Sunday AM, 18 February 2024, The God of New Beginnings: “Return Unto the Lord With All Your Hearts.” After years of cycling back to idolatry during the times of the judges, Israel was challenged by Samuel, the last judge and first in the line of the prophets, to return to the Lord. He uses the past to encourage their future. Samson had begun to fight the Philistines, but God wanted the people to finally become free.
What a blessing I think uh of that cry that desperate Cry of bardus the blind man but that should be our cry we should realize we are totally dependent upon God as well well today we’re going to to learn about a man who got the whole
Nation to cry to God together as one for mercy and that man was Samuel and the the uh title of the sermon this morning comes straight from the text from 1 Samuel chapter 7 Samuel wrote this book but he didn’t just write part of God’s word we believe he wrote um Ruth we
Believe he wrote One Samuel and he he was continued by Nathan into Samuel how do I know that because because Samuel died halfway and uh Nathan was was continuing that but um but Samuel was an amazing person he was the last of the judges it says here he
Judged Israel he’s the last of the judges he was the first of the prophets of the line of the prophets he was uh the one who anointed the first two kings of Israel and he was transitional person he took uh a whole nation and set them
They were at a Crossroads and he set them towards the Lord what a man Samuel but he said these words in the passage return unto the Lord with all your hearts and we think about this series The God of new beginnings it could have been the end really for Israel the Ark
Of the Covenant has been stolen um they’re in the land but they they’re at the end of a long cycle of turn running away turning away from God to Idols God sends a judge he brings them back this is now there’s been seven Cycles now this is the eighth cycle are
They going to do it again no instead it that number eight in the Bible is the number of new beginnings and this eighth cycle is about to begin but instead Samuel says no let’s let’s not do this again the whole Book of Judges was just cycle after cycle after cycle of them
For getting God turning to Idols God lets uh oppressors come in to try to get their attention and they’re they’re oppressed by these foreign armies and then they cry un the Lord for Mercy he sends them a judge who delivers them and then they have a bit of Peace but then they forget
Again and they go right back to it again but is that is that going to happen again that’s the question well Samuel says return unto the Lord with all your hearts after years of this cycling back to idolatry during the times of the judges Israel’s challenged by Samuel to
Return to the Lord and he uses their past to encourage them in the future he thinks about think of all that God’s done and he says he raises up an Ebenezer Stone and he says hither too at the Lord helped us now let’s pray for God to help us now
And let’s let’s set up a memorial so we don’t forget again because because we keep forgetting and he says let’s remember let’s return to the Lord this time with all of our hearts do you remember that last week we looked at Samson the previous judge how Samson had begun to deliver
Israel from the Philistines but he gave his life uh there um and he finally came back to the Lord he was a rebellious person a rebellious judge himself turning disobeying God’s Commandments about unbelie going with unbelieving women and uh but yet at the end with his eyes are gone like blind bardus finally
He cries out to God for mercy and then he turns back to the Lord he gets that new beginning at the very end of his life but then he pushes with all of his might against those pillars and the wall and the uh the whole house came down on
All the Lords of the Philistines he he pushed with all of his might and so now Samuel is saying something similar he’s saying you know you you’ve wasted a lot of time going off to other Idols Sam Samson is a good example of what you’ve been doing you’re
God’s people and yet you’ve been serving Idols serving other things but now with with the time you have left let’s serve God with all of our hearts let’s let’s push with all of our might and say we’re going to serve God from now on and he
Even tries to get them to remember that vow and we we sang this song go through with God thy vows to pay thy life upon the altar lay a whole burnt offering for God that’s what he’s trying to get them to do Samson had begun to fight the
Philistines but God wanted the people to finally become free not just from the Philistines but from the reason the Philistines were there in the first place because of their sin free from their sin and so he says these this this famous phrase return unto the Lord with
All all your hearts that word return is used over and over in the Bible return it’s a it’s one of the one of the the the threads that goes right through the Bible did you know that the word return is found 452 times in the Bible I looked it up this morning 452
Times the word return is found in the Bible and we can see for example at the very beginning um they’re going to be returning to the land for example Genesis 31:3 God said to Jacob the Lord said unto Jac unto Jacob return unto the land of thy fathers and
