November 23, 2005 1 Samuel 12:23-24
As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
Lord, Give us a Thankful Faith
I. Fickle Faith wants Flash
“You’re a lot funnier with 31 million.” This is what the Lottery billboard says as you drive through downtown Topeka. I got to thinking about that billboard. What is it supposed to mean? I interpreted it to mean one of two things - either that people will laugh at your jokes more if you have 31 million dollars - or you will find more things to be funny in life. As I was riding in my car I wondered in my own mind whether I would find life to be “funnier” if I inherited 31 million dollars. Would you change? Or would you remain exactly the same? It really comes down to integrity and core values. If you are a truly genuine person, money shouldn’t make you any more funny than you were before.
Apply this to faith. If you are a genuine believer - you should be willing to believe and testify to Jesus as your Lord - whether you’re rich or poor, sick or healthy, talented or not. If you were to win the lottery, it should not effect your faith one bit. If you were to come down with cancer, it should not hurt your faith at all. Why? Because faith is not based on what we can feel, taste, or touch. It is based on the Word and promise of God. Strong faith is like a dog at the side of the table. All it does is concentrate on that one thing - the piece of meat. It doesn’t care what the other kids are doing - whether the door is open or someone is walking through the kitchen. Even if it has an itch, it scratches the itch while staring at the piece of meat. That’s the way faith ought to be - solely focused on the Word and promise of God.
The Israelites were a living history of a fickle faith. You know how some people are fair weather fans - cheering for their team when the team is going great? That’s NOT how the Israelites treated God. They treated God more as a last ditch God. In today’s text, Samuel confronts them with their long history of fickleness. When they were given the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses and Aaron he says,
1 Samuel 12:9-11 (Your forefathers) forgot the LORD their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. They cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ Then the LORD sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely.
Every time they had a hard time, God delivered them through the leadership of what we now refer to as Judges. Samuel was one of those judges - a good judge who helped lead the people for many years. (1 Samuel 7:15) God constantly provided deliverance for them - even when they only turned to Him as a last resort.
In the eyes of the Israelites, Samuel wasn’t a very “sexy” leader as it were. By the time we are covering in 1 Samuel 12, He was getting old. The people wanted a more charismatic leader - someone with confidence, strength, and the ability to lead in war. That wasn’t Samuel’s forte. What made things worse was that some of the Israelites’ enemies fought against them with powerful kings. One of them was Nahash, king of the Ammonites. This is when Samuel’s Israelites once again showed a weak faith. He said,
“when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king. (1 Samuel 12:12)
Samuel warned them that if they had a king he would take their sons and daughters to fight and cook for him. He would take a tenth of their flocks, grains and servants. They didn’t care. They said, “NO! We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” (1 Sa 8:19) When the Israelites were attacked, they showed a weak faith. They wanted a leader who looked the part - not an old man who didn’t know how to fight. It wasn’t an all out idolatry by any means, but it was a weak faith at best.
It is a sad reflection of faith when you only pray during tough times. When you tend to pray more during times of conflict than you do during prosperous times - you don’t have a concentrated faith - it is more fickle than it should be. The faith of the Israelites demands a God of flash and pomp. That kind of faith is reflected when you think in your mind, “Yes, God thanks for the spouse - but I just wish she had a better personality. Yes, God I know you have given me two God fearing parents, but I sure wish they were cooler or more laid back. Yes, I know that I have many more talents than other people - but I want to have the talents of the most popular - the money of the richest - the personality of the famous.” The Israelites didn’t just want deliverance -they wanted flashy deliverance - powerful deliverance - they wanted STATUS. Isn’t it sad that we can live with a beautiful church, the wonderful Word of God, health, fellowship, freedom to sing - yet we always have to compare ourselves to other churches, other fellowships, other families - and constantly wish that we had what THEY had.
What was worse with the Israelites was that they wanted what the UNBELIEVERS had. Consider the clothes you just have to have. Consider the girl friends or boy friends you want. Consider the movies that you have to have in your collection. Why? What is driving you to want these things? Is it because the television is telling you this is a “must have”? Is it because all of your classmates have found the need to have dates? Do you have to drink Bud Light because the woman in the bikini is attracted to men who drink Bud Light? Is it right to deprive your family of a new vacuum cleaner just because you want a new video game or a new motorcycle? Who are you trying to be? Why are you trying to match up to your co-workers for? These things don’t mean that you’ve lost your faith. The context in 1 Samuel 12 doesn’t indicate that the Israelites lost their faith - but they weren’t thinking faithfully straight. It reflects a fickle faith. If you find yourself praying for things you shouldn’t want - it shows a lack of trust in the Word of God.
The truth of the matter is that God doesn’t prefer to work through flashy means. Oh, sure you can remember the pillar of fire hovering in front of the Israelites, or the splitting of the Red Sea, or the tearing apart of the rocks and the splitting of the curtain at the death of Christ. But God more often opts for the hidden ways - the whisper to Elijah, baby in the manger, the death on the cross. Through these ugly and unimpressive things, God reveals Himself to us in hidden ways. He comes to us in bread, wine, water and word. He chooses those who are the scum of society. He does this because He wants us to be saved through faith. It takes faith to believe that the death of God could save you. It takes faith to believe that the sprinkling of water could deliver from Satan. It takes faith to believe that God’s love for you is shown in your suffering. Faith is being sure of what we don’t see - not what we do. It clings to whatever God promises - even if it isn’t flashy.
