1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:07,360 Well, let's turn in our Bibles tonight to First Samuel, First Samuel, 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:08,480 Chapter 13. 3 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:13,280 Say wait a minute Ethan, we're doing that on Wednesday night. 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:14,760 Well guess what? 5 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:16,320 If you haven't been here for Wednesday night, now you're going 6 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:17,120 to get the Denises. 7 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,600 No, that's not exactly what we are going to do. 8 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:32,010 But this message is supposed to do something and that is a reminder 9 00:00:32,570 --> 00:00:37,770 as we go forward with our Wednesday night to try to connect 10 00:00:38,890 --> 00:00:42,010 some connections that may have forgotten. 11 00:00:42,010 --> 00:00:50,770 But I, I just want us to be reminded of the parts that we're 12 00:00:50,770 --> 00:00:55,210 going to go through over the next chapters on Wednesday night 13 00:00:55,210 --> 00:01:00,260 because we're, we're, we're at chapter 21, the climax of the story 14 00:01:00,340 --> 00:01:06,660 of Saul and David and uncertainties are over and David 15 00:01:06,980 --> 00:01:14,180 is going to be on the run as a fugitive and we are going to be from 16 00:01:14,180 --> 00:01:15,060 here on out. 17 00:01:15,300 --> 00:01:17,780 If you haven't already been on David's side, you're going to be 18 00:01:17,780 --> 00:01:20,340 on David's side because he's running away. 19 00:01:20,900 --> 00:01:24,580 This is a man called of God, man after God's own heart. 20 00:01:25,660 --> 00:01:27,740 And we're following David to the end. 21 00:01:27,740 --> 00:01:33,660 No different than some of his most loyal soldiers will be doing. 22 00:01:35,020 --> 00:01:41,900 But David being a man after God's own heart is going to make 23 00:01:42,300 --> 00:01:48,860 some horrible horrendous mistakes starting in this next chapter 24 00:01:48,860 --> 00:01:49,500 21. 25 00:01:50,550 --> 00:01:55,510 And we are going to watch David's life over the next weeks 26 00:01:55,910 --> 00:02:00,230 and on Wednesday nights as we go through first Samuel to second 27 00:02:00,310 --> 00:02:03,830 Samuel and he becomes king and then he goes through that horrible 28 00:02:03,830 --> 00:02:09,270 episode with David and Bathsheba and hit the fell and his 29 00:02:09,270 --> 00:02:10,310 son Absalom. 30 00:02:10,310 --> 00:02:15,310 And there are going to be a lot of questions to ask and that 31 00:02:15,310 --> 00:02:20,010 main question that we would probably focus on is how can this 32 00:02:20,010 --> 00:02:21,730 guy be a man after God's own heart? 33 00:02:23,010 --> 00:02:28,770 And there are a few different things that we can point to of why 34 00:02:28,850 --> 00:02:34,170 in the world did date did God consider David to be a man after 35 00:02:34,170 --> 00:02:40,730 God's own heart and the reasons of why God thought this is 36 00:02:40,730 --> 00:02:46,380 a man after my own heart because that is how how God refers 37 00:02:46,380 --> 00:02:47,420 to David. 38 00:02:47,820 --> 00:02:53,500 No different than he refers to Abraham as my friend, the friend 39 00:02:53,500 --> 00:02:54,220 of God. 40 00:02:55,020 --> 00:02:59,860 And as, as I had a few different lessons actually I could 41 00:02:59,860 --> 00:03:07,260 have chosen for this as far as a reason of why David was God was 42 00:03:07,260 --> 00:03:08,620 a man after God's own heart. 43 00:03:08,700 --> 00:03:13,680 But the one that I thought I would settle on is is this one principle 44 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:19,120 what makes a person a person after God's own heart? 45 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:28,560 The big question that we should ask ourselves as we approach 46 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,680 this introspection, if you will, this pondering of our own feet. 47 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:39,080 The one question that we should ask is this desiring God. 48 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:50,680 And in that desire for God, do we desire truly God and his person 49 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:57,480 rather than his gift and what he can do for you? 50 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,680 Because there is a difference that we are going to look at here 51 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:02,600 in First Samuel. 52 00:04:02,940 --> 00:04:03,820 And Saul is. 53 00:04:04,380 --> 00:04:08,460 He's our big guinea pig here for what not to do in many situations. 54 00:04:08,700 --> 00:04:10,620 And Saul is going to serve that purpose at all. 55 00:04:10,940 --> 00:04:13,580 So let's pray and we'll dive in. 56 00:04:13,580 --> 00:04:15,140 We'll explain exactly what we mean here. 57 00:04:15,140 --> 00:04:17,420 Our heavenly Father will be asked that you would help us to understand 58 00:04:17,420 --> 00:04:18,140 your word. 59 00:04:18,860 --> 00:04:23,180 But Lord, I pray that you give us your grace to understand that 60 00:04:23,180 --> 00:04:27,700 your gifts are wonderful, your blessings are desirable, they're 61 00:04:27,700 --> 00:04:30,460 needed, Lord, and we should desire those things. 62 00:04:30,980 --> 00:04:33,940 But God, you don't give us those things so that we would just 63 00:04:33,940 --> 00:04:35,300 desire the gift. 64 00:04:35,700 --> 00:04:38,940 You give us these things because you are a good God and we 65 00:04:38,940 --> 00:04:40,100 should desire you. 66 00:04:40,660 --> 00:04:43,380 So, Lord, I pray that you would guide us tonight in your scripture. 67 00:04:43,780 --> 00:04:46,020 And we ask these things in Jesus name. 68 00:04:46,020 --> 00:04:46,500 Amen. 69 00:04:46,820 --> 00:04:47,580 So you're there. 70 00:04:47,580 --> 00:04:51,060 In First Samuel, chapter 13, we get the story of Saul. 71 00:04:51,620 --> 00:04:53,660 But let me read to you a few other things. 72 00:04:53,660 --> 00:04:58,910 First, in Acts, chapter 13, verse 22, Stephen talking about David 73 00:04:58,910 --> 00:05:03,910 and talking about the history of Israel and the kings and the people 74 00:05:03,910 --> 00:05:06,190 who would reject God. 75 00:05:06,190 --> 00:05:08,950 Ultimately, he speaks about David and he says, and when he had 76 00:05:08,950 --> 00:05:13,510 removed him being Saul, he raised up unto them David to be their 77 00:05:13,510 --> 00:05:18,510 king, to whom also he gave their testimony and said, I found 78 00:05:18,510 --> 00:05:23,970 David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall 79 00:05:23,970 --> 00:05:26,530 fulfill all my will. 80 00:05:27,730 --> 00:05:33,170 Now my first thought whenever I read that is, all of your will. 81 00:05:34,290 --> 00:05:35,890 Surely there was something in there. 82 00:05:36,130 --> 00:05:37,530 And then we're going to face something. 83 00:05:37,530 --> 00:05:42,210 In chapter 21 of First Samuel, whenever David lies to Ahin and I 84 00:05:42,530 --> 00:05:48,290 and the priests and gets them all killed because of this lie, was 85 00:05:48,290 --> 00:05:49,410 that part of God's will? 86 00:05:50,590 --> 00:05:55,830 And it really starts me to think, what in the world did God 87 00:05:55,830 --> 00:05:56,990 see in David? 