Weekly Sermon Insights: "Give Us a King"

If you want to be great in God's kingdom, learn to be a servent of all!

August 23, 2026

Greg Johnson

Message Notes

Study Notes: "Give Us a King"

Theme: The danger of wanting to be like the world, and the call to be a servant like Christ.

1. Israel Demands a King — 1 Samuel 8:4–5

The elders of Israel gather at Ramah and tell Samuel:

·       "Behold, you are old."

·       "Your sons do not walk in your ways."

·       "Appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations."

Key phrase: "Like all the nations"

This is the first sign of danger. Israel wanted to be like the surrounding nations rather than distinct as God's people. The speaker draws the parallel to the childhood line: "But all the kids are doing it" — following the crowd was never encouraged, and as Christians, following the world is not good either.

2. Samuel's Warning — What a King Will Take (1 Samuel 8:11–17)

Samuel warns that an earthly king will be a "taker":

He will take...	For...
Their sons	Chariots, horsemen, commanders, plowing, harvesting, war equipment
Their daughters	Perfumers, cooks, bakers
Their fields, vineyards, olive orchards	Give to his servants
A tenth of grain and vineyards	His officers and servants
Male/female servants, young men, donkeys	His work
A tenth of flocks	And they will be his slaves

The repeated word: take, take, take.

God wanted something better for Israel — worship of Him alone, not an earthly king who would consume the blessings God intended for them.

3. God Knew in Advance — Deuteronomy 17:14–20

Hundreds of years before 1 Samuel 8, God told Moses this would happen.

God's foreknowledge (Deut. 17:14)

"When you come to the land... and then say, 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me.'"

This didn't surprise God — He is not bound by time. He knew what His people would do, when, and why.

God's guidelines for a king (Deut. 17:15–20)

God provided a procedure to keep a king in his place:

·       The king must be chosen by God, one from among their brothers (not a foreigner).

·       Must not acquire many horses (nor cause people to return to Egypt).

·       Must not acquire many wives (lest his heart turn away).

·       Must not acquire excessive silver and gold.

·       Must write for himself a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.

·       Must keep it with him and read it all the days of his life.

·       Purpose: to fear the Lord, keep the law, and not let his heart be lifted up above his brothers.

·       Result: long, lasting kingdom.

The tragic gap

There is no record of any king of Israel actually doing this — not Saul, not David, not Solomon.

·       Saul — tall, impressive, became full of himself, didn't follow God.

·       David — a man after God's own heart, yet still struggled.

·       Solomon — "the wisest," yet accumulated riches, wives, and horses — exactly the three things forbidden.

Physical kings for Israel did not turn out well. The majority did not truly follow God.

4. Application: Was It Impossible to Obey?

A king has power. The modern saying applies: "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." It is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than to go through the eye of a needle — rich people often feel they don't need God.

Personal turn

God's love has been lavished on us; His riches and mercy poured out; His Spirit is within. If, as a Christian, I begin to think I'm a king — that I'm somehow entitled because of these blessings — trouble awaits. I am supposed to be a servant.

"If you want to be great in God's kingdom, learn to be a servant of all."

5. The Model: Jesus the Servant

Matthew 20:25–28

Jesus said:

·       The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them.

·       "It shall not be so among you."

·       Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.

·       Whoever would be first must be your slave.

·       "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Jesus is the King, the Son of God — yet He came to serve, not to be served.

John 13:12–16

Jesus washes the disciples' feet and asks, "Do you understand what I have done to you?"

·       "You call me Teacher and Lord... If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."

·       "I have given you an example."

·       "A servant is not greater than his master."

·       "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

Spiritual meaning of foot-washing

·       They had a bath (pointing to salvation/the Christian life) — but feet get dirty.

·       We need our brothers to help "wash our feet" in daily life.

·       Points to mutual care and accountability among believers.

6. Accountability and Servanthood

The problem with kings

Kings think they are accountable to no one. When a church is led by one person, that leader can begin to feel above others and unaccountable. Many Christian leaders have fallen in our day — a good portion possibly because they were not accountable to people.

Accountability in the Christian life

·       Husbands are accountable to God and to their wives.

·       We are accountable to each other — a wonderful blessing that keeps us from the same problems kings fall into.

·       The Lord calls us beyond self-interest: help each other, wash feet, be a servant, consider others' needs above our own.

7. Have This Mind — Philippians 2:1–11

Philippians 2:1–4

·       If there is encouragement in Christ, comfort from love, participation in the Spirit, affection and sympathy...

·       Complete my joy: be of the same mind, same love, full accord.

·       Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit.

·       In humility, count others more significant than yourselves.

·       Look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others.

Philippians 2:5–11

·       "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus."

·       Though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

·       Emptied Himself — took the form of a servant, born in human likeness.

·       Humbled Himself — obedient to death, even death on a cross.

·       Therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name above every name.

·       At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord — to the glory of God the Father.

We have many examples in the life of Jesus; we follow as servants.

8. Warnings and Preparation Through the Word

God, being outside of time, knew Israel would go down the path of demanding a king. How much of Scripture is God knowing the paths we will go down?

·       The New Testament contains many warnings about things that would happen.

·       Paul warned churches of coming problems — and they occurred.

·       Revelation 2 — four churches are warned about problems coming upon them.

Interpreting Revelation 2

Some see four eras of church history; others see seasons in their own Christian life.

·       Example — Ephesus: the problem of forsaking first love. "Has my first love for the Lord gone cold?"

Reflection questions

·       Is the world around me making me think I need this or that?

·       Is the world trying to take my focus off God and put it on something else?

·       Am I paying attention to God's instructions? Are they written on my heart?

·       Am I prepared when the world or the evil one tries to convince me I shouldn't be washing my brother's feet?

·       Am I ready for that humble experience of caring for someone more than I care for myself?

9. Closing Prayer — Summary of Petitions

·       Thank God for His love and His word.

·       Thank Him for the examples in His word.

·       Help us not to desire the things of the world.

·       Help us to follow Him in humility and in caring for one another.

·       Help us to be servants to each other in our Christian walk.

·       Keep us on the right path by His word — do not let us go off in the wrong way.

Key Verses at a Glance

·       1 Samuel 8:5 — "Appoint for us a king... like all the nations."

·       1 Samuel 8:11–17 — The king will take, take, take.

·       Deuteronomy 17:14–20 — God's guidelines for a king.

·       Matthew 20:26–28 — The Son of Man came to serve, not to be served.

·       John 13:12–16 — I have given you an example; wash one another's feet.

·       Philippians 2:1–11 — Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.