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I like what Brother Jennings said this afternoon,

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love ye therefore the stranger.

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So I'm going to need you to put

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in practice that with me.

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This will be a suitable afternoon to put

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it in practice.

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So be patient with me this afternoon.

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I'm going to try to share with you

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a little bit of the word of God.

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And I like to read, first of all,

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the first book of Samuel in the Old

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Testament.

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1 Samuel, chapter 2.

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My intention is to try to encourage a

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little bit younger believers.

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And I have in mind to try to

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encourage some of the young people here.

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I hope we can get to the point.

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1 Samuel, chapter 2, and let's read in

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verse number 11.

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And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house.

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And the child, this is Samuel, did minister

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unto the Lord before Eli the priest.

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Now verse number 18.

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But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a

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child girded with a lion in effect.

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Now let's read verse number 19.

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Moreover, his mother made him a little coat

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and brought it to him from year to

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year.

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When she came up with her husband to

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offer the yearly sacrifice.

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Verse number 21.

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And the Lord visited Hannah so that she

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conceived and bare three sons and two daughters.

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And the child, Samuel, grew before the Lord.

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Verse number 26.

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And the child, Samuel, grew on and was

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in favor both with the Lord and also

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with men.

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Now chapter 3, verse number 1.

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And the word of the Lord was precious

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in those days.

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There was no open vision.

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Now verse number 19 of chapter 3.

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And Samuel grew and the Lord was with

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him and did let none of his words

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fall to the ground.

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That's all we're going to read.

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Now, I would like to notice in the

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life of Samuel, the way he was growing.

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I want to consider that Samuel was growing

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physically, but he also was growing intellectually.

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And I also see that Samuel was growing

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spiritually.

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So I would like to consider with you

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the growing of this little child.

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And one of the things that we notice

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here, he was growing physically.

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He was growing intellectually and he was growing

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spiritually.

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Now, if we consider the situation of the

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nation of Israel at that time.

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We see that he was growing in an

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environment that didn't really help him very much.

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The environment was very bad.

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There was a national spiritual decay in Israel.

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Because we read in chapter 3 and verse

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number 1 that the word of the Lord

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was precious in those days.

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And that means really that they lack the

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word of the Lord.

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They were not looking for the word of

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the Lord.

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They were not reading.

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They were not studying.

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They were not looking at what God has

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given them.

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So they lacked a lot of knowledge of

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God in the time when Samuel was growing.

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So when we consider that, we see that

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his environment was a very difficult environment.

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But even so, we read that he was

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growing and he was ministering unto the Lord.

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So there was a national decay in Israel.

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They lacked a lot of knowledge from God.

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So this is something that we see today.

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And when we look around us in the

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days that we're living, we see more and

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more in the world that we're living in

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the lack of knowledge of God.

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Now, as believers, sometimes we get a little

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bit scared of the world.

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And as believers, we get shy when it

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comes to try to give a testimony for

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the Lord to others.

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Now, see the example of Samuel.

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He was a little child.

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He was growing in a really bad environment.

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But he was a steady growing in his

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life.

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And I just want to see the example

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of Samuel in the Old Testament as a

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good example for us today.

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And we know that sometimes we are not

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as brave as we need to be to

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testify for the Lord.

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Overall, when we live in this world, most

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of what we see today is really bad.

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And most of what we see around us

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is something that is really going down in

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the course of this world.

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That's what Paul says in Ephesians 2, verse

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2, when he speaks about the course of

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this world that is going down.

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And many people are going down with the

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world and the course of the world.

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The believer, sometimes he's going to find out

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in the middle of this situation.

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And he's going to wonder, what am I

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going to do?

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Most of the people around me, they don't

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know God.

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Most of the people around me, they do

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what is wicked.

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They do what they want to do.

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They lack knowledge of God.

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And the believer is tempted to go the

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same way that the world is going today.

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Some course down with them.

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Why?

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Because we feel scared to give testimony, to

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stand for the Lord.

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We feel we are shy and we don't

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want to just be in the middle of

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all the friends or the people around us.

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And for them to make fun of us.

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And that happens.

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It might happen to you.

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It has happened to me.

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But we read about this little child Samuel.

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He was growing before the Lord.

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He was growing and at the same time,

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he was ministering for the Lord.

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And you can see that he was a

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little child.

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There wasn't much help around him.

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We're going to consider Eli in the life

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of Samuel, not of much help.

