SpringhillGNV's Presentation Group
Sunday, May 3rd, 2026 1st Sunday

      • Psalm 150KJV1900

  • Glory To His Name - Hymn
  • 1 Samuel 16:1–13 HCSB
    1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected a king from his sons.” 2 Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for Me the one I indicate to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?” 5 “In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before Him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” 8 Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said. 9 Then Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.” 10 After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” 11 Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” 12 So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance. Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil, anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord took control of David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
    Main Idea: God chooses the heart heaven has prepared, not the image humanity prefers.
    Introduction
    By the time most men would have accepted that their dream was over, Jim Morris was teaching science, coaching high school baseball, raising children, and pouring hope into a team of young men in Big Lake, Texas.
    Years earlier, Morris had been a promising pitcher, being selected as a first-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the January 1983 draft. But injuries interrupted the dream and kept him from advancing above A-ball. After shoulder surgery in 1989, a doctor told him he would never pitch again. So Morris went home, became a teacher, and coached a high school team that had won only three games over the previous three seasons.
    Then his players challenged him. If they won the district championship, he had to try out for a Major League team. Nobody expected the team to win. Nobody expected a 35-year-old teacher with an injured past to end up in the big leagues. But the boys won, the coach kept his promise, and at the Tampa Bay Rays tryout, scouts watched him throw 98 miles per hour. Within months, Morris made his Major League debut and struck out Royce Clayton.
    That is an underdog story. Some people only saw a teacher. Some people only saw a coach. Some people only saw a man past the usual age for a rookie. But there was still something in him that had not been seen on the big stage yet. That story helps us enter 1 Samuel 16 because this text also warns us against judging too quickly. God can make a starting pitcher out of a school teacher; and He can make a king out of a little shepherd boy.  
    Someone may have come to worship today feeling like you are still in the field. You have been faithful, but not famous. Available, but not applauded. Serving, but not seen. But this text tells us that the field does not hide you from God. When God gets ready, He knows how to call your name, stop the room, send for the servant, and let the oil fall where He has already placed His purpose.
    So today, we are looking at 1 Samuel 16 under this truth: "The Heart God Honors," because God does not choose by human standards. He chooses by the heart He is preparing.

