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you you well good evening everyone welcome to Mountain Baptist Church take your psalm books and turn to song 423 song 423 in your psalm books we'll sing joy to the world and if you would stand we'll sing song 423 joy to the world the Lord has come let earth receive her King let every heart prepare him room and heaven nature's seeing and heaven and nature's seeing and heaven heaven nature see joy to the world the Savior reigns let men their songs employ while fields and floods rocks hills and plains repeat the sounding joy repeat the sounding joy repeat he repeat the sound enjoy no more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns and fast he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found far as the curse is found far as far as the curse is found he rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nation's prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love and wonders of his love and one hundred wonders of his love and let's pray heavenly father Lord again we just want to thank you God for another opportunity and privilege that we get to gather in your house and to hear your word preach our prayer Lord now that you would just be with our pastor filled with your power and spirit for it's in Jesus name we ask all but amen all right you may be seated and take your mountain baptist psalms hymns and spiritual song books turn to page number five we're gonna sing Psalm 81 page number five sing aloud unto God our strength make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob take a song and bring Heather the temporal the pleasant harp with the psalm to re blow up the trumpet in the new moon in the time appointed on our solemn feast day for this was a statue for Israel and a law of the God of Jacob this he ordained in Joseph for a testimony when he went out through the land of Egypt where I heard a language that I understood not I removed his shoulder from the burden his hands were delivered from the pots the cause and trouble and I deliver thee I answered the in the secret place of thunder I proved the yet the waters of mariba see la hero my people and I will testify unto thee Oh Israel thou would hearken unto me there shall no strange God be in thee neither shall thou worship any strange God I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt open thy mouth wide and I will fill it but my people would not harken to my voice and Israel would none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lost and they walked in their own councils oh that my people have harken unto me and Israel had walked in my ways I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries the haters of the Lord should have submitted should have submitted themselves unto him but their time should have endured forever he should have fed them also with the fineness of the weed and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee out of the rock should I have satisfied thee hey man welcome out back to church on this Wednesday evening and let me get the announcements here I'm gonna try to blow through this really quick I've been fighting a cold and so just pray for me that I have strength tonight I should have probably just had what they preached but I've committed to it so I'm here so I'm gonna do it and I don't have a fever though so I don't think I'm contagious but for sake of everything I'm just not gonna shake anybody's hands or anything like that but as far as the service times this Sunday everything should be normal and so we'll have our normal service time Sunday morning Sunday afternoon we'll have our soul any time at 1 p.m. and then the regional selling times there as well and then this Saturday we have our Christmas party and so that's gonna be at 1 30 that's the Saturday right yeah today's like the sixth so so the sign-up sheets back there as far as what you're wanting to bring and I guess at this point you either know you're bringing something we don't so I'll have to check that out and see if we need to get anything or anything like that so but we're gonna have we're gonna have games all that fun stuff remember the white elephant gift exchange as well and if you have any questions about that ask my wife or ask Paula not me so they'll have better they'll have better answers for you so I think I know what's going on with it but they would be better better to answer that so we have the the women's prayer meeting at on the 22nd and the men's prayer meeting on the 29th this month we have sewing marathon in Parkersburg it's gonna be happening on the 16th so not this Saturday but the next Saturday if you want any more information about that get with brother for the mat as far as that goes I know that we have a video up now or on on our channel there for the information as far as the meetup place and all that so and then Luke chapter 2 is a memory chapter for the month I know it's a long chapter but try to at least memorize the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2 and then Isaiah 7 14 is a memory verse for the week and then the pregnancy list there be in prayer for Alyssa Anastasia and Tabby and just be in prayer for health in general sicknesses going around colds going around all that stuff I haven't drank any my my wife's firewater fire cider it sounds like some Native American like a stew of some sort some some kind of concoction fire water is probably alcohol isn't it I keep calling it that but it's not it's cider okay it's not I mean it's probably like a kabocha isn't it does it ferment at all anyway I haven't taken any of that stuff so that's about all I got so all right so let's just let's just do this so he's gonna come say one more song then brother Dave is gonna be reading first same for chapter 15 all right take your song books and turn to song 427 427 in your some books we'll sing we three kings song 427 we three kings of oriented are bearing gifts we traverse afar field and fountain more and mountain following yonder star Oh star of wonder star of night star with royal beauty bride Westward leading still proceeding guide us to thy perfect light born a king on Bethlehem's plain gold I bring to crown him again King forever ceasing never over us all to rain Oh star of wonder star of night star with royal beauty bride Westward leading still proceeding guide us to thy perfect light frankincense to offer have I incense owns a deity night prayer and praising all men raising worship him God on high Oh star of wonder star of night star with royal beauty bride Westward leading still proceeding guide us to thy perfect light Murrah's mine it's better perfume breeze of life of gathering gloom sorrowing sigh bleeding dying sealed in a stone-cold tomb Oh star of wonder star of night star with royal beauty bride leading still proceeding guide us to thy perfect light glorious now behold him arise King and God and sacrifice Alleluia Alleluia peels through the earth and skies Oh star of wonder star of night star with royal beauty bride Westward leading still proceeding guide us to thy perfect line all right take your Bibles and turn to 1st Samuel chapter number 15 first name in chapter 15 we'll have brother David come read that for us first Samuel 15 if you found your place amen and the Bible reads Samuel also said in the soul the Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people over Israel no therefore harken now into the voice of the words of the Lord that's it the Lord of hosts I remember that which amalek did to Israel oh he had laid for him in the way