Aligning Ambitions with God's Will: Lessons from Saul
Summary
In today's message, we explored the story of Saul from 1 Samuel 28, drawing parallels between his actions and our own lives. Saul, in his desperation, sought guidance from the deceased prophet Samuel, despite having previously banned necromancers and mediums. This act of desperation highlighted Saul's tendency to prioritize his desires over God's commands, a pattern evident throughout his reign. Saul's story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of pursuing personal ambitions without regard for divine guidance. His blindness to God's will, driven by his lust for power and fame, ultimately led to his downfall.
We also reflected on the recent elections, noting the emotional responses they evoke. These reactions often stem from our deep investment in political outcomes, which can sometimes overshadow our faith in God's sovereignty. The democratic process, while valuable, is not the ultimate solution to our problems. It is a human system, inherently flawed, and cannot fulfill our deepest needs or provide eternal answers. Instead, our hope should be anchored in Jesus Christ, the one true King, whose reign promises a future of righteousness and peace.
As Christians, we are called to be a prophetic voice in society, speaking truth to power and engaging critically with the world around us. This involves shedding political labels and focusing on our identity as God's chosen people. We must also be vigilant in examining our own lives, ensuring that we are not like Saul, blind to our faults and resistant to God's guidance. Through prayer and repentance, we can align ourselves with God's will and become the people He desires us to be.
Key Takeaways:
1. Saul's Desperation and Disobedience: Saul's decision to consult a medium, despite his previous ban on such practices, reveals his desperation and disobedience to God. This highlights the danger of prioritizing personal desires over divine commands, a lesson that calls us to examine our own lives for similar tendencies. [31:24]
2. Blindness to God's Will: Saul's pursuit of power blinded him to God's will, leading to his downfall. This serves as a reminder that our ambitions should align with God's purposes, and we must remain open to His guidance, lest we become blind to His plans for us. [39:44]
3. The Imperfection of Human Systems: The democratic process, while valuable, is inherently flawed and cannot provide ultimate solutions. Our hope should not rest in political systems or leaders but in Jesus Christ, the one true King who offers eternal peace and righteousness. [50:34]
4. Being a Prophetic Voice: As Christians, we are called to be a prophetic voice in society, speaking truth to power and engaging critically with the world. This involves shedding political labels and focusing on our identity as God's chosen people. [55:12]
5. Personal Reflection and Repentance: Saul's story encourages us to reflect on our own lives, ensuring we are not blind to our faults or resistant to God's guidance. Through prayer and repentance, we can align ourselves with God's will and become the people He desires us to be. [57:32]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [26:05] - Reflections on Elections
- [28:11] - The Constitution and Unity
- [30:29] - Saul's Desperation
- [31:24] - Consulting the Medium
- [36:59] - Samuel's Message to Saul
- [39:44] - Blindness to God's Will
- [42:04] - Saul's Pursuit of Power
- [43:17] - Lessons from Saul's Story
- [45:00] - Election Reactions
- [46:21] - The Role of God in Politics
- [47:03] - Idolatry in Political Pursuits
- [48:24] - Democracy's Imperfections
- [50:34] - The True Source of Hope
- [51:55] - Our Role as Christians
- [55:12] - Being a Prophetic Voice
- [57:32] - Personal Reflection and Repentance
- [59:17] - Closing Prayer and Offering
- [01:06:49] - Announcements and Benediction
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 1 Samuel 28 - The story of Saul consulting a medium.
