Choosing Righteousness: The Power of Community and Forgiveness

Devotional

Day 1: The Destructive Power of Harboring Sin

Saul's jealousy and anger towards David serve as a stark reminder of how harboring sin can lead to destructive behavior. Instead of fostering virtues like compassion and forgiveness, Saul allowed his fleshly desires to dictate his actions, ultimately leading to his downfall. This narrative teaches us the importance of letting go of grudges and forgiving as the Lord has forgiven us. By doing so, we can foster a community of love and support, rather than one marred by bitterness and resentment. Saul's inability to let go of his jealousy and anger led him down a path of destruction, highlighting the importance of bearing with one another and forgiving as the Lord has forgiven us. [04:26]

Ephesians 4:31-32 (ESV): "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?

Day 2: The Strength of Community

The sermon emphasized the significance of bearing with one another and supporting each other in our spiritual journeys. Just as Jonathan protected David, we are called to be there for one another, sharpening each other like iron sharpens iron. Isolation can be dangerous, and having a supportive community can make all the difference in our walk with Christ. The importance of community is underscored by the role Jonathan played in protecting David, demonstrating loyalty and righteousness even in the face of familial conflict. [07:23]

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV): "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"

Reflection: Who in your community can you reach out to today to offer support or encouragement? How can you be more intentional about building and maintaining these relationships?

Day 3: Living by the Spirit

Romans 8:6-8 teaches us that living according to the flesh leads to death, while living by the Spirit brings life and peace. Saul's actions were driven by his fleshly desires, making him hostile to God. We must strive to set our minds on the Spirit, allowing God's peace to rule in our hearts and guiding our actions towards righteousness. This contrast between living by the flesh and living by the Spirit is crucial for our spiritual growth and well-being. [12:46]

Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV): "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?

Day 4: The Inevitability of God's Will

Despite Saul's repeated attempts to capture David, God's will ultimately prevailed. This serves as a reminder that God's plans cannot be thwarted by human actions. Jesus is the true King, and every knee shall bow to Him. We can find comfort in knowing that God's sovereignty reigns supreme, and His purposes will always come to pass. This narrative reassures us of the inevitability of God's will and the futility of opposing it. [19:59]

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV): "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you saw God's will prevail in your life despite obstacles. How can this assurance help you trust Him more in your current circumstances?

Day 5: The Call to Choose Christ

The sermon concluded with a powerful reminder of the inevitability of judgment and the importance of choosing to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We are called to deepen our relationship with God, seek forgiveness, and live in a way that reflects our commitment to Him. One day, we will all stand before God and give an account of our lives, and we must strive to hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." This call to choose Christ is a daily commitment that requires intentionality and devotion. [23:00]

Joshua 24:15 (ESV): "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Reflection: What steps can you take today to deepen your relationship with Christ? How can you make your commitment to Him more evident in your daily life?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

In today's sermon, we delved into 1 Samuel 19, exploring the complex relationship between Saul, Jonathan, and David. Saul's jealousy and harboring of sin led him to repeatedly attempt to kill David, despite David's loyalty and the good he had done for Israel. Jonathan, Saul's son, played a crucial role in protecting David, demonstrating the importance of loyalty and righteousness even in the face of familial conflict. We also examined how Saul's actions were driven by his fleshly desires, contrasting with the virtues Paul outlines in Colossians 3:12-17, such as compassion, kindness, humility, and patience.

We discussed the significance of community and the dangers of harboring sin and unforgiveness. Saul's inability to let go of his jealousy and anger led him down a path of destruction, highlighting the importance of bearing with one another and forgiving as the Lord has forgiven us. The sermon emphasized that living in the flesh makes us hostile to God, as described in Romans 8:6-8, and that we must strive to live by the Spirit to experience life and peace.

The narrative also touched on the concept of idolatry, as seen in Michal's household idol, and how reverting to old sins can lead us away from God. Saul's repeated attempts to capture David, only to be thwarted by the Spirit of God, illustrated that God's will ultimately prevails. This led to the affirmation that Jesus is the true King, and every knee shall bow to Him, as prophesied in Isaiah 45:22-23 and reiterated in Philippians 2:10-11.

