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Renewing the Kingdom
Text: 1 Samuel 12
In 1 Samuel 11:14, after the Israelites defeat the Ammonites, Samuel says let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there. This chapter – 12 – is the sermon Samuel preaches to renew the kingdom. He doesn’t laud Saul though, or lift Saul up. Samuel instead reminds Israel that God was their king when they demanded that Saul be their king. This sermon serves as a fork in the road for Israel after a very bad political decision. The application comes at the very end of the chapter so we’ll move through the chapter quickly to get to the applied verses.
Unbiased messenger (vss 1-5)
- Samuel says this in verse 5.
- Samuel is blameless and therefore objective in his judgment of the nation’s predicament.
Unalterable mess (vss 6-15)
- God was your king when you demanded He give you a king as Samuel says in verse 12.
Undeniable manifestation (vss 16-19)
- Samuel calls the LORD to confirm his sermon with the weather.
Underlying mandate (vss 20-25)
- Renew your life by staying the course
- Stay the course, don’t turn aside.
- You’ve introduced a layer of authority into the nation before God was ready for you to have it, but the situation isn’t hopeless. Serve God. Continue doing what scripture prescribes.
- Many here could look at your life and say I picked up some bad habits along the way or I’ve added something in my life that really hurts me when it wants to.
- BUT remember, this is the renewing of the kingdom that Samuel talked about. It isn’t hopeless. It’s a reset. This year has probably been a RESET to most of you. Times like this give you a clearer picture of what’s actually important and what’s vain.
- Don’t follow vanity. That has no profit and will not save (vs 21).
- Renew your life by defending what God defends (vs 22).
- The LORD will defend His name, His promises, and His ordinances
- LORD help us for your name’s sake! Help us so Jesus Christ gets glory!
- Renew your life by a personal commitment to prayer and sound doctrine (vs 23)
- Sin to stop seeking the LORD
- When did we get in our minds that serving God was the problem in our lives? When did we get in our minds that quitting on God was the solution to anything?
- Where do you think an idea like that comes from?
- Samuel shares his own resolve to prayer and sound doctrine from the scriptures.
- Renew your life by considering what great things Jesus Christ has done for you (vs 24).
- When I consider what Jesus Christ has done for me, that may mean there are some wrongs that need to be made right between you and someone else.
- When I consider what Jesus Christ has done for me, that may mean there are some attitudes I need to get in check. Maybe it’s the way you treat your wife. Maybe it’s the way you treat your husband. Maybe it’s the way you treat a church member.
- Renew your life so you aren’t consumed in sin (vs 25)
- The LORD says Israel will be consumed and the thing they thought would save them will be consumed as well.
- Let’s make this a time of renewal. Get the things right that need to be got right.
