Three Decisive Steps
(No. 2220)
A SERMON INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD'S-DAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1891,
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD'S-DAY EVENING, MARCH
8, 1891.
"Audit came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath Jearim, that the
time was long; for it was twenty years. And all the house of Israel
lamented after the Lord. And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel,
saying, If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away
the strange gods and Ashtaroth from amongyou, andprepare your hearts
for the Lord, and serve Him only: and He will deliver you out of the
hands of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel put away Baalim
and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only. And Samuel said, Gather all
Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray to the Lord for you." 1 Samuel 7:2-5.
Two enemies held Israel in subjection. The Philistines had fought
against them and defeated them, even though they sent to Shiloh and
brought the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of Jehovah's Presence, into
their camp. The Lord was not with them, so they were smitten with a
great slaughter. The crowning disaster of the day was "the Ark of God
was taken." The Philistines carried it away to Ashdod and set it in the
house of Dagon, their idol. You remember how God, jealous for His honor
and Glory, worked mighty wonders, causing Dagon to fall and inflicting
punishment on every city where the ark came, until, at last, the
Philistines, wearied with their trials, sent the Ark back to the people
on whose behalf Jehovah had shown Himself so strong. Twenty years the
Ark abode at Kirjath Jearim and, during all that time, Israel was under
the hand of the Philistines.
But a worse enemy than the Philistines held sway over the land. Though
the Ark had returned, the people had gone away from their God and had
set up the abominable worship of Baal and Astarte, the idols of the
Phoenicians and other heathen nations by whom they were surrounded. I
will not stay to explain to you about these gods. Suffice it to say
that the Baalim were the male gods and the Ashtaroth the female–and
that worship of these idols was attended with great lewdness and
filthiness–in fact, the holy things of Baal and Astarte we would call
obscene and degrading. The people were thus in double bondage. The
heavy yoke of the Philistines was upon them because the heavier burden
of a false worship crushed out the life of their hearts.
It may very naturally be asked, "Where was Samuel all that time?" I
know not what he was doing during those 20 years, but I have a
suspicion. I will say I have a firm persuasion that he was going from
place to place, preaching in quiet spots wherever he could gather an
audience, warning the people of their sin and stirring them up to seek
Jehovah, thus endeavoring to infuse some spirituality into their
national life. But "the time was long." He plowed and seemed to plow a
rock. For 20 years the good man spoke. For 20 years he acted like a
battering ram upon a wall that did not seem to tremble beneath his
strokes. For 20 years he went up and down, fleeing for his life from
the Philistines, but venturing out, whenever he had an opportunity, to
warn a household or a village group, or, perhaps, a township, that they
could only be delivered from the Philistines by seeking God–that they
had come into their present evil case by forsaking Jehovah and, that,
unless they came back to the worship of the only true God, they would
never again have their liberties.
"The time was long," very long, for him to keep on speaking, warning a
people who did not seem to care for his message. But constant dripping
wears away stones and, at last, the inert mass against which he had
battered began to move and there arose a general feeling of enquiry all
over the country–"all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord."
Then was Samuel's time to strike, while the iron was hot! He had spent
20 years in getting it hot and he did not miss the opportunity when, at
last, it came! He pleaded with the people and plainly showed them the
only way in which they could expect help–namely, by putting away their
false gods and returning with prepared hearts to the service of
Jehovah.
That the continual prayers and efforts of Samuel were crowned with
success should encourage all those who, in days of unfaithfulness and
apostasy, still lift up their voices for the Truth of God! Keep pegging
away, my Brothers, though the people may seem to be indifferent to your
message, or stiffen their necks against it. Do not give up though in
the service of the base idols they seem wholly to forget God! The Lord
will yet arise in His own good time and His cause shall triumph!
Prepare a way for Him, of whom it is written, "Your people shall be
willing in the day of Your power." Now, I believe that my case, with
regard to some to whom I am speaking, is something like that of Samuel.
I have, at least, the same message to deliver.
