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The King's Order · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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both for leading us in prayer.
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If we can turn back for the time that we have left
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to the passage that we read in 1 Samuel.
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We'll consider just for the time that we have
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the God who ordains all things in our lives
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and how he does so in this, as I said, this snippet.
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Last time we looked at Israel gathered at Mizpah
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and the Philistines had come upon them.
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When they were recommitting themselves
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and putting away the other gods,
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the Philistines came upon them.
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And we parallel that passage to 5th Catechism
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that asks, are there more gods than one?
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And there is, but only the one, the living and true God.
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And we look at chapter 8 now.
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And when we look at the people of Israel
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in the passage here, we see and have that sense
1:04
that there are people that are struggling
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to commit themselves to God,
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commit themselves to this Lord.
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And we've seen them as a people
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from the beginning of the book of Samuel.
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And they're not necessarily opposing God outright.
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They're mindful of God, but they're never really grasping
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who God is.
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They're never really fully understanding the Lord, their God,
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who should be their God,
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who they should be relying upon as their one God.
1:37
And the best that we saw of Israel was,
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if you remember, when the Ark of the Covenant
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came back in to Israel.
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And they stood there in awe.
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Who can stand before this God?
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This Lord, this holy God.
1:59
Who can stand before it?
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They realized who God was,
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and the power of his characteristics,
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and the holiness of his being.
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And another quality that we see in them,
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a good quality, was last two weeks ago
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when we saw them at Misma.
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And they put away their other foreign gods.
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And then they committed themselves to this one Lord.
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And they had the Philistines come upon them.
2:29
They weren't prepared for battle.
2:31
They weren't ready to fight.
2:33
They were like sitting ducks,
2:36
ready to fail.
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They had nothing to do but to cry out to God.
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And asking Samuel not to cease to cry out for God for them.
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And God proved him to his people.
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God showed himself as one.
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The one Lord that could be trusted.
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God listened to their cry.
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God listened to their prayer.
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But we see them in the passage again here.
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They're wanting to satisfy their own desire.
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They're wanting to be like the other nations.
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And to have over them a king.
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Like the other nations.
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And you watch them and
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you can almost ask,
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you know,
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what's happening?
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You're going in the wrong direction again.
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But God grants their wishes.
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And he employs the prophet Samuel
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to send words of warning
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against them having this king
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and their desire to be like the other nations.
3:51
And he's saying to them,
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you know,
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this isn't going to be for your benefit.
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But still,
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there is a man put over them.
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And when God spoke in verse,
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in chapter nine at verse 16,
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he says,
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there will be a prince.
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You shall anoint him to be a prince.
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It's funny that God didn't title
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this man as a king.
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Maybe God didn't see this man as a king.
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And we can look in this passage.
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And as I said,
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it's like they're getting it all wrong again.
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They're going in the wrong direction.
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We feel like saying to us,
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you know,
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look at what God has just done for you.
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He set you free from the Philistines.
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Is he not one that you should be trusting in
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as your king?
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Rather than fulfilling your desires
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to have this worldly king over you.
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And the overarching words,
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in a sense of this section,
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is in chapter eight and verse 22,
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where God says to Samuel,
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obey the voice of the people
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and make for them a king.
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God allows it to happen.
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It was in his will.
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It was his ultimate purpose
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that this should happen and take place.
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And when we see it now,
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we know that,
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you know,
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it was for his glory.
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It was for God's purposes.
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And this ties into Catechism seven.
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What are the decrees of God?
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The decrees of God
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at his eternal purpose,
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according to the counsel of his will,
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whereby for his own glory,
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he has foreordained
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whatever whatsoever comes to pass.
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God's eternal purpose,
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according to the counsel of his will,
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whereby for his own glory,
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he has foreordained
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whatever comes to pass.
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And paralleling,
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it was never my intention
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to do this,
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but they seem to fit well
6:05
with what the chapters
6:07
are referring to
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and what we can learn
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from the chapter
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to parallel them
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with catechisms.
