The End of the Story

TURN to 1 SAM. 31..

Intro: “Defining Success”

NEW YEAR = NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS....

SOME PEOPLE — REALLY INTO IT

SOME PEOPLE — HATE IT

SOME PEOPLE — TRY & FAIL

SOME PEOPLE — LOSE TRACK of TIME & MAKE MARCH RESOLUTIONS

As we go into a NEW YEAR W/ RESOLUTIONS,, I WANT you to CONSIDER,,

“WHAT is YOUR DEFINITION of SUCCESS?

AT the END of YOUR LIFE…WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU a SUCCESS/SUCCESSFUL PERSON?

I. Is success HITTING CERTAIN GOALS…BUCKET LIST ITEMS?

Is it having the NICE HOUSE & 2 CAR GARAGE & WHITE PICKET FENCE?

Is it having the FAMILY GATHERED TOGETHER & AT PEACE on HOLIDAYS?

Is it having a NICE CAREER W/ GOOD BENEFITS?

Is it RETIRING EARLY…DEVOTING DECADES to WHATEVER YOU WANT?

Is it to JUST ACQUIRING MORE STUFF THAN OTHERS?

Is it BEING PHYSICALLY FIT,, HEALTHY PERSON,, BEING ABLE to PLAY W/ KIDS & GRAND-KIDS?

(Q) WHAT is YOUR DEFINITION of SUCCESS?

DISCLAIMER: THESE THINGS AREN’T INHERENTLY WRONG.

I WANT YOU to HAVE a GOOD JOB

& FAMILY THAT LOVES ONE ANOTHER

& GOOD HEALTH

& NICE STUFF,, & A WHITE FENCE if YOU WANT ONE...

BUT WHAT I DON’T WANT,, IS FOR YOU to GET to THE END of YOUR LIFE & THINK YOU’RE a SUCCESS BECAUSE OF THESE THINGS...

ONLY ONE VOTE MATTERS...

CHALLENGE: LIVE OUT a BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW of SUCCESS

>>> DEFINED IN 1 WORD: OBEDIENCE. <<<

OBEDIENCE to GOD’S WILL as REVEALED in SCRIPTURES

OBEDIENCE to GOD’S STANDARDS

OBEDIENCE to GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE

OBEDIENCE to USE WHAT GOD HAS ENTRUSTED to YOU FOR HIS GLORY.

(T) And so, AS WE PROCESS THIS TEXT, I want us to SEE what the LARGER NARRATIVE of 1 SAMUEL HAS TAUGHT US & HOW it COMES to CULMINATION in THIS PASSAGE

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Recap: “The Rollercoaster of Life & The Definition of Hell”

RECAP:

NARRATOR JUMPING BACK & FORTH BETWEEN SAUL & DAVID.

^^ DAVID = IN TROUBLE, STUCK GOING to BATTLE W/ the PHILISTINES (BAD NEWS!)

—SCENE CHANGES—

^^ KING SAUL,, DESPERATE,, GOD WON’T ANSWER,, CONSULTS MEDIUM & BRINGS UP SAMUEL

^^ SAUL TOLD “GOD HAS FULFILLED HIS WORD of REJECTION… YOU’RE GOING to DIE TOMORROW”

— SCENE CHANGES —

^^ DAVID GOING to BATTLE W/ PHILISTINES

ESCAPES BAD SITUATION

GOES HOME

ZIKLAG (HOME) DESTROYED

^^ DAVID GOES & DEFEATS AMALEKITES & RECOVERS ALL

WE’RE LEFT WONDERING: WHAT HAPPENS in THIS UPCOMING BATTLE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP in CHAPTER 27?!

(T) WE’RE FINALLY GOING to GET the ANSWER WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR...

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Main text: 1 Samuel 31:1-11 ESV

Setting/Inciting Incident: Israel’s defeat (v1-2).

1 Samuel 31 (ESV)

1 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.

TEXT BEGINS: BAD NEWS

SAUL CONSULTED SAMUEL (BEYOND GRAVE W/ MEDIUM & FORECAST FOR BATTLE = BLEAK.

^^ JUST AS SAUL WAS TOLD:

ISRAEL = DEFEATED…

& SAUL’S SONS ARE KILLED

(T) AND as THINGS ARE GETTING WORSE & WORSE FOR ISRAEL,, JUST AS IT WAS FORETOLD,, LOOK W/ ME VS. 3...

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Rising Action/Climax (v3-6)

3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers.

4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.

5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.

WE SEE FINAL FULFILLMENT of SAMUEL’S WORDS...

