Occultic Danger

Your Bibles with you Diane like you turn with me if you would to first same in chapter 28 will be looking first at verses 1 to 7. In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war to fight against Israel, and Keith said to David understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the Army and David said to a quiche very well.

You shall know what your servant can do in a case said to David very well.

I will make you my bodyguard for life.

Samuel had died and all Israel, and mourn for him and buried him in Rama his own city solid, put the mediums in the necromancers out of the land. The Philistines assembled and came in can't shoot him and Saul gathered all Israel.

They can't take Gilboa Saul, Saul, the Army of the Philistines.

He was afraid.

His heart trembled greatly when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did answer him either by dreams or by urine or by prophets.

Then Saul said to his servants, seek out for me.

A woman who is a medium that I may go to her and inquire of her and his servant said he and behold there is a medium at indoor someone asked Ken ham couple days ago. Why God would allow what's going on in America to be going on right now and he answered this way. He said what's happening to America will you can't murder millions of children throw God out of schools have numerous lukewarm compromising churches have mostly compromising Christian institutions condone all sorts of sexual perversion, shake your fist at God, and God not act so sad situation that we are in today but the Lord is with his church. He is with his true church, and as so Eugene was sharing with us a moment to go.

There is good news. Jesus Christ is coming back and until he comes back he is never going to leave us nor forsake us.

No matter what happens to America. America doesn't have to be here. The church does and God will bless you with me to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly father, we are viewing a tragedy in today's message.

We are looking at one of the greatest examples of apostasy that we see in the entire Bible.

Saul started out great.

He was anointed by Samuel to be the king of Israel.

He salt you for guidance. He prayed, he took seriously the Scripture then compromise entered the scene and little by little, his love for self overshadowed his commitment to God it wasn't long after that that a hardness begin to develop in his heart.

The calluses got thicker and thicker until he stepped over the line of no return. Father, it seems that the only time Saul cried out to you was when he was in trouble and he didn't really want you. We just wanted help out of his dilemma. The time came and he refused answering Saul then turned to the kingdom of darkness.

That is apostasy in my Saul's downfall be a warning to us not to play with sin not to toy with the occult, not to give in to Satan, may we fight the good fight. Finish the course and keep the faith Lord.

This passage should drive every believer to his knees, help us to stay true to you. Help us to trust only you and we pray this in the precious and holy name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. You may be seated. We are right in the middle of a study of David, the only way we can really understand the life of David us to understand the circumstances and the people who were influencing David and one of the greatest influences on David was Saul. Now Saul was the king but he was a king on borrowed time, he rebelled against God over and over and over and over again and finally, God gave him a promise and that promise was that the kingdom of Israel is to be taken out of his hand and was going to be given to a man after God's own heart. That promise was spoken to him through the prophet Samuel and his soon as he heard that promise.

He went into just under paranoia. He was absolutely scared to death. He was always looking over his shoulder to see if there was somebody behind and that was good.

A stabbing in the back with a dagger he was killing innocent people just to try to protect his own life and there were all these questions that were swirling around it in his mind what's going to happen to me when is the kingdom.

My kingdom good end and will be killed.

What does the future hold not all know that I have to imagine that they are some of you that are here today that have been in situations in life work you've gone through a long period of your life and everything's been pretty good every things run smoothly. Everything's just kind of gone regularly and then all of a sudden in a time when there'd been no crises and no big things happening.

Something comes into your life that causes the bottom to fall out of your world. And when that happens you start asking questions. Lord what's going to happen to him to me, Lord, will I ever be happy again. What does my future hold now in those times we would really like to peer into our future and to see exactly what's going to happen to us in that future. The truth of the matter is the us, God is fixed in such a way that he doesn't want us to know our individual futures. Now there's things about our futures, we can note for for we are told that we are not to live in these bodies forever. Hebrews chapter 9 verse 27 says that there is appointed unto you once to die, and after that the judgment another thing that we can know for certain is that Jesus Christ is coming back that we don't know exactly when he's going to come back. We know he is coming back. That is absolutely certain.