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And, you know,
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hopeful that when we read
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through these chapters again,
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we can go,
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oh yeah,
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when,
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when they came
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to miss parents,
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Samuel told them
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to return to the one God.
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Because God is
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the one and only true God.
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And then you can
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maybe think of this passage here
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and see where Israel
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went after,
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wanted to fulfill their desires.
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But God allowed it
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because God had a purpose.
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Because God
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established this kingdom
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where all other kings would fail.
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and he would put in place
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his king
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that would
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rule over them.
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Just to help us
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and to tie these doctrines
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of teachings
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into the passages
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and we understand
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clearly what they are.
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And the scope of
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God's eternal purpose
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is far beyond this
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chapter.
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God's purposes
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are from the beginning
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to all eternity.
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beyond what we can understand.
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God's purpose,
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God's will,
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God's providence
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in our lives
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even tonight
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as we sit here.
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That we should be here.
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And that he knew
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that we would be here.
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And that all
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his ways are fulfilled
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in every step
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that we take
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in our lives.
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They are
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his ways
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and they are
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for his glory
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and we trust
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in him.
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Not that we
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fully understand
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his ways.
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His ways
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are mysterious.
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And you can dig
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so deep
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in these
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things of God
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that's,
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well,
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you don't know
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where to start.
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God's
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God's
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provisions
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God
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working
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things out
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for his
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own glory.
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You know,
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you can dig
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so deep
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but it's a
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Wednesday night
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and many of us
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have been working
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and many of us
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don't have the
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headspace
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to go into
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these things
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so deep.
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So I just
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want to
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use the
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passage
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that we
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read
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and just
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skim
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through
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the snippet
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of time
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and see
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how God
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outworks
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all things
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for his
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eternal
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purpose
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in the
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people,
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the different
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people,
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the people
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of the
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nation,
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the prophet
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Samuel
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and the
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prince.
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And maybe
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we can,
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as we look
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at these
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things,
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look back
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in our
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lives
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and see
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that they
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are true
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experiences
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in our
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Christian
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life.
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So we
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look at
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the people
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and the
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people
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coming
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for
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four
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and five
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asking to
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appoint a
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king over
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the nations
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over their
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nation to
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be like
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the other
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nations.
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Someone that
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they can
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look up
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to.
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Someone that
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they could
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look up
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to and
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admire.
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Someone
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they can
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honor.
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And
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Samuel
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was not
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on board
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with this.
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You can
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see that
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in verse
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six.
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And he
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comes to
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God in
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prayer and
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God answers
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him,
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obey the
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people.
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They have
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not rejected
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you.
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They have
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rejected me
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from being
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king over
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them.
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Ever
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since I
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brought them
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out of
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Egypt,
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they've
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adopted
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other
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gods.
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God
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this time
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I'll let
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them have
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their
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way.
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But you
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Samuel must
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warn the
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people what
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it will
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mean to
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have their
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desires
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fulfilled,
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not to
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have me
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as their
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king,
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but to
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have this
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other
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worldly
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king over
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them.
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And
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verse 10
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down to
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verse 18,
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that's the
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warnings about
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having a
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king over
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them.
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There's a
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list there
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of things
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that this
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king will
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do.
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He will
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rob them
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off so
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much.
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He will
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take their
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sons.
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They will
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have to
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work for
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him.
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He will
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take their
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daughters.
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He will
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take their
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food.
10:29
He will
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take their
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slaves.
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He will
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take their
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livestock.
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And it's
10:35
interesting that
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of all
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their produce
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that they
10:39
had, it
10:40
was a
10:41
tenth that
10:42
would be
10:42
taken by
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this worldly
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king.
10:45
Now it
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was always
10:46
a tenth
10:46
god I
10:47
asked for.
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And why
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maybe they
10:51
hadn't been
10:52
giving their
10:52
tithe to
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God.
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We don't
10:56
know why,
10:56
but it
10:57
was guaranteed
10:58
that it
10:58
would be
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taken from
10:59
them and
10:59
so much
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more would
11:00
be taken
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from them
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by adopting
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this worldly
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king.
