This sermon emphasizes the importance of prayer, perseverance, and understanding God's need for partnership in fulfilling His work. It discusses the consequences of spiritual deafness, selfish prayers, and the need for revival in the church. The message highlights the examples of Hannah, Samuel, David, and Solomon in bringing back God's glory and the significance of being co-workers with God in prayer and service.

Sermon Index Classics, featuring the vintage audio sermons from the past century. Welcome again to Sermon Index and today's program featuring some of the best sermons preached in the last century. This program is provided by the Ministry of Sermon Index. For more messages, log on to our website www.SermonIndex.com Now, here's today's program. This contains the message on Glory Departed from 1st Samuel, Chapter 4, Verse 22, by the Lord's Servant, Brother Bhagat Singh, during the special meeting celebrated in Hyderabad in 1960s. The Telugu translator is Brother G.T. Benjamin. And Verse 19, Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth. Shall ye not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness, a river in the desert. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth. Shall ye not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness, a river in the desert. The same verse was given to us some years ago, again and again, for the ministry to be fulfilled in many part of India. The same verse was given to us some years ago, again and again, for the ministry to be fulfilled in many part of India. This verse was given to us in Madras in 1941. This verse was given to us in Madras in 1941. Later on, again and again, the same verse was brought to us at different times. Later on, again and again, the same verse was brought to us at different times. That's how our work began in the city of Madras in the year 1940, after the big campaign. That's how our work began in the city of Madras in the year 1940, after the big campaign. For full three months, we had a city-wide campaign in Madras in 1940. For full three months, we had a city-wide campaign in Madras in 1940. In the last meeting we had in Madras that year in 1940, same as we came. In the last meeting we had that year in 1940, same as we came. Lord wanted to do a new thing in our country. We never knew how it will begin and who are the rest through whom it will begin. We never knew how it will begin and who are the rest through whom it will begin. So, as we have prayed, apart from our prayers, we have a heart for this. That's how God is, burning His saints and sermons to pray with perseverance and with great travail in many parts of the world for the very same new thing. That was expressed by many in Srilanka recently when they had this congress on evangelism. They are longing for something new. They can meet God's need. Again, Lord brought to my attention the epitaphs of the book of Samuel, the book of Chronicles. I will read you the first book of Samuel, chapter 4, verse 22. I will read you the first book of Samuel, chapter 4, verse 22. First Samuel 4, 22. The glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is chiseled. We read in 2 Chronicles 7.1, the departed glory came down. 1 Samuel 2, verse 12. Now the sons of Eli, they knew not the Lord. Now the sons of Eli, they knew not the Lord. Now there is a condition. Now there is a condition. They were sons of the high priest. They were sons of the high priest. But they did not know the Lord. They knew about Him, but did not know Him by experience. They knew about Him, but did not know Him by experience. Then secondly, verse 13. Then secondly, verse 13. And the priest custom with the people was, And the priest custom with the people was, that when any man offered sacrifice, that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest, someone came, that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest, someone came, while the flesh was in seeding, while the flesh was in seeding, with a flesh hook of 3 teeth in the hand. Verse 15. Verse 15. So before they burned the flesh, the priest, someone came and said to the man that sacrificed, So before they burned the flesh, the priest, someone came and said to the man that sacrificed, He has flesh to roast for the priest, He has flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not have the flesh of the raw. Verse 16. Verse 16. Many men said unto Him, Let them not fail to burn the flesh presently, Then take as much as thou so desirest. Then He would answer him, Nay, but thou shalt give it to me, if not, I will take by force. Then He would answer him, Nay, but thou shalt give it to me, if not, I will take by force. That happened in the house of God. These were the servants of the sons of the Eli, going about with a flesh hook of 3 teeth. These were the servants of the sons of the Eli, going about with a flesh hook of 3 teeth. People used to come from many