1 Samuel 3:18
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good evening church this evening our study will be focused on first samuel chapter 3 verses 18 that's page 227 in the pew bible if you'd please open that i would be glad to start off by reading our scripture so samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him and he said it is the lord let him do what seems good to him. Have you ever been put in a situation where you knew the possible danger, heard the warnings, calculated the risk, and did it anyway? We've all been warned, and we are warned all the time, about things like too much sugar, too many carbs, don't eat chips, the food has too much fat, you're not drinking enough water, and we must exercise more. We hear the warnings,
know the consequences, and half-heartedly apply these warnings to our lives or just simply ignore it all together. Well, Kelly and I have a condo right on the beach located on Sanibel Island. We love this place, and we've been visiting Sanibel for over 40 years. We never thought about owning the place there, but our unit became available about seven years ago, and we decided to buy it. As I stated, it is right on the beach, and you just can't get any closer to the Gulf than from where we live.
We were forewarned about the danger of being so close to the water. We were told that a hurricane could hit us in a year, and a storm surge would be a serious threat. We knew the danger, but we weighed the risks and decided to buy it anyway. We researched the storm possibilities and realized the last time a major hurricane with a storm surge that hit Sanibel was in 1926. It was not just a major hurricane, but it flooded the entire island.
That was in 1926. Since that hurricane, the island has never been flooded until Ian. We were warned again. We knew the risks, but we thought our chances were nominal. We bought it and enjoyed it for four years. On September 28th of 2022, Hurricane Ian had formed and hit Sanibel straight on. It was a direct hit. While in Louisville, we watched the street cams on the island that day until the pyre went out.
We went to sleep that night, not knowing the outcome of our place. The next morning and for two more days, we had no idea if we still had our home or if it had been washed away. The bridge was washed out, power was off, and we were in complete darkness. The only thing we knew was the fact that Ian was the largest hurricane to hit Florida since 1935. It was a Category 5, and of course, the whole island went underwater. A few days later, we learned that we had a storm surge of 13 feet where our condo sat.
The worst possible case that we could have imagined. Three days later, we found out on TikTok from a person being rescued by a helicopter on the roof of his house. And the video showed that our condo was still standing. We had hope. Seven days later, myself and my two brothers via a boat stepped on shore in front of our condo and our hearts sunk. The ocean was dark brown, it stunk, and we even had to wash our feet off with bottled water to prevent getting some type of infection on our legs.
The whole island smelled like rot. Trash, boats, trees, dishwashers, whole homes, and the like was thrown everywhere. The whole place, both inside and out, was covered in a clay-based rotting mud. We walked around the ruin complex and walked out to somewhat signs of a road that was impassable. It was complete devastation. Kelly and I lost everything. We still had three walls and two-thirds of a roof, but everything else we owned was destroyed.
If you've never lived through a catastrophe like this, it is hard to explain the emotions. But you remember your first few moments when you're exposed to it. When we landed on shore, we saw the devastation. the three of us, me and my two brothers, looked at each other and said, it is what it is. Let's rely on the Lord. And what else can we do? We were warned. We decided to take the risk and buy our condo. I think you're seeing the theme here. And things turned out for the worse. Just like Eli, he was warned and he simply turned away from the warnings. So let's read the text again.
1 Samuel 3, 18, and I've kind of modified it slightly. So Samuel the boy told him everything and hid nothing from him, and he said, this is Eli speaking, it is the Lord, let him do what seems good to him. My two points to our lesson are, pay attention to God's word. And point two is, don't resist his word, but live in it because it is good. So my point one, pay attention to God's word.
At this time in Israel's history, Eli was a priest at the end of the judge error. Samuel, who was a boy at this time, would become the last of the judges of Israel. If I may summarize 1 Samuel 2, 12 through 3, 318, we have a story of Eli and his two sons named Hophni and Phinehas. In chapter 2, verses 12, the sons were termed worthless men. Harsh words indeed.
How would you like to be remembered in the Bible as being a worthless man, much less the father of two worthless sons? They were both priests but did not know the Lord. We certainly have that in our society today, pastors that do not know the Lord. Eli's sons treated the offerings of the Lord with contempt by not sacrificing properly and stealing the offerings from the people, and when they wished, they took these by force.
This was a very great sin in the eyes of the Lord. Eli at this time was a very old man and continuously heard all that his sons were doing and how they even lay with women who were serving at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Eli finally got the courage to bring this up with his sons in a half-hearted, I would call a lame way. He stated, why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. Know my sons, it is not a good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. He stated, if someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him? Eli, a godly man, knew the law, knew his sons were breaking the law, and gave a rebuke, hoping they would change, and then what seems like, just let it go. He placed his sons over the Lord. His sons refused
to listen, for it was the Lord's will to put them to death. While God is most forgiving of sinners, There are still consequences for our actions. And eventually, God will stop offering opportunities to change one ways. Proverbs 29.1 states that. In light of all of this, then a man of God comes to Eli and says to him in verse 29, Why do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I can for my dwelling and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?
This man of God then pronounces to Eli, his house will be overthrown. And as a sign, both of his sons would be killed on the same day. Eli had plenty of warning. Then we pass on to chapter 3, when Samuel is called by the Lord, and the Lord says to Samuel, Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of everyone who hears, it will tingle. And on that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house from the beginning to the end.
And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever for the inequity that he knew because his sons were blaspheming God and he did not restrain them. The next morning Eli asked Samuel what the Lord had told him and Samuel told him everything. And in verse 18, our verse tonight, Eli responded, it is the Lord let him do what seems good to him. That response is not what I would have expected.