11:05
Maybe it's a
11:06
thought for us
11:06
to consider
11:07
that if they
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hadn't been
11:09
given their
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tithe,
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does God
11:12
take that
11:13
even from
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the people
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of God
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by some
11:16
other means
11:17
if we
11:19
don't give
11:19
it.
11:20
Just a
11:21
thought,
11:22
maybe worth
11:22
discussion.
11:24
But at
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the end of
11:25
this list,
11:26
God says
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you're going
11:28
to cry out
11:29
because of
11:29
these things.
11:31
For this
11:32
king you have
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chosen,
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but the
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Lord will
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not answer
11:36
you in that
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day when
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you realise.
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It's almost
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like when you
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realise what
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you've done,
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I won't
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answer you.
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And they
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say to
11:45
themselves,
11:45
no,
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to all
11:47
these warnings,
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there will
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be a king
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over us.
11:52
It's
11:52
amazing.
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They know
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God,
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they've
11:56
experienced
11:57
God,
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God's
11:59
revealed
11:59
himself to
12:00
them,
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shown how
12:02
he can be
12:02
trusted,
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that he
12:04
would deliver
12:04
them from
12:05
the Philistines
12:05
and still
12:06
they're
12:08
refusing
12:08
Samuel's
12:09
words and
12:10
saying,
12:11
no,
12:11
I want
12:12
my desire
12:13
to be
12:14
fulfilled.
12:17
Because
12:17
we're
12:18
looking at
12:18
it and
12:18
going,
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what are
12:19
you doing
12:19
Israel?
12:22
And it's
12:22
easy to
12:23
look at
12:23
them and
12:23
say it
12:24
when we
12:25
look at
12:25
ourselves.
12:27
It's so
12:28
tempting for
12:29
us to
12:29
fit in
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with the
12:31
world.
12:32
We look
12:32
at the
12:33
world and
12:33
we want
12:34
to adopt
12:35
the things
12:35
that they
12:35
are doing.
12:38
They give
12:39
us all
12:39
sorts of
12:39
ideas.
12:40
attractive
12:42
ways,
12:44
but they
12:44
work.
12:45
And these
12:46
things can
12:46
infiltrate
12:47
into us
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as people
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and as
12:49
a nation
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of God
12:52
in a
12:52
sense.
12:55
And
12:55
when these
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swirly
12:57
things come
12:58
in,
12:59
we as
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the people
13:01
of God
13:02
lose our
13:03
identity.
13:04
That's what
13:05
happened to
13:05
the people
13:05
here.
13:06
They adopted
13:07
what they
13:08
wanted as
13:09
a king
13:10
of a
13:11
nation,
13:12
a worldly
13:13
king,
13:13
but they
13:14
lost their
13:14
identity.
13:16
The
13:16
distinction
13:17
of the
13:18
people and
13:19
having the
13:20
Lord as
13:21
their king
13:22
was lost.
13:24
They started
13:24
to blend in
13:25
with the
13:25
world.
13:25
And when
13:25
we start
13:26
adopting the
13:27
things of
13:27
the world,
13:28
we'll blend
13:29
in.
13:30
We lose
13:31
our distinction,
13:32
we lose
13:32
our identity.
13:36
But we
13:36
need to look
13:37
at ourselves
13:37
as well.
13:39
And where
13:39
do I go
13:41
wrong?
13:42
As a
13:42
believer in
13:43
God.
13:45
We make
13:45
bad decisions.
13:48
And
13:48
you can put
13:50
it so
13:50
simply,
13:51
I just
13:52
thought when
13:52
I was a
13:53
wee bit
13:53
hungry,
13:55
in the
13:55
middle of
13:56
the afternoon,
13:56
I went
13:57
down to
13:57
the kitchen,
13:58
you'll all
13:59
fit in
14:03
with this
14:04
image that
14:05
I'm
14:05
giving.
