 1 Samuel chapter 11 and 12. Let's begin reading here together in 1 Samuel chapter 11. I'll read verses 1 through 5, and then we'll move on to our study. In 1 Samuel chapter 11 verse 1 we read, then Nahosh the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahosh, make a covenant with us. We will serve you. And Nahosh the Ammonite answered them, on this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes and bring reproach on all Israel. Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, hold off for seven days that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then if there's no one to save us, we will come out to you. So the messengers came to give you of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. All the people lifted up their voices and wept. Now there was Saul coming behind the herd from the field and Saul said what troubles the people that they weep. And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. And so Saul has been crowned as we saw last time. Saul has been crowned as the king over Israel. And this is the first test that the king is going to encounter. As we see a king in the name of Nahosh who is a king of the Ammonites has come to bring Israel into subjection to him. Now the Philistines have been plaguing the nation of Israel and now the Ammonites have joined in causing them problems. Now who are these Ammonites? When you read the Bible you discover something interesting. The Ammonites were descendants of the nephew of Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation. They were descendants of Lot. And they were born to him, born to Lot through incest with his youngest daughter. In Genesis 19 verses 36 through 38 the writer says both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. The first born bore a son called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. And the younger, she also bore and called his name Ben-Ami. He is the father of the people of Ammon to this day. So these were people who were born out of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his youngest daughter. And they were people who lived to the south of the nation of Israel just east of the Jordan River down by the Dead Sea. And when you read about the Ammonites they were enemies of the Jews for centuries in the history of Israel. And so Nahosh is their king. Now the name Nahosh means snake. And so snake brings troops from the south into northern Israel. Now he's just east of the Jordan River about 22 miles south of the Sea of Galilee and there he's in Jabesh Gilead and he's attempting to bring them into subjection to him. And so as they see him they say in verse 1 they say make a covenant with us and we will serve you. So they're afraid obviously and they don't want to suffer great loss and so they say look it we'll just make a treaty with you and we'll serve you just what are your terms? Well he gives them the condition in verse 2. Nahosh the Ammonite answered them on this condition I will make a covenant with you that I may put out all your right eyes and bring a reproach on all Israel. Yeah if you want to have a condition here's your conditions. You want to serve us? We're going to humiliate you and we're going to incapacitate you. We are going to blind you. See if we take out your soldiers right eyes all of you will have you know your men will have no eyes and if we take your soldiers right eyes that means they have no depth perception which means they can't battle against us which means we have nothing to fear from your military. And so if you want to make a covenant with us if you want to have an agreement with us it's going to require humiliation and incapacitation. We are going to allow you to be our servants under these conditions. We know that very often in the Old Testament people like the Ammonites are pictures of the flesh. It's a picture of our flesh that wars against the things of the spirit and so in a sense it's like if my flesh is going to dominate me I'm going to have to make a covenant with it and my flesh is going to be incapacitating and blinding me. And so if I'm going to make any kind of allegiance with the things that are not pleasing to God the result is crippling in my life. So what takes place here is they say we will serve you but what are your conditions? Our condition is to humiliate and incapacitate you. Well when they hear that notice verse 3, the elders of Jebus said to him hold off for seven days that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel and then if there's no one to save us we will come out to you. So they try and buy time. We want a week. Now they grant them this week they grant them a week not because of anxiety. They grant them this week because they know that the longer they think about it the more anxiety they're going to experience and the easier it's going to be for them to overcome them. So they grant them this week. Well they take the week and they go throughout the nation looking for help. It says in verse 4 the messengers came to Gbiah of Saul which is where Saul is living which is just north of Jerusalem which means that from the north they came south to Jerusalem into that area of Saul's city and they told the news and the hearing of the people and all the people lifted up their voices and wept. Now there was Saul coming behind the herd from the field and Saul said what troubles the people that they weep and they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. So this gives to us insight that all Israel didn't know that there was now a king ruling because they didn't come to Saul. They came to the city of Saul and when they arrived at the city of Saul they told the inhabitants