In the sermon 'Here I Raise Mine Ebenezer,' David Green reflects on the story from 1 Samuel chapter 7, where Samuel sets up a stone called Ebenezer as a memorial of God's help in defeating the Philistines. Green draws parallels between this biblical event and the 25th anniversary of the church he addresses, emphasizing the importance of remembering God's providence and grace over time. He underscores the historical significance of biblical events, comparing them to personal and communal milestones within the church. The sermon encourages the congregation to recognize God's ongoing work in their lives, challenges them to be active participants in their faith, and stresses the importance of spiritual growth. Green uses examples from both the Old and New Testaments to highlight God's consistent help and presence, urging the church to continue looking forward in faith while acknowledging past victories.

I appreciate the opportunity to preach. It wasn't originally that I was going to preach during this meeting. This was originally Brother Sam Wilson's spot, but Brother Sam had accidentally double-booked himself, And so he wasn't able to come. And now I was told that since I was taking his spot that I should get an outline with three points and start with the same letter. But Brother Sam apparently has a talent that I don't.

Because when I got to trying to do that, I spent more time in the thesaurus than I did in the Word. It didn't work out so well. So I appreciate Brother Sam and we'll have him down some other time, but I just don't have the same talent that he does with words. But to Lord willing, this will be a blessing. This will be a blessing to you.

In 1st Samuel chapter 7, we'll begin reading at verse 7, and we'll go on down to verse 14. 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. Why don't we need that? Don't we need someone that will cease not to cry to the Lord our God for us? 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. And the Lord heard him. What a blessing. 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 on 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 till they came unto Bethkar. Verse 12 is my text, Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shin, called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, hitherto hath the Lord helped us. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel, and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel from Ekron, even unto Gath.

And the coast thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines, and there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. The title of my message is, Here I Raise My Nebanizer. Little background here in the passage. We read here of the enemies of God's people going against the people of God and the Lord answering the prayer of Samuel. What a great victory was won that day.

Victory was won that day. As a memorial of the victory, Samuel placed this stone between Mizpah and Shin, called the name of it Ebenezer, or stone of help, as a standing memorial that the Lord had thus far helped His people. I love reading this passage and you know we sung the song earlier it's got that word Ebenezer in there But how often we sing it and don't even know what it's talking about. Kind of a dangerous thing, really, to sing songs and we don't know what it's talking about. But oh, how we ought to mine the scriptures and see what in the world these songs are talking about.

And that's the beauty of those old hymns. The good ones anyway, they're scriptural. They take us back somewhere where we ought to be thinking about and considering. And oh, how the hand of God is marked in this text. The hand of God is marked in the Old Testament saints of God, as we consider and we rejoice reading it to history.

This Bible is not just a book full of stories. Sometimes kids get off to Sunday school or they get to learning about stuff and they talk about Bible stories. This isn't just stories, this is history. This is real stuff. And how we rejoice at the things that happened in their lives.

Talking about Noah in the ark. I'm talking about the children of Israel at the Red Sea. And can you just imagine it with your mind's eye as there they were. They just left Egypt and They come to the water in front of them. The army's a pharaoh behind them.

The fear and the dread that must have been there in their hearts. Wondering what to do. Can you hear Moses? As he got the orders from the Lord and he says, "'Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord and then you see at least I do in my mind's eye that water just split wide open in a wall of water on both sides. That's real stuff.

I reckon it must have been like an aquarium. You ever go to an aquarium and you walk through and you see water on both sides and you see the fish and the animals and I mean it split wide open and it was dry in the middle. First example of that I guess. God did that for His people. Amen.

And the skeptics say, oh, well they got through an ankle deep water. Well, let me tell you still a miracle if you want to say that because guess what happened? Pharaoh's army drowned in it. Either way, you want to say this happened, then okay. Look at what God did with ankle deep water but that ain't what the text says is it Josiah and I were talking about David and Goliath.

We read that last night. Little David having the victory over great big Goliath. What a thrill that is to read about Daniel and the lion's den, the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. What we read here in this text in the victory that took place. Oh so much, so much the hand of God.

Acts chapter 26 verse 13. Verse 13, he says, At midday, O King, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun shining round about me, and then which journeyed with me. When we were all fallen into the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, who art thou, Lord?

