FBCWest 727 | Searching for Donkeys but a King Is Found
Recorded On: 08/30/2026
Bulletin
Hymn # 462 “Love Lifted Me”
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 95:1 - 7
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate
Praise and Worship
“Resurrection Power”
“Endless Light”
“Praise You Anywhere”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Searching for Donkeys but a King Is Found”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Your Promises”
Sermon Notes
1 Samuel 9:1 & 2 Saul’s family and physical characteristics
1 Samuel 9:3 – 10 Unsuccessful search for the donkeys. Servant suggests asking a prophet (seer)
1 Samuel 9:11 – 14 Saul and servant find Samuel
1 Samuel 9:15 – 17 God tells Samuel about Saul a day before
1 Samuel 9:18 – 21 Samuel tells Saul donkeys have been found and he is the one the people are seeking, but Saul thinks his family is unworthy
1 Samuel 9:22 – 27 Samuel tells Saul to send the servant home, but Saul is to remain to hear the word of the Lord
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
May I ask you a question? What are you searching for? Throughout our lives and many times we search for many things, answers, reasons, decisions, we're going to take a look at today someone who was searching for something that escaped. But during his search he discovered God had a call on his life. I think maybe we could learn something from this situation as well. It seems that many people appreciate the contents of the Bible. They'll read it and sometimes wonder, well what does it have to do with me?
One of these passages we're going to take a look at today where some people might say, what does four bunch of donkeys have to do with me? Now I'm your pastor and I try to be a gentleman. I wanted to change the title of this sermon to a word that generally is not usually appropriate to use. So to title this sermon instead of what I wanted to be is searching for donkeys and finding a king. Donkeys are known to be headstrong, difficult, beast of burden.
Looking for a bunch of donkeys have to do with me so we're going to take a look at that. So if you have your Bibles and you should turn to 1 Samuel 9. The context of this passage is that Israel told Samuel because he was getting old and his two sons were corrupt and everybody else, all the other nations wanted one and Samuel took it personal and God said they're not rejecting you. Samuel, they're rejecting me as king and God did something very unusual as far as Samuel and probably most of us. God said listen to him, let him have it. So that's where we are is that God has told the people can have a king. These are the drawbacks if you choose to have a king other than God and they accept those drawbacks. So we're now here.
He says now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of the son of Zeror, the son of Bechhorth, the son of Afia, the son of a Benjamin, a mighty man of valor. So we are told that there is this man who's from the tribe of Benjamin which is the smallest tribe of the 12th. They are in the southern most part of Israel and so it tells us his lineage and it tells us that his ancestors and he were mighty men of valor.
They were fighters in against them. They wanted to go fight for them. He had a son, his name was all. A choice in handsome man and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel and his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people. Some physical characteristics were told about his ancestry that their men of bravery and that he would be on a romance cover if that had there because he was so handsome. He qualifies three things that women tell you that they're looking for. How does it say whether he's dark and handsome?
Unfortunately I don't have any of those three and so I can only dream but at least Saul has two of the three and maybe all three. He is somebody you would notice both by the appearance of his attractiveness, being handsome and the fact is he stands out in the crowd because he's at least a head and shoulder above everyone else. Now the donkeys of Kish Saul's father were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul, if you one of the servants and arise and go search for the donkeys and so his father gives Saul a mission. These are my animals. I want you to go so it's important enough for me that I'm going to send you my son and I'm going to send with you a bill with you as you search for these donkeys.
He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Chalisha but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Chalim but they did were not there. Then they passed through the land of the but they did not find them. So they're traveling all over the place to find these donkeys and they cannot find them anywhere. When they came to the land of Zufa, Saul said to his servant who was with him come and let us return or else my father was concerned about the donkeys and we become anxious for us. So you see that Saul was at least aware of his family situation. So he's probably a little bit mature in the sense of it wasn't all about him.
It was okay, we long enough that my dad might be worried about me and I'm more valuable than a bunch of donkeys. So maybe we should give up the search because I'm now going to be worrying my father if we continue on. And he said to him, behold now there is a man of God and the man is held in honor and all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out. So the servant saying, I know your dad might be worried but let's give it one more effort. Let's give it one more try. There's this man where we've showed up and he knows the future. So let's ask him where the donkeys are since we're here already it's not going to delay us any further.