far off places to offer sacrifices in the house of God. People used to come from many far off places to offer sacrifices in the house of God. And the flesh had to be offered at the altar of the burnt sacrifice. Only then the priest would take whatever he wanted. But they demanded raw flesh. They did not want to be sordid or big. So anybody came in with a flesh of sacrifice. They demanded that. The priest wanted the best flesh for his own personal use. People would say, let the priest offer the sacrifice, then let him take what he desired. But he said, no way. Our master said, you take first. If you want to give us willingly, we will take by force. They were the servants of God, taking away God's portion, the house of God, by force. With the help of the hook of 3 teeth. With the help of the hook of 3 teeth, the servants of God, taking away the flesh of the flesh of God, by force. This is what we are seeing in the region. The servants of God, taking away the flesh of God, by force. Because of greed, because of love. Now we can describe these 3 teeth in the flesh by their names. First tooth, love for power. Second would be love for money. And thirdly, love for name or fame. Rather than serving God with all humility and sacrifice today, have God's servant. They want power for themselves, or authority, or a name or fame. I am just helping God's house. In the name of God, they want authority, and they want money, and they want name and fame. That will be sin and barrenness. That's how sin came in the house of God. Now chapter 3. First Samuel. And Charles Samuel met with the Lord. He lied. But the Lord was precious to him. In the opening year. God's word became precious. There is no punimia. Rather than giving God's message, God's word, they are giving their own message. We have to give a lecture and worldly philosophy to entertain people. When people go to the house of God, they go for the word of God. To hear God's voice. And seeing God's word with power of heart. But those days, we are told here. God's word became precious. There is no open end. And you find exactly the same condition today in all parts of the world. In very few places, the voice of God, God's word is conveyed. People don't know the meaning of when you see God's Bible. There will be barrenness, infancy, bankruptcy, and spiritual darkness. What is the reason for that? The situation is such that the barrenness, infancy, and spiritual darkness is still there. The Lord called Samuel. He answered, Here am I. Now they both lie in the same place. Eli and Samuel. Samuel heard the voice of God in the small boy. But Eli did not hear it. It was five. Then Eli said, Here am I. But the doctor called me and said, I called you not. Lie down again. And he went and lay down. Eli became deaf spiritually. God was speaking. Samuel heard the voice. But Eli, because of deafness, could hear it. God has not changed. We have changed. God does speak. By His Spirit. Through His servant. Through my worship. In God's house. God does speak. But there are many who become deaf spiritually. Did you find it? And that's why the glory departed. Everything became more like a ritual and ceremony. First Samuel chapter 4. First Samuel chapter 4. And verse 3. And when the people were come to the camp, the elders of Israel said, We are told, Lord, fill us today with faith. Head up by the Ark of the Covenant out of Shalom. And it cometh among us. It may save us from the hand of the enemies. And when the people were come to the camp, the elders of Israel said, We are told, Lord, fill us today with faith. Head up by the Ark of the Covenant out of Shalom. And it cometh among us. It may save us from the hand of the enemies. On the one hand they have to spoil the sacrifice made for God. On the other hand, they have not shown any respect for God's house. Now when the enemy came, when the enemy came against them, now they bring the Ark of God in the battlefield. Like many people, they won't think of God with a prosperity. Only when they are in trouble, in difficulty, they call upon God. All the same young men, who were despoiling God's house, taking away God's portion by force, now they are coming along the Ark of God battlefield. All the same young men, who were despoiling God's house, taking away God's portion by force, now they are coming along the Ark of God battlefield. Those only God, those only God's word, without obeying God's word, they want to get victory over fascism. So as a formality, they bring the Ark of God in the battlefield. As a result, the Ark of God was taken by the Christians. And both Abadai and Kinyas were killed in the battlefield. All Israel was submitted in the battlefield. Because only by name they call upon God for victory. And by today we sign, defeat, failure, abandonment of God's people. And the word of God can be seen written in many buildings today. The Glory of the Father. The Glory of the