Title: Devote Yourself to God’s Unfailing Leadership
Scripture: 1 Samuel 12
Theme: Devoting ourselves to God’s unfailing leadership
Thesis: “God will provide unfailing leadership for his devoted people. Here are 5 ways to (habits that) keep our devotion alive.
Restated:
These 5 habits are essential for the Christian/church who wants to experience the blessings of God’s unfailing leadership.
Aim: To motivate the church to submit to God’s leadership in this time of transition, and for life
Introduction
Dave’s sermon on “transitions”
• Helped us think of our role as people and as a church to do what needs to be done when our situation is less than perfect.
• This church HAS worked hard to carry on, to be creative, to look to Christ, to right some wrongs—you are to be commended and thanks be to God for his mercy on us and his desire to give us hope and a future when things look bleak
• Dave also pointed out two kings, an evil one—Ahaz, and a godly one, Hezekiah, showing what happens when leadership is God focused or not.
• Allusions by some of you that I am kind of like a king . . .
• Burger King Crown
• Alas, even that crown can’t hide that I am not a king
• Used to say: ask my wife (she will affirm I am not perfect)
• Now: just ask the Gregg’s—living in same house you can’t help but see all the strengths and many weaknesses of a person
• Nevertheless, in spite of my all too visible shortcomings, I thank you all for your encouragement, reinforcement, acceptance, love, help, reassurance, building up and on and on the list could go
• So, ready or not, HERE I AM
• I am glad to be called by you to be your preacher, to serve as a leader, to be alongside, and submitted to the elders, to be a servant for this congregation—I pray ours will be a fruitful collaboration
My first sermon:
• I want to call us—above all else—to keep our eyes and hearts focused on the One who truly satisfies and leads, and to commit to doing what it takes to keep that focus there
• God’s word is living and active, sharper than a two edged sword, and we are going to see today how what happened and what was said to a group of people 3,000 years ago applies to us today
• in 1 Samuel 12: turning point in Israel’s history: from “judges” to Kings.
Samuel was a man dedicated to God from birth who served as a judge who not only governed the people, but spoke as a prophet to turn the hearts of the people to their Lord, and helped lead them to victory in battles with their enemies.
Let’s pick up right after Samuel has given a testimony to the integrity of his leadership—and he begins to recount all the ways that God helped them, from Moses up to Samuel’s day.
1Sa 12:12 “But 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. (already had one! They forgot God)
1Sa 12:13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you.
1Sa 12:14 If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God—good!
1Sa 12:15 But if you do not obey the LORD, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
Throughout their history God had repeatedly helped his people
• they often got into “jams” because of their unfaithfulness
• when they turned back to God, He was there to give them the help they need
• Their memory of his help was often short lived
• Their devotion to his leadership was often lacking
Israel’s Problem: Rejecting God as their Leader (1 Samuel 12:6-13)
Israel’s Choice:
• Devote themselves to God’s leadership (1 Samuel 12:14)
• Rebel against God’s leadership (1 Samuel 12:15)
That is like how it is often today:
• God desires to be the leader of his people (all those imperfect and smelly sheep—us—that he calls his flock), and in all generations has been faithful in leading those committed to him, regardless of their circumstance.
• But we have the same choice: devote ourselves to HIM or rebel against him
Monroe Christian Church is at a new stage in our history
• Where does our confidence lie? Where is our hope?
o For Israel, it was in a man: a king like everybody else.
o “he will take care of us, lead us to victory, we will be like other churches (I mean . . .), nations
• I have news for us—incase we don’t know it yet—humans will always be prone to failure, inadequacy, and disappoint us
o The future of Monroe Christian Church does not depend on
New preacher,
The vast pantheon of elders and deacons
Children’s workers
Or the wonderful access to Giuseppe’s subs and pizza
o Our future depends on one alone: God.
Thesis: “God will provide unfailing leadership for his devoted people. 1 Samuel 12 will reveal 5 habits that will keep our devotion alive!
Put in a different way:
These 5 habits are essential for the Christian (or church!) who wants to experience the blessings of God’s unfailing leadership. (do you?)
• We rejoice that our unchanging God will lead us how we need NOW, as he led how they needed THEN.
Transition: One key way to show your devotion to the Lord and His leadership is to:
I. Look to the Lord first—devoted servants know their King comes through, whereas others fail!
Israel’s problem was that they weren’t always devoted.