hey how you delayed wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not to persuade both man and woman infant and circling oxen see camel and ass and so I'll gather the people together and numbered them in Tolo telling him 200,000 but men and 10,000 men of Judah and so I came to a city of Amalek and laid wait in the valley and saw some to the key nights go to part get you down from among the Amalekites lest I destroy you with them for ye stilled kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt so the key nights departed from among the Amalekites small and Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to serve that is over against Egypt and he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive nuttily destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword but Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the seep and of the oxen and of the fatlings and of the lambs and all that was good and would not utterly destroy them but everything that was vile and refuse that they destroyed utterly then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel saying it repented me that I have set up Saul to be king he is turned back from following me and hath not performed my commandments and it grieved Saul Samuel and he cried into the Lord all night and when Samuel was early to meet Saul in the morning it was told Samuel saying Saul came to Carmel and behold he set him up a place and has gone about and passed on and gone down to Gilgal and Samuel said to Saul and Samuel came to Saul and Saul said unto him blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the commandment of the Lord and Samuel said what meanest what meaneth in the bleeding of the seep in mine ears and the loaning of the oxen which I hear and Saul said they have brought them from the Amalekites for the people spared the best of the seep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God and the rest we have utterly destroyed then Samuel said unto Saul stay and I will tell thee what the Lord has said to me this night and he said unto him say on and Samuel said when thou wast little in thine own sight was not thou made the head of the tribes of Israel and the Lord anointed the king over Israel and the Lord said sent thee on a journey and said go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites and fight against them until they be consumed wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord which is but didst fly upon the spoil and didst evil on the side of the Lord and Saul said unto Samuel yea I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone away which the Lord sent me and have brought Agag the king of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites the people but the people took out the spoil seep and oxen the chief of the things that have been utterly destroyed to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God and Gilgal and Samuel said hath the Lord as great delight in parent offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord he hath also rejected thee from being king and Saul said unto Samuel I have sinned for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and thy ways because I feared the people and obeyed their voice now therefore I pray thee pardon my sin and turn again with me that I may waste the Lord and Samuel said unto Saul I will not return with thee for that has rejected the word of the Lord and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel and as Samuel turned about to go away he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle and it went and Samuel said unto him the Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day and hath given it to a neighbor of thine that is better than thou and also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a man that he shall repent then he said I have sinned yet honor me now I pray thee before the elders of the right people and before Israel and turn again with me that I may waste of the Lord thy God so Samuel turned again after Saul and Saul wasted the Lord then said Samuel bring ye hither to me Agag king king of the Amalekites and Agag came unto him delicately and Agag said surely the bitterness of death has passed and Samuel said as thy sword hath made women childless so shall thy mother be childless among women so Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord and Gilgal then Samuel went up then Samuel went to Ramah and Saul went up to the his house to give ye of Saul and Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel that's great dear Lord I thank you for this opportunity to come back to church I pray that you be a pastor fill me with the spirit help us all doing something please amen amen you're there in first Samuel chapter 15 we are continuing our study through the book book of first Samuel if you remember in chapter 13 we see where Saul makes a mistake on the fact that he does this sacrifice he doesn't wait for Samuel and this is where basically his first mistake and he's he's told that his kingdom won't continue on forever and in chapter 14 we see the story with Jonathan and how Jonathan has this great victory where he goes up that that hill and and destroys a bunch of the Philistines and everybody else jumps in there as well and then Saul has that kind of rash vow if you will that vow where he's just like talking about not eating things and all of that and then chapter 15 is where the really this is gonna be the final straw when it comes to King Saul where I believe that God is no longer regarding him as the king of Israel and basically instead of just the fact that his kingdom is gonna stop with him he's basically saying you're not legit like he's not recognizing him as king and and then he's going out he's going to find David and so I'm not gonna focus too much on David on this chapter though it does talk about the fact of that he's seeking him he saw a man after his own heart and all that because chapter 16 and chapter 17 really we're getting we're getting into the David and all of that so but I really want to focus on which is really what the chapter is mostly about is Saul and the fact that he doesn't keep the commandment of the Lord and specifically what's the commandment here so we see here in verse 1 Samuel also said unto Saul the Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his his people over Israel now therefore harken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord thus set the Lord of hosts I remember that which Amalek did to Israel how he laid weight for him in the way when he came up from Egypt now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not but slay both man and woman infant and suckling ox and sheep camel and ass so this is the commandment that's given to him that basically he's to destroy everything everything that breathes I mean we're talking every man woman child but also even all the animals so it's just utter destruction we were talking about like how the Lord destroyed everything on the earth kind of thing obviously it's more localized but the Lord is telling him do that and specifically because of what Amalek did to the children of Israel when they were coming out of Egypt and when they were in the wilderness and let's see exactly what they did so Exodus 17 for example shows us the story of Joshua fighting Amalek you go to Exodus chapter 17 he's fighting Amalek and this is the story where Moses is when he holds up his hands they were winning the battle but if his hands fall down then then Joshua starts getting getting beaten by the Amalekites