but nobody told them that there's a king in Israel now by the name of Saul. That's why when Saul in verse 5 comes he has to ask what's going on, what's causing so much problem and they tell him and that causes him to be greatly upset over this. Now notice in verse 6 then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news and his anger was greatly aroused. I want to spend a moment looking at that with you. Just verse 6 there's an application that I want to seek a particular verse here that may be something practical for us in our day. I want you to notice something. Notice again verse 6 the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news and his anger was greatly aroused. When you read in the New Testament concerning the Spirit of God coming upon people very often you'll see things like the gifts of the Holy Spirit or the fruit of the Spirit and what you discover is normally we associate the Holy Spirit provoking within us things like love and joy, peace. We see the Holy Spirit gifting us with a variety of spiritual gifts and so we have a tendency of recognizing the work of the Spirit in a way that brings joy and peace and comfort and encouragement and the rest but we don't normally associate the Spirit of God as provoking any anger in us. Now part of the reason why is because we know that anger normally is regarded in Scripture as being a work of the flesh. When you look in Galatians chapter 5 wrath, anger, these kinds of things are associated with the unregenerate person that's a picture of when you're devoid of the power of the Spirit because the Holy Spirit brings love and self control and so when you read that the Holy Spirit comes upon Saul and actually causes him to grow angry it can be confusing because the Bible teaches us that we're to be angry but sin not we're not to let the sun set on our wrath we know that we're not to make an agreement to be with an angry man lest we learn his ways and the Bible is very clear that anger is not something that should be cultivated in our life under normal circumstances and yet in Mark's Gospel chapter 3 in the New Testament Mark chapter 3 verses 1 through 6 there's a story about Jesus entering into a synagogue and Mark tells us a man was there who had a withered hand so they watched Jesus closely whether he would heal him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him and he said to the man who had the withered hand step forward then he said to them is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil to save life or to kill but they kept silent and when he had looked around at them with anger being grieved by the hardness of the hearts he said to the man stretch out your hand and he stretched it out and his hand was restored as whole as the other then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against him how they might destroy him it's interesting how that Jesus Christ and John tells us that the Spirit was given to him without measure how Jesus Christ who is filled with the Holy Spirit how Jesus had anger over this situation he looked at these people he was grieved and he was angry so it would appear to me that it is obvious that there are certain things that make God mad there's a time in other words for divine indignation when Jesus began his ministry he entered into the temple and because there were people who were making a profit off of the religious sentiments of the people Jesus drove the money changers out of that temple he not only did it in the beginning of his ministry he also did it at the conclusion of his ministry he actually wiped them out twice he had to do it twice he came in at the beginning of his ministry and at the conclusion he said it is written my house shall be a house of prayer you have made it into a den of thieves and he drove those money changers right out and he had fashioned a whip and he drove them out with it and that is the righteous indignation that you see provoked by the Spirit of God to cleanse the temple you see that when God moves sometimes he can produce inside the heart of those who love him a righteous indignation over injustice and things that are improper I don't know about you I don't watch beauty contests I don't watch Miss America contests if I want to see something pretty I look in the mirror I just don't do that that's not something I do maybe you do I don't but I couldn't help but see what took place recently with this Miss America pageant Miss USA pageant right we all are aware of it how a young lady was basically given a question that to me is just an odd question to ask in a beauty pageant I mean what can she do about the situation herself and what's her personal opinion got to do with anything and yet at least as it relates to the subject we all know that Perez Hilton asked a question of Miss California that related to what she believes concerning same sex marriage and then when she gave the answer that she gave we all saw what took place how that before you know what Perez Hilton is on his blog and he's calling her all kinds of names and it's all to be understood this is where the man comes from he doesn't really have a tendency within him I think to treat people properly and respectfully and so it isn't to be it isn't a surprise to me it isn't surprise to me or to any of us in this room at least that this is an agenda that the homosexual quote-unquote community has there's not a quest for legality and for marriage that isn't the question we know that I mean when Californians were allowing homosexuals same sex couples to marry there wasn't a rush on licenses there weren't great lines everywhere for people to get married that wasn't the point and we knew it