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Today is Military Mission Sunday, which we observe in honor of Veterans Day in the United States. First, as a church that holds the covenant of evangelizing America, this should be a time to pray for America in a difficult season. In particular, it should be a time to pray for and bless the military missionaries who are serving in the armed forces or doing military ministry, as well as the Remnants preparing to enter the military. We have about 20 military missionaries.
There is another important reason. God has emphasized that all of His saved people are to stand as the army of God, as soldiers of Christ. Israel, freed from Egypt, was called “the hosts (army) of the LORD” (Exodus 12:41), and the Remnants who had been scattered in captivity were called “an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:10). Paul told Timothy, his beloved son in the faith and his disciple, to stand as “a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3–4) who will enjoy spiritual victory in the last days. We must take hold of this message from the standpoint that every believer is a spiritual soldier of Christ.
Today’s passage shows Saul, who won the battle but failed once again in his relationship with God. It was a battle he could not lose. God permitted it, God spoke of it, and God was with them in that battle. As He sent them out, He gave an important command. The command was that, in the war against the Amalekites, they must utterly destroy them and leave none of their possessions. I will explain the meaning behind this later. Saul did not obey this word. He had his own reason. He claimed he wanted to offer the possessions (the spoils) to God as a sacrifice (verse 21). In reality, it was a rationalization or an excuse that put Saul’s own thinking first.
1. The result of not obeying God’s Word was devastating.
He won the battle, but because he did not obey God’s Word, his relationship with God collapsed, and that became a fatal failure. This is what is frightening. Things may seem to be going well right now, but if they do not align with God’s Word, they ultimately end in failure. Scripture says God regretted making Saul king (verse 11), and this became the turning point at which Saul was completely rejected by God (verse 23).
1) It was the result of not obeying the Word.
① Adam’s failure also began here. Eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was the result of abandoning the Word, disobeying, and breaking the covenant (Hosea 6:7). The failures of all believers and of the church in past generations and in this one have come from this same place. They lost the Word, lost the covenant of the Gospel contained in that Word, interpreted the Word by their own standards, and used it to satisfy their own desires (2 Peter 3:16; Revelation 22:18–19).
② When Samuel rebuked Saul, he said that obeying and following the Word is more important than the act of offering sacrifices (verse 22). Train yourself to understand the Word and to obey the Word. This is why God tells us to obey our parents and to submit to every authority. It is where obedience begins. Especially for a soldier, refusing to obey means it’s over. A soldier’s greatest strength is obeying orders.
2) Through repeated failure, God resolved to no longer use Saul (verse 23).
A person who was in an important position and should have enjoyed important blessings ultimately came to this tragic moment through disobedience. Even after his first failure, God kept giving him chances. This was God’s hesed, His way of saying, “Come back to Me at any time.”
3) Because he did not recover from this, spiritual problems began for Saul (1 Samuel 16:14).
He was continually tormented by guilt, anxiety, greed, and a competitive spirit, until it reached the point where he was tormented by an evil spirit.
2. What Word must we hold on to, and how must we live a life of obedience to the Word?
1) The Gospel of Christ must continually be proclaimed through the Word, and believers must hold on to that Gospel Word.
① After the first man Adam lost the Word and sinned, what God gave was the Word of the Gospel (the covenant of grace). That is Genesis 3:15 and 3:21. The Bible contains many historical facts, many good lessons, and above all, the fearsome Law. The Law was given so that we would realize our sin and quickly enter into the grace of Christ (Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:24).
② Every life comes alive when it hears this covenant of grace, the Gospel of Christ. Everything can begin anew. Even salvation does not come simply by believing. Scripture says salvation comes when we hear and believe the word of Christ, who came as the Gospel (Romans 10:17). When we hear and believe this Gospel of salvation, we are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our whole inheritance (Ephesians 1:13–14).
③ Only through Christ, who came anointed by God, can every wound, failure, depression, and mental struggle be healed (Isaiah 61:1). In 30 years of ministry, I have seen family crises, depression, suicidal urges, panic disorder, addiction, and demonic possession healed through this Gospel, and people raised up as disciples. There are so many people who need to hear this Gospel Word. Especially in the military field, nothing but this Gospel can save people. Wounds and spiritual problems that began before joining the military surface during their time in the military. They become even more serious after returning from war. It is a mission field.
2) Within this Gospel Word, we must grasp spiritual facts and spiritual blessings.