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But consider this little child growing in this

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environment.

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He was growing and he wasn't discouraged.

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He kept doing it.

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Not only physically, not only intellectually, but also

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spiritually.

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So I would like to encourage today the

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believers, young believers, to keep going for the

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Lord.

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To keep growing for the Lord.

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We are living in a world that is

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really, really going farther and farther from God.

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And the believer sometimes is like the salmon

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trying to go against the course.

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Difficult to go against the course of a

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river.

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Difficult to go against the course of the

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world.

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But if we know that we have a

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God in heaven, not only that saved us,

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but also that can give us strength.

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If we trust Him, we can do it.

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Some believers think that it's impossible to be

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a person that could honor the Lord today.

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With all the environment around us, some believers

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think it's not possible.

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This is something that is not going to

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work with me.

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And they just leave the principles of the

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Lord and the principles of the Bible.

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And they go the same course of the

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world.

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Because they think it's not going to be

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possible for me to do this.

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I would like to encourage you to keep

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growing in the knowledge of the Lord.

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And to keep growing in the grace of

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the Lord.

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And we'll consider that, the knowledge and the

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grace of the Lord, in a minute.

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But look at this.

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There is this child Samuel growing in the

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middle of this mess.

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And the nation of Israel is far from

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God.

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The nation of Israel is lacking knowledge.

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But he was growing, and he was growing

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before the Lord.

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But not only that.

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Samuel was growing, and the religious system in

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his days was broken.

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When you consider chapter 2, verse number 17,

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and verse number 18.

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The way Eli's sons acted, the way they

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were behaving.

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It was an awful way.

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They were supposed to be the people that

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had the responsibility to teach about God.

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And to teach the Word of God.

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What were they doing?

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They were doing wicked things.

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Samuel is in the middle of this situation.

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The religious system in Israel was broken.

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Totally, totally.

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Nothing good of it.

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But there is Samuel, and we read about

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him.

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While the children, the sons of Eli, were

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doing these wicked things.

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Samuel kept growing, and Samuel kept ministering.

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So, maybe today, somebody gets discouraged.

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Because we have not only the wicked world,

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but the religious system in the world.

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The religious system in the world is something

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that is really far from God.

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And we realize about that.

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We realize that the people that profess to

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be Christians, many of them, they say they

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are Christians.

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But the way they live their Christian life

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is really discouraging.

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Disheartening.

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To know that somebody that says that he

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is a Christian, or a believer, lives the

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life they are living.

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So, the believers get discouraged sometimes.

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And they wonder about, is it really worth

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it to keep going and follow the Lord?

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Look at the other people, what they are

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doing.

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Or look at the congregation, these other congregations.

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What they preach, and what they do.

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Most of them are doing exactly the same.

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Most of them are doing exactly what is

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opposed to what we are doing in the

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assembly.

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Some believers, they get discouraged.

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Because the rest of the world, the rest

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of the religious system, goes more or less

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the same way.

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But in the assembly, things are done differently.

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They think, is it really worth it to

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do it?

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Because when I speak to other people that

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profess to be Christians, and when I talk

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to them about the assembly, the principles, the

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doctrine of the assembly, they think that I

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am such a strange person.

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And that I have such a strange congregation.

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What kind of church are you going to?

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They ask me sometimes.

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What kind of doctrine are you holding?

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What is that?

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We have never heard about that.

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New believers, they find this, that is something

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discouraging to them.

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You know what?

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You see this little Samuel, how he was

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growing.

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The sons of Eli, they were doing wicked

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things.

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They were the leaders of the national religion.

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But you know what?

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Samuel didn't see what they were doing.

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Samuel kept growing in knowledge, in grace, before

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God and before man.

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So, I would like to encourage you to

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keep growing.

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You're going to find discouragement in this world

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00:14:13,010 --> 00:14:15,830
that lacks knowledge of God.

280
00:14:16,830 --> 00:14:19,750
You're going to find discouragement in the religious

281
00:14:19,750 --> 00:14:24,390
system today that has gone so far from

282
00:14:24,390 --> 00:14:24,910
God, too.

283
00:14:28,690 --> 00:14:34,650
And you'll see it the way an assembly

284
00:14:34,650 --> 00:14:43,950
is doing their things, and trying to accomplish

285
00:14:43,950 --> 00:14:45,850
what the Bible says, and trying to carry

286
00:14:45,850 --> 00:14:47,130
on the doctrine of the Lord.