all along the point was we don't want legalization we want legitimacy we want to be regarded as equal to you we want homosexuals what they're saying homosexual relationships to be regarded as equal to heterosexual that's the argument and we can't clutter that we have to see it for what it is the argument is not legalization the argument is legitimization it's making it equal to and that's where this is all coming from and we know that we see this we're not blind and so I find it interesting that that's brought up to this woman and when the woman speaks and says this is what my beliefs are which she was asked to give something concerning what she believed it was her answer she didn't give a politically correct answer she gave the answer that she she felt right she was praying even as she was giving the answer some of us have seen her in she has stated that I was praying even as I was given the answer that's why I stumbled over my words I wanted to say the right thing at that moment because my temptation was to give the politically correct one that might have gotten me called to become Miss USA but she knew that there was a cost to be exacted at that moment and thus she gives the answer that was true to herself which is what we ought to respect regardless of whether we agree or disagree with it at least it was a real answer coming from her honest heart now something you may not know as she's a Christian you know that she goes to the Rock Fellowship in San Diego she's a she's a member of Miles McPherson's church and Miles is having her share with his congregation today in his services to share what has happened since she made that declaration she's a believer in Christ she loves the Lord she's Miles is a friend of ours he comes and speaks here on occasion and and he loves the Lord there's a great ministry there but the world goes crazy because you actually confront the world and you say the truth and the church just kind of kicks back saying why are they getting so upset I believe that there's a time for a righteous indignation I think it was an unfair question to ask of her it was an improper question to ask of her and not only that she only spoke with the majority of Californians who took the time to vote she said which is yes on Prop 8 she only spoke with the majority but they're asking they're acting as if the minority she was giving a minority answer she didn't give a minority answer she gave a majority answer that's what Californians voted on that's what we said when we went to the polls we said we want no same-sex marriage we want a traditional marriage we believe that that's the right way it's been done for traditionally for millennia why change it now and so what happens well Christians if we stand up and say that was not right we are branded immediately as being bigoted as being just intolerant and for me I have to be honest with you I think there is a time for a righteous indignation when a child is harmed by an adult I get angry I don't just complacently sit there and say oh well you know I get angry you ought to get angry if somebody harms somebody if you see injustice in a place and someone is harming somebody in front of you you ought to get angry you ought to say this is wrong you ought not to do that we ought to stand up and speak when necessary I'm willing to do it we ought to do it and take the consequences when they come when King Saul saw what was taking place here the spirit of God came upon him and he heard this news his anger was greatly aroused over it he said this is wrong what they're doing is intimidating the people of Jabesh Gilead they're going to blind them so how did he respond well his tactics were interesting I have to say verse 7 he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers saying whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle so shall it be done to his oxen that's an interesting motivation and the fear of the Lord fell on the people and they came out with one consent now I want you to notice this he is basically simply saying this he was saying this is intended to communicate urgency and I am motivating an immediate response you need to move quickly you don't have time to think about it but I want you to notice how he identified himself with Samuel notice how he says that he's borrowing status whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle why is he doing that because he has no credibility yet because they don't even know that he's the king and therefore he's sending it out through the nation saying Samuel's involved in this way Saul is involved and it's going to become clear after a while that he's the king and that's what he does and what happens is it causes the people to experience fear and it motivates them to action well in verse 8 he numbered them in Bezek the children of Israel were 300,000 the men of Judah 30,000 and they said to the messengers who came thus you shall say to the men of Jabesh Gilead tomorrow by the time the sun is hot you shall have help then the messengers came and reported it to the men of Jabesh and they were glad therefore the men of Jabesh said tomorrow we will come out to you and you may do with us whatever seems good to you and so it was on the next day that Saul put the people in three companies they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch killed Amonites until the heat of the day and it happened that those who survived were scattered so that no two of them were left together and so he gathers them together they assemble about 17 miles to the west of Jabesh Gilead and they count up a force of 330,000 and so he gets ready prepared for battle he says we are going to take care of