88 00:05:58,430 --> 00:06:02,670 And by the same note, what in the world does God see in us? 89 00:06:04,030 --> 00:06:08,510 What does God see in us in our deep desires? 90 00:06:09,310 --> 00:06:13,950 Psalm 104 is an interesting psalm that David wrote. 91 00:06:14,430 --> 00:06:17,930 And I'm not going to read all of it because it is a little lengthy. 92 00:06:17,930 --> 00:06:22,050 But I do want to read some of the verses about David's thoughts 93 00:06:22,290 --> 00:06:24,370 about who he was. 94 00:06:25,010 --> 00:06:27,410 This lets us into a window. 95 00:06:27,410 --> 00:06:28,090 I apologize. 96 00:06:28,090 --> 00:06:29,530 You might as well just turn it there right now. 97 00:06:29,530 --> 00:06:30,450 Psalm 104. 98 00:06:30,850 --> 00:06:32,130 Don't say first Samuels. 99 00:06:32,130 --> 00:06:33,250 Turn to Psalm 104. 100 00:06:33,330 --> 00:06:37,250 This gives us a window into how David thought about God. 101 00:06:38,050 --> 00:06:44,500 And it is a window of seeing the innermost desires of David and 102 00:06:44,500 --> 00:06:48,220 what he was wanting from God. 103 00:06:48,780 --> 00:06:52,020 It says in Psalm 104, Blessed, bless the Lord. 104 00:06:52,020 --> 00:06:54,340 O my soul, O Lord, my God. 105 00:06:54,340 --> 00:06:55,740 Thou art very great. 106 00:06:56,140 --> 00:06:58,780 Thou art clothed with honor and majesty. 107 00:06:58,940 --> 00:07:02,780 Who covers thyself with light as with a garment, who stretches 108 00:07:02,780 --> 00:07:05,300 out the heavens like a curtain, who layeth the beams of 109 00:07:05,300 --> 00:07:08,210 his chambers in the wet waters, who maketh the clouds his 110 00:07:08,210 --> 00:07:11,690 chariot, who walketh upon the wings of the wind, who maketh his 111 00:07:11,690 --> 00:07:14,690 angels, spirits his ministers, a flaming fire. 112 00:07:15,010 --> 00:07:17,930 You laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed 113 00:07:17,930 --> 00:07:18,370 forever. 114 00:07:18,370 --> 00:07:19,330 Skip to verse 10. 115 00:07:19,330 --> 00:07:23,010 He sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hills. 116 00:07:23,730 --> 00:07:25,170 Verse number 13. 117 00:07:25,250 --> 00:07:27,170 He waters the hills from his chambers. 118 00:07:27,250 --> 00:07:29,970 The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. 119 00:07:29,970 --> 00:07:34,040 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, herb for the service 120 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,920 of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth, and 121 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:40,240 wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his 122 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,760 face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. 123 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:49,040 You can see the adoration that David is just pouring out here. 124 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:49,920 Verse 31. 125 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,360 The glory of the Lord shall endure forever. 126 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,600 The Lord rejoice, shall rejoice in his works. 127 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,990 He looketh on the earth and it tremble, Toucheth the hills, and 128 00:08:00,990 --> 00:08:01,550 they smoke. 129 00:08:01,710 --> 00:08:04,910 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live. 130 00:08:04,910 --> 00:08:09,470 I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 131 00:08:10,030 --> 00:08:12,110 My meditation of him shall be sweet. 132 00:08:12,270 --> 00:08:13,950 I will be glad in the Lord. 133 00:08:15,070 --> 00:08:17,390 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth. 134 00:08:17,390 --> 00:08:18,430 Let the wicked be no more. 135 00:08:18,430 --> 00:08:20,030 Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. 136 00:08:20,030 --> 00:08:21,310 Praise ye the Lord. 137 00:08:22,110 --> 00:08:23,230 So there it is. 138 00:08:23,310 --> 00:08:27,230 In Psalm 104, we see a picture of David's heart as he cries out 139 00:08:27,230 --> 00:08:28,110 to his God. 140 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:33,120 And his desire is to God. 141 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,920 That desire is to his person. 142 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:40,960 And for all the mighty things that God does. 143 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:46,240 Yes, but the adoration is not just on the gifts and the things 144 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,240 that God was doing for David. 145 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,680 Because at this time in David's Life, in Psalm 104, he's 146 00:08:51,680 --> 00:08:52,320 doing a lot. 147 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:59,790 David is adoring the character of his God. 148 00:09:00,350 --> 00:09:04,750 Now we come to First Samuel, chapter 13 says, Saul reigned one 149 00:09:04,750 --> 00:09:08,430 year, and when he rained two years over Israel, Saul chose him. 150 00:09:08,430 --> 00:09:12,110 Three thousand men of Israel, whereof two thousand were Saul with 151 00:09:12,110 --> 00:09:15,230 Saul McMashon and Mount Bethel, and a thousand with Jonathan 152 00:09:16,350 --> 00:09:18,510 and Gibbon and Benjamin and the rest of the people. 153 00:09:18,750 --> 00:09:21,330 He sent every man to his 10 intent. 154 00:09:21,570 --> 00:09:25,090 And so in this story, Saul is starting off in his reign. 155 00:09:25,410 --> 00:09:31,570 Random year number One, Saul is going out to do battle on behalf 156 00:09:31,890 --> 00:09:33,010 of the Israelites. 157 00:09:33,010 --> 00:09:33,810 That's what they wanted. 158 00:09:33,810 --> 00:09:35,490 We wanted a champion, they said. 159 00:09:35,650 --> 00:09:38,690 We wanted a king that would fight our battles for us. 160 00:09:39,730 --> 00:09:41,330 They are in a. 161 00:09:43,010 --> 00:09:44,050 A tight spot. 162 00:09:44,050 --> 00:09:47,370 You could say they weren't really an equipped army, but they 163 00:09:47,370 --> 00:09:48,950 were a willing army. 164 00:09:48,950 --> 00:09:53,030 They were trying to go out and they were trying to do things somewhat 165 00:09:53,030 --> 00:09:53,990 right at this point. 166 00:09:53,990 --> 00:09:57,990 They were trying to rely on God and for his provision. 167 00:09:58,790 --> 00:10:05,310 And it says here that what they were doing is that Saul called 168 00:10:05,310 --> 00:10:11,430 all the people to Gilgal and at Gilgal, Gilgal, that was the place 169 00:10:11,910 --> 00:10:16,820 where all of the people were supposed to meet in order to meet 170 00:10:17,140 --> 00:10:23,100 a certain Samuel, who was their priest at this point, their 171 00:10:23,100 --> 00:10:25,140 prophet, who was allowed to sacrifice. 172 00:10:25,540 --> 00:10:27,180 He was part of their. 173 00:10:27,180 --> 00:10:31,180 Their leadership, but more importantly, he was part of the spiritual 174 00:10:31,180 --> 00:10:32,420 leadership of the land. 175 00:10:33,060 --> 00:10:36,500 And this is who God had appointed for this position. 176 00:10:36,980 --> 00:10:38,500 This is what God wanted. 