To thy Kindred and I will be with thee so we see that return and there’s this theme throughout the scriptures of God’s people returning to the land they going to go to Egypt after after Jacob Jacob’s going to take his family to Egypt when Joseph goes but then through Moses
They’re going to return to the land they’re going to go into Exile with the Babylonians but then they’re going to return to the land they’re going to get spread across the Earth by Titus in 70 AD the genital and there’s not going to be in Israel anymore but in 1948 they’re going to
Return to the land you see this this theme the Prophecies of them returning but before we even more important than them returning to the land more important than that was what what Samuel told him in this verse return unto the Lord you’re not going to get returned to
All the blessings without returning to the Lord himself for example in Deuteronomy chapter 30 Moses through God’s forn knowledge knew that one day they’re going into the promised land but he knew you’re going to get kicked out again because of your sin but when you get
Kicked out you need to return to the Lord and then you’ll return to the land look at Deuteronomy God Moses said said this is this is hundreds hundreds and hundreds of years before Israel’s ever going to get kicked out again by the Babylonians but isn’t this amazing that
God told Moses exactly what would happen it shall come to pass when all these things are come upon thee the blessing and the curse which I have set before thee and thou shalt call to mind among all the nations you know he he just said you’re going to get scattered among all
The nations for your sin when this that thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations with the Lord thy God hath driven thee and shalt return not to the land but Thou shalt return unto the Lord thy God and shall obey his voice according to
All that I command thee this day thou and thy children with all thy heart and with all thine Soul so there when Samuel tells them to return with all their heart and with all their soul what’s he really saying in verse verse ver yeah go ahead in verse three as well Moses had
Said that that when the L that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity and have compassion upon thee and will return and gather thee from all the nations with the Lord thy God hath scattered thee so they’re still in the land now but but still um Samuel is
Quoting that verse saying God said that we need to return to the Lord with all of our heart and with all of our soul so he’s quoting scripture to them and he’s saying this is this is the answer this is the answer the Philistines are are still oppressing us but what do we
Need we need to return to the Lord later on in the Bible in 1 Kings chapter 8 verse 46 I’m just showing you this is a theme right through the Bible uh uh Solomon was praying at the dedication of the temple and he says that one day we’re going to get kicked
Out it’s going to be because of Solomon’s wives people are going to turn back to Idols again and they’re going to get kicked out eventually but Samuel sorry Solomon prays if they sin against thee for there is no man that sinth not and that by the way that
Means this sermon is for you it’s for all of us there’s no man that sinth not if they sin against thee that and thou be angry with them and deliver them to the enemy so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy far
Or near yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whether they are car carried captives and repent and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives saying we have sinned and have done perversely and have committed wickedness and so return unto the land no so return unto
Thee with all their heart there it is again quoting from Moses with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies which led them away captive and pray unto unto thee toward toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers the city which
Thou Hast chosen Jerusalem and the house which I have build for thy name then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place and maintain their cause see Solomon’s just built the temple but he’s saying this is not about a geographical location they they could pray even in
Captivity and they could pray to uh for God to return to return to the the Lord and he says if they do that I will forgive he he’s praying God forgive thy people that have sinned against thee and uh another verse Jeremiah 24:7 Jeremiah 24:7 he says and that one
Day uh the people are going to be sent into captivity and God’s going to bring them back God’s going to bring them back it says and I will give them a Hearts to know me that I the Lord that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I
Will will be their God for they shall return unto me with their whole heart there’s what Samuel said again return unto me with their whole heart by the way Jeremiah uses the word return more than anybody else in the Bible I counted this morning 52 times he says return and 44
