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I was wrestling in prayer throughout the week

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what I was supposed to bring this hour.

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And this is all I had.

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So this is what I'm going to bring.

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It's somewhat a sobering topic that we're going

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to find here in 1 Samuel 2.

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In a minute, we'll start reading in v.

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12.

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Well, and if you were to give this

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a title, you could title it Abuse and

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Immorality Among Church Leaders.

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Abuse and Immorality Among Church Leaders.

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And we're going to read over a chapter

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here just so you get a feel of

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the context of what's going on here with

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Eli and his sons.

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And you're going to see religious leaders, plural,

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who are abusing their power and position.

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They're taking that which is not theirs, parts

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of the sacrifice, and domineering over these people,

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and they're engaging in sexual immorality.

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And then you're going to see another character.

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We're going to see another religious leader who's

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not actually committing the immorality, but he is

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in sin by not dealing strongly enough with

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what is going on.

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And I just had this in my morning

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reading yesterday.

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And I felt like I had not read

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it in so long.

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It just put fear in me.

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And we know the Old Testament, these things

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are written for our instruction, for our example,

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that we would not partake in the same

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things that these people have done.

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So, this sadly is more of a common

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theme in these last few years, especially with

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the Internet.

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It's so much easier to find out about

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immorality and different things among church leadership.

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You could Google it.

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You'd find more cases than you would even

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want to find.

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And this is even happening in reformed circles

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where people have somewhat sound doctrine.

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Sound doctrine doesn't mean you're going to have

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a blameless life.

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That's part of walking in a manner that

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is worthy is knowing true truth.

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So, as we read, you're going to see

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that this is kind of dark and gloomy,

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especially with Eli and his sons.

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It gets darker and darker.

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But, you know what we're also going to

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see?

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We're going to see interwoven in this chapter,

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we're going to see something very hopeful and

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that is Samuel.

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It basically goes back and forth between the

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two.

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Between Eli and his sons and Samuel.

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And Samuel, it gets brighter and brighter and

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brighter.

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And if you know Samuel well enough, you

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know not that everyone in Hebrews 11 lived

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what you would call apparently a pure life,

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but Samuel is mentioned there as one who

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by faith enforced justice among other things.

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He was a holy, godly man.

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And that's going to give us hope as

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we read through this.

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So, let's pray and then we'll read our

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passage.

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Father, Lord, You have written these things for

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our example, for our instruction.

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Lord, there are things here that are an

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example of what not to do and certain

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things of what to do.

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And Lord, I just pray You'd apply these

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in our hearts.

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Lord, this is part of Your Word.

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It is God-breathed and it is profitable

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for teaching and reproof.

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And Lord, I pray, whatever way, Lord, You

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want this to be used this morning, I

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pray You'd do that very thing.

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Use Your Word, Lord, to put fear in

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us in a healthy way, Lord, that we

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would not have these things ever set among

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us.

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And Lord, put thanks in us for the

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work You did in Samuel's life.

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And so, Lord, we just set our eyes

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on You.

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In Jesus' name, Amen.

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So we're going to read starting in 1

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Samuel 2, verse 12.

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And as we read, you'll see some of

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these things start to unfold.

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1 Samuel 2, verse 12.

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Now the sons of Eli were worthless men.

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They did not know the Lord.

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The custom of the priest, and this is

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the custom that his sons introduced, it's not

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a good thing, with the people was that

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when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant

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would come while the meat was boiling with

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a three-pronged fork in his hand.

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He would thrust it into the pan or

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kettle or cauldron or pot.

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All that the fork brought up, the priest

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would take for himself.

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This is what they did at Shiloh to

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all the Israelites who came there.

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It's not a commendation.

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Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest's

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servant would come and say to the man

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who was sacrificing, give meat for the priest

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to roast.

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For he will not accept boiled meat from

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you, but only raw meat.

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And if the man said to him, well,

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let me burn the fat first, burn that

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ultimately to the Lord, then you can take

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as much as you wish, he would say.

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And he would say, no, you must give

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it now.

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And if not, I will take it by

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force.

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So here we see people in leadership position.

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There's abuse happening here.

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There's taking what does not belong to them.

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Verse 17, Thus the sin of the young

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men was very great in the sight of

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the Lord.

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For the men, and we'll consider who that's

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referring to later on, for the men treated

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the offering of the Lord with contempt.

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Samuel was ministering before the Lord.

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Now we hear about Samuel.

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A boy clothed with a linen ephod.

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And his mother used to make for him

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a little robe and take it to him

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each year.

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So he's obviously growing and his mom is

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making new clothes each year as he grows.

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This is a young guy.

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When she went up with her husband to

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offer the yearly sacrifice, then Eli would bless

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Elkanah and his wife and say, may the

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Lord give you children by this woman for

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the petition she asked of the Lord.

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So then they would return to their home.

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Indeed, the Lord visited Hannah and she conceived

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and bore three sons and two daughters, and

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the boy Samuel grew in the presence of

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the Lord.

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So here a woman is who is barren.

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God gave her Samuel and now He's given

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her more sons.

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He hears her prayers.

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Verse 22, Now Eli was very old.

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He kept hearing all that his sons were

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doing to all Israel.

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He heard how they laid with women who

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were serving at the entrance to the tent

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of the meeting.

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There the sexual immorality is that's going on

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among these leaders.

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And he said to them, to his sons,

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why do you do such things?

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I hear of your evil dealings from all

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these people.

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No, my sons, this is not a good

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report that I hear the people of the

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Lord spreading abroad.

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If someone sins against a man, and he

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kind of gives a warning to them, God

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will mediate for him.

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But if someone sins against the Lord implying

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that's what they're doing, who can intercede for

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him?

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But, his sons would not listen to the

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voice of their father because it was the

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will of the Lord to not soften their

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hearts, but to put them to death.

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So God's going to kill these two men,

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these abusive, immoral church leaders you could call

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it.

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Israel was not the church.

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I'm just using that term in a generic

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way.

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Something that you could apply right now.

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That's my point.

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Verse 26, so here, darker and darker with

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Eli and his sons.

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Verse 26, Now the boy Samuel continued to

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grow both in stature and in favor with

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the Lord and also with man.

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So this is still hopeful with Samuel.

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Things are getting better.

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Verse 27, And there came a man of

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God to Eli and said to him, Thus

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says the Lord, did I indeed reveal Myself

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to the house of your father when they

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were in Egypt subject to the house of

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Pharaoh?

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Did I choose him out of all the

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tribes of Israel to be My priest?

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To go up to My altar to burn

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incense, to wear an ephod before Me?

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I gave to the house of your father

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all of My offerings by fire from the

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people of Israel.

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Why then do you scorn My sacrifices and

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My offerings that I command for My dwelling?

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And you honor your sons above Me by

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fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every

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offering of My people Israel?

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Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel declares,

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I promised that your house and the house

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of your father should go in and out

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before Me forever.

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But now, the Lord declares, far be it

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from Me, for those who honor Me I

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will honor, and those who despise Me shall

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be lightly esteemed.

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Behold, the days are coming when I will

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cut off your strength and the strength of

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your father's house so that there will not

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be an old man in your house.

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And there are Jewish historians who looked at

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the genealogies and it said there wasn't a

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man in his house that lived more than

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18 years.

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Verse 33, the only one of you whom

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I shall not cut off from My altar

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shall be spared to weep his eyes out,

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to grieve his heart, and all the descendants

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of your house shall die by the sword

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of men.

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And this that shall come upon your two

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sons, Hothni and Phinehas, shall be the sign

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to you.

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Both of them shall die on the same

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day.

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And I will raise up Myself a faithful

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priest who shall do according to what is

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in My heart and in My mind."

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See, Eli and his sons were not doing

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according to what was in the heart and

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mind of God.

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I will build him a sure house and

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he shall go in and out before My

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anointed forever.

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And everyone who is left in your house

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shall come to implore him for a piece

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of silver or a loaf of bread and

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shall say, please put me in one of

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the priest's places that I may eat a

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morsel of bread.

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Chapter 3, let's keep reading.

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Let's get the feel of this.

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Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the

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Lord in the presence of Eli.

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So he calls him a boy.

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He's young.

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You're witnessing all of this.

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And the word of the Lord was rare

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in those days.

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There was no frequent vision.

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It wasn't normative.

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At that time, Eli, whose eyesight had begun

274
00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:05,260
to grow dim so that he could not

275
00:11:05,260 --> 00:11:07,260
see, was lying down in his own place.

276
00:11:07,580 --> 00:11:09,240
The lamp of God had not yet dawned

277
00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:10,820
out and Samuel was lying down in the

278
00:11:10,820 --> 00:11:12,120
temple of the Lord where the ark of

279
00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:12,660
God was.

280
00:11:12,900 --> 00:11:14,520
Then the Lord called Samuel and He said,

281
00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:15,180
here I am.

282
00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:17,080
And ran to Eli and said, here I

283
00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:18,160
am, for you called Me.

284
00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:19,780
But he said, I did not call.

285
00:11:19,900 --> 00:11:20,600
Lie down again.

286
00:11:20,980 --> 00:11:22,200
So he went and laid down.

287
00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:24,360
And the Lord called again, Samuel.

288
00:11:25,020 --> 00:11:27,240
And Samuel arose and went to Eli and

289
00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:28,960
said, here I am, for you called Me.

290
00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:30,700
But he said, I did not call, my

291
00:11:30,700 --> 00:11:30,920
son.

292
00:11:31,060 --> 00:11:31,800
Lie down again.

293
00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:34,720
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord.

294
00:11:34,780 --> 00:11:36,100
Now I know it just said that about

295
00:11:36,100 --> 00:11:36,920
Eli's sons.

296
00:11:37,020 --> 00:11:37,840
They were worthless men.

297
00:11:37,900 --> 00:11:38,940
They did not know the Lord.

298
00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:41,140
He had not had, I would say, a

299
00:11:41,140 --> 00:11:45,460
manifestation as he's having right now of the

300
00:11:45,460 --> 00:11:46,620
Lord's presence.

301
00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:48,460
And the Word of the Lord had not

302
00:11:48,460 --> 00:11:49,820
yet been revealed to him.

303
00:11:50,740 --> 00:11:51,620
That's the idea.

304
00:11:51,980 --> 00:11:54,940
And the Lord called Samuel again the third

305
00:11:54,940 --> 00:11:56,400
time and he arose and went to Eli

306
00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:58,520
and said, here I am, for you called

307
00:11:58,520 --> 00:11:58,740
Me.

308
00:11:59,020 --> 00:12:00,940
Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling

309
00:12:00,940 --> 00:12:01,380
the boy.

310
00:12:01,740 --> 00:12:04,080
Therefore, Eli said to Samuel, go lie down

311
00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:05,760
and if He calls you, you shall say,

312
00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:07,460
speak, Lord, for your servant hears.

313
00:12:07,860 --> 00:12:09,380
So Samuel went and laid down in his

314
00:12:09,380 --> 00:12:09,740
place.

315
00:12:10,210 --> 00:12:12,600
And the Lord came and stood, calling at

316
00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:14,640
another time, Samuel, Samuel.

317
00:12:14,900 --> 00:12:17,160
And Samuel said, speak for your servant hears.

