Here I Raise My Ebenezer

I want you to go ahead and turn the first Samuel chapter 4. I am have a tree that's going to be doing a song. You don't get to do this. This morning. Is that right? I wanted to continue our series on altars and so have them. Something that we want to share this morning. And I want you to hear familiar song because I always think of this song when this, with this word Ebenezer and today, we're speaking on this subject here, I raise my Ebenezer. Here, I raise my Ebenezer. Want to give you a little information, but I wanted to just read the passages of scripture and then I'm going to have them saying this familiar song to us and then we're going to jump into it briefly and explain what God has laid on our hearts for today. Now, these verses that I'm going to read will be on the screens. You can follow their in your Bible, but is always if we have some of that, they don't have their bye. Bye. I want a missing out. I want to always preached biblical when I want to preach Bible, but we want visitors to come to and I don't want them lost because they don't have their Bible with them. So that's why these are not on the screen to keep you out of your Bible. Verses are on the screen to make sure everybody can see the Bible. Okay. And so it's there if you need them first Samuel chapter 4. Inverse one. And let me give you just quick background. You've ever heard of the name, Eli, and really Eli Falls is here in our church. And that Eli in the Bible, he'll I was a priest. And in, in, in this time, priest also were judges and Eli was a priest, and he judged Israel for over 40 years, Eli was second to the last Samuel who mini do. You know the story in the Bible? How Hannah in the in the Old Testament? Wanted a child couldn't have a child. Her husband Elkin, has she loved him and wanted them to be able to have a child and she just couldn't. So she began to seek God's face and God rewarded her with a child. And she promised God that. If God would give her a child, she would give it back to God. That's the principle that you and I we dedicate our children back to the Lord, wearing the halogen that. He's the one that gave them to us and that he is the one that owns our children and we want to raise them to go. Find him. And so, as she brought Samuel back to the temple, where she had gone to seek God's face for this child, Samuel ended up living at the temple working there, under, Eli, learning, Temple Ministry, and different things. And you remember, the story, how God begin to call out to Samuel at night and he would go Samuel and there was nobody there. And I keep thinking that commercial, Samuel, Samuel, Samuel Samuel would get up and he would go and wake up, Eli and goes, did you call me? And Eli said, no, I didn't call you go back to bed, and then you go back to bed, here, Samuel Samuel. And the need to get up, run, back in, wake up Eli. As I could you call me and he's like, the Bible says, but That's what Daniel would say. Quit bothering me. Go back to bed, I didn't call you. I'm not going to call. You just stay away kind of thing and finally got Samuel the same. You realized it was God and he said here, am I? And so Samuel ended up following Eli. So we've got to understand those two things as we go. First, the first Samuel chapter 4 verse 1, And the word of Samuel games always real. Now, Israel went out against the police teams to battle in Pitch beside Ebenezer. And the Philistines pitched in a fact, verse 10, and the Philistines fought and Israel was smitten. And they fled, every man into his tent. And there was a very great Slaughter for their fellow of Israel, 30,000 footmen, and the Ark of God was taken and the two sons of Eli, how fly infinus were slain? And what are you? I heard the noise of the crying. He said what mean if the noise of this tumult In the man came in hastily and told Eli that. Eli was 98 years old. His eyes were dim that he could not see the man said of the Eli. I am he that came out of the army. I am fled today out of the army and he said, what is there done? My son. Eli said will tell me what's going on? 470 and the message or answered and said, Israel has fled before the Philistines there has been also a great Slaughter among the People by two sons. Also how fly and Phineas are dead. And the Ark of God, the Ark of the Covenant that you're familiar with the Ark of God is taken. And it came to pass when he made mention of the Ark of God that he meaning, Eli fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate and his neck break, and he died before. He was an old man and heavy and he had judged Israel, 40 years Force 19. And his daughter-in-law, Phineas his wife. Was with child need to be delivered. And when she heard the tidings that the Ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law, and her husband were dead. She found herself and travailed. For her pains Came Upon her and about the time of her death, the women that stood, by her Senator fear, not for thou Hast, borne a son with the news of the Ark of the Covenant, she went into labor and she was dying while she was having this child and that right before she died. These women looked at her said with us. And we want to know you did, you had a child but notice what happens here.