287
00:14:47,850 --> 00:14:50,590
And this is going to be something crazy

288
00:14:50,590 --> 00:14:54,150
for others that don't know exactly how an

289
00:14:54,150 --> 00:14:57,210
assembly should be, how a church should be.

290
00:14:58,050 --> 00:15:00,770
But a believer that sees in the Word

291
00:15:00,770 --> 00:15:03,490
of God what he should do, he should

292
00:15:03,490 --> 00:15:06,810
be encouraged that when the world is going

293
00:15:06,810 --> 00:15:09,450
far from God, and the religious system is

294
00:15:09,450 --> 00:15:12,510
broken, he should be encouraged that the Lord

295
00:15:12,510 --> 00:15:15,150
Jesus Christ says where two or three are

296
00:15:15,150 --> 00:15:19,190
gathered together unto my name, there am I

297
00:15:19,190 --> 00:15:20,310
in the midst of them.

298
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That is something that should encourage me.

299
00:15:23,650 --> 00:15:25,210
It's not a matter of numbers.

300
00:15:25,810 --> 00:15:27,650
It's not a matter of entertainment.

301
00:15:28,110 --> 00:15:29,970
It's not a matter of how many activities

302
00:15:29,970 --> 00:15:32,050
I have in my church, or they have

303
00:15:32,050 --> 00:15:32,730
in their church.

304
00:15:33,050 --> 00:15:35,110
It's a matter of who is in the

305
00:15:35,110 --> 00:15:35,890
midst of us.

306
00:15:35,890 --> 00:15:43,470
That should be the thing that encourages us

307
00:15:43,470 --> 00:15:47,790
to appreciate what we have today, and to

308
00:15:47,790 --> 00:15:50,350
appreciate what the Lord appreciates.

309
00:15:52,420 --> 00:15:54,620
Samuel, he was growing.

310
00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:57,740
He was ministering at the same time.

311
00:15:58,300 --> 00:15:59,580
It didn't matter to him.

312
00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:01,840
Even as young as he was, it didn't

313
00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:04,220
matter to him what the rest were doing.

314
00:16:04,220 --> 00:16:08,280
What the nation of Israel was doing, or

315
00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:11,440
the religious system was doing.

316
00:16:11,660 --> 00:16:13,760
For him, this didn't matter.

317
00:16:13,860 --> 00:16:15,920
What mattered to him is that he was

318
00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:16,760
serving the Lord.

319
00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:18,520
He was serving the Lord.

320
00:16:20,810 --> 00:16:27,330
Not only that, but we read in 1

321
00:16:27,330 --> 00:16:32,030
Timothy 3, verse number 15, that the Apostle

322
00:16:32,030 --> 00:16:35,150
Paul is telling Timothy, and he tells him,

323
00:16:35,790 --> 00:16:39,590
that thou mayest know how to behave thyself

324
00:16:39,590 --> 00:16:43,330
in the house of God, which is the

325
00:16:43,330 --> 00:16:47,030
church of the living God, the pillar and

326
00:16:47,030 --> 00:16:49,010
ground of the truth.

327
00:16:49,670 --> 00:16:53,410
The pillar and ground of the truth.

328
00:16:53,410 --> 00:16:59,590
You know, my dear young brother, that the

329
00:16:59,590 --> 00:17:04,470
assembly, maybe as weak as you see it,

330
00:17:05,410 --> 00:17:08,270
and maybe with all the faults that you

331
00:17:08,270 --> 00:17:11,170
can see in the believers, you know that

332
00:17:11,170 --> 00:17:15,510
the assembly is the pillar and the ground

333
00:17:15,510 --> 00:17:17,250
of the truth in the world today.

334
00:17:19,819 --> 00:17:22,040
It's not the biggest church in town.

335
00:17:22,180 --> 00:17:27,180
What holds the truth is the assembly that

336
00:17:27,180 --> 00:17:28,860
holds the doctrine of the Lord.

337
00:17:30,380 --> 00:17:32,520
And even as weak as you see the

338
00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,540
assembly, that assembly is a pillar and a

339
00:17:35,540 --> 00:17:36,940
ground of the truth.

340
00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:38,380
And that should encourage me.

341
00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:46,540
Look at what Eli was doing.

342
00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:48,940
That's another thing.