you we're going to be part of this don't worry about it that's what it says in verse 9 the messengers came and reported it to the men of Jabesh and they were glad now notice verse 10 though therefore the men of Jabesh said tomorrow we will come out to you and you may do with us whatever seems good to you interesting something that some of you probably don't really care about I'm going to share with you about for just a moment here that's a lie what you just read is a lie is that what they say is that what was going to happen tomorrow we will come out to you and you may do with us whatever seems good to you that wasn't an exact truth was it what was it it was intended to cause the Amonites to relax so that when the 330,000 militia came upon them they'd be able to slaughter them with a lot more ease so there are those who will say that's a lie God condones lying now you may not think that but I've been in classes before where professors have said that that God condones lying because look at this now what's the answer to that does God condone lying no the Bible does not condone lying the Bible reports when lies are said reporting is not condoning there are those also philosophers and those who are involved in the study of ethics ethical behavior will say well this is the law of the greater good and they're basically saying that if a lie causes good to come then the lie is worth it because the greater good is being met by the lie I don't know that God ever gives us permission to lie I have to say this briefly but I'll say it I don't believe that God wants us to lie God wants us to be honest but at the same time we have to be wise if we're honest you have to have a wisdom in your honesty you're a married man your wife walks in and says does this dress make me look fat you better be wise in your honesty because you're not going to be eating dinner for a while not with that broken jaw you have to be very careful there are ways that are delicate and kind to be able to say little things honey I prefer you in another dress or a different color is probably a wiser thing than to say are you kidding me you're as big as a house I think that now that may be honest but it isn't wise and it's certainly not loving they just need to be wisdom the guy calls you up and asks you out for a date you don't want to go out with him because he's just not the kind of guy you want to go out with so you say I'm sorry I'm washing my hair that's just not nice you have to learn to be honest and just let him know you know I like you as a friend I'm not interested in going out with you on a date that's all you really have to do and the guy will say well thank you for being honest because most people will lie to me honesty is important don't you think but sometimes you may be put in a position where you're thinking you have no options sometimes you're thinking man you know I've got to lie because if I tell the truth I'm going to get in trouble I used to work for a guy I worked alongside of him I was in the same office he was my supervisor he's gotten the job and this is before I had stepped into ministry as a pastor and I can remember he said to me if so and so calls he said tell him I'm not here and I said no I told him I don't get paid enough to lie for you no if you don't want to talk to him I'm not going to lie for you and that's just the way it is that's the way it was and that's the way I am to this day I'll tell you the truth because it's easier to tell the truth than to make up a lie and then have to fabricate several others to cover what you had just done truth is a lot better honesty is a lot better but you can be put in positions where you're saying oh lord what am I going to do we were coming into China many years ago now we were bringing in suitcases of bibles to the underground church and we were given visas and I'll use the number six because I think it was you had to have at least six people in your party to have visas to enter in and we only had five with me on my team as we were about to enter in they gave me six visas when I was in the location where we received information in bibles and all and so they told me when you go through Chinese customs in Beijing you're going to need to tell them when you hand them these visas you're going to need to tell them that they're going to ask you where this person is you're going to need to say that they didn't come with you they're not there well this was just a made up name there was no person by that name and the way it was presented to me made me feel like I was being asked to lie and I have to be honest with you I just don't do that and so as I took the visas we got on the plane we got into Beijing we're going through customs I walk up to the window and as I'm standing I have six visas but there's only five of us and I hand the six visas and I'm praying God in Jesus name I'm not going to lie I'm not going to lie God help me I'm not going to lie I don't know what to do and so the Chinese officials looking at the visa documents and passports count six and looks and counts five looks at me and says this says six there's only five and I looked at them and I said no abla no I looked at them and I didn't I didn't say anything I just stood there look at them and an American who was not with us an American who wasn't with us who had just came in at the same time got in line with us and stood in line and so the Chinese official sees this guy coming and stood next to us he wasn't with us and he says oh there he is I didn't say a word I just I didn't say a word I just looked up I love Chow mein and I walked through you know that was it I mean that was it I said Lord I just don't I