and so you have her and in Aaron that are holding up as his hands right or his arms so that's the kind of the story that we see there but we don't really see the information as far as what led to this like why are they fighting them we just see that they go to battle with Amalek so it just kind of shows you that and sometimes that that's the way it goes in the Bible and the fact that it'll just tell you about this battle tell you about something there but then you get details later about like what caused this like what was going on what was going on around this so in verse 14 of chapter 17 it says in the Lord said unto Moses write this for a memorial in a book and rehearse it in the years of Joshua for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven and Moses built an altar and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi for he said because the Lord has sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation now in numbers 24 in verse 20 it says is I'm just kind of going in order of when it talks about this number 24 in verse 20 it says and when he looked on Amalek he took up his parable and said Amalek was the first of the nations but his latter end shall be that be that he perished forever that's actually coming out of Balaam's mouth now but if you know obviously Caiaphas prophesied even though he wasn't saved he was a false prophet and Balaam's a false prophet but God caused him to to prophesy and say the word of God so but that being said is that it's basically being said they're gonna be completely utterly destroyed they're gonna perish forever but Deuteronomy 25 really shows us some more information as far as what's going on and obviously at first Samuel 15 it states that the reasoning why because how he laid weight for him in the way so that gives you a little bit of information right you're like okay kind of lurking and laying in wait but what did they do exactly Deuteronomy 25 verse 17 it says remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way when you were come forth out of Egypt how he met thee by the way and smote the hindmost of thee even all that were feeble behind me when thou was faint and weary and he feared not God so now we see a little more information as far as they laid in wait for them there's something they did to where God is has this this anger against them to where he's gonna destroy them completely and it has to do with the fact that they were basically picking off the week in basically in the back of Israel and then it goes on to say therefore it shall be when the Lord thy God have given the rest from all thine enemies round about in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven thou shalt not forget it so I mean Exodus numbers Deuteronomy it's saying Amalek is gonna become needs to be that God is pronouncing they're gonna be completely utterly destroyed perish forever their names gonna be blotted out and then obviously the commandment that's straight-up given to Saul by Samuel is to utterly destroy all that they have spare them not but slave both man and woman infant and cycling ox and sheep and camel and ass so when Samuel tells him this there's no doubt of what he's supposed to do right it's not like you know you have to interpret what was in the law as far as what does he mean by utterly destroy or to blot out their name you know what I mean because you could say like someone could say well you know just take out all the men because the name will then pass you know like the name comes down from the men and you could think of it that way no it it shows it here that no it's everybody you say well I think you know this doesn't sound right you know that he would that God would ask this God's right and you can you could look at that and say well I think that that's wrong you know what happened there well you're wrong and I'm not saying that that humanly speaking we look at that and be like that seems that seems rough it is rough right it's also rough that he killed Eric that God flooded the earth and killed every single person man woman child suckling everyone except for no one in his family that's actually a little more rough if you think about it I mean I don't know how many people were on the earth at that time but I mean if people were living to like 900 years old over 900 years old there's probably a lot of people on the earth within that 1500 years or whatever it was from when Adam started having children and going down the line so that being said it is what it is and you know what if someone wants to come out the Bible and say the Bible is wrong or the Bible's you know they want to try to take moral superiority well God's right he's just he's true what he said here was right to do what he commanded Saul to do was right and you can put that in your pipe and smoke it I mean that's that's that's how you look at what God does is that he's right and he also made a place called hell where people are going to be tormented day and night forever and ever it's hard to sometimes you don't want to think about that right I mean most time I want to think about it but it's reality but we shouldn't look at God and say well you know that's that's that seems a little rough that's I mean forever but God's right and we got to get the mind of the Lord and so when it comes to this yes it's rough but that should also add a little more fear to the Lord there so first Samuel chapter 15 so that's the commandment it's clear and so Saul's gonna go to battle against Amalek in verse 4 it says and Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Talaam 200,000 footmen and 10,000 men of Judah so now he's got a pretty big army right I mean you think about it he was the only like 600 men over here and 600 men over here you know even before that when they had like a thousand men with them a thousand men over here I mean 200,000 footmen that's a that's that's a that's a decent amount and so it knows that it separates Judah in there and this happens a lot because Judah is is a big tribe and a lot of times Judah is kind of it stands out Judah stands out from the rest of the tribes which obviously you can see later on when there's gonna be a split in the kingdom where you have Israel northern kingdom Judah and southern kingdom and I do not talk if you talk again you're gonna get in trouble so we see here that they he's basically getting his footmen together he's getting his army together verse 5 it says and Saul came to the city of Amalek and laid weight in the valley so it's kind of you kind of kind of see how the the reaping what you so because what did what did Amalek do they laid and wait right and you see this a lot in the Bible of reaping what you sow you know you you sow the wind you're gonna reap the whirlwind and a lot of cases the same way you know I mean if you roll the stone it's gonna roll upon you you dig a pit you're gonna fall into it like the idea is that you end up getting the same thing that you dealt out but in a lot of cases it's double or it's more extreme and in this case it is more extreme because they were taking out like the feeble and they were taking out some of Israel they didn't take out all of Israel in this case they're gonna get completely annihilated but it says here in verse 6 it says and Saul said unto the Kenites go depart get you down from among the Amalekites lest I destroy you with them for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt so the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites this kind of reminds me of remember when Elijah is going to kill