Talk
BRO. AUDIE VILLARAZA:
We are in election season. So, there’s wisdom on life about what we’re going to study: about a person named King Saul. He was the first king of Israel.
He was the predecessor of King David.
This did not sit well with the Israelites.
So, they had advice for Samuel, who was their leader at that time:
You could detect that they were a bit envious of the neighboring nations, and they wanted a king to rule over them. But here is the response of Samuel:
There are two interpretations of this passage.
The first one is that Israel did not need a human king because they already had God as their king. They needed another king.
The second interpretation is that God allowed them to have a king, but not just an ordinary king. The king had to have a heart for God, just like David — a man after God’s own heart.
The second one has more legs because if you look down through Deuteronomy, the old text in the Torah, you’ll note that Moses himself is giving us criteria on how to choose a human king
We all have different criteria for choosing our leaders. But I believe these are the ones God is looking at:
1. The king will not amass horses.
“But he shall not have a great number of horses.” —Deuteronomy 17:16-20 Back then, horses represented nuclear power–superpower.
God’s message to the Israelites was simply: “God is your superpower.” Besides God, you don’t need anybody else because He’s giving you the power.
2. A good leader is somebody who does not have too many wives.
“Neither shall he have a great number of wives, lest his heart turn away.”
—Deuteronomy 17:16:20for
At that time, wives represented alliances. That is why kings would look for and marry a princess from neighboring nations to form alliances with these nations and thus become more powerful.
God is simply saying: “I’m your greatest alliance. I’m the only royalty that you need in your family.”
3. A good leader does not accumulate a vast amount of silver and gold.
How many of you believe that good leaders don’t look at worldly wealth as their treasure– but they look at eternal wealth? That’s what you can bring to Heaven, right?
God is simply is saying: “I’m your treasure. Don’t accumulate anything that moths and vermin can destroy.”
But then, Moses shifts his perspective a little…
Three Ways of a Good Leader
Moses now says three ways that a good leader should do:
1. The king will have a personal copy of the Scriptures.
A good ruler needs to have a good dose of Scripture regularly. He should be aligned to God’s Word because that’s where he gets his wisdom. He can have advisors but more than that, He needs God’s wisdom…
“And to observe carefully all the words of this law
and these statues, so that he does not exalt himself over his kindred.” –Deuteronomy 17:16-20
2. The king must obey.
If you’re going to be a good leader, your boss should be God and nobody else.
3. The king will not exalt himself above others.
A leader is a servant of the people. Sometimes, we forget that whenever we’re put in positions of power, we think people are here to serve us.
Jesus said: “For the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve.”
Let’s not be entitled people. Entitled people will say: “I deserve.” But humble people will say: “I serve.”
Put your hand over your chest and say: “Father, we Thank You for Your wisdom that’s going to pour out in this place. Today, I pray that You use this to speak to all Your children here who are so hungry for Your wisdom, Your word, and guidance. We need this message, especially for our families, our companies, our businesses, our nation, and our countries. Use this Lord. Let it bring to life the understanding of Your Word and the appreciation of how to put this into action. This is our prayer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
One more time, sing with me:
Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet And a Light unto my path.
The Message
Here’s my message:
Follow the Right King.
Let’s have a quick experiment: I’m going to ask someone– here, Sis. Kathleen– to do something amazing.
Kathleen, this is not staged.
You did not know I was going to approach you. The Holy Spirit guided me so that I can speak with you. But I need you to do something very important. On the count of 3, I want you to look up to find something up in the ceiling that’s super: 1- 2- 3!
Do you see it?
Okay, honesty system now. Everybody, I want you to be truly honest: When I told Kathleen to look up, how many of you also looked up?
Did you see anything? There’s a ceiling, right? Good light, chandelier…
What is my point?
We are all followers, whether you like it or not. When you see somebody look up, you also look up. Maybe, you’re also following the latest trends in TikTok, food, fashion, and music. We’re all followers, but we’re following not only trends –but also people.
But are we following the right people?