don't want to go there you know the Lord has a way of taking care of you and so I wanted to say that some of you may not even have noticed that they did not tell the truth they simply have been tomorrow we will come out to you that's the truth but the lie was the addition you may do with us whatever seems good to you no that wasn't the truth they could have simply said we'll be there tomorrow and that would have been fine well what happens well the next day obviously there's a great slaughter that takes place and they were delivered well in verse 12 the people said to Samuel who is he who said shall Saul reign over us bring the men that we may put them to death but Saul said not a man shall be put to death this day for today the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel then Samuel said to the people come let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there so all the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal and there they made sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly so remember in chapter 10 verse 27 some rebels said how can this man save us they despised him and brought him no presence he held this peace now the people remember that these rebels had rejected him and that's why they said well who is it who said shall Saul reign over us bring them in that we may put them to death bring them so that we can kill them well I want you to see something here I want you to see that he acted wisely he acted wisely when he refused to exact revenge and by holding back vengeance earned him even more admiration by not reacting that way by not saying yeah let's cut their heads off or do whatever we need to now they rejected me he actually gains more admiration you know Romans 12 19 says do not avenge yourselves rather give place to wrath for it's written vengeance is mine I will repay say at the Lord you can fight your own battles or you can allow the Lord to fight them for you be careful that you don't take battles into your hand that really aren't yours to fight especially when you're angry and hurt and you want to get even with somebody for what they've done every one of us goes through periods seasons episodes in our lives when somebody perhaps somebody we really love or care about gets angry with us and says things or tries to harm us in some way that can cause you to say I want to get even with this person I have a great desire but they they've got me so mad I have to get even with them you know you can either fight your own battles or you can let the Lord fight your battles but both of you can't fight the same battle you have to make the decision who do I want to fight the battle myself do I ever lose yes I do can I lose this fight yes I can okay if I ask the Lord to fight this battle does he ever lose no he doesn't should I ask him to fight the battle absolutely it just makes sense so many times we try and defend ourselves against those who are bent on ruining us and you're wasting your breath and you're wasting your time and you're trying to get even with that person there's nothing you can do they're not going to they're not going to agree we had somebody in this church many years ago who was after me for a long time saying very unkind and untrue things and he had made an accusation and a demand and he wanted me to react in a certain way and I said I can't do that I said because all the all the information hasn't been gathered on this got angry remained angry for a long time and when everything came out and his concern was proven to be a false concern he said well if you'd only done if David would have only have done what I said in the first place we could have saved all this problem no if you'd have only trusted the Lord in the first place we would have had no problem and you cannot allow people to push you and dominate you into doing things that are wrong and you cannot we should not really yield to the temptation to exact vengeance just leave it in the hands of the Lord let God take care of it because sometimes even if you try to defend yourself it makes you look even more guilty even if you start saying something it makes you look more guilty so it's wiser sometimes just to say Lord you know the truth you take care of it I'm going to move on and God has a way of doing that Saul was wise at this point so what did they do well they renew his kingship so that now the nation of Israel is becoming aware that there is a king now as this is taking place chapter 12 says beginning at verse 1 now Samuel said to all Israel indeed I have heeded your voice and all that you said to me and have made a king over you and now here's the king walking before you and I am old and gray-headed and look my sons are with you I've walked before you from my childhood to this day here I am witness against me before the Lord and before his anointed whose ox have I taken or whose donkey have I taken or whom have I cheated whom have I oppressed or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes I will restore it to you they said you have not cheated us or oppressed us nor have you taken anything from any man's hand then he said to them the Lord is witness against you and his anointed is witness this day that you have not found anything in my hand and they answered he's witness and so he now begins to speak to him Samuel now begins to speak and he opens his heart and he's speaking openly to them now Israel has received a king Israel will now listen more closely to the king than they do to him so he needs to remind them of what they actually have chosen to do and as he speaks to them he's saying I've lived my life openly before you from the time that I was a small