WHERE IS THE HORN OF OIL?
Text: I Samuel 16:1, 13 – 14
In the recent weeks we have had many services in which we have looked closely at the importance of being in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
This emphasis on the Holy Spirit is very important for us to consider as individuals and as a church.
The Holy Spirit is being sent to us by Jesus Christ so that we will have peace, joy, comfort, and (certainly) God’s power to serve Him. We strive to model our lives and our church after the church that we read and study about in the Book of Acts. I trust we all can agree that we must have the presence of the Holy Spirit in full control in each of our services. Without the Pentecostal Power (spoken of in Acts), many of you would not be here. You have come here today because you want and expect more than religious training on how to live.
Without the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, we would be nothing more than a social gathering of friendly people. We have not come here today to only be entertained with good music and a speaker telling us all how to live. As with Moses going up into the mountain to be in the presence of God, we have come today to dwell in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
(Now with the Holy Spirit) God is doing some wonderful things in many of our lives, amen?
What I want to talk to you about this morning is critically important in order for this church to become all that God desires this church to be. I chose this morning’s text as a simple illustration for us to see the importance of giving the Holy Spirit complete liberty.
The Nation of Israel was going through a very difficult time when the Lord sent Samuel to the house of Jesse to find Israel’s next king. Samuel had become very discouraged with the way things were going with the existing king, (who was named Saul).
• Saul had not been obedient to the Word of God,
• Saul had been doing his own thing,
• Saul was making his own decisions rather than listening exclusively to the Word of God.
Sometimes this happens with God’s people. They put more importance on what they think than what the Word of God has spoken. A lot of problems (if not all of our problems) can be resolved if we would just take time to read God’s Word. We must simply do exactly what it says, amen?
Obedience to God’s Word is sometimes difficult to find in certain Christians. Certain Christians have their own ideas and their own agendas as to how things should be done.
This thinking by certain Christians:
1. Will prevent a church from becoming a healthy church.
2. Will cause a struggling church to be destroyed brought on by murmuring and discord.
Listen. This disobedient behavior will cause God’s plan for His church to fail. Plain and simple!
God demands obedience to His Word.
In our story we can see this to be true.
Samuel was God’s spokesman and prophet and was sent to Saul to tell him exactly what the Word of God said. Saul had opinions and ideas that were contrary to the Word of God being spoken by the Man of God.
To disobey God’s Word when God’s prophets are preaching God’s Word is a dangerous place to be. We see that in the detailed story of the failures of King Saul.
Likewise I see that same situation about to take place with certain Christians this morning. Certain Christians have their own opinions and their own ideas that they want to see take place in the church. It does not matter to them that their opinions and ideas do not line up with what the Word of God says.
Notice verse 17 of our text:
So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”
In other words Saul is now relying on his servants to help him with his restless. In essence Saul says this,
“Bring me someone who will make me feel better …someone who will agree with me…and cause me to not be concerned with being in opposition to God’s Word…I have grown weary of listening to the Man of God tell me what I think is wrong…my mind is made up and I need to feel better about my decision…”
Certain Christians will decide to seek the opinions of other people in the church to agree with their thinking, but that will not change what the Word of God states.
There is a concern that I have for us to consider:
WHERE IS THE HORN OF OIL?
Wherever you find the HORN OF OIL being poured out, you will find where the Lord’s hand and anointing are.
In our story of David and King Saul, you will find two ways of thinking that are at odds with one another.
The Man of God, Samuel, has spoken the Word of God to King Saul. King Saul refuses to listen to the Word of God and verse 14 says that a
“distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.”
There were many enemies out to destroy King Saul, but this “distressing spirit” became Saul’s worst enemy.
This “distressing spirit” troubled Saul for 10 years.
It caused Saul to want to kill David and anyone else who disagreed with his own opinions and ideas.
My friend to be at odds with God’s Holy Word is a dangerous place to find ourselves this morning.
I want to show you two primary areas in your life that will be affected when you do not obey God’s Word.
Physically:
Disobedience to God’s Word will immediately affect your physical health.
Spiritually:
Disobedience to God’s Word will immediately affect your spiritual life also. In being disobedient you have to know the warning given to us in I Thessalonians 5:19,
“quench not the Spirit”.
Now most have always heard that scripture preached and have often thought of this happening whenever someone is purposely interfering with the anointing of the Holy Spirit during a worship service.
We think of this passage “quench not the Spirit” whenever someone is not allowing the Holy Spirit to operate freely in a worship service.
As your Pastor I have had to deal with problems such as this on a few occasions. Part of my responsibility is to make sure all is being done to encourage the move of God, and not to allow anyone to “quench the Holy Spirit”, or to put it another way, “muzzle the Holy Spirit”.
I am thankful to the Lord that some of you are becoming more obedient with allowing the Holy Spirit to minister in our worship services with prophesies along with interpretations more recently. Recently, we have seen the ministry of the Holy Spirit and heard prophesies done in accordance with the scriptures found in I Corinthians chapter 14.
Praise God that He is speaking to us through the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
This is spiritually healthy for our church and is exactly what God wants for all His believers. I encourage that.
Things such as prophesy and interpretations are much needed in our worship services as long as they are being done within what is instructed to us in I Corinthians 14. Prophesies with their interpretations are a critical area of ministry to everyone in our services.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit must glorify God and be consistent with and obedient to the Word of God.
I want to caution each of us here today.
As with King Saul, if we are not obedient with what the Word of God is saying to us we will not have THE HORN OF OIL poured out on our church.
Many do not understand what it can mean to “quench/muzzle the Holy Spirit”. Many think that the most common way that the Holy Spirit is quenched is whether or not someone is permitted to use what they believe is their gifting.
Can I be very frank with you this morning? There have been those who have accused me of “muzzling the Holy Spirit” by not allowing certain prophesies to take place during our worship services.
It is my understanding that this issue has been dealt with by two other pastors before me.
As well, myself, and the deacons of our church have dealt with this issue on at least one other occasion.
It is the desire of the spiritual leaders of this church to continue to encourage the move of God, and to have THE HORN OF OIL poured out on our worship services.
That is often the case.
