Transcription
1st Samuel chapter 15. We're going to read verses 13 to 23. If you got it, say, "I got it."
Y'all not better than us that ain't got one. Trying to tell y'all break that spirit of pride. 1st Samuel chapter 15:13-23. I'm going to read a little bit a little bit more verses than I typically do, but we going somewhere. Y'all ready for this? This is what it says.
When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. "May the Lord bless you," he said. "I have carried out the Lord's command."
Then Samuel demanded, "What is all the bleeding of the sheep and goats and the loing of cattle that I hear?"
"It's true that the army spared the best of the sheep and the goats and the cattle," Saul admitted. "But but I got a plan for them that they're going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. I promise we destroyed everything."
Somebody say everything.
Everything.
Now say this next word. Else.
Else.
Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop."
The person next to you say, "Stop."
Stop.
Don't get mad at them. They're just being obedient.
Stop. Listen to what the Lord told me last night.
"What did he tell you?" Saul asked.
And Samuel told him, "Although you may think little of yourself, Are you not the leader of the tribes of his?" He's basically saying, I know that you don't think that's a word for some of you. I know you don't think much of yourself, but God thinks a lot.
That that that I know you think lowly of yourself, but you know that God thinks higher of you than you actually do. I'm not going to preach that today. But he says, although you may think of yourself small, don't you still have a responsibility? Watch this. The Lord has anointed you king of Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, "Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalachites, until they are all."
Somebody say, "All."
Until they are all dead. Why haven't you obeyed the Lord?
Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord's sight? Verse 20 is going to be our anchor today. Watch this.
"But I did obey the Lord," Saul insisted. "He said, 'I don't know what you're talk.'" I did it.
But I did obey the Lord. I carried out the mission that he gave me. I brought back King Aag, but but but I destroyed everyone else. Then my troops. So this it's not my fault. They did it. They brought in the best of the sheep and the goats and the cattle. But this is why we did it. To plunder and to sacrifice to the Lord your God and Gilgal.
But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the Lord? your burnt offerings and your sacrifices or your obedience to his voice. Listen, obedience is better than sacrifice and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king, my God."
Let me go back to verse 20 one more time cuz the words are right. "But I did."
Somebody say, I did.
I did.
I did obey the Lord. Saul insisted. I I I did what he told me to do.
I I need you to go ahead and introduce the topic of our text um of of our sermon today. Can you go ahead and elbow the person next to you? Say, "Neighbor."
Neighbor.
Come on. That's the wrong neighbor. Find somebody else. They wasn't listening to you anyway. Elbow the other person. Say, "Cousin."
Cousin.
I thought I did enough.
I thought I did enough.
I thought I did enough. Let me pray. Father, in the mighty name of Jesus, you're good. We thank you. Let me teach this. Let our hearts be open in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. We all say, "Amen."
Amen. I thought I did enough.
So, we're in this series called Blocked. Somebody say blocked.
Blocked.
And the premise of the series is that there are habits, perspectives, and for some of us even people that serve as barriers or blockages to being, becoming, or seeing that all all that God has for us. I'll say that one more time. that there are people, that there are habits, and there are perspectives that can serve as barriers.
Somebody say barriers.
Barriers.
Barriers or blockages that stop us from seeing, being, or becoming all that God has for us. So that so, so basically what this is is that there are things that God has, but we have habits that can block them. Y'all following me? Is that God has spoken something from the beginning. God has spoken something spoken something over your life. In the book of Jeremiah, he talks about before you were formed, before I formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you and watch me and I called you and I chose you to be a prophet and I appointed you for the nation. So before you came into this earth, I had a plan for you.
Somebody say plan.
Plan.
And last week we established that one of the scariest things about a barrier is that it can exist and you not even know it.
One of the scariest things is is that there can be barriers or blockages in your life, but you're walking around thinking that you have access to something that you really don't. And so you do not know that you have lost your access or that you've been blocked until you try to open the door and forget that you don't have your key. And so you've been locked out of something that was intended for you, but you have removed your access to it. Am I talking to anybody?
Okay. And so last week we established that the greatest barrier or blockage to you seeing, being, and receiving all that God has for you is unbelief.
Somebody say unbelief.
Unbelief.
In other words, it's a lack of faith. And today, I want to talk to you about the second greatest blockage. This is a cuss word to a lot of us. disobedience.
Hear me? That we're going to talk about and the scary thing, watch this, about disobedience is that is not that it is just a blockage. It does not just block you. It robs you.
Disobedience robs you. Listen to this. Disobedience is the thief that steals from people who love God.
Hear me because a lot of times we think in theory that if you're disobedient, then you don't love God. what I'm trying to share. Now, the Bible does talk about that if Jesus says, "If you love me, obey my commands." But the but what he's talking about here is the actual love. A lot of us have a passion for God without a pursuit of God.
I'm going to talk today.
In other words, you can have a love for God and still lose what he intended for you.
You can have a love for God and still miss what it is that that he planned. Having a passion for God, watch me, does not cancel the consequences of not obeying him.
I told you it's going to be tough. So y'all just, you know, buckle up. You see, cuz I have to say this because as I look around, I notice that we've created a Christianity that thinks obedience is optional and disobedience is inconsequential.
