SpringhillGNV's Presentation Group
Sunday, February 8th, 2026 - 2nd Sunday

      • Psalm 150KJV1900

  • O,How I Love Jesus- Hymn
  • 1 Samuel 4:1–11 HCSB
    1 And Samuel’s words came to all Israel. Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines lined up in battle formation against Israel, and as the battle intensified, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about 4,000 men on the battlefield. 3 When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord let us be defeated today by the Philistines? Let’s bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh. Then it will go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent men to Shiloh to bring back the ark of the covenant of the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 When the ark of the covenant of the Lord entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a loud shout that the ground shook. 6 The Philistines heard the sound of the war cry and asked, “What’s this loud shout in the Hebrews’ camp?” When the Philistines discovered that the ark of the Lord had entered the camp, 7 they panicked. “The gods have entered their camp!” they said. “Woe to us, nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us, who will rescue us from the hand of these magnificent gods? These are the gods that slaughtered the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. 9 Show some courage and be men, Philistines! Otherwise, you’ll serve the Hebrews just as they served you. Now be men and fight!” 10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was severe—30,000 of the Israelite foot soldiers fell. 11 The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
    Main Idea
    God’s call requires faith that obeys His voice, not form that imitates His presence. When we move without His direction or lean on symbols instead of the living Lord, our confidence becomes hollow and our praise becomes noise. But when we listen to the Lord, lean on the Lord, and live by faith, God aligns our hearts with His will and strengthens us for every battle.
    Frederick Douglass
    Frederick Douglass (February 14, 1818 - February 20, 1895) once exposed a painful truth about religion in America: a church can be full of worship and still be empty of God. In the appendix of his 1845 Narrative, Douglass distinguished between the faith propagated in Scripture and that practiced in this nation, when he states, “What I have said respecting and against religion...for, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference.” His insistence was that the slaveholding religion he saw was often a hollow performance that used Scripture and ceremony to cover cruelty and corruption. His critique was not an attack on Christ, but a warning about form without Spirit, routine without righteousness, and religious language without repentance. Douglass admonished that when the church clings to outward appearance while forgetting the heart of God, it can appear faithful yet remain far from the Lord.

    Introduction

    There is a danger that lives right next door to religion. It is the danger of mistaking the symbol for the Savior; the form of worship without a faith I worship; and mistaking a shout for substance. You can have the vocabulary of worship and still have a void in your walk. You can know the songs, know the traditions, know the routines, and still be far from the God who is calling you.
    In 1 Samuel 4, the people of Israel are in a fight for their lives. They set up camp by Ebenezer, the Philistines set up camp at Aphek, and the battlefield becomes a mirror that shows what is really happening in their hearts. Israel loses the first battle and about four thousand men fall. The elders ask a spiritual question, “Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us today?” But instead of seeking the Lord with repentance and reverence, they reach for a religious shortcut. They say, “Let us fetch the ark.” They act like the ark can do what only God can do.
    And that is where the message gets tight. Because the ark is holy, but it is not God. The ark is sacred, but it is not a substitute. The people shout when the ark arrives, but shouting is not the same as surrender. The Philistines hear the noise, they tremble for a moment, then they toughen up and fight. Israel suffers a devastating defeat. Thirty thousand footmen fall. The ark is taken. Hophni and Phinehas die. And the Lord teaches a painful lesson in plain view.
    So today, as we continue in this series, When God Calls, hear what God is saying to His church. God is calling us back to living faith, not lifeless form. God is calling us to trust Him, not tokens. God is calling us to obedience, not optics. Because faith is greater than form, and the Lord will not be used like a tool. He must be trusted as God.