I hope to be able to make this plain by showing you, first, that these
people were in a very hopeful condition. That, secondly, they were
called upon to take very decided steps. And, thirdly, that they were
helped to do so by faith. True, it was faith in Samuel–and you get
much more help if you have faith in a greater than Samuel who is still
here among us, even our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
I. First, then, THESE PEOPLE WERE IN A VERY HOPEFUL CONDITION. "All the
house of Israel lamented after the Lord." What does it mean?
It means, first, that they were greatly oppressed. Their goods were
taken from them. They were beaten. They saw their children slain. They
were the slaves of the Philistines and, therefore, they began to say,
"Why should we not return to our God? When we were true to Jehovah,
there were no Philistines to trouble us. They were put to rout when we
served God. It was better with us then, than now. Samson, when the
Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, slew a thousand of them with
the jawbone of an ass. Oh, for a day of Samson back again! Oh, for a
day of God back again!" Their oppressions made them think of God.
Do I not address some whose many troubles are compelling them to think
of God? All went well with you, once, and then you were an atheist.
Troubles are multiplying, now, and atheism does not suit you. You have
buried those you loved. Ah, the grass has not yet grown on that
newly-formed grave and your heart is aching after something, you
scarcely know what! There were days with you, perhaps, in your youth,
when you knelt at your mother's knee–and in your early manhood, when
you went to the House of God and seemed to be one of God's people. You
sigh as you think of happier days–but all goes wrong with you, now,
and a voice seems to say to you, especially in the still of night,
"Return, return, return!" You have wandered, like a sheep, from the
pasture to the desert, from the shepherd's care into danger from the
wolf. May God grant that you may, in this way, begin to lament after
the Lord!
I think that by the house of Israel lamenting after the Lord, is meant,
next, that they began to be inwardly convinced that nobody could help
them but the Lord. "Ah," said one, "would God these Philistines were
driven away!" "Ah," said his companion, "nobody can do it but Jehovah."
And then the first one answered, "Then, would that Jehovah were here!
Oh, for His mighty hand and His terrible power to drive away our
enemies!" "Israel lamented after the Lord." Samuel had taught them to
some purpose, seeing that when they saw their need, they did not look
for help to him, but to his Master. Some teachers attract attention to
themselves and are like the moon when it shines–everybody says, "What
a beautiful moon!" The true Prophet of God shines like the sun and
people do not say, "What a beautiful sun!" but, "How lovely is the
landscape!" Let it be your ambition to so declare the Word of God that
people will not say, "What a splendid preacher!" but, "How glorious is
his Christ!"
No man must come between the seeker and God, for the best of men are
but men at their best. Not even the ordinances of religion can meet the
need of the people, though they are God-appointed–they were meant to
lead us to God–and not to be a substitute for Him! When the
Philistines triumphed, as we read in the fourth chapter, the elders of
Israel said, "Let us fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of
Shiloh unto us, that, when it comes among us, it may save us out of the
hand of our enemies." And lo, when it came, it did not save them! When
people trust in the religious symbol instead of the spiritual power,
they are idolaters in heart and invite disaster!
But the house of Israel did not lament after the Ark–they lamented
after the Lord, without whose Glory, shining between the cherubim, even
the Ark was void and valueless! Am I speaking to one who has come to
this conviction– "Nobody can help me but God. I am so down at the
heel, so broken in spirit, I am brought into such a condition, that
unless the heavens are rent and the right hand of God appears, there is
no rescue for me"? I am right glad you are brought into that condition!
There is much gained when you look away from all others and from all
else, to God. Say now, "I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from
where comes my help. My help comes from the Lord who made Heaven
and earth." And if your soul still sighs, "Oh, that He would help me!
Oh, that it were true that He did hear me and would come to my
rescue!"–remember His words, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I
will deliver you, and you shall glorify
Me."
In some such case were the people of Israel and when it says that they,
"lamented after the Lord," it seems to me that, while they desired Him,
they were afraid that He would not deliver them. They prayed after a
fashion, but there was a dash of doubt about it. So have I known many
go up to their closet to pray and they have said, "O God, if so vile a
sinner can be forgiven, if there is such a thing as salvation for a
backslider, if sins like mine can be washed away, oh, that I might be
saved!" They have prayed with an, "if," and a, "perhaps" and a,
"maybe"–lamenting after the Lord with many a moan, sigh, cry of
despair–and then, just a little drop or two of hope! Lamenting after
the Lord–I do not quite know how to describe it. But I know the
distressing condition very well–that state in which the soul feels it
needs God and would give anything to be saved, is willing to submit to
Him and is anxious to be forgiven, but always is haunted with the dark
thought–"It is not for you. He will never stretch His arms of mercy so
far as to reach you. You are outside the Covenant! You are past hope."
