This sermon delves into the story of Elkanah, Hannah, and Samuel from 1 Samuel, highlighting the complexities of faith, parenting, and the consequences of choices. It emphasizes the importance of not giving up on children, the impact of godly upbringing, the danger of not truly knowing the Lord despite religious upbringing, and the urgency of responding to God's call before it's too late.

Now, we read in 1 Samuel, chapter 1, verse 1, Now there was a certain man, there was a certain man of Ramoth, Aemzothem, of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, his name was Elkanah. Verse 2, and he had two wives, he had two wives, the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Penina, and Penina had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man went up out of his city early to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord were there. When the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Penina, his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions. But unto Hannah, he gave a worthy portion, for he loved Hannah. But the Lord had shut up her womb, the Lord had shut up her womb, and her adversary also provoked her sore to make a threat, because the Lord had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her, therefore she wept and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou, and why eatest thou not, and why is thy heart grieved? Am I not I better to thee than ten sons? So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli, the priest, sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord, and she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept of sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard, therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my Lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah. Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bear a son. She bear a son, and called his name Shammayuwa, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord. And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. But Hannah went not up, for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned. And then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide forever. And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good, tarry until thou have weaned him. Only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son Sock, until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one effer of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young, the child was young. And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, O my Lord, as thy soul liveth, my Lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord, for this child I prayed. And the Lord hath given me my petition, which I asked of him. Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he liveth, he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord. He worshipped the Lord there. Chapter 2, verse 11, And Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house, and the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial. That is, they were worthless men. They were worthless men. They knew not the Lord. Verse 17, Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord. For men abhorred the offering of the Lord. But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child girded with a linen effort. Moreover his mother made him a little coat and brought it unto him from year to year, when she came up with her husband, to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman, for the loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their own home, and the Lord visited Hannah. So that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child, Samuel, grew before the Lord. Now Eli was very old. Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they lay with the woman that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? Why do ye such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all these people. Nay, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear. Ye make the Lord's people to transgress, if one man sin against another. The judge shall judge him. But if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them. And the child, Samuel, grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men. And there came a man of God, there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus hath the law, verse thirty-three, all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. 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 them. Chapter three, verse one. And the child, Samuel, ministered unto the Lord before Eli. The child, Samuel, ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days. The word of the Lord was precious in those days. There was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim that he could not see. And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli and said, Here am I, for thou callest me. And he said, I called not. Lie down again. And he went and lay down. And the Lord called yet again Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son. Lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord. Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto him, Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shall say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak, for thy servant heareth. The Lord said unto Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house. When I begin, I will also make an end, for I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice, nor offering for ever. And Samuel lay, Samuel lay until the morning and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared, Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me. God do so to thee, and more also if thou hide anything from me of all the things that he hath said unto thee. And Samuel told him every wit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord. Let him do what seemeth him good. And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Silo. For the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Silo by the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now, beloved, in these passages from God's sacred word, we are given many fearful revelations. In the light of the rest of the scripture, we are given many fearful staggering revelations. Firstly, we see in these two sons of Eli that it is possible to be in God's service, to be tolerated and allowed in God's service, though we are wicked, vile, worthless men. It's possible through circumstances in this world today. I wonder what percentage of preachers under the banner of Christianity, even evangelical Christianity, worldwide. You see, Jesus said, Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? Now, that word prophesied, according to Luther, Wesley, Zwingli included, and Calvin. That word in its context is preach, is preaching. Nothing more, nothing less in the context of what Christ was saying. Have we not preached in thy name? Have we not prophesied in thy name? In thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works, miracles. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. I never knew you. I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. You that lived in sin, do indeed sin. You that never came to a place of repentance, a desire to repent. I want you to notice Christ didn't say to them, that's not true. He didn't challenge them and say, that wasn't true. In my name casting out devils, demons. He didn't challenge that. That staggers me. That staggers this world. In thy name have done many wonderful works. He didn't say, no, that never happened. When you prayed in my name, there were no miracles. No, he didn't challenge that. That is more fearful than anything else. What percentage of preachers across the world today under the banner of Christianity that are allowed in God's service, that allow themselves in God's service, will Christ say, I never knew you. I never knew you. I think every one of us in this building and everyone that hears this sermon would all fall on our faces and weep for hours in sobbing fear if God were to tell us what percentage of preachers across the entire world, including all others that are in the service of God, allowed, accepted, and accept themselves knowing what they are. I wonder whether there would be anyone left on their faces for days. Wouldn't be on their faces groaning and weeping in agony and shock at what percentage across the world today are casting out devils in Jesus' name and sensationalism. Emotion, all the sensational, buries the truth, doesn't it? Because that's what draws the carnal nature and sinful fleshly. Oh, it is a tragedy to think that from those days, circumstances in upbringing allowed such wicked, evil men to be tolerated or to tolerate themselves serving God and doing God's service in the ordained religion of God on earth at that time. It's fearful. It's very, very fearful. Then another staggering, staggering, staggering revelation in this book. It's possible, you see, in the Old Testament, men had more than one wife. Now that doesn't mean because it's in the Bible we can condone polygamy. You see, the fall had such devastating effect on the human that God literally, the Bible said that it closes eyes on many, many things. You cannot compare the Old Testament to the New. God had to steadily give more and more light to the prophets and become the word of God till man would know when he came. God manifest in the flesh, God with a and gave the full revelation as his son Jesus came and gave the full revelation of God's will that was lost tragically and drastically, uncomprehendably through the fall. The devastation of that fall was beyond our comprehension, beloved. But when you come to the New Testament, which is the only way you could ever consider the Old Testament, which we must consider, but always in the light of the New Testament, don't you dare condone polygamy. Jesus said it was not so from the beginning. Man had one wife. This was God's will. He will be accountable. Watch out, preacher, worldwide, what you do with this book. You won't only be judged what you say, you'll be judged what you do not say. It is worse crime than saying wrong things, let alone denying right things. Be careful now. Another tragic thought and revelation in this book, it's possible to be godly and to fail God in raising your children. Now, we need to be careful of that statement, but I want to repeat it. Eli was a man of God, don't doubt that. He was godly. He was a godly, godly man with incredible transparency, humility, gravity, all that God required. Oh, but this man, it's possible to be that and to still fail God and your children in the way you raise them. It's possible. You see, God didn't just blame these boys because his sons made themselves vile. That was their choice. No matter what upbringing or godly home they were in, that was their personal free will, and he restrained them not. I want us to have compassion on Eli tonight and ask ourselves, why would he have done that? I'd like to believe, and I do believe this, that I think he gave up because of how wicked they were as they were growing up. And there was something that is tragic here because it's possible for a godly man and woman to give up. And a warning here, so I don't care how wicked your son or daughter is, God still expects you to do everything you can to stop them. Not only your prayers, but your conduct and your grief, the grief. I know wicked boys who only came to God because of the grief they saw as their parents aged as they pursued. That brought them to repentance. Sir, if you're dying and your son is still denying Christ and wanting wickedness, you die pleading. That's what God wants. Don't give up. Don't give up. God saw that as an incredible grief that he gave up. I think he saw in little Samuel, the son embodied there everything he ever wanted in the life of a child. And so he, with this that was committed to him, to raise his child up now, to prepare him to be used of God. I think he just