    I. God Rejects Human Standards (1 Samuel 16:1-7)

    A. Anguish of Rejection (1 Samuel 16:1-5)

    1 Samuel 16:1–5 HCSB
    1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected a king from his sons.” 2 Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for Me the one I indicate to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?” 5 “In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
    “How long wilt thou mourn for Saul?” (1 Samuel 16:1) - The Lord speaks to Samuel directly, has been their pattern. Before Samuel’s ministry, the Word of the Lord was precious in Israel (1 Samuel 3:1), but in this great Prophet, the Lord has called out a messenger and mouthpiece, which He called during his youth (1 Samuel 3:4; 11). God asks a corrective question that may have seemed cold. Samuel had reason to grieve. He had anointed Saul. He had prayed for Saul. He had walked with Saul through the early days of Israel’s monarchy. He had watched Saul, the man who stood head and shoulders above the people, become the man who disobeyed the word of the Lord. There is pain when potential collapses because of pride. God does not allow Samuel’s grief to become his grave. There is grief when promise is wasted. And there is sorrow when somebody who had every visible advantage loses spiritual usefulness because their heart will not stay submitted to God.
    “Since I have rejected him…” (1 Samuel 16:1) - Saul’s failure was not Samuel’s fault to be lamented with guilt. It is God’s divine prerogative to raise up and to bring low rulers. Saul’s failure is serious, but Saul’s failure is not sovereign. God’s work does not end with a rejected leader.
    “Fill your horn with oil,….” (1 Samuel 16:1) - Oil was used as a symbol of consecration and separation unto the service of the Lord. Remember how God commanded that Aaron received anointing oil poured upon his head as part of his sanctification for priestly service. (Lev 8:12) This anointing ritual, performed alongside his investiture with holy garments, consecrated him to minister in the priest’s office. (Exod 30:30; 40:13)
    “and go, I will send thee to Jesse, the Bethlehemite:” (1 Samuel 16:1) - the second command given by the Lord is for Samuel to go. He cannot remain stuck in this place of mourning and misery over the failure of Saul. The Lord still has work to do. Samuel’s prophetic ministry has not ended, the Lord and the nation still needs his service. Often we think one bad situation is the end of the road, not knowing that God still has more work to be accomplished. Our first efforts may have seemed like a failure, but God still has another assignment just up the road, we must be willing to go.
    “I have provided myself a king among his sons.” (1 Samuel 16:1) - The Lord has provided speaks to the sovereignty of God. Just as Abraham declared to his son Isaac as the ascended Mt. Moriah to make sacrifice, and the question came from Isaac as he asked his father, “where is the sacrifice, and Abraham replied that the Lord would provide himself a sacrifice (Genesis 22:8). Saul’s disobedience is not stronger than God’s providence. Saul has been rejected, but the Lord has already provided.” That is a word for anybody who has been grieving over what did not become what it could have been. God does not ask Samuel to deny the pain, but He does call Samuel to obey beyond the pain.
    That is why God says, “Fill thine horn with oil.” The horn had to be filled because God had another assignment. The prophet had to move because God was still moving. The church must learn this. We honor what God has done in the past, but we cannot worship what God has rejected. We thank God for yesterday’s victories, but we cannot get trapped in yesterday’s failures. God is not finished because somebody else was unfaithful. God is not out of options because Saul lost obedience. God has a way of preparing David while Samuel is still crying over Saul.
    Quotable Preaching Lines
    Longevity can give you history, but only obedience keeps you useful.
    Do not grieve so long over what God rejected that you miss what God is raising.
    The throne was occupied, but the future was already anointed.
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: 1 Samuel 15:22, 26; Psalm 37:23; Proverbs 16:9; Isaiah 43:18-19

    B. Appearance is Not a Guarantee for Promise (1 Samuel 16:6-7)

    1 Samuel 16:6–7 HCSB
    6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before Him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”
    “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” (1 Samuel 16:6) - When Eliab walks into the room, Samuel immediately thinks the search is over. Eliab must have looked the part. He must have carried himself with strength, style and been of a great statue. He must have had a presence that made people take notice. Samuel saw the fitness, the face, and the frame, which made him convinced, “This has to be the next king.”
    But God interrupts Samuel’s assumption. The Lord says, “Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him.” (1 Samuel 16:7) -
    He’s the oldest and according to custom, he should be the king, but God said “No!”
    He’s tall and handsome, he should the the king; but God said, “No!”
    He has the presence, he should be the king; but God said, “No!”
    This is a humbling moment because Samuel is not a novice. He is the prophet of God. He talks with God. He has walked with God. Yet even Samuel needs his eyesight corrected. We already have in Saul a clear a example of what happens when a person is selected based upon outward countenance, instead of inner character.
    That ought to sober every preacher, pastor, deacon, trustee, ministry leader, search committee, convention body, and congregation. Spiritual experience does not make us immune from shallow evaluation. We can love God and still need God to correct how we look at people.
    God tells Samuel that looks are not a guarantee for promise. Appearance may create a first impression, but it cannot reveal the heart. Height may impress the crowd, but it cannot measure surrender. Charisma may fill a room, but it cannot replace character. Polish may attract attention, but it cannot substitute for purity. God does not say Eliab is ugly. God says Eliab is not chosen. The issue is not that outward appearance has no place in life. The issue is that outward appearance cannot become the basis for spiritual selection.
    We live in a world that makes gods out of images. People curate profiles, polish brands, manage impressions, and stage appearances. Even in church, we can be tempted to measure people by how they sound, how they dress, how they present, who knows them, what they own, and where they have been. But God looks deeper. God looks at the heart. God looks at motive. God looks at surrender. God looks at obedience. God looks at what a person does when nobody is clapping, nobody is calling, and nobody is watching but heaven.
    Quotable Preaching Lines
    People measure the frame, but God examines the flame.
    Looking the part is not the same as having the heart.
    God is not impressed by what has no surrender underneath it.
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: Proverbs 21:2, 4:23; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Jeremiah 17:10; John 7:24

