July 16, 2006

Forgotten Lives - Saul

Biography of a Fool

I Samuel 26:17-25

Opening Words: There are sixty-six books in the Bible, thirty-nine in the Old Testament. The New Testament is dominated by Jesus, himself, our Lord and Savior. The Old Testament consists of a variety of lives. Each one played a small part in God’s plan for the salvation of the world. Most of those lives are forgotten. So what I would like to do this summer is take some time and look at those forgotten lives. I have called this thirteen part sermon series Forgotten Lives.

This weekend we look at Saul. To understand his life you must first understand the political picture of his day. For many years Israel had a theocracy. Speaking through priests and prophets, God directed the country. The last of those spokesmen for God was Samuel. The problem was Samuel had grown too old to keep up the demands of the nation. The next in line were Samuel’s sons but they were not godly men. The people of Israel wanted to be like other nations. They wanted to reject the theocracy and asked for a human king. The first king of Israel was Saul. He was full of potential but something went wrong. Let me call this message Biography of a Fool. This is our question for today. Have you ever felt like a Fool?

Introduction

In the spring of 1883 two young men graduated from medical school. The two differed from one another in both appearance and ambition. Ben was short and stocky. Will was tall and thin. Ben dreamed of practicing medicine on the East Coast. Will wanted to work in a rural community. Ben begged his friend to go to New York where they could both make a fortune. Will refused to go. Ben called Will a fool for wanting to practice medicine in the Midwest. "But," Will said, "I want first of all to be a great surgeon...the very best, if I have the ability." Years later the wealthy and powerful came from around the world to the Midwest to be treated by Will at his clinic...the Mayo Clinic. Which one of these two medical graduates looks like the fool now?

Have you ever felt like a fool? You feel like a fool anytime your expectations do not match your reality. When you were young you thought you would see the world but now you have a hard time getting out of the county. When you were young you thought you would make a fortune but instead you owe a fortune. When you were young you thought you would find that one true love but instead you have been divorced more than once. When you were young you thought you would have an important challenging job but instead you are wearing a uniform and working with people who are a third your age. When you were young you thought your children would do something special but at 44 they live in your basement. You feel like a fool anytime your expectations do not match your reality. Have you ever felt like a fool?

Let me say this clearly. Saul felt like a fool! He had such big expectations but something went horribly wrong! According the eighteenth chapter of First Samuel, Saul did have it all. He was the complete package. He came from the right family. He was handsome. He had an outstanding military record and he was the people’s choice to be their first king. His personal expectations and the national of Israel for him were high! The problem was his reality did not live up to those expectations.

Body

The scripture lesson is nothing more than a conversation between Saul and the new king, David. This is the context. Saul’s life has just been spared by David and Saul is humbled. In that emotional state he admits his shortcomings. Verse 21 summarizes how he felt about his whole life. It says, “Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly.” Those six words, “I have acted like a fool, could have been written on his tombstone. Could Saul’s words about himself be your words about yourself? Have you ever felt like a fool?

What I would like to do in the next few minutes is learn from Saul’s mistakes. He could have been the best king in the history of Israel but he is remembered as second rate. It did not have to be that way. If he could have remembered just three simple guidelines for holy living then he would be remembered as a great man. If you remember these three simple guidelines for holy living then you will be remembered as a great person. So if you are ready for my three guidelines for holy living say, “Amen!” Have you ever felt like a fool?

Remain Accountable

The first guideline for holy living is to remain accountable. Saul was unaccountable. He was the king! When Jesus sent the disciples out the Master sent them out in pairs. Why? The first reason was companionship. The second reason was support. The third reason was accountability. They could draw the best out in one another. Who are you accountable to in your life?

