How to Run from God's Call On Your Life

6 · Addresses the congregation's desire for Saul-like clarity about calling and argues that Christians already have equivalent or greater clarity through Scripture's explicit calls to roles (Christian, spouse, parent, family member, churchman, worker, community servant) and that Scripture emphasizes how to do the work more than what specific work to do

Now, I think this is one of the moments where we go, okay, well, that sounds like a big task. But I also wish that I had somebody like Samuel to tell me exactly what to do with my life. Wouldn't you like that? Some days when you're wrestling with your calling to just have a prophet you bump into, which is what happens with Saul. He bumps into a prophet, essentially, and the prophet says, here's exactly what you're gonna do. You're like, okay. Whew. That's. Man, I wish. I wish that would happen to me. Maybe you're in the middle of college. Maybe you're post college. Maybe you're trying to figure out your life. Maybe you're thinking a midlife career change. Maybe you're going, what am I supposed to do with my life? Why am I here? What's going on? And you think, I wish somebody would give me some clarity about my calling. Well, here's good news. Your calling Christian, is in many ways as clear, if not more clear, than Saul's calling. And here's what I mean by that. Scripture is full of clear calls to roles and tasks that. That he has already laid out in his word. So think of some of these with me. First. You. If you are a Christian, you are called to follow God and obey him. Right? Your first calling is as a Christian. And often times we look over that. Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah. What. What about my job? No, first, start there. You're called to be a Christian. You're called to have character that looks like Jesus. You're called to follow him in his Word. That's your first calling. And then you may be called to a bunch of other things. You may be called to be a husband or to a wife. To be a wife. And you might think, well, I just. You know, I'm just a husband or wife. No, no, no. You're not just a husband or wife. You are called to be a husband. You are called to be a wife. If you're a husband, you're called to love your wife like Christ loved the church. And if you're a wife, you're called to bring strength to your husband and your family where it is needed. According to scripture's language, that's a calling. Or maybe you're a parent. If you are a parent, you are called to that task. You're. That is a role God has given you. And it comes with a set of tasks and charges. In the scriptures. You may Be called to be a son or a daughter or a sister or a brother, be part of a family. God has called you into that family. Now, I don't know that some of those may or may not hit you, but these others are called calls for everyone. You are called to be a churchman. What I mean by that is you're called to build the church of Jesus Christ. That is what God is doing in this generation and every generation until the return of Christ. You're called to that work, to be a living stone, to be united with his body. And you are called to work. You're called to do something with your time that God has set in front of you. Now, here's the thing. I. I think some people are probably going to. Okay, great. I'm called to work. But how do I get clarity on what kind of work am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to do this? Am I supposed to change careers? Should I get out of this business? Should I get into this business? Should I get in. I already got into the business. How do I get out of the business? Like, you end up in that world. And here's the clarity of scripture. Scripture says way less, almost nothing about the type of work you're meant to do, and it says everything about how you're to do it. Meaning you're called to work hard as unto the Lord and not for man. You are called to be a witness. You're called to be a light. You're called to work hard in a way that glorifies God. That is a calling. So you might think, well, but this. I'm just holding this job down for a few months because I'm interested. No, no. You're called there for that time and last. You are called to bless and serve your community. Just like God called his people in exile to go into the city and work for the good of the city, that they might do good, as the New Testament calls us to do good to everyone. We're meant to do good in front of us, to our neighbors and our. Our fellow citizens. Here you see all those. I bet you didn't walk in thinking, I've. I'm a called person. But you absolutely are. You've been called to many, if not all of those things.

7 · Qualifies the previous unit by acknowledging the possibility of specific missionary callings while reinforcing that the congregation's problem is not lack of clarity but avoidance of the clear callings they already have

Now, I'm not saying that without prayer and counsel, you can't, you know, receive a call to go to Africa and be a missionary. That would be wonderful. But what I am saying is so often we're looking for the clarity of Saul's calling, but we're missing that we have similar clarity about our callings. The problem is we're often trying to, like, get them out of the way. Like, yeah, yeah, Christian, Yeah, yeah, husband. Yeah, yeah, whatever. You know, where's my real calling? No, no, no. Those are your callings.

