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You arewelcome

StoneCreek

www.rossvillechurch.com

781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741

December 30, 2012

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1 Samuel 28Saul has come to the witch

of Endor to seek to hear from Samuel about the

coming war.

Samuel is dead!Saul is desperate.

God is silent unto Saul.Maybe He will speak thru Samuel.

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1 Samuel 28:9 And the woman [the witch] said unto him (Saul), Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

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11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. 12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

She is shocked!She didn’t expect

Samuel to actually appear.

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13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

She knew she was a fraud.

But Samuel was real.

God had done what her magic could not.

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14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

If Saul had been this humble and submissive all his life, he wouldn’t be in trouble now.

People often wake up after trouble comes.

Some still won’t.Stubborn Pride

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15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. When Samuel was alive, Saul ignored

everything that he said.

Now Saul is in trouble, and he wants help.

What I shall do = “How can I win?”

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16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? 17 And the LORD hath done to him (you), as He spake by me: for the LORD hath rent (torn) the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David: Why?

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18 Because thou obeyedst not the Voice of the LORD, nor executedst His fierce Wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.

This happened many years before, but God is fulfilling His Word in Saul’s life.

People sin, thinking the consequences will be shortlived and bearable.

Not so!

Disobedience

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19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

Israel will be defeated by the Philistines.

Saul’s sons will die with him.

Not the words Saul wanted to hear.

Saul is taking others with him.

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20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

This night has not gone well.

Saul is weak with fear and hunger.

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21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me. 22 Now there-fore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.

If we don’t take care of our bodies,they will fail us.

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23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed. 24 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof: 25 And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.

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Saul is afraid, but he does not repent.

Repentance requires humility.

Saul has been prideful and stubborn all his years as a king.

He will not humble himself now.

Don’t be stubborn; it’s sin.

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God puts His people through hard trials to test us, but primarily to humble us.

Deut 8:2, 16

Pride demands and pushes until it gets its way.

The end result of that is

trouble.

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To seek what we want or need from any source other than God is sin and will not end well.

Proverbs 3 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

Live life God’s Way -- every day,in every situation.

You really don’t have a better idea.

Trust God enough!

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Psalm 34 18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Humility and true repentance touch The Lord’s heart.

Stubborn pride and arrogance stir His Anger.

Be very careful!Love does not demand its own way.

Pride does.

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Psalm 37 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.

Trust, delight, commit

The Lord.