Complete Devotion

Turn to 1 Samuel 12

Intro:

(Q) Have you ever CONSIDERED the DIFFICULTY and ESSENTIALLY the IMPOSSIBILITY of the word “ALL” before?

Similarly “WHOLE”… “EVERY”… “ALWAYS”

SMALL WORD.... SIGNIFICANT.

Jesus: Matthew 22 GREATEST COMMANDMENT = “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37).

DALE PARTRIDGE: “NO ONE’S EVER DONE THAT FOR 1 SECOND!”

EVER CONSIDERED THIS?

GOD DESIRES ALL OF WHO WE ARE…OUR ENTIRE BEING.

NO RESERVATIONS

NO IDOLS/COMPETING gods...

NOT CALLED to:

SERVE GOD ONLY SUNDAYS

SERVE OUTWARDLY W/ SERIOUS INWARD REBELLION

DURING TEXT TODAY, CONSIDER THESE THINGS…SEE IF THERE BE ANY MAVERICK PARTS of YOUR HEART....

GOD WANTS to WORK in US TILL EVERY INNER CREVICE of OUR HEART HAS BEEN CONQUERED BY HIM.

NO ONE HAS it DOWN 100%…BUT the BELIEVER’S TASK: GETTING CLOSER to “ALL” 100% DEVOTION, EACH & EVERY DAY…AS CLOSE to COMPLETE DEVOTION as POSSIBLE, THIS SIDE of GLORY...

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Recap

Last Week:

BEGINNING of KING SAUL’S REIGN

ASSEMBLY @ MIZPAH…ESTABLISH KING.

SAUL = TIMID…HIDING WHEN NAMES are DRAWN.

SAUL’S NAME DRAWN— FOUND HIDING…BROUGHT B4 the PEOPLE.

MIXED REVIEWS

SAUL RETURNS to FARMING

NAHASH (AMMONITES) ATTACK & SPIRIT of GOD STIRS SAUL to ACT.

SPIRIT of GOD TOOK a TIMID MAN & MADE HIM LEAD ISRAEL to VICTORY…

** WE ALL NEED HELP FROM SPIRIT of GOD.

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Text:

1 Samuel 12:1–25 (ESV)

Setting

1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day.

3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.”

5 And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

SAMUEL BEGINS FAREWELL RECOUNTING MINISTRY.... “HAVE I DONE ANYTHING to OFFEND/WRONG YOU?”

INITIALLY, PEOPLE = PROBABLY SKEPTICAL of “SPIRITUAL” LEADERS… ELI & SONS WERE BAD LEADERS.

SAMUEL NEVER ABUSED MINISTRY…NEVER TOOK ADVANTAGE of PEOPLE...

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WHAT AWESOME TESTIMONY?!

ALL BELIEVERS SHOULD AIM to LIVE BLAMELESS

Richard Philipps: CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY PUTS CONFIDENCE in GOSPEL & POWER of GOD to CHANGE LIVES!

NONE PERFECT…BUT CAN STILL BE UPRIGHT & GODLY.

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SAMUEL’S TESTIMONY = INDICTING…BECAUSE PEOPLE REJECTED SAMUEL for KING...

WHY GET RID of GODLY LEADER??

PEOPLE RESPOND/TESTIFY & GOD & SAUL = WITNESSES

(T) And AFTER SAMUEL TESTIFIES to his OWN FAITHFULNESS to the people, HE’LL REITERATE the FAITHFULNESS of the LORD as well, look at verse six. It says,

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Rising Tension (v6-8)

6 And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers.

8 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.

SAMUEL RECOUNTS GOD’S GOODNESS/FAITHFULNESS to ISRAEL & FOUNDATION of GRACE.

OT = FOUNDED on GRACE.

GOD SAVED PEOPLE FROM EGYPT BEFORE GIVING THE COMMANDMENTS

ABRAHAM, GRACIOUSLY CHOSEN

GIVEN ISAAC, BY GRACE

JACOB, SET APART, ALTHOUGH DECEIVER/SUPPLANTER...

FOUNDED UPON GOD’S GRACE…NOT MERIT of PEOPLE...

THEN PEOPLE WERE GIVEN a LAND!

