"Partial Obedience"
Text: 1 Samuel 15
Intro:
-I believe why the majority of Christians fail in their walk with the Lord and end up defeated is because of their lack of total obedience or partial obedience to the Lord.
-In other words failing to do what God told them to do and the way to do it.
-Most Christians today put their own spin on what God commands them to do even though the word of God is very clear.
-Then when things don’t work out they have the tendency to blame someone else instead of acknowledging their sin of disobedience.
-What is the result for the Christian?
-They do not lose their salvation.
-However, they can lose their crowns or rewards at the judgment seat of Christ and the privilege to rule with Christ on the earth during the Millennium.
-I believe we will see this sin of partial obedience well illustrated in the life of King Saul.
-As a result of his partial obedience, Saul lost his crown and his right to rule.
I. 1 Sam 15:1-4 - God’s command to Saul.
-The LORD’s command very clear.
-Not subject to interpretation.
-See v. 3.
-Simply put - "Utterly destroy Amalek and all they have".
II. 1 Sam 15:6-9 - - Saul’s sin of partial obedience.
-V. 7 - Shows Saul did obey the Lord’s command in that he smote the Amalekities"
-Vs. 8-9 - Notice Saul’s sin of partial obedience.
*He kept Agag, the king of Amalekites alive.
*Kept the best of the livestock and everything and utterly destroyed the vile and refuse.
-Remember the Lord’s command in v3. to utterly destroy all life both human and animal and all that the Amalekities had (material possessions.)
III. 1 Sam. 15:10-11 - God’s reaction to Saul’s sin.
-It greatly displeased God.
-God had a change of mind about making Saul, king.
-I believe when we are not totally obedient to the Lord, that it displeases Him.
-It makes God change His mind about us.
-Maybe withholding a blessing from us.
-Or taking something that He has given us back.
*Material Possession.
*Good Health.
-Notice, also in v. 11, the man of God, Samuel’s reaction.
*"...it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night."
-When a pastor’s sees his people not being totally obedient to the Lord, it grieves him and makes him cry over their sin.
IV. 1 Sam 15:12-13 - Saul’s Self-Deception.
-Notice v. 13 - Saul convinced himself that he has done everything the Lord commanded him to do.
-Sometimes when we sin, we don’t want to the face the fact that we have.
V. 1 Sam 15:14 - The exposure of Saul’s sin.
-Notice the bleating of the sheep exposure Saul’s sin.
-v3. Saul commanded to destroy everything including livestock.
-God does have a sense a humor.
-Here has the bleating of sheep to expose sin.
-One way or another your sin will find you out.
VI. 1 Sam. 15:15 - Saul’s justification for his sin.
-Notice he blames the people.
-Notice however in v.9 both Saul and the people made the decision together to spare Agag and the best of the livestock.
-Notice Saul says but for a good cause, a religious reason.
-"sacrifice unto the Lord.
VII. 1 Sam. 15:16-18 - Samuel Reminds Saul.
-How Lord had blessed him and made him king when he was nobody.
-How the Lord commanded him to destroy the Amalekites.
-I believe it is the man of God, the pastor to remind the people.
*How God has greatly blessed them by saving them from a sinner’s hell.
*Of the Lord’s commandments as spelled out in the Word of God.
VIII. 1 Sam. 15:19 - Samuel Confronts Saul with his Sin.
-Samuel asks Saul why he could not obey the Lord.
-Samuel calls sin for what it is "evil in the sight of the Lord.
-Again, it is the man of God responsibility to confront a person with their sin with the preaching of the Word of God.
-And spell out what sin is and how God views it as evil.
IX. 1 Sam 15:20-21 - Saul answers Samuel and sticks to his story.
-v 20 - Saul’s responds I did obey the Lord.
-v.21 - However, the people disobeyed the Lord but for a good
reason, religion.
-Remember, The king or leader is to set the example for the people to follow but he did not.
-Again, v. 9 - says Saul and people together choose to disobey God.
-Saul was a bad example.
-He caused the people to sin.
-Regardless, if the animals were to be sacrificed to Lord still obeyed God’s command.
-Principle need to see "It never right to do wrong to do right."
X. 1 Sam 15:22 - Samuel tells Saul what is important.
-V. 22 - Read.
-The Lord values obedience to His commands and His word more than He does religious and formalistic rituals.
XI. 1 Sam 15:23 - Samuel Describes the Seriousness of Saul’s Sin And the Results.
-Rebellion not doing it God’s Way is as the sin of witchcraft.
-We know in the Old Testament those who performed witchcraft were to be put to death.
-Stubbornness, doing it our way, refusing to yield to God, is as iniquity and idolatry.
-Result of Saul rejecting the Word of the Lord, he loses his kingship.
XII. 1 Sam 15:24-25 - Saul’s Reaction.
-V. 24 - Saul changes his tune.
-He shows sorrow.
-However, it is worldly sorrow - Sorry that he got caught.
-See 2 Cor. 7:9-10 - wordly vs. godly sorrow
-Godly Sorrow - Sorry sinned against God and disobeyed God
not for being caught.
-Only changed after he heard lost his kingdom.
-Notice he feared the people.
-The Bible says "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe."
-v.25 - Notice he asks Samuel to pardon Him.
-He needs to ask God to pardon his Sin.
XIII. 1 Sam 15:26-29 - Samuel Responses.
-Samuel rejects Saul because he rejected the Word of the Lord and the Lord rejected Saul.
-Saul of all people the king of Israel should have known better.
-He was held to a higher level of accountability because of his position.
v. 27 - The renting of Samuel’s mantle represents the renting of the kingdom from Saul.
-Principle: Sometimes the man of God has to reject those and separate from those who will not truly repent and get right with the Lord.
XIV. 1 Sam. 15:30-31 Saul’s final plea to Samuel & Samuel’s response.
-Saul asks Samuel to worship the Lord with him.
-Samuel responds to Saul’s plea and I believe has one last time of pray and worship with king Saul.
XV. 1 Sam. 15:32-33 Samuel Finish the Job.
-Samuel finishes the job that Saul was suppose to do.
-Remember, if the Lord commands you to do something and you don’t do it, He will raise someone else to do it.
-And that person will end up with the blessing originally intended for you in this life and the life to come.
XVI. 1 Sam 15:34-35 Samuel(Saint) and Saul(Sinner) Go Their Separate Ways.
-v. 34 - Read
-v. 35 - Notice, Samuel never to see Saul again until the day of his death.
*But still mourns for Saul and his sin
-I believe as a pastor, that I will always mourn over those who refused to get right with God because I know the consequences that face them.
-For the unsaved who reject Christ - all of eternity in a lake of fire.
-For a Christian who refuse to obey God totally.
*In this life - A life of constant turmoil with no peace and joy.
*In the next life - Lost of rewards at the judgment seat of Christ and miss out ruling and reigning with Him during the Millennium.