Come on.
That's good. That's good.
We have created a Christianity that thinks obedience is optional and disobedience is inconst. When I look when I look around the world, I I see people claiming Christ while picking and choosing which part of their word they want to practice.
There you go. All right, let me get away from here. Is is is that when I look around, I I see people who claim to be Christians, but they look through the Bible and figure out which ones do I like the most and which ones do I That's why we see spiritual leaders who can be public and vocal about certain issues, but they're quiet as a mouse on other issues.
Is that is is is that why we can see people and they're like, "Hey, that I live for God, but I ain't got to do all that. It don't take like listen, you know, I ain't really got." So what they do is they go and they find the things in the Bible. See that we call it cherry picking. They try to figure out which one is the oh this one's a little nah I don't but God look at all the other ones that I do. I'm good.
And and so what we do watch me but we claim a Christianity thinks that it was your choice in the first place is hear me is is that it's not uncommon for people to say that they're Christian but also say yeah but I don't have to do all those things. That's why I always say that and I say this word and I mean it. That is stupid when people say that I don't have to go to church to have a relationship with God because I don't have to live with my wife in order to be married to her. But it sure does help.
I'm going to talk about that in two weeks. Don't worry about it.
BUT WE PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT IT IS THAT WE LIKE THAT THE BIBLE SAYS. We think that it's optional. Watch me. Because we have created a Christian that thinks that I don't have to do what God has told me to do if it doesn't align with how I feel. Because some believers believe that it is better to follow your heart than follow his commands.
Okay.
Obedience is optional. But they people also think that obedience is inconsequential. The reality is that some of us has let people trick us into that God is love and light so much that we get surprised when God pops us.
You hear that God is all loving. So you assume that he's all tolerant.
God is all loving. But we say, but you you assume that because he's all loving that he's all tolerant. That you think that because God's grace is sufficient, it means that your actions are weightless. And the sad reality is that when you think that God's love absolves you from accountability, you get offended when you reap what you sow.
Oh my. I know. When you think THAT GOD'S LOVE ABSOLVES YOU FROM ACCOUNTABILITY, you get offended at God when he allows you to reap what you sow. So, Pastor Matt, what are you saying? That a lot of us are really just angry at God because he's letting you experience your harvest.
IS THAT YOU MAD AT God because of the seed that you sowed, WATERED, BROUGHT SUNLIGHT TO IT THROUGH YOUR DISOBEDIENCE? AND GOD, I can't believe you let that happen to me. I can.
And then we call it spiritual warfare. I'm not going to go there. But the reality is disobedience always has consequences. Disobedience will block you. Disobedience will rob you. Disobedience will lock you out of destiny. Disobedience will steal your joy. Disobedience will steal your peace. Disobedience will steal your promise. Ask the Israelites. A lack of obedience will set you back. Ask the Israelites, a l who wandered in the wilderness, a lack of obedience will have you wandering for 40 years. It will delay you. A lack of obedience will deny you entry because a lack of obedience, write this down, a lack of obedience will always result in a lack of access.
A lack of obedience will always somebody say always
always
result in a lack of access. So, you know, I'm I'm learning a lot um about obed this obedience thing through being a parent to my daughter. I got a 2-year-old baby girl. She's the love of my life. And and um I used to think that the hardest part of parenting was the newborn stage. Now for all my parents of teenagers, they like, "Yeah, you just buckle up." But but the thing is is that I used to think that the most difficult thing I'm like, "Man, I don't get no sleep." Like, "Oh my two, three." I was like, "I'm just sleepd deprived." And I was like, man, e I was like, "Man, this got to be the worst thing ever." And I remember Pastor John one day, he said, "Man, wait till she get mobile. Wait till she start moving around." And then then my daughter started moving around. I'm like, man, she this is a lot. I'm chasing you around everywhere. Then she started learning how to talk and my baby talk a lot. You know what I'm saying? And and and she's so smart. But then she learned this word.
No.
And I remember the first time she said I was like, man, my baby's so smart. Look at her saying no. And now I'm like, girl, if you going to shut up. But but but but because now she's older, I'm having to teach her, "Hey, concept." Write this down. It is called the consequences of your actions.
And this is one thing you got to know my baby. And she love that iPad. She she love She'll come home, she'll read some books, she'll play with her blocks, she'll do whatever, and she'll say, "Daddy, I want to watch TV." That's her little iPad. I say, "Okay." She get to watch it. And and I remember one day she was watching the iPad and I told her I said I said hey Chub I need you to go put put your toys up. And and she was like okay daddy which is like stop talking to me ball man. And I'm like and I'm like all right go ahead baby. And she just sits there and she just scrolling just watching. And I said chub I need you to go move this stuff. And I don't know about y'all too for our parents in here but my my daughter has a spiritual gift of ignoring people. It's got to be somewhere in the book of Corinthians because I'm telling you, I'm talking to her and it's like she don't hear nothing. I'm about to come to y'all here in a second. And I'm saying, "Baby, I need you to go move them toys. Baby, I need you to move them toys." And I said, "Hey little girl, if you don't go move them toys, that iPad going to be mine." And she said, "Okay, daddy. And I said, "All right, bet. You you ain't going to play me. It's my house." And I went and I remember I I picked up the iPad, closed it, and she fell out. She fell on the ground. She yelling at me. She looked like she want to fight all these things. And she's looking at me, and she cannot comprehend why I took it from her,
knowing that I gave her these instructions for the last 10 minutes.