Times he says turn so that’s a total of 96 times in 52 chapters could you imagine if you were driving down a stretch of road 52 miles and you see 96 signs in 52 miles that say return turn around go back you’d be a little bit hesitant wouldn’t you driving
Down that road but the Jewish people they they didn’t were they didn’t stop they just went right off the cliff in spite of what Jeremiah said return though what about you are you gonna listen to Samuel and and Solomon and Moses and Jeremiah and and all of these scriptures that say
Turn return to the Lord you can have a new beginning as well and finally one day the Bible says Hosea says they’re going to return to the Lord in the end times they’re going to look on him whom they pierced and they’re going to return
To the lord they’re going to come to the Messiah Hosea 6 verses 1 and two Come and Let Us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up after two days he will revive us think about maybe that’s
Talking about the 2,000 years after two days he will revive us and the third day in that Millennial Kingdom to come he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight you know one day Israel is going to turn return to the Lord and we believe that we don’t
Believe that we’ve replaced Israel but we we also can return to the Lord but one day as a nation they’re going to return to the Lord but now let’s get to our text today 1 Samuel 7:3 Samuel spake unto the house of Israel saying if ye do return unto the
Lord with all your hearts then put away the strange gods and ASO from among you and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him only they maybe had thought well we can serve these other gods and God but Jesus said no man can serve two masters you cannot serve God and Manon
And uh he says serve him only and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines and so let’s look at this amazing man Samuel and his call for them to return first let’s look at the man Samuel the man Samuel first of all let’s
Open our Bibles again to uh 1 Samuel 7 and we see first of all the movings that he observed now we don’t have these verses on the screen because we’ve already read them and you have your Bibles open but if we if we stray from 1 Samuel you can
Open we’ll have that on the screen but 1 Samuel 7:2 it says and it came to pass while the arc Abode at kirjath jiram that the time was long for it was 20 years and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord so he observed movings not just
The ark moving but he observed the movings of God’s people their hearts longing for the Lord do you see for 20 years the Ark of the Covenant had been missing it had been gone it been stolen by the Philistines the the former uh uh high priest Eli had uh been allowing his
Sons to sin in the Tabernacle and he allowed uh terrible things to go on there and God Ra raised up a little boy who was being raised in the T Tabernacle Samuel to prophesy what was going to happen and uh and and what happened was
They stole the Ark of the Lord and S Eli the high priest was sitting on a chair in the Tabernacle and he saw what was happening and he fell backwards in his chair and broke his neck and died and his sons were killed his evil Wicked priest Sons were
Killed in the battle and one of the priest’s Sons finished uh was it Phineas no um I can’t remember what the priest I’m sorry Phineas if I messed up that name but one of one of the two sons while he was after he died his wife had a baby
Called and she named it ikabod for the glory of God hath Departed the glory of God is gone from our land and for 20 years they had no Ark they had no day of atonement where the blood was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the
Covenant covering over their sins over the Ten Commandments which stay broken and they had no sacrifice for the people for 20 years that pointed to Christ of course but uh and then finally though the Philistines got tired of this Arc of the Covenant uh because it they were all
Getting diseases they were all uh they thought it was going to they were going to carry it into battle and it was going to win all their battles like a like a good luck charm like the Nazis in the Indiana Jones movies they thought they were going to carry the ark into into
Battle and they’re going to beat everyone you know that’s just fiction but but it’s a bit like that with the Philistines they thought that’s what they were going to use the AR for but instead their big God deeon fell down in front of the Ark in in their Temple to
Their false god and they picked it up again the next morning they fell down and its head had come off and its hands and they realized this is a this is a bigger God than we need to mess with so finally they send the ark
Back on a heart and they put it here at kirth kirth jiram but not only the ark had moved back but Israel all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord they were excited to see the ark back I’m sure but when they when they came back they
Realized we’ve been wandering uh without without the without God’s blessing the glory of God’s departed from us because of our sin and they recognize that do we recognize that the when the glory of God departs when we were in Wales we think about the great Welsh survival in the early