But she answered not. Neither did she regarded? She didn't hold it. She didn't want to see it. She didn't even acknowledge. This baby. We were 21. She named the child Ichabod say. The glory is departed from Israel, because the Ark of God was taken because of her father-in-law. And her husband. She said the glory is departed from Israel. The Ark of God is taken. And she died.

We're going to be some more passages in just a minute. I want us to pray and they're going to come and sing this song. In verse 1, the Bible says that this all took place at Ebenezer, it was not yet Ebenezer but for the sake of historical reference, we're told we're all this took place. It was it named Ebenezer until 1st Samuel chapter 7. But what a horrible day. By the way. Eli was a wonderful man, a good priest, a good judge, but he had some issues, one of the issues with his family. His two sons. 9:30 infinus were evil evil men. Bible said that they literally had adulterous relationships with women in the court of the temple in front of everybody. They were evil men. People kept telling me lying about what was going on with the Suns and he just wouldn't deal with it. Things came home to roost, Israel is going away from God to Eli. The priest wasn't keeping the temple clean here saying, you'll now have grown up and saying there was a man of God and Eli was older. He was 98 years old and he couldn't really see well couldn't get around well. And the Day of Reckoning comes. God would always protected them, the Philistines come in and I will do the Philistines kill. Almost 30,000 men of Israel. The Philistines kill the king's Sons. God allowed this? The Philistines stole the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of the Lord was so precious to Israel. here, phineas's wife is with child and Eli is sitting there on a rock and when man comes out of battle and Eli says, hey what's going on? And tell me how the battle is going? Said, it's horrible. It's of taking over, thirty thousand have died, your sons are dead, and they stole the Ark of the Covenant. And he was so taken aback by this news that he literally lost his balance. And fell back. Hit his head and he died. then his daughter-in-law goes into labor prematurely gives birth to this baby and just signify the whole day, Before she dies as Nina and Chabad. By the way, I would not suggest naming your child Ichabod.

Here's the reason, the glory of God Departed. Every 20 years. It's exactly what happened. Just have to do with altars where we're going to see. Let's pray, Lord for the good work and thank you for your word and or know it's a little bit different today. I like different And Lord I I want to learn more of your word. This is our history. So. I pray that you would bless, thank you for this song that has meant so much to us over the years and or what it signifies and pray, that our folks will listen closely to the Jesus name. We pray. Amen. Thank you guys for doing this.

C c. C, c.

is my

Here's my heart.

Kohler tub.

Where's my home?

Fantastic job. Thank you guys. 20 years ago by. 1st Samuel chapter 7.

first to

The game the past. While the Arco bowed in that place.

That the time was long.

Free was 20 years.

And all the house of Israel lamented. After the Lord.

Have you ever Lament? After the Lord. Longed for him.

Missed him.

Felt like it's been forever. Since you felt him. Seen him. Talk with them. Pet closeness. They lamented regretted. 20 years.

43 sandals fake on the all the house of Israel sang. Alright, your lamenting been twenty years? I have a message from God for you.

if you do return unto the Lord, with all your hearts, Then put away the strange gods and astaroth from among you. And prepare your hearts unto the Lord. What did the song? Just say? Here's My Heart. Lord. Take and seal it.

And serve him only.

He will deliver you. Out of the hand of the Felicity.

For 6. and they gathered together to Misfit and Drew water, and poured it out before the Lord and fast it on that day and said there, we have sinned against the Lord and Samuel judge the children of Israel and misspelled, why were they there? They showed up there in this fun, where is there? This is the same place that they had suffered, the defeat, this is the same area where 30,000 had been killed, where the Ark of the Covenant have been stolen. This was the same place where the first child born, right in that area was named Ichabod because God has left.

