Sermon Tone Analysis

Spiritual renewal is needed when we find ourselves broken because of the absence of God’s power and presence.

1 sam 7

How long have you been disconnected from the living God?

How long has it been since you experienced His presence and power in your life?

Spiritual

Spiritual renewal begins when we obey the word of God.

1 sam 7

Now, Baal and Ashtaroth were Canaanite deities, you understand.

They were “husband and wife” in the pantheon of Canaanite deities, and they were the gods of fertility.

They were the gods of the weather, they were the gods of storm, and therefore the gods of fertile crops.

Oh, isn't it interesting that when God teaches the Philistines a lesson, how does He do it but by sending a storm?

Baal cannot so much as raise a rumble, and God thunders!

Doesn't it remind you of Elijah on Mount Carmel, by the way?

The Baal, who cannot so much as light a fire, and God comes down in fire and consumes that offering?

So much for the power of these heathen deities!

They still have their Baal's and Ashtaroth.

Listen to the Words of A.W. Tozer

Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late - and how little revival has resulted?

I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work.

To pray for revival while ignoring the plain precept laid down in Scripture is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble.

Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience.

Spiritual renewal means that there are things that must no longer have a place in my life.

Now, Baal and Ashtaroth were Canaanite deities, you understand.

They were “husband and wife” in the pantheon of Canaanite deities, and they were the gods of fertility.

They were the gods of the weather, they were the gods of storm, and therefore the gods of fertile crops.

Oh, isn't it interesting that when God teaches the Philistines a lesson, how does He do it but by sending a storm?

Baal cannot so much as raise a rumble, and God thunders!

Doesn't it remind you of Elijah on Mount Carmel, by the way?

The Baal, who cannot so much as light a fire, and God comes down in fire and consumes that offering?

So much for the power of these heathen deities!

They still have their Baal's and Ashtaroth.

That means spiritual renewal will be costly.

"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."

Listen to what Samuel says again.

1 sam

If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you

Now, Baal and Ashtaroth were Canaanite deities, you understand.

They were “husband and wife” in the pantheon of Canaanite deities, and they were the gods of fertility.

They were the gods of the weather, they were the gods of storm, and therefore the gods of fertile crops.

Oh, isn't it interesting that when God teaches the Philistines a lesson, how does He do it but by sending a storm?

Baal cannot so much as raise a rumble, and God thunders!

Doesn't it remind you of Elijah on Mount Carmel, by the way?

The Baal, who cannot so much as light a fire, and God comes down in fire and consumes that offering?

So much for the power of these heathen deities!

They still have their Baal's and Ashtaroth.

Spiritual renewal means I must give myself fully to Him.

d

Look again there in verse 3

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only

f ; ; ; Cited ;

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

"Many Christians 'stall out' in the faith when the call to total commitment is received or viewed as something too high or too hard to acquire...or they have never been taught that total commitment is Christ's demand for all His followers."

- Chip Ingram

he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Spiritual renewal means I must be real about my sin.

Real Prayer

1 sam

Real Fasting

They were hungry for God.

1 sam 7

Real Confession

1 sam 7 6

Whenever you see the people of God obey the word of God you will see a display of the presence and power of God.

Few displays of nature evoked such a sense of power and danger among ancient people as a severe thunderstorm.

1 Sam

Ebenezer - “stone of the helper.”

Few displays of nature evoked such a sense of power and danger among ancient people as a severe thunderstorm.

“stone of the helper.”

Come Thou Fount -

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy, never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Here there by Thy great help I've come

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He, to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious blood

Craig S. Keener and John H. Walton, eds., NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), 463.

Few displays of nature evoked such a sense of power and danger among ancient people as a severe thunderstorm.

Oh, to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be

Let that goodness like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above