1 Samuel 18-19
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
We're continuing to walk through the book of 1 and 2 Samuel or first 2 Samuel. We're in 1 Samuel chapter 18 and 19 today. So we have two chapters to work through. So you can go ahead and turn there. It should be on page 138 in the blue Bibles.
You can follow along. The text will be on the screen as well. So in American western culture, one of the things that uh that is prevalent in our mainstream thought is that each of us have this worldview that we're at the center of our own lives. That we're like kings and queens of our own lives. In fact, some people use the language of I'm a king.
I'm a queen. Just we have this idea of just I'm the center. and it shows up all over the place in how we view the world. One of the ways that I've realized this, how it's infiltrated my soul, uh, is on the roadways. So, when I'm driving, uh, if I got to get to point A to point B, it's I it's this is my road.
I'm driving like I everyone else needs to clear a path because don't they know I'm supposed to be getting where I'm going and the moment that you cut me off at any given time, it's a problem. Doesn't help that I'm seated in a car which feels like a race car even though it's a Prius humming down the road as fast as I can go barreling getting everyone out of my way. And I've tried to make this shift and I think I'm getting some progress in this in my own soul of realizing and making a shift that says actually this isn't all about me. This I share the road with others. everyone's trying to get somewhere and having the mindset of being a little more gracious, letting people in, not taking it so personally when somebody cuts me off.
Like I'm growing in this, but it just that happens. Like we just we have this just built into our cultural mindsets that we're at the center of our own lives. And at the root issue of that is is one of pride, right? It's this high view of self that that the view of self is is is high on our own eyes as opposed to seeing ourselves in light of creation, light of who God is and seeing ourselves as small. And that sin of pride that makes us think that we're the center of our own lives is very prevalent in this story today in the life of Saul.
that leads Saul to begin this rivalry with David that we caught a glimpse of in the reading of Psalm 59 earlier that causes all types of of chaos, death, and turmoil in all the chapters that we're about to see that come out of this rivalry. And I want us to see clearly what's happening in Saul, but also uh uh not be so distancing ourselves from the story, but actually see how this affects us as well. So, I'm going to pray for us and then we'll walk through this together. Heavenly Father, he have help us have eyes to see and ears to hear your word in a way that would not distance ourselves but would actually help us see the reality of sin, the hope of the Gospel that would lead us into worshiping you and to delighting in you and to hoping in you above all things in Jesus name. Amen.
All right, we're going to start in verse one of chapter 18. As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, so this is coming after last week, David and Goliath defeats Goliath, cuts his head off, head in hand, talking to Saul. That's right. This is what's happening. Okay.
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David. And Jonathan loved him as his own soul. So Jonathan, the son of King Saul, sees David head in hand and says, "We just became best friends." That That's my boy right there. Like I watched him take Goliath out. Like this is happening.
And they are knitted together. And we're not going to spend time on it this week. We'll come back to this passage in a couple of weeks. But we're going to see this friendship of Jonathan and David and how it's a beautiful picture of friendship in the Scriptures. But verse two, and Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house.
Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David and his armor and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants. So David is brought into the inner circle of Saul.
I mean, he's he's brought into the inner circle, and this is the only time when things are good between Saul and and David. there moments of of peace against the backdrop of a rivalry. But the rivalry has not begun yet. Things are actually for the moment good. And also, as we're going to see, David is going to continue to gain favor.
God has shown favor to David. He's shown judgment to Saul, and he's going to keep getting favor with the people. Even the servants of Saul, everyone is favoring David. And Saul is going to quickly realize this. Verse six.
As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. So, this is also common. This is what happened. Men would go off to war. They'd come back and they're victorious.
The women would be in the streets dancing and singing with tambourine. And King Saul undoubtedly has experienced this. He's won victories. He's seen this scene before. It feels familiar.
And then they begin to sing. Verse 7. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated. Saul has struck down his thousands and David his 10 thousands. So they start praising Saul and Saul hears the first line and it's like, "Yes, I like this song.
It's a It's a banger. This what I I like what I'm hearing." And then the next line is sung. Saul has killed his thousands. David is 10 thousands. And it immediately becomes the worst song he's ever heard.
