Longing For A Better King | Chip Stallings | July 12, 2026

First Samuel 8 shows Israel tired, comfortable, and looking around at the nations. God had rescued Israel, provided for Israel, protected Israel, fought Israel’s battles, and ruled Israel as the true King. Israel did not ask for a king because God had failed. Israel asked for a king because the nations had something familiar, and familiar felt safer than trusting the God who was best.

The elders saw a real problem. Samuel was old, and his sons were dishonest men who took bribes and perverted justice. The problem was spiritual, but Israel looked at it with carnal eyes. The people wanted a king “the same as all the other nations,” even though all the other nations did not have the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God told Samuel that Israel had not rejected Samuel, but had rejected the Lord as King.

Samuel warned Israel that a human king would take from them. The warning was clear, but the people refused to listen. God allowed Israel to have what Israel demanded, which is a scary truth because permission is not always approval. An open door does not always mean obedience, and a closed door does not always mean defeat.

Saul became the first king, and Saul preferred man over God. David became the second king, and David preferred self over God. Solomon became the third king, and Solomon preferred pleasure over God. Each king showed the same truth in a different way: there is no perfect human king. Even the best human rulers carry flaws that spread consequences into families, nations, and generations.

Second Samuel 7 shows God making a covenant with David anyway. God knew Saul’s failure, David’s sin, Solomon’s excess, and the broken kings that would come after them, yet God promised a forever throne. The Davidic covenant pointed forward to the one King who would not fail. King Jesus came about a thousand years later, at the perfect time, lived the perfect life, died on the cross, rose from the dead, and opened his kingdom to his people.

Revelation 21 shows where that kingdom is headed. God’s dwelling will be with humanity, tears will be wiped away, death will be no more, and the one seated on the throne will say, “Look, I am making everything new.” The focus of that day will not be human comfort first, but King Jesus. The daily choice is to bring every promotion, grief, success, failure, sin, and sorrow under his kingship, because Jesus’ way is always better.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God designed His people for Himself God’s people were never meant to be just like every other nation. Israel’s glory was not in having familiar systems, but in belonging to the incomparable God who provides and protects. The pull to be normal can quietly become a rejection of the Lord’s right to rule. [41:01]
• 2. Open doors are not always obedience God allowed Israel to have the king they demanded, but that did not mean the demand was wise or faithful. Circumstances can be shaped by God, by the enemy, and by a heart that already wants its own answer. The word of God must rule over impressions, opportunities, and the false peace that comes from getting what the flesh wanted. [47:09]
• 3. Human kings cannot carry ultimate hope Saul feared people, David chose himself, and Solomon chased pleasure. Each king may have had moments of strength, wisdom, or repentance, but none could bear the weight of perfect rule. Human leadership becomes dangerous when it receives the trust that belongs only to God. [53:44]
• 4. The coming kingdom centers on Jesus Revelation’s picture of the new heaven and new earth is not centered first on human relief, even though tears, death, grief, crying, and pain will be gone. The center is the one seated on the throne saying, “I am making everything new.” Hope becomes rightly ordered when the comfort of the kingdom is loved under the glory of the King. [67:14]
• 5. Jesus must be King today The question is not only whether Jesus was acknowledged as King years ago. The question is whether every new promotion, grief, friendship, success, failure, and hidden struggle is brought under his rule today. Discipleship requires a regular, intentional lowering of every created thing and a fresh placing of Jesus over it all.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [32:43] - First Samuel 8 and the Big Story
• [33:33] - Choosing the Familiar Over the Best
• [35:55] - Israel Wants What the Nations Have
• [38:52] - Samuel’s Sons and Israel’s Demand
• [41:01] - Designed to Be Led by God
• [45:01] - Samuel Warns About a Human King
• [46:16] - The Temptation of Human Leadership
• [50:16] - Saul, David, and Solomon’s Failures
• [57:50] - God’s Covenant With David
• [61:07] - The Guarantee of King Jesus
• [64:40] - Revelation 21 and the New Creation
• [70:15] - Do You Know Him?
• [74:12] - Making Jesus King Today
• [86:13] - Prayer of Surrender to King Jesus

1. In 1 Samuel 8:5, Israel asks for a king "the same as all the other nations." What specific reasons did they give for this request, and how did God respond?
2. According to 2 Samuel 7:12-16, what promises does God make to David about his descendants and their kingdom?
3. Revelation 21:4-5 describes a future reality where God "will wipe away every tear." What other contrasts are highlighted between the current world and the new creation?
4. The sermon mentions that Israel’s desire for a king was rooted in preferring the "familiar" over trusting God. What examples of this pattern were given in the sermon? [36:10]

1. Why do you think Israel was so quick to reject God’s leadership (1 Samuel 8:7) despite His proven faithfulness in rescuing and protecting them?
2. God allowed Israel to have a king even though it was not His best plan (1 Samuel 8:22). What does this reveal about how God sometimes responds to human demands? [47:09]
3. The Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:16) promises an eternal throne. How does this point forward to Jesus, and why is this significant for believers today?
4. The sermon states, "Human leadership becomes dangerous when it receives the trust that belongs only to God." How did Saul, David, and Solomon each illustrate this truth? [53:44]

1. In what areas of your life do you feel the "gravitational pull" to conform to what’s familiar or culturally normal, rather than trusting God’s unique design for you? [38:10]
2. The sermon warns that "open doors are not always obedience." Share a time when you pursued an opportunity that seemed good but later realized it wasn’t aligned with God’s best. How can you discern God’s voice in future decisions?
3. Saul, David, and Solomon each prioritized something over God (people’s approval, self-interest, pleasure). Which of these temptations do you relate to most right now, and what practical step could help you reorient your priorities? [54:05]
4. Revelation 21:5 says, "Look, I am making everything new." How might focusing on this promise change the way you respond to current grief, failure, or pain?
5. The sermon challenges believers to "regularly, intentionally lower every created thing and place Jesus over it all." What specific area of your life (e.g., career, relationships, fears) needs to be brought under His kingship this week? [01:14:12]
6. Israel’s story shows how consequences of sin ripple through families and communities. Is there a habit or decision in your life that could negatively impact others if left unaddressed?
7. How can you intentionally remind yourself daily that "Jesus’ way is always better" when facing choices between cultural shortcuts and faithful obedience? [01:17:08]