343
00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:51,220
There was a lack of leadership in those

344
00:17:51,220 --> 00:17:51,580
days.

345
00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,600
Eli, he was the priest.

346
00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:56,140
He was a priest.

347
00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:57,880
He needed to show leadership.

348
00:17:58,980 --> 00:18:01,520
And he tried to talk to his sons,

349
00:18:02,260 --> 00:18:03,200
but they didn't hear him.

350
00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:05,500
They didn't obey him.

351
00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:09,260
They didn't consider his father as a leader.

352
00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,620
And they didn't put in practice what he

353
00:18:12,620 --> 00:18:13,580
told them to do.

354
00:18:13,580 --> 00:18:18,280
It was evident that in the time when

355
00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:21,680
Samuel was growing, that there is not leadership.

356
00:18:26,740 --> 00:18:32,560
Some believers, they may find that in their

357
00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:35,120
local assemblies, they may find or they may

358
00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:38,500
think that there is no leadership.

359
00:18:41,020 --> 00:18:44,440
It can be true or it cannot be

360
00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:44,680
true.

361
00:18:45,380 --> 00:18:48,140
Sometimes we see things that are not true,

362
00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:48,420
really.

363
00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:52,560
But, you know, Samuel, he knew who Eli

364
00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:53,080
was.

365
00:18:55,100 --> 00:18:59,180
Samuel was going to see a vision that

366
00:18:59,180 --> 00:19:01,900
told him what was going to happen to

367
00:19:01,900 --> 00:19:02,260
Eli.

368
00:19:03,660 --> 00:19:06,800
And it's interesting that Samuel didn't react against

369
00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:07,300
Eli.

370
00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,140
He didn't react against him.

371
00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:11,440
He could have done it.

372
00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:13,260
You say, well, he was a little child.

373
00:19:13,260 --> 00:19:16,000
Yes, but he didn't even have a thought

374
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:16,980
against Eli.

375
00:19:18,360 --> 00:19:21,220
Even when Eli wasn't doing the things properly,

376
00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:26,300
the best way, Samuel didn't have anything against

377
00:19:26,300 --> 00:19:26,620
him.

378
00:19:28,260 --> 00:19:30,960
And we would like to encourage you that

379
00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,140
if you see or if you think that

380
00:19:34,140 --> 00:19:37,260
there is no leadership in the assembly or

381
00:19:37,260 --> 00:19:40,060
where you live or where you're trying to

382
00:19:40,060 --> 00:19:42,060
serve the Lord, look at this.

383
00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,440
That was something that God was going to

384
00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:46,400
judge in Eli.

385
00:19:46,700 --> 00:19:48,800
It wasn't for Samuel to judge it.

386
00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,080
What was the work for Samuel?

387
00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:57,080
It was to grow and to minister before

388
00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:58,040
the Lord.

389
00:19:58,200 --> 00:19:59,280
That was his work.

390
00:20:02,870 --> 00:20:06,010
That's why in 1 Timothy chapter 4 and

391
00:20:06,010 --> 00:20:11,290
verse number 14, Paul says to Timothy, Neglect

392
00:20:11,290 --> 00:20:13,190
not the gift that is in thee.

393
00:20:14,370 --> 00:20:14,890
Why?

394
00:20:15,470 --> 00:20:19,650
Because we tend always to see others or

395
00:20:19,650 --> 00:20:24,130
around us and forget our own responsibility.

396
00:20:24,670 --> 00:20:26,410
Neglect not the gift.

397
00:20:27,110 --> 00:20:28,530
So be occupied in your gift.

398
00:20:29,090 --> 00:20:31,690
Timothy, you're going to see many things.

399
00:20:32,210 --> 00:20:34,130
You're going to see lots of things around

400
00:20:34,130 --> 00:20:34,530
you.

401
00:20:34,530 --> 00:20:36,610
Many things are encouraging.

402
00:20:37,050 --> 00:20:38,570
Other things are not that encouraging.

403
00:20:39,130 --> 00:20:42,150
But Timothy, neglect not the gift that you

404
00:20:42,150 --> 00:20:42,570
have.

405
00:20:43,910 --> 00:20:44,650
Don't do it.

406
00:20:45,010 --> 00:20:46,150
Put it in practice.

407
00:20:46,450 --> 00:20:47,210
Put it to work.

408
00:20:47,990 --> 00:20:50,590
That's your responsibility before God.