8 · Expounds the three miraculous signs God gives Saul (finding the donkeys, receiving bread from travelers, prophesying with the prophets) as threefold confirmation of God's providence, provision, and power accompanying Saul's calling

And then God confirms the call. This is so gracious of God. God confirms the call. Knowing how large a task is set before Saul, God graciously confirms to Saul three separate ways that God is with him. It's like three times, I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm with you. The first I am with you is these donkeys that. That Saul has been looking for in the countryside. His dad says, go out and find these donkeys. They ran off. I don't know. So he's trying to chase them down. That's how he runs into Samuel. And miraculously, God says, hey, as soon as you leave, you're going to find him. And so that's what happens. He leaves. Boop. There they are. Oh, my gosh. Okay. I've been looking for days. What is that meant to do? It's meant to reassure Saul that God's providence is with him. The. The sovereign hand of God that has called him to the task will be with him through the task. Then there's a second miracle. He meets three travelers, and God tells him exactly what each of them is going to be carrying. And in fact, that the one of the guys who has three loaves of bread would offer him two of the loaves. Seeing that Saul is tired and hungry. He's been out in the countryside, and that's what happens. I mean, that would be a cool confirming sign. Let me just say, like, if I'm like, man, I'm so hungry for lunch, and God just would send a guy, boom, here you go. Why does the Lord do that? Because he's helping Saul. See, he will give him what he needs. God will provide what Saul needs. And the third sign is this very unusual and powerful moment where Saul meets some prophets and he is filled with the spirit and begins to prophesy. And side note, there doesn't. Don't think that spiritual gifts all of a sudden just pop up in the New Testament like that. That's where they're created. No, no, no. They're threaded throughout the Old Testament as well. And in this moment, Saul is being filled with the spirit and is able to do something supernatural in a way that shows him God's power is with him. Right. God is saying, I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm with you.

9 · Applies Saul's threefold confirmation to the Christian experience, drawing parallels between Saul's signs and biblical promises of God's providence (Romans 8:28), provision (Matthew 6), and power (indwelling Holy Spirit) for believers

And we have similar confirmations, don't we? Right? We, we are assured of God's providential care in places like Romans 8:28. Right. Which reminds us that, that God will work all things together for the good of those who love God and are called to his purposes. You have that first Son in a sense in your Christian life. And then you're thinking, well, I would love to, to be assured God would provide for me. Yes, you have the assurance. Matthew 6, Jesus says, Do not be anxious about what you're going to eat or what you're going to wear. God will give you what you need. You have that assurance there as well. And you may be thinking, well, I'd like to have some kind of supernatural power. If you are in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit living and dwelling in you, right? This, this, these confirmations aren't just for Saul, they're for us as well. The Lord is saying, my providence will be with you. My provisional will be with you. My power will be with you. And that makes all the difference when God sets an opportunity in front of us.

10 · Personal story of the preacher's wife recognizing God's call to serve as PTA treasurer through the alignment of prayer, need, and her specific skills, illustrating how God sets opportunities before believers and confirms calling through providence

Let me give you one example in our family. So last year Jen and I were praying for ways to be involved in our kids school. We're praying that we'd be able to be a blessing there, that we'd really know that place, the campus that they're on and point people to Jesus. And so Jen is sitting in a PTA meeting and they need a treasurer for the pta. Now the treasurer for the PTA is like the job nobody wants to do, right? It's like, great, you can keep a bunch of accounting done for free. Like that's. And it's really high stakes. If you don't do it right, you're going to lose a nonprofit status. And so of course everyone's just like, I wonder who that's going to be. But Jen is sitting there and she just happens to have a background both in nonprofits and has done a decent amount of accounting and other things. She just, they're like, well, the ideal person would be somebody who has experience and accounting for nonprofits. And Jen just goes, you know, like, I guess that's me. And what's funny is I love that because when she came home and we talked through it at first I was like, oh man, I wish somebody else could do it. But she had such a sense of faith of like, I think this is what we've been praying for. God just set this opportunity. Now it ended up being even more time consuming and challenging than we expected, but I believe we were right. And she was right in saying, I think God's called me to this. He's put me there. He's given me the skills. I think he's called me to this.