177 00:10:38,660 --> 00:10:40,100 This was God's direction. 178 00:10:40,370 --> 00:10:42,850 This was God's will that Samuel would do that. 179 00:10:43,410 --> 00:10:47,090 It says in verse number eight, he tarried seven days according to 180 00:10:47,090 --> 00:10:49,970 the set time that Samuel had appointed. 181 00:10:50,450 --> 00:10:54,610 Samuel came not to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him. 182 00:10:55,570 --> 00:11:00,330 And then Saul says, bring hither burnt offering to me and peace 183 00:11:00,330 --> 00:11:00,930 offerings. 184 00:11:01,250 --> 00:11:03,890 And he offered the burnt offering. 185 00:11:05,010 --> 00:11:06,770 So that is the mistake. 186 00:11:08,300 --> 00:11:14,860 The question that Christians get caught up on is often some of 187 00:11:14,860 --> 00:11:20,220 the same questions that Saul was getting caught up on in his service 188 00:11:21,260 --> 00:11:26,580 to the people of Israel, but to God while serving God, they get 189 00:11:26,580 --> 00:11:30,300 caught up on prospering while serving God. 190 00:11:31,260 --> 00:11:36,630 What happens whenever we see that being a Christian doesn't really 191 00:11:36,870 --> 00:11:38,630 benefit us anymore? 192 00:11:39,670 --> 00:11:43,190 What happens whenever you personally see that being a Christian 193 00:11:43,190 --> 00:11:44,550 is no longer beneficial? 194 00:11:44,790 --> 00:11:46,470 I'm sure that day is going to come. 195 00:11:47,030 --> 00:11:50,870 Saul was a man of God in the eyes of the people. 196 00:11:50,870 --> 00:11:52,070 He's chosen by God. 197 00:11:52,310 --> 00:11:54,310 He was leader of all of Israel. 198 00:11:54,470 --> 00:12:00,440 And this was a great benefit to be part of God's choosing. 199 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:01,680 Because look where it got Saul. 200 00:12:01,680 --> 00:12:03,040 It got him into be a king. 201 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:09,120 But now they're at Gilgal, they're waiting God, God's way. 202 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:14,080 He's supposed to be there for seven days, and then God's going 203 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:17,040 to show up and fulfill his end of the bargain. 204 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:23,280 And God doesn't show up, Samuel doesn't come. 205 00:12:24,730 --> 00:12:28,570 The benefits of following God are looking less and less. 206 00:12:29,770 --> 00:12:32,730 And in our Christian lives, this happens to us. 207 00:12:33,690 --> 00:12:43,290 We go out strong at times and we have moments of spiritual awakening, 208 00:12:44,410 --> 00:12:47,610 spiritual insight, spiritual strength. 209 00:12:47,930 --> 00:12:48,810 We show it. 210 00:12:50,180 --> 00:12:55,060 And at the moment of failing, we begin to falter. 211 00:12:56,180 --> 00:13:01,020 You see, one can seek God only Because of what he can do for them 212 00:13:01,020 --> 00:13:03,540 rather than seek God for who he is. 213 00:13:04,340 --> 00:13:07,940 How much do you love him and desire him as fellowship? 214 00:13:08,500 --> 00:13:11,620 What if the gifts ultimately stopped? 215 00:13:12,500 --> 00:13:16,990 David and Saul both sought God's help in their life. 216 00:13:17,950 --> 00:13:20,190 Saul is clearly seeking God's help here. 217 00:13:20,350 --> 00:13:21,870 He's not going to battle. 218 00:13:22,190 --> 00:13:25,150 We're supposed to seek God's help before we go into battle. 219 00:13:25,150 --> 00:13:26,190 That's the rule. 220 00:13:26,670 --> 00:13:30,110 We sacrifice, we give to God, and then God blesses us. 221 00:13:31,069 --> 00:13:33,710 David also sought God's help. 222 00:13:34,110 --> 00:13:36,070 All the psalms testify to that. 223 00:13:36,070 --> 00:13:38,430 Please, Lord, deliver me from my enemies. 224 00:13:39,390 --> 00:13:40,990 Deliver me from my captives. 225 00:13:40,990 --> 00:13:42,310 God, look what they're doing to me. 226 00:13:42,310 --> 00:13:42,990 I need help. 227 00:13:42,990 --> 00:13:43,910 God, help me. 228 00:13:43,910 --> 00:13:45,230 Avenge me of my enemies. 229 00:13:46,110 --> 00:13:49,310 We see him going before the Urim and Thummim in the next few 230 00:13:49,310 --> 00:13:54,110 chapters of chapter 22 and 21, all the way through the end of First 231 00:13:54,110 --> 00:13:54,590 Samuel. 232 00:13:54,830 --> 00:13:59,710 He's asking God, God, do I go to the city and help these people? 233 00:14:00,030 --> 00:14:01,990 God, are these people going to give me up? 234 00:14:01,990 --> 00:14:02,990 He's going to God. 235 00:14:02,990 --> 00:14:04,750 He's asking for help. 236 00:14:05,390 --> 00:14:06,990 That is not the problem. 237 00:14:07,550 --> 00:14:09,390 Asking God for help is not the problem. 238 00:14:10,030 --> 00:14:14,730 They both sought God's help, both sought God's blessings, both 239 00:14:14,730 --> 00:14:17,130 enjoyed God's gifts. 240 00:14:18,650 --> 00:14:25,290 But Saul cared more for the gifts rather than what condition 241 00:14:25,290 --> 00:14:27,930 his relationship with God was in. 242 00:14:28,890 --> 00:14:35,850 David's heart was one that sung to God because of his overwhelming 243 00:14:35,930 --> 00:14:37,050 love for him. 244 00:14:38,020 --> 00:14:41,060 David knew the blessings and the gifts of God were real, but that 245 00:14:41,060 --> 00:14:42,820 just wasn't his primary concern. 246 00:14:43,620 --> 00:14:49,220 His primary concern was having a right relationship with God. 247 00:14:49,940 --> 00:14:56,460 And we see that even as he resists God in the conviction of 248 00:14:56,460 --> 00:14:59,220 Uriah and the death of Uriah and Bathsheba. 249 00:14:59,220 --> 00:15:00,940 We read about that in Psalm 51. 250 00:15:00,940 --> 00:15:07,250 We understand that in the time that David spent away from God on 251 00:15:07,250 --> 00:15:10,450 the run in his heart, he was in utter torment. 252 00:15:11,090 --> 00:15:13,370 And he desired to have that right. 253 00:15:13,370 --> 00:15:16,930 Once that sin was completely known him, he desired to have that 254 00:15:16,930 --> 00:15:22,010 right not necessarily so that things would be restored, but so 255 00:15:22,010 --> 00:15:24,770 that he would be restored to his God. 256 00:15:26,450 --> 00:15:31,650 We as Christians get caught up on prospering while serving God. 257 00:15:32,690 --> 00:15:36,210 The question that we need to ask ourselves is, are we just happy 258 00:15:36,530 --> 00:15:39,570 with being God's child and having him as our friend? 259 00:15:41,330 --> 00:15:46,690 The world's lowliest beggar can be happy and have peace in their 260 00:15:46,690 --> 00:15:52,690 heart if they are at peace with God and if they are in the presence 261 00:15:53,010 --> 00:15:53,730 of God. 262 00:15:54,450 --> 00:15:57,170 But, you know, it's hard for us to think like that at. 263 00:15:58,060 --> 00:16:01,260 It's hard for us to say, oh, I would be happy with less. 264 00:16:02,700 --> 00:16:03,900 It's hard, okay. 265 00:16:05,100 --> 00:16:09,020 We get caught up on what can God do for us? 266 00:16:10,220 --> 00:16:13,020 And then there's another principle that we bring into the 267 00:16:13,020 --> 00:16:13,580 migs. 268 00:16:13,580 --> 00:16:16,860 We try to bring scripture into the mix to help our case out. 269 00:16:17,020 --> 00:16:18,780 You have not because you ask not. 270 00:16:18,860 --> 00:16:20,460 I'm just asking for stuff. 