1Sa 12:9 “But they forgot the LORD their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera,
10 They cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. (like if “we” became a Mosque or a Buddhist temple or something, can you imagine that?)
1Sa 12:12 “But 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
21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.
Isaiah’s complaint: half for fire wood, half for “god”
There are still religions that rely on idols. But if we think we are secure just because we don’t have handmade gods we worship, we have missed the point:
• Anything that replaces the leadership of God is what gets us into trouble.
i. sometimes Christians have placed unhealthy reliance on a preacher or other leader.
ii. What do we replace God’s primacy with:
1. worry?
2. gossip?
3. escape thru satisfying personal desires
4. friends
5. music
6. sleep
7. business
Some of those are not bad things, but they are if they hinder our turning to God.
Samuel’s call then: to look to the Lord (who comes through) beats cheap substitutes (who often fail or at least are lacking) anytime.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR US:
• to decide who has first place in our lives? Is MCC really a community under God’s leadership?
• Seek his kingdom first—and we will be led victoriously through WHATEVER challenges we face
• Pray for his guiding hand as we look to
i. Be a loving community that draws men to Christ
ii. Seek a His vision for our church
• Pray for our elders and leaders to remain submitted to the authority of God.
Transition: “It will become clear if He is first in our lives by how much we fear the Lord our King”
II. Fear the Lord—devoted servants revere their King!
14 If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God—good
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.
These two verses form “bookends” to the second part of Samuel’s address
Their repetition and prominence highlights their IMPORTANCE
(Dictionary of Biblical Imagery says:)
“Fear of the Lord is not merely shaking in one’s boots, but is better understood as that curious mix of awe, fear, and honor due the Almighty King and Creator of everything.”
At one point, when God gives them a thunderstorm to signal that their asking for a king was a rejection of the Lord’s leadership, Samuel has to reassure them:
1Sa 12:20 “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
God’s people are not to be terrified of their Lord, but instead called to change their hearts toward the Lord when they are proven disobedient.
With humans there is an “aura” that hovers around the rich and powerful, causing us to stand in awe and give them reverence and deference.
• Trump-helicopter
Folks, the Donald—may he find the grace of our Lord for himself as we have—“the Donald” can’t hold a candle to our Lord Jesus Christ
• Jesus—white horse
Rev 19:11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” 23 He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
If that is how he is to come back, and WHO he is in reality: the supreme King of Kings of all time, then we’d better have some revering to do! Because if we don’t now, we will “then” and that might be a little too late, we might find ourselves on the wrong side of the judgment seat:
NOW IS THE TIME FOR US:
• To revere our King--as the servants we are--are to do!
• As Moses took off his sandals in the presence of the Lord, our hearts need to be daily stripped of any arrogance and false props that hinder our submission to our King
• Wake to the knowledge that God IS our King as we get ready for the day
• Turn our hearts to the Lord and rid ourselves of whatever would keep us from honoring and revering him.
Transition: The thing about fearing God is that it doesn’t just stay an emotion, but naturally flows into actions that honor God. Thus we find our 3 step to keeping our devotion alive:
III. Obey the Lord—devoted servants don’t rebel against their King!
14 If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands,
It is inconceivable to have a servant that would say “nahhh, I don’t think I will go clean the stables . . .”
It’s a bit like the boy who was watching his father write a sermon: “How do you know what to say? He asked. “God tells me.” “Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?”
• When it comes to the will of the Father we are not the ones to decide what we accept and what we cross out: we are to obey the whole will of our Lord.
A helpful image for me is actually a more literal translation:
V 14 . . . and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord
NOW IS THE TIME FOR US:
• Listen to his voice—Jesus says the sheep know the voice of the shepherd—and respond to it. (Dylan)
• Consider what God might be telling us through his Word and Spirit
o What ongoing sins need to be repented of? James tells us that the “double-minded” are to purify their hearts
Public sins
Private sins
Confess and pray to one another
Be good to come forward at the end of our service
o Maybe we need to do something more unusual, but of paramount importance, like reconcile with a brother or sister in Christ, or the whole family. Division is a killer of joy and “body Life”.
o We all could use an attitude adjustment every now and then:
“Temper gets you into trouble—pride keeps you there”
Your temper is one of your most valuable possessions—don’t lose it!
