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Kingdom of God - Becoming a Great Leader
Intro:
• King of Rock N Roll, King of Pop, Queen of Soul, Nascar “The King”, King of Country, Sultain of Swat, “King James,” Sausage King of Chicago (jk).
• In the 21st C, we have more “influencers” on IG, YT, etc. They have become our cultural royalty.
• Always looking for someone to follow, to set the tone or give us the direction to go.
• Also true of ancient Israel. In their case, theocratic rule, human representation. Not so much that way for us with a republic but still desired for social stability.
• Israel recognized that they were not thriving. Too much chaos.
Judges 21:25 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.
• Their answer is to defy God as their rightful ruler and try to emulate the cultures around them.
1 Samuel 8:5–9 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” 6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the LORD replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
• Samuel sent out to find a king.
• Memory verse - context is anointing David.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
• The first king fit the “ideal” that the people wanted.
The People’s King
• Saul seemed ideal. He had the resume.
1 Samuel 9:1–2 There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.
• Problems with choosing this kind of king:
• He spent too much time worrying about popular opinion.
1 Samuel 13:8–9 Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9 So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.
• Result:
1 Samuel 13:14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
• Manipulative.
o Context
1 Samuel 15:2–3 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. 3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
• Reality
1 Samuel 15:13–15 When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the LORD bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the LORD’s command!” 14 “Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded. 15 “It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the LORD your God. We have destroyed everything else.”
• Result:
1 Samuel 15:23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”
• So who would God choose to be king?
The Lord’s King
Acts 13:22 But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’
• Getting ready to make the same mistake in choosing.
1 Samuel 16:1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”
• Jesse’s sons are brought to Samuel. He uses the same template as in picking Saul.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
• God rejects all of Jesse’s sons until the youngest, David.
• What did God see?
o Obedience
Psalm 119:34 Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart.
o Dependence
Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
o Repentance
Psalm 25:11 For the honor of your name, O LORD, forgive my many, many sins.
• A man after God’s own heart isn’t perfect. That simply isn’t possible!
• A man after God’s own heart won’t necessarily avoid significant and grievous sins that may massively impact future generations.
• A man after God’s own heart is one who seeks to actively live in obedience to God while being captivated by the beauty, sufficiency, and necessity of God and is one who responds properly when confronted with his sin.
• It is this that distinguishes David from Saul and David from most other people.
Conclusion:
• While not perfect, David knew where his hope was:
Psalm 69:6 Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me, O Sovereign LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated, O God of Israel.
• He was a man who sought to live his life in obedience to the Lord.
• He also sought to be fully dependent upon the Lord even as he faithfully waited for years for God to fulfill His promise to him to be king (1 Sam 24:4-7).
• Additionally, David responded with humility and true repentance by agreeing with God when his sin was made evident to him. That is a man after God’s own heart.
• In what ways are you not responding as David did as you seek to be a man or a woman after God’s own heart?