① Every war in the Old Testament was a spiritual war. They were wars that God fought, and that is why they could not be lost. The reason God permitted the war against the Amalekites and commanded them to destroy and cast away everything, leaving nothing behind, is that it foreshadows spiritual warfare. When Israel applied the blood of the Passover, was freed from 400 years of slavery, and first set out toward Canaan, the first enemy they faced was Amalek. Israel did not pick a fight or start the war. That is what Satan does. He keeps doing evil without reason. God is carrying out that judgment (verse 2). God is telling us to fight this war until our enemy, Satan, is completely destroyed.
② In evangelism and missions as well, we must hold on to the Gospel Word and fight this battle first. That is why when Jesus sent out His disciples, He gave them authority to cast out demons (Mark 3:13–15; Luke 10:19), and He said that when we believe and proclaim this Gospel, demons will be broken first (Mark 16:17–20). Even when conflict arises at work or at home, we must fight this battle first (Romans 16:20).
③ In the field, there are people God has given up on, and there are prepared people God is waiting for. Theologically, the state of being given up is called “reprobation” (Romans 1:24–25). Such people do not give up their own desires. They keep clinging to idols, and their hearts have become completely hardened. The prepared people God is waiting for are those who have been predestined (Acts 13:48). The problem is that we do not know who is reprobate and who is chosen, so we simply share the Gospel first (7-Point Disciple).
3) Experience this Gospel Word being delivered and fulfilled through the pulpit.
The pulpit is the channel of blessing that connects the throne and the believers, and Scripture says the angels hear that Word and carry it out (Psalm 103:20–21).
① This is the blessing prophesied in Ezekiel 47 and fulfilled in Mark’s Upper Room in Acts 2. All the believers heard the apostles’ teaching, held on to that covenant, prayed, and became one (Acts 2:42).
② God blessed their lives, blessed their finances, and added daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:47). In every problem and every situation, take hold of the pulpit message accurately, believe it, and follow it. Scripture says the Holy Spirit works through it (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
Conclusion - Every believer is part of God’s army—a soldier of Christ. This is where the covenant of the watchman and bartizan came from. May you become true warriors whom God uses, following the Word and obeying the Word. I especially bless our military missionaries, that evidences of great victory would overflow in their lives.
MOST RECENTWarriors Who Win Through the Word (1 Samuel 15:1–9) | November 8, 2026One Mind Church of Washington
워싱턴 한마음 교회
Rev. Dong Cheol Lee
이동철 목사
Lord's Day 3rd Worship
주일 3부
11/01/2026
Last week's message was about “The Sin of Ceasing to Pray.” The message from the week before that was about “The Sin of Failing in Worship.” Unless someone has been saved or has had their spiritual eyes opened, these two messages may be difficult to understand.
A person may choose not to pray, or may find themselves unable to pray. Whatever the reason, if a believer who has been saved ceases to pray, the Bible calls that sin.
The same principle applies to today's passage. Because King Saul failed in worship, God declared that his kingdom would not endure (verse 14).
Because of another failure, which we will discuss next week, God regretted making Saul king (1 Samuel 15:11) and declared that He had rejected him (1 Samuel 15:23). Saul was no longer able to be used by God, and his life ultimately came to a tragic end.
Does this mean that God rejects someone simply because they fail in worship? We might wonder, “Would anyone be able to serve God if we had to be afraid of that?” or “Isn't that too extreme?”
The most important point is that when we fail in worship and our relationship with God that we are to enjoy through worship is disrupted, Satan's attacks begin. Satan begins working in that very place.
This is what happened to Adam and Eve, the first human beings. What did Satan come and deceive them with? He told them, “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (verse 5).
Human beings were created to worship God, who created them and the world, to delight in Him, and to enjoy the blessings He gives. But humanity began living as though it could take God's place (this was the original sin described in Genesis 3). When Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan, lost sight of God's covenant and Word, and disobeyed Him, what happened? Their relationship with God was broken, and they lost the right to enjoy all of God's blessings. From that point on, human beings became enslaved to their own desires, the fallen world, and the devil (Ephesians 2:1–3; John 8:44).
The failure of Cain, a descendant of Adam and Eve, was the same. Although the first human beings had failed, God could not give up on humanity.
This is God's unchanging love, His love that never gives up—the Hebrew word hesed. God opened a way for humanity to restore its relationship with Him. This is the covenant of the Gospel found in Genesis 3:15 and 3:21. The Son of God would come and crush the serpent's head. Through His sacrifice, He would resolve our sin, shame, and curse and open the way for us to recover God's blessings.
