River Church NOLA
2026 Oct 18 When we Want a King
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  • In the spring of 1782, the American Revolution was all but won. But the army was unpaid, the soldiers were angry, and the Continental Congress looked weak and broke. So a colonel named Lewis Nicola sat down and wrote a letter to General George Washington.
    Nicola’s argument went something like this: Look around the world. England has a king. France has a king. Spain has a king. Every strong nation has one. Maybe a republic is too weak to hold together. And he hinted at the obvious solution—America needed a king. And the obvious man to wear the crown was George Washington.
    Think about that. The most popular man in America, with an army that would follow him anywhere, was being offered a throne.
    Washington wrote back the very same day. “No occurrence in the course of the War,” he said, “has given me more painful sensations.”
    “No occurrence in the course of the War has given me more painful sensations.”
    He told Nicola to banish those thoughts from his mind and never speak of them again.
    Then, a year and a half later, Washington did something even more stunning. In December 1783, he walked into Congress, handed back his commission, and went home to Mount Vernon to farm. The story goes that when King George III heard Washington might give up power, he said, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.”
    Here is why I tell you that story. A man was offered a crown, and he refused it. This morning in 1 Samuel 8, we are going to see the exact opposite: a people who already had the greatest King in the universe—and they refused Him.

    He was offered a crown and refused it. Israel had a true king - and refused Him

    Listen to how familiar their argument sounds. Israel’s elders looked at the nations around them and said, “Everybody else has a king. Give us one too.” Nicola said it, and Washington said no. Israel said it, and they meant it. And God, through Samuel, warned them what that king was going to cost them.
    Today we are beginning a new series called “No King But the True King.” Over the next four weeks, we are going to confront one of the most subtle and dangerous temptations we face: trusting in human kings—leaders, systems, people, and even ourselves—instead of trusting in God.
    So let me start with a hard question: Who is sitting on the throne of your life? Who, or what, are you looking to for power, security, or identity?
    We live in a world that loves to say, “No kings!” Nobody tells me what to do. I run my own life. But here is the irony: even when we say “no kings,” we are still looking for something to rule us. Something to lead us. Something to save us.
    The truth is, we all want a king. We want someone or something to give us belonging, safety, and success. We want protection, direction, and leadership. That isn’t new. The people of God in 1 Samuel 8 thought an earthly king would solve their problems. But what they were really doing was rejecting God as their true King. And before we judge them too quickly—if we’re honest—we do the same thing.
    Let’s read their story together.
    1 Samuel 8:1–22 NLT
    1 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” 6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.” 10 So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 12 Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. 13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. 14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. 16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. 17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.” 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.” 21 So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, 22 and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.

    Big Idea: Earthly Kings always take. The True King always gives.

    1. We reject God when we demand earthly Kings

    1 Samuel 8:5–7 NLT
    5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” 6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.
    The elders come to Samuel with a bold demand. On the surface it sounds reasonable—Samuel is old, his sons are crooked, and somebody needs to lead. But Samuel is troubled, because he knows this isn’t just about leadership. It’s a heart issue. And God tells him plainly: “They are rejecting me, not you.”
    That is the core issue—not only for them, but for us. They weren’t just asking for better organization; they were trading trust for control. They wanted a king they could see. A king they could measure. A king they could point to and say, “This is who saves us.” But in asking for that kind of king, they were rejecting God’s reign over their lives.
    And here’s the irony: the whole story of Israel up to this point was about God rescuing them, leading them, protecting them, and providing for them—as their King.When they walked out of Egypt on dry ground, they sang:
    Exodus 15:18 NLT
    18 The Lord will reign forever and ever!”
    God had been their Deliverer, their Lawgiver, their Warrior, their King. And the dark days of the judges hadn’t happened because God failed to lead. They happened because the people refused to follow:
    Judges 21:25 NLT
    25 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

    Their problem wasn’t a lack of leadership. It was a lack of trust.

    Israel thought their problem was a lack of leadership. Their real problem was a lack of trust. They didn’t want to wait on God. They didn’t want to be set apart anymore. They didn’t want a King who worked in invisible, upside-down ways. They wanted control.
    And if we’re honest, we do this too. We may not ask for a literal king, but we look to other people, platforms, systems, or even ourselves to give us what only God can provide.