    II. God Reveals Hidden Servants (1 Samuel 16:8-11)

    A. Parade of Preferred Picks (1 Samuel 16:8-10)

    1 Samuel 16:8–10 HCSB
    8 Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said. 9 Then Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.” 10 After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.”
    “Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel…” (1 Samuel 16:8) - After God refuses Eliab, Jesse calls Abinadab and makes him pass before Samuel. Samuel says, “Neither hath the LORD chosen this.” Then Shammah passes by, and again the answer is no. Then Jesse makes seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but the prophet says, “The LORD hath not chosen these.” It is a parade of preferred picks. These are the sons Jesse thought should be presented. These are the sons who were visible, available, respectable, and reasonable. They looked like the logical choices. They were in the room, in the lineup, and in front of the prophet.
    But the Lord refuses all of them. That teaches us that human presentation cannot force divine selection. Jesse can line them up, but God must name the king. The family can present them, but heaven must choose them. The prophet can look at them, but the Lord must reveal them. Every son who passes by becomes part of the lesson. God is teaching Samuel that the right choice cannot be made by appearance, order, convenience, or expectation.
    There is mercy in God’s “neither.” Sometimes the no of God feels like delay, but it is actually discernment. Sometimes God refuses what looks available because He is protecting what He has already appointed. Sometimes God blocks the preferred pick because the prepared servant is still in the field. God’s no is not always punishment. Sometimes God’s no is protection. Sometimes God’s no keeps us from settling for what looks right but lacks the heart God requires.
    The church must learn from this parade. We cannot choose servants only because they are visible. We cannot choose leaders only because they are articulate. We cannot choose direction only because it seems popular. We cannot confuse platform with preparation. The preferred pick may be impressive, but the anointed servant must be identified by God. The sons in the lineup may have looked strong, but God was looking for the heart He had already been shaping.
    Quotable Preaching Lines
    God’s “neither” is not delay; it is discernment.
    The lineup may impress the room, but the Lord reserves the right to reject the lineup.
    Every divine “no” can be moving you closer to God’s appointed “yes.”
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: Proverbs 19:21; Isaiah 46:10; 1 Corinthians 1:27; Psalm 75:6-7; 1 Corinthians 12:18

    B. Press for Overlooked Pick (1 Samuel 16:11)

    1 Samuel 16:11 HCSB
    11 Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.”
    “There is still the youngest…” (1 Samuel 16:11) - When the seven sons have passed and the Lord has chosen none of them, Samuel asks a question that changes the room: “Are here all thy children?” Jesse answers, “There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.” Notice how David is introduced. He is not introduced by name. He is introduced by age and assignment. He is the youngest. He is keeping the sheep. He is not in the room. He is not in the lineup. He is not dressed for the occasion. He is not standing where people expected a king to stand.
    “And behold, he keepeth the sheep.” (1 Samuel 16:11) - But David is exactly where faithfulness has been forming him. He is in the field. He is doing ordinary work. He is handling responsibility that nobody else seems to celebrate. He is tending sheep while his brothers are being presented. He is serving in a hidden place, but heaven is watching. The field did not mean David was forgotten. The field meant David was being formed. The sheepfold was not a detour from destiny. It was the classroom for calling. God chose David, His servant, and took him from the sheepfold (Psalm 78:70) is a beautiful declaration of David’s calling.
    “Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.” (1 Samuel 16:11) - That is one of the strongest lines in the passage. The room cannot rest until the overlooked person arrives. The prophet will not sit until the shepherd is summoned. The process cannot proceed until the missing son is brought in. God knows how to pause a room that tried to move forward without the person He chose. God knows how to stop a meeting, disturb a lineup, and make people wait for the servant they left in the field.
    That is a word for the faithful servant who feels unseen. Keep serving. Keep praying. Keep showing up. Keep carrying the assignment. Keep tending the sheep. God sees hidden faithfulness. God knows where you are. You may not be in the room yet, but God knows your route from the field to the future. When God gets ready, He knows how to send for you.
    Quotable Preaching Lines
    David was absent from the room, but he was not absent from God’s purpose.
    The pasture was not punishment; the pasture was preparation.
    When God has chosen you, the room cannot sit down until you arrive.
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: Psalm 78:70-72; Proverbs 22:29; Luke 16:10; Matthew 19:30; 1 Peter 5:6