When it comes to your health, are you following the right advice from that good doctor? When it comes to your relationship, are you following your spouse? When it comes to your financial life, are you following the right mentors?
When it comes to the most important aspect of your life– which involves your soul and your spirit– are you following the right God?
Are you following the right King?
Three Lessons from Saul’s Story
I’m going to preach again about the life of Saul.
When I was studying his story this week,
I saw the value that will help us navigate through this season of our nation.
I’ll give you three key lessons:
1. Look for leaders who are God-followers.
A good leader is not just somebody who leads but who follows who is correct.
From this passage alone, you can already perceive how Saul is described. Four situations describe who Saul is:
- Saul is
- Saul comes from a wealthy
- Saul comes from an influential
- Saul is the most handsome man in Israel. He happens to be taller than anyone else in the
If this is a beauty pageant, like the Search for Mr. Israel 2025, Saul would probably bag the crown because physical appearance is what a pageant is about. He fits the package.
Let me stretch this even further. If this is a presidential election, Saul could be part of the top three or win by a landslide.
Here’s an interesting fact: In the United States, since the onset of television, they found out that almost 2/3 of the time, the taller candidate usually wins.
For us Filipinos, this might not be a factor because we’re all vertically challenged. We’ve had leaders who are quite short.
But we do have three qualifiers– and this is not a political talk. Rather, we’re learning from the wisdom of God to help us navigate through these times.
Filipino Conditions for a Leader
Here are three conditions that Filipinos look into a leader they would vote for:
1. Strong Political Alliances
When you belong to a good political party, it can be a plus factor, especially for the masses.
2. Name Recall and Popularity
People gravitate towards popular people such as celebrities. That’s why it’s easier for well-known people to win, especially in the provinces.
3. Campaign Resources
When candidates have the money to get their names out in the media or put their faces out on billboards.
This is the reality in our country. I’m not inventing. I’m not trying to debate with you. I’m just telling it as it is. We like people who are powerful, famous, and full of charisma. We love people with confidence.
Research says that persons with the most charisma tend to sell products better.
They tend to get promoted easier. They tend to be trusted by people more.
But it can also work the other way. People with charisma are the most successful scammers because you trust them.
We like looking at charisma but charisma has no meaning without character. Charisma without character is like a time bomb that’s waiting to explode.
If you’re focusing only on charisma and not the character, that’s a poor way of judging a leader.
Character is valuable. Charisma might get you to different places, but only character will keep you there. Charisma might get you a spouse, but character will give you a good marriage. Charisma might get you the job, but only character will give you an impact in the workforce.
Saul started with some charisma and people loved him for it. Sadly, because he lacked character, his story would shock you– he failed God and the nation of Israel.
Here’s another trait that is as important as character: conviction in God.
Saul was described as wealthy, influential, tall, and handsome. But not once did the author say: “Oh, this person has a good relationship with God.”
Saul was supposed to be the king of Israel, God’s beloved nation. But the author says nothing about his relationship with God.
What Is My Point?
Look for leaders who have a heart for God.
Many leaders have a heart for God. I want to honor some of our government leaders who have made a way to bring The Feast to the provinces. We have a Feast in Butuan and Tacloban because of the support of our government partners.
So, there are good people out there. You just need to look for them.
Lesson 2: Get to know your leader before you follow them.
Samuel tells Saul: “You’re going to be the next king.” This is how Saul responds:
Can you perceive the insecurity of Saul?
He didn’t want to be there because he was so unsure of himself. And then:
The guy didn’t want to be there in the first place. Now, he’s at the head table! What happens next is amazing because it reveals to us how insecure Saul is:
Questions To Reflect On
Before you choose a leader, you’ve got to know who the person is and look at the person’s character. The most dangerous way you could ever do is to put in leadership position someone who is broken, insecure, and greedy– because that person will bring these traits when he’s in that position.
Before you even look at Saul as a 43-year-old king, you have to know that he was a 13-year-old insecure boy who didn’t even want to be there in the first place.