So Samuel, take some right back to the same place so that they can repent so that they can get their heart right? But the Philistines heard that they came back there in the Philistines. Did not know that they had just come back to repent. The Philistines thought that they had all been gathered back there because they were going to come at war against the police tea. Looking for a sip of it and when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to miss, but the Lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard that they were afraid of the listing for listings, think that they're going to attack us. So we're going to we're going to go attack them first. Samuel gathers, all the tribes together. Is this we got to repair They were there to worship, they were there to get right with gone. The Philistines thought they were there to come after them so the Philistines take off after them and when is real found out, oh no, here they come again, this is exactly where it happened, 20 years ago. Now, they're scared. And they're just trying to get right with God. Bursae in the children of Israel said to Samuel. Cease not crying to the Lord. Our God for us. Don't stop praying Samuel. Get to God now and begging notice, but he will save us out of the hands of the Philistines in Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it for a burnt offering. Holy unto the Lord, there's your altar, there's your sacrifice and Samuel Cried unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him.

And as Samuel was offering up, the burnt offering the Philistines Drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great Thunder on that day upon the Philistines and disking fitted them and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel, went out of misbah in pursuit of Palestine and smote them until they came under Beth car. Then Samuel, Took a stone. Instead it between misbah. And shin and called the name of it. Ebenezer. Saying. Hitherto. Has the Lord helped us? Ebenezer me. The Lord has helped us. What an interesting story here. Now, want you to notice has Samuel 20 years later, he lies off the scene, I would say he got stoned and died but that would be a bad joke about cuz he fell off his head on the Rock. He got stoned anyway. I'm not going to go in the bath.

Daniel's been in charge for 20 years, and The people were lamenting. Forgot. By the way, that's where you got to get to, before you're ready to start changing things.

I'm afraid that even in a good church like this one we can get so comfortable. There is no lamenting There is no yearning for a move of God cuz we're fine. We're okay. Pay the bills. You getting paid pay. We added some missionaries, we're doing great. But dear friend until we start the lamenting God only. Then will we start changing? Say no gathers, all the tribes together, brings them right back to the spot where the glory of God had left. Samuel says listen. This is where the glory of God left, but this is right where the glory of God can come right back. It's not God that left. It's us that left. So here we Gibson first three, he gives this little brief outline first. He says you have to return if you do return unto the Lord, with all your hearts, Dogs. Not the one that left us. Samuel says we're the ones that left him.

and if we're going to get God's glory back, We're going to have to return to him, and I don't just mean returned to him by standing up and saying I'm returning to him. I'll be returning to him with all your heart. Here's My Heart Lord.

Taken sealant.

She says you're going to have to return. Can I ask you a question this morning? We're not like 100%. This morning. Good decent crowd at. We're not a hundred percent. Can I ask you something today?

Anybody here need to return.

anybody here have an area somewhere in your life, where the glory of God left, and, you know, it That addiction started. That habit started that bitter Spirit showed up.

But critical spirit, begin to pop up. You're right about that time you know as well as I would but only you will see your life you know, something left at that point. We got critical, got a bad Spirit, got whatever got discouraged, got angry, whatever the case is. So I wonder if today and there it might be some that need to return to the place where the glory of God bless.

My guess is three of us. Second he says you don't just returned second he says you need to remove. Will you burst three if you do return in the Lord, with all your hearts, and put away the strange gods and Aster out from among you? You not just need to return. You got to remove. You see these things in your life or what's taking you away? He says, after off, which is a specific false idol God. But he also says strange Gods. Am I the way? Can I say something? We as Christian individuals, can still have strange gods in our life. Things that take us away from our Bible. Take us away from church. Take us away from Devotion to Christ. Those strange Gods can cause the glory of God, God never leaves. But we're talking about his glory. We're talkin about the joy of our salvation.

Samuel says, you not just need to return. You need to remove I would ask each of us today or there's some things that need to be removed. This little altar series, are there some things that need to be put on the altar? I'm gone. Go to sturdy says, you need to repent. Pick a three pieces. If you do return unto the Lord, with all your hearts, put away, the strange Gods, noticed this and prepare your hearts unto the Lord. Prepare your hearts. What does it mean to prepare your heart? It means to get your heart, right, it means to get your heart clean. It means to make sure your heart is clear before God. It means to make sure your heart is in tune with God, and his word, and that takes repentance. It means an island. Do I need to get back to where I was get rid of this junk that has caused this but I've got to get my heart, right? Because that's where it all started and then start, when I took the strange gone, it started in my heart. Something was wrong in my heart. And that gave me a desire for a strange God. everybody with me saying that the heart issue, Your pastor has it sometimes.

