When God Comes Calling

The Rarity of the Call — (Vs. 1)

Proverbs 29:18 — Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

The Severity of the Call — (Vs. 2-4)

The Respondency to the Call — (Vs. 5-10)

The Accountability of the Call — (Vs. 11-14)

Romans 14:12 — So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Romans 2:6 — Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

The Delivery of the Call — (Vs. 15-18)

The Finality of the Call — (Vs. 19-21)

The Practicality of the Call

How does this example, left upon the pages of history apply to us today?

Well, I believe there is a two-fold application here that we need to understand. First, there’s the application for the lost person here or listening online today.

For the Lost

Samuel knew who God was but he didn’t know God in a personal manner. He was like many people walking around in this world today. They’ve heard of God, they’ve more than likely at some point heard someone preaching about God but they’ve never come to know God in a personal manner.

And I’d dare say that there are many people, who just like Samuel, are even serving in their local church in one capacity or another…they may be helping with a food ministry, they may be serving in the kids ministry, they may even be a teacher or a deacon or who knows it could even be the Pastor…and they, like Samuel, are serving the Lord, they’re going through the motions, but they really don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ!

I believe today, God is speaking to someone, He’s calling just like He called on Samuel, He’s trying to get your attention and what you need to do today is answer that call just like Samuel did.

Notice how Samuel reacted when he heard the call of the Lord. The Bible says the first time the Lord called Samuel here, he ran unto Eli! Dear friend if you feel like God is calling your name today, don’t put it off! Don’t shrug it off as if it’s no big deal! Don’t say to yourself, “oh, I’m just hearing things. I’ll wait to see if I hear it again and come next week.”

Dear friend the Bible started this chapter out by saying “The word of the Lord was precious in those days” and what I want you to know this morning is that the word of the Lord is still precious in these days!

God said in..Genesis 6:3a “my spirit will not always strive with man.” And then in 1st John 5:16b the Bible says, “there is a sin unto death.” I believe that sin is the blaspheming of the Holy Ghost. Continually putting off the call of God upon your life! I believe you can turn God away over and over and over until finally as the Bible states in Romans 1:28 — And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Friend, I believe you can put God off and put God off until eventually He’s going to say if that’s what you want, then that’s what you’re going to get! And the worst part of all is not that you can’t come to God after being turned over to a reprobate mind, the worst part is that you won’t want to come to God after that’s happened!

You will love the world and the ways of the world and nothing inside of you will desire to come to know God so dear friend, if you feel that God is calling your name today as He did Samuel’s on this wonderful night, then run to God today! Run to this altar and just as Eli told Samuel to answer, say “speak Lord, for thy servant heareth!”

Admit that you have sinned against Him. Believe upon Him and His amazing saving grace. And confess Him to the multitudes for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!

For the Saved

Now, not only is this message we have seen here today practical for the lost, but also for the saved individual!

First off, find somewhere you can serve.

Even before young Samuel knew the Lord he was doing more than most church members do today. Most members show up on Sunday mornings and feel like they are doing God and the Church a favor! Dear friend, I’m here to tell you this morning that being a born again child of God is more than just Church attendance!

It’s about seeing a need in the body to which you belong and fulfilling that need. Find something the Church needs, that you can do and get busy! Samuel ministered unto the Lord and you should too!

2. Number two goes right along with number one…when God calls answer the call!

Let me ask you something…what did Samuel do when God called his name? Did he shrug it off and say, “ah, it’s no big deal. I’ll just answer that call later?” Did he just deny the call altogether and say, “I hear you Lord but I’m not doing it?”

No! Four different times God called upon Samuel and each time he responded immediately! Dear friend, if God is calling your name this morning quit running, quit denying the call, quit quenching the Spirit of God and respond!

But preacher, I know what God’s calling me to do and I know I can’t do it! Friend, listen to me…God knows you better than you know yourself and if He’s calling you to do something then He already knows you can do it!

God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called, Amen!

3. We need to be Courageous

Listen, can you imagine what was running through Samuel’s mind when God revealed His plan to him? I’m sure this young fellow was scared to death! The Bible says there in Verse 15, “And Samuel feared to shew Eli the Vision.” But you know what…when Eli threatened Samuel about not telling him what God revealed to him, he let him have it didn’t he?

Sometimes being a child of God isn’t easy. Sometimes we are faced with uncertain circumstances but God has assured us that if He is for us then no one shall be able to stand against us!

He is our rock and our fortress! He is our buckler and our shield! He is our mighty tower! There is none like Him; never has been and never will be! His is the one and the only God, Jehovah, and because He is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent we can rest in His strength! We can mount up with wings like eagles! We can run and not be tired and walk and not faint!

We are His and He is ours!

Aren’t you glad we serve a mighty God this morning!

So, we need to find somewhere to serve, we need to answer God’s call upon our lives and we need to be courageous. And lastly this morning friend, we need to grow in the Lord!

4. We need to Grow in the Lord

The Bible says there in Verse 19 “And Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and did let none of his words fall to the ground.”

Now this could be speaking of Samuel growing physically but I believe the Bible also means Samuel grew spiritually!

So many Christians come know Jesus and never grow in Him! They remain babes in the Word of God. They remain babes in their faith. They remain babes in their service to Him and do you know what you’re doing if you’re not growing?

You’re hurting yourself! You are keeping yourself blessings! You are limiting your faith! You are limiting your reach for God. You are limiting your boldness. You are limiting your resilience! You are limit the Spirit of God at work in your life!

Dear friend, you need to know this morning that God wants to do something wonderful with you and through you but in order for that to happen, you have to get off the milk and get on to the meat of the word!

It’s time to start Growing in the Lord! And when you start growing, God will start showing you more and more of Himself!

Look how chapter 3 finishes out. “And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord!

The more Samuel grew in God the more God grew in Samuel, Amen! And God had began to grow in young Samuel so much that everyone else around was taking notice as well!

The Bible says there, “And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.”

God’s light shined bright through His servant Samuel. It had become dim in the world but one soul, one man who allowed the light of God to shine through him changed everything.

And the question I leave you with today is this…when God comes calling your name, how will you respond? Will you turn Him aside? Will you ignore Him? Or will you be like Samuel and answer His call upon your life?

Will you allow His light to shine bright through your life like His servant Samuel did or will you like Eli, dim the light of God by not heeding His call?

The choice is yours as to what you will do when God comes calling. I pray this morning that you will make the right decision!