Stonebrook Church, Ames, Iowa, Sermons

When we lack strength for the Christian life, 1 Samuel 12 points us to the answer. In his final days, Israel’s leader Samuel called the people to follow the Lord with all their hearts. His appeal was to look to the Lord and consider all the great things he had done for them, not only then but over the centuries. Similarly, we Christians are called to consider what great things the Lord has done for us—the greatest of these is the death and resurrection of the Son of God—and so find motivation and strength to love the Lord with all our hearts.

This week we will be looking at the rise and fall of King Saul, the King the Israelites demanded from God, but not the one they needed. Faith vs. Self-reliance, and what it means that “God regretted making Saul king…”

From childhood to the end of his life, Samuel walked by faith in the Lord. His consistent life is a stark contrast to the people of Israel who, though they had brief periods of faith, generally rejected the Lord as their king.

In our new sermon series through the books of Samuel, we will be challenged by the rise and fall of “heroes” and “villains”. The first story we read is that of a grieving woman named Hannah who, in the midst of severe trial was also humble and faith-filled. And God used her to raise up a godly servant of the Lord, Samuel, who influenced an entire nation. Hannah can inspire us to know and trust the Lord.

SERMON POWERPOINT — OVERVIEW OF SAMUEL 1 & 2

Sunday, August 4, 2019  Brad Barrett

1 & 2

Samuel—Rise and Fall

Desperate in

Faith

Series:  1 & 2 Samuel:  Rise and Fall

Sermon:  Desperate in Faith

Verse: 

1

Samuel 1:15-17 ESV Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled

in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring

out my soul before the Lord… Then Eli answered, “Go in

peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”

Description:  In our new sermon series through the books of

Samuel, we will be challenged by the rise and fall of “heroes” and

“villains”.  The first story we read is that of a grieving woman named Hannah

who, in the midst of severe trial was also humble and faith-filled.  And God used her to raise up a godly servant

of the Lord, Samuel, who influenced an entire nation.  Hannah can inspire us to know and trust the

Lord.

Introduction

There

was a woman who wanted to get pregnant. 

She and her husband faced infertility for many years. 

Some of you know

firsthand how difficult of a trial infertility is.  Or you are close to someone who has faced it. 

Month after

month

waiting for the signs of pregnancy.   Those

months turn into years.

It’s an agonizing trial. 

Well,

this dear woman was suffering.  But instead of receiving sympathy from a

woman she was close to, she received taunting.  This other woman already had children,

and she taunted and mocked her for her childlessness.   

I cannot imagine the intensity of the trial. 

Countless tears.  Sleepless nights.  Many unanswered prayers.  Then being tormented by this acquaintance. 

But

finally, after years of waiting, she had a son. 

And she loved him.

I can only imagine the pain of infertility.  And I

can only imagine the extreme JOY of finally having a child.

But

there was a shocking end to the

story.  When the boy was about 3 years

old, something unimaginable happened.  The

mother gave her son up to be raised by someone else.  To my knowledge, she saw him only once a year

after that. 

So consider this story:  This woman—desperate to have children—finally

got pregnant years later.  The great

longing of her soul was fulfilled.  But then

she gives up her son to be raised by someone else.

Let’s play Judge and Jury.  Most of us are frequently tempted to do that,

so let’s do that here.

With what I told you of the story, what is your

conclusion?  Are you shocked?  Do you condemn the mother?  It seems like abandonment.

What

if I told you she was a woman of strong

faith in the Lord, and her son grew

up to be a great man of God?

The woman’s name is Hannah.  Her son’s name is Samuel.  And their story is in the Bible. 

Slide

We

are beginning a sermon series going through 2 books in the OT:  1 & 2 Samuel. 

These

2 books contain stories of God and his people from about 1000 B.C., so 3000

years ago.  But as with all Scriptures, God’s revelation is timeless,

containing eternal truth and lessons

of inspiration and of warning. 

Slide (Rise and Fall)

We

will spend 11 Sundays on this book, being challenged by the rise and fall of

“heroes” and “villains”. 

We will see stories of people who go up and down in

faith.  They rise and they fall.

We will be inspired

by those who walk by faith.

We will be warned

by those who walk in unbelief.

This

morning, we will look at one simple yet profound story.  A story of a desperate yet faith-filled woman named Hannah. 

PRAY.

Lord, you have given us your revelation, the Bible,

for a purpose.

The purpose to know you and believe in you.

The purpose of understanding who we are and how we

should live.

Would you in your kindness help every single one of

us here this …

Our church’s vision is “to see many hundreds become fully devoted followers of Christ, and many thousands hear the gospel message.” This week we are going to be discussing our mission as a church: The Great Commission: every individual in the church doing their part in passing the faith on to others (proclaiming the gospel to non-believers, and entrusting the gospel to one another and especially the upcoming generation.)

Our church’s vision is “to see many hundreds become fully devoted followers of Christ, and many thousands hear the gospel message.” This week we are going to be discussing our mission as a church: The Great Commission: every individual in the church doing their part in passing the faith on to others (proclaiming the gospel to non-believers, and entrusting the gospel to one another and especially the upcoming generation.)

How is the gospel relevant to my life now that I am a Christian? Much in every way! I will speak about the abundant life and endless riches in Christ that we have through the gospel (John 10:10, Ephesians 3:7-8).