Have you ever done a job halfway? Maybe you did most of what you should do, but you missed a step? There are consequences to not following instructions completely, some bigger than others, but consequences nonetheless. Can you think of some things where not following instructions might cause some issues? . . .
This concept translates very specifically into the spiritual realm. It is possible to believe you are following God, and only do part of what he says. It is possible to go through the Christian life, believe in Jesus, claim the name of Christ, but have a heart that is divided. To have obedience to the things of God, but only partial obedience. God demands more than partial obedience, and he wants all of our hearts.
And as we come to our text today from I Samuel 15:1-35, we see very clearly how this worked out in the life of King Saul. We see Saul being sent on a mission from God with very clear instructions, only he didn’t follow them. He followed most of them, but there were some instructions from God that Saul failed to follow. And Saul learned, just as we learn today, when we follow God incompletely, there is a high cost. So as we unpack our text together today, I hope you’ll take this truth home with you:
Big idea: Divided hearts lead to rejected servants