all the prophets of Baal and he's like listen I need to know if there's anybody that worships the Lord here you know find out if there's anybody in here that worships the Lord because I don't want them here because he's playing he's playing like he's some like you know it's basically you know they worship the Baal a little I'm gonna worship them a lot right and Elijah's kind of he's kind of I'm sorry I'm maybe I'm getting Gideon and them mixed up it's Gideon isn't it that destroys them I'm getting I'm getting my stories mixed up is it Gideon that has all the prophets of Baal come up jihu whoo jihu well there's prophets of Baal and all those right so Jerah Baal Elijah killed the prophets of Baal killed like 400 of them so anyway jihu does that basically where he he's saying hey they worship Baal much or a little I worship him a much and he's basically saying if there's anybody in here though that worships the Lord get out of here because they don't want to destroy like those that worship the Lord so basically the key Knights are dwelling among them and he's basically like you guys get out of here like my beef's not with you essentially right it's kind of like this doesn't pertain to you this is you know you shouldn't have to die with them right and so it's just interesting to see that as far as like basically we just want to destroy the Amalekites you know that's that's who God is wanting to completely annihilate it says in verse 7 says and Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest assure that is over against Egypt so he's smiting all of them and you know if you just read that verse be like okay yeah what are you supposed to do but notice in verse 8 and he took a gag the king of the Amalekites alive so they destroy every single man woman child suckling no he kept the king alive and I don't think destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword so he destroyed everybody else but he kept the king alive but Saul and the people spared a gag in the best of the sheep and of the oxen of the fat and of the fatlings and the lambs and all all that was good and would not utterly destroy them but everything that was vile and refuse they that they destroyed utterly so basically everything that was just bad they destroyed but anything that was like good like any good cattle anything like that they were just basically like taking spoil of it but that was not the commandment the commandment was to completely utterly destroy it I mean when they came into the land of Canaan and remember they weren't to take any of the idols and the gold and all that stuff that's why you have that story with Ai where Achan takes of the accursed thing and then there's end up being a lot of people that die because of that and then he ends up getting put to death but the thing is is that the commandments clear is to destroy everything not to take spoil of the sheep and the ox actually it's literally when Samuel gave that commandment is to destroy ox and sheep and all of that so he obviously didn't do what he was supposed to do anything that you're going to see with this is that the fact that he says that he you know basically he doesn't keep the commandment of the Lord and he thinks he does but it really comes out of this you either keep the commandment or you don't I mean if you think about it like thou shalt not kill you either kill somebody or don't like I know the Bible talks about being half dead you know like someone being half dead or like at the point of death but listen if you hurt somebody and they don't die but they're at the point of death you didn't kill them so you didn't break that commandment so that's now you maybe broke other commandments that are there when it comes to like you know obviously smiting people that you shouldn't do and all this other stuff but anyway going on from that in verse 10 the Lord starts speaking to Samuel so at this point Saul is doing his thing but the Lord comes to Samuel so basically this is what happens this is what what Saul is doing and the Lord comes to Samuel and basically tells him that he's rejecting Saul notice that the Lord doesn't go to Saul and say this he goes to Samuel and notice in verse 10 here says then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel saying it repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king for he has turned back from following me and hath not performed my commandments and it grieved Samuel and he cried unto the Lord all night now what's interesting about this is that one the Lord repents you know when people say well repent means turn from your sins well did did the Lord sin did the Lord sin by setting up Saul no Saul messed up you know the Lord repented that he made man on the earth and then he flooded the whole earth was the Lord in sin then and then they'll go to passages where it says like the Lord is not a man that he should repent that's interesting because it literally uses that same that same type of verse is in the end of this chapter where it talks about the strength of Israel is not a man that he should repent but when it's in context it says that he is not a man that he should lie or that he should repent meaning this is that when it's talking about God not repenting or that he will not repent it's talking about he won't lie that's because the gifts and callings of God are without repentance so if he promises you everlasting life for example he can't repent because that means he would lie he's not lying here where's the lie of him repenting that he made Saul he's just basically saying I changed my mind like I'm not he's not gonna be king anymore I made him king and now I'm changing that that way he's not king right I made man on the earth he repented it and he's like I'm gonna destroy everybody except for no obviously there's the exception with no one is family so there has to be context if it's saying that the Lord is not a man that he should repent you have to get the first part of that verse where it says he's not he's also you know and I'm gonna misquote it now I haven't got this is I and also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent the whole point is that he's not gonna lie meaning this is that when he says that he is rejected Saul from being king he's not gonna change that that makes sense like at that point he's basically making an oath that he's no longer he doesn't regard him anymore and he's not gonna lie so but when we look at this it says that in verse 10 or it says in verse 11 it says for he is turned back and following me and hath not performed my commandments the thing that I want to point out here is that following the Lord is synonymous with keeping his commandments so when someone says you know well I when you say well do you know you're going to heaven you're like well I follow Jesus so you're telling me you keep the commandments then right now let me give you some verses on that go to go to John chapter 8 John chapter 8 John chapter 8 and I want you think about this in Mark or Matthew chapter 16 verse 24 it says then said Jesus is disciples if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me in order for him you to follow him you have to deny yourself take up his cross like and this goes down the line with a lot of different things whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple meaning this is that being a disciple is being a follower of Jesus but listen you say well you know you must be a follower to be saved it's like well then Judas was saved he's one of the twelve no you must believe to be saved