The Story | Week 10: When God Isn't Enough

Last week's sermon where we talked about Ruth and Naomi and Boaz, and and saw the commitment that Ruth had to her her mother-in-law. And where we left off last week was a preview. For those of us who know the story of scripture, right? That that at the end of all of this, Naomi is... She's come out of tremendous loss, losing her husband and both of her sons.

But at the end, she's holding a I guess what she would consider as a a grandbaby and that baby is in the lineage of King David, we find out, right? And of those of us who know the rest of the story, who is in the lineage of Jesus? Right. And so we get from that just a a view of God's plan continues on. We have to keep that in mind because as you've seen in the story of the judges, the cycle keeps continuing, right?

Just like it often does in our own lives. There are some days, weeks, months where you feel very close to God. Things are going well. Maybe I'm attending church. I'm going to small group.

Maybe I'm listening to Christian music on the radio like I've I've just got it. I mean, it's all over my life. And that may feel different. And then all of a sudden, something happens and throws you off course. And all of a sudden, you didn't plan it, but you realize I've drifted away, And the cycle continues.

And so I've encouraged you as we've gone through this to kind of, alright, let's look in the mirror as well, right? We... I don't think what we can do and be fair is just point our fingers and go, how in the world did they not? Because I would imagine if they were able to be in the room with us right now, they could point the finger at us really easily and go, how in the world could you not? Fill in the blank, right?

And so today, we are studying over the story of Samuel and the story of Saul. And so as a boy, Samuel heard the Lord call his name, which is interesting. Those of you who have grown up Church of Christ probably the vast majority of you to to hear someone say, I heard the lord call my name. You immediately go, yeah, I don't know about that. Is that fair?

Yes. That's fair? Okay. I have not personally heard the lord call my name or speak. I have felt things that I could not explain and I knew exactly what the feeling meant to do.

Those of you who've been here while you've heard my story, I'll make it real quick. I was the first time I ever got asked to do a revival. We call them gospel meetings. If you're not a... How many of you are didn't grow up in Church of Christ?

Did not. Okay. So, several of you. Okay. I I actually love mixed groups like this because we get to explain things.

Alright. Gospel meetings for us were to gather again for a longer period of time and talk about the same thing we always talk about in the first place. Okay? That's what that's what a gospel meeting was. But the first time I got asked to do one, I I was preaching and...

So we... I didn't have a lot of family around, but we we were close with our neighbors. And, while I was in the midst of that, I was sitting in mom's house, and I got ill in a way that, like, I can't explain. Like, I was sick to my stomach. I knew in that moment I had to go to my neighbor's house and invite her back to church.

Their family used to fill up a pew, and they had dwindled to where only the grandfather had come and he had passed away. And I knew in that moment, I didn't hear god's voice but I knew if I didn't do this, I was going to remain ill. I cannot tell you other than that, that's what happened. And so I went and talked to we called her Mama Sue, and I had a great conversation, just talked about whatever. Just asked her, said, hey, would you ever consider going back to church?

Yeah, I'll think about it. I told her I loved her. We prayed together. I went to church that night and I said, you know what? I talked to her.

She's she's going to she's going to come back to church. She's going to rededicate her life and I was wrong. She didn't. But she did the next week, and she was faithful till she passed just a few months ago. And I can't tell you anything other than that.

And if you want to be skeptical about my story, I understand. I grew up like you. But to hear Samuel, you know, talking about or hearing the voice of god is something special and I and I would I would imagine if we had the ears to hear. Now, I think we were a lot of us were trained not to hear. I'll be honest but I think we had the ears to hear.

I think we probably heard god more than we maybe even recognize. Maybe we've heard god through the the power of the holy spirit telling you not to do something. Ever been there? Amen. Yeah.

And so, when when Samuel's having this this episode, I don't know if that's the right word. When he's having this this you know, talking without hearing god's voice and wondering, what is this? I think I can relate to that. Alright, I'm trying to figure this out. And sometimes we just need to have our ears open.

