Heart of Submission

Ch 13 - Heart of Submission - Jan 3

A clergyman struggled along with a small congregation in a poor neighborhood. A commercial firm offered to supply free hymn books, provided they could insert a bit of discreet advertising into the hymnals. The preacher was reluctant but finally agreed. When the hymnals arrived, he eagerly examined them and was delighted to find no brash advertisements on or inside the covers. The next Sunday, his flock began to sing from the hymnals. All went well until the third song. The congregation lifted their voices in unison to the melodious notes of: “Hark the herald angels sing, Hanson’s pills are just the thing; Peace on earth and mercy mild, two for man and one for child.”

1 Samuel 13

1 Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned for two years over Israel,[a] 2 Saul chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent. 3 Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.

5 And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, 7 and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash,

12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince[b] over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

15 And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal[c] to Gibeah of Benjamin.

And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18 another company turned toward Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.” 20 But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle,[d] 21 and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel[e] for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel[f] for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.[g] 22 So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

Submitting is hard

Define that term - accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person.

It hard because it goes against our societal norms. Submitting is not something that is praise or glamorized in the US. In fact when Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to the Supreme Count one of the issues against her was that her religion thought women should submit to their husbands.

I wan to take a moment here to clarify a few things. Submitting to your husband is not a licensee for abuse. It’s not a weakness but a strength. It’d Hard to submit, so it takes a person of great strength to submit. But submitting isn’t what TV and this world preaches so you see less and less.

Even though we are supposed to be radically different than this world our churches, Gods people, have slowly began to take on much of the world view that this world pushes.

Define - A worldview is the framework from which we view reality and make sense of life and the world.

We have taken on a world view in that we run our churches like a business.

We have taken on a world view in that submission is a word not to use

We have taken on a world view in that if majority wants this then we should please the congregations.

Many to the point of going against the word of God.

We have taken on a world view in that we accept sin especially if they’re good tithers and gossip about it for everyone else. Church Discipline is bad.

And we have taken on the worldview that submitting is wrong. To God and to others.

Submitting is also hard because circumstances are not always optimum

Saul had bad circumstances going on here. He had a big ole army coming against him. Just incase you was wondering how big it was. And his men start heading for the hills, they are so scared they are trembling. Has God ever had you in a situation like that?

6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, 7 and some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.

Its hard to submit to Gods desires when we just don’t want to get up and go

Its hard to submit to Gods desires when that money is tempting to take

Its hard to submit to Gods desires when that guy or girl is wanting more

Its hard to submit to Gods desires when we like it this way

Its hard to submit to Gods desires when it scares us, takes us out of our comfort zone, when its difficult, when were tempted, when when when when

Its hard to submit, especially when circumstances are not optimum

Can you imagine you're going up a superior force and you men start running away? What would you do. Many of us try to play God or superman and fix the problem. We try to fix our churches, our loved ones, our own lives and for some reason they keep breaking. Because all we need to do is trust God will handle our problems. Why?

Submitting is easier to Someone trustworthy

The funny thing is that God throughout the Bible never lies, never fails, and always takes care of his people. As God’s person I can promise I have never been let down by promises God has given me. He always been faithful. Saul already has reasons to trust God. Plus Samuel told them last chapter

1 Samuel 12:20 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.

This last point is so important

Submitting is necessary for Victory

A Priest not making the sacrifice is like coming to church and singing “Hark the herald angels sing, Hanson’s pills are just the thing”

If you want victory in your life. If you want to be proud of the service you give God. You must only Submit to him. He will take care of everything. Submit to those he has place in leadership around you. Rather that be a husband, boss, government authority (yes the Bible even wasn’t submission to the law and authorities unless they it/they lead you to sin) and this last one is scary even you church leadership

Philippians 4: 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

We take this as our war cry for spiritual battles but we don’t realize you have to submit before this becomes relevant. Look at it with verse 12.

12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

At a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee second baseman, offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy: “Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen”.

Can you say that today and mean it? Are you God’s person? Can you submit to him?