Thursday, January 31, 2008
By Faith... Samuel, Part 7 of 10
TEXT: "What more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets" (Hebrews 11:32).
IDEA: Faith is demonstrated in how we act when people seem to turn against us.
PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that even in their older years, they can be people of faith.
Do you hear much about the worship wars in our churches?
What do they consist of?
Does it seem like a battle between older people and younger people in the congregation?
Why do older people sometimes get upset with what is new in a congregation?
I. When he was old, Samuel, who had been faithful to God, had every reason to turn his back on the people.
He had been a worthy leader, but the people demanded a king.
He recognized the dangers in having a king, but while he warned against it, he did not fight it.
In a speech that he made to the people (1 Samuel 12) he warned them about idolatry. But then he said, “But as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12: 23).
II. Samuel sets an example of faith for those of us who are older.
He warns them about dangers that they might face.
Even more significantly, he says that he will continue to pray for them. What does that tell you about Samuel?
He says, “Far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.”
Why do you think he says that he doesn’t want to sin against the Lord?
Do you find it hard to pray for those who may no longer recognize your leadership and in some ways do not appreciate what you have done? Samuel is a man of faith and gives us the right attitude and the right practice.
