Study 13: 1 Samuel 11:1-15 : Trent Evans

This sermon, drawn from 1 Samuel 11, guides listeners through Israel’s transition from God as their direct king to the appointment of Saul as the first earthly king. It emphasizes the danger of making compromises with the enemy—illustrated through Nahash’s demand to gouge out the right eyes of the people of Jabesh Gilead—and highlights the spiritual lesson that any deal with the enemy leads to distorted vision and disgrace. The message invites believers to see how God, through His Spirit, empowered Saul to act in deliverance, reflecting God’s sufficiency and faithfulness. Ultimately, it calls the church to remember their own “Gilgal”—a place of first love and God’s demonstrated faithfulness and challenges listeners to examine whether they’ve experienced true spiritual transformation and deliverance through Christ.