Million Dollar Move | 1 Samuel 4:1-11

Million Dollar Move | 1 Samuel 4:1-11

Opening Remarks:

Thank you Bro. Nate and Pastor Wood for the invitation.

High Plains has done a great job hosting us tonight, so thank you to the church folks as well.

And thank you to all of you young people here tonight.

I know there are a lot of things you could be doing tonight, so I commend you for choosing to be here.

Actually, this is NM, so I’m not sure that there were many other options of things to do.

It’s okay, I’m from SD, so I understand.

NM is like SD in that you only want to drive through it in the dark. It’s really sad when a state is so hard to look at that you’d rather drive all night.

What does NM have going for it? Green chilis.

But think about it, NM has places nobody can spell like Albuquerque and places no one can pronounce like Ruidoso.

You do have Carlsbad Caverns. Which again proves my theory that NM is best viewed in the dark!

I don’t even want to get into west Texas. At least we can joke about NM and you don’t get offended. If you start to talk about Texas they want to start a civil war and secede from the Union.

Speaking of taking things seriously, I think we need to get into the Word. That will be safer for everyone.

READ 1 Samuel 4:1-11

There’s an important lesson on the difference between symbols and spiritual power that I’d like to look at for the next few minutes tonight.

Introduction:

How many of you in here play sports?

What are your favorite sports?

I like football best, so this is a good time of year for me. But if there’s one thing I wish I could do - I wish I could soar through the air and dunk a basketball just once.

There are two kinds of basketball players – Those who can play and those who think they can play and really can’t.

What’s funny is the guys that can’t play talk the most trash.

Illustration:

Guy in college named Brian that loved to play basketball.

He was also an excellent trash talker.

I’m pretty sure he spent more time playing basketball than doing homework. Actually, based on his grades I can guarantee that.

Excellent ball handler. Very quick. Could get to the rim any time he wanted.

His only problem was getting the ball to go in the basket. He couldn’t finish.

I was playing with him and a group of guys one day and he missed a layup after a sweet move and one of the guys on campus that could actually play and also had a big mouth said, “That’s Brian. Million Dollar Move, 2 Dollar Finish.”

Guys like that crack me up. They have all the right gear. Newest Lebrons.

Sweat bands on head, both arms.

A temporary tattoo that says “Ball Is Life.”

They look the part.

Tell everyone, “I’m 3 year varsity starter.”

One problem with that: They go to Christian School. Only 5 kids on the team, of course you start!

“They have a Million Dollar Look, but a 2 Dollar Game”

As funny as that is, the same thing can happen with young people who say they follow God. They look the part. Know the verses. Win the sword drills. But if you were to search for a real relationship with God, you wouldn’t find one.

That may even be true of some young people in this room tonight.

I. Israel was a Million Dollar Move, 2 Dollar Finish kind of nation.

They had a fancy tabernacle. They had a beautiful ark of the covenant. Nations looked at them and said, “Definitely the people of God.” But when we get to 1 Samuel 4, they’re facing a battle with the Philistines. Unfortunately, they’re missing very important elements:

God’s presence

God’s power

God’s glory - Ichabod is literally the question, “Where is the glory?”

They’re about to battle the Philistines and God is nowhere to be found. They’re missing the most important piece

Illustration: Have you ever left something very important?

Girl in high school left retainer at restaurant.

Have you ever left your phone somewhere?

I know someone that left their phone on top of their car and drove down the highway. They found it later and it was fine. (Because it was an iPhone. Android would have been toast.)

It’s one thing to leave something like that behind, but Israel left God behind. Ichabod means they’re asking themselves, “Where did God go?”

They lost God for a couple of reasons:

1. Open Sinfulness

This era of Israel could be summed up like this, “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

They did what they wanted.

They aligned themselves with unbelievers from other nations.

They became like the culture rather than being like God.

They even embraced idolatry.

And it wasn’t just the people. Eli was the priest, and his sons, Hophni and Phineas, were as bad as anyone else. So even the ministry leaders were in open sin.

Eli’s sons were in the “ministry” and they didn’t even know the Lord, according to vs. 12. They were so carnal that they caused other people to have a bad attitude toward serving God. Later in the chapter it says they were having immoral relationships with women in the tabernacle. Their father rebuked them, but they didn’t care.

Their sin impacted countless others.

Application: Older teens affecting younger teens attitude toward church. Some of you need to get that right.

Eli’s sons were so bad that a prophet came along and gave him a message from the Lord, “You’ve honored your sons above me.” Even Eli put his sons above God.