Father. It is a very solemn word. We as God's people and God's servants, must take heed of these words in the Book of God. We cannot change divine laws. Then we find how the Gori departed, and they had to go through many years of hardship afterwards. And God used four persons, as you see in this book, to bring back the departed glory. First, Hannah. Second, Samuel. Third, David. And fourth, Solomon. These four characters take a prominent part to bring back the departed glory. We also want to see God's glory coming to our midst fully in other places. We have also to notice, forget divine principles. Then we find how forth Hannah began to pray. First Samuel, chapter one. From the verse ten, She was bitterness of soul, and prayed on the Lord and absorbed. Because she was barren, she had no children for some time. Even though she was very God-fearing, and she prayed earnestly, she had prayed with tears, but her prayers were not answered. God is silent. He went on weeping even. She wept the same, and bitterness of soul, she wept. Now why is God silent? Because our prayer was selfish. Oh God, take away my reproach. Make me happy. Take away my bitterness. Give me a child. Bless my home. Hear my prayer. See my tears. All these prayers were centered around herself, her own needs. And that's why God is silent. Now she discovers after much prayer, God also had got some need. That need we also failed to understand. It became a mystery. God wants you and me to be together. Going by 1 Corinthians 3, verse 9, we are labored together with God. 2 Corinthians 6, verse 1, we are labored together with Him. And nowhere in scripture have we ever read, angels being called co-workers with God. You can go through the whole Bible. You won't find any reference anywhere, where God called angels His co-workers. But we foolish human beings, weak human beings, who have already fallen from perfection, can become God's co-workers. We are labored together with God. We work together with Him. So after much bitterness of soul, and I learned a lesson. God also has got some need. Even though we don't see Him in detail here, but we can guess. When Hannah would be saying, Oh God, why are you silent? For a long time, for so many years, I have been seeking like this, calling upon me for many years. Why is it, Oh God, you are silent? Why don't you answer my prayer? I love Thee, I want to serve Thee. But Lord said to her, What about my need? You are concerned about your need? What about my need? I am asked very very patiently, I want you to be my co-worker, and meet my need. Then her eyes opened. God wants me to be her co-worker, and co-laborer, and co-partner. And that's why her prayer was changed afterwards. In verse 11, in 1 Samuel, in verse 11, God will give me a man-child, he will be lent back to Thee. And God heard the prayer. And when God wanted, He could have easily sent an angel to rebuke Elijah. He sent an angel to feed Elijah. In 1 Kings chapter 19, God sent an angel and also God sent an angel to fill him with food. He sent an angel to now rebuke Elijah. Also He sent an angel to rebuke Elijah. He sent an angel to feed in the prison. He has got many angels. God could have sent angels. But He did not do that way. Also, if God could speak to Samuel directly, why can't He speak to India directly? He lied. He has heavenly plan. He wanted Hannah to be His partner at that time. Hannah knew that He could fall upon her in becoming God's partner. Many of us only think of salvation getting what we need from God. But don't realize God also has got some need to be met through you and me. Even though we are mortal, foolish, weak, that is human beings. Here we have the honor to become God's worker and meet God's need. When Hannah met God's need and willing to give back child to God, she was blessed. The whole nation was blessed. Now most of our prayers are very selfish. Some of us only pray for our own family. God bless me, and my wife, and my children. Amen. And you find them later on. You may pray for a few friends or few neighbors. Or your street or city. Our prayer may be selfish. And God will work out a plan to prevail in agony for the whole India, whole world. When this plan of prayer was given to us in the year 1933 in India, in Karachi. I only began to pray for Karachi. Because that was a very big city. Very busy city. Then I began to pray for Sindh. Then I began to pray for the whole Punjab and North. Then I began to pray for India. Then for the whole world. It took me more than five years to learn the lesson. Five years. We had prayed for hours and whole night in some places. But only when I got to work in a small area. Only in the year 1938, in the month of June 1938, we began to pray for the whole world. We divided ourselves into small groups. We had nineteen nights of prayer in Kedgaon, in Pune at that time. Of the evening meeting. We divided the people into four groups. First of