Still, even though this is a very dark state of mind to be in, it is a
hopeful state of mind. It is much better than presumption or
carelessness.
Moreover, these people had very little hope but they had very much
desire. "They lamented after the Lord." I suppose their lamentation
after the Lord was in this fashion–"Oh, that God would be our God! But
then He never will. Oh, that He would deliver us from the Philistines!
But then He never will." Their prayer was damp for lack of faith. Their
tinder would not burn. They did not rejoice to believe in the Lord, but
they "lamented" after Him–they kept sorrowing and sighing, moaning and
crying–needing Him, but never coming to Him. I know that I now address
some who have regularly attended the preaching of the Gospel for years.
You are not without a sense of sin. You are not without anxious
desires. You are not without very anxious feelings at times. Sometimes
you would give your eyes that you might know Christ and you feel as if
you could willingly die if you could but know that you were saved. But,
still, you cannot believe it possible–and that doubt still hangs over
you. But it is possible! It is more than possible! It is absolutely
certain that he who believes in Christ has everlasting life and he that
comes to Him, He will in no wise cast out! He is ready to forgive. He
delights in mercy. He overflows with compassion. "If you seek Him, He
will be found of you." Your lamentations after the Lord may be
sweetened with a good hope that, coming to Him, He will accept you!
If you read the third verse, you will see that, all this while, they
had not parted with their idols. They lamented after the Lord, but they
did not get the Lord because they wanted to have the Lord and to have
their idols, too. There are men in the world who want to go to Heaven,
but they want to stay on the road to Hell! They would get to the north
by traveling to the south. There are some who would go home to their
Father, but they would like to take the swine, the swine troughs and
the husks with them! A pretty sight, that prodigal would have been,
would he not, driving the hogs and carrying the hog troughs on his
back, to his father's house? Such a picture is not to be imagined. It
never existed in fact and never can. John Bunyan tells us that when he
was playing at the game of "cat," one Sunday, on Elstow Green, as he
was going to strike the cat with his stick, he thought he heard a
voice, crying, "Will you keep your sins, and go to Hell; or will you
give up your sins and go to Heaven?"
That question, without an angel's voice, you may hear at this moment! I
put it now to some of you who would like to keep your sins and yet go
to Heaven! You lament after the Lord. You would be a saint, but then
you want to be a sinner, too. You would be a child of God, but then you
would not like to turn out of the devil's family. You would not like to
be ridiculed by the world. No, you want the crown without the cross!
You want the end without the way. You want Heaven without holiness and
forgiveness without repentance–and this can never be. It is useless
lamenting after the Lord if it does not lead you to give up your idols!
One thing, however, was meant by this lamenting after the Lord. It
meant that they could never rest till God returned. Some of you have
tried many ways to get rest. Some years ago you got harpooned at a
meeting and though, like a big whale, you have dragged out miles of
line and gone to the bottom of the sea of sin, the harpoon still sticks
in you! I know what you have been doing to get rest. You have tried the
world and now there is nothing there that pleases you. You have tried
sticking to business, but you are unsatisfied. You have made money, but
you are a poorer man than you were when you began business! Poorer,
really, than when you had not a penny to bless yourself with! In fact,
you have not a penny that does bless you–all your pennies seem curses
as they come in.
And then you have tried philosophy. Oh, you are a wonderfully wise man,
especially when you have just read a book full of infidelity! Then you
are wiser than two Solomons rolled into one! And yet you are a fool and
you know you are, for you cannot get any peace by that means. You try,
sometimes, to talk big blasphemies, and that is because you are afraid.
As boys will whistle when they go through the churchyard, and are
afraid of ghosts, they whistle to keep their courage up. And some
people talk very big things just to keep up their confidence–a
confidence which they really do not possess, for they are dreadful
cowards when they come to die! I wonder what you will try next? Will
you try dissipation? Will you try drunkenness? Will you try the use of
drugs? Well, well, if God means to save you, you will never rest till
you are anchored in the port of Christ's atoning Sacrifice.