II. Focused Faith wants Faithfulness
Samuel’s fellow Israelites had acted foolishly in their decision to ask for a king. They were adamant in their demands, even after Samuel warned them. So God gave them their king by the name of Saul, as a judgment on their sinful desires. Garth Brooks once sang that he was thankful for unanswered prayers. What he meant was not that God didn’t answer his prayers, but that God said “no” to his prayers. God said “yes” to their prayers - and it may have been interpreted by the dull Israelites as if God now approved of their request. God didn’t want that.
1 Samuel 12:17-19 Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the LORD to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king.” Then Samuel called upon the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel. The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”
Finally, the Israelites realized their sinfulness in requesting a king. It was a rejection of the LORD in many ways - of wanting to do things the way the heathen nations around them did them. Oh, that God would send a thunderstorm on our hearts and enable us to see the many ways we have sinned against God with our petty jealousies and American desires - with our fickle faith. Who of us has any right to complain to God about anything, as if He’s been less than generous with us in any way? Thanksgiving, like every other day, is a time to repent.
Samuel’s response is priceless. 1 Samuel 12:20-22 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. In light of their terrible sins, the people were afraid that the LORD was going to reject them. But what did Samuel say? “Don’t turn away from the LORD. Keep serving Him. The LORD will not reject his people. He made you his own!”
Isn’t this one of the primary things that we can be THANKFUL to the LORD for this Thanksgiving - simply that He is who He is. He is an every faithful God. Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:13, “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” There is nothing you can do that will change God. He doesn’t change with 31 million dollars or 31 million Christians. He remains the same faithful LORD. When the Twin Towers fell it shocked the people of the world and America because they thought those towers would never fall. They were landmarks. The LORD will never fall - no matter how many Muslims try to destroy Him. The same LORD who called the Israelites His own and promised a Savior through their blood - who bailed the Israelites out of mess after mess and held his hands out to the obstinate and hard hearted people - that SAME LORD is still holding his hands out to foolish sinners like us. Don’t despair. He won’t reject you even if you have had a fickle faith. It is against His nature to reject people who are brought to repentance. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, this is our primary reason for thanks - that we have an UNCHANGING LORD of grace. Jesus remains crucified for the sins of the world and raised from the dead - no matter what happens here on earth. His offer of salvation through repentance and faith - even a weak faith - remains for all time. Thank God for this. Like the dog that salivates on the piece of meat - keep your faith focused on the unchanging promise of God in Christ on the cross - “it is finished.” Nothing can change that.
III. Focused Faith is Thankful
Samuel went on with one other piece of advice. 1 Samuel 12:23-25 “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.” Personally, Samuel was going to keep on praying for God’s people and teaching them what is good and right. Yet he also reminded the Israelites of their responsibility - to fear the LORD, serve him faithfully will all their hearts, and consider the great things he did for them. If they didn’t, they would be swept away with their king.
Thanksgiving is a good time for us to consider what great things God has done for us. The last thing we want to do is to turn this into another excuse to gorge ourselves on too much food and just watch football. We want to remember this evening how gracious God has been with us. Just look around you. These are all blessings from God - the church building, the heat, the Bibles in the pews, the family, the Christian friends, the music - the ability to walk here and sing here - the baptismal font where God brought you into His kingdom - the clothes on your back - the air you breathe - all of these are things to remember. The thing we can be most thankful for is the cross at the center of our altar. It may be ugly. It may not be flashy or powerful in the eyes of the world. Yet this cross is the only thing that lasts into eternity. Your clothes, this building, the heat - it all will go up in flames some day.
The Israelites were about to go through some very difficult days. Every time that Saul taxed them, took their sons or daughters, or demanded a share of their crops - they would be reminded that they DEMANDED this king. It would be hard to be thankful when their sons were dying in battle and their daughters were serving in the king’s palace far away from home. Samuel warned them - during these hard days ahead - to keep on turning to the LORD in the midst of their troubles. Keep on serving Him. Remember the great things He had done for them. Now, more than ever, as we witness the deterioration of our society and the groaning of creation, we need to concentrate on the positive of what great things God HAS done for us. Don’t forget that you were baptized. Don’t forget that God took on flesh to die for you. Don’t forget that you have a place in heaven prepared for you. Through faith, focus on these invisible blessings from God. Then, enjoy every minute you have with your spouse, your children, and every second that you live in your heated and air conditioned home. These are all visible gifts from God. Appreciate and be thankful for what you have. When you do this, you will be less tempted to want the things of the world - whether it’s popularity, friends, riches - whatever. That was Samuel’s advice to the Israelites - and we can learn a lot from it.
In 2 Samuel 12:7-8 the LORD said to David, “I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.” Nathan was showing David what a terrible thing he did by stealing his neighbor’s wife and killing Uriah. If anybody should have been grateful, David should have. The LORD even told him he would have given more if he would have asked. He had been more than generous with David.
The LORD has been more than generous with us. He’s given us Himself, heaven, family, home and so much more. It’s almost embarrassing to even think of praying for anything more this Thanksgiving. Yet all we ask is this one thing. Give us a thankful faith. Help us to see the wonderful blessings you have given us in Christ, the cross, our baptism, our resurrections - and so many other things. Keep us from putting on the blinders and forgive us for our fickle faith. Give us a thankful faith. There’s nothing wrong with asking for that, because you know the faithful LORD wants to give you even more. Thank God for that. Amen.