He's just I I hate this song. And it's like, I mean, you kill one man. He's a big man. You kill one man and all of a sudden the people shift and now you're getting all the attention, all the affection, all the favor. And he's furious.
He's furious. Verse eight. And Saul was very angry and this saying displeased him. He said, "They have ascribed to David 10 thousands and to me they've ascribed thousands and what more can he have but the kingdom?" And Saul eyed David from that day on. So two things are clear.
Saul is blinded by his own pride. He can only see himself in this situation. He can only focus on his greatness being infringed upon by David. So, first thing is he's blinded by his own pride.
Second, from context here, he's known Saul for quite some time that Samuel went and anointed someone else to be king. My guess is he's probably been scanning Israel wondering who is the person that's going to come forward that's going to become the next king. And the moment he begins to hear that David has his 10,000s, the moment he begins to see the people shifting their favor towards David, he's beginning to put the pieces together and he says, "What more can he have but the kingdom." So he's starting to realize David is this anointed future king. And the rivalry begins. The era of peace between them, very shortlived, is over.
And from this point forward, Saul views David as a real threat and rival. Verse 10, the next day, a harmful spirit rushed upon Saul and he raved within his house while David was playing the liar as he did day by day. So, first part, Isaac covered this a few weeks ago, this language of harmful spirit from God that rushed upon Saul. It's either an evil spirit that God is sovereign over that comes and afflicts Saul or it is a a good spirit that comes and brings harm upon Saul. So Isaac walked through those.
You can listen to it more depth a couple of weeks ago in his sermon. But the same net thing happens. God in his sovereignty has desired to bring judgment upon Saul. And this harmful spirit is afflicting him. And he raved with madness in his house.
and David is there to play the liar. So, if you don't know what a liar is, I got a picture of one. This is a recent liar, okay? It's just an instrument. And David is playing this instrument.
And it's there to kind of soothe the the inner madness that's taking over in Saul's mind. And then as he's playing, he attempts to murder him. Saul had his spear in his hand. And Saul hurled the spear for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice. So Saul hurls a spear.
He evaded him twice. I don't know if he missed the first time, picked it back up through it again. I don't know if this is the magic spear theory that just somehow ricocheted and came back. Don't understand what's happening here, but he evades him twice. And Saul is in 10th commandment breaking the tenth commandment and coveting the attention that David is getting.
It has led to now breaking the sixth commandment attempted murder that he wants to kill and murder David. But David again has favor from God. It's not that David is so agile that he can just dip, dodge, dug all the things, dodge. He can. It's it's that God has favor upon him.
Verse 12, Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed Saul. Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand. And he went out and came in before the people. So Saul removes him because the favor has left him and he doesn't want him in in a circle and he says, "I I'll make you a commander of a thousand. at least keeps you away from me.
And it says he went in and came out before the people, which is just the language of he led the people. That's what that means. He led the people in and out of battle. Verse 14. And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him.
And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful all of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David for he went out and came in before them. So you get this repeated phrasing of the Lord was with him. It's this the text is telling us this. The favor is with David.
The Lord is with him. He's not with Saul. He's with David. And the nation loves him. His own tribe Judah, the whole whole of Israel, they love David.
He wins battles. He leads the people. God has given him favor with the people. And Saul begins to think, "How can I politic my way through this in a way that will end out end up in his own favor?" Verse 17. Then Saul said to David, "Here is my eldest daughter, Merb.
I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's battles. For Saul thought, "Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him." So, back in 1st Samuel 17 last week, we saw that it was it was said that if if whoever defeats Goliath, they're they're going to be able to marry into the family of Saul. He's going to give one of his daughters to. And now that's happening.
And this good offer of giving his daughter Merb to David disguises ill intent because what he wants to do is he wants the Philistines to be against David because he wants the Philistines to be the one that takes David out. So, he's using his daughter as a means to mess with David, ultimately get him removed from the situation, which means that he's trying to outmaneuver God in this situation because God has shown who the king is going to be. He's shown who his favor is upon and he thinks he can outmaneuver God. That's Saul's position. David responds to this much differently.
Verse 18, and David said to Saul, "Who am I? and who are my relatives, my father's clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?" David responds and says, "Who am I? I I'm unworthy to be your son-in-law." To Mary and to the king's family like, "I'm lowly." He responds with humility. And in contrast to Saul's pride, David responds in humility, lowering himself as Saul raises himself up. Saul sees this and then he responds with really arrogant disdain against David.