Let's let's see if he knows and we can find them and accomplish both the mission and stop worrying of your father. But behold if we go what shall we bring the man for the bread is gone from our sack and there is no present to bring the man of God what do we have? And so far understands that you don't go asking for quote unquote favors that he's going to ask of God for something and for some type of offering in exchange for the information. He's not going to go to the representative of God and God empty handed which unfortunately a lot of us do. We just go to God empty hand and say, hey God I was a golin and so he goes, we don't have so maybe we shouldn't go his servant's a great guy. The servant answered Saul again and said, behold I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us our way.
This is the servant's name. He said, I'll give it to him. He's not a state, hey, so I'll lend you the money and you can give it to the guy because no I'll give it to how awesome to have servants like that.
How awesome to have friends like that who says it's not about me. Best for you is what I'm concerned about. So I'll give you the money. Not I'll lend you the money.
Oh well you're right we don't have anything I guess we go home. He I hate this pun if you will but he put his money where his mouth was. He said, I'll give you the money and we'll do that. This is for formerly in Israel when a man went to inquire of God he used to say come and let us go to the seer for he who is called a prophet now was formally called the seer and so it kind of makes sense they say rather than saying well because a prophet when we kind of can deliver the word of God kind of a seer will both deliver the word of God but it'll tell you what's going to happen in advance so he goes we're going to go to the seer and so Samuel in this case is a prophet but he was also known in the old days as the seer.
All said to his servant well said come let us go so they went to the city where the man of God was and as they went up the slope to the city they found young women going out to draw water and said to them is the seer here so they don't want to count if he's not there and they answered them and said he is see he is ahead of you hurry now where he has come into the city today for the people have a sacrifice on the high place today so they're saying he's ahead of you you need to catch up to him there's going to be this sacrifice in festival as soon as you enter the city you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat where the people will not eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice afterward those who are invited will eat now therefore go up for you will find him at once so this is the have some urgency because if you don't catch him before he gets there you're not invited and he's got something to do so now you're going to have to wait a while so you move quickly go see him before he has this sob and and he doesn't want to keep the people waiting so they went up to the city as they came into the city and be held he hold Samuel was coming out towards them to go up to the high place now it shifts back if you will for watching a movie it would say yesterday now a day before Saul's coming the Lord had revealed this to Samuel saying about this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin and you shall anoint him to be friends over my people israel deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines for every guard at my people because of their cry has come to me so this year this profit got it already told him ahead of time there's a sky who's coming about this time and he is going to be the king that I am going to appoint so
God tells him so I want you to notice how God works in a other narrative story there was a couple during and the woman was pregnant with the Messiah and they were living in a town called Nazareth problem was that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem for in Nazareth so God directs Caesar Augustus to hold a census of everyone of his territory so they now must travel from the frith by order of the Caesar to Bethlehem because that's where God had determined the Messiah was to be born God can control world leaders God controlled donkeys to escape to make so have to travel all over to find Samuel so that Samuel can anoint him can sometimes in our lives when we are searching for things it may be searching for answers or reasons why things have happened bad or whatever we ask why or we're trying to make decisions our donors said we're searching times the searching in the travel is so that God can get us where we are in this case Saul's father's house to where Samuel is so that God can do with
God said he would do or as the couple who were to deliver the Messiah from Nazareth to Bethlehem so as you're traveling wondering what's going on looking for answers looking for the reason you know fame or fortune or whatever it is you're seeking sometimes it's God will feed and tell you and Saul's case you may have been searching for donkeys I'm appointing you can you're finding a new call on your life to be the leader of my people so sometimes instead of being concerned about the travel and the lack of seeming success in the answer to our questions or our search maybe that God has a plan all along to where we were to where we need to be when Samuel saw Saul the Lord said him behold the man of whom I spoke to you this one shall rule over my people so God doesn't leave it to chance I told you this is the guy so that there's no question it's well I was supposed to you know you said around three o'clock and it's you know three o'clock but you know it could be somebody else maybe three 15 then this is the guy God is eliminating any mistake install approach Samuel in the Kate and said please tell me where the Sears house is well he's already been told by the women but he's going to make sure because he doesn't want to ask multiple questions there's this Samuel and Samuel answered Saul and said I am the seer go up before me to the high place and you shall eat with me today and in the morning I will let you go and I will tell you all that is on your mind notice something so is in the midst of a case wants to ask a question where are the donkeys and Samuel goes let's talk about that later there's a party that we're to go to a festival you're not invited but it I'm the main part
