The document is a sermon discussing how the Israelites rejected God's rule over them and demanded a king like the other nations, despite Samuel warning them of the negative consequences. It summarizes how Samuel's sons failed to follow God's ways and took bribes, and how the Israelites wanted to be like other nations rather than separate for God. It warns that when people reject God to follow worldly ways, they become slaves to the world and reap the fruit of their own choices rather than finding safety and peace in heeding God.
1 samuel 8a Don't desire to be like everyone else.
1. Fifth Sunday , October 30 Dinner together after morning worship Constitution Hall in Fort O Fellowship and The Word
2. Concert December 4 11:00 AM Four by Grace www.rossvillechurch.com 781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741 October 16, 2011 Gospel Baptist Tabernacle 781 Salem Road Rossville, GA
3. 1 Samuel 8 1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre (gain; usually dishonest) , and took bribes, and perverted judgment. How could that happen? How could a good man raise such awful sons?
4. Each person must choose for himself the path that he will walk. Deuteronomy 30 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey His Voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days: …
5. God has set before each person the opportunity to enjoy abundant life in this world, And then spend eternity with Him in Heaven. To love the Lord To obey His Voice To hold to Him
6. Samuel's sons chose money over godliness. It matters not who your daddy was. You may have had a good and godly daddy. You have to choose for yourself. You may have had a sinful daddy ; you get to choose. Some people choose two-timing ways. Some choose drugs and alcohol.
7. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old , and thy sons walk not in thy ways : now make us a king to judge us like all the nations . You are old. Your sons are crooks. They wanted to be like other nations.
8. That desire not only causes trouble for nations; It causes trouble for individuals and churches as well. 2 Corinthians 6 16-18 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate , saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
9. When a child of God wants to be like the rest of the world, he is rejecting his Father. 1 John 2 15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
10. 6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. 7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me , that I should not reign over them. When a man of God preaches Truth , and people won't live by it -- They think they are rejecting the preacher , but they are rejecting God .
11. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken Me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. 9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. God knew they were determined to have a king; But still He told Samuel to warn them .
12. God told Samuel to warn them, but give them what they choose. If we insist on having our own way, God will let us have our own way , To our own hurt .
13. Proverbs 1 30-33 They would none of My Counsel: they despised all My Reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way , and be filled with their own devices . For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33 But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
14. 10 And Samuel told all the Words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. 11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horse-men; and some shall run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear (plow) his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
15. 13 And he will take your daughters to be confec-tionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
16. 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants . 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day. When we choose to submit ourselves to anything or anyone other than The Lord God, We are choosing slavery .
17. Everybody is doing it; why shouldn't I? That preacher is too old-fashioned ; Nobody lives that way any more. Nobody goes to church all the time any more. Everybody drinks beer, smokes pot, parties.
18. Samuel warned the Israelites that in rejecting the Lord to rule over them and choosing a king, That king would take everything they had. But all the other nations had a king; They wanted one too. Anyone who chooses the ways of the world, Will ultimately lose everything to the world. The world is a harsh slave-master .