Fathers Day Message Outline: Where have all the good men gone?

Where Have All The Good Men Gone?

1 Samuel 15:1-23

Lessons from the life and fall of Saul

Introduction

A. Give us a King! - the demand of Israel in I Sam.8

1. Saul was their choice, and he became their conquering hero
2. But Saul later became the King who threw away his crown
3. The Bleating sheep on the slopes of Mt. Carmel signalled the end of the Reign of the first King of Israel

B. It was a case of three strikes and you're out

1. I Sam.13 - He became impatient and offered an empty sacrifice for His own benefit
2. I Sam.14 - His greed and arrogance put his son in danger
3. I Sam.15 - He was disobedient in not destroying the Amalekites. He covered up his sin instead of confessing it.

I. Great Dad's Know Sin Is Serious

A. Saul treated sin very lightly

1. Not only did he make excuses and blame others, but never truly repents
2. He SEEMS to repent, but it was all talk and no action
3. Not once is Saul broken hearted about his sins and shortcomings

B. We must be careful not to make the same mistake

1. The wages of sin is death - Rom.6:23
2. Jesus Christ died a cruel death on the cross because of sin
3. When we minimize sin, we also make little of what Jesus did, and why
4. Sin is serious, in the life of both saint and sinner - die unforgiven - destiny is Hell!

II. Great Dad's Guard their Hearts Psalms 1

A. Saul did not fail immediately

1. In fact at the beginning of his reign he was a very humble man
2. But soon pride and envy took over, and he hated David.
3. His decline is seen in the visit to the Witch of Endor - I Sam.28

B. Sin Corrupts Godly Leaders (It's a slow fade)

Saul started as a fearless ruler, He was the hero they called for. He Ended as a cynically depressed maniac who turned his back on God

1. Leaders who walk with wicked men are influenced by their corruption
2. Sin slows our walk until we stand in sin and stop walking with God
3. Eventually the man caught in sin will be consumed by it. It becomes his identity.

III. Great Dad's Walk In Integrity

A. Saul was a double minded man unstable in all his ways - Jas.1:8

1. Saying rather than doing, making excuses rather than confession, offering sacrifices rather than obedience, reputation rather than
character. More concerned about his will than God’s.
2. Reputation is what men think we are - character is what you are in the dark - alone, no one watching (Except God!)

3. Great Dad's don't make excuses for their wrongdoing.

B. David was a man of integrity

1. Psa.78:70-72
2. David was a man of single hearted devotion.
3. A man after God’s own heart. Each time he sinned he sought God’s Face and Forgiveness.Psa.32:3-5 is another example.
4. We would do well to remember that "He that covereth his sin shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth & forsaketh them shall have mercy" Prov.28:13

IV. Great Dad's Are Obedient and Humble

A. Consider how much God did for Saul

1. Anointed and empowered him as the first King of Israel
2. Blessed him and gave him great responsibilities
3. But Saul would not submit to God’s will, instead he would offer a sacrifice 15:22-23 rather than obey God fully.

B. Trust and obey for there is no other way!

1. Our success in life will be dependent on our obedience to God.

2. Our prayers will be answered, God will help and guide us
3. But when we live a lie, or harbor unconfessed sin, misery will follow
4. Look at the Prodigal son - when was he happy? Lk.15

V. Great Dad's Build Up Spiritual Homes

A. Saul never built anything - except an altar to himself
B. King David was always building his spiritual life - look at his psalms.
C. God’s will is for us to Grow I Pet.2:2

1. Build up ourselves in the most holy faith - Jude v.20 thru the Word of
God, prayer, fellowship with other Christians
2. Build up others - Heb.10:24-25 "provoke unto love & good works"
3. Build up the Church through winning the lost to Christ.

D. If we do these things, we shall never fall - II Pet.1:11-12

CONCLUSION

• We must be careful to hear and heed these important lessons
• Do you wish to go from ordinary to great?
• recognize the seriousness of sin
• guard your heart
• Walk in integrity
• Be obedient and humble
• Build up spiritual homes
• What happened to Saul can easily happen to us too.
• We must deal with sin or it will deal with us!
• Come to Christ who is the total answer for sin - I John 2:1-2 "If any man we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world"