"faith Precedes Blessing"

“Faith precedes blessings”

Mother’s Day 2020

A mom was talking with with her 6 year old daughter:

"Mom, there are five things I want to be when I grow up."

"Oh, yeah? What are they?"

"I’m going to be a model, a movie star, a traveler and travel all around the world, and an artist and a singer."

"What about a mom?"

"I don’t know... I think that’s too hard for me."

Later that same day...

"Mom, it’s too bad you didn’t get to become anybody when you grew up."

"But I am somebody," she explained. "I’m your mom! If I weren’t a mom then you wouldn’t be here right now dreaming of what you want to be someday!"

(Kewanee Star Courier, May 5, 2004 via sermoncentral.com)

Today’s message is about a God fearing mom:

Who prayed to God for a child, believed God and trusted God

Was blessed with a son, who then served the Lord all his life

Who kept her promise even when it hurt

But you’ll have to wait to hear about that mom…..

This sermon is going to be like Jeopardy:

I’m going to tell you the second part first, then the 1st

Stick with me through three movements

Movement 1 - is getting to know Samuel

Movement 2 - the story of Samuel’s mom

Movement 3 - Lessons from Samuel’s mom.

Movement 1 - It is my pleasure to introduce to you Samuel…..

Samuel faithfully served God and the nation of Israel his entire life:

You could read the 1 and Samuel to find out

For now, I’ll give you a birds eye view

300 years after Joshua, God began molding Samuel:

To be a Prophet, Judge and spiritual leader of Israel

Ever since he was a toddler:

Samuel learned under Eli the High Priest

Samuel was faithful servant to God

continuing in this role “all the days of his life

Samuel’s relationship with God started when he was young:

When he was age of 5 or younger

Sometime later God began to speak to him.

God’s first prophecy for Samuel was message was for Eli, his teacher:

It wasn't good news

It was an announcement of

God’s punishment coming on Eli’s two wayward sons,

Hophni and Phinehas,

Samuel served as a prophet:

Samuel grew and faithfully DELIVERED messages from God,

Israel respected Samuel and followed him

it became obvious that God was working through him.

Samuel:

Called the nation to repentance and

God was pleased with his servant Samuel

Samuel served as God’s:

Priest, Judge, teacher, prophet

at times he would intercede for Israel through deep prayer

More about Samuel:

the elders Respected him

The people trusted Samuel

Anointings:

He anointed Saul King and

later told Saul God was taking the Kingdom from him

He also anointed King David

You might think “Isn’t this mother’s day?

Aren’t we supposed to get a sermon about Proverbs 31, or

at least on the topic of a woman in the Bible”

Many of you guessed already, but for the rest….

Surprise, Hannah is our hero!

Samuel was an impressive man of God,

but without his mother he would have literally been nothing.

Movement #2 - May I introduce Hannah

Hannah is Samuel’s mother:

Hannah is my favorite mother’s day sermon topic

I’ve probably preached about her 8-10 times

And I’ve always come at it straight ahead

Kinda like this:

Look how faithful Hannah was

Be like Hannah,

Be faithful and good things will happen.

Today I’m want to come at Hannah sideways:

To see the fruit of her faithfulness first

So 1st I showed you Samuel, Now his mom Hannah

Hannah trusted God and God gave barren hannah a child

Because faith precedes blessings.

Someone recently wrote:

“The most significant thing you do in your Christian life may not be something you do, but someone you raise.”

That is certainly true of Hannah:

The story of Samuel’s life begins:

with the very touching scene of Hannah

wife of Elkanah, praying to God at the tabernacle in Shiloh.

She was pleading with God to allow her

to have a son because she was barren.

Elkanah was a Levite of the region of Ephraim:

His other wife, Peninnah,

had many children and

she made Hannah’s life miserable

“So Peninnah (the mean wife) would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.” 1 Samuel 1:6-7

Hannah made a vow to God:

that if He would allow her to bear a son,

she would return the boy to God's service

11 Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life….” 1 Samuel 1:11a