Wow. Wow.
Some of y'all got this.
And I'm sitting here and I'm looking and SHE'S CRYING AND COMPLAINING. AND I ain't crying nor complaining. I got the iPad. It's mine now. And she's mad at me. And I had to calm her down to show her, baby, I didn't take that from you.
Come through here. How many things are we looking at our life that we lost that God just took because you lost access cuz you did not listen and you mad at God. God, I can't believe that you took it. I didn't take that. I told you to stop talking to them and you kept I told you to stop staying the night over there. You did it. I told you to leave that alone. I I I told you to put me first in this area of your life. I I I told you I didn't take it away.
You did.
So, some of the things that you're looking at are just God restricting the access because you were not obedient.
That's right.
Now, watch me now. And and this is what you have to understand because some of y'all some of y'all like my wife that you got you got really really big hearts and and you're super compassionate and empathetic and you feel sorry for my baby. Don't don't feel sorry for her because the reason why my consequence is so stern and concrete is because we've gotten to the place where I know that she knows better.
That's right.
That's it.
And so it's no longer ignorant disobedience, it's willful disobedience. And so my stance is strong because her disobedience is strong.
So she she'll stand on business about not doing her stuff until it gets taken away. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN NOW SHE'S LIKE, "DADDY, I'M SORRY." NO, YOU'RE NOT. YOU JUST want it back.
You're not sorry. You just upset that I took it. And so you think in your little mind that you could manipulate your daddy into giving something back that you did not appreciate in the first place.
She said, "Look at him."
Is this making sense? And and and and so the thing is is that is is that SHE'S SHE'S GETTING MAD at me and I'm recognizing no you know what you're doing. So I'm having to restrict your access to break down your will on that in specific Because I know that you know better.
And when you know better, you should do better.
Because the thing is is that watch me. Often times, especially with children, you can look at their when the first time she told me no, I thought it was cute. I'm like, look at that. Look at you. And then I started recognizing that if you continue to say no to authority, your cuteness will give you consequences.
That's right. That's right.
Watch me. And let me say this and I'm going to get back to my notes. Because for some of us, you um you've been so entitled
Yeah.
or coddled with the life and so nobody held you accountable. So now when you get held accountable, you think that it's not love.
But the Bible says that he chasens those he love.
Are y'all right?
So the thing is is so disobedience will block. Somebody say block.
Block.
It blocks what God has for you. But this is what I've learned. Hear me. And this is the premise of our sermon today. That the majority of people don't desire to be completely disobedient.
Yeah.
I I want you to hear me. I I don't think now everybody has disobedience in them, but I don't think everybody wakes up and they saying, "Man, I can't wait to disobey God today."
Right?
You wake up and you say your prayers, you're like, "Man, everything you told me to do, no. Can't wait. Can't wait." you raised your hand gave you like Zez you said man God I'm not listening to none of this stuff like majority people don't don't live that way now there are some people who you know you they just want to be disobedient willfully and that kind of that's what they but the reality is that majority of people don't want to just disobey God but this is what they most people actually want to live for God write this down dot dot dot under their own terms
that's it
amen that's good
mighty God. Most people say, "God, I want to live for you."
Let's customize this process, though. God, I It's me and you and the person you told me to let go.
I I want to do if you with them, keep looking forward. I told you that at some point in time. Anyways, God, I want to live for you. I also want to take a couple of these things that I have picked up along the way that I know are not like you, but just kind of come on. Like, let me let them in for free.
That that that uh a lot of us want a plus one in our relationship with God or a plus five.
God, let me just I want to live for you. I'm with it. Don't Don't make me do it all the way, though. Like I just I there there's some things that I want to keep. And what I recognize is that majority of people write this down. I want a both and type of relationship with God. You want to please God and your flesh. You want to watch me. You want to satisfy God and your boo is that you want to live for God and please people. And the reality is is that when you try to live a bothand life for God, watch me, you don't deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow him.
So the reality of it is is that God doesn't call us to live both and lives. He calls us to live either like this or that.
Y'all follow what I'm saying?
And and and you can't fuse your disciplehip process to be a customized thing when God says it is me, it's all or nothing. Watch me. A both end, write this down. A both-end life is dangerous.
Yeah.
Can I teach you this?
Hey, can I teach you this?
Here we go. A both-end life is dangerous. And and this is the thing that I recognize is that a both-end life is the most dangerous life you can live as a believer. Because a bothand life will have you being locked out of destiny and confused about it. A both end life will have you locked out of destiny and confused. A both end life will have you looking at the promised land being puzzled as to why you can't get in.
Are you hearing me that you look you like hey I'm supposed to be over there and say God no you're not because you lived a both and in Revelation that's when it talks about being lukewarm. He said, "I'd rather you be hot or cold."
Is this making sense?
A both end life will have you mad at God when you locked yourself out.
