“The Slow Fade”
1 Samuel 8: 1-18
May 26, 2013
Intro: For some strange reason I LOVE to play golf. When the weather’s good I usually get out to play golf once a week w/my dad. But as much fun as golf is, it has to be the most infuriating sport there is. It’s such a precise game. I mean, if you’re just off a fraction of an inch in your swing, it can have a massive impact on where your golf ball ends up.
-I was reading an article on how to hit longer drives. And the writer said, “If you want to hit longer drives, hit the ball in the middle of your club face.” If you do this, w/a 100 mph swing, you’ll hit the ball 258 yards. He said if you’re off just a fraction of an inch, you’ll hit it 243 yards. If you’re off by 1 inch, you’ll hit it 227 yards. One inch really doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. And at impact it’s not.
-But as time goes on, that one inch slowly fades into a BIG miss. And I believe the same kind of logic can be used in our lives. A lot of you look like you’re doing pretty well in life. You live in a great community. Our schools are solid. There are a lot of activities to be involved in.
-But a lot of us are just an inch or two off in our walk w/Christ. We believe it’s important to be a part of the church, we believe it’s important to be good, moral people. But we’re not quite hitting it in the center of the club b/c Xianity is more than just trying to be a good person who tips our hat to God every once in a while.
-His calling is for us to FOLLOW Him; to be surrendered to Him! And if we don’t do that then we’re going to end up asking the question like so many others, “How did I end up here? Why am I not further down the fairway of life?”
-We’re concluding our series “Breaking Bad” this morning, and it’s my desire for us to be able to identify when we’re making a bad decision, so that we can put a stop to it before it’s too late.
Sermon Idea: Today in our passage of Scripture we’re going to see the Israelite people make a bad decision. And at the beginning it didn’t seem like they were that far off. But b/c they weren’t hitting life in the CENTER of the club, so to speak, they ended up in a place they never wanted to be.
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 8: 1-18
Bckgrd: At this point Israel was a theocracy, so they didn’t have a king but they had a religious leader, the prophet Samuel, who would give them direction concerning what Scripture said. The Lord would also speak to the religious leader w/dreams and visions (and sometimes even an audible voice) to give even more specific instructions for His people.
-Just in case you’re a little jaded you could say that the religious leader was working a scam. But you have to remember that the standards were extremely high when you claimed to speak for God. Deut. 18: 20, “But the prophet who dares to speak in My name a message I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods--that prophet must die.” I don’t think I’d want to add “Prophet” to my resume just for kicks.
-Samuel was a prophet who truly spoke for God. He lived up to the standards. How well was that working out for the people? Well, when they were obedient God blessed them. But the people still weren’t satisfied! And from our text we can see some warning signs that showed they were headed towards making a bad decision.
-Very briefly I want us to see some warning signs that show we’re @ to make a bad decision as well. The 1st warning sign that demonstrates we’re @ to make a bad decision is:
1: MAKING EXCUSES (vv. 1-5)
Exp: Samuel was the virtual leader of Israel at this time. He was the most respected religious leader of the day. He was a great leader who’d restored Israel after the Philistines had taken the ark of the covenant from Israel. He moved the people to repent of their sins against God back in 1 Sam. 7. He told them in v. 3, “If you are returning to the Lord w/all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths that are among you, dedicate yourselves to the Lord, and worship only Him. Then He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines.”
A.The people did what Samuel said and God restored Israel and gave them victory over the Philistines. So as you can imagine, Samuel was held in high esteem. But as Samuel got older, his strength was on the wane so he began to position his sons to take his place. The problem was his sons were corrupt.
1.V. 3 of our text tells us that they were turned towards dishonest gain, they took bribes and they perverted justice. The Israelite leaders were obviously concerned @ Samuel’s sons taking his place of leadership. So they told Samuel they wanted to have a king to rule them, just like all the other nations around them.
a.If you ask me, it looks like a pretty logical request. So what’s the problem? The problem was they wanted to be like everybody around them. They no longer wanted to follow the leadership of God but they wanted to have a king! They wanted to have a leader they could see, feel and touch! So they came up w/excuses that looked legitimate and good so they could get what they wanted.
b.It’s interesting to note that we do the same thing. I don’t know how y’all are, but if I really want something it’s my nature to rationalize why what I want to do is the best. Here’s some of the typical excuses I use to do what I want. I like to use the “it’s not my fault” excuse. I look around for someone I can blame the problems I have on (w/o accusing myself of course).
