1 Samuel, chapter 9, verse 6. The verse that we could choose tonight to be our text. The servant of Saul, speaking to the Israel's future king, said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man, All that he saith cometh surely to pass. Now let us go, saith the Lord. Peradventure, he can show us our way. But we should go. I always find it very intriguing to hear how individuals were introduced to the gospel. and how they were brought to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those of you who read the last issue of the Let the Bible Speak quarterly will have read there about a dear man, the brother in the Lord, who has joined us for some of our weeks of prayer in recent years. But in the letter Bible speak quarterly, we would have read his testimony and how he was brought to a saving knowledge of Christ in a wonderful way. When he had come to an end of himself, and then he felt that there was nothing more than life for him, he decided that he was going to commit suicide. And when he lived in Alaska there, he decided he would go to a certain bridge over a certain river and cast himself down into the cold waters. That day that he left his home and set out to find that place, for as he was concerned, would be his last day on earth. But as he got near to that place, He saw lying in the snow a discarded gospel tract. He picked up that gospel tract and read about the Lord Jesus Christ. And our dear brother got saved as a result of reading that tract. A similar incident was told to me by my grandfather. My grandfather was a great man in the Salvation Army. And when I got saved, of course, we then had many things in common. He used to tell me about meetings he attended, conducted by W. P. Nicholson, and about the meetings in the Ulster Hall in Belsas. And then he told me stories about the happenings at the Salvation Army Citadel where he attended in Belfast. He told me about a man who came in to the meeting one night. After the meeting had commenced, he took his place in a seat at the back of the hall. That man got saved that night and then he related the story of how he came to be there that night. Once more, like the dear brother, and his testimony was in the magazine we've just related to. This man had been given to drink. He had drunk away all his money. As a result of his craving for drink, his wife had left him, his children had left him. He had no furniture in his home. There were no prospects. And he thought the best way out was to commit suicide. He made his way through the wet streets of Belsas this night on his way to the river lagoon that runs through the center of the city. And it was his intention to throw himself in and drown himself. But in the providence of God, One of the streets that he chose to walk down was the street where my grandfather's Salvation Army Citadel was situated. And as he was walking past the door, the door was still open, as he walked past the door he could hear the congregation singing. And they were singing a Port Hope hymn. They were singing, what a friend we have in Jesus. all our sins and grief to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. And he stopped and listened and listened to the words. And that was when he decided to go into the meeting and learn more about the Lord Jesus Christ, the great bearer of burden. And that night, that man was healed. It's wonderful. to hear these stories relating to the providence of God and the salvation of souls. When we were building the church there in Utenape, I was speaking one night or one day to one of the workmen. And he introduced me to this other man who had just appeared on the site. He was delivering something. And he said to him, I want you to meet a friend of mine. He's just got saved. And I remember going over and speaking to him. And he related to me his testimony on how he got saved. He just got saved a few weeks before. And he was working on another building site and they were throwing garbage and rubbish into a skip And he noticed in the bottom a Bible that somebody had discarded. And he got into the skip and he retrieved the Bible. And he took it home with him and he started to read it. And he told me, he says, I started to read the book of the Revelation. And he said, as I read the Scriptures, I came under conviction. And I knew that not far from my house, a man was conducting a gospel mission. And he said, I decided to go along to that mission because I needed to get saved. And that night that I attended the gospel mission, I gave my heart to Christ. Through finding a Bible that someone else had discarded, through hearing a hymn that was being sung in a meeting house, through picking up a gospel tract that someone had dropped. In the providence of God, these things were used to bring these individuals to a saving knowledge of Christ. God moves in a mysterious way. his wonders to perform. And this is aptly illustrated for us here in this chapter that we have read tonight, 1 Samuel chapter 9. We have outlined here in this reading the events which took place and led up to the meeting between Saul and Samuel. God was, as it were, working behind the scenes and working all things out according to his will and purpose. And God brought about this meeting between Saul and Samuel. Very similar to the meetings that I have already related to you. How individuals were brought to the place where they met with the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we