Sermon Tone Analysis

The Story - Chapter 11 – From Shepherd to King

*Offering - Mark Stier & Mark Siebert Affirmation Ballot*

Here’s another leadership decision.

*(IDES)*  How many here are still in school?

We should never stop learning, but some are taking classes either in person or online.

*How many of you have ever taken an exam and during the exam there were answers you clearly knew but there were others you clearly did not know?*

And your answer to that question clearly confirmed in the teacher’s mind that you did not know the answer.

Dr.

Tim Elmore provided a list of actual answers Middle School, High School and College students gave on school exams.

Here are a few.

*Chemistry Class:* Q: What is a nitrate?

A:  It’s much cheaper than a day rate.

*Business Management Class:*  Q: What is a partnership?

A:  A ship that takes two people to drive.

*Biology Class:* Q: What does “terminal illness” mean?

A: When you become ill at the airport.

*Business Class:*  Q: Define the term “stakeholder.”

A:  Someone who hunts vampires - Buffy being the most famous.

*Physics Class:* Q: Is the sun or moon more important?

A:  The moon gives us light at night when we need it.

The sun only provides light in the day when we don’t need it.

Therefore, the moon is more important.

*Athletic Application:*  Q:  Church Preference?  A:  Red brick.[i]

When you read answers like these it makes you wonder if students are getting it, but then the Olivet Middle School football team from Olivet, Michigan decides to run a play and deliberately not score.

And then you know – some kids get what life is all about!

*Watch this!  (Olivet Middle School Football Team Video)  */This life is not about me!

This life is not about you!

This life is all about God and his Son/! 

Saul was the first king of Israel, but he did not reflect God’s heart.

Saul was like the kings that led the nations around him.

He took the good and destroyed the bad.

God wanted a leader that would reflect His heart.

The people of Israel chose Saul!  Now it’s time for God to make His choice.

Enter the most unlikely king you will ever meet!

A 16 year shepherd boy named David![ii]

*Open up your Bibles to 1 Samuel 16:1.

Do you need a Bible?

Inside your handout you will see an update concerning The Gift Shop!  *We will be serving 106 children from 29 families.

We expect that total to increase to 150 children from 40 families.

Children range from infants to age 18.

Here are the gifts that we need:  *Board games--especially for ages 8 and above (65 kids are eight or older)* ~/ Sporting Goods ~/ Crafts & Art Supplies ~/ Toys for boys:  Legos~/blocks~/trucks~/trains ~/ Toys for girls:  Dolls, Barbie Doll & Disney princesses ~/ *Gifts for teens:  Books, movies (12 teenage boys) **Notice the two that are highlighted!

Could you bring these gifts next weekend?*

*            Let’s begin reading in 1st Samuel 16:1*.

/The word “mourn” is the word “grieve.”/

As a human being I will never tell you it’s time to stop grieving the loss of someone or something, but God just might!

Please go to Him and listen to what he’s saying to you!  *Back again at verse 1. * /I am sending you to Jesse /(Jesse is the grandson of Ruth and Boaz) /of Bethlehem.

/Bethlehem keeps showing up in scripture.

*Look at this map!  (Map #8)*  Bethlehem is where Jacob will bury Rachel.

Naomi and Ruth will travel back to Bethlehem.

Bethlehem is the home of Jesse.

Mary & Joseph will travel to Bethlehem.

Jesus will be born in Bethlehem!

We do an outreach event in December called Night in Bethlehem.

/Take a step back in time to a special night in history:  the night Jesus was born.

/We convert this FLC into a Bethlehem Marketplace.

This will happen on Friday, December 6 from 5 to 9PM.

If you have little children or know of someone who has little ones – this event is especially effective.

However, we need some help!

We need some volunteers!

* (Note volunteer list!)*

            God tells Samuel to go visit Jesse of Bethlehem because God /has chosen //one of his sons to be king!/  *Let’s keep reading!*  *Find verse 2!  (Read 2-6!)*

I have a hard time believing that Samuel would fall for that.

The people chose Saul because he was externally impressive!

I rarely if ever recite poems, but here we go!  *(Use Preacher poem)  *Now, may I make an observation?

/That minister needs to repent!

You can’t judge people based on their looks!

So what if this man hasn’t shaved!/  *Underline verse 7 in 1st Samuel 16!*    I have two $20 bills right here.

One is in bad shape.

My question is bad shape or not don’t they both hold the same value?

*Go to verse 8!  (Read 8-12)*  /Hey that doesn’t make sense.

Appearance doesn’t make for a king, but on the flip side "ugly" doesn’t either!

/You can only serve God if you’re pretty!

NO!

You can only serve God is you’re ugly!  NO!

You serve God because you share HIS heart!

Apparently David did!  *Go back to the end of verse 12.  (Read 12b-13)* 

            David is 16.

He will wait another 14 years before he’s actually King, but what David doesn’t have to wait for is God’s spirit!

God is with David!

David is described as “a man after God’s own heart!”

Now what does that mean?

AND SO WHAT GREG?  God has David’s heart!

What does that mean to me?  *Are you ALL IN?  *Pretend this stage is cut in half.

*Here’s the dividing line!

This side means I’m in!

This side means I’m out!  *Now be careful how you treat people who are considered out!  Jesus didn’t treat them as the enemy!

We shouldn’t either.

Matthew 9 tells us he treated people with compassion – he saw them as harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd!

Jesus came to seek and save people who are LOST!

Lost people struggle with direction.

They don’t know which way to go or the direction they did go has led to a dead end!  *BUT THIS SIDE!  *This side means I believe in God and I trust what Jesus did on the cross HAS rescued me from sin and permanent death!

I am a follower of Jesus!

I am not a fan.

I am not a spectator Christian.

I don’t come for 70 minutes on Sunday!

I am His and He is mine!

I AM ALL IN! 

            *Now the worst possible place to be is one foot here and one foot there!*

In one word – that’s miserable!

Are you like, /“There are days I believe in God and then there are times when I think He’s non-existent!