child and I am now old my sons are here with me they live amongst you and I want to know have I misrepresented God before you in any way have I enriched myself financially through greed, cheating, oppression have I ever taken a bribe have I ever done anything that you can accuse me of their response you haven't cheated us you haven't oppressed us you've never taken anything from us so as they say that he goes on they say well the Lord is present with us he's hearing what you've said and you're saying I'm not guilty and so with this integrity of heart he now rehearses to them once again their guilt now he's about to rebuke he has to rebuke them here's something for you this is a way of application if you have to rebuke if you have to bring a word of correction it's always good to be first living that message that humility and respect is earned through a lifetime of faithfulness to God there are a lot of people who feel it's their ministry to rebuke people it's their ministry to keep them in line I was gone I left on Thursday I returned yesterday Saturday we were in Wisconsin I've never been there to Wisconsin some of you perhaps have been there or lived there I don't know it's the first time we've ever been there Wisconsin interesting state and I did a pastors leaders conference there and we taught through the book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 the seven churches of Revelation we arrived there Thursday I taught on Friday twice so Friday morning I gave a study on the church of Jesus out of Revelation chapter 2 gave encouragement, admonition to the leaders and pastors servants and churches from various places and three young men from another state came up to me afterwards and one of the young men was one of these young guys he was in his 20s he was in a sarcastic way about him he just sarcastic and so he wanted to tease with me and he did and I don't mind that at all by the way I think it's kind of funny when they do that and so he walked up and he's saying things to me like how boring are you and things like that and I say you know my wife tells me that all the time and just ask my church and he'd say things like he was just on and on and on and he didn't stop and you know what I'll tell you what next Bible study you get up and you teach and I'll sit in the front row and I'll critique you for how's that sound he says oh he says I'm playing with you I said I know that I know he says but you see God has given to me the gift of criticizing guest speakers this is the truth I'm not kidding I'm not making this up he says I have the ministry of criticizing guest speakers to keep you humble and I smiled at him and you know you read Ephesians and you read Romans and you read 1 Corinthians you see lists of the gifts of the spirit but I've never seen the gift of rebuking guest speakers there I just haven't seen it yet I'm gonna have to do a more thorough study in that I started busting up but he believed that's his gift he really did I mean when it all came down to it he says I'm here to keep you humble well you know there are you know and he's a sweet kid you know I say that really with some humor to it because I didn't get offended by him I thought he was kind of funny and but he really did believe that he really did believe that was his job keeping me and others in line he said you want to have a full time job go to Calvary Golden Springs but he just was teasing me we're all we're all the 24 hour kind of guy but as he was speaking to me I thought about that but I also think about how sometimes people actually do feel that that's their call and on the one hand we are called by God to admonish and when necessary to rebuke or to encourage and exhort that's all part of the life in the body of Christ and I think there are times that it is necessary and I think that there are people in the body of Christ that have a wonderful encouraging gift where they can help you to see things that you said that were wrong and I appreciate the people who do that and all of that but what's gonna help you to be effective is if you have a life that backs up what you're saying because sometimes I've seen it where somebody comes and rebuke somebody for the sin that they themselves are practicing they're doing the same thing there used to be an old saying it's an old saying no obviously but there was an old saying and they used to hear it often years ago practice what you preach because sometimes people come and preach but they don't practice there's no credibility there's no power in that but when you're a person like Samuel who's saying listen can you find a fault in me have I done anything that I should repent from and their answer was no you haven't done anything he's basically saying okay then that gives me the platform to do my ministry and I have to bring a word of rebuke and that's what he's gonna do in verse 6 Samuel said to the people it's the Lord who raised up Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers now therefore stand still that I may reason with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which he did to you and your fathers when Jacob had gone into Egypt and your fathers cried out to the Lord then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place and when they forgot the Lord their God he sold them into the hand of Cicero commander of the army of Hazer into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab and they fought against them then they cried out to the Lord and said we have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and Osterots but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies and we will serve you the Lord sent