Real Peole , Real Problems A Study Of 1 Samuel Part 4d, Knowing God Series

Real People – Real Problems

A study of 1 Samuel

Part 4D

“Knowing God”

After a several week break from our study of 1 Samuel

Today we will climb back on that horse

In the last few weeks we have been looking at what it means to know God

I mean really know God

We fist looked at a wrong view of God by

The Israelites

As they tried to use God and the things of God as some sort of lucky charm

We saw how their lack of knowledge of who God was and want he does

Caused them to lose the things they desired most and to also lose the intimacy with God that he desires

Next we looked at how the Philistines viewed God as simply another God in their arsenal of gods

As another power they could control;

And how their misconceptions and misunderstanding of who God was and what he does

Brought his wrath upon them

Then we moved into what we must do in order to really know God

Though the actions of Samuel

We saw how Samuel told the people

If you want to get back to God

If you want to know him

But more than that

If you want to feel his presence in your life and receive the good things he desires for you

You must get rid of your idols

Your foreign gods

Your little g gods

Theirs were Baal, Dagon and Ashtoreth as we studied

But we also saw how even though we don’t bow down to images made of wood and stone

We have little g gods in our lives as well and if we want to really know God

We must get rid of them

Knock them off their pedestal and place God in his proper place

Today we are going to see what else we must do if we are going to know God better

If we are going to know God more

If we are going to truly place God first in our lives

And like we preached on last week become --sold out ---for him

Please open your bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 7

Let me recap just a bit

The ark had been captured and returned by the Philistines

And fear had caused the Israelites to send it away

As a result the people had turned from God for 20 years

And now they desired a renewed relationship with him

So they sought out Samuel to help them and to guide them

Let me read beginning in verse 3 down through verse

But we will focus on verses 5 and 6 today

3 Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you want to return to the LORD with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the LORD and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD.

5 Then Samuel told them, “Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the LORD. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the LORD. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.)

Verses 5 and 6 give us yet another way that we can know God

Know him better

Look at verses 5 and 6 with me again

Then Samuel told them, “Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the LORD. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the LORD. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.)

From today’s text

If we want to know God

If we want to know God better

We must

Verse 5a

“Gather”- Come together---

Remember the three legged stool of faith

Read- pray – fellowship

In order to know God better we must

Be around God’s people

Fellowship with God and his followers is so important

Why you may ask

Because we can both encourage and be encouraged

But more than that

We can see God working in a through the lives of those we fellowship with

We can let others see

God working in us

And as we see God’s work

And show God’s work

We know God better

Coming to church is not a requirement of being a Christian

But it is a requirement of being a growing, maturing Christian