Let's let's let's hear what god has to say. But Samuel learned to to listen and and he said, speak for your servant hears. Now, that's a different posture than a lot of us grew up with. I grew up with god doesn't speak unless you read it from the Bible. So, I'm not listening for anything and I'm guessing we won't hear if we're not listening.

Fair enough? But Samuel learns to say, speak for your servant hears. I am listening, lord. Tell me. Now, that's a scary proposition, isn't That's like praying god use me because I already know all the ways that I don't want god to use me and how I can't help him, right?

This is scary but he he learns to say, speak for your servant hears and he shows a willingness and so later on, when the Philistines threatened Israel, Samuel called the people to turn away from idols and come back to god. Just as he had learned to listen to the lord, he's trying to urge the people to come back to god. Now, they did and god delivered them. You see how the cycle keeps coming on. God's helping out.

Alright, we're coming back to god but as time passes, again, Samuel grows old. His sons didn't follow his example. They accepted bribes. They perverted justice. It was apparent to everyone.

They weren't following god and everything changes again. We're gonna start this morning in first Samuel eight verses four through nine. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, behold, you are old. I wish they just stopped there. Right?

You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, obey the voice of the people in all they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.

According to all of these that they have done from day, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice. Only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them. I'm gonna skip down to, verse 19. But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, no.

But there shall be a king over us that we also may be like all the nations and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles. And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, obey their voice and make them a king. Samuel then said to the men of Israel, go every man to his city. Now, hopefully, few things jumped out to you in that.

Number one, they are asking, we want a king like everyone else. Now, how many of you parents have had that talk with your kids? Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean you should. Is there any other nation that should have been looking at their situation going, you know, what we need around here is a king to do everything for us. Do you think they had forgotten their history?

I think they have. What have you done for us lately? We're looking around. Things have changed. Yeah.

God has brought them through all these things. I mean, just think in the few weeks we've studied this. Right? This is week 10. All the ways that God has shown up, and they look around and think, okay.

We want a a king to handle this like all the other nations. Part of the issue Samuel has with it is they're rejecting him. Right? But God says, don't worry about that. What they're what they're doing is rejecting me as God because God has been in the place where where now they want a king.

And and what they're essentially saying is God is not enough for me. Now, I could preach a thousand sermons on that sentence right there. In the way we hold ourselves back, in the way we think, Oh, that's impossible. I could never... Is we're really saying, God is not enough for me.

That's what they're saying though. And and so God is encouraging Samuel, listen, they're just rejecting me as their king. But he says, listen, remind them what a king will do. Now in scripture, we already kind of know what a king will do. Back in Deuteronomy, I'm gonna read for you.

Deuteronomy 17 and verse 14. Some people think this is God preparing that eventually there will be a king. Some people think that that that that's, you know, what he's setting up or at least giving a provision that it could happen. It says, when you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you and you possess it and dwell in it and say, I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me. Sound familiar?

Because you're gonna do it. I'm influenced by what other people do. Tyler texted about wearing a vest. I'm wearing a vest today. Somebody asked me what it feels like to wear a vest.

I said, It's kind like a hug. You know, you're warm here. You got your arms free. It's like a hug. I'm...

I am impacted by the people around me. Yes? Both positively and negatively. Yes? You can be in a positive environment right now, and things may be looking up.

You may go to a job that's very negative this week and and really turn you in a direction you don't wanna go. Yeah? But it says when I I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me, you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers, you shall set a king over you. You you may not put a foreigner over you who is not your brother.

Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses since the Lord has said to you, you shall never return that way again. And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. I mean, money doesn't change people. Right? And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law approved by the Levitical priest, and it shall be with him.

And he shall read it, all the days of his life that he that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers and that he may not turn aside from the commandment either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children in Israel. Do you see? Alright. There are some parameters. If you ever have a king, this is what it should look like.