Another thing we we can know for certain is that in this world there are going to be times of problems and troubles and suffering and frustration enter the Christian there may be some very difficult times. Paul said all we live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution, but those are just general things I what what I'm talking about here is the Lord doesn't really want us to know this. The individual personal things that will happen to us the specific things he keeps promise. So we we want to know these things want to know what's going to happen to tell you to my family. What's going to happen to my career. What's going to happen to my my wife what's going to happen to my husband. What's gonna happen to my life itself. I think most of us have rollers questions over and over again in our mind and we think it sure would be great to know what the future.

My future, my personal future would hold. I submit to you today that God knew what he was doing when he told us to leave our personal futures in his hands. You see, the Lord is the one who created us, he not only made us physically. He also made us mentally and emotionally and in his infinite wisdom.

He knew that if if we really had a totally understanding of what was going to happen us in our future we would short-circuit we would not be able to handle it. Some of you during this year 2020 has gone through some tough times. Some of you have lost loved ones. Some of you gotten sick yourself. Some of you have stared face-to-face with dead some of you have lost jobs and you've lost your financial security.

What if you had known 10 years ago that in this year 2020 on on some particular time during that year that these terrible things were going to happen to you if you knew that 10 years ago you might've lost out on a lot of strong, productive Christian living. You will might've lost out on a lot of joy because your mind would have been riveted on the calamity that was going to happen to you in the future.

God knew that and that that we just could not handle that that we wouldn't be able to do it. Secondly, the Lord desires that we walk in faith. He desires that we would trust him on a daily basis. When God sent Abraham to Canaan land into the promised land he can give them a map. He didn't give him a six months itinerary. He said every morning when you get up Abraham. You call up in May and I will show you where to go. I will tell you what you need to do.

How much would we pray and have the pin that would move the young God. If we knew exactly what our futures hailed, but today we look at a man who said I don't care about all that. I don't care what God's best is for me. I want to know what my future holds and I'm willing to do whatever I have to do to find it.

So the story that we delve into day involves King Saul in a medium or a fortuneteller if I was preaching this sermon back in the 1950s, then I would probably get a totally different response that I would run preaching it now. In the 1950s we had this idea that we were just the scientific people and that we were behind anything that superstitious.

And so what we wouldn't be concerned about that. We would say that kinda stuff. The occult is not relevant to us.

When I tell you what, in today's society, things are not like that anymore. I'm it's amazing you could go on your television and see the commercial just a few years ago, missing like every other commercial they came on was a commercial about your psychic hotline go to this get your own personal psychic Ouija boards and two row cards became very very important to people in these last few years and we have more which is today in America than we have ever had in our history. We give you a very current example trace colors is one of the founders of the black lives matter movement.

She is a professor at the University of California in Berkeley. She is in a valid Marxist and she is also a necromancer. What is a necromancer necromancer is a medium it is a fortuneteller, one who tries to communicate with the dead. Now couple months ago there was a arrived, it was taking place in in Washington DC.

Rand Paul came on one bill that I was at the White House was the capital building, but immediately he was encircled by this great mob and they started chanting, say her name say her name say her name had no idea what they're talking about. They were talking about Breanna Taylor, Breanna Taylor was a lady that had been shot to death in her home by a policeman.

She had a criminal. They are in the house with her who was shooting at the policeman. The police shot back happen to hit her in and killed her. Now, while they chant what were they saying this was a chant encouraging Rand Paul to communicate with the dead to call on her name, say her name say her name say her name, but this is nothing but pure and simple necromancy. It is condemned by the Scripture. It is told us all the way through the word of God.

If this is something that is absolutely forbidden and it is one of the key tenets of the black lives matter movement.

So if ever there was a time when first Samuel chapter 28 was relevant.

I believe it is right now, here's the setting for the story Samuel the prophet had had died and Samuel had been Saul's link to God.

Samuel was a godly man the Lord spoke to him and Samuel would relay God's truth to the king and Saul is a strange bird. He had a fear of God, but the fear of God was not enough and wasn't strong enough in his life to making repent. His life was one huge contradiction.