271 00:16:20,460 --> 00:16:22,220 You know, God says you gotta ask. 272 00:16:22,380 --> 00:16:25,260 The next verse says you don't have because you ask amiss. 273 00:16:25,970 --> 00:16:27,810 You want to consume it with your own lust. 274 00:16:28,450 --> 00:16:29,810 There is a balance here. 275 00:16:30,530 --> 00:16:36,930 Our joy is from the permanent, eternal and never breaking, never 276 00:16:36,930 --> 00:16:41,490 ending connection that our relationship with Jesus brings us 277 00:16:41,490 --> 00:16:42,370 with the Father. 278 00:16:42,770 --> 00:16:46,770 It is the present salvation from sin today and the joy that comes 279 00:16:46,770 --> 00:16:50,490 to our hearts when we remember the upcoming future of being able 280 00:16:50,490 --> 00:16:52,900 to spend all of eternity with him. 281 00:16:53,060 --> 00:16:54,740 The hope to come will. 282 00:16:55,940 --> 00:16:58,020 That is why we should desire God. 283 00:16:58,180 --> 00:17:03,420 It's about intimate relationship with God, is about a 284 00:17:03,420 --> 00:17:06,340 close relationship with God. 285 00:17:06,740 --> 00:17:08,420 That is where the desire. 286 00:17:08,420 --> 00:17:10,260 It's about our relationship with him. 287 00:17:10,820 --> 00:17:15,060 Jesus is our best friend, our brother, the bridegroom, the advocate 288 00:17:15,060 --> 00:17:16,820 that stands between us and the Father. 289 00:17:17,220 --> 00:17:21,120 And he is the reason why we can cry out, out ab. 290 00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:25,040 Father, we desire our God. 291 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:27,440 That is the crux. 292 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:30,480 That is what we should be focused in. 293 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:40,480 Saul in this chapter does not follow God's lead because of his 294 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:42,240 view of God. 295 00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:50,880 And I have found that whenever my view of God is skewed, so to speak, 296 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:55,600 everything else begins to follow suit with that. 297 00:17:56,320 --> 00:18:01,120 You know, if my view of God is God doesn't care about this. 298 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:01,440 Right? 299 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:04,240 God doesn't care about me personally right now. 300 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,920 Everything else begins to follow suit for that. 301 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:10,800 Number one, probably angers. 302 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:12,720 One of the biggest emotions that would come up. 303 00:18:13,690 --> 00:18:18,250 A lack of understanding of how much God loves you brings anger into 304 00:18:18,250 --> 00:18:20,170 a person's life when things don't go right. 305 00:18:20,970 --> 00:18:23,930 Especially if you have a knowledge of God's sovereignty. 306 00:18:24,170 --> 00:18:25,690 Yeah, I know God did this. 307 00:18:26,170 --> 00:18:28,010 I know exactly that he did this. 308 00:18:28,330 --> 00:18:29,610 Why did he do this? 309 00:18:30,730 --> 00:18:31,370 Anger. 310 00:18:31,850 --> 00:18:36,650 The wrong view brings us down a certain path. 311 00:18:37,930 --> 00:18:40,370 It was his view of God. 312 00:18:40,930 --> 00:18:44,130 And this is the view that I want to hone in tonight. 313 00:18:44,610 --> 00:18:49,170 What this main principle is, and that is the totem principle. 314 00:18:49,490 --> 00:18:51,570 How many of you know what a totem is? 315 00:18:53,570 --> 00:18:54,290 Totem. 316 00:18:55,330 --> 00:18:56,290 Totem pole. 317 00:18:56,770 --> 00:18:57,250 Okay. 318 00:18:57,250 --> 00:18:58,130 Totem pole. 319 00:18:58,530 --> 00:18:59,090 Yeah. 320 00:18:59,170 --> 00:19:01,170 That's probably the biggest thing that I would think of. 321 00:19:01,170 --> 00:19:02,010 Bill standing. 322 00:19:02,010 --> 00:19:02,770 Totem pole. 323 00:19:02,930 --> 00:19:04,290 A totem is. 324 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:08,240 And on so many words, it's an idol. 325 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:08,880 Okay. 326 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:13,760 Totem would be something that you'd keep around your neck on a 327 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:14,400 keychain. 328 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:16,480 You keep it with you at all times. 329 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:25,200 It is a special sacred religious relic that is powerful. 330 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:28,960 It would be your protector, your protection. 331 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:34,250 It would be Your give, your blesser. 332 00:19:34,810 --> 00:19:37,610 You would do things to satisfy the totem. 333 00:19:38,010 --> 00:19:40,650 You would do things to satisfy your totem. 334 00:19:40,810 --> 00:19:44,410 You pray to your totem, you would kiss your totem. 335 00:19:44,730 --> 00:19:48,090 You would in a way worship your totem. 336 00:19:48,570 --> 00:19:50,850 Whenever something good happened, you would take off your 337 00:19:50,850 --> 00:19:51,290 totem. 338 00:19:51,290 --> 00:19:52,410 Totems be praise. 339 00:19:53,450 --> 00:19:53,770 Why? 340 00:19:53,770 --> 00:19:54,890 The totem helped me. 341 00:19:55,130 --> 00:19:56,810 The totem gave me my protection. 342 00:19:57,470 --> 00:20:00,190 You know, you think something evil coming and you're holding up 343 00:20:00,190 --> 00:20:01,550 a totem. 344 00:20:04,190 --> 00:20:13,070 Now the totem principle is unfortunately the way that some Christians 345 00:20:13,229 --> 00:20:15,390 treat their Christian life. 346 00:20:16,990 --> 00:20:20,870 Now, you don't hold up a little totem and you know, a little 347 00:20:20,870 --> 00:20:31,080 weird thing, but we still treat God as a totem and a gift giver, 348 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:34,600 not as king and intimate friend. 349 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:36,760 And that's what Saul is doing. 350 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:39,560 God is the totem and the gift giver. 351 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:42,560 And that's where we come in. 352 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:48,160 Sometimes we treat doing religious things as a totem that 353 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:52,570 is supposed to protect us and give us what we want because we waived 354 00:20:52,570 --> 00:20:53,410 the totem. 355 00:20:54,130 --> 00:21:04,770 We trust in the object that God has given as all encompassing 356 00:21:05,330 --> 00:21:07,810 and the reason for our success. 357 00:21:09,490 --> 00:21:18,780 You know the story of Moses and making the bronze circle, I never 358 00:21:18,780 --> 00:21:20,900 thought about this until I saw it from a different perspective. 359 00:21:20,900 --> 00:21:23,500 But the bronze serpent was a pagan idol. 360 00:21:24,620 --> 00:21:27,580 To the people that would have recognized that, they would have 361 00:21:27,580 --> 00:21:30,940 questioned, why in the world are we looking at a pagan idol for 362 00:21:30,940 --> 00:21:31,740 our salvation? 