318
00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:21,420
Then the Lord said to Samuel, behold, I'm

319
00:12:21,420 --> 00:12:23,380
about to do a thing in Israel at

320
00:12:23,380 --> 00:12:25,240
which the two ears of everyone who hears

321
00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:26,540
it will tingle.

322
00:12:27,140 --> 00:12:29,240
On that day, I will fulfill against Eli

323
00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:31,640
all that I've spoken concerning his house from

324
00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:32,520
beginning to end.

325
00:12:32,740 --> 00:12:34,360
And I declare to him that I'm about

326
00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:38,400
to punish his house forever because of the

327
00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:41,360
sin that he knew, because his sons were

328
00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,160
blaspheming God.

329
00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:45,160
And he did not restrain.

330
00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:46,800
He did not stop them.

331
00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:49,840
Therefore, I swear to the house of Eli

332
00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,100
that the sin of Eli's house shall not

333
00:12:52,100 --> 00:12:56,520
be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.

334
00:12:57,720 --> 00:12:59,340
Samuel lay until morning.

335
00:13:00,060 --> 00:13:02,060
You can imagine he's got a lot on

336
00:13:02,060 --> 00:13:02,560
his mind.

337
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:04,560
Then he opened the door to the house

338
00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:06,340
of the Lord and he was afraid to

339
00:13:06,340 --> 00:13:07,260
tell the vision to Eli.

340
00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:10,260
But Eli called and said, Samuel, my son.

341
00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:11,580
He said, here I am.

342
00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:14,080
And Eli said, what was it that He

343
00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:14,660
told you?

344
00:13:14,740 --> 00:13:15,980
Do not hide it from me.

345
00:13:16,340 --> 00:13:18,000
May God do so to you and more

346
00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:19,820
also if you hide anything from Me, all

347
00:13:19,820 --> 00:13:20,700
that was told to you.

348
00:13:20,940 --> 00:13:23,000
So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing

349
00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:23,460
from him.

350
00:13:23,500 --> 00:13:24,700
And he said, it is the Lord.

351
00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:26,620
Let Him do what seems good to Him.

352
00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:29,960
And Samuel grew and the Lord was with

353
00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:30,200
him.

354
00:13:30,300 --> 00:13:32,440
So it's a bright hope again in Samuel.

355
00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:34,660
The Lord let none of His words fall

356
00:13:34,660 --> 00:13:36,160
to the ground, that all of Israel from

357
00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,460
Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established

358
00:13:38,460 --> 00:13:41,000
as a prophet of the Lord.

359
00:13:41,980 --> 00:13:44,340
And we're not going to keep reading, but

360
00:13:44,340 --> 00:13:47,080
as you go on in the next chapter,

361
00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:48,620
Eli's sons die.

362
00:13:48,900 --> 00:13:49,420
And then v.

363
00:13:49,460 --> 00:13:52,820
18, chapter 4, as soon as he mentioned

364
00:13:52,820 --> 00:13:55,300
the ark of God, that the ark of

365
00:13:55,300 --> 00:13:58,080
God was captured, Eli fell over backwards from

366
00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:00,340
his seat by the side of the gate

367
00:14:00,340 --> 00:14:03,220
and his neck was broken and he died.

368
00:14:03,540 --> 00:14:05,560
For the man was old and heavy.

369
00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:10,040
He had judged Israel forty years.

370
00:14:11,140 --> 00:14:14,720
So, I just want to get overall feel.

371
00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:16,480
So if you just got here, this is

372
00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,340
all God gave me to speak on.

373
00:14:19,420 --> 00:14:23,300
I'm speaking on abuse and immorality among church

374
00:14:23,300 --> 00:14:23,980
leadership.

375
00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:26,840
And we see examples of this that we

376
00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:28,680
could apply in our own day.

377
00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:33,480
So what I want to do here is

378
00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:38,700
go over quickly ten observations about Hopni and

379
00:14:38,700 --> 00:14:41,700
Phinehas' sin.

380
00:14:41,940 --> 00:14:44,720
Ten observations about their sin.

381
00:14:44,820 --> 00:14:48,140
Because this is written as an example and

382
00:14:48,140 --> 00:14:49,060
for our instruction.

383
00:14:49,820 --> 00:14:52,300
Then I want to look at their father.

384
00:14:52,980 --> 00:14:56,360
Then I want to look at God's response

385
00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:57,200
and then Samuel.

386
00:14:58,020 --> 00:15:00,240
So that's kind of the direction we're headed

387
00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:00,560
in.

388
00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,700
And one thing I didn't mention, you read

389
00:15:04,700 --> 00:15:06,960
in here, you see the name Phinehas.

390
00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:08,880
This is not the same Phinehas that was

391
00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,680
mentioned earlier on that was jealous for God.

392
00:15:11,780 --> 00:15:14,020
This is a different person, the same name.

393
00:15:14,500 --> 00:15:16,280
The other was a son of Eliezer.

394
00:15:18,740 --> 00:15:23,040
So, first point, observations about Hopni and Phinehas

395
00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:23,820
and their sin.

396
00:15:24,220 --> 00:15:27,480
The first observation is this, they were lost

397
00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:27,880
men.

398
00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:32,500
You can be a religious leader and not

399
00:15:32,500 --> 00:15:34,720
be circumcised of the heart.

400
00:15:35,380 --> 00:15:38,780
Throughout the Old Testament, regeneration is there.

401
00:15:39,100 --> 00:15:41,320
It talks about an uncircumcised heart.

402
00:15:41,380 --> 00:15:44,000
We know in Ezekiel 36, it talks about

403
00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:46,240
God taking out the heart of stone, giving

404
00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:47,060
a heart of flesh.

405
00:15:47,140 --> 00:15:49,220
This is not some New Testament reality.

406
00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,620
That's why Jesus could say to Nicodemus, you

407
00:15:52,620 --> 00:15:54,040
should have known about these things.

408
00:15:54,290 --> 00:15:56,980
Because it's all over the Old Testament.

409
00:15:58,710 --> 00:16:01,340
1 Samuel 2.12 The sons of Elie

410
00:16:01,340 --> 00:16:03,200
were worthless men.

411
00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:05,420
In some versions, it renders they were sons

412
00:16:05,420 --> 00:16:06,040
of Beel.

413
00:16:07,590 --> 00:16:09,320
It did not appear like that's in the

414
00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:09,620
original.

415
00:16:09,780 --> 00:16:11,080
That's why the ESV doesn't put it.

416
00:16:11,100 --> 00:16:13,000
But they were worthless men.

417
00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:15,360
Why did they have no worth?

418
00:16:15,700 --> 00:16:18,840
Because they did not know the Lord.

419
00:16:19,500 --> 00:16:21,480
They did not know the Lord.

420
00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,740
What does Jesus say to many in Matthew

421
00:16:24,740 --> 00:16:25,140
7?

422
00:16:25,460 --> 00:16:27,120
Depart from Me, I never knew you.

423
00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:28,480
I never had intimacy with you.

424
00:16:28,500 --> 00:16:31,360
I did not know you in an intimate

425
00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:31,780
way.

426
00:16:31,940 --> 00:16:33,280
What's one of the greatest evidences?

427
00:16:33,500 --> 00:16:34,620
We know God in the heart.

428
00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:36,060
That our heart's been changed.

429
00:16:36,380 --> 00:16:37,660
If you say you know Him, but you

430
00:16:37,660 --> 00:16:39,180
walk in darkness, you lie and do not

431
00:16:39,180 --> 00:16:40,000
practice the truth.

432
00:16:40,220 --> 00:16:42,740
These men, their lack of fruit in their

433
00:16:42,740 --> 00:16:46,440
life and all of their sin testifies against

434
00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:48,660
them that there had been no change in

435
00:16:48,660 --> 00:16:49,180
their heart.

436
00:16:49,180 --> 00:16:54,000
They were religious, in the service, but lost.

437
00:16:54,540 --> 00:16:55,840
And boy, do we have a lot of

438
00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:56,460
that today.

439
00:16:57,700 --> 00:17:02,660
Not just among false religion and Catholicism, but

440
00:17:02,660 --> 00:17:05,119
even in one of the very cases going

441
00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,040
on with someone who's reformed.

442
00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:10,720
I was reading the court document and someone

443
00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:12,480
there said, I don't believe the guy's a

444
00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:12,859
Christian.

445
00:17:13,220 --> 00:17:15,040
The person who committed those acts.

446
00:17:15,900 --> 00:17:17,859
Well, yes, when you look at a person's

447
00:17:17,859 --> 00:17:19,359
life, what is their pattern?

448
00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:21,240
Is it a life of sin?

449
00:17:21,339 --> 00:17:22,300
What's going on there?

450
00:17:22,700 --> 00:17:24,900
So first point, the brothers were lost.

451
00:17:25,020 --> 00:17:29,240
There's no evidence here that they were in

452
00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,440
Christ, in the Old Testament, that they had

453
00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:32,680
faith like Samuel.

454
00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,340
Second point, if you're lost and not regarding

455
00:17:37,340 --> 00:17:38,900
the Lord, what's that lead to?

456
00:17:39,660 --> 00:17:41,800
If you don't know God, you're not going

457
00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:42,720
to regard His standards.

458
00:17:42,940 --> 00:17:44,700
And the second point is this, the worthless

459
00:17:44,700 --> 00:17:47,480
brothers abused their power and position.

460
00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,600
And they forced those coming to sacrifice to

461
00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,020
give to them what was not their share.

462
00:17:55,260 --> 00:17:57,020
Look at 1 Samuel 2 v.

463
00:17:57,100 --> 00:17:57,700
16.

464
00:18:00,220 --> 00:18:02,860
And if a man said to him, let

465
00:18:02,860 --> 00:18:06,160
them burn the fat first, that should be

466
00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:06,860
what's happening.

467
00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:09,400
And then take as much as you wish.

468
00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,060
He would say, no, you must give it

469
00:18:12,060 --> 00:18:12,580
now.

470
00:18:12,580 --> 00:18:14,220
That's what the servant of the priest would

471
00:18:14,220 --> 00:18:14,680
say.

472
00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:17,940
And then if not, I will take it

473
00:18:17,940 --> 00:18:18,980
by force.

474
00:18:20,940 --> 00:18:23,740
This is totally an example of abuse of

475
00:18:23,740 --> 00:18:24,120
power.

476
00:18:25,180 --> 00:18:27,060
Of taking something that's not their share.

477
00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,820
There's a commentary I have where it's Pinck,

478
00:18:29,980 --> 00:18:31,480
Gill, and Matthew Henry.

479
00:18:31,620 --> 00:18:34,360
They say this, a peace offering, part of

480
00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:37,160
which belonged to the Lord, the fat that

481
00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:37,860
was burned.

482
00:18:38,460 --> 00:18:40,380
And the breast and the shoulder would go

483
00:18:40,380 --> 00:18:41,140
to the priest.

484
00:18:41,140 --> 00:18:43,940
The rest to the owner who made a

485
00:18:43,940 --> 00:18:46,040
feast of it for his family and friends.

486
00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:48,900
But the priest's servant came while the meat

487
00:18:48,900 --> 00:18:49,540
was boiling.

488
00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,200
That is, while those parts were boiling for

489
00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:54,520
the owner and his family, which was done

490
00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:56,300
in some part of the tabernacle.