Jeroboal, Baden, Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side and you dwelt in safety so what he does is he rehearses their history he refers to Moses and Aaron and the Egyptian time that they were under bondage but he also brings it up to more recent events when they had been delivered through judges various judges that are named here including himself and he's making it very clear to them that now that I'm old and now that I can say to you I haven't enriched myself I need to speak from the integrity of my heart and I need to tell you the truth in order that you might know the ways of the Lord and you need to know that you have been in the past in bondage just because you have forsaken the Lord and God chastened you but God out of his mercy heard when you cried out to him and he sent people to deliver you even though God is the one who actually did the delivering and the result was that peace was once against reinstated so that you might dwell safely that's how it worked but he goes on and says when you saw that Nahash king of the Amonites came against you you said to me no but a king shall reign over us when the Lord your God was your king now therefore choose the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired take note the Lord has said a king over you if you fear the Lord and serve him obey his voice and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the Lord your God however if you do not obey the voice of the Lord but rebel against the commandment of the Lord then the hand of the Lord will be against you as it was against your fathers now therefore stand and see this great thing which the Lord said before your eyes is today not the wheat harvest I will call the Lord and he will send thunder and rain that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the side of the Lord in asking a king for yourselves so Samuel called to the Lord and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day and the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel you have sinned you have sinned you chose a king a king you desired this is a king that rules by majority vote you think that majority opinion is a voice of God and in this you're wrong in New Testament terms it could be you cried out for Barabbas instead of Jesus the majority voice isn't always right and you cried out for a king and you received your king you got Saul but what you need to do is you need to remember to fear the Lord you need to remember to serve him you need to remember to obey him and you must resist rebelling against him because if you do obey him God will bless you if you rebel against him God will deal with you in other words two paths are now being put before you each one of those pathways lead a different direction one is a path of obedience and that leads to a sustained relationship with God the other is a path of disobedience it will lead to God's rejection it's like what was said in Deuteronomy 30 verse 19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses you today that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live and so he's saying God has placed before you a choice serve him or reject him in the past you served idols Baal and astra and God brought judgment serve God or God will bring judgment on you he says here's a way to confirm it you see it in verses 16 through 18 here's a sign that will confirm it at this time it's late May it's early June when it doesn't rain and there are no thunderstorms he said if God brings rain and thunder then it's going to demonstrate that what I'm saying to you is true and that you have sinned in the sight of the Lord by asking for a king what happens obviously is verse 18 it says the Lord sent thunder and rain the people greatly feared the Lord in Samuel and so what did they do verse 19 all the people said to Samuel pray for your servants to the Lord your God that we may not die for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves Samuel said to the people do not fear you have done all this wickedness yet do not turn aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart do not turn aside for then you would go after empty things which cannot deliver for they are nothing for the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake because it has pleased the Lord to make you his people moreover ask for me far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you but I will teach you the good in the right way only fear the Lord serve him in truth with all your heart for consider what great things he has done for you but if you still do wickedly you shall be swept away both you and your king I want you to notice something he doesn't minimize this notice verse 20 do not fear but he goes on to say you have done all this wickedness as a preacher of righteousness it would not be a good thing if he ignores his sin when righteousness is proclaimed sin is revealed he doesn't hide it he doesn't pretend that they're good and doing well because they're not so he says to them do not fear you have done all this wickedness yet do not turn aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart it's interesting that he repeats that later on in verse 24 fear the Lord serve him in truth with all your heart so he's saying to them you have sinned God is merciful follow him with all that's in you no where do you find in either the Old Testament nor the new any call from God any call from Jesus any call from the writers of the New Testament to a part time incomplete half hearted service to God no where do you find Jesus ever saying follow me when it's convenient or when you feel like it no where he said pick up your cross daily follow me he said love me more