Understanding the Anointing — Shane Idleman

The Biblical Meaning of the Anointing

I want to talk to you about an interesting topic, and we left off last week, if you weren't here, I encourage you to listen to the message entitled Desperate, the Desperate Need to Experience God. And we talked about the Mount of Transfiguration, where Jesus brought up a few of the disciples, and they experienced Jesus in a radically new way, and that they were transformed.

And I was still on that topic of the anointing, we talked about the anointing of God, and it's this word, many of you will probably realize this, this word can be controversial. You know, you talk about the anointing, people are like, oh, where's he going with this?

I thought this church was solid. I thought this church was stable. What's going on? Well, in the same way that I don't want gay marriage advocates to take the rainbow, we don't want, you know, God's word to be trampled on by people who misuse and abuse this word anointing, because as you'll see in a minute, it's actually a very powerful word.

It's a very biblical word, and it's a very good word. But many times people use it to excuse odd behavior, and just, you know, if it's odd, it's God, anything goes, and then, well, they're just anointed, brother, or, you know, and just let things go crazy, and use that as an excuse of people being anointed, and that's not anointing.

That's bizarre manifestations of the flesh, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, again, that's good, but if you do know what I'm talking about, you'll know that this word anointing can take on a whole new meaning if it's given the opportunity.

So let's talk about that again this week, because my heart, and here's how, when I prepare a sermon, I like to stick with Matthew. I like to stick with where we're going, but if God's got my heart going in a certain direction, and it's pulsating, and there's a passion there, and I just can't get off of this, and God's rocking my world, so to speak, in the morning, in the evening, with this thought, with this process.

It's usually a good idea I preach on it, because He's wanting me to be that vessel to bring it to you. So with that, last week, talking about being desperate for more of God, and driving home here Saturday, it just struck me again that how many Christians, this is the answer to many people's problems, to be desperate for more of God, to have that desperation satisfied, to be filled with the Spirit.

You could end so many problems. You could end so much fear, and anxiety, and worry, what's going on with the world, if we were just focused on being filled with God's presence, and seeking Him more and more.

Because when you seek God, and He's elevated, everything else is minimized. But when everything else is elevated, God is minimized. And some of you saw, I put on Facebook, we put together this little thing for Facebook that says, the next time we post something on Facebook, we should run it through the Philippians 4 test.

Is it going to fuel fear? Is it lovely? Is it honorable? Is it worthy of praise? Is it true? Before you put something on Facebook, run it through the Philippians 4 test. Is it edifying? Does it build up the body?

Because many times, we're doing the opposite. We're not filling the Spirit. We're not being filled with the Spirit. We're being filled with the world, and we're being pulled down. So the anointing, here's an interesting thing.

The Anointing Is Available to Every Believer

I'm going to actually take a few minutes on the introduction to explain it. The anointing, and what I mean by that is this, it's available to all believers. The anointing of God is available, I believe, to all believers.

Everybody in this room, the anointing is available. And now you're saying, what is this guy talking about? Well, let me explain. Here's one of the ways it's used. In Luke 4 18, talking about Jesus, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. So because Jesus was anointed by God, he can set captives free. Because we're anointed by God, we can do the same thing.

I truly believe that we are called to preach the good news. We are to set people free. We are called to pray for them. And when you're walking in the anointing of God, life takes on a whole new meaning.

You'll go to the grocery store and end up praying with somebody. You'll go just on a walk and end up ministering to a neighbor. The anointing is with you. Life takes on a whole new meaning, because now God's Spirit is working through you in a CRIO.

C-H-R-I-O in the Greek language. They wrote the New Testament in Greek. The word anointed, which I'm using, is translated CRIO. And it basically means the authority and the ability to perform God's will with supernatural strength.

So when a person is anointed, they are able to do God's will with a supernatural strength. They're able to pray. Do you want somebody to pray with you who just got done watching Desperate Housewives and all these other things?

Or do you want somebody to pray with you who's been spending time with God and who's anointed? Same person, same age. Who do you want to pray for you? Why? What's the difference? The anointing. Now here's where it gets interesting.

The word Christos. Where do we get the word Christ from? Christos, Christ, the anointed one. So he was called the anointed one. That's who the Christ was. You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

You are the anointed one, anointed by God. And this anointing is available to every believer in the capacity that Jesus had. Well, nobody's perfect. Nobody's going to be able to walk in that type of anointing.

