Devote Yourself To God's Unfailing Leadership

Title: Devote Yourself to God’s Unfailing Leadership

Scripture: 1 Samuel 12

Theme: Devoting ourselves to God’s unfailing leadership

Thesis: “God will provide unfailing leadership for his devoted people. Here are 5 ways to (habits that) keep our devotion alive.

Restated:

These 5 habits are essential for the Christian/church who wants to experience the blessings of God’s unfailing leadership.

Aim: To motivate the church to submit to God’s leadership in this time of transition, and for life

Introduction

Dave’s sermon on “transitions”

• Helped us think of our role as people and as a church to do what needs to be done when our situation is less than perfect.

• This church HAS worked hard to carry on, to be creative, to look to Christ, to right some wrongs—you are to be commended and thanks be to God for his mercy on us and his desire to give us hope and a future when things look bleak

• Dave also pointed out two kings, an evil one—Ahaz, and a godly one, Hezekiah, showing what happens when leadership is God focused or not.

• Allusions by some of you that I am kind of like a king . . .

• Burger King Crown

• Alas, even that crown can’t hide that I am not a king

• Used to say: ask my wife (she will affirm I am not perfect)

• Now: just ask the Gregg’s—living in same house you can’t help but see all the strengths and many weaknesses of a person

• Nevertheless, in spite of my all too visible shortcomings, I thank you all for your encouragement, reinforcement, acceptance, love, help, reassurance, building up and on and on the list could go

• So, ready or not, HERE I AM

• I am glad to be called by you to be your preacher, to serve as a leader, to be alongside, and submitted to the elders, to be a servant for this congregation—I pray ours will be a fruitful collaboration

My first sermon:

• I want to call us—above all else—to keep our eyes and hearts focused on the One who truly satisfies and leads, and to commit to doing what it takes to keep that focus there

• God’s word is living and active, sharper than a two edged sword, and we are going to see today how what happened and what was said to a group of people 3,000 years ago applies to us today

• in 1 Samuel 12: turning point in Israel’s history: from “judges” to Kings.

Samuel was a man dedicated to God from birth who served as a judge who not only governed the people, but spoke as a prophet to turn the hearts of the people to their Lord, and helped lead them to victory in battles with their enemies.

Let’s pick up right after Samuel has given a testimony to the integrity of his leadership—and he begins to recount all the ways that God helped them, from Moses up to Samuel’s day.

1Sa 12:12 “But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king. (already had one! They forgot God)

1Sa 12:13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you.

1Sa 12:14 If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God—good!

1Sa 12:15 But if you do not obey the LORD, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

Throughout their history God had repeatedly helped his people

• they often got into “jams” because of their unfaithfulness

• when they turned back to God, He was there to give them the help they need

• Their memory of his help was often short lived

• Their devotion to his leadership was often lacking

Israel’s Problem: Rejecting God as their Leader (1 Samuel 12:6-13)

Israel’s Choice:

• Devote themselves to God’s leadership (1 Samuel 12:14)

• Rebel against God’s leadership (1 Samuel 12:15)

That is like how it is often today:

• God desires to be the leader of his people (all those imperfect and smelly sheep—us—that he calls his flock), and in all generations has been faithful in leading those committed to him, regardless of their circumstance.

• But we have the same choice: devote ourselves to HIM or rebel against him

Monroe Christian Church is at a new stage in our history

• Where does our confidence lie? Where is our hope?

o For Israel, it was in a man: a king like everybody else.