Bunbury
Sun am
30/01/2011
“Watch out for the wrong turns”
Intro: Saul was a man who had great potential ………. Not only this but God had made great promises to him.
But when we look at the end of Saul’s life we see that somewhere he went tragically wrong.
As a young man the prophet Samuel is sent to anoint him as leader & king of God’s people.
But as we read the end of his story we see him backslidden, away from God, his life ending in a way God never intended.
Saul’s life stands as a warning to us!
IF IT HAPPENED TO A MAN OF GREAT PROMISE LIKE SAUL ……. IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!
His life offers us some valuable lessons!
When we look at the life of Saul what we see is a series of wrong turns that he never corrected / made right.
Making a wrong turn / bad decision is something any one of us can / does do but the real failure is the failure to correct them.
So t/m we want to consider how the life of a man like Saul ended up in such a dark & hopeless alley.
T/m I want to preach a sermon called ‘Watch out for the wrong turns’.
Text: (1 Sam 31:1-6 NKJV) Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. {2} Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons. {3} The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers. {4} Then Saul said to his armorbearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me." But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. {5} And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him. {6} So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day.
This was not the way God intended for Saul & his sons to end their lives!
We learn some lessons from this man & the series of wrong turns he took throughout his life.
# 1. Wrong turns.
*** One day after picking my dad up from Sydney airport – took a wrong turn. We got lost in Sydney for about 3 hours! A lot of time spent driving round in circles in frustration …. All b/c of a wrong turn!
A. We need to firstly establish the fact that we all make wrong turns in life.
1. Saul’s crime was not simply the fact that he made some wrong turns in his life.
a.) We all do this ……… we’ve all made some bad decisions from time to time.
b.) We can all look back & see things in our past that we regret – wish we could go back & change.
c.) If you’re expecting to make it through life w/o making some wrong turns you are going to be disappointed.
2. In fact when we think about it the Bible full of accounts of people who made wrong turns.
a.) It almost immediately begins w/ a wrong turn in the garden of Eden.
Genesis 3:6 (NKJV) 6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
b.) From here the wrong turns kept coming …….
c.) If you ever want to read a book about human mistakes then you only have to go as far as the Bible!
d.) Be prepared to make some wrong turns …….. you won’t get through life w/o making a few.
B. The real problem w/ a wrong turn in life is – not correcting it!
1. You can expect to make some wrong turns in life but the question is … are you ready to correct them?
a.) It’s not the wrong turns of our lives that destroy us ………. It’s our unwillingness to correct those wrong turns!
b.) B/c that always requires us to humble ourselves.
c.) The question is when you make them are you willing to confess them & do something about them?
# 2. Saul’s wrong turns.
A. Wrong turn No 1. – not being patient w/ God’s way.
1. God has his own way ……… & his own time in which he does things.
a.) We’ve all heard that scripture in Isaiah that says ……
(Isa 55:8-9 NKJV) "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. {9} "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
b.) Even though we may have heard this many times we still get impatient w/ God’s way of doing things.
2. God had called Saul to go & fight his enemies ……. But he wanted him to do it HIS WAY ….. not Saul’s way.
a.) Here’s the instruction God gives to Saul.
(1 Sam 10:8 NKJV) "You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do."
b.) God said to Saul through the prophet Samuel ….. THIS IS MY WAY OF DOING IT.
c.) But Saul was impatient & wanted to do it his way instead of God’s way!
(1 Sam 13:8-9 NKJV) 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.
3. But right after Saul did it his way instead of God’s way Samuel came to announce that God’s time had come.
(1 Sam 13:10-11 NKJV) 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,
(1 Sam 13:13 NKJV) 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.
a.) As we see in this first wrong turn Saul made ………… God’s time was just around the corner when he made his first wrong move.
Vs 10. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering,…….
b.) How many of us have made that same wrong turn ….. finding out that all we had to do was wait a little bit longer.
c.) I wonder how many times someone has married the wrong person / taken the wrong job / stayed home when they should have heard from God the next step???
B. Wrong turn No. 2 – being partly obedient to God.
1. When we are only partly obedient to God we make a big mistake …….. Saul’s next wrong turn was partial obedience to God.
(1 Sam 15:11 NKJV) "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."
(1 Sam 15:13-14 NKJV) 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?"
a.) YOU’LL NOTICE THAT SAUL WASN’T TOTALLY DISOBEDIENT TO GOD HERE!
2. There are many believers who have been lost b/c of the wrong turn of almost being obedient to God.
(Mark 10:21-22 NKJV) Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." {22} But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
a.) Here was a man who was almost obedient to God …….. yet he missed out on heaven!
Mark 12:34 (NKJV) 34Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” ……
b.) Paul tells us about another man who was almost obedient to God.
(Acts 26:28 NKJV) Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian."
c.) Paul was testifying to king Agrippa & he almost surrendered Christ …. He was almost obedient!
3. Partly obedient to God is as bad as disobedience to God!
a.) God didn’t see Saul as nearly making a right turn …. He said you’ve taken a complete wrong turn!
(1 Sam 15:23 NKJV) 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."
b.) The impt lesson we learn from Saul … stubbornness w/ God is like falling on your face b/4 an idol!
C. Wrong turn No 3. – treating God’s people badly.
1. When we don’t treat our brother / sis right we have just taken a major wrong turn!
a.) God’s greatly interested in how we treat our brethren ….it is the second great commandment.
(Mat 22:37-39 NKJV) Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' {38} "This is the first and great commandment. {39} "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
b.) Jesus says only your relationship w/ God is more impt than your relationship w/ your fellow man!
2. This is where Saul took his next wrong turn.
a.) Saul’s men had been fighting for him but he doesn’t value his relationships w/ his men!
