Heroes-Samuel

Intro

Explain Israel’s history using these heroes

Adam- introduce the perfect Adam

Noah- Christ is our savior, He is our ship

Abraham- God calls us to step out in faith

Joseph- bad things happen to good people but we can still be content because of Christ

Moses- Through Christ we can control our emotions and glorify Him

Joshua- We can cling to Christ’s promises and make right choices

Deborah- was a leader when no one else would be, we can be too through Christ

Gideon- God gives us strength to lead

Ruth- was faithful to naomi and was blessed for it

Now were transitioning from the period of the judges to the period of prophets and kings

Samuel was a miracle child

Samuel is from the tribe of Levi

Samuel was technically the last judge as well as the first prophet as well as a priest

He was a nazarite

He is remembered for his prayers along with Moses and Aaron from Ps. 99

Samuel is one of 8 people who God calls by name

His name means “the name of god; heard of God; or Asked of God”

He began the school of prophets

He anointed the first two kings of Israel

1. Samuel Grew (2:26)

— context of Hannah, weeping, not drunk, has a baby, dedicates him as nazarite, makes a coat for him

— Grew physically (matured mentally and emotionally)

So obviously Samuel grew physically and grew taller and gained muscle mass, and since he was a nazarite his hair grew long, but he grew mentally and emotionally too.

So growing comes with time. It takes time to grow physically and it takes time to grow mentally and emotionally as well. Most of yall are still growing, maybe youll grow a few inches taller in the next few years, I mean I’m still growing, sadly though I’m growing wider and not taller. So some of yall are 16, 17, 18 years old and still growing physically and the same principle applies to growing mentally and emotionally as well.

So lets say we have an athlete. We got Aaron for example. Loves basketball. Aaron wants to be the best as basketball as he possibly can, so he works out. He wants to be able to dunk one day so he’s in the gym constantly hitting the squats. So when he’s working out he’s basically tearing apart his muscles and his body is rebuilding it so that it can withstand that tear the next time.

and in order to grow mentally and emotionally, we have to go through the same things. You go through experiences that will tear you down and break you apart, but over time you heal and grow stronger because of these experiences.

If Aaron was to stop working out, his muscles would begin to atrophy and they would lose their strength and they wouldn’t be able to handle the pain of the work out.

If we don’t go through these hard times then we lose the experience and lose the ability to overcome. In math class you have the difficult homework and lessons so that when you take the ACT, you can do well and go to college.

Romans 5:3 KJV 1900

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

The only way to learn how to have patience, is to go through tribulations, or tough times that test your patience.

** explain

— Grew spiritually (matured in his faith and service to the Lord)

And then it says he grew in favor with the Lord. This verse is a very similar verse describing Jesus in Luke.

Luke 2:52 KJV 1900

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

So how do we increase in favor and strengthen our relationship with the Lord. It is by faith.

To start that relationship with the Lord, we put our faith in his death for our sins and his resurrection and we ask Him to save us. And we start that relationship with Him. But faith doesn’t end there, our faith continues daily to put our trust in Him to give us victory over sin and the enemy through the day.

1 Peter 1:7 KJV 1900

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Your faith will be tested. So how do i grow it.

Romans 10:17 KJV 1900

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We can increase our faith by being in this book. By reading it. Listening to someone else read it. By listening to sermons, by reviewing sermon notes, increase your faith by getting in the word.

If you’re not growing, you are atrophying. A stagnant faith is a decaying faith.

**explain stagnant and stagnant water

That’s why you constantly hear us saying, reading your Bible everyday is so important. It strengthens your relationship with God and it’s a joy to hear from Him everyday as well as talking to Him everyday.

Me jason and shawn have a group chat where we share our devos everyday to keep eachother accountable and that can be a great tool to help you stay accountable and strengthen your relationship with not only God but your fellow christian brothers and sisters. So if you want me to add you to that group chat let me know and maybe the girls can have their own with Abbie.

Questions

Am I maturing as a young adult?

Am I growing in my relationship with God.

2. Samuel Served (3:1)

— He ministered (means served)

So to minister basically means to serve. He was a servant in this temple and would do whatever Eli needed him to do. He most likely started out doing menial work, like sweeping the floors and cleaning rooms, things like that.

It wasn’t until Samuel was faithful in the small things that the Lord called him to bigger things.

Questions

What jobs or tasks has God given me the opportunity to do?

Am I faithful in those jobs or tasks, even if they are menial?

3. Samuel was Called (3:2-21)

He served before he was called

He obeyed his calling

Samuel was the first like actual vocational prophet. and he did a good job at it. He was faithful to follow the Lord’s will.

He was faithful to his calling until death, when things got hard, he didn’t give up. And the reason he didn’t give up was because he learned to be faithful when he was serving in the small things. He was faithful as a servant and that helped him to learn to be faithful as a prophet.

Do the small things as if they were big, and one day you will be able to do the big things as if they were small.

The best example of this was Jesus.

** explain story of Jesus washing feet EMOTION

Samuel was a good judge and a good prophet and a good person, but he was not the best example to look to.

Jesus is the perfect judge, with the most righteous rulings.

Jesus is the perfect prophet, with the most applicable teachings.

Jesus is the perfect person, who lived the perfect life, but still died the death that we deserved because He loves us.

Look to Jesus.

Questions

What is my calling?

(there are many general callings for Christians that we need to obey, like the five main things: give, witness, read, pray, church.)

When you are faithful to these things that seem small and menial, then God will give you His specific will for your life)