But the aspect of God's anointing is there, available for every single believer. A couple quotes on this. Charles Spurgeon. A church in the land without the Spirit is rather a curse than a blessing. If you have not the Spirit of God, Christian worker, remember that you stand in somebody else's way.

You are a fruitless tree standing where a fruitful tree might grow. The kingdom of God is not going to be advanced by our churches becoming filled with men, but by men in our churches becoming filled with God.

Duncan Campbell. That one's worth repeating. The kingdom of God is not going to advance in our churches by our churches becoming filled with men, but by men in our churches becoming filled with God. And what he's saying there is the kingdom of God is not going to advance in our world, in our culture.

You know, everybody's worried about the Supreme Court decision. I'm up there with you, of course. And what's happening with our nation? What's happening? Well, we're not going to make a difference with the churches being filled with people.

The difference here is when men in our churches and women are filled with the presence and the power of God, when they are anointed. That's how you're going to make a difference. See, most Christians aren't going to win those who struggle with homosexuality over to the kingdom unless they're anointed, unless they're filled with the Spirit, unless they're a vessel now that God can use.

Because anger and debating isn't going to do it. It's got to be the anointing of God speaking into the life of an individual. It's got to be somebody anointed to make a difference in politics, in our culture, in the church, and lead the church in our nation.

It's going to have to be somebody anointed with God's Spirit to do God's will with supernatural strength is what the anointing is. It was interesting. I read an article this week entitled, One Big Reason Spiritual People Are Leaving the Church.

Just that title will get you, right? The One Big Reason Why Spiritual People Are Leaving the Church. Not youth, not carnal Christians, but spiritual, Spirit-filled believers. Here's why. To those really seeking to encounter God, soon the fancy stage, the bright lights, the cool bands, and the video screens just become white noise.

They want Spirit and fire. Sometimes they cannot even articulate the reason they are leaving. They might tell you it's because of the music, or the preaching, or the youth, or the children's program. But the underground reason why many people are leaving churches is because they are not encountering God.

And this is absolutely right. People are dying spiritually. They're hungry for God. So the big performances aren't going to cut it. The way we've been doing church before, people are desperate for more of God.

They want to encounter God. They want the anointing of God. That's why I love Psalm 63. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory.

See, there has to come a point in every person's life—I'm talking to everybody in this room right now—where you have to set your heart towards God. You have to set your heart. Daniel set his heart towards God.

Nehemiah set his heart towards God. Ezra set his heart towards God. Many other people I wrote down. Samuel set his heart towards God. New Testament believers, the early church, they set their heart towards God.

They set their heart towards that anointing and that presence of God where God filled everything. That's the anointing. That's the anointing of God. And you know it. Some of you I'm talking to, you know it.

Maybe it's been years, but when God has anointed you for something, when He has anointed your life, and your conversations take on more weight, you can talk to somebody and say, I don't know where all that came from.

And you just minister to them. You bring in the Word of God. You have supernaturally. You're overcome with the love of God, the grace of God. You're anointed. And it's interesting on this topic. People often say, well, that's great for you.

I'll get emails when I preach on topics like this. Well, that's great for you. You're a pastor. Of course you have to have that. Well, how powerful is a mother anointed by God? Raising her children, being able to give them the right word, the wisdom.

Not perfect, but anointed. Being able to raise them up in the fear and admonition. A father anointed? He'll go to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John versus ESPN, Bill Reilly, and Sean Hannity. For the Republicans, who should I say for the Democrats?

CNN, and all those other ones. I don't know who they are. But what do you want a father filled with the world? Anointed of God. See, it's not just for pastors. That's a great lie. Actually, my job, all my job is, is to equip the saints.

It's not me saying, you don't need to counsel everybody. You don't need to talk. No, I need to equip you to have you anointed with the Spirit of God. Then we work as a body. The eye, the ear, the arm, the leg, they all come together.

What difference could you make on your job site if you're anointed? Construction, truck driving, contractor, bug spray, real estate, whatever it is, everything. If you're anointed, you see how that makes the difference?

Do you want somebody selling your house that's anointed? And filled with God's Spirit, or a slick talking salesman? We all know the anointing is vitally important for all areas of life. If somebody's unemployed, would you rather be anointed of God and filled with the Spirit, seeking a job?

