They're going to do one of two things, the same thing people do. in church. They're either gonna listen or they're gonna tune them out. They're going to turn it against him and they're going to turn it for God. Again, many don't like their conscience spoken to.
David, when s Nathan said, you're the man. He spoke right to his conscience. David had a choice, he could have that at that moment, David could have become like Saul. but he decided to become like David. And it's a beautiful story.
This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of 1 Samuel. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio, specifically, how you can get a free copy of this teaching.
Now, here is Pastor Rick in 1 Samuel chapter 12 with this edition of Cross-Reference Radio. Samuel is mentioned here, and the Septuagint they use Samson's name 'cause Samson is the one, the next one in the list. I think the Hebrew is more accurate. Not the Septuagint. But when they disagree, it's not on a major issue, it's not a doctrinal issue.
It's just was it Samson or Samuel? And if you say, I pick Samuel, I pick Samson, one's not going to hell, and the other is going to heaven because they picked the right one or the wrong one. God, I Face is the substance of things hopeful, the evidence of things not seen. I believe God has left things purposely. Perplexing.
To force us through the straight and narrow. It wouldn't be straight and narrow otherwise. It'd be broad and wide. I just essayed into heaven. There was no need for faith.
The facts were right there in front of me. I didn't have to do any thinking. It was so easy. That's not how it is. How it is, is you've gotta cut you've gotta machete your way.
It's the pilgrim's progress. You know, read the story, what a track they get just to get the burden off his back. Then, once he got that off the back, the things were the giant, the castle of despair. where The giant would come in and beat them merciless every day. And Bunyan is talking about life, his emotions, his depression.
His sense of defeat as he's in jail and he's not out, he can't get out of me for preaching. He's in jail for preaching the gospel in a nation that claims to be under God. And he puts it into storyline. Anyway, verse 12: And when you saw Nahash king of the Amorites. came against you.
You said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us. When Yahweh your God was your king, there it is. He said, Well, I don't get this. Samuel, I don't get it. What do you mean you're asking for a king?
You've got one. And you want a lesser one? You you're not ha comfortable with a a judge who is slash a prophet Who speaks to you from God, you want someone who you can. boast about That you can dress in fine robes and parade about as an extension of your own pride. You can just project all of your carnality into Him.
And you're willing to pay for this? We have Many used it. Have their parents pay heavy money for them to go off to the universities and become full-blown atheists. It's a sick real world. And if you don't fight You get abused.
And that's how it is spiritually in any other way.
Well, The Ammonite king was what they were interested in. Just having a prophet going around in robes, who just wasn't cutting it, and the high priest, you know, he was quite bedazzling in his garb, but still he wasn't a king. And that's a danger that God's people face: wanting to be like those who hate Yahweh. That's the whole thing with Jehoshaphat. He just couldn't shake it.
You can meet a girl or a boy. I've seen it mostly in young women, they're just attracted to bad boys. Slight Why?
Well, because he's bad.
So is his breath. Anyway. Verse 12. It's not, then there's sorrow, a lot of sorrow. Just look.
Life is hard every way you turn, but it's not impossible and it can be made to count. And you who suffer in Jesus' name, don't think for one moment that Jesus owes you, but you will find out that he will not be indebted. He will bless. If not in this life, and that's where faith kicks in. We have to accept that.
The world accepts it. They can send their boys to the beaches of Normandy to be slaughtered by machine guns without Christ. How much more should we be? Focused on what's happening after we get out of here. Verse 13: Now, therefore, here is your king.
Whom you have chosen, whom you have desired, take note. Yahweh has set a king over you. I don't think his tone was like mine, kind of disgusted. I think Samuel was really wanting to bless the people. Here's your king, you asked for him, you've got your God.
And me, I'd be rolling my eyes, twirling my hair.
Well, I've never had get a wig, but I would do it.
So they were free to choose a monarchy. They were not free to choose the monarch. Uh not at this point. God hides his reasons sometimes. And sometimes he doesn't.
When he doesn't, it's called revelation. When he does, when he reveals what he's up to, his reasons, that's revelation. When he hides it, It's a mystery, and we move by faith. We say, Well, he's not telling me, but that's not enough for me to stop following. Verse 14: If you fear Yahweh and serve him and obey his voice, and do not rebel against.
The commandment of Yahweh, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the Lord your God. If you fear him and serve him, the dramatic forces here. In Samuel's presentation, In the presence of Saul, he is saying this, he's charging the people. With sin. If you fear Yahweh and serve him and obey his voice again, verse 14, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then.
