I. EXORDIUM:
Do you have enemies? Are you facing obstacles?
II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Believers
III. OBJECTIVES:
To acknowledge GOD in everything therefore winning any obstacles or hindrances over to GOD.
IV. TEXT:
1 Samuel 7:3 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the Lord; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”
V. THESIS:
Surrendered life is secret to overcoming every obstacles
VI. TITLE:
Overcoming Obstacles
VII. EXPLICATION:
A. Authors: Samuel (Israel's last greatest judge) - some parts of it, Nathan and Gad (1 Samuel 10:25, 1 Chronicles 29:29) and some say it's Anonymous
1 Samuel 10:25 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home again.
1 Chronicles 29:29 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
All the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in The Record of Samuel the Seer, The Record of Nathan the Prophet, and The Record of Gad the Seer.
B. Purpose of writing: Account of the history of Israel from 12th to 10th B.C.
VIII. MAIN BODY:
A. Return to the LORD GOD with all heart, soul and mind
"If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord"
1. Return came from the Hebrew word:"shub" meaning to turn back, to take back, to retreat.
Retreat from your idolatries back into the arms of the Mighty GOD.
a. the reason is idolatry, if you're really serious, return to the LORD with all your heart, mind and soul. Even if Israel has finest, powerful weapons of mass destruction today in our times, they still will fight a losing battle for battle is the LORD's (1 Samuel 17:47)
1 Samuel 17:47 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
2 Samuel 22:48 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he brings down the nations under me
2. Greatest enemy left to conquer is ourselves, if we don't have expressed idolatries most probably it is ourselves. Stop worshipping yourselves by crediting your success and victories back to yourself, turn back to GOD, acknowledge GOD today in everything, every success and victories are from Him for He has already commanded it to us.
Judges 5:11 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Listen to the village musicians gathered at the watering holes. They recount the righteous victories of the Lord and the victories of his villagers in Israel. Then the people of the Lord marched down to the city gates.
3. You might ask an obvious question of what are the connection of these things if Israel wants to win the battle against Gaza? Remember the physical starts with the spiritual. There was no physical light before that we can benefit from, but GOD said, "Let there be light. and there was light" If the physical light started with the Spiritual GOD then everything have to start from something or specifically Someone, and that Someone is GOD. The Spirit gave birth to everything physical we use our five sense on.
1 Samuel 7:10 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them.
Ephesians 6:12 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Genesis 1:1 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:3 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Colossians 1:15-16 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
B. Remove all idolatries in your life
"get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth."
1. Israel is full of idolatries, hence, idols and idolatries hinders them from coming back to GOD, who is the Source of all victories. The issue is their heart before GOD, the way to return to victory over Gaza is for them to remove all their idolatries: anyone or anything that hinders them from getting back to GOD. Furthermore, if Israel will reject this Biblical advise, then the LORD GOD rejected Him and will hand them over to their enemies.
Get rid of all your idols, it started from your heart, abandon and forsake idols from your heart,
Micah 1:5 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
And why is this happening? Because of the rebellion of Israel— yes, the sins of the whole nation. Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion? Samaria, its capital city! Where is the center of idolatry in Judah? In Jerusalem, its capital!
Ezekiel 14:4 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So I, the Lord, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves.
1 Samuel 15:23 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
2. If Israel will reject this biblical advise, then GOD will hand them over to their enemies: Gaza
Ezekiel 23:28 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will surely hand you over to your enemies, to those you loathe, those you rejected.
C. Commit yourselves to GOD (Romans 12:1)
"Determine to obey only the Lord"
1. If we commit ourselves to Him we are unbeatable, how can you hurt a dead person, it's impossible they won't feel anything.
Deuteronomy 13:4 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.
2 Chronicles 19:3 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Even so, there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles throughout the land, and you have committed yourself to seeking God.”
Romans 12:1 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
Galatians 2:20 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Numbers 29:7 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“Ten days later, on the tenth day of the same month, you must call another holy assembly. On that day, the Day of Atonement, the people must go without food and must do no ordinary work.
Luke 14:27 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
D. Serve GOD alone.
1. Worship GOD, offer your bodies a living sacrifice to Him, that is the acceptable worship to Him. In the Old testament, the sacrifice needs to spill the blood and die, but in the New Testament or Covenant, the LORD JESUS CHRIST has done all the blood spilling and the sacrifice is alive and serving Him in worship and praise.
Deuteronomy 6:13 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name.
Deuteronomy 10:20 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
You must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone.
Deuteronomy 13:4 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.
Joshua 24:14 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.
Luke 4:8 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
E. Result: GOD will save you from the Philistine 5 major cities: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. (1 Samuel 6:17)
"then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”
1. GOD will not only rescue Israel from Gaza but on five Philistine cities: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron
Currently, for Israel to defeat or overcome Gaza, they have to do this, the secret is in this one verse:
1 Samuel 7:3 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the Lord; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”
1 Samuel 6:17 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
The five gold tumors sent by the Philistines as a guilt offering to the Lord were gifts from the rulers of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.
IX. CONCLUSION:
Be like King David in His surrendered life to GOD as David said in front of Goliath:
"This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!"
1 Samuel 17:47 (New Century Version)
Everyone gathered here will know the Lord does not need swords or spears to save people. The battle belongs to him, and he will hand you over to us.“
1 Samuel 17:47 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)
And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
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