read this passage of Scripture and we look at Samuel, we can see Samuel as the Saviour. We see Christ in Samuel. The first thing I want us to notice tonight is Saul the seeker. We are told in verse 3, And the asses of Kish, that is the father of Saul, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul, his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. And so Saul set up with one of his father's servants in search of these donkeys that had been lost. And here you have, first of all, Saul's problem. Saul was searching and seeking for that which was lost. And that reminds us tonight of those who are still searching. Those who in this world are seeking and searching for that which they lost. They lost a long time ago. They lost in the Garden of Eden. Because man today is still searching and seeking for that peace with God that Adam knew. That fellowship. Man today is seeking for something that will give them joy, that will give them peace, that will give them happiness. Those things that were lost a long time ago. And that's the problem that man has today. Of course, man always goes looking in the wrong place, rather like the disciples, rather like Mary in the day of resurrection. And the angel said to them, Why seek ye the living amongst the dead? They were looking in the wrong place. So it is today, man searches for an answer to this problem. A man searches for an answer and he searches for that which will satisfy him, will satisfy the longing in his heart. But still, for many a man, that problem has not yet been solved. I want you to notice his path. The path of the seeker, verse 4, And he passed through Mount Ephraim, and he passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not. Then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not. And he passed through the land of the Benjaminites, but they found them not. Notice the repetition of the words he passed through. He first of all went to the Mount Ephraim. He didn't find them there. He passed through the land of Cilicia. He didn't find them there. He passed through the land of Shalim. He didn't find them there. He passed through the land of the Benjamites. Didn't find them there. And so they went on. Passed through, passed through, passed through. And you know, that typifies for us the search that sinners today have embarked upon to solve their problem. As they seek that which satisfies their path, they have passed through many things. They pass through many a soul in their search for that which they've lost. You notice that everywhere Saul went searching, he was disappointed. Every time he was disappointed, he passed through the Mount Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalisha and they found him there, disappointed. Then they passed through the land of Shalem and there they were not disappointed. And they passed through the land of the Benjamites and they found them not disappointed again. And that's why man goes on in the search and goes on day after day looking for something to satisfy that craving, that longing in his heart, something to satisfy. But everything they've tried has led to disappointment. They haven't found what they're looking for. Man has gone searching for happiness and satisfaction and, say, alcohol. Well, you see where that has led them. No satisfaction there but sorrow and shame. disappointment. Man today has gone looking for some kind of satisfaction in drugs. They want something that lifts their spirits. Something they've lost. But they've been disappointed. How sorely they've been disappointed. Man has gone seeking for something to satisfy and the pleasure crazes of this world. They've gone through this, they've gone through the other, they've gone through the other thing and every time disappointed. Not only do we have his problem and his path, but we have his persistence. Saul was determined to find what had been lost. And that's why he went through Mount Ephraim, and went through the land of Shalish, and went through the land of Shalim, and went through the land of the Benjamites. He persisted. He was determined to find that which had been lost. You know, today men will persist, pass through many a sorry experience, and some will continue their search till the grave. They'll persist in their search for happiness. And they'll take their search to the grave. And they've lived a disappointed life. They've been disappointed in everything they have tried, in every word of search, in every word of look, and they'll die disappointed. Notice verse 5, his predicament. And when they were come to the land of Zeus, Saul said to the servant that was with him, And let us return. He was about to give up. Let us return lest my Father leave caring for the ashes and take thought for us. As far as Saul was concerned, he had come to the end of the road. He wasn't going to go any further. He wasn't going to try anything else. He had come to the end of the road in his search for that which was lost. And while some will take their search to the grave, others like those two people we mentioned tonight, others will have just come to the end of the road. They will have tried everything the devil could offer them. They've tried everything that there is in this world. They've gone to Vanity Fair. They've tried all the wares on sale in Vanity Fair, and they've found that none of them, none of them satisfy. And they've just come to an end of themselves. They've come to the