    III. God Releases Holy Anointing (1 Samuel 16:12-13)

    A. God’s Affirmation (1 Samuel 16:12) 

    1 Samuel 16:12 HCSB
    12 So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance. Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.”
    “The Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” (1 Samuel 16:12) - When David is finally brought in, the Bible says he is “ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to.” But we must read verse 12 in light of verse 7. God has already told Samuel not to choose by outward appearance. Therefore, David’s appearance is not the basis of his selection. The decisive word is not the description of David’s face. The decisive word is the declaration of God: “Arise, anoint him: for this is he.”
    That is divine affirmation. Jesse described David by where he was, but God declared David by who he was. Jesse said, “He keepeth the sheep.” God said, “This is he.” Jesse saw a youngest son in the field. God saw a king in formation. Jesse saw a shepherd boy. God saw a servant whose heart could be used for kingdom purpose. When God speaks over a life, His word carries more authority than every human assumption.
    There is something powerful about the Lord’s affirmation. People may call you late, but God can still call you chosen. People may leave you out, but God can still bring you in. People may describe you by your present assignment, but God defines you by His eternal purpose. People may only know where you are, but God knows what He placed in you. David did not have to fight his brothers for a place. He did not have to promote himself to Samuel. He did not have to manipulate his way into the room. God knew how to affirm him at the right time.
    That encourages every believer who has been misunderstood, underestimated, or overlooked. You do not need to chase affirmation when God knows your address. You do not need to manufacture a platform when God knows your heart. Be faithful where you are, and let God speak when it is time. When God says, “This is he,” every other voice must take its proper place.
    Quotable Preaching Lines
    Jesse described his location, but God declared his identity.
    When God says, “This is he,” the opinions of people lose their authority.
    You do not have to chase affirmation when God knows where to find you.
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: 2 Timothy 2:19; Jeremiah 1:5; Isaiah 41:9; John 15:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:24

