New Hope Notes
Saul: Lessons In Authority
Pastor Aaron Cordeiro
September 2, 2012 - W1236
We live in an unfair world. There will be times that we encounter bad leadership and unfairness. Studies have shown that people leave their jobs because of their bosses. Psychologist Robert Hogan did a study and found that 75% of people in the work force said their greatest cause of stress and health issues in life is from their bosses. Bad leadership can cause great stress, but it can also be used to groom us to be good leaders.
The Bible says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) We are God’s people. We are set apart and are His possession. We are in God and He is around us.
It is also written, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." (Rom. 13:1-2) As God’s people he expects us to submit to authority.
God’s abundant grace and power will allow us to deal with the hard times and unfairness in life. As God’s people, He has given us the framework on how to live a Godly life, despite uneven circumstances. In the Bible, there are stories and examples of bad leadership from which we can learn. A portrait of a bad leader is Israel’s first Monarch, King Saul. Under Saul’s rule, the people of Israel suffered. He was insecure, fearful, jealous, controlling, and made bad decisions.
In contrast, King David ruled under a Biblical framework. He was called a man after God’s own heart. He made mistakes, but his heart always turned back to God. To this day he is celebrated as Israel’s greatest king.
Here are …
Four Lessons That Frame Great Leadership:
1. Never DESPISE uneven CIRCUMSTANCES.
We encounter bad leaders, bosses, teachers, and parents. It is easy to dwell on the unfairness of circumstance and despise it. These situations can be used to train us on living a Godly life.
When God chose Saul as king, "Saul replied, 'But I'm only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?'" (1 Sam. 9:21) Instead of accepting God’s decision, Saul questioned his circumstances.
God appointed Saul as King. Samuel the prophet told Saul of the news and he questioned God. Saul came from the least of the tribes of Israel so he questioned his appointment. Further in the story he ran away from the Lord. He began his career with insecurity. He saw himself as small and insignificant. He failed to realize that God Almighty chose him to be King. When God is on your team he is in and around you. You can either view your problems with insecurity or view it with the greatness of God.
2. Constantly EVALUATE the HEALTH of
your THOUGHT LIFE.
As the Bible says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." (Prov. 23:7 KJV) The fruit of your relationships, life, and reactions are from the seed of your thoughts. What goes on in your head will bear fruit in your world. Can you tell the fruit of your life by your thoughts? What we think in our head comes out of our mouth and our actions. For instance when a person views pornography, he will have a distorted view of opposite sex and will treat them as objects rather than as a person. It is very important to keep our thought life in check because the health of a person's thought life is critical to leadership.
It would be good if "...we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor. 10:5) As believers we must take captive of our thought and filter them. We need to put our thoughts in check and see if they are biblical or unbiblical. We need to question our thought and try them to make sure our thoughts are of God.
"Set your mind on the things above and not on the things beneath." (Col. 3:2)
As followers of God, we must set our mind on him rather than the world. Just because something makes sense in human terms or it seems right does not mean that it is Godly or Biblical. We need to keep our thoughts on what is Godly and eternal, otherwise our thoughts could wander everywhere and get us into trouble. King Saul’s thought life was filled with fear, anxiety, angst, jealousy, and suspicion. It brought about his downfall.
3. Live your FAITH out way AHEAD
of your DECISIONS.
The greatest killer of
Godly people is impatience. We need to
view what makes our decisions, is it emotions, what we think is right, or God’s
word?
Saul kept making bad decisions and it cost him dearly. Israel was at war with the Philistines. The prophet Samuel gave Saul clear instructions to wait for him because he was going to go before God and gain God’s favor and at the end of seven days he would come back and make a sacrifice to God. However, Israel scattered at the sight of the Philistines. Saul got fearful and made his sacrifice before Samuel came back.
The Bible continues, "Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. And Samuel said, 'What have you done?' And Saul said, 'When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, "The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord." Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.' ‘You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” (1 Sam. 13:10-14)
Saul did not wait, and he made a life lasting decision based on feelings and temporary circumstances. Faith is living in advance of what you understand in reverse. Because of Saul’s disobedience God took away the kingdom and placed it with David, a man after his own heart.
4. Become an avid STUDENT of GOD'S
HEART.
As Christians, we need to understand God’s heart, his leadership style, who He is, and what is important to Him. God is concerned more about our hearts than anything else.
Saul explained his disobedience "But Samuel replied, 'What is more
pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to
His voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better
than offering the fat of rams.'" (1 Sam. 15:22)
Because we give God our hearts, we submit and obey him. Having someone’s heart is more meaningful than their performance and work.
As the Bible says, "After removing Saul, He made David their king. God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after My own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'" (Acts 13:22)
David was not perfect. He was a murderer and adulterer. He made mistakes. But he always repented and turned to God. He had put his life on Godly principles. He learned lessons from Saul’s bad leadership, oppression, and his own mistakes. The nation of Israel prospered under his rule. He followed God’s heart and did what God required of him.
We are God’s chosen people. We represent Him and He wants us to live godly and faithfully, even under unfair circumstances. We need to continually put our thoughts in check, live our faith, and study God’s heart. By living Godly we can be the light in the dark world that needs it.
Study Suggestions
1. How should we approach unfair circumstances?
2. What should we constantly evaluate? Why?
3. What should guide our decisions? Why?
4. What should we study?
5. What is obedience to God better than? Why?