A both end life, this is how we get to our our title. A both end life will have you saying, "God, I thought I did enough." And that's exactly where we find Saul in our text today. And in in in our text today, we we we see the beginning of the end for Saul. How many of us in here know Saul? He was the first king of Israel.
Amen.
So, if you don't know this, I'll teach you this. But but but we see the beginning of the end. But but if you look at the end of Saul's story, you would assume that he had always been this way. But the reality is this is that there was a progression.
Somebody say progression.
Progression
to the life of Saul. And this is why I'm telling you, hear my heart as your pastor on this. This is why this story sticks out to me because a lot of times when Lyndon, when we read the Bible, especially in 1 Samuel, we always focus on David and we just demonize Saul. But we don't recognize that Saul didn't always start off that way.
Because what Saul is is that Saul was somebody who was not naturally a rebel. He was just naturally insecure.
He wasn't naturally disobedient. He was naturally insecure and impatient. And so what we see is that Saul was somebody that was chosen by God who fell into disobedience, got comfortable in disobedience, and then eventually suffered the consequence of disobedience.
He ain't start there.
Which which which is what I'm trying to show you because like like this is what bothers me. Like when when when you hear about David and Saul, you'll hear people and and and I can't stand somebody who has to put somebody down in order to prop themselves up.
Grow up.
But but but but the reality is, don't get mad at me because you're insecure. But listen to this is that the thing is is that when you see the life of David and Saul, people sit there and say, "Well, you know, David was was God's king, but Saul was the people's king."
Kind of like not not really. Because what they're trying to insinuate and imply is that you know that the Bible talks about that David was a man after God's own heart, which we see. But that would infer that Saul was not chosen by God.
Right?
When you look at, can I teach this to you?
When you go back and you read through the book of First Samuel, if you go to verse chapter 8, you would see that the Israelites, the elders came and they said, "Hey, we want a king." And the Bible says that Samuel looked at them and said, "Man, I'm grieved." He went to God and he was grieved that he's saying, "Man, how could they ask for a king? We have the Lord. He's chosen us. How could they disobey him? How could they turn away from him? God said, "What you crying for? They didn't reject you. They rejected me." He He He says, "They're not really mad at you that they're they're testing me. But don't worry about it. Like I tell them if they want a king, then then for generations and for lineages, they're going to have people that rule and lord over them consistently." And they said, "We want to be like the other nations. Give us a king." Which is why you got to be careful about whose lawn you looking in because sometimes you think the grass is green until you step over there and figure out it's turf. But let me keep going.
Hear me.
And so they said, "BUT WE WANT TO BE LIKE THEM. GIVE US A KING." And God says, "Okay, I'll give you a king." And most people stop at the end of chapter 8 and jump right to chapter 15 and 16 where it says, "Oh, and then you see that God that Samuel went and anointed David." But if you do that, you skip over chapter nine.
Somebody say nine.
Nine.
And in chapter nine, the Bible says that God chose Saul.
And the Bible says even further that he gave him signs. Saul went and prophesied what know what we know to be as the SCHOOL OF PROPHETS. HE WASN'T EVEN A PROPHET. AND GOD GAVE HIM THE GIFT OF PROPHECY BECAUSE God equipped him. And then the Bible even says that once you see all of these prophetic signs, do whatever you feel is right for the Lord is with you.
Amen.
That right there says that God did not just anoint him, but God chose him. And God did not just choose him. He equipped him. In other words, God did not set him up to fail.
And that's a word for some of y'all. God is not calling you somewhere to make you fail. God intended not for him to lose, but for him to lead. But watch me. Like I said, unresolved insecurities cause him to be impractical.
Yeah.
Because what you don't with don't deal with will eventually deal with you. That's a word for some of us.
And so what we see is that God chooses Saul. After God chooses Saul that the Israelites go to war with somebody called the Ammonites and the Philistines and they begin to win. And then we get to chapter 13.
Somebody say 13.
And we begin to see, watch me, because sometimes the things that you don't deal with, they wait and then they end up dealing with you later.
Because in in chapter 13, we see that they're at war with the Philistines and they act and they needed to make a sacrifice.
Somebody say sacrifice.
unto God. Watch me though. Do not miss this. Because Saul was not a priest. Samuel was the high priest. Y'all following me?
Samuel was the high priest, not Saul. But they know that they needed to make a sacrifice. And instead of Saul waiting, he got impatient because of the pressure of the people. And his impatience made him be impractical. And he began to offer a sacrifice himself. And so what does he mean? He tried to circumvent God's process because he didn't have enough impa not not enough patience. I know none of y'all been there before. Just me. And so the thing is is that he gets to this place and watch me. We see Samuel tells Saul, "What have you done?"
He said, "Because of this, God will find another king."
Right then and there, we see that God planted a seed, but he did not tear the kingdom from him first. Y'all following me?
Let me keep walking this. Then we get to our text today in chapter 15.
Somebody say 15.
15.
Is this boring, y'all?
No.
