Obedience in the Details - 1 Samuel 15
This morning I'll have the opportunity to preach at my wife's parents' church. We'll be diving right into a difficult passage of Scripture, 1 Samuel 15. In this passage, God commands Saul, King over Israel, to "devote to destruction," or "utterly destroy" an entire people group, the Amalekites. God Almighty is a God of justice. The Amalekites had thoroughly offended God by attacking Israel long ago when they were being led up out of slavery in Egypt. The Amalekites were to be "blotted out from the very memory of heaven," as we're told in Deuteronomy 25:19.
Today's message, though, won't focus on the difficulty of thinking about God destroying an entire people group. No, it is not because I am "dodging the issue." Rather, it is because that isn't the point the author is trying to make. The point he is, though, trying to make is this: God may give difficult tasks, but he fully expects obedience, and
obedience in the details.
Saul thought he could get away with killing only "most" of the Amalekites, but God told Samuel, the ever wise prophet of Israel, that this wasn't going to cut it. Instead, Saul learns the hard lesson that God desires, but also fully expects his followers to exist in a meaningful, faithful, and obedient relationship with HIM.
Grace be on us all in our desire to walk with the LORD.
Boiling it Down: Submit to the Father
Maybe the
"Great Divide" boils down to one simple concept:
If I have free will:
Submit to the FatherIf I do not have free will:
Submit to the Father Consider this brief insight regarding Free Will and Destiny, it will explain the painting below. 
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
— Philippians 2:5-8
The Great Divide
Theology is
man attempting to understand God, simply put. Theology is a good thing, an excellent practice for all believers, for the Scriptures tell tales over and again about man trying to know and understand the Father. For many a century, though, men and women have wildly struggled with one aspect of theology in particular. It is this area in which I and my wife both too are greatly struggling.
When I consider this struggle, the best and most summative word picture that I can muster up is this:
THE GREAT DIVIDE.
I am referring to what is known today as Reformed Theology, or Calvinism. This is a highly intellectual system that finds its basis, according to its adherents, in the Word of God alone. In a nutshell (though this is greatly dangerous to do), Reformed Theology ascribes to God and Him alone the ability to save man. Nothing is wrong with that, but wait, keep reading. In God's total sovereignty, man can do nothing to save himself. Thus, man does not have the
free will to 'choose to receive' God's gracious gift of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Reformed Theology teaches that God alone approaches man, turns his heart away from wickedness, and causes the regenerate man to persevere to the end, when he will be raised on that great and last day.
This is merely one aspect of Reformed Theology, but it is one with which I tend to clash. I grew up not only believing that as believers we are
responsible for responding to God in faith, but also that if one did not continue in faith, he could readily lose his salvation. Now, though, I don't believe a Christian, a true follower of Christ, can lose his salvation. I have grown through this via the study of Scripture (for example Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 1:13-14). I do though still think that believers are offered the gift of salvation by grace through faith, but that we have to choose Christ in our hearts and minds, confess and repent of sins, and live in the resurrected life of Jesus Christ, thus persevering to the end (The Book of Revelation again and again refers to "the one who perseveres to the end," he is the one who will inherit eternal life),
The struggle comes in that Scriptures seem to support both free will, human responsibility AND the God's total control, predestining those whom he saved.
Oh God, that you would make it evidently clear what is the truth of the mystery of the human will! Nevertheless, Lord, your will be done in our lives, and not our own! :)
The Annual Commercialization of Easter
Easter Sales and Pastels, come and get 'em!!
Easter Weekend is intended to celebrate and magnify the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, He who conquered death, He who defeated evil, He who endured sin and shame, MY SHAME, YOUR SHAME (!!!), He who was raised from the dead to give life to those whom he foreknew, whom he also predestined, to be conformed into the image of Christ (Rom 8:29, paraphrase). Christ the King is to be the sole focus of this weekend.
But when it comes to the annual Easter weekend, what have we really done with it? Easter bunnies and painted eggs come to mind? They ought to, our society is proliferated with bunnies and eggs and pastels . . . but to what end? I'll inform you: Commercialization, Commercialization, Commercialization. To be graphic, and honest, in the same way people sell themselves for money, I'm afraid the church has allowed Easter to be commercialized in such a way that our focus has been largely impeded. The very presence of Easter bunnies in our churches should indicate the dire need for a refocus.
Can we all agree that while bunnies and eggs and pastels are not inherently evil, (well maybe pastels are, but anyway . . .) what
is inherently evil is the loss of the church's intentional, clear explanation of the Gospel message, and the following up process known as "discipleship?" I think so. The church really needs to come to grips with this reality. The secular world has prostituted Easter, exchanging what the church considers HOLY for gold. What's wrong with that picture?
HERE"S THE GOOD NEWS, thanks to the teaching of influential Bible-believing, Bible-teaching churches (such as
Travis Ave B.C.,
The Village Church,
Redeemer B.C.,
Momentum Christian Church,
Bethlehem B.C., and so many more), their is still a core of teaching occurring that helps to point the Bride of Christ in the right direction.
I make no apologies for the indictment here, it's a reality many need to first embrace, then reform. But how? Here's how: Teach the Bible, pray, teach the Bible some more, disciple new and old believers, teach the Bible again, love God's people, and continue to teach the Bible.
