Eternal Church Podcast Eternal Church

How do you know whether you are living according to God’s standard as a true spiritual leader? In today’s text, we will focus on three specific situations where King Saul behaved as a false spiritual leader. During the sermon, we will discuss a biblical standard for discerning whether you are living as a true or false spiritual leader.
Ask God to show you what you need from Him to shine as lights in this crooked and twisted
generation.

This Sunday we will be introduced to a new character who will continue to shine through the pages of scripture as another man after God's heart. One who will be true and loyal and seemingly without vice in every situation he is presented to us. His name is Jonathan.
And in I Samuel 14:1-23 he will be given to us so we can compare/contrast him with his father Saul. What does faith look like and what does it not look like?

In I Samuel 13 our King Saul is finally ready to step into obedience and clear the Philistines out of the Promised Land. It starts out very well, and he goes to Gilgal to wait 7 days on Samuel as directed. 

Maybe Saul is our guy after all!

But what happens when things get worse after obeying God? What happens when Samuel doesn't arrive in a timely fashion? What happens when his troops begin to desert him?

In I Samuel 12 we experience the height of Samuel's priestly ministry to God's people. Samuel explains God's faithfulness and brings the Hebrew nation to their knees in repentance and regret. But it's what he shares with them after this moment that will give them (and all of us) hope for a flourishing future beyond, and maybe even because of their (our) past sins.

Samuel has anointed Saul and announced him to the twelve tribes as Israel's first king. "Long live the king!" But last week's passage ended with an ominous cliffhanger:

But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man (Saul) save us?"

Chapter 11 begins with an enemy invasion of one of the young kingdom’s outlying territories. This passage provides a real-time answer to that rhetorical question....but the answer isn't obvious.

Saul will get a second chance to embrace God's call and commission. Will he make the most of this do-over, or will he make the same mistake as last week?