11 · Calls the congregation to examine their own callings and introduces Christ as the true and better Saul who faithfully fulfills God's call through a decade of carpentry, three years of itinerant ministry, and ultimately the cross, establishing Him as both example (Christus exemplar) and the model for faithful obedience

So, friend, ask yourself, what has the Lord called you to do? Where in your life are you called to follow Jesus lead? Now I do want to say that intentionally because when we think about following Jesus, we think about Christ as our Savior, but Christ is also our example. Christus exemplar and it is so helpful to think of the example of Jesus we are following. Jesus in many ways is the true and better Saul, who receives a call from God and receives the power from God, but he always does it faithfully in every respect, right? He is faithful. Think about this. Jesus is faithful to God's call even when it meant more than a decade of carpentry. Because Jesus begins his ministry at age 30. And you may be thinking, well, what did he do before age 30? Well, he was a carpenter, probably in the, in the trade of his father. And so you might think, well, you don't understand, Ricky. I'm stuck in a dead end job and I want to wait. I know God has a calling for me in the future. Well, Jesus had the same thing, spent a decade faithfully laboring out in the country in a smaller town. And then he was faithful. You know, his next job was itinerant homeless, non paying vocational ministry. I don't know if that's a step up or down, right? At least it's a carpenter. You got a steady paycheck and you have a house. You know, this is just. We're wandering around teaching people for three years. And then his calling, as we know, well, set before him in the garden of Gethsemane, is to go to the cross to accomplish God's plan of redemption. And even while he sweats drops of blood, he does not flinch, he does not move away from the calling of God. That's who we're following, friends. That's what it means to be a Christ follower, following in that call.

12 · Transitions to the second major section examining Saul's cowardice

But second section of the text, the cowardice, the call and then the cowardice.

13 · Expounds 1 Samuel 10:15-16 where Saul conceals from his uncle the call to kingship and the miraculous signs, reporting only about finding the donkeys, establishing the beginning of a pattern of passive avoidance

Now you may be thinking, well, those three miraculous signs sure would have convinced me to start getting on with the Lord's work. But sadly, that is not what happens. Look at verse 15. Saul is met by his uncle. And the uncle says in verse 15, please tell me what Samuel said to you. And Saul said to his uncle, he told us plainly that the donkeys had been found. End of story. And you're thinking, aren't you leaving some pretty big things out? I mean, do you want to call, Talk about the calling God gave you? Do you want to talk about the miraculous signs he confirmed it with? And Saul, he just tells. Yep, you found the donkeys. That's. That's it? That's your whole report? Yep. You know, that's what he's doing with his uncle. And. And lest we read into this too much, I think it's meant to be read and in a pattern of passivity, beginning here, but continuing forward, that Saul has been given something to do and he should be preparing himself to do it. But instead, he doesn't even share the news with anyone.

14 · Expounds Samuel's charge to Israel in 1 Samuel 10:17-19, explaining that Israel's request for a king was a rejection of God, but God will nevertheless use the kingship to teach and save His people

And it gets much worse from there. Look at verse 17. Now, Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah, and he basically charges them. He said to the people of Israel, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you. But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses. And you have said to him, set a king over us now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands. So we're going to get much more to this in a couple weeks. But the reason Saul is even put forward as a king, as Israel uniting under a king, is that Israel has grown weary of. Of not having a human king like the other nations. And so the Lord, even though they asked for the wrong reason, he's going to teach them a lesson and then give, use it still to save and help his people.

15 · Expounds the lot-casting process in 1 Samuel 10:20-22 that progressively narrows to Saul, emphasizing God's providential hand in the selection, and reveals Saul's cowardice when he hides among the baggage at the moment he is to be presented as king

And so look at verse 20. Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. Now, this is remarkable. Remember, they're not a democracy. They're not voting. Like, who the. Nobody's got campaign posters up for King of Israel. This rather, is them casting lots somehow. So imagine that if we were looking for a pastor, we would just take all the areas of the church and be like, west side, east side, northeast. We cast up. It's a northeast guy. And then we cast lots for community groups, you know, then we cast lots within that community group. And like, it's Jeremy, you know, that's what they're doing here. But it is so providentially clear, even through that means. It seems as though God has told Samuel to do this so that the people would see God's providential hand in It. And through those means, it's like, okay, it's gonna come from the tribe of Benjamin, which is a surprise if you know the Book of Judges. And within that, it's gonna be this family. And within that family, it's gonna be this guy. So verse 21. He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the matrites was taken by Lot. And look at this. Saul, the son of Kish, was taken by Lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. That's not great. Everyone's going, where is Saul? So they inquired again of the Lord, is there a man still to come? And the Lord said, behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.