And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and to witness both of these things which thou hast seen and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me, whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple and went about to kill me, having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both the small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles.

Oh, how Paul had this great testimony as he recounted his conversion, the things that happened when the Lord got a hold of him that day. What a testimony he had. And as he said there in verse 22, having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day. You see, Old Testament saints, New Testament saints, they all had similar stories. They all were able to look back on their life at certain points and say, and say, here's where I am.

This is what's happened. This is what's happened. Like Paul, those of us that have been saved, We can look back on our own lives, can't we? We can look back and we can see and we can tell of those Differences, those things that have happened. Our brother was just preaching about that and where he was before he was saved and where he is now.

We delight in that and we ought to be willing to tell about it. Our experiences may be a little different, but let me tell you, looking back, And as we stand right here today, we look back and we can recognize, or we ought to recognize, the hand of God and see his providence in all things. In all things. That the Lord has thus far helped us, whether it's as an individual or as a church, being here for 25 years. How we rejoice to see how God has worked in the lives of those that we read about.

And how we rejoice to see how God worked in the past amongst the men and the brethren that we've read about and talked about, some of them are no longer with us. I'm talking about men like Brother Edgy. Brother Joe Wilson. Men that have gone on to be with the Lord and we look back and we can see and we recognize how that God worked in their lives. You see and we recognize and know that the Lord wasn't just working in the Bible times, He was working in our lifetimes because we knew those men.

We saw. We know. We know what happened. We'll be loving. While we rejoice in the Old Testament and the New Testament, we rejoice at those in Baptist history, we rejoice at the preachers that have gone on before us.

Isn't it more interesting and profitable for us to consider what God has done in our lives. I speak this afternoon to every child of God here in particularly, But especially, especially to the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church because anniversaries matter. Anniversaries matter. It's a big deal. Just ask any married couple.

Maybe you've been married. One spouse or another forgets the anniversary date. See how that goes. It doesn't go very well. If you're going to forget your anniversary as a married person, the best thing that can happen is for both of you to forget.

That's the best thing that can happen. That's one of the beauties of getting old. You know? Both people forget. But if it's one or the other, you better hope it's not you.

Anniversaries matter. It's a big deal. It's a mile marker. It's a mile marker. 25 years is a big deal in our day and age, especially in a day like we live.

I was looking up some statistics. Gallup poll, and of course, statistics sometimes you can't trust them, but I kind of tend to believe this one. They said for the first time, church membership fell in America below the majority. So there's more people in this country who don't go to church than who do. I tend to believe that.

I tend to believe that. You realize that 25 years ago or 50 years ago, you go out and you talk to people, you tell them about the Lord, you talk about knowing the ark. You mentioned David and Goliath, they might know what you're talking about. But there's a generation now who may have been raised having never been in church. They don't know about these things.

Taking into account all denominations, not just badness, even before the pandemic, there were more church closings than there were churches being started. That was in 2019. I suspect, I suspect that the way 2020 went, that got accelerated. There were a lot of churches that closed their doors for good. Some of them that was for the best, you understand that.

But still, but still, The question is, the question is that we must ask ourselves is are you part of the problem or are you different than the world? You see, God's people have always been counter-cultural and the worse things get in this country, the more things go, God's people are going to stick out more and more. You see? When you go outside, as the sun starts going down, you begin to see the stars, but it's not until the darkest part of the night that the stars start shining real, real bright. And It's because they're more noticeable because it's darker outside.

The darker it gets in this world, the more God's people are going to shine. The last 25 years might not have seemed like being so exciting as maybe, You know, the things that we read about in the Old Testament may not have seemed as exciting as what Paul lived through. But we ought to be like Samuel. He was piling on a stone that day saying, hitherto, hitherto hath the Lord helped us. Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

Whether it seems like you've got a boring life or an exciting life, the Lord, if you're a child of God, hitherto hath the Lord helped us. Hitherto. We sung the song. Did we mean it? Did we mean it?

It was a miracle for the Jews to make it across the Red Sea. It was a miracle that the three Hebrews got out of that fiery furnace. It was a miracle that Job survived to tell the story of what had happened to him. And it's a miracle that this church is still here today? A miracle What do you mean sovereign grace Baptist Church in Hortense or Popwellville where in the world's that?