363 00:21:31,900 --> 00:21:33,980 And yet this was something that God used. 364 00:21:35,100 --> 00:21:37,980 God uses things in our life. 365 00:21:38,540 --> 00:21:39,900 He uses the word of God. 366 00:21:40,140 --> 00:21:42,780 Okay, Number one, he uses the word of God. 367 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:49,160 Is, and I would be careful with this question, but is the word 368 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:55,440 of God what we are necessarily doing? 369 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:56,560 Reading. 370 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:02,640 Because reading automatically gives us this pleasing relationship 371 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:03,440 with God. 372 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:09,040 Well, we understand that the only way to have a pleasing relationship 373 00:22:09,530 --> 00:22:14,250 with God is if we are in his word and spending time with him. 374 00:22:14,570 --> 00:22:17,730 But does reading the Bible automatically equate to spending 375 00:22:17,730 --> 00:22:18,570 time with God? 376 00:22:19,050 --> 00:22:20,370 Well, no, it doesn't. 377 00:22:20,370 --> 00:22:21,690 Many people read the Bible. 378 00:22:22,250 --> 00:22:24,570 That doesn't necessarily mean that they have a relationship with 379 00:22:24,570 --> 00:22:24,970 God. 380 00:22:25,690 --> 00:22:28,930 So therefore, we can conclude that as Christians, we can read the 381 00:22:28,930 --> 00:22:33,410 Bible and spend no time at all with God, even though we read the 382 00:22:33,410 --> 00:22:34,730 very words of God. 383 00:22:36,030 --> 00:22:39,550 Now, if you've read your Bible, what's supposed to happen 384 00:22:39,550 --> 00:22:39,950 today? 385 00:22:41,150 --> 00:22:42,510 Supposed to be a good day. 386 00:22:42,670 --> 00:22:44,230 Okay, that's what's supposed to happen. 387 00:22:44,230 --> 00:22:45,230 I read my Bible. 388 00:22:46,190 --> 00:22:47,230 There's the totem. 389 00:22:48,430 --> 00:22:53,390 If we didn't read our Bible and we have a bad day, I didn't please 390 00:22:53,390 --> 00:22:54,270 the totem today. 391 00:22:54,910 --> 00:22:56,030 I didn't read my Bible. 392 00:22:56,190 --> 00:22:58,350 Or maybe I didn't read my Bible enough. 393 00:22:59,950 --> 00:23:06,250 And as I said this morning, we live our lives for the acceptance 394 00:23:06,730 --> 00:23:10,410 of God because we're trying to be accepted. 395 00:23:10,810 --> 00:23:12,330 We're trying to please the totem. 396 00:23:12,970 --> 00:23:20,330 We are trying to live for him to say, okay, I accept you and be 397 00:23:20,330 --> 00:23:21,530 pleased with you. 398 00:23:22,250 --> 00:23:26,410 We are not living from the perspective of we're already accepted. 399 00:23:28,030 --> 00:23:30,910 We're not living from the perspective that Jesus has already 400 00:23:30,910 --> 00:23:34,030 said, you are mine and I have redeemed. 401 00:23:34,030 --> 00:23:39,790 You see, living for that acceptance is completely different 402 00:23:40,030 --> 00:23:42,510 than living from the acceptance. 403 00:23:42,990 --> 00:23:44,910 The acceptance is already there. 404 00:23:45,550 --> 00:23:50,510 It would be as if a little child, one morning on a Saturday 405 00:23:50,750 --> 00:23:55,170 after he woke up, he immediately started working and doing 406 00:23:55,170 --> 00:23:55,930 chores. 407 00:23:56,010 --> 00:23:58,490 And I mean, this little kid is cleaning. 408 00:23:58,650 --> 00:24:00,810 The parents are highly impressed. 409 00:24:00,810 --> 00:24:01,090 He's. 410 00:24:01,090 --> 00:24:02,490 He's out there washing the car. 411 00:24:02,490 --> 00:24:05,050 He's trying to organize his dad's garage. 412 00:24:05,130 --> 00:24:07,850 He's cutting a lot, all out of his own volition. 413 00:24:08,170 --> 00:24:10,570 And the parents come to the little child and they say, what's 414 00:24:10,570 --> 00:24:10,970 going on? 415 00:24:10,970 --> 00:24:13,050 Why are you doing all this work? 416 00:24:13,210 --> 00:24:16,450 We're happy that you're cleaning and, you know, doing chores, 417 00:24:16,450 --> 00:24:16,970 but why? 418 00:24:17,530 --> 00:24:20,880 And the little boy says, well, I'm trying to make sure that I'm 419 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:22,480 your son now. 420 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:23,480 I'm in this family. 421 00:24:24,120 --> 00:24:25,560 How would you respond to that? 422 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:27,080 What? 423 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:28,120 What? 424 00:24:28,360 --> 00:24:30,720 You don't have to do any of this to. 425 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:31,280 To make. 426 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:31,920 To make your. 427 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:32,840 You our son. 428 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:34,840 You are our son already. 429 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:37,000 You are our child. 430 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:41,360 Why would you think that you have to work to be in this family? 431 00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:42,680 You are in this family. 432 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:46,290 It's the same thing with our relationship with God. 433 00:24:46,770 --> 00:24:50,650 Whenever we work for that acceptance, we are doing what that 434 00:24:50,650 --> 00:24:54,290 little child is doing whenever we work from it. 435 00:24:54,610 --> 00:24:59,330 It is the aspect of saying, wow, I'm a child of God. 436 00:24:59,650 --> 00:25:01,410 I get to spend time with God. 437 00:25:01,890 --> 00:25:07,090 I am going to miss out if I don't spend time with God. 438 00:25:07,330 --> 00:25:12,360 It is the benefits of Christ is the gifts of Christ because of 439 00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:13,840 your desire toward God. 440 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:18,640 And its direction is centered on God Himself. 441 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:25,080 Psalm 19, verses 9 says, the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring 442 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:25,440 forever. 443 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:28,160 The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 444 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:34,640 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, 445 00:25:35,120 --> 00:25:37,760 sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 446 00:25:38,660 --> 00:25:40,860 Moreover, by them is thy servant warned. 447 00:25:40,860 --> 00:25:43,700 And in keeping them there is great reward. 448 00:25:45,460 --> 00:25:47,940 There's great reward by serving God. 449 00:25:48,340 --> 00:25:57,300 We understand there is great joy that follows because a person 450 00:25:57,460 --> 00:26:00,420 is devoted in their desires towards God. 451 00:26:01,060 --> 00:26:09,370 But the gold, the blessings, the reward is not the end goal. 452 00:26:10,490 --> 00:26:11,530 What did Saul do? 453 00:26:11,530 --> 00:26:15,930 Look back there at verse number 14 of 1st Samuel, he said, 454 00:26:17,930 --> 00:26:18,650 Bring the. 455 00:26:18,650 --> 00:26:22,730 In verse number 10, Saul says, Bring hither the burnt offering and 456 00:26:22,730 --> 00:26:23,770 the peace offering. 