Okay. So, we get to chapter 15. And then the Bible says that God gave specific instructions. He says, "Listen, I am going I need you to go to war with the Amalachites in the Bible to give you context as to why." He says, "Because I am going to avenge the accounts as how as to why they opposed my children in the wilderness." So when they came out of Egypt, the first people to try to fight them was the Amalachites. And so basically what they're saying is that don't think that God won't spin the block on your behalf. is that God said, "Listen, I don't play about my children." And so, y'all mess with them a long time ago, but don't worry about it. I'mma handle Is anybody that can testify that God don't play about me. You know that. And God says, "Listen, I'm going to HANDLE THIS. I'VE GIVEN YOU THE VICTORY, but I need you to do one thing."
Somebody say, "One thing."
One thing.
He says, "Kill everybody."
When you go to war, kill Listen. Listen how serious God was. And if I had time, I'll meion remind me to preach this later on about the the effects of disobedience. But but but the thing is is that he says kill everybody. Men, women, children, babies, cattles, killed a dog, everybody.
And he said, watch me. He says, I don't want a remnant of this belief or this culture to be here later. Are you following me? If I were to teach this the way that I want to, which I know Pastor Donna wants me to do, the thing that they did not kill ends up robbing things from them 20 chapters later.
Don't worry about it. That's right.
Listen to me. He says, "Kill everybody."
Then we get to 1st Samuel 15:9. Look at what it says. It says he captured.
Somebody say he captured.
It says that he captured Aag the Amalachite king. Hold on. He said kill them.
Okay. He captured Aag, the Amalachite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. Saul and his men spared Aag's life and kept the best of the sheep, the best of the goats, the best of the cattle, the best of the fattened calves, the lambs, everything. Watch this. In fact, everything that appealed to them.
They destroyed only what was worthless and poor. Watch this. In other words, they kept the things that they valued, but they killed the things they deemed worthless.
Let me come through here.
They killed the things that they did not like. Yeah, but they kept the things that they preferred. How many of us are walking around with things that we listen walking around with things that God said kill, but you said, "God, but I like that too much."
Habits that we still do that God told you to kill. You say, "God, but I like this too much."
People that you still sleeping with that God said kill it, but you like it too much.
I can't get no help in this Catholic church. Hear me what I'm saying.
YOU LIKE IT TOO MUCH. GOD, let me just kill the things that I don't like.
I I don't really like that. Like, so so GOD, BUT LET ME KEEP THIS IS valuable to me.
Watch this. This is associated with my identity.
This is something that I enjoy. This is something that has been with me since a child. This has been something with me since I was in college. God, this is a this is just who I am. That's dumb. This is the thing. This is just what I It's just what I'm about. Let me just let me just let me kill that stuff. Let me just kill the Let me just kill the things that that Watch me. But just because it's worthless to you don't mean it's worthless to God.
And just because it's valuable to you don't mean it's valuable to God.
Amen.
God said kill it.
And they said, "Nah, I kind of like this one." He say, "I I I think I'm going to keep this one." Watch me. And the Bible says And the Bible says that that that when that when they did this, hear me, lean in. The Bible says that God says that he was sorry that he ever made Saul king.
He looked at this and says, "I regret even anointing you."
And the Bible says that when Samuel heard that, his heart broke. So God is crying. So is Samuel.
Let's see what Saul is doing in verse 13.
When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully.
This is why you got to read it in context because God is grieving and Saul is cheerful.
Yeah.
God is crying. Saul is celebrating. And how disconnected from God do you have to be right for him to be crying tears of pain and you are crying tears of joy that he is crying because you're settling for less than what he had but you're crying tears of joy cuz you finally got back with him.
That he is crying that he is hurtful. He say you're missing it and you're like man I'm glad I got it.
I'm here. I'm here but watch me. This is what you have to know. Saul was only celebrating because he genuinely thought he did enough.
Then we see that after he did this that he says, "May the Lord bless you. I have carried out the Lord's command." Which is crazy to think about that idea is because you know you didn't. Are you are we looking at the same thing?
You know you ain't do that. But in his mind he was like, "I did enough to get by." That's all good.
So he's saying, "Hey, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May his face shine upon you, and give you peace." Like, "Man, I'm so glad to see you. You see, we here we won." And Saul said, Samuel says, "What have you done?"
Yeah.
Like, "What? What's going on?" And he said, "Well, it is true that the that the army spared the best of the sheep. It wasn't my fault they did it. But but they're going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We destroyed everything else." And look at Saul trying to justify disobedience.
Yeah.
He's basically saying, "I know what you said. I had a better idea, though."
Listen, I I know that you told me not to start that business, but I had a better idea.
I had a better idea cuz if I started the business, then I would make more money and then I could give bigger. You know, God, and he says, "I didn't tell you to do that."
That that that Well, I know you told me to stop being friends with him, but but but I know even you hung out with sinners. So, I decided to hang out with a little more because I could lead them to Christ. And even even though they're leading me out of Christ, but I'm telling myself that I'm leading them to Christ, and so I'm not doing right. But I I had a better idea.
I had a better idea. God, listen. Listen to me. I I I had a better one. Then s listen what Samuel Samuel Samuel said to Saul, "Stop. Stop." He says, "You're missing it." He said, "You didn't obey God." And Samuel and Saul are going back and forth. and and and and Saul learned this lesson that all of us had to learn. Write this down. Is that partial obedience is still disobedience.
Partial obedience is still cuz I'm trying to show you this. Obedience doesn't work in percentages.
This is not a past fail if you get above a a C.
