1 samuel 15b saul's backsliding

www.rossvillechurch.com

781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741

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You arewelcome

StoneCreek

April 29, 2012

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Fifth SundayDinner and Fellowship

No evening service

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Sneak AttackAmalekites

"utterly destroy all."

King Agag

But, they saved the best of the livestock

And, they saved

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Saul blamed the people when Samuel called his hand.

"to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God;"

His backsliding isComplete.

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1 Samuel 15:16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. 17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?

In the beginning, Saul was humble.

He didn't even see himself as worthy to be a king.

But pride overcame Saul.

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18 And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. 19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the Voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?

Saul just had to have that stuff;

Not for the stuff's sake, but for his own glory.

Bragging rights

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20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the Voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

To obey God in part is to not obey God at all.

Saul didn't repent; he argued.

He justified himself.

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21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.

Just like the first man, Adam, who blamed his wife for his own sin,

Saul blamed the people.

Again he says, "the Lord thy God."

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22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubborn-ness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.

Timeless Truth!

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BackslidingHebrews 10 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, My Soul shall have no plea-sure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; (damnation; destruction) but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Saved people are saved --Eternally saved.

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Draw back from what?

A close walk of fellowship and obedience with our Father

A walk of faith and trust in our Father

From the principles of Christian living as taught in the Holy Scriptures.

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Draw back unto what?

Self-gratificationSelf-dependenceSelf-glorification

My own will

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With what results?Loss

Loss of fellowship Loss of joy

Loss of faith Loss of peace

Loss of everything that makes life good.

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V 22" Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

as in obeying the Voice of the Lord?"

… humble, sincere, and conscientious obedience to the Will of God, is more pleasing and acceptable to Him than all burnt-offerings and sacrifices. God is more glorified and self more denied, by obedience than by sacrifice. It is much easier to bring a bullock or lamb to be burned upon the altar, than to bring every high thought into obedience to God, and to make our will subject to His Will.

Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.

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A show of righteousness is never acceptable;

A simple act of obedience is always acceptable.

2 Corinthians 9 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

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"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken (is better) than the fat of rams." 22b

Some would attempt to cancel a disobedience with

a big offering or a sacrificial good deed.

Obedient

Listening

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"rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft" 23a

To willfully disobey God is to worship the devil.

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"stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." V23b

wicked "I'm gonna do

what I want to do."

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Because thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord 23c

When we determinedly refuse to obey God's Word,

We have rejected God's Word, and we are rejecting

God.

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"He hath also rejected thee from being king."23d

When we disobey God, and keep on disobeying Him, He will ultimately reject us.

Not from relationship; we are still His children;

But from fellowship and blessings.