all, for every province. Like Punjab and UP, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Lajpat. After that, we began to pray for Asia. By name. China, Japan, Philippines, Sumatra, Java, so on. Then we prayed for Europe. And Africa. And America. Then God began to work. After, our prayer circle began to enlarge. But before that, we had to pray earnestly. In tears. But we now see God working more deeply. We saw some blessings, But not full blessings. It's only when our vision was enlarged. Then we saw God working more deeply. Now we see Him working today even many parts of the world. And we thank God for the honor we have to discover Him. And that's why we want you to learn how to pray earnestly. How to pray without seething. How to pray as today we did. We are working around the whole world. Because we do a new work in the whole world. Congregation. Naturally in Hyderabad or in India. Or the whole world. And with that burden we want to pray to that. Now you are beginning to see something of the growing and the moving of God's spirit in many parts of the world. It requires a praying prayer. But I have first received invitation to go to Australia in 1958. That was the calling form. I still remember the whole night of prayer we had that day. I didn't know. I never thought of going at that time in Australia. So I mentioned that request to the calling form to pray for the request we had received from Australia in 1958. And that request was signed by three or four pastors leading pastors of Sydney city and also Melbourne. I can still hear the agonies in prayer at that time that night. One by one. One by one they all began to trail in prayer. So that became the conviction God has a purpose to be fulfilled in Australia. And God did help us wonderfully also. We had a meeting about three months in Australia. Again because lack of prayer stopped prayer again the enemy got in. The same leading pastors who testified so boldly for the blessing began to go back afterwards. We began here Sunday worship gathering in 1958 for breaking our bread. And many testified one by one how much they were blessed by taking part in Sunday gathering. And for a few months they kept having regularly. But again enemy position going by the system they brought in by voting on God demand to vote against the worship meeting. But even though they worked cease for a while the government was moving. Then he sent his servant brother Nicholas from Colombo to Australia to retire from service. After much struggle and much battle much conflict now they have come to worship. How devil resists twice against two testimonies. He not concerned with the ordinary meeting. So he only obey fully then devil comes in. Now he's saying he obey the three testimonies in Australia to God with the sins. But they need our prayer. We know how enemy will sit down in the group. That is must be divine principle for the coming down of God's people. He cannot go to Australia or other part of the world. But we can surrender on their behalf upon our knees day and night as Allah leads us. So why do we do a new thing in Australia? The work will go on. Hasn't finished yet. We got promise. He want rivers of life to flow in the whole country of Australia. And many parts of Asia and many parts of world also. We found that also we shall leave Switzerland. It took me more than two months to be sure of God's will before accepting him to go to Switzerland. My first wrote to me. My first reaction was I don't want to go. So kept on waiting and waiting. Every time I want to write I cannot come nor hinder me. It took me more than two months to be sure of God's will. After I found all these seven evidences of God's perfect will I agreed to go. And from that evening I started and began to see God in a special way. He went on giving wonderful context for God's message all along the way. Those who have a special need learn how to meet God's need. He may use us for one person or more is up to him. May God send Philip to Ethiopia one person. Only one person. God will call the apostles and companies to Philippi one woman Lydia. They have a plan. God himself goes with one woman to Samaria in chapter four. So God knows the need of His servants everywhere. And I came across people from all parts of the world in Switzerland. People representing more than one hundred and forty-five countries. But my neighborhood must show me the need now in this Congress. Let me meet those people for whom God has sent me over here to die. Let me God has sent me over here to die. There are more than four thousand altogether at that time. Two thousand seven hundred delegates, visitors, and guests. About a hundred people. There are so many more delegates. But my job was every day I had some people with special needs. There were so many needs, so many places. And some people who had come to our meeting more than thirty-five years ago, they were there. And