I’ll tell you a story…
When I was in high school, we voted for the most popular person in our class as class president. He was the top one in academics. He was the captain of the volleyball team. He fit the part. He was tall. He was handsome. Naturally, he won by a landslide.
But as soon as he became president, we saw he was not the leader we wanted.
He started bossing people around and exacting unreasonable demands from everybody. We started hating him… until we found out that he came from a broken family. He was so insecure as a child that he brought that with him when we gave him the power.
The last thing we want is to put people in power who have unresolved issues– because they’ll bring their issues with them when you put them in position.
Here are questions to reflect on when we are choosing leaders:
1. Do they have integrity?
Integrity is about honesty. Ethical people are good leaders
2. Do they have compassion?
Real empathy and concern for the well-being of others
3. Do they have humility?
Are they servants of the Lord? Are they servants of the people?
4. Are they just and fair?
There should be no padrino system or palakasan.
5. Do they have a respect for life?
As Catholics, we want leaders who promote human life.
6. Are they accountable?
Are they transparent in their dealings? Do they act well even as no one is looking, and they don’t do things under the table?
Lesson 3: Your Decision Affects Your Family– and your nation, too.
Let’s go fast forward a bit in the story of Saul.
Now, Saul has disobeyed God multiple times. Hence, God rejects him.
The Lord will continue to give you chances to go back to Him. But there is a limit to the Lord’s chances especially when your heart has hardened just like that of the Pharaoh.
There can be a place where the Lord can no longer reach you.
God gave Saul multiple chances to repent and to be God’s follower. Unfortunately, he kept on failing until the Lord said, “I’m rejecting Saul.
I am now appointing a new leader.”
This is the first time we’re hearing about the family of Jesse who is the father of David.
God is now pointing us to David but the story shifts to another character by the name of Jonathan, the son of Saul.
Picture this for a moment. Jonathan is supposed to be the next in line to the throne.
Now, he has a predicament: Option 1 is to fight back and claim what is rightfully his. Option 2 is to submit to God and choose the rightful king of Israel.
How many of you believe that it only takes one person in your family to make a crucial decision about ending a cycle of sin and the Lord changes the trajectory of that whole family? Do you think it’s possible?
Yes! Because God can do itJonathan chose Option 2. In the verse below, Jonathan is having a conversation with David.
Isn’t that good? Jonathan chooses to honor God’s choice instead of saying, “No, I’m your next king! I deserve to be in this place!”
Isn’t that humility?
Now, let’s go to 2 Samuel where Saul and Jonathan were already dead and David is now king.
Because of that decision by Jonathan, the entire lineage of Saul was blessed.
My point is this: When you choose to honor God’s choice, God will honor your choice and bless your family.
Isn’t God good? All it takes is one person in the family to say: “It ends with me.”
Whatever generational sin has been passed on by your ancestor, the cycle ends with you. You’ve got to make that choice. Choose to follow the right king and I guarantee that the Lord will bless your generation. Your children’s children will be blessed.
The Leader We Need
How many of you have been hurt by a church leader?
A pastor, a priest.
Or by someone you look up to?
When I joined The Feast 15 years ago, I eventually became one of the leaders of this Community and I never expected that church could be messy.
I’ve always expected that church is a holy place and the last thing that I expected was a church leader hurting me because of some issues. I’m just like one of you. I was disillusioned when
I was hurt deeply by a church leader. But at the same time, the incident also opened my eyes to the truth that no one is perfect, including the church leaders and every leader that we put in position.
We all need the grace of God. We’ve all fallen short from the grace of God
and we praise the Lord for His mercy. But I need you to understand that the reason we get disappointed and frustrated is we put people on pedestals that they do not deserve. That pedestal that you have in your life where you put who you would crown as king, only Jesus belongs there. Only He can be crowned as your King.
The moment you put other people, situations, or things there, they will always disappoint you.
Have you ever heard of the term T.O.T.G.A? It means The One That Got Away.
But I have another term and it’s called T.O.T.S.B.: The One Who Stayed Behind.
