We are in the 2nd week of our Leader Slip series.

Leadership is influence
Everyone is called to be a leader, but many do not answer that call

King Saul has some amazing stats. Hand picked by God, the most handsome, the tallest, strong… All this leads to him being the 1st King of Israel. Given these impressive stats, we ought to be celebrating the reign of King Saul… but we aren’t. Saul’s reign was a failure. A disaster. King Saul had a Leader Slip.

Saul was CALLED but not PRESENT.

When a giant named Goliath stood against the nation of Israel, Saul refused to be on the battlefield. Saul refused to make a decision although something definitely needed to be done. Saul was not present.. he hid in his tent.
There are areas of your life that you are called to lead. Are you present? Are you hiding in a tent like Saul?

Leader Slip 3 Called but not Present from Redemption Church on Vimeo.

Leader Slip 2 – Called but not present

Sermon notes by Chris Fluitt

Redemption Church Plano Texas

**Vid bumper
Welcome to Redemption Church. We aren’t mega, but we are mighty through God. My name is Chris Fluitt. I am blessed to serve as Lead Pastor.
Last week we told you that Leadership is Influence.
We told you that everyone is called to be a leader. To use their influence for good.
Everyone is called to be a leader but many do not answer that call. Falling short of your leadership purpose is what we call Leader Slip.
Last week we talked about Jonah and how he should have been a great leader. His leader slip was his Focus.
We challenged you to focus on the thing that really matter in life.

This week we are going to talk about King Saul
The nation of Israel had asked for a King. And God found them a good king. (God thought… Better Call Saul)
Leadership asks a lot of us. There is a lot of responsibility involved. God found someone who was equipped to the task of leading this nation as it’s king. In other words… God didn’t find someone who was really lame and called them to this important post.
Saul had a lot going for him. He had been hand selected by God. God saw the ability to lead within this Guy.
Scripture says he was tall in stature. He was as handsome as anyone that could be found in Israel. He was strong physically & a good warrior.
He was from the smallest tribe, Benjamin, and it all made for an amazing story. A young man that took care of Donkeys became the 1^st King of Israel. We always love stories like this.. rising up through the ranks to be a leader of people.
Today we should be celebrating the reign of the great king of Israel – Saul. …but we aren’t.
There is not much in King Saul’s reign to celebrate. We can find a few military battles that were won, but the rest of Saul’s reign was a disaster.
Saul had a Leader Slip.
Saul was called but not present

Leaders have to be present.
When we think about Leadership we often get sidetracked.. We often focus on…

Good looks/outward appearance
Charisma/ability to attract attention
Intelligence
Unique gifts and abilities
Impressive accomplishments

Do not be sidetracked! None of these things make you a leader. They are by-products of… they are the effects of good leadership.
King Saul had all these things. The looks, the charisma, the gifting, the calling, the accomplishment… God reached down and chose this donkey herder from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul was called but was not present.

In 1 Samuel 17 we are told about a war involving the Philistines and the Israelites. Both armies encamped on opposite sides of the valley of Elah.
Instead of having an all-out war where the 2 armies kill each other and whoever is left standing wins, they decided to each choose a champion. These 2 champions would meet in the center of the valley and fight. Whoever’s champion wins, wins the war. The losers become the slaves of the victor. Make sense?
So the Philistines choose their champion. Make a Sunday school teacher happy by shouting out the name of the Philistine Champion. GOLIATH the giant. The Bible describes Goliath as “6 cubits and 1 span” which equals roughly 9 ½ feet tall.
Goliath was the Philistine champion and the Israeli champion was…. No one.
You see, the Champions would meet on the valley below. Every morning and evening Goliath would stand in the middle of the Valley and no one from Israel would face him. Goliath would stand there and taunt them. He would say awful things about them.
This went on for… Let’s read it…
1 Samuel 17:16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.(NIV)
The Philistines had a champion… But Israel did not.
It’s obvious right..? Saul was supposed to be their Champion.
The stats of Goliath are impressive, but Saul was hand-picked by God. Saul had impressive stats also. He was the tallest in Israel. He was Israel’s Goliath, Giant, Champion. King’s were supposed to lead their armies…
Saul was called but not present
In fact. Saul was not just present. He was hiding in his tent and did not even have his armor on. FOR 40 DAYS. That is some terrible leadership.
You can’t fulfill your leadership call if you aren’t present.
1 Samuel 9:16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me.” (NIV)
God spoke these words.
HE WILL DELIVER MY PEOPLE FROM THE HANDS OF… THE PHILISTINES.
King Saul was anointed. He was called. He was destined. But he was not present. He hid in his tent for 40 days.
You can’t fulfill your leadership call if you aren’t present.
We don’t have time to really go into the rest of the story. So quickly I will remind you that a young shepherd boy was delivering lunch on that 40^th day. That boy’s name was… David. It is estimated that he might have been 5 ft 2 in tall. That is over 4 feet shorter than Goliath.
But David heard the giant, and decided someone needed to be a champion. He goes out there with a sling shot and slays Goliath.
David is there 5 minutes and decides “I am going to do something.” King Saul is there 40 days and never makes a decision. Saul never steps onto the battle field.