I still remember what God said at that time. And God reminded me how our labor was never wasted. I have seen Isaiah fifty-five. Look at Isaiah and chapter fifty-five. Verse eleven. So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me my permission. It shall not return unto me without When we first began the work in Madras city in the year nineteen forty and forty-one, many leading Christian men thought we ought to do something against the word of God. And they began to oppose us very seriously. They tried all possible means in the government. But we have learned one lesson. Not to take any notice of their opposition and their remarks and scandal stories. But go on praying for severely whole night or whole day. For more than six, seven years we had on and prayed every Saturday. And praying prayer also once a week. And we pray earnestly on the whole world. Oh God, send forth thy witness from India to all parts of the world. If they can go to earn money and for business in any part of the Why can't they go from India to the gospel? Now the way is same as we are repeating now to here in Congress. Unless people are revived, they can't be witnesses also. How can dead people go in the same? They must be revived. It's a new life. So many family plans, family foundations, family architecture. Only then they can see God's word going forth bringing forth much fruit. We found the same as we are repeating today in the National Congress. That is a common desire. Among the leaders of all nations we are doing a new work and a deep work and a widening work and a lasting work in the whole world. The true church, only then they can see God moving. And many have returned with a new message from the Lord as they heard the message here and there. What we have learned after many years of struggle and the honor to share now with many countries in a short time. And many told me, we have been praying for you for many years. I was so humbled before them. I have forgotten them but they remembered. A few words spoken in prayer all the while and give them a prayer in many parts of Europe, many parts of Africa, many parts of the world, many parts of the country. I don't know how they heard it but they said to me again and again, we have heard much about it, we are praying for you. Lord gave us the privilege to share the message with many and many countries. And we thank you for your prayer. You all have a share in it. So know eternally fully what we have received through our prayer. May God make us like Hannah today, prevailing, agonizing, as God's co-workers, as God's partners, as God's co-laborers, knowing God's need in every country, not only India. Our burden is God's message may go from here, all part of India and Asia, all part of the world. But labor as God's co-workers. Lord, what do I need today? I need Australia, America, Africa, China, Japan, Russia, all part of the world. I never knew our plane will go by Moscow this time. They told us when we started from Bombay, we are going by Moscow. Now we got there in morning about 11 o'clock, on Sunday the 15th, the 14th. It is a very large airport. There are so many nice things to see with their manufacturing. So I say, Lord, I'm not coming here to see these things. They can't help me very much. I don't buy it anyway. I don't buy anything. I have to buy one corner and pray. Lord, I pray and lie in hatreds over here. Even though I cannot preach, I can pray my faith. Lord, give us you in hatreds in Russia. And a bundle of prayer for those in tribulation in Russia now. And that's why we kept on claiming God in hatred in many countries. In Persia and Turkey and Middle East, Far East, Europe, America, every country. We covered your prayers. God, do me a new work. May I be part of the world. Find out your share. You pray endlessly this evening as you go home. Oh Lord, make me like you co-worker. Tell my weakness and limitation. Teach me how to pray and pray endlessly as a co-worker. I may meet thy need in any country as I know it best. Either by my life or by my substance or by my prayers or anything. We have begun to see something new. We are going to make it happen in the coming years, in the coming months. The very fact that we have so many shortages these days, shortage of rice and wheat, and the oil, and calcium oil, and soapy oil, we are going to When you go to a shop, not available. Shortage. The very beginning of trouble. God wants to be ready. Before the worst trouble comes, we'll be ready. And we may cross as co-workers like Hannah, like Samuel, like David, like Solomon. In Hannah, we learned how to pray. Samuel got a mouthpiece. God prayed. God messenged. God messaged. God raised. We need to assemble. Many countries, many part of the world. We need to assemble. We need to assemble. We need to assemble. assemble. We need to assemble. We need to assemble. 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