    I. Listen to the Lord in Loss (1 Samuel 4:1–3a)

    A. Unnecessary Losses Will Happen When We Do Not Listen to God (1 Samuel 4:1–2)

    Israel heard the word of the Lord through Samuel, yet the next thing the text shows is Israel marching into conflict without any recorded prayer, confession, or inquiry of the Lord. (1 Samuel 3:19–21; 1 Samuel 4:1) The Bible simply says, “Israel went out against the Philistines to battle.” (1 Samuel 4:1) That is not a small detail. Sometimes our greatest defeats are not because the enemy is strong, but because we are moving without direction.
    Consider three earlier moments in Scripture when Israel moved ahead without God and paid for it.
    Numbers 14:39–45 - They ran up the hill in presumption after rejecting God’s word, and the enemy ran them back down.
    Joshua 7:2–5, 10–12 - They rushed into Ai with sin in the camp, and God let them fall until the sin was faced.
    Judges 20:18–25, 26–28 - They charged ahead in conflict before they humbled themselves, and God used defeat to bring them to the altar.
    The camp was set, the lines were drawn, and the fighting started, but the Lord was not sought. (1 Samuel 4:1–2) Then the loss hit hard. “About four thousand men” fell in the field. (1 Samuel 4:2) You can be busy and still be blind. You can be active and still be aimless. You can be in motion and still be out of the will of God. If the Lord is not leading, the losses can become unnecessary.
    This is one of the sobering patterns of Scripture. When God’s people refuse His voice, they often feel His discipline. (Hebrews 12:6) When we choose our way over God’s way, we can walk ourselves right into trouble. (Proverbs 14:12) When we plan without prayer, we can build without blessing. (Psalm 127:1)
    Do not let urgency replace obedience. Before you make the call, sign the paper, start the project, confront the problem, or step into a new battle at work, at home, or in ministry, stop and seek the Lord. Build a holy habit of direction. Pause and pray, open the Word, and ask God to order your steps, because moving fast without God can cost more than moving slow with God.
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: Joshua 9:14; Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 25:4-5; James 4:13-15; Isaiah 30:1
    Joshua 9:14 - And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
    Proverbs 3:5–6 - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
    Psalm 25:4–5 - Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
    James 4:13–15 - Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
    Isaiah 30:1 - Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

    B. Unrepentant Reaction to Loss (1 Samuel 4:3a)

    After the first defeat, the elders asked a question, but it was a question asked from a wounded pride, not a surrendered heart. They said, “Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us today before the Philistines?” (1 Samuel 4:3a) Notice what they did not ask. They did not ask, “Lord, what sin must we confess?” They did not ask, “Lord, what word have we ignored?” They did not ask, “Lord, should we even be in this battle?” They treated the loss like a mystery, when it was really a message. Joshua responded differently after Israel’s first defeat at Ai, because he fell before the LORD, sought His face, and the Lord exposed the sin that had to be confronted before victory could return. (Joshua 7:6–11)
    Here is the danger of an unrepentant reaction. It seeks an explanation without examination. It wants answers without accountability. It blames circumstances without checking the condition of the heart. The Lord was not merely exposing Israel’s weakness in warfare. He was exposing Israel’s weakness in worship. (1 Samuel 2:29; 1 Samuel 3:13)
    That is exactly what happens next in the flow of the text. Instead of turning back to God, they turn to a substitute. They move from question to quick fix, and they call for the ark to be fetched as if the presence of a sacred object can replace the pursuit of a holy God. (1 Samuel 4:3b)
    When the loss hits, do not just ask, “Why did this happen,” ask, “Lord, what are You saying to me.” Take your pain to God before you take your plan to people. Let the setback become a spiritual checkup. Return to prayer, return to humility, and return to holiness.
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: Lamentations 3:40; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 9:13; Proverbs 28:13; James 1:22
    Lamentations 3:40 - Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
    2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
    Isaiah 9:13 - For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.
    Proverbs 28:13 - He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
    James 1:22 - But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

    II. Lean on the Lord, Not the Landmark (1 Samuel 4:3b–5)

    Most of us have seen what happens when people confuse a sign for the substance. Somebody keeps the spare key, but never keeps the relationship. Somebody wears the wedding ring, but refuses to do the work of love, forgiveness, and faithfulness. Somebody hangs the diploma on the wall, but never applies the discipline that earned it. The symbol may be real, but the symbol cannot carry the weight of what only character and commitment can sustain. Israel did the same thing with the ark. They wanted the holy object, but they did not want the holy obedience. They wanted the landmark, but not the Lord who calls His people to follow Him.

