I think one of the greatest privileges in the world is undoubtedly to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amidst the many trials and difficulties that one encounters in the ministry, there are also days of great encouragement that do give us strength and give us blessing as we serve our blessed Saviour. And I think one of those great encouragements is the joy of meeting the Lord's people. And as we came to your beautiful city here in Greenville, It was our great privilege to serve the Lord in your congregation, knowing your support prayerfully and practically. I will remember the occasion when we arrived at the airport just outside your city. We met by quite a number of the friends and members here at the church, and especially travelling down from the airport with our brother Rick Rigdon. Our brother Rick kept looking at me, and eventually he said, I can't believe you're here. Well, I didn't answer him very much, but in my heart I was saying, I can't believe I'm here either. And I could well understand her brother Rick's expression, because as a church you had passed through times of discouragement and frustration. And I know that the Lord was pleased to lay upon Dr. Paisley's heart to bring back your request to the Presbytery that you might be joined officially with the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster And I'd like very simply this morning to take the opportunity to express a very sincere word of thanks to every person in our congregation. I'd like especially to give a word of thanks to the elders who have been a tremendous help and support to me personally. Our brother Bobby Reid and Sam Voss and our brother Rick Rigdon, Dr. Gingrey and Horace Driggers have been real men of God and an inspiration to me as I have ministered the word of God I would commend them to you for your prayers, that as they give leadership to the church here, that they may know the wisdom and the direction of the Spirit of God. Then for the hospitality and the kindness of the members here and the friends, I'd like you to know that both Mary, Mark and myself are deeply indebted to you. We will certainly not forget our three months here in Greenfield. Whenever I was leaving our church in Sandown, I was saying to myself, well, I don't think I will ever meet a more friendly people and a more kind people than those in Sandown Road, Belfast. But I was only here a week whenever I was proved wrong. And I have just felt the same warmth and the same fellowship as I have felt in my own congregation. And then could I also just very simply say a very sincere word of thanks to Dr. Paisley, He may not feel a part of the three months here so much as one would think on the surface, but I can assure you that Dr. Paisley's help and encouragement over the years that I have known him have been a great source of instruction to my heart. I was just thinking this morning that it's almost seven years now when Dr. Paisley invited me to be his assistant minister down in the Mortgage Memorial. In seven years, and the measure is quite a long time to to learn some of the great things that Dr. Paisley has learned through his experience, and I'm very happy that I have had that privilege of sitting at his feet these past seven years. And I trust if the Lord spares us, and it is His will, that we may reap much benefit from this ministry for many years to come. And I think the leadership that perhaps you have seen in a measure, and only in a small measure in our lives, I believe, has been directly responsible under God through our brother Dr. Paisley. So I'd like to thank him very sincerely this morning. We will look forward to seeing him come back again to Ulster in just a couple of weeks' time. Trust you'll pray for us that God will be with us as we travel back. We're going to turn to God's Word just for a few moments. Dr. Paisley many times in his messages refers to the fact that some preachers have sermonettes, a very short message, Maybe lasting about 15 minutes or so. I'm afraid I'm going to be guilty of a sermonette this morning. And Dr. Paisley will be ministering to the United Sunday School in a few minutes at 10.45. The portion of Scripture that we're going to read from is 1 Samuel chapter 7. 1 Samuel chapter 7. We're going to read together from the first verse of this chapter. And as you're looking up this portion of God's Word, I'd just like to I go back in my thanks to our brother Dr. Gingrey, who has been leading the singing here in the church since I have been here. And I must say that I personally am very indebted to the labour and to the work that Dr. Gingrey has put into the song part of our meetings. Both him and Mrs. Gingrey have been a great source of inspiration, I believe, in that aspect of our meeting. And I trust that the Lord will bless them in the days that lie ahead, and that their ministry will be ever used of the Lord. 1 Samuel chapter 7 and verse 1. And the men of Kirjath-Jerim came, and finched up the Ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the Ark of the Lord. And it came to pass, while the Ark abode in Kirjath-Jerim, that the time was long, for it was twenty years, And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away these strange gods and Astaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only. And he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines, Then the children of Israel did put away Balaam and Astaroth, and served the Lord only. Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mishpah, and I will pray for you unto the Lord. And they gathered together to Mishpah, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah. And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. And Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it for a burnt offering, holy unto the Lord. And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great thunder in that day upon the Philistines and discomfited them. And they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them until they came under Beth-charm. Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shean, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto have the Lord helped us. We will end our reading at the verse 12 of this chapter, knowing that God will bless to every heart the reading of His Word. Perhaps we could unite our hearts together for a brief word of prayer before we minister from God's Word this morning. Let us all pray. Our gracious Father, we bow to thank Thee this morning for the great privilege of turning to Thy Word. We bless Thee that we rest upon a Word of authority, a Word that is forever settled in heaven, And dear Father, we pray as we come to the closing moments of this part of our meeting, we pray that Thy Spirit will illuminate our eyes to the understanding of Thy Word, and may we see wondrous things out of Thy truth this morning. We thank Thee for all that Thou hast accomplished. We do confess and acknowledge that this is the Lord's doing, and surely it is marvelous in our eyes. Hide us completely behind the cross, for this is Thy Word. This is the word that God hath given to us. We pray that none may be seen, save that Jesus only. For we pray in His name and for His sake. Amen. There is one word this morning that I believe adequately sums up the desire and the expression of my heart in this, the final service of this period of ministry in God's house in Greenfield. It is a very simple, but nonetheless very precious word, Ebenezer. Dr. Paisley has already quoted this particular word in the pastoral prayer, and it means very simply, hitherto have the Lord helped us. As I look around the congregation this morning, and as I see the visible signs of advancement, I believe that I am compelled to cry out this word. I must utter it forth from the very depth of my heart, hitherto hath the Lord helped us. I want therefore very simply and briefly to minister to you on this statement, hitherto hath the Lord helped us. For as we examine it in the context of our scripture reading, we see that it so beautifully is moulded into its past, into its present, and also into its future. And so I pray that God the Spirit will be pleased to challenge your heart. And if you are not saved this morning, it is our united cry that God will so speak to you that today you might be born again of the Spirit of God. The first thing that I want you to notice about Ebenezer is the fact that it was the place of retreat. If you go back in 1 Samuel to the fourth chapter of this book, You will discover exactly what I mean. In the fourth chapter of 1 Samuel, we read these words in the first verse. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer. And verse 2 tells us, And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines. And so Ebenezer became the place of retreat. And I fear that in many of our lives this morning, there can be the tendency to experience a time of retreat. How often we retreat from the place of prayer. How often we retreat from our meditation upon God's Word. How often we retreat from our witnessing for the Lord Jesus Christ and Ebenezer to the children of Israel was a place of retreat. But whenever the elders came back to the camp of Israel, we discover in verse 3 that they tried to assess the reason why Ebenezer was a place of retreat. And in the center of the verse 3, we read this statement from the elders, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? And in a measure, They acknowledge the judgment and the wrath and the indignation of God upon them. Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? And as I look across this vast and beautiful nation of America, I believe that we can ask this same question. Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us? Why is it that the Church of Christ is on the retreat? Why is it that the Church of Christ appears to be abdicating its authority and its responsibility? Why has the Lord smitten us? And the answer is very challenging as we would spend time to consider it this morning. You will see that there are three things that brought God's judgment upon the children of Israel. If you look at the third chapter and the first verse you will discover that there was the loss of divine power. Notice what it says in the second part of the verse 1 of the third chapter. It says here, and the word of the Lord was precious in those days. Now that word precious really means scarcity. That the word of the Lord was scarce in those days. And I believe that that is the great problem of our generation. We are living in a day when God's Word is a scarcity. We are living in a day when God's Word is neglected and rejected by many people. In fact, I was reminding the congregation just a few weeks ago of that great statement of Queen Victoria when the Indian Prince came to her and asked her what was the secret of Britain's greatness. And she very simply handed to him a copy of God's precious word. And she said, here is the secret of Britain's greatness. And I believe that that is the ground upon which we stand. If we are going to build a church that will be faithful, a church that will be true, a church that will be blessed of God, we must allow God's word to have preeminence and are coming together. And the word of the Lord was scarce in those days. And notice also what brought about this loss of divine power. In verse 3 we have a picture of it. In the 3rd chapter it says, And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord. And we see here a failure on the part of the priests of Israel to refill the lamps in the temple with the fresh oil. And therefore as they neglected their responsibility, we read these very sad and very indicting words that the lamp of God was about to go out in the temple of the Lord. And right