Abel held firmly to this covenant and offered a sacrifice of atonement, but Cain worshiped without holding on to the covenant (Hebrews 11:4). This was the beginning of religion. It was the belief that we can approach God through our own methods, our own standards, and our own efforts. This became one of Satan's deceptions.
In today's passage, we will examine three ways in which Saul failed. Through them, we must discover what true worship is and what it means to worship successfully.
I. Every worship service we offer must contain the covenant of salvation that God gives us by His grace.
1) This is why Saul had to wait until Samuel the priest arrived. Samuel’s role prophesizes Christ, who came as our eternal High Priest. By His own blood, Christ eternally redeemed us from Adam's original sin, the sins of our families, and our sin (Hebrews 9:12). Without His blood, there can be no forgiveness of sins, and we cannot stand before God (Hebrews 9:22). This was not simply a matter of a king daring to challenge the authority of a priest. Although the incident itself may have seemed small, Saul had lost sight of the covenant contained within it.
2) When we are in Christ, no one can condemn us, and no enemy can bring us down. The Bible says that Christ continues to intercede for us at the heavenly throne (Romans 8:34). To “intercede” means that He serves as our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5), our Advocate (1 John 2:1), and our Helper (John 14:16). Without experiencing this blessing, every human being is bound to fall. That is why the Bible declares that nothing and no one can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38–39).
3) Every time you worship, reaffirm His love and grace. Do not give up, receive new strength. Worship has been described as coming before the King and taking hold of His merciful hand when He extends it to us (the Greek word for worship is proskuneo). What problems or failures are you facing? Now, always, every day, and throughout your entire life, hold on to His hand of grace, love, and mercy (Hebrews 4:16).
II. Every worship service we offer must contain our faith that holds firmly to God's covenant.
1) Our salvation begins when we confess our faith in Christ (Romans 10:10). This is why we pray a prayer of acceptance when we first believe in Jesus Christ. We can make this confession every day. It is possible to believe in our hearts alone, but we also confess with our mouths, allowing Him to truly become our Lord (John 1:12; Revelation 3:20). The word “receive” or “accept” means to welcome His love and believe in Him.
2) What is important here is that God never gives up on someone who has received Christ and been saved. To be precise, Christ who redeemed us continues to bring our salvation to completion (Philippians 1:6, 3:12). Then why did God reject Saul, whom He had already chosen? This is a difficult theological question, but it does not mean that Saul's salvation was invalidated. Rather, Saul's life became one in which he could no longer be used by God. The result was tragic. It is important to remember the attitude David demonstrated toward Saul. Even though Saul later became tormented by an evil spirit, tried to kill David, and eventually died on the battlefield, David mourned him and composed a lament for him in tears (2 Samuel 1:7).
3) God desires to work throughout every part of our lives with His blessings and answers. When does this happen? It happens when we hold firmly to His covenant and believe. That is why worship offered in faith that is in the God who gives us His covenant and fulfills it is so important (Hebrews 11:6). Saul's decision to offer the sacrifice before Samuel arrived began with his unbelief. Samuel did not arrive within the expected time, and the anxious people began to scatter. Saul, their king, became shaken along with them. This was likely a test from God. At that moment, Saul should have prayed with the faith befitting a king, but he failed to do so (in verse 12, Saul says that he had not sought the Lord's favor). In the end, although the formalities of worship was present, Saul had lost both the covenant and his faith, and it became worship that God could not accept.
III. Our worship must always include the mission God desires to accomplish through us.
1) Through His love, God saves us and blesses us so that everything in our lives become evidence. So what is the work God desires to accomplish? He want to restore His glory and wants to save all those He has chosen through us (this is evangelism and missions). If Saul had been clear about the covenant and had restored his faith, this would have been a battle Israel could not help but win. God's covenant was that He Himself would be their bartizan and that Christ would fight on their behalf. Saul eventually realized this, and even with only the remaining 600 men, Israel ultimately gained victory (verse 15).
2) Hold firmly to the covenant that God will give you evidence in every circumstance, and discover your mission. It must become a covenant that contains God’s desires and our faith must become faith that has a reason. God will establish us as His witness. Whether you are at home, in church, or at work, even the smallest task becomes meaningful when it is done as a commitment to God's glory. That is why another word associated with worship carries the meaning of “service” or “ministry.” The Greek word is leitourgia.