Hey, my heart gets hard. Sometimes to a my heart gets critical sometimes to a my heart gets discouraged sometimes too. But I tend to be the kind of person that is long suffering, and long-suffering and long-suffering and long-suffering. But then when I hit my limit, Watch out. That's what's that?

The big joke with him as you don't want preacher to say. Hey do you mind meeting me down those Hall but that's what they they said that's where I chewed them out.

I won't go to the office, I'll do it down at Mills Hall. So some of you if I said, hey let's meet at Mills Hall, you'll know.

I hate to even hurt the name of dr. Mills on that one, that that's the place where I chewed them out. Talk to Mills was the nicest man in the world. The sweetest man I've ever met. And that's where I chew people out. Apparently. I'm really chew people out.

I don't know why you're laughing your tablet. I do in the car. Banana in front of me, but you the amount?

Samuel says you got to return. You've got to remove. We've got to repent. Notice last that he says, you've got to renew. First three and serve him. Only. It's one thing to serve God but then you're serving yourself too and you're serving The Flash and so this is not just serve God to serve him only.

Got to get back to work. I wonder if there's some of us that need to get back to serving.

Deep in your heart, you know, that's what you need to do, you know it's missing and you know what you're missing part of yourself but you're tired and you're worn out and you've been hurt and with you don't think I've been hurt to all of us have been hurt, all of us to face stuff like that. But here, God has been good to this nation. What have they done? They had, they had distanced himself from God, they had gotten other gods, their heart had been turned away and now they were serving idols and serving the serving that you see, they were working and they were serving but it wasn't Thinkin. Samuel says, you've got to change all this. So guess what the people did.

Daniel build an altar. Right of the area where this all had gone down, where the glory of God had left. He built this altar sacrifices, the people fast and pray and repent, and right after they, finally did what they should have been doing a long time ago. What happens if they find out they're under attack,

can I tell you something? You hit alter and you get right with God? Watch out.

Because it's going to come at you right away saying, he's going to try to stop it before. You can even get the decision made.

Then they do, what's right? And then I find out the Philistines are coming at you right now. No man alive, we're just now getting right over losing 30,000. We're just now trying to get over this. Get past this. Get back to God. And now they're coming at us again.

But there was something different this time. They had returned. They had removed. They had repented. They had renewed. Bible says, when they made sacrifice God, heard them. The Philistine Army came in. Now you listen to me God released Thunder From Heaven upon those Philistines. Now we've heard thunder. You've heard thunder. I've been in some bad situation. I grew up in Florida. Thunder was everyday just about kind of thing but I'm going to say something the Thunder were talking about here. I just believe with all my heart. This is probably like thunder. You've never heard

It was certainly something they had never heard. Because the Bible says, when it hit that camp of the Philistines, it discomfit add them, you say, what does that mean? That's a fancy word? It discombobulated them.

Thanks preacher for the explanation. Okay, well I just wanted to think of another It's got them. So confused. They didn't know what was going on. It was so powerful and so strong that I was, I didn't know what was going on and guess what? Here comes the Army from Israel and not only do they defeat them, they're chasing them.

and when it was all said and done, Samuel took the stones and he built This place right? Where the glory of God has Departed. The power of God return. 20 years later. And he says, we're going to call this ebony sir. Because right here. Right here. The Lord. Has helped.

we've been talkin about altars of sacrifice and altars of praise and this is an altar of praise.

Can I ask you something?

Do you have some Ebenezer's?