NOW...BASED on PAST GRACE…SAMUEL WAS PLEADING W/ GOD for the PEOPLE.

(T) BUT IN the MIDST of GREAT GRACE and a WONDERFUL HISTORY, there’s ALSO BAD NEWS, for Samuel goes on to recount,

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More Tension (v9-12)

9 But they forgot the Lord their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’

11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king.

ONCE PEOPLE ENJOYED GOOD TIMES & FREEDOM....THEY WANDERED INTO SIN!!

(Q) Have you EVER FOUND that DURING the GOOD TIMES in life you CAN NEGLECT GOD?

(Q) ISN’T IT so EASY to TAKE the GOOD TIMES and things FOR GRANTED?

PRESENTLY ENJOYING POISON IVY…FORGET YOU HAVE EYELIDS UNTIL THEY ITCH!

DESPERATE TIMES = DESPERATE MEASURES

GOOD TIMES = COMPLACENCY??

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ISRAEL in PROMISED LAND…SLOWLY FORGETTING GOD…REPLACING HIM W/ LOCAL gods of THEIR CULTURE… & GOD TURNED THEM OVER to ENEMIES

EVEN WHEN PEOPLE NEGLECTED GOD, HE DIDN’T UTTERLY FORSAKE THEM!

GIDEON

BARAH

JEPHTHAH

SAMUEL

GOD’S PEOPLE = FAITHLESS?? GOD = FAITHFUL.

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SAMUEL BRINGS THIS UP to CHARGE PEOPLE W/ SIN!

GOD DELIVERED ISRAEL from EGYPT!

GOD DELIVERED ISRAEL from ENEMY NATIONS (in PROMISED LAND)

NAHASH & AMMONITES WERE TOO MUCH?? ASKING for KING???

GOD’S PAST FAITHFULNESS WASN’T ENOUGH…NEEDED WORLDLY SOLUTION.

ESSENTIALLY SAYING: AFTER ALL GOD HAD DONE, “IT WASN’T ENOUGH for YOU to TRUST & BELIEVE??”

(T) But the GOOD NEWS is that ONCE AGAIN, even though God’s people rebel against Him, HE WILL NOT UTTERLY CAST THEM OUT FOREVER! For God is GRACIOUS and MERCIFUL, for Samuel continues in verse 13 to say,

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A Conditional Blessing (v13-15)

13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.

15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.

SAMUEL OFFERS a CHANCE…CONDITIONAL BLESSING FROM GOD.

“IF” = EXEGETICALLY SIGNIFICANT WORD…ONLY 2 LETTERS, BUT BOASTS A LOT!!

For Samuel says to the people IF THEY’LL FEAR the LORD and SERVE HIM, and OBEY HIM, IF both the PEOPLE & the KING FOLLOW after the LORD.... THEN IT’LL BE WELL.

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IF YOU AREN’T?? THEN GOD’LL WITHDRAW HIS BLESSING.

SERVING GOD? THINGS GO WELL

SERVING OTHER gods?? THINGS GO POORLY......STORY of JUDGES & 1 & 2 KINGS.....

SAMUEL SHOWS — GOD = FAITHFUL to HIS NATURE & UNCHANGING

IMMUTABILITY of GOD…HE’S UNCHANGING! PAST EXAMPLES GIVE INSTRUCTION to PRESENT!

WE CAN TRUST THAT GOD IS CONSISTENT! LOOK @ HIS WORD & HISTORY!!

(T) And then SAMUEL CONTINUES and says,

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Climax? (v16-18)

16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.”

18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

ANOTHER MIRACULOUS SIGN!

WHEAT HARVEST— MAY to JUNE— IN ISRAEL = DRY SEASON…

TO VALIDATE SAMUEL’S MESSAGE, GOD SENDS an UNUSUAL STORM!

DIVINE CONFIRMATION of SIN & CONDITIONS for FUTURE…CAUSING GREAT FEAR & AWE!

(T) And NOW the PEOPLE RESPOND and the text says,

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Conclusion (v19-25)

19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.

23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.

25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

PEOPLE RESPOND: REQUESTING SAMUEL to INTERCEDE for THEIR SIN....

