Abounding Grace

Pastor Ed Taylor: Next on Abounding Grace. When you're dealing with an emotional issue in your life, let me give you a tip. Let me help you because this is all throughout the Scriptures, and it is very simple. It might be so simple you'll dismiss it, but I hope you won't. If you are a very emotional person and you seem to be captivated by your emotions, and your emotions aren't telling you the truth, and you're entering into sinful behavior, and you know you're an emotional person, here is something that I want you to pray through and put into practice. It is simply this: change your mind and God will change your heart. Change your mind and your heart will follow.

Guest (Male): Wouldn't you like to come to the end of your life with no regrets where you wouldn't be saying, "I should have," or "I wonder what could have been"? Today on Abounding Grace, we'll focus on four words that really describe King Saul's life: "the Lord would have." Pastor Ed Taylor says that doesn't have to be your story if you learn from Saul's mistakes. Here he is in 1 Samuel chapter 13, verse 5.

Pastor Ed Taylor: Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, the people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger, for the people were distressed, then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. Some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me." And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.

After a defeat, the Philistines retaliate in a huge way. Somewhere along the way, we don't know exactly when, Saul sends a message to Samuel for help, and he was told to wait. He was told to wait. There was going to be a set time. But after waiting seven days, it says back up in verse 8, then he waited seven days according to the time that was set by Samuel, and Samuel hadn't shown up by that time. The people were scattering, and we find Saul in a place of impatience.

Saul couldn't, or he wouldn't, wait, and he performs a sacrifice. This was a big mistake. You know why? Saul is not a priest. Not only is he taking credit for the work of other men, but now he's doing the work that only other men could do. He's not a priest. He had no business offering a sacrifice to the Lord. Saul was being tested here, and again we find a failure. God was purposely allowing this delay to reveal a character trait in King Saul, to test his faith and his patience.

Without faith or patience, we really can't receive the blessings of God and enjoy them. Let me show you what I mean. Turn over to Hebrews chapter 6, verse 11. Hebrews is all the way in the back. Hebrews chapter 6, verse 11. Without faith or patience, it's very difficult to enjoy the promises of God. Let's see what the Scriptures have to say. I'll read it to you from the New King James and then I'll read from the New Living Translation.

Hebrews chapter 6, verse 11: "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." How do we inherit the promises? Through faith and patience.

Here's what the New Living Translation says: "Our great desire is that you keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you'll follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and patience."

In Saul's impatience, he did something he had no right or authority to do. Only the Levites could offer sacrifices. King Saul was intruding into an area that God did not call him. Another warning from his life. Not only is he dealing with pride and deceit, he's dealing with impatience and entering into an area where God has not called him, God has not told him, God has not led him.

Remember when King Saul was to be proclaimed the king of Israel? Remember when he hid himself? It looked so genuine, didn't it? Just Mr. Humble and boy, I don't know if this is really, but God had given him direction. It was folly because when he hid himself, we get a hint of what's happening right here. When King Saul hid himself from the call of God upon his life, which could have easily appeared in some commentators' eyes as a humble act on his part, I don't see that at all.

When he hid from the call of God upon his life, he was showing his folly that was revealed here. It's really revealed here in a huge act of disobedience. Because even in the little things in life, guys, God is teaching us so that when a big test comes, we'll be ready for it. We're passing the little tests of life. King Saul, come, you are, come on out. And where is he? Where is he? He's hidden. He's hiding himself.

He failed that test, and when he's tested in a larger sense, he failed again because he had a character issue. He had something going on deep inside of him. You see, when God has called us to a task, Church, and you try to hide from it, we call that something. We call it foolishness. When God has called you to a task and you shy away or hide from it, it's simply foolish.

We must embrace the high calling of God. We must embrace the giftings. Every one of us has been given a gift. Every one of us has a spiritual gift or more than one, but one primary spiritual gift, one of the seven gifts in Romans chapter 12 every true believer has. Every true believer from God is expected to exercise that gift. We might call that a calling, we might call that a ministry, but if you're not exercising your gift, you're not living out your gift, we're not enjoying the gift of God through you. It's not wise.