end of their own. More and more. in this day in which we live. In this day with so many attractions, so many pleasures, so much to do, so much to have, more and more people are committing suicide. They've come to the end of the road. This world doesn't hold anything for them. Nothing can satisfy the tribes George Whitfield, a great preacher, a great evangelist, was preaching in a certain church one time. In the course of his message, as he preached Christ, he said to his hearers that the Lord Jesus Christ would receive this world's outcasts, this world's rejects, After the meeting, a woman came to Whitefield to rebuke him. To rebuke him for how he described sinners. How he described them as rejects. How he described them as outcasts. And as this woman was rebuking Whitefield, a knock came to the door. And Whitfield opened the door and there stood a woman who had spent her life in vice. And she said to Whitfield, she says, I heard you tonight saying that the Lord Jesus would receive an outcast, would receive this world's reject. She said, Mr. Whitfield, you were talking about me. I'm one of this world's rejects. Will Christ have me? She'd come to the end of the road. She'd come to Christ. My own dear friend tonight, You will one day come to the end of the road. You will realize, and I trust sooner rather than later, but you will realize that there's nothing in this world that can satisfy you, that can give you happiness and give you joy and give you peace. Nothing in this world can satisfy like Jesus Christ. Only Christ can satisfy. Only Christ can give you happiness. Only Christ can give you joy and peace of mind and conscience. Only Christ can give you that which is worth living for. So we have Saul, the seeker, Then I want us to notice Saul and his servant. And when they were come, verse 5, to the land of Ziz, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return, lest my father leave caring for the asses and take thought for us. Saul had given up. He couldn't find that which was lost. He says, let's go back. Verse 6, And he said unto him, The servant said unto Saul, Behold, now there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man, and all that he saith cometh surely to pass. Now let us go thither, peradventure he can show us our way that we should go. And here we see, first of all, that Saul's servant had a message for Saul. He had a message for Saul, and it was a message about Samuel. You see, Saul didn't know Samuel. Just like sometimes I don't know the Savior. And if Saul's servant had a message for Saul, as the servant of God, I have a message for you. I have a message for you tonight about one who is even greater than Samuel. And the servant had a message for Saul. The servant knew Samuel, you see. And the one who knew Samuel wanted to tell this man who didn't know Samuel, wanted to tell him all about Samuel. You read this verse 6, you'll find that the servant had five things to say about Samuel. First of all, he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God. First of all, he told him, this man, he's in this very city. Just where we are. The very place we have come to. This is His home. He's in this city. What was the servant saying to Saul? His servant was telling Saul, this is where you'll find Samuel. And I can tell the sinner tonight This is where you'll find the Saviour. Right here. You don't need to go and look anywhere else. You don't need to go anywhere else. The Saviour is right here. He's here in this meeting with the two and three of men together in my name. There am I in the midst of them. He's here. My tenor friend, you don't need to go anywhere else. He's right here. This is his house. You'll find Christ here tonight. So he told them about his home and then he told them about his holiness. He said he's a man of God. This was no ordinary individual that the servant was speaking about. He was talking about Samuel, and he said, Samuel, he's a man of God. The Lord Jesus is not only a man of God, he's the God-man. And just as Saul's servant was saying, to his Master. This man, he's a man of God. You need to meet the man of God. I would say tonight, my friend, you need to meet the God-man. The one who is God of very God. Man of very man. The one whom we noted this morning in our Bible class is without sin. And yet he came to save sinners like you from your sin. You need to meet him. I'll gladly introduce you to him. So he spoke to him about his home. He says he's here in this city. He spoke to him about his holiness. He's a man of God. He also told him that he was an honorable man. He's a man of God and He is an honourable man. Israel had rejected Samuel, as we know. They no longer wanted Samuel to be their judge. They wanted a king. Saul was to be their king. And so there were those in Israel who had rejected Samuel, but there was at least one man who spoke highly of Samuel, and it was the servant of Saul. There was one man who hadn't rejected Samuel. It was Saul's servant. And Saul's servant spoke highly of Samuel. It's not just our business, it's our desire and that's our longing always to speak highly of Christ. And I couldn't speak highly enough of Him tonight. And I can tell you this evening, He's honorable. He's holy. He's a wonderful Savior. The servant had something else to say about Samuel. He said, he's in this city, he's a man of God, he is an honorable man, and all that he saith cometh surely to pass. In other words, the