What Kind of KING? (Sermon Audio)

This is the audio from the November 1, 2020 sermon, “What Kind of KING?”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text: Joshua 24:14-15, 1 Samuel 12:12-25

When it comes to choosing a leader we will follow, the Bible has many examples of what goes wrong when we choose a king other than God. In the midst of an election season, it is good to pause and consider what kind of KING you are seeking.

What kind of . . .

Knowledge: Many choose knowledge as their king while failing to live for the One who can provide the only knowledge that matters. What kind of knowledge you seek will make all the difference when it comes to living for the real King.
- 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 — When knowledge becomes your king, it puffs up the person claiming to have it while putting down those deemed “unknowing”. Pursuing this kind of knowledge harms not only the person pursuing it, but everyone around them.
- Proverbs 1:7 — The kind of knowledge we ought to be seeking is the knowledge that begins with a fear of the Lord. This is a knowledge that produces love and compassion for one another.
Individual: Being drawn to an individual’s personality, charisma, power, or any other trait is not a new thing. What kind of individual you follow will greatly influence what kind of individual you become.
- 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 — Setting up yourself or any other individual as your king will always lead to division rather than unity. Choosing the kind of individual that lifts themselves up will always lead us to separating by who we claim our leader to be.
- 1 Timothy 2:5-6 — The kind of individual we ought to be seeking is Jesus. He is the only One capable of being the mediator we need between us and God. The only kind of individual that we ought to seek as our King is the One who made the way for us to approach the living God with confidence.
Nature: While there are those who choose nature itself as their king, this point is more about the kind of nature we live by — the nature of the flesh or the nature of the Spirit. What kind of nature you feed will be the nature that prevails in your words and actions.
- 2 Peter 2:9-11 — The nature of the flesh is a sinful nature that seeks to please self above all else. When we pursue a nature that puts us first, we reap the results of a selfish society. Choosing the kind of nature that excuses and celebrates sin will lead us down a path of destruction.
- Philippians 2:5-7 — Walking by the nature of the Spirit will produce in us a nature that was exemplified by Jesus. Choosing the kind of nature that Jesus did will lead us to a life of humility that seeks to serve others as we consider them and their needs to be more important than our own.
God: What kind of god you seek will determine what kind of god you will find. Choosing knowledge, individuals, or nature as your king will lead you to a god of your own making. There is only one God who is real and deserves to be king of your life.
- Philippians 3:18-19 — While it may seem strange to ask what kind of god you are seeking, the truth is that mankind is very good at creating their own gods in their own image. Choosing the kind of god that is all about satisfying our own lusts and desires will leave us unsatisfied in the long run because those gods are really no god at all.
- Mark 12:29-30 — Choosing wisely says that we will choose the one God who is both real and deserves to be our King. Choosing this kind of God requires that we are devoted to Him with our entire heart, mind, soul, and strength.