It's sad but true, King Saul is remembered more for his failures then is successes. His life is a great reflection of so many lives, where the man who could have been great allowed sin to rob him of his power and place. So many people could have been great for God, they had talents, they were gifted, they were positioned in the right places and at the right times -- Yet they are remember for the sin and not the success. Saul is a warning to each and every one of us - stay close to God and stay far from sin.

Yet -- in his early years as the new king of Israel, Saul experienced and practiced the very power of God. He knew victory and we could learn from his early life how to have that victory in our lives also.

1. He Knew the Weakness of His Enemy

2. He Knew Humility

3. He Knew Sympathy

4. He Knew Zeal For the Lord and the Zeal of the Lord

5. He Knew and Exerted His Rightful Authority

Note with me three weaknesses of Nahash:

Once we see the cruelty or Satan

You have to love this text (verse 5), Samuel had anointed him king and Saul was still keeping sheep. In fact, I think that it is after this event that Saul starts his downward trend - after he get to sit on a throng and rule in a palace.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Proverbs 15:33

The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

Proverbs 22:4

By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

Mark 9:33

And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

Saul was sensitive to the hurt of the people. It because of his sensitivity that he is angry. Now let be careful here. Anger and impatience would be Saul's undoing, but there are time and places were anger at sin is rightful.

Jesus was a little miffed - okay more than just miffed at the money changing in the Temple. The key here is remember to be angry at the sin and also remember that God loves that sinner!

Here is key to victory: To have victory in one's personal life, we must be sensitive to needs and the hurts of others. Self-centeredness and self-pity will not bring victory.

Jesus gave us the perfect example! On the cross he was more concerned about his mother -- the thief next to him -- even the crowd that put Him there -- than his own suffering.

Saul got excited!!! Now I want to challenge you -- Find anywhere in the Bible where the Spirit of Lord fell on someone, where someone was filled with the spirit and there was not great passion and enthusiasm!

Billy Sunday, that old drunken baseball player turned evangelist after being saved said: To see some people you would think that the essential of orthodox Christianity is to have a face so long you could eat oatmeal out of the end of a gas pipe.

The cutting of oxen and sending them out among the people of Israel was not something gross -- It was a very visible object lesson that unless the people stood and fought their enemy here and now, then the result was their sure destruction.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Mathew Henry said; "Saul had a Just Cause and a Clear Call."