Dale Davis: “Only when God’s people see their sin from his [God’s] perspective is there hope that they will turn from it” (Davis, p. 127).

COMING INTO ALIGNMENT W/ WHAT GOD SAYS CONCERNING SIN is ESSENTIAL...

POSTURE of HUMILITY for ALL BELIEVERS!

GOD is the ONE WHO CALLS SIN, SIN…OUR OPINIONS DON’T MATTER… WE TAKE GOD @ HIS WORD…HE’S the ONE WHO DETERMINES WHAT CREATION WAS DESIGNED to DO...

COULD USE CAMERA as HAMMER....BUT NOT HOW IT’S DESIGNED to BE USED...

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PEOPLE ASK, SAMUEL PRAY to “YOUR” GOD....DESIRING an INTERCESSOR to STAND in THEIR PLACE!

PEOPLE’S REQUEST for KING = SINFUL…EVEN THOUGH GOD in MERCY USED SAUL to DELIVER.

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(V20) YET, THERE’S HOPE....

SAMUEL SAYS,

SERVE GOD W/ ALL YOUR HEART

TURN FROM EMPTY (WASTEPLACE/DESERT) THINGS.

ACTUALLY, 2X in FINAL MESSAGE SAMUEL MENTIONS “ALL THEIR HEARTS”

PROBLEM W/ ALL??? IT MEANS ALL… IN HEBREW?? MEANS ALL.

EVERY FIBER of OUR BEING DEVOTED to HIM…NOT A SINGLE SPECK of HEART NOT DEVOTED to HIM.....

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OFTEN, PEOPLE USE ILLUSTRATION: HEART like a HOUSE.

SURELY NO ONE CAN SAY, ALL THEIR HOUSE is CLEAN. WE ALL HAVE:

MESSY/CATCH-ALL AREAS

CLOSETS

BASEMENT

GARAGE

MUCH is PRESENTABLE to GUESTS…BUT IT’S NOT ALL CLEAN. SOME AREAS = OFF LIMITS....

IN RELATIONSHIP W/ GOD… OUR HEARTS SHOULDN’T HAVE THESE AREAS KEPT FROM GOD.

EVERY MOLECULE…ATOM…CELL…WHATEVER… IS in SERVICE to HIM.

NO AREAS of COMPETITION W/ OTHER gods or IDOLS...

CHRISTIAN WALK = GROWING in SANCTIFICATION…GROWING CLOSER to 100%

GOOD NEWS: NOT WORKING for GOD’S LOVE…IT’S IN LIGHT of GOD’S LOVE IF WE ARE in CHRIST…THIS IS MERELY OUR RESPONSE!

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MORE GOOD NEWS! DESPITE SINS & SHORTCOMINGS…GOD WON’T FORSAKE HIS PEOPLE for SAKE of HIS NAME!

VILEST SINS CAN BE WIPED CLEAN BY BLOOD of CHRIST...

GOD’S GRACE = SUFFICIENT for ALL YOUR SIN & SHORTCOMINGS....NOT USED as LICENSE to SIN/PRESUMPTION…BUT the PROMISE is THERE!

YOU REPENT/CONFESS YOUR SIN & RECEIVE CLEAN SLATE.

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FINAL PLEA: SAMUEL SHARES, HE’LL CONTINUE to PRAY FOR THEM & TEACH THEM...

&& THEY SHOULD SERVE GOD W/ ALL THEIR HEARTS, IN LIGHT of ALL HE’S DONE!

CONSIDERATION of PAST FAITHFULNESS & BLESSING = INCENTIVE & SOURCE for the PRESENT!

**FOR IF THEY DO WICKEDLY…KING CAN’T SAVE THEM…GOD WILL SWEEP THEM AWAY...

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Homiletical Idea:

As believers we should regularly consider the past acts of our gracious God and live with complete devotion to Him in light of all He’s done for us.

Gospel:

CAN BE EASY to FORGET ALL GOD’S DONE...

ANSWERED PRAYERS

BRINGING YOU THROUGH TRIALS

SALVATION???

GOD’S PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS TASKED W/ REMEMBRANCE...

