1 Samuel 7:3-17
In 1 Samuel 7:3-17 Samuel leads the people at the battle of Ebenezer. The account of this battle parallels the account of the devastating battle of Aphek, and the point is to contrast these battles. In the one God’s people are routed. They put their confidence in the ark of God rather than the God of the ark. In the second, God wins a great victory for His people. Why? Because they showed true repentance.
Matthew 13:53-58
In Matthew 13:53-58 Christ is rejected at his hometown. Those who knew Christ best and were closest to him end up failing to receive him. Sadly, it is sometimes those who are most familiar with Christ who end up turning away from him. It can be easy to take the blessings of the covenant for granted, but they are not to be rested in. Rather, they are meant to lead you to Christ.
1 Samuel 6:1-7:2
Many believe they are serving God and that many roads lead to heaven, however, the Scriptures teach that obedience is required for God to be pleased with a person’s service. If a person believe he is serving God but not obeying His Word, this person’s service is sinful In 1 Samuel 6:1-7:2 various people come into contact with the ark of God as it returns from exile. The Philistines send the ark away not understanding what is pleasing to God. …
Ephesians 4:1-16
Many think of evangelism is primarily the act of sharing the gospel in a private conversation. This is evangelism, but the Bible envisions more than this. Evangelism is something that the church does as a whole with the members of the church working together in the work of the ministry, using their gifts in a variety of contexts.
1 Samuel 5:1-12
At times the church is laid low because of its sins. These are often times when the enemies of God’s people appear to be quite strong. Such was the case in 1 Samuel 5:1-12, however, God shows that He needs no one to fight for Him, for He will get the victory Himself. This is a great comfort for believers: God will always act for the sake of glory of His name and will get the victory in the end.
Matthew 6:9-13
We recognize that in evangelism only God can change the heart. If only God can change the heart, then prayer becomes essential for evangelism. We are not seeking merely to put the Word of God before people but also to see their lives transformed by this Word. This, however, is not something we have the strength to effect. Therefore, we must plead with God to bless our evangelism and to change the hearts of sinners sovereignly.
1 Samuel 4:12-22
Many believe that God will not come in judgment. They say that God is a God of love, not wrath. The Scriptures, however, make it clear that God is always faithful to his word, not just the words of promise, but also the words of judgment. This is evident in 1 Samuel 4:12-22 where God brings upon Eli the judgment prophesied in chapter 2 as well as a more general judgment on the people of God as a whole.
Acts 4:23-31
Many things are needed for evangelism, but one that we see in the Scriptures is boldness. We must recognize that we are in a war. Courage and strength is needed. It is not needed destroy the enemy through force of arms but to stand for the truth and lovingly to call people to Christ.
1 Samuel 4:1-11
In 1 Samuel 4:1-11 the people of God are defeated at Aphek. After the defeat, they bring the ark of God to the battle and believe they will win merely because the ark is with them. This, however, does not help them and they are once again defeated. What are we to learn from this? God’s people ought to trust in the God of the ark rather than the ark of God.
Jonah 4:1-11
Why should you be committed to evangelism? The primary motivation is the glory of God, but the second greatest motivation is the salvation of man. There is a real judgment that is coming. Eternal life is truly offered in the gospel. Loving others entails necessarily not wanting them to come into judgment but rather entering into eternal life.
1 Samuel 3:1-21 (Part 2)
Many pastors refuse to preach about judgment though the Bible is filled with passages on the subject. This, however, is contrary to the pattern of Scripture. Samuel’s call to prophesy included a call to preach on judgment, and he is not unique in the Scriptures. All of God’s prophets prophesied about the coming judgment. Such has been one of the marks of faithful preaching throughout the history of the church.
Isaiah 45:14-25
What is the primary motivation for evangelism? The glory of God. The reason every Christian ought to be committed to evangelism is because God is not worshiped as he ought to be. If you love God, then this means you must be committed to worshiping him. If you are committed to worshiping him, then you ought also to strive to see him worshiped by others.