The Fall of Saul & The Rise of David

1. Introduction a. Picture 1 b. Picture 2 c. “Your actions, reactions, behavior, responses, and words are more shaped by what's inside of you than what's outside of you.” Paul Tripp 2. The Fall of Saul (Chapter 31) a. The Battle Rages On (vs 1-3)                                                              i. READ 1-3 b. Saul Gives Up (vs 4-7) i. Paul Tripp says “That's unbelief. By giving in to the pattern of self-swindling, you are not taking humbly and seriously the convicting message of the word of God. This always leads to further turning away, because the word of God is meant to be the spiritual anchor. When you cut the rope of the anchor, you give room for the evil of your heart to grow. And ultimately, like Saul, your heart is hardened and that thing that once bothered me doesn't bother me anymore.” c. The Philistines Disgrace Saul (vs 8-10) d. Valiant Men Respect the king (vs 11-13) i. Hebrews 3:12-13, “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” 3. The Rise of David (2 Samuel 1) a. David Defeats the Amalekites (vs 1) b. An Amalekite Seeks Advantage (vs 2-10) i. “his clothes torn and dirt on his head” (vs 2) ii. “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear…he said to me ‘stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ So I stood beside him and killed him And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.” (vs 6-10) iii. Do you tell stories to make you more of a hero than you are? Do you stretch the truth to promote your success? Are you tempted to grow your stories to impress people? Do you treat others differently because that person may bring more reward to you? c. David Mourns (vs 11-16) i. READ vs 11-16 d. David Shows God’s Heart (vs 17-27) e. The Power Within i.  The power within Saul was of his own dependence, and it led him down the path to destruction. ii. The power within David was the heart of God and it led him to this point; mourning the death of his enemy! iii. Gatorade 3 picture iv. Micah 3:8 says “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD.” v. Ephesians 3:16 says, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” vi. We do not lose heart, because, even “though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” 2 Corinthians 4:16