across the nations today, we can truly see that this is happening, that the lamp of God would almost seem to be going out. And we need that fresh charge of the Spirit. We need that fresh anointing of the oil of God the Holy Ghost. And I trust within each one of us this morning, who would seek to stand true to God's Word, that we may pray daily for the infilling of the Spirit of God. I believe that that is what I need. I believe it is what we need as a congregation. Oh, that God would fill us with His Spirit today. If there is someone here, you feel that your life has not been what it should have been for God, and you feel that there has been a missing out in the place of prayer, and a failure to be involved in your witness for Christ, I trust that you especially will pray for that fresh oil of the Spirit that God may so set you on fire for Himself. There was a loss of divine power. But then I want you to notice, secondly, why Ebenezer became a place of retreat. It was because of a lack of parental restraint. And if you look at the 13th verse of the 3rd chapter, you will see here the picture of what was happening In verse 13 it says concerning Eli, For I have told him that I will judge his choice forever for the iniquity which he doeth knoweth, because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And here is a failure to exercise discipline within the family. And I trusted every believer will pray for grace that this may be part of their ministry, that there may be the bringing up of their children in the fear and in the nurture and in the admonition of the Lord. I am old fashioned enough to believe that he that spareth the rod, hateth the child. And I trust that within our congregations There may be that determination and there may be that spiritual, endowed enthusiasm to fulfill the clear commands of God's Word within our family circle. Here there was not only a loss of divine power, but there was a lack of parental restraint. But then I want you to notice thirdly why Ebenezer was a place of retreat. It was because of a lowering of the moral standards and you look at verse 22 of the second chapter and you will read these very sad words, now Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did unto Israel and how they lay with the woman that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and we see here a hideous activity performed by the sons of Eli, the people who were appointed and indeed anointed as priests of Israel. They were down in the very depths of gross immorality, and there was here personified a lowering of the moral standards. I trust that the picture is for me. That whenever the pulpit is wrong, then the home is wrong, and then society is wrong. that whenever there is a loss of divine power, then there is a lack of parental restraint, and then there is a lowering of the moral standards. And I trust that whoever stands behind this booklet may ever be faithful to the precepts of God's Word, that they may stand unashamedly and without apology for the Word of God. May we as a congregation get back to the old standards today. May we stand firm on the principles of God's unchanging truth. These three things constituted Ebenezer as a place of retreat. But then could I move on very briefly and say to you that Ebenezer became a place of revival. And this surely is the encouragement and the strength and the hope of the Church today that although our nation may be saturated in sin and apostasy, and although it may be overshadowed in a great measure by the judgment and the indignation of God, our tragedies can turn to triumphs. Our retreat can turn into revival, and we can see the very windows of heaven open, and God outpouring His blessing and His power upon His people. But I want you to notice quickly how Ebenezer became that place of revival. Notice what it says here in verse 2 of the 7th chapter of 1 Samuel. At the latter part we have the very basis or the very foundation of revival and it says here, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. There was here a spirit of lamentation. There was a great spirit of brokenheartedness and they lamented after the Lord. Oh, I trust that this congregation will be a lamenting congregation after the Lord, that we may be seeking the Lord, that we may ever lay hold upon the horns of the altar, that the pressures around us, the situation that envelops our nation may be so making its mark upon us that we will lament after the Lord. May you lament after the Lord in these final nights of this gospel campaign. May it not just be a mere spending a short time in prayer, but may we all earnestly lament after Him. But then notice what happens in verse 3. And Samuel speak unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods, and aster off from among you. In other words, Samuel is saying, if you really are lamenting after the Lord, then put it into practice. Don't just say it by your lips. But in your heart, you are to separate, you are to remove these idols, these strange gods of Balaam and Astaroth. Get rid of them before God prevents you. You know, the Bible makes it very clear that God's people have things to get rid of. It may not be the gods of David or the gods of Ashtoreth, but whenever Paul was writing to the church at Colossae, he said to them in the third chapter of his epistle, he said to the people, but now ye also put off all these. In other words, just the same thing that Samuel was saying, if you're going to see revival, if you're going to see God move and bless in the hearts of the people, then you've got to put off all these. And what are they? Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mind and soul. So there's a foot in all for God's people. But let's go down to chapter 7 of 1 Samuel. And notice how that Samuel in verse 5 called the people to Mishpah. And whenever they gathered to Mishpah in verse 6, They did a most interesting thing. It says here they drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said, We have sinned against the Lord. We have transgressed the law of God. We have rebelled. We have violated the very commands of our Creator. But why did they pour out the water? Was it not to symbolize that their lives and their position was as weak as water? built upon the ground that could not be gathered up again. That they were so weak amidst the enemy that there was no possible grounds of human deliverance. They had no strength. They had no ability. They had no strategy to defeat the Philistines. And so they said, Lord, we're helpless. We can do nothing. You know, that's the sort of people we've got. I believe in a great measure the Lord has brought many of the people in this congregation to that point. I feel that that is why the Lord has blessed many of you today, because you could see no way out. You said, we are as weak as water. We have no ability. We know not where our hope or our deliverance is coming from, but we believe that God will answer prayer. For some of you, it would have been so easy to have let go of the horns of prayer. It would have been so easy for you in a measure to have said, well, we have tried. But you kept holding on. And God intervened. God has answered prayer. So they came to Samuel in verse 8, and they said, Cease not to cry unto the Lord. and their full value and their full respect for prayer is revealed. And then in verse 9 it says, And Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it for a burnt offering, holy unto the Lord. And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him. What a great verse that is. What does it mean? It means that place between the seemingly defeated armies of Israel and the strong and wicked forces of the Philistines, there was the blood of the Lamb. Thank God this morning, as we leave you, in the measure our hearts are very sad. But I know this, that God will watch over His flock. For standing between you today and the enemy of your soul is the precious blood. And I trust that you will pray much that the Lord will confer your heart and comfort the congregation, and comfort the work of God in the precious blood." Oh, make much of the blood. Make much of its power. Make much of its victory. Make much of its value this morning. And so the fellows' friends, they gathered, just as Samuel was off in October, offering And as they came with determination, no doubt in their hearts, thinking that here with an easy prey we will soon have these Israelites on the run once again. But then we read that very precious word in verse 10. But, that word but in the Scriptures is very precious as we were pointing out last Sunday. But the Lord thundered with a great thunder in that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them, and they were smitten before Israel. Who did this work? Was it Samuel? No. Was it the weak and feeble armies of Israel? No. It was the great God of heaven. God thundered upon him who has done the work here. Has it been the congregation? No. Has it been David McIntyre? No. It has been the God of heaven. God has thundered here in this chapter upon the Philistines and in verse 11 we see that Israel who were on the retreat at Ebenezer now go forth on to the offensive and the men of Israel went out of Mystra and pursued the Philistines and smote them until they came under Bethar. That's a wonderful statement because if you were to examine out the context of our reading you would see that Israel here by and large, was a disarmed people. That was why David had to use a sling against Goliath. That was why Shamgard had to use the ox code. That is why Samson had to use the jawbone of an ass, because the Philistines had disarmed the people. You know, the enemy has disarmed many of God's people today. And he has replaced the blessed sword of the Spirit with perversions that are ineffective that bring no salvation, that bring no conversion, that bring no sanctifying power to God's people. And by and large, the church is disarmed by the enemy. So as the enemy came, God discomforted them. I believe that they fled with such fear and fright that the Israelites were able to pick up the very weapons, the very tools, the very instruments that the Philistines had determined to use against God's people. and they were able to thrust them into the Philistines themselves. That's what our God is able to do. Man meant it for evil, but God has turned it for good. Ebenezer, a place of revival. Ebenezer, a place of retreat. But last of all, Ebenezer, a place of remembrance. We read here how that they put a stone between Beth, Carl, and Shane, and they called it Ebenezer saying, Hitherto have the Lord helped us. And every time the children of Israel passed this stone, this monument that was erected, how their hearts could turn back and they could say, surely God did visit us in that day when it seemed impossible for our deliverance. God did visit us and they gained strength and gained encouragement. Dear members and friends of this church, as you pass Many days of trial and trouble, no possessions. I trust that in a very small measure, you may raise a spiritual monument over these past three months. That you might recall and say, well, surely the Lord did something for us there. We never thought that the extension would be completed. We never thought that whenever it would be completed, that it would be almost filled up again. God has done something for you. And whenever at times you may get discouraged and depressed and downhearted, I trust that this simple place will be a place of remembrance of what God has done in the past. Thank God. He can do in the future. Have it easier. The place of the dream. The place of revival. The place of remembrance. May God bless you. May He encourage your heart. very challenging as far as we're concerned.