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Israel Needs a Humble King (1 Samuel 24)

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Israel Needs a Humble King (1 Samuel 24)

“As the one who feared the Lord, David did not choose the way of self-realization by getting rid of his enemy by himself. In other words, David didn’t allow himself to disobey God’s commands by interpreting this occasion as a God-given opportunity to commit murder. Rather than to take things into his own hand, David was patient and willing to entrust the matter to God’s good judgement…And so once again, David swallows his pride for the sake of peace…Let us consider how David, in this chapter, points to Christ Jesus, the greater Son of David…Because of Christ’s obedience, even allowing himself to stand before unjust tribunals and kangaroo courts, and bearing the sentence of death on a cross, and because his Spirit now dwells in each of those who likewise lay down their lives to follow him…You and I can now also glorify God by humbling ourselves, even before the proud.”

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Israel Needs a King Who Is On God's Side (1 Samuel 23 and Psalm 54)

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Israel Needs a King Who Is On God's Side (1 Samuel 23 and Psalm 54)

“God is not on your side, but you can be on God’s side. We know if we are on God’s side if we are dedicated to fulfill his purposes, his agenda, and for his glory…God was not on David’s side, per se, but David was on God’s side. He was not expecting God to achieve his goals, but had committed himself to God’s goals, this is why he prays (Psalm 57:2) ‘I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.’ And he states with confidence (Psalm 138:8) ‘The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me…’…We think that Saul is insane for thinking that God is blessing his endeavors and helping him to catch David; that God is blessing those who help him get what he wants. But how many professing Christians believe and act the same way?  Confidently pursuing our own agenda, our own desires, our own purposes, and then expecting that God will come alongside and help us out? The church is full of Sauls’. Church, you only have God on your side if you have taken God’s side. You can only expect the protection and faithfulness of God—as David did—if you have given up living for yourself and now live for God…”

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Israel Needs a King Who Honors God (1 Samuel 22 and Psalm 57)

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Israel Needs a King Who Honors God (1 Samuel 22 and Psalm 57)

“You see, church, that faith towards God is not merely believing that he exists, or even believing that he can help us in every situation, but faithfully acting on that belief. Living as though what we say we believe is true! ‘I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me,’ (Ps 57:2) even if that purpose does not bring about immediate relief from my discomfort. We exist for the glory of God, so let our prayer continuously go forth: Be exalted in me, O God, above the heavens!  Let your glory be revealed in your church over all the earth! God did exalt himself greatly in David, who was not alone in the cave, and his physical solitude was soon relieved…The warning to us church, is that, as with Saul, the judgment of God does not always wait until we breathe our final breath, but if we are disobedient to his word, and do not live for his glory, he may give us over to the terrible results of our rebellion. According to Romans 1, this is the ‘wrath of God… revealed.’ When people fail to honor God rightfully, and fail to give him the thanksgiving he deserves, they are often given over to the foolishness of their hearts…”

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Sola Gratia (Ephesians 2:1-10)

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Sola Gratia (Ephesians 2:1-10)

“God’s grace is the root of salvation, Christ’s work is the means, and Human Faith is the path by which a person receives it…Sola Gratia: God’s grace is the root of salvation, the grace of God is the start and source of salvation. Which means God’s decision to save is entirely unearned. It is an entirely free gift, given out of His mercy, and not based on any human attractiveness, merit or good works…”

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Justification by Faith Alone

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Justification by Faith Alone

“Abraham has been brought to faith by a faithful God. His deepest trust and belief was in the One who had promised, and not in this son whom God had provided. God’s faithfulness is evident throughout Abraham’s life—even when Abraham is the villain of the story—even when Abraham makes the dumbest move available. Abraham, a primary biblical example of faith, is also our example of the obedience brought by faith. God’s test required him to give up everything that had come together so far in the fulfillment of God’s promises; everything that had worked out so far for Abraham to get what he was hoping for, trusting God for. And Abraham can let everything good in his life go; every provision; every advance in the achievement of his hope, and ultimately his salvation, because his trust is in the giver and not in the gift…”

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Sola Fide (Galatians 1)

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Sola Fide (Galatians 1)

“…(R)ather than relaxing his command for humans to be perfect, Jesus reiterates the commands of Deuteronomy 18:13 and Leviticus 19:2 in Matthew 5:48  calling us to be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. And instead of relieving this righteous demand, God makes the greatest provision for purification ever, in Christ. In order to approach the all Holy God, sinners needed to be made sinless. Which is the impossible thing. So before time began, it was decided that the ultimate and only worthy sacrifice of God’s own Son, would be the necessary and perfect substitute and target of God’s good wrath, and Christ Jesus would die in the place of sinners, in order to cleanse sin fully, once for all…”

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Israel Needs a Worshipping King (1 Samuel 21 and Psalm 34)

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Israel Needs a Worshipping King (1 Samuel 21 and Psalm 34)

“…(L)et us respond to David’s testimony, and recall our own: Have we had the opportunity to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good!’ If so, let us remember and bless the Lord at all times, praise him continually and boast in the Lord to one another.”

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Israel Needs God's Covenantal Law (1 Samuel 21)

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Israel Needs God's Covenantal Law (1 Samuel 21)

“The commandments of the Law were perfectly designed by God to teach his people the definition of love. But it was their constant predisposition to keep the external elements of the law without understanding its purpose. Though keeping the law was a serious thing, with a death sentence for rebellion, love and compassion always trumped the external trappings of the law.”

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Israel Needs God's Covenantal Love (1 Samuel 20)

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Israel Needs God's Covenantal Love (1 Samuel 20)

“There must have been at least a moment—after Saul’s gaslighting—where Jonathan felt as though he had betrayed his father and dishonored his mother. And he would certainly have had some desire to claim the comfort, control and glory of royalty for himself. Any one of these emotions could have motivated him to break his commitment to David and obey his father’s edict. Looking to the end of the story, we know that Jonathan’s loyalty to God’s people not only cost him in his relationship with his own father and king, but that he suffered lifelong separation from David as well. He did not get an immediate reward of happy fellowship to replace the family relationships, position and glory that such covenant love had cost him…”

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Israel Needs an Obedient King (1 Samuel 18-19)

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Israel Needs an Obedient King (1 Samuel 18-19)
Josh Handford

Tune in as Pastor Josh preaches from the extended narrative in 1 Samuel 18-19, which is bookended the removal of royal robes:

“In this context, the robes represent everything that we desire as humans: control, comfort, and glory. These are things that are uniquely possessed by the king of Israel…Those who seek their own control, comfort and glory are unable to genuinely love the people of God. Those who seek their own control, comfort and glory will find themselves in opposition to the people of God. Those who seek their own control, comfort and glory will find themselves in opposition to God. Those who seek their own control, comfort and glory will lose it all anyway…”

ROSE CITY BAPTIST CHURCH   •   6406 44B AVENUE   •   CAMROSE, AB   •   T4V 0B6