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SAUL = INJURED BY ARCHERS

BEGS ARMOR-BEARER to FINISH HIM OFF… (AVOIDING TORTURE @ HAND of PHILISTINES)

ARMOR-BEARER REFUSES (TOUCH NOT GOD’S ANOINTED)

SO, SAUL COMMITS SUICIDE,, FOLLOWED BY ARMOR-BEARER...

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TRAGIC.

WHOLE SITUATION = TRAGIC.

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DON’T MISS the MERCY of GOD HERE.

NOW, WE FIRST SEE THE SURETY of GOD’S WORD

SAUL’S DEATH WAS FORETOLD

SAMUEL’S WORDS DON’T FALL to THE GROUND...

SAUL DIES,, AS PROMISED.

YOU MIGHT ASK: WHERE’S MERCY in THIS???

>>> I WANT YOU to NOTICE THAT SAUL WASN’T KILLED INSTANTLY <<<

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WE OFTEN THINK of DYING QUICKLY = BEST WAY to GO FOR PEOPLE...

SEE/HEAR of CAR WRECK....WE ALL IMMEDIATELY THINK:

“I HOPE THEY DIDN’T SUFFER”

“I HOPE THEY WERE KILLED INSTANTLY”

WE AUTOMATICALLY THINK a QUICK DEATH = MOST MERCIFUL. (SOMETIMES IT IS)

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CONSIDER: DEATH FILLED W/ SUFFERING = BETTER THAN an ETERNITY W/ SUFFERING.

PERHAPS the DELAY,, THE DRAWN OUT DEATH = GOD’S MERCY.

>>> WE CAN’T FALL INTO BELIEVING the LIE THAT EVERYONE IS GOING to A BETTER PLACE <<<

A DELAYED DEATH = OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE to REPENT of THEIR SINS & BELIEVE ON CHRIST… THE INSTANT DEATH DOESN’T AFFORD THIS OPPORTUNITY.

**IF SOMEONE = BELIEVER....THEN I DEFINITELY HOPE FOR a MERCIFULLY SHORT DEATH W/ NO SUFFERING...

*BUT FOR THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE the HOPE of GLORY,, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REPENTANCE = GREAT MERCY of GOD....

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BY ALL AVAILABLE EVIDENCE: SAUL WASN’T DESTINED FOR GLORY.

SAUL’S LIFE = MODEL of DISOBEDIENCE & CONSEQUENCES of DISOBEDIENCE

**WE NEVER SEE SAUL W/ a REPENTANT HEART.

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(Q) DO YOU SEE HERE,, THAT GOD GIVES SAUL ONE MORE OPPORTUNITY?

CAN YOU SEE the MERCY of GOD @ WORK HERE??

SAUL KNEW HE WAS GOING to DIE in THIS BATTLE...

BUT HE DIDN’T KNOW HOW, OR HOW SUDDENLY

THERE’S a WINDOW of TIME W/ SAUL SUFFERING THAT HE HAS ONE MORE CHANCE...

MANY PEOPLE DON’T RECEIVE 1 MORE OPPORTUNITY,, BUT SAUL DID… && YET HE DIDN’T TAKE IT.

NO APPEAL to GOD

NO REPENTANCE

NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of SIN/NEED FOR SALVATION

THE ONLY APPEAL SAUL MAKES is FOR HIS ARMOR-BEARER to TAKE HIS LIFE.

SAUL’S LIFE ENDS in DARKNESS,, TRAGICALLY…

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FROM HUMBLE FARMER

TO KING OF ISRAEL

LEADING VALIANTLY,, DELIVERING JABESH-GILEAD FROM the AMMONITES

****BUT THIS WAS the ONLY TIME SAUL GOT IT RIGHT...

FROM THEN ON, HIS REIGN WAS in CONTINUAL DECLINE.

WITH ONE FINAL ACT of REBELLION AGAINST GOD…SAUL TAKES HIS OWN LIFE...

&& JUST AS it WAS FORETOLD,, SAUL & HIS SONS ALL DIE in THIS BATTLE..

DALE DAVIS: EVEN THOUGH the ARMIES of ISRAEL FALL,, THE KING FALLS,, GOD’S WORD WILL NOT FALL

THIS HORRIBLE SITUATION = FULFILLMENT of GOD’S WORD.

&& NOW the KING of GOD’S CHOOSING CAN TAKE HIS PLACE...

(T) And SO, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT in the WAKE of THIS BATTLE? LOOK W/ ME @ VS 7, the text says,

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Conclusion (v7)

7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.

