Key points
1We naturally treat God like a consultant rather than a king
Pastor Bill opens with the story of his three-year-old grandson bouncing between mom, dad, and grandma looking for whoever will say yes, and says adults do the same thing to God — we come to church, hear advice, and then decide for ourselves whether to take it.
If you come here and you only listen to some of what God says and reject the part you don't like, then he is not your king
2Saul treated God as a consultant and it led him to disobey the very command he had enforced
In 1 Samuel 28, with the Philistines closing in and God silent, Saul — who had banned mediums — disguises himself and visits the medium at Endor to summon Samuel's spirit, swearing an oath in the Lord's name while violating the Lord's law to do it. Samuel tells him God has already answered him: the kingdom is torn from him and given to David, and he and his sons will die.
You want Jesus the consultant buddy instead of the king of all
3You know you're treating God as a consultant when you seek a good thing in a bad way, or seek counsel on something His word already answers
Pastor Bill names two diagnostic signs: pursuing something good — spiritual advice, worship, involvement — through disobedient means, and asking around for permission on issues Scripture has already settled, like whether to serve or give. He points to James 1 to show a divided heart gets no answer from God.
maybe the reason you feel abandoned by God is because you've abandoned your submission to God
4David, in his own desperate moment, chose obedience over the obvious path
When Absalom rebels in 2 Samuel 15, David flees Jerusalem to spare the city and people rather than fight to keep his throne, and he sends the Ark of the Covenant back into the city instead of using it as a good-luck symbol. Pastor Bill contrasts this with 2 Samuel 6, where David once tried to move the Ark the wrong way and a man died — a failure David learned from rather than repeated.
5The difference between Saul and David is failing forward versus failing backward
Both men sinned, but David owned his failure and turned — true repentance — while Saul kept circling the same disobedience. Pastor Bill illustrates this with trying to eat healthy: you can't just stop doing wrong, you have to replace it by turning and doing right.
6Winning and victory are not the same thing
Pastor Bill defines winning as getting the temporal blessing we want — the prosperity-gospel cookie — while victory is being in right relationship with God, even when it costs a loss. He uses the Phoenix Suns' many regular-season wins without a championship, and his own recent argument with his wife where he had to apologize first to stop fighting each other and start fighting for each other.
Victory and winning are not always the same thing
we stopped fighting with each other and started fighting for each other
A story from life
The preacher recounts a conflict with his wife that week, resolved by choosing to apologize first rather than hold out for a win
Application
Pastor Bill's charge is to stop treating God like a consultant and let Him be King, whatever, whenever, however.
Stop shopping for advice you want to hear
If you're going from person to person hoping someone will tell you what you want instead of what God's word already says, stop seeking allies and submit to the answer you already have.
Quit asking permission on what scripture already settled
Whether to discover your gifts, serve your church, or give financially and generously of your time and money isn't an open question — obey what God has already made clear instead of hunting for loopholes.
Fail forward, not backward
When you sin, don't just say sorry and stay in place — actually turn and replace the wrong action with the right one, the way David repented and changed course.
Choose the obedient path over the obvious one
When the easier, more obvious road conflicts with what God said, take the harder, obedient road even when it looks like a loss.
Examine where God is a consultant, not King, in your life
Pray and let God reveal any place you're only listening to Him when it's convenient, and surrender that area to Him as King rather than staying king of your own life.
Take it into your week
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
