“Superficial views of the work of Christ produce superficial Christian lives.” – D. Martyn Lloyd – Jones

“There is little doubt that Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones was the greatest preacher the English speaking world has seen in the twentieth century.” – Eric J. Alexander, St George’s, Tron, Glasgow

“The preaching of the cross is an offence to the natural man. So it becomes the test of any man’s preaching.” – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“Immature love says, ‘I love you because I need you’. Mature love says, ‘I need you because I love you’.” – Erich Fromm

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

SUNDAY 31 MARCH 2019

Picture / Alan Collingwood

“The People Demand a King,” was the title of a sermon of a Church in London in 1963. I was in England at that time, and that’s what I remember, even if it is a long time ago. The title of the message was written in big letters on the notice board.

It is the story of Saul and the story of King Saul of Israel begins in chapter eight of First Samuel in the Bible. And this is what I am learning:

LET US FIRST OF ALL SEE WHAT THE LORD SAID TO SAUL AT THE BEGINNING OF CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

Samuel has a message from the Lord for the king. The Lord wants king Saul to punish the Amorites. In short, king Saul is to destroy the Amorites completely and that means everything. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 15:3 “Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”

SECONDLY LET US SEE WHAT THE PEOPLE SAID TO KING SAUL OF ISRAEL.

But the people were unwilling to destroy everything completely. It says in 1 Samuel 15:9, “But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best if the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs – everything that was good.” “…, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.”

And in 1 Samuel 15:24 Saul said to Samuel not only, “I have sinned. I have violated the LORD’S command and your instructions.” But he said also, “I WAS AFRAID OF THE PEOPLE AND SO I GAVE IN TO THEM.”

Instead of fearing the Lord, he feared the people and lost his kingship.

In John 5:44 the Lord Jesus Christ says, “No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.” (NLT)

“Then Saul

Introduction:

said to Samuel,

• ‘I have sinned.
• I violated the LORD’S command and your instructions.
• I was afraid of the people and so
• I gave in to them.

End:

Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD.'”

“But his sons did not walk in his ways.

1 Samuel 8:3

Introduction:

They

1. turned aside after dishonest gain and
2. accepted bribes and
3. perverted justice.”

End:

“Kids who read succeed,” is written on the Taipa Area School noticeboard.

Let us remember that that is especially true when kids read the Bible. How do I know that?

Because it says in Joshua 1:8:

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”