491
00:18:57,720 --> 00:18:59,620
And he'd come with a flesh hook of

492
00:18:59,620 --> 00:19:01,660
three teeth in his hand with which he

493
00:19:01,660 --> 00:19:03,420
was sent by order of the priest that

494
00:19:03,420 --> 00:19:05,860
slew the sacrifice and offered it to whom

495
00:19:05,860 --> 00:19:08,960
belonged the parts before mentioned, and he would

496
00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:12,840
take the contents that were not his.

497
00:19:13,540 --> 00:19:15,920
While the rest was boiling with an instrument

498
00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:17,100
as here described.

499
00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:19,360
He took for himself what was not his

500
00:19:19,360 --> 00:19:21,980
own property that did not belong to him.

501
00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:24,060
It also mentioned here, he wanted the meat

502
00:19:24,060 --> 00:19:24,400
raw.

503
00:19:24,740 --> 00:19:25,580
What's going on there?

504
00:19:26,140 --> 00:19:29,100
He liked roast meat better than boiled.

505
00:19:29,700 --> 00:19:31,760
But because the three-forked flesh hook did

506
00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:33,960
not always bring up the best pieces out

507
00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:36,260
of the boiling pot, and therefore, he resolved

508
00:19:36,260 --> 00:19:38,380
to have the flesh raw, that he might

509
00:19:38,380 --> 00:19:41,040
have the best, as well as seasoning it

510
00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:42,100
to his own likings.

511
00:19:42,460 --> 00:19:43,780
So I don't know how this guy's going

512
00:19:43,780 --> 00:19:44,000
to...

513
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:45,980
I shouldn't get part of this anyways, but

514
00:19:45,980 --> 00:19:47,120
I don't even know how the guy's going

515
00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:47,700
to season it.

516
00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:49,320
So let's go and get some of that

517
00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:50,820
so we can do what we want with

518
00:19:50,820 --> 00:19:51,020
it.

519
00:19:51,180 --> 00:19:52,040
And then guess what?

520
00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:52,840
If you refuse?

521
00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:55,960
It says right there, we take it by

522
00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:56,940
force.

523
00:19:57,700 --> 00:19:58,740
Take it by force.

524
00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,200
The last thing they mention in this commentary,

525
00:20:02,500 --> 00:20:04,540
taking what was not their own and taking

526
00:20:04,540 --> 00:20:06,220
it by a forceful manner.

527
00:20:06,220 --> 00:20:09,180
And before the Lord had His part in

528
00:20:09,180 --> 00:20:09,780
the offering.

529
00:20:10,620 --> 00:20:12,680
And all this was done in the tabernacle

530
00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:14,680
and the presence of God, which plainly showed

531
00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:16,120
that they had not the fear of God

532
00:20:16,120 --> 00:20:18,100
before their eyes, nor any sense of His

533
00:20:18,100 --> 00:20:22,040
omniscience and omnipresence any more than of His

534
00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:23,700
holiness and justice.

535
00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,020
You know it says in Ezekiel 36, there

536
00:20:29,020 --> 00:20:31,620
are shepherds who feed themselves.

537
00:20:32,620 --> 00:20:33,980
And the Lord says, I'm going to rescue

538
00:20:33,980 --> 00:20:35,300
My sheep from their mouths.

539
00:20:36,360 --> 00:20:37,680
Again, same thing.

540
00:20:38,180 --> 00:20:40,800
This happens in our generation today.

541
00:20:41,740 --> 00:20:43,480
The prosperity gospel.

542
00:20:44,020 --> 00:20:47,280
How much manipulation and forcing to get money

543
00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:47,860
from people.

544
00:20:49,140 --> 00:20:52,640
The sacrifice that they're wanting to offer is

545
00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,640
some support for missions for something, and you've

546
00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:57,840
got some shyster who comes along and he's

547
00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,920
forcefully manipulating them to get some of that

548
00:20:59,920 --> 00:21:02,060
money that he has no part touching.

549
00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:05,960
Okay, a third thing about their sin.

550
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,840
Their abuse corrupted all and became a standard.

551
00:21:11,340 --> 00:21:11,760
V.

552
00:21:11,820 --> 00:21:13,080
12, v.

553
00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:17,200
13, the custom of the priest with the

554
00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:17,760
people.

555
00:21:18,360 --> 00:21:20,500
That's not a commendable thing.

556
00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,220
This had become a custom in their day.

557
00:21:24,740 --> 00:21:28,320
The standards had dropped to be something they

558
00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:29,400
should not be.

559
00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:31,820
This was becoming widespread.

560
00:21:32,380 --> 00:21:33,920
Same things happen in our day.

561
00:21:35,060 --> 00:21:38,160
Widespread acceptance of homosexuality.

562
00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:39,320
You can be a Christian.

563
00:21:39,460 --> 00:21:40,220
You can be a homosexual.

564
00:21:40,540 --> 00:21:41,540
That's becoming widespread.

565
00:21:42,740 --> 00:21:43,720
You could fill in the blank.

566
00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:45,580
There's all sorts of things in our day

567
00:21:45,580 --> 00:21:50,120
that are becoming customs that contradict the Scriptures.

568
00:21:51,180 --> 00:21:56,280
That's what these men who don't know the

569
00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:58,460
Lord, one of the things they're braining about.

570
00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:00,000
Unbiblical standards.

571
00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:01,160
The standards are dropping.

572
00:22:04,290 --> 00:22:09,090
So, if I'm willing to take part of

573
00:22:09,090 --> 00:22:11,490
a sacrifice that's not mine, and I'm willing

574
00:22:11,490 --> 00:22:14,110
to go in a temple or I'm in

575
00:22:14,110 --> 00:22:16,790
the tent of meetings and take that, does

576
00:22:16,790 --> 00:22:17,910
that show a fear of God?

577
00:22:18,050 --> 00:22:19,670
If I'm willing to do that, what else

578
00:22:19,670 --> 00:22:20,930
do you think these men were going to

579
00:22:20,930 --> 00:22:21,150
do?

580
00:22:21,690 --> 00:22:22,730
If they're going to take part of the

581
00:22:22,730 --> 00:22:26,250
sacrifice that doesn't belong to them, they're also

582
00:22:26,250 --> 00:22:28,890
going to take women that don't belong to

583
00:22:28,890 --> 00:22:30,770
them and they're going to be immoral.

584
00:22:30,770 --> 00:22:34,970
1 Samuel 2.22 Now, Eli was very

585
00:22:34,970 --> 00:22:35,230
old.

586
00:22:35,370 --> 00:22:38,190
He kept hearing all that his sons were

587
00:22:38,190 --> 00:22:40,390
doing to all Israel and how they lay

588
00:22:40,390 --> 00:22:41,570
with the women.

589
00:22:42,630 --> 00:22:47,850
They were committing sexual immorality with the women

590
00:22:47,850 --> 00:22:50,350
who were serving at the entrance to the

591
00:22:50,350 --> 00:22:50,950
tent of the meeting.

592
00:22:51,170 --> 00:22:53,210
Now, that word serving, part of the idea

593
00:22:53,210 --> 00:22:54,910
is the women who assembled there.

594
00:22:55,410 --> 00:22:58,350
These women are assembling here at the entrance

595
00:22:58,350 --> 00:22:59,730
of the tent of meeting.

596
00:23:00,990 --> 00:23:05,090
And these guys had the nerve to go

597
00:23:05,090 --> 00:23:07,650
and in some way lure these people off

598
00:23:07,910 --> 00:23:10,550
and commit gross immorality with them.

599
00:23:11,950 --> 00:23:13,110
No fear of God.

600
00:23:14,710 --> 00:23:16,190
Same thing's happening today.

601
00:23:17,750 --> 00:23:21,270
People, they've got women in the church, secretaries,

602
00:23:21,990 --> 00:23:25,730
whatever it is, and all these cases coming

603
00:23:25,730 --> 00:23:25,950
out.

604
00:23:25,950 --> 00:23:26,650
Immorality.

605
00:23:26,770 --> 00:23:27,310
Immorality.

606
00:23:29,970 --> 00:23:30,850
It's sad.

607
00:23:31,190 --> 00:23:32,350
We're in a sad...

608
00:23:32,350 --> 00:23:33,790
But there's nothing new.

609
00:23:34,270 --> 00:23:37,270
Lost men and even the best of Christians

610
00:23:37,270 --> 00:23:40,510
like David, a man after God's own heart,

611
00:23:40,590 --> 00:23:41,990
could fall into such things.

612
00:23:42,230 --> 00:23:45,230
This is for our instruction, brethren, that we

613
00:23:45,230 --> 00:23:46,810
not all pray.

614
00:23:50,570 --> 00:23:52,750
If you will overreach in your share of

615
00:23:52,750 --> 00:23:54,890
the sacrifice, it won't stop there.

616
00:23:55,590 --> 00:23:59,190
You'll overreach in other areas like the immorality

617
00:23:59,190 --> 00:24:00,530
that is mentioned.

618
00:24:02,890 --> 00:24:07,550
And I read this and it says how

619
00:24:07,550 --> 00:24:09,350
they lay with the women who were serving

620
00:24:09,350 --> 00:24:10,630
at the entrance to the tent of the

621
00:24:10,630 --> 00:24:10,910
meeting.

622
00:24:12,150 --> 00:24:15,350
You can look at that and say the

623
00:24:15,350 --> 00:24:18,010
full responsibility was on these men and I

624
00:24:18,010 --> 00:24:19,870
fully understand that, but you know, it reminded

625
00:24:19,870 --> 00:24:22,550
me of a text in Proverbs 7 that

626
00:24:22,550 --> 00:24:23,770
talks about the prostitute.

627
00:24:23,890 --> 00:24:25,250
You know what it says of the prostitute?

628
00:24:25,250 --> 00:24:26,830
You know what she says to the man

629
00:24:26,830 --> 00:24:28,050
she tries to seduce?

630
00:24:28,250 --> 00:24:30,570
She says, I had to go and first

631
00:24:30,570 --> 00:24:31,870
offer sacrifices.

632
00:24:33,370 --> 00:24:35,630
So this woman is going to the tent

633
00:24:35,630 --> 00:24:39,410
of meeting offering sacrifices, and then going away

634
00:24:39,410 --> 00:24:40,630
and trying to seduce.

635
00:24:40,710 --> 00:24:41,970
So it can happen on both ends.

636
00:24:42,030 --> 00:24:45,350
You could have lost men taking advantage and

637
00:24:45,350 --> 00:24:47,630
abusing women, or you could have women seeking

638
00:24:47,630 --> 00:24:51,560
to seduce men.

639
00:24:55,220 --> 00:24:59,040
Fifth thing, where did the sin take place?

640
00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,120
At the entrance to the tent of the

641
00:25:01,120 --> 00:25:01,460
meeting.

642
00:25:01,700 --> 00:25:03,660
1 Samuel 2.22, we just read that.

643
00:25:03,820 --> 00:25:06,160
At the entrance to the tent of the

644
00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:06,380
meeting.

645
00:25:06,620 --> 00:25:07,500
The tent of the meeting.

646
00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:08,600
Deuteronomy 31.

647
00:25:09,220 --> 00:25:10,800
What should I think when I think of

648
00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:11,560
the tent of the meeting?