took his child to heart and loved him as a son that he didn't have in his own son. But be careful. I can't blame Eli and judge him. God did to a degree. But let me be sure about this. When they stand before God, it will not be Eli to be judged then. It's you, child. You stand alone when you see Jesus. Don't doubt this now. The sins, you see, of the fathers will not be required of the sons. Neither shall the son's sins be required of the father's. Every man shall be judged for his own sin. This is twice in the Old Testament. His sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not. Now then comes some staggering words. Notwithstanding, they hearken not unto the voice of their father. You see, he did eventually, because of the pressure, the grief, the cry of the nation, the wickedness of these boys, he said to them what he should have said long before. But he suddenly cries out in grief. Why do he such thing? I wonder what percentage of godly homes have said that to one child. Oh, with a broken heart. Oh, you read the book of Proverbs to see how a man of God can be broken and lose everything and be the grief, the undoing, the destruction of his father and mother if they choose wickedness through the free will. Yeah, he was now grieving, shocked. I believe shocked beyond comprehension here tonight. Why do he such thing? Notwithstanding, they hearken not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them. What's this? Well, you see, I believe with all my heart in the light of the rest of the scriptures, which you must always look to not be heretical on any verse, any passage, any statement, any doctrine. If there's one verse in the entire Bible that contradicts your interpretation of anything in this Bible, you are heretic if you don't accept and acknowledge that verse and try and blame it in. You see, there's a point that God seals a man's choice that is seen here and right through the Bible. And that is fearful to me. They were young, and God sealed their choice. Think of that young man. Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things is not convenient, be filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness. Oh, yes, God names the sins that most preachers wouldn't dare preach Romans one word for word for fear of being excommunicated, or even acknowledging Romans 1 to say, no, for this cause, God gave them up. Romans 1 verse 20, sorry. There's always a cause. Don't blame God for a man when God seals the man's choice. You see, Pharaoh hardened his heart five times against God. Finally, God sealed his choice. And then we read after five times, God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Be careful. Don't ever think you find a verse in this book that you can blame God for what you are. You give me one, it's out of its context. And nonetheless, I'll give you 20 to show you you're wrong. If you blame God in any way, for the free will he's given you, and your choice as young as you are, even if you're a boy, and God sees your heart and the wickedness, you making yourself vile. Be careful, he that hardened his neck, oft times, should suddenly be destroyed. And that without remedy. That's not talking about death. I want to cry to every single young person here, every single person in this room, who thinks you can play the fool with God. Can you? Do you? Oh, be careful. Eternity, sir, young boy, young girl, never ceases. The soul never ceases. One place or the other. It will never, ever, ever, ever, ever cease. Are you honestly contemplating this moment of life and choosing sin, knowing that forever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, and ever, God won't hear your cry for mercy. If you die without having prepared to meet with God, this side of death, with all your heart and proven it. Be careful what you do with this message. Young, young man, young woman, from godly homes, because of your free will, and your choice to serve Satan, and not God. Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves, servants to obey, his servant ye are? To whom ye obey, Romans 6, verse 16, and many, many other verses. Now, another staggering thing here is Hannah. That woman was amazing in her integrity, and what she said to God. She committed her child life, if God gave her any children, to serve God before she conceived. They were given to God. Now, that a godly man and woman do. I remember when we were first married, my darling wife and I, I did something that made me tremble and begin to weep on my knees alone. I remember after a little while of marriage saying to God, and I tried to stop myself, and I began to weep. And what I was saying, I said, God, please, in the name of Jesus Christ, don't let us have children, don't let us have children. If they will serve the devil, if they are going to serve sin and the devil, then go to hell, put us to hell. Please, God, don't let any have children. I was so scared as I pray that I was trembling, I began to weep at myself, but God knew I meant it. Wonderful thing about this holy God. I seldom in the nights don't get on my knees with an open Bible, normally where I'm reading and cry to God. And as I was praying that prayer, tears were falling down onto the pages, and I tried to wipe the tear away from the page where it was open, and I read where I was wiping, all thy children shall follow me. Their righteousness shall be of me, and great shall be the peace of thy children. I have shared that verse and others that I just threw open the Bible, the same thing four times. I knew it was God, not mocking me, but God giving me hope and peace and faith, no matter how defiled the world is and difficult for any young man to stay clean or woman in it today. And I told my sons on a number of occasions as they grew of those verses, and I just looked at them, I think on one occasion I just looked at them weeping, and left it to God to say to them why he gave me those wonderful promises. Here's this woman she commits, this child like any godly mother and father to