Until you come to God by Jesus Christ, you shall never rest! You shall
be weary of foot; you shall be weary of brain; you shall be sick at
heart; you shall feel that life is not worth living; you shall feel
darkness over all your brightness and you shall taste bitterness in all
your sweets. If God means to save you, He will make you lament after
Him. He has lamented after you–you cost your Savior many a tear. You
cost your Savior nailed hands and feet. You cost your Savior bloody
sweat. You cost Him His death and He will not have you trifle where He
is so in earnest–and if you will not come without strong measures, He
will make you come!
You shall be like Noah's dove. The raven rested on the corpses, but the
dove could not. For her there was no resting place–she must drop into
the water and drown–but her weary wings, at last, bears her back to
the ark! Noah opens the window, puts out his hand, takes her in his
grasp and pulls her in unto him into the ark. Then was she peaceful and
quiet. She had found her Noah–she had found her rest. And it is to be
so with some of you, now. You may stand out against my Master, but He
means to have you. I sometimes hear of persons getting very angry after
a Gospel sermon– and I say to myself, "I am not sorry for it."
Sometimes when we are fishing, the fish gets the hook into his mouth.
He pulls hard at the line–if he were dead, he could not–but he is a
live fish, worth the getting, and though he runs away, for a while,
with the hook in his jaws, he cannot escape. His very wriggling and his
anger show that he has got the hook and the hook has got him. Have the
landing-net ready–we shall land him by-and-by! Give him more line–let
him use up his strength and then we will land him–and he shall belong
to Christ forever!
Some of you know well what all this means, so I need say no more upon
this point.
II. Let us notice, next, that THESE PEOPLE WERE CALLED UPON TO TAKE
THREE VERY DECIDED
STEPS. See how plainly and decidedly Samuel puts the matter–"If you
return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods
and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and
serve Him only."
The first thing that they were to do was to "put away the strange
gods." They were to go home and break the images of Baal, tear down the
vile statues of Astarte and smash them to pieces, whether they were
private images, or public ones. They were to clear out the whole tribe
of idols! Now, if we would come back to God, we must get rid of all our
false confidences–
"The dearest idol I have known,
Whatever that idol be, Help me to tear it from Your Throne And worship
only Thee."
Every man seems to have a different idol. One has pride–he is so
wonderfully good, so self-righteous! He has never done anything wrong.
He is quite as good as a Christian and some better. He gives himself an
excellent character. He could not have a better. If it were not for the
name at the bottom, which is his own, he could get any situation with
such a character as he has! But then, you see, he has given it to
himself. You will have to give up that nonsense, for you have not a
good character, after all, and when you stand in the Light of God, you
will see yourself to be defiled from head to foot!
Another man's god is his self-confidence. Hear him talk. He understands
everything! He does not need to be taught anything–and if there is
anything in the Bible that he does not understand, why then he does not
believe it! He knows better than God Almighty and the Holy Spirit! He
can judge the Scriptures and tell you what they ought to be and he
could have, himself, written a better book. So he says, sometimes, in
his talk, or so he thinks. Ah, poor Soul! You will have to break that
image of pride or it will be your ruin. Self-confidence, in all its
shapes and forms, must be hurled down if God is to be set up in the
heart!
Alas, there are some that have the images of Baal and Ashtaroth in the
form of lust. Ah, you cannot keep your sin and go to Heaven!
Unchastity, fornication, adultery, uncleanness of body–these must be
given up! God is ready to for-
give the harlot and the fornicator, but they must quit their sins once
and for all and forever. You cannot lie in the sty and yet go home to
your Father. This abominable thing must be totally given up and never
thought of again, if you would be forgiven and saved.
Others, who are more respectable, have the god of covetousness. To make
money, to save money, to grab, to grasp– for this they will grind the
workman in his wages. For this they will cheat in the quantity or the
quality of their goods. All sorts of tricks in trade will be performed
that they may get rich. Now, covetousness is idolatry. If you worship a
god of gold, you will perish as much as if you worshipped a god of mud!