He knew the truth, but he thought it every single day. Samuel has just died and the Philistines nail or in Shuman and they have gathered their trips together and they were preparing to make a raid on King Saul and Israel and try to totally and completely defeat them. When Saul hears about this.

He got absolutely scared to death. His heart jumped up in his throat. He thinks to himself. Is this the end is just the time when my kingdom is coming to an end. Am I gonna die and I'm sure with that question went am I going to go to hail five point someone to share with you today about the occult first one is the pull of cultic practices. Look at verses five and six when Saul saw the army of the Philistines. He was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly and was Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him either by dreams or by your own or by prophets, fear the future, scared Saul so badly that he could hardly function so we prayed to the Lord, Lord, I need to know what's gonna happen. I need to know what the future is and the Lord did not answer him now. Why did the Lord not answer him well.

David said in Psalm 66 verse 18 if I regard iniquity in my heart.

The Lord will not hear me and that means that if we have unconfessed sin in our life that we will not repent of.

Then we can pray and God will not answer.

Saul was willingly intentionally deliberately sinning against God.

And yet, thinking that would have no effect whatsoever on his prayer life.

James said that if we want our prayers answered that we must ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that waiver that is like a wave in the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. Let no man. He said, let no man think that he will receive anything from God if he is a double minded man. Saul is not praying in faith. He's pray and in sin, in his absolute futility. God's not an answers prayer. So verse six is that God refused to answer by prophets about your own or by dreams. What is the euro of the euro and the three men were two flat stones that the high priest would wear in his aphid which was a a garment that he wore over his chest, and with two pockets and it he would have the urine of the plume and in the pockets and they would help to him to make a decision because they would let him know whether God was saying yes or God was saying no but Saul had killed all the prophets except one Abbaye Clark. He was living with David and David's men 31 with them. So Saul had no access to use the urine and the thing but neither was he getting direction from God by prophets and neither was he getting direction by God by God given him dreams, but Saul was hearing nothing from God. There was a reason for that. And that was a rebellious life and deliberate sin. At this point in time Saul should've seen it had and what he should have done what was repented, should've confessed his sin right there should have fallen on his face before God and before his men apologized to his men and beg God for forgiveness and beg God to to take him back into his arms. Once again, to giving help, but instead he said to himself.

If God won't give me what I want and I'll get it from the other side. I will go to the occult. I will seek out a medium one who has supernatural power, who will tell me what I need to know about my future. There was a pool. There was an attraction there was a drawing of King Saul's heart to the occult in which you know that saying pool is in the United States today. I can't tell you how many people won't leave their house in the morning without reading their horoscopes. I can't tell you how many people today have have three and $400 phone bills where there: not the psychic hotline each day. When people believe that they can get into the supernatural through a cultic paraphernalia and methodology, then that attraction is very, very real to them. The second point is the people of a cultic practices. Look at verse seven. This Saul said to his servant. Seek out from a woman who is a medium that I may go to her and inquire of her and the servant said to him, behold, there is a medium at indoor now in verse three. The Scripture tells us that Saul had before this time run out all of the witches the fortunetellers the spiritist the mediums he had run them out of Israel why he done that because at one time Saul was at least a little bit trying to be obedient to the word of God and God's law. In Deuteronomy chapter 18 the Scripture absolutely prohibits necromancy, which is all these different things associated with the occult and and Saul knew that they had to be dealt with and so he ran them out of the land would not allow them to to to be there in the land of Israel, and he said that if spiritism is is found out here in Israel that it is a crime that will be punishable by death. But somehow there was one lady who slipped through the cracks. She slipped through the cracks.

She was a medium. A necromancer who made efforts to communicate with the dead, and she lived in a place called indoor some of you are old enough to remember the television show bewitched, and if you remember a Samantha was the witch and her mother was also which in her mother's name was indoor and where did that name come. It was the name that was given to her because it was the hometown of the spiritist here in first Samuel chapter 28, by the way, a man who used to be the high priest of the Satanic church in San Diego, California, a man who ritualistically kill children and offer them to Satan, a man who crucified a nine-year-old girl cut her heart out and offered it to Satan, said that he entered into the occult.