You are called, but are you present?
Are you present?

In your home. In your marriage. In the lives of your children?
- S. Census Bureau says 24 million children in America — one out of every three — live in biological father-absent homes. (fatherhood.org)
In the crisis that is effecting the ones you love? Have you entered the battlefield?
We see the world going to ruin. We see our nation getting worse and worse. We notice it. We even say “something needs to be done.” But are we present?
You see the problem in yourself. You understand that you are out of control in your finances, out of control in your health, out of control in your relationships… yet you have never entered the battlefield. You have never championed your own cause.
Are you even here now? You are hearing this sermon and it might be on the money what you need to hear, but you will just leave this church today untouched and unmoved. WHERE ARE YOU!?

Here is what I want you to understand today.
Just show up

There are so many people in your Bible that you know simply because they showed up.

Zacchaeus just showed up in a sycamore tree
The woman with the issue of blood just showed up in the crowd and reach out to Jesus.
Blind Bartimaeus simply cried out to Jesus. Nothing special..
Barnabas just showed up to a prayer meeting in Acts 4. Next thing we know he decides to sell his property to provide for the needs of the Church. Next thing we know he is the first missionary team alongside Paul.
You wouldn’t these names and stories except… THEY SHOWED UP

I don’t know what you think God is asking of you today… People get weird ideas when it comes to religion, church, or what God wants.
Could it be that He just wants you to show up and be present? Nothing too complicated…
Israel just show up at the Red Sea. Why? What are we going to do then? You aren’t going to do anything. God is going to part the Red Sea. You will walk across a free mighty nation and I will drown all your enemies in the Sea.
Disciples just tarry in Jerusalem. Why? What for? Because God is going to fill you with His Holy Spirit and immediately you will have a power you never had before. Immediately you will witnesses like never before and 3000 souls will be saved in one day.
Jesus told them, you will be called before kings and world leaders. But just show up. Don’t even worry about what you will say. When you open your mouth I will fill it. All you need to do is show up.
Believer just call on the name of the Lord. What will that do? You will be saved! Saved from what. EVERYTHING! Your sin. Your sickness. Your fear. Your giants. Just show up and God will do the work.
I got news for Israel. I got news for King Saul. It is not the stature of the person. It is not the ability of the person. It is the presence of a Champion.
You may have some giants out there mocking you… but I am looking at a Champion. If you will just show up, you will see your calling fulfilled.

Let me tell you what showing up is…

Student – Study for that test. Show up for class.
Spouse – You keep trying. You keep forgiving.
Business man – You don’t give up. You keep believing in your dream.
Church – Trust in the Lord. The world is scary but Jesus said “Go into all the world..” You walk into the turmoil like the champion you are!

Here is something Saul never realized… and we don’t realize. WE ARE THE ANSWER TO SOMEONE’S PRAYER…
1 Samuel 9:16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me.” (NIV)
Do you realize how important you are?
MUSICIAN
Walk in your calling
Saul did not understand, that when he denied the duel with the giant, that HE WAS DENYING HIS CALLING.
We think we want to avoid the struggle. We pray to be past the struggle. BUT OVERCOMING THE STRUGGLE IS YOUR CALLING.
King Saul was called to defeat the Philistine champion. By avoiding the giant, he avoided his calling.
Are you done hiding? Are you done avoiding? Are you ready to walk in your calling? Are you ready to be present?