Verse 19, but at the time when Marb Saul's daughter should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Mahalite for a wife. So he dangles marriage and he says, "Ah, no. and then he gives her to someone else. And then while all this is happening in the background, another daughter is starting to fall in love with David. So in verse 20 it says, "Now Saul's daughter, Michael loved David.
And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. Saul thought, "Let me give her to him that she may be a snare for him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore, Saul said to David a second time, "You shall now be my son-in-law." And Saul commanded his servants, "Speak to David in private and say, "Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then, become the king's son-in-law." and Saul's servants. And Saul's servants spoke these those words in the ears of David. So Saul this time is not just going to dangle his daughter, but his his daughter's love as a means of making sure that the Philistines are going to try to take him out.
Again, he's trying to outmaneuver the favor of God. He's trying to outmaneuver the Lord in this. And David responds again in humility. And David said, "Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king's son-in-law since I'm a poor man and have no reputation?" He responds in humility, "Don't don't you see I'm I'm a lonely man." He adds, "I'm a poor man. I don't come from wealth." And then Saul hears that as an opportunity.
And the servants of Saul, verse 24, told him, "Thus, and so David, so did David speak." Verse 25. Then Saul said, "Thus you shall say to David, the king desires no bride priced except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines that he may be avenged of the king's enemies." Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. So this is foreign to us in a variety of ways. First, we're not used to we don't do bride prices. It's not something in our culture.
Their culture that was common grooms family come bring money, exchange happens, families unite, but that's foreign to us. And he hears, "Oh, you don't have you don't have to come from wealth. You don't need money. It's not a traditional bribe price. What I want is a hundred Philistine foreskins." And again, that part is foreign to us.
It may seem a little bit crude. But here is the reality of what's happening. The Jewish people under the old covenant are circumcised people. The Philistines are not. And this just in a very similar way, the Native Americans used to take scalps as a body count.
That's what this is. You This is not This is not This is unclean Philistines. This is the You have a hundred. Here we go. we can prove you've killed.
That's what's happening here. If we hear that, it's like, oh, this is foreign to us. But for them, it's not all that out of the realm of possibility. Verse 26. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law.
Before the time had expired, David arose and went along with this man and killed 200 of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins which were given in full number to the king that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michael for a wife. But when Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michael Saul's daughter loved him, Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was d's enemy continually.
Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle. And as often as they came out, David had more success than all the servants of Saul said that his name was highly esteemed. So David hears that challenge says, "Say say no more. I'll be back soon." Comes back 200 presents it and then he's given and they are married. And then it says, every time they go out to battle, David is the one who has the most success.
He's the thorn in the Philistines signs. He's the one that the people love. He's the one that has the favor. His name was highly esteemed even amongst the servants of Saul. And as he's starting to gain more favor, Saul is growing angrier and angrier.
And this leads Saul to be more vocal about his plans to kill David. And it's not that at some point David didn't realize that Saul was trying to kill him. He had evaded him twice with the spear. So he at least understands that. But that maybe could have been attributed to, well, Saul is afflicted with this raving and he's mad and it's so that but it's about to become abundantly clear.
This is not just a one-off thing. This Saul wants your head. Starting in verse one of chapter 19. And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David.
And Jonathan told David, "Saul, my father seeks to kill you. Therefore, be on guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are. And I will speak to my father about you.
And if I learn anything, I will tell you to Saul at this point. He's telling Jonathan, he's telling his servants, he's being vocal. He wants David dead. Jonathan hears this and he loves his friend David. And then and he's he goes and he tells him he intercedes to to protect David from harm and he says stay out here I'll go and talk to my father but it shows a an immense love that Jonathan has for David and this is against the backdrop of Jonathan was Saul's son who was means that Jonathan was supposed to be the next in line.
So, we we'll look at this more in the in in a couple of weeks, but just Jonathan's love for David and his understanding of covenant faithfulness that David has gotten from the Lord is pretty powerful. But he goes and he intercedes and he confronts his father. Verse four. And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, "Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you. For he took his life in his hand, and he struck down the Philistine, and the Lord worked a great salvation for all Israel.