457 00:26:23,850 --> 00:26:25,690 He offers the burnt offering. 458 00:26:25,850 --> 00:26:29,610 And as soon as it came to pass, made end of the offering. 459 00:26:30,270 --> 00:26:32,670 And Samuel came at the end of that offering. 460 00:26:32,670 --> 00:26:35,870 Verse 11, Samuel said, what has thou done? 461 00:26:36,030 --> 00:26:38,750 Now, you'll notice there in verse number 10, it says, Behold, 462 00:26:38,750 --> 00:26:43,230 Samuel came and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute 463 00:26:43,230 --> 00:26:43,550 him. 464 00:26:44,110 --> 00:26:46,029 It's an interesting thing that he says there. 465 00:26:46,510 --> 00:26:52,030 Saul was thinking in terms of, we are about to go out and fight 466 00:26:52,830 --> 00:26:55,150 this Philistine armory army. 467 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:57,960 We need God's blessing. 468 00:26:58,360 --> 00:27:00,120 We need to do this burnt offering. 469 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:05,880 And when he does this burnt offering act, this is the sinful 470 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:10,440 and shameful act that first commit it is plainly sinful. 471 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:14,120 First, Saul completely plainly disobeys Samuel. 472 00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:18,240 Second, Saul was a king, not a priest, and only priests were to 473 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:19,240 offer sacrifices. 474 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:25,590 Saul had no business doing what Samuel was supposed to do. 475 00:27:26,230 --> 00:27:29,950 History has shown us how dangerous it is to combine religious 476 00:27:29,950 --> 00:27:31,270 and civic authority. 477 00:27:32,470 --> 00:27:36,870 We have all the massacres of the Roman Catholicism in the Church. 478 00:27:37,110 --> 00:27:42,110 We have the religious wars that persisted on for years that 479 00:27:42,110 --> 00:27:44,550 were fought in the name of God. 480 00:27:45,750 --> 00:27:49,960 King Uzziah is another person who tried to do the work of the priest, 481 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,000 and God struck him with leprosy. 482 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:57,120 There are very precise ways that God wants us to work. 483 00:27:57,760 --> 00:27:58,800 And this is a very. 484 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:04,160 This is a very good principle for all of us to base our lives off 485 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:04,480 of. 486 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:09,200 You see, whenever we think about how God would have us act as 487 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:16,140 Christians, how would God have us to move and walk and talk and 488 00:28:16,140 --> 00:28:18,140 have our conversation in this life? 489 00:28:19,020 --> 00:28:22,540 Number one, we would reject following a list of rules, correct? 490 00:28:23,260 --> 00:28:24,060 Absolutely. 491 00:28:24,460 --> 00:28:28,060 We would say the best thing to do is to live by the Spirit. 492 00:28:28,380 --> 00:28:34,060 Okay, how then do we live as Christian? 493 00:28:34,300 --> 00:28:37,980 We live off of the principle of what God has revealed in his word. 494 00:28:38,220 --> 00:28:43,600 We understand that some things in God's word are walls for different 495 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:44,000 people. 496 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:48,320 And we also understand that some of those things have been done 497 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:48,960 away with. 498 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:54,240 But one of the things that is not done away with, whenever we look 499 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:59,360 at, say, the book of Leviticus, is we see principles that 500 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:02,960 God has showed us and put on display. 501 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:08,090 There are principles behind why God did what what he did. 502 00:29:08,410 --> 00:29:11,650 And it'd be very good of us if we as Christians in today's modern 503 00:29:11,650 --> 00:29:16,250 world looked at those principles to see, why did God command 504 00:29:16,250 --> 00:29:17,370 them to do that? 505 00:29:17,770 --> 00:29:20,490 Okay, I understand that I don't have to do that particular 506 00:29:20,570 --> 00:29:20,970 thing. 507 00:29:21,050 --> 00:29:24,570 But what was God's importance behind that principle? 508 00:29:25,210 --> 00:29:30,450 And in this principle that we see, there was a precise method of 509 00:29:30,450 --> 00:29:32,970 who was supposed to make a sacrifice. 510 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:36,360 God had a Precise method. 511 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:38,360 It wasn't random, it wasn't chaotic. 512 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:40,760 It was done decently, in order. 513 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:43,640 It was done the way God wanted it to be done. 514 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:48,040 So here Saul does what he's not supposed to do. 515 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:53,480 Clearly out of fear, out of panic, out of not knowing what else 516 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:56,080 to do, Saul does something sinful. 517 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:57,320 How many of us have done that? 518 00:29:59,170 --> 00:29:59,970 We panicked. 519 00:30:00,290 --> 00:30:02,730 We thought, there's no way God's going to come through on this 520 00:30:02,730 --> 00:30:02,970 one. 521 00:30:02,970 --> 00:30:06,010 I've got to take this into my own hands and I got to do something 522 00:30:06,010 --> 00:30:09,410 right now, man, we get ourselves in trouble real fast. 523 00:30:09,810 --> 00:30:13,050 Saul does something, and for Saul, this, there's a much heavier 524 00:30:13,050 --> 00:30:13,810 consequence. 525 00:30:14,130 --> 00:30:16,050 Not all consequences are equal. 526 00:30:16,530 --> 00:30:18,530 Saul, this was a heavy consequence. 527 00:30:19,330 --> 00:30:22,170 And you know, this is the question that one commentator said, 528 00:30:22,170 --> 00:30:24,890 if Saul was among the prophets before, will he now be among the 529 00:30:24,890 --> 00:30:25,330 priests? 530 00:30:25,810 --> 00:30:30,290 Can there be any devotion to God in disobedience? 531 00:30:31,010 --> 00:30:32,130 O vain man? 532 00:30:32,130 --> 00:30:37,570 What can it avail to sacrifice to God against God? 533 00:30:38,690 --> 00:30:40,530 And that was what St. Saul did. 534 00:30:41,170 --> 00:30:45,490 Said we, we have to do this sacrifice thing now to get the victory, 535 00:30:45,490 --> 00:30:47,330 we gotta do the sacrifice thing. 