Watch me. partial obedience and let me speak into this, delayed disobedience.
Because delayed disobedience is just disobedience in disguise.
You just dressed it up a little bit. It's the same. A
And the thing is is that is that like PM, what are you trying to get to? Is that there is no substitute or supplement for obedience. You can't serve your way out of disobedience.
Oh my goodness. You can't tithe your way out of disobedience.
You can listen to Maverick City and Fred Hammond and Marvin Sap every day, whatever you want to do. You can't worship your way out of disobedience.
You can't preach it. You can't pastor it. YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE.
And there's watch me, which is different. And there is no supplement.
Because the reality is if you go to verse 22 and 23, listen to what he says. He says, "What's more pleasing, your burnt offerings or your sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?" Listen, obedience is better than sacrifice.
What is he trying to say? You can't deliberately disobey me here and think that you can make up for it over here.
Right?
You can't say, "Hey, God, let me distract you with how much I serve because I still don't want to stop sleeping with them."
That hey, that that God listen that listen, I'mma distract you. I'm going to distract you from how much how gossipy I am by coming over here and then I'm going to just give over and above in my time. It don't work like that. You can't you can't distract God with one area of your life and say, "Look, well, don't worry about it, God. Like, I I got a plan. Like, I know I'm not going to do that, but I got something for you. Don't worry. I'm going to take care of you." You ever have a conversation somebody like, "Hey, don't I'm going to take care of you." Shut up. Do what I asked you to do. Yeah.
And God, you can't tell God I'mma handle it on the other. Cuz God is saying, "What about that?"
Samuel says, "What about the obedience to his voice?"
Which shows, watch me, because Saul had a bad interpretation. He was thinking that he valued his sacrifice more than he than he thought that God valued his obedience. And he's saying, "Oh yeah, I'mma find ways to give you more of things that I have." And God is saying, "I want you to give me what I asked."
And and and so I'm I'm talking about this because what I'm recognizing is that Saul, watch me, is that when I read this for the first time, and I'm going to give you three points right here in a moment. When I read this, I've I've read this story, JC, 100 plus times. And I always looked at Saul and I'm like, "Man, you idiot." like of course. But when I read this last week, I told Pastor Donald this for the first time I saw Saul's heart and I broke down watching it because what I recognized is that Saul was a reflection of what I believe so many Christians are falling into these days, which is something that I call the bare minimum theory.
The bare minimum theory, which is this. I don't want to give God all of me. I just want to give him enough of me.
God, how much do I have to give before you start taking away?
So, I don't want to do everything. I just want to do enough. I I just God, how much of me do I actually have to give? I come to church. Is that enough?
I started serving. Is that enough? Okay, God. I I don't sleep with them as much. Is that enough, God? I I I only drink on occasions now. Is that enough?
I join 6 a.m. prayer, but I don't pray in my life. IS THAT AND THIS WHOLE IDEA IS NOT PLEASING GOD. It's just trying to get just enough. So then we start asking questions like, well, how much can I do until I until it's sin? And and what we do well like how many drinks until I'm drunk?
Because then we say the idea, listen, I've been guilty of it, too. And I got a higher tolerance than people. So, you know, it it really ain't the same. It it really ain't the same. Or or man, are you sure that weed is it comes from the ground as a plant? So, is it is it really h how much can we do until it's considered sexual sin? Because like I I I need how far can I go?
And y'all laughing. Some of y'all asked that question yesterday.
Listen to me.
God, what if I forgive my mom but not my dad? Is that enough?
Like like um what if I only curse around people who know my heart? Is that enough?
And the whole idea is watch me. We're finding ways to justify giving God a part of us.
How much is enough?
Hear me. I hear my heart. God, because what I'm recognizing is that there's still a part of me that I want to keep.
So, I want to give enough to where I still get because I hear about these promises that PM says, they sound great. Like I hear about the exceedingly and abundantly like how much I got like what's what's the actual price? Like I like I need to know. You ever go to a restaurant and they don't have a the the ain't got it on there and you like and you go and you open up the menu. You said some of you open I ain't even supposed to be here. Let me close that. I ain't it ain't my season for the no price menu. And and and the thing is is is that some of us we open it's just like man well how much is this cuz I just want to make sure that I brought enough and some of us treat destiny the same way.
God I don't really I don't really want to give you everything. So how much can I keep? And and this the thing my heart is your pastor in this year of depth going deeper with God is giving God all of you, not a portion of you. And this is what I'm trying to get you to understand about the posture of this is because if you're trying to figure out how much that you can do in order to get by, you really don't want God. You just want what he can give you. I'm asking because I don't want to miss out on the prize because I deem the prize of your hand is better than the prize of your presence.
And a lot of us don't recognize that we're subconsciously doing that. Which is why which is why I I said I said it's going to be a tough message to say, but but I'm being honest that I don't believe that many of us know that we operate with this mentality. Yeah,
God has had to check my heart as a pastor. I've been pastoring for almost a decade now or eight eight eight or nine years. And I remember preaching, I'm like, man, well, how much do I have to study in order to have a good sermon?
Let me just find out how much I got to do. Because in our in our mind, in today's society, we're we're conditioned to feel like, well, just let's just achieve. Let's just win. How much is a win?