You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause? And I so appreciate this passage for the character of Jonathan, for his love for his friend, but also the way in which he shows his father honor and corrects him that he doesn't stay silent. and he sees his father in sin and he in an honorable way with careful words corrects his father and says why are you sinning against David don't don't kill him don't murder him don't you see the good he's done for you don't you see the good he's done for this nation for our people why would you sin in this manner verse six and Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan Saul swore as the Lord lives he shall not be put to death. And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things.
And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as before. So Jonathan reasons with his father. His father listens, and Saul swears, "As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death." So there's a moment here of of of peace. And this happens a few times in 1 and 2 Samuel. There's there's there's some peace But it's shortlived.
And the reason is because there are moments where Saul displays this moment of clarity and contrition. He feels sorry, but it's not true repentance because it doesn't last. He doesn't actually repent of his murderous desires, of his threats against David. This is only going to be for a moment. The rest of Saul's life is one of unrepentant covetousness that yields a consistent flow of murderous rage against David until the day that he dies.
So once that time passes, Saul reverts back to his hatred of David. And there was war again, which this happens quite a bit in this story. And this is happening over a period of years. And there was war again. And David went out and fought the Philistines, sought with the Philistines, and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him.
Then a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the liar. And Saul sought to pen David to the wall with the spear. But he eluded Saul so that he struck the spear into the wall. and David fled and escaped that night.
So continues to win battles and then is also faithful enough to bring his liar and to come and play before Saul, which had to have been hard given the past history he has with Saul. But he's faithful to the anointed king. He plays and again Saul seeks to murder him. And he fled and he escaped that night. Verse 11.
Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him that he might kill him in the morning. But Michael, David's wife, told him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed." So Michael let David down the through the window and he fled away and escaped. So that right there is a good wife. She says, "Your dad, my dad's going to kill you. You got to go.
If you're here in the morning, he's going to kill you." So she lets him out through the window and he escapes away and then she's going to try to buy him some time. Verse 13, Michael took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goat's hair on its head and covered it with clothes which shows two things. The first before Ferris Beer's Day Off, before Braveheart, there was this idea of putting a dummy underneath some pillows and maneuvering away where it looks like it's a real person. This is 3,000 plus years old. Second, it is a little it kind of sticks out.
Michael took an image. That word image is the same word for idol. So, this shows there's a household idol and with them this Rachel in the Old Testament, she also with Jacob, she had household idols. So, at some point, David's going to need to leave his home better.
They're going to have to make some decisions to get rid of all these household idols. But she uses this to buy him some time. Verse 14. And when Saul sent messengers to David, she said, "He is sick." Then Saul sent the me sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed that I may kill him." And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed with the pillow of goat's hair at its head. Saul said to Michael, "Why have you deceived me thus, and let my enemy go so that he has escaped?" And Michael answered Saul, "He said to me, let me go.
Why should I kill you?" So she's a little deceit, little deception, saves David. He escapes and David goes to Samuel. Verse 18. Now David fled and escaped. And he came to Samuel at Rama and told him all that Saul had done to him.
And he and Samuel lived and went and lived at Naeth. And it was told Saul, "Behold, David is at Naeth and Rama." Then Saul sent messengers to take David. So even still, this is what's wild here. After all of this, he thinks that he's going to send messengers to take David from the feet of Samuel, the great prophet of the land. He thinks that he's going to go capture David.
And this this is where guys, as I'm reading 1 Samuel, this this time around, I'm just it's so clear to me Saul doesn't know God. He just doesn't know God. if he thinks that after all of this he still can go and sees David by force. He doesn't know the Lord. He doesn't know that his word is going to come to pass.
So he sends messengers to go and take him. And when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying and Samuel standing as head over them, the spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul and they also prophesied. And it was told Saul he sent other messengers and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time and they also prophesy. And it's just it's wild.
God directly intercedes to defend David. And every time a group of messengers comes to take him, he defends them with prophecy. Now from the context here, this is not the traditional way in which we think about prophecy in the Old Testament. This is not the traditional sense of prophecy where they are uh foretelling something that is going to happen later. It's not that type of prophecy.