God, to serve God before she was conceived, that's godliness. You might have a mother and father like that, young people, that did that. Oh, you can thank God they did. You can thank God they did. There are literally billions that no one ever prayed for in the name of Christ across this world, naming them. 300 million in Arabia alone, of which they say 3% actually have heard the name of Jesus. You have parents that prayed for you, oh you can thank God in this world of 7 billion people, what percentage do you think that anyone ever named them in prayer? They weren't even named, just masses saved the masses of Islam. No, you are so so privileged to have godliness. If your mother and father, maybe your mother and father did that, like Hannah did and then God gave her Samuel. But then we read these words, Samuel did not yet know the Lord, but Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. You see, it's possible to have had godly parents that prayed like that, and yet you sit here, not only the sons of Eli knew not the Lord, but Samuel, good, not wicked, not vile, not evil, he was good. He knew not yet the Lord. That's possible. You might sit here with such godly parents and you don't know Christ, you know about him, but you've never had an encounter with him as you've come and given your life in such a way that God can take it, in such a way that God knows you will never take it back. That's when God can save you. You come and say, oh it's all grace and free, no it isn't, it costs your life. Don't come to Christ unless you give your life to him. Common sense tells us it's required of this God who died for you to make a way for you to have eternal life, no matter what sins you have committed. It's possible, not only for the wicked sons from a godly home to not know the Lord and to try and serve the Lord in this world, it's possible for good boys from godly homes, good girls, and you sit here, religious, yes, oh my, but you do not yet know the Lord. Be careful now, be careful playing the fool with this knowledge in your heart now. You see, there was a man that met me on this tour of America already, and he was sharing how he came to God, and he said he came from this godly home, praying father, praying mother, but he hardened his heart, he closed his heart again and again as a child, as others, he thought the Lord he wouldn't, and he grew up more and more, and more and more, this no, something no. One day he sat in the meeting, in this conference, that he had been raised up in these meetings, and this gospel was being preached, for the first time it was dead, total dead, it didn't grip him, and he got such a fright, he said he began to tremble as God sealed my choice. He was so fearful, so frightened, he sought the Lord in desperation, on his face crying, please don't, don't, for shame, for me closing my heart again and again, for my boy, and he came to God that way. God took him and saved him, hallelujah, but be careful now, just because you had a praying mother and father, it does not mean you're just going to know the Lord. That's the free will, the tragedy, the tragedy of a free will, that you can say no to God and mean it, that's fearful. So now, I want to say to everyone in this building and everyone who hears this message through these videos, which somehow they spread across the world these days, and I'm very grateful, perhaps you are in God's service, and know not the Lord, and have wickedness going on in your heart. Be careful what you do with this message. Perhaps you're a father, a mother, who gave up hope, who lost hope, and you have to die with the resignation, it is the Lord letting do what seems good when you see your son's, your daughter's wickedness. Perhaps you restrain them not as God intended you to, that could have made them stop. I'm not talking about taking a rod and bashing them until they're nearly dead, that's trash. Discipline can come with such love that even the child knows it hurts you more than it's hurting him, but you love him so much, you love her so much. Don't give up, parent, be careful that these words are not written against you, but the mummy and daddy gave up, and that was the reason. One of the reasons behind their son's not ever repenting, they were given up. Perhaps you, godly home, sit here tonight pursuing evil, and God is close to sealing your choice. Now listen, if he did it to those boys, and if he cries out in this new testament, even as they did not like to receive the love of the truth, God gave them over to believe a lie. Be careful. Perhaps you're like Samuel, you set from the godly home, the godly mother that committed you before you were even born, that you would serve God. And tried everything, but here you sit, good, yes, but you know not yet the law, and you're taking a chance, putting it off, and saying no to God when you know you should. And God speaking, you see, Samuel heard God's voice. Did you hear God's voice tonight? Yes, you're a base man, but God does that, he takes the weak things of the world that no flesh can glory in his presence. So I acknowledge, yes, perhaps you're a very weak and base man, but God's voice calling out to you, calling out to you, very, very, very earnestly. And you know it's God, not man, that you have to do with. You know not yet the Lord. Perhaps tonight you need to seek God. Perhaps tonight, hoffnig, finnish, worthless, yes, up to now, there's still time to seek God. Grief to your father, grief to people, yes, but there's still time before it's too late. The choice is sealed. Won't you come to Christ tonight, in case God never, ever, calls you again? If you close your heart, you see, now is the acceptable time. Today is the day of salvation, if you will harden not your hearts. As in the day of provocation, as they did in the Old Testament, and God threw 60,000, it was so wicked. God throws it to the New Testament, it says the same thing twice. Don't blame God, now I can save you today. This is the time, if you will harden not your...