2. Leviticus 20:6 - God's command against consulting mediums and necromancers.
3. Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
#### Observation Questions
1. What actions did Saul take in 1 Samuel 28 that demonstrated his desperation and disobedience to God? [31:24]
2. How did Saul's pursuit of power and fame contribute to his blindness to God's will? [39:44]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the imperfections of human systems, particularly in the context of political elections? [50:34]
4. How are Christians called to be a prophetic voice in society according to the sermon? [55:12]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. In what ways does Saul's story serve as a cautionary tale for prioritizing personal desires over divine commands? [31:24]
2. How might Saul's blindness to God's will be reflected in modern-day pursuits of power or success? [39:44]
3. What are the implications of relying on human systems, like democracy, for ultimate solutions, as discussed in the sermon? [50:34]
4. How can Christians effectively shed political labels and focus on their identity as God's chosen people? [55:12]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you prioritized your desires over God's commands. How did that decision impact your life, and what steps can you take to align more closely with God's will? [31:24]
2. Consider your ambitions and pursuits. Are there areas where you might be blind to God's guidance? How can you seek His will more intentionally? [39:44]
3. In what ways have you placed your hope in political systems or leaders? How can you shift your focus to Jesus Christ as the true source of hope? [50:34]
4. How can you be a prophetic voice in your community, speaking truth to power while maintaining your identity as a follower of Christ? [55:12]
5. Reflect on your response to criticism or guidance. Are there areas where you resist God's direction, similar to Saul? How can prayer and repentance help you align with God's desires? [57:32]
6. Identify a specific political label or identity you hold. How can you begin to shed this label and focus more on your identity as part of God's chosen people? [55:12]
7. Think of a recent decision or action that may have been influenced by personal ambition rather than divine guidance. How can you seek God's wisdom in future decisions? [39:44]
Devotional
I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional based on the steps outlined. Here it is:
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Day 1: The Perils of Desperation and Disobedience
Saul's decision to consult a medium, despite his own ban on such practices, reveals a moment of desperation and disobedience to God. This act underscores the danger of prioritizing personal desires over divine commands. Saul's actions serve as a mirror for us to examine our own lives, identifying moments where we might be tempted to compromise our values for immediate relief or answers. His story is a cautionary tale, urging us to remain steadfast in our faith and obedience to God's word, even when faced with difficult circumstances. [31:24]
1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV): "And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.'"
Reflection: Identify a recent decision where you prioritized your desires over God's commands. How can you realign your choices with His will today?
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Day 2: The Blindness of Ambition
Saul's pursuit of power blinded him to God's will, ultimately leading to his downfall. This narrative serves as a reminder that our ambitions should align with God's purposes. When we become consumed by our own goals, we risk losing sight of the divine plans set before us. Saul's story encourages us to remain open to God's guidance, ensuring that our ambitions do not lead us astray from His path. [39:44]
Proverbs 16:2-3 (ESV): "All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."
Reflection: Consider an ambition or goal you are currently pursuing. How can you ensure it aligns with God's will and purpose for your life?
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Day 3: The Imperfection of Human Systems
The democratic process, while valuable, is inherently flawed and cannot provide ultimate solutions. Our hope should not rest in political systems or leaders but in Jesus Christ, the one true King who offers eternal peace and righteousness. This perspective invites us to place our trust in God's sovereignty rather than in human institutions, recognizing that true fulfillment and answers come from Him alone. [50:34]
Psalm 146:3-5 (ESV): "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent political event that stirred strong emotions in you. How can you shift your focus from earthly systems to trusting in God's eternal kingdom?
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Day 4: Being a Prophetic Voice
As Christians, we are called to be a prophetic voice in society, speaking truth to power and engaging critically with the world. This involves shedding political labels and focusing on our identity as God's chosen people. By doing so, we can effectively communicate God's truth and love in a world that often prioritizes division and discord. Our role is to be ambassadors of Christ, advocating for justice and righteousness in all areas of life. [55:12]
Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Reflection: Think of a situation where you can be a prophetic voice for truth and justice. How can you approach this with humility and love?