Oh, that we might have this god driven out of us and have a living,
generous spirit implanted!
How many do I know, too, who have for an idol the god of drink! Old
Bacchus sits astride not only the wine cask, but many a man's heart.
The man, when sober and "all right," is what everybody calls, "a good
fellow." But he must drink and when once he is drunk, then he is by no
means a good fellow, but foul and vile in language and one knows not
what he may do! Sir, you must quit strong drink if you would be saved.
No drunkard has any inheritance in the Kingdom of God! Drunkenness must
be given up, and chambering, and wantonness, and gluttony, and all the
sins of the flesh! These gods must be broken. "Put away the strange
gods from among you."
There are others I know whose strange god is malice. They cannot
forgive. Perhaps even while sitting in the House of God they are
saying, "Well, I can forgive everybody except my brother. He served me
a very bad turn. I can never forgive him." Or, possibly, some are like
the man who, when dying, told the priest that he forgave So-and-So for
all the wrong he had done him–"That is," he said, "if I die. But if I
get up again, I'll make him rue it." Are there not many whose
forgiveness of injuries is of that kind? It is a mere sham! But there
is no going to Heaven unless, frankly and unreservedly, you can forgive
others their offenses. Why, you cannot even pray the Lord's Prayer
unless you do so! "Forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone
that is indebted to us." You cannot get through that prayer, much less
get through the narrow gate, so long as malice is in your heart!
But I must not stay to enlarge here. Every man must discover his own
idol, whatever it may be. And now let me most solemnly put it to each
one of you–"If you will return unto the Lord with all your heart, then
put away the strange gods that have ruled over you–and turn unto the
Lord." That is the first decided step.
Are you saying, "Well, I will put away these evil things; I will give
up these sins"? I am glad you have come to that. But when? Can you put
them away now, just now, do you think? "I was thinking," says one, "I
have an engagement tomorrow that will be rather bad." Can you not put
the thing away tonight? "Well, I should like to have one indulgence of
the flesh." Ah, Sir, you will never put these sins away till you go and
do it straight away! That prodigal son got back to his father because
he went off directly. He ran away! I do not know upon what terms his
master had engaged him, whether it was by the quarter, or by the week,
but this I know–he no sooner came to his senses than off he went and
never stopped! He ran off instantly. You must run away from your old
master without giving him any notice, for if you give him any warning,
you will never get away at all! God help us to break the images here
and now! Down with them, whatever they may be, and turn at once to the
Lord!
Now, notice the next step of decision–"Put away the strange gods, and
prepare your hearts for the Lord." The mere outward reformation was not
enough. They might have torn down every idol in the land and have been
no nearer God for that. See, in France, today, how the people who have
for long bent the knee in superstition and idolatry, have, many of
them, flung away their vain worship only to sink into infidelity. What
better are they, when they exalt the "Goddess of Reason" where before
stood the altars of the Papacy, when the heart is untouched and God is
not in all their thoughts? Still, there are many in that land, as, I
trust, there are many here, who are lamenting after God and only await
the preparation of the heart which comes from Him, to bow in allegiance
before His Throne. What, then, is the way to prepare the heart?
The first thing is, confession of sin. The people said, "We have sinned
against the Lord." Go and confess your sin unto God. The more
particular you can be in that confession, the better. Go and
acknowledge your iniquity with many sighs and tears–and with deep
regret that you should have sinned as you have done. Lay every secret
bare and let the Light of God explore every hidden corner. The surgeon
who means to cure must first expose the wound and probe it to the
bottom–and before we can be forgiven, we must make a clean breast of
our guilt, calling a spade a spade, and not trying to excuse ourselves,
or cover up the evil.
Then resolve in your soul that you will quit these sins. No half
measures will do–chronic diseases require thorough cures. You remember
when Augustine, after a life of sin, heard what seemed to him a voice
bidding him, "Take, read," he went to his New Testament and his eye
lighted on the passage, "Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not
provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof." Then and there
he determined to leave all his former lusts and, in the strength of
Christ, to live a new life. It was the hour of his conversion–the axe
was laid to the root of the tree and the old profligate life was
utterly renounced! The sinner became a saint who led others in the way
of holiness! And when he died, he left behind him a rich legacy of
experience and instruction for the people of God. Whatever the sin is,
it must
go–
"Repentance is to leave
The sins we loved before,
And show that we in earnest grieve,
By doing so no more."