14:06
I went
14:06
down to
14:07
the kitchen,
14:07
I was
14:07
feeling a
14:08
bit hungry,
14:09
there's a
14:10
bowl of
14:10
fruit there,
14:12
but there
14:13
was also
14:13
a cake.
14:17
And you
14:17
think,
14:18
well,
14:18
I've not
14:18
had any
14:19
fruit today,
14:20
I should
14:20
probably eat
14:20
the fruit.
14:22
But I
14:23
didn't,
14:23
you know,
14:24
the cake
14:25
was there.
14:25
And as
14:28
you think
14:29
about it,
14:29
the fruit
14:30
is good
14:31
for you.
14:33
It's good
14:33
for your
14:33
teeth.
14:35
It'll
14:35
benefit you,
14:36
it'll give
14:36
you more
14:37
energy.
14:38
It'll do
14:38
you good.
14:40
The cake,
14:42
it's bad
14:44
for you.
14:46
It's bad
14:46
for your
14:46
teeth,
14:47
bad for
14:47
your body.
14:50
But I
14:50
ate the
14:50
cake.
14:52
And I
14:52
think,
14:52
well,
14:52
why did
14:53
I do
14:53
that?
14:54
You
14:54
know,
14:54
I'm
14:54
attracted
14:56
to the
14:58
thing
14:58
that's
14:58
bad for
14:59
me.
15:01
And the
15:01
cake was
15:01
one of
15:02
the worst
15:02
things I
15:02
could have
15:03
had.
15:04
And the
15:05
fruit would
15:05
have been
15:05
one of
15:05
the best
15:06
things I
15:06
could have.
15:08
The cake
15:09
would have
15:09
had no
15:10
benefit for
15:11
me.
15:12
The fruit
15:13
would have
15:13
benefited.
15:16
And the
15:16
cake,
15:17
you know,
15:18
I'd pay for
15:19
it at some
15:19
point.
15:21
Maybe I'd
15:21
come in one
15:22
day with
15:22
a belly.
15:24
But,
15:24
you know,
15:24
you'll pay
15:25
for taking
15:27
the cake.
15:29
It's
15:30
funny how
15:31
you,
15:32
it's funny,
15:32
isn't it?
15:33
We know
15:34
what's good
15:34
for us,
15:36
but we
15:37
go for
15:37
the thing
15:38
that's not
15:39
the best,
15:41
the thing
15:41
that won't
15:42
benefit us,
15:43
the thing
15:44
that will
15:44
bring trouble
15:46
maybe later
15:48
on in our
15:48
lives.
15:48
we have
15:53
poor
15:54
preferences,
15:55
don't we?
15:57
We prefer
15:58
these things
15:58
and it's a
15:59
poor choice.
16:00
We have
16:00
poor
16:01
preferences
16:02
in our
16:02
lives.
16:03
We want
16:04
to read
16:05
the Bible,
16:05
but we pick
16:06
up our
16:06
phones.
16:07
We want
16:08
to pray,
16:09
or we
16:09
should pray,
16:12
and we'll
16:12
put out the
16:13
rubbish,
16:14
we'll clean
16:15
the house,
16:16
we'll find
16:17
something else
16:17
to do.