649
00:25:11,700 --> 00:25:13,700
And the Lord appeared in the tent in

650
00:25:13,700 --> 00:25:15,980
a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of

651
00:25:15,980 --> 00:25:19,160
cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.

652
00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,080
That happened in the past.

653
00:25:25,380 --> 00:25:28,360
The very place the pillar...

654
00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:30,380
The very place God manifested Himself.

655
00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,660
And that's where you're going to go and

656
00:25:34,660 --> 00:25:35,580
do these things?

657
00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,000
And lure these people away?

658
00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:41,740
And go in this very tent of meeting?

659
00:25:42,100 --> 00:25:43,460
And yes, later, the temple?

660
00:25:44,180 --> 00:25:45,380
And do these things?

661
00:25:46,660 --> 00:25:47,560
Same thing today.

662
00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:49,280
The church.

663
00:25:49,980 --> 00:25:51,880
Not a building, but local churches.

664
00:25:52,020 --> 00:25:53,780
The very place you should expect there to

665
00:25:53,780 --> 00:25:55,040
be purity and godliness.

666
00:25:55,140 --> 00:25:56,060
What do you have happening?

667
00:25:56,380 --> 00:25:58,380
You have different things coming up where there's

668
00:25:58,380 --> 00:25:59,860
immorality, abuse.

669
00:26:01,980 --> 00:26:02,680
It's scary.

670
00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:07,460
Sixth thing, how was their sin described?

671
00:26:09,250 --> 00:26:12,590
1 Samuel 3.13 We don't need to

672
00:26:12,590 --> 00:26:13,870
come up with our own definition.

673
00:26:14,030 --> 00:26:15,490
God gives us a pretty good one.

674
00:26:16,110 --> 00:26:18,010
The Lord is speaking to Samuel.

675
00:26:19,310 --> 00:26:21,930
And He says here His sons were blaspheming

676
00:26:21,930 --> 00:26:22,570
God.

677
00:26:23,590 --> 00:26:24,390
Blaspheming God.

678
00:26:24,510 --> 00:26:26,590
They're bringing a curse upon themselves.

679
00:26:26,750 --> 00:26:28,210
They're despising God.

680
00:26:28,210 --> 00:26:30,690
They count God as trivial.

681
00:26:32,470 --> 00:26:35,090
God is very small in their eyes.

682
00:26:35,370 --> 00:26:36,250
They count Him as trivial.

683
00:26:36,590 --> 00:26:40,770
Any church that doesn't practice church discipline counts

684
00:26:40,770 --> 00:26:41,550
God as trivial.

685
00:26:41,890 --> 00:26:44,590
Any church that lets people in the leadership

686
00:26:44,930 --> 00:26:48,270
who are living right now in immorality, they

687
00:26:48,270 --> 00:26:48,870
don't fear God.

688
00:26:49,290 --> 00:26:51,810
I mean, I read some megachurch pastor's son

689
00:26:51,810 --> 00:26:54,150
-in-law fell into adultery and a month

690
00:26:54,150 --> 00:26:55,530
later, he's back in the pulpit.

691
00:26:56,090 --> 00:26:57,050
No fear of God.

692
00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:00,160
No fear of God.

693
00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:05,280
These worthless brothers.

694
00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:08,240
The seventh thing about their sin, they ignored

695
00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:08,960
correction.

696
00:27:09,740 --> 00:27:10,340
2 Cor.

697
00:27:10,340 --> 00:27:13,280
2.25 mentions that.

698
00:27:13,660 --> 00:27:15,960
They would not listen to the voice of

699
00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:16,600
their father.

700
00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:18,940
So He reproves them.

701
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:19,520
They don't listen.

702
00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:22,480
And then it actually gives a reason why

703
00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:23,560
they don't listen here.

704
00:27:23,660 --> 00:27:25,780
And it's interesting, it doesn't give the reason

705
00:27:25,780 --> 00:27:27,440
of the failures of their father.

706
00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,380
They would not listen to the voice of

707
00:27:31,380 --> 00:27:33,920
their father because it was the will of

708
00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:35,220
the Lord to put them to death.

709
00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:37,260
It doesn't put the blame on the dad

710
00:27:37,260 --> 00:27:37,780
right there.

711
00:27:37,820 --> 00:27:40,500
It actually is saying God did not will

712
00:27:40,500 --> 00:27:45,240
to soften their hearts, but rather, I'm done

713
00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:45,700
with them.

714
00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,120
I'm going to put them to death.

715
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:50,360
That means, you know what?

716
00:27:50,380 --> 00:27:51,960
The Lord could have willed for them to

717
00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,400
have broken and contrite hearts and in some

718
00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:56,940
way to not go on in the path

719
00:27:56,940 --> 00:27:58,340
they continued to go on.

720
00:27:59,540 --> 00:28:02,740
Eighth thing about Hopni and Phanehas' sin.

721
00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,980
The worthless brothers' sin was against all of

722
00:28:08,980 --> 00:28:09,320
Israel.

723
00:28:09,620 --> 00:28:12,540
1 Samuel 2.22 it says right there,

724
00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:14,780
now Eli was very old and kept hearing

725
00:28:14,780 --> 00:28:17,280
all that his sons were doing to all

726
00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:17,920
Israel.

727
00:28:19,300 --> 00:28:21,640
It doesn't say to a few people.

728
00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,260
These people were in a leadership position and

729
00:28:26,260 --> 00:28:28,780
it's affecting all of them under them.

730
00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:32,340
Coming to offer sacrifices and here you've got

731
00:28:32,340 --> 00:28:33,660
this abuse going on.

732
00:28:33,740 --> 00:28:36,000
This isn't happening in some side place.

733
00:28:36,100 --> 00:28:37,400
This is happening at the tent of the

734
00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:37,740
meeting.

735
00:28:42,410 --> 00:28:45,410
Ninth thing, the worthless brothers did not care

736
00:28:45,410 --> 00:28:47,930
about how their testimony was their approach to

737
00:28:47,930 --> 00:28:48,350
Israel.

738
00:28:49,190 --> 00:28:50,510
They're so hardened.

739
00:28:51,030 --> 00:28:53,510
They know these reports are going abroad and

740
00:28:53,510 --> 00:28:54,390
they don't care.

741
00:28:55,110 --> 00:28:57,310
You kind of think that would wake you

742
00:28:57,310 --> 00:28:58,270
up to reality.

743
00:29:00,870 --> 00:29:03,390
Verse 24, No, my sons, it is no

744
00:29:03,390 --> 00:29:05,450
good report that I hear the people of

745
00:29:05,450 --> 00:29:06,490
the Lord spreading abroad.

746
00:29:06,850 --> 00:29:08,470
So the people of the Lord are spreading

747
00:29:08,470 --> 00:29:09,010
this abroad.

748
00:29:10,590 --> 00:29:12,250
And it's not like they're like, oh wow,

749
00:29:12,310 --> 00:29:13,950
we didn't know the secret was out and

750
00:29:13,950 --> 00:29:15,970
people know about what's really going on.

751
00:29:16,750 --> 00:29:18,730
No effect, apparently.

752
00:29:19,810 --> 00:29:21,930
They're just going on in their abuse.

753
00:29:27,980 --> 00:29:30,700
Sadly, many in our day do vile things

754
00:29:30,700 --> 00:29:32,080
in the name of Christianity.

755
00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,560
It spreads abroad and our enemy the devil

756
00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:36,700
finds a way to twist it to make

757
00:29:36,700 --> 00:29:39,040
it reflect that this is what's true of

758
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:39,860
all Christians.

759
00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:42,860
A tenth thing about their sin.

760
00:29:43,180 --> 00:29:46,620
Their hypocrisy led astray and was a stumbling

761
00:29:46,620 --> 00:29:48,260
block to the Israelites.

762
00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,140
Their hypocrisy led astray.

763
00:29:52,260 --> 00:29:53,060
We see that in v.

764
00:29:53,180 --> 00:29:54,700
17 of chapter 2.

765
00:29:55,420 --> 00:29:57,400
Thus, the sin of the young men was

766
00:29:57,400 --> 00:29:59,740
very great in the sight of the Lord.

767
00:30:01,180 --> 00:30:02,660
For the men.

768
00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:04,000
What men?

769
00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:06,780
The ESV, you kind of read this and

770
00:30:06,780 --> 00:30:08,740
you read the men and it's like the

771
00:30:08,740 --> 00:30:09,080
men.

772
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:11,540
Hottney and Phinehas, right?

773
00:30:12,260 --> 00:30:14,600
Other versions render it where it seems to

774
00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,300
more clearly point to the men, meaning the

775
00:30:17,300 --> 00:30:18,000
men of Israel.

776
00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:18,560
V.

777
00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:20,640
16, and if the man said to him,

778
00:30:20,900 --> 00:30:22,780
so the people who are trying to do

779
00:30:22,780 --> 00:30:25,700
the right thing, when the priests are doing

780
00:30:25,700 --> 00:30:30,220
the wrong thing, these people, this continued abuse,

781
00:30:30,420 --> 00:30:32,840
and the priests are taking that which is

782
00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:35,720
not their share, thus, the sin of the

783
00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:37,080
young men was very great in the sight

784
00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:37,460
of the Lord.

785
00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:40,560
For the men, the Israelites, they then treated

786
00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:43,140
the offering of the Lord with contempt.

787
00:30:43,260 --> 00:30:46,220
Why should I come to the church meetings

788
00:30:46,220 --> 00:30:47,900
if there's just going to be abuse and

789
00:30:47,900 --> 00:30:48,540
hypocrisy?

790
00:30:48,860 --> 00:30:49,980
Forget the church.

791
00:30:50,380 --> 00:30:51,800
Just a bunch of hypocrites.

792
00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,020
Forget going and offering sacrifices.

793
00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:57,500
That's the kind of thing.

794
00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:01,940
Now, many people take that as what the

795
00:31:01,940 --> 00:31:03,180
men refers to, but you know what?

796
00:31:03,380 --> 00:31:05,680
Even if it doesn't and it actually refers

797
00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:07,540
to Hottney and Phinehas, guess what?

798
00:31:07,660 --> 00:31:08,780
You know that's happening.

799
00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:10,900
That happens when there's hypocrisy.

800
00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:13,460
People love to use that to excuse their

801
00:31:13,460 --> 00:31:14,700
own sin.

802
00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:17,980
And, they're not just excusing their own sin.

803
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:20,780
We actually can put a stumbling block before

804
00:31:20,780 --> 00:31:21,280
someone.

805
00:31:22,340 --> 00:31:23,420
We could do that.

806
00:31:24,260 --> 00:31:27,060
We should make sure, 2 Corinthians 6, verse

807
00:31:27,060 --> 00:31:28,520
3 says, that no fault be found with

808
00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:29,120
our ministry.

809
00:31:33,900 --> 00:31:35,880
Why take my sacrifice if they're just going

810
00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:37,240
to try to force me to give up

811
00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:38,260
the majority of the meat?

812
00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:41,420
I'm fed up with that.

813
00:31:43,100 --> 00:31:45,020
Okay, second thing we're moving on to.

814
00:31:45,460 --> 00:31:47,740
Observations about Eli's sin.

815
00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:49,520
As I mentioned in the introduction, we see

816
00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:54,260
here two leaders who are sexually immoral and

817
00:31:54,260 --> 00:31:56,600
who are abusing their authority and power and

818
00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:56,980
position.