Then there must be much prayer, for so it was with these people. Cry
mightily unto God, "Lord, save me!" Cry again and again unto Him and
make this to be your one cry, "Give me Christ, or else I die!" Nothing
so prepares the heart for God as crying out after Him! The water brooks
are sweeter to the hart that has panted after them. The blessing is
twice valued that has been won by intercession. I have heard it said
that a man who wins his wife too easily treats her too lightly. Whether
it is true, I cannot say, but I am sure that the richest blessings of
God come to those who urge their suit again and again and who will not
be denied the Grace they seek. May the Holy Spirit give you this
preparation of heart by a full confession, a strong resolve and mighty
prayer!
Remember, too, that there must be trust, or else the heart is not
rightly prepared. We must get beyond the stage of "lamenting" and begin
the act of "consenting." Not only wish and pray for the blessing, but
rely on the Lord to send it! He who smote the first-born of the
Egyptians and, with a strong hand and mighty arm, brought their fathers
out of the house of bondage centuries earlier, could easily deliver
them! He who gave them at first the land for a possession could still
scatter their enemies. Why should they not expect Him to work a work in
their day? By the memory of what God did for your forefathers, I exhort
you to trust in my Savior. "We have heard with our ears, O God, our
fathers have told us, what work You did in their days, in the times of
old." Therefore, O great Jehovah, will we trust in You in this our day!
Then, break away from the world. These people of Israel went home and
smashed their idols. And then they gathered at Mizpeh, once more a
separated people. It was like a declaration of war! Declare war at once
with evil of every shape. Now, come, and enlist beneath the
blood-stained banner of the Cross and say, "I am a follower of the
Lamb, and I will not parley with iniquity. Let the Philistines come, if
they will–I will not submit to them again. I will break loose from the
world, God helping me."
Perhaps you say this is not the preparation of the heart, but the
beginning of the battle. I know it, but any old soldier who has been in
the wars will tell you that the best preparation for the strife is the
first encounter with the enemy! After the first shot or two, the coward
heart becomes brave, and the trembling nerves are strung for action.
Many a timid soul is kept from the joy of God's salvation simply for
the lack of a bold separation from the world. A little moral courage is
all that is lacking in the case of some of you. Come out boldly and
declare your desire and decision. Difficulties will vanish in the act.
The first confession of Christ is the best possible preparation for the
next one.
This matter of heart-preparation is most important. It is God's work
and yet, as His Spirit is ever present to help our infirmities, it is
also ours. You remember how Solomon, in the Proverbs, says to his son,
"Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of
life"? If the heart is divided, the life can never be true. You will
notice how Samuel put before the people the necessity of being thorough
in their decision–"Return unto the Lord with all your hearts," was his
clarion call. If we expect God to be wholly for us, we must be wholly
for Him, and keep back nothing from His control. The Thessalonians
"turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God," and in
like manner this preparation of heart, on the part of Israel, came
between the two acts of turning from idols and serving God–and was the
spring of both.
Then the next step is the service of God–"Serve Him only," said
Samuel. "Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth,
and served the Lord only." It is not enough to give up serving
evil–you must come and serve the Lord! That is to say, from this time
forth your great aim must be to glorify God. If you would be saved, you
must give up every object in life as a guiding star to you except
serving God! Whatever He bids you do, you are to do. His will must be
your law. Christ will save you, but He will have you take upon you His
yoke and wear it. And as He is meek and lowly in heart, He would have
you learn to be so, too. And then you shall find rest unto your soul.
This is Christ's way–that where He comes to save, He comes to sanctify
and make us obey His will and live to His praise. His smile is reward
enough for the poor service we can render Him. His, "Well done," at
last will be Heaven to the heart that loves Him! Oh, that many here
would say, "Yes, I wish to serve the Lord and serve the Lord only. Too
long have I drawn near to Him with my lips, while my heart was far from
Him. 'O Lord our God, other lords beside You have had dominion over us:
but by You, only, will we make mention of Your name.'"