16:19
We can
16:20
go through
16:21
this cycle
16:22
where we
16:22
can enjoy
16:23
the good
16:24
things,
16:25
and we
16:26
can feel
16:26
the benefit
16:26
of the
16:27
good things,
16:28
but then
16:29
we can
16:29
slip into
16:30
adopting
16:31
the things
16:32
that have
16:33
no benefit
16:34
for us,
16:35
and we
16:35
know they
16:36
have no
16:36
benefit for
16:37
us,
16:37
we know
16:37
they are
16:37
bad for
16:38
us,
16:39
and it's
16:39
like in
16:41
a Christian
16:41
experience,
16:42
we eat
16:44
what's good
16:45
for us
16:46
in the
16:46
word of
16:46
God,
16:47
and we
16:47
consume
16:47
things that
16:48
we shouldn't,
16:49
and we
16:49
have this
16:50
peaks and
16:51
troughs of
16:52
our experience,
16:54
we trust
16:55
God with
16:55
one hand,
16:56
and we
16:56
refuse him
16:57
with the
16:57
other,
16:58
we consume
17:00
what we
17:01
like,
17:02
and we
17:03
don't
17:04
grow,
17:05
our
17:05
poor
17:05
preferences
17:06
doesn't
17:09
make us
17:09
grow,
17:10
we lose
17:11
out,
17:12
we suffer,
17:14
why are
17:15
we not
17:15
content,
17:16
with what
17:17
God has
17:18
given us,
17:19
we're
17:19
always
17:20
looking and
17:20
desiring
17:21
after other
17:21
things,
17:23
like the
17:23
people of
17:24
Israel,
17:26
but then,
17:28
even then,
17:31
God can
17:31
use us
17:33
in the
17:36
bad decisions
17:37
we make,
17:39
the bad
17:39
things we
17:40
desire,
17:40
the poor
17:41
preferences
17:42
of our
17:42
lives,
17:43
God can
17:45
use them
17:46
for his
17:46
glory,
17:48
and that
17:49
baffles us,
17:51
that he would,
17:51
and it's not
17:52
an excuse
17:52
for sin,
17:54
we should
17:55
always put
17:56
to death
17:56
the sin
17:57
that grows
17:58
within us,
18:00
we should
18:00
always exercise
18:01
self-control,
18:02
control,
18:03
we need to
18:05
be careful
18:06
in our
18:06
lives,
18:07
where our
18:08
desires
18:08
are,
18:09
and to
18:10
put these
18:10
poor
18:11
preferences
18:12
and turn
18:12
it to
18:13
good
18:13
preferences
18:14
in the
18:15
word of
18:15
God,
18:16
that's the
18:16
people,
18:17
and briefly
18:18
the prophet,
18:20
Samuel is
18:20
the prophet
18:21
of God,
18:23
revealing his
18:24
word to
18:25
the Israelites,
18:25
and you
18:26
can't help
18:27
it when you
18:27
read the
18:28
passage,
18:28
they want
18:30
a king,
18:31
Samuel is
18:31
saying,
18:33
God doesn't
18:33
want a
18:34
king,
18:34
and then
18:35
God's,
18:36
well,
18:36
Samuel is
18:36
saying this
18:37
isn't right,
18:38
and all
18:38
these warnings
18:39
are coming
18:39
from God,
18:40
and then
18:41
God grants
18:41
it anyway,
18:43
and was
18:44
Samuel confused
18:46
by this,
18:46
maybe he's
18:47
asking,
18:47
why is this
18:49
happening,
18:49
what is God
18:50
doing,
18:51
we can
18:52
imagine him
18:52
praying to
18:53
God,
18:53
this is not
18:54
right,
18:56
saying to
18:56
Israel,
18:56
this is not
18:57
good for
18:57
you,
18:58
this is
18:58
going to
18:58
cost you,
19:01
and though
19:02
he doesn't
19:02
agree that
19:03
he's
19:03
submissive to
19:04
the voice
19:05
of God
19:05
and to
19:05
his word,
19:06
and it
19:07
was actually
19:07
God's
19:09
plan that
19:10
a king
19:10
would be
19:11
set over
19:11
them,
19:12
you can
19:12
go back
19:12
to
19:12
Deuteronomy
19:13
17,
19:14
verse 14,
19:15
it says
19:15
that when
19:16
you come
19:16
into the
19:16
land of
19:17
Canaan,
19:17
there will
19:17
be a
19:17
king set
19:18
over you,
19:19
there will
19:19
be a
19:19
king of
19:20
his
19:20
choosing,
19:22
but they're
19:22
wanting this
19:23
king,
19:24
you know,
19:25
where is
19:25
Samuel
19:26
understanding this?
