09(1Sam 10,09-26) Saul - A Lesson in Obedience
A. All of the people of Israel were gathered together.
§ This was an important occasion. They had demanded that God set a king over them.
§ And on this day their king would be chosen from amongst them. Whose tribe would he be from?
§ Whose family? Some may even have wondered if they were to be the one chosen.
B. Samuel, the prophet and priest of God brings forth the tribes.
§ The tribe of Benjamin is chosen.
§ He brings forth the clans, one by one. The clan of Matri is chosen.
§ He brings forth the families within this clan and the family of Kish is chosen.
§ And then from the family of Kish, Saul is chosen as king.
C. Samuel wants to present their first king to the people.
§ But there is a problem. Saul is missing, he is not to be found.
§ Where is he? Did he not show up?
§ The Lord knows where Saul is.
§ And He tells the people "He has hidden himself among the baggage."
§ Saul knew that He had been chosen by God to be king…
§ But he hid hoping that he could avoid this task that God had given him.
I. Saul seems to be qualified for the position.
A. We are first told about him in 1 Samuel 9:2.
§ This could mean that he had a kingly stature. He stood out above all the others.
§ In chapter 9 when Samuel sees Saul, God tells him "this is the man" who will govern my people.
B. Chosen by God – Read 1 Samuel 9:16-17
§ It was not by chance that Saul happened to go to town that day.
§ My friend, it was not by accident that you had the opportunity to hear the Gospel.
§ It was not luck of the draw that caused a person to first share the good news with you.
§ God arranged it.
§ Ephesians 1:3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
§ God chose to allow you the opportunity to be saved. You were chosen by God.
C. Changed by God - 1 Samuel 10:9
§ He changed his heart so that Saul was receptive to God’s spirit working within him.
§ And so we read that he joined a group of prophets as they were prophesying.
§ Those who knew him could see that he was different.
§ Saul had been chosen and empowered by God to lead His people.
§ On that day, Saul’s heart was changed. He was a new man.
§ 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
§ Oh my friend, if you are truly a believer, then you have been changed by God.
D. Commissioned by God – 1 Samuel 10:1
§ God gave Saul a mission, a responsibility. He was to rule God’s people.
§ My friend, you and I have been commissioned by God as well.
§ Jesus commands us, Go into all the world and make disciples.
E. We also have been chosen and empowered by God to serve Him.
§ 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
§ Each one of us has been chosen by God to be His disciple and to make known to others what He has done. We have been given the Holy Spirit to serve Him. To proclaim His name and salvation to this community, to this city.
F. Are we doing this?
§ Do people know that you are God’s child and are you showing His word and love to others?
§ Or are you hiding among the baggage? Friends, we are hiding among the baggage.
§ The failure to trust God, the fear of man, self-negativism and religiosity.
§ But we may also carry the baggage of unforgiveness and the failure to confess past sins.
§ Of complacency and self-absorption. We have accumulated much baggage over the year.
II. What is the baggage you hide amongst?
A. I believe God wants to do much through us.
§ That He wants us to worship Him more with all our heart and soul.
§ To be released from the baggage that restrains our worship.
§ That is why we can learn from Mark when he shouts to the Lord.
B. I believe God wants us more active in our community.
§ To show people we care because God cares.
§ To do this we need to get out from the baggage.
§ To step out in boldness. To take authority in the name and love of Christ.
§ It means I have baggage to shed. To get rid of. And so do you.
§ I am very comfortable here, many of us are.
§ But our comfort must be in the Lord not in traditions and not in a lack of fervor in serving God.
C. I believe God wants us to slay the Philistines and free His people.
§ Some of us are hiding in busyness.
§ Some don’t speak up because of fear.
§ Some are blind, not realizing the importance of our mission.
§ Every 24 hours, about 146,000 people die, and most of them without Christ.
§ Every 24 hours, about 345,000 babies are born. Will we win these?
§ Our denomination wins about 400,000 people to Christ a year, which is less than the number of people born January 1 & 2 each year.
§ My friend, you and I have work to do, work far more important than much of what we spend our time doing.
§ Who are you taking to heaven with you? …
D. Let us get out from amongst the baggage.
§ Let us give our baggage to the Lord.
§ To be freed from the burden of carrying them.
§ To serve Him and to proclaim Him regardless of the cost.