This seems to be some type of joyous praise, euphoric praise that as they get closer to David, they lose sight of the mission. Just begin and euphoric praise praising God. Every group of messengers keeps doing this. And finally Saul says, "I'm going to do it myself." Verse 22. Then he himself went to Rama and came to the great wall that is in seeu and he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" And one said, "Behold, they're at Naith in Rama." And he went there to Naeth and Rama.
And the spirit of God came upon him also. And as he went, he prophesied until he came to Naoth and Rama. He too stripped off his clothes. And he too prophesied before Samuel and laid naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" So Saul in his arrogance thinks, "I will seize David before Samuel." And as he approaches, he falls into the same prophecy, begins this praising of God and is so humbled and humiliated before the Lord and everyone else that the king strips his clothes and says lays naked on the ground all day, all night, completely humbled and humiliated, unable to seize David.
And as you read this in its context over the next few chapters, it's just so clear like Jonathan makes it clear. There's a foreign king that knows this and I I'm you look at from the context here, Saul knows this. They all realize David is the next king. They they realize that David is the one who's going to take the throne. and he and his arrogance when the Lord has spoken his word and his will is unfolding believes that he can oppose the will of God and take out the Lord's anointed y'all.
And this like I as you're reading this, this is like if you read it through the first time, like there might even be this hope where it's just oh man, like maybe finally the Lord has broken through to his heart. He's naked on the ground just praising God, humbled, humiliated. That maybe this is the moment where he finally says, "I've had enough. I'm not supposed to be on the throne. God, you decide who's on the throne.
We'll work out some type of secession plan and David can take the throne." But no, Saul wants to be on the throne and his pride. He wants to be the one that is in control of the kingdom. He wants to be on the one who's on the throne. He opposes the decision of God when God is ultimately the one who decides he's on the throne. And we're going to see coming out of this that he will continue to oppose the Lord and his will.
And we'll continue to see an an attempt to take David out. And as I read this story and as we read it, we should consider the same prideful instinct that is within us that also seeks to take center stage on the throne. We should see the same prideful, selfc centered instinct that's prevalent in our culture and prevalent in our lives that wants to put us and place us at the seat of our lives that that wants to make us the center of our reality that wants to put us on the throne. There's a illustration I've used for years in teaching and counseling and and evangelism that I found to be incredibly helpful. It's called a throne diagram.
I'm going to show you. But before I show you, just maybe preface this. I hand drew this because I usually handdraw this. Okay?
Whether it's on my office or wherever and I'm and I'm not an artist. I we attempted for a few minutes this week to hand this to Raz and see if we could get a really cool AI generated version of this. We made a lot of progress and we never finished. So don't be distracted by the wildly distracted uh distracting uh uh lack of being able to illustrate. But I have found this to be so incredibly helpful and understanding what true lordship looks like.
So first one, get it out. Let it go. Get out the way. Okay.
So, that chair is a throne, person in the middle. Okay. Think about the aspects of your life that require the most time and energy. So, this is me.
This is family, hobbies, Church, work, friends. Okay? These are the areas of your life that get the most energy, the most of your focus, the most of your time, the most of your affection, the most of your energy, money, etc. And one of the things that happens is that as we think about our own lives, we begin to think about all these things. And some of these things can be good, some they can be bad.
Like there can be bad things in your life. There could be uh hidden sin that not everyone else sees, but but is there. It gets a lot of energy. And there can be good things like Church and being a part of a Church family and being a good husband, being a good wife, being a faithful boss. And what happens is the way that we approach the Christian life sometimes is we think, "I've just got to make these things better.
I got to be a better Church member. I got to be a better worker. Be a better boss. I got to choose good friends and be a good friend. I need to be a good wife.
I need to be a good husband. Be a good son. Be a good daughter. My hobbies need to be good. I've chosen some bad ones.
Need to kick them out. Need to bring some good ones in. And much of our effort is spent trying to fix all these things around us and make and improve all of these things. and you can live a good moral life where one day someone will preach your funeral and they will say he was such a good uh Church member that she was such a faithful wife that he was such a good friend and all everyone will celebrate and sing and think about how good of a moral person you are and you will be in judgment for eternity because if this is the life that we choose to live it leads to destruction ction because it puts us at the center and there's so many of us that can't see that clearly that we're the center of our existence that we sit on the throne and the reality is is that the Christian life is one where Jesus takes the throne. So the difference next next part of the picture on this far side this is what the Christian life is supposed to look like.