Yeah.
With God, it's not a percentage. It's all or nothing. Yeah,
God wants all of us.
And so I want to give you this big idea and then I'm going to give you these three points. I'm get out your way. The big idea is this is that if you do not do all that God has spoken to you, you will not get all that God has spoken over you.
That's good.
If you do not do all that God has spoken to you, you will not get all that God has spoken over you. There are things that God has spoken over your life. That's the reality. There's so many things. There's so many promises that God has spoken of over your life. But you can't get everything if you don't do everything. Now, hear what I'm saying so you do not hear what I'm not saying. I'm not telling you that you have to be perfect in order to achieve purpose. I'm not saying that you have to be perfect in order to walk into your promise. What I am saying is that your heart has to be postured in a pursuit. I have to want him.
Yeah.
And the thing is, the reason why so many people want to know, well,
Well, I can't be perfect is because they they Oh my goodness. So many people want to ration out their disobedience is that I want to budget it. So, let me just I I need to like I I know everybody know I can't be perfect. And so, we use it as a justification to not deny our flesh in the moment. And so, a lot of us don't slip into sin. You plan it. And then and and then you try to throw God's grace on top of it, recognizing that God's grace does cover your sin, but it has not changed your heart. Am I making sense?
A and so the thing is is that God wants all. Somebody say all. All. God wants all of us. And and and disobedience will block it. But but I believe that many of us in here are going to decide to choose obedience and have a posture. Someone say posture. Posture. Make sure you write that down your notes. A posture of obedience. But these are three things I need you to know about obedience. Number one, write this down, is that obedience is proven when you dislike the command. Obedience is proven. Somebody say proven. Proven. Proven when you dislike the command.
I I told you that I'm learning a lot about um uh about obedience through my daughter. And and I remember Pete Allen and I uh we had some tension the other night. We we we laid down in bed and I said, "Hey, baby." I said, "I think Zoe's a little disobedient." And she said, "Nah, my baby. I don't know who you talking about." I said, "Hey, that's my little girl, too." And I and and I said, "No, baby. I I don't think she really listens that well." And I said, "Now, this is not abnormal to any other 2-year-old cuz I mean that she's two and and she tests the waters. That's what it is." I said, "But but we got to catch it cuz I I don't think And she's like, "Well, babe, nah, that's not it." Like, if you think about it, whenever we like tell her to do things like she'll eventually do it. But if she don't like it, she'll look at you like this. She'll start doing and and I said, "Babe, the thing is is that it's easy to obey the things that you like. But dis but obedience is truly proven when I dislike what you told me in the first place. Obedience is proven when I cut off a relationship that I found my identity in cuz you told me to." Obedience is proven. Watch me. When I get rooted in a church and I have to and I have to choose serving God more than serving myself at times. Obedience is proven when I decide to trust God financially and not trust myself financially. Church obedience is proven when you dislike what was given. Watch me. Because God is not asking for for what you like. He's asking for your submission. And we've been at some point in time, we've been conditioned to think that God cares about whether you like what it is that he asked you to do. He don't care. Because God did not ask for your validation. He don't need that. He asked for your submission. Amen. And so it's truly you cannot say you're obedient if you only obey the things that are easy. Obedience, watch me, that that that it is proven when you dislike the command. Is this making sense?
And and and this is the thing. You may not like the command and it may not feel good, but because you love and trust the one who's giving it, you know that you can do it. Which leads me to my second point. Write this down. This what you have to know about obedience is that you are always the greatest beneficiary of God's commands. Hear me. Oh my goodness. You are always the greatest beneficiary of God's commands. I'm I'm trying to get us to understand this because for many of us disobedience is not the is not the root. It's just the fruit. Disobedience for many of us is just a fruit. But the root is really a lack of trust. When you look at the story of Saul, Saul was basically saying, "I had a better idea." But let me even press forward. If you go a few verses later, Saul said, "Well, I was afraid that the people would be angry with me, so I did this to appease them, too." The reality is that we're always the greatest beneficiary. If if I had time, I would tell you that like last week I talked about God doing miracles in the wilderness and all these things and and how God parted the Red Sea, brought water from the rock and made man and quail fall every single day. And and then God says in Exodus 18 like, "Hey, I'm the Lord the God that brought you out of Egypt. You shall follow no other gods but me." And then he begins to give them all these commands which we know to be the ten commandments and then the law. But God only gave them the law afterwards because he had proven himself to be trustworthy. He was saying, "Hey, I think by now you should know that I only want your best interest in mine. I think you should know by now that all I want to do is to protect you. That all I want to do is provide for you. All I want to do is is pro is is is prosper you. All I want to do is perfect you. All I want to do is to make you more like me." And for us New Testament believers, you have to understand that God's goal, what it talks about in Romans chapter 8, is to make us to be conformed to the image of his son. Everything. You have to understand that God's commands are a system put in place to protect, prosper, and perfect you. For I know the plans that I have for you. Y'all know this verse? Plans not to harm you, but to prosper you, to give you a future and a hope. So God gives these things. So what does that mean? Even if I don't like it, it benefits me. Everything. When I took my child, when I took take my baby's iPad, it's because I'm trying to protect her from something that she don't know. When I make her hold my hand when she crosses the street, it's because I don't want a car to hit her. It's when I make her go to sleep in a time and she's upset because it's bedtime. It's because I want her to be healthy and happy the next day. And some of us are angry and we despise the command because we can't see what God is trying to do.