You you shouldn't acquire all this wealth. You shouldn't have a bunch of women influencing you away from God. And and if you have a king, what he should do, a big focus of his life should be reading the words of God. To be someone... Let let's go a little deeper than that because sometimes we get a little superficial.

Oh, he he... I I say this a lot, but people who can quote scripture, and that's great. I I love quoting scripture, and I am impressed when people can quote a lot of it, but I'm much more impressed when your life is changed by it. So not just reading it, being transformed by it. Right?

You you see, not above your brothers. This is gonna impact you. You're you're gonna be reading this day in and day out, and so that's what god says, back in Deuteronomy. God allows them to proceed and he also warns them that kings will make demands. He says this, a king can take sons in the military service, take daughters into royal service, and take the resources of families for his own administration.

Thank goodness. We've got that beat, right? You get all your money every paycheck? No, I wish I had more control over mine, right? If you could yell at the Israelites right now, you would say, keep your money.

Right? Because the king's gonna take it. And that's what God warns in this is that you you have this picture. Again, they they want somebody to fight their battles for them, to stand up for them, to do all of these things. You have this picture in your mind, but it's gonna be way different than than what you believe.

But the people hear this warning and they insist. So the question is, what kind of king will they have? Down to first Samuel nine and verse 15. Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel, tomorrow about this time, I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people, Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of Philistines, for I have seen my people because their cry has come to me.

When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, here is the man of whom I spoke to you. He it is who shall restrain my people. Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, tell me, where is the house of the seer? Samuel answered Saul, I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place for today you shall eat with me.

In the morning, I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. As for your donkeys, and that's what Saul is doing, he's looking for these lost donkeys, that were lost three days ago. Do not set your mind on them for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's house?

Saul answered, am I not a Benjaminite from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way? And so this first conversation with Saul is not a a man after power. Right?

He's simply looking for some lost donkeys and all of a sudden has this encounter with Samuel who's telling him these things that he's going, who am I for all of this? Sounds like Gideon, doesn't it? I'm the humblest. I'm from the least of these. And so Saul really has no idea.

He has no plans for power. Right? He has no idea what is even coming here. But the... As we read scripture, we find out that Saul is kind of this tall and impressive guy.

When I've preached this before, I heard one time in in, the business world that, some people, they like a tall CEO. Okay. Could a tall CEO be good? Sure. Could he be terrible?

Yes. Could a five nine gentleman be a good CEO? I think so. I think so. Right?

What does that have to do with him? Sometimes we are impressed by the superficial, aren't we? Katie's family got a lot of tall people in it. Her brother's about six six, and he said, you know that all that that height is good all the way through high school. After that, it's just in the way.

Everything hurts then. You know, in high school, you can play all the sports, do all that stuff. After that, what does that have to do with anything? Right? But but if a if a tall man walks through, especially over a certain height, we'd all stop him and say, how tall are you, right?

How tall are you? Especially you get get six six or higher, especially if you get sick. We've got somebody in the family that's about six nine. Every time he walks in, you're thinking, it's gotta be seven foot six. You know, it just it's way on up there.

But but anyway, sometimes we are impressed with the the superficial, and and that is what Saul is. He's a tall man. He's impressive to look at. And we we go on to first Samuel 10 and verse nine. It says, when he turns back to leave Samuel, god gave him another heart.

Notice that. And all these signs came to pass that day that Samuel had told him. Now, Samuel called the people together, the lord at mitzvah, He said to the people of Israel, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel. I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you. Alright.

We've been through ten weeks. How many times has God had to remind the people what happened? Every single time. That is exactly right. Just like we need reminders.

Right? Remember what god has done for you and that's what he does here. All the kingdoms that were oppressing you but today, you have rejected your god who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses and you have said to him, set a king over us. We don't God's not enough. We need a king.

Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands. Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by Lot. He brought the tribe of Benjamin nearby its clans, and the clan of the, metrites, I don't know, was taken by Lot. Saul, the son of Kish, was taken by Lot. But when they sought him, they...