UTTER FAILURE of SAUL & POOR LEGACY

INSTEAD of TAKING POSSESSION of PROMISED LAND & ATTACKING PHILISTINES…SAUL’S REIGN ENDS W/ CITIES GIVEN OVER to PHILISTINES...

SAUL’S LEGACY = DISOBEDIENCE to GOD & NOT FULFILLING GOD’S PERFECT PLAN....

SAUL LEAVES THIS WORLD:

ARMY DEFEATED

SONS DEAD

ISRAEL EVACUATING & GIVING AWAY CITIES

(T) And so, WITH THINGS FALLING APART FOR ISRAEL, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? LOOK W/ ME @ VS 8..., the text says,

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Setting/Inciting Incident (v8-10)

8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people.

10 They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.

THINGS GET WORSE: PHILISTINES GO & PLUNDER

SAUL = BEHEADED

ARMOR TAKEN to PAGAN TEMPLE

PHILISTINE PROCLAMATION “GOOD NEWS/GOSPEL of ISRAEL & YAHWEH’S DEFEAT”

FASTEN SAUL & SONS’ BODIES to PUBLIC WALL AS a TESTIMONY

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FROM ALL AVAILABLE EVIDENCE: GOD & HIS ARMIES = DEFEATED

BUT WE MUST REMEMBER: THIS WAS in ALIGNMENT W/ GOD’S WORD...

GOD FORETOLD SAUL’S DESTRUCTION...

>>> ONCE AGAIN,, PHILISTINES = AGENTS FOR the WORLD’S TRUE SOVEREIGN…DOING HIS BIDDING,, BRINGING ABOUT HIS JUDGMENT… <<<

THIS LOSS = GOD’S FINAL JUDGMENT UPON SAUL.

(T) And WITH HORRID ENDING to KING SAUL & NEWS GOING THROUGHOUT the LAND…WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 11, the text says,

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Climax (v11-12)

11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there.

THIS MIGHT SEEM RANDOM, BUT IT’S NOT...

WAY BACK in CH. 11 SAUL DELIVERED THESE PEOPLE FROM a WICKED KING WHO CAME to DESTROY THEM.

THIS WAS the ONE THING SAUL GOT RIGHT...

AND NOW WE SEE a MEMORIAL ACT FOR the 1 THING SAUL DID RIGHT...

WHILE NOT REPAYING HIM in LIFE,, THEY TRIED to REPAY HIM in DEATH...

&& THESE MEN MAKE a TRIP of AROUND 20 MILES to TAKE this DISGRACE FROM SAUL & FAMILY...

(T) And now our TEXT is GOING to CLOSE in VS. 13 this morning, if you’d look with me there. The text says,

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Resolution & Conclusion (v13)

13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.

SO THESE MEN GIVE SAUL the BEST BURIAL THEY COULD..

& 1 SAMUEL ENDS… ON SAD NOTE…

KING & SONS = KILLED in BATTLE

ARMY of ISRAEL = DEFEATED & FLEEING

CITIES EVACUATED & GOING to PHILISTINES

STORY ENDS W/ SAD BURIAL of ISRAEL’S FIRST KING...

(T) And so we can learn from this passage today, the idea that,

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Homiletical Idea:

GOD DESIRES OUR OBEDIENCE & FOR THOSE WHO CONTINUE in DISOBEDIENCE,, CONSEQUENCES ARE SURE to COME...

OBEDIENCE in GOD’S EYES = PRIMARY…NOT SECONDARY ISSUE...

>>> SUCCESS in GOD’S EYES = WALKING in OBEDIENCE <<<

TEXT TODAY = SOMEWHAT DEPRESSING...

TRAGIC ENDING FOR SAUL & ARMY

(Q) YOU KNOW WHAT’S HARDEST FOR ME?

*THE FATE of JONATHAN…

(Q) ANYONE ELSE HERE W/ ME??

WHEN I SEE BIBLICAL CHARACTERS WHO DIE in SAD WAYS— IT REQUIRES DEEP TRUST in GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY & PERFECT PLAN...

WE CAN SEE WHERE SAUL WENT WRONG.

REBELLION & NO REPENTANCE...

WE CAN UNDERSTAND SAUL’S PUNISHMENT

WE SEE SAUL’S HARD-HEART.

BUT WE ALSO SEE JONATHAN & HIS TRACK RECORD TOO...

JONATHAN = EXEMPLARY.

JONATHAN = MAN of FAITH

(CH. 14) ATTACKING GARRISON of PHILISTINES W/ ONE GUY.

JONATHAN CONCLUDES: ANYONE + GOD = MORE THAN ENOUGH.