You know, Noah had it as Ebenezer. Bible says we talked about one of the first mentions of altar that went on. No, it was in this art. All mankind, was destroyed, God, save them got protected them. And when that art finally rested, what do they do, they got off that are Kenny build an altar thanking. God, that was his Ebenezer you've protected us. You help us. Abraham had his Ebenezer. What he took your son up as he was thinking, he was going to have to sacrifice his only son. an app for that up there, Abraham when God provided a lamb, Abraham built an altar Jehovah-jireh, God has provided That was his Ebenezer. I was looking to the word of God. Jacob, build. An Ebenezer at Bethel. That's what he realized, Gods. Finally blessed to me. I finally have God's presence in my life. You could always go back to Bethel.

Abraham could always go back to Jehovah Jireh. You know, Joshua in the Bible building abenezer as they were. He takes over command and they're trying to get to the promised land to get to the Jordan River and God miraculously parts that Jordan River. They walk across the jewelry. What is the Bible say? Joshua does they finally enter into the promised land? He took 12 Stones one for each of the tribes of Israel and he puts up these 12 Stones left it there as a memorial that God has kept his promise. That was just a teaser. It means god, I will not forget. What is Bill saying this morning? I'm human humans. Forget. So remind me. Remind me dear Lord of what you've done.

What did our song here here? I raise mine. Ebony sir.

Here's my heart. Taken scene.

Moses had an Ebenezer. Moses God gave him a ride and said, Moses you going to take this rod in there in Egypt, he would throw down that Rod at turn into a snake and pick that snake out by the tail. It would turn back into a rod and God use. Moses Rod all through those, many different plagues, and things and signs, that God gave a row, and we got finally released those children of Israel and Pharaoh, finally gave in and as they left. And they got to the Red Sea in Pharaoh's, Army was coming down upon them. The Bible says that God told Moses when you get there, Raise Your Rod and when he raised the rod, the waters, parted and when he got to the other side, he raised his rod and the waters closed in. Moses got Maryam And two other ladies there in Israel and they got timbrels and instruments. And it began to seeing as the water swallowed, Pharaoh's Army they sang to God. You protected as you did this. And we praise you for it. David had an Ebenezer, his Ebenezer was the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant finally came back to the Israel. The Bible says David danced before the Lord. He was so excited his own life, criticized him for it. She was an evil evil person. All the way through Saul's daughter Micah. But David didn't even let her criticism. Stop him. He was thrilled. He was happy. Why? Because the ark had always been precious to him. It was his Ebenezer. It was a sign of what he had come back. You going to ask you something this morning cuz you raisin. Today, could you put some stones out today? Or are there some areas where God has helped you and you forgotten about it and you've overlooked it instead, what we don't like and what we can face is all the circumstances and all the things and I'm here to say, if you're here and you're safe, God's been good to you. And maybe it's time, that's consideration some concerns and raising some criticisms and raising some suggestions that maybe we ought to raise some Ebenezer's.

In God's house today.

I brought this with me.

I know I'm an emotional person. I really don't want to be emotional today.

Understand. I'm not splitting nothing sacred about this. Can I tell you some of these are benches? We did not pay a lot of money for There's nothing sacred about that b****. But this is an ultra. What is sacred is, what goes on here? It's not a piece of furniture. Okay, by the way that building over there is not the temple, your body is the temple. That building is not sacred, it's the people in it that are safe. Everybody got that. Don't get confused. Don't let your old tradition by the way. It's not sacred because they we put this here and now this is take it off to be sacred to you because of some decisions you've made because of some surrenders that you've made it. And there's nothing sacred about this area. This is a gym, I mean we've had people fight you over games right here.

so now we're fighting and arguing with God,

look at me.

We found out that Kayden was going to have some heart issues.

We showed up for his Is born there. Chapel Hill. when he was born, obviously, you had to go straight to the Nick, you and in the pick you and

we knew open heart surgeries were coming.

I don't think I realized it wasn't, like I did this for this purpose but have a coffee shop there at the hospital.

Julian. Had Caden got the whole damn that, was it really?

He was in the NICU, and I was talking with the nurses there and I would try to go and hold him as I could least touch him. He couldn't hold him at that point. All these wires and all this stuff isn't So visiting hours there was a little time of it went over and Julie was sleeping. And so one day I went down to the coffee shop and about this coffee mug And this is what started. Now I can like collect coffee mugs. If we go somewhere on vacation some people get shot glasses, you know, Not my deal. they're just not big enough, but

The only reason I'm against it is just not big enough. My son actually, Daniel collect shot glass.

