After God’s Own Heart – Part 7 – A Practical Guide on Ruining Your Life
Greeting:
- This morning we are continuing our study through 1st and 2nd Samuel – today we are actually finishing the book of 1st Samuel. So if you have your Bibles, please open them up – we are looking specifically at chapters 28 and 31 this morning.
- that’s 28 and 31. And we are doing something a little bit different today. We have talked about the title of our series a lot – “After God’s Own Heart: The Life of David.” It’s called this because we have been systematically following the life of David – and learning from him how do we be people after God’s own heart.
- Today – we aren’t talking about David. chapters 28 and 31 actually focus on the end of Saul’s life
Introduction:
- On the surface – Saul looks like a guy that you want on the throne – he has all this potential. –
But Saul is totally lost – God is not on the throne of his heart – Saul is.
- and his fall that we are going to talk about isn’t sudden and random.
but we do drift there.
So what happened? What were the heart postures that led him here?
- that’s what this text is showing us. If you have ever wondered – how do I ruin myself spiritually? This is how you do it.
Here’s the first one –
Try to Manipulate God Instead of Submit to Him
3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land.
4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets.
an who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.
Replace Repentance with Religion
15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.”16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.’”
- That’s where Saul is at – He traded repentance in for religion. Here’s a couple way you can tell that you have fallen into the same trap.
You rationalize your sin rather than own it.
second – You grieve but don’t change.
Your mouth says you believe but your life says the opposite.
Protect Your Image Instead of Entrusting Your Life to God
Flip the page over to chapter 31 – that is where we see the end of Saul’s story.
“Now the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and many fell slain on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically. Saul said to his armor-bearer, ‘Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.’ But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.” (1 Sam 31:1-6)