While we're stepping out in faith to serve God with the gifts that he's given us, we must be very, very careful not to venture into an area or a task where God has not called us, or even where God has forbidden us. Don't go there. Don't enter into another man's work. Remember in Acts chapter 16, Paul wanted to go into Asia, and what does the Bible say? The Holy Spirit forbade him. It was wise for him not to go to Asia, to heed the forbidding word of the Spirit, to stop.

Then he tries to go into the area around, go into Bithynia, and the Holy Spirit said, "No way." Instead, he receives the vision from Troas, goes into Philippi, a church is planted, and great ministry is there. God wanted the Apostle Paul in Philippi by closing doors. God wanted King Saul in 1 Samuel 13 to do one simple thing: to wait. Even though the appointed time had passed, the word from God was still "wait." We don't have time to develop it as our time is running short very quickly.

Doesn't it sound familiar with what has been revealed to us in Genesis in the life of Sarai and her husband Abraham? They were told to wait for the promise of the promised child, and in impatience, they created an Ishmael. That's where King Saul is here. It's a repetitive thing throughout the Scriptures. God did not call Saul to the priesthood, and for him to enter into that area was just as much folly as it was to try to escape the call of God when he hid a couple years earlier.

It's true, I do find that many people today serve the Lord out of pressure or of a grudging nature, not because of a calling, but because of some pressure to do certain things for God, even though 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 2 says for us not to serve by compulsion, but to serve willingly. If you're doing things under pressure, you're not comfortable with it. You'll start to resent it. You'll start to resent something that God designed to be really good because you're doing it under pressure, or you might be in an area that God hasn't called you.

So it's like, "This is so hard and so difficult. I can't believe God would have me to do this." Then you'll start getting resentful and even upset with God. You'll start complaining about the ministry and you'll start complaining about the gifts of God, and you'll start complaining about the people of God, the very people that God has called you to serve.

You want to be careful because another Old Testament truth in the life of Moses is that the people were hungry and thirsty, and yes, they had a history of complaining and murmuring and getting under his skin. But you know God wanted to give them the water that they longed for, and he told Moses, "Just go speak to the rock. I want to satisfy their thirst. They're thirsty. I want to give it to them."

Instead, Moses, in his frustration and anger, he took and he struck that rock twice. We find out later that the rock there is very much a representation of Jesus Christ, the living water, the one that satisfies every thirst. Because of his anger and frustration with the people, he misrepresented God to the people and he misrepresented the picture of the rock. Jesus wasn't going to be struck twice; he was going to be struck once for the sins. He's the Lamb of God that gives his life for the sins of the world.

How did Moses get there? We aren't told exactly, but I suspect that there was some frustration and difficulty in his heart with all the complaining, and he began to resent the very thing that God called him to do. It's not good for you, and it's not good for the people you're serving to resent the ministry that God has called you to. But more importantly, not only is it not good for you and it's not good for the people, but it's also not good for the name of God. We shouldn't do anything that God has not called us to do.

Let me show you why. Pick up with me back in 1 Samuel 13, verse 11. Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, 'The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.' Therefore, I felt compelled and offered a burnt offering."

Did you see that word, verse 12? You might want to circle it, put a little heart next to it or anything, but it's the word "felt." How dangerous our feelings are. He's in the realm of feelings, not in faith. Feelings are dangerous because they're real, but they lie. You can truly feel something and actually feel the wrong thing, or you can have a true, full emotion.

That's why when you're serving people and you're opening up the Bible and giving them biblical counsel and you're discipling through the Word, and you're dealing with someone that's got issues of feelings and you see it, they express it: "This is how I feel, my vocabulary, I feel this, and I just feel like this." It is not wise to talk them out of their feelings. "Oh, you shouldn't feel that." What do you mean you shouldn't feel that? Of course, if you're an emotional person and that's just the way you feel, that's what you feel. There's no need to go after the feelings, but instead to take the Word of God and take the feelings and put them to the mirror of the Word of God.

