Turn with me again tonight to
1st Samuel chapter 9. 1st Samuel chapter 9. This was one of those studies
that I had intended to go on to chapter 10 and got to reviewing
chapter 9 again and saw something that I felt was too important
to skip over. Last study, we saw provenance
of God in bringing a young man named Saul across the path of
the prophet Samuel. Everything comes to pass by the
provenance of God. Everything. We say it, and I'm
beginning to really understand that God ordains everything. He's the first cause of everything. And people get upset and they'll
say things like, well, you mean God caused this bad to happen
and God caused that bad to happen? Well, in most every case, those
things happen because of man's evil nature. God allows them
to happen, but God takes things like that and makes them for
good, for his people, not for everyone. God used the escape
of some donkeys belonging to Saul's father to send Saul searching
for them. And just so happened, no, it
came to pass because God brought it to pass, Saul crossed the
path of the prophet Samuel. God uses any means he pleases
to accomplish his will. God used a whale to swallow Jonah
and deliver him to Nineveh. Jonah said, I'm not going to
Nineveh. Where did he go? To Nineveh. Because God brought
a storm, had the men throw him off the ship, prepared a great
fish to swallow him up and spit him out on the shores of Nineveh.
A smaller fish God used to deliver tax money to the disciples. God
did that. Ravenous birds from the east
came to do his bidding. Ravens fed his servant, Elijah. Donkey seemed to be one of God's
favorite means. He used Balaam's donkey to speak
a word, and he used a colt, a young donkey, to bring Christ into
Jerusalem. And in our story, God used this
journey of Saul to find his father's donkeys to lead Saul to the exact
place where God purposed the prophet Samuel to be. In verse
16, the Lord had told Samuel that he would send a man out
of Benjamin that he should anoint to be king over Israel. And that's
exactly what he did. This was a result of the people
of Israel rejecting God and wanting a king just like everyone else.
God said, your king, you're not gonna like it. And they said,
well, we want him anyway. We don't know what we want. And
what we want is usually the worst thing for us. How absurd and sad when God Almighty
was already the King of kings. Anything else is a step down.
As we continue in our study of 1 Samuel, we're gonna see that
Saul proves to be an anti-type of Christ. And what an anti-type
simply means is that Saul was an opposing type of Christ. The
reign of Saul would become an example of what you get when
you obtain a king of your own making. Saul came to the place that God
told Samuel to go. And in verse 17, we read, and
when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, behold the man
whom I spake to thee of. This same shall reign over my
people. Then Saul drew near to Samuel
in the gate and said, tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's
house is. And Samuel answered Saul and
said, I am the seer. Go up before me into the high
place where you shall eat with me today. And tomorrow I will
let thee go and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. And
then he says in verse 20, by the way, as for thine asses that
were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them, for they
are found. And don't you know that Saul
was saying, how'd he know that? I used to think that a lot with
my mom. How'd she know that? Yeah, he knew, God told him. They're found and on whom is
all the desire of Israel. Is it not on thee and on thy
father's house? Saul didn't know that. He had
no idea that he would be anointed king. And Saul answered and said,
are you sure about that? He said, not I, Benjamite, the
smallest of the tribes of Israel and my family, the least of all
the families of the Benjamites. Wherefore then speakest thou
so to me? And Samuel took Saul and his
servant and brought them into the parlor and made them sit
in the cheapest place among them that were bidden, which were
about 30 people. And Samuel said unto the cook,
bring the portion which I gave thee of which I said unto thee,
set it by thee. And the cook took up the shoulder
that was upon it and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, behold,
that which is left, set it before thee and eat. And for unto this
time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited
the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that
day. And when they were come down
from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul
upon the top of the house. And they arose early and it came
to pass about the spring of the day that Samuel called Saul to
the top of the house saying, up that I may send thee away. And Saul rose and they went out
both of them, he and Samuel abroad. And as they were going down to
the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, bid the servant pass
on before us. And he passed on. But stand thou
still a while that I may show thee the word of God. Now that's the verse that caught
my attention. Bid the servant. to go on, and
he did, but stand thou still a while, while I may speak thee,
that I may show thee, speak thee the word of God. In the verses we just read, we
find three occasions that Samuel met with Saul. Samuel entertained Saul in his
parlor, as we read in verse 22, giving him a place of honor.
