TRANSFORMED
Empowered #1
Pastor Brandon Cross
Woodland Church
Sunday October 1, 2026
(1 Samuel 10:6-9) “Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you. You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you should do.” So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.”
MAIN IDEA:
When we surrender to the Holy Spirit’s “control” or influence in our lives, we should be so transformed in how we view others, how we deal with conflict, how we stop fearing the chaos of life, and how we confidently rely on God to live on mission each day, that we are unrecognizable to others. People need to see Jesus, not us, and that is what the Holy Spirit accomplishes in our lives!
CONTEXT:
1 Samuel 10:6-13 describes the moment the Spirit of God rushes upon the newly anointed King Saul, transforming him and causing him to prophesy alongside a group of prophets.
This event confirms Saul’s calling, changing him from a reluctant, average citizen into the empowered leader of Israel.
Key Aspects of Saul’s Transformation That We Can Apply to Us
1. Divine Empowerment: The Spirit comes upon Saul, enabling him to function in his new role as king.
QUESTION:
How does this apply to us?
- The purpose of the empowerment is to be equipped and prepared to be activated into divine service for God.
APPLICATION:
We must recognize that this empowerment is for God’s service, not for our benefit. We are called into God’s service for His purposes, not our own.
2. A New Heart & Mind (Verse 9): Saul is changed from a, peasant farmer focused on cattle into a leader with a new disposition suited for royal service, essentially being given a new heart.
- Attitude and Confidence of His Calling
- Wisdom and Boldness to Lead
A “new heart” is the will to serve God faithfully. The “new heart” is a reference to the inner, true will of a person.
QUESTION:
So what does this mean for us?
God transformed Saul’s innermost person to focus solely on serving God in his new position as King of Israel, divinely appointed to lead God’s people to bring God glory.
APPLICATION:
The purpose of being empowered by the Holy Spirit is to overcome our naturally selfish desires or self-serving priorities in order to enable us to be used to fulfill the mission of Christ and make disciples. We are meant to be focused on getting to know Jesus and to learn how to make Him known!
3. Prophetic Experience (Verses 10-11): Saul prophesies alongside a group of prophets, which serves as a visible sign of his divine appointment.
- The empowerment of the Holy Spirit should confirm God’s call to serve Him and point to Him, not us. (Ref. Acts 4:4-12)
- The Holy Spirit’s power is supernatural to speak God’s truth to people at opportune times; it is not about our abilities!
APPLICATION:
The Holy Spirit empowerment we seek is about fulfilling God’s mission for us to make disciples of all people and He alone can turn the hearts of others; we just need to trust in His supernatural prompting, power, etc… and obediently speak His Word to those who do not know Him right when He needs us to reach them. (Redeem the time)
4. Public Recognition (Verse 11): The transformation is so dramatic that people who knew Saul previously are astonished.
QUESTION:
What does this mean for us?
- Our sole focus should be to point people to Jesus, even with hard truths to swallow! (Ref. Acts 4:8-13)
APPLICATION:
The Holy Spirit should overwhelm our natural inclinations so much that it confuses those who “know us!” Everything about our lives should simply point people to Jesus in such a way that He is recognized as our reason for being!
CALL TO ACTION:
1. Practical Ways to Surrender to or Invite the Holy Spirit to “Take Over”
- Prioritize prayer daily
- Obey promptings immediately
- Stay grounded in Scripture
2. Practical Steps to Point People to Jesus
- Let your actions reflect spiritual fruit
- Share your personal story
- Pray for divine appointments
- Invite others into community