You're not going to be an emotionless person. The fact that you have feelings is a good thing; that means you're alive. You have emotions. Even our own God has demonstrated that he has emotions. So when you go out and you go, "You can't feel that way," well, it may not be wise to feel that way, but if you go after the feelings, you're never going to get the Word of God into their hearts.

You can say things like, "I'm sorry you're feeling that way. That must be hard to be controlled by your emotions. That must be a hard time right now. You really look like you're hurting," and you begin to agree with the reality of their condition. You're not agreeing with any of the sin or anything; you're just acknowledging that you're serving a human being. We're not robots; we're human. To have some deep emotion, "I'm sorry you're feeling that way. I bet you don't even want to feel that way. I'm sure if you had your way and you could control your feelings, it would be different.

"But here's what the Bible has to say about your situation. Here's what the Bible has to say about that feeling. Here's what the Bible has to say about walking in faith. Here's what the Bible has to say about obedience. Here's what the Bible has to say about your situation," and you begin to open up. If you just go after someone, you're going to miss the opportunity.

I was talking to someone not too long ago about this very topic, and the issue was heavy on their heart about their feelings, and it was difficult. "How do I get out of this?" One of the things that we choose to do when we are captivated by our feelings is we also with ourselves, we're counseling ourselves. You know how David, the Bible says that he encouraged himself in the Lord? There are times where you can just speak the Word to yourself, and you're opening up and you're counseling yourself and the Holy Spirit's using it.

A lot of times when we're counseling ourselves in the realm of emotions, we're going to go after the emotions too, and we'll start beating ourselves up. "I shouldn't feel that way. What kind of person am I? Heart, feel better. Smile," and all sorts of things that we're just like beating ourselves up over our emotions. That doesn't work. Have you found that out yet? It doesn't work. There's no condemnation for those that are in Christ. There's no need to lop on yourself judgment and condemnation. Jesus Christ took the judgment for your sin upon himself.

When you're dealing with an emotional issue in your life, let me give you a tip. Let me help you because this is all throughout the Scriptures, and it is very simple. It might be so simple you'll dismiss it, but I hope you won't. If you are a very emotional person and you seem to be captivated by your emotions, and your emotions aren't telling you the truth, and you're entering into sinful behavior, and you know you're an emotional person, here is something that I want you to pray through and put into practice. It is simply this: change your mind and God will change your heart. Change your mind and your heart will follow.

What do you mean, Ed? We learn this throughout Romans. What you believe dictates how you behave, and you need to change your mind about the situation, about God's purpose in the situation, whatever it is. That our minds would be transformed, our minds would be renewed, our minds would be washed with the water of the Word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Change your mind, and your heart will follow.

As long as you're dealing in the realm of emotions trying to change your emotions, you're going to be one confused, hurting person wondering why you can't get out of the cycle of your emotions. Change your mind. You know why? Because when you change your mind, not only will your heart follow, but when you change your mind, you're going to change your actions too. You're going to do different things. "Oh, I really shouldn't. The Bible says I should do this," and the Lord will honor it.

What we find with King Saul here: excuses. Excuses, excuses, excuses. "What have you done?" "Oh well, you know, and well, you know, and when I saw, and when I felt. Oh yeah, and I didn't pray, well, you know." Wow, whoa.

Samuel said to Saul, verse 13, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you. For now the Lord would have"—wow. "You've been foolish, you've been disobedient, and the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever! That's what God wanted to do with you in all your weaknesses and just who you were, Saul. But because you failed and disobeyed, the Lord would have, but now," verse 14, "your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you."

Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin, and Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about 600 men. So quickly downward. We see him deceiving himself and more and more deceiving others. His first deception was in greeting Samuel like nothing happened. Like nothing happened. "Oh, how you doing, Samuel?" Maybe the blood was still on his hands from the sacrifice because if he would have just waited 15 minutes more. "How you doing, Samuel? Everything's fine, we've been waiting for you."

Liar. It's not true. The first step of repentance is admitting the truth, and he doesn't do that. So many today live life pretending that nothing's wrong, that all is well. They'll leave friends and churches and even neighborhoods and move on to new people who know nothing about what they left behind except their side of the story. All is well. It's not well.