409
00:20:51,250 --> 00:20:55,970
You know, another thing that Timothy was going

410
00:20:55,970 --> 00:20:58,370
to learn from Paul is, Rebuke not an

411
00:20:58,370 --> 00:20:58,650
elder.

412
00:20:58,650 --> 00:21:02,550
In a sense, maybe Paul is talking about

413
00:21:02,550 --> 00:21:06,930
another person more than an elder in the

414
00:21:06,930 --> 00:21:07,290
assembly.

415
00:21:07,470 --> 00:21:11,290
But Paul is trying to teach Timothy that

416
00:21:11,290 --> 00:21:16,050
he needed to focus on the things that

417
00:21:16,050 --> 00:21:17,830
were his responsibilities.

418
00:21:18,810 --> 00:21:24,950
Now, my dear younger brother, believer, If you

419
00:21:24,950 --> 00:21:28,270
see or notice that there is not leadership

420
00:21:28,270 --> 00:21:32,610
in your assembly, Look at this.

421
00:21:33,690 --> 00:21:39,490
Remember, your responsibility is, I'm going to put

422
00:21:39,490 --> 00:21:42,030
my gift to work.

423
00:21:42,290 --> 00:21:45,610
Because if it's true, then God is going

424
00:21:45,610 --> 00:21:47,050
to need to raise leaders.

425
00:21:48,050 --> 00:21:50,510
God is going to need to raise believers

426
00:21:50,510 --> 00:21:54,990
with conviction and with strength and with character

427
00:21:54,990 --> 00:21:55,970
in their life.

428
00:21:56,650 --> 00:21:57,990
For them to be the leaders.

429
00:21:58,690 --> 00:22:00,010
And for them to help.

430
00:22:00,590 --> 00:22:03,490
Not as a boss in a company.

431
00:22:03,930 --> 00:22:06,570
But as a servant in an assembly that

432
00:22:06,570 --> 00:22:08,030
needs help.

433
00:22:08,510 --> 00:22:11,070
And that help comes from you.

434
00:22:11,930 --> 00:22:14,030
So don't get discouraged about that.

435
00:22:14,650 --> 00:22:15,890
Try to get encouraged.

436
00:22:15,890 --> 00:22:18,370
If I don't see that there is much

437
00:22:18,370 --> 00:22:19,290
happening here.

438
00:22:19,490 --> 00:22:21,410
If I don't see that the leaders are

439
00:22:21,410 --> 00:22:23,010
trying to help in the assembly.

440
00:22:23,550 --> 00:22:25,750
Then I'm going to put myself in the

441
00:22:25,750 --> 00:22:26,670
hands of the Lord.

442
00:22:27,170 --> 00:22:30,030
And may the Lord use some of the

443
00:22:30,030 --> 00:22:33,190
gift He has given me to help to

444
00:22:33,190 --> 00:22:35,430
grow myself before God.

445
00:22:35,710 --> 00:22:37,570
And to help the people of God to

446
00:22:37,570 --> 00:22:39,510
grow and to follow the Lord.

447
00:22:39,590 --> 00:22:40,610
That's what we need.

448
00:22:41,310 --> 00:22:44,910
We need more believers with a desire to

449
00:22:44,910 --> 00:22:45,830
follow the Lord.

450
00:22:46,150 --> 00:22:48,590
Looking at the Lord and trying to help

451
00:22:48,590 --> 00:22:49,990
the people of God.

452
00:22:52,970 --> 00:22:54,690
There was a lack of leadership in the

453
00:22:54,690 --> 00:22:57,550
time when Samuel was growing.

454
00:22:59,030 --> 00:22:59,670
You know what?

455
00:23:00,190 --> 00:23:03,670
Samuel, he was going to be a great

456
00:23:03,670 --> 00:23:04,790
leader in Israel.

457
00:23:05,990 --> 00:23:08,370
You know, he didn't say, oh, this Eli,

458
00:23:08,870 --> 00:23:10,570
he's not doing a good job.

459
00:23:10,570 --> 00:23:15,570
He didn't say, Eli's sons, they're wicked people.

460
00:23:15,970 --> 00:23:18,030
He didn't say, look at the rest of

461
00:23:18,030 --> 00:23:18,450
the nation.

462
00:23:18,610 --> 00:23:21,190
They lack so much knowledge of God.

463
00:23:21,450 --> 00:23:23,750
So this is not really for me.