    A. Sent for the Symbol, But Not the Sovereign (1 Samuel 4:3b–4)

    The elders decided, “Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.” (1 Samuel 4:3b) They sent for the symbol of God’s protection, power, and providence, but they did not seek the Sovereign’s presence and leadership. The sentence reveals their misplaced confidence. They put their hope in “it,” not in Him. (1 Samuel 4:3b)
    The ark was never designed to replace God. It was designed to remind the people who God is and what He requires. In Exodus, the Lord commanded Moses to build the ark with precision. It was made of shittim wood, overlaid with pure gold, with a crown of gold round about, and rings with staves so it could be carried as God directed. (Exodus 25:10–15) The mercy seat of pure gold sat on top, and two cherubims of gold stretched their wings over it. (Exodus 25:17–20) The Lord said, “There I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat.” (Exodus 25:22)
    In Leviticus, the ark is tied directly to atonement and holiness. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest came with blood and with reverence, because the Lord said He would appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. (Leviticus 16:2–3) Blood was sprinkled upon and before the mercy seat as a sign that sin required sacrifice and that access to God required cleansing. (Leviticus 16:14–15)
    A short list of times the Lord ordered the ark to go before His people
    Numbers 10:33 - And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.
    Joshua 3:3 - When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
    Joshua 6:6 - Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: Exodus 25:22; Leviticus 16:2; Jeremiah 7:4; Psalm 20:7; 2 Timothy 3:5
    Exodus 25:22 - And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
    Leviticus 16:2 - Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
    Jeremiah 7:4 - Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.
    Psalm 20:7 - Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
    2 Timothy 3:5 - Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

    B. Shouted in Sinfulness (1 Samuel 4:5)

    When the ark came into the camp, “all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.” (1 Samuel 4:5) The shout was loud, but it was empty of divine power. Noise is not proof. Volume is not victory. Excitement is not evidence of holiness.
    Here is what makes this moment so dangerous. They shouted as if the battle was already won, but their hearts were still out of order. They celebrated a symbol while neglecting surrender. They praised with their mouths while avoiding repentance in their lives. In other words, they tried to use worship as a weapon, when worship is supposed to be a witness that we belong to God.
    Do not miss this. The shout did not move God, it only stirred the camp. The shout did not change their condition, it only changed the atmosphere. The shout did not replace obedience, and it did not cancel sin. When you praise Him, praise Him in truth. When you worship, worship with a clean heart. When you shout, let it come from a life that is yielded to the Lord.
    The Bible gives us sobering pictures of noise without righteousness.
    The people shouted and danced after forcing Aaron to make for them a golden calf.
    The prophets of Baal shouted, jumped, and cut themselves with stones on Mount Carmel.
    The Corinthians spoke in unknown tongues, and without love and order it became nothing more than a confusing sound.
    And here is the contrast. When Israel shouted at Jericho, it was not a shortcut. It was the climax of obedience. They marched as God commanded, they waited as God instructed, and they shouted when God said shout. The difference is that obedience invited God’s power, but empty noise only exposed spiritual weakness.
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: Isaiah 29:13; Amos 5:23-24; Isaiah 1:15; 1 Corinthians 13:1; Matthew 15:8
    Isaiah 29:13 - Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
    Amos 5:23–24 - Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
    Isaiah 1:15 - And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
    1 Corinthians 13:1 - Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
    Matthew 15:8 - This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