Or just going through the motions, and I'm too lazy. I don't want to do anything. It affects everything. So it's not just for pastors, because people do say, well, Shane, you need to read all those books.

You need to spend that time and much time in the But I'm just to infuse this Christian life onto others, and motivate people for this. Think about this. I thought about this yesterday, I think it was, because there's a lot of marriages falling apart.

No secret, right? We can be honest. This church, all churches, every church, it's hard. Marriage is difficult. I'm not minimizing any of that. But do you wonder what the chances are of separation or divorce when both spouses are anointed and filled powerfully with the presence and power of God?

Slim to none. It's not happening, because they're filled with God's Spirit. They're filled with the Spirit and presence of God. Now you can have one that is, and the other that's not, and that's going to be challenging.

But you have this other one praying and petitioning and contending, while the other one's being hopefully changed and transformed. It changes everything. The whole house can change by somebody being anointed of God, filled with God.

And what I mean, what I'm talking about, the terms kind of cross. Being filled with the Spirit is pretty identical to being anointed. As a person is filled, with that filling comes authority, supernatural strength, and now they are anointed for God's work.

So they interlap there. Don't get, there's not different words or different terminologies we should be seeking, but as a person is filled with the Spirit of God, they're going to be anointed to do God's purposes.

They go together. And I mean, the news, the news is just, and Facebook, everybody's, it's a good term to use here, flipping out. I mean, everybody's just, Shane, what's going on? Judgment, hell in a handbasket, the world, the nation, everything's coming.

Well, how are you going to make it in these dire times if you're not anointed? How are you going to walk in the power of the Spirit, lead your family, make wise decisions, overcome evil, and walk in the will of God without it?

You're not. You're not. There's a price that's being paid. And I know that's the big thing right now is people are worried, and rightly so. I'm not minimizing that. God's judgment is coming and all these different things.

And I say that often. I write articles, I preach on it, that God does judge sin and the nation going this direction. It's a scary spot to be living in, for sure. It's a scary time to be living in. But also sometimes instead of judgment, God will bring revival because the light of the gospel shines the brightest in the darkness.

And being anointed changes how you live. Being filled with the Spirit changes how you live. Here's how. You're either a doomsdayer building a bomb shelter or you're powerfully filled with the Spirit of God being a man or woman on fire for God and seeking His presence.

I'm not joking here. That's the one or the other. Either you're fueling that fear and you're going into protection mode or you're being filled with the Spirit of God saying, Lord, how can you use me in these dire times?

Because I'm not necessarily hoping for judgment. I'm praying for revival. I'm praying that God awakens His church, awakens His people. Remember that God said also to Abraham, hey, I'll spare the land for 50.

I'll spare it for 45, for 40, for 35, for 30, to 25. And God got down, hey, I'll spare the land for this. So if there's a remnant of people petitioning and praying and saying, Lord, this isn't right. We're on our faces.

We're repenting. God moves sometimes in those times and saying, okay, I'll bring refreshing. I'll bring revival. I'll bring awakening. So before you get all discouraged and hunker down, be encouraged and be filled with the Spirit, be anointed of God.

Be filled with the Spirit so you can begin to accomplish His purposes and use wisdom. I mean, the way things are going, do you want to be filled with the Spirit and go through this or filled with the world?

Oh, nobody knows, huh? Okay, there you go. I'm glad that was, that got me worried for a minute. Always remember this though. And here's where the rubber meets the road. This anointing I'm talking about, this being filled with the Spirit and walking in God's will.

The Cost of Surrender and Repentance

And what this kind of looks like is, as you're going through your days, you're driving even to work. You're praying, you're being prompted as you're stopping at a gas station. Everything's about God's presence and you're anointed.

You're walking in the power of God. There's mistakes, there's failure, there's things you said that you shouldn't have. But overall, the heart is in a direction set towards God. But this anointing has a cost.

And here's where we lose many people. You don't just say, oh yeah, Jane, that sounds great. Can I leave here with that? No, not without paying a price, not without a cost, not without giving up something, not without repenting, not without during worship, getting on your knees or saying a prayer or changing some things.

We can't just leave here and say, oh yeah, I think I want that and leave and nothing change. Because God falls, the fire of God falls on a person who submitted and surrendered their life. And here's where you lose half the crowd is on this topic.