819
00:31:57,280 --> 00:32:00,100
And we see a leader who isn't engaged

820
00:32:00,100 --> 00:32:03,020
from what we see in the immorality, but

821
00:32:03,020 --> 00:32:06,440
he is ultimately giving way and approval for

822
00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:08,280
it by not doing what he should do.

823
00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:10,760
So let's think about Eli the father.

824
00:32:11,220 --> 00:32:12,460
His sin.

825
00:32:12,860 --> 00:32:15,660
First thing is this, Eli received multiple reports

826
00:32:15,660 --> 00:32:17,860
of abuse and he never took proper action.

827
00:32:18,220 --> 00:32:20,300
He failed to use his power to punish

828
00:32:20,300 --> 00:32:21,560
and restrain them.

829
00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:24,800
Again, verse 22, Eli was very old and

830
00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:26,980
he kept hearing.

831
00:32:27,500 --> 00:32:28,180
He what?

832
00:32:28,900 --> 00:32:29,860
Kept hearing.

833
00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:32,180
He heard for the first time?

834
00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:32,880
Is that what it says?

835
00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:33,720
No.

836
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:35,140
He kept hearing.

837
00:32:35,460 --> 00:32:36,420
It's coming back to his ears.

838
00:32:36,620 --> 00:32:37,240
Again and again.

839
00:32:37,860 --> 00:32:38,540
Another email.

840
00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:39,560
Another report.

841
00:32:39,860 --> 00:32:40,480
Another this.

842
00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:41,280
Another that.

843
00:32:41,500 --> 00:32:42,620
He kept hearing.

844
00:32:43,540 --> 00:32:45,340
He kept hearing all they were doing.

845
00:32:46,180 --> 00:32:47,980
How they lay with women who were serving

846
00:32:47,980 --> 00:32:49,240
at the entrance to the Ten of Need

847
00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:50,560
and he said to them, why do you

848
00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:51,300
do these things?

849
00:32:53,730 --> 00:32:54,590
This isn't good.

850
00:32:54,590 --> 00:32:59,880
So he had multiple reports.

851
00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:03,620
The Lord says he never took proper action.

852
00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:10,120
313, when I declared to him that I'm

853
00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:12,440
about to punish his house forever for the

854
00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:14,800
sin that he knew because his sons were

855
00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:15,620
blaspheming God.

856
00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:16,680
He knew.

857
00:33:18,100 --> 00:33:20,760
And he did not restrain them.

858
00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:21,620
He didn't stop them.

859
00:33:22,580 --> 00:33:25,720
God is holding him accountable for not stopping

860
00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:26,380
them.

861
00:33:26,380 --> 00:33:27,580
He could have.

862
00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:29,980
He can't say there wasn't a way to

863
00:33:29,980 --> 00:33:30,560
stop them.

864
00:33:30,780 --> 00:33:33,100
The Lord says he knew about it and

865
00:33:33,100 --> 00:33:34,060
he did not stop it.

866
00:33:36,410 --> 00:33:38,470
He never took proper action to restrain.

867
00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:46,160
And sadly, what happens today, sometimes you've got

868
00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:47,340
abuse going on.

869
00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:47,900
Same thing.

870
00:33:47,980 --> 00:33:49,240
Reports, reports, reports.

871
00:33:49,380 --> 00:33:50,900
But the guy is so famous.

872
00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:56,880
If the elder board doesn't do it, if

873
00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:59,660
we confront this and we believe these things,

874
00:33:59,660 --> 00:34:01,420
then the whole ministry is going to fall

875
00:34:01,420 --> 00:34:01,700
apart.

876
00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:02,400
Well, guess what?

877
00:34:02,460 --> 00:34:04,080
If sin is going on like this for

878
00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:06,620
years, the ministry is already falling apart.

879
00:34:07,580 --> 00:34:08,900
Why try to keep it alive?

880
00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:12,040
And then what happens?

881
00:34:12,139 --> 00:34:14,239
It gets published in the media and then

882
00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:16,420
the leaders have to confess that they're cornered

883
00:34:16,420 --> 00:34:18,820
because the Me Too movement is going on

884
00:34:18,820 --> 00:34:19,460
in our culture.

885
00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:23,820
And then finally, that elder board, they turn

886
00:34:23,820 --> 00:34:25,639
on the person they were previously trying to

887
00:34:25,639 --> 00:34:27,460
protect because they have no other option.

888
00:34:28,100 --> 00:34:30,620
Stuff like that's happening in our generation.

889
00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:31,840
No fear of God.

890
00:34:31,900 --> 00:34:33,040
You just get in a corner and then

891
00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:34,179
you'll finally agree with God.

892
00:34:34,380 --> 00:34:35,500
They didn't have that opportunity.

893
00:34:35,679 --> 00:34:36,980
They got in a corner and God killed

894
00:34:36,980 --> 00:34:37,159
them.

895
00:34:43,620 --> 00:34:44,980
Eli attempted to reproof.

896
00:34:45,060 --> 00:34:45,620
We already saw.

897
00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:48,460
The sons would not listen to the voice

898
00:34:48,460 --> 00:34:49,800
of the Father, but the voice of the

899
00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:53,620
Father, his reproof there was a joke compared

900
00:34:53,620 --> 00:34:55,780
to what was required for the situation.

901
00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:57,580
That's the same thing with today.

902
00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:00,380
There is sin of such magnitude and it's

903
00:35:00,380 --> 00:35:01,780
handled in such a small way.

904
00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,300
Proverbs 29, 19, by mere words a servant

905
00:35:06,300 --> 00:35:07,220
is not disciplined.

906
00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,340
For though he understands, he will not respond.

907
00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:12,420
That's sadly with Eli.

908
00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:16,000
He used words, but he needed more than

909
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:16,200
that.

910
00:35:16,260 --> 00:35:17,900
The second thing about Eli's sin.

911
00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:20,820
Why did Eli ignore the reports?

912
00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:21,620
Why?

913
00:35:23,060 --> 00:35:25,400
1 Samuel 2.29 gives us an answer.

914
00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:29,080
Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and

915
00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:31,300
my offerings that I command for my dwelling?

916
00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:34,160
This is the Lord.

917
00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:34,920
Verse 27.

918
00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:42,020
And honor your sons above Me.

919
00:35:43,820 --> 00:35:47,180
Honor your sons above Me.

920
00:35:47,240 --> 00:35:48,700
Why did he ignore the reports?

921
00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:53,440
All going well with his sons was more

922
00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:56,120
important to him than all of God's ways

923
00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:57,100
being obeyed.

924
00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:01,460
He had a greater burden for his sons'

925
00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:03,040
honor than God's honor.

926
00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:06,960
If he dealt with them, it would shame

927
00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:07,300
them.

928
00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:10,580
If I expose my sons, it will shame

929
00:36:10,580 --> 00:36:10,860
them.

930
00:36:12,770 --> 00:36:15,650
But by not dealing with them, it was

931
00:36:15,650 --> 00:36:17,650
a shameful testimony to all of Israel.

932
00:36:18,430 --> 00:36:19,910
It was a stumbling block.

933
00:36:20,810 --> 00:36:22,850
It was being spread abroad.

934
00:36:23,870 --> 00:36:25,490
Other nations hearing about it.

935
00:36:25,490 --> 00:36:26,810
What a shame.

936
00:36:28,130 --> 00:36:30,330
So why did Eli ignore the reports?

937
00:36:30,510 --> 00:36:32,130
He honored his sons above men.

938
00:36:32,290 --> 00:36:35,010
He cared more about his sons and their

939
00:36:35,010 --> 00:36:37,890
honor than the honor and glory of God.

940
00:36:37,950 --> 00:36:39,610
And that's the same thing we see today.

941
00:36:40,910 --> 00:36:42,910
Sadly, a lot of partiality.

942
00:36:43,910 --> 00:36:46,410
Even with Eli, these were his sons.

943
00:36:47,210 --> 00:36:48,050
Was that a factor?

944
00:36:48,170 --> 00:36:49,270
What if these weren't his sons?

945
00:36:49,370 --> 00:36:50,790
Would he have handled it the same way?

946
00:36:50,990 --> 00:36:52,390
Or would he have actually done what he

947
00:36:52,390 --> 00:36:52,910
should have done?

948
00:36:53,950 --> 00:36:55,710
You can only assume there.

949
00:36:56,730 --> 00:37:00,350
A leader at one church this year, one

950
00:37:00,350 --> 00:37:02,990
of the pastors was in sin for 20

951
00:37:02,990 --> 00:37:03,830
-something years.

952
00:37:04,650 --> 00:37:07,090
And someone said in their leader board, they

953
00:37:07,090 --> 00:37:08,290
said, we trusted him.

954
00:37:08,850 --> 00:37:12,190
And this clouded our judgment to the factual

955
00:37:12,190 --> 00:37:14,110
evidence that was being produced.

956
00:37:15,410 --> 00:37:16,490
Some knew about it.

957
00:37:16,910 --> 00:37:19,470
They kept silent for 20 years.

958
00:37:20,250 --> 00:37:21,250
Twenty years.

959
00:37:22,130 --> 00:37:24,830
They would see what's going on right here.

960
00:37:26,090 --> 00:37:29,090
We kept hearing that he would go and

961
00:37:29,090 --> 00:37:31,410
lay with women who were serving at the

962
00:37:31,410 --> 00:37:33,410
entrance to the tent of the meeting.

963
00:37:33,590 --> 00:37:34,190
Twenty years.

964
00:37:34,310 --> 00:37:34,590
Nothing.

965
00:37:35,230 --> 00:37:35,830
Did nothing.

966
00:37:36,150 --> 00:37:41,230
And then it takes lost secular culture to

967
00:37:41,230 --> 00:37:44,670
have this whole Me Too movement start, and

968
00:37:44,670 --> 00:37:46,930
now Christians get cornered and they stop hiding

969
00:37:46,930 --> 00:37:47,790
their hypocrisy.

970
00:37:47,830 --> 00:37:48,870
It should not be so.

971
00:37:49,710 --> 00:37:50,630
It's sad.

972
00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:54,640
I say Christians.

973
00:37:54,940 --> 00:37:55,840
Professing Christians.

974
00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:57,620
Some, no doubt, are genuine.

975
00:37:57,840 --> 00:37:58,960
David fell.

976
00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:00,060
He did not live in sin.

977
00:38:00,140 --> 00:38:01,360
These men were living in sin.

978
00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:02,780
Were they grieved?

979
00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:04,420
No, they didn't care.

980
00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:05,760
They didn't care.

981
00:38:06,240 --> 00:38:08,240
And they didn't just have immorality, they had

982
00:38:08,240 --> 00:38:09,320
abuse of power.

983
00:38:09,440 --> 00:38:11,320
They had all sorts of things going on.

984
00:38:20,420 --> 00:38:22,560
If you're covering up sin to protect the

985
00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:24,800
ministry, what's that say?

986
00:38:25,220 --> 00:38:28,140
Third thing about Eli's sin, it's also striking

987
00:38:28,140 --> 00:38:33,500
to me that both of Eli's sons did

988
00:38:33,500 --> 00:38:34,360
the same things.

989
00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:35,280
Both.

990
00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:37,460
It's kind of sad.

991
00:38:37,700 --> 00:38:38,440
They go together.