Christ becomes center in your life. When we say Gospel center that Jesus takes over the seat of existence in reality in your life and that he becomes central in every other aspect of your life so that when you are at work you seek to be not a person that's disconnected God from your work but that Christ becomes central in how you think about work. He becomes central in how you think about your friends and your family. It becomes central in your hobbies and some of the bad things in your life begin to be cleared out entirely and some of the good things in your life he begins to begin begins to take over entirely.
But those right there are two different lives. There is no middle ground. You can have it one way or the other, but you cannot have it both ways. And the reality is is that some of you have lived a life where Jesus has never taken center stage. You're like Saul.
Saul would not give up the throne. He would not give it up. And you're clinging to the throne, clinging to be the one that orders your life. And yeah, God may be a part of it. He may be an aspect of your life, but he is not your life.
and salvation and believing that Christ died the death that we deserved and conquered death at the resurrection and ascended to the right hand of God the Father from which he is now Lord and King over all creation. Salvation is not disconnected from lordship. You cannot be saved and him not be lord. That that that is not a concept. That is not a thing.
When Jesus is your savior, he is your Lord. Romans 10:9, but if because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. He is both savior and he is Lord. He is not one or the other. And faith in Christ is a surrendering to him where he takes the throne.
And some of you live good moral southern Christian lives, but that isn't following Jesus. And my hope this morning is that God would wake your eyes up to see this clearly and you would not respond like Saul, but you would respond in faith and invite Jesus to take the throne of your life and to take over every aspect of your life. Some of you have done this. You've believed in Jesus as savior and lord. You're a follower of Christ, but there are still aspects of your life that you were just closedfisted trying to stay in control of.
And it never works. It never brings joy. It never brings satisfaction. And there are parts of your life that you are still trying to do your way on your terms. For those who are married, you're trying to be trying to have marriage your way.
and and and the problems in your marriage or about the other person would just be better if they just would change here. And Jesus is like, I want I want the I want this be the center of that. I'm on the throne. Give me that. Yield it to me.
Let me be the center of your marriage. Those of you that want to be married, you have a desire to be married, you might have so many criteria for what that person needs to be, and Jesus at the center of your life isn't the main one. It's like y'all, he can have bad teeth. You can fix that later. You can't fix the fact that they don't love Christ.
That should be your overarching criteria. And everything else is so secondary, it doesn't matter. We do this with work and with school that we make school and work about the advancement of our own good as opposed to the advancement of God and being faithful what he's been given us. We do this with money. We make money about our comforts and our satisfaction, not his kingdom.
We do this with the Church that the Church that the community groups that all of it exists to serve my needs and my wants as opposed to serving God and his desire. Do this with time. You draw a bubble there and you can say, "No, my time is precious." Even the phrase, "My time is an indictment that we don't understand that it's the Lord's." So, you should consider all the different aspects of your life and begin to ask the Lord, where have you not taken center stage? And then as God reveals that to us in repentance, we go, Lord, take it. May I not be like Saul who cling to a seat of power that did not belong to him.
May I yield everything in my life so that you can be Lord. The band's going to come up and we get to close in worship. And as we close in song, may we let the reality of the Gospel infiltrate the core of who we are and every aspect of our lives. Which means that some of you need to be honest about where you are. But there are two different thrones and either you're on it or he is.
And my hope this morning is that you'd ask some very difficult questions of the Lord to reveal where where where are you? Are you like Saul clinging to a throne that is not yours? Or have you yielded to Christ? And for all of us who are Christians who have failed in so many ways to yield control to Christ, my hope this morning that as we worship, you begin to reveal some of that sin in our lives. That as we meet in our community groups this week, that we begin to see the ways in which we need to change and we would open our hands to the lordship of Christ in every aspect of our lives.
Let me pray. Heavenly Father, I pray that you might help us see you at work in our lives in a way that would change our hearts. God, save those that have not yielded the throne to you. May you be king of their lives this morning. And for everyone else, may we walk joyfully in repentance, knowing that though there are parts of us that don't we don't want to give it up.
There are parts of us that don't want to give up the throne, we know that your way is better than our way. Lord, help us walk in faith and repentance in Jesus name. Amen.