Because of the impact that the show bewitched had on him. He said that he looked at that show was so enthralled with the power that Samantha had. He said that he would have done anything in this world to get it. But anyway, there was a medium.

They are in is really thought that she was hidden from Saul, but when Saul asked if there is there a medium around one of the men in Saul's company said yes I know where one is she's an indoor and I'll take you tour and he did. He took Saul down to indoor and then watched him get together with this woman and watch Saul compromise his convictions.

Saul was like an ox is being led to the slaughter. He didn't care that this woman was demon possessed. He did not care that God said that this is absolutely wrong.

He was so desperate to find out the future he would've done anything to find it, but it's a situation that Saul found himself in 3000 years ago is not half as dangerous as the one that you and I are in today was Saul and his men did not have to worry about movies that have subliminal messages about the occult. All through them I didn't have to worry about movies or just straight out would share the occult with you trying to encourage you to not only condone it but to adore it and I hear people say in everyday all well is just a movie is no big deal. Listen constant exposure to the occult. Whether it be through magazines, movies or television will do one of two things to you. It will either draw you into it perking your interest making you comfortable with it or it will bring you to the point you feel like this is nonsense.

This is just Hollywood. This is not real is there's no power behind this that it would only have to worry about this just just a fairytale and walk away from it folks. Both of those attitudes are deadly third thing I want to see is the power of a cultic practice. Look at verses 11 to 14 then the woman said shall I bring up for you. He said bring up Samuel for me. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out a loud voice and the woman said to Saul why you deceived me you were Saul, the king said to her, do not be afraid what you say in the woman said to Saul, I see a God coming up out of the earth, he said to her, what is his appearance and she said an old man is coming up is wrapped in a robe.

Saul knew that it was Samuel and he bound his face to the ground and paid homage is practices call necromancy means of communication with the dead was a necromancer doing the health séances, and in those séances. They call up in the dead to speak and communicate with them and normally what occurs is this a medium will address a dead person in the demonic being will speak and communicate, imitating, and the. The person who is dead. This still occurs today I want to I want you to think of the danger the situation say there's a young teenage girl who whose mother has died, and she is thinking about marrying a guy that's really nothing but a bomb and so she goes to a necromancer medium and she says I need to communicate with my mom and find out what my mom would have me to do so.

They have a séance in them. The medium tells her what is your mama speaking and in your mama says yes yes you want to marry this man, this would be a great move for you and what happens the girl marries and absolutely destroys her life. Folks, there is no true communication with the dead. When there is a séance that goes on. It is either a made out live by the medium or it is genuine, demonic activity in this situation the Lord intervenes and brings up what I believe to be Samuel the real Samuel, and I believe that he comes to speak to Saul, and I believe this is actually Samuel. Now there's some godly men who do not agree with me here and fact, two of them that I hate that they don't agree with me. Martin Luther and John Calvin Richard Phillips at Matthew Henry and and many many others do agree with me here, but the original Richard Phillips said he said Laura Sir Luther asserted that the supposed appearance was a deception of Satan, whereas Calvin suspected a delusion in the minds of Saul and of the abominable woman. The problem with this denial is that there are elements in the text that cannot be so easily dismissed first. Not only did Saul and the woman described the spirit as Samuel, but the inspired writer agrees verse 15 states. Samuel said to Saul. Moreover, the summons spirit replied to Saul with the very message that Samuel given him in life.

