Rise & Fall - Saul and David in Samuel (Teaching Series)

Sermon SeriesNews
Written By Cris Escher

In a world where chaos has reigned, the people cry for the rule of a king, a king who will raise them into a bigger and brighter existence. However, as pride and the desire for power rise, so, too, come the falls.

Reading Plan
The readings for Sunday

  • 4/16/23

    • 1 Samuel 2:1-10
      Romans 9:1-5
      Mark 13:1-8

  • 4/23/23

    • 1 Samuel 5:1-12
      Romans 9:6-15
      Luke 18:35-43

  • 4/30/23

    • 1 Samuel 8:19-22, 9:15-21
      Romans 9:16-24
      Matthew 21:6-11

  • 5/7/23

    • 1 Samuel 13:8-15
      Romans 9:24-29
      Matthew 23:13-17

  • 5/14/23

    • 1 Samuel 16:1-13
      Romans 9:30 - 10:4
      Matthew 18:1-5

  • 5/21/23

    • 1 Samuel 24:1-12
      Romans 10:5-13
      Luke 6:32-36

  • 5/28/23

    • 2 Samuel 1:1-6
      Romans 10:14-21
      Matthew 14:13-21

  • 6/4/23

    • 2 Samuel 7:8-16
      Romans 11:1-10
      Matthew 22:41-46

  • 6/11/23

    • 2 Samuel 12;1-13
      Romans 11:17-24
      Matthew 20:29-34

  • 6/18/23

    • 2 Samuel 18:31-19:2
      Romans 11:25-36
      Matthew 24:1-8

  • 6/25/23

    • 2 Samuel 24:10-17
      Romans 12:1-8
      Matthew 24:36-42

Featured
[Sunday] David A Christmas Story - Rise & Fall
[Sunday] David A Christmas Story - Rise & Fall

The story of David follows those patterns of the kingdom of God. From Hannah’s pattern of humbleness to Eli’s pattern of pride leading to a fall. But David's fall at the end of Samuel cries out into the future giving us eyes to see the pattern again in the true and better David. 

[Sunday] Grief - Rise & Fall
[Sunday] Grief - Rise & Fall

Absalom looks at his father David and only sees pain. In his attempt to take the throne, he ends up getting caught up in his own pride. 

[Sunday] Bathsheba- Rise & Fall
[Sunday] Bathsheba- Rise & Fall

David looks over his kingdom, holding his head high enough to not look on the problems and needs of those in his kingdom beyond himself. In a series of moves with Bathsheba, David neglects others and causes hurt and pain for his own family for years. But in that same series of moves we see the power of forgiveness in the cross and resurrection.

[Sunday] House - Rise & Fall
[Sunday] House - Rise & Fall

David feels bad as he looks around his really nice house made of cedar; the Lord needs a house like this. Peter sees Jesus bright and shiny on the mountain and immediately wants to build a house for Jesus. But Jesus, with the Lord’s house behind him, says, “Tear it down, and I will rebuild it in 3 days.” We realize it has never been about the house we want to build.

[Sunday] Future - Rise & Fall
[Sunday] Future - Rise & Fall

Saul is uneasy, he feels his future sitting on him with the weight of the world. If he could only talk to Samuel again. Even though the powers of the world keep telling David to take charge of his future, he simply trusts living in each day the Lord gives him.

[Sunday] Projection - Rise & Fall
[Sunday] Projection - Rise & Fall

It seems as if much of the First Book of Samuel is taken up with Saul trying to kill David and David escaping; and when David catches Saul in the most vulnerable position, his men urge him to kill Saul. It would be nothing more than self-defense. Wouldn’t Saul kill David if Saul caught him with his pants down? Isn’t Saul turning over every stone in the wilderness looking for David so he can kill him?

[Sunday] David & Goliath - Rise & Fall
[Sunday] David & Goliath - Rise & Fall

Goliath stands taunting them to send someone to fight, but none of God’s people, nor their weapons, are strong enough. Salvation is riding on this one battle. Samuel stands in front of Jesse’s sons, looking for a new king, but as he stares at all these strong sons, the  smallest is missing, left in the field to shepherd.  To this the Lord says, I do not look at outward appearance; I look at the heart, for that smallest son is God’s kingdom answer of salvation.

[Sunday] Fickle King - Rise & Fall
[Sunday] Fickle King - Rise & Fall

Saul is king, but his temperament and leadership move him around like a plastic bag on a windy day. He is at the whims of people’s emotions rather than trusting in the God who took them out of Egypt. This king is just fickle, even if he is of a kingdom that is not.

[Sunday] We Want a King - Rise & Fall
[Sunday] We Want a King - Rise & Fall

The cry, “We want a king” comes when all seems lost. When enemies are at the gates, when leaders seem corrupt and inept, they cried for a king like all the other nations. But even though they reject God with this cry, He still sees them and never leaves their side.

[Sunday] Pattern of Eli - Rise & Fall
[Sunday] Pattern of Eli - Rise & Fall

Eli is the head priest for the nation of Israel, but his reflection in the world, his sons, show an awful pattern. This is a pattern that extends beyond his family to fundamental issues with all of humanity, which caused the downfall of so many in the Bible and even still today. When pride and using God to your own advantage cause you to lose everything, we probably won't find salvation in anything we do.

[Sunday] Hannah's Pattern - Rise & Fall
[Sunday] Hannah's Pattern - Rise & Fall

Hannah is a mess. She is made fun of constantly, and to top it off, she cannot have children. She is even disrespected by the priest while trying to pray. But suddenly we see a pattern emerge that sings of the God who remembers the humble.

Rise & Fall - Saul and David in Samuel (Teaching Series)
Rise & Fall - Saul and David in Samuel (Teaching Series)

In a world where chaos has reigned, the people cry for the rule of a king, a king who will raise them into a bigger and brighter existence. However, as pride and the desire for power rise, so, too, come the falls.

Cris Escher
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