    B. God’s Anointing (1 Samuel 16:13) 

    1 Samuel 16:13 HCSB
    13 So Samuel took the horn of oil, anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord took control of David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
    “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren.” (1 Samuel 16:13) - The horn that God told Samuel to fill in verse 1 now finds the head God had chosen before Samuel reached Bethlehem. The oil does not create David’s worth. God had already seen his heart. The oil does not make David chosen. God had already made His choice. The oil confirms in the room what God had already determined in heaven.
    David is anointed in the midst of his brothers, but notice what he does not receive that day.
    He does not receive a palace.
    He does not receive a throne.
    He does not receive a crown.
    He does not receive a national announcement.
    He receives the oil, and he receives the Spirit. The Bible says, “the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.” That means God gives power for the process before He gives position in the palace. David will still have to wait. David will still have to work. David will still have to war against Goliath. David will still have to worry about Saul’s jealousy. David will still have to walk through wilderness pressure. But from that day forward, he does it all empowered by God.
    This is the truth that keeps the church from reducing ministry to talent. Talent can sing, but only the Spirit can sanctify the song. Talent can speak, but only the Spirit can give power to the word. Talent can organize, but only the Spirit can produce spiritual fruit. Talent can draw attention, but only the Spirit can transform lives. God never intended His servants to do holy work in human strength alone.
    The Spirit still uses imperfect leaders. David will not be perfect, but he will be empowered. David will have failures, but he will also know repentance. David will need mercy, but he will also carry calling. That is grace. God does not choose perfect people because there are no perfect people. God chooses surrendered people, shapes them, corrects them, empowers them, and uses them for His glory.
    Quotable Preaching Lines
    The oil found David because God knew where the chosen heart was standing.
    The anointing came before the throne, because God empowers before He elevates.
    God never appoints without also providing power for the assignment.
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: Zechariah 4:6; Acts 1:8 ; Philippians 4:13; Isaiah 11:2; 1 John 2:27
    Sermon Close
    God sent Samuel to Bethlehem with a horn full of oil and a heart full of questions.
    He was grieving over Saul.
    He was concerned about Saul.
    He was cautious because of Saul.
    But God was already moving beyond Saul.
    Saul had the throne, but David had the future.
    Saul had the position, but David had the promise.
    Saul had the palace, but David had the preparation.
    Saul had the public eye, but David had the Lord’s eye.
    And I stopped by to tell somebody today, do not get discouraged because you are still in the field.
    Do not get bitter because they did not call your name.
    Do not get weary because they did not invite you into the room.
    Do not get defeated because they only know you by the sheep you are keeping.
    Keep serving.
    Keep praying.
    Keep growing.
    Keep obeying.
    Keep worshiping.
    Keep your heart clean.
    Keep your hands available.
    Keep your spirit humble.
    Because the same God who saw David in the field sees you on your job.
    The same God who saw David in the field sees you in your house.
    The same God who saw David in the field sees you in the classroom.
    The same God who saw David in the field sees you in the hospital room.
    The same God who saw David in the field sees you when you are serving and nobody says thank you.
    And when God gets ready, He knows how to send for you.
    He knows how to pause the room.
    He knows how to stop the meeting.
    He knows how to interrupt the lineup.
    He knows how to tell the prophet, “Do not sit down yet.”
    He knows how to make the oil wait for the right head.
    But David was not the final King.
    David points us to a greater King.
    David was chosen in Bethlehem, but Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
    David was anointed by Samuel, but Jesus was anointed by the Spirit.
    David kept his father’s sheep, but Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
    David fought Goliath in the valley, but Jesus fought sin on a hill called Calvary.
    They overlooked David in Jesse’s house, and they rejected Jesus in His own world.
    They left David in the field, and they nailed Jesus to a cross.
    David came from the sheepfold, but Jesus came from glory.
    David was anointed with oil, but Jesus was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind.
    And early one crucifixion morning, they marched the King up Calvary’s hill.
    They stretched Him wide.
    They lifted Him high.
    They pierced His hands.
    They nailed His feet.
    They hung Him between two thieves.
    He died until the sun refused to shine.
    He died until the earth began to tremble.
    He died until the veil of the temple was torn.
    He died until the centurion had to confess, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
    But that is not how the story ends.
    They put Him in a borrowed tomb.
    They sealed the stone.
    They posted the guard.
    They thought the chosen King was finished.
    They thought the promise was buried.
    They thought the anointing was over.
    But early Sunday morning, God raised Him up with all power in His hands.
    And because He lives, the overlooked can have hope.
    Because He lives, the rejected can be restored.
    Because He lives, the hidden can be helped.
    Because He lives, the called can be commissioned.
    Because He lives, the imperfect can still be used.
    So come to Jesus.
    Come with your flawed heart.
    Come with your wounded past.
    Come with your unfinished story.
    Come with your private struggles.
    Come with your hidden tears.
    Come with your field clothes still on.
    The King God chose is still choosing hearts.
    The King God raised is still saving souls.
    The King God sent is still calling servants.
    And the Spirit still uses imperfect people who surrender to a perfect God.
    Works Cited
    International Mission Board. (2018, June 26). Missionaries you should know: George Liele. IMB.
    International Mission Board. (2021). George Liele sermon resource. IMB.
    Boston University School of Theology. (n.d.). Liele, George (c. 1750-1828). History of Missiology.
    King James Bible. (1769/1900). King James Version.

      • 1 Samuel 16:1–13NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:1–7NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:1–5NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:1–7NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:6–7NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:6–7NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:8–11NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:8–10NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:8–10NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:11NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:11NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:12–13NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:12NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:13NLT

      • 1 Samuel 16:13NLT

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