19:28
he's like the
19:30
man that's
19:31
eating the
19:33
good word
19:34
of God,
19:35
listening and
19:36
obeying to
19:37
the voice of
19:38
God,
19:39
even when it's
19:40
not what he
19:40
wants to hear,
19:42
even when he
19:42
thinks it's
19:43
wrong,
19:43
and it's an
19:44
interesting point
19:45
that God's
19:47
people are
19:48
going the
19:48
wrong way,
19:49
Samuel knows
19:51
that it is
19:52
not aligned
19:53
with the
19:53
favour of
19:54
God,
19:55
they want
19:55
this king,
19:57
but he
19:58
doesn't walk
19:58
away,
19:59
he doesn't
20:00
take
20:00
humbrage
20:01
to this,
20:01
he doesn't
20:01
take the
20:02
huff with
20:02
God,
20:04
he doesn't
20:05
take the
20:05
huff,
20:05
he doesn't
20:06
fall out
20:06
with the
20:06
people over
20:07
it,
20:08
he doesn't
20:09
go looking
20:10
for a
20:10
better
20:10
people,
20:12
he doesn't
20:13
refuse to
20:14
do the
20:14
job that
20:15
God had
20:15
given him
20:16
to do,
20:16
God
20:21
says to
20:22
tell the
20:22
people it
20:23
is wrong,
20:23
this is
20:23
your job,
20:24
tell the
20:24
people it
20:25
is wrong
20:25
and you
20:25
must tell
20:27
them,
20:29
but if
20:30
they want
20:30
their king,
20:31
I will
20:32
grant it
20:32
to them,
20:34
I know
20:35
that they
20:36
have rejected
20:36
me,
20:37
and Samuel
20:38
it's hard
20:39
for you to
20:39
understand,
20:41
but be
20:42
faithful to
20:42
him,
20:43
you don't
20:43
understand
20:44
what's going
20:44
on,
20:45
but be
20:45
faithful,
20:46
this is
20:46
part of
20:47
my
20:47
eternal
20:48
purpose,
20:48
to bring
20:49
this
20:50
kingdom
20:51
into
20:51
formation,
20:52
and to
20:53
set this
20:53
kingship,
20:54
this new
20:55
season of
20:56
kings in
20:57
my
20:57
eternal
20:58
purposes.
21:04
You know,
21:05
sometimes we
21:05
look at
21:06
ourselves and
21:06
we wonder
21:07
what's going
21:07
on,
21:08
and we
21:09
look around
21:09
and think
21:10
what's
21:10
happening?
21:11
We ask
21:12
God what's
21:13
going on
21:13
in this
21:13
world,
21:15
why are
21:15
you people
21:16
adopting
21:16
the world's
21:17
methods?
21:20
But then,
21:21
in all
21:22
honesty,
21:22
we ask
21:23
ourselves,
21:24
why am I
21:25
adopting
21:25
the world's
21:27
methods?
21:28
What am I
21:30
doing in
21:30
my life?
21:32
And like,
21:33
it's almost
21:33
as if we're
21:34
suffering through
21:35
our lives
21:36
against these
21:37
sins.
21:38
We look at
21:39
ourselves and
21:40
we say,
21:40
why was I
21:42
doing,
21:42
why have I
21:44
done that?
21:45
Why have I
21:46
not been
21:47
given my
21:47
time to
21:48
reading God's
21:48
word?
21:49
Why have I
21:49
not been
21:49
praying?
21:51
You know,
21:51
I thought I
21:51
would have
21:52
grown so
21:53
much more
21:53
if I had
21:55
been eating
21:55
the good
21:56
fruit,
21:56
if I had
21:57
been in
21:57
the word
21:57
of God,
21:58
feeding of
21:58
this
21:59
goodness.
22:00
that my
22:02
poor
22:03
preferences
22:04
has left
22:04
me
22:04
suffering
22:05
through
22:05
life
22:06
with
22:06
these
22:06
sins.
22:08
We
22:08
struggle
22:08
to
22:08
understand
22:09
ourselves,
22:10
we struggle
22:11
to understand
22:11
God's
22:12
times,
22:14
God's so
22:14
mysterious
22:15
to us.