so I'm inviting you to the go so we're all going to go to this festival and then later I'll tell you what's concerning you but he doesn't let keep in suspense as for your donkeys but you were lost three days ago do not set your mind on them for they have been found so even though he said we'll talk about what's concerned you tomorrow pretty soon Saul is going to have things that are concerning him more after he has a conversation with Samuel but I want you to notice something even though Saul had been searching for the donkeys and could not find them the donkeys were found that's how great our God is we are doing all these things to search for and not finding them and God says you have an appointment with me but the thing that you're concerned about is taking care of you see the word of God is awesome see an inneritive about lost donkeys we can see that God can have his hand on us and take care of our concerns at the same time so maybe that thing that you're so concerned about when Jesus tells us the kingdom of God and his righteousness that all these other things will be added to you maybe your donkeys are already found just trust him to have his hand on your life and then he's going to solve something amazing and for whom is all that is desirable in Israel is it not for you and for all your father's household now he's been a little will pay here in the sense of he's good all of these are has been asking you're it it doesn't say you're a king right off the batty goes everybody is looking for a king you've been searching for donkeys israel's now found a king am I not a benji might I'm from a very very small tribe there doesn't have a great distinction in in whatever of the smallest of the tribes of israel and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin he goes significant among a people who are insignificant why would God call me which is the same for us and God calls us generally our answer is I'm not qualified no one in my background is qualified yet goes in essence God goes exactly because if I pick you you will give glory to me if I pick somebody qualified they will think to glory belongs to them now
Unfortunately down the road so is going to go from a very humble man to a not so humble man at least he starts out that way again this is a lesson for us no matter how successful or unsuccessful we are we should be humble not because we're unsuccessful because even if you're unsuccessful in your ably the child of the king we should remain humble so why then do you speak to me this way it's like wait a minute I don't call one but on the exterior Saul looks like the perfect choice he's tall he's handsome people are going to next follow him and he comes from his father and his father's line for valiant warriors and again the people want a king to fight their battles so on all the qualifications that we would look forward to he's in Samuel took Saul and his servants and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who were invited were about 30 men so not only does Saul get invited in a servant but they're given a place of honor again that's how God treats us we who are insignificant from insignificant people God says I'm going to put you at the head of the table and Samuel said to the cook bring the portion that it gave you because to you said it aside Samuel so trusted God that the next day God was going to show him the man who's going to be Israel's next this king said we need to set food aside for him so he goes to the side remember the the meat that the food I wanted you to set aside give it to him so not only did the Lord speak to Samuel
Samuel acted in response and obedience to what God said and if took took took because it was what was on it and said it before Saul and Samuel said here is what has been reserved said it before you and eat because it has been kept for you until the appointed time since I said I have invited the people so Saul ate the Samuel that day so again you know is making it plain to Saul that he is going to be a leader he's going to be a place of honor because God has said it even before they first met and when I place into the city Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof so we all can kind of appreciate it's cooler on the roof than it is inside and here are name in and so that's that's where and so they're going to have this conversation on top of the roof and they are and that day breaks Samuel said to Saul on the roof saying get up that I may send you away so Saul rose in both he and Samuel went out into the street and as they were going down to the edge of the city Samuel said to Saul say to the servant that he may go ahead of us on but you remain standing now that I am a proclaimed the word of God to you so this is not just a passing scripture because what I'm about to tell you because you're going to be king is for your therefore send off your servant ahead of you we need to talk about the word of God
when God appoints us to do whatever God appoints us he gives us his instructions and his word to do his will at the appointed time we can't be who we ought to be in God's calling if we don't hear the word of God and notice the people wanted a warrior Samuel doesn't say well we're going to give you books on on technique I don't know if some of you have you know have been books have been written discuss about battle techniques and strategies it didn't tell them about work you know a number of steps of a highly effective person he doesn't give them all of these quote unquote practical instructions says let me tell you the battle the bible is the most widely sold book and yet it seems to collect us on our coffee room table one when it gives us instructions on the word of God gives instructions on answering very many if not most are all of the questions that we're searching to find the word of God will get you to where you are where you need to be because of his promises and all of those people said