Maranatha Baptist Church Sermon Podcast

Watching an intense sporting event at the professional level, we tend to be amazed by the skills of athletes. Other things in life inspire awe - a beautiful sunrise, a breathtaking view, or an intense storm. Psalm 111 encourages us to praise the Lord for His amazing works. As the psalmist recounts the awesome works of the Lord, he concludes by encouraging us to fear the Lord and obey His commands.

Even if we aren't in charge, we want to know the plan and the timing, and see it go the way we want. But the choice to do what we wanted rather than what God said led to this whole mess from the start (Gen. 3). God plans to set all things right through a perfect human King: Jesus. Many want Jesus to help them with their “kingdom”. But God won’t have it. Here we learn to worship the King of Kings.

Words are powerful, and they can really hurt. In Psalm 109, David has been hurt by false accusations. But rather than using his own words to return the attack to his accusers, David turns to the Lord in prayer. In a raw lament, David entrusts his emotions and desires to the Lord and asks Him to judge his enemy and deliver him. When we face false accusations, we should turn to the Lord in prayer.

Have you ever been weighed down by trouble or felt defeated? Maybe someone mistreated you, and it's looking like justice won't prevail. Maybe you feel defeated by a persistent struggle with sin. Maybe it's just the pervasive evil in the world that seems to have the upper hand. Is there any hope or victory? In Psalm 108, David looks to the Lord. David had learned to trust God alone for victory.

Have you had news you just had to share? Maybe you called a friend or told the next person you saw! Often, news we share has to do with something we really wanted, something we were hoping for, or something really good that happened. But how often is our salvation from sin the focus of our exciting news? In Psalm 107, the psalmist calls the reader to give thanks to the Lord for His steadfast love.

When God warns His people, they don't listen. What could lead to this kind of blatant stubborn rebellion? A slow drift. Samuel's old, his sons are corrupt. Change is needed. So naturally, the people look at the nations around them to see what they're missing - a king! But their look elsewhere has set them on a course - a subtle drift away from the Lord. Has this subtle drift crept into your life?

I fixed the problem; why don't I feel better? We've been in scenarios like this. For Israel, the problem was that the ark had been captured. But God fixed that problem - it's back! And yet, "the house of Israel lamented after the Lord..." Something still wasn't right. Samuel leads the people to understand that the key wasn't getting the Ark back - the key was that God wanted their hearts back.

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It's easy to develop a small view of God. We think that somehow, God needs us. We start dragging God around as a lucky "relic" to help us in our endeavors. In this week's section of 1 Samuel, God brings our small theology crashing down. By the end, His people have learned the lesson and ask, "Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?" No one. All must bow before our holy Lord God.

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There's temptation for believers to seek God for their own ends. We start by seeking God for His glory, but over time, our prayers, worship, and acts are all oriented around what we want from God. In 1 Samuel 4, Israel tries using God to help them defeat the Philistines. It ends in tragedy. Why? Because He’s rescuing His people from their sinful perspective. He’s teaching them to follow Him again.

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Has God seemed silent? Felt far and uninvolved? That was the situation in Israel. "The word of the Lord was rare in those days." But little Samuel learns that God is a God who speaks, and that it's important to heed His word. The problem in Israel wasn’t that God hadn't given His Word. The problem was that they weren't listening. So God faithfully sends His Word again to his people through Samuel.

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We have an innate sense of justice. We're alarmed when leaders lie, criminals escape, or coworkers cut corners. Who sets things right? Where's God? These questions were raised during the time of Eli the priest and his wicked sons. But 1 Samuel 2:11-36 confirms that God cares and is always at work to set things right. Whatever you're facing, remember that God sees, knows, and weighs all actions.

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A hard thing to process in life is when we try to do right but suffer while those who do wrong seem to prosper! This was exactly what Hannah experienced in 1 Samuel 1. But when God answered her prayer, she paused to rejoice. Answered prayer is a reminder that God is sovereign and good. When He answers prayer, it’s right to pause and rejoice, remembering that He’s the God who sets all things right.

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Have you felt like God was far away in your misery - even though you're trying to be faithful? In a fallen world, many believers can relate. In First Samuel, Hannah is in misery. Her story questions God. Where is He? Does He hear? Will He answer? Hannah answers with resounding confidence - God hears and answers! Her humility, prayer, faith, and worship teach us to look to God in times of misery.

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He is risen! This Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But even after Jesus was alive, some of His followers were still perplexed and even sad. Luke highlights the encounters of some faithful women and some travelers who are perplexed and sad. In each case, they are pointed to the Scriptures for encouragement. The resurrection highlights the trustworthiness of God's Word!

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When we are comfortable, we don't want to risk change. This is one of the key reasons that Israel rejected their King, Jesus. He presented Himself clearly, yet they rejected Him and forfeited their opportunity for peace. Jesus is the true King who offers peace to those who receive Him. We see various responses in the text. Some follow, some worship, some reject. How are you responding to Him?

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How's your to-do list look? We don't spend much time thinking about things that are finished. They’re done and forgotten. But in 2 Chronicles, we see how Israel paused to worship the Lord after the temple's completion. From their example, we learn the value of pausing to praise the Lord for what He's done. As we celebrate the completion of our building, we’ll consider how we can worship the Lord.