Services | Different Sons

Bulletin

Hymn # 446 “Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It”

SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 40:1 - 5

Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate



Praise and Worship
“Your Promises”
“Who You Say I Am”
“Good Grace”

Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Different Sons”


PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Way Maker”


Sermon Notes
1 Samuel 2:11 Samuel as a boy ministered to the Lord
1 Samuel 2:12 The sons of Eli were worthless and did not know the Lord
1 Samuel 2:13 – 17 Examples of their conduct as priests
1 Samuel 2:18 &19 Samuel ministered before the Lord in linen clothing made by his mother
1 Sameul 2:20 Eli blessed Samuel’s parents because of their dedication to the Lord
1 Samuel 2:21 Hannah has 5 more children
1 Samuel 2:22 – 25 Eli hearing his sons misconduct tells them to stop but does not act
1 Samuel 2:26 Samuel grows in stature and in favor with the Lord and men
1 Samuel 2:27 – 36 The Lord judges Eli and his house and gives him a sign when the judgment will take place

---

Scritpures

---

Transcript of Service

Today we're going to take a look at two different types of sons. The first God, even before his conception, the other two were to minister through the Lord because of their lineal ancestry. We'll take a look at also how they ministered and God's response to that ministry. We're not looking at just because of what they did, our ministry and our lives and the ministry of the generations that will follow. We're going to take a look at two different types of children today. Now for the purpose of necessarily criticizing the people that have gone before but for us to be aware of our children and how the impact of their lives. So if you have your Bibles, it should turn to 1 Samuel 2, starting with verse 11. This is this, then Elkina went to his home at Ramah, but the boy ministered to the Lord before Eli, the priest.

Now I want to stop there and say, notice the boy ministered basically under the tutelage in assisting Eli. For some reason, churches today tend to put some kind of chronological impact on when you can minister. Samuel was ministering in the tabernacle as a boy. I have seen churches who have made their children wait, friends and teenagers and whatever because they grew up in the church. They never had an opportunity to serve the Lord in that church. So they had to go to another church in order to serve.

That is not scriptural. Now I will phrase this church because unlike many churches, I grew up here. Well I got old here.

Some might say I didn't grow up. And so most of you don't know me prior to me being pastor and that's probably a good thing. But some of you remember me back in middle school and high school and college. But the church allowed me to do ministry and I became even a decadent trained at a fairly young age because the ministry here trusted. And so one of the things that we should do is always becomes the fact that we should be allowing our children and our teenagers to serve the Lord because the alternatives of the world will use them and then spit them out. Turn to minister before the Lord. They reap the benefits of not only that ministry but that walking closely with the Lord.

And so I want us to be aware. So if your children or grandchildren or other children come that we should not be so often to want you to learn to minister. And so this boy, Samuel ministered before the Lord. On contrast says now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.

##Tags
Different Sons sermon, 1 Samuel 2 sermon, Samuel and Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s sons, boy Samuel, serving God young, corrupt priests, honor God first, God’s judgment, faithful ministry, raising godly children, Christian leadership, Bible teaching, Pastor Joe sermon

There was a pastor who used to be here and he would preach and he said several times. And born in a Christian family makes you no more a Christian than being born in a garage makes you a car. And so there's the sense of wealth, sons, work, sons of a priest and therefore they should adopt the family business.

But it is not a family business. It is the kingdom and ministry of the Lord and you don't put worth at or what their genealogy is because they didn't know the Lord. Now we have a tendency to think that it's Eli's fault because his sons are worthless men. The problem is that you can be a good or a great parent and have good or great kids or terrible kids or you can be a terrible parent and have good or great kids or terrible kids. There's always the difference, nurture or nature in the answer is yes. It's not one or the other, it's both. So we may be quick to blame Eli for his sons being worthy.

But I'm going to tell you where I condemn Eli with certainty as opposed to not knowing if it's his fault or he did the best he could with what he had. The clay that he had was just defective. It's going to be a mess of how these guys were worthless. And the customs of the priests with the people and when any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest servants would come while the meat was boiling with a three-pronged floor in his hand. Then he would throw a kettle or a cauldron or pot and all that the folk brought up, the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Silo, to all the Israelites who came there.

So every time somebody came to bring an offering of food to be cooked or boiled by fire, that to take it first. Other than offering to God the first part and then the priest taking what's left, they took what was first. And also, before they burned the fat, the priest servants would come who was sacrificing, give the priest meat for roasting as he will not take boiled meat from you only raw. He goes, there's specifics here. I want the best, I want it to be what I can inspect and whatever. And you give the priest the best when in the sacrificial God got the best. But the priest demanded, so notice the priest aren't serving God, they're serving themselves.