Both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following Yahweh your God. Against Saul is right there. And what's going to happen next chapter? Saul's going to just throw all this out the window. Is it dramatic force when someone says Oh, she's going to church?
And you counter with you going to hell? I mean, that's what the attitude I mean, why do they get to get the shots? I think it's fine for us to counter those things. It's, you know, I can't believe you're so lame. Why would you want to do that?
You know, it smells like sulfur there. I'm kidding about that. Yeah.
Well, okay. I don't care for it, Lord, when your people have no humor. And it's really irritating.
So let's come back to this.
So he speaks again to their conscience. He's bringing it home to the deep part, he's hitting them. And they're going to do one of two things, the same thing people do. in church. They're either going to listen or they're going to tune them out.
They're going to turn it against them and they're going to turn it for God. Again, many don't like their conscience spoken to. Um David, when s Nathan said, You're the man. He spoke right to his conscience. David had a choice.
He could have that at that moment David could have become like Saul. but he decided to become like David. And it's a beautiful story, the life of David. Israel would be unrecognizable if God did not give us a man like David. And there would have been no David had there been no Samuel.
And you can just link it all the way back. All the way back. to Abel. What would have happened if there was no Enoch to influence his generation a little bit? What if Noah wasn't the way he was?
Certainly, Noah would have. Heard these stories. Verse 15.
However, if you do not obey the voice of Yahweh, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, The hand of Yahweh will be against you. As it was against your father, Saul, can you hear me? Is there a Saul here tonight? Is there a Saul going to listen later? Is there somebody that has been appointed by God to do something, and all the right things are being passed over because they want to do what they want to do in God's name, which is going to be Saul.
As we start opening, peeling back the layers of Saul, we're going to find somebody that speaks the language, talks about sacrifice, talks about Yahweh. but really has no intention Of being the king God called him to be. And we find. People I'm a Christian And they just don't do what God clearly says. They have little things that are big to God.
They just, nobody should go to church. What kind of nonsense is that? Where'd you get that? What part of hell did you receive that from? The south side.
You can't move them. It's like it's right there in the word. How do you get to pick out the ones you like and black out the ones you don't like? How do you do this? It's not a game.
This is your soul involved. Because if you're going to do it like this, Going to do it like this everywhere else. And this is why these characters like Saul are in the Bible versus a man like Samuel.
So you look at the story, you say, Who am I going to be in this story? I would look at Gormer Pyle and I say, I'm never going to be like Gomer Pyle and be like Sergeant Carter. But the only difference is First chance I get, I'm shooting Gomer Pyle.
Some of you don't even know who Gomer is. caught her but I don't know how to make it into your language. Maybe if we sat down and you paid for the meal, I could figure something out. Verse 15.
Deuteronomy 28, but it shall come to pass if you do not obey the voice of Yahweh, God, observe carefully all of his commandments and his statutes which I command you today. That all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.
So they knew this was coming.
So, here, fast forward, here we have Christians trying their best to obey and failing, but still saying, God, I know I'm wrong. I want this fixed. They're not saying it's okay. That's the distinction. Between people like Samuel and all the righteous Jews versus the ones that.
played the game. And Uh he's he he's telling them right here, flat out. Whether you have a king or not, if you forget God and turn to other gods, neither you nor your king will be able to do anything about the consequences of judgment. Jeremiah 2:13, for my people have committed two evils. They're forsaking me.
the fountain of living waters. That's not enough. Wasn't enough that they just weren't interested in me. They actually went out and made fake gods to follow.
So he continues: and hewn for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. Those are the fake gods. They can't help you. They can quench nothing. And you know what they did when they heard it, most of them?
They continued to do it. They knew he was right. I mean, Jeremiah's no less than how many? I think five people, no less than. He said, you know, you're going to be dead in like a week or so.
They dropped dead. Two of them roasted in the fire of Nebuchadnezzar. He said, you're going to roast, and they did. Verse sixteen.
Now, therefore, stand and see the great thing which Yahweh will do before your eyes is today not the wheat harvest I will call to Yahweh. and He will send thunder and rain. That you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great. That you have done in the sight of Yahweh, and asking a king for yourselves. Boy, Samuel's laying on him.
It's like, this is my last chance to let you people know. Like the words of a scholar, hard-driven nails, you messed up. But God is merciful, and you have a chance to fix this. You got your king, now, do the right thing. Don't make the bad mistake worse.