We could have expected Eli to repent of his sin, to be sorrowful, maybe argue the point or simply cry out to the Lord. But I think he understood. He knew he had been warned. He knew the danger. He knew he should have put the Lord above his wicked children. He could have paid attention to God's word and warnings. But I think because he knew and rejected God's words, he just accepted or resigned himself to the outcome of God's will.
We can be just like Eli. Do not pay attention to God's word, to God's word, or do we just listen to it, maybe even read it, and then put it back on the shelf in a neat little compartment and close the door so we can simply ignore it. You know, church on Sunday and the world on Monday. We've all heard that before. God's word applies to all aspects of our lives, such as raising our children, of which Eli set the wrong example, picking our spouses, but yet behaving in the workplace, how we act in school with our peers, relating to others that are both Christian and non-Christian, spreading the gospel, and directing our lives and our congregation.
We hear and read God's word, and we have the blessing of the Holy Spirit for those that are saved, for him to lead, direct, and give warnings in our lives. I encourage you to not ignore him. Don't put your head in the sand or try to justify your sin. These acts will catch up to you. In salvation, his words, his promises are big. It is for those that have listened and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
We are his people, his sons and daughters, that are adopted into him, redeemed and justified by him, called and chosen by him, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit so as to live a holy life before him. That is his glorious words to us. we need to listen for those that have not received his promises you need to accept jesus christ as your king your lord and your savior he is god's only begotten son who came to the earth as a man to live a perfect life here and die for you to atone for your sins he was then raised from the dead to validate his claims and all you need to do is put your faith and trust in him if you have not done this it is our hope that you would start to deeply consider these things this evening pay attention to his word pay attention to what you hear tonight and to the Christian people that come into your life don't wait like Eli don't put this off and ignore the warnings hoping to avoid a
disaster this brings me to my second point don't resist his word but live in it because it is good eli knew god's word but he and his sons did not live it philippians 4 8 through 9 says finally brothers and sisters whatever is true whatever is noble whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in seen in me put it into practice and the grace of peace will be with you as Christians we don't want to resist the word but want to live in it therefore we must listen to it read it meditate on it and allow it to sink in until it becomes a part of us that helps forms our thoughts and actions and all that we do if you're having trouble reading and studying the Bible Brett and Brandon are doing
a topical study on how to study the Bible right now. I would hope you would jump into that class and enjoy it. If you look around this room, you can see the older saints that have endured for a long time. I know if you ask them how they have managed, I can assure you they will tell you they have leaned in and relied on the Lord and his words throughout not only the most difficult times of their lives, but in their whole lives. They are prepared. I am sure there are many stories of grace that can be unfolded in this room. James 1.12 says, blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those that love him. So I sit right up there on Sunday mornings at church, And Melody Abel sits right over here in the corner, and she's there just about every Sunday morning.
I'm not quite there every Sunday morning like she is, but I am up there quite often. She has endured suffering for some time, and I am so thankful I can see her worshiping her Lord and Savior with a big smile on her face. She knows God's word. She lives in God's word. She worships God all by the power of the Holy Spirit. Watching her stirs my soul to no end. May I suggest you join us up here in the balcony on a Sunday morning.
To witness our congregation in the act of worship. It is a beautiful thing. And an added benefit is you free up seating on the first floor for visitors and people who have a hard time getting up the stairs. Just don't take my seat, so, okay. Anyway, all of these people mentioned, including all of us who endure in this life, do so because we know our final outcome. We pay attention to his word and don't resist his word, which produces endurance in the saints.
Eli had to live the rest of his life enduring the fact he knew his two sons would be killed on the same day by the sword because of their evilness. In chapter 4, we see this prophecy come true in the capture of the ark and the killing of Hophni and Phinehas. When this was told to the overweight 90-year-old Eli, he fell backward from his chair, broke his neck, and died. His resistance in applying God's word in his son's lives, quite frankly, played a role in their deaths.
Parents, you have been given children by the grace of God. Raising children will be the most rewarding but tiring thing you will do in your life. You have been entrusted to raise them most importantly in a godly home and to ensure they know exactly what the gospel is. You have also been entrusted to raise them to be honorable and respectful citizens. Endure to the end. Pray over them and make sure they understand who they are and who their maker is.
Don't allow a disaster like Eli did to come upon you because of your own making. Matt Smithhurst posted a quote by Andrew Ferguson that is most fitting. You fulfill yourself by denying yourself, preparing people you can't live without to live without you. That is our children. In life and work, endurance to the end plays a major role in the outcome of things. Do the best you can do to glorify God in all that you do.
Typically, everyone likes 90% of the things they do, and the last 10% is drudgery. And we, therefore, quit the task or we complete that task in a half-hearted manner. Make that 10% part you don't like the major effort to accomplish first, and you will go far. Endure for the glory of God. Christ endured his life on earth up to and including his crucifixion.
Just think of the outcome if he stopped the task there. No, he was resurrected to validate his claim and sits at the right hand of God in glory, giving peace to those that have put their trust and faith in him. He endured it all. He completed the task. And because of this, we have the gospel of Christ, along with the power of the Holy Spirit, to give us spiritual insight and life. Marvel at this, pay attention to his word, live in his word, because this is good.
Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for the plan of salvation you have given us. We thank you for the Holy Spirit that works throughout our congregation as a whole and through us individually. We thank you that you dwell in us and that we are truly your sons and daughters. May we deeply recognize these blessings you have given us. Please let us see and understand the power of your Holy Spirit that gives us the ability to endure in this life, to accomplish all the work you have for us, and the desire to look forward to our future in glory with you.
It's in Christ's name I pray. Amen.