Everybody says, that sounds great, but there's a cost. There's a price to pay. And I used to, you know, I still do. I read a lot of books by Puritans that came over on, you know, even before the Mayflower, but in the 14th, 15th, 1600s, 1700s.

Actually, the pilgrims came over on the Mayflower. Some Puritans did too. The difference is, just so you know, Puritans were trying to purify the church from the inside out, where pilgrims were trying to escape persecution and find freedom.

And a lot out of this came a lot of strong theological writings. And one thing that a lot of them would say, and there's sermon titles on this, I've talked about this before, they would often say, others may, you cannot.

Others may, you cannot. When it came to this area being filled with the Spirit of God and having His presence, having His anointing, because we look at others, look at what they do, look at what they enjoy, look at their whole life.

Yes, others can, but you cannot. If you want to walk into a deeper, more prominent relationship with God, some of those things have got to be cast off. And this is the part where people don't like to hear, oh, I got to give up this.

But is it really giving up? Is it really giving up? Because the pull, the world pulls us away from God. And God says, I want you to do, and what does that look like? Well, I don't want to sit here and list certain things, but you know in your own life, things and areas.

You know, is the six hours of TV really benefiting? I can bring some examples here if you'd like. Four hours of news and you have no time for prayer. Certain habits that we just love, but we know that aren't pleasing God.

Those things, God says, listen, I want you to get rid of those things. There's a cost, because that's the power. And when God says to do something, it's not like, oh, this is no fun. I can't do this anymore.

There's an exchange of exchanging, ridding ourself of this and then being filled with the Spirit of God. And as you're walking in that, saying, I don't even know how I even enjoyed that. That is repulsive to me.

And there's a difference there. There's a change there. Many of you know, I see it all the time and we get emails all the time, but the Word of God now is alive and powerful. I love worship. I used to be so bored.

What happened? They exchanged things. There's a cost they had to pay to get rid of certain things, because certain things are like kryptonite in Superman's pocket for the Christian. There are certain things that keep you away from God.

And that's why I talk about entertainment media so often. Is there anything wrong with a good entertaining movie now and then? Of course not. You know, it's good to relax, put your feet up on the couch and enjoy it.

But four hours, five hours a day, seven days a week and compromising and watching certain things, it takes away from God. We become desensitized. And I read a report that was so funny. What was considered pornography on TV 30, 40, 50 years ago is now like PG.

So what has changed? We've become desensitized. And I don't want to sit here and harp on this, but this is where reality, this is where reality in the Word of God hit. It's in how we live our lives. I mean, I was also reading where they used to measure girls' bathing suits like down to here before they were allowed on the beach.

You know, those big, long one-piece, you know, down to there. And everybody's like, oh gosh, they were so Puritan. They were so weird. Well, for men, that or G-string? Come on, let's be honest. These things pull us away from God.

The more we feed the flesh, the more we compromise, the more we come down on our standards, the more we become desensitized to the things of God. We live in this saturated cesspool and we think it's okay.

I'm not that bad. True story. I don't even know if I should tell it. There's a Christian couple, a person I know, and they told me they mentioned some show where this guy and girl are nude and they block out this and they live on an island trying to survive.

It's a new reality show. I'm like, what? You guys watch this? Yeah, it's kind of weird, but like what is... I'm sitting there going in my mind, what am I missing here? Lord, help me. I've been born 200 years ago.

I mean, this is just bizarre. But I'm reminded we've drifted that far. What used to amaze us and we would never allow into our homes now amuses us. You become desensitized. I mean, if you look at who's putting all these shows on the top back when Desperate Housewives and Housewives of New York City and Swapping Wives and all, who's putting those on the top?

Christians. Christians. Who's watching ungodly things? Who's doing all these Christians? And we wonder why we know nothing of the Spirit's power? I talked to so many men. They are crying. There's tears.

I want to experience. God's so bad, Shane. So bad. I said, there's two things you got to kick. Kick that corona and kick that porn. Oh, I don't want it that bad. I mean, do we honestly think that we're going to be able to live in two worlds?

Do we honestly think we can love the world and still love the things of God? Listen, there has to come a point where you say, I need to pay this price. I need to draw closer to God. One good indicator is if you know you're dying spiritually.