If the priests left God behind, no wonder the people did too.

They guilty of open sin. They were also guilty of…

2. Obvious Self-Dependence

In verses 1-2, they go to battle in their own power. They don’t ask God. They don’t seek Him. They just go. They were more dependent on their power than God’s, and 4,000 soldiers died because of it (dads, brothers). God became an afterthought. No one likes to be an afterthought.

Illustration: If I was taking a few guys to go to Taco Bell after the rally and we were headed out the door and bumped into you and you said, “Where are you guys going?” I say, “Taco Bell, because we value high quality, authentic, delicious Hispanic cuisine.” So you say, “Can I go?” and I say, “If you want. I guess there’s room in the trunk of my car.”

How good would you feel about that invitation?

That’s how Israel treated God. He was an afterthought. And even after 4,000 of them died, look at what they say in vs. 3.

Vs. 3 - When IT cometh among us, IT may save us

Their object of trust was the ark, not God

They were more dependent on a piece of furniture overlaid than the God it represented

Ark was a square box overlaid with gold carried between two long poles. It represented God’s presence, power and glory. But it wasn’t God.

4-5- They go to fetch the ark and get pumped up. They bring it back and everyone is shouting, excited, the earth is ringing

Vs. 6 - When the Philistines hear they get scared

Illustration: 6th Grade football, hearing the other team warm up, if they sounded like little girls we were okay, but if they sounded like men, we were shaking in our pads

Vs. 7 - The Philistines said, “GOD is come into the camp.”

They didn’t say, “It” they said, “GOD, HIM, A PERSON.” How sad, the enemies of God knew where the power came from.

Vs. 9 - The Philistines have a rally and says, “We better get with it or we’re dead. Quit yourselves = BE STRONG like men.”

Vs. 10-11- Lost 4,000 without the ark of the covenant…lost 30,000 WITH the ark. Including Hophni and Phineas.

What in the world is going on? More die with the ark than without. A messenger comes to tell Eli to tell him about the slaughter, including his sons, he falls off his seat backwards and breaks his neck and he dies.

When his daughter in law hears it she goes into labor and has a baby and calls him Ichabod. “Where is the glory?” Basically, “Where is God?” His glory is gone.

Then she dies. Talk about a depressing story.

But really, it should be depressing. Because this is a problem we have all the time.

We too can place more faith in the symbols of our faith than in the God of our faith.

We think the power of our Christian life lies in the things we do:

Going to Youth Group

Attending church

Singing in the choir

Raised by Godly parents

Those aren’t bad things. In fact, they are great things. But do they equal a relationship with God that gives us the power to live the Christian life?

II. There’s a difference between a symbol and power

Illustration: Show a picture of Lebron and compare it to a kid at the rally

Who can dribble better?

Who’s a better shooter?

Who’s bigger, stronger, and faster?

But let’s get literal. Who can dribble better, this picture of Lebron or __________?

Who’s a better shooter, this picture of Lebron or _________?

Who’s bigger, stronger, faster? This picture or ________?

That’s the point tonight. A symbol has no power.

It doesn’t matter how impressive the symbol, without power you’re not accomplishing anything.

Illustration: My wedding ring broke this week. But anyone can wear a wedding ring. That doesn’t mean you’re married.

Buying nice shoes doesn’t make you a runner.

Buying a hammer doesn’t make you a carpenter.

Getting a suit doesn’t make you a preacher.

Carrying a Bible doesn’t make you a Christian.

Wearing a smile doesn’t make you right with your parents.

Acting good on Sundays doesn’t undo what you did on Saturday night.

And saying the right things won’t even get you into heaven.

If you’re trying to live the Christian life without His power, that’s like trying to jump from the ground onto onto the roof of this building. You can try the rest of your life and never do it.

Looking the part does not equal power. 2 Timothy 3:5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”

A real relationship with God empowers a person to live like Jesus Christ.

It gives victory over sin.

It allows you to be a witness when you’d rather blend in.

But it’s easier to hold up a symbol than it is to actually have a relationship, so we gravitate toward them.

SYMBOLS

Baptism has never saved anyone, but plenty of young people are trusting in baptism to get them to Heaven. Baptism is a symbol of knowing Jesus. It doesn’t equal knowing Jesus. Salvation is by faith in the finished work of Christ alone.

Bible Knowledge is a symbol. You can claim God’s power is in your Bible knowledge, but does your time in God’s Word ever speak to your heart and change you? If not, you have a symbol, but no power.

