SAUL: REJECTED BY GOD (8 OF 49)
by John Barnett
Scripture: 1 SAMUEL 13
This content is part of a series.
Saul: Rejected by God (8 of 49)
Series: Discovering David's Spiritual Secret
John Barnett
1 Samuel 13
The Lord of life, the Creator-God Himself, once said something very sobering. He said that the day of our death is better than the day of our birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1-2). Why would He tell us that? Because at the end, after the life is finished, the real person is known. That life with all of its opportunities and obstacles, accomplishments and failures is ready for review.
The chilling fact of God's Word is the individual life analysis that God Himself then performs-an autopsy not of the cause of death, but of the purpose of life. That is why the constant theme of Paul's exhortations to us in the church revolve around the idea of finishing well at the finish line, a life that survive the fires of the judgment seat, and a 'well done good and faithful servant' analysis of our race by the Lord Himself.
So we will get the consequences of our choices in Heaven. There is a reckoning day for believers. So we do need to have regular investment reviews to think of what we are living for.
That brings us back again to the life of King Saul. The ominous warning of Saul's life is that he had everything going for him possible. He was big, strong, blessed, gifted, chosen, empowered, and given every opportunity to serve God. But he didn't.
Saul failed because there were severe deficiencies in his character.
God doesn't need brains-He wants character.
God doesn't need brawn (huge strong muscles)-He wants integrity.
God doesn't need anyone's wisdom, power, or wealth-He wants obedience.
God doesn't need ambitious confidence-He wants humble dependence.
Over and over in God's Word we see that God summarizes an entire life in a few words. The challenge of that summary is two fold. When God summarizes a life He means it, and it is accurate.
Do you remember God's summary of David's life? We can call that David's epitaph. God distills David's seventy-yea ...
Series: Discovering David's Spiritual Secret
John Barnett
1 Samuel 13
The Lord of life, the Creator-God Himself, once said something very sobering. He said that the day of our death is better than the day of our birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1-2). Why would He tell us that? Because at the end, after the life is finished, the real person is known. That life with all of its opportunities and obstacles, accomplishments and failures is ready for review.
The chilling fact of God's Word is the individual life analysis that God Himself then performs-an autopsy not of the cause of death, but of the purpose of life. That is why the constant theme of Paul's exhortations to us in the church revolve around the idea of finishing well at the finish line, a life that survive the fires of the judgment seat, and a 'well done good and faithful servant' analysis of our race by the Lord Himself.
So we will get the consequences of our choices in Heaven. There is a reckoning day for believers. So we do need to have regular investment reviews to think of what we are living for.
That brings us back again to the life of King Saul. The ominous warning of Saul's life is that he had everything going for him possible. He was big, strong, blessed, gifted, chosen, empowered, and given every opportunity to serve God. But he didn't.
Saul failed because there were severe deficiencies in his character.
God doesn't need brains-He wants character.
God doesn't need brawn (huge strong muscles)-He wants integrity.
God doesn't need anyone's wisdom, power, or wealth-He wants obedience.
God doesn't need ambitious confidence-He wants humble dependence.
Over and over in God's Word we see that God summarizes an entire life in a few words. The challenge of that summary is two fold. When God summarizes a life He means it, and it is accurate.
Do you remember God's summary of David's life? We can call that David's epitaph. God distills David's seventy-yea ...
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