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Day 5: Personal Reflection and Repentance
Saul's story encourages us to reflect on our own lives, ensuring we are not blind to our faults or resistant to God's guidance. Through prayer and repentance, we can align ourselves with God's will and become the people He desires us to be. This process of self-examination and repentance is crucial for spiritual growth and transformation, allowing us to live in accordance with God's purposes. [57:32]
Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV): "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Reflection: Spend time in prayer asking God to reveal any areas of your life that need repentance. What steps can you take today to align more closely with His will?
Quotes
Here are the selected quotes with timestamps:
"After the US presidential election, of course, there were people who were happy, there were people who were sad, right? There were people who were happy, there were people who were sad, and there were people who were crying. Maybe not that extreme, but of course, there were also some in between, like, I don't care, I don't care, I don't really care what happened." [00:26:05] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"But you can just do what, just do what you want, and you can just love your neighbors when you agree with them, right? You can't just love your neighbor when you're with them. So, after the election, when we don't necessarily want to have a result, or we hope to have a result, we have to accept this choice. It's the choice of the whole country, the whole people, let's put it that way." [00:27:20] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Because at this point He had to track records That are not following God's command He had to track records of Disobeying God's command If you remember The story with the Amalekites The story with so many offerings That he was not supposed to give But he did out of his own will He has a track record Of not following God's command So, at this point We are left with Well, he just do whatever he wants It's a king who does whatever he wants He really wants to do what he wants He doesn't care about what he wants He doesn't care about what God's command is He doesn't care about what he says He just knows that he is a king He says He says You will be fine You will be fine" [00:33:58] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Sometimes we do that too. 我哋有時都會一樣。 覺得我叫個女兒咁樣做 ,唔可以咁做 ,但我自己又咁樣做。 我可以叫我啲仔女唔可以咁樣做 ,但我自己又咁做。 唔好睇唔到手機 ,但我自己睇手機睇手機。 We do that sometimes. Because we don't see our blind spot. 我哋自己嘅盲點咪睇唔到。 We need someone to speak to us, speak into our lives to help us change." [00:36:24]
"Now, we engage in a democratic process. This democratic process. It's not choosing right or wrong. You're not choosing which one is right or wrong. You're not choosing righteousness in this election, right? We don't have a party that's, oh, that represents God and that represents the devil. No." [00:47:35] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Because politics and policy, it's a very complex and complicated problem. We can't pinpoint to say that one is more right and one is more wrong. Just like what Biden said, it's a competing vision. Two. Two competing visions trying to contest and let the people choose." [00:48:01] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"So the process to make the system better, the process is to make the whole government, the whole community, the whole nation better through the democratic process. Now, if this is just a process, if this is only a process, then we cannot depend on it." [00:50:34] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"we will only be met with disappointment if our only focus is on a particular system a particular party or a particular person at the end we will not find that which satisfies only disappointment only disappointment now God has given us an answer, a solution and that is there's only one king Jesus Christ there's only one king only one ruler that we should obey and we should look forward to his reign only one not the system that we have here, we do participate we do participate in our democratic process but he's not our answer the answer is in Jesus Christ" [00:51:55] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"This is the proposition of our lives. And what do we do? Now I propose that, I submit to you that, as Christian, as church, we should and always be a prophetic voice in the society to the ruling party, to the ruling king." [00:54:19] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"God has always sent his prophets first to his people before he sent them to the nations. So, what's more important is how we look back at ourselves, believe in ourselves, or our preferred faith. Are we thinking critically? Are we speaking prophetically? Are we engaging them so that, because they are part of our chosen party, that they will reflect our view, our beliefs?" [00:55:19] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"Now we're talking about the church a lot as a collective. But at the same time, we, each of us, personally, individually, we can also sometimes be like Sola, we can also be like Sola, we can also be like Sola, but we can't, right? We do. It happens to us." [00:57:19] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
"The question is, how would you and I respond when there's a prophet that speaks truth to us? Speak love and grace to us? The question is, how would you and I respond? Actually, our response to that voices will affect how the society to receive the prophetic voices of the church, of the gospel." [00:57:50] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Chatbot
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