servant was saying to Saul, you can trust this man. You can trust him. Everything he says is true. Everything he says will come to pass. You can trust him. You can take him at his words. And dear sinner tonight, you can trust Jesus Christ. But I'll go one better tonight. You can trust Jesus Christ with your soul. Not just your life. You can trust Him with your very soul. You can take Him at His Word. If He says He'll save you, you can take Him at His Word. If He says He'll satisfy you, you can take Him at His Word. If He says He'll keep you, He'll look after you, He'll never leave you, He'll take you to heaven with Him, you can take Him at His Word. You can rest on that tonight. And the last thing he said, he said he's in this city. He's a man of God. He's honorable. He's trustworthy. And then he said, he can show us our way that we should go. What was the servant saying here? Saul had gone searching for his father's beast and he had gone through Ephraim and through Cilicius and Shalem and the land of Benjamin. Every time he had been disappointed. Now the servant was saying to Saul, he will show us the way. He will show us how we can find that which was lost. He has the answer. My friend, to my Jesus Christ, of course, is the way. He is the way. And He is the way to finding that which we have lost. He's the only one who can restore that peace with God. He's the only one who can give us that happiness and that joy and that blessedness. He's the only one who can satisfy. He's the only one. like the servant of Saul. I recommend them to you tonight. So, we have the message for Saul. But then we note the misery of Saul. Verse 7, Then said Saul to his servant, But behold, if we go, what shall we bring them on? For the bread is spent in our vessels, which indicates they've been searching for a long time. As many a soul today has been searching for a long time for something to satisfy. But Saul said, Behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God. What have we? As far as Saul was concerned, he had nothing. He had nothing to bring the man of God. His servant said, Well, I have here the fourth part of a shackle of silver. It's not very much. The servant had the fourth part of a shackle of silver. Saul had nothing at all. And Saul was saying, but servant, we cannot possibly go to the man of God with nothing. That's the way Christ wants people to come to him, with nothing at all. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross to cling. In his little book, How Shall I Go to God?, Andrew Ballmer speaks about going to God. And he speaks about just going to God with the only thing we can call our own. Because he says the only thing we can call our own is our sins. That's all. And so, when a sinner goes to God, when a sinner goes to Christ, the only thing he needs to bring with him is his sin. For that's all the Savior is interested in. That's all he's interested in. Because he came into this world to take away your sin and to redeem you from your sin. Come tonight to Christ. Come to Him for the only thing you can call your own. Come to Him for your sin. Not your silver, not your gold, not your possessions, not your good works, not your standing in the None of those things come to Christ just as you are. Then we get to verse 11. And here we have the maidens and Saul. And my, what a message they had for Israel's future king. Verse 11, And as they went up the hill to the city, They found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here? And they answered them, and said, He is. Behold, he is before you. Make haste now, for he came today to the city, for there is a sacrifice of the people today in the high place. As soon as ye become into the city, ye shall straightway find him. before he go up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice. And afterwards they eat that they did. Now therefore get thee up, get you up, for about this time ye shall find him." Some message. They wanted to know Saul and his servants. They said, is the seer here? Evidently, the Nabons knew quite a lot about Samuel. They could easily have said, yes, he's here, and this, that and that. But no, they went on to speak about Samuel. That's the way it should be. When someone speaks to us about the Lord Jesus Christ, don't miss the opportunity to tell them all you know about Christ. So what did the maidens say? First of all, they spoke about His presence. Saul wanted to know, is the seer here? And they answered them and said, He is. He is. That was good news. You can ask me tonight, is Jesus here? And the good news is, he is. You're in his presence. You're in the presence of the one that you need. Is he here? Yes, he is. They spoke about His presence. They spoke about the past. And they answered them and said, He is, behold, He is before you. He's right before you. You don't have to go anywhere else seeking for Him. He's right before you. And then they went on to say, And verse 13, as soon as ye become into the city, ye shall straightway find Him. It's all so simple, isn't it? He's before you. Go into the city and straightway you'll find Him. Boy, I can say that tonight about the Lord Jesus. He's before you. You're in His presence. He's standing before you. You seek Him. You will straightway find Him. My friend, there's nothing complicated or difficult about seeking Christ. It's only the devil who puts the obstacles and the difficulties in your way. But you're in His presence. And He's here and He's accessible. You'll straightway find Him. Notice the precepts. And they answered them and said, Behold, He is before you. Make haste now. That was the precept. They said, You'd better go now. You better go and find the seer now. Again, at the end of verse 13, Now therefore get you up, for about this time ye shall find him. Now is the time. Now is the time. