Sermon Central
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Book Of 1 Samuel
Contributed by Chris Appleby on Dec 29, 2002 (message contributor)
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1. Foundations Of Kingdom
Contributed on Dec 29, 2002
God uses the faithfulness of a woman to begin his work of bringing to fulfilment the promise to make Israel into a great nation.
Well, the story of the birth of Samuel has everything in it doesn’t it? It’d make a decent plot for a soap opera. There’s domestic strife. Elkanah lived at a time when it was common for a man to have 2 wives, and all the problems you might imagine arising in such a scenario happened. One wife, ...read more
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2. The Ark Is Returned And Samuel Leads Israel
Contributed on Jan 20, 2003
God’s sovereignty is shown in the way he brings the Ark back to Israel and in the way he brings victory over the Philistines
The Philistines have had the ark in their possession for 7 months. During that time they’ve suffered all sorts of disasters. People have broken out in lumps, some have died. At least one of their idols has been knocked down and destroyed. And eventually they decide it’s time to get rid of this ...read more
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3. Defeat For Israel, Victory For God
Contributed on Jan 20, 2003
ALthough Israel suffers a defeat, God is still in control
How can we tell the difference between a real God and a false god? How can you know that the God you worship is real? The Israelites and the Philistines both believed with great sincerity that the Gods they worshipped were real. The Israelites thought that if they brought the ark of the covenant ...read more
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4. The Call Of Samuel And The Fall Of Eli
Contributed on Jan 20, 2003
The Priesthood has failed so God raises up a prophet to bring his word to his people. God uses the circumstances of Hannah to bring about his plan.
I doubt that Samuel realised just what was in store for him as he began his service of God in the Temple with Eli. No doubt it began as a fairly simple routine of lessons and chores with plenty of time for games. As a young child he would have been looked after by the many people who worked and ...read more
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5. Saul For King!
Contributed on Feb 3, 2003
Saul is chosen to be King but noone knows. God works in secret and he works through the indwelling of his Holy Spirit to change Saul so he can be King.
If you were God, how would you respond to a people who refused your leadership and instead asked for a king to be given to them? You might expect that God would give them a hard time. Samuel certainly did! Or he might have given them someone they’d regret having as king just to teach them a lesson. ...read more
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6. Saul's Kingship Confirmed
Contributed on Apr 3, 2003
Our God is a God who uses even our rebelliousness to bring about his purposes for his people. The people have abandoned God as king, but he doesn’t abandon them. He continues to deliver them, now using the king they’ve asked for as the avenue through whic
If you thought it was hard to go from a monarchy to a republic, it seems it’s just as hard to go to a monarchy from a Theocracy. You would have to say that Saul has it hard. It takes him three goes before he’s really made king. But then again maybe he was hoping it was all a bad dream so he didn’t ...read more
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7. The Last Straw
Contributed on Apr 3, 2003
It wasn’t enough that Saul had Go’s Spirit within him. He also needed to respond to the Spirit’s prompting with obedience. We need to listen to God’s voice and respond as he would have us respond. "Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed tha
When you think about it, being a Christian is a simple thing at one level, but it’s a multifaceted thing at another. And it’s so easy to get confused about what matters. At one level all you need is faith in Jesus Christ. At another level you need to be in a Church, you need to read your Bible. You ...read more
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8. Saul's Failure
Contributed on Apr 3, 2003
Saul’s mistake was that he was more worried about his success than God’s glory. God became for him a means to an end, rather than an end in himself. So this is both warning and a challenge to us. Make sure that God is at the centre of our focus in everyth
On the surface, the story of Saul’s life is one of wars against his enemies, mostly victorious. But that’s just the setting for a much more significant drama that unfolds as his life as king progresses, a drama that involves his relationship with the God of Israel. It’s ironic that as the story ...read more
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9. A Boy With The Heart Of A King
Contributed on Apr 3, 2003
God looks on the heart not on the outside. The human ruler is at his most kingly when he bows before God, freely, willing, and out of love for God.
By Guerin Tueno What a disaster! King Saul has gone from being the golden boy of Israel to the John Elliot of the Old Testament. Saul’s reign was like a roller-coaster ride. Started low, but then he shot up as King, and then down again. He misunderstood who’s really in charge. God ...read more
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10. David & Goliath - The Battle Is The Lord's
Contributed on Apr 3, 2003
God is the one who saves, not by sword or spear, but by his power, by his word proclaimed in the gospel, by his Spirit who fills each one of us just as he filled David.
I guess this would be one of the best known, if not THE best known story in the Bible. In fact it’s so well known that David has become a metaphor for the victorious underdog. He’s the archetypal cutter down of tall poppies. The one who can overcome the greatest odds to win through to victory. But ...read more
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11. David And Jonathan
Contributed on Apr 3, 2003
Here is the story of a friendship that transcends personal ambition, family differences and even the circumstances of war. It’s a friendship based on a recognition of God’s will for his people Israel, expressed through one man, David. It’s a friendship th
Well, it’s been 3 weeks since we looked at the story of David and Goliath and a lot has happened since then. If you remember David came along at just the right time for Saul and the Israelite army. The Israelites were being humiliated by the Philistines and their champion Goliath, but David, with ...read more
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12. Witchcraft
Contributed on Apr 27, 2003
Saul continues to disobey God, this time by resorting to witchcraft. But God never abandons his people. He has a king prepared who’s a man after his own heart, who’ll restore the fortunes of Israel: David, the shepherd boy, who’s become a great warrior th
What we find as we read through the books of 1&2 Samuel is a mix of battle narratives and character studies. The action sequences are important because they show how the nation of Israel emerges as a force to be reckoned with, but often it’s in the character studies that we find the points of ...read more
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13. David, Man Of Renown
Contributed on Apr 27, 2003
Here is an example both of God’s providence and God’s grace in action as David’s wilderness years approach their conclusion.
What we find today is an example both of God’s providence and God’s grace in action as David’s wilderness years approach their conclusion. David has been with the Philistine king Achish on their way to attack Saul and his army, when God intervenes in a providential way to release David from his ...read more
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14. The Death Of Saul And The Life Of Christ
Contributed on Apr 27, 2003
In the short term Saul’s reign was a failure. But in the longer term God had a king in mind for Israel, who, through his death and resurrection, would bring the salvation, the leadership, the rule that the nation needed and who, in fact, would extend that
Well, today we come to the end of the history of Saul, Israel’s first king. The question that faces us as we think about the life of Saul, is just how much of a failure was it? And what’s more, did God make a mistake in making him king? In fact, should God have refused the Israelites request for a ...read more