16 · Vivifies the scene of Saul hiding among the luggage—a tall man trying to hide in baggage at his own inauguration—and traces the continuing pattern of passivity through the ceremony and his return home rather than taking up the work of kingship, characterizing it as cowardice

Now imagine this scene. The whole nation is assembled. I mean, it's like a presidential inauguration. You know, out on the national mall in D.C. there's thousands of people. They're all waiting. And it's like, the king's gonna come from this section, and in that section, this mini section, and that mini section, this smaller section, and it's gonna be this guy. And everyone looks around, where's the guy? And they find him trying to hide in the luggage. And this is even funnier if you know from the previous chapter that Saul is a head taller than everyone in Israel. So you have a huge guy, tall, with his head sticking out of the luggage, trying to. Trying to hide. Do you see the pattern? Right? You begin to see this passive pattern shown here. And so they. They. He should be meeting the call of God with. Embracing it, but instead he's avoiding it. He's hiding from it. So finally they gra. Essentially, they just grab him and make him come up to the podium. And then verses 23 to 25, they do the ceremony, they charge him with the law of God, they make him king, and then he goes home. You might think, wait, what? Yeah, it's like you're the president now, and instead of marching over to the. You know, to the White House, he just goes home. Where did he go? Nobody knows. Did he go home? Yes. That's what happens. I think this is a pattern of passivity. He doesn't want to talk about the work of God. He wants to hide from it. He doesn't want to take responsibility. And he really. I think it's right to say, scripturally, he is cowardly in these moments. There is a cowardice that. That defines the character of Saul throughout his life. Sadly, at points, and it seems as though it is here.

17 · Turns from judging Saul to self-examination, using a personal story of the preacher's own avoidance when his father had a health crisis and he wished for someone else to provide spiritual leadership, only to realize God had called him to that role

But lest we judge Saul and think, well, I'm glad I'm not like that. Let's turn the camera around to ourselves for just a minute, because all of us face moments in which God has clearly called us to a role and a task. But we are trying to hide among the luggage. A couple of years ago, my dad went through a major health crisis, and it affected him really, really grievously, physically and emotionally and spiritually. He had a very difficult few months. And the challenge was that my dad, he's. He's many ways just such a great father. And he's so faithful to encourage all of his extended family, including us, his kids and his grandkids, encourage us and point us to the Lord. And when crisis hits, he's often the guy saying, guys, let's trust the Lord. Let's go to the word. Let's pray here. Let's pray for this family member. And in this moment, he's not doing that. He's the one that needs care. And I remember thinking, man, I really wish there was someone in my family that could offer some spiritual encouragement. Right? I wish. I mean, he's just such a pastor to our family. It'd be so great if we had, like, another pastor in our family that could just kind of shepherd us. Right? And you're. Yes, I'm in the future too, as Brendan Reagan would say. I know that it was me, and I was praying, and it was like the Lord very gently said, that's why I've sent you into your family. That's why you're in your family. This is your call now for this moment. Man, don't we all face moments like that where we're just. Man, I really wish God would send somebody to do it. And the Lord says, yeah, that's why I sent you.

18 · Presses the application by asking where the congregation has hidden from God's call, noting that 90% of people carry regrets about sins of omission (things they should have done but didn't), making Saul's cowardice universally relatable

Look where, friend, have you hidden among the baggage in your life? I was reading this week that about 90% of people have some regret over their life as they look back on their life. 90% of people regret something, often something specific or a pattern. 90% of people, and my suspicion is that the other 10% are just lying. That they're just straight up lying. Nope. No regrets as they're crying? Nope. You know, all of us have these moments where we think, okay, we often are tuned in Christian circles to look for sins of commission, meaning I did something I shouldn't have done. But to not obey the Lord. There are also sins of omission, meaning I should have done something, but I didn't. I should have stepped up in that moment, but I didn't. I should have gone to that person and helped them. But I didn't. I should have made that phone call, but I didn't. But all of us walk around with. With those moments that we look a lot more like Saul hiding among the baggage than we want to admit.