And he could not be found. So they inquired again of the Lord, Is there a man still to come? And the Lord said, Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage. Israel says, We want a king to fight all our battles for us, and the king they're gonna get is found hiding among the luggage. Gonna be real good.

Right? Starting out on the right foot. Says, then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. In verse 24, and Samuel said to all the people, do you see him whom the Lord has chosen?

There is none like him among all the people, and all the people shouted, long live the king. Now, I don't know how much luggage it would take to cover a man who's described as taller than everybody else, But I would imagine he didn't trip and fall into that situation. What do you think? I don't think his little stumble and oh, I'm covered up by all this baggage. I think he was hiding.

He didn't want anything to do with whatever's going. I think those words of Samuel that that god was going to work in his life look got to him. Right? What am I going to do now? Oh, I'm going to hide under this baggage.

What a way to start and and what Israel wants and again, god has already warned them what you think you want is not going to be what happens. Your picture of a king is not going to be what a king is like. In first Samuel 11, starting in verse five, now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen, and Saul said, what is wrong with the people that they are weeping? So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. And the spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.

So they tell him the story, that these people are in trouble, and and Saul is upset. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messenger saying, whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel show up, so shall it be done to his oxen. We're gonna cut up your oxen too. How 'd you like to get that message in the mail? Right?

And so he says, then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. Then he mustered them at Bezek. The people of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah, 30,000. And they said to the messengers who had come, thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, tomorrow by the time the sun is high, you shall have salvation. When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad.

Therefore, the men of Jabesh said, tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you. And the next day, Saul put the people in three companies, and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning, watched and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered so that no two of them were left together. Then the people said to Samuel, who is it that said, shall Saul reign over us? Bring them in 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 worked salvation in Israel. So after Saul is successful in all of this, there is a group that says, alright, what we ought to do to defend our king is anybody who didn't want Saul to be king, let's kill him. And Saul immediately says, no, we're not going to do this. He he recognizes, I think, in this moment that the lord has given them the deliverance. It's not just him And we can we can often get that confused.

Right? I put out the work. I was a part of this, and so I give myself the credit. But I think in this moment, he sees God has done this work. The Lord has brought about deliverance.

And so god has chosen Saul. He equipped him. He gives him this opportunity to lead and he is successful, right? He calls out the people. They are successful and and so for a time, it seems like, okay, this is going to go okay.

After a rocky start, this is going to go okay but of course, those of us who know the story know the cycle continues. So, we go to chapter 13 and verse five and the Philistines mustered the fight with Israel 30, zero chariots and 6,000 horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. Now we live in a time where if we wanna go to war with somebody, we put a drone in the air. Nobody's on it. You know, it's it's like we have distanced ourselves.

I don't know what this looked like or felt like or smelled like or... Can you imagine this? That's a lot of people. I've been in stadiums with with this many. I can't imagine if they were on on chariots and horses headed at me.

Right? Most of the time, I'm cheering at something, during this. But this is something that I would imagine would be just absolutely terrifying. It says they came up and encamped in Michmash to the East of Beth Haven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble, for the people were hard pressed, the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns.

And some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. Now in this scenario, Saul has been told, you've gotta wait on Samuel. You're gonna have an opportunity to make this sacrifice to God.

You need to wait on Samuel but you can see in the midst of all this, Saul is probably pacing a lot. He's he's he didn't he may not had a fidget spinner but he had something, right? He was worried. Something was going on. Alright.

Well, I I wait seven days to the the time appointed by Samuel. It says, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal and the people were scattering from him. So, Saul said, bring the burnt offering here to me and the peace offerings And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. I don't know what what reaction he had, but he had to at least think, uh-oh.

But then Saul went out to meet him and greet him. Now notice what what happens here. Samuel said, what have you done? Don't read that flatly. You know good and well.