22:17
And there's
22:17
many days
22:18
where we
22:18
ask,
22:19
you know,
22:19
what's
22:19
going on?
22:20
How can
22:20
this be
22:20
for your
22:21
good?
22:21
You know,
22:22
Samuel
22:22
would have
22:22
been
22:22
asking,
22:24
is
22:24
your
22:24
student
22:25
the wrong
22:25
thing?
22:25
And how
22:26
can this
22:26
be for
22:26
any
22:27
good?
22:29
And God
22:29
is the
22:30
God who
22:31
works all
22:31
things for
22:32
good.
22:34
No matter
22:34
where we
22:35
are,
22:35
however we
22:36
feel,
22:36
the best
22:37
place for
22:37
us is to
22:38
listen and
22:38
consume this
22:39
goodness of
22:40
God,
22:41
to listen to
22:42
God's
22:42
words.
22:44
And the
22:44
most beneficial
22:45
place to
22:46
us, the
22:47
most beneficial
22:48
thing for
22:49
us as
22:49
Christians,
22:50
is to
22:51
feed off
22:51
this
22:52
goodness
22:53
of God
22:54
that he
22:55
has given
22:56
us through
22:56
his word.
22:57
We'll never
22:58
be like
22:58
Samuel.
22:59
like a
23:00
prophet.
23:02
But we
23:04
must be
23:04
faithful to
23:06
him, not
23:08
understanding
23:08
what's
23:09
happening in
23:10
the times,
23:12
how he
23:12
has placed
23:13
these things
23:13
in my
23:14
life.
23:14
You know,
23:14
you look at
23:15
Job and
23:15
you wonder,
23:16
you know,
23:16
how did
23:17
he feel?
23:18
But he
23:18
held to
23:20
God, he
23:21
held to
23:21
his word.
23:23
We must
23:24
be obedient
23:25
to what
23:25
God asks
23:26
of us,
23:27
whatever
23:28
God asks
23:28
us,
23:29
whether
23:29
it's to
23:30
tell the
23:30
people that
23:31
they are
23:31
wrong,
23:32
whether
23:32
God uses
23:34
us in
23:35
whichever
23:35
way, we
23:37
listen to
23:38
him.
23:40
And if we
23:40
listen to
23:40
him, it
23:42
will be
23:42
within his
23:43
will.
23:44
And that
23:45
is the
23:45
best place
23:46
for us
23:46
to be.
23:47
We listen
23:48
to God
23:48
because he
23:49
is a God
23:50
worth trusting
23:51
and he is a
23:52
God worth
23:53
waiting upon
23:54
in our
23:55
lives.
23:55
and
23:56
briefly
23:56
the
23:57
prince,
23:57
and all
23:57
I want
23:58
to say
23:58
about the
23:58
prince is
23:59
that Samuel
24:01
came as
24:01
this man.
24:03
He was
24:04
going about
24:05
his daily
24:05
duty.
24:07
He was
24:07
looking for
24:08
donkeys.
24:10
And he
24:11
came to
24:11
this prophet,
24:12
this seer,
24:14
to ask that
24:15
they would
24:15
show him
24:16
the way
24:16
to find
24:18
the donkeys.
24:19
God's
24:23
eternal
24:24
purposes
24:24
surprise
24:25
us.
24:26
Maybe you
24:26
can look
24:27
back in
24:27
your life
24:27
and think,
24:29
you know,
24:30
I thought
24:31
this should
24:31
have happened
24:32
this way,
24:32
but God
24:33
changed it.
24:36
And it
24:36
was the
24:37
right time
24:37
then,
24:38
looking back,
24:39
that God
24:39
didn't allow
24:40
me to go
24:40
the way I
24:42
did.
24:42
It was
24:42
hard at
24:43
the time
24:43
and I
24:43
didn't
24:44
understand
24:44
it.