19 · Establishes the doctrine of Christus vicarious (Christ as substitute) as the answer to the congregation's failures and regrets, proclaiming that Christ's perfect record covers believers' poor records through the gospel, offering healing from defining regrets

But this is where, friends, we have the benefit yet again of looking at Christ not only as Christus exemplar, but also as Christus vicarious Christ, the substitute. Because here is the good news of scripture. All of us, like Saul, fail in the things that God has given to us to do. But a true and better king named Jesus was in very much the same roles as Saul, except he did not turn aside. He did not flinch. And here's the good news about Christ, our substitute in Christ. Those of us with failures in our past can have the righteousness and story of Christ cover those failures by the blood of Jesus. Like I. I had just this sense this morning as I was praying about this message that there are. There are people here. That you have been defined almost by a regret in your past, a conversation you should have had, a thing you should have done, and you feel that often. And here is the good news. Apply Christus vicarious to that moment. Christ our substitute. Because that poor record of yours is covered by the perfect record of Jesus in and through the Gospel. And friend, you can find healing today really that the Word was coming to mind. You can find healing that rather than going your life regretting that moment, you go through your life saying, I'm so glad the blood of Jesus covers it. I'm so glad he was faithful even to cover that.

20 · Issues an evangelistic appeal to non-Christians, explaining that the gospel means Christ covers the failing record with His perfect record, defining conversion as repentance and faith rather than self-justification

And if you've not followed Jesus, if you've not become a Christian, if you would not say he is your Savior and Lord, that you have not definitively turned from your sins to follow him. This is why the gospel is such amazing news, is that that Christ our substitute means our failing record of things we shouldn't have done and things we should have done is covered by. By the record of Jesus Christ. That's what it means to be a Christian. Not that you can go back and rewrite your story so that it sounds better, but rather that Jesus would see it all in its ugliness and cover it with his blood. That's what it means to be a Christian. Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today. And you will be saved, friend. That's the second section. Cowardice.

21 · Transitions to the third major section examining Saul's courage

Third, the courage. My favorite section, the courage.

22 · Expounds the crisis in 1 Samuel 11:1-4 where Nahash besieges Jabesh-gilead and demands to gouge out their right eyes as the condition for surrender, and the city sends messengers hoping for rescue from a fractured Israel while Nahash assumes no help will come

Now look at verse chapter 11, verse 1. Then Nahash the ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, make a treaty with us and we will serve you. But Nahash the ammonite said to them, on this condition, I will make a treaty with you that I gouge out all your right eyes and thus bring disgrace on all Israel. So they're saying, hey, we surrender. He's like, awesome, I'll let you surrender if I can dig your right eye out of every fighting man so that you guys are humiliated among the surrounding nations. Horrible, horrible stuff. The elders of Jabesh said to him, give us seven days respite that we might send messengers throughout all the territory of Israel. Then if there's no one to save us, we will give up ourselves to you. And when the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people. And all the people wept aloud. Now this Nahash is probably thinking, sure, you can send your messengers. It's just going to humiliate you further. These guys, not long before were fighting a civil war not that many years ago. Of course, there's no other tribe that's going to come and help. Israelite is fractured. There's no one to unite them. And I'm going to take what I want from this city.

23 · Expounds 1 Samuel 11:5-6 where the Spirit of God rushes upon Saul and kindles his anger, identifying the Lord as the one who interrupts Saul's pattern of passivity and establishes the theological principle that God always goes before His people when He calls them

So Saul, who has again gone home, not to the White House, he's there waiting. And look at what happens. This is so beautiful, this slide towards passivity that's going to result in the destruction of the nation, is interrupted by someone you do not expect. Now look. Look at this with me now. Behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, what is wrong with the people that they are weeping? So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. And notice this, notice what interrupts this slide, verse 6. And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. Do you see this? The Lord is the one that interrupts the pattern. The Lord is the one that's interrupting all of our patterns as Christians. All of us were on the same slide. Saul was that our passivity would lead to death for us and for others. And yet the Lord is interrupts that moment. And the Lord, in a sense, goes out before Saul in this. This situation. Often I think it's easy for us to think, okay, if God's calling me to something, he must really need me to get out there and do it. And it's intimidating because I'm going first. I'm first through the door. I'm first. You Know, out of the airplane, I'm. I'm first, and I got to make something happen. No, friends, what we see in scripture is that when God calls his people to do things, God. God has always gone out ahead of them. He has always gone before him.

