Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 28-31

I. Like Saul, are you doing Religious _____________________

without Truly ____________________ God?

• 2 essential things Saul was missing:

1. ____________________ in God 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 “So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”

2. ____________________ in God

II. Like Saul, do you Not Know What It Means to ________ ?

A. 5 signs you are not repenting:

1. Rationalizations and Blame-shifting

2. Unchanged ____________________

3. The Absence of Godly ____________________

2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

4. ____________________ Obedience

5. Partial Compliance B. Two Relationships where we should Understand Exclusivity

1. ____________________

2. ____________________

III. Like Saul, Will You Die a ____________________ ?

Notes:_________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

September 29, 2019Pastor Jason West

“The Sinner’s Death”

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

What did God teach you during your worship time with Him this week?

Talk about the people in your life who you have consulted to provide you guidance when life appears so bleak.

- What kind of people do we consult with?

Discuss with each other why we don’t naturally consider that the ultimate reflection of the decisions we make is of God himself.

INTRODUCTIONI Samuel 28:13-20, 31:1-13 is truly a sad account of God’s first chosen king who failed God, Samuel, his family, and those he was given to lead. Saul reigned as king for 40 years (Acts 13:21), beginning with a display of hesitation towards becoming Israel’s new national leader (I Sam. 10:22). However, within two years, Saul was found not suitable as a king and Samuel communicated to him that his kingdom will not continue, ultimately being given to David whose heart seeks the Lord’s (I Sam. 13:13-14). Don’t miss this, all the way at the beginning of Saul’s reign as king, he was already told that his kingdom would not continue through his lineage—his unwise decision prevented his offspring from carrying on his dynasty and from carrying on the lineage of Christ! This privilege would be given to David. In I Samuel 15 we see the ultimate abandonment of both Samuel and God from Saul’s life, and reiterating that the kingdom was being removed or torn away from him and given to someone, “…who is better than you.” In a final last-ditch effort for Saul to speak with God and Samuel, he consults with a medium—thus committing sin by consulting with a forbidden source of counsel (Ex. 22:18; Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:9-14) that was punishable by death (Lev. 20:27). In I Samuel 28 this account is vividly told; Samuel issuing the death sentence to Saul and his sons that was ultimately carried out in battle as seen in I Samuel 31:1-13.

DIGGING DEEPER: Read through the following passages and answer the question(s):

I Samuel 28:13-15

If Saul knew that God was not speaking to him because of his sin, why was Saul so desperate to seek His counsel through Samuel?

- If you were in Saul’s shoes, how would you have handled the situation differently?

I Samuel 28:16-20

In these four verses, how many times does Saul uses the personal name Yahweh? - What is the significance to this, is there?

From these four verses, discuss all the ways that Samuel reminded Saul as to why the kingdom was torn away from him. (Cross-reference I Chonicles 10:13-14).

I Samuel 31:1-6

In a clear and vivid account, we read of Samuel’s report of the final hours of Saul’s life, the life of his armor-bearer, and the life of his sons. Discuss this as a group as if you just heard that your king has fallen; what were the smells, the sounds, the pictures and the emotions of this day.

- What impact did Saul’s disobedience have on those who were closest to him?

I Samuel 31:7-13 Discuss the final verses of this chapter and review I Chr. 10:10.

- Why do the Philistines go through so much trouble to display certain body parts, their armor, and send messages throughout their land?

- Why do the Philistines want everyone to know that they defeated Israel?

TAKING IT HOME: From the verses/questions above, personalize and apply them to your life through asking these questions:

I Samuel 28:13-15

If you were in, or are currently in, a situation that made you feel distant from God—as though God was not speaking to you…what Biblical means would you use to draw near to God.

- What steps would you take to prevent your relationship with God from growing further apart?

I Samuel 28:16-20 In these four verses, we get to see how God is ultimately the author and the publisher who executes the consequences of Saul’s sinful decisions.

- Why is it when we receive due consequences for the sin we commit, that we can lose faith in God's control and evidence in our lives?

- Why do we have such a hard time with recognizing God’s complete control of our lives, even through the consequences of sin that we commit, and then blame God for the predicament we created for ourselves?

I Samuel 31:1-6 Saul’s sinful decisions had both a near and far prophetic view. In a near sense, it prevented his family line from continuing with his sons, and in a far prophetic view, it prevented his lineage from being in the line of Christ.

- As a believer in Jesus Christ, have you stopped to consider that your sinful decisions may have both an immediate consequence and a consequence that may affect your line for many generations?

- What impact does your sin have on those closest to you?

- What steps of repentance do you need to take tonight to guard your life from an area that Satan currently has a foothold?

- Are you hiding from acknowledging your sin and its influence on others?

- How can you either encourage or be a supporter of someone who needs to repent of the sin in their life?

I Samuel 31:7-13 & I Chronicles 10:10

Why do unbelievers go through so much trouble to publicly display your failures, displayed for everyone to see?

What Biblical steps can we as Christian’s take to be above reproach?

Ultimately, as a child of God, the actions of His children reflects the character of the Father. How do you as a Christian maintain a close intimacy with the Father to help prevent you from hurting the Father’s reputation?

Community Group QuestionsSeptember 29, 2019