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. He's here! He's before you! My friend, you'll never have a better opportunity to see Christ. You're in His presence. He's before you. You can straightway find Him. And now's the time to find Him. I spoke about the providence of God. What did they say? They said that He came into the city this very day. You've just come at the right time. He just came into the city today, verse 12. He came today to the city. And then they said, now therefore get you up for about this time you shall find Him. This is the right time for seeking Son. And my sinner friend tonight, there's no better time to seek Christ than right now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not when you get older, but now. Because in God's providence, he has brought you to this place where Christ is and where you'll find him. And they mentioned also the place Give the exact place where they would find Samuel, the seer. For they said in verse 13, As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him before he go up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he come before, because he doth bless the sacrifice. You'll find him at the place of sacrifice. That's where you'll find him. And that's where you'll find Christ tonight. At the cross. At the cross where I first saw the light. And the burden of my heart rolled away. And it's there, I feel, that we received our sight. And the burden of our hearts rolled away. That's where you'll find Christ tonight. And finally, you have Saul and the seer. Look at verse 14. And they went up into the sepulchre. And when they were come into the sepulchre, behold, Samuel came out. You see, Samuel came to Saul. And so it is with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ will come to you. Christ will come to you. You seek Christ tonight. You want to know Him as your Savior. You want to become a Christian tonight. Jesus Christ will come to you. He'll meet you where you are. He'll meet you at the point of your need. So, you've the person of the seer, you've the peace of the seer. Look at verse 20. And as for thine assets that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them, for they are fine. The thing that had been troubling, solve for death. Samuel says, set not your mind on them. It's alright. Samuel gets all peace of mind. Your problem has been solved. That which troubled you, may trouble you no longer. your father's asses had been found. That's what Christ does. Gives you peace of mind. Removes the problem that has plagued you and troubled you, perhaps for years. And if it's sin that has troubled you, Jesus Christ can remove it. And Jesus Christ will give you His peace. And the provision? In verse 19, Samuel answered Saul and said, I am the seer. Go up before me unto my place, for ye shall eat with me today and tomorrow. I will let thee go and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. Ye shall eat with me today. as the provision, just like the Lord Jesus. He provides for us. He feeds us on the finest of the wheat. You look at verse 22 and 23 and you see that Samuel brought Saul into his parlor. Not many people would get into Samuel's parlor. And so the Lord Jesus Christ will bring it into his parlor. And he'll set it down at his table. For verse 23 says, And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, set it by thee. And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. and Samuel and Saul sat down together. My friend, tonight you come to the Lord Jesus Christ and accept Christ as your Savior. He'll bring you into His parlor. He'll give you peace. He'll provide for you. And you'll sit down at His table. Sit at the King's table. And verse 25, And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with God. Adam, remember, communed with God before he fell. That is what has been lost by man that come to Christ Take Jesus Christ who is the great Samuel. Come to him and you'll be able to commune with him. You will have discovered and found that which man has lost, communion and fellowship with God. May you come tonight Let's bow our heads in prayer. Our dear Lord and loving Father, we bless Thee for the wonderful pictures of our blessed Lord that we have in the Old Testament. And how wonderfully Samuel, Thy servant, reveals Christ, Thy Son, to us. How, Lord, we see Jesus Christ in the face of Samuel. O Lord, may others see Jesus Christ in us. That, Lord, others might want to seek Him who saved us so many years ago. Thank you, Lord, for all that we have in Christ. For that peace, that provision, those privileges, One day we'll be brought into His parlor and His banner over us will be love. Write the Word upon hearts tonight. Save souls tonight. For we know that Jesus is here. Lord, bless us now as we leave the house of God. Go with us, yea, go before us. and keep thy hand upon us, Lord, thy good hand, thy gracious hand upon us until we meet again in this house of worship. May the grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit abide and remain with us now and forever. Amen.