1900s and did you know that now the church the state of the churches in Wales is worse than the churches in England and it’s just just become so liberal and so empty all the churches just so hard against the gospel some of our folks were able to give out tracks
In in one of the cities during one of the outings but some people were taking them you know but God God can still work again God can revive send pockets of Revival again God can God I think has uh ra stirred up some things during Co you
Know we see more people sharing the gospel in the city center here in Peterboro than we did before Co we see more people stopping and talking we see more young people asking questions and we see God is at work God is moving and so Samuel observed God was moving among
The people so he called them all together and he challenged them to have this revival towards God again the movings that he observed but then look at the message he proclaimed and Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel saying if you do return unto the Lord your God and put away the
Strange gods and astroth from among you he exhorts them he says do it with all your heart he encourages them and it’s an effective message as well look at verse four then the children of Israel did put away balum and astroth and served the Lord only they listened so he encouraged them they
Heard the message and and so what do we need to do when God is moving we need to give the message we need to we need to Proclaim it that’s what uh preaching is it’s proclaiming and we cannot we’re we might all might all not all be proclaiming it
From a Pulpit but the the the the message is to all the church go ye into all the world and preach the gospel proclaim the gospel unto Every Creature Proclaim it and so that’s not just the preacher’s job every one of us it’s not a some say I don’t have the calling of
Evangelism well you have the command of evangelism we all have the command to preach the gospel and in some way and with our testimonies it’s a it’s a joint effort now in within that we all have different callings specific in the church and different gifts and talents that we can
Use but they all need to be used for the for the gospel and for the message to back up the message so we all have this goal this message he he uh he he it was effective this exhortation from Samuel then look at thirdly the ministry he exercised and
That’s really from verse five all the way down to verse 11 we see this ministry we see the circumstances uh of this ministry they wanted what did they want they wanted him to pray they wanted him to pray uh he was a a prayer Warrior that they wanted prayer
There were still other things to see to but they at least had put away all their idols and their Desiring prayer and so uh Samuel’s work in connection to his prayer life they appreciated that they recognized for 20 years you don’t see they they were never asking for Samuel for 20 years they
Never said pray for us but now they appreciate the teaching they appreciate the preaching they appreciate people praying for for them and we need to appreciate other believers and being able to pray with one another and being able to pray for one another and we need to have that connection with other
Believers not isolate ourselves like they had is they were isolated from God and they were isolated from the preacher and they were isolated from each other spiritually for 20 years but we need to get back if youve if you’ve ever gotten isolated from God’s people come back
You’ve heard the story of the man who had been who got who’s just stopped coming to church and the pastor went to visit him and uh he had a fire going in his little Croft and uh the the the preacher just sat down and the man knew why the
Preacher was there so he said come in and they sat next to the fire nobody said anything and so the P the pastor took a the tongs and he he took a piece of wood off the fire he put it off to the side and he looked at the man and
They they just slowly were in their thoughts and they saw the wood get get the glow went darker and darker and then pretty soon it was just a black piece of Ash ashy wood and then finally the pastor picked up the the uh tongs again
He took that piece of wood he put it back in the fire pretty soon it was glowing again it was on it was on fire again and the man just looked at the pastor just looked at the man and the man said I know what you’re saying
Preacher P hadn’t said anything but he said I know what you’re saying preacher I’ll be back in church this Sunday you know we we need to be careful what what might happen to us if we uh to our to our Zeal for God if we if we allow it to
Go for too long away from the Lord away from God’s people but but they came back and they they finally appreciate the ministry of this church praying and of this this Prophet praying for them they also think about the character of his ministry this their their well-being was
At the center of his heart he wanted them to come with all their hearts to the Lord he he uh it says in verse five gather all the all the Israel together and I will pray for you unto the Lord verse six and they they were gathered