Samuel afterwards spent the evening with Saul in a quiet place on
the housetop. And now in verse 26, as Saul
is leaving to depart back home, Samuel takes one last opportunity
to speak to him. So to speak, Samuel here has
three interviews with Saul. Not that it really mattered because
God had already chosen him to be the king, that king that Israel
wanted. But this last communication was
close and personal. This time Samuel would speak
to Saul and say things to him that nobody else would hear.
His servants gone, outside of the city. This time Samuel would
endeavor to speak to Saul's inmost soul. Speak to his heart, so
to speak. Pouring out his whole heart with
every word that fell from his lips. Teresa and I were listening to
Brother Paul Mahan on the way over tonight, and he was talking
about just that, speaking to folks' hearts. Every true preacher,
God called preacher, that's his greatest desire. Not just to
speak to your heads, not just to tell you facts and things
of that nature, but to speak to your heart. My desire, speak
to your heart. Sometimes I feel like I have,
sometimes I feel like I haven't. but I am thankful to know that
it's God that takes His word and makes it effectual. And the
times that I felt that I failed miserably is usually the time
that the Lord's blessed it, and when I feel like I've done a
great job, hadn't done anything but mess it up. Samuel knew God was about to
make Saul king. to put upon him heavy responsibilities,
knowing he'd be given great responsibility. And Samuel's seriousness here
is quickly seen by these words, stand thou still a while, I've
got something important to tell you, that I may show thee the word
of God. So if you would, if God might
enable you tonight to try to imagine here that there's no
one else here but you and this preacher, that I as a servant
of God, an unprofitable servant I might add, am endeavoring to communicate
these words to you when I speak them. And may I never forget
that when I, Preach, I'm also speaking to myself. You see,
that's one of the hardest things, I guess, about being a preacher,
and that's to hear for ourselves the things that we preach. No
doubt that's what Paul meant when he said, lest by any means,
when I preach to others, I myself be a castaway. Wouldn't that
be horrible? To preach these glorious, unsearchable
riches of Christ to sinners and you yourself be lost? And my concern, as Paul's was,
is that when I preach the gospel to you, that I might myself not
only hear with these little appendages, but with my heart. Woe unto me if I preach not the
gospel, but let me also say, woe unto me if I hear not the
gospel. Both will bring judgment and
condemnation. And I often fear that I might
bring reproach upon the gospel. Preachers and pastors don't get
a free pass. Do you know that? We need Christ. just as you need
Christ. We need his mercy, we need his
grace, we need his forgiveness just like every sinner does. Now, first I would have you to
see and to know the attention that Samuel requested from Saul. Samuel said to Saul concerning
his servant, he said, bid the servant to pass on before us
and he passed on. Samuel didn't want any distractions.
He didn't want this servant interjecting what he thought. And that's why distractions are a
bit upsetting when you try to preach. We've been together long enough
now that I feel like I can share such things with you. It's a
distraction when there's interruptions in the service. ought to turn our cell phones
off or silent. This is the gospel. I'm not mad
at you when I mention it. It's serious business. When we meet together to hear
the gospel, we should desperately try to be focused, dismissing
our minds from any other thought beside Christ and his gospel. We should endeavor to take special
precautions to prepare to hear the gospel preached. And we should not only pray for
God's servants, but we should pray for ourselves. Before we come, we ought to be
in prayer saying, Lord, bless me in a special way tonight.
Cause the words of the preacher to be effectual to me. Lord, help us to be attentive
and hear your word. We should pray that we might
be alert, awake, prepared to hear the word of God. Yeah, we
should pray that God would enable the preacher to clearly declare
the word of God, but also that we should clearly hear. It's our most star benefit. May God enable us in the time
we have for worship, as that old chorus goes, to forget about
ourselves and concentrate on Him. And what? Worship Him from the heart. Problems, troubles, and trials,
Christ is the only one who can remedy those things. That's why
He sends them, to drive us to Him. Hearing how He saves sinners
ought to be our greatest concern, because that's what we are. Put
away in your mind the things that keep you awake at night.
I've got plenty of them. And they're really the most senseless
things in the world to worry about. You set awake half the
night, and then you wake up in the morning, and you go, why
was I thinking about that? all the things that rob you of
your peace and your vigilance to hear what you need to hear
the most. May we be enabled to make an
effort of our mind, if I may so speak. I know that our efforts
are usually fruitless and senseless, but if I may speak that way and
know that God's gonna help us if we ask him. What did James
say? He said, we have not because
we ask not. Well, let's ask. Let's ask. He's faithful that promised. We have not because we ask not.