If the priest said to him, the fat first and then take as much as you desire, then he would say, no, but you shall give it to me now and if not, I will take it by force. I mean, talk about intimidating, you come to worship the Lord in what you're talking about me, not God. You're coming to sacrifice to the Lord. Thus the sin of the young men was very great for the Lord, for the men despised the offering of the Lord. Their job as priests was to assist in offering sacrifices to the Lord and instead they had no concern about it. So the same thing as if all I cared about as pastor was what was in the offering plate. If that was all I would be greatly concerned. But the point is that you might come and worship the Lord, God, that you might hear the words and strengthen your faith and become more like Jesus.

Those should be my concerns, not how well we're spiritually doing, but these were despising the offering of the Lord. Now, Samuel was ministering before the Lord as a boy wearing a linen e-fart. So again, it reminds us, we have these young men only ministering into themselves and the Lord is displeased and we have Samuel who's a boy ministering and he's wearing a linen e-fart, which means he's wearing the dress appropriate to where he's serving. He's serving in the tabernacle. You're supposed to dress a linen.

You're not even otherwise dressed. You're not supposed to have two types of materials. So for instance, in our day in a polyester would be a terrible thing to wear. So you wore linen and so not only did minister, but he did so properly and even properly why? And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. So she was still in Bob's ministry dedicating him to the Lord and making sure that he was well suited for what he was called to do.

So she would see him here to year. So again, notice having been dedicated to the Lord even before his conception and Samuel following through with that dedication, while the men, born of Eli, were supposed to fill that office because of their birthright to not do it. Then Eli would bless Elkina and his wife and say, may the Lord give you children from this woman in place of the one she'd brought and they went to their own house.

So Eli recognized that this couple, and especially Hannah, paid their vow and did so and never reclaimed Samuel. He continued ministry. So the Lord Eli goes, even though you have a second wife who's given you children, may the Lord bless you to continue to have children through Hannah. And the Lord visited Hannah and she could save in Gaybirth in two daughters. She had six children whereas before her prayer, she had none feeling distraught and distressed because of what people were saying and how she felt the Lord was in with her. And because of her dedication and her commitment, her in her vow, she has five more children. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord. Notice this is now the third time that the Scriptures have emphasized that Samuel was a boy.

Now I give you a little advice if you're a young person attempting to minister. You need to have wisdom. You need to be aware that all people are all people. And when you say something to them, they think, well, what are you to tell me? You haven't been able to exercise your ministry with wisdom.

But there has always been a problem with young people wanting to serve the Lord and older people, not wanting it. Paul even had to instruct Timothy to say, don't let your youth be a reason that they don't live. And so we as church people should be happy that our children are wanting to serve the Lord. Because if they learn to serve the Lord, they will grow in their nurture and admonition of being much better believers than otherwise. Now on the other side, Eli was very old and he was hard. And he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel and how they lay with the women who lay on the ten of the meaning. They have gone from stealing the Lord's offerings to openly having physical affairs with women outside the tabernacle. 10 is worse than the non-believers.

It is amazing how far these two boys have fallen in their ministry. Oh Eli, I said to them, why do you do such things? The evil things that I hear from all these people.

No, my sons, for the report is not good, which I hear the Lord's people circulating. So he's not even for, say, first hand knowledge. He's going to rumors about how bad you guys are. And so he's telling him, you're supposed to stop it because this is evil. If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him. He's saying, if there's a problem and you still, God can mediate between the two of you.

But if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him, no. But they would not listen to the voice of their father. Because regardless of what happens, once, he will be laterally tries to correct his sons. And they refused.

This is where I blame Eli. You should have fired. You are no longer priests. You're no longer welcome anywhere within miles. Of the tabernacle until you repent. But he didn't. He was permissive. So I don't know whether he loved his sons more than the Lord, but being permissive in this situation cannot be tolerated.

If I were this week next or whatever, start contrary to the scriptures, you shouldn't say, well, that's still a pretty good guy up to now. It's okay. No, you fire me. Or you talk to me and say, you need to fix what you're doing. And if you don't, then we'll fire you. That's the correct thing to do when you start being to the Word of God. But Eli tolerates it and allows it to continue. How many people have stopped coming to churches because they say, rightfully so, it's filled with hypocrites.

Yes, it's filled with hypocrites, except that we should admit we're hypocrites. And instead of blaming those people coming in at hypocrites, we should say, join us. This is a great hospital. We're hoping it's not a terminal illness. We're hoping not to be hypocrites, but we're working the actions of believers. So often, the generally reason for the Lord to be blamed for things. Eli, whether he was a good father or he was a terrible priest to allow this to happen.

So why didn't he listen? So the Lord desired to put them to death. So much for a loving God. God, expect God, you disrespect his tabernacle, his dwelling place here and now. You disrespect his offerings. You disrespect his people. Eli may be permissive. So he's going to deal with it.