Together to mispah and Drew water and poured it out before the Lord there’s there’s certain verses in the Bible about pouring out our souls as water before the Lord and this is a visible illustration of that pouring water out to the Lord saying we’re going to pour out our whole souls to the
Lord then it says they fasted on that day sometimes it’s sometimes it’s perhaps important to fast to say nothing else is more important to me than than getting right with God right now and it says then they prayed and they said we have sinned against the
Lord we have sinned and then uh another part of his ministry was it says and Samuel judged the children of Israel in mispah and what does it mean he judged them some people say I don’t like to be judged judge not L you be judged of course they forget that a few
Verses later it says judge a righteous judgment uh but this is talking about um this is talking about the Judgment that uh that is means to discern he was helping them to discern right and wrong he was helping make decision helping them make decisions and help helping them uh settle disputes he judged
Them it’s if you’re going to serve the Lord in this generation then uh you’d be wise to ask the Lord for discernment and judgment ask other Christians what’s right and what’s wrong and help them find the verses in the Bible and a right interpretation of the Bible as we heard
Yesterday from pastor Kevin and Pastor Jason but uh you know one this is not on the screen but uh I’ve just jotted these verses down it says 1 Corinthians 2:15 he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man so he that is spiritual knows how to judge
Properly knows how to have discernment we are to judge not based on our own thought but based on God’s word you know I you’re judging me people say well I’m not judging you but God’s word has the authority to judge me and you Hebrews 5:14 it says strong meat
Belongeth to them that are of full age even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil we need to be have the strong meat of God’s word not just the milk so that we by reason have our senses exercised to discern good and
Evil we need our senses exercised don’t be lulled to sleep by this world so uh uh Samuel judged the people it says later on in the chapter in verse 15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life um and it says in verse number uh 16 he judged Israel in all those
Different places he went from town to town until it was old the next chapter says and until um uh they asked for a king which we’ll get to in a minute but look at um verse uh chapter look at verse eight vers 8 of chapter 7 and Samuel took a sucking lamb and
Offered uh it for a burnt offering holy unto the Lord and Samuel Cried unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him he understood it’s not uh it’s not just about um us it’s about what Jesus is is going to do this sucking lamb offering a holy is a picture of the
Coming savior who will die for us so he understands it’s not just about our turning to the lord it’s about our turning to him in faith of what of his Mercy in faith of his grace so turn to the Lord knowing he has demonstrated his
Love for you you say God won’t have me he’s already demonstrated he’s already commanded his love for us and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and so by making the sacrifice he’s saying this is proof that God will hear our prayer for forgiveness this
Sacrifice is being made as a substitute for us so that we not be judged that we not be uh condemned and sent to hell it’s a picture of what Christ would do this sucking lamb uh we also see in chapter 12 and verse 16 of this same
Book Sam Samuel says now therefore stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes he stood and In this passage uh there was a sign of thunder thunder and rain see this thing which the Lord will do and the people are speaking about the
Deliverances of Jehovah he’s he’s reminded them of all that God’s done for them and what happens God sends a thunder and rain to back up Samuel’s preaching could you imagine that if I was preaching and then all of a sudden he it’s like God saying amen and showing how powerful that he
Is look at uh also chapter uh 19 uh chapter 12 verse 19 and Samuel called unto the Lord and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day and the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel uh verse 19 and all the people said unto Samuel pray for thy servants
Unto the Lord thy God that we die not for we have added unto all our sins this evil to ask for a king look at verse 23 moreover as for me God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you but I will teach you the good and
The right way Samuel’s known for prayer right he says God forbid that I should sin by ceasing to pray for you it’s a it’s a sin not to pray how many of us have committed that sin remember Samson he didn’t pray about going and marrying that Philistine woman
He didn’t pray about what it’s a sin to cease to pray and then look at uh chapter 15 and verse 11 God said it repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king for he he has turned back from following me and ha not performed my Commandments and it grieved