24 · Expounds Saul's decisive action in 1 Samuel 11:7 (cutting oxen and sending pieces as a summons), identifies it as a reversal of a Judges pattern, emphasizes that the Spirit was the first mover who gave Saul courage, and applies this as the foundation of Christian courage—that God goes before His people

And in this moment of holy rage, look at Wal, what Saul does. Verse 7. He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen. And then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man. So Paul, I mean, Saul, rather filled with righteous indignation at what this evil man is doing. The spirit rushes on him. The spirit. It's kind of like the spirit grabs Saul and makes him stand up and pushes him out to do what he needs to do. God interrupts the pattern. And then Saul was. With this righteous anger. He. Man, he goes to work. He sends a piece of an animal everywhere in the kingdom, which is a reference to the Book of Judges. We don't even have time to get into right now. But he reverses the pattern in the Book of Judges, and he basically, you get a piece of dead animal on your doorstep, and basically the word from the new king is, come out or we're going to have problems. Get off the couch and assemble. Otherwise, this is what's going to happen to your livelihood. I'm not messing around. Man up and get out here is what Saul is essentially saying. And so they come out. They come out as one person. Now, notice, though, who was the first mover? It was the Lord. The Lord is the one that rushes upon Saul, gives him the courage in this moment. And so it is with all of us. None of us are. Is the Lord pushing us out the door while he stands behind us? You know? No, he is out the door. He's saying, come on, let's go. Right? And that's good news. The foundation. Let me say it this way. The foundation of Christian courage is that God is already on the move. The foundation of Christian courage is that God goes before his people. So any area of your life, if you're thinking, man, I don't know if I have the power to be a husband or a son or a daughter or a worker in this place. I don't know if I have the power. The Lord goes before you, friend. The Lord is already on the move.

25 · Expounds Saul's brilliant military tactic in 1 Samuel 11:8-11 (overnight march, three-pronged pre-dawn attack), emphasizing that after the Spirit came upon Saul he still had to do the work using all his skills, illustrating the principle of 'do what your hand finds to do' with God's empowerment

And then Saul, finally, finally, you're like, come on, man. He finally decisively takes up the work of God and the ways of God. Very briefly, let's look at the ending of this story. In verse 8, when he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were 300,000 and the men of Judah 30,000. And they said to the messengers who would come. Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh, gilead, tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have salvation. And when the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. And therefore the men of Jabesh said, tomorrow we will give up ourselves to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you. So Saul sends these messengers, and they essentially say, buy us a day. Buy us one day. We'll be there. And so these men. The original language is actually quite funny because the men of Jabesh tell the other army, this bad army, tomorrow we will come out to you. Like, tomorrow, we'll come out tomorrow. Don't worry, we'll come out. But inwardly, they're thinking, the. The king, this evil king is thinking, okay, perfect. They're finally demoralized. They finally see that no one's coming tomorrow morning, everybody, you know, let's do an extra big feast because we're about to win and gouge out some eyes tomorrow, right? That's the atmosphere in this camp. But verse 11, the next day, Saul put the people in three companies, and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch. Now, you may miss this, but I know we've got some military guys here that'll see what's going on. So essentially what Saul does is he calls for an overnight march, which nobody expects. Overnight march. And they attack the enemy camp in the first watch, meaning right before dawn. So the time where everybody's like, deep, deep, you know, sleep, and nobody's waking up. There's, like, two guys on guard duty, and everybody's waking up probably a little tired because they were partying the night before. Right in the middle of that, bam, their entire camp is hit from all sides from three different directions by an army of Israelites. You see that? It's actually a brilliant tactic. And so I think we're meant to read, okay, so Saul had the spirit of God come on. In righteous anger, he sends this charge. But listen, he's still got work to do. And yet he goes about the work of God and does it. And doesn't he just. He doesn't just, like, do it halfway. He goes after it. And that's the kind of. Of attitude I think we're meant to have about the things God has called us to do. I think too often we're like, awesome, Lord, give me a strategy. And Lord's like, no, you come up with a strategy and I'll be with you. I've gone ahead of you. Do the actions you need to take in the language of the text. Do what your hand finds to do. Meaning use all of your skills, all of your gifts, all of your abilities. You go out and do what the Lord's called you to do.