2.When Emily and I have an argument and she’s obviously right, I’m quick to say, “The REASON I acted like a jerk to you is b/c you treated me this way. So it’s cause and effect, so ultimately it’s not MY fault that I’ve been acting like a jerk, but it’s your fault!” You been there before? Another excuse is “I did it but...the circumstances drove me to it.” I see this one all the time. I’ve talked to numerous people who are struggling in their marriages. And they’ll share w/me they’ve been unfaithful. Then they start to rationalize it by telling me, “I would’ve never done it, but b/c my spouse hasn’t paid me enough attention I was drawn to this other person.”
a.I get being frustrated and disappointed at times in marriage. But I know this for a fact. Having an affair is an AFFRONT to God! And I promise you there’s a high price to pay for it. Of course, another excuse is just complete denial. We refuse to acknowledge that we’ve done anything wrong or that what we want is outside of what God wants for us. We try to excuse it in our minds by saying, “Well, I know God wants me to by happy so ultimately what I’m doing is okay.”
b.This is where the Israelites were at this time. And we see they started making excuses. And it’s interesting to see they started off in v. 5 by telling Samuel, “You’re getting old!” He was probably 65 to 70 years old at this time. I can just hear them saying, “Listen Samuel, you’re past your prime. We need someone we can identify with! We don’t need some old codger leading us. We want to put on a better face to the world to let them know that we’re just as up to date as they are.”
B.Then they came up w/the excuse of, “We want a king b/c your sons aren’t fit to lead like you WERE.” This excuse seems to be true. What they needed to do was to ask God to provide for them another prophet like Samuel. So why didn’t they? B/c they were trying to set themselves up to get what they wanted by providing excuses to justify their wants.
1.The first hint that the Israelites were on the verge of making a bad choice was they started making excuses. If you find yourself making a lot of excuses for what you’re doing or NOT doing, then that ought to be a siren going off in your head that you’re moving towards making a bad choice.
Reit: The 1st warning sign that we’re @ to make a bad decision is making excuses. The 2nd warning sign that we’re @ to make a bad decision is:
2: TRYING TO BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE (v. 5)
Exp: In the previous verses they were making excuses as to why they needed a king. They said, “Your old, your sons are no good!” But the real reason came out at the end of v. 5. They said, “Give us a king so we’ll be like the other nations.” For some strange reason, that is always the temptation!
A.We want to be like everyone else. Why? I think there are several reasons why. If we’re like everyone else we won’t stand out. We blend in w/the crowd. When you stand out you often times feel like you have a target painted on your back that says, “Make fun of me! Give ME a hard time!”
ILLUS: Seagulls are an interesting group of birds. They’re very competitive and jealous w/one another. If you don’t believe me, just go to the beach and throw a few pieces of bread on the ground and watch them fight over it. But it goes beyond that.
-Xian author Philip Yancey said, “If you were to tie a red ribbon around the leg of one gull, making him stand out, you sentence him to execution. The others in his flock will furiously attack him with claws and beaks, hammering through feathers and flesh to draw blood. They’ll continue until he lies flattened in a bloody heap.” A little morbid, I know, but you get the picture. A sea gull will not allow another to be different, or possibly better, than himself.
1.The Israelites were tired of being different. Everyone else had a king. They had a prophet! And it caused them to stand out from the crowd. I get it! I don’t like to feel like I’m the only weird one! But you know what? Throughout Scripture you’ll see that God calls His people to be HOLY!
a.The word “holy” means “to be separated.” In other words, to stand out from everyone else! How do we do that? By seeking after the things of God! By putting His Word and leadership above our wants! Now why would we do that?
b.There’s actually a good reason. 1 John 2: 15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
2.When we seek after the things of this world we’re settling for that which is temporary when God wants to provide us w/the eternal! So why are the things of this world so inviting to us? B/c when we do what everyone else does it brings acceptance!
a.It’s tempting b/c a lot of times doing what everyone else is doing doesn’t take discipline! You just give in to what you want to do and that’s a whole lot easier! Also, the ways of this world appeal to our desires. A couple of examples. The world says, “Sex before marriage. It feels good. It’s natural. Do it.”
b.God says, “It’s only for marriage, that means you have to wait.” Hmmm. How many of y’all like to wait for anything? Not me! Which one sounds more fun? The way of the world b/c I can start messing around NOW. But which way is BETTER? God’s way! It keeps you from emotional scars. It keeps away pregnancy; a long w/a list of other things.