It has now been three weeks since Bill Johnson left for greener pastures. Many have asked me if I miss him. The answer is yes! Do you know what I miss most about Bill? It is not that I am preaching more. I like to preach. It is not his children’s sermons. It is not his smiling face or the way he made me feel thin and well groomed. What I miss most about Bill is his accountability. Bill and I were good enough friends to be honest with each other. When a sermon wasn’t clear enough in some way he would tell me. When I forgot to go to the hospital he would tell me. When I didn’t understand some dynamic that was going on he would help me. When I felt like a fool Bill would offer some encouraging words. When I was feeling too big he would deflate me. I listened to Bill and he made me accountable. He made me a better pastor. Bill drew the best out of me. I hope I drew the best out of Bill.

Who are you accountable to in your life? I hope that you listen to the people in your life. I hope that you have someone in your life that will correct you when you are wrong and lift you up when you are down. God made us to be social animals. We need one another. It is a dangerous thing to live in isolation. All need to be accountable to someone else. Saul was not accountable to anyone. He was the king! That was a problem. He played the part of the fool. I hope that is not your story. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Have you ever felt like a fool?

Reject Pride

The second guideline for holy living is to reject pride. Former heavyweight boxer James (Quick) Tillis is a cowboy from Oklahoma who fought out of Chicago in the early 1980s. He still remembers his first day in the Windy City after his arrival from Tulsa. “I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under by arms in downtown Chicago and stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down, and I looked up at the Tower and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to conquer Chicago.’ “When I looked down, the suitcases were gone.” They were stolen. The world will make you humble but that is not Biblical humility.

This is a story of true Biblical humility. Hudson Taylor was scheduled to speak at a Large Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia. The moderator of the service introduced the missionary in eloquent and glowing terms. He told the large congregation all that Taylor had accomplished in China, and then presented him as "our illustrious guest." Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message by saying, "Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master."

Biblical humility is embracing your gifts and placing them under the authority of God. It is not being humbled in an embarrassing situation. It is admitting that you have some gifts and placing those talents at God’s disposal. The Westminster Confession of Faith says the purpose of life is to glorify God. We are not in this world to be consumers. We are in this world to glorify. Titus 3:2 says, “Be peaceable and considerate, and show true humility toward all men.” Saul wanted to do something great to glorify himself! That was one of his problems. He played the part of a fool. I hope that is not your story. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Have you ever felt like a fool?

Pursue Truth

The third guideline for holy living is to pursue truth. This is what I mean. In the fourteenth chapter of John, Jesus is trying to comfort the disciples. They have just discovered that Jesus is going to be leaving. Their personal plans for personal success were not going to happen. He tries to comfort them with these words. Verses one through six says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Did you hear what Jesus said? The Master said he is the truth. The truth is refreshing to us because we live in our world of spiritual denial. (Roman 1:18) We live in a world of half truths and out right lies. Our Wesleyan theology tells us we hunger for the truth. That is why successful people pursue truth.

Our world is still asking spiritual questions. The problem is our society no longer trusts the church enough to give the answers. I do not really blame society’s mistrust because the church herself has taken her eyes off of the Master and placed them on worldly things. We get more excited about carpet and kitchens than we do Jesus! There are many ugly church stories out there. Every church seems to have one. Maybe people have stopped coming to church because the church has stopped pursuing the truth. Here at Western Reserve we only have one business. We are in the disciple making business. We will continue to pursue the truth. We are going to keep our eyes on Jesus! Saul took his eyes off of God. That was one of his problems. That is why he played the part of the fool. I hope that is not your story. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Have you ever felt like a fool? Let me end with a quick story.

Conclusion

George Bernard Shaw was asked shortly before his death, "if you could live your life over and be anybody you've known, or any person from history, who would you be?" George Bernard Shaw replied, "I would be a better George Bernard Shaw" Hiding inside of you is the person that God expected from the very beginning!

It is not too late. You are good people but you can be better! You can be the person God’s intended from the very beginning. You can be successful if you just follow three spiritual guidelines for holy living. First, successful people remain accountable. Second, successful people reject pride. They embrace their gifts and place them into God’s service. Third, successful people pursue the truth. They keep their eyes on the Master! Richard L. Evans once said, “The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.” Start living and be the person that God’s wants you to be today! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”