26 · Expounds 1 Samuel 11:11b-15 showing Saul's complete victory, his merciful refusal to execute his critics (embodying covenant law), his acknowledgment that God worked salvation, and the renewal of the kingdom at Gilgal with worship, demonstrating that Saul takes up both the work and ways of God

And God blesses it. Look at verse 11B, it says, and they struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered so that no two of them were together. There wasn't one intact squad of soldiers at the end of this attack. It's utter chaos, utter defeat. Saul takes up the work of God fully. And then this is perhaps even more important. Look at verse 12. Then the people said to Samuel, who is it that said, shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men that we may put them to death. Now this is what kings would do in the ancient world once they ascended to the throne. Everybody who was a naysayer of that king, they're gone, right? We don't any naysayers, no second guessers in the foreign nations. You just a new administration comes, boom, kill everybody in the old one. That's what would happen. But Saul shows mercy, which seems to indicate that, that he actually did on some level take into his heart the reading of the law that Samuel did in that ceremony. The Lord, the Lord, merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. That's one of the mantras of the Old Testament law. And he embodies it in this moment. And then it continues in verse 13. But Saul said, not a man shall be put to death this day, for the today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel. And then Samuel said to the people, come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom. So all the people went to Gilgal, and therefore they made Saul king before the Lord. And Gilgal they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord. And there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

27 · Applies Saul's eventual faithfulness to the congregation, drawing the encouraging principle that it's never too late to take up what God has called you to do, and noting that most moments of courage are smaller and quieter than Saul's military victory

So they go from this moment of salvation. Saul acknowledges that the Lord was the one who made it happen. And then he and Samuel take the people and they renew the covenant. In a sense, they, they probably read the law, they probably worshiped, they offered sacrifices. And, and in this, Saul is not just taking up the work of God. He's taking on A military scale. He's taking up the work and ways of God as a ruler, as a king, as the one that God has sent to unify his people and, and to follow the Lord in his plans. Now, what are we to make of this, this final moment? Well, friends, I think in some ways it's so encouraging because you and I both saw Saul fail, fail, fail, fail, fail again. And yet in this moment, he leans into the work of God and God does something extraordinary through him. It should encourage all of us. It's never too late to take up what the Lord has called you to do. As long as the opportunity is set before you. You may think, man, I should have been reaching out to this person for years. You can reach out to him today. You may be thinking, man, for years, I. I should have been a better spiritual leader in my family as a dad. Well, you can start today. You may have had a neighbor that, that you've known for years. God wants you to build a relationship, and you haven't, but you can start today. That's the encouragement of this story. Saul leans in, and the Lord works through his work. And here's the reality. These moments of courage often are smaller and quieter than a big, flashy military victory.

28 · Personal story of Ken Mellinger, a terminally ill pastor who faced his final year with calm courage, recognizing God's call to complete a building project and invest in his family, demonstrating that courage in answering God's call can mean dying well to God's glory

I want to tell you just one of them. In January of this year, I had the opportunity to sit down and have lunch with a pastor in our family of churches. His name's Ken Mellinger. And at that lunch, you would never guess that he had a life changing diagnosis. At the lunch, he was vibrant. He's full of life. He's full of smiles, full of stories. But we asked him about his condition, knowing he'd had health issues. And he shared very bluntly, openly and very calmly that his blood cancer appeared to be spreading and that he appeared to be, barring a miracle, on his way to meet Jesus within the next 12 months. He just shared it like you would share the weather. This is what's happening. And so I began to ask questions, man, how are you thinking about that? What are you thinking for this year? And you know what he shared? He said basically two things he wanted to do before the Lord called him home. One was he was in the middle of a building project for a sister church in Sovereign Grace. He wanted to finish as much of the building project as he could. And the second was he wanted to have some time to invest some specific encouragements to his kids, kids and grandkids. That man had a. Had a call to that moment, both to that church and both to that family. And I'VE talked to both the pastors from that church and the members of that family. And Ken, his courage in that moment was unlike what the church or family had ever seen. Because do you see this? He saw that God's call on him in that moment was to die well to the glory of God.

29 · Applies the illustration by calling the congregation to stop delaying obedience, introduces Christ as victor (Christus Victor) who won a greater surprise victory than Saul's, explains how this undergirded Ken Mellinger's courage, and proclaims that Christ's victory should produce fearless courage in all believers