992
00:38:39,460 --> 00:38:40,760
Phanehas and Hapni.

993
00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:41,320
Together.

994
00:38:42,220 --> 00:38:44,540
You kind of wish one would have gone

995
00:38:44,540 --> 00:38:46,060
the righteous path to the other.

996
00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:47,940
What can we glean from that?

997
00:38:48,860 --> 00:38:51,780
I was trying to think what could be

998
00:38:51,780 --> 00:38:54,100
contained there for our application?

999
00:38:54,900 --> 00:38:57,320
You could say from that, well, maybe it

1000
00:38:57,320 --> 00:38:58,040
was the father.

1001
00:38:58,380 --> 00:39:01,040
Maybe that's all the more evidence against Eli

1002
00:39:01,620 --> 00:39:05,300
and the way his failures affected both of

1003
00:39:05,300 --> 00:39:05,760
his sons.

1004
00:39:08,060 --> 00:39:10,280
But then I went and read 1 Samuel

1005
00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:10,620
8.

1006
00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:12,940
It talks about Samuel's sons.

1007
00:39:13,700 --> 00:39:15,500
It says, his sons did not walk in

1008
00:39:15,500 --> 00:39:17,280
the ways, but turned aside after a gang.

1009
00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:18,960
They took bribes and perverted justice.

1010
00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:21,380
So here you had Samuel, a godly guy.

1011
00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:24,580
Eli, who's not dealing with sin compromising.

1012
00:39:24,580 --> 00:39:27,000
And they all had sons who were wicked.

1013
00:39:30,300 --> 00:39:31,000
What a reminder.

1014
00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:31,740
We're caught up.

1015
00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:34,880
We need the grace of God to save

1016
00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:35,340
our children.

1017
00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:37,000
We need His power.

1018
00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:38,900
Do we need to be responsible?

1019
00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:40,140
Do we need to deal correctly?

1020
00:39:40,240 --> 00:39:41,100
You better believe it.

1021
00:39:41,140 --> 00:39:45,060
We should never excuse just using mere words

1022
00:39:45,060 --> 00:39:50,000
only and say what we're doing is sufficient.

1023
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:53,180
A fourth thing about Eli's sin.

1024
00:39:53,260 --> 00:39:54,740
Eli was an accomplice.

1025
00:39:55,670 --> 00:40:00,280
He wasn't just an accomplice in that he

1026
00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,860
did not restrain them.

1027
00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:06,780
But he actually took part in the abuse

1028
00:40:06,780 --> 00:40:08,500
of power that was going on.

1029
00:40:08,540 --> 00:40:10,120
He benefited from it.

1030
00:40:10,780 --> 00:40:11,360
2 Corinthians 2.

1031
00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:13,020
Look what it says.

1032
00:40:13,890 --> 00:40:16,400
Why then do you scorn my sacrifices, honor

1033
00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:21,780
your sons above Me by fattening yourselves?

1034
00:40:23,700 --> 00:40:25,000
Eli's included there.

1035
00:40:25,860 --> 00:40:29,400
Fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every

1036
00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:31,060
offering of My people Israel.

1037
00:40:31,340 --> 00:40:32,440
And you could say, well, how do we

1038
00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:34,880
know for certain that some of the meat

1039
00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:36,960
that his sons are taking that is not

1040
00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:39,820
part of their share is actually going in

1041
00:40:39,820 --> 00:40:40,680
his belly?

1042
00:40:40,820 --> 00:40:43,200
You see that in chapter 4, verse 18.

1043
00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:45,160
When he fell, his neck broke.

1044
00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:47,800
He died, for he was old and heavy.

1045
00:40:50,140 --> 00:40:51,880
He was heavy.

1046
00:40:52,740 --> 00:40:55,640
Because his sons, the abuse going on of

1047
00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:59,080
power, forcing that which was not theirs and

1048
00:40:59,080 --> 00:40:59,760
taking it.

1049
00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:02,980
He didn't restrain them, and he also took

1050
00:41:02,980 --> 00:41:06,720
part in eating that meat and getting to

1051
00:41:06,720 --> 00:41:08,360
season it how he wanted it to be.

1052
00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:08,960
But you know what?

1053
00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:12,220
It sounds so foolish in view of eternity.

1054
00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:13,860
You look at this and you're like, you've

1055
00:41:13,860 --> 00:41:14,440
got to be kidding.

1056
00:41:14,740 --> 00:41:19,360
Why would he trade food that perishes?

1057
00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:23,300
That's how deceitful sin is.

1058
00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:26,920
You know, a little emotional attachment happens.

1059
00:41:27,820 --> 00:41:29,300
And before you know it, your heart gets

1060
00:41:29,300 --> 00:41:32,020
in heart adultery and then sin just creeps

1061
00:41:32,020 --> 00:41:32,460
along.

1062
00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:33,740
It takes you out.

1063
00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:38,900
You don't want to mess with sin.

1064
00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:41,320
You don't want to underestimate it.

1065
00:41:41,340 --> 00:41:42,100
I've mentioned this.

1066
00:41:42,180 --> 00:41:44,720
Don Curran, at the Fellowship Conference, I was

1067
00:41:44,720 --> 00:41:45,400
talking to him.

1068
00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:47,220
I said, what do you remember about Bob

1069
00:41:47,220 --> 00:41:49,000
Jennings that really stuck out to you?

1070
00:41:49,260 --> 00:41:50,900
And he said one time they were walking

1071
00:41:50,900 --> 00:41:53,280
on a trail praying and Don brought up

1072
00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:56,820
to him a pastor who ran away with

1073
00:41:56,820 --> 00:41:58,840
another man into homosexuality.

1074
00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:01,600
And Don joked and said to Bob, oh,

1075
00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:03,060
if you hear that ever happen to me,

1076
00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:04,100
you'll know it's a lie.

1077
00:42:05,180 --> 00:42:06,800
And Bob turned at Don.

1078
00:42:07,460 --> 00:42:09,860
And he said, don't underestimate the power of

1079
00:42:09,860 --> 00:42:10,140
sin.

1080
00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:12,080
Don't underestimate it.

1081
00:42:12,700 --> 00:42:14,680
Let anyone who thinks he stands take heed

1082
00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:15,380
lest he fall.

1083
00:42:15,420 --> 00:42:16,820
You could hear that report of that man

1084
00:42:16,820 --> 00:42:19,000
running off into such immorality and say that'll

1085
00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:19,860
never happen to me.

1086
00:42:19,860 --> 00:42:21,780
If you have a proud thought like that,

1087
00:42:22,380 --> 00:42:23,720
we need God to keep us.

1088
00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:26,320
Here we have this right here staring us

1089
00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:28,120
in the face in the midst of our

1090
00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:28,680
generation.

1091
00:42:28,780 --> 00:42:30,160
It should put the fear of God in

1092
00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:32,980
us that we not compromise in any little

1093
00:42:32,980 --> 00:42:33,640
area.

1094
00:42:37,820 --> 00:42:40,440
We don't want reports spreading abroad.

1095
00:42:44,900 --> 00:42:46,400
So, God's response.

1096
00:42:50,280 --> 00:42:53,260
First, Eli himself told his sons one reason

1097
00:42:53,260 --> 00:42:54,500
why they should be concerned.

1098
00:42:54,500 --> 00:42:59,960
Look at 1 Samuel 2.25. Eli's saying

1099
00:42:59,960 --> 00:43:01,980
to his sons, look, if someone sins against

1100
00:43:01,980 --> 00:43:04,720
a man, God will mediate for him.

1101
00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:09,560
But if someone sins against the Lord, who

1102
00:43:09,560 --> 00:43:10,580
can intercede for him?

1103
00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:12,320
But they would not listen to the voice

1104
00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:12,800
of their father.

1105
00:43:13,220 --> 00:43:14,420
There's truth in what he's saying.

1106
00:43:14,740 --> 00:43:16,520
You're sinning against God.

1107
00:43:17,300 --> 00:43:21,020
You're going on in rebellion against God.

1108
00:43:21,180 --> 00:43:22,500
Who's going to mediate for you?

1109
00:43:22,500 --> 00:43:24,380
You go sin against these other people, you

1110
00:43:24,380 --> 00:43:25,520
can run to the Lord, you've got a

1111
00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:25,960
mediator.

1112
00:43:26,660 --> 00:43:29,140
You're in all-out rebellion against the Judge

1113
00:43:29,140 --> 00:43:29,820
of the Universe.

1114
00:43:34,670 --> 00:43:36,510
The Lord said, I'm going to lightly esteem

1115
00:43:36,510 --> 00:43:36,630
you.

1116
00:43:36,670 --> 00:43:37,910
I'm going to cut off your strength.

1117
00:43:38,230 --> 00:43:40,330
Both your sons will die on the same

1118
00:43:40,330 --> 00:43:40,530
day.

1119
00:43:40,610 --> 00:43:43,530
You know who gives life and who takes

1120
00:43:43,530 --> 00:43:43,770
life?

1121
00:43:43,830 --> 00:43:44,450
God does.

1122
00:43:44,730 --> 00:43:47,010
As it says, He cuts the thread of

1123
00:43:47,010 --> 00:43:47,570
your life.

1124
00:43:47,930 --> 00:43:50,070
God determined both his sons would die on

1125
00:43:50,070 --> 00:43:51,410
that day and God killed them.

1126
00:43:52,230 --> 00:43:53,890
The Lord said, I'm going to punish his

1127
00:43:53,890 --> 00:43:54,610
house forever.

1128
00:43:55,310 --> 00:43:56,690
Both his sons died.

1129
00:43:56,810 --> 00:43:57,890
The ark was taken.

1130
00:43:58,890 --> 00:44:00,510
What is God's response?

1131
00:44:00,650 --> 00:44:04,010
Eventually, in 1 Kings 2, Samuel expelled Abathar

1132
00:44:04,010 --> 00:44:07,210
from being priest to the Lord, thus fulfilling

1133
00:44:07,210 --> 00:44:09,150
the word of the Lord that he had

1134
00:44:09,150 --> 00:44:11,670
spoken concerning the house of Eli and Shiloh.

1135
00:44:11,770 --> 00:44:14,770
God fulfilled His word and took them out.

1136
00:44:16,310 --> 00:44:18,150
You know what God's response was?

1137
00:44:18,230 --> 00:44:19,790
You're going to dishonor me like that?

1138
00:44:19,830 --> 00:44:20,530
You go to battle?

1139
00:44:20,650 --> 00:44:21,330
You're going to lose.

1140
00:44:21,410 --> 00:44:23,090
And 30,000 Israelites died.

1141
00:44:23,090 --> 00:44:24,370
The ark was taken.

1142
00:44:24,890 --> 00:44:26,310
I mean, things just crumbled.

1143
00:44:29,270 --> 00:44:31,750
You try to go to war with these

1144
00:44:31,750 --> 00:44:33,010
type of things going on?

1145
00:44:33,130 --> 00:44:34,330
It's going to be a disaster.

1146
00:44:34,710 --> 00:44:36,690
Now, let's think about Samuel.

1147
00:44:38,950 --> 00:44:40,950
This is a man who was born of

1148
00:44:40,950 --> 00:44:42,330
answered prayer from his mother.

1149
00:44:43,170 --> 00:44:43,910
God heard her.