Right. What if they got it? The world says we're nothing, but God says hold on a second, that's my church. Jesus said, I died for that church. That's my church.

You see. It's not chance, fate, luck that brought you to this place, nor is it any of that that got you here thus far. As we reflect over the last 25 years, You've seen some good times. You've seen some bad times. You've laughed, you've cried.

You've been on the mountaintop and you've been in the valley. And I don't even have to know all the details. I can tell you that without even knowing the things I know about this church. Because I know what it's like to be a Christian. You see, you don't have to be saved for five minutes to realize that you're going to experience those things.

You've seen the sunshine and the rain. But understand, we can't be bold in our thinking and think, look at what I've done or what I've accomplished. Just like Samuel, when he raised his Ebenezer, he said, hitherto hath the Lord helped us, here we are. Review your diaries, your memories, go back and look at what you've come through and understand the hand of God every step of the way. Oh, I believe God is sovereign.

In fact, I believe He's absolutely sovereign. I believe that there's not a... Somebody asked me one time, said, how sovereign do you think God is? I said, He's God. I mean, I don't believe a drop of rain falls without Him being in control of it.

The same God who was with Samuel and those other fellows that we read about is the same God who was with this church and who's been with you and who's been with me. 25 years ago I was a 15 year old boy being called to preach. Lord brought us together. Who would have thought it? I never thought that I'd ever live in Georgia.

I came down here in 20... Probably 2011, 2012, something like that, to a funeral in September. And I thought, oh, it won't be too hot. It was like July. I mean, what July is in Ohio, it was hot.

But God had plans for us. And I believe those plans were set way back before the foundation of the world. Now listen, Listen, when we go through the Bible and we read these things and we see how God works these things out, God did some great things in and through Israel. God did some grand things in and through His people. God did some great things in and through the church.

We see that, we see a grand theme happening. Israel's not the church and the church is never Israel, but God is always there working in and through His people. And I thank God for that. I thank God for that. The same God who was with the Jews that day when the Philistines came against them has been with you.

When enemies, seen or unseen, come up against you. And let me tell you, let me tell you, there's times when there's things that we don't even know about. God's protecting us. Why, I don't know how many times I've been delayed. And I get aggravated.

Hurry up. Get your shoes. Come on, kids. Let's go. And they got something going on or whatever.

The car won't start. I forget something. I got to run back in and then go up the road just a little bit, only find out there was a car wreck. Something happened. That could have been me, but it wasn't.

The reality is it couldn't have been me because God didn't allow it, you see. In the life of this church and in your own life, we can find deliverances, periods of refreshing, victories, etc. That can be traced all to the hand of Almighty God. Hitherto, hitherto hath the Lord helped us. Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

We read this text there in 1 Samuel chapter 7. I know it's not a common text that people preach from. I guess I've only heard it preached one other time. It's fitting. The latter part there he said, called the name of it Ebenezer, saying hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

We read the text and we look backward knowing that the Lord helped us. That's what he did. He looked backward and he recognized what the Lord had done. And as we gather here today we're commemorating and celebrating and rejoicing what the Lord has done with this church 25 years. But we look at it, understanding that we can also look forward.

Look forward. Because he says hitherto, That means up to this point. It's not we're done. Hitherto. We're not finished yet.

God's grace has brought us this far and by his grace we've got some more left. The same grace that brought us these 25 years will bring us some more. Now I'm no prophet. I can't tell you what tomorrow, I can't tell you what the next five minutes are going to bring. But I do know But I do know this, that I'm not going to brag about what's next anymore than I brag about what's happened.

My life, the life of this church, is in hand of God. That's right. Amen. All I can do is ask, where have you been the last 25 years and where do you suppose you'll be next? Ask yourself, as a child of God, as a church member, are you a benchwarmer?

There's lots of benchwarmers in churches all across this country. And while I'll never understand poor church attendance, I also do not understand bench warmers. The Lord is not your fire escape and that's it. Some people believe that Jesus died on the cross just so they can escape hell and they go through life going to church, sitting on the pew and then going home and that's the extent of their Christian life. But let me tell you folks, there's more to being a Christian than that.