III. Now, I think that I hear one say, "But these three steps are
pretty stiff ones–give up the idols, prepare the heart, serve only the
Lord." Yes, they are, and I do not believe that these people could ever
have taken these three steps if
it had not been for my third point, namely, that THEY WERE HELPED TO DO
ALL THIS BY HAVING FAITH. It
was faith in Samuel, as we have already noticed. You can be much more
helped, yes, graciously enabled, if you have faith in Christ!
They believed Samuel's words. He had spoken to them and they said to
one another, "Samuel says that God will deliver us from the Philistines
if we trust Him. Samuel speaks the truth." Well, now, God has sent a
greater than Samuel– His Only-Begotten Son–and He says to you that,
"Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
You need have no doubt about it–the Word He has spoken shall never be
broken! He means what He promises and not one jot or tittle of His Word
shall pass away till all is fulfilled. Believe what Christ says, that
there is salvation for everyone who puts his trust in Him! Believe that
and take hope and, getting that hope, be bold to strike the decisive
blow tonight and give up your idols and turn to God!
These people believed chiefly in Samuel's prayers. He was a mighty man
in prayer and when the Philistines came, the children of Israel cried
to him, saying, "Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us." How
much greater faith should we put in the Lord Jesus, who died and rose
again and always lives to plead for us! "Therefore He is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He always
lives to make intercession for them." Sinners, Christ is praying for
you! If you trust Him, His prayers will help you to break the fetters
of sin–
"The Lion of Judah shall break every chain, And give us the victory
again and again."
The people had faith in Samuel's sacrifice, for Samuel took a lamb and
burnt it whole upon the altar. And our glorious Christ has made Himself
the Lamb of God and He has been wholly consumed as an offering unto
God. Trust in His Word! Trust in His prayers! Trust in His Sacrifice!
Believe that the precious blood can make you white! Believe that there
is virtue enough in the death of Christ to make atonement for all the
sin that is confessed and laid before Him! If you believe, the blood of
Jesus Christ His Son has cleansed you! If you will trust Him, your sin
is put away. This is the very errand on which He came, "To put away sin
by the sacrifice of Himself."
Hear what the Lord has said by the Prophet–"I, even I, am He that
blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and will not remember
your sins." "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions,
and, as a cloud, your sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed you."
Believe this and, believing it, you shall be helped to break the idols,
helped to prepare the heart, helped to come and serve the Lord only!
Let the prayer go up from your heart to Him who poured out His soul on
Calvary, but who is now alive and attentive to the voice of our cry, "O
Lord, I trust in Your Sacrifice, I rely on Your blood! Save me for Your
name's sake, and cleanse me from my sin."–
"Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole, I want You fore ver to live
in my soul. Break down every idol, cast out every foe– Now wash me and
I shall be whiter than snow."
Israel also accepted Samuel's rule–"Samuel judged Israel all the days
of his life. And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and
Gilgal, and Mizpeh and judged Israel in all those places." You see,
salvation means being delivered from the power of sin. Salvation means
being made a new man–an honest man, a holy man, a gracious man. It
means that Christ, who saves the soul, begins to govern the life and
this salvation is to be gained through faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord
help you to believe in God Incarnate, in God making sacrifice for sin,
in Jesus dead, buried, risen, ascended, sitting at the right hand of
God and soon to come in Glory! Let Him enter your life and, dwelling in
your heart, judge your every action and rule over your entire life.
I trust that none of you will say, "We will keep our idols." Ah, if you
do so, you will not keep them long! If your idols are not taken away
from you, you will be taken away from your idols. What will some of you
do in the next world when there is no gold to hoard and no revelry in
which to indulge? When you will have no occupation but to gnash your
teeth upon yourself because you committed everlasting suicide and
refused and rejected Christ for a few days' pleasure, or a few years'
gain? Will any of you be mad enough to let eternity go, let Heaven go
and let God go for the paltry lusts of the flesh, for the fleeting
gains of the hour? As I shall confront you at the bar of God, I charge
you, seek Him! Put away your idols! Prepare your hearts! Trust in Jesus
and serve only the Lord! God grant that it may be so, for His name's
sake! Amen.
PORTION OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON–1 Samuel 7.