When the Glory Departs

Introduction:

Come Thou Fount

We are bent towards failure and rebellion.  Many in this room have slowly wandered away from being close to God.  Today, everyone of us ought to take heed to the fact that it is possible and even probable to suspect that we are not as close to God as we ought to be.

1. STEPS TO DEPARTURE OF GOD'S GLORY
1. The Famine of Gods Word (1 Samuel 3:1)
1. The word of the Lord was precious in those days this means it was of great worth..
2. There was no open vision hence the reason for the preciousness of Gods word, because they were not hearing much of Gods word
2. Failure to Do What You Know (1 Samuel 3:11-14)
1. Eli failed to restrain his sons (1 Samuel 3:13)
2. This was a sin that Eli knew about (1 Samuel 3:13)
3. Going Through the Motions (1 Samuel 4:4-8)
1. Problems unrecognized by Gods people (1 Samuel 4:4-5)
2. Problems unrecognized by the world (1 Samuel 4:6-8)
2. LIFE IN THE ABSENCE OF GOD'S GLORY
1. Suffering Great Loss (1 Samuel 4:10-18)
1. Thirty thousand footmen of Israel (1 Samuel 4:10)
2. The ark of God was taken (1 Samuel 4:11)
3. Hophni (1 Samuel 4:11)
4. Phinehas (1 Samuel 4:11)
5. Eli (1 Samuel 4:18)
6. Phinehas wife (1 Samuel 4:20)
2. Loss of Natural Joy (1 Samuel 4:20-21)
1. The attempt to comfort the mother (1 Samuel 4:20)
2. The lack of response from the mother (1 Samuel 4:20-21)
3. Continuation of Spirituality (1 Samuel 7:1-3)
1. The ark had been with the Philistines for seven months (1 Samuel 6:1)
2. In the absence of the ark the people were worshipping strange gods and Ashtaroth (1 Samuel 7:3)
3. THE RETURN OF GOD'S GLORY 
1. Undivided Allegiance to God (1 Samuel 7:3)
1. Return unto the Lord with all your hearts
2. Prepared hearts unto the Lord
3. Serve Him only
2. Sacrifice (1 Samuel 7:5-11)
1. Yielding of self drew water and poured it out before the Lord (1 Samuel 7:6)
2. Denial of self - fasting (1 Samuel 7:6)
3. Inadequacy of self Cease not to cry unto the Lord (1 Samuel 7:8)
3. Confession of Sin (1 Samuel 7:6)
4. Recognition of Gods Help (1 Samuel 7:12)
1. A stone set up in Ebenezer
2. Ebenezer meaning, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us
5. Some Things Never Return
1. The ark of the covenant had been at Shiloh (1 Samuel 4:3)
2. It never returned to Shiloh
3. It was later brought into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:1-2)
4. This was Gods doings (Psalm 78:56-64)

Conclusion:  Are you willing to take the necessary steps to return to God?  Are you willing to make sacrifices to God and deny yourself to make the trip?  Is anything in your life more important than undivided fellowship with the Lord?  Do what you need to do and do it now.

Come Thou Fount