1150
00:44:45,470 --> 00:44:46,890
I was thinking about Samuel.

1151
00:44:50,140 --> 00:44:52,880
He's a boy and he's witnessing all of

1152
00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:53,300
this.

1153
00:44:57,120 --> 00:44:58,780
Would that impact your life?

1154
00:45:02,980 --> 00:45:04,040
Not just that.

1155
00:45:04,040 --> 00:45:05,720
The Lord comes to him.

1156
00:45:08,150 --> 00:45:13,420
3.13 You've got to go tell Eli,

1157
00:45:13,560 --> 00:45:16,320
I'm about to punish his house forever for

1158
00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:17,540
the sin that he knew.

1159
00:45:17,820 --> 00:45:19,060
I mean, you're hearing that.

1160
00:45:19,680 --> 00:45:21,460
Because the sons were blaspheming God.

1161
00:45:21,520 --> 00:45:22,700
He did not restrain them.

1162
00:45:23,940 --> 00:45:25,240
I mean, Samuel's response, v.

1163
00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:27,340
15, he was afraid.

1164
00:45:29,610 --> 00:45:32,190
If you're Samuel and you're a young man

1165
00:45:32,190 --> 00:45:33,850
and you're witnessing all of this and you're

1166
00:45:33,850 --> 00:45:35,990
about to witness the very judgment of God,

1167
00:45:36,070 --> 00:45:37,270
and you've got to be the one who's

1168
00:45:37,270 --> 00:45:39,130
going to go there and tell Eli that.

1169
00:45:40,510 --> 00:45:42,630
Samuel did not just forget that 20 years

1170
00:45:42,630 --> 00:45:43,330
down the road.

1171
00:45:46,790 --> 00:45:48,150
This isn't in the text, but you know

1172
00:45:48,150 --> 00:45:49,730
why I would say one reason why Samuel

1173
00:45:49,730 --> 00:45:50,270
was holy?

1174
00:45:50,670 --> 00:45:52,050
Because he went through that.

1175
00:45:52,750 --> 00:45:54,730
He witnessed these things.

1176
00:45:55,050 --> 00:45:57,090
And it was an example to him.

1177
00:45:57,250 --> 00:45:59,190
Just like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10

1178
00:45:59,190 --> 00:46:01,310
of what the Israelites, it's an example to

1179
00:46:01,310 --> 00:46:02,310
us for our instruction.

1180
00:46:04,130 --> 00:46:05,030
And you know what?

1181
00:46:05,090 --> 00:46:06,930
That's one application for you and me.

1182
00:46:06,930 --> 00:46:10,570
As we look at these godly men out

1183
00:46:10,570 --> 00:46:10,890
there.

1184
00:46:12,690 --> 00:46:15,330
You know, one brother just emailing a girl,

1185
00:46:15,770 --> 00:46:18,050
counseling her, and ends up in this whole

1186
00:46:18,050 --> 00:46:18,250
scandal.

1187
00:46:18,250 --> 00:46:19,070
Just an email.

1188
00:46:19,210 --> 00:46:22,950
Just an email counseling him to a woman.

1189
00:46:23,950 --> 00:46:25,070
Trying to serve her.

1190
00:46:25,950 --> 00:46:27,370
Things get worse, worse, worse.

1191
00:46:30,620 --> 00:46:34,620
That should make us say, hmm, I better

1192
00:46:34,620 --> 00:46:36,280
be very, very careful.

1193
00:46:37,540 --> 00:46:38,620
I better be very careful.

1194
00:46:40,580 --> 00:46:43,000
So Samuel was afraid to tell the vision.

1195
00:46:43,920 --> 00:46:45,700
I mean, he's going through all of this.

1196
00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:47,880
Observing the failures that are happening.

1197
00:46:48,660 --> 00:46:50,900
And thank God, with Samuel, things got brighter

1198
00:46:50,900 --> 00:46:52,780
and brighter and he was not corrupted.

1199
00:46:52,920 --> 00:46:54,260
And that's how it should be for us.

1200
00:46:54,460 --> 00:46:56,100
By the grace of God, things will get

1201
00:46:56,100 --> 00:46:56,500
better.

1202
00:46:56,880 --> 00:46:59,180
Holiness will increase, not decrease.

1203
00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:03,140
As things get darker among professing Christianity, may

1204
00:47:03,140 --> 00:47:05,180
things only be brighter and brighter.

1205
00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:07,240
May we only fear God more and more

1206
00:47:07,240 --> 00:47:08,120
and more and more.

1207
00:47:09,400 --> 00:47:11,020
So what do we learn?

1208
00:47:11,140 --> 00:47:13,640
I mean, these different things mentioned, but I

1209
00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:16,560
thought one, we should learn that I might

1210
00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:18,860
not be the one committing the immorality, but

1211
00:47:18,860 --> 00:47:21,500
if I know of it and do nothing,

1212
00:47:22,500 --> 00:47:24,000
I become an accomplice.

1213
00:47:24,580 --> 00:47:26,360
If the way you deal with sin is

1214
00:47:26,360 --> 00:47:28,260
not strong enough, the Lord will hold you

1215
00:47:28,260 --> 00:47:29,600
accountable as Eli did.

1216
00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:35,000
That's a very valid application for church leaders

1217
00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:35,560
in our day.

1218
00:47:38,370 --> 00:47:43,210
We have a strong admonition here to not

1219
00:47:43,210 --> 00:47:44,070
deal with sin lightly.

1220
00:47:44,310 --> 00:47:46,030
Just like I said, if churches don't practice

1221
00:47:46,030 --> 00:47:47,910
church discipline, they're dealing with sin lightly.

1222
00:47:48,170 --> 00:47:50,070
They're letting corruption go on in the church.

1223
00:47:50,470 --> 00:47:52,670
Paul said these things should not be named

1224
00:47:52,670 --> 00:47:53,090
among us.

1225
00:47:53,130 --> 00:47:54,510
It should not be happening among us.

1226
00:47:54,950 --> 00:47:56,070
A second thing we learn.

1227
00:47:56,350 --> 00:47:58,310
When there is sin in the camp, victory

1228
00:47:58,310 --> 00:48:00,310
on the battlefield fails.

1229
00:48:01,190 --> 00:48:04,070
Whether Achan's day or right here.

1230
00:48:04,810 --> 00:48:09,290
Verse 10, chapter 4, I mean, get this,

1231
00:48:09,510 --> 00:48:10,930
verse 4-7.

1232
00:48:11,450 --> 00:48:13,890
Look at this, the Philistines were afraid.

1233
00:48:15,170 --> 00:48:16,110
I mean, Israel's coming.

1234
00:48:16,450 --> 00:48:17,990
They said a god is coming to the

1235
00:48:17,990 --> 00:48:18,270
camp.

1236
00:48:18,550 --> 00:48:20,150
They said, woe to us!

1237
00:48:20,270 --> 00:48:21,730
Woe to us!

1238
00:48:22,350 --> 00:48:23,910
Nothing like this has happened before.

1239
00:48:24,050 --> 00:48:24,630
Woe to us!

1240
00:48:24,650 --> 00:48:26,290
Who can deliver us from the power of

1241
00:48:26,290 --> 00:48:26,990
these mighty gods?

1242
00:48:27,430 --> 00:48:29,350
These are the gods who struck the Egyptians

1243
00:48:29,350 --> 00:48:31,110
with every sort of plague in the wilderness.

1244
00:48:31,290 --> 00:48:32,510
Now, they don't have their history right.

1245
00:48:32,510 --> 00:48:34,550
The Egyptians didn't die from plagues in the

1246
00:48:34,550 --> 00:48:34,830
wilderness.

1247
00:48:35,490 --> 00:48:36,770
They've got bad history here.

1248
00:48:36,790 --> 00:48:39,210
Verse 9, Take courage and be men, O

1249
00:48:39,210 --> 00:48:41,710
Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews.

1250
00:48:43,090 --> 00:48:46,210
Verse 10, they're thinking we're toast.

1251
00:48:46,410 --> 00:48:49,310
The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated.

1252
00:48:49,710 --> 00:48:52,570
And Israel fled, every man, to his home.

1253
00:48:52,770 --> 00:48:54,730
And there was a very great slaughter for

1254
00:48:54,730 --> 00:48:58,370
30,000 foot soldiers of Israel fell.

1255
00:49:00,780 --> 00:49:01,320
Isn't that something?

1256
00:49:02,440 --> 00:49:06,220
Their own enemies were terrified and yet ended

1257
00:49:06,220 --> 00:49:07,160
up getting a victory.

1258
00:49:07,800 --> 00:49:08,420
What a shame.

1259
00:49:10,960 --> 00:49:13,940
A third thing we learn, we have a

1260
00:49:13,940 --> 00:49:17,700
very, very strong exhortation here to not put

1261
00:49:17,700 --> 00:49:19,540
man above God.

1262
00:49:21,580 --> 00:49:25,700
Those whom you love, the famous preacher, or

1263
00:49:25,700 --> 00:49:28,180
your own kids, could tempt you to turn

1264
00:49:28,180 --> 00:49:29,300
a blind eye.

1265
00:49:31,450 --> 00:49:32,870
That never happened to us.

1266
00:49:33,870 --> 00:49:34,430
Really?

1267
00:49:36,310 --> 00:49:37,330
These are instructions.

1268
00:49:37,630 --> 00:49:39,850
As we continue marching on as a church,

1269
00:49:40,150 --> 00:49:41,910
these are things we should remember.

1270
00:49:43,090 --> 00:49:53,870
Remember, as we counsel others, different things, as

1271
00:49:53,870 --> 00:49:56,770
it said, verse 29, you honor your sons

1272
00:49:56,770 --> 00:49:57,470
above Me.

1273
00:49:58,030 --> 00:50:00,170
Just like that one person in that church,

1274
00:50:00,250 --> 00:50:01,990
they knew about it for 20 years, but,

1275
00:50:02,650 --> 00:50:06,950
you know, we thought we knew who he

1276
00:50:06,950 --> 00:50:07,410
is.

1277
00:50:09,240 --> 00:50:10,960
And we trust him.

1278
00:50:12,140 --> 00:50:14,340
Are there going to be false accusations?

1279
00:50:14,680 --> 00:50:15,080
Sure.

1280
00:50:16,360 --> 00:50:21,040
But if there's facts, you can't ignore it.

1281
00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:25,990
Fourth thing, what does the Lord want?

1282
00:50:26,630 --> 00:50:30,790
Look at 1 Samuel 2, verse 25.

1283
00:50:32,890 --> 00:50:34,050
But they would...

1284
00:50:38,180 --> 00:50:39,560
I'm sorry, 35.

1285
00:50:41,140 --> 00:50:44,360
And I will raise up for Myself a

1286
00:50:44,360 --> 00:50:47,460
faithful priest who shall do according to what

1287
00:50:47,460 --> 00:50:50,340
is in My heart and what is in

1288
00:50:50,340 --> 00:50:50,720
My mind.

1289
00:50:51,540 --> 00:50:56,740
Who is the faithful priest that was ultimately

1290
00:50:56,740 --> 00:50:59,760
raised up that did everything perfectly according to

1291
00:50:59,760 --> 00:51:01,300
the mind and heart of God?

1292
00:51:02,560 --> 00:51:03,360
Jesus Christ.