    The Kings We Crown Success and expect it to make us secure. Politics and expect it to bgive us peace. Approval and expect it to give us identity. Ourselves and ecpect to be in control.

    ◆ We crown success and expect it to make us feel secure.
    ◆ We crown politics and expect it to give us peace.
    ◆ We crown approval and expect it to give us identity.
    ◆ We crown ourselves and expect to be in control.
    Just like Israel, when we reach for other kings, we are rejecting the reign of the One True King. God put it this way through Jeremiah:
    Jeremiah 2:13 NLT
    13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!
    We trade a fountain for a cracked bucket. We trade the King who gives for rulers who only take.
    Think about this.

    Who or what are you tempted to trust instead of God?

    2. Earthly Kings always take

    1 Samuel 8:11–18 NLT
    11 “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 12 Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. 13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. 14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. 16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. 17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”
    God tells Samuel to warn the people—to spell out exactly what the king they are demanding will cost them. And Samuel doesn’t sugarcoat it. Listen to the rhythm of that list:
    He will take your sons for his army. He will take your daughters for his kitchen. He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves. He will take a tenth of your grain and your flocks. He will take your servants, your livestock, and your time.
    Over and over the warning rings out: He will take… he will take… he will take.And then Samuel closes with a chilling line: “When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding.”
    Here is the truth: earthly kings always take. They may come with charm. They may promise strength and status. They may promise to fight for you, provide for you, or protect you. But in the end, they serve themselves.
    Psalm 146:3 NLT
    3 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.
    Kings over promise and under-deliver.

    He will take he will take he will take

    They over-promise and under-deliver:

    ◆ They promise security, but bring slavery.

    ◆ They promise power, but bring oppression.

    ◆ They promise identity, but leave us empty.

    What makes this so tragic is that God’s people were trading the generosity of God for the greed of human kings. They were exchanging a God who had given them everything—freedom, land, purpose, identity—for a ruler who would take it all back. Centuries later, God was still calling out the same pattern: Isa 30:1-2
    Isaiah 30:1–2 NLT
    1 “What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,” says the Lord. “You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins. 2 For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade.
    We may not call them “kings,” but we serve them all the same:

    What is Your King Taking? Success is taking your peace People pleasing is taking your freedom Comfort is taking your purpose Control is taking your trust in God.

    ◆ Maybe it’s success, and it’s taking your peace.
    ◆ Maybe it’s people-pleasing, and it’s taking your freedom.
    ◆ Maybe it’s comfort, and it’s taking your purpose.
    ◆ Maybe it’s control, and it’s taking your trust in God.
    These kings always take. They drain us instead of filling us. They demand from us instead of giving to us. They break their promises, and they break our hearts.
    But not Jesus.
    John 10:10 NLT
    10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

    Where have you trusted a king that only took from you?

    3. Only God Gives What We Truly Need.

    1 Samuel 8:19–20 NLT
    19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”
    Even after Samuel spells out exactly how much this king will cost them, they dig in their heels: “Even so, we still want a king.” And then they tell us what they really wanted: “We want to be like the nations around us.”
    To belong. To feel powerful. To feel safe. To have what every other nation had.
    But in chasing what the other nations had, they were throwing away what made them unique. They were already a people unlike any other—a people ruled by the living God. Moses had told them so:
    Deuteronomy 33:29 NLT
    29 How blessed you are, O Israel! Who else is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword! Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will stomp on their backs!”
    God had parted seas for them. Rained bread from heaven. Brought water from a rock. Defeated armies without a single sword swing. They didn’t need to be like everyone else—they needed to remember who their King already was. They thought they were asking for more. What they didn’t realize is that they were asking for less.

    They thought they wanted more. They were asking for less.

    Earthly kings take, but God gives. God gives life. God gives peace. God gives purpose. God gives His very self. And ultimately, God gives us Jesus—the True King

    Jesus is the King who…

    ◆ A King who doesn’t take our lives—He lays down His own.

    ◆ A King who doesn’t enslave us—He sets us free.

    ◆ A King who doesn’t demand from us—He gives us grace.

    ◆ A King who doesn’t build His kingdom on our backs—He builds it by carrying a cross on His.