And when we ask, we ask to consume the things that we ask for upon
our lust. But when we ask for spiritual
things, for faith, ability to trust and believe all God has
faithfully promised. Maybe we do that. Secondly, the attention requested
was the desire that Saul, stand thou still a while. That's not
something new in scripture. The Lord has often said, stand
still. Stand still and see the salvation
of God. I know you're right now sitting,
but when the gospel is preached, we should always stand in attention
in our minds and in our hearts. Now, I picture Samuel and Saul
walking quietly down the hill of the city until they reach
the last house on the street in the city. And as they continued
and reached the fields on the outskirts of civilization, so
to speak, Samuel said, stand thou still a while. Samuel saying, forget the donkeys
that you sought after, forget your father's house, I know you
think he's worried about you. And all your concerns, and calmly
and quietly listen to me. The words Samuel gave to Saul
were words of life, words of life. And it's not only an urgent
and a critical concern, but a very desirable thing to listen and
to hear the gospel if you have a need, because it answers all
your needs, all of them. That's a wonderful thing. Gotta
see to it for those who desire it. Ask that these stones, these
hearts of stones be rolled away so that our soul may come forth
in resurrection life like our Lord Jesus did through the quickening
word of the spirit of truth, the divine spirit of God. Is
that not what the word deserves? Yes. Yes, it is. Should it not have our... Does
it not have our best interest at heart? When God speaks, let all be silent. Stand still with full attention.
It's the king of kings that speaks. If the president came here tonight
to speak, maybe that's not a good example, but if someone important
came here to speak tonight, we'd want to give him our attention.
How much more so is that true of God? Speak, Lord, for thy servant
heareth. It's what Samuel said. You remember
that? He was willing that God should
speak to him. Are you? Am I? You know, I hear a lot of folks
today say, well, the Lord told me. Did He? If He does, it's going to be
through this book. No audible voices from God. In these last
days, how does He speak to us? Through His Son. Through this
Word. Who is the Word? Jesus Christ. But we're so busy. We're just
so busy anyway. Like Martha, we're cumbered with
a load of care, cumbered about with much serving, but it's the
serving of self. May we, like Mary, choose the
one thing needful, that good part. Oh, it's a good part. It can never be taken away. I'm often amazed that men and
women can hear the gospel with their ears for 10, 20, 30, 40,
even 50 years and never truly hear a thing. And it happens
often. That's alarming to me. That's a number in which I don't
desire to be in. When will a man eat when
he's hungry? When will a woman drink when
she's thirsty? When will folks go to the doctor
when they're sick? When will men and women truly
listen to wise counsel when they're hungry, thirsty, sick, and needy? It's very difficult for men and
women to stand still. Today, folks are movers and shakers,
aren't they? We're getting things done, just
like those at the Tower of Babel. A rolling stone gathers no moss,
I hear. But a rolling stone also has
no roots. A rolling stone doesn't grow. Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord. Stand still and I'll hear what
the Lord will command concerning you. You can't hear if you're
rustling around doing this and that. You can't hear if you're
not awake. Now therefore stand still that
I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous
acts of the Lord, which He did to you and to your fathers. 1
Samuel 12, seven. Set yourselves, stand ye still
and see the salvation of the Lord with you. Do you see it? Do you see it? You're gonna see
it by hearing this. Stand still and consider the
wondrous works of God. As Samuel said to Saul in our
text, and as the Lord says to those he loves, stand now, stand
still thou for a while. What's the reason for us standing
still? Well, we just read them to see the salvation of the Lord,
to hear what the Lord commands concerning us, that God may reason
with us his righteous acts. so that we might consider the
wondrous works of God. And that brings us to the third
thing. Stand thou still awhile that I might show thee the word
of God. That's why we're here. We're not here to put on a show.
We're not here to socially meet together, even though that's
a wonderful thing. in the fellowship of Christ.
We're here that we might hear God's word. Jesus Christ is the word of God.
Jesus Christ is the gospel. Samuel desired to show Saul Christ. Well, you say Christ didn't even
come yet. Oh, yes he had. Not in the flesh. But he was
the only means of salvation in the Old Testament, the same as
he is in the New, and the same as he is today. Stand thou still
awhile. And by the grace of God, that's
what I desire to see above all things, that you might see the
word of God being Christ. Speaking of Christ, James wrote,
of his own will, beget he us with what? With what? The word of truth. The word of
truth. It's Christ who beget us. It's
Christ that gave us life. How? With this word of truth.