• For Parents to take stock in how they are leading their family to honor and obey the voice of the Lord:
o We don’t want what happened to this boy who was sobbing in the back seat of the car while coming home after the dedication of his baby sister. After his father had asked him 3 times what was wrong, he finally said “The preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, but I want to stay with you guys!”
Kids are often very perceptive.
Transition: Closely related to obedience is our next step. We need to:
IV. Serve the Lord—devoted servants do the work of their King!
v. 14 and 24 – servants and Kings usually go together, and it is hard to think of being a servant without actually . . . SERVING!
• We were meant to do something for God—a main point of 40 days—and imitation of Jesus, the supreme humble servant!
o I am amazed at servant hearts I have witnessed here:
Wendy and Teresa’s commitment to our children and those that God brings into contact with our church family
The many praise team members who sacrifice hours at a time to help lead our corporate worship singing
Unsung heroes like Chuck and Tom
Like the Oscars, sorry if your name is not on the list, but know you are a valued servant (Diane and her hugs, Ann the webmaster)
• Our humble service has to be a sweet fragrance to our Lord—I know it is to us
o All the folks who have worked hard to make our transition smooth—pretty much the whole church—like the elders, Kris Nelson, the “Hotel Gregg” management team, Joann Nisley, Chris Kiser, Marcel—and on and on
o Chinese proverb: “a bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses”
Even now with the arrival of a new preacher—especially with the arrival of this dude (me!), NOW IS THE TIME FOR US:
• Explore ways to serve, if you are not already.
o Maybe you might find yourself agreeing with this boy, who one day announced to his mom: “Mom, I have decided to be a minister when I grow up.” “that’s okay with me, but what made you decide that?” “Well,” said the boy, “ I have to go to church anyway, and I figure it would be more fun to stand up and yell than to sit an listen.
• Take yourself in for a “service check”
o Are you serving where you are gifted?
o Are you overextending yourself and thereby reducing your “service life?”
o Are there areas you need to God to refresh you in so that your service can be more effective? (family or marriage issues, spiritual health—quiet time with God, for eg.)
• Ask: What DOES God want to do with our church? Pray that he will unify us under his vision—his plan for how our church is to serve him
• With a little bit of trial and error, wisdom and direction, you can find a place in our church where you can serve your King with Joy, and see the fruit that comes from willing obedience to His plan and desire.
Transition: if you find yourself struggling to fear the Lord with reverence, or finding it difficult to obey and serve, it might be helpful to take our last step to keeping our devotion alive:
V. Consider the Lord’s blessings—devoted servants are motivated by the blessings from their King
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.
Samuel spent time recounting how the Lord had helped them time and again, throughout several centuries.
Remembering our blessings gets us out of a dull complacency and a tendency to focus on the negative.
What might Samuel recount for us?
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Col 1:21.
Col 1:21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of 6 your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Col 3:13.
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Gal 3:26.
Gal 3:26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Ro 8:1.
Ro 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Ro 8:31.
Ro 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Tit 3:7.
having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life
You could likely come up with more!
NOW IS THE TIME FOR US:
• To do a little considering:
Let me risk a little by opening it up:
Let’s share the blessings that God has worked for us! Not just in scripture, but I would like to hear blessings he has given this church!
Conclusion
“No Longer an Orphan” p. 9 (Leadership tract)
• Saved by an unknown man from the fire that took the life of the grandmother she lived with
• When discovered she had no living relatives
o Teacher
o Farmer
o Many others
o Rich man “all that, plus money and all it can buy”
• Thru all this she just stared at the floor
• A man began to make his way through
o Scars on hands and arms
• “That’s him, that’s the one who saved me!” she cried as she jumped into his arms
She recognized that amid all those promises of a perfect life ahead, the one she could trust was a proven man, one who had already risked himself for her, one to whom she owed her life.
Likewise,
God is the ONLY one who has ever proved faithful and true. The only one who knows just what we need. The only one who gave up so much so that we might have life eternal with him. Let us strengthen our bodies and spirits with the help of His word and Spirit and commit today to being his devoted servants.
We don’t know what is ahead for this church, or what twists and turns will happen regardless of our careful plans. But one thing we DO know:
Our God is an unfailing leader and will be there every step of the way for his devoted servants. Let’s honor him with our hearts and lives!
