www.rossvillechurch.com

781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 307411August 7, 2011

Eli's boys were Sons of BelialThey knew not God.

Samuel served the Lord.

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Hophni and Phinehas had been stealingstealing the sacrificessacrifices that people offered to the Lord;

They had been committing fornicationcommitting fornication with the women who had come to the temple to worship.

Eli triedEli tried to talk to them, but they wouldn't listen.

God had already judgedjudged them, found them

lackinglacking any heart toward Himtoward Him at all.

He had determined to slay themslay them.

Sinning is like a snowballsnowball rolling downhill;

it gets biggerbigger and fasterfaster as it goes, and it takes youtakes you with it.

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Don't takeDon't take that first step into sin, because you don't knowdon't know what lies down that path.

Whenever we sin, we sin against Holy Godagainst Holy God.

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Be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23b

There are no secretsno secrets from God.You may hide it from the

pastor and the church,

But you can't can't hidehide from God.

26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men.

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In contrastcontrast to Eli's sinful sons,

Samuel was doing gooddoing good.

God alwaysalways blesses those who love and serve Him.

Samuel was not influencednot influenced by the sin around him.

He lived rightright and was blessedblessed.

27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? 28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

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29 Wherefore kick yekick ye at My sacrifice and at Mine offering, which I have commanded in My habitation; and honorest thy sons above Mehonorest thy sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

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God held Eli responsibleresponsible.

To fail to correctfail to correct unruly children is to put them above Godabove God.

Ephesians 6 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them upbring them up in the nurturenurture and admonitionadmonition of the Lord.

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God holds the parents responsibleparents responsible for the behavior of their children.

Raise them rightRaise them right..Daddy has the primaryprimary responsibility,

and Mama is his helphis help.God's bestbest comes when we stay in His orderHis order.

(Text) 30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before Me forever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from Me; for them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

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Being from a godly familygodly family does not protect a present generation from judgmentfrom judgment.

EachEach person stands before God for himself.

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But youyou have to choose for yourselffor yourself whether you will servewill serve God or the devil.

31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old manshall not be an old man in thine house. 32 And thou shalt see an enemy in My habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house forever.

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God cut off Eli's branchEli's branch of the family of Levi.

From that day forward, the men would all die youngall die young.

33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of themin one day they shall die both of them.

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It will happen, It will happen, justjust as God as God said.said.

35 And I will raise Me up a faithful priestfaithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in Mine heart and in My mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before Mine anointed forever. 36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouchcrouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of breadpiece of bread.

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No doubt many blamed Godmany blamed God for their circumstances.

MothersMothers may have blamed God when their sons diedsons died so young.

WivesWives may have blamed God when their husbandshusbands couldn't make a living.

True repentanceTrue repentance could could have turned it around.have turned it around.

People say, "We want the bestWe want the best for our children."

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Deuteronomy 6 4-7 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligentlyteach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittestsittest in thine house, and when thou walkestwalkest by the way, and when thou liest downliest down, and when thou risest uprisest up.

Deuteronomy 28 9 The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto Himself, as He hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keepkeep the Commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in His Wayswalk in His Ways.

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11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

Don't miss the teachable momentsteachable moments.

Good example,Good example, Bible Teaching,Bible Teaching,

Be certain you Be certain you show themshow them what's really what's really important.important.

12 The Lord shall open unto thee His good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine handbless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lendshalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrownot borrow. 13 And the Lord shall make thee the the headhead, and not the tailnot the tail; and thou shalt be aboveabove only, and thou shalt not be beneathnot be beneath; if that thou hearkenthou hearken unto the Commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to observe and to do do themthem:

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Samuel is the right exampleright example to follow;

Not Eli and his sons.

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A child of God cancan do right when no one else isno one else is.

Most of the world sees going to church church and living according to the BibleBible as a grievous duty at best.

It's the path to joyful blessingjoyful blessing.