    III. Live by Faith When the Battle is Fierce (1 Samuel 4:6–11)

    A. Fear by the Enemy Will Make Them Fight Harder (1 Samuel 4:6–9)

    When the Philistines heard the shout, they did not just hear noise, they interpreted it as a threat. The Bible says, “the Philistines were afraid,” because they learned “God was come into the camp.” (1 Samuel 4:6–7) Their fear was real, but their fear did not make them run. Their fear made them resolve.
    They said, “Woe unto us!” and they remembered the stories of God’s mighty acts in Egypt. (1 Samuel 4:8) Then they spoke like soldiers preparing for a do-or-die moment. “Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines.” (1 Samuel 4:9)
    Do not interpret resistance as proof you are wrong. Sometimes the resistance is proof you are on target. When the battle gets fierce, live by faith, keep your focus, and stand in the strength of the Lord.
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12; Nehemiah 4:14; Psalm 27:1; 2 Timothy 1:7
    1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
    Ephesians 6:12 - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
    Nehemiah 4:14 - And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
    Psalm 27:1 - The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
    2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

    B. Failure to Live by Faith Will Lead to Defeat (1 Samuel 4:10–11)

    The Bible says, “the Philistines fought,” and Israel was smitten again. (1 Samuel 4:10) This second defeat was devastating. “There fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.” (1 Samuel 4:10)
    Then the text gives the line that would have shaken the nation. “And the ark of God was taken.” (1 Samuel 4:11) The very object they trusted as their guarantee became the trophy of their enemies. And the judgment that God promised on Eli’s house landed exactly where God said it would. “And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.” (1 Samuel 4:11)
    Do not let this text scare you away from God, let it steer you back to God. If you are leaning on form, shift back to faith. If you are holding on to tradition but ignoring truth, return to obedience.
    Cross-Reference Scriptures: Hebrews 11:6; Proverbs 16;18; 1 Samuel 2:30; Galatians 6:7; Psalm 33:16-18
    Hebrews 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
    Proverbs 16:18 - Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
    1 Samuel 2:30 - Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
    Galatians 6:7 - Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
    Psalm 33:16–18 - There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
    Sermon Close
    The text is clear. Israel had the ark, but they did not have alignment. Israel had the symbol, but they did not have surrender. Israel had the noise, but they did not have obedience. And God let them learn the hard way what He will teach us today.
    Listen to the Lord. Listen to the Lord when the loss is painful. Listen to the Lord when the tears are heavy. Listen to the Lord when the plans have fallen apart.
    Lean on the Lord. Lean on the Lord when you feel outnumbered. Lean on the Lord when you feel overwhelmed. Lean on the Lord when you feel uncertain.
    Live by faith. Live by faith when the battle is fierce. Live by faith when the enemy grows bold. Live by faith when your strength is low.
    So here is the call of God today.
    Listen to the Lord.
    Lean on the Lord.
    Live by faith.
    If you listen to the Lord, He will order your steps.
    If you lean on the Lord, He will steady your heart.
    If you live by faith, He will sustain you in the fight.
    And even when you have suffered loss, even when you have been corrected, even when you have been humbled, God can still restore the people who return to Him.
    Christological Bridge And now, before we leave this battlefield in 1 Samuel 4, we must look up and see the greater battlefield at Calvary. Because the truth is, we all have losses, and we all have failures, and we all have moments where form could not fix what was broken. But God did not send a symbol. God sent His Son.
    Jesus did not come to give us religion without power. Jesus came to give us redemption through His blood. They nailed Him to the cross. He hung there between heaven and earth. He took our sin, our shame, our judgment. He died so we could live. He was buried, but death could not keep Him.
    And early Sunday morning, He got up. He got up with all power in His hands. He got up so the sinner could be saved. He got up so the bound could be delivered. He got up so the defeated could be restored.
    So listen to the Lord, because He still calls.
    Lean on the Lord, because He still saves.
    Live by faith, because Jesus is alive.
    Invitation
    If you need Jesus Christ as Savior, if you need to come back to obedience as a believer, or if you need a church home, this is your moment to respond to the Lord. Do not trust a form, trust the Savior. Do not lean on a landmark, lean on the Lord. Do not try to shout your way through, surrender your way back. Come now, and let God meet you with mercy, save you by grace, and steady you by faith.

      • 1 Samuel 4:1–11GNB

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