Samuel and he cried unto the Lord all night he’s he’s crying he’s he’s grieved by uh what what’s happening but he it says he Cried unto the Lord all night do we ever cry to the Lord when when our things go wrong or do we just think we can handle it in our
Own strength Samuel cry on the Lord all night look at uh a unique little verse from the Psalms Psalm 99 verse 6 it says Moses and Aaron among the priest and Samuel among them that call upon his name they called upon the Lord and he answered them King David wrote Samuel is
Among them that call upon his name wouldn’t you love to be known as someone who prayed someone who called upon God’s name and the Lord hearing you and answering you there’s no greater privilege there no greater Ministry than prayer and we neglect it so often so God heard Samuel God used
Samuel we’ve looked at the message the the movings that he observed the message that he proclaimed the ministry that he exercised but now let’s look forly at the memorial which he erected look at back at 1 Samuel chapter 7 and the Bible says in verse 12 Samuel took a stone and set it
Between mispah and Shen and called the name of it Ebenezer saying hitherto hath the Lord Lord helped us now something happened between verse 6 and verse 12 while Samuel was preaching would you would you look at it with me in verse seven while all the people were trying to get right with
God the Philistines heard about it and they thought we’re going to kill them all at once at mispah we’re going to get them all could you imagine that if you’re trying to get right with God and then all of a sudden people people things start happening the devil doesn’t like it if
You’re going to get right with God the devil doesn’t like it if our church want is praying for us to be revived and and to get right with God the devil’s not going to like it some people think if you come to God all your problems will
Be solved well it might just be more problems but it’s still important to get right with god well here comes all the Philistines to M to mispah where they’re all gathered because you imagine there the the wonderful joy that they’re all praying for each other to get with God
And then all of a sudden they’re told we’re about to All Die the Philistines have surrounded us verse six uh verse 7even and when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at mispah the Lords of the Philistines went up against Israel and when the children of
Israel heard it they were afraid of the Philistines and the children of Israel said to Samuel cease not to cry unto the Lord Our God for us they say we’re we’re not going to try to get our battle plans they’re back right with God again aren’t they cease not to pray for
Us that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines and that’s when Samuel took that sucking lamb and offered the burnt offering he the first thing he did was not get all their swords and everything together he took the lamb he burnt the offering and though it says he Cried
Unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him and look what happens another thunderstorm it says 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 against the Philistines and discomforted them and
They were smitten before Israel and the men of Israel went out of mispah and pursued the Philistines and smote them until they came unto bethar then Samuel took a step Stone and set it between mispah and Shen and called the name of it Ebenezer saying hitherto hath the Lord helped us so the
Philistines were subdued and they came no more unto the coast of Israel and the Hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel they didn’t have any problems from the Philistines all the day that Samuel was the judge but then the Israelites later they’re going to sort
Of forget that it was the Lord that helped them and and after Samuel gets old in the next chapter chapter eight they’re going to say Samuel you’re old now it’s not the Lord that we need we need a king we need a king and they ask for a king and then they’re the
Philistines don’t stay away anymore God sends Thunder again and they say we’ve sinned for asking for a king but God gave them what they wanted God gave them what they asked for he gave them a king that they deserved a petty sinful King King Saul and sometimes God’s judgment is
Giving us what we ask for when we have elections and we vote for those certain people and they come God’s giving us what we ask for isn’t and uh but God gave them what they asked for and uh and and they’re going to forget God again but next week we’re
Going to look at how God’s going to give them another new beginning at another pair of rocks with Saul’s son Jonathan Saul’s son Jonathan is going to say God can save us the king Saul’s going to be hiding under a pomegranate tree King Saul’s going to be hiding with all of
His army they thought that that’s what they needed was a king but instead God showed them no Jonathan and his armor Bearer are going to defeat the whole Philistine Army by themselves so you’ve heard of David and Goliath right but have you ever heard of Jonathan and the
