“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud
to guide them on their way and by night a pillar of fire to
give them light, that they could travel by day or night.”
Exodus 13:21 (NIV)
Joel Munoz read this verse to the congregation to remind us that He is El Roi, the God who
sees, and Jehovah Jireh, the LORD who provides. The Israelites were journeying to the
Promised Land, and the LORD was guiding them. They just had to follow His guidance.
Pastor Josiah Elias stated,”His passionate love has so propelled Him towards you; He’d
stop at nothing to get your heart.” The words “passionate love” and “propelled” are so
powerful. “Propel” in the Merriam Webster Dictionary is defined as “to drive forward…by means
of a force that imparts motion.” The LORD is not sauntering, strolling or meandering towards
you. Your Abba Father is crazy about you. With power He is moving towards you. Pastor Josiah
advised us to personalize this point-The LORD passionately loves you. His perfect love is
unchanging and unlike our human, fickle love. God’s love is a radical love for you. So what do
we do with the Lord’s mighty love?
First, we need to understand that “A hallmark to our identity is that I’m dearly loved.”
1 John 4:14 states “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as
Savior of the world.” (NKJV) John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life.” (NKJV) Both verses confirm the fact of His incredible love for us lowly, sinful humans.
“God wrapped His love in flesh” and sent His only Son to redeem us.
Second, “Love gave to save.” How can the Savior, the Son of God, sacrifice His perfect life for
ours? He came to save! 1 John 4:15-16 explains
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God,
God abides in him, and he in God.
And we have known and believed the love that God
has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love
abides in God, and God in him.”
Satan tries to pervert what true love is, and he tries to distract people with sex, power, job, or
pleasure. but they are weak second, third, and fourth substitutes. “Perfect love casts our fear”
1 John 4:18 and since “God is love” as stated in 1 John 4:16, God casts out that fear. Sex,
power, jobs, and pleasure can not cast out fear only LOVE, Jesus, can. Pastor prayed to the
LORD to please “silence the voice of satan that deceives.”
Then Pastor Josiah explained how the Israelites wanted to be like the surrounding nations. They
wanted a human king. Even though Samuel the prophet warned them of the shortcomings of
having a king, they still demanded a king. 1 Samuel 8-13 details the choosing of Saul as king all
the way to Saul’s disobedience to the LORD. Samuel was appalled at Saul’s actions.
“How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed.”You have not kept
the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you
kept it, the LORD would have established your kingdom
over Israel forever.” 1 Samuel 13:13 (NLT)
God reigns supreme. Saul needed to follow the LORD, but Saul allowed his ego and the bounty
from the battles to influence his decisions. Half hearted obedience is no obedience.” Saul
heard but he did not obey, which contrasted with a key point in last week’s sermon; that was to
“hear and obey.”
In 1 Samuel 15, we learn Saul even was going to build a monument to his successes instead of
honoring the LORD Almighty. Samuel admonished Saul (and us) in 1 Samuel 15:22 “What is
more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his
voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice.” The LORD wants us to have a lifestyle of
obedience, a life style of hunger for the LORD, and a lifestyle of generosity. At church we get to
celebrate together for how we lived out there. May our lives reflect His love, patience and
generosity.
However, Saul pleaded with Samuel to go with him so that he would look good in front of the
people. Saul cared more about people’s view of him than of God’s view. In 1 Samuel 15:30 Saul
stated, “ I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my
people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the LORD your
God.” Saul did not say our God but “your God.” That is a telling pronoun in that Saul did not
worship the God that Samuel did. Samuel opposed the appearance of righteousness and
refused to return with Saul. From Saul’s life we learn “Don’t just appear to be right with God;
actually be right with God!”
Samuel never met with Saul again, but he mourned for him. Mourning is a part of life, and we
need to grieve when there is a death of a life, a relationship, or a major change. We need to
avoid getting stuck in the past though, or as Pastor Kip said,”Don’t camp in the land of sorrow.”
If we are not careful, we will allow yesterday’s pain to paralyze our future. Therefore, when the
time is right, we need to move out of the grieving stage. “It is easier to turn a car when it is
moving forward.”
Then the LORD spoke.
“You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him
as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem.
Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one
of his sons to be my king.” 1 Samuel 16:1 (NLT)
Samuel heard and obeyed the LORD. We can learn from his example of hearing and obeying.
For when he went to Bethlehem the leaders and elders came trembling to meet him. The
presence of the LORD in Samuel’s life was evident. “People full of the Holy Spirit will always
steward a reverence for God.” Samuel carried God with him. Have you ever radiated God?
Have been His reflection? Do you bring Christ with you wherever you go? As a child of the
living God, He is in you.
As Samuel met Jesse’s sons, he evaluated whom would be the next king. Would it be the
tallest, strongest, most accomplished, or the most intellectual? The Lord advised Samuel in
1 Samuel 16:7
“Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him.
The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People
judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Though the exterior in this world is emphasized, God is more concerned about the heart and
where it is turned. “Spend your efforts investing in the inward appearance before God
rather than the outward appearance before man.”
Jesse had not included his youngest son in the king contest, and Samuel asked for the
youngest son’s attendance. David, the shepherd and youngest of all the sons, joined the family
and was chosen to be Israel’s king.
“So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel
took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed
David with oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully
upon David from that day on.” 1 Samuel 16:13
David means “beloved”-greatly loved. Saul means “desired.“ The people desired Saul, but David
was beloved. The LORD “chooses one marked with Beloved identity.”
I’m His beloved. I am greatly loved. “If you believe anything about yourself that disagrees
with being His beloved…it needs to change.” Matthew 12:18 “Look at my Servant, whom I
have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me.”(NLT)
He loves you so much He came to earth as a man. He loves you so much He went to the cross
for you. He loves you so much He gave His Spirit to you. Break anything that disagrees with the
Beloved identity. As your understanding goes, your heart follows.
Thus, Beloved, you are the daughter or son of the King who loves you so much He sent His only
Son to die for you. May that incredible fact live in your mind, heart and soul so that you
can be salt and light in this sad world.
Calendar:
Sept 3-5:30 video on prayer
6:00 FC prayer night
Sept 10-6:00 Volunteer Appreciation Night luau
Sept 22-LB potluck, worship and Meet to Swap
Sept 29-Men’s Core meeting night
Submitted by
Larry and Annette Linthicum
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