B.When you begin to be tempted to do what everyone else is doing, you’re on your way to poor decision making. Don’t base your decisions on the reasoning, “Hey, everyone else is doing it!”
1.God hasn’t called us to be like everyone else! He’s called us to be like Him! That’s why I want to encourage you to spend time reading the Bible every day. The more you inundate yourself w/God’s Word, the more you know how He desires for you to live.
ILLUS: When FBI agents are training to spot counterfeit bills, you’d think they’d spend a lot of their time handling fake $. But you know what they do? They constantly handle REAL $! They don’t put their hands on fake $ at all. They become so familiar w/the feel of real $ that as soon as they get their hands on counterfeit $, they immediately know it’s NOT real!
a.Spend time handling God’s Word, being around God’s people, so that when the world offers you a different path, you immediately know it’s not God’s path!
Reit: The 1st warning sign that we’re @ to make a bad decision is making excuses. The 2nd warning sign is trying to be like everyone else. And the final warning sign that we’re @ to make a bad decision is:
3: WHEN YOU IGNORE GOD’S INSTRUCTION (vv. 10-19)
Exp: When you hear, read and see what God’s desires are for you and you ignore them, then it’s a pretty good sign that you’re on the verge of making a bad decision. You see, the Lord has a plan for our lives but He doesn’t MAKE us follow it. He gives us the opportunity to make our own choices. He didn’t make us like robots. And if we’re persistent in going against God’s leadership, there comes a time when God will allow us to have what we want.
A.The people wanted a king. But b/c God’s gracious, He told Samuel to share w/the people what would happen to them if they got a king. What would happen? Samuel said the king would rule over them; that he’d take their sons and daughters, that he’d tax them to death, that he’d enslave them. He finished it up by saying there’d be a day when they would cry out to God for help b/c of the oppression and ungodliness of the king, but God would not respond!
1.Isn’t that scary? The Lord warned the people that if they went this way, this is what would happen. How did the people respond? Look in v. 19. We’re told the people “refused” to listen. When you stay on the road of selfishness too long, when you flood your mind w/the things of this world, there will come a time when you will become deaf to the leadership of God and you’ll go your own way.
a.This is why it’s so important to consistently place yourself under biblical teaching. Otherwise you start to buy in to what the world’s selling. Look at what the world’s selling today. Gay marriage, legalized use of drugs. I saw the other day that the Pentagon has banned access to the Southern Baptist Convention website!
b.Where does all this stuff get us? Well, if we if ignore God’s leadership, there comes a time when God will allow us to get what we want. He allows us to wander outside of His fence and I promise you, you don’t want to be outside of his fence. The fence is there for a reason. For a lot of us we see it as something that binds us, the keeps us imprisoned. But that’s not the purpose of the fence; the shelter of God’s Word. It’s there to protect us and watch over us.
ILLUS: We had a chocolate lab named Count. Count was a great dog but he used to drive me crazy. We had a fence w/a big yard and guess where Count spent most of his time. He spent it right next to the fence trying to dig his way out or looking longingly at all the open space on the other side of the fence.
-And I’d sit there in amazement thinking, “He has all that yard to play in but he chooses to be dissatisfied and want what’s on the other side of the fence.” The benefit of the fence is it was a safe place for him to be. Outside the fence there were cars that could run over him. Outside the fence we’d lose him and he’d be fending for himself.
2.I’m afraid we do the same thing. We see God’s boundaries as a fence that’s keeping us locked up instead of seeing it as a safe haven where God protects us and keeps His eye on us.
a.But God will allow us to dig out from under His protection. And when we do it’s a disaster. The Israelites got their king. Throughout their history they had 41 kings. Only 11 followed God. And of those 11, 7 quit following God by the end of their reign!
b.Let me close w/this. Who’s the king of your life? Is it you? Is it money; your job; entertainment; your family? Let’s follow the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Conclusion: You can tell you’re on the road to bad decisions when you start making excuses; when you want to be like everyone else; and when you ignore God’s instruction.
-Our world needs to see us, needs to see the church, making good decisions; making decisions based on God’s leadership and not our own. We’re in a mess right now b/c we’ve refused the leadership of God for FAR TOO LONG! We’ve removed God from our public schools and venues the best we can. We’ve marginalized those who follow after Christ.
-We’ve adopted a “Do what you will” attitude. How well is that working out for us? Xians, it’s time for us to show obedience to the Lord so He will be glorified.