You would think I would collect salad bowls, but, you know what I'm saying?

But I got this mug. I got tired of drinking out of the styrofoam. So I got this mug, kept it there in the room and things and I would pour my coffee and then I got that mug in. I remember first open heart surgery. Came three days old. In the next open, heart surgery.

Then the next and the next.

Succubus at my house. For many mornings, just sitting by myself. Down there a little patio by that coffee thing. Do some serious talking to God? Just just became Pastor here. I mean, that's a full-time job. Just to try to come into a new place after a 50-year faster and I'm in the hospital trying to worry about my son. If he's even going to live in the middle of that, I get calls. People complain about stuff Church, dumb stuff. I'm thinking I got a kid about ready to die and you're complaining about that. It was too cold so anymore. That's hard to take sometimes and not go off on somebody, but I am a disciplined person.

Are there sometimes I sat out there and I let them have it. They didn't know it, I got it out. So God put that under the blood.

That is never said anything to him.

Every time I see this month.

We backed up stuff to leave. This is one of the things. Now, this pina got a chip in it. But I keep this hung up there at my house. Is my Ebenezer.

It's my he still alive. Got you protected and God you provide it. You gave him life. I'm glad he's not out of the woods, we know, but you know what, God, you've been faithful. Lord, you have helped us. Every time I see it.

Do you have some Ebenezer's in your life?

Yeah. Yes. I'm still going to put up somewhere. It reminds you that God helped you. Now I know your bird this morning about the bird, that's facing you now and I know that your heavy right now with whatever use a preacher you you want to talk about Ebenezer, praise. I can't get over some of those bad things that have happened to me. The last thing I feel like doing right now is trying to think. We're God was good. I'm still confused on why God would allow such a dear friend? Listen to me. I understand, I really do get it.

But I'm here to say that. What are the major? Alters you and I need in our life is not just an altar to sacrifice and not just an ostrich communicate, but we need some altars of praise.

We need to go back and remember that 20 years ago. It was the worst day in history. But look what God's done now. Call Justin old big piece of thunder and took care of the enemy and one strike, we didn't hardly have to do anything. The Ark of the Covenant came back. God restored. It all. God's been good, Gods helped us today.

I'm going to ask the group to come back up and been allowed to see it. One more time as we close today.

And I'm not having them sing the song. All we do is going to sing the song there, but I want them to sing it. I want you to see the meaning behind this Ebenezer. And I'm wondering today if maybe right here you could raise an Ebenezer, it may be here today and I'm going to say I think it'd be great and I'm not find your place in an altered. That's what I think would be great but you know, you do what you got to do. But at the least that your sheet, you ought to be able to raise an Ebenezer to God today. And say God you eat. You really helped me here and you really worked him and you really listen Lord, I'm hurting right now over this, but I don't want to forget what you did over here. Lord, I love you and thank you for all that. You've done.

Not as we talked about Alters. I think some of the most precious ones to you. Or when we are reminded of how good you've been.

Lord, I pray you to help us. Play has found their eyes closed once you know today. Do you not know Jesus as your personal savior? He loves you. He died for you. Dear friend, salvation is simply a matter of you, realizing and admitting that you cannot save yourself because we're sinners. Second, it's a matter of you, believing with the Bible said that Jesus came that he died that he rose again. But third, it's not just a matter of believing those things. But third, it's a matter of you. Putting your faith and trust in him. Believing in him asking him for whosoever, shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved right in your seat. You can do that. I wonder today. Those view this a preacher. I have been say, I want to raise an Ebenezer today. Ultra Thor. Coffee mugs over here today. Called you talk to God about some things that he's done, let's all stand. If you would as they seen you mine, God today.

Steve.

YouTube, scuse me from

02 Grand Prix Style.

Doing baby. Laugh out loud.

Cartoon.

Here's My Heart. Lord stay again.