24:45
Maybe
24:45
God
24:45
sent
24:46
someone
24:46
in your
24:47
experience
24:48
and just
24:49
what you
24:49
needed at
24:50
that time.
24:50
And it
24:51
was a
24:51
complete
24:51
surprise
24:52
to you
24:52
that he
24:53
did it.
24:54
Maybe it
24:54
was someone
24:55
just talking
24:56
to you
24:56
and giving
24:56
you a
24:57
word in
24:57
season.
24:59
I
25:00
didn't
25:00
understand
25:01
it at
25:01
the time,
25:01
but it
25:02
was the
25:02
best,
25:03
most
25:03
beneficial
25:03
thing
25:04
for me.
25:07
How we
25:07
can go
25:08
about our
25:08
daily lives
25:09
and God
25:10
can use
25:11
us.
25:13
We
25:14
often feel
25:15
like we're
25:15
not doing
25:16
any good,
25:16
but God
25:17
God's
25:18
providence
25:20
over all
25:21
things,
25:22
God's
25:23
providence
25:23
over us
25:24
as his
25:24
created
25:25
beings,
25:26
how God
25:26
works out
25:27
his
25:27
providence
25:28
in our
25:28
lives.
25:30
We
25:31
struggle to
25:31
understand
25:32
it because
25:33
we don't
25:33
know the
25:34
big picture,
25:35
but we
25:35
must be
25:36
faithful to
25:37
him,
25:39
faithful
25:39
that he
25:40
is one
25:41
that will
25:41
put a
25:41
king over
25:42
us.
25:44
He will
25:45
be our
25:45
king.
25:45
put all
25:47
the
25:47
desires
25:48
to the
25:48
side.
25:50
We eat
25:51
the goodness
25:51
of the
25:51
word of
25:52
God and
25:52
trust in
25:53
this word
25:54
and trust
25:56
in the
25:56
king that
25:58
God
25:59
took
26:01
and placed
26:03
higher than
26:04
any other
26:05
king,
26:06
the king
26:06
over all
26:07
kings,
26:07
the Lord
26:08
Jesus
26:08
Christ,
26:10
a king
26:10
that is worth
26:11
trusting,
26:12
a king that is
26:12
worth waiting
26:13
upon, a
26:14
king that
26:14
will do
26:15
us good
26:16
if we
26:18
trust in
26:18
him, a
26:20
king that
26:21
we can
26:21
rely upon.
26:23
All the
26:23
other kings
26:24
of the
26:24
Bible
26:25
failed,
26:26
so all
26:26
failed,
26:28
but King
26:29
Jesus will
26:30
not fail
26:31
us.
26:32
He is
26:33
our mighty
26:33
king,
26:35
and he
26:37
is a
26:37
king that
26:37
can use
26:38
us for
26:39
his glory,
26:40
as
26:42
strange as
26:43
it is,
26:44
people that
26:44
are so
26:44
flawed,
26:46
and people
26:46
that struggle
26:47
with their
26:48
sins,
26:48
and choose
26:49
the wrong
26:50
thing,
26:51
but God
26:52
in his
26:52
eternal
26:52
purpose
26:53
will bless
26:54
it to
26:55
his glory.
26:55
So I
26:56
pray that
26:57
we know
26:58
God's hand
26:58
working in
26:59
our lives,
27:00
even when
27:00
we're confused
27:01
and don't
27:01
understand
27:02
what's going
27:02
on,
27:03
even when
27:04
we're going
27:04
the wrong
27:05
way,
27:06
even when
27:06
we're going
27:07
about our
27:07
daily
27:07
business,
27:08
we're
27:10
God
27:10
intervened,
27:12
and God
27:13
revealed to
27:14
us that
27:15
he is
27:17
our king,
27:18
and that he
27:19
is a king
27:19
that we can
27:20
trust in.
27:21
Amen.
27:22
May these
27:22
thoughts be
27:23
blessed to
27:24
us.
27:25
We will
27:25
sing in
27:26
conclusion in
27:27
Psalm 24,
27:30
the Scottish
27:30
Salter.