536 00:30:47,890 --> 00:30:55,740 He was serving God, trying to serve God by disobeying what God 537 00:30:55,820 --> 00:30:56,540 had said. 538 00:30:57,740 --> 00:31:02,860 And it's very important that we don't trample underfoot scripture 539 00:31:03,020 --> 00:31:05,260 because we're trying to obey scripture. 540 00:31:06,460 --> 00:31:07,500 We don't. 541 00:31:08,300 --> 00:31:09,060 We are great. 542 00:31:09,060 --> 00:31:11,020 Our words are seasons with grace. 543 00:31:11,180 --> 00:31:15,380 We don't go off and tell someone, you know, you're a horrible 544 00:31:15,380 --> 00:31:18,140 person and list out all the slew of things that they're doing 545 00:31:18,140 --> 00:31:21,370 wrong and completely negate the love aspect. 546 00:31:22,330 --> 00:31:26,330 So obeying scripture, do we disobey scripture? 547 00:31:26,330 --> 00:31:28,050 That's what Saul did. 548 00:31:28,050 --> 00:31:30,490 Here again, how many. 549 00:31:30,730 --> 00:31:35,450 How many of us are, though their hearts are not right before 550 00:31:35,450 --> 00:31:38,930 God, yet have some sort of religiousness? 551 00:31:38,930 --> 00:31:40,330 Well, you could do that easy. 552 00:31:40,810 --> 00:31:45,340 You could come to church because you're a bad Christian if 553 00:31:45,340 --> 00:31:46,060 you don't go to church. 554 00:31:46,060 --> 00:31:47,060 Everyone knows that, right? 555 00:31:47,700 --> 00:31:48,860 You didn't come to church. 556 00:31:48,860 --> 00:31:49,940 You're a bad Christian. 557 00:31:49,940 --> 00:31:51,140 That's what everyone knows. 558 00:31:52,100 --> 00:31:55,540 I've went to church many times because it was religious activity 559 00:31:55,540 --> 00:31:56,500 that was required. 560 00:31:56,820 --> 00:31:58,100 Did I want to be there? 561 00:31:58,260 --> 00:31:59,140 Absolutely not. 562 00:31:59,780 --> 00:32:01,500 I performed a religious act. 563 00:32:01,500 --> 00:32:03,460 And that's about as much as it was worth. 564 00:32:03,860 --> 00:32:04,740 It was vain. 565 00:32:04,900 --> 00:32:05,860 It was empty. 566 00:32:06,900 --> 00:32:09,940 Saul, in his way, was a religious man. 567 00:32:11,270 --> 00:32:15,510 I say in this, his way, but not in God's way. 568 00:32:16,310 --> 00:32:17,510 There is a difference. 569 00:32:18,550 --> 00:32:23,150 His very disobedience that he did might be considered though an 570 00:32:23,150 --> 00:32:24,070 act of religion. 571 00:32:24,230 --> 00:32:26,150 He said he made a sacrifice. 572 00:32:27,590 --> 00:32:29,150 He offered the sacrifice. 573 00:32:29,150 --> 00:32:33,590 Rather than to go into battle without a sacrifice, that was needed. 574 00:32:34,630 --> 00:32:38,760 One Commentary said, an open, irreligious man would have drawn 575 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:41,920 up his army and fallen on the Philistines without any religious 576 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:42,720 service at all. 577 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:44,560 Saul didn't do this. 578 00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:49,600 He desired to have God's blessing upon him. 579 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:52,840 And while he felt that blessing to be necessary, he did 580 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:58,800 not feel that the only way of gaining it was seeking it in the 581 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:01,680 way that God had appointed it. 582 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:03,920 He tried to circumvent. 583 00:33:04,820 --> 00:33:08,980 It's almost as if the man that Jesus talks about, any man that climbs 584 00:33:08,980 --> 00:33:11,700 up another way and doesn't go in by the sheepfold, he's a thief 585 00:33:11,700 --> 00:33:12,380 and a robber. 586 00:33:12,380 --> 00:33:13,460 That's what Saul was. 587 00:33:13,940 --> 00:33:15,620 He was a thief and a robber. 588 00:33:15,620 --> 00:33:19,140 He was going outside of God's direction. 589 00:33:19,860 --> 00:33:27,540 No matter that it's against God, Saul said, I'm going to do why? 590 00:33:28,340 --> 00:33:34,040 Because victory was given because of the total victory was 591 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:38,280 given because of works performed in Saul's mind. 592 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:40,360 Not relationship. 593 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:42,840 Not a relationship to be had. 594 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:43,720 You get. 595 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:45,160 You do this to get that. 596 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:47,200 Who cares about the relationship of the matter? 597 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:48,280 Did I do what was right? 598 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:50,840 That was Saul's motivation. 599 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:53,360 You know, you think about that. 600 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:56,680 Who cares if I did it out of order? 601 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:57,960 Did I do what was right? 602 00:33:58,970 --> 00:34:00,170 Yes, I did what was right. 603 00:34:00,570 --> 00:34:04,290 Who cares if it wasn't done just the way that it was supposed 604 00:34:04,290 --> 00:34:04,890 to be done? 605 00:34:05,370 --> 00:34:06,810 Didn't I do what was right? 606 00:34:07,530 --> 00:34:10,130 These are some of the justifications that you can see coming 607 00:34:10,130 --> 00:34:11,450 and rising out of Saul. 608 00:34:11,930 --> 00:34:16,930 There was a complete lack of relationship completely in Saul's 609 00:34:16,930 --> 00:34:17,210 life. 610 00:34:17,690 --> 00:34:20,970 There isn't a trust for the specifics that God had laid down 611 00:34:20,970 --> 00:34:22,090 in his instructions. 612 00:34:22,330 --> 00:34:24,220 There is a disregard for. 613 00:34:24,290 --> 00:34:26,770 For the pureness of his relationship. 614 00:34:27,650 --> 00:34:29,570 Then we go to Psalm 63. 615 00:34:29,730 --> 00:34:31,490 Oh, God, thou art my God. 616 00:34:32,210 --> 00:34:33,450 Early will I seek thee. 617 00:34:33,450 --> 00:34:34,770 My soul thirsteth for Thee. 618 00:34:35,090 --> 00:34:38,250 My flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water 619 00:34:38,250 --> 00:34:41,010 is to see thy power and thy glory. 620 00:34:41,010 --> 00:34:45,490 So as I have seen thee in the sanctuary, because thy loving kindness 621 00:34:45,490 --> 00:34:47,330 is better than life. 622 00:34:47,650 --> 00:34:51,059 My lips shall praise thee thus while I bless thee. 623 00:34:51,059 --> 00:34:54,379 While I live, I will lift up my hands in thy name. 624 00:34:55,099 --> 00:34:58,739 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth 625 00:34:58,739 --> 00:35:01,979 shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my 626 00:35:01,979 --> 00:35:06,459 bed and meditate on thee in the night watches, because thou has 627 00:35:06,459 --> 00:35:07,179 been my help. 628 00:35:07,179 --> 00:35:09,579 Therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. 629 00:35:10,059 --> 00:35:14,139 My soul falleth hard after thee, Thy right hand upholdeth. 