12/14/2025 Choices that make promises come true
/Acts Sermon Series 68
Date: 12/14/2025
Title: Choices that make promises come true
Text: Acts 13:21-23
[Acts 13:21-23] 21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ 23 From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.
The first king of Israel was Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul was a man so shy and humble that he hid among the baggage during his coronation. At one time, he was filled with the Spirit of God and even prophesied.
However, sadly, he began to walk the path of corruption only two years after becoming king.
[1 Samuel 13:8-9] 8 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. 9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering.
Looking at the situation at that time, a huge number of enemy troops were ready to attack, and the people had already started to run away. Furthermore, Samuel, who promised to come, did not appear. What would you have done?
In that urgent situation, isn't it amazing that he even waited for seven days? However, as soon as Saul offered the sacrifice himself, Samuel appeared and was deeply grieved. He suffered as if a terrible sin had been committed and everything was over.
But despite such expressions, Samuel still remained by Saul's side for a while. God also helped Israel in that war and defeated their enemies. However, in the war that followed, Saul once again disobeyed God's command.
It is a bit long, but let me summarize the words of 1 Samuel 15:11-35.
[1 Samuel 15:11-35] 11 “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.” 13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” 14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” 15 Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” 16 “Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. 17 Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ 19 Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” 20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” 24 Then Saul 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. 25 Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.” 26 But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!” 27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. 29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.” 30 Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. 32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him confidently, thinking, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal. 34 Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.
Samuel mourned, and the Lord God regretted making Saul king. The statement that God regretted making Saul king appears twice. How should we understand that God felt regret?
King Saul was not a person who did not believe in God. He was a figure who prophesied while filled with God's Spirit and led unwinnable wars to victory by the power of God's Spirit. When God made him king, both God and Samuel praised him, saying there was no one like him in Israel, and he was extremely humble.
Saul did not fully keep God's command, but he did not completely ignore God either. He destroyed most of the enemies, but he took Agag, the king of Amalek, as a prisoner and spared only the fat and good animals.
But do you think Saul's actions were such a serious sin that they would disappoint Samuel and God so much? Was it truly enough for God to say He regretted making him king? Doesn't it actually make you feel confused?
Although God said to destroy everything, wouldn't the enemy king be a prisoner with much information and use? Also, the fat animals are great wealth, whether used for food, sacrifice, or money. Isn't it a waste to just kill them?
You could feed the soldiers well with them. He fought in God's name, defeated a strong Gentile tribe, and annihilated the enemy army. The important work was done, so isn't that much okay?
Since he realistically compromised only on the relatively unimportant parts while following God's command, isn't that actually wise? To say we must obey so thoroughly... doesn't it feel a bit harsh that God takes it so seriously if we don't?
We also know what God wants, but when that causes us loss and inconvenience, we stand in the same position as Saul. He gave the glory of the war's victory to God, built an altar, and offered sacrifices.
However, along with that, the thought "This much is okay..." was increasing within him. "I don't need to go that far... I just need to give some to God too..." That compromising heart was continuing to grow.
Samuel grieves and rebukes Saul. [1 Samuel 15:22-23] 22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
Following only part of the command and not following it completely is like the sin of divination. Stubbornly insisting on one's own will is even like the sin of bowing down to idols. God sees it that seriously.
Why is it so extreme? Jesus spoke about why this is a more serious problem than it appears on the surface.
[Matthew 6:24] “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
And He continued to speak:
[Matthew 6:31-34] 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Saul generally followed God's commands, but he kept taking things that he felt were necessary in his own eyes. In the end, he only followed God when God's thoughts matched his own thoughts. When he had a better idea for himself, he just did as he pleased.
But we still have to live in the world; we are not just spirits but have bodies that need to eat well, so shouldn't we take care of practical needs? Shouldn't we take care of both God and money?
Christians also go to work, do business, earn money, and pay taxes. Shouldn't we pay the same costs as worldly people to buy and eat food?
That is all true, but Jesus tells us not to live in order to gain those necessary things. People often say, "We do it all to eat and live." Is that right? Everyone, Christians do not work just to eat and live.
What does Matthew 6:33, which we just read, say? Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
What does this mean? It means if we prioritize the Kingdom of God in our lives and pray for our neighbors and God's Kingdom more than for ourselves, our Heavenly Father will take care of filling all the needs of our lives! That is what He said.
The difference between a person who relies on God and a person who relies on themselves is not in how much they earn or what kind of house they live in. It is in the answer to the question: "Who gave all this?"
There are people who believe they work hard with their own ability and earn money as the price of that labor to live by their own strength. And there are those who say, "I worked with the health and talent God gave me, following the opportunity God gave... and God fed me and filled me through the company. It is all given by God."
It divides into those who live believing God is the source of everything they enjoy, and those who live thinking their ability is their boss.
And those who think they obtained it themselves mostly believe in luck—being lucky or unlucky. This is because even elementary school students experience the fact that not everyone gets the same result even with the same effort under the same conditions.
However, we are people who believe in God. We believe God is my Creator and the One who protects and saves me and the people I love. Isn't that why we gathered to worship that God on this cold day?
But do you truly believe that all the good things you have are God's grace? Or do you think, "I am living this well because I managed things smartly for about half of it"?
If so, exactly that amount has nothing to do with God, and those are things God does not need to protect. And for exactly that amount, you will be anxious about losing it.
Doesn't everyone compromise to the extent that Saul did—killing only the weak and worthless animals and keeping the fat and healthy ones? God didn't stop it and allowed it, so isn't it okay? Since there was no hindrance or discipline, it seems God also just let it pass...
Is that really so? The incident of Saul's disobedience that we examined in detail today happened in the second year of his reign. But Saul met his miserable death a full 38 years later.
During those 38 years, he still lived a luxurious life as a king in the palace. God's wrath did not strike him immediately. But was his life peaceful because of that?
Looking at the records of Saul during this period, he was generally always anxious. He suddenly threw a spear at David, his son-in-law who had become more popular than him. Later, he led an army just to catch David.
Although he was in the royal palace, his soul had to spend 38 years like hell. Like this, when something is not given by God, humans only become more unhappy even if they possess it.
On the other hand, David had to run away unfairly for that long time. However, in that process, David showed himself giving up a golden opportunity for revenge—a chance where he could have become king.
He exchanged the legitimate opportunity for revenge given to him for an opportunity for Saul to repent. And in such moments, Saul also showed a brief appearance of repentance. He even called David "my son" and shed tears.
However, not long after, he ground his teeth again to destroy David. When good things happen in life, anyone's grateful heart comes alive for a moment and they recover pure eyes. But if it does not lead to true repentance, they are soon captured by evil spirits again.
The image of him struggling not to lose what he has, clutching it tight, is not unfamiliar to humans. If you are not a person who truly accepts Jesus Christ as the Master of everything that belongs to you—not just in words, but in truth—then no matter how it looks on the outside, you are repeating anxiety, desire, emptiness, and fleeting pleasure, struggling not to lose something in your hand.
The Bible compares Saul, who lost grace, with David, who was praised for fulfilling all of God's will, and appeals to us. It tells us not to walk the path of Saul, but to walk the path of David.
What is surprising is that Saul, who had left God, reigned for 40 years. The number 40 has a very important meaning in the Bible.
Moses' life was 40 years as an Egyptian prince, 40 years as a shepherd in the wilderness, and 40 years as the savior of Israel. David's reign was also 40 years. The number 40 signifies the fulfillment of God's plan.
But for King Saul, it is truly strange that he could remain as king for 40 years—remaining for 38 years even after disobeying God's command and after Samuel declared that he was finished as king.
Thinking about it, the fact that David gave up the opportunity to legitimately take revenge on Saul means something deeper. In fact, every time that happened, God was giving Saul a chance to repent, not through David, but through God Himself. That was the representative appearance of David fulfilling God's will.
What if Saul had changed his mind like David's hope and stood upright before God at that time? If he had accepted David as the next king chosen by God, formed a good relationship, and been given enough time for training...
The Bible showing us Saul's foolish and evil actions in detail is shouting at us not to fall into the same foolishness. As the message given to this church two weeks ago said, our choices now do not just change the future; they change the entire meaning of life.
There is an answer in the meaning held by this single sentence: "David fulfilled all of God's will." It means God has a different will for each of us.
However, the fact that David fulfilled all of God's will implies that, conversely, Saul did not. It doesn't mean David lived only according to God's will 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It means his life achieved the calling God expected of him—at least the minimum dream.