    Romans 8:32 NLT
    32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?
    Did you catch that? Samuel warned that an earthly king would take your sons. The True King gave His Son. That is the difference between every throne on earth and the throne of heaven.
    The people thought they needed a visible king. What they really needed was a faithful God. The same is true for us. We chase recognition, comfort, and control, thinking they will give us what we need. But only God can give us what our hearts truly long for.

    Earthly kings take your sons, but God gives His son.

    Where are you chasing what others have, when God is offering you more than you could ever imagine?

    The King who came down.

    The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once told a parable about a king who fell in love with a humble young woman from a poor village.
    This king had everything. Armies bowed when he passed. Statesmen trembled in his presence. He could have had anything he wanted with a single word. And that was his problem.
    He could have sent his soldiers to her door and commanded her to be his queen. She would never have dared refuse. But the king lay awake at night with a question he couldn’t shake: Would she love me—or would she just obey me? If he showed up in his royal robes with his golden crown, how would he ever know whether she loved him or was simply afraid of him? Whether she wanted him, or only wanted what he could give her?
    He considered lifting her up—showering her with jewels and moving her into the palace. But he knew she would always feel the distance. Every time she looked at him she would remember where she came from, and gratitude would never quite become love.
    So the king made a decision that stunned his whole court. He would not lift her up to his level. He would come down to hers.
    He laid aside his crown. He took off his robes. He left the palace and went to her village—not in a disguise he could throw off when it got hard, but truly as a servant, taking the lowest work, wearing a common cloak, living as one of the poor. He came to win her heart freely, knowing she might very well turn him away.
    Kierkegaard said that is the story of God. And he was right. Because it isn’t just a parable—it happened.
    Philippians 2:6–8 NLT
    6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
    Every king Israel ever demanded wanted something from them. But the True King came down to give Himself for them. Earthly kings wear crowns of gold that they take from their people. Our King wore a crown of thorns that He took for His people. Earthly kings say, “Your sons will run before my chariots.” Our King says, “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
    Mark 10:45 NLT
    45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
    And notice what the King in that story did not do. He didn’t force His way onto the throne of her heart. He came, He served, He gave—and He waited for her answer.
    That is where Jesus is with some of you this morning. He isn’t asking you to earn your way into His kingdom. He already paid for that at the cross. He’s simply asking: Will you stop trusting the kings who take, and receive the King who gives?
    So let me ask one more time: Who is sitting on the throne of your life? Where are you putting your hope? What are you trusting to save you? We all want a king. The only question is:

    Will you keep serving a king who takes, or will you surrender to the King who gives?

    The people of Israel thought they needed a king like everyone else. What they needed was the King they already had. And what we need is the True King—Jesus. So let’s not be a people who say, “No kings!” Let’s be a people who say,

    “No king but the True King.”

    This Week, Ask God to Show You:

    ◆ Where have I crowned a false king?

    ◆ Where am I chasing security, power, or identity apart from Jesus?

    ◆ What would it look like to surrender to the True King in this area of my life?

    “No king but the True King.”

    Let’s dethrone the kings that cannot save. Let’s surrender to the King who always gives. Let’s pray together.
    CLOSING PRAYER
    Jesus, You are the King who came down. You laid aside Your glory, took the form of a servant, and gave Your life for us. Forgive us for the lesser kings we have crowned—success, approval, comfort, control—kings that have only taken from us. Today we step down from the throne of our own hearts and gladly give it back to You. Thank You that we don’t earn our place in Your kingdom; You bought it for us at the cross. Reign over every part of our lives. We pray in Your name, Amen.

      • 1 Samuel 8:1–22NLT

      • 1 Samuel 8:5–7NLT

      • Exodus 15:18NLT

      • Judges 21:25NLT

      • Jeremiah 2:13NLT

      • 1 Samuel 8:11–18NLT

      • Psalm 146:3NLT

      • Isaiah 30:1–2NLT

      • John 10:10NLT

      • 1 Samuel 8:19–20NLT

      • Deuteronomy 33:29NLT

      • Romans 8:32NLT

      • Philippians 2:6–8NLT

      • Mark 10:45NLT

River Church NOLA
robert@riverchurchnola.com
504-578-8317
https://riverchurchnola.com
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