There's much more than that. All to be actively serving the Lord And I thank God that we've got a church of people who actively serve the Lord. You realize that there's things that went into this meeting that wouldn't have gotten done unless people were actively doing stuff. So ask yourself, are you a bench warmer? Because let me tell you, let me tell you, the next 25 years ain't looking too promising if all you are is a bench warmer then the other question you've got to ask yourself is How have you grown the last 25 years?

Can you imagine being married to somebody for 25 years? Brother Troy said he'd been married to Sister Sarah for about the length of time of this church being established, what if Brother Troy needed to know Sister Sarah in all that time? That'd be an awful marriage. Do you know there's people who say that they've been saved and go for years without knowing anything more about Christ than what they knew when they first professed to know Him. Oh, how we ought to grow in the Lord.

You know, If a child wasn't growing, we'd know there was something wrong, something bad wrong. And for a child of God to not have any growth, there's something horribly wrong. Something horribly wrong. The Bible tells us to make our calling and election sure. The only way to do that is on this side of heaven because let me tell you, once you die, it's too late.

Too late to check that out. Out. If things go the way that the last 25 years have gone, well, some folks will be absent at our 50th anniversary if we get there. Now I hope, I hope and pray that the Lord comes back before we get to 50 years. And I think he might.

He may very well. And I'm looking forward to that. But if he doesn't, some of the people in this room won't be there some of us who die and go home with to be with the Lord what a great thing that'll be you said what kind of morbid talk is that? Listen, for the child of God, truly the day of one's death is better than the day of our birth. If you want to cry a little bit when I die, that's okay, but listen, just don't sorrow those who have no hope.

Because if you're saved, you'll see me again. You'll see me again. But I'm looking forward to being with the Lord. But I also know this, some people won't be here because they'll depart from the faith. They'll depart from the faith.

Oh, I wish you weren't so, but there are some who will depart from the faith. You realize, you realize there's a lot of fable chasers out there today. And you know, this, it's a tragedy. A lot of the people in my generation, I thank God for the children that are here. I think I mentioned this a while ago, earlier today, there were kids my age coming to church when I was young, and a good number of them ain't around anymore.

Studies have been done to try to figure it out. Some people blame the parents, some people blame the youth leaders, some people blame the pastors, some people blame this or that, but let me tell you something. At the end of the day none of that matters because every one of those people from my generation will have to stand before the Lord and give an account. Ain't none of them going to be able to stand up there and say, well it's mama's fault. None of them are going to be able to stand up there and say, well, it's daddy's fault.

None of them will be able to stand up there and say, well, it was the pastor's fault or the youth leader's fault. We're all accountable for our actions. All of us. Oh, without Christ as your Savior, you'll stand before God condemned. And that's the harsh reality of it So I'm thankful for the children that are coming to church and being here But I would I would just encourage you to listen to the messages that are being preached, but not only here, but also to obey.

Breaks my heart, so I'm losing. But I thank God that there'll be some who will carry on God willing. 50 years anniversary, 25 more years from now. I don't know what the Lord's plan is in my life and your life, but I do know this. The Lord will have a faithful people.

And if I'm still here, if I'm still here alive and able to preach, able to be a part of it, oh, I'll look back by God's grace and say hitherto hath the Lord helped us. 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. Notice what he says here. Verses 9 and 10 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not made to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God, which was with me. Oh, there's so much that could be said, but whatever good we are, or do as individuals or as a church. It's by the grace of God. It's nothing that I can brag about. You know, I can't say I'm better than anybody else of my generation.

Even Noah, whenever the Bible says Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, do you realize that out of that whole generation that God was mad at and ready to destroy, The Bible says Noah found grace. You know what that means? There wasn't even anything in Noah that was deserving. You and I, we get dressed We get dressed up, come to church. We look at this.

We thank God for 25 years. We must understand, just like the songwriter said, oh to grace how great a debt or daily unconstrained to be. Truly, truly hitherto hath the Lord helped us. Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. May God be pleased whether we've got another 25 years or another 25 seconds, may God be pleased that we be found faithful with whatever we've got left so that we can be a great testimony to God's goodness as we serve him and be a witness in the area that he's called us to be in.

May God add a blessing to the preaching of his word.