Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “Choose Obedience & Our Unchanging God” – Friday & Saturday, 12 & 13 September 2014 - Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:1-35

Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “Choose Obedience & Our Unchanging God” – Friday & Saturday, 12 & 13 September 2014 - Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:1-2 Samuel said to Saul, “God sent me to anoint you king over his people, Israel. Now, listen again to what God says. This is the God-of-the-Angel-Armies speaking:
2-3 “‘I’m about to get even with Amalek for ambushing Israel when Israel came up out of Egypt. Here’s what you are to do: Go to war against Amalek. Put everything connected with Amalek under a holy ban. And no exceptions! This is to be total destruction—men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys—the works.’”
4-5 Saul called the army together at Telaim and prepared them to go to war—two hundred companies of infantry from Israel and another ten companies from Judah. Saul marched to Amalek City and hid in the canyon.
6 Then Saul got word to the Kenites: “Get out of here while you can. Evacuate the city right now or you’ll get lumped in with the Amalekites. I’m warning you because you showed real kindness to the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.”
And they did. The Kenites evacuated the place.
7-9 Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn’t include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban.
10-11 Then God spoke to Samuel: “I’m sorry I ever made Saul king. He’s turned his back on me. He refuses to do what I tell him.”
11-12 Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night. He got up early in the morning to confront Saul but was told, “Saul’s gone. He went to Carmel to set up a victory monument in his own honor, and then was headed for Gilgal.”
By the time Samuel caught up with him, Saul had just finished an act of worship, having used Amalekite plunder for the burnt offerings sacrificed to God.
13 As Samuel came close, Saul called out, “God’s blessings on you! I accomplished God’s plan to the letter!”
14 Samuel said, “So what’s this I’m hearing—this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?”
15 “Only some Amalekite loot,” said Saul. “The soldiers saved back a few of the choice cattle and sheep to offer up in sacrifice to God. But everything else we destroyed under the holy ban.”
16 “Enough!” interrupted Samuel. “Let me tell you what God told me last night.”
Saul said, “Go ahead. Tell me.”
17-19 And Samuel told him. “When you started out in this, you were nothing—and you knew it. Then God put you at the head of Israel—made you king over Israel. Then God sent you off to do a job for him, ordering you, ‘Go and put those sinners, the Amalekites, under a holy ban. Go to war against them until you have totally wiped them out.’ So why did you not obey God? Why did you grab all this loot? Why, with God’s eyes on you all the time, did you brazenly carry out this evil?”
20-21 Saul defended himself. “What are you talking about? I did obey God. I did the job God set for me. I brought in King Agag and destroyed the Amalekites under the terms of the holy ban. So the soldiers saved back a few choice sheep and cattle from the holy ban for sacrifice to God at Gilgal—what’s wrong with that?”
22-23 Then Samuel said,
Do you think all God wants are sacrifices—
    empty rituals just for show?
He wants you to listen to him!
Plain listening is the thing,
    not staging a lavish religious production.
Not doing what God tells you
    is far worse than fooling around in the occult.
Getting self-important around God
    is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors.
Because you said No to God’s command,
    he says No to your kingship.
24-25 Saul gave in and confessed, “I’ve sinned. I’ve trampled roughshod over God’s Word and your instructions. I cared more about pleasing the people. I let them tell me what to do. Oh, absolve me of my sin! Take my hand and lead me to the altar so I can worship God!”
26 But Samuel refused: “No, I can’t come alongside you in this. You rejected God’s command. Now God has rejected you as king over Israel.”
27-29 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed at his priestly robe and a piece tore off. Samuel said, “God has just now torn the kingdom from you, and handed it over to your neighbor, a better man than you are. Israel’s God-of-Glory doesn’t deceive and he doesn’t dither. He says what he means and means what he says.”
30 Saul tried again, “I have sinned. But don’t abandon me! Support me with your presence before the leaders and the people. Come alongside me as I go back to worship God.”
31 Samuel did. He went back with him. And Saul went to his knees before God and worshiped.
32 Then Samuel said, “Present King Agag of Amalek to me.” Agag came, dragging his feet, muttering that he’d be better off dead.
33 Samuel said, “Just as your sword made many a woman childless, so your mother will be childless among those women!” And Samuel cut Agag down in the presence of God right there in Gilgal.
34-35 Samuel left immediately for Ramah and Saul went home to Gibeah. Samuel had nothing to do with Saul from then on, though he grieved long and deeply over him. But God was sorry he had ever made Saul king in the first place.
Choose O“bedience” by Nina Gunter