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JONATHAN = FAITHFUL

FAITHFUL FRIEND to DAVID

SPARES DAVID’S LIFE.

STRENGTHENED/ENCOURAGED DAVID in GOD

FAITHFUL SON

DIED BY HIS FATHER in BATTLE

FAITHFUL FOLLOWER of YAHWEH

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& JONATHAN DIES TRAGICALLY.

MANY PEOPLE WOULD LOOK @ JONATHAN & THINK HE’S a FAILURE...

A LIFE of WASTED POTENTIAL...

GREAT MILITARY MAN

SKILLED FIGHTER

BRAVE

TRUSTED GOD

CAPABLE of LEADERSHIP

CARED ABOUT OTHERS.

JONATHAN WOULD HAVE BEEN a GREAT KING.

(Q) ANYONE ELSE WISH SAUL WOULD’VE GOTTEN OUT of THE PICTURE & THAT JONATHAN TOOK OVER??

>>> JONATHAN’S LIFE SEEMS to BE FULL of WASTED POTENTIAL <<<

WE MUST CONSIDER THESE THINGS FROM a BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW...

>>> SUCCESS = OBEDIENCE to GOD. <<<

DOING WHAT GOD HAS MADE YOU to DO.

FOLLOWING GOD’S WORD & HIS COMMANDS

USING the GIFTS & ABILITIES GOD HAS ENTRUSTED to YOU FOR HIS GLORY...

FILLING the ROLE GOD HAS APPOINTED FOR YOU.

PAUL the APOSTLE: EAR SHOULDN’T SAY to EYE “I HAVE NO NEED of YOU”

THE EAR’S SUCCESS is IN ITS HEARING...

THE EYE’S SUCCESS is IN ITS SEEING...

GOD HADN’T APPOINTED FOR JONATHAN to BE KING. IT WAS DAVID’S ROLE...

JONATHAN’S SUCCESS WASN’T to “CLIMB the LADDER”

GOD HAD CALLED HIM to A CERTAIN RUNG...

>>> JONATHAN WAS WILLING to HUMBLY STAY in THE POSITION GOD HAD APPOINTED FOR HIM <<<

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WORLDLY PERSPECTIVE: SAUL = SUCCESS (KING) && JONATHAN = FAILURE...

SAUL’S LIFE WAS MARKED BY DISOBEDIENCE...

JONATHAN’S WAS MARKED BY OBEDIENCE...

EVEN THOUGH THEIR LIVES ENDED the SAME WAY…FROM ALL AVAILABLE EVIDENCE, THEIR ETERNITIES WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT.

(T) AS WE CONSIDER: LIVES THAT HAVE ENDED TRAGICALLY,, & THOSE WHOM the WORLD WOULD CALL FAILURES…THERE’S NO BETTER EXAMPLE THAN JESUS.

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Gospel: “The Gospel of Saul’s Defeat”

JESUS RUINED HIS BIG FOLLOWING W/ HARSH TEACHING

JESUS FAILED @ TAKING OVER ROME as CONQUERING MESSIAH

BY WORLDLY STANDARDS,, JESUS DIDN’T GET it RIGHT.

BUT JESUS = THE BEST EXAMPLE of OBEDIENCE to the FATHER

HE CAME DOWN to INAUGURATE the KINGDOM RULE of GOD

HE CAME DOWN to LIVE SINLESSLY

HE CAME DOWN to DIE FOR OUR SIN...

GOD’S OPINION & THE END of THE STORY MATTER MOST.

AS it LOOKED LIKE CHRIST’S LIFE & MINISTRY WERE a WASTE WHEN HE WAS DYING on GOLGOTHA,, THE STORY WASN’T OVER YET...

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT OUR GOD...

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TODAY’S TEXT: WE SAW the GOOD NEWS, “GOSPEL” of ISRAEL’S DEFEAT, SAUL’S DEFEAT,, & YAHWEH’S DEFEAT,, BEING PUBLISHED in ENEMY LAND

BUT THERE is A CHOSEN KING COMING...

A KING W/ a HEART AFTER GOD

A KING WHO IS CHOSEN BY GOD

A KING WHO WILL UNITE ISRAEL & JUDAH

A KING WHO WILL DO GOD’S WORK

TODAY’S STORY ENDS BLEAK…BUT IT’S NOT the END of THE STORY...

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IN SAME WAY: WHEN CHRIST WAS BURIED—IT WAS BLEAK...

BUT RESURRECTION SUNDAY WAS COMING...

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CAN I TELL YOU, THROUGHOUT HISTORY it OFTEN SEEMS BAD…BUT the END is GOOD.