than you love your mom and your dad love me with all of your heart and pursue me with everything that's within that's Christianity anything less than that is watering down the gospel in the Old Testament as well as the new you have calls from God love me with all that is within you you are to have no false God no idols that in any way displace my relationship with you you see that in the Old Testament you see that in the new and so Samuel as a judge and prophet is simply reiterating what God has said from the beginning serve him with all of your heart get rid of the idols from your life because if you serve him God will bless you but if you choose to go otherwise and you turn aside to vain things God will deal with you because if you pursue the empty things they cannot profit eternally nor can they save you in difficult times the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 2 verses 27 and 28 said that the nation of Israel spoke to trees and said to the tree you are my father and to stones you gave birth to me they turned their back to me God says not their face but in the time of their trouble they'll say arise and save us but where are your gods that you have made for yourselves let them arise if they can save you in the time of your trouble for according to the nature of your cities are your gods oh Judah United States is very similar 9-1-1 hits before you know what churches are filled with people praying that only lasts a short time doesn't it earthquakes hit in California and you can expect the church to be filled the next Bible study we have because people are so afraid and then that fear dissipates and they go back to what they used to do churches are filled for services that are empty when things are going well the greatest test is in what you do under times of pressure and oppression because in times of pressure and oppression you end up going to church and calling on God the greatest tests are in times of prosperity and abundance of blessing because that's when we begin to take advantage of God and the ways of God that's when we begin to put other things in front of Him and that's when we find ourselves in position of saying God what happened where are you what's going on in my life and Samuel simply saying listen don't forsake the Lord follow Him closely with all of your heart because if you don't love Him and serve Him with all of your heart He will forsake you that's what he says if you still do wickedly you shall be swept away both you and your King you want the King you can have Him and as He's swept away you will be swept away with Him we as believers in the 21st century need to say Lord we will love you we will not turn aside from you we thank you for your compassion and your mercy your grace and your goodness towards us but we won't take that for granted and we're not going to take advantage of that because we understand what it costs to have a relationship with you it costs the blood of your son Jesus Christ we will not take that lightly we will love you and serve you and we're grateful for your mercy and goodness and so we ask God that you would work in us so that we might be faithful remain faithful and serve you with all that's within us because of all things that we know of you are most worthy to be served may we serve you with all that is in us and Father we ask that you would work in us today our hearts would be touched by you and that we would do those things that are pleasing to you and even as our eyes are closed and our heads are about perhaps I have some in this room right now the Holy Spirit is speaking to that you need to get right with God I want to pray for you right where you're at if you know the Holy Spirit is saying it's time you need to get right or come back to God come back to Jesus Christ I want to pray for you and if you need to and you need prayer would you raise your hand let me pray for you right where you're at right now just raise your hand Father you see these hands and you know the reasons why these hands are being raised to you you see their hearts you know the desire of their hearts you know the needs they have in their life and you know their prayer Lord to you and even now I'm asking that you would reach down touch them heal them forgive them have mercy on them and strengthen embolden reinstate them that they might walk with you from this day forward Lord faithfully loving and serving you with all that is within them thank you for your mercy and your grace thank you for the blood of Christ that washes us clean from all of our sin thank you for your powerful spirit who lives within us empowering us enabling us to serve you work in us now we pray Lord and we receive from you and thank you you can put your hands down and Jesus I ask that you keep moving in all of us to your glory in your name amen let's all stand so tonight I encourage you to be here for the evening service with the truth project if you're able to be with us on Wednesday that would be a blessing men looking forward to seeing you on Saturday at the men's breakfast if you haven't signed up please do and remember also fellas that there is a men's retreat coming up I'd love to have you spend the time with us there up in the mountain Father we ask that you'd work in us and through us and use us for your glory we're about to leave this place we're going to go into an area Lord that is in desperate need of light and salt I pray that we would be both Lord in a world of darkness and decay and I ask Lord that we would see that we do make impacts may the impact that we make be profitable for your kingdom use us Lord in the mission field we pray now in Jesus name amen God bless you