And I think too many of us are like, yeah, I someday I'll do God's call in my life. Someday I'll pursue that. Maybe he'll call me to something. Friends, you probably have opportunities just like that in your life to be the son or daughter that your parents need, to be the co worker that your co worker needs to have courage. Remember that courage is undergirded by these truths of Christ. One, that he's our example. Two, that he's our substitute. And three, the last truth about Christ is Christ is our victor. Christus Victor. That Jesus has gone ahead. He has won the battle far greater than Saul ever won. But he won it similarly with a surprise assault that no one expected. Confounding hell and Satan and the flesh and the world. And out of defeat, in the middle of the night, he pulls out a victory, right? The true and better Saul is the man, Jesus Christ, who won an eternal victory for his people. And that man is the man that Ken Melinger had his eyes on in the last year of his life. He was like, man, I am not dying. I am victorious in Christ. And all that death can do is take me in victory to my king. That's why he wasn't afraid. That's why he was sharing his news like he was talking about the weather. Because he had such a clear picture of the victory of Christ that had undergirded his courage and put steel in his spine. Brothers and sisters, the victory of Christ should do the same thing with us. What have we to fear? Right? Romans 8 tells us nothing. Not angels, nor demons, nor powers, nor principalities, nor hell itself, nor the flesh, nor the world. We can look at all of them with courage, knowing that Christ is victorious, that he is with us, that His. His righteousness covers our mistakes, and that he has gone ahead of us. Winning victory. Isn't that good news? It is good, good news.

30 · Issues a closing charge for the congregation to identify their specific role and task, apply the sermon's three truths (clear call, Christ covers mistakes, God goes before), and live as the most courageous people on the planet because of Christ's undergirding presence and victory

So just a closing encouragement that I just want to bring as we wrap this up. Where are you called to a role and a task. I just really want to encourage you. Do not leave today without settling in your mind. What is the area God's working on with you today? What role is it? Is it a family role? Is it a role at your work? Is it a role in the city? Is it a role as a citizen somewhere? What is that role? What is that task? And then apply this text to it. Remember that there is a clear call. Remember. Remember that if you failed before, the Lord covers your mistakes. And remember that God goes before you in victory. And if. Look, guys, if we. If we as Christians truly believe what we say, we believe we should be the most courageous people on the face of. Of the planet. I remember a kid growing up, his reputation was, this kid's not afraid of nothing. And it just became like his reputation. People like, bring him a snake. Look at this snake. Not afraid, you know, look at this thing. Not afraid of that either, you know? And once it started, he just had to keep going, right? He's just like, he's. I'm not afraid of nothing, kid. Like, what about spoiled milk? I'll drink it. I'm not afraid of nothing, right? Just. It's like one of those kids. Listen, in a truer, more spiritual sense, Christians should be that in the world around us, we should be known as the calmest, most valiant and courageous people on the planet because of the undergirding of Christ before us, behind us, within us, to our left, to our right, he goes before us with the victory. Amen.

31 · Closing prayer asking God to bring healing to those with specific regrets by appropriating Christ's covering grace, and specifically praying for fathers in the church to embrace their calling with courage undergirded by Christ's character and covering

Would you stand and let's pray. Heavenly Father, I do pray specifically fill that category. I pray that category for that category rather of regret. Lord, there are just have a sense from the Lord, there are those in this room that have a specific regret in their life. And it is one that in quiet moments rolls around in the back of their mind something they should have done, they wished they had done. Lord, I pray that this message would not land on anyone as a do more, try harder message, but rather they would appropriate your grace and remember that those chapters of their lives they wish they could cover are already covered by the blood of Jesus if they are in Christ. Lord, I pray that you would just bring healing to some people today. Healing that only comes from knowing that you can cover what they can't. And I pray that that would bring them joy and relief today. And also, Lord, I just want to pray for. Lord, just have a sense to pray for the dads of our church. Oh, Lord, we need your help as fathers. And I join my brothers in saying that there are so many times I wish I had done something with my kids. I wish I had said this. I wish I had engaged better. I wish I had not done this. I wish I had done that. And Lord, we live in a world in many ways in which fatherhood as a calling is not seen as such. Fathers are not seen as important as they truly are. They're seen as optional or inessential or as a joke on a sitcom. But, Lord, I pray that you would help us as fathers. I pray for my brothers, Lord, that if you've given us children, you have called us to the role of a father. And, Lord, we just ask for your help. And we say, lord, we need courage to undergird us. We need courage to be spiritual leaders and spiritual fathers, the way that our wives or kids need. Lord, may we be bold men and gentlemen. May we be courageous men and compassionate men. May we have the character of Christ. And when we fail, may we trust that the blood of Jesus covers our failures. Help us, Lord, in Jesus name. Amen.