He was looking at him dead in his eye saying, what have you done? And Saul said, when I saw that the people were scattering for me and that you did not come within the days appointed... Has nothing to do with me. Right? It was your fault.

You didn't show up. And that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord, so I forced myself and offered the burnt offering. That's an interesting way to say I did what I wanted to do in this moment. Right? I I forced myself.

And Samuel said to Saul, you have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever, but now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. In that moment, Saul was facing a lot of pressure, wasn't he?

Pressure was on. I've got to make a decision. I know what I'm supposed to do, but in the moment, I I I'm thinking I've gotta change this up. I need to go ahead and do it. He he says, I wanted to to get the favor of the lord but in doing so, he ignored what the lord had said.

We talk and I I think I've mentioned it to you before. We we talk a lot of times about in in my soccer coaching about pressure. Mike Tyson famously said, everybody has a plan until they get hit in the mouth. Right? In in soccer, one of my coaches I trained under, he said a skill is not a skill until you can do it under pressure and so I I teach my kids that.

We will learn new skills. We will learn new moves and I I tell them, you know, start out slow and all that. But but they all know if I start the sentence, a skill is not a skill until what? You do it under pressure. Every one of them can tell you, all these nine year olds.

Because that's what it takes. Right? You can know something, but what happens when pressure is applied? Do you still know it? Are you still confident in it?

Can you pull it off or do you have that that flight? Uh-oh. I can't do it anymore. I need to change things up and that's what I think we see with Saul here as as Samuel gets on him and says, okay, you were supposed to wait. He you felt compelled.

I've gotta do it. The pressure was on but now, Saul is gone and he is Samuel puts it, is not going to remain the king of Israel. Now, in we skip down to chapter 15, Samuel said to Saul, the Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. Now, therefore, listen to the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, I have noticed what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt.

Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. Now that is not a a pretty sight, is it? None of that is. I don't like it.

But it's very plain what to do. And the problem is that Saul, again, becomes disobedient to what God has said. And so earlier when we... We could make a lot of excuses why Saul offered that sacrifice early. Right?

But I think what scripture is revealing is there's a there's a heart issue in all of this. This is not an accident. There there's an issue within Saul that I I just don't always follow what god has told me to do and so he tells him to do all of this. It said, and Saul defeated the Amalekite Amalekites from Havilah as far as sure people with the edge of the sword. Now he's supposed to kill all the people, and now the king is alive.

But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and of the lambs and all that was good and would not utterly destroy them. What was he supposed to do? Kill them all. Well, know, why would you kill all the things that are good though. Right?

Alright. If we just spitballed ideas, right, well, why would... You know, this is good stuff. They lived they lived in a time where you didn't run down to Walmart or HEB and get all this food. Why in the world, God, would I destroy all that?

We can we can come up with reasons why that's not a good idea. Right? And that's exactly what's happening here. It says all that was despised and worthless, they devoted to destruction. I didn't need it.

I don't know it didn't have any value to me. My wife does that every time she tries to put up my stuff or tries to sell my stuff. It has no value to her, so it's very, very cheap. Like, you cannot sell it for that cheap. We have to up the price.

Every time we we list on Facebook Marketplace, she says, I'm thinking this, and I about have to triple it. Okay? And then and then I still sell it immediately. That's how that's how low it was. But all the stuff that is useless or worthless devoted to destruction.

The word of the Lord came to Samuel, I regret that I have made Saul king. Oh. That's tough. I hope I never hear from the Lord. I regret that I made John x y z.

Well, that's what he says. For he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments. And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.

And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord. We found out that was a lie. Right? But that's what he leads with.

Oh, I... He was successful. Right? He defeated them, but performed the commandment of the Lord. Samuel's no dummy.

Right? He might have been born at night, but it wasn't last night. And he says, what then is this bleeding of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear? I mean, that that was offensive to Samuel for him to even say it because everything's right in front of me that I see telling me, no, you didn't. You ever had one of your kids lie to you, and it was so apparent?

