04/05/21 FOLLOW THE LEADER #4 (1 Sam.14:6-23)

BACKGROUND (1 Sam.13) continued…

13:8-14 — Saul offered an unlawful sacrifice; Samuel announced that God had rejected Saul as king (and chosen a Godly Leader)!

SAUL: An UNGODLY Person — Called by and Trusts MAN (UNGODLY Decisions 4X+)

Casual, Carnal, Cultural Faith — Just Goes Through the Motions; Man-sized Projects; Confused, Afraid, Reluctant; Minor Successes and Great Failures

13:15 — Saul’s army had shrunk to 600 men! BAD NEWS!

BEFORE COVID, ~95% of American churches were in SERIOUS TROUBLE. Only 1 out of 20 churches NOT in Trouble. And NOW it’s MUCH WORSE! Experts say we should expect about HALF of those NOT now attending church (for whatever reasons) will NEVER RETURN! Sounds like BAD NEWS to me!

13:19-22 — ALL the Blacksmiths were Philistine! Saul and Jonathan had the ONLY Swords and Spears in ALL Israel! From “BAD TO WORSE!”

14:4 — Jonathan was between a Rocky (or Slippery: Bozez) and a Thorny (Seneh) Place! [ Two nearly vertical crags! ]

Today WE Americans, Christians, Baptists, and SBC members seem to be “Between a ROCK and a HARD PLACE!” Something needs to change—nearly everyone agrees. But WHAT? When it comes to God’s Church, I Suggest that the Truths of God’s Word, the Bible can NEVER be changed. BUT EVERYTHING ELSE is UP FOR GRABS, SUBJECT to CHANGE! We MUST EXPECT and EMBRACE CHANGE!

It’s TIME for CHANGE — Deliberate Change, Dramatic Change, Dynamic Change, DIVINE CHANGE!

TAP your WRIST (watch), then make a Triangle (~Greek letter Delta—for CHANGE) and say, “It’s TIME for CHANGE!” Repeat that with me. Again!

This is NO TIME for Maintaining the Status Quo; NO WAIT and SEE; NO TIME for that Most Pitiful Excuse, “We’ve Never Done It This Way Before!” (the Motto of the Dying Church!) IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE!