Wholly God's

**Turn to 1 Samuel 7, v3

Intro

“ONCE UPON A TIME”

MARRIED MAN w/ 2 KIDS…OVERALL GOOD MARRIAGE

In many ways, GREAT HUSBAND:

PROVIDER— hardworking, bringing home $$

SERVANT— helping around house more than expected..

GREAT DAD— Invested time w/ kiddos… + gave wife break from kids.

**5 STAR HUSBAND...

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Major CRACK in FOUNDATION: ANOTHER WOMAN

FORMER LOVE, couldn’t work things out, but NEVER ABANDONED...

regularly unfaithful.

WIFE finds out: DEVASTATED....

Husband thinks, just LOOK @ ALL THE GOOD & OVERLOOK THIS...

She COULDN’T STOP QUESTIONING HIS LOVE for her....

Despite what he was willing to do…things he wouldn’t give up...

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STORY = RIDICULOUS…HAPPENS ALL the TIME....CAN SOMETIMES REPRESENT BELIEVERS’ relationship w/ God.

Love can be measured both in what you are willing to do for someone, and also by what you are willing to not do, or what you’re willing to give up for someone.

MORNING PARABLE: HUSBAND was 5 STARS EVERYWHERE ELSE except where HE WOULDN’T GIVE UP OTHER LOVER…as such they DIDN’T END HAPPILY EVER AFTER....

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COUNTLESS PEOPLE CLAIMING to LOVE GOD:

go to church every Sunday

volunteer

give portions of their income

Yet a # of SECRET SINS…IDOLS…they’re UNWILLING to GIVE UP....

DOING GOOD THINGS— CHECK.

REMOVING IDOLS & SINFUL HABITS— IN PROGRESS....

DURING TODAY’S MESSAGE: CONSIDER, LOVE is EXPRESSED, BOTH BY WHAT WE DO & WHAT WE DON’T DO.

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Recap

LAST FEW WEEKS = MAJOR TURNAROUND from bad situation.

NATION of ISRAEL DEFEATED BY PHILISTINES, LOST ARK of COVENANT!!

ARK BEHIND ENEMY LINES WREAKS HAVOC!

LAST WEEK: ARK COMES HOME to ISRAEL....

God proved to Philistines once and for all it wasn’t coincidence

People of Israel = rejoicing

***Yet they NEGLECTED to REVERENCE ARK…LEFT ON DISPLAY…as such GOD BROUGHT JUDGMENT.... 70 men killed.... “Who can stand in the presence of the holy God..?”

(T) And so our text last week ended with Israel lamenting after the Lord and a period of roughly 20 years passing from the last chapter until now, and after a time of silence, we’re looking back on the person of Samuel who has surely become an adult by now, and is leading Israel.

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Text

1 Samuel 7:3–17 (ESV)

Setting/Inciting Incident (v3)

7:3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

ARK = SETTLED.... && SAMUEL PREACHES to ISRAEL

“ALL the HOUSE of ISRAEL” = PROBABLY TRAVELING, OVER TIME.

SAMUEL’S MESSAGE: “IF you are RETURNING to the LORD with ALL your HEART……THEN you must DO THIS”. MUST TURN from OTHER GODS!!

“YOU’RE SAD, WANT to COME HOME to GOD?? PROVE IT.

TURN FROM IDOLS

DIRECT HEARTS to the LORD

SERVE HIM ONLY

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NOT JUST PUTTING AWAY IDOLS…BUT PUTTING AWAY IDOLATROUS LIFESTYLE

BAAL & ASHERAH (PARTNERS)

SEEKING FERTILITY/GROWTH of CROPS = RITUAL SEX as SUPPLICATION.

Richard Philipps, “Many Israelites thought this was a more enjoyable way of getting crops to grow than holding a prayer meeting” (pp. 121-122).

**PROBABLY HARD to GIVE UP.

IF YOU’RE SERVING YAHWEH…ALL OTHER GODS MUST BE PUT AWAY!

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GOD = JEALOUS GOD…DOESN’T WANT OTHER LOVERS in LIVES of HIS PEOPLE.

***TRUE in ISRAEL’S DAY && OURS....

SPROUL?? “HE’S EITHER LORD of ALL, or HE’S NOT LORD AT ALL”

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“DIRECT HEARTS” = NEED a HEART TRANSPLANT from GOD.

HUMAN HEART is FILLED W/ IDOLATRY

QUITTING COLD TURKEY = DIFFICULT…BUT WHEN HEART is CHANGED,, MAKES ALL the DIFFERENCE.

*PERSONAL STRUGGLE W/ SUGAR...

DESIRE to ELIMINATE PAIN, BRING DOWN INFLAMMATION…BUT LOVE SUGAR.

PROBLEM = I REALLY LIKE SUGAR...

SWEET TEA? = LIKE. SUGAR? = LOVE....TEA is MERELY VESSEL for SUGAR.

HATRED for PAIN HASN’T OVERCOME LOVE FOR SUGAR!

**IT’S LIKE THIS WITH SIN

PUTTING IDOLS AWAY? --- MUST HATE GRIEVING GOD MORE THAN WE LOVE THE SIN! (That’s the trick & the problem)....

THINGS WE PRIORITIZE/IDOLIZE ABOVE GOD?? LOOK @

SCHEDULE

THOUGHT-LIFE

AMAZON PURCHASES

PRIORITIES in LIFE...

SEARCH HISTORY on INTERNET

ANSWER: “Has God been taking the back-seat to other things in my life?”

(Q) AM I SERVING OTHER THINGS, RATHER THAN GOD?

LIVING OUTSIDE of LORDSHIP of CHRIST?? REPENT & TURN BACK to GOD...

BIBLICAL REPENTANCE:

BEGINS W/ CHANGE of MIND…ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of SIN…SORROW for SIN…

CHANGE of HEART...

CONCLUDES W/ CHANGE of ACTION.

***NOT TRULY SORRY FOR THINGS WE KEEP DOING...

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GOOD NEWS?? TURNING BACK to GOD = BLESSING...

JAMES,, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

ISRAEL HAD PROMISE — FOLLOW GOD,, FOLLOW GOD’S LAW = DELIVERANCE.

SERVE LORD W/ WHOLE HEART…AVOIDING OTHER GODS… NATIONAL SUCCESS & SAFETY...

***KNEW THE TRUTH…PROBLEM = DOING the TRUTH...

(T) But the good news today is that they do follow through. Verse 4 says,

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Rising Action (v4):

4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.

PEOPLE FOLLOW THROUGH!

TRUE REVIVAL! REVIVAL = GOD REVIVING HEARTS of HIS PEOPLE...

SERVING HIM ALONE

SETTING ASIDE IDOLS & WORLDLY PASSIONS...

REVIVAL ISN’T ABOUT NUMBERS…IT’S ABOUT HEART CHANGE… RESULTING in REPENTANCE...

NOW,, HOPE FOR ISRAEL! BE DELIVERED FROM ENEMIES, SERVING GOD ALONE!

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Resolution (v5-6):

5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.

PEOPLE RALLY @ MIZPAH W/ SAMUEL…RENEWING COVENANT W/ LORD

FURTHER SHOW REPENTANCE: FASTING/ POURING WATER on GROUND…PUTTING ASIDE FLESHLY APPETITES…GOD = MOST IMPORTANT.

(T) So, we see there’s hope for a new day in Israel, things seem to be going problem-free. The people have turned back to God in repentance, they’ve put away their false, idol-gods. Things seem to be nothing but good, for now. But then, the text says,

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Inciting Incident (v7):

7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

PERFECT TIMES CALL FOR TESTS....

(Q) DOESN’T LIFE JUST WORK LIKE THIS SOMETIMES???

DETERMINED: LIVING for GOD NEW WAY:

READING BIBLE EVERY MORNING...

GIVING MORE TIME...

**THEN TRIALS & TESTS COME....

PHILISTINES SHOW UP…BELIEVERS TODAY FACE ADVERSARY as well....DESIRES for US to REJECT CHRIST....

Sometimes WHEN we COMMIT to DO GOOD, that’s WHEN OPPOSITION SHOWS UP the MOST. = ON RIGHT TRACK!

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PHILISTINES HEAR, ISRAEL RALLIED.... (REPENTANCE) PROBABLY SURMISING RALLIED FOR WAR!

QUESTION NOW = WHERE WILL ISRAEL TURN???

BACK to OTHER gods??

USING GOD’S STUFF AS GOOD LUCK CHARMS??

**COMMIT to NEW COVENANT W/ YAHWEH???

GOD PROMISED to FIGHT FOR ISRAEL WHEN THEY SERVED HIM....

PEOPLE STUCK TRUSTING GOD, DESPITE CIRCUMSTANCES....

TRIALS CAN CAUSE US to QUESTION....

MUST HAVE FAITH in GOD’S WORD OVER FEELINGS or CIRCUMSTANCES...

WHAT HAS GOD SAID?? — NEVER LEAVE NOR FORSAKE YOU!! NOTHING SEPARATES US FROM LOVE of GOD IN CHRIST JESUS!!

(T) And will God stay true to His Word here? The people have turned to God, will He surely turn back to them? Well the tension continues to build here. Verses 8 and 9 say,

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Rising Action (v8-9):

8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.

PEOPLE KNEW GOD’S PROMISE....THEY’D TURNED to THE LORD....NOW THEY ASK SAMUEL to PRAY...

**NOTE, THAT HE (GOD) MAY SAVE THEM FROM PHILISTINES!!

FAITH = NOW BACK in GOD, NOT GOD’S STUFF!

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&& THEY’RE DESPERATE....THEY’VE HAD A LOSING STREAK!!

DALE DAVIS: “Desperation, however, is never in trouble when it rests on omnipotence.”

THEY WENT to THE ONLY TRUE & LIVING GOD…ALL-POWERFUL & HOLY GOD…ONLY HE COULD SAVE!

SAMUEL OFFERS BURNT OFFERING,, ATONING for PEOPLE’S SINS && THEY CRY OUT to GOD & GOD ANSWERS!

(T) For this is what happens next,

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Climax2 (v10-11):

10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.

GOD FULFILLS HIS PROMISE! FIGHTS for ISRAEL!

GOD THUNDERED W/ MIGHTY SOUND, SENDS PHILISTINES TO CONFUSION!

NOT GOD GIVING STRENGTH....BUT GOD ACTUALLY WORKING VICTORY!!

ISRAEL PURSUES FLEEING PHILISTINES!! EXACT OPPOSITE of CH. 4!!!

WHEN GOD FIGHTS FOR YOU....NOTHING to FEAR....

GOD FIGHTING HIS BATTLES AGAINST PAGAN NATIONS & FALSE gods THROUGH HIS PEOPLE!

(T) And now that the victory has been won, our text says,

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Resolution (v12-14):

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

SAMUEL SETS UP STONE, “EBENEZER”..... “STONE of HELP!”

TESTIFIED of GOD’S GOODNESS & ACTIVITY in THEIR LIVES!

IRONICALLY: PLACE ISRAEL DEFEATED (CH. 4) = EBENEZER....NOW TRUE EBENEZER SET UP to TESTIFY to GOD’S FAITHFULNESS!

SAMUEL SAID,, “till now the Lord has helped us.”

“IF GOD DIDN’T LEAVE ME THEN…HE WON’T LEAVE ME NOW… & HE WON’T LEAVE ME IN FUTURE!”

(Q) Do you have any Ebenezers in your life??

PHYSICAL THINGS,, TESTIFYING to GOD’S PAST FAITHFULNESS...

YOU LOOK & RESPOND, “GOD HAS HELPED ME!”

DON’T FORGET ALL GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU IN PAST…SET UP MEMORIALS in YOUR OWN LIFE...

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GOD WORKED GREAT DELIVERANCE!! PHILISTINES NO LONGER “SERIOUS” PROBLEM, HAND of GOD AGAINST THEM....ALL DAYS of SAMUEL.

TOOK BACK STOLEN CITIES & LAND!

AMORITES, (LOCAL CANAANITES, LIVING AMONGST ISRAEL) NO LONGER PROBLEM EITHER!

SAVED FROM ENEMIES OUTSIDE & INSIDE ALL DAYS of SAMUEL

(T) And now our text is going to close in verses 15 through 17. It says,

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Conclusion (v15-17):

15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.

SAMUEL’S MINISTRY PROSPERS.... HE’S JUDGE (NOT KING) of ISRAEL.

OFFERS LEADERSHIP in ISRAEL AFTER ELI’S FAILURE…BUT NOT MILITARY FIGURE...

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Hom. Idea:

God helps His people when they put away their false gods and idols and serve Him alone.

GOD DOESN’T HELP THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES…BUT THOSE WHO ARE DEVOTED to HIM!!

Gospel:

TODAY’S TEXT,, PEOPLE CRY OUT to SAMUEL to PRAY FOR THEM…SO THEY’D BE SAVED...

SAMUEL = PROPHET LIKE MOSES…STANDING BETWEEN GOD & PEOPLE…BECAUSE of HIS PRAYERS & PEOPLE’S REPENTANCE,, THEY WERE SAVED...

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TODAY, WE HAVE EVEN GREATER PROPHET LIKE MOSES…GREATER INTERCESSOR....

AFTER JESUS CHRIST DIED for SIN....ASCENDED to HEAVEN, EVER LIVES TO INTERCEDE FOR US!!

Hebrews,, JESUS ABLE to SAVE to UTTERMOST THOSE WHO DRAW NEAR to GOD THROUGH HIM…HE ALWAYS LIVES TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR US!! (Heb. 7:25).

IF YOU’VE DRAWN NEAR to GOD THROUGH CHRIST BY FAITH…HE’S PRAYING FOR YOU!! PERFECTLY & CONSISTENTLY....

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SAMUEL OFFERED YOUNG LAMB....LAMB of GOD OFFERED HIMSELF!

Richard Phillips, “MESSAGE of BIBLE”....... “twofold: no sinner may come before God’s holiness without atoning blood, but also any sinner may come through the precious blood of Christ.” (Phillips, 2012, pp. 125-126).

NO ONE CAN COME APART FROM THE BLOOD.......BUT THROUGH THE BLOOD ANYONE CAN COME!!

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IF YOU HAVEN’T REPENTED & DRAWN NEAR THROUGH FAITH…IF YOU AREN’T SAVED…YOU CAN TURN TO JESUS CHRIST TODAY!

FAITH in ATONING DEATH, BURIAL, RESURRECTION

PROFESSION of LORDSHIP (ALL CREATION & PERSONAL LIFE)

TURNING FROM SIN...

YOU CAN BE SAVED TODAY.

YOU CAN & SHOULD HAVE ASSURANCE that GREAT HIGH PRIEST IS INTERCEDING FOR YOU & HE WILL SAVE YOU to the UTTERMOST!

NO ASSURANCE?? LET’S TALK....

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Takeaways:

LEARN ABOUT GOD??

GOD = FAITHFUL.

TO HIS WORD

&& TO HIS PEOPLE...

GOD PROMISED IF ISRAEL SERVED HIM, HE’D BRING DELIVERANCE..

THEY TURNED TO HIM & HE BROUGHT VICTORY!

LEARN ABOUT US??

NEED to HAVE NO OTHER GODS in OUR LIVES...

IF YOU’RE A BELIEVER & HAVE COME to CHRIST…TURNING TO CHRIST MEANS TURNING AWAY FROM SIN & THIS WORLD…!

WALKING ILLUSTRATION??

LIVING UNDER LORDSHIP! NEW MANAGEMENT IN THIS LIFE!!

WHEN GOD HELPS US & SAVES US, ETC....INTENTIONALLY REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE, RECALL IT & WORSHIP HIM.

WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN CHRIST

GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL WORKINGS in YOUR OWN LIFE...

LOOK to PAST, FIND FAITH FOR FUTURE!

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App:

2 QUESTIONS:

First, do you have any idols or false gods in your life?

Think:

What consumes your thoughts?

Why do you get out of bed in the morning?

What do you spend the majority of your free time doing?

What’s the thing that you can’t live without?

THINGS TAKING YOU AWAY FROM DEVOTION to GOD?? NEED REMOVED...

THINGS CAUSING YOU to SKIP SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES,, COMING to CHURCH REGULARLY, ETC.??

PERHAPS THERE’S A NEED for REPENTANCE && TURNING to GOD ALONE!

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2. Do you have any Ebenezers in your life?

PHYSICAL THINGS THAT REMIND YOU OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS??

PERSONAL EXAMPLE: MY COLLECTION of “BY the GRACE of GOD, I CAN DO HARD THINGS” — REMINDER to PERSEVERE...

DOCTOR’S REPORT, HEALTH CRISIS,, GOD BROUGHT YOU THROUGH.

MARRIAGE TROUBLES, LOOK @ RING, REMINDER, GOD BROUGHT YOU THROUGH.

WHATEVER it LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR LIFE, TRY & SET UP REMINDERS of WHAT GOD HAS DONE.

For God’s faithfulness in the past, gives us faith for the future.

Close in Prayer

***Communion Sunday