OT— GOD’S GRACE @ EXODUS… & CONTINUAL DELIVERANCE

NT— GOD’S GRACE @ NT EXODUS FROM SIN @ CALVARY!!

***LOOKING to PAST BRINGS STRENGTH & CONVICTION for PRESENT…HOW MUCH MORE for NT. BELIEVERS??

The believer’s exodus from a lifestyle of sin is much greater than the exodus from Egypt.

DELIVERANCE from SPIRITUAL FORCES of SIN & SATAN = GREATER THAN DELIVERANCE from AMMONITES....

BEING BROUGHT out of DOMAIN of DARKNESS into KINGDOM of GOD’S BELOVED SON = GREATER THAN INHERITING PROMISED LAND!

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GOD HAS DONE SO MUCH…DO WE EVER FORGET IT??

Do we REGULARLY THANK GOD for our SALVATION?

Do we REGULARLY PRAISE HIM for the WORK HE’S DONE in our lives?

Do we REGULARLY CONSIDER the GREAT THINGS that GOD has DONE for us?

Do we REGULARLY CELEBRATE that as NT BELIEVERS we HAVE a BETTER INTERCESSOR than Samuel?

Richard Philipps: SAMUEL, LIKE EVERY JUDGE, KING, PROPHET....HE GOT OLD & DIED…BUT JESUS = SAME, YESTERDAY, TODAY, & FOREVER!

JESUS PERFECTLY INTERCEDES for THOSE WHO BELIEVE!!

(Q) HAS GOD DONE THIS WORK in YOUR LIFE??

Has GOD SAVED YOU?

Has GOD REDEEMED YOUR LIFE from slavery to sin and made you into a new creation?

IF YOU AREN’T SURE WHERE YOU STAND TODAY, TALK to US!!

YOU CAN BE SAVED TODAY...

FAITH in SON of GOD...

BELIEVING in ATONING DEATH & RESURRECTION...

TURNING FROM SIN to SAVIOR...

PROFESSING HIM AS LORD

YOU CAN BE SAVED!!

YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THIS WONDERFUL WORK & HAVE SON of GOD INTERCEDING FOR YOU PERFECTLY, TODAY!

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Takeaways:

LEARN ABOUT GOD?

IMMUTABILITY of GOD…GOD = UNCHANGING.

CAN’T PUT GOD in BOX...

BUT GOD WORKS ACCORDING to HIS NATURE AS REVEALED in SCRIPTURES...

SAMUEL PREDICTS FUTURE BASED on PAST ACTIONS of GOD....

2. REMINDER, GOD FUNCTIONS OFF GRACE!

a. GRACE = FOUNDATION for SAMUEL’S ENTIRE MESSAGE!!

DELIVERANCE from EGYPT CAME B4 the LAW!

LEARN ABOUT US?

1. LOOK to PAST FOR LESSONS FOR FUTURE

RECOUNT ALL GOD’S DONE!!

2. we MUST CONSIDER ALL GOD’S DONE in order to NOT FORGET HIM…

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App:

AS HUMANS, WE CAN DO 2 THINGS:

We can CONSIDER and REMEMBER ALL GOD’S DONE for us.

Or WE CAN FORGET ABOUT HIM DURING the GOOD TIMES, and then GET DESPERATE DURING the BAD TIMES...

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TODAY’S TEXT = GOOD TIMES…NEW KING....GREAT VICTORY OVER AMMONITES, ETC.

WHILE THINGS ARE GOOD, DON’T FORGET GOD...

BECAUSE of CALVARY, IF GOD NEVER DOES ANOTHER THING…HE’S ALREADY DONE ENOUGH.

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IN LIGHT of ALL HE’S ALREADY DONE,,, WE SHOULD SERVE HIM W/ COMPLETE DEVOTION… W/ ALL OUR HEARTS...

WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES:

IN LIGHT of ALL GOD’S DONE for ME, COULD HE ASK for TOO MUCH??

IN LIGHT of GREATEST SACRIFICE…WHERE GOD SPARED NOT HIS SON…COULD ANY SACRIFICE ON OUR PART BE TOO MUCH??

Consider what God has done for you, the sacrifice that He’s made for you, and if He’s calling you to give something up this morning, is it too much to ask?

Close in Prayer