3) God remembers even our smallest prayers, acts of devotion, efforts, and perseverance when they are offered in faith and out of love for Him (Revelation 2:2). Especially, evangelism and missions that change an individual's life are crucial."These will become our eternal inheritance and rewards in the new heaven and new earth—the new Eden—that will be fully established when Christ returns.
Conclusion - The first four commandments of the Ten Commandments, given as the highest priority, are commandments about serving God, in other words, about worship. Success in worship is success in life, and failure in worship leads to failure in life. May you be blessed to live a life of one who succeeds in true worship.
The Sin of Failing in Worship (1 Samuel 13:8–15)지난 주 메시지는 “기도하기를 쉬는 죄”에 대한 말씀이었다. 이번 주의 메시지는 “예배를 실패하는 죄”라는 제목이다. 구원받지 못한 사람이나 영적으로 눈이 열린 사람들이 아니면 이 두가지 메시지가 이해 안 될 것이다.
기도 안할 수도 있고, 못할 수도 있다. 이유가 어떻든 구원받은 성도가 기도하기를 쉰다면 그것을 죄라고 했다.
본문도 마찬가지이다. 사울 왕이 예배를 실패한 결과로 인해 하나님은 “그의 나라가 길지 않을 것이라”고 했다(14절).
다음 주에 나누게 될 또 다른 실패로 인해서 하나님은 사울을 세운 것을 후회하시고(삼상15:11), 하나님은 그 사울왕을 버리셨다고 했다(삼상15:23). 그 사울은 더 이상 하나님께 쓰임받지 못하게 되고, 결국 비참하게 인생이 끝난다.
예배를 실패했다고 하나님께 버림을 받는가? ‘무서워서 하나님 섬길 수 있겠냐?’ ‘너무 심한 것 아니냐?’ 할 수 있다.
가장 중요한 핵심은 예배를 실패하고 예배를 통해 주시는 하나님과의 관계가 문제가 오면 반드시 그때부터 사단의 공격이 시작되고, 그 자리에 사단이 역사한다는 것이다. 서서히 치명적인 영적인 문제가 되는 것이다.
첫 인생 아담과 하와가 그랬다. 사단이 와서 뭐라고 속였는가? “네 눈이 밝아져 하나님처럼 될 것이라‘고 했다(5절).
인간은 인간과 세상을 창조한 하나님을 경배하고, 하나님을 기뻐하며, 그 주시는 축복을 누려야 하는 피조물이다.
그런데 인간이 하나님의 자리에 앉아서 살게 된 것이다(이것이 창3장의 원죄). 그 사단에게 속아 하나님의 언약과 말씀을 놓치고 불순종했을 때 어떤 일이 벌어졌는가? 하나님과의 관계가 깨지면서 모든 하나님의 축복을 누릴 자격을 상실한 것이다. 그때부터 인간은 자기 욕심과 타락한 세상과 마귀를 따라가는 인생이 된 것이다(엡2:1-3, 요8:44).
그 아담과 하와의 후손인 가인의 실패도 마찬가지이다. 첫 인생이 실패했지만 하나님은 포기할 수가 없었다.
그것이 변함없는 하나님의 사랑, 포기할 수 없는 하나님의 사랑인 히브리어 “헤세드”의 사랑이다. 다시 하나님과의 관계를 회복할 수 있는 길을 열어주셨다. 그것이 창3:15, 3:21의 복음의 언약이다. 하나님의 아들이 오셔서 뱀의 머리를 밟고, 그 분의 희생으로 인해 나의 죄와 수치와 저주를 해결하고, 하나님의 축복을 회복할 길이 열린 것이다.
아벨은 그 언약을 붙잡고 희생 제사를 드렸지만 가인은 언약을 놓친 예배를 드렸다(히11:4). 이것이 종교의 시작이다. 내 방법대로, 내 기준으로, 내 열심으로 하나님 앞에 갈 수 있다는 것이다. 그것이 사단의 속임수가 된 것이다.
본문에서 사울이 실패한 세가지를 볼 것이다. 거기서 우리는 참된 예배, 성공하는 예배가 무엇인지를 찾아야 한다.
1. 우리가 드리는 모든 예배 속에는 하나님이 은혜로 주시는 구원의 언약이 있어야 한다.
1) 제사장 사무엘이 올 때까지 기다려야만 했던 이유가 그것이다.
