This Congregation meets at: Sunday Bible Class at 10:00 am. Sunday Worship Service at 11:00 am. Sunday Night Worship service at 6:00 pm. Wednesday Night Bible Class at 7:00 pm. Please be so kind to turn off your cell phone. Let’s be reverent. We are worshipping God.

March Lesson # 28

1.Adam 7. Isaac. 13.Joseph 22. Phinehas 2. Cain 8. Jacob. 14. Aaron 23. Barak 3. Abel 9. Esau. 15. Nadab and 24. Balaam 4. Enoch 10. Reuben. 16. Moses 25. Achan 5. Noah 11. Simeon. 17. Joshua 26. Samuel 6. Abraham 12. Judah 18. Caleb 27. Eli 19. Gideon 28. ?? 19. Gideon 28. ?? 20. Samson 20. Samson 21. Jephthah 21. Jephthah We already studied:

Let’s Talk about

In his early years he was humble and practiced self control. 1 Samuel 10:22… “22 Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, "Has the man come here yet?" And the Lord answered, "There he is, hidden among the equipment.“ 1 Samuel 10:27… “27 But some rebels said, "How can this man save us?" So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

Profile: Saul, King of Israel The Son of Cis from Tribe of Benjamin The meaning of His name: Asked for or Demanded. From a good family Tall & Handsome His Reign Began Well King of Israel DisobedientKey word: Disobedient

1 Samuel 11:6,13… “6 Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused. 13 But Saul said, "Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the Lord has accomplished salvation in Israel." Was Saul a man of faith? Only a believer of God could speak in this way and Saul was a believer of the true God.

Problems Arise ~ 1 Samuel 13:5 – 14 ~ 5 Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. 7 And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8 Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9 So Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me." And he offered the burnt offering. 10 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.

11 And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 12 then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.' Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering." 13 And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you."

The Problem Only priests could offer sacrifices, but Saul chose to overlook this in an emergency.Only priests could offer sacrifices, but Saul chose to overlook this in an emergency. He assumed disobedience to God was justified by circumstances.He assumed disobedience to God was justified by circumstances. The real reason he chose to disobey: FearThe real reason he chose to disobey: Fear Consequence: “Your kingdom shall not endure.”Consequence: “Your kingdom shall not endure.”

Saul’s Specific Mission ~ 1 Samuel 15:1 – 3 ~ 1 Samuel also said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "

Saul’s Obedience (?) ~ 1 Samuel 15:7 – 9 ~ 7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Saul’s Specific Mission ~ 1 Samuel 15:1 – 3 ~ 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "

God’s View of Incomplete Obedience ~ 1 Samuel 15:10 ~ 10 Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. God said: I regret: to feel sorrow or remorse, a sense of loss, disappointment, dissatisfaction, etc. The Lord said: I REGRET. Christians let’s be careful no to disobey God, He might say the same about you and I

Confrontation ~ 1 Samuel 15:13 – 15 ~ 13 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord." 14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" 15 And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed."

Confrontation ~ 1 Samuel 15:22 – 25 ~ 22 So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king." 24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord."

Next time we offer something to God but that something is only half done, think in the words of Samuel: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? God is not pleased when we do, make or work in his kingdom but only half way.

Punishment ~ 1 Samuel 15:26 – 28 ~ 26 But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel." 27 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.

I hope that we can all see the lesson that I am trying to draw from this story. If we do not love God, God will then give his kingdom to other people that are worth it. He will give it to those who will love and take care of it. God will give his kingdom to better people if we are not in the position of following in his commands. Christians, we have been warned by the men of the Bible. This evening, do not follow Saul, Saul is not worthy of being imitated. He is the example of the rebels who do not heed the Word of the Lord.

The Problem Saul had clear instructions but rationalized his disobedience by saying that it resulted in a better situation – many great sacrifices to God!Saul had clear instructions but rationalized his disobedience by saying that it resulted in a better situation – many great sacrifices to God! The Lord: “Obeying is better than sacrifice.”The Lord: “Obeying is better than sacrifice.” Saul then gave the real reason for his disobedience: ‘Fear of the people’Saul then gave the real reason for his disobedience: ‘Fear of the people’ Saul took counsel of his fear, rather than of his faith, and suffered lasting consequences.Saul took counsel of his fear, rather than of his faith, and suffered lasting consequences.

Lessons For Us In the Lord’s Kingdom, the end does not justify the means. In the Lord’s Kingdom, the end does not justify the means. Fear is Satan’s weapon against Faith. Do not take counsel of your fears! Fear is Satan’s weapon against Faith. Do not take counsel of your fears! Effective Faith overcomes fear, putting in God’s hands the things I cannot control. Effective Faith overcomes fear, putting in God’s hands the things I cannot control. Fear is a weakness of Faith; Faith teaches us to wait for the salvation of the Lord. Fear is a weakness of Faith; Faith teaches us to wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.