There is no such thing as partial obedience. When Saul, the king of Israel, carried out only part of God’s orders, he discovered that partial obedience is actually complete disobedience. Saul’s sin found him out, and he faced the consequences of disobeying God. He tried to blame his soldiers when the bleating sheep and lowing cattle gave him away, but eventually, Saul lost both his kingdom and his life because of he did not repent.
Life is full of choices, some of which are optional, some of which are not. One choice we must make is whether to obey or disobey God. The free choice of God imparts free response; His prevenient grace awakens us to His Spirit and works in our lives to influence, not determine, our choices. He gives us wisdom to make right choices.
After Saul was caught in his disobediencem he had two options: confess or make excuses. Ultimately, he allowed pride, the root of all sin, to trap him in failures and disobedience.

The key to a right relationship with God is to choose to obey God in all circumstances.

“Our Unchanging God” by Nina Gunter

Life is about change. All we have to do to grasp this reality is look in the mirror; every birthday results in changes. Recently, I looked at pictures from my 50th birthday, celebrated in Swaziland, then from my 60th, celebrated in Costa Rica-I'll stop there. Oh, my, the changes!
Of course, as human beings, we are always changing–we grow, develop, learn, and build relationships. We don’t stay as we are. God is too good to leave us the same. Wouldn’t it be disappointing if we could never change? Instead, life changes; circumstances change. Learning changes us as we discover new depths of truth.

In our day, cultural and social changes are so intense and rapid that people are left dizzy and often dismayed. Some say that what once took a generation to happen now takes only five years. However, we can be encouraged that God does not change His nature. He is, has always been, and forever will be perfect in His character, wisdom, faithfulness, holiness, and love. God immutable, but once we know God through Christ, we will change. Our unchanging God delights in changing His people for the better.

Hymn for Today:

"Trust and Obey" by John H, Sammis
1. When we walk with the Lord 
in the light of his word, 
what a glory he sheds on our way! 
While we do his good will, 
he abides with us still, 
and with all who will trust and obey. 
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way 
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 
2. Not a burden we bear, 
not a sorrow we share, 
but our toil he doth richly repay; 
not a grief or a loss, 
not a frown or a cross, 
but is blest if we trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way 
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
3. But we never can prove 
the delights of his love 
until all on the altar we lay; 
for the favor he shows, 
for the joy he bestows, 
are for them who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way 
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
4. Then in fellowship sweet 
we will sit at his feet, 
or we'll walk by his side in the way; 
what he says we will do, 
where he sends we will go; 
never fear, only trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way 
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
"We Praise Thee, O God, Our Redeemer" by John C. Cory
1. We praise you, O God, our Redeemer, Creator;
in grateful devotion our tribute we bring;
we lay it before you; we kneel and adore you;
we bless your holy name: glad praises we sing.
2. We worship you, God of our fathers and mothers;
through life's storm and tempest our guide you have been;
when perils o'ertake us, you never forsake us,
and with your help, O Lord, our battles we win.
3. With voices united our praises we offer,
our songs of thanksgiving to you we now raise;
your strong arm will guide us, our God is beside us,

to you, our great Redeemer, forever be praise!

Thought for Today:

“A Pilgrim Song
All you who fear God, how blessed you are!
    how happily you walk on his smooth straight road!
You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming.
    Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness!”(Psalm 128:1-2)
We are forever changed when we place our trust in the One who never changes.
Prayer Needs:
For faculty and students as they prepare for full-time Christian ministry in Cuba.
Than many people in Dominica will come to know Jesus the Christ, Yeshua the Messiah, and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
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