01 Come Thou Fount Series

I Sam 4 & 8

Come Thou Fount

- Robert Robinson (1726-1791) in his early teens lived in London

- Mixing with a gang of punks and led a life of alcohol, & crime

- When 17 he attended a George Whitefield meeting

- For the soul purpose of “scoffing

- He ended up professing faith in Christ

- Became the pastor of a Baptist church in Cambridge, England.

- He was 23 when he wrote "Come Thou Fount"

- Years later he became backslidden

- One day as he was riding in a stagecoach a lady asked him what he thought of the hymn she was reading.

- He tried to change the subject but she persisted

- He responded, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago,

- I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then."

- Gently, she replied, “Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are still flowing.”

Tune My Heart To Sing Thy Grace

- We get involved with life & we forget about grace

-The battle is what we see & know around us

- The battle is to live by faith

- Has the fount of blessings stopped flowing

- God's favor is no longer a celebration

- Mercy streams have dried up

- His song has been crowed out of life

- Fascination of other things have crept in

Samuel picks up where Judges ends

- Judges 21:25 (AV)

— 25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

- Little glimpses of God's grace in Ruth & Hannah

- NOTE- Hophni & Phinenas 1 Sa. 2:12, 17, 22, 29, 3:13

- If these were representative of God

- What really were the people like?

- 1 Sa. 4:1-3 - The Battle at Ebenezer

- Defeated - 1 Sa 4:2 - 4,000 dead

- Relying on their own strength!

- 1 Sa. 4:3 ... Let us fetch the ark of the covenant... it may save us...

- Focused on Ark rather than the Lord

- 1 Sa 4:5 - The shout was for the Ark not the Lord

- Looking everywhere else but to the Lord

- Lost what they considered as their talisman

Result - 1 Sa 4

- v. 10 - Israel was defeated

- v. 10 - Slaughter of 30,000 solders were killed

- v. 11 - The Ark of God was captured

- v. 11 - The priestly sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed

- v. 18 - Eli, when heard the report from the battlefield he fell off of his seat and broke his neck and died

- v. 20 - Phinehas’ wife died in childbirth

- v. 21 - She named the child Ichabod: “the glory of the Lord has departed.”

- 1 Sa 7:2 - Twenty years of defeat

- Doing it our way will end in tragedy

Teach Me...Thy Redeeming Love

- Slowly hearts turned to God

1 Samuel 7:2 (AV) — 2 And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

- Living too long our own way

"Lamented after the Lord"

GNB - cried to the Lord for help

NET - longed for the Lord

Message - fearful movement toward God

Hither By Thy Help I Come

1Sam.7:3

- "If Ye Do" - Take action "return unto the Lord"

Matthew 6:33 (AV)

— 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (AV)

— 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

- "all your hearts" - Be serious, dedicate yourself

- "Put Away" - By Committing

- Matthew 15:8 (AV)

— 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

- Live honestly

- Show by living differently

- "strange gods"

- That which we chase after

Exodus 15:11 (AV)

— 11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

- "prepare your hearts" - Strengthen & Supply

- To be healthy we must eat right, exercise, rest

- The spiritual life has similar needs

- David speaking to Solomon

1 Chronicles 28:9 (AV)

— 9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.