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We are in the series Wait..Actually - those odd stories that are in the Bible for a reason.
This week we are looking into a story of two totally different families and God’s interactions.
One of the biggest challenges I had to work through regarding belief in Jesus was a statement from a friend.
They said, the reason you believe in Jesus has more to do with the family you were born into, not the Bible.
He said, simply because you live in America - were born in America - is the reason you believe in Jesus.
If you were born in India you would be a Hindu, born in Syria you would be a Muslim.
You know, at first that was difficult to hear.
Then I realized, it sounded good but there was no truth to it.
If that were the case, if it were true my friend would not be an atheist.
If it were true, there would not be a Christian church in China, Iraq, or India.
If it were true, China would not be the fastest growing church in the world.
If it were true Muslims would not be converting to Christianity, they would not be claiming Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Do you know what else wouldn’t happen.
There would be no reason to pray for all of you to stand firm in the faith, for the Gospel to penetrate your worldly hearts and make a difference in your life - for the rest of you life.
See, if our faith depended on the family we were born into then many of your parents would have no reason to worry about you believing in Jesus.
For those of you born into a home without family connections to a church - you would have no reason to be here.
Thankfully, you are all here and you recognize your faith does not depend on your family of origin, but God...and his work in your life.
God gives you Faith
The Bible is filled with examples that support the point.
You are all free to ask questions, struggle with understanding, and your free to believe!
On Sunday we talked about this lady named Hannah.
We don’t know a lot about her, but we know she was married to a man who was intentional about making sacrifices to God once a year.
This is the first glimpse into the connection and contrast between these two families.
Once a year Hannah’s husband would take the whole family for worship and sacrifice and Eli’s family was the family would perform them.
Hannah had an example of faithfulness, but Eli’s two sons had a life of religious practice and offering sacrifices to the LORD.
IF family connections were the only thing that gave us faith - Hophni and Phinehas should be far more faithful than some farmer in the hill country.
Thankfully, your faith - and Hannah’s are not given by family:
Faith is Given by God
Her name - the name Hannah - actually means GRACE
But I am sure she did not feel like she was receiving God’s grace.
She had all kinds of trouble in her life.
One of the other wives used to “provoke” her - try to make her feel worthless.
She had struggles many of them, but the faith she had…WOW.
Back then, having kids was a sign of importance and blessing.
Hannah couldn’t have kids - and she felt ashamed.
Every year when they went to worship she was reminded of her inability to have kids and felt ashamed.
However, through all the shame she never gave up on worshipping the LORD.
No doubt she wondered if He was listening or if He cared, but she remained faithful.
For those not here on Sunday, God provided.
He gave her several children actually.
The first one was named Samuel - and she gave Samuel to Eli to raise in the service of God.
God answers her heart felt plea - but she had the faith to ask and the willingness to accept the answer.
Illustration
Talk about faith!
I gotta be honest.
I knew God was working behind the scenes to get me to move to MN.
There were so many things that I was tempted to think of as coincidences.
But check this out, I was fine accepting the good stuff as God’s gift, as grace.
I had no problem saying I see God working in all these good things.
Like the fact that I was sitting in my uncles office after taking a test so I could be eligible for licensing in MN and the Chief of Police in Alexandria emailed him about an open position at the APD!
I was standing there with him and he said he just got an email about the position!
I had no problem seeing that as God moving - even though I was not yet convinced about Jesus.
But less than 6 months later, when I ruptured a disc in my back and couldn’t walk.
God and I had an argument.
I was upset, stressed, and uncertain of my future.
But that day, that was the first day in my life I surrendered anything over to God. 28 years old - a skeptic for the previous 10 years - let go and had faith God had something in mind.
Do you realize the household I was raised in had no bearing on my belief - my childhood home pushed me away from religion.
However, it was God’s grace in my life, his patient consistent and personal interactions through people like my grandma, Nana that softened my heart and brought me to a place of faith.
Hannah - she got that - she knew God was with her through the struggle.
Hannah - she got that - she knew God was with her through the struggle.
1 Sam
Hannah remained faithful, she offered her Son Samuel to serve in the Tabernacle with Eli.
Every year she would return and give her son new clothes and love on him, but he was raised in the service of the Lord under Eli.
Remember earlier I mentioned Eli’s kids.
You would think that these guys would have grown up to be faithful people right?
Not even close.
These two guys were so entitled.
They did what they wanted and had no respect for God or the people coming to worship God.
Don’t take my word for it, the Bible is clear.
They are wicked entitled brats - grown brats.
Eli came from a long line of priests, the family always served in the tabernacle.
My guess, Eli was ignoring the behavior and took for granted the position of priest.
We have all done something like this right?
We know what we ought to do or how we should act but choose not too or pay little attention to the people trying to redirect us.
Why?
Because we don’t really think anything bad will happen to us - anything serious anyway.
His kids were stealing the offering from the people and taking whatever they wanted.
They had to rely on God - specifically the obedience of God’s people through their offerings.
They didn’t care about the proper way to help the people coming to worship offer sacrifices, they were greedy.
They were also accused of abusing women.
His kids were stealing the offering from the people and taking whatever they wanted.
They didn’t care about the proper way, they were greedy.
They were also accused of abusing women.
Several years ago I worked as a cop in a really small town.
In that particular community who you were mattered to a lot of people, or at least they thought it should matter anyway.
Several years ago I worked as a cop in a really small town.
In that particular community who you were mattered to a lot of people, or at least they thought it should matter anyway.
I remember this one kid, he was the son of one of the city council members.
this kid always had a chip on his shoulder and thought no one would mess with him and that his dad’d name would get him what he wanted.
He would drive like an idiot through town and if you cited him it would get tossed out.
A couple years later he decided he wanted to be a cop - not sure why...
I happened to be the one who trained him in - or was training him in.
He was a mess.
He never followed instructions, and just thought it was a game.
Sure, he was a nice enough guy but had a lot of maturing to do.
Part of the process was going to the Law Enforcement Academy.
In order to be licensed you had to pass various physical assessments.
He tried and failed.
He assumed he would just get through because of who he was.
Nope!
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