Jesus stays behind. When everybody else is quitting on you, Jesus will never give up on you. When everybody else is backstabbing you, Jesus will be loyal to you. That’s the kind of king that we serve.
When everybody else is saying: “Serve me!” Jesus says, “Let me serve you.” That’s the kind of king that we worship. Follow the right king.
Make a difference in your family’s life and our nation’s life. When we put the wrong people in leadership positions, not only we who suffer the consequences, but the generations that follow after us. They will feel the consequences of the financial debt that they will inherit from our bad decisions.
Choose wisely. Allow the Lord’s wisdom and grace to guide you in choosing the persons you will call your leaders.
But make no mistake. The One leader we need to have is God.
We need to say: “Jesus, you are my Lord. You are my Savior. Nobody else deserves to be in this position. I will follow you for the rest of my days.”
Surrender
Put your hand over your chest. This is going to be our opportunity to respond to God’s message– by allowing Him to unseat any false gods in your heart and in your life.
You know what that is. I don’t have to reveal it to you. But God knows what that is as well and I want you to turn that over to Jesus and say:
“Lord, from this day on, I will give up all these false gods, all these false idols such as materialism, greed, lust, and all of the other sins that have accumulated
in my life. I surrender them to You at the foot of Your Cross because I know that
I cannot do this without You.
Because with Your grace and with Your help, nothing is impossible.”
Jesus, be with us now. We want more of You in our life, in our neighborhood, in our government, in our organizations, in our clubs, in our churches, and in our families. Jesus, we want You. Come and permeate this nation with Your Presence and with Your love.
In Your Holy Name. Amen.
Friends, I want to read to you a quote that has blessed my life– from English Particular Baptist preacher Spurgeon Charles Spurgeon:
“You may think you can live life very well without Christ but you cannot afford to die without Him.”
Too many people want to live life and they think they can live life without Jesus but they’re so desperate in their deathbed to have Jesus with them. We don’t want that. We want Jesus right here, right now, front, back, and center. We don’t want to wait tomorrow or next week to have life with Him. But we want Him now.
Commitment
If you want Jesus now, I invite you to say this simple prayer that I believe can change your life completely and set you free.
This is for somebody who has never experienced life with Jesus. If you’ve never encountered the Living God, and His life and goodness for you, this is a prayer for you. But this could also be a prayer for those of you who might have walked away once upon a time, and now you’re slowly coming back, to realize that God really loves you, this is for you. And this is also for those who are here week after week and say,
“Lord, I need you and I want you.”
I want you to put your hand over your chest right now and say this prayer with me:
Dear Jesus, I am a sinner in need of a savior. I believe that You are the Son of God and that You died for my sins to raise me to new life. So, today, I declare that all the false gods that I have worshipped they got to go. I’m making room — enough room– only for You. Starting today, I want You to change my life from the inside out. I will walk with You till the end of my days and I will worship You and love You, and serve You.
Now, if that’s your prayer, and if you want life with Jesus, on the count of three, I want you to lift your hands, and together, we’ll celebrate life with Jesus. Here we go: 1-2-3, hands up, hands up, hands ups! come in let’s sing:
Love Offering
BRO. DIDOY LUBATON:
Give Him glory, give Him praise, Everybody.
Thank You, Jesus!
We want You God. You are our everything.
We praise You, Father.
Everybody, can you be the reminder of God’s Love to the people around you? Tell them our one big message today: Follow the Right King.
Let’s now give our Love Offering.
When you give, it shows who your King is.
If you’re generous, you know you have a generous
God. If you’re skimpy. you know you have work to do in your relationship with the Lord– because God is our giver, God is our provider, God ensures that we have everything we need and so much more.
So, give in trust that God’s generosity overflows into your life. Because as we are blessed, we are blessing the world.
As you lift your Love Offering, say this prayer with me:
Dear Jesus, Thank You for this opportunity to give. Bless our Community and bless me. As I am blessed, I am blessing the world. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Give generously to the Lord. See you next Sunday, Everybody.
And we bring back all the glory to God as we say: “Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.