464
00:23:24,470 --> 00:23:25,670
This is not what I want.

465
00:23:25,730 --> 00:23:26,690
This is not what I need.

466
00:23:26,890 --> 00:23:29,070
I need to go the same way the

467
00:23:29,070 --> 00:23:29,810
rest are going.

468
00:23:30,570 --> 00:23:32,010
No, he didn't say that.

469
00:23:32,470 --> 00:23:35,170
The Lord was preparing a leader.

470
00:23:35,170 --> 00:23:39,030
The Lord was raising a man that was

471
00:23:39,030 --> 00:23:41,550
going to bring the nation again to God.

472
00:23:42,110 --> 00:23:44,270
And Samuel is the man that brought David

473
00:23:44,270 --> 00:23:46,110
to the kingdom of Israel.

474
00:23:46,590 --> 00:23:49,530
And Israel became a great nation again under

475
00:23:49,530 --> 00:23:51,370
the leadership of David.

476
00:23:51,790 --> 00:23:53,330
Who did all these things?

477
00:23:53,650 --> 00:23:57,890
Samuel, he was a little child, but had

478
00:23:57,890 --> 00:23:58,490
convictions.

479
00:23:59,030 --> 00:24:01,990
Since he was a child, had convictions before

480
00:24:01,990 --> 00:24:02,450
God.

481
00:24:02,450 --> 00:24:05,430
And God used him to raise the nation,

482
00:24:05,710 --> 00:24:06,870
bring it back to God.

483
00:24:10,340 --> 00:24:12,500
But another thing that we see in the

484
00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:15,580
life of Samuel is the lack or absence

485
00:24:15,580 --> 00:24:16,740
of support.

486
00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:21,820
You see, we read a verse that his

487
00:24:21,820 --> 00:24:26,020
mother came every year to him to bring

488
00:24:26,020 --> 00:24:27,960
a coat for him every year.

489
00:24:28,100 --> 00:24:31,440
So his mother wasn't with him all the

490
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:31,960
time.

491
00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:34,820
It was just once a year when he

492
00:24:34,820 --> 00:24:38,400
saw his mother coming to encourage, to try

493
00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:39,000
to help him.

494
00:24:39,180 --> 00:24:41,120
He didn't have support around him.

495
00:24:42,380 --> 00:24:45,320
His loved ones, they were so far from

496
00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:45,700
him.

497
00:24:46,540 --> 00:24:48,400
So that was another good excuse.

498
00:24:48,660 --> 00:24:51,860
He had to say, you see, nobody supports

499
00:24:51,860 --> 00:24:52,120
me.

500
00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:53,940
I don't have support around me.

501
00:24:54,180 --> 00:24:55,660
So I am alone here.

502
00:24:59,300 --> 00:25:01,720
Samuel kept going, growing.

503
00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:03,740
Acknowledge.

504
00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:08,460
Growing and grace.

505
00:25:09,300 --> 00:25:12,720
And he says, in favor, both with the

506
00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:14,960
Lord and also with men.

507
00:25:16,020 --> 00:25:16,780
No support.

508
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:20,520
And the little child kept growing.

509
00:25:21,540 --> 00:25:22,900
So do we have support?

510
00:25:24,060 --> 00:25:25,500
Sometimes we don't have support.

511
00:25:26,860 --> 00:25:29,700
Sometimes we just find ourselves alone.

512
00:25:31,140 --> 00:25:32,980
We know what the Bible says.

513
00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:35,700
We know the doctrine of the Bible.

514
00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:37,980
We know what is right.

515
00:25:38,300 --> 00:25:40,580
But it seems like the rest don't know

516
00:25:40,580 --> 00:25:40,820
it.

517
00:25:41,180 --> 00:25:43,600
Sometimes it seems like it is that way.

518
00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:45,460
What am I going to do?

519
00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,360
Am I going to say, no, I'm not

520
00:25:49,360 --> 00:25:50,900
going to go alone by this way.

521
00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:52,700
I can't do this alone.

522
00:25:54,700 --> 00:25:58,900
It's interesting that every time Samuel's mother, Hannah,

523
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,740
came to see him, he had a different

524
00:26:01,740 --> 00:26:02,180
size.

525
00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:05,480
And another coat and a different size.

526
00:26:06,340 --> 00:26:08,400
And another coat and a different size.