You say, why did God grant them a king? Because if you shut people down constantly when they're wrong, You create a condition where they just go wild. I'm not talking about Some things, of course, must be met with intolerance. Other things, you just got to sometimes take it. Because the alternative is not worth it.
And that's what God was saying.
Okay, they want a king, they're going to get a king, because if now I have to. Deduce the reasoning of God at this point. He must be saying that if I don't give him a king, they're going to get. You're going to be worse off. Has to be some reason because God says in His Word, He does everything with a reason.
Well, verse 18.
So Samuel called Yahweh, and Yahweh sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared. Yahweh and Samuel. See, there's that man of God praying. and getting results. The miracle is found in verse 17.
Is today not the wheat harvest? It never rained. In that part of Israel, During that part of the year, I don't know, mid-May, mid-June, never. especially heavy rains. And if it did have a heavy rain, you're at the risk of flash flooding.
And that is why the people were terrified. And so he called for rain. Out of season. It's like asking for snow in July. That's how radical.
Imagine we had a church picnic, and the pastor gets angry. Who drank all the coffee? I'm calling down snow. And uh And it starts snowing, get a foot of snow. Uh that I would like to do that one day.
I wouldn't repeat it. It's a little just over the top. But once would be nice.
So it's the wheat harvest. It's not supposed to be rainy, cause rain. There you go. Just little things in the Bible that are just quite profound.
So they know who belong to God. Verse 19. And all the people said to Samuel, pray for your servants to Yahweh, your God.
Now that's when the people mentioned Yahweh. that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins The evil of asking for a king. See, that's what I meant. They're going to say, yep, you're right.
Now Back to that royal business. They understand there's no confusion here. It's still okay, you're right, give us a king. Verse 20. Then Samuel said to the people, Do not fear.
You have done all this wickedness. Yet do not turn aside from following Yahweh. To serve Yahweh with all your heart. Here, the prophet is saying, Yeah, you're goofed, but there's a bigger thing, there's something bigger here. Stop serving the fake gods.
Alright, you sinned by asking for a king when Yahweh was your king. He granted it. And my opinion was that, you know, he Right move to make. Obviously, God did the right thing. But the point that stands out is he is saying There's more to the story.
You're going to get another chance. Verse 21. And do not turn aside. And then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. What is an idol, Paul said?
Nothing. And the people of Hupaul, you know, they so in ancient Corinth, The fake gods, the people would bring their oxen and whatever animals to offer to the fake gods. And they had so much meat. left over that they sold it in shops next to the temples. And if you wanted a really good deal on on uh, you know, beef, That's where you would go.
And the Christians got on to that. You know what? You can't believe how much beef you can get for a nickel. And they would go and buy, you know, get an idle burger and sit in something that's pretty good. And then the younger Christians.
Oh yes, that meat's been offered to idols And Paul says, So, what's an idol? It's nothing. It's just nothing but. Unless I make my brother stumble, I'll have a hot dog somewhere else, pay fifty cents. That's the life we live in.
Don't be that guy that comes up and you're eating an idle burger. It's really, it's nothing. It's not like you're going into the temple worshiping God. You're just eating the meat. And so Samuel says, for they are nothing, those idols.
Jeremiah 6:16.
So he says, Don't turn aside. As Moses said, as Joshua said, neither to the right nor the left, stay straight. Jeremiah 6:16, Thus says Yahweh, stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths. Where the good way is. and walk in it.
Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said We will not walk in it. How heartbreaking. You raise up a child in the way they should go and they're not getting it. And the parents have to certainly say, well, You might not go that way, but I'm going this way.
I'm going that straight, narrow path, and I'll leave the door unlocked and the light on for you. Verse twenty-two. For Yahweh will not forsake his people for his great name's sake. Because It has pleased Yahweh to make you his people.
So, God is doing His thing, they're doing their thing.
Okay, let's go back to the parent or anybody that's a loved one. You have a loved one that's not lost, and they're on your heart. And there they are outside, you know, twirling around or doing whatever they do. And you are praying for them. And nobody knows you're praying for them that much except you, God, and hell.
That's where the fight is. That's the fight. They don't have to know. They don't have to appreciate. They don't have to come to you and say, mom, dad, or daughter, son, whatever the relationship with co-worker.
They don't have to come to you and say, thank you for praying for me. Because we're not asking permission. We'll fight this fight on your behalf. And win. We're not fighting to come out even.
We are going for blood. the enemy's blood. Make m sure we understand this. Have your little landmarks. If you drive a certain place there all the time, every day for work, have your landmarks with that I start prayer at this point.