Finally, we were reminded of the inevitability of judgment and the importance of choosing to follow Christ wholeheartedly. The sermon concluded with a call to deepen our relationship with God, seek forgiveness, and support one another in prayer and community.

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Key Takeaways

1. 8 teaches us that living according to the flesh leads to death, while living by the Spirit brings life and peace. Saul's actions were driven by his fleshly desires, making him hostile to God. We must strive to set our minds on the Spirit, allowing God's peace to rule in our hearts and guiding our actions towards righteousness. [12:46]
4. The Inevitability of God's Will: Despite Saul's repeated attempts to capture David, God's will ultimately prevailed. This serves as a reminder that God's plans cannot be thwarted by human actions. Jesus is the true King, and every knee shall bow to Him. We can find comfort in knowing that God's sovereignty reigns supreme, and His purposes will always come to pass.

5. The Call to Choose Christ: The sermon concluded with a powerful reminder of the inevitability of judgment and the importance of choosing to follow Christ wholeheartedly. We are called to deepen our relationship with God, seek forgiveness, and live in a way that reflects our commitment to Him. One day, we will all stand before God and give an account of our lives, and we must strive to hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

### [12:46]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:18] - Saul's Jealousy and Sin
[03:43] - Saul's Attempts to Kill David
[04:26] - Harboring Sin and Jealousy
[05:17] - Paul's Teachings in Colossians
[06:32] - Importance of Community
[07:23] - Iron Sharpens Iron
[09:21] - Dealing with Temptation
[10:10] - The Helper in Our Lives
[11:11] - Michal's Household Idol
[12:46] - Living by the Spirit
[13:46] - Hostility to God
[14:35] - Jesus' Teachings on Loyalty
[15:32] - Searching for a King
[16:09] - David and Samuel in Ramah
[19:59] - Jesus is the True King
[22:05] - The Inevitability of Judgment
[23:00] - Choosing to Follow Christ
[25:40] - Call to Prayer and Community
[29:30] - Benediction and Closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Samuel 19:1-10 — 2. Colossians 3:12-17
3. Romans 8:6-8

Observation Questions

What actions did Saul take against David in 1 Samuel 19:1-10, and how did Jonathan respond? [02:18]
According to Colossians 3:12-17, what virtues are believers encouraged to put on, and how do these contrast with Saul's behavior? [05:17]
In Romans 8:6-8, what are the consequences of setting the mind on the flesh versus the Spirit? [12:46]
How did the Spirit of God intervene when Saul sent messengers to capture David in 1 Samuel 19:18-24? [17:12]

Interpretation Questions

How does Saul's jealousy and anger towards David illustrate the dangers of harboring sin? [04:26]
What role does community play in our spiritual journey, as demonstrated by Jonathan's actions towards David? [07:23]
How does living by the Spirit, as described in Romans 8:6-8, bring life and peace, and why is this important for believers? [12:46]
What does the repeated thwarting of Saul's attempts to capture David by the Spirit of God teach us about God's sovereignty? [19:59]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you harbored jealousy or anger. How did it affect your actions and relationships? What steps can you take to let go of these feelings and seek forgiveness? [04:26]
Think about your current community. How can you actively support and bear with one another, especially in times of conflict or difficulty? [07:23]
Identify one area in your life where you are living according to the flesh. What practical steps can you take to set your mind on the Spirit and experience God's peace? [12:46]
How can you remind yourself of God's sovereignty in situations where you feel out of control or threatened? What scriptures or practices can help reinforce this belief? [19:59]
Consider the idols or old sins that you might be reverting to. What actions can you take to remove these from your life and refocus on God? [11:11]
How can you deepen your relationship with God this week? Identify specific practices such as prayer, Bible reading, or community involvement that can help you grow closer to Him. [23:00]
Reflect on the inevitability of judgment and the call to choose Christ wholeheartedly. What changes do you need to make in your life to ensure you are living in a way that reflects your commitment to Him? [22:05]