The Lord is done to you as he spoke by me for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand. Give it to your neighbor, David, a diluted Saul seeking comfort would not likely have conjured these words and excitement appear to deceive Saul is not obvious why he would've spoken such truth. Moreover, the spirit uttered a prophecy that came true tomorrow you and your sons and shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel. Also, into the hand of the Philistines, speaking from the realm of the dead, the spirit expected to see Saul and his sons in the same realm on the very next day. So if I'm right. How do we know that this is not just the demonic impersonation. How do we know that how do we know this is not a demon that is just trying to imitate the imitate kicked the prophet Samuel. I think we know that because the Scripture actually says this is Samuel. It doesn't say that he is a demonic impersonation. It says that he is Samuel. Secondly, when the séance was going on and Samuel came forward. The lady cried out in a loud voice. It absolutely scared she never seen anything like this before. I before when she had held a séance. She might've heard a voice that would have been a demon. She might've made something up to deceive the person she's talking with. But she never seen anything like this. It was a man in is in a profits mantle and when Saul got a look at them. He recognized him as Samuel books is no deception there. There's no line coming out of Samuel's mouth.

He is speaking shocking truth to Saul, please don't make the mistake that some people make by believing that there is nothing but superstition and con games going on here. Some of it in séances today is con games that superstition some of it is just plain flat out lie some of it is very, very real. The fourth point is the purpose of the cultic practices. Look at verse 15 through 16, and Samuel said to Saul, why do you disturb me by bringing me up. Saul answered I'm in great distress for the Philistines are warring against me and God is turned away from million answers me no more, either by profits or by dreams.

Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.

And Samuel said, why then do you ask me, since the Lord is turned from you and become your enemy the perfect purpose of the cultic practices is always the same person who allows himself to get into the occult has a emptiness avoid a vacancy in his heart and is trying to fill it with the occult. If he seeking to contact the dead spirit, then maybe saying God I can't trust you to deal with the grief that's going on in my heart because of this person, who is God, so I've got to go to the occultists to a medium to try to to to soothe my heart or the person to go to a meeting to try to find out what the future is to say, I don't believe that God can take care of tomorrow. I need to know the future so I can be prepared so I can make myself ready. In other words, he scared that God will giving what he needs to take care of tomorrow's problems a person goes the route of the occultists and God is not trustworthy and I have to go to the powers of darkness to get answers because I can't trust the creator of the universe that Satan's purpose in his purpose is to deceive you into trusting him. The last thing I want to mention is the penalty of a cultic practice. Look at verses 18 through 20. Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord, and do not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek. Therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day.

Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you in the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your son shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel. Also, into the hands of the Philistines then saw Philip wants full length on the ground filled with fear because the words of Samuel and there was no strengthening. We had nothing to eat day and all night.

Do not be deceived, for God is not mocked.

For whatsoever a man so with that shall he also reap. Saul had some rebellion and disobedience into his heart and he had done it over and over and over again.

Very interesting.

In first Samuel chapter 15 when Saul had rebelled against God disobeyed him Samuel came to him and said this to when he said rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, he is saying rebellion is just like the occult. What you are doing.

Saul nail is acting like a witch as Woody was telling folks. This is the last stage in Saul's reprobation. Saul had disobeyed God disobeyed God and disobeyed God until finally God said that said you stepped over the line you I will not speak to you again. You get no answers from me, and what happened. Samuel tells them the truth tomorrow. Saul, you gonna die in your sons are going to die and Israel is going to be defeated. What a fitting way to describe the penalty of using the occult.

It always leads to death and destruction. It's not a game.

It is truly horrible deception and we don't get away with it. There will be a day of reckoning no limit close with this people don't play with fire. God says that these things are abomination before him, and there is a penalty involved has a price that none of us will pay. May God.

May God keep us looking for him and looking to him alone is pray. Heavenly father. What a sad situation.

We had to deal with in this passage, but how relevant it is for all of us today.

We saw Manu purposely and continuously disobeyed you over and over again until he lost any sense of truth and error. Right or wrong, good or evil father.

That's what happens when were given over to a depraved mind. We pray for mercy for ourselves and our loved ones. For we realize the danger in trusting our flesh instead of standing on your word. Help us to love you with all of our hearts, mind, soul and strength. Help us to remember that you said if you love me and keep my commandments. May we fear nothing, but you may we trust you completely.

40 is in a precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen