors standing around it. We counted them. They were not of this world.”

Some time after, David shared this story back in Scotland. As he spoke, the church secretary approached him and asked, “Do you remember the exact date that happened?” He did. She opened the church prayer journal and pointed to the entry for that day: 39 people were gathered, praying for him.