God over Everything

Cody Clark

Heart over Hype • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Intro:

Welcome

Series: Heart over Hype

Message: God over Everything

Review:

Chapter 3:

Samuel was called to be the prophet of Israel as a young boy. As he got older, God established him to ALL of Israel.

Chapter 4:

Israel lost 2 battles to the Philistines losing a total of around 34,000 troop and also lost position of the Ark of God.

Read:

1 Samuel 5 HCSB

After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, brought it into the temple of Dagon and placed it next to his statue. When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. This time, both Dagon’s head and the palms of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso remained. That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and everyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on Dagon’s threshold. The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, terrorizing and afflicting the people of Ashdod and its territory with tumors. When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of Israel’s God must not stay here with us, because His hand is strongly against us and our god Dagon.” So they called all the Philistine rulers together and asked, “What should we do with the ark of Israel’s God?” “The ark of Israel’s God should be moved to Gath,” they replied. So the men of Ashdod moved the ark. After they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against the city of Gath, causing a great panic. He afflicted the men of the city, from the youngest to the oldest, with an outbreak of tumors. The Gittites then sent the ark of God to Ekron, but when it got there, the Ekronites cried out, “They’ve moved the ark of Israel’s God to us to kill us and our people!” The Ekronites called all the Philistine rulers together. They said, “Send the ark of Israel’s God away. It must return to its place so it won’t kill us and our people!” For the fear of death pervaded the city; God’s hand was oppressing them. The men who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

Main Points:

1. God is First

God is not someone who takes kindly to being placed in second place.

Exodus 20:3–5 HCSB

Do not have other gods besides Me. Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Then a few chapters later in

Exodus 34:14 HCSB

You are never to bow down to another god because Yahweh, being jealous by nature, is a jealous God.

Exodus 34:

Meaning God seeks our full devotion.

But notice that this was not just a mix up in priorities where a believer had to miss church for a week or two because he had football practice.

This was a matter of God vs. god.

Dagon was the the Philistine’s god that they worshiped over the God of Israel and we find out just how powerful this god is.

2. God is the Righteous Judge

Did the Philistines defeat the people of Israel? Yes

Did the Philistines capture and take the Ark of God as a trophy of accomplishment? Yes

Did the Philistines ultimately receive punishment for their deeds? Yes

Not only did the Philistine people worship false God’s, they also mocked the God of Israel by placing the Ark in the temple of said God.

God is a KEEPER of His word.

Meaning that not only will He be with His people, but He will punish anyone who opposes Him or his people.

David writes:

2 Samuel 22:2–4 HCSB

He said: The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my mountain where I seek refuge. My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was saved from my enemies.

Sometimes we find ourselves in the midst of people who hurt us, or who do wrong to those around them, but we have faith that our God is our rock and our fortress.

3. God Restores

One of my favorite shows to watch when I actually had cable was a show called “American Restoration”. The show was about a shop that specialized in restoring old beaten up and forgotten item. They would strip the item of all of it’s imperfections of rust, amateur paint jobs, and unnecessary additions. Then they would begin to build the item back to it’s original glory. The outcome would always be this beautiful piece that was restored to it’s intended design.

That is the very nature of the God that we serve.

The Philistines may of took what was meant for the people of God, but God restores what people distort.

Joel 2:25–27 HCSB

I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust— My great army that I sent against you. You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied. You will praise the name of Yahweh your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. My people will never again be put to shame. You will know that I am present in Israel and that I am Yahweh your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.

The Philistines may of only had the Ark for 7 months, but the main lesson to pull from this passage is that God will restore His people if it takes 7 months, 7 years, or 70 years. You can depend on the Lord.

Response

The funny thing is that it becomes easy to point fingers at the people in the Bible because they are very obviously in the wrong, yet if we look in the mirror, we often times find a similar situation.

The Ark of God was meant to be worshiped by the people of Israel. It represented the presence of God. The God that had brought them out of Egypt and delivered them from the wilderness.

But the Philistines turned the Ark in to something that it was never meant to be. They distorted it’s original purpose.

Some of you are in here today and your purpose has been distorted.

Your view of God has been distorted.

The way that you view yourself has been distorted.

And just like the Philistines, and illness has come over your life in the form of depression, anxiety, or fear. Maybe you feel like you just simply are not enough.

Whatever the case is, the bottom line I want you to be aware of tonight is that our God wants to make things right with you.