Halfacre come back next week and you’ll hear about this amazing battle but God had already shown them what he could do before they had a king before they had any of those things it was him that would save them with this thunder and when we sing that song when I hear The
Rolling Thunder then sings my soul How Great Thou Art we have a great God and he can he can help us with no with little or by few is what Jonathan’s going to say he’s going to go through with God through the two rocks and defeat the Philistine Army and we need
To go through with God we need to say say with uh with the Lord hither too hath the Lord helped us and he could help us again we sang the song here I come come now found the second verse here I raise mine Ebenezer who’s Ebenezer Ebenezer Scrooge from the Christmas carol
No that’s in the Bible isn’t it Ebenezer and and the song tells us what it means here I raise my nebar hither by thy help I’m come and that’s what Ebenezer means God’s helped us this far we we’ve gotten hither by God’s help and as a if you’re
A Christian here today you can’t do it in your own strength you say it’s God that’s brought me this far it’s God that’ll take me into the future if you’re not saved you can’t save yourself it’s God who must save you and it’s God who’ll keep you saved and take you to
Heaven it’s God who’ll help you live the Christian Life not on our own strength and so for for all these years that Samuel was the judge the people trusted God they served God with all their heart but when Samuel got old they turned away from God towards the king we’ll look at
That next week but what about you do you have a period of time in your life where you serve God with all of your heart where you get rid you serve the Lord only and you see that the Lord is the one who helps you and you depend upon
Him and not in your own strength if you don’t pray for a period now A New Beginning for 20 years they they they they depended on themselves and they were oppressed by the Philistines but they had a new beginning here when they turned to the Lord with all their heart
Let’s pray father we turn to you I pray that each one of us can turn to you just as all Israel gathered at mispa and turned to you with all their heart I pray that all of our church can gather here this morning or online and that we
Can turn to you with all of our heart we turn to you for Sal when we turned to you for salvation it was with all of our trust and all of our faith we’re not trusting in ourselves we’re not trusting in any church we’re not trusting in our good
Works we’re not trusting Even in our own ability to have faith we’re trusting in our the one the object of our faith the Lord Jesus and we trust you with all of our heart to be saved but after we’re saved as well help us to trust you with
All of our heart for the Christian Life help us to serve you only as Christians help us not to be divided a double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways but father help us to be stable help us to have Victory help us to see
That it’s you who can move continue to move among England among the people of England we pray that you would by faith we pray that you would give us a Revival of people turning to you people returning to the to to you and may we proclaim the message thank
You for the moving of your Holy Spirit but as you move may we move may we give the message as Samuel did and may we exercise the ministry of praying uh for Revival and of praying for each other and may we erect in our own hearts a memorial to say I may I
Never forget what you’ve done for me and may I never turn back to serving Idols it’s in Jesus name we pray amen we’ll stand to sing our final hymn 402 if you’re able 402 faith is the victory let’s sing this one like we mean it it’s a great hymn thank you
Julian along the hills of Lighty Christian solders r and the battle and the night shall the GL against the th below let all our strength be faith is the victory we know overes the world is the Victory is the victory oh glor victory that overes the blood of
God the road the chain above with shs of Tri TR by faith they like a swept on of every fear the Fai by which they death stilling sh is the victory is the vi Victory oh glorious victory that overes the world on the F we find drawn up in dread
AR the T so the left behind and on to the f salv with truth the Earth shall the and is the victory is the victory oh glorious victory that over the to over the white r shall begin the angel confess the hills of with andish all the of is the victory the victory
All viory the the faith is the victory faith is the victory glor victory that the we remain standing as we close in prayer let’s pray our gracious and loving Heavenly Father we thank you for the message we heard today and for the service for the hymns we’ve sung and for
The the message we have had from Samuel and the reminder Lord that you’ve been with us all the time and we need to really draw near to you and call on the strength that’s available to us to conquer the foe may we take the lesson that we heard today into the rest of
This day and the week ahead we pray you would keep us safe Lord till we meet again and bless the time of fellowship and refreshments for those that can stay and we give you thanks and praise now in Jesus name amen amen