God's Kingdom Rule: 3 Questions

God's Kingdom Rule: 3 Questions

1 Samuel 8:1-21

Pastor Miles

6/14/15

1. Where have you rejected God as king in your life?

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel's leaders. The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. (‭1 Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭1-8‬ NIV)

The idea of having a king was not wrong in principle.

God was able to use the Kings to fulfill his promises and carry out His purposes.

But the Israelites had refused to accept and submit to God's rule in their lives.

but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?" ' " (‭Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭20‬ NIV)

They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, "Do not do as they do." (‭2 Kings‬ ‭17‬:‭15‬ NIV)

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭3‬ NIV)

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. (‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭31‬ NIV)

Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.' "But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. "What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Haven't you read this passage of Scripture: " 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; (‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭1-10‬ NIV)

Jesus is " 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.' (‭Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ NIV)

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," (‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭4-7‬ NIV)

Is there any area in my life that I've not fully submitted to God?

2. Where is God warning you?

Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights." Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day." But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. (‭1 Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭9-19‬ NIV)

Are we refusing to hear God's warning?

Listen to His spirit prompting you? Is this an opportunity or temptation? Do we listen to the Spirit's warning or do we grieve the Spirit?

Sometimes God uses our friends to speak to us.

3. Where are you wanting to be like the world?

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." Then Samuel said to the Israelites, "Everyone go back to your own town." (‭1 Samuel‬ ‭8‬:‭19-22‬ NIV)

The people were not looking to the Lord, but at other nations who had their own kings.

They didn't care about God's warnings, they wanted to be the other nations.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ NIV)

Ask God to show me where I have rejected Him as king and Lord of my life.

Have I fully surrendered to Christ?

In order for Jesus to be Lord of my life, I have to make Him Lord of my day.

Begin each day with an act of surrender to God.

Listen for God's warnings.