So on the other hand, now the boy, fourth time, Samuel was growing in stature and in favor of both with the Lord and with men. We have the circulation and evil Eli's sons are and how the Lord is allowing Samuel to grow in his height, in his physical being, and in his grace, in his favor. Not only with the Lord, people. It's amazing if we conduct our lives in such a way that it is in favor with the Lord. While they may persecute us, they will still believe in a favor. And so Samuel is growing as a boy to a young man with God's approval and the approval of men. Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, thus as a Lord, I not indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt and bondage to Pharaoh's house.

I'm going to get, remind you a little history lesson. Remember when you were, our people were in slavery and God said, we're going to appoint the Levi's and other people as priests. And this was all back when you were slaves.

Did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar and to burn incense, to carry an ephod before me, and did I not give to the house of all the fire-challant offerings of the sons of Israel? Is it this your job? This is in this what the responsibility I gave to you to minister to me, that the people would come to present their offerings and you and your sons were to be faithful. Three.

Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my dwelling and honor your sons above me? You chose them instead of me. I love my kids.

I love my grandchildren even more than my kids, especially by two grandsons. It's almost all that one few months ago said that I love him more than he was right. But as much as I love them, I love the Lord more. That is the way it's supposed to be.

Because if I love the Lord more, maybe they will love the Lord, all the more as well, and will love the Lord more than loving me. Because that's more important. But Eli, priest and even though he was a minister to the Lord, didn't understand the first rule of ministry. Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, and all your strength. But Eli chose to love his children. Why do you kick at my sacrifice and my offering, which I have commanded by dwelling and honor your sons above me by making yourself fat with the choices of my people in Israel?

Now, we're going to see coming. If Eli is so fat, and when he falls, he breaks his neck. Talk about being fat and sassed. But that's how much he profited from the people's offering rather than the Lord.

Again, how he should be, should always be the Lord first. Therefore, the Lord of God of Israel declares, I did in cheese, I did say that in the house of your father should walk before me forever. But now the Lord declares, far be it from me, to those who honor me, I will honor, and those who despise me, I will light the esteem. Seeing, if you would have chosen to honor, continue honoring you, but because you chose your children, and their choice to disrespect me, to not take me or my symbols seriously. Behold, the days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father's house so that there will not be an old man in your house.

You didn't take me, you probably should have killed your kids, but at least you should have fired him and sent him away. So instead, no one in your house is ever going to get old. You will see the distress of my dwelling, despite of all the good that I have done for Israel, and an old man will not be in your house forever. So you're going to continue having very early mortality, because you did not honor me, and do what was right.

And so notice, not only is Eli going to be condemned, but he says, you're going to see the distress of my dwelling. And again, we're going to see shortly in the next message or two how there is distress at the dwelling of the Lord. Yet, offer me man of yours from my altar so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the incense of your house will die in the prime of life.

All the increase. So he's saying, again, this is a generational judgment. Those who love me, I will bless for a thousand generations. Those who don't take me seriously will deal with a thousand generations. So apparently, man says to your somewhere, we love the Lord our God, because I've been blessed far more than I deserve.

So somebody must be responsible for my blessings, because this certainly isn't me. This will be assigned to you concerning your two sons, Hoffney and Phineas. And again, remember I said, those are Egyptian names. They don't tell you everything. They do tell you something.

But apparently, they're more looking back to the days of slavery, than the days walking with God. And so oftentimes, even in Christians, they will give testimonies about how their life used to be. And they kind of sound like they miss it. They desire the slavery of sin, as opposed to the because your two sons, Hoffney and Phineas, on the same day, both of them will die. You didn't take me serious. Therefore, I'm going to deal with them. But I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do according to what I have, what I said in my heart and in my soul. And I will build him and enduring house.

And he will walk before me my anointed always. Everyone who is left in your house will come down to him for a plate piece of silver or a loaf of bread and say, please assign me to one of the priest's offices so that I may eat a piece of bread. You see, I'm going to take, and I'm only going to make sure no one lives for a long time in your household. They're going to be destitute. You made yourself fat by my offerings. They're going to beg for a piece of bread.

While my anointed one will be doing spectacular things, your house will suffer. Maybe if Eli had heard this message before, you might have changed, but I doubt it. See, the difference between a man like David and a man like Eli, when David was concerned, and he repented. He asked for a new heart. He asked to have the joy of salvation restored. Instead, Eli hears this message of judgment. We see no change of God's mind by repenting.

We see no effort to be the man of God he was supposed to be. God has made an offering for us. Name Jesus.

We can take that offering serious, or we can reject it. The awesome thing about God's sacrificial offering doesn't matter how good, because there's no good but God. God. You are. God can forgive you. You simply seek Him. We need to be like Samuel, and stature, and in favor with God.

God has given us that opportunity because of the cross. Doesn't matter what you've done in the past. Doesn't matter if I believe or what God has offered us the opportunity of forgiveness. Don't let your heart be so hard that you don't take it.