Obedience Is Better than Sacrifice
May 2, 2011 Evening Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: Partial obedience is disobedience.
Focus Passage: I Samuel 15:1-23
Supplemental Passage: John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Introduction: Relate the made-up story of the boss who went overseas and sent letters back to his employees about how to run the business. When he returned, he found the employees had valued the letters, even memorizing some, but failed to do any of the instructions he sent.
I. Partial Obedience is disobedience
a. Samuel reminds Saul that God sent Samuel to appoint Saul king and that here’s the command of God: kill everything
b. Saul saves the best and spares the life of the king
II. Disobedience is as bad as witchcraft or idolatry
a. Saul set up a monument to himself
b. Saul put on a parade to show off the spoils and the captured king
c. When he saw Samuel, he blessed him for giving him God’s command, then patted himself on the back
III. Obedience is better than sacrifice
a. God spoke to Samuel that He regretted making Saul king
b. Samuel asked why he heard the bleating of sheep if the command had been completed
c. Saul said he saved them all for sacrifice
d. Samuel said that obedience is better than sacrifice
Invitation:
Obedience is doing the will and seeking to please someone in authority over you.
Sacrifice is seeking to appease or cool off the anger of an authority you have disobeyed.
Disobedience results in a need to sacrifice. Obedience prevents the need for sacrifice.
Obedience brings blessing, but disobedience results in a curse.
