DON'T MESS WITH GOD (5 OF 27)
by Keith Krell
Scripture: 1 Samuel 5:1-12
This content is part of a series.
Don't Mess with God (5 of 27)
Series: Calling All Leaders
Keith Krell
1 Samuel 5:1-12
The phrase, ''Don't Mess with Texas,'' is a trademark of the Texas Department of Transportation which began as part of a statewide advertising campaign in 1986. The intention behind the ''Don't Mess with Texas'' campaign was to reduce littering on Texas roadways. The phrase was prominently shown on road signs on major highways, television, radio, and in print advertisements. The campaign is credited with reducing litter on Texas highways roughly 72% between 1986 and 1990. While the slogan was originally not intended to become a cultural icon, it did. Whenever Lori and I have been in Texas, we have seen the slogan on T-shirts, caps, bumper stickers, etc. It's everywhere! Proud Texans want the world to know, ''Don't Mess with Texas!''
I wonder, however, how many Texans would say, ''Don't Mess with God. If you have to mess with Texas, so be it. But whatever you do, Don't Mess with God!'' Closer to home, would you exclaim, ''Don't Mess with God''? I don't know about you, but I am consistently grieved by my unwillingness to take God seriously. There are times in my personal life and church ministry when I question my own zeal and devotion toward God. How is it that I can know God in an intimate and meaningful way and yet, at times, live like a Christian agnostic? Perhaps you have also wrestled with how carelessly you respond to God. Maybe you, too, are grieved by the things that you think, say, and do. If so, 1 Samuel 5 is a story that will get your attention and hit you between the eyes.
1. God obliterates His supposed competition (5:1-5). Our story begins with a historical note: ''Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod'' (5:1). The time sequence of this event harkens back to 4:11 when the ark of the covenant was captured. In chapter 5 the narrator explains what was happening among the Philistines as news of the ark's capture bro ...
Series: Calling All Leaders
Keith Krell
1 Samuel 5:1-12
The phrase, ''Don't Mess with Texas,'' is a trademark of the Texas Department of Transportation which began as part of a statewide advertising campaign in 1986. The intention behind the ''Don't Mess with Texas'' campaign was to reduce littering on Texas roadways. The phrase was prominently shown on road signs on major highways, television, radio, and in print advertisements. The campaign is credited with reducing litter on Texas highways roughly 72% between 1986 and 1990. While the slogan was originally not intended to become a cultural icon, it did. Whenever Lori and I have been in Texas, we have seen the slogan on T-shirts, caps, bumper stickers, etc. It's everywhere! Proud Texans want the world to know, ''Don't Mess with Texas!''
I wonder, however, how many Texans would say, ''Don't Mess with God. If you have to mess with Texas, so be it. But whatever you do, Don't Mess with God!'' Closer to home, would you exclaim, ''Don't Mess with God''? I don't know about you, but I am consistently grieved by my unwillingness to take God seriously. There are times in my personal life and church ministry when I question my own zeal and devotion toward God. How is it that I can know God in an intimate and meaningful way and yet, at times, live like a Christian agnostic? Perhaps you have also wrestled with how carelessly you respond to God. Maybe you, too, are grieved by the things that you think, say, and do. If so, 1 Samuel 5 is a story that will get your attention and hit you between the eyes.
1. God obliterates His supposed competition (5:1-5). Our story begins with a historical note: ''Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod'' (5:1). The time sequence of this event harkens back to 4:11 when the ark of the covenant was captured. In chapter 5 the narrator explains what was happening among the Philistines as news of the ark's capture bro ...
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