527
00:26:09,580 --> 00:26:10,460
The child was growing.

528
00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:13,840
It didn't matter if she came just once

529
00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:14,360
a year.

530
00:26:14,940 --> 00:26:15,540
He was growing.

531
00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:17,080
He was growing.

532
00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:20,200
Did you find yourself alone?

533
00:26:21,540 --> 00:26:23,740
Trying to hold what the Bible says and

534
00:26:23,740 --> 00:26:24,060
teaches?

535
00:26:25,500 --> 00:26:27,680
Please, I encourage you to keep going.

536
00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:29,680
Keep growing.

537
00:26:30,940 --> 00:26:34,620
And keep ministering unto the Lord.

538
00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,080
Someday, you're going to be rewarded for this.

539
00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:40,800
Remember that the work in the Lord is

540
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:41,580
not in vain.

541
00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:43,480
And we read in the Bible.

542
00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,900
It's there in 2 Timothy 2 and verse

543
00:26:46,900 --> 00:26:47,500
number 3.

544
00:26:47,500 --> 00:26:51,320
The Apostle Paul, he says, endure hardness.

545
00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:52,480
You know what?

546
00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,280
Not always it's going to be easy to

547
00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:57,300
be a Christian.

548
00:26:57,800 --> 00:26:59,680
And hold convictions before the Lord.

549
00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:03,400
Sometimes we think that the Christian life has

550
00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:04,080
to be easy.

551
00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:06,060
If I am doing what is right before

552
00:27:06,060 --> 00:27:07,960
God, it should be easy to be a

553
00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:08,220
Christian.

554
00:27:08,540 --> 00:27:09,540
No, it's not true.

555
00:27:10,360 --> 00:27:12,380
Sometimes it's going to be more difficult to

556
00:27:12,380 --> 00:27:12,900
be a Christian.

557
00:27:12,940 --> 00:27:15,400
When you're trying to hold the truth of

558
00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:16,780
God in your heart.

559
00:27:16,780 --> 00:27:18,680
And trying to do what God wants you

560
00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:19,200
to do.

561
00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:21,720
No support sometimes.

562
00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,420
But that doesn't mean that God doesn't matter.

563
00:27:24,980 --> 00:27:26,640
Or God is not watching us.

564
00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:27,400
You know?

565
00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:31,180
In the Bible, we understand and we learn

566
00:27:31,180 --> 00:27:35,400
that we have sometimes to endure hardness as

567
00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:36,280
good soldiers.

568
00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:39,900
It's not always going to be easy.

569
00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:40,640
Always.

570
00:27:41,660 --> 00:27:43,340
Sometimes it's going to be difficult.

571
00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:44,860
Do I have to suffer it?

572
00:27:44,860 --> 00:27:46,720
Yes, I have to suffer it.

573
00:27:49,330 --> 00:27:53,010
It's not that the Christian life has to

574
00:27:53,010 --> 00:27:54,230
be easy all the time.

575
00:27:54,930 --> 00:27:55,310
No.

576
00:27:56,190 --> 00:27:57,790
It's going to be hard sometimes.

577
00:27:58,810 --> 00:28:00,350
And yes, I have to suffer it.

578
00:28:00,730 --> 00:28:02,430
And yes, I have to go through that.

579
00:28:03,330 --> 00:28:04,830
And yes, I have to accept it.

580
00:28:05,350 --> 00:28:08,130
As the will of the Lord, sometimes, for

581
00:28:08,130 --> 00:28:08,370
me.

582
00:28:10,110 --> 00:28:11,330
Samuel, no support.

583
00:28:11,630 --> 00:28:13,890
Just once a year, he endured it.

584
00:28:13,890 --> 00:28:20,530
He enjoyed that God was with him.

585
00:28:21,610 --> 00:28:24,070
And at times, and at proper times, God

586
00:28:24,070 --> 00:28:25,410
brought a vision to Samuel.

587
00:28:26,010 --> 00:28:30,410
And God started to manifest himself to the

588
00:28:30,410 --> 00:28:30,770
child.

589
00:28:32,090 --> 00:28:34,250
He saw the light one time in his

590
00:28:34,250 --> 00:28:34,550
life.

591
00:28:36,750 --> 00:28:37,830
We can see the light.

592
00:28:38,870 --> 00:28:41,910
Maybe today we don't see any light.