Sermon Clips

1. "What we see is that Saul is doing something that, in this passage, we see one thing that he's actually struggling with is that he is harboring sin, right? He's harboring the sin in his heart. And how do we know he's harboring the sin? Because we can see that as soon as David... David goes, and he wins a battle. As soon as he always goes and wins a battle, what does Saul do? He says, nope, I'm done with this guy." [04:26] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "We have a community, but we can't bear with one another, right? We can't do life with one another if we don't have patience with one another. If we're going to harbor sin in our heart, you know, someone made me mad, now, and guess what? I'm going to just take that in there and I'm never going to forgive that person. What does that do? That person probably has nothing to do with you. He probably, they probably don't even care, right?" [06:32] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Iron sharpens iron, guys. So it's like we have to continuously sharpen each other, right? We have to continuously work at helping each other out. Because if we don't, out there on your own. That's a dangerous place to be, you know? I was in the army for six years and you're on your own. In the army, you're wrong. That's what they tell you. You know, you're wrong. You're not right. You always have someone to protect you. It's like you got your six." [07:23] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "When temptation comes up in our life, when that feeling of jealousy or maybe your unforgiveness or any sin that you're dealing with. It could be jealousy, unforgiveness, sex, whatever, you know, drugs, alcohol, anything that is not pleasing towards God and you've made something bigger in your life. When that comes up, we need to say, how are we going to deal with it? How are we going to deal with this? Are we going to? Are we going to search to the one who has the ultimate answer, right, and say, hey, I'm going to go to God." [09:21] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Thank God, you know, his grace abounds, right? But we also need to know that we need to do the best of our ability not to just walk in sin. Because another concept, just that we don't want to think that we can do it all ourselves either, right? We've got to understand that Christ has to work through us. The disciples asked Christ, they said, who can be saved then, right? He said, with man. It is impossible. God, all things are possible." [10:10] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "When we start working out of our flesh, like Saul is, sometimes we will revert back to whatever our issue was. And as the Israelites come to find out, you know, we go through them, they are constantly reverting back to idol worship because they're working out of their flesh. They're not working out of their homes. They're not working out of their hearts towards God. And so we see here again, Saul's wicked. He's starting to work out of the flesh. And we see instantly he reverts back to kind of that sin, right?" [12:03] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "When we are hostile in our flesh, when we're working against it, when we're hostile to God, when we're working against him, we are no longer doing his work. We are hostile to him, so that means we are scattering his flock. So you're hostile to the church almost at that point because when we work in our flesh, we can't. We can't work for God. And unfortunately, we see Saul chooses the world. He chooses that fleshly desire. He chooses those things of the world, and then he becomes more and more hostile to God." [15:32] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "The reason we're talking about this is because we're searching for a king. Is Saul the king? He's the king at the time, but he's a worldly king. David, yeah, he will become the king. But he still makes mistakes. He still has that flesh, right? They're searching for this king. But the problem is they already had a king, right? They had a king. His name was Yahweh. His name was God. And they decided, no, we don't want to be like that. We want to be like our own people." [16:09] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "When they come into the presence of God, what happens? They can't do anything to David or Samuel, right? When they come into Ramah, they become frozen, you know, and they become nothing. And he sends wave after wave of envoys, and he sends wave after wave of them. But they can't do anything. So finally Saul goes. Saul comes up there. He's like, well, I'll take care of this. He goes. And all of a sudden, he can't do anything." [19:04] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Each of us will give an account to God one day, right? We're all going to stand before him, and he's going to say, you're good, my good and faithful servant. Or he's going to say, depart from me, I never knew you. I don't ever want to hear those words, depart from me, I never knew I don't want anyone in this room to hear that. I don't want anyone in this room to hear those words. Because that's, as the Bible says, it's like he throws them into utter darkness. To be thrown into utter darkness would be horrible." [22:05] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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