Church attendance is great, but it’s a symbol of a relationship with God. We claim God’s presence because we go to church, but it’s possible to attend and never listen, and thus never have the power of God in our lives.

Young person, you have symbols that point to God in your life, but these events left Israel asking “Where is God?”

I don’t care about symbols, where’s God in your prayer life?

Where’s God on your social media accounts?

Where’s God in your texts that no adults read?

Where’s God in your conversations at school or with the kids in the youth group when the YP isn’t around?

Do you live in God’s presence every day?

Do you have His power over sin?

Do you have God, or do you have symbols of God?

III. Churches are full of Teenagers with “Million Dollar Moves headed for 2 Dollar Finish”

I’m afraid many, if not the majority of young people, have settled for the symbols instead of the relationship.

Young Person

Do you have symbols of God or a relationship with God?

Do you actually walk with Him?

When’s the last time you read your Bible?

When’s the last time you spent genuine time with God in prayer?

When’s the last time He spoke to you through a sermon or Bible lesson?

Is there anything genuinely real about your walk with God? How can you know?

If you do it long enough, you’ll start losing battles you should be winning.

The Philistines were nothing to Israel. God would prove that with David and Goliath a few chapters later. But when you are all show and no strength you’ll lose the battles you should be winning. It will become evident before too long. You can’t say all you want that you’ve got it, but it will prove itself in the end.

If you rely on symbols long enough, you’ll start losing battles God wants you to win.

You’ll start losing the battle of temptation to sin.

You’ll start losing the battle to be like Jesus.

You’ll start losing the battle to stand for God at school or in front of your friends.

Illustration: Telling my 6th grade girlfriend I had money and was going to buy her a dozen roses for V-Day. Went home and asked my mom for money and she didn’t have any. Could only afford 1 rose.

That tells the story of so many Christian teenagers. They say the right things, they are involved in everything, they know the answers, they dress the part, but they don’t have to power to produce anything spiritual.

They can’t overcome temptations on their phone.

They have no power to be a witness.

They’re going through the motions and will soon fizzle out.

Relying on symbols never ends well

We can say we know Jesus, but think about what He said in Matthew 7, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? in thy name cast out devils? in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Conclusion

Do you know God?

Teenager, not everyone who says they know God knows God. It’s not about what you say. You can say all the right things - symbols - and not even know the Lord.

But God isn’t looking for symbols. He’s looking for a relationship.

Young person, it’s time to make it real.

No more forms.

No more symbols.

No more fake talk.

No more hearing without doing.

No more trusting baptism to be saved. You’ve got to repent of your sin and place your trust in Jesus Christ.

No more pretending. Just you and God in a real, meaningful, vibrant, genuine, daily relationship of sin-free fellowship.

Which you can have as a 13 year old or 18 year old or 80 year old.

But how? Well, what did Israel do? 1 Samuel 7:3-6, 11

They humbly confessed their sin

Sought fellowship with God

And they were saved

There’s no mention of the ark. You know what it took? They got tired of getting beat.

If you play basketball, at some point you’ve got to get tired of showing up in your new Jordans and getting beat on the ball court. You’re going to have to practice and become a real ball player. In other words, you need to stop talking and start doing.

Samuel told Israel, “If you’re tired of getting beat, confess your sin, pray, fast, seek the Lord only, and he will deliver you.”

If you’re tired of getting beat, here’s what needs to happen:

Salvation (Once)

Confession of Sin (After every sin)

Fellowship With God (Every moment)

Let the symbols come later. Right now, do what it takes to get your relationship with God on track.

Illustration: One of the saddest things I experience as a person in ministry is when I find out about another casualty. It’s usually on social media and my wife will tell me, “Did you see so and so’s Instagram. They’re living in open sin now and not even trying to hide it. They don’t care who knows.”

I remember when they sat in youth rallies just like you and thought they were okay because they had the right form. But they had no fellowship.

They had religion, but no relationship.

Symbols, but no power.

They got so used to losing that they’re no longer in church.

Some don’t believe in God.

Others will spend tonight getting drunk.

Some will never step foot in church again.

Because they mistook a symbol for God’s power.

Don’t be a million dollar move, $2 finish young person.

If you say, “You don’t know my past.” I’m sure there are some stains in all of our lives.

But did you know God is more concerned with how we finish than how we start?

It’s never too late to start to walk with God.

In fact, you’re young enough that you still have your whole life to live for God.

Start today so you can finish strong.