And so, watch me. It's not. And so, we disobey not because we don't like God, but because deep down we don't trust that what he's saying is actually best for us. But when I believe that even when you tell me forgive them, it's what's best for me to treat my body and to present as a living sacrifice to be absent until I'm married. He's trying to protect you from a world of hurt. And when God is saying, "Hey, don't be around those wrong people. I'm trying to protect you to get into church to serve." For some of us, it's that the idea does it's illogical. What do you mean that I tithe 10% God? It doesn't make sense. I'm trying to protect you, trying to provide for you. I'm trying. Do you trust me or do you trust you? And and and and a divided trust is no trust at all. Because in order to trust somebody, you have to have the opportunity to prove me right or prove me wrong. You're the greatest beneficiary.
Last thing is this is that obedience unlocks what God already promised. I want you to see verse 23 and I'm done. Pay attention to this. This is what Samuel told Saul. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king. This is what I'm trying to get us to see. God did not revoke the promise because he changed his mind. God always wanted Saul to be the king. God revoked Saul's participation because Saul changed his posture because he changed his posture. God blocked him from his participation. God is saying you cannot be in this place anymore because I'm trying to say obedience doesn't create the promise. It just gives you access to what has been already said. God has spoken things over your life. God has spoken things. Hear me that if you go if you read throughout the Bible, there's general promises that God gives. Everybody said things over your life. He said things over your he said said this over of the kingdom. But then there's things that God gives individually over your life. There's things that God has spoken specifically that while you're in mother's womb, I knew you that he knit you together that there's specific things. You're fearful and wonderfully made. All these God gives specific instructions and specific promises and our obedience can stop it. this whole series blocked. There are habits, perspectives, and even people that can get in between us accessing everything that God has for us. And disobedience, it will have you at the door that belongs to you saying, "I thought I did enough."
Before I pray for you, this is what I'm going to ask you. What has God asked you to do that you still haven't done? What area of your life have you refused to submit to him? What thing, what perspective, what idea, what area of your life are you still not trusting him in? What area of your life are you willfully not not ignorant anymore, willfully disobedient? And let me take it a step further. What things have you done but you just did not complete?
Let me pray for you. Father, in the mighty name of Jesus, your good and your mercy endure forever. We honor you. We bless you. We're so glad, Father, that you're a good God. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus that you would open up our hearts. Thank you for doing a new thing, Father. I believe today that a spirit of obedience is going to come upon your people, Father, that we'll give oursel away. Now, everybody repeat after me. Say, "Holy Spirit, what are you saying to me?" And for the next few moments, let God speak for all of us.
There are areas that God is challenging us. And for some of you, the thing that God is asking you to give him is not a person, it's not a place, it's not a habit, it's your life. If you're in this place and you've never given your life to Jesus or you've given your life to Jesus, but at some point in time you feel like Saul, some point in time I just kind of stepped away. But today, hear me. You feel a tug on your heart. And you say, "I don't know what to make of this. I don't know if I can live this life. I don't know if I can if I can make it happen." You don't have to make it happen. Jesus already did. But if that's you and you want to give your life to Jesus for the first time, or the hundth time, here in a moment, you're going to opportunity. People already raised their hand. My God. And you want to, I'm going to give you an opportunity to raise your hand. But before I do, I want everybody's eyes up. Look at me. Everybody look at me. Moments like this are a prime opportunity for the enemy to try to bring condemnation into your mind. But the Bible says in the book of Romans that there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. We can be convicted, but conviction draws you to Jesus. Condemnation pushes you away. If you feel a tug, you need to run to Jesus today. I'm going to count to three. You're going to lift your hands and you're going to accept not shamefully but proudly the grace and the blessing from God that is known as salvation. On the count of three, raise your hand. One. Come on. Hands are up. Two. Three. Come on. We got hands. Come on, Blueprint. Come on, Blueprint. I see the hands all around this place. Come on. We got another one that just went up. My God. We got hands in this section over here. We got two more. A third, a fourth back there. Hands are lifted all over this place. Come on. Let's give him praise. My God. Let me everybody, if you just raise your hand, please. Nobody moving around yet. We'll we'll I'll dismiss you in a moment. I promise. Let me speak to this section right here. I've seen about seven of y'all raise your hand. I am so so proud of all of y'all. But thank you for the leadership that you showed in raising your hand. Y'all had raised your hands before I even said anything. And in this year of depth, it's going to cause for a deeper desperation chasing after God. Listen, in the Bible, the book of Romans chapter 10, it says if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that Jesus is Lord, that we shall be saved. So let me let me ease you for a moment. It is not what you do that saves your soul. It is what he did and our belief in it and that our disciplehip journey. Amen. So repeat after me. Say, "Father, I love you. I thank you for Jesus. I believe that he lived and that he died and that he rose. For my sins. Come into my heart. Be my Lord. I am yours. And you are mine. In Jesus name." Amen. Come on blueprint. Let's give it up.