NO MATTER HOW MANY BATTLES ARE LOST, WE’VE WON the WAR!

>>> I’VE READ the BACK of THE BOOK & IT’S FILLED W/ GOOD NEWS <<<

FINISHING REVELATION: NEW CREATION, WHERE RIGHTEOUSNESS DWELLS...

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YOU CAN HAVE HOPE TODAY, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST…HE is THE ULTIMATE STANDARD of SUCCESS...

TODAY WE SAW: OBEDIENCE = METRIC of SUCCESS in GOD’S BOOK...

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BAD NEWS: NONE of US HAVE OBEYED PERFECTLY...

GOOD NEWS: BUT CHRIST OBEYED in OUR PLACE...HE DIED in OUR PLACE...

&& HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS… HIS OBEDIENCE…IS CREDITED to OUR ACCOUNT THROUGH FAITH...

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END of THE STORY: ALL WHO HAVE BELIEVED on JESUS CHRIST & RECEIVED HIM as PERSONAL LORD & SAVIOR ENJOY the NEW CREATION in GOD’S PRESENCE FOREVER...

(Q) WHAT WILL YOUR LIFE’S TESTIMONY BE?

WILL YOU BE the ONE WHO CONTINUALLY REJECTS GOD & HIS OFFERS FOR MERCY LIKE SAUL?

OR ONE WHO WILL SUBMIT to GOD, TURN in REPENTANT-FAITH,, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT CHRIST is LORD & BELIEVING on HIM FOR SALVATION?

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GOD = FAITHFUL to HIS WORD. ALL of IT. (RICHARD PHILIPPS)

GOD = FAITHFUL to BRING ABOUT SALVATION FOR the CHRISTIAN

GOD = FAITHFUL to JUDGE the UNGODLY.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING FAITH/ASSURANCE, TALK to US AFTER SERVICE..

(T) And now, in closing, I’d like to share a few takeaways with you all today,

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Takeaways:

LEARN ABOUT GOD?

AGAIN WE SEE,, GOD’S FAITHFULNESS to HIS WORD.

GOD WILL ACCOMPLISH HIS DECREES FOR GOOD & EVIL...

WHAT HE HAS PROMISED,, HE WILL PERFORM.

GOD’S GLORY WILL NOT BE TARNISHED FOREVER.

THE END of THE STORY = GOOD…

BATTLES LOST…WAR IS WON!

END of THE STORY: KINGDOMS of THIS WORLD BECOME KINGDOMS of OUR GOD & HIS CHRIST...

LEARN FOR US?

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App:

REMIND: WE NEED to HAVE a BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW of SUCCESS..

TEXT TODAY SHOWS US GOD CARES ABOUT OUR OBEDIENCE to HIS WORD.

WE SHOULD SEE KING SAUL —FAILED…BUT JONATHAN—SUCCEEDED.

OBEDIENCE = GOD’S STANDARD of SUCCESS...

WALKING in OBEDIENCE to GOD’S WORD.

FOLLOWING GOD’S PLAN

USING GIFTS & TALENTS FOR HIS GLORY

THIS IS SUCCESS.

>>> THIS ISN’T a WORKS-BASED SALVATION <<<

WE’RE SAVED & KEPT BY CHRIST’S PERFECT OBEDIENCE…NOT OUR OWN.

BUT @ THE END of YOUR STORY,, WHAT MATTERS is NOT WHAT the WORLD SAYS,, BUT WHAT GOD SAYS...

If you FAITHFULLY SERVE in the ROLES that GOD HAS CALLED YOU to, and SHINE a LIGHT in your SPHERE of INFLUENCE, even if it’s small, then YOU’RE a SUCCESS Even if most of the world never knows your name.

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PAUL WRITING to THESSALONIANS (1 THESS. 4)...

LIVE QUIETLY

MIND OWN AFFAIRS

WORK W/ OWN HANDS

WALK PROPERLY BEFORE OUTSIDERS...

MAYBE NOT CALLED to CHANGE THE WORLD… BUT YOUR WORLD.

GOD DESIRES OBEDIENCE MORE THAN SACRIFICE. THIS SHOULD BE OUR TAKEAWAY FROM SAUL’S LIFE

FROM OUR OBEDIENCE,, GOD RECEIVES GREAT GLORY...

&& THEREFORE,, OUR LIFE AIM SHOULD BE to HEAR: “WELL DONE, MY GOOD & FAITHFUL SERVANT”

(Q) WHAT WILL YOUR LIFE LOOK LIKE @ THE END of THE STORY?

Close in prayer