593
00:28:41,910 --> 00:28:45,230
It's too difficult for me to follow the

594
00:28:45,230 --> 00:28:45,550
Lord.

595
00:28:45,770 --> 00:28:46,790
I will see the light.

596
00:28:47,970 --> 00:28:49,330
When the Lord, when is the will of

597
00:28:49,330 --> 00:28:50,830
the Lord for me, I'll see the light.

598
00:28:51,110 --> 00:28:53,250
And I'll be glad to say, I'm thankful

599
00:28:53,250 --> 00:28:55,510
to the Lord that he preserved me and

600
00:28:55,510 --> 00:28:57,990
kept me going on in the ways of

601
00:28:57,990 --> 00:28:58,310
the Lord.

602
00:29:00,150 --> 00:29:04,450
We read three times in the book of

603
00:29:04,450 --> 00:29:09,050
Samuel that Samuel ministered.

604
00:29:09,050 --> 00:29:11,270
And we read three times also that he

605
00:29:11,270 --> 00:29:11,490
grew.

606
00:29:12,170 --> 00:29:13,970
So there was a balance in his life.

607
00:29:20,710 --> 00:29:22,110
There was a balance in his life.

608
00:29:22,430 --> 00:29:22,830
Interesting.

609
00:29:23,410 --> 00:29:25,570
As young as he was, he was a

610
00:29:25,570 --> 00:29:26,470
man of balance.

611
00:29:28,130 --> 00:29:30,450
In one way, he was serving the Lord.

612
00:29:31,150 --> 00:29:33,870
In the other way, he was knowing the

613
00:29:33,870 --> 00:29:34,190
Lord.

614
00:29:35,370 --> 00:29:38,010
He not only was doing one thing or

615
00:29:38,010 --> 00:29:40,090
the other thing, he was doing both.

616
00:29:40,330 --> 00:29:43,470
He was knowing the Lord personally in a

617
00:29:43,470 --> 00:29:44,410
devotional way.

618
00:29:44,650 --> 00:29:47,530
And he was ministering and serving the Lord

619
00:29:47,530 --> 00:29:48,770
by the other way.

620
00:29:49,150 --> 00:29:50,230
He was doing both.

621
00:29:51,050 --> 00:29:52,210
We need that today, too.

622
00:29:53,470 --> 00:29:54,830
We need to have balance.

623
00:29:56,050 --> 00:29:58,570
We need to grow in knowledge of the

624
00:29:58,570 --> 00:29:58,830
Lord.

625
00:29:59,350 --> 00:30:00,310
That's what Peter says.

626
00:30:02,050 --> 00:30:05,030
2 Peter 3 verse number 18.

627
00:30:06,950 --> 00:30:10,750
Grow in the knowledge and in the grace

628
00:30:10,750 --> 00:30:13,210
of our Lord Jesus Christ.

629
00:30:13,630 --> 00:30:15,510
Knowledge and grace.

630
00:30:16,290 --> 00:30:18,550
Knowledge and favor.

631
00:30:19,750 --> 00:30:22,010
Knowledge and truth.

632
00:30:23,290 --> 00:30:25,570
Knowledge and grace.

633
00:30:26,170 --> 00:30:26,850
And you know what?

634
00:30:28,390 --> 00:30:30,670
If we are going to hold the truth,

635
00:30:31,490 --> 00:30:35,550
it's because we're going to show grace.

636
00:30:37,130 --> 00:30:39,550
How do I know that somebody is bringing

637
00:30:39,550 --> 00:30:40,630
truth?

638
00:30:42,070 --> 00:30:44,530
Because he's bringing grace, too.

639
00:30:45,230 --> 00:30:50,370
Because grace and truth came by the Lord

640
00:30:50,370 --> 00:30:51,510
Jesus Christ.

641
00:30:51,950 --> 00:30:53,410
So I would like to encourage you.

642
00:30:53,410 --> 00:30:57,670
And in spite of the world decay.

643
00:30:58,730 --> 00:31:01,970
And in spite of the religion broken system.

644
00:31:02,430 --> 00:31:04,690
And in spite of the lack of leadership,

645
00:31:05,150 --> 00:31:06,050
if there is.

646
00:31:06,710 --> 00:31:09,830
In spite of the absence of support.

647
00:31:10,850 --> 00:31:13,490
Please, my dear young believer.

648
00:31:14,570 --> 00:31:17,790
Grow in knowledge and grow in grace.