And the fact that this was enough for David to receive huge praise as a man after God's own heart implies something else. It means there are not many people who fulfill the calling God seeks in our lives—that minimum dream.
Even if they didn't become corrupt like Saul, there were almost no people at that time who lived a life of obedience fulfilling God's will like David.
But about 2,000 years ago around this time, One Person came. Someone who walked with God every moment more perfectly than David, without missing a single moment, and fulfilled all of God's will. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, came.
Compared to Jesus Christ, David is merely a small shadow showing only a small part of a man after God's heart. That is why Paul compared the Old Testament to elementary principles. Because the true One who becomes our model, the real One and not the shadow, has come.
David is a figure who revealed and left behind his songs, prayers, and inner heart through the Psalms more than any other figure in the Bible. That is how much God wanted to show him off to us.
So when we read the Psalms, which are like letters he wrote to God, they naturally become praise and prayer. Nevertheless, David did not receive as much grace as we have.
For David, the Holy Spirit did not live within him; the Spirit stayed with him, left, and came back again. To offer sacrifices, he had to go to the Tabernacle, and he needed priests and offerings. Sometimes, a prophet had to be sent to rebuke him when he fell into sin.
This is because it was before Jesus' death on the cross, His resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. So no matter how much time David spent with the Holy Spirit, we are enjoying a privilege incomparably greater than his. The Holy Spirit lives within us.
[Hebrews 11:39-40] 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
What does that mean? It means we can discern God's will more certainly than David, and the life and power of Jesus, who lived perfectly according to that will, are living together within us!
So when we follow God's will, we are happy and enjoy greater satisfaction. Things that used to give us no guilt and that we even used to enjoy no longer give us joy.
We experience a change in the purpose and source of everything. My life's center used to be my job or family. The reason I went to church was that I wanted to live more happily in my workplace and family.
But now, all of that begins to look different. I start to see them as spaces and people God called me to, so I can worship more sincerely and love these people entrusted to me.
For such people, life choices change, the purpose of everything changes, and eventually, they live for God and for God's Kingdom.
But if I live like that, will my own life, which I didn't take care of, become a mess? Absolutely not. The Lord, who knows my needs better than I do, leads me to a life where those things follow me even if I don't struggle to chase them.
Because I, and everything that belongs to me, are the Lord's... The Lord protects them all. Whether it is business success, promotion, a wonderful spouse, or children... Whatever it is, the Lord gives, the Lord protects, and the Lord takes responsibility!
The important thing is that the person can live a satisfied life without feeling a lack, regardless of whether they have those things or not. This is because God knows best and fills all those needs.
Saul did not trust this. He did not trust the fact that God knows better and that God would take responsibility. So he tried to keep taking more for himself. He tried to keep his position. He considered that he had a better idea than God's thoughts.
Satan tries to plant the same thought in us. "I must take care of my life. That is the number one priority of everything." Is that the Lord's word?
Eventually, it makes us unable to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and only hover around the outside. So there is no peace, and joy is only a passing moment.
What does it mean for you to seek God's Kingdom first? Do you have the courage to make such a choice? Do you have that much faith?
Not only this promise made by Jesus, but many verses we like and memorize are all promises of numerous blessings. Do you want those promises to come true in your life?
If so, you must escape from the deception that you can serve both God and the world like Saul. Even if God let it pass for now, even if He allowed it, these are things you will eventually regret.
Go beyond the path of David, where God's will for me is fulfilled. Become a "little Jesus" for the small world surrounding me, just like Jesus the Son of God, and walk the path of Jesus.
The Bible clearly emphasizes that this is neither impossible nor difficult. For those with whom the Spirit of God is present, it is the best path and the path of true abundance that gives eternal satisfaction.
Since the Spirit of Jesus is within us, when we walk the path of Jesus, we become most free, most peaceful, and most complete.
Reject and defeat the spirits that captured Saul—the spirit that says "just do it moderately." Follow the Spirit of God that made David sing and obey completely... but now we can become one with that Spirit.
The life of Jesus, who loved God more completely than David, will make our lives more complete as well. This is the Lord's will for you and me. Let us walk the path of Jesus together with the Spirit of Jesus.