You know that these things are not edifying. They're not building you up. That's why they would say, others can. You cannot. We often say, well, look at everyone. Look at, they're all doing that. Yeah, the church is dead.

The church has fallen asleep. You've got how many Christians? I was, I don't even know, shocked is the right word. When the Supreme Court decision came out, I see all these posts now of rainbows on their pictures.

I'm like, really? You're going to go there? Christians, flaunting, rainbows, right? Everywhere. It's everywhere. Well, Shane, you're mean spirited. No, I'm just sad at the condition of how far we've drifted because see, we've lost our moral compass.

There's no gauge for truth. Now, truth is, well, whatever makes people feel good. As long as I don't upset or offend them, whatever is right for them, Shane, is right for them. No, the Bible calls it, every man is doing whatever is right in his own mind.

And God says, I'm sick of that. I'm going to bring judges to bring in order. And then the judges get corrupt. And then people get corrupt. And God says, well, now I'm going to bring in Kings. I'll allow you out of a King.

And I'm going to get to that in a minute. And then that becomes corrupt. And the people, Judah, Israel, they split up. And God's always calling his people out of this world mindset. I mean, just think of how far we have drifted.

And I talk to people all the time who want more of God and that you can feel it. They're so sincere. But when you start to talk about, you need to get rid of that. You need to stop that. You need to stop belittling your spouse.

You need to stop being, oh, I can't. I can't do that. That's kind of who I am. It's how I was raised. Well, how bad do you want it? Be available and willing, no agenda, but God's. Then live accordingly.

And I always want to build people up during sermons like this, because nobody can do this perfectly. You think I just live my life perfectly and walk in the anointing of God everywhere I go? It's a daily struggle.

It's difficult. It's challenging, but we can do it if we're dying to the self, dying to the flesh, removing the things that are pulling us down. This is why many Christians are fearful, angry, bitter, and unproductive.

They aren't walking in the power of the Spirit. They are compromising in many different areas of their life. Because we all know if we're Christians and we're not living like we know God wants us to live, are we happy and joyful and nice to everybody?

No, we're bitter, we're mean, we're angry, and I want you to know it. I'm just not happy. I'm upset. I'm going to take it out of my family, I'm going to take it out of my kids, I'm going to take it out of my wife.

Why? Because hard is the way of the transgressor. A Christian is supposed to live a life surrendered to God. And that's why I love to use the word repentance a lot, is because that's what gets us back in right fellowship with God.

That's why many churches don't want to use that word, is because it upsets people. Why does it upset people? Have you ever thought about that? Why do certain things upset people? Because they don't want to turn from what they're enjoying.

Never fails. Yesterday, my son made it in all-stars, and they finally won the district last night. Very stressful game. 19 to 18, we beat Lancaster, and I'm sitting there just, oh yeah, and he's pitching too, and I'm like, oh, this is way more nervous than Saturday nights.

I mean, I'd take Saturday night preaching over this any day, because you're there with the kids. And this guy comes up to me, goes, oh, Shane, how's it going? I said, good, thanks. He goes, yeah. He goes, I just want to tell you, we love your ministry, your church, and I don't know why so many people get upset at you.

I'm like, what are you talking about? He goes, well, my friends, they say, why is he so loud? Why does he have to say these things? Why doesn't he let people enjoy things? And he even confirmed it. It's because those people don't want to remove those hindering blocks.

So a part of Westside Christian Fellowship, the goal is to get you more motivated towards God, to be a church revival type church, to get you more into the presence of God, to experience Him in a more powerful way.

But in order to do that, there's a cost. Things have to be removed. Things have to be exchanged. Things have to be repented of. And people, when we're caught in that and we enjoy it, we don't want to hear that.

We don't want to hear that. That's why certain people on TV are so popular, because they'll tell us what we want to hear. And that's why I know a lot of pastors in the Valley here. I'm not going to just leave it at that.

But a lot of them are so happy about their numbers, but they don't convict anybody. They don't challenge anybody. There's nothing. There's no conviction. Of course everybody likes you. You're a motivational speaker.

That's why people like you. It's all about love and community and all that. And we need all that. But if that's all you're going to focus on, when are people going to experience a deeper walk with God?

When are they going to experience a life of full surrender, being filled with the Spirit of God, if they're not being called out of that cultural mindset? See, one of the jobs of the pulpit is to help all of us say, hey, come out of that world.