Jesus Christ, the word of truth. He's the way, He's the truth,
and He's the life. How much so? None can come to
the Father but by Him. Are you interested? The subject of the gospel is
Christ, the word of God. That God would give us a word
at all is a very gracious thing. What is man that thou art mindful
of him? Nothing. What is man that he
would deserve to hear a word from God? Nothing. It's wonderful that he should
condescend to speak to us. It's impossible for us to understand
anything, because we're just like little unlearned children
at best. But Christ came down to bring
great meaning to these wonderful things written in His Word. Without
Him, they don't mean anything. God spoke on Mount Sinai with
thunder and lightning, but today He speaks to us quietly, mercifully,
graciously through His Son. How would you like to hear him? The people say, you go talk to
God for us. We'll surely die if we do. Jesus Christ has come down into
this world on purpose to interpret God to us. Just like those that
we looked at, Sonny, at the Tower of Babel. We're babbling fools,
John. I think, was that you that said
that to me, Sonny? We act like babbling fools, and
that's what we are outside of Christ. We need a divine interpreter,
and Christ is just that. And it's by Christ's gracious
work of redemption that God reveals that to those who he gave to
Christ. You go down and you teach my people. You die for my people. You teach them that you're the
only means of salvation. The Lord said, we'll do. I can't
even do my father's will, that's what I'll do. And that's what
he's doing. Some of you are hearing the word
of God tonight and some of you aren't. Stand, be still a while that
God may reveal Christ to you, that God may show the word of
God to you. Listen to how you were dead in
trespasses and sins. Some of you still are. See why
God turned his back on you. You won't find out other than
in this word. Understand how you were undeserving
of life. It's all found here. Stand thou
still a while. Strive to learn how God made
Christ to bleed. See how God in mercy could pass
by our iniquity and do so justly. Hear how God could give up the
darling of his heart to a cruel death and pronounce judgment
upon one who knew no sin. Stand thou still awhile and hear
the word of God. Learn how salvation of such sinners
as we are, as the Lord Jesus, that would cause the Lord Jesus
to be worthy of death. How wretched a sinner is it that
Christ died for? Pretty wretched. Depraved. Totally depraved. That doesn't
offend me. That causes me to cry out for
help. You're not going to offend me by calling me what I am. God
showed me what I am. And He showed many of you. And
you know, Saul never dreamed of being king. He was just out
on an errand for his dad. They were fixing to go home.
They were out of money. And the servant said, You know,
I hear there's a seer, a prophet, a man that knows all things in
this next town up here. And Saul said, we don't have
nothing to give him. And we don't. We don't have nothing to give
him. And the servant said, well, I
put a little back. And that's what religion does
today. I got a little put back. I got a little righteousness
of my own. I still got a few good works in me. Saul said, the kingdom is gonna
be given to me. But that's what the true king
of kings promises. I see that the right hand of
God with Christ in the day of his appearing is his promise
to you. And we sit where we are here
and there and go, me? Samuel not only spoke to Saul
about a kingdom, but as we'll see, He took out oil and poured
it on Saul's head. And Saul knew he was serious
then. Will you not stand a while for
that? Do you not have a little time
to be taught of God? Can you not prepare yourself
in order to be? Only if God enables it. Samuel
said in verse 21, he said, am I not a Benjamite of the smallest
of the tribes of Israel? And my family, well, we're some
of the least in that tribe. Are you speaking to me? Are you sure you know who you
have here? And then that what we say, when the Lord shows mercy
to us, are you talking to me? Did you mean me? Here, let me
show you my license. This is who I am. Did you mean
me? And will you not confess with
the apostle Paul that you're less than the least? Absolutely. Not fit to be called an apostle,
a believer? Not worthy of Christ's unsearchable
riches? That you were before a blasphemer
and a persecutor? injurious, injurious, whatever
it is, caused harm, a wretched man who sinned in unbelief. And you too will say, I'm not
capable of high and noble things, but hear me when I say to you,
you shall be made capable. Stand thou still awhile and hear
the word of God. To as many as God gives power,
they become the sons of God. And Samuel spoke to Saul about
another matter, namely about a change that he should undergo.
