Saul: The Danger of Celebrity Culture
Notes
Transcript
Warren Brosi
May 19, 2024
Dominant Thought: The King we choose defines our destiny.
Objectives:
I want my listeners to understand we all crave a king.
I want my listeners to feel encouraged by the humble ways of King Jesus.
I want my listeners to respond to the warnings of corrupt leaders.
As we continue to celebrate our 200th anniversary as a church, we begin a new series called, “Lessons from the Past” where we will take a glimpse a 200 year period of Hebrew History. We’ll be looking at the events around the years 1050 B.C. to 850 B.C. Our theme verse from Hebrews 13.8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Earlier we studied Jesus Christ in the gospel of John. By studying God’s heart in Exodus 34, we have seen how Jesus Christ is the same. And now, we take a look back over this 200 year window of Hebrew history. Let’s look at 1 Samuel 8. As we look at 1 Samuel 8, we’ll discover the dangers of wanting to follow the ways of the culture around us.
First, People want a king (1 Samuel 8.1-9). In these verses we see two reasons the elders come to Samuel to ask for a king. One reason is that Samuel’s sons are not good leaders. “His sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice” (1 Samuel 8.3). The prospects of leadership succession were not good.
A second reason is they wanted to “be like the other nations” (1 Samuel 8.5). God throughout the instructions of the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy) commanded the people to be different than the nations.
You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”
God knew they would want a king. God also told them that from Abraham’s family and the line of Judah that the scepter will not depart (Gen 49.10).
However, there’s danger when you want to be like the nations or culture around you that does not honor the values of God. The nations around Israel did not value life or family.
Samuel is sad that they are asking for a king and prays to the LORD (1 Samuel 8.6). The LORD replied, “It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king” (1 Samuel 8.7).
The King we choose defines our destiny.
Second, People tune out the warnings (1 Samuel 8.10-20).
The LORD then instructs Samuel to warn the children of Israel (1 Samuel 8.10-18). Samuel gave several warnings to the children of Israel about what the king will do. Six times he tells them the king will “take...” He will take your sons and daughters, the best of your field, your cattle and donkeys, a tenth of your grain and your flocks.
Even after the warnings of the king taking their sons and daughters. Even after the warning of the king taking the best of their fields and vineyards. Even after the warning of the king taking taxes from their grain and livestock. Even after the warning that when they’ve had enough wit their king and they cry out to God, God will not answer them. After all those warnings, the people still reply, “No! We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations” (1 Samuel 8.20). They want a king who will fight their battles. And yet throughout the Hebrew Bible, we hear the refrain, “God will fight for His people” (see Exodus 14.14; Deuteronomy 1.30; 3.22 for a few examples).
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
Third, People chase after celebrity (1 Samuel 8.21-9.2).
God in his mercy gives them what they want (1 Samuel 8.22). Many times the way God judges or disciplines His people is by giving them what they want and letting them feel the consequences of their choices.
1 Samuel 9, introduces the people to the man who would be anointed as king. The New International Version describes “a man of standing” (1 Samuel 9.1). The English Standard Version says, “a man of wealth.” It could be translated as “a mighty man of might or strength.” This mighty man or wealthy man had a son named Saul who the translators describe as handsome (1 Samuel 9.2). It is simply the word, “good.” He’s also described as young and “a head taller than anyone else.” So, here in these first two verses of 1 Samuel 9, we see the characteristics of Israel’s soon to be first king. He comes from a mighty family, maybe wealthy. He’s good or handsome. He’s young and he’s tall. Ladies, it sounds like he’s checking all the boxes: money, good looking, young, and tall.
It sounds like everything people are chasing today: money, beauty, and youth. We live a world chasing dollars. We are enamored with image. And in previous generations our elders were honored, but now it is the youth that are honored.
We are chasing after celebrities. Recently, I read a book entitled, Celebrities for Jesus—How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church by Katelyn Beaty (https://www.amazon.com/Celebrities-Jesus-Personas-Platforms-Profits/dp/1587435187). Katelyn Beaty writes, “I’d like to offer a definition of celebrity as social power without proximity” (17). It is a sobering book on preachers making a name for themselves at the cost of the church. She warns against propping up Christian leaders with books and platforms. She warns against many of the tragedies that will be played out in Saul’s life. Warnings to leaders who isolate themselves, are not accountable to a group of leaders, view volunteers and staff to serve their individual vision instead of the good of the church. Leaders who may have done some great things for the kingdom, but whose gifts outpaced their character and it came crashing down.
As you read through the life of Israel’s first king, he’ll do some good things initially. The Spirit of the LORD will come upon him and he will prophesy (1 Samuel 10.6). God will change his heart (1 Samuel 10.9).
He’ll rescue some people (see 1 Samuel 11). But, as Michael will share next week and as you read the rest of Samuel, you’ll see that after Saul rises to power it ends in tragedy. It is one of the saddest stories of Scripture.
Israel wanted a king to be like all the other nations. But the first king the received was not the one they really wanted or needed.
Compare the description of Saul—wealthy, good, young, tall to what we hear prophesied about Jesus.
Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
The celebrity culture is not the Jesus way. Jesus served and gave His life as a ransom. Remember the words of Katelyn Beaty writes, “celebrity as social power without proximity” (17). With celebrities you cannot get near them. You do not know them. You only know what they want you to know. Jesus came near. Immanuel. God with us.
So, how do we battle the draw of celebrity culture?
1—Choose the way of Jesus. A way of humility and service to others. His kingdom runs on different values that the kingdoms of this world. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you. The Jesus way is defined by giving. The other way is defined by taking.
2—Ask, “Where will this king take me?” Remember the people wanted a king to lead them into battles like the other nations (1 Samuel 8.20).
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 wages war.
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.
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.
Notice who is in front of the armies of heaven, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We believe this is Jesus. He is leading the armies of heaven and will strike down the nations. The people wanted to be like all the nations that were anti-God. And now, near the end of Scripture, we have a picture of our victorious king who will punish and destroy those evil forces.
The king we choose defines our destiny.
The one you follow will lead you where he or she is going. King Jesus will lead us to our destiny of victory over the evil and corrupt forces of this world.