Saturday, June 1, 2024
Speaker: Ben Snyder, Lead Pastor
Memory Verse: Psalm 37:3-4 (NLT) Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Title: King Saul - The Cost of Insecurity
1 Samuel 9:2 (NLT) His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.
Bottom Line: Unchecked insecurity will destroy your destiny.
1 Samuel 15:1-3 (NLT) One day Samuel said to Saul, "It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation - men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys."
1 Samuel 15:9 (NLT) Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.
1 Samuel 15:13-15 (NLT) When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. "May the Lord bless you," he said. "I have carried out the Lord’s command!" "Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?" Samuel demanded. "It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle," Saul admitted. "But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We have destroyed everything else."
1 Samuel 15:17-21 (NLT) And Samuel told him, "Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord has anointed you king of Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’ Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?" "But I did obey the Lord," Saul insisted. "I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."
Unchecked Insecurity...
...wants what is most appealing more than what God asked for. (1 Samuel 15:9)
...distorts how you see reality. (1 Samuel 15:13-14)
...is unwilling to accept responsibility. (1 Samuel 15:17-21)
...cost Saul his destiny. (1 Samuel 15:22-23; 1 Samuel 13:13)
1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NLT) But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king."
1 Samuel 13:13 (NLT) "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."
Next Steps:
- Get clear on God’s purpose for YOU.
- Obey God, and trust the consequences to him.
1 Peter 5:5-7 (NLT) "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Additional Resources:
Song Links:
I Thank God - YouTube // Spotify
You've Already Won - YouTube // Spotify
Yes I Will - YouTube // Spotify
Discussion Questions:
Icebreaker: What comes to mind when you think of "bad boys"?
How have you seen unchecked insecurity impact people’s lives?
Read 1 Samuel 15:1-23 and 1 Peter 5:5-7. What do you learn about unchecked insecurity? What do you learn about God?
What do you find the most challenging about obeying God and trusting him with the consequences?
What does trusting God look like to you? What is one way you can trust him this week?