and you just never believed though he claimed to be a follower obviously he was a liar and he was a counterfeit but the thing is is that I'm sick and tired these people like I'm a follower of Jesus and they're always this this limp-wristed you know like this watered-down type of Christian that goes to some fun church but you're a follower of Jesus give you it's a joke it's like yeah yeah you're a follower of Jesus give me a break I want to ask him be like how many times have you read through the Bible and they're like well you know maybe once I mean the real Bible because they're like reading the NIV ESV NLT the M I C K E Y M O U S E like they're they're reading you know if they're reading anything at all they're reading this perversion and they're probably just getting their daily devotion out of their purpose-driven life book that they're reading by Rick Warren from Brokeback Baptist Church or Saddleback sorry but I'm sick and tired of like them that you're like oh I'm a follower of Jesus no you're not you know it's interesting because those that believe that salvation is by grace through faith and you cannot lose your salvation end up being the best followers of Jesus but these people that claim to be followers Jesus are always this lordship salvation you know well if you believe it's gonna produce works brother but then they're the same people and the same forked tongue saying well don't put me under the law brother I'm under grace that means I can commit fornication adultery and all that it doesn't matter it's all about grace brother he doesn't judge me it's garbage no listen following Jesus means keep keeping his commandments and if you're not keeping his commandments and you're not following him doesn't mean you're not saved it just means that you're not following him if you're not keeping his commandments that means you're not his disciple if you're not abiding in him that means you're not his disciple but you're still saved if you believe on Christ so in John 8 for 31 it says then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him if you continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free listen faith comes by hearing here by the word of God you hear that word you receive that incorruptible seed you're born again boom done forever sealed unto the day of redemption but if you continue in his word then are you his disciples and John 15 in verse 8 John 15 verse 8 John 15 verse 8 it says here is my father glorified that you may that you bear much fruit so shall you be my disciples as the father had loved me so I have I loved you and continue in my love if you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love even as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love notice how do you abide in him how do you abide in his love how do you how are you going to bear much fruit but if you abide in the vine abide in his love and how do you do that keep his commandments because he does abide within him sin is not and sin is a transgression against the law so if you're abiding in him that that means you're not sinning and if you're not sinning that means that you're not transgressing the law and if you're not transgressing the law that means you're keeping the commandments so you know what that means to abide in Christ is to keep his commandments to be saved is believe on Lord Jesus Christ you want to abide in him you want to follow him you want to be in that vine you want to be fruitful you want to be a disciple then you have to keep his commandments so when it comes to this it's just very clear that Saul I believe is a saved man but he's not following the Lord he thinks he is and that's the thing that that that's that's irritating about it right when you read this passage do you not get irritated when you're reading this when Saul's like I performed the commandment of the Lord that's the same irritation that I get when I hear these these so-called Christians in some cases they actually are saved saying I kept the commandment of the Lord I'm doing what God wants me to do and in some of these cases they're not in church they're not reading their Bible they're not going out of soul winning they're not getting anybody saved but yet I'm supposed to believe that they're following the Lord and they're just like I've kept the commandment of the Lord and I just think of this passage right here where it's just like just not getting it I don't know what I think it's more and think about this in the church at Laodicea who does God want to spew out of his mouth those that say they have need of nothing those that think they've arrived think that they're doing what they should be doing and yet they're naked blind and wretched to God he wants to spew them out of his mouth think about the holier than the owls those types and listen I do believe our church is doing great work for God but we should not ever think that we've arrived and think that hey you know we're better than everybody else now obviously I think our church is great I think our church is the best church in America but you know what there's I just I'm partial to that you know but at the same time do I think that our church is where it should be no no I don't think it'll ever be there because we should never think it should it's there because we should always be pressing toward the mark for the prize the high calling of God in Christ Jesus we should always be abounding more and more it should never be this is good enough and so and and I believe if you do that then you'll never then you won't be going down you'll just keep inching your way up and you want to maintain abide more and more so go back to 1st Samuel chapter 15 for same type of 15 so when I when I read this it just makes me think of Christians that think that they're following the Lord they're in their mind they're like I've done it I don't know what you're talking about I kept it what does God say it's just like I've rejected you because you're not keeping it and then Samuel is gonna have to rebuke him until he finally admits that he messed up so in 1st Samuel chapter 15 verse 12 it says and when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning it was told Samuel saying Saul came to Carmel behold he has set up set him up a place and has gone about and passed on and gone down to Gilgal and Samuel came to Saul and Saul said unto him blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the commandment of the Lord so he's just like I've done it the deed is done it's like no but then what's Samuel say I love I love his answer here because he doesn't just say no you didn't he points out the evidence it's just like the elephant in the room or the bleeding sheep in the room right it says and Samuel said what meaneth then this bleeding of the sheep in mine ears in the lowing of the ox which I hear it's kind of like the old the old tale of the elephant in the room it's like what are these things doing here then what do you mean you've kept it you've performed the commandment of the Lord notice what does Saul do he doesn't say yeah you're right I didn't I messed up no it's not what he does this is a big difference between Saul and David big difference because you say why does God have mercy on David when he messes up because it has to do with his heart that's to do with him keeping the commandments of God even though he did break it he broke a commandment his attitude towards it was just automatic I messed up and admitting to it not trying to make excuses for it and this is what you know you think about your kids