Come out of that mindset. Get rid of those things so you can experience God. And that rubs a lot of people the wrong way. And rightly so. You would have told me all this in my 20s. I would have laughed at you and walked out that back door.

Stopped at the liquor store. Turned on ESPN. Said, I'm going to have a fun evening, because I don't want my life challenged. And then I wake up depressed. The whole cycle starts over. Have you ever thought about what the definition of insanity is?

To do the same thing day in and day out and expect different results. So how many people are insane? They're doing this. Lord, I know you don't want me to do this, but I know you don't. And they just stay in this cycle.

They just stay in this cycle. They just stay in this cycle. And they think, well, something's going to happen, right? And no, you're expecting different results, but you're doing the same thing. And that's why this is so hard.

This is called heart surgery. And when people come out of surgery, they're filled with joy and peace because the heart surgery took place. But many people get up off the operating table and run out the door and never come back because of this topic.

The anointing has a price. Ask any man or woman that you know, if you don't know too many, I can set you to talk to some in this congregation, even some at the second service as well. And ask them if they had to give up something.

Ask them if they had to live their life differently. Ask them if they had to not go with the flow of the world, the flow with the culture. All the other Christians do this. All the other Christians, you know, head to Vegas, hit Circus Circus tonight, throw down a couple hundred, walk back to the hotel.

I mean, these are just practical examples. Then they get up and they go, oh, I'm so depressed. I'm not going to that church. Or they do it again. Well, let's try Laughlin. Let's try Palm Springs. Let's try.

And they keep trying different things. Same result. Same thing with sin in our own lives. There's certain areas that God is saying, I want to remove that from your life. But we keep falling back into expecting different results.

Saul, Partial Obedience, and the Loss of Anointing

So the anointing has a price. And here's the example I wanted to get to after that long introduction, was when David was anointed king after Saul was rejected. First Samuel 10. Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel.

And this was a, they consider him a seer, a prophet, a judge of Israel. This mighty man, Samuel, mighty man of God. And he anointed Saul to be the first king. God said, I don't want Israel, you to have a king.

I want to be your king and I will rule you through judges. But what did they say? We want to be like all the other nations. Give us a king. So God says, okay, here's your king. But not only did he give them a king, he actually anointed this king.

See how God's so loving. I mean, that just leaped out at me saying, okay, here's your king. I'm going to anoint him with my spirit so he can help lead you. You think he'd say, you want a king? Here, I'm going to start with Manasseh.

If you're saying, I don't know what he's talking about, that means you need to get in the Old Testament and start reading. Wicked King Manasseh. I mean, child sacrifice, mock God. You'd think God would say, you want a king?

Here you go. But he gave them this guy, Saul, filled with the spirit of God. But now we fast forward. Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel saying, I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.

And it grieved Samuel. Verse 17, so Samuel said, when you were little in your own eyes, Saul, were you not the head of the tribes of Israel and did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? Now the Lord sent you on a mission.

Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil and do evil on the side of the Lord? And Saul said to Samuel, but I have, and then Saul, the king said to Samuel, but I have obeyed the voice of the Lord.

Isn't it interesting? He's coming to confront Saul saying, you've disobeyed the word of the word of the Lord. And he's saying, no, no, I obeyed the word of the Lord, but I have obeyed the word of the Lord.

And I got on the mission, which the Lord sent me. And I brought back Agag, king of Amalek, and I've utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But, but the people did take of the plunder, the sheep and the oxen, the best of things, which should have been utterly destroyed, but they were going to sacrifice them to the Lord.

So basically God said, Saul, here's what I want you to do. Saul went, said, oh, look at all that spoil, man, there's, there's an art, it'd be millions and millions of all these sheep, all these cattle, all these things.

And God said, utterly destroy it. God, Saul said, well, here's what I'll do. I'll destroy a few things, but I'll keep all this plunder. That's why it says, swoop down on the plunder, swoop down on all this stuff.

And he didn't follow the voice of the Lord. Verse 20, so Samuel said, has the Lord as great, has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifice as in obeying the voice of the Lord? In other words, he's saying, I was going to sacrifice this stuff to God.

Samuel says, does God really concerned about the sacrifice or is he concerned about you obeying what he said to do? Big difference. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to heed what the Lord says is better than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king. And I want to pull a few things from this.