Maybe you even caught them, they didn't know you'd caught them. But the lie continues on. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Let's let's keep talking about it.

What is this? Tell me about it. That's what I I think right here in this scenario. Saul said, they they have brought them from the Amalekites. What's the issue there?

Wasn't me. They did it. What we need more in church and in leadership in general is take responsibility for what you do. Everything doesn't need to be blamed on someone else. All it was then.

I didn't have it. You think we're dumb? And so people can see through that, right? Alright. Well, they brought him back from Amalekites for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, the people did, to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.

So now the king is kind of a hands off kind of king. Right? I get all the credit. I performed the commandments of the Lord. But as soon as he's called out on it, they did all of this stuff.

Yeah? Then Samuel said to Saul, stop. I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night. And he said to him, speak. And Samuel said, though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel?

Are you not the king? The Lord anointed you king over Israel, and the Lord sent you on a mission and said, go devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed. Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord? And Saul said to Samuel, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord.

I have gone on the mission on which the Lord had sent me. I have brought Agag, the king of Amalek, and I have devoted Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord, your God and Gilgal. And Samuel said, has the has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? So we just sacrifice and that's all he cares about.

Let... Let's just ignore the fact that you ignored what he wanted. All he desires is that you sacrifice. Is that what is that what you're saying? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.

To obey is better than sacrifice and to listen than the fat of ram. He said, you've got it all messed up. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king. Samuel does not let Saul off the hook with this.

Now, this is an issue. Right? We... I think we all need somebody in our life that'll hold our feet to the fire. And that's what...

Whether whether or not he knew he he needed it in the moment, that's what Saul needed. Because it's all I did what I'm supposed to do but they, well, who's the leader of this? And he wants to put the onus on all of them and I think Saul's story is tragic because we know what it could have been, right? Sitting on this side of it, we know. And again, I wanna I wanna give us pause because other people could look at our lives and go, boy, that could have been something.

But they turned away from god. They didn't listen to him. They, said god wasn't enough in my life. So the question for us is not whether or not we'll ever feel afraid or feel like the moment's too big. If you do anything great in this life, you're going to feel all those pressures.

I'll be honest with you, I'm a preacher, I'm a soccer coach. My wife said the other day, she said, Why are you involved in all these things that just bring on criticism? Which is a fair question. But you know, anything you do in this life that that if you want to help people, if you want to try and lead people, anything like that, coaching, that invites criticism. Do I like it?

Absolutely not. But I feel like God is calling me to something, and it's not that I'm big enough for the moment, it's that I follow God and He is. And I can make... I can get through it. I don't have to like every day.

I don't have to like every comment. I don't I don't know if you know this, but coaches make mistakes. Do you know that? If you didn't know that, I've got some parents that'll probably tell you. We're gonna feel afraid.

You're gonna face criticism, but that's okay. God is with you. I I wanna end with this this morning. First Samuel 12 verse 20 through 24. And Samuel said to the people, do not be afraid.

1 Samuel 12:20–24

You have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver for they are empty. Now I'm gonna let you fill in the blank of what that looks like in your life because for all of us, it could be different. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart, for consider what great things he has done for you. Now that's a scripture worthy of being on a wall somewhere. Right? Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart, for consider what great things he has done for you. Follow God.

Some days, it's gonna feel a lot easier than others. Follow God. Put your trust in him, and watch what God can do with those situations that you think are impossible. We'd love to pray with you this morning. If you have any need, you'd like to pray about something that's going on in your life or somebody needs healing and we need to go to god, our great physician, let's do that.

If you haven't put on Christ in baptism and need to begin that walk with him today, I know it's a little cooler. We've got hot tubs. We can make it happen. Hopefully, we're not going back down to Jean's Power Sports for today. But I'll make you a deal.

If that's where you wanna do it, I'm in. Everybody else gonna be with me? Don't leave here today off the path away from god. Get on the path toward him and making that relationship right. Would you come as we stand and as we sing?