right your kids will do something you'd rather them just fess up to it instead of making excuses about it and just say yes I messed up and usually when they do it you're just like okay just don't let it happen again and you go on from that when they start making excuses then then you're just like your anger starts getting kindled it's like you think I'm an idiot like do you think that you're like I wasn't I wasn't born yesterday I know that you're just trying to get out of it and trying to you know paint a different picture of it so verse 15 says and Saul said they have brought them from the Amalekites for the people spared the best best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God and the rest we have utterly destroyed so now now I you know it doesn't say anything about them wanting to sacrifice unto the Lord before that does it it just basically says they just kept all the good stuff right so now he's kind of trying to paint it like but we did it for the Lord though but who's thing if the Lord told you to destroy it what would you think he'd rather have you do what he told you to do or what you're trying to now say you're trying to honor the Lord just like when your kids do something like well I was doing it for you though I hit my sister because she said something you know bad about you or something like that well you know like you can see you can see where they make some kind of excuse okay it's like yeah but I told you not to hit your sister you know it's like keep the commandment what I tell you to do so you see his attitude is that well one when he comes into it saying he's kept it Samuel's pointing out the obvious that he didn't and then he starts making excuse verse 16 says then Samuel said unto Saul stay and I will tell thee what the Lord has said to me this night and he said unto him stay on they basically like I'm about to tell you what the Lord told me the same said when thou was little in thine own eyes and in thine own sight was thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel and the Lord sent thee on a journey and said go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites and fight against them until they be consumed and we saw what he says at the beginning he when he says consumed he's telling you who's getting consumed wherefore then this thou not obey the voice of the Lord but this fly upon the spoil and this evil in the sight of the Lord now so get the picture here the attitude of Saul is rebellion okay stubbornness that's what that's what Sam is gonna bring up it I think it would have been different if you've just been like you're right it's the very beginning he's just like yes you're right I messed up or if Samuel got there he's just like hey I know I didn't I messed up I was supposed to destroy everything and I know I messed up I know I didn't do it completely how do we fix this you know what I mean like let's let's it just kind of admit it from the very beginning but no first he's like no I did it then he points out the bleeding in the sheep and he's giving excuse like no well we can't we kept those so we can sacrifice him unto the Lord and then he's stating did were you not commanded it's like you were commanded to destroy everything and in verse 20 it says and Saul said unto Samuel yea I have obeyed the voice of the Lord just still like just digging in like no I did keep it even though he's pointing out the bleeding of the sheep that they did all this and that you did evil in the sight of the Lord by keeping the spoil and he's like no I kept it I obeyed it and it says have gone the way which the Lord sent me and have brought Agag the king of Amalek and have utterly destroyed Amalekites but the people took of the spoil sheep and oxen chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God and Gilgal so that's how he's like they did that but the people did that right kind of remind you when they're you know when the fall of man like that woman that thou gavest me right like the serpent said this the woman that thou gaveth me it's like passing the buck constantly like well it's that they did that so he's still doubling down on he's still saying I I obeyed it and I don't know if he's trying to say like I'm going to kill Agag you know it's kind of like I'm not done yet I don't know if that's what he's trying to say there but notice what Samuel says here in verse 22 and Samuel said hath the Lord as great delight and burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams so we see here that it's not about these sacrifices and all that and it just made me think of this path I don't have this in my nose but turn to drawing a blank it's in Hebrews go to Hebrews 10 Hebrews 10 I don't know this the decongestant that I'm taking is just like messing with my head or or what but Hebrews chapter 10 in verse 5 it says wherefore when he cometh into the world he says sacrifice an offering that would it's not but a body has not prepared me in burnt offerings and sacrifice for sin thou hast had no pleasure that's pretty poignant obviously all that was to represent Christ and the idea here is that he's saying I had no pleasure in that it says then said I lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will Oh God think about the obedience of Christ and how that could tie in it says above when he said sacrifice an offering offering for sin that what is not neither has pleasure therein which are offered by the law then said I lo I come to do thy will Oh God he takes away the first I mean established the second by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all but think about the obedience of Christ in that body in the fact that he will have you know obey is better than sacrifice the obedience that that goes with that it's not the sacrifices are bad but if there was if you had a choice between obeying the word of Lord and giving him a sacrifice he's gonna say obey so I see this a lot in Christianity where it's like a lot of this outward sacrificial type of stuff but then they're not obeying the commandments it's like just obey the commandments I mean the whole fear God and keep his commandments this is the whole duty of man I mean just do that that is what God is calling you to do and if you want to give a sacrifice you want to give a free will offering you want to go above beyond and you know obviously you want to make your body a living sacrifice all of that is something that we should do but you know what keep his commandments do that that's rather than the sacrifice because if you're not keeping his commandments and trying to be a sacrifice and all of this he's not gonna regard it it's not it's not it's not what he wants it's gonna be like Saul here trying to do sacrifices without obeying so in verse 23 it says for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry which they which thou hast it says because thou has rejected the word of the Lord he also has rejected thee from being king now notice it doesn't say he has rejected Saul as a person right it's not it's not saying like Saul's reprobate you know like he's hardened like Pharaoh or anything like that no he's rejecting him from that position of being a king see the first thing that he messed up with was obviously doing that sacrifice and it's interesting that sacrifice keeps being the thing that he's screwing up with right but I believe he's still regarded as king it's just the fact that it was gonna go to someone else after him right and so in this case he's basically not regarding him as king I mean you think about this is where