630 00:35:15,590 --> 00:35:24,790 There is a seeking to David's heart, not desiring what God could 631 00:35:24,790 --> 00:35:28,390 do for him, but desiring the person of God. 632 00:35:29,190 --> 00:35:34,150 A man after God's heart enthrones God as king. 633 00:35:34,150 --> 00:35:36,390 For Saul, Saul was king. 634 00:35:37,430 --> 00:35:40,230 For David, the Lord God was king. 635 00:35:40,630 --> 00:35:43,310 Both David and Saul would have thought sacrifice important before 636 00:35:43,310 --> 00:35:43,750 battle. 637 00:35:44,070 --> 00:35:47,670 But David thought it was important because it pleased and 638 00:35:47,670 --> 00:35:48,790 honored God. 639 00:35:50,550 --> 00:35:54,870 Saul thought it was important because it might help him win a battle. 640 00:35:55,350 --> 00:35:58,950 For Saul, God would help him achieve his goal. 641 00:36:00,310 --> 00:36:03,910 For David, God himself was the goal. 642 00:36:04,710 --> 00:36:05,910 Now just think about that. 643 00:36:06,710 --> 00:36:11,860 Is our goal to get to God so he will help us achieve all our goal? 644 00:36:16,820 --> 00:36:19,460 Or is God himself the goal? 645 00:36:19,700 --> 00:36:22,740 No matter if our goal fail, flop? 646 00:36:24,180 --> 00:36:25,780 Is that the will of God? 647 00:36:25,780 --> 00:36:26,740 And so be it. 648 00:36:27,220 --> 00:36:28,340 That's what God wants. 649 00:36:28,420 --> 00:36:31,620 Because my desire is towards God, not to the end. 650 00:36:32,260 --> 00:36:34,340 So is God your goal tonight? 651 00:36:35,460 --> 00:36:39,440 If we are to be Christians after God's own heart, we have to 652 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:41,520 be walkers of that, not just talk. 653 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:49,520 And often we get shown what is truly on the inside and we are squeezed 654 00:36:50,240 --> 00:36:54,480 Whenever situations come out that don't go our way. 655 00:36:55,280 --> 00:37:01,040 It is situations that come into our life that go completely 656 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:04,400 opposite of what we want them to be. 657 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:10,400 Saul tried to offer that sacrifice. 658 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,360 And it's interesting, Saul here in this verse number 10, when 659 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:16,160 Saul goes out to meet Sam. 660 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:25,160 The lack of awareness that Saul shows it says that he went out 661 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:26,080 to salute him. 662 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:28,320 He went out to meet him, that he might greet him. 663 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,460 Saul is literally this. 664 00:37:31,460 --> 00:37:34,860 This word salute him actually is a little bit stronger than just 665 00:37:34,860 --> 00:37:35,500 saying hello. 666 00:37:35,740 --> 00:37:41,020 He actually went out to bless Samuel as a priest would bless. 667 00:37:41,660 --> 00:37:44,580 He literally oversteps his bounds completely. 668 00:37:44,580 --> 00:37:45,900 I've already made a sacrifice. 669 00:37:46,140 --> 00:37:48,380 Perhaps this is exactly what God wants me to do. 670 00:37:48,380 --> 00:37:49,660 I can bless people now. 671 00:37:52,620 --> 00:37:54,220 And wanting to bless Samuel. 672 00:37:54,220 --> 00:37:57,790 Saul also maybe trying to show Samuel how spiritually he is. 673 00:37:58,260 --> 00:38:00,100 Look, Samuel, I didn't need your help with us. 674 00:38:00,500 --> 00:38:01,860 I made the sacrifice. 675 00:38:02,580 --> 00:38:05,100 He's like a child who gets caught with his hand in the cookie 676 00:38:05,100 --> 00:38:07,940 jar and then says to mom, mom, can we pray now? 677 00:38:12,420 --> 00:38:16,220 So tonight, what I want us to leave with is this thought. 678 00:38:16,220 --> 00:38:22,260 If we are Christians after God's own heart, that is our goal. 679 00:38:22,500 --> 00:38:24,580 That is the one question that we must answer. 680 00:38:25,020 --> 00:38:26,620 Is God a goal? 681 00:38:27,100 --> 00:38:28,140 Is God our goal? 682 00:38:28,140 --> 00:38:29,180 Saul wanted the victory. 683 00:38:29,180 --> 00:38:30,220 Saul wanted protection. 684 00:38:30,700 --> 00:38:32,780 Saul wanted God's blessing on what he was doing. 685 00:38:32,780 --> 00:38:34,300 But David wanted God. 686 00:38:34,940 --> 00:38:37,340 That's what we have to ask ourselves. 687 00:38:38,460 --> 00:38:40,540 Maybe you're going through something right now where you're 688 00:38:40,540 --> 00:38:44,420 not getting your way and things are not going according to 689 00:38:44,420 --> 00:38:44,700 plan. 690 00:38:45,100 --> 00:38:46,700 Is God you're still your goal? 691 00:38:47,580 --> 00:38:48,940 Do these things matter? 692 00:38:50,550 --> 00:38:51,110 Does, does. 693 00:38:51,190 --> 00:38:58,230 Does the relationship between you and I and our God matter more 694 00:38:58,790 --> 00:38:59,670 than our success? 695 00:39:00,790 --> 00:39:05,470 The danger for us is that we can be very religious in today's 696 00:39:05,470 --> 00:39:09,110 world, still fall into Saul's way of thinking. 697 00:39:09,270 --> 00:39:10,870 We can pray because we need something. 698 00:39:10,870 --> 00:39:13,590 We can read our Bible because we want God to fix something. 699 00:39:13,830 --> 00:39:15,910 We can come to church because we need help. 700 00:39:16,780 --> 00:39:19,260 We can serve because we want his blessing. 701 00:39:19,420 --> 00:39:20,940 And none of those things are wrong. 702 00:39:21,500 --> 00:39:24,500 But what happens when God doesn't get that, that you've asked 703 00:39:24,500 --> 00:39:28,140 for, that you have wagered for? 704 00:39:29,260 --> 00:39:30,300 That is the question. 705 00:39:31,580 --> 00:39:32,860 Would you still want him? 706 00:39:33,420 --> 00:39:38,380 David said In Psalm chapter 63, O God, thou art my God, early 707 00:39:38,620 --> 00:39:42,320 will I see thee, my soul thirsted for thee. 708 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:45,920 He didn't say, my soul thirsteth for what you can give me. 709 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:49,120 It was for God and for God alone. 710 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:52,800 So that is the question that I want to ask us tonight. 711 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:56,080 Do we want our God truly? 712 00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:57,360 Where's our heart at? 713 00:39:57,600 --> 00:39:58,159 Pray. 714 00:39:58,560 --> 00:40:03,160 Father, thank you so much that you are a loving God and that you 715 00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:04,800 know our hearts, Lord. 716 00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:10,770 And I believe that you call out to us to help us to see where 717 00:40:10,930 --> 00:40:14,890 our hearts are going wrong, Lord, and you draw us closer to you. 718 00:40:14,890 --> 00:40:18,970 I pray that you would do that tonight, Lord, if we in our hearts 719 00:40:18,970 --> 00:40:22,690 are desiring what you can do for us rather than you yourself or 720 00:40:22,930 --> 00:40:23,970 help us to see that. 721 00:40:24,290 --> 00:40:26,450 Show us that, Lord, your word. 722 00:40:26,770 --> 00:40:31,650 Show us that throughout our life, Lord, I just pray and ask for 723 00:40:31,650 --> 00:40:34,570 your mercy and grace, Lord Jesus name we pray. 724 00:40:34,570 --> 00:40:35,170 Amen.