구약의 제사장은 영원한 제사장으로 오시는 그리스도의 예표이다. 그 분이 자기 피로 아담의 원죄와 우리 가문의 죄와 내 죄를 영원히 대속하셨다(히9:12). 그피가 아니면 죄사함을 얻을 수 없고, 하나님 앞에 설 수 없다(히9:22).
감히 왕이 제사장의 권위를 도전했다는 수준이 아니다. 작은 사건이지만 그 속에 담긴 언약을 놓친 것이다.
주 안에 있는 사람들에게 일어나는 모든 사건에는 하나님의 계획과 메시지가 있다. 그것이 언약이다.
2) 그 그리스도 안에 있을 때는 누구도 정죄할 수 없고, 어떤 대적도 우리를 무너지게 할 수 없다.
그리스도는 지금도 보좌에서 우리를 위해 중보하신다고 했다(롬8:34). ‘중보한다’는 말은 중재자(딤전2:5), 변호자 (요일2:1), 돕는자(요14:16)의 역할을 하신다는 뜻이다. 이 축복을 누리지 못하면 인간은 누구나 무너지는 것이다.
그래서 어느 누구도, 어떤 세력도 그리스도 안에 있는 하나님의 사랑에서 끊어낼 수 없다고 한 것이다(롬8:38-39)
3) 예배 때마다 그 분의 사랑과 그 분의 은혜를 확인하라. 그리고 포기하지 말고, 새 힘을 얻으라.
그래서 ‘예배“는 왕이 그 자비의 손을 내밀 때 그앞에 나가 그 손을 붙잡는 것이라고 했다(“프로스쿠네오”,영어의 Worship). 어떤 문제와 실패를 겪는가? 지금, 항상, 매일, 평생, 그 은혜와 사랑과 자비의 손을 붙잡으라(히4:16).
2. 우리가 드리는 예배 속에는 반드시 언약을 붙잡은 우리의 믿음이 있어야 한다.
1) 그리스도를 향한 믿음을 고백할 때 우리의 구원도 시작되는 것이다(롬10:10)
처음 예수 그리스도를 믿을 때 영접 기도를 하는 이유도 이것이다. 이 고백을 매일 해도 된다.
마음으로만 믿어도 되지만 입으로 고백해서 그 분이 참 나의 주가 되도록 허락하는 것이다(요1:12, 계3:20).
그 영접이라는 단어가 그 분의 사랑을 “받아들인다”. “믿는다”는 뜻이다.
2) 여기서 중요한 것은 한번 그리스도를 영접해서 구원받은 사람을 하나님은 포기하지 않는다는 것이다.
정확히 말하면 나를 대속하신 그리스도께서 그 구원을 계속 완성해가는 것이다(빌1:6, 빌3:12)
그러면 이미 택함 받은 사울을 왜 버리신 것인가? 신학적인 난제이지만 구원받은 것이 무효가 된 것은 아니다.
더이상 하나님께 쓰임 받을 수 없었던 삶이 된 것이다. 그 결과는 비참했다. 그때 다윗이 보여준 자세가 중요하다. 훗날 악신에 들려 자기를 죽이려고 하고, 결국 전쟁터에서 죽은 사울 왕을 위해 울며 노래를 지었다(삼하1:7)
3) 하나님은 우리의 모든 삶에서 하나님의 축복과 응답으로 역사하기를 원하신다. 언제인가?
언약을 붙잡고, 믿을 때이다. 그래서 언약을 주시고 성취하실 하나님을 믿는 믿음의 예배가 중요한다(히11:6).
사울이 사무엘이 오기 전에 예배를 드린 것은 그의 불신앙에서 시작된 것이다. 사무엘이 정해진 기간에 오지 않으 니 불안한 성도들이 흩어지게 되었고, 왕인 사울이 같이 흔들린 것이다. 이것이 하나님의 테스트였을 것이다.
그때 왕다운 믿음을 가지고 기도해야 하는데, 그것을 놓쳤다(13절 “내가 여호와께 은혜를 간구하지 못했다”)
결국 예배의 형식은 있었는데, 언약도 놓치고, 믿음도 놓친 그 예배는 하나님이 받을 수 없는 예배가 된 것이다.
3. 우리의 예배 속에는 반드시 하나님이 우리를 통해 하고자 하시는 미션을 잡아야 한다.