the Lord won't speak to him the Lord's not regarding him and all of that right but I think this all comes back down to the fact that he's rejected the word of the Lord if you remember at the beginning with Saul is that what was going on Samuel was speaking to him the word of God then he was going to these prophets and the prophets were you know he was talking to them about the word of God and then he was prophesying and this all comes back to what the king is supposed to do which is to one write down the law of the Lord but also meditate they they united it says Deuteronomy 17 you can turn there if you want but Deuteronomy 17 verse 18 and this is what I believe he didn't do but this is what David does I mean David is the sweet psalmist of Israel he's the one that I mean he wrote Psalm 119 about the word of God and obviously under the inspiration the Holy Ghost but the idea there is that that was his heart was the word of God if you want to know what he thought about the word of God read Psalm 119 but in Psalm and in Deuteronomy 17 verse 18 it says it shall be when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the priests the Levites so it's talking about when you make a king he is to basically write down the book of law it says and it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren what is he saying to me says when I was little and I know in sight you know what that means is that he's no longer little in his own sight you know what he is he's rebellious and he's stubborn to the point where he's just will not admit that he said even what is being pointed out to him is like you didn't do what you're supposed to do I mean the sheep are proof he's like no I did obey the commandment of the Lord even with the proof right in front of your face but to keep the the commandment to the right hand to the left not not to go aside from the command to the right hand to the left into the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom and he and his children in the midst of Israel so he rejected the word of that's what caused him to be rejected as being King and I believe it ultimately comes down to not meditating it not reading it not not like David who was it was his meditation all day long right we see a big difference between Saul and David both saved men Saul started off great but even though he started off great you know what what would have caused him to not falter was to be meditating in the book of law all day and night and I had some other stuff but I'm I'm gonna go past that go back and I mentioned you know that basically the first offense there was in 1st Samuel chapter 13 where basically his kingdom is no longer gonna be going on forever it would have if he would have kept the commandment of the Lord we go back to 1st Samuel chapter 15 and verse 24 so now now when he's told that he's being rejected as being King now he's finally admitting it I want that to be very clear and the reason I'm kind of drawing that out is like because I want you to see that it wasn't just when you read this you're just like man it seems like God's being a little rough on him no it's just the stubbornness and rebellion that was in Saul to not admit that he had done wrong and it's not ignorance either this was presumptuous this really gets into the idea of being ignorant of the commandment I mean Sam was making a point you knew what you were to do you were told what to do you knew what you're supposed to do but yet you guys took out the spoil anyway too much is given much is required and so in verse 24 here it says and in Saul said unto Samuel I have sinned for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord in thy words because I feared the people and obeyed their voice she said that begin with from the very beginning just be like I feared the people there's there was an underlying issue which is the fact that he feared the people and therefore I mean think about it you could tell there was a fear of the people back when Jonathan with with the vow and the fact that the people saved Jonathan out of the king's hand you can see the power that the people had over him not saying he should have killed his son I'm just saying that you can see though that there was this fear of the people that was there I think there should be a healthy fear of the people but not when it comes to committee keeping the commandments of God don't fear the people when it comes to fear and it when it comes to fearing God fear God keep his commandments that's the whole duty of man but then it goes on to say in verse 25 now therefore I pray thee pardon my sin and turn again with me that I may worship the Lord and same you said unto Saul I will not return with thee for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel so he's like you know basically trying to get this reversed right like somehow caused this to go away I'm sorry you know it's kind of like I'm sorry I said I messed up it was afraid of the people it's like why did it take you so long and you see this happens a lot of obviously going back to children right you think about this with Saul he's a child of God God is his father and it's like just a stubborn rebellion is of a child and the fact that there comes a point where you're like you're done it's not happening right kind of like you tell them like hey you don't get this right you don't do this then we're not going somewhere right you think about like we're not gonna go to the to the mall we're not gonna go here or we're not gonna go to this place and get ice cream or something like that and then they keep pushing pushing pushing and you're like you know what we're not going and it doesn't matter what they they say doesn't matter how good they are they clean the room do all this every like dump not today not happening it's done it's cut off that ice cream place is reprobate today you know it's like there comes a point where it's like I'm done and there's no turning back from it and so and we shouldn't lie too so if and this is something you be careful to when you when you say I I try not to say hey we're never going there again so it makes sense like you shouldn't say that be very careful with your words because you don't want to lie when you're like you know they're like dad I thought we're never gonna go back here again you know if you put a stipulation we're never going back here again unless you get this stuff right right there's a stipulation there so in this there's no stipulation it's not like hey you're rejected for being king unless you do this nope no stipulation you're rejected from being King so in verse 27 here it says and as Samuel turned away to go to turn about to go away he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle and it rent as same you said unto unto him the Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day I want you to think about this this day he is not being regarded as King and from this point on I believe he's basically kind of King in name only you know God's not regarding it God's not blessing it yeah I mean the Bible talks about they have set up kings but not by me I mean just because someone's a king doesn't mean that God is behind it in blessing it okay and so but going on from there it says and keep reading it says same as the Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day and have given it to a neighbor of thine that is better than thou and that's talking about David and we'll get to that next week we get in chapter 16 but notice that the present tense like this day is rent from me in it and it hath