1293
00:51:04,200 --> 00:51:06,600
There's a lot of hope in that one

1294
00:51:06,600 --> 00:51:07,100
reality.

1295
00:51:09,360 --> 00:51:13,060
When we come to Him, does He abuse

1296
00:51:13,060 --> 00:51:13,400
us?

1297
00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:14,700
No.

1298
00:51:16,010 --> 00:51:18,610
Does He force us in such a way

1299
00:51:18,610 --> 00:51:19,730
as Eli's sons did?

1300
00:51:19,810 --> 00:51:20,030
No.

1301
00:51:22,580 --> 00:51:24,480
Rather, He didn't count His life of any

1302
00:51:24,480 --> 00:51:27,600
value and offered Himself for us as a

1303
00:51:27,600 --> 00:51:28,080
sacrifice.

1304
00:51:28,440 --> 00:51:30,640
So it's not us taking sacrifices.

1305
00:51:30,940 --> 00:51:32,040
He offers Himself.

1306
00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:36,700
I was thinking, if you've experienced abuse at

1307
00:51:36,700 --> 00:51:38,460
hands of clergy, and I know some here

1308
00:51:38,460 --> 00:51:41,080
have mentioned in their testimonies, they grew up

1309
00:51:41,080 --> 00:51:43,640
in a Catholic church, were abused by priests

1310
00:51:43,640 --> 00:51:44,740
in different things.

1311
00:51:45,880 --> 00:51:48,700
Or maybe someone in these recent years is

1312
00:51:48,700 --> 00:51:50,440
a preacher whom you loved and they were

1313
00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:51,640
revealed as a hypocrite.

1314
00:51:52,640 --> 00:51:53,500
A play actor.

1315
00:51:53,680 --> 00:51:57,140
I can assure you this, Jesus Christ is

1316
00:51:57,140 --> 00:51:57,900
no hypocrite.

1317
00:51:58,580 --> 00:52:00,440
Jesus Christ is no play actor.

1318
00:52:00,920 --> 00:52:02,980
He is perfect and seated in Heaven right

1319
00:52:02,980 --> 00:52:03,360
now.

1320
00:52:03,840 --> 00:52:04,880
Men can fail you.

1321
00:52:04,960 --> 00:52:05,840
Christ will not.

1322
00:52:06,440 --> 00:52:08,180
Now, men, by the grace of God, want

1323
00:52:08,180 --> 00:52:10,580
to say as those leaders did in Hebrews

1324
00:52:10,580 --> 00:52:13,500
13, pray for us, for we are certain

1325
00:52:13,500 --> 00:52:14,980
that our consciences are clear.

1326
00:52:15,340 --> 00:52:16,980
We should be able to say that by

1327
00:52:16,980 --> 00:52:17,960
the grace of God.

1328
00:52:18,560 --> 00:52:20,760
At the same time, acknowledge, men have failures.

1329
00:52:20,900 --> 00:52:22,600
But Jesus Christ, there's no failure.

1330
00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:23,860
There's no abuse.

1331
00:52:24,200 --> 00:52:25,520
He is the perfect priest.

1332
00:52:26,040 --> 00:52:27,880
He offers Himself as a sacrifice.

1333
00:52:29,040 --> 00:52:33,200
So, even if you experienced abuse and immorality

1334
00:52:33,200 --> 00:52:35,760
among church leaders, it does not change what's

1335
00:52:35,760 --> 00:52:37,860
true of our great leader, Jesus Christ.

1336
00:52:38,260 --> 00:52:39,220
He never changes.

1337
00:52:39,420 --> 00:52:41,320
He's faithful to the end.

1338
00:52:42,360 --> 00:52:43,640
So that's all I have.

1339
00:52:45,480 --> 00:52:47,660
As I've said, as Paul says, these things

1340
00:52:47,660 --> 00:52:50,560
are written for our instruction, for our example,

1341
00:52:51,100 --> 00:52:52,620
upon whom the end of the ages have

1342
00:52:52,620 --> 00:52:52,920
come.

1343
00:52:53,400 --> 00:52:55,460
And we're in a culture where a lot

1344
00:52:55,460 --> 00:52:57,820
of this is coming out to the light.

1345
00:52:59,180 --> 00:53:01,480
And we should not just ignore it.

1346
00:53:02,700 --> 00:53:03,780
Ignore it in one way.

1347
00:53:03,800 --> 00:53:05,620
You don't need to go read about filth

1348
00:53:05,620 --> 00:53:06,780
and defile your mind.

1349
00:53:06,920 --> 00:53:09,220
But we should not ignore it in that

1350
00:53:09,220 --> 00:53:12,040
it's a lesson for us to take heed

1351
00:53:12,040 --> 00:53:15,540
just like what we have many, many years

1352
00:53:15,540 --> 00:53:17,040
ago with these two sons here.

1353
00:53:17,460 --> 00:53:20,160
What a shame the things they were doing.

1354
00:53:20,720 --> 00:53:24,500
What a shame that as many would say,

1355
00:53:24,760 --> 00:53:27,700
it caused the Israelites to treat the offering

1356
00:53:27,700 --> 00:53:28,860
of the Lord with contempt.

1357
00:53:29,340 --> 00:53:31,320
The last thing we want is for people

1358
00:53:31,320 --> 00:53:33,480
to treat Christianity with contempt.

1359
00:53:33,740 --> 00:53:38,560
To despise Christianity because of hypocrisy.

1360
00:53:40,260 --> 00:53:43,060
And rather than mention it before the 11,

1361
00:53:43,120 --> 00:53:45,880
because we have five minutes, one thing I'm

1362
00:53:45,880 --> 00:53:47,740
reminded of is what we mentioned Wednesday night.

1363
00:53:47,820 --> 00:53:50,620
This pastor who today has a business meeting

1364
00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:54,180
in his church, and he is a man

1365
00:53:54,180 --> 00:53:55,760
of God, and they're trying to kick him

1366
00:53:55,760 --> 00:53:56,180
out.

1367
00:53:57,620 --> 00:53:59,340
The way the church is set up isn't

1368
00:53:59,340 --> 00:54:02,180
good because it's a Southern Baptist type of

1369
00:54:02,180 --> 00:54:02,480
church.

1370
00:54:02,860 --> 00:54:05,600
But I'm going to close in prayer and

1371
00:54:05,600 --> 00:54:07,620
I'm going to pray for him because what

1372
00:54:07,620 --> 00:54:11,700
a thing if the Lord would stand rather

1373
00:54:11,700 --> 00:54:14,240
than allow judgment and they lose this man.

1374
00:54:14,780 --> 00:54:15,800
It's for their own good.

1375
00:54:15,860 --> 00:54:16,500
They have him!

1376
00:54:18,160 --> 00:54:20,640
God could judge them and let them remove

1377
00:54:20,640 --> 00:54:21,180
him today.

1378
00:54:21,740 --> 00:54:25,980
Or God could reveal hypocrisy among these others

1379
00:54:25,980 --> 00:54:28,080
and allow them to stay and be a

1380
00:54:28,080 --> 00:54:28,720
blessing to them.

1381
00:54:28,800 --> 00:54:29,360
So let's pray.

1382
00:54:32,700 --> 00:54:36,640
Father, Lord, we thank You for Your utter

1383
00:54:36,640 --> 00:54:38,120
faithfulness to us.

1384
00:54:38,120 --> 00:54:40,040
And Lord, I pray in the name of

1385
00:54:40,040 --> 00:54:43,740
Your Son that You would help Tim, myself,

1386
00:54:45,520 --> 00:54:49,220
John, Tawfiq, and Lord, it seems Craig is

1387
00:54:49,220 --> 00:54:50,000
being raised up.

1388
00:54:50,060 --> 00:54:52,640
Lord, You'd help all of us to walk

1389
00:54:52,640 --> 00:54:54,500
in a manner worthy of the Gospel.

1390
00:54:55,840 --> 00:54:57,420
Lord, to walk in purity.

1391
00:54:57,660 --> 00:55:00,200
And Lord, we know if we fear You,

1392
00:55:01,080 --> 00:55:03,900
Lord, if we revere Your Word, Lord, He

1393
00:55:03,900 --> 00:55:08,880
who calls wisdom His intimate friend will be

1394
00:55:08,880 --> 00:55:10,380
kept from the forbidden woman.

1395
00:55:11,100 --> 00:55:12,300
And Lord, we love Your Word.

1396
00:55:12,440 --> 00:55:13,340
We love Your truth.

1397
00:55:13,620 --> 00:55:16,180
Lord, we love Your Son who's revealed to

1398
00:55:16,180 --> 00:55:18,820
us, who is the faithful, great High Priest.

1399
00:55:19,500 --> 00:55:21,320
And so Lord, we pray You'd keep us.

1400
00:55:21,720 --> 00:55:24,560
We pray, Lord, You'd save people who have

1401
00:55:24,560 --> 00:55:27,240
had horrible experiences with abusive leadership.

1402
00:55:27,460 --> 00:55:28,760
Lord, would You save them?

1403
00:55:28,980 --> 00:55:31,040
And Lord, where men are being accused of

1404
00:55:31,040 --> 00:55:33,000
abusive leadership, where there is none.

1405
00:55:34,120 --> 00:55:36,940
Lord, like this church this morning in another

1406
00:55:36,940 --> 00:55:37,400
city.

1407
00:55:38,180 --> 00:55:40,160
Lord, we pray that You would protect that

1408
00:55:40,160 --> 00:55:40,400
man.

1409
00:55:40,500 --> 00:55:43,140
Lord, here accusations are leveled that are not

1410
00:55:43,140 --> 00:55:43,520
true.

1411
00:55:44,460 --> 00:55:45,520
Lord, You know.

1412
00:55:45,700 --> 00:55:47,020
You search men's hearts.

1413
00:55:48,200 --> 00:55:50,120
And Father, we ask, I ask in the

1414
00:55:50,120 --> 00:55:52,360
name of Your Son, please, Lord, protect that

1415
00:55:52,360 --> 00:55:52,900
dear brother.

1416
00:55:53,460 --> 00:55:55,460
Lord, allow this meeting to go in such

1417
00:55:55,460 --> 00:55:57,860
a way, Lord, where You would be the

1418
00:55:57,860 --> 00:55:58,320
victor.

1419
00:55:58,320 --> 00:56:03,260
Whether that's through him staying, or through him

1420
00:56:03,260 --> 00:56:05,680
going and other true Christians leaving with him

1421
00:56:05,680 --> 00:56:08,020
and that group being judged by losing someone

1422
00:56:08,020 --> 00:56:09,060
who's faithful to You.

1423
00:56:09,180 --> 00:56:11,180
Lord, Your ways are beyond ours.

1424
00:56:11,560 --> 00:56:13,440
We ask for Your perfect will in that.

1425
00:56:13,680 --> 00:56:14,920
Lord, strengthen that brother.

1426
00:56:15,380 --> 00:56:17,920
Be with the words of his lips.

1427
00:56:18,880 --> 00:56:20,180
And Lord, we just ask You to bless

1428
00:56:20,180 --> 00:56:22,860
our time now even as we fellowship and

1429
00:56:22,860 --> 00:56:23,920
talk amongst each other.

1430
00:56:24,460 --> 00:56:26,640
In Christ's redeeming name, Amen.