(1 Sam 14:24 NKJV) And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food.
b.) Instead of being thankful for the sacrifice his men were making Saul was laying curses on them!!!
3. When you love your bro / sis you’ll be careful about how you treat them.
(1 Sam 14:43-44 NKJV) Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, and said, "I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. So now I must die!" {44} And Saul answered, "God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan."
a.) Saul made harsh & unreasonable demands upon his relationships.
b.) And when those demands couldn’t be met Saul was ready to cut off the relationship.
** Luis Palau writes: What a weird thing to do! While Jonathan was out fighting his heart out, claiming the strength of God to scatter the enemy, Saul was dreaming up oaths & curses that God never demanded. Saul thought he was acting spiritual, but he was just acting! He was completely out of touch with God!
D. Wrong turn No 4 – building a monument to h/s.
1. Don’t lose sight of the fact that we are called to build God’s kingdom …… not ours!
a.) T.B.S. that Saul built a monument to h/s.
(1 Sam 15:12 NKJV) So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself ………..
b.) Saul’s desire in life was to build a monument to himself ……….. Saul wanted Saul to remembered – not what God had done through Saul.
*** During the days of Charles Spurgeon there were many great preachers …… and often after out of a service people could be heard saying things like what a wonderful sermon!
But Spurgeon was so focused on giving the glory to God that when people walked out of one of his services they would say …………..What a wonderful Jesus!
2. Judas betrayed Jesus & sold him for 30 pieces of silver b/c Judas was building a monument to h/s.
a.) He wasn’t concerned about building the everlasting K. of G. ………. So he sold the Son of God for 30 pieces of silver.
b.) At times the other disciples showed they had the same ambitions.
(Mat 20:20-21 NKJV) Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. {21} And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."
c.) On another occasion we read how ……….
(Mark 9:33-34 NKJV) Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?" {34} But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.
d.) If your going to build a monument, build a monument to God …… not y/s!
E. Wrong turn No 5 – disloyalty & jealousy.
1. Saul was disloyal & jealous of the very ones who helped him.
a.) This was one of the tragic wrong turns he made in his life ………. The ones that helped him the most were the ones he was jealous of & disloyal to.
b.) Listen to what happened to Saul’s heart.
(1 Sam 18:6-11 NKJV) Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. {7} So the women sang as they danced, and said: "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands." {8} Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?" {9} So Saul eyed David from that day forward. {10} And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul's hand. {11} And Saul cast the spear, for he said, "I will pin David to the wall!" But David escaped his presence twice.
c.) David had just killed Goliath & literally saved Israel from defeat……but how is Saul treating him?
2. Saul was willing to be disloyal to his friends / family / those that helped him just to get what he wanted.
a.) And when we do this we are making a tragic wrong turn.
b.) Even Saul’s own son Jonathan was expendable.
(1 Sam 20:32-33 NKJV) And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, "Why should he be killed? What has he done?" {33} Then Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.
# 3. The beauty of brokenness.
A. Why did Saul’s life end in tragedy?
1. When we look at the life of David we find that he made some mistakes that were far worse than Saul.
a.) David’s wrong turns seemed far more serious than those of Saul…….. think about some of the wrong turns David made.
2. First wrong turn David made …….. Adultery!
(2 Sam 11:1-5 NKJV) It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. {2} Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. {3} So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" {4} Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. {5} And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, "I am with child."
a.) While Uriah is fighting the battles of his king David is sleeping w/ his wife ……… MAJOR WRONG TURN!
3. Second wrong turn …….. murder!
a.) David couldn’t cover the sin w/ Bathsheba so he arranged for the murder of her husband – Uriah.
(2 Sam 11:14-17 NKJV) In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. {15} And he wrote in the letter, saying, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die." {16} So it was, while Joab besieged the city, that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were valiant men. {17} Then the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
b.) This wrong turn was far more serious than any that Saul ever made!
c.) When we look at David’s life we see that it was full of wrong turns!!!
In raising his children – Amnon who raped his sister wasn’t disciplined.
Absalom was able to murder his brother & go unpunished.
David numbered Israel – against God’s command.
B. The difference was – David would come b/4 God in broken repentance when he made a wrong turn.
1. Look at the difference between these two men.
a.) When Saul made a wrong turn …… look at how he responded, we don’t see any sign of repentance.
(1 Sam 15:30 NKJV) Then he said, "I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God."
b.) When he disobeyed God in the sacrifice he blamed Samuel / the army / Philistines everyone but h/s!
(1 Sam 13:11-12 NKJV) 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."
c.) When Saul went against the Amalekites again he failed by saving what God told him to destroy.
(1 Sam 15:14-15 NKJV) 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."
d.) Samuel I’ve only done this so we could make a sacrifice to God!
2. When we look at David’s reaction to his wrong turns we see a repentant & broken heart b/4 God.
a.) When David made a tragic wrong turn in committing adultery ……. Look at his response.
(2 Sam 12:13 NKJV) So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
b.) In the Psalms was get a glimpse of the real brokenness of David’s heart when he writes ……
(Psa 51:1-4 NKJV) Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. {2} Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. {3} For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. {4} Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight; That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.
(Psa 51:10-11 NKJV) Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. {11} Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
c.) Saul’s greatest fear was that his sins would be found out ………
d.) David’s greatest fear was that God would take his presence way from him!
e.) There was a brokenness in his heart when he was brought face to face w/ his sins.
C. Your wrong turns don’t have to be fatal!
1. God knows you’re going to make some wrong turns in life!
a.) But those wrong turns don’t have to be the end of you.
b.) When we do make a wrong turn God is looking for brokenness & repentance in our lives.
c.) David summed it all up when he said ………
(Psa 51:17 NKJV) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart; These, O God, You will not despise.