been given it had it hath given it to a neighbor of thine that is better than that I mean at this point he hasn't I mean Samuel in the next chapter is gonna go anoint David but I mean in God's mind and God's God's regarding like you're done today and David is now who's to be King and so it says in verse 29 it says and also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent meaning he's saying I've rejected you this day and I'm giving it to a neighbor of thine that's better than thou and nothing's changing that so that's what we're dealing with here and obviously the rest of the first Samuel is dealing with the fact that Saul is basically fighting against David and you know obviously there's a little portion there in 16 and 17 where they like David but that last very short-lived right where Saul likes David especially when he finds out that you know he's supposed to come up after him anyway so in verse 30 here it says then he said I have sinned yet honor me now I pray thee before the elders of my people and before Israel and turn again with me and I will that I may worship the Lord thy God so Samuel turned again after Saul and Saul worshiped the Lord then said Samuel bring ye hither to meet Agag the king of the Amalekites so basically at this point Saul Samuel's basically okay I'll turn with you but I mean the kingdom's rent at this point now Samuel's gonna do what Saul should have done I want you to think about it I mean Samuel's an old man at this point gray-headed old man it says in verse 32 bring ye hither to meet Agag that the king of the Amalekites and Agag came unto him delicately and Agag said surely the bitterness of death is past that I always laugh at this and you're like man you're a little morbid I just think about the fact that he's kind of just been hanging out he's been taking prisoner he's probably like I guess I'm not gonna die you know like I guess I'm being spared you know like and he's just kind of like oh you know so he's kind of coming in delicately you know like oh you know I think I'm think I'm somehow gonna come out of this unscathed right and then then Samuel says this and it said and Samuel said as thy sword hath made women childless so shall thy mother be childless among women and Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord and Gilgal so Saul had to have some old man Samuel basically do his job for him that he was supposed to do and verse 34 it says then Samuel went to Rhema and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul and Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death nevertheless Samuel mourn for Saul and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel so basically they went to their separate places it's basically in a stating that Samuel didn't see Saul after that you know I mean you don't see say Samuel talking to David after this you know or they there's messengers that are sent from Saul to Samuel after this but you don't see Samuel and Saul like getting together after this except for the witch at Endor but Samuel's dead at that point right and at that point he's being brought up from the dead to like tell him that he's gonna die the next day so that's another time for another day so in this passage we see basically this is this is the ultimate downfall of Saul chapter 13 his kingdom isn't gonna go on forever basically stopping with him chapter 15 he is rejected from being king not only is his kingdom not gonna go on he himself at that day is rejected from being king and so the downfall of Saul what what was the downfall he rejected the word of the Lord I believe believers can do that constantly where they're just rejected they don't want to keep it they just refuse to keep the commandments of the Lord and therefore they're not gonna be blessed by God I'm probably gonna preach the whole sermon but there's a verse about the fact that it talks about how all these good things were kept from you because of your iniquities and the idea of just how many blessings that God was wanting to give you but your sins are holding you back and the thing with Saul is that you saw all this great stuff if you just would have not been rebellious against the Word of God and not been stubborn against the Word of God and you know what Christians are like that today they're just stubborn it's plain as day they're just stummer stubborn they don't want to admit it they don't want they they'll make excuses they know they'll try to say that they're keeping it they're not really keeping it and they're just kidding themselves and deep down they know I believe deep down they know what's right you know they know the Shepherd's voice they know what's right and they're just kidding themselves like the person that knows that there's a hell but they want to put their head in in the sand and just believe that most people are saved that kind of ostrich mentality and it's it it's not following the Lord and we you say what's the point of going through like these chapters well we should learn from Saul we don't want to be like Saul we want to be like Saul when he started off when he was little in his own eyes when he had that zeal you know and he was wanting to serve Lord and wanting to lead right we want to be like that but we want to see that how a good leader can fall and ultimately it's because he wasn't he was rejecting the word of Lord he wasn't keeping the word of Lord and really this is what's gonna keep us rooted and grounded read it meditate upon it and ultimately use it the more you use it the more God's gonna give you as far as wisdom and knowledge and I believe you keep this and add to your faith all these different different things then you won't fall from your own steadfastness and so we can definitely learn from this but starting next week's Lord willing we'll be getting into David so obviously Saul will be in the midst of this as well but you know chapter 16 we're getting into where Dave is gonna be anointed to be king chapter 17 is a famous David and Goliath story and so there's gonna be some interesting stuff throughout this book and I'm excited and and then chapter 17 whoever's reading that whoever's lucky enough to read that chapter just have have some water up here for you so but let's end it with a word of prayer day heavenly father we thank you today thank you for your word thank you for the book of our Samuel and Lord I pray to you to help us to take this chapter as a lesson to not be rebellious not be stubborn to obey your word and to not make excuses when we don't obey it the Lord to to try to have a perfect part with you and then to be more like David when it comes to the Word of God when it comes to keeping the commandments and Lord we pray to be with us throughout the rest of this week I pray to you to give us health heal us from any sicknesses and Lord we love you and pray also Jesus Christ name man but they will come and sing one more song and that will be dismissed all right take your song books and turn to song 428 song 428 in your song bus we'll sing it came upon a midnight clear if you would stand we'll sing song 428 it came upon the midnight clear that glorious song of old from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold peace on the earth goodwill to men from halves all gracious King the world and some and still Nestle to hear the angels sing still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled and still their heavenly music floats or all the weary world above it's sad and lonely plains they bend on hovering wing and ever o'er its babble sounds the