Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Samuel 10:9-10:26

Introduction

1.

All of the people of Israel were gathered together.

This was an important occasion.

They had demanded that God set a king over them.

And on this day their king would be chosen from amongst them.

Whose tribe would he be from?

Whose family?

Some may even have wondered if they were to be the one chosen.

2. And so Samuel, the prophet and priest of God brings forth the tribes.

The tribe of Benjamin is chosen.

He brings forth the clans, one by one.

The clan of Matri is chosen.

Hhe brings forth the families within this clan and the family of Kish is chosen.

And then from the family of Kish, Saul is chosen as king.

3. Samuel wants to present their first king to the people.

But there is a problem.

Saul is missing, he is not to be found.

Where is he?

Did he not show up?

The Lord knows where Saul is.

And He tells the people "He has hidden himself among the baggage."

4. As we will see Samuel knew that He had been chosen by God to be king, but he hid hoping that he could avoid this task that God had given him.

5.

This morning I have a question that each one of you must answer, to God and to yourselves.

Are you hiding among the baggage?

As individuals and together as a church?

6.

As we look at Saul, let us ask ourselves, "Can I can see any similarities between Saul and myself?" "Am I hiding among the baggage?

I.                   Saul seems to be qualified for the position.

A.     We are first told about him in 1 Samuel 9:2.

§  This could mean that he had a kingly stature.

He stood out above all the others.

B.     God chose Saul

§  In chapter 9 when Samuel sees Saul, God tells him "this is the man" who will govern my people.

C.     1 Samuel 10,Samuel anoints Saul as the king of Israel.

§  Anointed into this position but also empowered by God to carry out his task.

D.     God changed Saul.

§  He changed his heart so that Saul was receptive to God’s spirit working within him, to hearing God speak to him.

And so we read that he joined a group of prophets as they were prophesying.

§  Those who knew him could see that he was different.

§  Saul had been chosen and empowered by God to lead His people.

\\ II.

But when this was to be made public he hid among the baggage.

A.     We also have been chosen and empowered by God to serve Him.

§  1 Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

§  Each one of us has been chosen by God to be His disciple and to make known to others what He has done.

We have been given the Holy Spirit to serve Him.

To proclaim His name and salvation to this community, to this city.

B.     Are we doing this?

§  Do people know that you are God’s child and are you showing His word and love to others?

§  Or are you hiding among the baggage?

18. Friends, we are hiding among the baggage.

We have mentioned just some of the baggage we have.

The failure to trust God, the fear of man, self-negativism and religiousity.

But we may also carry the baggage of unforgiveness and the failure to confess past sins.

Of complacency and self-absorption.

We have accumulated much baggage over the year.

III.

What is the baggage you hide amongst?

20.

I believe God wants to do much through us.

That He wants us to worship Him more with all our heart and soul.

To be released from the baggage that restrains our worship.

That is why we can learn from Herb when he shouts to the Lord.

I believe God wants us more active in our community.

To show people we care because God cares.

To do this we need to get out from the baggage.

To step out in boldness.

To take authority in the name and love of Christ.

21.

It means I have baggage to shed.

To get rid of.

And so do you.

I am very comfortable here, many of us are.

But our comfort must be in the Lord not in traditions and not in a lack of fervour in serving God.

22.

Let us get out from amongst the baggage.

Let us give our baggage to the Lord.

To be freed from the burden of carrying them.

23.

To serve Him and to proclaim Him regardless of the cost.

\\ 1 Samuel 9:16-10:24

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

the deaths in Sanford last week, the accident on 46 in Geneva, all serve to remind us that life is fragile, time is limited, and tomorrow is not promised.

What makes the tsunami even more tragic, is that while the wave itself could not have been prevented, the death toll could have been significantly lowered if people on the shore had received even a few minutes of an early warning that might have allowed them to leave the beaches and move as far inland as possible.

They were not warned.

Yesterday, I led a graveside service at Deltona Memorial Gardens.

I happened to get there a little early, so I walked around the cemetery and looked at some of the headstones nearby.

I was amazed at the number of young people I saw buried there.

There were several teens there, and some people in there 20’s.

I saw many places where children were buried.

As I walked and looked I wondered, were they ever warned?

Did anyone take the time to tell them to get ready?

Saul and his servant went looking for some lost donkeys one day and since they couldn’t find them, they decided to go see the prophet Samuel to see if he could tell them where the donkeys were.

Before they got there, God told Samuel that Saul was coming and told him what to do.

That’s where we take up this account.

- Read 1 Samuel 10:1-10, 17-24

There are several items about this encounter I would like you to notice, several similarities in this passage I see between Saul and us.

1. Chosen by God – First notice that Saul was chosen by God.

- Read 1 Samuel 9:16-17

It was not by chance that Saul happened to go to town that day.

It was not an accident that caused him to arrive when Samuel was in town.

God arranged it because Saul was chosen by God.

My friend, I want you to know that it was not by accident that you had the opportunity to hear the Gospel.

It was not an accident nor luck of the draw that caused a person to first share the good news with you.