For such and such an issue. Every single time I come to this. Overpass, or this gas station, or whatever it may be, I pray for that person. Don't overdo it. You don't want to burn out.
But do it. And just know that The results aren't in my hand, but the prayers are. I'm responsible for this. And we can hurt hell back. I think a defiant spirit is necessary to pull off Christianity.
Just some do it very lovingly. You know, my pastor Chuck Smith, when he got older, he was so loving in the way he did it. But when he was younger he was a lot tougher. I mean his presentation wasn't always that way. Me, I just have it together.
Uh I don't know, it's not my doing, I just Uh I'm never too harsh. I'm really in my head I'm not, but it comes out that way, and it's like, oopsie. Verse 23, moreover, As for me, far it be for me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and right way. You see, Samuel says, I don't care what you're doing, but I know what I'm doing. He realized that prayer was Action in the spiritual realm.
That is a whole nother world. In this world, you put your finger on a stump and you hit it with a hammer, you're going to have instant pain, instant results. In the spiritual realm, it's not so instant. It's a whole nother thing. To pray is to work.
Colossians chapter 1. This is Epaphorus, who probably was a pastor in Colossee, but came to Paul to say, Paul, we got big problems in Colossee. And so Paul writes to that church and he mentions Paphras who's with him. He says, As you also learn from Paphras. Our dear fellow servant, Who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf?
So there's.
Someone who labors Because labor is prayer. and prayer is labor. They're connected. And if you pray a lot, you know it's work.
So far I have not missed a night on my knees praying. And I'm a little, you know, sometimes, so I feel like, you know, I've got a hitting streak going on. Like, man, I don't know if I can keep this up. Maybe there's something I mean, a heart attack's gonna get in the way. I'll be climbing out the bed.
I gotta get on my knees. Uh And so it started when I was a a Christ new Christian. And just thinking about praying, and I remembered, I never saw my dad go to bed without, I'd always see him on his knees praying before he got in bed. And I said, I'm going to do that. And I managed to pull it off.
And sometimes I was so tired. I'm like, man, I ate too many of those Twinkies. That's a good idea.
Okay, sorry, too much. Let's go back to Colossians for this time.
So, in chapter 1, verse 7 of Colossians, we see Epaphras. Laboring working And then we see him in a man of prayer in chapter 4, verse 12 of Colossians. Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you always, laboring fervently for you in prayers that you may stand perfect and complete in the will of God. And so there he is. He's just this man of action and this man of prayer.
Verse 24, only fear Yahweh, serve him in truth. With all your heart. for consider what great things he has done for you. Fear, this is not fear, this is fear born of truth, not born of terror. Therefore, it does not produce terror, it produces truth.
I fear Between a holy God And a people who want him. David is. His fear of God was as a son feared a father. Galatians chapter 4. Therefore, You are also No longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, an heir of God through Christ.
I love that. It's like he's he's he's my father. And that's why Jesus spoke so much of God. They never heard God spoken of as Father so much. Until Jesus started preaching.
He says here in verse 24, and serve him in truth. Uh Holding to truth, very important, but being held by the truth, just as important, essential for a victorious faith. Truth is a separator. He says, with your Heart that is all of you, not just you know that um Organ, that's not just the feelings, it's all of us, the heart, the Brains and the will, for consider. What great things he has done for you.
Our gratitude is born out of thinking. You can't be grateful if you've not thought about it. We don't have to sit down and strike the thinker's pose. We just see on instantly, we know when someone's done something nice. You go to a door and someone holds it over, you say, thank you.
Because you know, your thoughts are they didn't have to do that for me, and they were nice enough to do so. And when you go through a door and someone doesn't hold it, don't you notice it? Don't you say, I wonder what car are they driving? Where is it parked? Where's my keys?
I don't do that. I'm just saying it because I know some of you may have that weakness. No, I don't seriously. Verse, anyway, consider the great things God has done for you. Jesus told that to the maniac with the demons cast out.
Go tell the good things God has done for you. Anyone here can't do that? Is there anybody listening that can't tell God thank you for something? And if you start, you'll find there are a lot of things. Verse 25.
But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king. Yeah.
That's how he's closing it. In closing, let me leave you with a happy note. He's not playing around here because he knows where this goes. He says, do you suppose that because God answered your cry for a king, that your treachery will somehow be excused? Do you think because, you know, And do you think that?
All their history attests to this. It's true. If you still do wickedly, You shall be swept away, both you and your king. Uh Uh Thanks for joining us for today's edition of Cross Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Virginia.
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