Saul Syndrome
In this powerful sermon from Citizens Church of Orange County, Josh Harrison continues the “First Gospel” series by diving into the formative story of Saul, the first king of Israel, highlighting profound lessons about obedience, people-pleasing, and the dangers of blind spots in leadership and faith.
God’s Goodness from the Beginning
Josh opens by reminding us that the story of the Gospel doesn’t start in the New Testament, but weaves through all of Scripture, beginning in Genesis. Contrary to popular misconceptions, God’s character hasn’t shifted from Old to New Testament; Jesus embodies the same loving, consistent God revealed throughout the Bible. This continuity is crucial as the narrative transitions from a patchwork of tribes led by judges to a united nation yearning for a human king.
Israel’s Desire for a King
The background leading up to Saul’s story is one of chaos. The tribally-led period of Judges is described as a spiraling “toilet bowl” of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance—always ending in further chaos because “everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” Israel’s solution: demand a king “like all the nations around us,” seeking stability and unity. Here, Josh stops to underline the heartbreak this request must have caused God, whose intention was always for Israel to be distinct—a holy nation led by God Himself, not an imitation of surrounding peoples.
Solving a Spiritual Problem with a Political Answer
Israel’s request reveals a common human tendency: attempting to fix a spiritual issue (idolatry and faithlessness) with a political remedy (a king). God, through the prophet Samuel, allows Israel to have a king, but warns that human kings bring serious consequences—taxes, conscription, and potential abuse of power. Saul is chosen not for his spiritual maturity, but for his charisma, appearance, and ability to win the people over. The seeds of his downfall are present from the start—he’s outwardly impressive but inwardly insecure, famously hiding in the baggage at the moment of his public anointing.
Saul’s Downfall: Disobedience and Blind Spots
At the pivotal moment, Saul is instructed by God (through Samuel) to completely destroy the Amalekites, a tribe historically bent on Israel’s destruction. While the command and its violence are challenging for modern sensibilities, Josh carefully unpacks the context—explaining this as a response to persistent, generational evil threatening God’s redemptive purposes. Crucially, Saul only partially obeys: he spares King Agag and the best livestock, rationalizing his disobedience as religious devotion (planning to sacrifice the spared animals to God). Saul’s self-deception runs deep; he can’t even see he’s done wrong.
Samuel’s rebuke is famous and rings true across the ages: “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Saul’s brand of expedient, people-pleasing leadership—making decisions to win approval rather than honor God—proves fatal. He claims, “I was afraid of the men and gave in to them.” His insecurity leads to compromise, and ultimately, God rejects his kingship.
Saul Syndrome: The Dangers of People-Pleasing
Josh draws a timely parallel to our own era: the addiction to affirmation, the dopamine-hit of likes and applause, and the temptation for leaders—especially spiritual ones—to make decisions based on what makes them popular, not what is right. This “Saul syndrome” crushes the life of the Spirit and hinders God’s work, leaving leaders and communities hollow, always seeking but never satisfied.
The True Way: Jesus as the Anti-Saul
The answer lies in Jesus, who models the opposite path: He listens to His Father and obeys fully, regardless of popular opinion or earthly consequence. Jesus’ humility and obedience lead to exaltation and salvation, while Saul’s self-exaltation and compromise lead to downfall. The call for contemporary believers is to reject the idolatry of people-pleasing and embrace radical obedience to God, even (and especially) when it’s hard or unpopular.
Four Key Lessons from the Sermon
Obedience Matters More Than Outward Piety. God desires our full obedience, not just partial compliance or religious sacrifice.
People-Pleasing is a Spiritual Danger. Seeking validation from others instead of God leads to self-deception, compromise, and loss of spiritual authority.
Blind Spots Are Dangerous. The things we don’t know that we don’t know (our blind spots) can devastate our lives and communities. Humble accountability and community are vital for growth.
Follow Jesus’ Example. The path to true significance is humble, faithful obedience to God—not self-exaltation, expedience, or crowd approval.
This sermon is a deep and challenging call to examine our motives, root out our blind spots, and live for an audience of One.