1) 하나님은 그의 사랑으로 우리를 구원하시고, 우리를 축복해 모든 것이 증거가 되게 만드시겠다는 것이다.
그래서 하고자 하는 일이 뭔가? 하나님의 영광을 회복하고, 모든 택한 자들을 살리신다는 것이다(전도와 선교)
사울이 언약이 분명하고, 믿음을 회복했다면 이 전쟁은 이길 수 밖에 없는 전쟁이었다. 하나님이 망대가 되시고, 그리스도가 직접 싸우신다는 언약이 그것이다. 사울이 뒤늦게 깨닫고, 남은 600명을 가지고도 결국 승리한다(15절)
2) 하나님은 어떤 경우에도 내게 증거를 주신다는 언약을 붙잡고, 미션을 찾아내라.
하나님의 소원이 담긴 언약이 되고, 이유가 있는 믿음이 되어야 한다. 나를 증인으로 세우시겠다는 것이다.
가정에서, 교회에서, 직장에서 아무리 작은 일을 해도 그것이 하나님의 영광을 위한 헌신이 되면 이유가 된다.
그래서 예배라는 또다른 단어가 “헌신한다”(“레이투르기아, 영어의 Service)는 의미이다.
3) 하나님은 하나님을 사랑하면서 믿음으로 하는 나의 작은 기도, 헌신, 수고, 인내를 기억하신다고 했다(계2:2)
특히 전도와 선교가 중요하다. 그것이 새 하늘과 새 땅, 새 에덴에서 영원히 누릴 기업과 상급이 되는 것이다.
결론-십계명에 가장 우선적으로 주신 제1계명부터 4계명까지가 하나님을 섬기는 계명 곧 예배에 관한 계명이다. 예배 성공이 인생 성공이고, 예배 실패는 인생 실패가 된다. 참 예배 성공자의 삶을 누리기를 축복한다.
예배에 실패하는 죄(삼상13:8-15)Although God had not desired it, King Saul was appointed in response to the people's demands. As Israel stood at the threshold of a new beginning, Samuel delivered an important message. In essence, he declared, “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.”
Why did Samuel suddenly deliver this message? First, although Samuel himself had anointed Saul as king, he must have felt deep concern about whether Saul would truly obey God's will and fulfill his responsibility faithfully. After all, this had not been God's original desire, it had begun because of the people's greed and stubborn insistence.
Second, this message became something like Samuel's will as he grew old (1 Samuel 12:2). He recognized what his most important mission would be from that point forward. Ultimately, God Himself had to protect His people, bless them, and uphold them.
Do you understand why this confession and commitment are so important? There are times when people may fail to pray. Many become so busy with their work that they lose opportunities to spend time in prayer. Yet the busier we become, the more we must make time for prayer. Only then, the transcendent power of God is revealed, and either we do not know that it becomes the masterpiece of God or we have not experienced it. When people grow old or become ill, they may no longer have the strength to pray. Yet some understand that such times can become opportunities to devote themselves to prayer. David, who wrote approximately half of the Psalms, understood this. So did Moses and Joshua, and Paul as described in 2 Corinthians 12:8–9. To understand the power and blessings of prayer properly, we must grasp two essential covenants through today's passage.
1. The foundational covenant contained in Samuel's confession and commitment.
This is the covenant concerning what Christ does for us. Whenever we read the Bible, we must learn to see this (Luke 24:44, John 5:39). Samuel's commitment to pray for the people foreshadowed the work Christ would accomplish for us.
1) Christ became our Savior, Redeemer, and Intercessor. He delivered us from all sin, the curse, and the power of Satan (Luke 1:71, 77, Colossians 1:13–14). To accomplish this, He became our Redeemer by offering His own life for us (Hebrews 9:12). Finally, He became our eternal Mediator so that our salvation may be complete and we may obtain our eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15).
2) The essential covenant we must grasp in this passage is that Christ has become our Intercessor. He knows our wounds and weaknesses. He understands how we can fall into the traps of our own desires and succumb to Satan's temptations.
① The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is with all believers who have been saved and intercedes for us with groanings when we are weak (Romans 8:26–28).
② At the heavenly throne, Christ personally intercedes for us so that no one can bring a charge against God's people and condemn them (Romans 8:34).
③ This is the steadfast love of God emphasized throughout the Old Testament (It is God's hesed—His unfailing, covenantal love that will never abandon His people). That is why today's passage declares that Israel is God's chosen people and that He will not forsake them, for the sake of His own great name (verse 22). This is also the conclusion reflected in the five points of Calvinism, the essence of the Reformed Theology doctrine (perseverance of the saints).