For as he talked with him, he said, thou shalt meet a company
of prophets and thou shalt prophesy and become another man. He tells
him that in the next chapter, as we'll see. Little can you tell. My dear
friends, what'd God do with you? I tell you what, when I moved
here, came one Wednesday night and sat there in the back. And
brother Maurice knew who I was because of the church that I
attended before and sang a little and all that. But I'll tell you
something that I never thought. I never thought I'd be standing
here tonight in the position that I stand. You never know what God might
do with you. If we confess our sins, he's
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, but that's not all.
He'll also cleanse us from all unrighteousness. To lay hold
on Christ is to become in a higher sense Bensal ever was another
man. You can be king of a kingdom. And if you don't know God, if
you don't know Christ, it didn't mean nothing in the end. What
about Pharaoh? That's what the scripture said
to Pharaoh. New creature, born again, a new
creation. Old things are passed away. All
things have become New. These things are in the word
of God. Do you see them? If you're one of his, he'll show
them to you. God said, I'll put a new spirit within you and I'll
take that stony heart out of your flesh and I'll give you
a heart, out of your flesh and give you a heart for me. The Lord Jesus says, I'll put my
fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me. Do you wish these changes could
happen to you? They can, they can. How do I
know stand thou still a while? That I may show you the word
of God. Afflictions are gonna work for you good when you become
a child of God. Sickness is gonna bring about
good health. One minute you're dying in the
hospital, and the next minute the child of God is plumb well,
completely whole. No more sickness, no more death,
no more tears, no more pain. Poverty ought to make you rich. Oh, that men would not neglect
the word of God. There is help in God's word for
all who have what? Need. The one may not know the Word
of God, you can be assured that the Word of God knows you. Saul was pleasing for a while. And for the while that he heard
the Word of God and believed the Word of God, and what a fatal
blow it was when he stopped. He never was one of the Lords. May God's Spirit keep us from
ruining. God's Word say He will. Continue
to confess, I'm on God's side. I must be, I will be. It's done,
it's done. The work my Lord finished for
me is done. It's finished, I'm washed, I'm
made new. Faith comes by hearing, hearing
the Word of God. Like the prodigal son, may we
say, Father, I've sinned against heaven and I've sinned against
you. I'm no longer worthy to be called
your son, and we're not. And the father will say, bring
him the best one. The best one. Well, what about
the other son out in the field that never did leave you? Don't,
you're just preserving the best one for him? No, bring him this
one. The one that I thought was dead, and now I see he's alive.
Bring him the best one. put a ring on his finger and
shoes on his feet and bring hither the fatty calf and kill it and
let us eat and be merry for my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and he's found. Are
you standing on the promises of God? Will you stand for a
while? It's not gonna be too long, this
life's like a vapor. Gone by pretty quick. If you stand a while, God'll
show you his word. Our Lord Jesus said, these things
have I spoken to you in Proverbs, but the time cometh when I shall
no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I'll show you plainly of
the Father. That's the promise. And I read these words yesterday
at the graveside of Miss Sonia. They're from the word of God.
I want you to hear them. The Apostle Paul wrote, behold,
I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at
the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. For this corruptible, this sinful
flesh must put on incorruption, perfection, a glorified body. And this mortal, this dead and
dying man that I am is gonna put on immortality to live forevermore. So when this corruptible shall
have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the same that is written,
death is swallowed up in victory. Well, we have to be afraid of
death. Why are we afraid of death? Oh, death, where is thy sting?
Oh, grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and
the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to who? God. which giveth us the victory. How? Through our Lord Jesus Christ. So dear friends, bid the servant
to pass on before you. Stand thou still a while and
listen closely that God, the Almighty, the one who's able
and willing to teach the child of God all the things that they
need to learn and know finds pleasure in doing so. Does that make you happy? That
sure does me. If He enables you and He does
so, He'll show you. He'll show you the Word of God.
How does true faith come? I said it so a minute ago. I'm
not referring to the faith that men supposedly work up and out
today. You know, they do spiritual exercises
and build up their faith like men do their muscles. Ain't no
strength in it. It's all for show. But faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by what? Word of God. May God be pleased to show you
the Word of God. For His glory, your good, and
for Christ's sake. And that's not just a way to
end a message by saying that. May He truly, for His glory,
because He gets all the glory, for your good and for Christ's
sake. Does Christ not deserve our praise
and worship and thanksgiving? You better believe He does.