JESUS WAS BORN TO STAND ONCE AND SIT FOREVER

Few among us live our daily lives thinking, “I need a priest.” Such a thought conjures images of men in black robes and sacrificial altars. But a priest’s role and function is fundamentally that of a mediator. You and I objectively and desperately need a mediator. We need someone to arbitrate the divine dilemma between us and God. We need someone to solve the problem of sin we can’t solve. We need someone who doesn’t have to first atone for their sin and then the sins of others. We need someone who can offer a perfect sacrifice and not have to stand daily at their service. On the first Christmas morning, Jesus was born to perfectly satisfy that need. Listen to last Sunday’s third Advent message from Hebrews 10:1-18 to hear more.

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JESUS REVEALS THE TRUTH WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT

Prophets are those who received God’s words and spoke them to God’s people. God’s people of old needed them because without them they’d live in ignorance. They wouldn’t know the will of God or the way they could return to God when they’d fail to keep his will. The prophets pointed the people back to God the King and his appointed priests. We need them because as Thomas Edison once said, all “mankind is incurably religious,” and by nature we’re all bent to serve kings and seek out priests who will keep us in good standing with them. We all seek out someone or something to follow and worship. But, apart from the light of God’s word breaking into our darkness, we’ll never receive or be reconciled to the one true God.

This is why Jesus came. He came and fulfilled the office of prophet in order to provide the truth without which we can’t make sense of life. But even more than that, he came to announce the truth without which we could not be made alive - set free from sin and death in order to live with God both now and forever. Jesus is the ultimate prophet who came to most fully and finally reveal the truth about: what God wants, who God is, and how sinful and separated man, could be reconciled to him. Listen to the second message in our 2021 Advent sermon series from Hebrews 1:1-4 to learn more.

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JESUS IS GOD’S MAN AND THE GOD-MAN

1 Samuel and the Old Testament as a whole cause us as readers to wonder, “will there ever be a good king? Or a perfect priest? Or the promised prophet like Moses? Jesus’ arrival into this world and subsequent baptism followed by the Father’s declaration, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17), were essentially a loud yes to the above questions. Which of those three questions? All of them.

The title of Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) is translated into English as “anointed one”, which in layman’s terms simply means “the one God appointed”: God’s man. Christ’s identity as God’s Messiah implies that in Him is perfected every role and office that every man and woman in the Old Testament failed to perfect. Jesus is the sum of all our needs; the sum of all necessary parts. Yet, this Christmas season, we need to remember that Jesus did not become the sum of all parts just to be one part of your life. He came and has always existed to stand at the center of your life and all things. Listen to the first message in our 2021 advent series to learn more.

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WE NEED A KING WHO OBEYS THE FATHER COMPLETELY

In 1 Samuel 15, after Saul had presumed to undertake the role and priest and prophet and failed in chapter 13 and 14, he finally and tragically fails in his anointed role as king and God strips his kingdom away from him. In what way did he fail? He only partially obeyed God’s Word. In last Sunday’s sermon, pastor Kyle explained that God did not give Saul his kingdom to turn and only obey some of His commands. However, where Saul failed, Jesus, the King of Kings, succeeded and fully conquered sin and death in us, bringing salvation to our souls. Like Saul, though, we didn't receive salvation only then to turn and allow sin to remain in our hearts. Listen to the sermon to learn more.

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WE NEED TO HEAR FROM GOD

Throughout the book of 1 Samuel, the Old Testament offices of Prophet, Priest and King rise to the surface over and over. As Saul is anointed as Israel’s first king, he then presumes to act in both the prophetic and priestly roles in chapters 13-15, begging the question, “will this man whom the people want prove to be the prophet, priest and king that they need?”. Chapter 13 answers that he is sadly not the priest they need. Chapter 14 answers that he’s not the prophet they need; he’s not suited to speak as God’s representative to His people because he doesn’t seek God’s heart. Saul shows us how desperately we need to hear from God Himself and Jesus has satisfied that need. Listen to last Sunday’s sermon to learn more.

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GOD WANTS OUR OBEDIENCE AND HE’S AFTER OUR HEARTS

In 1 Samuel 13, Saul proves that he’s not the “man after God’s own heart” that God’s people needed to lead them. When things became difficult and stressful, he relied on his own wisdom and strategies to find a solution, even though he very clear knew what obedience looked like. In our lives, we’re drawn daily by similar temptations to value convenience or comfort over obedience, despite the fact that it may very well be inconvenient. The good news of the Gospel, though, is that Jesus always did the Father’s will and even graciously gave His perfect record of obedience to us through His cross. So, next time, when you do choose convenience over obedience, run first to Christ in faith and then ask Him for the strength to obey despite however inconvenient it might be.

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BUT YOU CAN’T OVERESTIMATE GOD’S MERCIFUL COMMITMENT

On Sunday, we heard Pastor Jeff preach from 1 Samuel 12, where Samuel addresses Israel one final time and pulls the cover off their sin of desiring a king. His aim was to show Israel that they had drifted away from their God to the point of rejection. Yet, they didn't see the gravity of their sin until they were fully committed to their sin. They had drifted farther than they realized. But what’s even more apparent than their sin in the text is the strength of God’s commitment - to His own glory. Because He had called them His people, He refused to forsake them. The same is true of those who have been adopted into God’s family through the blood of Christ. Though you may have drifted far - and may yet drift again - God’s commitment to you in Christ remains steadfast.

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A GOOD THING TURNS INTO A CORRUPT THING WHEN WE TURN IT INTO A SAVIOR THING

On Sunday, Pastor Kyle preached from 1 Samuel 11, which gives the account of Saul’s first victory as king. The story tells of how the city of Jabesh Gilead is saved. And though Saul appears to win the day, he gives the credit to God. This reminds us that in life, even though our replacement kings might sometimes come through for us, those are yet instances of God’s goodness and God’s deliverance as the King who is sovereign over all things. God works through imperfect and even at times sinful things - like a cruel Roman cross - to accomplish His perfect purposes.

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ISRAEL THOUGHT THEY KNEW WHAT WAS BEST FOR THEM

1 Samuel 9-10 tells the story of the selection and coronation of Israel’s first king. According to the “job description” that Israel had put forth, God selected the best man for the job - Saul. There was no one like him (10:24), but only in terms of height, handsomeness and strength. His heart, however, wasn’t what qualified him. Like Israel, we think we know what’s best for us. But God’s definition of what’s best for us is often quite different - and far better - than our own definition. God proved this very thing 1,000 years after Saul when He sent the King of Kings, one whom there was no one like in every way that mattered. Jesus teaches us to trust that in all things, God’s best is the very best there could possibly be.

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TAKE SOME TIME THIS WEEK TO LISTEN TO ONE OR MORE

Whether you were serving in children’s ministry at the retreat, were unable to attend the retreat, or would like to share and listen to the sermons again, they have been posted on our website and podcast feed.

Click here to be directed to the sermon archive and select a sermon from Celebration CA 2021