For King Saul, even though he thinks Samuel doesn't know, Samuel does know. You want to know why? God revealed it to him. Samuel's a man of God. That's why Saul called to him in the first place, and he revealed it to him. "You've done foolishly. You haven't kept the commandment of God. Now the Lord would have."

Strong words. Jot it down: Numbers chapter 32, verse 23. It's a sober warning for all of us. He says, "If you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out." It's not God chasing us around to condemn us; our sin will do a good enough job finding us out.

Embracing the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ leads to holiness and righteousness and love from a pure heart. What does the king do? He offers a lame excuse filled with lies, which has become his pattern. Saul was playing the hypocrite and acting as if he did nothing wrong, and then he blamed others for it. Finally, he said he had to force himself to offer the sacrifice. "I felt compelled. I had to sacrifice." Not true. Not true at all.

It's been said that if you get good at making excuses, that's all you'll be good for. Here's what Warren Wiersbe has to say, and I quote: "People who are good at making excuses are rarely good at anything else. And those who are quick to blame others shouldn't complain if others blame them. When God confronted our first parents with their sin, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. But neither Adam nor Eve said humbly, 'I have sinned.' And throughout his career, King Saul was adept at minimizing his own sins and emphasizing the faults of others. But this isn't the way a man of God leads God's people."

Powerful stuff we're reading in this chapter. Strong exhortation to us. And so he's rejected. Just two years into his reign, he's rejected. Just two years. God has rejected him and sought a man after his own heart. His pride, impatience, disobedience, deception. God's seeking a man after his own heart, and we know that to be David.

Instead of hearing the words "the Lord would have," we can say today, "Lord, what do you want? What do you want? How can I make it right? What do you have for me?"

"The Lord would have" are four words that mark King Saul's failed, miserable life. Even here by the time this is all done, 2,400 of his army deserted him. He's down to 600 as he counted here. And so verse 16, Jonathan his son, the people who were present with him, remained in Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned to the road that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual, another company turned to the road of Beth Horon, and another company turned to the road of the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears." But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man's plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his sickle. And the charge for sharpening was a paim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, to set the points of the goads.

So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. So they enter into a final battle. They're attacked on every side, outmanned, out-weaponed, without solid leadership. The Jewish army was small in number, had few weapons, but they had a great God. And all they required was not weapons, but trust. We will see that unfold at the end. God sets the stage for a great victory, which we'll get into next time.

Guest (Male): What we see in the Bible, we're to learn from. "The Lord would have" does not have to be your story. Pastor Ed Taylor will be right back with more. This is Abounding Grace. You can hear it again online at aboundinggraceradio.com or wherever you get your podcasts. We've also got an app that makes listening to Pastor Ed easy to do on your mobile device. Just search for the Calvary Church app in the App Store.

And we'd really like to hear from you. It's helpful to know how these studies are impacting your life, and that would be a real encouragement to Pastor Ed and the team. And if you're in need of prayer, please leave your requests as well. There's a place to contact us at aboundinggraceradio.com.

Abounding Grace is supported by listeners just like you, and we are grateful for those that come alongside us with either a one-time gift or ongoing support. We'd like to say thanks today for a gift of $25 or more by sending you "The End Times in Chronological Order" by Ron Rhodes. How do Old Testament and New Testament prophecies fit together? Why can you trust a literal interpretation of the Scriptures? These questions and more are answered in "The End Times in Chronological Order." Call us at 877-30-GRACE or visit our e-store at calvaryco.store. Now at this parting challenge, here again is Pastor Ed.

Pastor Ed Taylor: Remember this. We do not want to hear the words "the Lord would have." I don't want to hear them. I don't want to hear the words "I wonder what could have been." I wonder what could have been. We don't want to hear the words "I should have" or "I could have," but rather to embrace the work and the call and the ministry that God has put before us.

Guest (Male): Next time on Abounding Grace, we'll learn that the flesh cannot please God, as Pastor Ed Taylor opens 1 Samuel chapter 14. Abounding Grace is brought to you by Calvary Church in Aurora, Colorado, and online at aboundinggraceradio.com.