Bible Text: 1 Samuel 31 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: David: Committed Living
1 Samuel 31:1-6 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers.
Then Saul said to his armorbearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me. But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him. So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day.
1 Samuel 31:7-13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days
2 Samuel 1:1-16 When we pass on and graduate to Heaven how far will we have grown from our beginning?
Saul Is Dead
So David said to him, Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, I have killed the LORD’s anointed.
Death Brings Life!
1 Corinthians 15:35-39 But someone may ask, How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have? What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a dry little seed of wheat or whatever it is you are planting. Then God gives it a new body–just the kind he wants it to have. A different kind of plant grows from each kind of seed. (NLT)
We have studied the Rise of a King and now we are going to study the Crowning of a King
Romans 6:5-11 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.
The Christian Life is a Paradox
Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Mark 8:35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it
Luke 9:24 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it
John 12:25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life
Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it
John 12:24 …listen carefully: unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat.  But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over.  In the same way anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life.  But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you will have it forever, real and eternal (The Message).
John 11:25-26 I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?
ADMIT that you need the Lord
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
BELIEVE that Jesus died for your sins and that He rose
Romans 10:9 …believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
RECIEVE God’s gift of salvation
Ephesians 2: 8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
INVITE Jesus Christ to come into your life
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
CONFESS that Jesus Christ is Lord
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:13 For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, this is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me. In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it. For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.