This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Jesus Is My King", 1 Samuel 8:1-20, 7/19/2020

   

JESUS IS MY KING

1 Sam 8:1-11, 18-20

THE GRACE OF LIVING A FULL LIFE

V:1. When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

A. I think every parent wants their children to be successful.

     1. I believe, given the chance, we would promote our children to

         the highest positions in the land.

     2. As parents, we get angry when we think our children are over looked

          for a position.

         a. Think of the mother of two of Jesus disciples

                 

              Matt 20:20-22

              Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and,   

               kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

              "What is it you want?" he asked.

               She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your   

               right and the other at your left in your kingdom."

KNOW YOUR CHILDREN

      3. However, we have to know our children.

          a. Some can handle responsibility better than others.

          b. I have found as a parent, you can have kids brought up in

              same household with the same rules; one will follow the

              rules and one will ignore the rules and do their thing.

       4. The Bible is full of people who would not follow God’s rules.

B. There is time to serve and a time to retire.

     1. Samuel served God faithfully, but the time came for him to select

 his replacement.

     2. When it is our job to select a replacement, we should select people

          who have the character and devotion to serve.

     3. We should not make choices based on relationships.

     4. If our family and friends are not devoted to God, they should not

         be selected for important roles in the Church.

     5. In Samuel’s defense, because of his age and inability to travel.

         he may not have known of the wickedness of his sons.

 B. It was Samuel's responsibility to police His sons.

     1. He may have assumed that the example he set for his sons

         was enough for them to judge fairly.

      2. His neglect to check on his son caused great harm to the nation.

      3. Samuel's son's took advantage of their position and became

          criminals in high places.

SEE YOUR FAULTS BEFORE ACCUSING OTHERS     

V:4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."

A. This information should have prompted an immediate investigation.

      1. Samuel should have called his sons together and found out the

         truth.

      2. Love requires us to disciple our children and take away

          privileges that are harmful.

   

          Proverbs 13:24

          He who spares the rod hates his son,

          but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

      3. Knowing the truth, he should have replaced his sons as judges.

C. There are forgivable sins and unforgivable sins.

     1. Rejecting God is an unforgivable sin

    

         Matt 12:32

         Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,    

         but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven,

         either in this age or in the age to come.

    

       John 3:36

       Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the    

        Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

  2. The sins of Samuel's sons, as evil, as they were, was forgivable.

WHEN TROUBLED, PRAY

V:6 But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

A. Notice, God did not address Samuel’s problems with his sons.

    1. The problem with the nation of Israel was much bigger than

         the sins of Samuels son.

    2. It was the elders of the Nation of Israel who brought the issues

        to Samuel.

    3. They used the sins of Samuels sons to voice their real

         motives and to get what they wanted.

B. When people want to devalue your service, they will look

      or any faults to use against you.

    1. When people want to get rid of you, they will fail to

            mention your years of dedicated service.

    2. The first thing the elders used on Samuel was age

        discrimination.

    3. The sins of his sons was second.

    4. They didn’t ask that Samuels sons be removed as Judges.

    5. They knew Samuel followed God, so they wanted him

         removed.

GOD KNOWS OUR MOTIVES

V: 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what t

he king who will reign over them will do."

A. God knows what our real motives are. He looks at the heart, not the

     Outward signs.

   1. The sins of the elders of Israel was the rejection of God’s rule’

   2. Their plan was to be like the surrounding nation worshipping

        Idol gods.

   3. Israel had been freed from Egypt for 400 years.

   4. They never forgot the idol gods of Egypt.

   5. Israel had 11 judges after the death of Joshua to Samuel.

   4. The 11 judges indicated the number of times Israel

 lost their freedom to foreign countries because of their

       desire to worship idol gods.

B. Samuel was a faithful judge of Israel for 52 years.

    1. In the end, the nation of Israel rejected God’s rule

        for the rule of an earthly king.

    2. They rejected the freedom they had under God’s commands.

    3. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.

         a. The problem is you don’t know how much cow manure it took

             get the green grass.

BLESSED WITH THE WORD

V:10. Samuel told all the words of the Lord  to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.

A. God gave Israel the manure pile that they would have to live in

     to have an earthly king.

    1. They would give up their freedom, their sons and daughters

         to have a king.

    2. They gave up the best of their crops and livestock to

        support the king and his servants.

    3. Israel chose to be slaves rather than live under the protection

       and commands of the God who gave them freedom.

    

       Psalms 14:1

       The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."

       They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;

        there is no one who does good.

   

       Proverbs 10:8

       The wise in heart accept commands,

        but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNBELIEF

V:18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord  will not answer you in that day."

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

A. When people are set in their ways and thoughts, you may not be

 able to change their minds.

   1. God warned Israel when they needed relief from the burdens

       of their chosen king, He would not hear them.

    2. Israel had a short memory and was short-sighted.

    3. The God who brought them out of Egypt had rescued them

         11 times before form the oppression of their enemies.

B. Israel failed to realize that the God they rejected, had been

    fighting their battles against the enemy they wanted to be like.

   1. They were blinded by their desires.

   2. When we reject God’s commands, we reject His blessings.

   3. When we reject God’s commands, we reject His love.

JESUS IS MY KING

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway North

Houston, Texas 77041

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