3) Samuel understood what God's servants must do when God shows such mercy to His people. With the heart of God's unfailing love, Samuel resolved to continue interceding for God's people, even to the point of giving his life.
① How does the Bible describe God's response to our intercessory prayers? It describes an angel offering our prayers before the heavenly throne of God (Revelation 8:3). It also says that God appoints watchmen who will never be silent, continually interceding on behalf of His people (Isaiah 62:6–7).
② Through prayer, God works continually for us, our families and children, our church, and our fields. The sin of ceasing to pray is what prevents us from participating in this work of God.
2. The practical covenant of God contained in our prayers.
We must hold firmly to the covenant concerning how precious our prayers are to God and what kind of prayer He desires from us and experience it throughout our lives.
1) It is the secret to enjoying our relationship with God. The Bible teaches that God has given us three spiritual identities (refer to Wednesday's message). These are identities originally given to Adam.
① We have the identity of God's children (Genesis 1:27; John 1:12; Romans 8:15–17). The relationship between a parent and child is incomparable to any other relationship.
② We have the identity of God's servants and workers (1 Corinthians 4:1). This is the blessing of anointing. It is being used by God to fulfill His eternal plan. This is why God gives us grace, answers to prayer, and blessings. He desires us to be used as ambassadors and apostles of Christ, devoting ourselves to His work.
③ We have the identity of God's co-workers and partners. Our blessings and answers to prayer are not limited to this earthly life. When Christ returns and establishes the new heaven and new earth—the new Eden—we will stand alongside Christ as those who reign over all things (Revelation 22:5). Through covenant-based prayer, we are to enjoy these three covenants and blessings as they are fulfilled throughout our lives. This is why Jesus began by teaching His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount how to pray (Lord’s Prayer, enjoying God and His kingdom, prayer offered privately without seeking recognition, and the secret of restoring our relationships with our brothers and sisters so that nothing hinders our prayers).
2) There are people who must take the lead for this blessing of prayer. These people are spiritual leaders. In the family, they are the parents, and in the church, they are the pastors and church officers. We must become watchmen who remain spiritually alert and pray for our families, our church, and our fields of ministry. We must also become steadfast watchtowers that cannot be shaken (Song of Songs 4:4).
① There is an enemy at work to make us continually lose sight of God's covenant and live in unbelief and disobedience. That enemy is Satan, the devil. Adam and Eve fell because of his deception, and the consequences were devastating (Romans 5:12;, John 8:44, Ephesians 2:1–3).
② Satan knows our weakpoints very well. But he will flee when we resist him and fight against him. That is because Christ has crushed the head of the devil (Genesis 3:15, 1 Corinthians 15:25, 57). He came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Therefore, we must discern Satan's schemes. We must remain alert and pray at all times in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18). We must guard our hearts and minds and pray with thanksgiving. The Bible promises that when we do so, the God of peace will guard our hearts and minds as well (Philippians 4:6–7).
③ This is why pastors and church officers are appointed in the church. They must take the lead in prayer, even to the point of risking their lives. They must raise the banner of Christ, our Commander in prayer, who fights for us and gives us victory. A representative example is Moses praying behind Joshua as he fought and defeated the Amalekites, while Aaron and Hur supported Moses by holding up his hands (Exodus 17:8–12). If Aaron represents an associate pastor who supports the senior pastor, then Hur represents the church elders, senior deaconesses, and deacons who serve as church officers. As they supported Moses so that he could continue praying, they and all peoples of Israel prayed together. We know the outcome. Israel's enemy, Amalek, was decisively defeated. This is how God uses our prayers.
Conclusion - Prayer is everything that all believers and church officers, who are God's children, His servants, and His co-workers, are called to enjoy. In particular, it is the secret through which believers who hold firmly to God's covenant experience the work of that covenant being fulfilled in their lives (John 15:7, 1 Thessalonians 2:13). This is the secret of meditative prayer. Most importantly, prayer is the secret that enables us, despite our weaknesses and shortcomings, to stop being deceived, to stop having what God has given us stolen away, and to live as victors, pilgrims, and conquerors.
This is a critical hour. May you be blessed to become prayer warriors who lift up the hands of prayer and carry the banners of prayer.
The Sin of Ceasing to Pray (1 Samuel 12:19–25)
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